A Catholic Notebook

Contraception and Fig Trees

2012-02-01T23:06:00.002-06:00

"The root principle of birth-control is unsound. It is a glorification of the means and a contempt of the end; it says that the pleasure which is a means to the procreation of children is good, but the children themselves are no good.

In other words, to be logical, the philosophy of birth-control would commit us to a world in which trees were always blooming but never giving fruit, a world full of sign-posts that were leading nowhere. In this cosmos every tree would be a barren fig-tree and for that reason would have upon it the curse of God."

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Superintendent Bullies Christian Student, Calls Him 'Ignorant'

2012-01-25T17:56:00.000-06:00

I urge you to send an email to Shawano Superintendent Todd Carlson. Urge him to immediately apologize for his unconstitutional and irrational censorship and humiliation of student Brandon Wegner.

January 25, 2012

Dear Reader,

School officials at Shawano High School in Wisconsin have censored and punished Brandon Wegner, a 15-year-old, for writing an op-ed article explaining the Biblical view of homosexuality and supporting natural mother-father adoption, according to Liberty Counsel.

After Brandon wrote this article he was pulled into hours of meetings with school administrators and staff, without his parents' knowledge.

Superintendent Todd Carlson told him that the column "went against the bullying policy," and asked him if he "regretted" writing it. According to Liberty Counsel, when Mr. Wegner stated that he did not regret writing it, and that he stood behind his beliefs, Superintendent Carlson told him that he had "to be one of the most ignorant kids to try to argue with him about this topic," that "we have the power to suspend you if we want to" and that the column had "personally offended me, so I know you offended other people!"

Brandon's opinion was a part of an editorial page which presented viewpoints both for and against homosexual adoption, each articulated by a student. After the school newspaper was published in the local town paper, a homosexual in the community complained to the school. School officials then censored Brandon's article, forcing him and his classmates to pull the page out of the newspaper before distribution at the school.

Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said "The bullying at Shawano High School is by Superintendent Todd Carlson and the school officials, not the student, Brandon Wegner. The school officials have displayed blatant intolerance of a view on homosexuality held by many people. The school's actions are shocking and unjustified. The superintendent should immediately apologize and stop the bullying."

THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION!

Send an email to Shawano Superintendent Todd Carlson. Urge him to immediately apologize for his unconstitutional and irrational censorship and humiliation of student Brandon Wegner.

Ask Mr. Carlson to publicly acknowledge that, in the future, all students will be allowed to express their religious beliefs, free from bullying and harassment by school administrators, staff and other students.

Here is my email - feel free to use it as a template (there is also a template if you follow the link above)

Dear Mr. Carlson:
I am deeply distressed by your actions against one of your students, Brandon Wegner.
Your actions were very discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Censorship and bullying one of your students because of his religious convictions is discrimination at its worst. Referring to Brandon as "ignorant" is a clear violation of professional ethics.

I urge you to apologize to Brandon and his family immediately.

I also ask you to publicly acknowledge that, in the future, all students will be allowed to express their religious beliefs, free from bullying and harassment by school administrators, staff and other students.

Sincerely,
_________________________

I am Pre-Denominational

2012-01-20T00:18:00.001-06:00

When someone tells me they are non-denominational -- I tell them I am pre-denominational.
For those who don't get it: pre-denomination means "before the Protestant Reformation (read: Rebellion).

The Protestants gave birth to the every multiplying denominations. Before them there was the pre-denomination -- the Catholic Church.

Hat Tip to Steve Ray!

Father Barron's Comments on "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

2012-01-18T23:54:00.000-06:00

and . . . stick with this one. There is a pause or two in it.

Mini Bios of the New Cardinals

2012-01-16T22:26:00.000-06:00

A great article from a new resource (for me) - The Tablet

by Robert Mickens - 14 January 2012

In five weeks’ time, Pope Benedict XVI will create 22 new cardinals in the fourth consistory of his pontificate, 18 of whom will be eligible to vote in the next conclave to choose a new Pope. So who are those swelling the elite ranks of the Church?

If there were any doubts before last week, it is now clear to many that Pope Benedict XVI wants to keep the papacy firmly in the hands of the Europeans.

The Vatican’s announcement last week that Pope is to create 22 new cardinals in a consistory on 18 February revealed that nearly three-quarters of those receiving a red hat are from Europe (seven alone from Italy). The remainder of the appointments in this the fourth consistory of the Ratzinger pontificate include three new cardinals from North America, two from Asia and one from Brazil. Four of those appointed are beyond the age of 80 and so ineligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new Pope.

Ten of the new cardinals are currently in charge of Roman Curia or Rome-based offices that, by long-standing custom, are almost always headed by a cardinal. Several in this year’s group were named to their posts as a reward for a lifetime of service to the Holy See. Others are in a position, such as head of a congregation, where it is considered essential that he be of the highest ecclesiastical rank. The remainder are those who are residential bishops heading major archdioceses that are traditionally headed by cardinals.

