Unveiling the Light

Does Easter matter anymore? Our world is becoming increasingly secularized. We no longer have Easter vacation, we have Spring break. I remember when you could not find a store open on Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Today Easter is treated as another reason for a sale and regular if not extended hours can be expected. Many will make their semi-annual trip to the local church but may not understand why. Others will not bother going at all. They may say that they worship God in their own way or that they won’t go to Church because of all of the hypocrites there (I tell them there is always room for one more). Some won’t give the matter a second thought. It will be just another day. Many may have only a vague notion of Easter having something to do with Jesus Christ and the cross. In the midst of all this will be the faithful believers. For them this is the holiest day of the year and reflects on the very core of their identity. Why is Easter important to them and why should it be important to the others? Why should it matter to you?

We live in a world that is ruled by brute force. Nations practice diplomacy backed by powerful armies and economic power. Politicians bend to power in the legislation they pass and use it ruthlessly towards rivals. No means seems out of bounds when it comes to destroying political rivals. Policy after policy is enacted to help the poor and increase education but we continually are frustrated by an entrenched bureaucracy set on protecting its own existence. On a personal level we may find ourselves in a workplace where those with less qualifications rise in position, where favoritism reigns and the good seem to lose out. Those we look up to, especially sports heroes, may have let us down with their personal behavior. Often even our families disintegrate because of personal betrayal. The world often seems full of selfishness, meanness and betrayal.

In all of this we proclaim the very different message of Jesus Christ. He tells us that if we want to find true life we must first die to ourselves, put aside our own aspirations and desires and look to what we can do those in need. We are told to eschew the gathering of personal power and instead seek to serve. The greatest among us must make ourselves the servant to the least among us. We should look past the failings of others, find forgiveness in our hearts and love even our enemies. He does not promise us that we will then be rewarded with an easy life. In fact, he warns us that it may lead to a life of strife and suffering. But we will have these no matter how we live our lives. However in our living the life Jesus calls us to we will find that life can be peaceful and fulfilling. What’s more, it will be a life which matters for the good of the world. After giving us these life lessons, Jesus then demonstrated to us exactly what he meant.

In the weeks before Easter, during Lent, we remember that Jesus suffered willingly so that we might live. He is our God who wants for nothing but who, only for our sake and out of pure love, came to live among us to teach and demonstrate how to live out our human nature. He expressed and demonstrated God’s love for us and in His life proved the value of our human dignity and our capacity to love one another. He did this by living out His human nature to its perfection. Then, in the ultimate sacrifice, this God made man gave himself up to a painful and long death on the cross because he also recognized our human weaknesses and propensity to sin. He wanted to and did pay the price for those sins. He did this to win our freedom and to give us the ability to live in His Grace. His gift grants us true life that extends even beyond this world.

Easter is our most important celebration. For 2,000 years the Church has given testimony to this great event. We stand with the Apostles and witnesses who saw the hopelessness of the cross overcome by the victory of the Resurrection. They believed and gave their lives as testimony to the truth of that belief. Our Savior came to save us and the people put him to death with their disbelief. The One so many had put their hope in was put to death on the cross. Then, on the third day, when all hope seemed to be lost, the tomb was found empty. The witnesses came to experience the Resurrected Jesus. Because of that experience, of His victory over death, their despair turned into hope and a willingness to change their lives and even die for that hope. We continue that witness today and it comes to its climax in our Easter celebration. Not only had Jesus demonstrated how the human condition could and should be lived out but He gave us a life that spans far beyond this world. He has called us to be more than we could have dreamed on our own and has invited us to join Him in the heavenly kingdom.

