Four years ago I outlined what were the issues of the day and ways to evaluate how to vote in the national election.  This year some of the issues are the same, but some have lost importance and different issues face us.  For instance, four years ago it looked as though we would continue to see budget deficits for the near future which would require the federal government to look for ways of cutting costs and reducing programs. Today we face the possibility of large budget surpluses.  What is the responsible thing to do with them?  Who has the better program?
   The central principle of social justice is that we are made in the image and likeness of God.  All human beings deserve respect and have dignity bestowed by God. Every program or action by government must look at how that human dignity is being respected and enhanced.
   It seems that the central issues being discussed in this election cycle are the budget surplus and what to do with it, prescription drug costs, reform of education, and the integrity of the office of president.   Besides that, the next president will probably appoint several judges to the Supreme Court and will appoint a number of federal judges.
   The Budget Surplus has been created by a reduction in military outlays, higher employment, which has led to less government payments to the unemployed, and higher tax revenue.  Much of the surplus is due to money collected in the social security fund. Vice President Gore wants to spend most of this surplus on government programs.  Gov. Bush would return much of the surplus in the form of tax reductions.  On  the surface neither proposal has more merit to it than the other does from a moral perspective. However, one of the principles of social justice is that individuals should be able to support their families, educate their children, and have wages
sufficient to do charity and work for justice.  One way that all of these goals are accomplished is through tax breaks.  With less money taken out of each paycheck a worker can use those funds to provide the necessary things for their family. Prescription Drug Costs are high for many seniors.  I know that some seniors are forced to choose whether to purchase the drugs they need or to use their limited funds for the other necessities of life.  Gov. Bush proposes subsidizing insurance companies and HMO’s to provide the necessary coverage.  VP Gore proposes having the government pay for prescription drugs.  That sounds wonderful, but what are the central problems with Medicare and HMO’s?  They are criticized for being too stingy when it comes to reimbursements.  Why would a government paid program for prescription drugs be any different?  I don’t know if Gov. Bush’s plan would do all that is necessary, but it seems to me that insurance companies are usually more willing to cover medications and therapies than government programs.
  The Education of children is the concern of every parent.  Most parents believe that they should be able to choose to send their children to a better school if the one they are required to send their children to is not doing a good job of educating.  Families that have the financial ability to send their children to Catholic schools often choose to do so. Parents who do not have those means must send their children to the local public school no matter how good or how poorly they educate.  The Democratic Party doesn’t believe school vouchers are the answer.  Perhaps they are not.  But in Milwaukee, Cleveland, and other places where they have been tried, they have helped inner city children increase their reading and math skills considerably.  Vouchers haven’t destroyed the Milwaukee Public School system either.
     Integrity may not seem like a big issue.  Yet, the United States, for better or worse, is a world power.  Other nations assume that when we make treaties we will keep them.  When we agree to assist other nations we keep those promises.  If the president cannot be trusted to follow through on his promises or consistently is deceptive with the American public, that lack of integrity undermines our ability to ensure peace throughout the world. An unstated, but critical issue in the next few years will be the president’s ability to appoint judges.  It is likely that decisions regarding abortion, assisted suicide, and other moral issues will make their way through the courts.  Conservative judges tend to support pro-life legislation.  In my mind that is important in deciding who will be the next president.  As Catholics we should support and defend life.  It is a basic justice principle.  All other issues become secondary if life is not upheld. I cannot as a priest and as a representative of the Church tell you to vote for a particular candidate.  Instead, search your heart and consider carefully that the issues that face our country do have a moral dimension to them.
      Peace,
      Fr. Chris

CHILDREN ARE OUR GREATEST BLESSING

Many different speakers have said on many occasions that “children are our hope for tomorrow and one of our greatest resources.”  The most prolific speaker for the cause of children was our Lord, Jesus  Christ, when in Luke 18:16-17 He called them to Himself and stated that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”  He also goes on to say that “whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”  How true that our children are our greatest resources, our hope for tomorrow, and the reminder that Christ drew them into His everlasting love.  Just take a look at the young people in our church and ponder their maturity as we watch them grow over the years.  Young people are alive with energy, enthusiasm and vitality.  They renew our energy level if we spend time in their presence. What a blessed community we have here at St. Clare to be surrounded by so many young people.  They keep us young (if not in body then definitely in spirit).  As parents,  we are entrusted with the awesome gift and responsibility to contribute to the spiritual development of our youth. However, it does
take effort on the part of everyone in our parish community to make their dreams become realities.

