The Arrow's Path

 Here is a strange case of a frozen embryo that was in storage for 30 years before being born. While we as Catholics believe an embryo is a unique human being and should not simply be discarded or destroyed for want of use, herein is one of the issues with IVF. There are thousands of frozen embryos sitting around for decades, perhaps for centuries, that no one knows what to do with.  In this bizarre instance, the embryo was born to parents who are biologically about his same age and there is apparently a a biological sister from when the embryos were created who is now 30 years old (the same age as the non-biological parents. 

     The readings for Mass for this coming Sunday (18th Sunday in Ordinary Time) asks us to examine our relationship with material possessions and whether the true source of lasting fulfillment is found in them. Together, the readings paint a complete picture of how we are called to live as followers of Christ in a world obsessed with accumulation and wealth.      The first two chapters of Ecclesiastes open with the haunting refrain: "Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!" The author, referred to only as “The Preacher,” offers words that cut through our illusions about the permanence of worldly success. He reminds us of the bitter irony that someone may "toil with wisdom and knowledge and skill" only to leave everything to another who "did not toil for it." This isn't a condemnation of honest work, but rather a sobering reminder that our ultimate security cannot rest in what we accumulate.      The sleepless nights spent worrying ab...

 

 Now we're talking:  

     The readings today open with an intriguing story about three men who visit Abraham. This story illustrates themes of hospitality, divine revelation, and the covenant relationship between God and humanity in a unique way. This passage not only serves as a narrative of Abraham's welcoming of the visitors, but also foreshadows the deeper theological truths that resonate throughout today’s readings.      In Genesis 18, the three men, often interpreted as a manifestation of God, arrive at Abraham's tent. Abraham's immediate response is one of hospitality; he runs to meet them, bows before them, and offers them sustenance. This act of hospitality is significant in the ancient Near Eastern context, where welcoming strangers was not merely a social nicety but often seen a sacred duty. Abraham's    actions exemplify the virtue of hospitality, which is a recurring theme in the biblical narrative. His openness to the three visitors reflects a heart attu...

 

 I had another interesting question posed to me: "...my husband and I exploring Catholicism. My husband and I have been doing much reading and research into the Catholic Church. My husband was raised catholic and so he has a love for the Catholic Church but wandered away in his youth. I was raised non denominational but I have attended mass and I do enjoy it. My husband is like 98% sure he wants to join the Catholic faith. I have some hang up though. I’ve looked through the dogmas and, I can accept most of them, however I am getting hung up on the last two Marian dogmas. Her assumption and her being sinless. I am under the impression that if I become catholic and do not believe in these things I will be guilty of sin. We are looking into starting classes this fall and my husband thinks all my questions will be answered then. In the meantime I would like some insight on these two things from converts. Just accepting them is not enough for me. How did you come to believ...