As of 18 February there will be 125 cardinal-electors, five beyond the ceiling of 120 set by Pope Paul VI. And for the first time, now standing at 63 those created by Benedict XVI will outnumber by one those created by Blessed John Paul II. In the course of nearly seven years as Bishop of Rome, Pope Benedict will have created a total of 68 cardinal-electors, although three of these have already lost their vote by turning 80 and two others have died. He will have named 39 of the current 67 European electors (and 21 of the 30 Italians), but only six of the 22 voters from Latin America.

Significantly, 43 of the 125 electors are heads or retired heads of Roman offices, while another 14 residential cardinals once worked for the Vatican as priests. This puts the Curia voting bloc at 57 members. It is not apparent that this group, the Italian bloc or the European coalition as a whole is united enough to ensure the election of one of its members. But these distinct interest groups will all be determinant in choosing a compromise candidate who becomes the next pope.

These are the men the Pope will create cardinals next month at the Vatican in the order he announced them on 6 January:

1. Fernando Filoni, 65 (Italy); Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples (Propaganda Fide) since May 2011. This lifelong Vatican diplomat served for a decade in Hong Kong and, as nuncio to Iraq, he was the only foreign ambassador to remain in the country after the United States-led invasion in 2003. Most recently he spent four years as sostituto or Deputy Secretary of State for Internal Affairs. An alumnus of the prestigious Accademia Ecclesiastica for papal diplomats.

2. Manuel Monteiro de Castro, 73 (Portugal); Major Penitentiary since January 2012. This papal diplomat was nuncio in several countries in the Caribbean, Latin America and South Africa. After serving as the Pope’s man in Madrid, he spent four years as archbishop-secretary of the Congregation for Bishops. An Accademia Ecclesiastica alumnus.

3. Santos Abril y Castelló, 76 (Spain); Archpriest of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore since November 2011. He was recently named vice Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church after a long career as a papal nuncio in several countries in the Balkans, Latin America and Africa. He, too, has an Accademia pedigree.

4. Antonio Maria Vegliò, 74 (Italy); President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People since February 2009. This career diplomat was nuncio to several countries in Africa and the Middle East, before spending eight years as archbishop-secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Another graduate of Rome’s Accademia Ecclesiastica.

5. Giuseppe Bertello, 69 (Italy); Governor of Vatican City State since October 2011. Finished a long and illustrious diplomatic career as nuncio to Italy before being appointed to his current post. He, too, was groomed at the Accademia.

6. Francesco Coccopalmerio, 73 (Italy); President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts since February 2007. This top-notch, Rome-trained canon lawyer and professor served as an auxiliary in Milan from 1996 until his current Vatican post.

7. João Braz de Aviz, 64 (Brazil); Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life since January 2011. The only Latin American of the consistory, he was named an auxiliary bishop in 1994 after 20 years of parish and seminary work. A member of the Focolare Movement with degrees from the Gregorian and Lateran Universities, he headed the Archdiocese of Brasilia for seven years prior to his Vatican appointment.

8. Edwin O’Brien, 72 (US); Pro-Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre since August 2011. A former rector of the seminary in his native Archdiocese of New York and the North American College in Rome, he was head of the US Military Archdiocese for 10 years. In 2007 he was named Archbishop of Baltimore, distinguishing himself by banning the Legionaries of Christ.

9. Domenico Calcagno, 69 (Italy); after four years as second in command, he was appointed President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See in July 2011. A priest from Genoa, this Rome-educated theology professor was an Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) official when he was named Bishop of Savona-Noli in 2002.

10. Giuseppe Versaldi, 68 (Italy); President of Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the Holy See since September 2011. A priest of Vercelli, he was the right-hand man to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone SDB when the Secretary of State was archbishop there. With doctorates in psychology and canon law from the Gregorian University, he was Bishop of Alessandria della Paglia from 2007 until his current appointment.

11. George Alencherry, 66 (India); Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church since May 2011. A Paris-educated theologian specialising in catechetics, he taught pastoral counselling for many years at the Pontifical Institute of Theology in Alwaye. He was elected bishop in 1997 and head of India’s Syro-Malabar Church last May.

12. Thomas Collins, 65 (Canada); Archbishop of Toronto since December 2006. With a licentiate in Scripture from Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute and doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University, he spent nearly 20 years as seminary professor and rector. Appointed bishop at age 50, this is his third diocese. A great promoter of lectio divina.

13. Dominik Duka OP, 68 (Czech Republic); Archbishop of Prague since February 2010. Shortly after his ordination as a Dominican priest, the Communist authorities tried to impede his ministry by forcing him to work for nearly 15 years in a Skoda car factory. He was also imprisoned for a year. Later he became provincial superior of the Dominicans in Bohemia and Moravia, and taught theology before being made a bishop in 1989. Has been criticised for being too close to ultra-conservative Czech President Vaclav Klaus.

