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In the coming year it looks as if there will be very aggressive attempts in both courts and legislatures to advance physician-assisted suicide (or as its proponents prefer to call it, the “right to die”). The recent legalization of physician-assisted suicide in California was a sad harbinger of what is being attempted in other states as well. Here in the Archdiocese of Washington, both the D.C. City Council and the Maryland state legislature are debating bills to make it legal.

Thankfully, a rather significant coalition of disabilities advocates, medical professionals, pro-life organizations, and faith communities opposes this so-called “right-to-die” legislation. The American Medical Association (AMA) also opposes euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, stating that they are “fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks.”

Why should we as Catholics oppose the legalization of assisted suicide/euthanasia? There are many reasons. Some of them are informed by our faith, others are more rooted in natural law or reason, and still others flow from the consequences that would ultimately result from the legalization.

Let’s consider first what the Catechism teaches about euthanasia/assisted suicide:

Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible. Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia [or assisted suicide] consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable. Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.

Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of “over-zealous” treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one’s inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.

Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted (CCC 2277-2279).

Thus the Catechism defines euthanasia/assisted suicide as the intentional ending of a life, whether by direct means such as injection with deadly drugs, or indirectly through the refusal to provide food and/or water. The distinction between euthanasia and assisted suicide lies in who initiates the final act that actually causes death, the patient himself (assisted suicide) or a third party (euthanasia).

One cannot emphasize enough that allowing a person to die by refusing or withdrawing burdensome treatments, or by not providing machines such as ventilators that are unlikely to be therapeutic, is not euthanasia/assisted suicide. Church teaching does not require that one pursue every treatment possible. The patient must discern carefully with information supplied by his medical team along with an assessment of his personal resources—spiritual, psychological, emotional, familial, and financial—whether or not a particular treatment is excessively burdensome. However, even for an imminently dying person, basic care (which usually includes nutrition and hydration, even if administered through a tube) must be provided.

Pain management for those with terminal illnesses, for those with degenerative diseases, and for the dying is allowed and encouraged, even if the medication has the unintended side effect of shortening life. Arguments that dying is too painful and therefore a patient should be euthanized or assisted in dying are not valid, because it is very rare today that pain cannot be managed reasonably through advancements in the growing specialty of palliative care.

Let’s consider some other reasons, both religious and natural, that we should oppose assisted suicide/euthanasia. I’ll begin with the natural reasons that should concern us all, including those of different faiths and those with no faith tradition. Then I’ll move to the religious reasons that should influence us who believe.

1. Legalized assisted suicide grants, by government decree, certain citizens, i.e. medical professionals, death-dealing authority; this in turn results in irreparable damage to the doctor-patient relationship. Introducing death as a medical treatment option that can be offered by health care professionals transforms a trusted profession that has been solely dedicated to healing for millennia. It is because of this dedication to healing that doctors have enjoyed such respect and trust from their patients and society as a whole. The idea that government can give death-dealing power to certain individuals means that they can also enforce and regulate it. With an already broken healthcare system plagued with a spending problem, it is not difficult to imagine that assisted suicide will be an easy “fix” to our spending problem and legitimate treatment options will be refused.
   
   In an attempt to limit who “qualifies” for assisted suicide, the legislation states that an individual must have been given a prognosis of six months or less left to live. All doctors who deal with terminal illnesses on a regular basis will tell you that these prognoses are an educated guess at best. It is dangerous and irresponsible to allow patients who have received such a prognosis (and who may be disoriented and vulnerable) to make lethal decisions based upon a “guess.”
2. Legalized assisted suicide will likely lead to poorer healthcare and increased pressure on the sick, the elderly, the disabled, and the traumatically injured. Those who advocate for the physically and mentally disabled have good reason to fear that pressure will be applied to euthanize the disabled and those who have been in traumatic accidents. As the concept of “a life not worth living” grows, and as the idea gains traction that disability (even milder forms) is a fate worse than death, those who struggle with disability may well be easy targets for those who advise suicide. Some may feel pressured to no longer be a “burden.” Many will have the sense of their dignity being lessened. More can be read here: Disability and Euthanasia – History and Concerns.
3. Granting individuals the right to end their life ultimately threatens us all because it implicitly denies the dignity of the dying. Failing to understand this dignity will lead to poorer care and will increase pressure on the elderly and dying to end their lives prematurely so that they are no longer a burden.
4. In other words, the “right to die” too easily becomes the “duty to die.” What begins sociologically through pressure not to be a burden, soon enough becomes economically necessary because insurance benefits may vanish. And one can’t ignore the possibility of eventual legal pressure. The experience in the Netherlands is particularly sobering. More can be read on that here: Euthanasia Law in the Netherlands.

There are many more reasons to oppose euthanasia/assisted suicide purely on rational grounds. You can find more of these here: www.noDCSuicide.org.

Now I would like to move on to those reasons that originate from our faith in Jesus Christ.

One of my privileges as a priest is to have accompanied many people on their final journey toward death. I’ve also accompanied their family members. In making these journeys, I have discovered that some of God’s greatest and most necessary work takes place in and during the process of natural death.