The upcoming year has many opportunities for our youth to get to know one another and to increase their spiritual growth.  It is  very important that they have as much support as possible!  Will you please spend some time in prayer during the year ahead, and see if the spirit is leading you to take an active role in the formation of a young person? Especially if one of these young people happens to be your own child.

If you are a young person between the 7th and 12th grades and would like to be a part of an exciting and active ministry, please plan to attend one of our youth group sessions beginning Sunday, September 10, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at St. Clare.  We will meet every other Sunday evening (two times per month).  The second meeting of the month will include our social time, where we will have fun getting to know one another and where we will plan our activities for upcoming months.

We look forward to meeting new youth as well as new parents.  If you are interested in participating in the youth group, whether parent or youth, please contact any of the youth team members listed below by calling the church office to obtain phone numbers.

Thank you on behalf of your Youth Group Committee,

Tracy & Michael McKeown Mari & Scott Leisen
Susan & Steve Werly  Eileen & Dan Barrett
Peggy Blickenstaff  Rhonda Orians
Teresa & Eric Hopton

KATHERINE DREXEL

Blessed Katherine Drexel will be canonized Oct. 1 at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope John Paul II announced. Blessed Katherine was a U.S. heiress who dedicated her life to defending and educating African-Americans and Native Americans.

November is NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY MONTH!  On tap so far:
· Jubilee Mass for Black Catholics, Sun. Nov. 5, 2:30 p.m. at St. James Cathedral, downtown Orlando. Bishop Norbert M. Dorsey will preside.
· BCM Reflections, Thu. Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m. at St. John Vianney, Orlando.
· Mass featuring music of Leon Roberts, Sun. Nov. 19, 9:00 a.m. at Nativity, Longwood.

All are invited to attend these events.  Anyone seeking information or speakers to honor this month, call the Black Community Ministry at 407-658-1818, ext. 243.

PRAYER FOR LIFE

O God, our Creator, all life is in Your hands from conception until death.
Help us to cherish our children and to reverence the awesome privilege
of our share in creation.  May all people live and die in dignity and love.
Bless all those who defend the rights of the unborn, the handicapped, and the aged.
Enlighten and be merciful toward those who fail to love, and give them peace.
Let freedom be tempered by responsibility, integrity, and morality.

Author unknown from CARITAS, Vol. 5, No. 3, 9/1993

BLESSING OF ANIMALS (PETS)

Blessing of animals, commemorating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, will be Sunday, October 1 at 2:30 in front of the church.

A POEM FOR LIFE

I don’t know how to see the sky,
Or how to ask the question why.
I haven’t heard the blue birds sing.
I haven’t heard the school bells ring.
I can’t feel the wind on my face.
I can’t feel a loving embrace.
I haven’t smelt the salty air.
I haven’t climbed the steps of a stair.
I can’t take hold of my mommy’s hand,
Or lie down in the summer sand,
To think and create, to love and relate.
I know everyone has a choice;
too bad, as a fetus, I don’t have a voice.
Emily Hahnel

NATIONAL FAMILY WEEK

The week of November 19-25 has been declared National Family Week to promote recognition and appreciation of the family as the foundation of a free U. S. society. Thanksgiving week is an appropriate time to remember the many blessings loving families bring to society, and councils are urged to make sure family activities are part of the holiday season.

THE SAN DAMIANO CROSS THE DEVOTION

In the early days after his conversion, Francis was living a penitential life alone in the countryside outside of the walls of Assisi.  One day, while passing the rundown church known as San Damiano (St. Damian), Francis heard an internal voice from his spirit tell him to go in and pray.  He entered and knelt before the cross.  There followed a time of contemplation and ecstasy.  While gazing at the cross, Francis saw the lips of Jesus move and he heard the words,
“Francis, go repair my house which as you see is falling completely to ruin.”  Francis responded, “Gladly will I do so, Lord.”  At first, Francis concentrated on repairing the church buildings of San Damiano and nearby churches.  Then when the Lord sent him many followers, he understood his commission to build up the lives of God’s people.  His commission was confirmed by Pope Innocent III who had a dream of the Church in the form of the Basilica of St. John Lateran leaning over as if to fall and one little man holding it from falling.  When the Pope recognized Francis as the little man in his dream, he approved the Franciscan order and its rule of life.  Throughout the centuries, the cross has symbolized for Franciscans a mission to bring renewal to the Church.