14. Willem Eijk, 58 (Netherlands); Archbishop of Utrecht since December 2007. A medical doctor who was ordained priest at age 32, he has a degree in moral philosophy from Rome’s “Angelicum” University. After 10 years teaching in seminary and a two-year membership on the CDF-sponsored International Theological Commission, this noted theological conservative was appointed bishop in 1999.

15. Giuseppe Betori, 65 (Italy); Archbishop of Florence since September 2008. A Rome-trained scripture scholar, he was a seminary professor, head of the Italian bishops’ catechetical office and then spent more than a decade at the episcopal conference, becoming bishop-secretary general in 2001. Protégé of retired Cardinal Camillo Ruini, former Vicar of Rome and CEI president.

16. Timothy Dolan, 62 (US); Archbishop of New York since February 2009. An oversized man with an infectious laugh, this former North American College rector and staff member at the US nunciature in Washington is a conservative with outstanding people skills. With a doctorate in American Church history, he is a master teller of clerical lore. Gregarious and self-effacing, he was made an auxiliary in his native St Louis before spending more than seven years as Archbishop of Milwaukee. Promises to be an enthusiastic voice in the College of Cardinals.

17. Rainer Maria Woelki, 55 (Germany); Archbishop of Berlin since July 2011. He earned a doctorate in theology at the Opus Dei university in Rome and spent eight years as an auxiliary in Cologne where Cardinal Joachim Meisner served as his mentor and protector.

18. John Tong Hon, 72 (China); Bishop of Hong Kong since April 2009. One of the most respected Catholic figures in Hong Kong, he spent most of his priesthood as a seminary and theology professor, as well as a newspaper editor. Vicar general since 1992, he was made an auxiliary in 1996. More moderate towards Communist authorities than his pugnacious predecessor, Cardinal Joseph Zen SDB.

The four men who are already over the age of 80:
1. Lucian Muresan, 80 (Romania); Major Archbishop of Fagaras and Alba Iulia since July 1994. This Byzantine Romanian Rite prelate had to exercise his ministry clandestinely for a period.

2. Julien Ries, 91 (Belgium); Professor-emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve. A lifelong professor, his major work is on the anthropology of religions. Highly acclaimed in Italy.

3. Prosper Grech OSA, 86 (Malta); Augustinian professor-emeritus of several Roman universities and long-serving consultor to the Vatican’s doctrinal office. First Augustinian friar in more than 100 years to be created cardinal.

4. Karl Becker SJ, 83 (Germany); Jesuit professor-emeritus of the Pontifical Gregorian University. Consultor to the CDF and one of the Vatican team of theologians currently trying to forge the Pope’s desired reconciliation with the Priestly Fraternity of St Pius X.

SOURCE: http://thetablet.co.uk/article/162206

Mary in the Book of Revelation (y mas)

2012-01-06T11:43:00.002-06:00

A very informative and interesting FB exchange! The names have been changed for the sake of privacy. If any of the authors want anonymity lifted just let me know. :-)
I borrowed a status update from a friend (who is much more learned than I). It sparked a comment from "Hanna" and we were off and running.
I learned (and remembered) . . . and decided to re-read Revelation! :-)
Here is the status update followed by the commentary:

December 27 is the feast of the apostle John, author of the fourth gospel, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation. His writings strongly emphasized the divinity of Christ, the Eucharist, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mother. Tradition holds that John was the youngest apostle and probably never married, that he was the only apostle who stood at the foot of the cross. There, Jesus entrusted John with the care of Mary. Tradition says that he brought her to Turkey and built her a small home outside the city of Ephesus. John is believed to have been the last living apostle and a major advocate of doctrinal and theological orthodoxy against the heresies that were rising amongst 2nd generation Christians.

~~> Divinity of Christ- John ch. 1
~~> Mission of Christ, need for baptism- John ch. 3
~~> Eucharist- John chapters 5 and 6
~~> Mary as mother of the Church- Revelation ch. 12

Hanna:

Sorry Peggy but Revelation 12 is referring to Israel during the final 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation. NOT Mary. The other topics...perhaps I'll post something about them later...at work right now but needed to clarify the misunderstanding about Mary.

Mel:Revelation 12 is a dual reference, in part to Mary and in part to Ecclesia, the Church as Bride of Christ. In verse 5, we see the woman giving "birth to a male child destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne." Since the male child is obviously Jesus, the woman who gave birth to him is obviously Mary.

But in the next lines, we see that she is the mother of many children who bear witness to Jesus. That doesn't much sound like Israel, but like the persecuted Church, especially if we see the dragon as both Satan and Rome. Elsewhere, the New Testament refers to the Church as the bride of Christ. Notice that John's gospel begins with Christ and his mother at a wedding. The Church is founded by Christ through the 12 apostles, represented by the 12 stars.

