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T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues 11 Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life What’s the Point? If life must begin with dignity and be lived with dignity then it must also end with dignity. This class will focus on a definition of Suicide and Euthanasia as representative cases for the Church’s view on this thread of the garment. Background Reference CCC: ¶ 2258ff (Respect for life) Information o Death: ¶ 1006-1009 o Healing: ¶ 1499-1532 o Euthanasia: ¶ 2277-8, 2324 o Suicide: ¶ 2280-83, 2325 NAB : Ex, Deut, 2 Mac, Mt, Jn We are not in charge of our lives. Just as we talked about with beginning of life issues, we are not able to make decisions about the end of life outside of the guidance of God. Much happens in our society today which treats death as something bad, or as a means to bring about social change, or some sense of justice, or as a glorious ticket into heaven. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:37; Lk 10:27) Within this statement we understand that we are required by Christ to love ourselves as well as others. The Church continues to proclaim this commandment and emphasize that we must understand that our ability to love ourselves affects our ability to love others and vice versa. Christ’s admonishment reminds us of our commitment to not only the whole person, but our commitment to become a whole person as well: “I came so that they might have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10b). It is for this reason that we can state with confidence that all human life has meaning from beginning to end, not just while it is useful or has some societally imposed purpose. From scripture we understand that God has meted out our lives to us, but that this is not a random event, living and dying at God’s whim (Ps 82; Eccl 1; Job 7:1). Life is a gift, a gift of Love (Love, who is God; cf 1 Jn). Can we be disappointed in the gifts we get? Yes. Thus is sin. So often we question not only the gift but the giver as well. Who are we to question the length of life? We are not God. As the Scriptures tells us time and time again, we were not there when God created the world, nor were we there when he made the decisions about life (cf. Wis 9:13; Is 40:13; 1 Cor 2:16; Rom 11:34; Ps 113). His wisdom is beyond us yet as followers of Christ we accept it, not like passive sheep but as active livers! If I spend my life worrying about when I or someone I love will die, then I have lived a life of despair and not focused on Christ T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues and lived my life, as he came to give, ‘to the fullest’ but have squandered it like the foolish farmer (Lk 12:16-21). Death was initially an evil; death entered the world with sin and so it could only be associated with sin: “You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.... Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen 2:17, 3:3;17-19) “For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being.” (1 Cor 15:21). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23) But our inability to live as we are created is never a problem for God. Christ’s death on the Cross changes all that, transforms death as it transformed the Cross: “For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life” (1 Cor 15:22) “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.... But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal 2:19-20, 6:14) “Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ... If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 6:3, 8-11) “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:21-26). “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col 3:3) Life is giving up death to follow Jesus, even through suffering and death: “Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come.” (Ps 91:7). Death is not punishment, or something to be feared – no matter what form it takes or when it comes. It is a fact of life because it is the cost of sin not of love. But it is no longer to be feared. What lay beyond it when we were mired in sin is not what lies beyond it now that we are lifted up on Love. In love it has been remade to give life. “...so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (Jn 3:16b-17) We can live now because we can live forever! But that does not mean there is not fear and misunderstanding about death and its purpose. An over-emphasis on the death of Jesus (the Cross as negative, unnecessary suffering) and a misunderstanding of Jesus’ sacrifice (as “giving up”) can lead to incorrect understandings of suffering in general and martyrdom as well. Martyrdom is not suicide, any more than Christ’s free surrender to the Cross was suicide. Taking a cue from the Maccabees (2 Mc 6:18-7:31) who preferred “a glorious death to a life of defilement”, the 2nd century story of Justin Martyr (the same who gave us a good description of the liturgy) gives a good description of the purpose of martyrdom “The [Roman] Prefect Rusticus says: ‘Approach and sacrifice, all of you, to the gods.’ Justin says: ‘No one in his right mind gives up piety for impiety.’ The Prefect Rusticus says: ‘If you do not obey, you will be tortured without mercy.’ T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues Justin replies: ‘That is our desire, to be tortured for Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and so to be saved, for that will give us salvation and firm confidence at the more terrible universal tribunal of Our Lord and Savior.’ And all the martyrs said: ‘Do as you wish; for we are Christians, and we do not sacrifice to idols.’ The Prefect Rusticus read the sentence: ‘Those who do not wish to sacrifice to the gods and to obey the emperor will be scourged and beheaded according to the laws.’ The holy martyrs glorifying God betook themselves to the customary place, where they were beheaded and consummated their martyrdom confessing their Savior.” (“Acta Sanctorum” Acts of the Saints) “No one in his right mind gives up piety for impiety” – if that causes worldly pain and suffering then so be it. The joy of true life far outweigh the temporary suffering. The understanding of physical/spiritual ‘death to self’ is also clear in this note of a 3rd century bishop: “Since, o son, you desire martyrdom, hear. Be like Abel was, or like Isaac himself, or Stephen, who chose for himself on the way the righteous life….First of all, overcome the evil one with your good deeds by living well….Even now, if you have conquered by good deeds, you are [already] a martyr in him.” (Instructions of Commodian) Our ‘deaths’ come in the depth of our service. Jesus used his times of suffering to good. He used his time in the Garden to pray, his time on the Cross to minister to others. Cardinal Bernardin, whom we referred to in our discussions earlier in the year (as the promoter the ‘Seamless Garment’) did the same (see his book The Gift of Peace) as he was dying of cancer. Suffering is not pleasant but it is not useless. It can dishearten and lead to despair when prolonged; this is true for both the sufferer and those that love them. Service to others can bring us out of ourselves. We do not seek out suffering but like Paul and the martyrs, we accept it when it does come. Our final death then, is not a moment of weakness, sorrow, or despair. It is a continuation of the life created by God at our conception and will be as vibrant and meaningful as we stand in awe and love with everyone else and the angels before the very throne of God, basking in His love, what Thomas Aquinas called the ‘Beatific Vision’. We mimic Christ in life and in death. We do not seek death, but we are not afraid of it either because we know that it draws us out of ourselves and our self-centered understanding of life. Our lives are eternal; our earthly lives are the length they are – we should never confuse the two. We are called to minister within that lifetime to the best of our abilities, loving one another as we love ourselves and if we do that will be our reward for eternity. We think of “…Mary, the virgin Mother of God, with the apostles, the martyrs, and all your saints, on whose constant intercession we rely for help.” (Eucharistic Prayer III) Our sufferings during that lifetime are what they are, for the length that they last. With Christ we are called to use suffering for the salvation of the world. St. Paul tells us that through our sufferings we share in the redemptive act of the Cross “in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church.” (Col 1:24) “Christ invites his disciples to follow him by taking up their cross in their turn. By following him they acquire a new outlook T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues on illness and the sick. Jesus associates them with his own life of poverty and service. He makes them share in his ministry of compassion and healing: ‘So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.’” (CCC 1506). ‘Moral certitude’ is what we have, which gives us the ability to make life-giving decisions even in the midst of difficult situations. That is the “Culture of Life” that St. John Paul II tells us about; its opposite, the “Culture of Death” is a quagmire of disconnected feelings and judgments. “In fact, while the climate of widespread moral uncertainty can in some way be explained by the multiplicity and gravity of today's social problems, and these can sometimes mitigate the subjective responsibility of individuals, it is no less true that we are confronted by an even larger reality, which can be described as a veritable structure of sin. This reality is characterized by the emergence of a culture which denies solidarity and in many cases takes the form of a veritable ‘culture of death.’ This culture is actively fostered by powerful cultural, economic and political currents which encourage an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency. Looking at the situation from this point of view, it is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak: a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another. A person who, because of illness, handicap or, more simply, just by existing, compromises the well-being or life-style of those who are more favored tends to be looked upon as an enemy to be resisted or eliminated. In this way a kind of 'conspiracy against life' is unleashed. This conspiracy involves not only individuals in their personal, family or group relationships, but goes far beyond, to the point of damaging and distorting, at the international level, relations between peoples and States.” (St. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae #12) So what are some of the “end of life” issues that we can look at? Euthanasia There is a movement in the world to reduce the suffering of the dying. There is compassion and nobleness in the use of potent pain-killers to minimize suffering of the dying. But to use those same drugs to kill the dying, the handicapped, and the marginalized is a different story. “Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of "over-zealous" treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one's inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected. Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable. Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged.” (CCC 2278 -9) T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues When they came to Jesus on the Cross “they did not break his legs”, thereby euthanizing him, because he died in his time, even after great suffering. We are not required to suffer needlessly or senselessly nor are we required to prolong life at any cost, but we are not able to end it needlessly either, for any cost. More recently we can look at the life of St. John Paul II, who to some would have been euthanized but who chose to live the end of his life in public view, and to inspire and join his suffering to those same sufferings of Jesus. Suicide Death is certainly a part of life, but it is a death of hope, not despair. Existential angst is not part of the equation – though the fear of death is a cultural phenomenon and the societal reaction is one of ignorance and denial. Once again God’s vision is clear, Love gives hope in death, and sin gives fear and pain. If there is another more plain way to understand the difference between Christ’s life and sin, well, then we should use that as and an example as well. To be clear we are not talking about the effects of mental illness but the “free” decision to end one’s life – though truly it is fear that drives this desire, so how free is it? The “Culture of Death”, as JP II called it in Evangelium