Our readings today have to do with the formation of conscience: an indispensible life-long project for all of us human beings subject to the ever-present resultant weaknesses of original sin.
Conscience is actually the inborn GPS (Global Positioning System) that God freely gives to each one of us so that we can navigate successfully through life and end up where we would like to be: in heaven, with him and the entire family of brothers and sisters.
The first reading today tells us one of the major mentalities that ought to trigger an "off the track" signal on our conscience-GPS: that is, idolatry: making anything at all into a god, or placing anything at all above God.
In our day and age – given the overall secularist mentality – and because very few actually turn on their spiritual GPS systems - mostly everything is easily turned into a god, and most anything can be placed above God; this happens across the board, from the man on the street, the woman in the pew; to those sitting in Executive Office Suites in all levels of government, and even Presidential Office Suites of prestigious Catholic universities.
The gospel passage today offers the remedy: the words of God – as spoken by the preaching, teaching and life of Jesus Christ; which were foreshadowed by the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets. In all of these sources GOD COMES FIRST! GOD AS AUTHOR AND GIVER OF LIFE COMES FIRST! GOD AS PROTECTOR, DEFENDER AND NURTURER OF LIFE COMES FIRST! Anything else can very easily digress into idolatry and disobedience of the commandments with very little conscience involved at all, by just switching off that "annoying spiritual GPS" – that was given to us for our own spiritual good.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believe in him might have eternal life; but eternal life begins with absolute regard, respect and defense of life in the here and now – life in all of its ages and stages of development.
Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation – when the life of Jesus Christ, in the womb of the Virgin of Nazareth named Mary, began nine months before his birth. Jesus was truly there – all of him – with the overshadowing of the Most High. The moment of conception is the moment when human life begins for all humans – including Jesus.
Even as we speak the student body of Notre Dame University is putting into action their response of rightly formed conscience by organizing opposition to the invitation, by their own President, Fr. John Jenkins, of President of the United States to speak at this spring's commencement exercises and to receive an honorary law degree. President Obama has shown himself to be the enemy of human life at its origins by funding oversees abortion clinics, signing an Executive Order allowing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, appointing pro-abortion members of his cabinet, and promising to enact FOCA which would set back Pro-Life progress to its beginnings 35 years ago. And he would be awarded an honorary law degree to boot! This is an unconscionable act on the part of Fr. Jenkins, which directly opposes all that the Church is doing in defense of human life!
May we always respond courageously to the call of our conscience to love, protect and defend human life in every moment of its existence! (If you go to the Notre Dame Web Site nd.edu you can email Fr. Jenkins about your concern as an informed Catholic layman, and ask him to change his mind).
Today, if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts!
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