1. Natural death is an important part of life that should be respected and accepted, not rejected. Some very important things happen on our deathbed that assist us spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally. These things happen not only to us but to our loved ones as well.I have seen pride melt away; I have seen powerful contrition for past sins emerge. I have seen gratitude intensify, both in the one who is dying and in the loved ones who surround him or her. I have heard beautiful words like, “I love you,” “I am proud of you,” “I will miss you.” I have seen people let go and let God take over. I have seen forgiveness, tenderness, appreciation, and love being shared as never before. There is also the beautiful gift of listening and waiting, along with the learning of lessons that will never be forgotten.I do not say that there is not grief and emotional pain; there is. But that is not all there is; there is beauty and love, too. And these are important and necessary. Perhaps some of the most necessary and profound things take place on our deathbed and at the deathbed of others.Supporters of the legalization of assisted suicide and/or euthanasia might argue that these beautifully human and transformative moments also occur when one takes death into his own hands. I have no doubt that many tearful goodbyes are shared and some reconciliation among family members occurs as well. But there is a very different quality and a transparent authenticity within these moments when one has surrendered his/her life and control of it over to God.
2. The dying process helps us to receive the Kingdom of God like a little child, and God says this is necessary for us. As God directs Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature … For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7). Even in the painful sight of once-strong individuals reduced to weakness, there is a kind of strange beauty and we must ask the Lord to give us the “eyes to see” (cf. Mt 13:16). In the nursing homes of this land are people who once ran businesses, raised families, and led communities. Now many have returned to a kind of childhood, even infancy. Some cannot walk, some have to be fed, some can no longer talk, some clutch dolls, and some must wear diapers.All this seems so horrible to many, but important things are happening. These are not conditions that any of us would willingly choose or wish upon another. However, not one of these losses, even the significant loss of intellectual capacity in such diseases as Alzheimer’s, diminishes worth or dignity. I do not want to minimize the pain that accompanies these losses—and the pain is not limited to the patient alone. Often family members and caregivers undergo significant stress and experience the pain of our Blessed Mother at the foot of the cross.But again, something important is happening.Are those in nursing homes really so different from you and me?  Maybe death and dying are the “place” where all worldly status, all privilege, all inequalities are leveled and we simply become who we are. Are we not all little children to God? Does He not have to provide for every one of us in our need? Does He not have to feed us, clothe us, and enable us to speak? Perhaps it is just that with the elderly and dying the illusion of self-sufficiency has been shed. The Lord says, Unless you change and become like little children you will not inherit the kingdom of God (Mat 18:3).
3. As Catholics, we can never affirm the world’s claim “My body is my own and I can do with it as I please.” For a believer, this is simply not true. Scripture says, You are not your own. For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body (1 Cor 6:19). We are the steward, not the owner, of our body; we belong to God. As disciples, we seek to imitate Christ as He surrendered to His own impending death and gave us His Body at the Last Supper: This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me (Lk 22:19).
4. As Christians, we must once again reaffirm our acceptance of the cross. No one likes the cross—it is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles (1 Cor 1:22)—but we have been taught by Christ that the cross is both necessary and saving. And we must insist, at least among our own number, upon the belief expressed by St. Paul: So we do not lose heart. Though our body is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Cor 4:16-18).

Think carefully before you support assisted suicide/euthanasia through some notion of “compassion.” The truest compassion is to want for someone what he or she truly needs in order to be saved. Ultimately, only God can say what this is. We do not have dignity because we can control our own lives; we have dignity because our life is in God’s hands.

The Maryland Catholic Conference and the Washington D.C. Catholic Conference have been working with the coalitions Maryland Against Physician Assisted Suicide (www.stopassistedsuicidemd.org) and No DC Suicide (www.nodcsuicide.org) to warn people about how the bills threatens vulnerable populations, including those who are sick, elderly, disabled, or who lack adequate, affordable healthcare.

Please become informed and act against the legalization of assisted suicide/euthanasia.

One of the more troublesome and damaging human traits is our susceptibility to deception. Scripture speaks often of this problem and we do well to examine some of those texts and consider what they teach us.

Perhaps it is good to look first to the Latin and Greek roots of the word deceive.

Latin: The Latin root of deceive is decipere, meaning to ensnare (de (of or up) + capere (to seize or take)). And thus the Latin emphasizes our tendency to be easily caught up or carried away, to be ensnared by error. It evokes the image of an animal being carried off as prey in the mouth of a lion. We are so easily are we carried away by the latest fashions, trends, and thinking of the world. And having been carried away, we are ensnared by error and to some degree cut off from the truth.

Greek: There are several words in the Greek New Testament that are translated as deceive in English. By far the most common is πλανάω (planao), meaning to go astray, to wander off course, to deviate from the correct path, to roam into error, to be misled. (Planao is the also the Greek root of the English word planet (literally, wandering body)). In the Greek New Testament, this term nearly always conveys the sin of roaming from the truth. And thus we see that the Greek emphasizes that we go astray or are led astray, that we wander off. Isaiah the prophet lamented, All we like sheep have gone astray; every one to his own way (Is 53:6). Yes, and if sheep are wayward animals, human beings are more so, for at least a sheep knows its master’s voice. Too many of us will listen to and follow anyone but the Lord.

We humans are involved in deception in three different ways.

I. We are sometimes the victim of deception. The Scriptures frequently warn, “Do not be deceived.” Jesus warned, At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many (Mat 24:11).

St. Paul also lamented false apostles and Judaizers who misled many. He warned of savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them (Acts 20:29-30). He also spoke of some who will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Tim 4:1).

St. John warned of the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world (1 John 4:3).

Thus to some degree we are victims of deceivers. The Scriptures warn us to be on our guard: Do not be deceived! We are not to allow these deceivers to lead us astray, to make us wander about in error and sin. We are to resist them and see them for the deceivers they are.

II. We can be among those who deceive (though hopefully this is less frequent). This refers to something deeper than the more common human foible of lying. The deception here involves misleading people in matters of the true faith.

God warns deceivers, Why do you boast of evil, you wicked man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue! Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin (Psalm 52:1-5).

God declares a curse on those shepherds who mislead their flocks: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds” (Jer 23:1-3).

Jesus declares, If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea (Mat 18:6).

St. Paul speaks of the lot of deceivers: But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim 3:13).

III. The final category is perhaps the most troubling of all: a middle ground between being a victim and a victimizer. It is that middle ground where we connive in deception. When deceivers speak to us, not only do we fail to rebuke them for their deception, we perk up our ears and in effect say, “Tell me more.”

We do this because, to some degree, we want to be deceived; we want to be affirmed in our sin, in our weakness. Many want the truth to be watered down and are delighted to listen to those who call into question the demands of righteousness. Yes, many of us connive; we enter into partnership with the deceivers.

Many of the warnings that we “not be deceived” are not simply alerting us to the presence of deceivers; they are cautioning us to be wary our own tendency to enter into agreement with those would deceive us. In this context, the warning, “Do not be deceived,” takes on more of this tone:

“Don’t kid yourself; don’t tell lies to yourself; don’t go on playing the fool or the ignoramus. You know better. The voice of God echoing in your conscience bears witness to the fact that you’re lying to yourself and you’re letting others lie to you.”

Premier among the conniving texts is St. Paul’s warning to Timothy: For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear, and will turn away from the truth (2 Tim 4:3).

What are some of the common things people “want” to be deceived into believing? A brief survey of Scripture reveals this. (I have boldfaced the various forms of the word deceive to illustrate that God is teaching us about the various forms of this sinful connivance.

A. That our actions will not have consequences:   Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

B. That faith can be perfunctory, intellectual, or mere lip service; that good intentions are enough; that one can love the world:  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves … If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:22-27).

Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe—safe to do all these detestable things?” Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord (Jeremiah 7:1-11).

C. That sexual sin is no big deal: Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-10).

Be sure of this, no fornicator, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light … and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness (Eph 5:5-11).

When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren (James 1:16).

D. That regular consort with sinners will not affect us: Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame (1 Cor 15:33).

But encourage each other daily, while it is still today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception (Heb 3:13).

E. That we can wholly avoid deception and error apart from Scripture and the teaching of the Church: Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matt 22:29).

Wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the Truth and so be saved (1 Thess 2:10).

Here then is a brief excursus on the lamentable human tendency to wander, to be carried off, to be deceived. And frankly, too many of us want to be deceived. Be alert to this deep drive rooted in sloth and pride; learn its moves and despise its lures.

This video shows a performance of the classic movement from the Messiah that says, “All we like sheep have gone astray, every one to his own way. And the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” This movement is a kind of musical onomatopoeia (the music sounds like the scattering and wandering off that the lyrics describe).

Enjoy, but beware: it is referring to us!

There are so many wonderful details in the Epiphany story: the call of the Gentiles, their enthusiastic response, the significance of the star they seek, the gifts they bring, the dramatic interaction with Herod, and their ultimate rejection of Herod in favor of Christ.

In this meditation I would like to follow these Magi in their journey of faith to become “Wise Men.” As magi, they followed the faint stars, distant points of light; as wise men they follow Jesus, who is the ever glorious Light from Light, true God from true God.

We can observe how they journey in stages from the light of a star to the bright and glorious Light of Jesus Christ. And, of course, to authentically encounter the Lord is to experience conversion. All the elements of this story ultimately serve to cause them to “return to their country by another route.” Let’s look at the stages of their journey from being mere magi to becoming, by God’s grace, wise men.

Stage 1: The CALL that COMPLETES – The text says, When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

Notice the identity of these individuals: they are called magi (μάγοι (magoi) in Greek) and are from the East.

Exactly what “magi” are is not clear. Perhaps they are learned men; perhaps they are ancient astronomers. We often think of them as kings, though the text of this gospel passage does not call them that. It also seems likely that Herod would have been far more anxious had they been actual potentates from an Eastern kingdom. We often think of them as kings because Psalm 72 (read in today’s Mass) speaks of kings coming from the East bearing gifts of gold and frankincense. However, for the record, the text in today’s gospel does not call them kings, but rather “magi.”