THE TEACHING

We are called first to see in the cross the paschal mystery of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.  The painter wants us to relate the parts of the mystery.  We see the suffering connected with the wounds.  We see the human and divine natures together.  We see the rising from the tomb and the ascension into heaven; and we see that this is all done by the power of God.  Our second lesson teaches the supreme importance of Christ.  He dominates all other figures.  The angels are very small in comparison and awed by his deeds.  The saints are also considerably smaller and are focused on Jesus.  They are witnessing the central event of history.  Some are witnessing it in person gathered at the Cross, while the patron saints continue to witness it in faith by their lives.  You and I are identified with the observer.  He and those behind him look on the wondrous event and are called to be witnesses as the saints were.
We are invited to adoration by the angels and cautioned not to presume on our fidelity by the sign of the rooster.

THE PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS BEFORE THE CROSS AT SAN DAMIANO

Most High glorious God, bring light to the darkness of my heart.  Give me right faith, certain hope and perfect charity, insight and wisdom, so I can always observe Your holy and true command.
Amen.

PROTECTING YOUR AUTO INVESTMENT

With the average price of a new car now over $20,000, it makes better financial sense than ever to protect your automotive investment through regular maintenance.  However, if you’re like most people, you have neither the time, tools, nor skills to perform anything but the most basic of tasks.

To help you as you shop for automotive repair, here are some tips from the experts at the National Institute for Automotive  Service Excellence (ASE), a nonprofit group that tests and certifies the competence of automotive repair technicians.
· Read the owner’s manual.  Have your vehicle serviced according to the schedule recommended in the manual.
· Ask friends, relatives, and business associates for the names of shops they recommend.Check  the reputation of the shop
   with your local consumer organization.
· Look for signs of professionalism and pride, such as a courteous staff, modern equipment, a neat, organized facility, customer
   service awards, membership in the Better Business Bureau, community awards, etc.
· Look for signs that the technicians are competent.  Look in the customer service area for trade school diplomas, certificates
   indicating completion of advanced courses and/or workshops, and look for certification of the technicians.
· Seek out repair facilities that employ one or more ASE-certified technicians.  These technicians have taken national exams to
   prove their competency to their employers and to  you. ASE-certified technicians wear blue and white insignia and carry
   credentials listing their  exact areas of expertise – brakes, engine repair, etc.  Their employers often display the ASE sign.
· Important policies (labor rates, guarantees, diagnostic fees, methods of payment, etc.) should be posted in the customer
   service area or explained to you.
· Do not expect the technicians to make an on-the-spot diagnosis.  Ask to be called with the diagnosis and a price estimate.
   Start with a minor job and reward good service with repeat business.
· Periodic maintenance will save you money in the long run by extending the life of your vehicle.  That’s good news, given the
   price of today’s vehicles.

For a free brochure, How to Communicate for Better Automotive Service, send a self-addressed, stamped business-sized envelope to:
 ASE, Dept., NAPS-951
 Box 347
 Herndon, VA  22070

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU HIRE A CONTRACTOR

They don’t advertise and they often don’t tell the truth.  Still, you can avoid getting ripped of by an unscrupulous plumbing-heating-cooling contractor (p-h-c) if you ask the right questions.  Here are some questions you might consider, suggested by experts at the National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors. Does your community require that p-h-c contractors be licensed?  Check with your local Consumer Affairs Department.  If a license is required, make sure you see the contractor’s license before he begins work.  A professional, licensed p-h-c contractor has a thorough knowledge of all codes and can foresee and avoid problems with even the simplest looking tasks. How long has your contractor been in business?  The longer, the better – usually.  Ask to see a list of references, then call them.  Would they use this contractor again? Can the contractor show proof of liability insurance and worker’s compensation?  If a contractor doesn’t have liability insurance, then you may end up paying for any property damage. Will the contractor provide a clearly written estimate and contract? Simply put, get everything in writing. Finally, ask if the contractor belongs to any professional organizations, such as the National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors.  This will tell you something about the contractor’s commitment to the industry and profession.

For a free brochure on how to hire a professional plumbing-heating-cooling contractor, write to National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
P.O. Box 6808  Dept. NAPS
Falls Church, Virginia 22040
or call 800-533-7694.