INAUGURATION 2017
THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
JANUARY 22, 2017
ON FRIDAY JANUARY 20 WE WITNESSED AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE WORLD WATCHED THE INAUGURATION OF THE 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
PRESCINDING FROM PERSONALITIES AND POLITICAL PARTIES THE INAUGURATION OF A PRESIDENT IS A PROUD MOMENT BECAUSE IT SIGNIFIES AN ORDERLY AND PEACEFUL TRANSITION OF POWER FROM ONE LEADER TO ANOTHER.
OUR CONSTITUTION GUARANTEES US WITH A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS ALL THE PEOPLE TO HAVE A VOICE IN WHO WILL BE THEIR LEADER. SADLY, MANY COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD DO NOT ENJOY AN ORDERLY AND PEACEFUL TRANSITION OF POWER. IN SOME COUNTRIES THERE IS VIOLENT OPPOSITION TO THE TRANSFER OF POWER.
AFTER A TUMULTUOUS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, THAT FOLLOWED OUR CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ELECTED THE 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
ALTHOUGH THE TRANSITION OF POWER IS PEACEFUL THE CAMPAIGNS ARE ANYTHING BUT PEACEFUL. WE SAW ALL THE SEVEN CAPITAL SINS IN ALL THEIR UGLINESS. WE SAW CONFUSION, FEAR; CALUMNY AND SLANDER; RASH JUDGEMENTS AND WORDS THAT DID NOT MAKE US PROUD.
MANY PEOPLE WERE UPSET WITH THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION. THERE WAS SADNESS, HYSTERIA AND EVEN VIOLENCE. A PEOPLE WHO ARE DEDICATED TO ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE SUDDENLY BECAME A NATION OF DIVISION, HATRED, DISENCHANTMENT AND CHAOS.
IN THE AFTERMATH OF EVERY PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN THERE IS ALWAYS AN EFFORT ON THE PART OF PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL TO RESTORE UNITY AND PEACE BECAUSE WE CANNOT LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE WITH HATRED AND BITTERNESS.
THANK GOD THAT PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL WHO REMIND US WHO WE ARE AND TRY TO LEAD US BACK TO UNITY, HEALING AND SANITY..
IN HIS SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS IN 1865, ONE YEAR BEFORE HIS ASSASSINATION PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN TRIED TO HEAL THE WOUNDS AND PAIN OF A DIVIDED COUNTRY. YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT HE SAID. SOME SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE TO MEMORIZE HIS WORDS:
“WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE, WITH CHARITY FOR ALL, WITH FIRMNESS IN THE RIGHT AS GOD GIVES US TO SEE THE RIGHT, LET US STRIVE ON TO FINISH THE WORK WE ARE IN, TO BIND UP THE NATION’S WOUNDS, TO CARE FOR HIM WHO SHALL HAVE BORNE THE BATTLE AND FOR HIS WIDOW AND HIS ORPHAN, TO DO ALL WHICH MAY ACHIEVE AND CHERISH A JUST AND LASTING PEACE AMONG OURSELVES AND WITH ALL NATIONS.”
LINCOLN’S WORDS REMIND ME OF THE WORDS OF ST. PAUL TO THE CORNINTHIANS IN TODAY’S FIRST READING: ST. PAUL PLEADED WITH THE CORINTHIANS:”THAT THERE BE NO DIVISIONS AMONG YOU. THAT YOU BE UNITED IN THE SAME MIND AND IN THAT SAME PURPOSE”.
BOTH LINCOLN AND ST. PAUL EMPHASIZE THAT WE HAVE WORK TO DO. WE HAVE A COMMON PURPOSE: TO BIND UP THE NATION’S WOUNDS; CHERISH A JUST AND LASTING PEACE. THIS IS THE LORD’S WORK. THIS IS THE WORK OF OUR COUNTRY.
THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS AND GOALS. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW DIFFERENT POLITICAL PARTIES.
WHAT MAKES A COUNTRY GREAT IS THE SAME THING THAT MAKES A FAMILY GREAT—PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER FOR A COMMON PURPOSE IN SPITE OF THEIR DIFFERENCES.
CHARITY, JUSTICE AND PEACE HAVE NEVER COME EASILY TO MANKIND. WITHOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN RELIGION WE MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE MADE MODEST INROADS TOWARDS THOSE VIRTUES.
THE FIRST AND MOST POWERFUL VISION OF WORLD PEACE WAS PRESENTED TO MANKIND BY THE PROPHETS OF ANCIENT ISRAEL.
THEY PREDICTED A TIME WHEN “ONE NATION WILL NOT LIFT A SWORD AGAINST ANOTHER NATION, AND THEY WILL NO LONGER LEARN TO WAGE WAR”.
WITHOUT RELIGION WORLD PEACE WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE ENTERED THE HUMAN VOCABULARY. THE DREAM OF WORLD PEACE IS INSPIRED BY THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.
RELIGION THAT TEACHES WE ARE ALL CREATED BY THE SAME GOD—RELIGION THAT TEACHES WE ARE ALL UNITED IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS THE STRONGEST FORCE FOR PEACE.
GEORGE WASHINGTON WARNED US IN HIS FAREWELL ADDRESS THAT RELIGION AND MORALITY ARE INDISPENSABLE SUPPORTS FOR POLITICAL PROSPERITY. HE INSISTED THAT MORALITY CAN NOT BE MAINTAINED WITHOUT RELIGION.