Yet here is their key identity: they are Gentiles who have been called. Up until this point in the Christmas story, only Jews had found their way to Bethlehem. This detail cannot be overlooked, for it is clear that the Gospel is going out to all the world. This call completes the Church, which needs both Jews and Gentiles.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul rejoices in this fact, saying, the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Eph 3:6). Because most of us are not Jewish by ancestry we ought to rejoice, for the call of these Magi prefigures our call.

Notice that God calls them through something in the natural world: a star. God uses something in creation to call out to them.

We do well to wonder what is the “star” that God used (and uses) to call each of us? Perhaps it was Scripture, but more typically God uses someone in our life in order to reach us: a parent, a family member, a friend, a priest, a religious sister, or a devoted lay person. Who are the stars in your life through whom God called you?

God can also use inanimate creation, as he did for these Magi. Perhaps it was a magnificent church, or a beautiful painting, or an inspirational song that reached you. By something or someone, God calls each of us; He puts a star in our sky. These Wise Men, these Magi, followed the call of God and began their journey to Jesus.

Stage 2: The CONSTANCY that CONQUERS – Upon arriving in Jerusalem, the Magi find a rather confusing and perhaps discouraging situation. The reigning king, Herod, knows nothing of the birth of this new King. The Magi likely assumed that the newborn King would be related to the current king, so Herod’s surprise may have confused them. And Herod seems more than surprised; he seems threatened and agitated.

Even more puzzling, Herod calls in religious leaders to get further information about this new King. They open the sacred writings and the Magi hear of a promised King. Ah, so the birth of this King has religious significance! How interesting!

But these religious leaders seem unenthusiastic about the newborn King, and after providing the location of His birth, seem to make no effort to follow the Magi. There is no rejoicing, no summoning of the people to tell them that a longed-for King has finally been born, not even further inquiry!

So the wicked (i.e., Herod and his court) are wakeful while the saints are sleepy. How odd this must have seemed to the Magi! Perhaps they even thought about abandoning their search. After all, the actual king knew nothing of this new King’s birth, and those people who did know about it seemed rather uninterested.

Ah, but praise the Lord they persevered in their search; they did not give up!

Thanks be to God, too, that many today have found their way to Christ despite the fact that parents, clergy, and others who should have led them to Jesus were either asleep, ignorant, or just plain lazy. I am often amazed at some of the conversion stories I have heard: people who found their way to Christ and His Church despite some pretty daunting obstacles (e.g., poor religious upbringing, scandalous clergy, and poor role models). God sometimes allows our faith and call to be tested, but Those who persevere to the end will be saved (Matt 24:13).

To persevere is to open the door to wisdom, which often must be sought in spite of obstacles. This constancy is often what it takes to overcome the darkness and discouragements of the world.

Stage 3: The CONDESCENSION that CONFESSES – The text says, After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

With what little information they have, the Magi set out and continue to follow the call of God through the star.

Note that they enter a “house.” We often think of the Magi as coming that same Christmas night to the cave or stable, but it seems not; Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are now in a house. Apparently they have been able to find decent lodging. Has it been days or weeks since Jesus’ birth? Regardless, it is likely not Christmas Day itself.

Notice, too, that they “prostrate” themselves before Jesus. The Greek word used is προσεκύνησαν (prosekunēsan), which means “to fall down in worship” or “to give adoration.” This word is used twelve times in the New Testament and it is clear each time that religious worship is the reason for the prostration.

This is no minor act of homage or sign of respect to an earthly king; this is religious worship. This is a confession of faith. The Magi manifest faith! The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. And these Magi are well on their way from being mere magi to being wise men!

But is their faith a real faith or just a perfunctory observance? It is not enough to answer an altar call or to get baptized. Faith is never alone; it is a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. So let’s look for the effects of a real and saving faith.

Stage 4: The COST that COMES – There is a cost to discipleship. The Magi are moved to give three symbolic gifts that show some of what true faith includes. They are costly gifts.

Gold symbolizes all of our possessions. In laying this gift before Jesus, they and we are saying, “I acknowledge that everything I have is yours. I put all my resources and wealth under your authority and will use them only according to your will.” A conversion that has not reached the wallet is not complete.

Frankincense is a resin used in incense and symbolizes the gift of worship. In the Bible, incense is a symbol of prayer and worship (e.g., Psalm 141). In laying down this gift, we promise to pray and worship God all the days of our life, to be in His holy house each Sunday, to render Him the praise and worship He is due, to listen to His word and consent to be fed the Eucharist by Him, to worship Him worthily by frequent confession, and to praise Him at all times.

Myrrh is a strange gift for an infant; it is usually understood as a burial ointment. Surely this prefigures Jesus’ death, but it also symbolizes our own. In laying this gift before Jesus we are saying, “My life is yours. I want to die so that you may live your life in me. May you increase and may I decrease. Use me and my life as you will.”

Yes, these three gifts are highly symbolic.

The Magi manifest more than a little homage to Jesus. They are showing forth the fruits of saving faith. And if we can give these gifts, so are we.

In their holy reverence for God is wisdom in its initial stage!

