I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD." Then they worshiped there before the LORD. She left Samuel there. 1 Samuel 1:27-28
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever." Luke 1:52-55
Piety
Holy is His Name - John Michael Talbot
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
And my spirit exalts in God my Savior
For He has looked with mercy on my loneliness
And my name will be forever exalted
For the mighty God has done great things for me
And His mercy will reach from age to age
And holy, holy, holy is His name
He has mercy in every generation
He has revealed His power and His glory
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance
And has lifted up the meek and the lonely
He has come to help His servant Israel
He remembered His promise to our fathers
And holy, (holy) holy, holy is His name
Holy, holy, holy is His name
Study
What can we learn from a pregnant teenager living in an impoverished village in Roman-occupied Palestine more than two thousand years ago? Maybe the biggest lesson we can learn from her demeanor is humility.
Mary, in the face of some pretty devastating news, could have reacted in a lot of other ways. What if she said, “No!” What if Joseph actually did abandon their marriage plans?
What should Mary do? If she listens to the unconventional call of God to accept an unexpected, unexplainable child, she stands to lose it all – her honor in the community, her future security, even her pending marriage. The neighbors will talk. No other man will marry her after she is dumped by the carpenter. She will be a barnacle on the bottom of a boat on the human ocean. Ostracized. Unwanted. Unkept. A woman without an honorable future. What would Mary do?
She dedicated herself to the Lord. Because she was brought up on the psalms, she had meditated on the law of God all her life. Mary did what she was asked. She trusted that God’s will was more to be followed than her own. Whatever the cost. Mary of the Annunciation is a model for the kind of courage it takes to follow the call of God in life.”
Action
What is God’s Annunciation to us today? Pick up your cross daily and follow me. What is our natural reaction? What would Mary do?
What are we dedicated to? Our 401(K)? Our real estate? Lowering our taxes? I am sure that I will be among those who benefit financially from the new tax reform legislation. However, as we reflect upon the Lord lifting up the lowly today, it might help to remember the major talking points that the USCCB sought for in the tax plan.
Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ, remind us that “the tax system is as important a social justice issue as others.” His comment rings in my ears when he defines tax reform: “The popular definition of tax reform is anything that cuts my taxes and raises somebody else's.”
Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, called on Congress to recognize that public financing should be "an instrument of development and solidarity."[i]
Speaking on behalf of the bishops, he presented the following among his six moral principles for Congress to follow:
- Care of the poor. "The tax system should be continually evaluated in terms of its impact on the poor," writes Dewane, quoting from the bishops' 1986 pastoral letter on the economy, "Economic Justice for All." "The poor should not be burdened with income taxation as they struggle to meet their daily needs, and programs designed to support them and lift them out of poverty must be adequately funded."
- Family formation and strengthening. In arguing for tax policy to strengthen families, the bishop gets very specific, calling for increases in the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit. These should be refundable, according to the bishop, "so that the benefits can reach the poorest families, including the working poor." Making them refundable means that even those too poor to pay taxes would benefit from the credits. He is also pleased with proposals to eliminate the "marriage penalty" for the child tax credit.
- Adequate revenue for the sake of the common good. The Catholic bishops do not see government as the enemy, but as the way by which citizens unite for the common good. Again, quoting from "Economic Justice for All," the bishop writes, "the tax system should raise adequate revenues to pay for the public needs of society, especially to meet the basic needs of the poor."
- Avoiding cuts to poverty programs to finance tax reform. "Recent proposals by leaders in Washington indicate an openness toward steep cuts to the social safety net and discretionary programs that serve those in poverty," the letter said. "The loss of revenue created by tax cuts should not be made up by cuts to programs that serve those most in need."
However, the calls from the USCCB fell on deaf ears. These were not all issues of priority in the final law.
While the tax reform debate may be over, come January, lawmakers will return to Washington, state capitals and city halls around the country. The moral principles outlined by Bishop Dewane are solid compass points for the direction our advocacy and action can head.
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