Vitae, is the culture of sin. We are called to see life, and to fight ‘death’ any way we can. There is an epidemic in this world which is often swept under the rug. Like the stigma of AIDS, those who succumb to it and their families are often shunned. As an act freewill it is completely contrary to our created nature of creation not death: “Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.” (CCC 2281) But the world teaches easy solutions and it is difficult for us to know the mind, or for us to judge: “Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide. We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.” (CCC 2282-3) What we must do is provide love and support to those for whom life has become overwhelming. Any judgment is for God alone. A teenage understanding of ‘love’ is a pale reflection of Love. In their minds, regardless of societal or spiritual pressure, loss of connection with their peer group, whether just in friendship or their explorations into intimacy, as well as feelings of homo or hetero-sexual identity can become a ‘life or death’ situation for them. In general we adults know ‘that this too shall pass’ but we also must remember the turmoil when we were that age. We did not want to hear it any more than they do. And they may hear it today, yet ‘tomorrow is another day’ and all of the lessons learned may be nullified for that moment. The passing moment and the deep-seated mental illness should not be confused here, but the symptoms are still similar. One can be helped with T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues simple support and love until the moment passes; the other requires professional help as well. This is not something which can be solved within the peer group. Adult help is always called for, no matter how the teenage brain decides to handle it. Some ‘secrets’ are not secret, just as some ‘love’ is sin, not love. This is just a sample of the sites out there. Not sure as to the legitimacy of them but as a sample of ‘help’. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/teen_suicide (this is the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry site) http://www.teensuicide.us/ http://www.teensuicidestatistics.com/ Capital Punishment We will take this one on next year but it bears mention here. We can see this one similarly with other legal or societally accepted means of ending life. “The efforts of the state to curb the spread of behavior harmful to people’s rights and to the basic rules of civil society correspond to the requirement of safeguarding the common good. Legitimate public authority has the right and the duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense. Punishment has the primary aim of redressing the disorder introduced by the offense. When it is willingly accepted by the guilty party, it assumes the value of expiation. Punishment then, in addition to defending public order and protecting people’s safety, has a medicinal purpose: as far as possible, it must contribute to the correction of the guilty party. Assuming that the guilty party’s identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, nonlethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person. Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm—without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself—the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity ‘are very rare, if not practically nonexistent.’” (CCC 2266-2267) We cannot make the decisions about who lives and dies as a flippant political decision, because it is easy or because we want vengeance. This issue, like so many others, fits into the same moral principle and must be weighed accordingly. Baptism As with speaking of Marriage in the last lesson this may seem like an odd moment to bring up Baptism, but we must realize that as in the case T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues of Marriage, all that we do and all that God does for us, is connected – like, oh, I do not know, a seamless garment you might say. Baptism gives us the Faith. In the rite of Baptism there is a question: “What do you ask of God's Church?” When our parents answered for us they responded “Baptism.” In the rite for adults the answer comes back: “Faith.” We can see the connection between the two. In the adult rite the questioning continues: “What does faith offer you?” and the response is: “Eternal life.” The fullness of life continues throughout our lives and through our deaths. Baptism gives us life. Without it we would live this life without knowledge of the joy of life in Christ, and the joy of eternal life with the Father. But because we know, because of this Baptism, we have hope. “The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men's activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity.” (CCC 1818) Our world is seeing an increase disregard for life, from laws allowing physician assisted suicide to increased gun violence to mass suicide attacks to violent mass killings from terrorism. This culture of death, like any form of sin, cannot bring life, no matter how much its practitioners desire it to. It is a basic and undeniable truth that no good can come from evil means. But we know that God can take evil and make good come from it. Therefore we are a people of hope. We believe, in this hope, that even suffering has holy purpose to the sanctification of all. Just as there was a moment when our earthly lives began, so there will be a moment when our earthly lives end. If we live our Baptism then we will live life to its fullest and that fullness includes eternal life with Christ. Materials Needed Laptop Projector PowerPoint Bibles Catechism of the Catholic Church Poster board, construction paper, markers, colors, holy cards, glue, etc. Copies of Moral Dilemmas Attention Grabber Encouragement Card (10 min) T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues Design a poster or card for someone who is discouraged about life. Use scripture, other words of encouragement, pictures, and symbols. Your card could change their entire outlook on living. Each group should decide on someone to give it too and make sure it gets to that person(s). Each group then shares posters/cards, and who it is designed for (and why) with the larger group. Outline Prayer: 2 Cor 4:6-12. Activity: Encouragement Card. Presentation: Life Before Eternity. Table Discussion: Questions. Post Discussion: None. Closing Prayer: Group Prayer/Petitions. Prayer Introductory Prayer: (2 min, after candle is lit…) (2 Cor 4:6-12) For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of [Jesus] Christ. But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Pre-discussion Presentation (10 min) Presentation Life Before Eternity Death...the final frontier. It is unknown. Really it is unknown only in exactly how we shall live, not the question of whether we will live or not. In John chapter 14, Jesus says: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (Jn 14:2) We do not have to fear death because there is already someplace waiting for us after we die. Except in really scary movies, do we worry about what is on the other side of a closed door? When I open the front door of my house to go in I do not worry about what is on the other side of the door – I already know it is home. Death then, is just a doorway from one type of joy to another, albeit a more perfect one. Jesus himself destroyed death, transformed it into life – a full life as he promised on both sides of death. We live in joy now even amidst suffering aware of the joy to come; it is as we pray: “Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give You thanks. In You we live and move and have our being. Each day You show us a Father's love; Your Holy Spirit, T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues dwelling within us, gives us on earth the hope of unending joy. Your gift of the Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, is the foretaste and promise of the paschal feast of heaven.” (Older Preface of Sundays in Ordinary Time IV) Fear of death or suffering or bad times does not come from the Catholic Faith. It is not in Scripture or the Catechism. It only comes in the face of sin, in the way the world view suffering and pain. We know that bad things await us in life and in death if we sin; that is not news. But God does not want us to fear death; He desires us to live! He gave us life, not to punish us but to share in His love! It is our own sin which condemns us, not God. We do not want to be scrupulous but we do want to be aware. We know life is precious. We know we have to protect it. We also know that death is not a problem for ‘we have been called out of darkness into his wonderful light’ and in the light we live for the good, not the good-feeling. Today we look at our attitude toward death, and how to think about it in light of two issues: euthanasia and suicide. Activity / Table Table Discussion (35 min) Talk Freshmen and Sophomores: 1. Why is it hard to talk about death? 2. What is the scariest part of death? Is there an ‘upside’ to death? Upperclassmen: 1. Do people your age often talk about death? 2. Why does our culture deny the Christian vision of death, focusing more on the ‘scary’ aspects of it? To put it another way, why are movies like Saw, Halloween, and Paranormal Activity more popular than discussions on abortion or euthanasia and the joy of heaven? All: 1. What is your closest encounter with death? How did it make you feel? 2. What does Jesus’ death teach us about death? 3. Why was it important that they did not break Jesus’ leg before he died? 4. Why are Jesus’ death and the death of martyrs different than suicide? 5. How can reading and praying about Jesus and the saints change the way you think about death? 6. What can the Church teach the world about death? Read the Scripture Passages regarding each “end of life issue” and discuss. Euthanasia T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues - God's promise of a long life is conditional upon obedience to his commandments. o Exodus 20:12 - Grandchildren. o Ruth 4:13-16 - Wisdom. o Job 12:12 - God has a plan regarding how long we will live. Death is a part of life. o Psalms 48:14 Suicide - Life should not discourage us. o Deuteronomy 32:29 - We are to care for our bodies as the temple of God, and protect the life he gave us. Our lives are not our own. o 1 Corinthians 6:19 - Tomorrow may bring happiness. o James 4: 14-17 - The value of life exceeds every possession. o Matthew 6:25-32 Post-Discussion None (0 min). Activity None None. T2 – Year 3: 11 – Consistent Ethic of Life: End of Life Issues Closing Announcements and Prayer (5 min). Group Prayer Oh God of mercy and grace, as you hung on the hard wooden cross, you asked that those who were putting you to death might be forgiven. Please, Oh Lord, help us to offer that same forgiveness to those who participate in abortion, euthanasia, the destruction of embryonic life and who by other means violate the sanctity of human life, that in all things the world would know the height, the depth, the breadth, and width of your love, your mercy and your grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen OR Prayer To End The Use Of The Death Penalty (USCCB) Merciful Father, we ask your blessing on all we do to build a culture of life. Hear our prayers for those impacted by the death penalty. We pray for all people, that their lives and dignity as children of a loving God may be respected and protected in all stages and circumstances. We pray for victims of violence and their families, that they may experience our love and support and find comfort in your compassion and in the promise of eternal life. We pray for those on death row, that their lives may be spared, that the innocent may be freed and that the guilty may come to acknowledge their faults and seek reconciliation with you. We pray for the families of those who are facing execution, that they may be comforted by your love and compassion. We pray for civic leaders, that they may commit themselves to respecting every human life and ending the use of the death penalty in our land. Compassionate Father, give us wisdom and hearts filled with your love. Guide us as we work to end the use of the death penalty and to build a society that truly chooses life in all situations. We ask this Father through your Son Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen Reminder **** REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE OF RECORDING ATTENDANCE!! This is a legal document! Please, write down on your attendance sheet the name of any teen at your table, whether they are on your roll or not. Attachments Below: None.