Stage 5: The CONVERSION that is CLEAR – The text says, And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Here, then, is essential evidence for faith: conversion. It is not enough to get “happy” in Church; we have to obey. These Wise Men are walking differently now. They are not going home by the same way they came. They’ve changed direction; they’ve turned around (conversio). They are now willing to walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life rather than the wide road that leads to damnation. They are going to obey Christ. They are going to exhibit what St. Paul calls the “obedience of faith” (Rom 1:5; 16:26). They have not just engaged in perfunctory worship; they are showing signs of a true and saving faith. They are not just calling Jesus, “Lord, Lord!” They are doing what He tells them (cf Luke 6:46).

No longer mere magi, now they are wise men!

So there it is. Through careful stages, the Lord has brought the Gentiles (this means you and me) to conversion. He called these Magi to wisdom. They remained constant, confessed Him to be Lord, accepted the cost of discipleship, and manifested conversion. Have you? Have I?

Walk in the ways of the Wise Men! Wise men still seek Him; even wiser ones listen to and obey Him. Are we willing to go back to our country by another route? Is ongoing conversion part of our journey home to Heaven? Epiphany means “manifestation.” How is our faith made manifest in our deeds and conversion?

I have it on the best of authority that as the (now) Wise Men went home by another route, they were singing this Gospel song:

“It’s a highway to heaven! None can walk up there but the pure in heart. I am walking up the King’s highway. If you’re not walking start while I’m talking. There’ll be a blessing you’ll be possessing, walking up the King’s highway.”

In Sunday’s Feast of the Holy Family, the reading from the Letter to the Colossians sets forth values that ought to be cultivated by Christians, especially in the family setting.

The third chapter of the Letter to the Colossians, while speaking in a general way about vices to be avoided and virtues to be cultivated, focuses in particular on the family, building to the conclusions about wives submitting to their husbands, husbands loving their wives, and children obeying their parents. For this reason, I use Colossians 3 as a central text in marriage preparation.

For the sake of brevity in this post, I’d like to focus on verses 12 through 17, which emphasize the virtues to cultivate. The other verses (1-11 and 17ff) contain wonderful information as well, but they can be dealt with it at another time.

As is often the case, when we look at the words and details in Scripture, it is helpful to examine the Greek text, which gives a richer sense of what these virtues really summon us to.

Here, then, is the text for our reflection, followed by my commentary:

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col 3:12-17).

The text begins with a kind of general declaration of our identity. The simple word “therefore” articulates the teaching that what we should do flows from who and what we are (agens sequitur esse (action follows being)). Thus all the virtues that follow in the passage should flow from the fact that we are God’s “chosen ones,” that we are “holy” and “beloved.”

These are not just titles; they are manifest realities that flow from our reception of the sacraments and inclusion into Christ as members of His Body. These virtues are available to us as a direct result of our union with Christ, therefore we ought to lay hold of them and love out of them.

The text says that we are chosen. Being chosen is a deeply mysterious reality for which we can only be grateful. Having been chosen, we are thereby equipped, empowered, and enabled to live the virtues that will follow if we will but lay hold of them through the power of God’s grace.

The text says that we are holy. To be “holy,” means to be set apart, to be special, to be uncommon. In no way is it acceptable for us to live ordinary or mediocre lives. No! We have been chosen by God to be set apart. We ought to exhibit outstanding virtue, blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine like stars (Phil 2:15). Jesus also summons us to be salt and light (cf. Matt 5). Thus these lines from Colossians set a kind of foundation that is necessary for all that follows.

The text says that we should clothe ourselves in these virtues. The image here is essentially that of a garment. In many places Scripture speaks of our life and virtue in terms of a garment. We are told in other passages that we are clothe ourselves in Christ, and that we are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ making no provision for the desires of the flesh (Rom 13:14). Jesus tells a parable about a man who came into a wedding feast not clothed in a wedding garment. The man was thrown into the outer darkness because the garment is righteousness (cf Matt 22:1-13).

The Book of Revelation speaks of this garment as being given by God to those who are his holy ones (Rev 6:11). Thus the garment we are to put on is a kind of wedding garment, a garment provided by God, a garment of righteousness (Rev 19:8). We are to adore the Lord in holy attire. We are to be clothed in Christ and in the beauty of holiness.

Having received this garment by God’s grace, let us look at the list of virtues that follow, the virtues in which we are to be clothed.

I. Heartfelt compassion – The Greek text is a bit more earthy and explicit: σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ (splanchna oiktirmou), meaning most literally a “gut-level” compassion.

For the ancients, things were shifted down a bit. The heart was the place of thought and deliberation. The “gut” or viscera was the location of feelings. What we call the brain today and consider the center of thought, was believed by the ancients to have the purpose of cooling the blood. We still maintain some vestige of these ancient expressions when we speak of a “gut reaction” or of having “butterflies in our stomach.”

So splágxnon (heartfelt) refers literally to the visceral parts (stomach, liver, bowels, etc.) and figuratively to the emotions. Thus note that these are “deep” feelings, not just passing or surface feelings. The insight here is the capacity to feel deep emotions, to have sympathy, empathy, etc.

Oiktirmós (compassion) refers to deep feelings about someone’s difficulty or misfortune. Note that the prefix oik is likely related to the Greek word oikos (house). Thus this locates the virtue of compassion especially in the household or family.