Easter matters because it is what gives our lives meaning. It is what enables us to be counter cultural and to fight the brutality of the world with our loving care of each other. Because of Easter we strive faithfully in a callous world to feed the hungry, care for the sick and to raise the poor from their poverty. We minister to those who mourn and give hope to the hopeless. Because of Easter we have discovered that we don’t need to be number one; that it is okay to have less and be more and that life can be good without mindless spending on egotistical pursuits. It is not what we have but who we have loved. It is not what goods we accumulate in our life but how well we have lived it. It is not what we have accomplished for ourselves but how we have improved the world around us. It matters less how we have changed others than how we have allowed God to change us into more than we thought possible.

We find joy in the happiness of others and comfort in the feeling of the presence of the Lord and His love for all. This life is only good when we live by the unselfish principals espoused by Jesus. Sooner or later we all come to realize what Jesus continually told us. Many only understand these things at the end of their life. Others may not find the truth until it is over. Blessed are those who discover these truths early and strive to make them part of who they are. We are creatures of a loving God and we have His loving nature within us. We can be more than this world expects. We can be more than even we think possible. Even in a world filled with turmoil we can be a people of peace and love. For this reason Easter matters. Because of this Truth people have experienced a better world and because of it we always have hope for a better future. Happy Easter and may the love of our Lord Jesus Christ spring eternal in your hearts!

Father Steven Foppiano

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I recently wrote concerning the tragedy of a woman being shot at the Paradise cemetery. In that writing I expressed support for the officer and considered the tragedy the fault of a society that does not take care of it’s mentally ill. I stand by what I wrote and, indeed, a meeting with the family seemed to indicate that his was exactly the case. However, revelations concerning the officer in question have raised other questions. While we should stand by the findings of the independent investigation, there seems to be evidence that calls for further investigation into the actions of this young officer and another, older officer of the force.

It is revealed in published reports that these officers have been investigated several times for undue force. One Grand Juror revealed evidence of rough handling of a suspect, including the slamming of the suspect’s head against the car while handling him, without informing him he was under arrest; and ripping a phone out of the girlfriend’s hand. In a highly unlikely or at least unprofessional scenario, one of these officers claimed to have stopped to ‘check if a previous injury on a suspect in custody had been re-aggravated,’ and ended up having to leg sweep the handcuffed suspect as he tried to run away. Our town is not so big as to create a need for an officer to stop and handle a suspect before arriving at a nearby hospital or jail. Such activity opens the door to suspicion of prisoner abuse. Did the officer report he was coming to a stop and why? Is there a radio log of this communication? If within the city limits the officer would have been minutes away from help in a public place.

What worries me is that trusted friends have confided in me similar problems with one of these officers. One parishioner saw a minor incident get blown out of proportion and feels grossly manhandled by the officer as well as publicly humiliated and another feared going outside of his house as the officer demanded, for fear he was being set up for a beating. This seems to have been justified as, perhaps at the urging of their partner, the officer relented with a not so subtle warning. Neither of these people would be the type to get in trouble with the law. It may be that these reports to me are the results of the officers receiving publicity lately or misinterpreted actions but if the Chief has received similiar complaints, then when combined with the Grand Jury investigation it certainly calls for further investigation. It may be that our police force needs better training or it may be that the chief should rethink their service to the City of Paradise.

All in all, Paradise is not a violent town. We may have our problems but we do not have gang shootings and physical assault crimes are relatively infrequent. We do not need to begin fearing those who are supposed to protect us. Unfortunately, that is indeed what I have experienced with the two I talked to and information released by the Grand Juror seems to give reason for that fear. Officers of the law need to be professional and courteous at all times. They are here to serve and protect, not harass and intimidate. The officers I have met seem to be gentlemen but that does not seem to be the case for all.

Chief Carrigan is a fine man and I encourage him to look into the history and activity of these two officers and to review the policies of his department. Officers should be trained to handle the public gently, even when insulted. That is what being a professional is about. We could always hire thugs who depend on machismo and constantly react to challenges. We pay the police to be professional and courteous, to avoid conflict when possible and to always use a minimal of force. They always have the right to protect themselves and a duty to protect the public but should not be looking for a reason to show how tough they are. Where possible, handling of suspects out of the public eye should be avoided. Like the rest of us who serve the public, they should not only avoid abuse of power but even the chance to be accused of abuse. Avoiding handling those in custody when alone, regular radio logs and strict adherence to policies are not options. They are necessary to protect the public and to protect the officers from accusations.

