Our Lady of Lourdes
  • Home
  • Mass Schedule
  • News
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Information
    • History
      • Past Priests
    • Sacraments
    • Meet Us
    • Ministries
    • Church Groups
    • Parish School of Religion
    • RCIA
  • Oyster Festival
  • Bulletins
  • Resources
    • Forms
    • Links
    • Resources for Prayer
      • Divine Mercy Novena
    • Hall Rental
  • Donations
  • Photos
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Mass Schedule
  • News
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Information
    • History
      • Past Priests
    • Sacraments
    • Meet Us
    • Ministries
    • Church Groups
    • Parish School of Religion
    • RCIA
  • Oyster Festival
  • Bulletins
  • Resources
    • Forms
    • Links
    • Resources for Prayer
      • Divine Mercy Novena
    • Hall Rental
  • Donations
  • Photos
  • Contact
2621 Colonial Blvd.
Violet, LA 70092

O: (504) 682-7070
F: (504) 605-2064
​E: (504) 356-1737
​oll@arch-no.org

Archive of
Fr. Bryan's Pastor's Blog

Misuse of Language

10/12/2018

0 Comments

 
​Misuse of Language
 
            The language that we use is very important, because it effects the way that we think. My Paw Paw often says, “If you say something about yourself often enough you’ll begin to believe it.” The way that we talk about something effects the way that we think of it just as much as the way that we think about something affects the way we talk. 
            Stores and retailers use this all the time to make sales. I know someone who used to work for a popular electronics retailer, that’s no out of business. He told me that they would have a “sale” around Christmas time every year, but that it wasn’t really a sale. They would raise all of the prices by 10 or 15% and then put everything on sale for the same amount. Just that sign saying “10% OFF!” was enough to get people to buy it, even though it wasn’t really 10% off. Another way stores sell products is to put special labels on them, like “Gluten Free,” “Diet,” and “Organic.” Sometimes these labels can be helpful, like if you’re allergic to gluten, but a sometimes they’re just silly, like when cereal is labeled as “Fat Free;” of course it’s fat free, it’s cereal. 
            Language can also be used to affect how we think about far more serious things, like abortion or euthanasia. Those who are against abortion call ourselves “pro-life,” because saying that you’re “anti-abortion” is a negative and feels bad, but being pro-life is something that just about everyone can agree with. On the other hand, those who are “pro-abortion” don’t like to use that term, because it doesn’t sound nice, but everyone wants to say that they’re “pro-choice,” because freedom and liberty are things that every American values.
            Euthanasia is the same way. Euthanasia is the act of ending the life of someone suffering from a chronic or terminal disease, or helping them to end their own life. Those who are against it call it “euthanasia” or “physician assisted suicide,” but people who are in favor of legalized euthanasia call it “death with dignity” or “physician assisted dying.” Do you see how that changes how you think of it?
            What we need to do is look past the language that we use to the reality behind it. Words have meanings, and ideas have consequences, and we need to take those meanings and consequences seriously, because they affect real lives. Don’t let someone else do your thinking for you, but dig down deeper than the surface, seek the truth, and govern your life by it. 
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Fr. Bryan was pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes from July 3, 2017 to June 2022.

    Categories

    All
    10 Commandments
    Beatitudes
    Bible
    Blog Article
    Bulletin Article
    Equipped Series
    Fr. Bryan Recommends
    Homilies
    Liturgy
    Philosophy
    Q&A
    Saints
    Symbolism
    The Seven Sacraments

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018

    RSS Feed

Mission Statement

We, members of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, are committed to establish a safe haven for believers in our community. Having Christ as the center of our worship and being impelled by his teachings:
• We continually grow in ministries that address the needs and concerns of our community.
• We strive to be a vibrant “Christ Centered” spiritual family and experience His love and presence in the celebration of the Eucharist.

  • Home
  • Mass Schedule
  • News
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Information
    • History
      • Past Priests
    • Sacraments
    • Meet Us
    • Ministries
    • Church Groups
    • Parish School of Religion
    • RCIA
  • Oyster Festival
  • Bulletins
  • Resources
    • Forms
    • Links
    • Resources for Prayer
      • Divine Mercy Novena
    • Hall Rental
  • Donations
  • Photos
  • Contact