The virtue to be cultivated here is a deep, tender, family-like mercy or compassion for others, especially in their misfortunes or struggles. It is to have the kind of mercy that usually is directed toward a brother, sister, child, or parent. It is the tender compassion that befits the family.

II. Kindness – In our culture, this virtue is often misunderstood as meaning “niceness” or pleasantness. But in this passage kindness is meant in a far more active sense.

The Greek word used is χρηστότητα (chrestoteta). Though kindness is a reasonably good translation, the Greek word speaks more to having a disposition that is well-suited, useful, or profitable in a given situation. Chrestotes means that something is “well-fitting” or really needed.

Thus kindness refers to more than being nice or pleasant. It refers to meeting real needs. St. Paul lists kindness (chrēstótēs) as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). Jesus uses this word when describing his yoke as being easy, i.e., “well-fitting.”

Kindness here is to be understood as the Spirit-produced goodness that meets given needs in a suitable way and avoids human harshness.

III. Humility – This virtue is also often misunderstood today, to mean having a low estimation of oneself. But true humility is reverence for the truth of oneself.

The Greek word used is ταπεινοφροσύνην (tapeinophrosynen), which is derived from tapeinós (low, humble) and phrḗn (a “moderation” regulated by a proper inner perspective). And thus humility is the virtue that helps us to moderate between having too high an opinion of ourselves, and having no sense at all of our gifts or denying/hiding them.

Scripturally, “lowliness” is not an artificial or purely negative self-assessment that ignores our gifts and talents. Rather, it comes from comparing ourselves to the Lord instead of to others. This brings our sense of self into alignment with the proper standard. Before God who can boast? And thus this virtue is keeps one from being self-exalting, self-determining, and self-inflated. For the believer, having humility means living in complete dependence on the Lord and realizing that whatever good we have is a gift from Him for which we should be grateful (rather that glorifying ourselves because of it).

IV. Gentleness – Gentleness is often misunderstood as the quality of a person who is mild-mannered and seldom animated. But the virtue of gentleness is one that moderates strength and anger without destroying them.

The Greek word used is πραΰτητα (prauteta) and is related to the word praótēs, meaning meekness. Aristotle defined meekness or gentleness as the proper mean or middle between too much anger and not enough. There are times when not only is some anger appropriate, but it would actually be wrong not to show it.

Thus gentleness or meekness refers to the quality possessed by one who has authority over his anger and is able to moderate its use. Meekness has sometimes been called “gentle strength,” because it expresses power along with reserve and gentleness.

So gentleness is a virtue that moderates our use of anger and channels it to good ends when we do have to exhibit it. It is the perfect virtue for a parent who needs to discipline a child. Some degree of anger is necessary in order to underscore the seriousness of a matter, but not so much as to be counterproductive. Gentleness is a virtue that helps one to steer a middle course with anger that avoids both excess and defect.

V. Patience – Patience is the willingness to suffer on account of others, often for a long period of time.

The Greek word used is μακροθυμίαν (makrothumian), which comes from makrós (long) and thymós (passion).

Thus the virtue described here is “long-suffering.” It is the ability to wait a sufficient amount of time before expressing anger or using some kind of force.

Patience is a virtue that embraces steadfastness and staying power. In our families, it is often necessary to “stay in the conversation” for a long time before we see results. Parents need to look beyond the moment to the longer perspective. Husbands and wives need to realize that change in their spouse may take a long time, and require much prayer and ongoing help. In our divorce, cut-and-run culture, patience is a virtue that helps us to stay and to strive to work out differences.

VI. Bearing with one another – This is a related virtue that helps us to “stay in the conversation” even when progress is slow.

The Greek word used is ἀνεχόμενοι (anechomenoi), which comes from aná (up or through (as in seeing something through or completing a process)) and echo (to have (still)).

Thus the virtue of bearing with others describes “still putting up” with them even after going through a course of action that has yet to produce all the desired results. It is forbearing, enduring, persisting.

We can see how crucial is this virtue to endure even when change seems slow or unlikely.

VII. Forgiveness (of one another) – If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive him as the Lord forgives you. This is another essential virtue, but one that causes a lot of fear and consternation. Many people think that to forgive is either to pretend that nothing happened or to say that there should be no consequences for wrongdoing. Neither notion is necessarily contained in the concept.

The Greek word used is χαριζόμενοι (charizomenoi), from cháris (grace or favor) and menoi (to extend or grant). Thus the Greek word means to freely show favor, or to extend mercy or kindness.

To forgive is to receive the grace from God to no longer be vengefully angry, seeking retribution. It is the grace that allows us to let go of our anger and our need to hurt or shun the one(s) who have harmed us. It does not mean that we can live in peace with everyone, especially when the one who has done the harm shows little capacity or willingness to change. Sometimes the best we can do is to extend the grace of indicating that we are no longer filled with venom or with the desire to seek vengeance.

Through forgiveness we let go of the need to change the past, and we surrender the illusion that vengeance will make everything all right. The degree to which we can resume a normal relationship with the person(s) will obviously vary based on the particular circumstances. But forgiveness helps us to bury the hatchet, so that crime doesn’t continually bring further crime.

