Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time
June 26, 2022 •
On one level, we can consider the Supreme Court decision (Dobbs) a great victory. because federal law forced the legalization of abortion upon the country. So thank God that that's over, and now states can decide. But we're not done, that's just the beginning. The next step for us is to get North Carolina declared a state of life, meaning abortion is declared completely illegal.
The Church explains in the Catechism that the laws of nations- of any nation - must protect life. That's an obligations. It's not an option. It doesn't matter what religion you are or what country you live in. All civil laws must protect life, and if they don't, then all of the laws of that nation are corrupt, because life - individual personhood - is the basis for al law. The good of the person. If you don't protect the innocent life, the rest of the laws can't do any good for those people.
So we have to fight for that first in our state. That's our next goal: to make North Carolina a state where we make all forms of murder illegal.
The second point I want to reference is the Church's teaching on self defense, or "just war theory." The reason it's important that we talk about it at this time is because it's clear that there are many on the extreme pro-choice side, who have been violent, some toward people, some towards buildings and things. . . . So , what are our God-given rights in regard to self-defense? this can be a difficult and sensitive topic. If you want to look it up in the Catechism, it's explained under "Avoiding War". It begins paragraph 2307. It gives the Church's teaching, that has always been held, this is the teaching of Christ as explained by the Church.
Even though war can be "just" - the self defense of a nation - the goal of every Christian is to avoid it insofar as is possible. And that's what we have to begin with in regards to any form of self defense. Where the taking of another life is required, to defend your life or the lives of the innocent, that is always the last resort. . . . You need to avoid doing everything in your power, reasonably speaking, to avoid taking a life. Even if that life is guilty.
1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21; Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; Gal 5:1, 13-18; Lk 9:51-62
Homily begins at 18:30