Denver Catholic

2 JUNE 25-JULY 8, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page General Manager KARNA SWANSON Director ANDREW WRIGHT Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published bi-weekly. Denver Catholic is printed by Prairie Mountain Publishing, LLC in Boulder. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. EDITORIAL: 303-715-3230 or denvercatholic@ archden.org. ADVERTISING: 303-715-3253 or denvercatholicads@archden.org. CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-715-3230 or circulation@archden.org. Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK @ArchbishopDen June 21 Let us pray today for all the victims and their families in Orlando. Jesus end violence & grant us the peace you alone can give. ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE JUNE 25: Mass, Steubenville of the Rockies, Crowne Plaza DIA, Denver (9:15 a.m.) JULY 9: Transitional diaconate ordination for Denver seminarian, Chetumal, Mexico Arch- bishop Samuel J. Aquila embraces a child after Mass during the 2016 His- panic Char- ismatic Congress. PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY/ DENVER CATHOLIC Counter evil with the light of the Gospel S o many innocent people have died. I think of Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City and Wash- ington D.C., the years of confl ict in the Middle East, the wars in Yemen, Libya, and Syria, and more recently in Paris, Brussels, San Bernardino and now Orlando. Hatred and the infl u- ence of evil have motivated the killing of innocent people without distinc- tion for religion, race, political beliefs, sexual orientation or age. The infl uence of evil can only be countered by a culture that respects the God-given dignity of every human being. Evil is real, just as God is real. Our forefathers clearly understood and attested to God in the Decla- ration of Independence. They held that truth is self-evident and can be known. Yet when cultures and societies abandon nature's God and stop seeking the truth or desiring the good, evil is going to step in, in all its darkness, despair and confusion. Certainly, what we have learned about the Orlando shooter shows that his motivations were complex: a vol- atile mix of wounds from a traumatic childhood, political and spiritual beliefs and perhaps inner confl ict about his sexuality. How do Catholics respond to trag- edies like what occurred in Orlando? Partisan political fi nger-pointing and angry outbursts are not the answer. For Catholics the response is conver- sion of heart to Jesus and to living his Gospel in the public square, rather than treating political party platforms as some kind of "gospel" that must be adhered to at all costs. We must seek to counter the infl uence of evil with the light of the Gospel. We must always remember that Jesus Christ has conquered evil, sin, and death! Jesus' teaching is radical. In his teaching he goes beyond the law, as he comes to fulfi ll the law and not destroy it (Mt 5:17). Thus he teaches us, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who per- secute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5: 43-48). He practiced what he preached from the Cross: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34). Several years ago I had a conversa- tion with a Catholic Vietnam veteran that struck me deeply. He was con- fl icted about the war, yet he engaged in the battle. He told me that every time he went into battle, life would be lost and he always prayed, for he knew it was either his life or the life of the enemy. He told me he always prayed for forgiveness for each man he killed and prayed that the Lord would open his eyes to heaven, the truth, and the good. He prayed too that he would be forgiven for his sins. We Catholics and Americans have the duty to put our faith fi rst, for you cannot serve both God and mammon (Mt 6:24). And while I do not advocate pacifi sm, as I believe we have an obligation to protect and defend innocent life, we must ask in our encounter with Jesus how he is calling us to live the Gospel, most especially in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. While there may be di¦ ering solutions to the world's confrontation with terrorism and radical Islam that we can legitimately disagree with in our civil discourse, we must fi rst rec- ognize that good and evil exist. And it is God who reveals to us what is good and evil. If we become disconnected from God, then evil will prevail. Christians and all who believe that we have God-given dignity and are best served by living in accordance with our nature must work to bring these truths into every aspect of society. With its insights into the human person, the Church has a special responsibility to help build a culture of life, peace and justice founded upon the dignity of the human person. And there are many areas that this can be done. We must not be silent about creating such a cul- ture, bringing it into the public square and promoting it at home and abroad, through every possible avenue. We must pray for our enemies and those who persecute us, for their conversion, that they may encounter Jesus. We must pray, too, for all the innocent victims throughout the world who come from many religions, countries and states in life. No class of people is exempt. We must live the Gospel, be converted each day, and give hope to the world! Preventing Orlando from happen- ing again requires that an alternative be present that answers the genuine longing found in every person's heart to love and be loved, to be treated in accord with their God-given dignity. It is true that we will only experi- ence that fully in heaven, but in the meantime we must strive, with God's help, to create a society that values every person equally and encourages their fl ourishing according to God's plan for creation. May our hearts be formed like Jesus' and may we be his light, hope and leaven in the world! Catholics are called to pray for their enemies, even in the midst of tragedy. PHOTO BY SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES

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