• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Bishop Robert Barron
          • George Weigel
          • Question Corner
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Suzanna Molino Singleton
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Paul McMullen
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Father T. Austin Murphy Jr.
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • Advertising
  • CR Radio
  • Printing
  • Subscribe

Belief and life

Father Joseph Breighner May 15, 2020
By Father Joseph Breighner
Filed Under: Commentary, Wit & Wisdom

It was around 11 p.m. when my phone rang. When I answered, the caller simply said: “Rose is dead.”

Her daughter, Rose, was in her middle 20s. She lived with her parents, and commuted by train each day from the Washington suburbs to her job in Baltimore. Police had found Rose’s body on the evening train to Washington.

As the family met with the detective assigned to the case, he said they had some security footage showing a man walking up to Rose just before she boarded the train. She took a package with her on the train. Apparently these were the drugs that had killed her.

That morning Rose had asked her father for $20. Apparently, that was the money she used to buy the drugs. Filled with sorrow, her father said: “My daughter’s life was worth $20.”

Rose was far from being an addict. But even some use can be fatal, since we don’t really know what we’re buying.

Another friend of mine told me that she had lost a friend to drugs as well. That particular person had been clean for a while, but when she relapsed and took drugs, she died. Apparently her body had grown accustomed to the lower dosage.

In the midst of this tragedy, the family was overwhelmed by the goodness of others. For days before and weeks after the funeral, many people brought food to their home. The church was packed for the funeral. More than 200 people came to the reception after the funeral to offer comfort.

As I’ve said before, good overwhelms evil many times over, but evil has the greater shock value. When God came among us as a man, he was killed. Jesus lost his life for a few pieces of silver.

And, yet, although Jesus was killed, we believe that he did not stay dead. And he promised that if we believed, we would not stay dead either.

We do not live in a morally neutral universe. Good and evil, life and death, do contend with each other. But because we believe in a life after death, we know ultimately that evil is defeated by good, and death is conquered by life.

Through all the centuries of wars and plagues and famines, life continues. And we believe it continues even beyond this life. Evil ended Rose’s life on earth much too soon. But we believe she lives forever with God. Rose was a victim of evil here on earth. But she lives in goodness with the saints forever in God’s unending kingdom of peace and justice.

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Father Joseph Breighner

Father Joseph Breighner

Father Joseph Breighner is a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and a columnist for the Catholic Review.

View all posts from this author

Recent Commentary

Burial in non-Catholic cemetery/ Anxious as death draws near

Doing the impossible

The fish-stick dilemma

Washing dishes for Lent

We need rituals to mourn

Recent Local News

Social Ministry honoree brings Latin America experience to migrant issues

One year in: Families, institutions adjust to ongoing pandemic

Our daily bread: Irish tradition enjoyed on more than St. Patrick’s Day

RADIO INTERVIEW: How to pick a Bible translation

Homebound, Operation CRS Rice Bowl nonetheless raises awareness of hunger

Catholic Review Radio

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Pope arrives in Iraq, promoting peace, tolerance, equality
  • Bishop Rhoades: Latest COVID-19 vaccine can be used in good conscience
  • Burial in non-Catholic cemetery/ Anxious as death draws near
  • Social Ministry honoree brings Latin America experience to migrant issues
  • Movie Review: ‘Tom & Jerry ‘
  • Doing the impossible
  • ‘Finally,’ pope says he will be able to make pilgrimage to Iraq
  • Pope taps Newark cardinal as member of Congregation for Bishops
  • The fish-stick dilemma
  • Washing dishes for Lent

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2021 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED