JESUS IN THE
FLESH AND AMONG
DOMINICAN
SPIRITUALITY
THE
OF OF
TALA
THELEPERS
PROBLEM
ABORTION
Adapted from a blog post on Dominicanajournal.com
By Br. Antoninus Maria Samy, O.P.
By Br. Reginald Hoefer, O.P.
Br. Antoninus Samy holds a doctorate in
economic history from Oxford University
Restlessness
seems
ubiquitous
today.
and
worked for the
Australian
Government
People
are
uncomfortable
with
the
stability
before becoming a Dominican Friar.
of human nature and obsessed with the
Several
ago,autonomy.
I served as The
a Dominican
idea of years
personal
abortion
lay
volunteer
where
industry
feeds in
on the
this Philippines,
discomfort because
one
of my
was toour
work
in
it offers
us apostolates
a way to pursue
bodily
apleasures
leprosy without
hospital.being
One subject
patienttothere,
their
anatural,
75-year-old
man
who was severely
biological
consequences.
Having
deformed
crippled selfless
by his endeavor
disease,
children is and
an inherently
becausea itparticular
makes usimpression
give up our
made
on own
me
freedom;
abortion
provides
ushis
a way
to
given
the but
joy he
radiated
despite
great
avoid that.
suffering.
One
wereauthorities
talking, I ran
out
Thus,day
for when
some, we
Church
seem
to
of
things
to
say
and
asked
a
somewhat
be trying to keep women from enjoying the
clumsy
question: that
“So Kuya
Manny,
have
kind of autonomy
is their
“God-given
you
done
anything
interesting
this
week?”
right”: “A woman shouldn’t have to carry
His
answer
astounded
“We don’t
do
a baby
to term
if doing me:
so would
infringe
much
really,
apart
from
suffer.
But
we
upon her chosen lifestyle, should she?”
don’t suffer for nothing. We suffer for all
those
who need
God’s
mercy
A fewoutside
protesters
on the
steps
of and
the
love,
and we
offer
up our
sufferings
gladly
Supreme
Court
sport
signs
like “Pro-faith.
for
them because
we knowThe
thatnewspapers
God loves
Pro-family.
Pro-choice.”
us
very
much.”of these “Pro-choicers” next
show
pictures
to a few “Pro-lifers” but they often ignore
Ithe
later
traced thispresence
heroic spirituality
to
overwhelming
of the March
an
American
Dominican,
Fr.the
Anthony
for Life.
Why? The
reality is that
activity
Leo Hofstee, O.P., a World War II military
chaplain who devoted his life to the care
of the lepers in Tala after seeing their
miserable
plight while
onand
R&R
there.
In
of the pro-abortion
lobby
their
media
allies protects
our
it
addition
to using
hiscultural
militaryselfishness:
connections
strives
to ensure
an autonomy
such that
to
improve
the patients’
living standards,
we need
not used
even be
to our
own
Fr.
Hofstee
thesubject
spiritual
wisdom
biological
processes.
he had gained from his formation at the
Dominican House of Studies to teach the
God’s remedy
for Christ,
our restlessness
wasuse
to
lepers
that, like
they could
become
human
us the
their
crosses
forand
theshow
salvation
ofgoodness
souls. In
of
our
own
nature.
He
renews
this
the process, Fr. Hofstee transformedgreat
the
act of from
mercy
daily
by giving
us His own
lepers
mere
victims
into interceding
flesh in the Eucharist as healing for our
contemplatives.
unhappiness. He is infinite, and only He
Inspired
byinfinite
Fr. Hofstee’s
I thank
can fill our
longingexample,
for happiness.
God for leading me to a life devoted to the
service of Christ and of the poor, which is
made possible by your generous financial
support.
Tune into
into Sirius
SiriusXM129
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