Mel:
But in the next lines, we see that she is the mother of many children who bear witness to Jesus. That doesn't much sound like Israel, but like the persecuted Church, especially if we see the dragon as both Satan and Rome. Elsewhere, the New Testament refers to the Church as the bride of Christ. Notice that John's gospel begins with Christ and his mother at a wedding. The Church is founded by Christ through the 12 apostles, represented by the 12 stars.

Caub:
Hanna, where do you get this view/belief from?

Mel:Far from endorsing pro-Israel dispensationalism, John's Book of Revelation begins by referring to the Jews as frauds and Satanists. We are people of the New Covenant, and the New Israel of that Covenant is the Church. John hints at this back in his gospel's 5th chapter, when the 12 apostles feed the followers of Christ and collect 12 baskets of leftovers. And again when Revelation tells us that those saved are 144,000. That number = 12 apostles x 12 tribes of the New Israel x 1000 (fullness, forever).

Caub:
Mel, may I ask you a question? What is your faith persuasion? Hanna, same question to you, if you don't mind? Thanks.

Mel:
Remember that in the OT, Israel is not a place but a man and his 12 sons, a man through whom the Covenant comes. The new and everlasting covenant comes through Jesus through his 12 apostles. And remember that when Joshua led the Israelites into the kingdom of the covenant, he was eventually replaced by judges. Jesus, which is Greek for "Joshua" told the 12 apostles that they would sit on thrones as judges in his kingdom.

Mel:
Remember that in the OT, Israel is not a place but a man and his 12 sons, a man through whom the Covenant comes. The new and everlasting covenant comes through Jesus through his 12 apostles. And remember that when Joshua led the Israelites into the kingdom of the covenant, he was eventually replaced by judges. Jesus, which is Greek for "Joshua" told the 12 apostles that they would sit on thrones as judges in his kingdom.

Mel:I'm a Cat'lic Cajun from N'awlins. Small world, isn't it? LOL

Caub:
Indeed. Who DAT?

Caub:
Mel, Revelation is actually a four part reference: Mary as Israel, the Church, Eve, and Mary.

Mel
Yes, we see all of salvation history played out in this one vision- Eve and Israel (past), Mary(the New Eve) and the Church (the New Israel)- present and future.

Caub:
Hanna, I was hoping to hear from you to explain your views above, but, no such luck. In short, you are a little off base. The blessed Virgin is depicted with 12 stars over her head because in Revelation 12:1-2, a pregnant woman who is about to give birth is clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crown of twelve stars on her head. The woman is believed to symbolize the Blessed Mother, among other things, because the child she delivers is "a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron ... [and] her child was caught up to God and to his throne" (Rev. 12:5). The stars in the crown may represent either Christ's 12 apostles or the 12 tribes of Israel. I have much more to say on this, if you'd care to explain your, uh, somewhat unusual take on the chapter. Thanks, and God bless you.

Hannahttp://www.thepropheticyears.com/The%20book%20of%20Revelation/Revelation%20Chapter%2012.htm
Go to this link for the Biblical explanation of Revelation 12.
Revelation chapter 12 commentary
www.thepropheticyears.com
Futurist commentary on Revelation chapter 12, by Don Koenig - John sees a woman ...with a Man Child and a red dragon who seeks to devour the Child as soon as He is born

Caub:
Well, Hanna, I have a few thoughts about this. First, it is most significant to note that Adam and Eve were revealed merely as "the man" and "the woman," before the woman’s name was changed after the fall to "Eve." (In Hebrew, Eve means “mother of the living.")

When you then look at the New Covenant, Jesus is explicitly referred to as the "last Adam," or the "New Adam" in 1 Cor. 15:45. Jesus himself then indicates that Mary is the prophetic "woman" or "New Eve" of Genesis 3:15 when he refers to her as "woman" in John 2:4 and 19:26.

St. John also refers to Mary as "woman" EIGHT times in Revelation 12. As the first Eve brought death to all her children through disobedience of God and heeding the call of the serpent, the devil, the "New Eve" of Revelation 12 brings life and salvation to all her children through her obedience.

The same "serpent" that deceived the original “woman” of Genesis is revealed, in Revelation 12, to fail in his attempt to overcome this NEW woman. The New Eve, of course, overcomes the serpent, and as a result, "The serpent is angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God, and bear testimony to Jesus" (Rev. 12:17).

Caub:
Second, since your link references "symbolic scripture," let’s take a deeper look at this. Revelation says, "And a great portent appeared in heaven, a Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery. . . . [S]he brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne. . . . Then the dragon was angry with the Woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus" (Rev. 12:1–2, 5, 17).

There is some debate about what the symbol of this Woman represents, and there are several different possible meanings, depending on how one reads it.

Unfortunately, most of the debate over what the “Woman” represents is misdirected because it does not take into account the way that Revelation uses symbolism.

You see, the vision contains "fusion imagery." In “fusion imagery,” one symbol is composed of elements from several different things. For example, the four living creatures John sees around God’s throne (4:6–8) are a fusion of elements from the cherubim seen in Ezekiel10:1–14 and the seraphim seen in Isaiah 6:1–5.

