From St. Anthony Parish in Allston, MA:
As I write this, we as a nation are reeling from two more mass killings, both in Texas. I see so many people including priests and bishops call to Congress to change our laws. However, here in Massachusetts, David Hogg says our laws in Massachusetts, if they were adopted across the country, would suffice.
I do find the bishops and priests calling on Congress to change our laws to be strange. The reason is that we are in the business of leading others to live at a level higher than our laws.
For example, in Texas and other states, it is perfectly legal to carry a pistol in a holster on your hip just like in the old west. I remember, when I was in a town in Tennessee, I learned, everyone in the town "is packing".
I also know that in many parishes, there is usually a parishioner concerned about shootings who secretly carries a weapon. Many protestant pastors also carry.
As my parishioners know, I am a veteran and trained in using firearms, however, I refuse to own a gun and I do not have an F.I.D. Card
We need to find alternatives and be examples
However, I always feel we as Catholics need to find alternatives and be examples. Remember, just because someone carries a gun does not mean he or she will successfully protect themselves and in the Commonwealth [of Massachusetts] we have no stand-your-ground laws. So I believe carrying a gun is usually not a good idea because of what can go wrong if you are not a marksman.
I had the experience at the Cathedral that taught me another reason why I will never carry a gun. I was celebrating Mass and a man entered and was walking back and forth in the rear of the Church behind all the parishioners. He had a backpack. Suddenly, he stopped and reached into his backpack to pull something out. I obviously figured this could end up being a shooting. It happened so fast I did not have time to call out. The man pulled out a small radio. Had I reacted and been carrying a gun, that could have been disastrous.
We need ways to realize that we cannot rely on new laws to protect us especially in Massachusetts because our laws are already model laws. We need to find other ways of learning how to address this issue.
Intervention is key
When the school shooting happened at the high school in Parkland, Florida, people asked what would happen if it occurred up here. I said it would not. There are programs that are not government-related that do intervention when people show signs of trouble. They gather resources to intervene.
We also need to be good examples. People can name every sexual sin that Catholics teach but do they also understand that any form of animosity towards another is sinful? One cannot be a member of any form of group that opposes another and not consider it sinful such as neo-NAZI groups, racial purity groups, anti-semitic groups, etc. Nor can we advocate violence as a solution to troubles. Love covers a multitude of sins and we are called to radically live this as an example to others. We do that by first understanding the power of personal prayer.
Check out the podcast from St. Anthony Parish, Allston, MA
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