WE HAVE NO OFFICIAL RELIGION IN THE U.S. NOR DO OUR LAWS REQUIRE OR ENFORCE A PARTICULAR BELIEF.
THIS IS AT IT SHOULD BE. THE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS TRADITION DEPENDS ON ITS FREE ACCEPTANCE OF BELIEFS; WE DO NOT IMPOSE FAITH ON ANYONE.
FOR OUR CIVILIZATION TO SURVIVE MEN AND WOMEN NEED TO RETURN TO GOD AS THE BASIS OF THEIR RIGHTS AND FREEDOM. WE NEED TO SHOW OUR TRUST IN GOD THROUGH PRAYER.
RONALD REAGAN AT HIS 2ND INAUGURAL ADDRESS ON JAN. 20, 1981 SAID THIS ABOUT PRAYER: “I’M TOLD THAT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PRAYER MEETINGS ARE BEING HELD ON THIS DAY, AND FOR THAT I’M DEEPLY GRATEFUL. WE ARE A NATION UNDER GOD, AND I BELIEVE GOD INTENDED FOR US TO BE FREE. IT WOULD BE FITTING AND GOOD, I THINK, IF ON EACH INAUGURAL DAY IN FUTURE YEARS IT SHOULD BE DECLARED A DAY OF PRAYER.”
ON FRIDAY A PRAYER SERVICE PRECEDED THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY.
ON SATURDAY AT THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL IN WASHINGTON THERE WAS ANOTHER PRAYER SERVICE.
THE CULTURE NEEDS MEN AND WOMEN OF FAITH WHO BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER. AT THIS CRUCIAL TIME BIBLICAL CHRISTIANS AND JEWS MUST BRING A RESPECT FOR RIGHT CONSCIENCE TO THE PUBLIC FORUM. IF PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL ONLY KNEW THE POWER THEY HAVE TO MOVE AMERICAN SOCIETY IN A MORE POSITIVE DIRECTION.
2017 COULD BE A YEAR OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US. I AM NOT TALKING ONLY ABOUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. I’M TALKING ABOUT SPIRITUAL AND MORAL OPPORTUNITIES.
AS WE LAUNCH A NEW PRESIDENT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN GOD-FEARING MEN AND WOMEN OF GOOD WILL WHO ARE WORKING HARD TO PRESERVE OUR FAITH IN GOD AND THE VALUES THAT HE WANTS US TO LIVE BY.
CHRISTIANS MUST NEVER GIVE UP ON THE FAITH THAT IS THE BASIS FOR OUR FREEDOM. CHRISTIANS MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO BRING THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST INTO THE PUBLIC ARENA. OUR NATION DESPARATELY NEEDS WHAT INFORMED CHRISTIANS HAVE TO OFFER.
HERE IS WHAT ONE SOLDIER HAD TO OFFER TO HIS COMRADES IN A PRAYER THAT WAS FOUND IN HIS POCKET AS HE LAY ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
LOOK GOD I HAVE NEVER SPOKEN TO YOU BUT NOW I WANT TO SAY “HOW DO YOU DO?”
YOU SEE GOD THEY TOLD ME YOU DID NOT EXIST AND, LIKE A FOOL I BELIEVED ALL OF THIS.
LAST NIGHT FROM A SHELL HOLE I SAW YOUR SKY. I FIGURED RIGHT THEN THEY HAD TOLD ME A LIE.
HAD I TAKEN THE TIME TO SEE THE THINGS YOU MADE I WOULD KNOW THEY WEREN’T CALLING A SPADE A SPADE.
I WONDER, GOD IF YOU WOULD SHAKE MY HAND.
SOMEHOW, I FEEL THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.
STRANGE, I HAD TO COME TO THIS HELLISH PLACE BEFORE I HAD TIME TO SEE YOUR FACE.
WELL, I GUESS THERE ISN’T MUCH MORE TO SAY BUT I AM GLAD, GOD I MET YOU TODAY.
I GUESS THE ZERO HOUR WILLL SOON BE HERE BUT I AM NOT AFRAID SINCE I KNOW YOU ARE NEAR.
THE SIGNAL—WELL, GOD I WILL HAVE TO GO. I LOVE YOU LOTS THIS I WANNED YOU TO KNOW. ‘’LOOKS LIKE THIS WILL BE A HORRIBLE FIGHT WHO KNOWS, I MAY COME TO YOUR HOUSE TONIGHT.
THOUGH I WASN’T FRIENDLY WITH O BEFORE, I WONDER, GOD IF YOU WOULD WAIT AT THE DOOR.
LOOK I AM CRYING. ME SHEDDING TEARS. I WISH I HAD KNOW YOU THESE MANY YEARS.
WELL, I WILL HAVE TO GO NOW.
GOD GOODBYE.
STRANGE, SINCE I MET YOU I AM NOT AFRAID TO DIE.
SHADES OF LAUGHTER…SHADES OF LOVE CIRCLING ALL OF US…WITH ARMS OF LOVE.
DON’T CRY MAMMA…I LOVE YOU STILL. I ALWAYS HAVE AND I ALWAYS WILL. WHEN YOU CROSS THE BIG DIVIDE I PROMISE…I’LL BE THE FIRST ONE BY YOUR SIDE!
PRAY FOR OUR PRESIDENT AND OUR NATION.