Similarly, the priest-elders John sees around the throne (4:4) are numbered 24 because they are a fusion of the 12 patriarchs of Israel and the 12 apostles of Jesus, a symbolism that occurs at the end of the book (21:12–14), where New Jerusalem is seen to have 12 foundations with the names of the 12 apostles and 12 gates with the names of the 12 patriarchs.

The beast from the sea in chapter 13 is a fusion of elements from the all four of the beasts the prophet Daniel saw emerge from the sea in chapter 7 of his book.

Similarly, Polyvalent symbolism - in which symbols have more than one meaning – is also part of Revelation’s imagery. For example, the seven heads of the beast are said to be both seven mountains (Rev. 17:9) and seven kings (17:10).

The “Woman” in Revelation 12 is part of the fusion imagery/polyvalent symbolism that is found in the book. She has four referents: Israel, the Church, Eve, and Mary.

She is Israel because she is associated with the sun, the moon, and 12 stars. These symbols are drawn from Genesis 37:9–11, in which Joseph has a dream of the sun and moon (symbolizing his father and mother) and stars (representing his brothers), which bow down to him. Taken together, the sun, moon, and 12 stars symbolize the people of Israel.

The Woman is the Church because, as 12:17 tells us, "the rest of her offspring" are those who bear witness to Jesus, making them Christians.

The Woman is Eve because she is part of the 3-way conflict also involving her Seed and the Dragon, who is identified with the ancient serpent (the one from Eden) in 20:2. This mirrors the conflict in Genesis 3:15 among Eve, the serpent, and her unborn seed. In turn, this is a symbol of the conflict among Mary, Satan, and Jesus.

Finally, the Woman is Mary because she is the mother of Jesus, the child who will rule the nations with a rod of iron (19:11–16).

Because the Woman is a four-way symbol, different aspects of the narrative apply to different referents. Like Mary, she is pictured as being in heaven and she flies (mirroring Mary’s Assumption). Like the Church, she is persecuted by the Devil after the Ascension of Christ. Like Israel, she experiences great trauma as the Messiah is brought forth (figuratively) from the nation. And like Eve, it is her (distant) seed with which the serpent has his primary conflict.

Conversely, portions of the narrative do not apply to each referent. Mary did not experience literal pain when bringing forth the Messiah, but she suffered figuratively (the prophecy that a sword would pierce her heart at the Crucifixion). Eve did not ascend to heaven. And the Church did not bring forth the Messiah (rather, the Messiah brought forth his Church).

Caub:
Third, and finally, I mined the "prophetic years" website and find it, well, intellectually immature, particularly the "Statement of Faith."
Two questions I'd have for the guy who wrote the website (Don Koenig) and you, as his follower, are: (1) How do you know the book you are holding in your hand is the Bible? Seriously, it doesn't have an inspired table of contents, so how and when - precisely - did we get it, and in what form?
(2) For a Christian, truth is important (it will set us free), and Jesus Christ IS the truth. So, for a Christian, what is the pillar and foundation of all truth? Don and you, I assume, would say that the pillar and foundation of all truth is the Bible. Would my assumption be correct? Thanks, and God bless....

Caub:
One more thing... Here are some, um, interesting observations from Don Koenig’s website (linked at the bottom):

“The whole world monetary system will have to be scrapped, the most advanced nations will be technically bankrupted because of debt. A new world monetary system will be set up.”

“By the end of the decade (this was written in 2009, so it was obviously wrong) religious teaching on the air waves and Internet will be controlled. You will have to subscribe to receive any religious teachings. Proselytizing will not be allowed in most of the world.”

“The true Church of Jesus Christ will have to go underground in most areas of the world and she will be at great risk.” (Interesting how this conflicts with Matthew 16)

“Due to the growing differences between liberals and conservatives certain states in the United States will secede and there might even be a civil war. There certainly will be conflicts in areas where police attempt to take away peoples guns. I think the nation will break up into several separate nation states based on ideology but that the separate nations will continue to have open borders and reciprocal agreements.”

“By the end of the decade all nation states in North America will join a new North American Union or face total isolation.”

“There will be total surveillance of all electronic communications. The Internet will be policed, monitored and filtered. Talk radio and websites will have to be politically correct or they will be shut down.”
“There will be food and gas rationing for most of the decade. Fuel will be very expensive and travel will be restricted.”

“Government will tax 90 percent of income over a certain level.”

And my favorite: “In spite of what some are now teaching, the Lord will not physically return to earth during this decade BUT THE RAPTURE COULD OCCUR (OR IT MAY NOT).” Good one, Don, way to go out on a limb!

Yup, Don Koenig is surely a guy I’d hitch my spiritual wagon to!! Sheesh, what a loon!

http://www.thepropheticyears.com/wordpress/don-koenigs-2010-2020-world-trends-forecast.html
Don Koenig's world trends forecast for 2010-2020 AD
www.thepropheticyears.com
Don Koenig's world trends forecast for 2010-2020 AD

Mel
To refer to "THE Biblical explanation" implies that there is only ONE Biblical explanation. It also implies that my explanation is UNbiblical. That is presumptuous, along with a few other adjectives I'll avoid.