As we can see, our capacity to forgive others is directly related to how deeply we grasp the enormous mercy that has been extended to us. Too many people today have little knowledge of, or appreciation for, the incredible degree to which they have been forgiven. And thus they are poorly equipped to forgive others. Too many are “unbroken” in their spiritual walk and manifest more as Pharisees than as forgiven and grateful disciples.

VIII. Putting on love – Putting on love binds all the virtues together in perfect unity. The concept of love (agape) “binding,” “perfecting,” and “unifying” the other virtues speaks to the way that love manifests a kind of maturity in the Christian life and crowns the other virtues. The journey to love requires that the Lord remove a lot of sin and selfishness from us, and the other virtues assist with this. Having done this, He is able to give us the capacity to actually love other people with tender affection and loyalty. Believe it or not, God can actually give us the power to love other people—even our enemies and those who trouble us. This is not just a slogan; it is a virtue and a reality for those are purified by God’s grace and brought to the increasing perfection of greater maturity.

The particulars of the phrase “bond of perfection” are instructive. The Greek text is σύνδεσμος τῆς τελειότητος (syndesmos tes teleiotetos). Sýndesmos comes from sýn (close identity with) and déō (to bind). So the bond referred to here is a close identity, which produces harmony between those joined. And thus we are taught that love has close identity with all the other virtues and in a sense cannot be separated from them. The relationship between love and other virtue is two-way: love supports, perfects, and infuses them; and they help to clear the way for love.

As for perfection, the Greek word teleiótēs refers to the perfection of completion. It refers to something that has reached perfection in a cumulative sense, by attaining its telos or “proper end.”

IX. Letting the peace of Christ rule in your heart – We are called to peace because we are members of one body. The concept of peace ruling in our hearts is a fascinating one in the Greek text.

In English, the idea engendered by the word “peace” is rather abstract and incomplete; it refers more to an absence of conflict than a truly positive and rich reality.

But the Greek word for peace is εἰρήνη (eirene), which comes from eirō (to join or tie together into a whole). And thus the “peace” referred to by the Greek is the experience of being made whole, as when all essential parts are joined together. Peace is God’s gift of wholeness, of being complete, of being integrated. It is a far more beautiful gift than simply not being at war or not arguing.

The concept of peace ruling in our hearts is even more interesting in the Greek, which literally speaks of peace being a βραβεύω brabeuó (one acting as an umpire). And thus peace in this sense arbitrates or “makes the call” in a conflict between contending forces, whether within us or outside us.

Thus when we are whole, complete, and serene (because what is essential is up and running) this wholeness and completeness “calls the shots,” so that we do not overreact in error and become vexed at what is not real or accurate.

As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to receive this gift of peace, this wholeness, this completeness. And when we receive it, we become a real blessing to our family and to others!

X. Thankfulness – Gratitude is one of the most essential virtues to cultivate. It is a discipline of the mind and heart wherein we remember, we have present, what God has done for us so that we are moved, grateful, and different because of it. A grateful person is joyful and serene. It’s pretty difficult to be grateful while also being grouchy, stingy, unkind, or unmerciful. Gratitude is a wonderfully transformative grace and virtue!

The Greek word used is εὐχάριστος (eucharistos), which comes from eú (well) and charízomai (to grant freely).

In other words, by this grace and virtue, we are able to appreciate that all is gift and that God is so very good to us. God does this “freely,” not because we have earned it or deserve it, but because He is good, provident, and loving.

XI. Letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly – We do this as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in our hearts.

The notion of allowing the word of Christ dwell in us also involves a “household” word in Greek: ἐνοικείτω (enoikeito). Once again we see the root word oikos (house or home). Thus the text directs us to make a home for the word of the Lord in our mind and heart. The word of the Lord cannot be something of which we are only vaguely aware. It is to dwell in us richly, abundantly, and habitually. It is to have a home within us, an abiding presence.

And having cultivated this for ourselves, we are able to teach others, especially the young. The Greek word used is διδάσκοντες (didaskontes), which means teaching or more literally “causing to learn.” But the sort of teaching meant here is discursive teaching, which involves the use of ongoing discussion or discourse. The part of speech of the word is a participle and thereby indicates an ongoing action, that of teaching one another. The faithful are always expected to be discussing God’s word, learning it, and teaching it.

The text also speaks of admonishing. The English word contains the notion of warning. But the Greek word νουθετοῦντες (nouthetountes) literally means “to place the mind” (from noús (mind) and títhēmi (to place)). The Greek word contains the idea of appealing to the mind by supplying doctrinal and spiritual content that exerts positive pressure on someone’s logic or reasoning. Thus perhaps “urging” is another way one could translate the Greek.

The Christian home must be a place where the faith is learned and taught! Parents absolutely must read Bible stories to their children. The faith must be learned, discussed, and handed on. This task cannot simply be relegated to Sunday school or the pulpit. Parents and elders in the home should immerse themselves in God’s teaching so as to be able to teach it, urge it, and deeply plant it in the hearts and minds of other family members, especially children.

