Easter Victory

Quoting an Associated Press article:

Their hopes fading and legal options exhausted, Terri Schiavo's parents appeared quietly resigned Sunday to watching her die but could claim one Easter victory: The severely brain-damaged woman received a drop of communion wine on her tongue - her only sustenance in nine days - after her husband..., who a day earlier denied a request from his wife's parents that she be given communion, granted permission Sunday to offer the sacrament.

Well, that is something to rejoice about. But, as always, the media always offers something to gripe about as well:

At St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Clearwater, Father Ted Costello scrupulously avoided mentioning the Schiavo case in Easter Mass. Parishioner Bill Youmans said that was a good thing.

"I don't think that's got anything to do with Easter," the 76-year-old retiree from Michigan said. "I thought the church's teaching is not to take extraordinary measures to perpetuate life. ... I think all those people bleating in Schiavo's front yard give Jesus a bad name."

Well, I think it worthy to note that my Bishop, a holy and wonderful pastory, mentioned Terri at the Chrism Mass, Holy Thursday morning, and I didn't think it at all imprudent, nor did I when my parish priest mentioned the same on Holy Thursday and briefly at the Easter Vigil. I'll forgive the 76-year-old retiree, hoping for his sake that his comment is due to slight senility that might come as such an age... or the fact that he's from Michigan. But I take issue with his language. "Giving Jesus a bad name" is something hard to do. One must almost deliberately do evil, in His name. Even a person doing wrong, but thinking that they are acting for the good, in Jesus' name, does Him honor.

Anyway, enough said. I'm still praying hard, and I know God is with us in this struggle. It will come to good in the end - one way or another.