Caub
Yeah, Mel, perhaps I should have been a little less presumptuous. But, if you read the guy's website, well, it's really funny/sad/odd/immature/silly - pick a few more...

Mel
Don't worry Caub- I wasn't talking to you! LOL

Girl Scouts Media Matters

2011-12-31T18:54:00.000-06:00

One of our parish's teens in Texas exposing the Girl Scouts recently on Fox News~!
So proud of you, Sydney Volanski!

Are you aware of the Girl Scouts' promotion of the liberal news website www.mediamatters.org? Despite their claim to be politically neutral, Girl Scouts recommends this liberal news resource to girls.

GSUSA has claimed that the reference will be removed on reprint, but the books promoting Media Matters are still being sold in local council stores throughout the United States and thousands of girls already have the book endorsing Media Matters in their hands.

There are also Girl Scout links to Planned Parenthood.
http://www.illinoisrighttolife.org/GirlsScouts_PlannedParenthood.htm
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/relationship-between-girl-scouts-planned-parenthood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZKiQub0ZnA
http://www.honestgirlscouts.com/
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/05/18/new-pro-life-web-site-links-girl-scouts-with-planned-parenthood/

St. Juan Diego: the Paradox of Humility

2011-12-12T10:38:00.017-06:00

Can you name 5 people who lived in Mexico in the early years of the 16th century? Probably not. Neither can I. When I try to make out a list, the project stalls after I write down a single name: St. Juan Diego.

Virtually nothing is known about Juan Diego, apart from the story of his encounter with Our Lady of Guadalupe. Yet nearly 500 years later we know his name—long after the world has forgotten the names of the kings and warriors and prelates who were his contemporaries.

After his first meeting with the Virgin Mary, when he told the bishop about the Blessed Mother’s wish for a church to be built at the site of their meeting, Juan Diego came away frustrated, because the bishop did not believe him. Why should such an important person as the bishop pay attention to this insignificant peasant? Juan Diego reportedly suggested that the Virgin should choose another more impressive envoy, because “I am a nobody.” A few centuries later, history has delivered a very different verdict. It is the bishop who has become a “nobody.” (I do not mean that he was a bad man; he may be rejoicing in heaven today. But history has not treated him kindly, and whatever fame he enjoyed in 1531 is long gone. Can you name him? Neither can I.) Juan Diego, on the other hand, is a canonized saint.

When Our Lady first spoke with Juan Diego (according to the account written by Don Antonio Valeriano), she referred to him as “the most humble of my sons.” If she used those exact words, I feel sure that she meant them as more than a term of endearment; she meant them as a compliment. It was his humility that made Juan Diego the ideal man to execute Our Lady’s plan.

*An old spiritual director of mine was fond of saying, “There are no humbled people in hell.” A humble person—someone who sees himself as insignificant—opens himself to be used as an instrument of God’s will. But then paradoxically, if he carries out God’s plan faithfully, he grows in importance—not to himself, but to the world. Remember what we are told in the Gospels, "Those who humble themselves shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:12 and Luke 14:11)
When we look toward Juan Diego we do not see a “nobody;” we see a simple man whose humility ensures that his own personality will not get in the way, and so he is better able to reflect the splendor of “the woman clothed in the sun.” He is great because he was small; he humbled himself and so he is exalted.

Author: Phil Lawler - Director, CatholicCulture.orgLink back to original post: http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otn.cfm?id=741 * Soutenus paraphrased or edited

Go Fish and Sally

2011-11-29T14:41:00.007-06:00

My friend, Sally's 2011 show! She is so talented!
Music by Go Fish

TisTheSimpsons 2011: Joy To The World from Sally Simpson on Vimeo.

Our Lady of the Star - a Small Community of Young Men in France with Down Syndrome

2011-11-21T17:08:00.000-06:00

SOURCES:
fndle.org English Abstract
Our Lady of the Star
The Deacon's Bench

30 Easy Memory Bible Verses

2011-11-08T22:34:00.001-06:00

When I was very young I attended Methodist Sunday School. One thing that Protestants seem to do well is teach their children Bible Memory Verses. Here are some starters so we can catch up! :-)
These are often partial quotes from the verse (but they contain the main idea).

Proverbs 14:5

An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies.

Genesis 16:13 You are the God who sees.

Numbers 6:24 The Lord bless you and keep you

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly

1stJohn 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 3:23 All people have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world.

Psalm 145:9 The Lord is good to all.

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

Matthew 28:20 I am with you always.

Act 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another.

1stJohn 3:23 Love one another.

Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in You.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Psalm 138:1 “I will praise thee with my whole heart”

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd.