Psalms, hymns, and inspired songs are often a way to put the word more deeply into our minds. Music can often reach the depths of the soul in ways that the spoken word alone cannot. As a preacher who has a great choir, I am deeply aware of this. On a given Sunday, it is often the choir that “brings the message home” with impact.

XII. Doing it all in the name of the Lord Jesus – The expression “In the name of Jesus” is more than merely a way to end a prayer or a slogan. Doing something in the name of Jesus means doing it in accordance with His will. If I were to say to my congregation, “In the name of the Bishop, I hereby declare that Friday is not a holy day of obligation,” I’d better have checked that out with the Bishop to make sure that is what he has decided!

Therefore, this final admonition is a call for us to be deeply immersed in the actual will of Jesus through the study of His Word, the study of His Church’s teaching, and through prayer.

If every family member would do this, innumerable arguments and power struggles would be avoided, because all would be on the same page and of the same mind and heart.

OK, so this has been a workout! But there is here a rich tapestry of virtues to cultivate, for us as individuals and for our family life.

The average person may worry about any number of things: finances; security; strife in the family, community, nation, or world; health; the status of a relationship; how he is perceived by others. These tend to be the sorts of things that cause concern.

What do saints worry about? To provide an answer, let’s consider the words of one of our canonized saints. First, here is the context within which the saint spoke.

Napoleon III had surrendered to the Prussians, bringing on the disaster. The Mother General put the sisters at the disposition of the Ministry of War. A field hospital was installed [at the convent for the retreating and battered troops] … Military uniforms mingled with the black and white silhouettes in the courtyard and corridors of the Motherhouse … the sick and the wounded were [all about] the convent. Twenty-five novices were sent to communities in the south and the postulants were sent home to their families. The Prussians were coming and all the area was on alert … Cannons were installed on the inner terrace of the motherhouse and in the novitiate gardens … On the night of October 24, 1870 … a strange phenomenon appeared in the sky. The horizon was all ablaze … you might have thought it was a sea of blood … [but it was] an aurora borealis … a very impressive display … The Prussians were at the borders.

[And here is the question posed to our saint, who was considered by many to be a visionary]:

“The Prussians are at our gates. Don’t they inspire you with terror?”

“No.”

“So there is nothing to fear then?”

“I fear only bad Catholics.”

“Do you fear nothing else?”

“No, nothing.”

[Bernadette Speaks. A Life of St. Bernadette Soubirous in Her Own Words, by Fr. Rene Larentin, Pauline Books, pp. 415-416].

Yes, these are the words of St. Bernadette, the visionary of Lourdes. In the midst of great travail, she could only identify the fear of bad Catholics.

Really? You don’t fear the enemy troops at the door? The loss of life, limb, or livelihood? The loss of land or political power? All the innumerable sufferings that are sure to come? You only fear bad Catholics?

Such is the likely response to St. Bernadette’s terse, succinct reply that she fears only bad Catholics. To the worldly minded, the fear of losing life, limb, or livelihood would far outrank some fear as to whether or not Catholics were attending Mass, saying prayers, or “fumbling beads.” To them, a reply like this sounds almost insensitive.

But to the spiritually minded, bad Catholics are something to fear, indeed something more to fear than even suffering and death. Bad Catholics are at extreme risk of losing their eternal salvation. Further, due to their poor example, others are also put at serious risk.

There is nothing more important than our eternal salvation—nothing. Life, limb, livelihood, and keeping body and soul together are nice; but they are temporary things and we are not to love them more than our eternal life. Indeed, we should gladly cast them aside if necessary and leave this vale of tears, this exile, and go home to live with God.

Bad Catholics risk both their own salvation and that of others. Bad Catholics prefer the world and its values to that of Christ and His Kingdom. They will not endure suffering, inconvenience or any difficulty for the Kingdom of God. They will not accept corrections to their worldview, politics, or mindset based on the Faith. They are misled and they mislead others. The truth of the Gospel is not their light or compass; it does not provide their marching orders. They will do whatever is expedient to achieve their worldly goals. The cross is not for them. Rather, pleasure, popularity, and possessions are their focus. As St. Paul says, For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things (Phil 3:18-19).

To some degree, we all suffer the tendency to be bad Catholics. We all sin, fall short, and have some bad priorities. But today there are increasing numbers of bad Catholics who are stubbornly unrepentant about this, instead insisting that the Church and Scriptures should be changed. This is a lamentable and fearful situation both for them and for those they influence.

St. Bernadette was not naïve as she looked to the horizon and saw the looming threat. There is indeed a strong, direct connection between bad faith and war. At the time of St. Bernadette, Catholics and Christians in Europe had been killing each other for centuries. War is but the cumulative effect of sin, the collective rejection of God’s commandments and of the call to love God, our neighbor, and our enemy. At times, wars of defense have been and are sadly necessary. But wars among Christians are an especially poignant reminder of the failure to live the faith on innumerable levels.

Whatever the outcome of wars; regardless of who wins conflicts between passing, earthly kingdoms; the battle for eternal salvation through repentance and faith is far more important. It is the true priority of the saints.

What do the saints fear? Bad Catholics. Really? Nothing else? No, nothing.