Dear Brothers and Sisters, we approach this weekend facing two very difficult anniversaries. The first one: the anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, which claimed over 230,000 lives, and made more than a million survivors homeless.

It destroyed or made unusable 38 Catholic churches in the capital, Port-au-Prince, including its lovely centerpiece cathedral; and also claimed the lives of the Archbishop, his Vicar General and his Chancellor, as well as many priests, sisters and seminarians. Some encouraging news there is that Pope Benedict just named a new archbishop this week (a friend of our Fr. Danis Ridore). The continuing political turmoil and the machinations of evil entrepreneurs have slowed the process of rebuilding lives, and political and material structures. We need to continue to help and pray for Haiti!!!

The second anniversary: this coming Saturday will mark the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision. In a 7-2 vote, that court of very fallible individuals legalized the killing of unborn children in America, severely restricting the states’ rights to regulate it. Not only has that decision split people and political parties into 2 camps; worse, it has split Catholics into 2 groups: those who are faithful to the Church’s teaching on human life, and those who are not.

This picture is not unlike the ancient Christian community at Corinth being addressed by St. Paul in this week’s Mass. It, too, was a community that was torn apart: rich v. poor and slave v. free. And Paul’s message reminds us that with the death of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be HOLY; and we are called to be FAITHFUL!

Some shrill advocates of unlimited abortion have changed the original rhetoric from Pro-Life vs. Pro abortion, to pro- Choice vs. anti-Choice. What a turnaround! For the unborn child, there is NO CHOICE! They continue to be the victims of a play-on-words. Sadly, to be pro-abortion is to say that God is not the real author of life, and that the beginning of human life is really vague or unknowable.

For sure, judges, politicians and individuals may continue to argue about when life begins. But we know from listening to the Word of God, it is quite clear. No life comes to exist apart from the will of God. The prophet Isaiah, speaking to the Chosen People who were taken into Babylonian captivity as a punishment for turning from God, says: “Now the Lord has spoken, who formed me as His servant from the womb.”

Here, he is reflecting upon the earlier words of the prophet Jeremiah: “From my mother’s womb you pronounced my name.” For sure, we can recognize and empathize with a pregnant mother’s trauma, more especially if she’s unmarried, or a victim of violence; and we do owe her much moral, spiritual and financial support because of the difficult decision she must make to bear a child in a society that values convenience and pleasure over life itself.

In today’s Gospel, John readily recognized Jesus as the Messiah because of his faithfulness to all that God had revealed over the centuries. This faithfulness, in the midst of Israel’s infidelity, prepared him for the coming of the Messiah. We, too, can recognize Jesus in His teachings as we actively pursue His Word and help Him to transform our world and our lives. Our concern as followers of Jesus is to follow the Gospel. We may live in a world that prefers darkness -- a world filled with the stench that comes from a culture of death; but Christ has already come as a light to lead all those who wish to follow Him, and who are not afraid to witness to His teaching and to live the Gospel of life in faith.

Come this Friday, January 21st, and offer the annual Rosary with Bishop Barbarito outside and across the street from the main County Courthouse building in West Palm Beach at 11:00 A.M. for the unborn and their victim parents. Bring your children or friends to witness to the Gospel of Life vs. the Culture of Death that came about through the infamous Roe v Wade.

Let us also remember the victims of the shooting spree in Tucson this past week, and offer our prayers for the families who suffer from this tragedy, including the parents of the shooter, as they are also lamenting these losses, unable to comprehend why their son would do such an evil deed.

Don’t forget that this Wednesday evening at 7:00 P.M., we will have the special presentation of “The Dead Sea Scrolls: Fact or Fiction,” by Dr. Chavez, Scripture Scholar at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary. You will have a chance to meet with Dr. Chavez at the reception which follows. I promise you that you will have a delightful evening unraveling the mysteries with Dr. Chavez.

Men, there is a whole page in this bulletin dedicated to the upcoming annual Catholic Men’s Rally, called “A Morning of Spiritual Growth For Men Of All Ages.” This rally will take place on Saturday, January 29th at our diocesan cathedral.

When you come, please bring a friend or your teenage son. The main speaker, Matthew Kelly is a ‘dynamo,’ – it may be just what you need!

Very Rev. Canon Tom