It may be that the incident in the cemetery was fully justified but past actions are bringing doubt on these officers and on the entire force. Chief Carrigan should act to ensure that there is no cause for such suspicion in the future. He should publish police policies for handling suspects. A civilian review board would not be out of order. As in most cases, the more public and visible the department is, the more it will avoid problems and be able to serve the people of Paradise with pride and assurance.

Father Steven Foppiano

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A lot is being said in this political season and little of it seems oriented towards those things that really affect Americans. So far the main point of contention among the democrats is who will get out of Iraq first while McCain says to stay the course. This is an important subject but with more people now being killed on American highways than in Iraq, it is not at the center of American concern. There is a lot of talk about integrity and a lot of talk about unifying the country. Few of us believe in the former among politicians who promise the world without a thought of paying for what they promise and before we talk about unity, perhaps we should talk about what we will be unified about.

If anyone wants my vote this year they need to address some bread and butter issues. I am all for saving the planet and “green” economics, but not when it results in the ruin of our country. The fact is that gas is now near $3.50 a gallon or more. It is $4.00 a gallon for diesel which powers the trucks which bring our goods to market. This hits Americans directly in the pocket everyday. The undeniable fact is that a growing economy depends on plentiful power at a reasonable price. We have neither and until we do we can expect the economy to slow and our standard of living to stagnate.

So far the only action our government has made is to make things worse. By mandating ethanol in our fuel Congress has shifted thousands of acres of agriculture to production of gasoline additive. Not only has this move failed to reduce gas prices but it has resulted in drastically higher prices for groceries. Wheat is in less supply and more expensive, as is the food used for livestock. The result is raising prices across the board. Now we have expensive gas and expensive groceries. Also, we are pumping billions of dollars overseas with the resulting decrease in the value of the dollar. As it devalues the cost of imported goods will increase as well.

Our economy needs oil for the short and medium term. We can increase supplies and decrease prices by drilling for oil in Alaska and off the coast of our nation. We have found the oil there but environmentalists stand in the way. What is more dangerous to the environment, drilling oil in Alaska and piping it across the country or continuing to depend on supertankers crossing the ocean and docking off our coasts? Why do we fail to drill for oil up to 12 miles off our coastline when Cuba and China are drilling just outside our boundary at 13 miles? Do we think they drill safer than we do or that any oil spill will stop at the 12 mile limit?

Our country is weakening itself, reducing the living standard of its people, and reducing our ability both to defend ourselves and to help others; and we are doing it based on feelings instead of facts. We won’t build nuclear when others use it quite safely and we won’t drill for oil. We do this out of fear and as a result make the world a far more dangerous place. Not only are we dependant on vulnerable oil tankers but we are empowering our enemies and weakening our economy. We are making food more expensive, especially for the poor and reducing our ability to help feed the world. We place ourselves in more danger and do more harm to the environment because we fail to face up to the reality of the situation.

We may be able to offset some of our oil usage through conservation but a growing economy will soon outgrow our conservation efforts. We may be able to offset more with solar and wind power but it is doubtful that such renewable sources will ever account for more than 10 percent of the power used. Long term we may be able to depend on fuel cells for a large portion but this is still a dream and at least several decades away. Are we willing to dump our economy, our standard of living and our security in the meantime?

We need a balanced and realistic energy policy. We need to look not only at increased drilling but also increased refinery capacity and increased competition in the distribution of energy. Oil companies seem to be satisfied with the status quo because they are making billions. Our government needs to make them work harder for these profits, to instill more competition into the market place and to increase supply. If our economy quits growing we will not have the capital to bring forth new technology that will eventually replace oil. We will end up a third rate power and it will be all the sadder because we will have caused our own decline. We need to remember that people are our most important asset.