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

A Review of Reformation Sunday

2011-10-31T23:24:00.002-06:00

A very good article for Catholics and Protestants alike: Methodist theologian Stanley Hauerwas on 'Reformation Day' by Stanley Hauerwas Source back link.

Wittenberg Door

I must begin by telling you that I do not like to preach on Reformation Sunday. Actually I have to put it more strongly than that. I do not like Reformation Sunday, period. I do not understand why it is part of the church year. Reformation Sunday does not name a happy event for the Church Catholic; on the contrary, it names failure. Of course, the church rightly names failure, or at least horror, as part of our church year. We do, after all, go through crucifixion as part of Holy Week. Certainly if the Reformation is to be narrated rightly, it is to be narrated as part of those dark days.

Reformation names the disunity in which we currently stand. We who remain in the Protestant tradition want to say that Reformation was a success. But when we make Reformation a success, it only ends up killing us. After all, the very name ‘Protestantism’ is meant to denote a reform movement of protest within the Church Catholic. When Protestantism becomes an end in itself, which it certainly has through the mainstream denominations in America, it becomes anathema. If we no longer have broken hearts at the church’s division, then we cannot help but unfaithfully celebrate Reformation Sunday.

For example, note what the Reformation has done for our reading texts like that which we hear from Luke this morning (Luke 18:9-14). We Protestants automatically assume that the Pharisees are the Catholics. They are the self-righteous people who have made Christianity a form of legalistic religion, thereby destroying the free grace of the Gospel. We Protestants are the tax collectors, knowing that we are sinners and that our lives depend upon God’s free grace. And therefore we are better than the Catholics because we know they are sinners. What an odd irony that the Reformation made such readings possible. As Protestants we now take pride in the acknowledgment of our sinfulness in order to distinguish ourselves from Catholics who allegedly believe in works-righteousness.

Unfortunately, the Catholics are right. Christian salvation consists in works. To be saved is to be made holy. To be saved requires our being made part of a people separated from the world so that we can be united in spite of — or perhaps better, because of — the world’s fragmentation and divisions. Unity, after all, is what God has given us through Christ’s death and resurrection. For in that death and resurrection we have been made part of God’s salvation for the world so that the world may know it has been freed from the powers that would compel us to kill one another in the name of false loyalties. All that is about the works necessary to save us.

For example, I often point out that at least Catholics have the magisterial office of the Bishop of Rome to remind them that disunity is a sin. You should not overlook the significance that in several important documents of late, John Paul II has confessed the Catholic sin for the Reformation. Where are the Protestants capable of doing likewise? We Protestants feel no sin for the disunity of the Reformation. We would not know how to confess our sin for the continuing disunity of the Reformation. We would not know how to do that because we have no experience of unity.

The magisterial office — we Protestants often forget — is not a matter of constraining or limiting diversity in the name of unity. The office of the Bishop of Rome is to ensure that when Christians move from Durham, North Carolina to Syracuse, New York, they have some confidence when they go to church that they will be worshiping the same God. Because Catholics have an office of unity, they do not need to restrain the gifts of the Spirit. As I oftentimes point out, it is extraordinary that Catholicism is able to keep the Irish and the Italians in the same church. What an achievement! Perhaps equally amazing is their ability to keep within the same church Jesuits, Dominicans, and Franciscans.

I think Catholics are able to do that because they know that their unity does not depend upon everyone agreeing. Indeed, they can celebrate their disagreements because they understand that our unity is founded upon the cross and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth that makes the Eucharist possible. They do not presume, therefore, that unity requires that we all read Scripture the same way.

This creates a quite different attitude among Catholics about their relation to Christian tradition and the wider world. Protestants look over to Christian tradition and say, ‘How much of this do we have to believe in order to remain identifiably Christian?’ That’s the reason why Protestants are always tempted to rationalism: we think that Christianity is to be identified with sets of beliefs more than with the unity of the Spirit occasioned through sacrament.

Moreover, once Christianity becomes reduced to a matter of belief, as it clearly has for Protestants, we cannot resist questions of whether those beliefs are as true or useful as other beliefs we also entertain. Once such questions are raised, it does not matter what the answer turns out in a given case. As James Edwards observes, “Once religious beliefs start to compete with other beliefs, then religious believers are — and will know themselves to be — mongerers of values. They too are denizens of the mall, selling and shopping and buying along with the rest of us.”

In contrast, Catholics do not begin with the question of “How much do we need to believe?” but with the attitude “Look at all the wonderful stuff we get to believe!” Isn’t it wonderful to know that Mary was immaculately conceived in order to be the faithful servant of God’s new creation in Jesus Christ! She therefore becomes the firstborn of God’s new creation, our mother, the first member of God’s new community we call church. Isn’t it wonderful that God continued to act in the world through the appearances of Mary at Guadalupe! Mary must know something because she seems to always appear to peasants and, in particular, to peasant women who have the ability to see her. Most of us would not have the ability to see Mary because we’d be far too embarrassed by our vision.

