27 Sunday Ordinary Time, B, 7 October 2012, Mark 10:2-16

http://www.chooselife2012.ie/

Choose Life!
Right throughout my life, I have been enticed by the 'A Grade.' I always wanted to do well academically. That is one of the reasons that I am back studying. I want to understand more, develop more, be more human, more alive, and to grow in passion for the preaching of the gospel. What one of us doesn't want to thrive? Survival is important, but once we are managing to survive, another impulse comes: the impulse of thriving in life.

Surviving and Thriving: A subtle lie
One version of 'thriving' in life that rose to prominence during the twentieth century was the push to 'thrive' that arose in Germany under Hitler. The people were barely surviving, and Hitler convinced the people that the root cause of all their problems, the reason why they were only surviving and not thriving was because of the Jew, the Communist, or the Homosexual in their midst. We know, now, that this is a very basic lie. But, before it was discovered as a lie, six million people had died as a result of this lie. And the lie is subtle – for you to thrive, somebody else, maybe even other people, must not survive. Another version of the lie pervades our society that says in order for me to thrive, others must barely survive. Another version of this lie is in the subtle thinking that says all foreigners must leave because there isn't enough work for us Irish. For me to thrive, others must not thrive. This is a lie.

Surviving and Thriving: Living life to the full!
The Church's understanding, i.e. what the Church teaches us, stands this lie on its head. The Church teaches us that in order to thrive, we must first survive; to be fully alive, we must first live. And the 'we' here is not limited to me, or us, but rather the 'we' that is all of humanity. I cannot really thrive unless all of humanity is at least surviving, and that they are on the way to thriving.

We can apply this 'surviving and thriving' model to many of the difficulties that are raised in our world today. It is like a 'rule of thumb' for some difficult moral questions, such as:

1. For our society to thrive, like other societies appear to be thriving, do we not need to bring in the same laws as they have? Or, to be more exact, because other countries have legislated for abortion – for the deliberate killing of the unborn – do we not need to do the same? Isn't that what progress is?

2. So, for us to thrive as a country, must not some die? This is the same idea that I proposed earlier – for me to thrive, or, for us to thrive, must some not survive?

The answer for us as Catholics and as Christians is that no-one need die for us to thrive. In fact, our thriving is bound up with the thriving of others. It is together that we thrive.

Divorce – the Gospel teaching
Today's gospel is one of those gospel passages that can grate on our contemporary ears. I think that this is the case because the gospel is written in a particular way – it is a dramatic story. It is like a three-act play. The first act is the scene with the Pharisees testing Jesus about the Law. The second act is "Back in the house" and the third act seems to move outside again.

Divorce and Discipleship
Those tough lines in the middle – about divorce and adultery, they are given "Back in the house", so they are 'Top Secret', for your eyes only, if you will. Jesus brings the disciples into the house – the house here is a metaphor for the Church – he brings them into the house, into the parlour we might say, and it is only from that inside place that the teaching of Jesus makes sense. It makes very little sense to us – until we recognise that the disciples questioned Jesus about this. Struggling with A Grade Christianity is like competing in the Olympics of life. It isn't easy. So, asking questions is good. Asking questions of the 'house', i.e. the Church, is good because it means that we are in the same company as the disciples!

Humanae Vitae – The Culture of Life
The contemporary Catholic tradition of love, care and respect for human life began decisively with Pope Paul VI's 1968 encyclical 'Humanae Vitae'. Here, Pope Paul VI carefully re-affirmed the Church's respect for the mystery of human life, relationship and procreation. Building on the tradition of Humanae Vitae, the Church under Pope John Paul II published 'Donum Vitae' in 1987, and 'Evangelium Vitae' in 1995.

Humanae Vitae (E) – "On Human Life" which deals with regulating birth
Donum Vitae (CDF) – "Respect for Life" which deals with the Church's teaching on IVF
Evangelium Vitae (E) – "The Gospel of Life" which deals with Murder, Abortion, Euthanasia

You can see that the common word here is: 'Vitae', which means 'Life'. In a way, these documents all deal with 'Life' issues.  As such, the Church's tradition is well established that "from the moment of conception (until the moment of natural death), every human life is beautiful, every human life is precious, and every human life is sacred." (Irish Bishops, Day for Life, 2012)

Further Notes:

The Day for Life – celebrated each year since 2001 here in Ireland
Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae in 1995 asked that a 'Day for Life' be celebrated each year that would highlight these issues.
Day for Life 2012 – Choose Life!
Day for Life 2011 – A call to solidarity and hope in difficult times
Day for Life 2010 – The meaning of Christian death
Day for Life 2009 – Suicide
Day for Life 2008 – Mental Health
Day for Life 2007 – The sacredness of Human Life
Day for Life 2006 – Celebrating People with Disabilities

So, this Sunday the Bishops of Ireland, our bishops and leaders in faith, are asking us to engage in a number of ways:
1. Pray the 'Choose Life' prayer each day from today until the Feast day of All Saints on Tuesday November.
2. Visit the website: http://www.chooselife2012.ie/
3. Get a pamphlet
4. Get involved in discussions! Make your view heard.