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A recent survey by the Pew forum finds that up to 44% of adults change their childhood religious affiliation. The Pew researchers say the results reflect an increase in competitiveness and choices available for Americans. I disagree. I believe it reflects a narcissistic tendency among Americans to find “a god” that allows them the freedom to live their lives unimpeded by God, who has expectations and a plan for humans. It is a tendency towards paganism that is dangerous for society and deadly for souls. Not all things are relative. Some things are absolute.

The only group that grew according to this poll was Christians who were unaffiliated. This group went from 8 to 16 percent, doubling its size. What is unaffiliated? Did these people suddenly have their knowledge of God plop into their head, or was it handed down by an organization of believers? Jesus Christ did not hand us a book and say go and do as you please but believe in me. He have us an organization of believers who put together the New Testament and who worked and continue to work to be faithful to the teachings of their founder, Jesus Christ, and to pass on that teaching to future generations.

People often accuse my own Catholic Church of acting for its own interests but it is not an autonomous group of people hoping to grow and profit from the faith. There are no rich stockholders. Our Pope, lives in a Vatican apartment, has no immediate family other than His Church, no personal belongings to speak of, and receives no stock options, bonuses, or extravagant salary. The same goes for the bishops of the Church and its priests. Some may have personal family wealth, but it is unrelated to their position in the Church. Church salaries for its servants, even bishops and the Pope, are very modest and much below that of the lay people they supervise.

My Church and many large denominations would tell you that their Church is made up of people who claim the title of the Body of Christ, seeking to do the work of our Lord in the world so that others may know of His presence, become enlightened by His Gospel, and themselves become Children of the Light, followers of Jesus Christ. Where we gather in His name, there too is Jesus. When we reach out to the poor and needy, there too is Jesus. When we avoid bad behavior and choose the Good, there too is Jesus at work in the world. We exist for one reason and that is to serve Jesus Christ. What competition exists is, is or should be, for the saving of souls. My own Church is the largest charitable organization in the world, not because we want to be number one, but because we do the work Jesus sent us out into the world to do, a work that reveals His presence in the love it demonstrates.

I was recently asked innocently enough, why the Church did not do something, “in light of its vast wealth.” My first reaction was to state the reality of the situation, that the Church does not have a vast amount of wealth. A large Vatican building is, in fact, both a place of worship, an office building for a world wide organization, and living quarters for many of the Vatican staff. The treasures so often pointed to are not reflective of wealth but of heritage. They are art works handed down over twenty centuries and held in trust for the world. Until recently, with licensing, these art treasures were a drain on the Vatican treasury due to upkeep costs. We are very large, and thus a ripe target for lawyers, but our riches lie in works, not things.

The more important response is to question the very concept of Church. The Church is not an “it”. It is a “we”. We are the Church. Church teaching authority flows from the Vatican to the Bishops to the parish but the works of the Church and its finances flow from the parish to the diocese to the Vatican. We are the Church. It is not a thing outside of ourselves that we attend. It is us, our faith, our works, our support, our vocations, our hope, and our help. When the world looks upon the Church, it is looking upon us.

Perhaps instead of searching for a faith that fits their life styles, Americans should ask themselves, “Am I bringing forth the light into the world? Is Jesus present in my actions?” Certainly none of us is perfect for we all have faults. This does not make us hypocrites. We are a Church full of sinners for we are human. Because of this human weakness Jesus gave himself on the cross. He makes the impossible possible. We cannot save ourselves, yet Jesus gives us the way to salvation. We may think we cannot overcome our own sinfulness and faults, but Jesus makes this possible. If we allow Jesus to work in our lives we can become something new, a new creation, one made by the blood of the cross and the hope of the Resurrection. That is something you won’t find in any trendy, feel good, and believe in yourself club.

Father Steven Foppiano

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