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Bishop Boyce's Lenten Pastoral 2008 |
THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF RAPHOE |
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Respect for life on the Roads.
Human
life is sacred. God created it and He alone is the Lord of life. No one should
destroy or put in danger his/her own life or the life of others. God wants us to
take reasonable care of our life and of our health. This follows from his
Commandment “You shall not kill” (Deut. 5:17). Therefore, any kind of excess
that puts life at risk is morally wrong. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “Those incur grave guilt who by
drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own or others’ safety on the
road, at sea or in the air” (No. 2290). Drive carefully
herefore,
I urge all users of the roads to drive carefully, to observe the rules of the
road, to have respect for other drivers. Exercise patience and restraint; keep
your car in good mechanical order. When exhausted or sleepy, take a break. Do
not identify yourself with your car, showing off or dominating others by
improper overtaking. Do not rush (into eternity) while breaking the speed limit.
We should all remember that drinking and driving is often a fatal combination.
We can enjoy ourselves, but in moderation. Your
life, and the life of others, is too precious to put it at such a risk. You
deserve more, for you are precious, very precious in the God’s eyes. Do not
frustrate His designs for your life here below, and destroy the many good things
He had in store for you, if only you had lived. You
are also very precious in the eyes of so many people who know you – your
parents, your family, your friends, your colleagues. Your death, one they feel
could have been avoided, would leave an empty place in their lives which they
will never be able to fill. Your
life is also very precious to yourself. Do not risk destroying it, or crippling
or damaging it for the rest of your days. If you have not got your life, what
have you here below? At
a time when all kinds of vehicles were much less numerous on the roads, Pope
Pius XII exhorted motorists: “Do not forget to respect other road users. Be courteous and fair with
other drivers and pedestrians… Pride yourselves in being able to master an
often natural impatience…so that the courteousness that is a sign of true
charity may prevail. Not only will you thus be able to avoid unpleasant
accidents, but you will also help to make the car a more useful tool for
yourselves and others, one that is capable of giving you a more genuine
pleasure.” The Importance of a Prayer
esus
called himself “the way” (Jn. 14:6), the “road” that leads us to our
final destination. As we travel along the roads, He will protect us. This He
often does through the intermediary of his Angels and Saints. In a Psalm, we
read: “Because you have made the Lord
your refuge… no evil shall befall you… For he will give his angels charge of
you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Ps. 91:9-11). We should pray for and
hope in his protecting care. Say
a prayer when you set off on a journey, even though it be a short drive. Call on
the Pilgrim Virgin, Our Lady of the way, or on Saint Christopher, or your
Guardian Angel, or on the Archangel Raphael who accompanied Tobias on his
journey (cf. Tobias 5:1) and whom the Church regards as Patron and Protector of
Travellers. “Resorting to our heavenly intercessors should not make us forget
the importance of the sign of the cross, to be made before setting out on a
journey. With this sign we put ourselves directly under the protection of the
Holy Trinity. Indeed, this directs us above all to the Father, as our origin and
destination… The sign of the Cross entrusts us to our guide, Jesus Christ (cf.
Jn 8:12), The Emmaus encounter (cf. Luke 24 13-35) reassures us that the Lord
meets everyone along the road, lodges in the houses of those who invite him,
travels with us and sits beside us. Finally, the sign of the Cross takes us back
to “the Holy Spirit”, who is Lord and gives life.” To those who call on
him, he illumines their mind and grants the gift of prudence to reach their
destination”. (Guidelines for the
Pastoral Care of the Road No. 59, issued by the Pontifical Council for the
Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerant People, 19 June 2007). A
longer journey can be made shorter and safer by saying a prayer during it, for
example, the Rosary. It is also customary here to bless oneself when passing a
church or cemetery. Some motorists keep in their car a little bottle of holy
water, a miraculous medal or a card with a prayer for motorists. Then, there is
the praiseworthy custom of having a priest bless a new car. Any and all of these
devotions can truly help to protect and save us on the roads, for they increase
our hope in God who loves us and cares for us. We
cannot leave road safety simply to the civic authorities and to traffic wardens.
As believers we are obliged to drive carefully, to respect others and to invoke
the protection of the Angels and Saints as we journey to our destination. I
urge all drivers to respect the rules of the road in order to protect the gift
of life given to us by God. Until we change our attitudes to road usage lives
will be in danger. May
the angels protect all of you on your journey. May
God bless you. + Philip Boyce, O.C.D. Bishop of Raphoe An Irish Blessing May the roads rise to meet you. May the wind be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rain fall soft upon your fields And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. May God provide you with the wisdom to consider Your life and the lives of others on the roads you travel. AMEN.
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