Therefore Catholics understand the church’s unity as grounded in reality more determinative than our good feelings for one another. The office of Rome matters. For at least that office is a judgment on the church for our disunity. Surely it is the clear indication of the sin of the Reformation that we Protestants have not been able to resist nationalistic identifications. So we become German Lutherans, American Lutherans, Norwegian Lutherans. You are Dutch Calvinist, American Presbyterians, Church of Scotland. I am an American Methodist, which has precious little to do with my sisters and brothers in English Methodism. And so we Protestant Christians go to war killing one another in the name of being American, German, Japanese, and so on.

At least it becomes the sin of Rome when Italian Catholics think they can kill Irish Catholics in the name of being Italian. Such divisions distort the unity of the Gospel found in the Eucharist and, thus, become judgments against the church of Rome. Of course, the Papacy has often been unfaithful and corrupt, but at least Catholics preserved an office God can use to remind us that we have been and may yet prove unfaithful. In contrast, Protestants don’t even know we’re being judged for our disunity.

I realize that this perspective on Reformation Sunday is not the usual perspective. The usual perspective is to tell us what a wonderful thing happened at the Reformation. The Reformation struck a blow for freedom. No longer would we be held in medieval captivity to law and arbitrary authority. The Reformation was the beginning of enlightenment, of progressive civilizations, of democracy, that have come to fruition in this wonderful country called America. What a destructive story.

You can tell the destructive character of that narrative by what it has done to the Jews. The way we Protestants read history, and in particular our Bible, has been nothing but disastrous for the Jews. For we turned the Jews into Catholics by suggesting that the Jews had sunk into legalistic and sacramental religion after the prophets and had therefore become moribund and dead. In order to make Jesus explicable (in order to make Jesus look like Luther — at least the Luther of our democratic projections), we had to make Judaism look like our characterization of Catholicism. Yet Jesus did not free us from Israel; rather, he engrafted us into the promise of Israel so that we might be a people called to the same holiness of the law.

I realize that the suggestion that salvation is to be part of a holy people constituted by the law seems to deny the Reformation principle of justification by faith through grace. I do not believe that to be the case, particularly as Calvin understood that Reformation theme. After all, Calvin (and Luther) assumed that justification by faith through grace is a claim about God’s presence in Jesus of Nazareth. So justification by faith through grace is not some general truth about our need for acceptance; but rather justification by faith through grace is a claim about the salvation wrought by God through Jesus to make us a holy people capable of remembering that God’s salvation comes through the Jews. When the church loses that memory, we lose the source of our unity. For unity is finally a matter of memory, of how we tell the story of the Reformation. How can we tell this story of the church truthfully as Protestants and Catholics so that we might look forward to being in union with one another and thus share a common story of our mutual failure?

We know, after all, that the prophecy of Joel has been fulfilled. The portents of heaven, the blood and fire, the darkness of the sun, the bloody moon have come to pass in the cross of our Savior Jesus Christ. Now all who call on that name will be saved. We believe that we who stand in the Reformation churches are survivors. But to survive we need to recover the unity that God has given us as survivors. So on this Reformation Sunday long for, pray for, our ability to remember the Reformation – not as a celebratory moment, not as a blow for freedom, but as the sin of the church. Pray for God to heal our disunity, not the disunity simply between Protestant and Catholic, but the disunity in our midst between classes, between races, between nations. Pray that on Reformation Sunday we may as tax collectors confess our sin and ask God to make us a new people joined together in one might prayer that the world may be saved from its divisions.

(Stanley Hauerwas is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School.)

October 29, 1995

The Feast Of All Saints

2011-10-30T16:02:00.000-06:00

by Joseph Hebert

The Feast of All Saints, also known as Hallowmas and All Hallows, is celebrated by Catholics every November 1st. In most countries this is a holy day of obligation, a day when Catholics are required to participate in Mass. The tradition dates at least as far back as 609 AD, when the pope dedicated a major pagan temple in Rome to the Virgin Mary and the Christian martyrs, men and women who were killed for their Christian faith during earlier centuries, when Christianity was illegal throughout the Roman Empire. The feast was originally held in mid-May, but was moved in the 800's AD to November 1st so that the celebration would fall at the same time as autumn harvest festivals.

The theme of the saints dying and being gathered up into Heaven fit well with celebrating the crops being cut down and gathered together by farmers. Just as farmers reaped the rewards of their hard work at the harvest, so the souls of the saints reap their reward in Heaven. Autumn was also a time when ancient people living close to nature couldn't help but to think about death as the days became shorter and colder, and the trees beginning losing their leaves while summer's flowers faded.

In Mexico, November 1st is called " The Day of the Innocents", honoring children and infants who have died. This begins the "Day of the Dead" celebration, which often involves beautiful altars decorated with painted sculls, breads and pastries, pictures of dead loved ones, flowers, and holy candles. Many Catholics around the world use either this day or the next, the Feast of All Souls, to visit the graves of deceased family members. They bring flowers and candles, spending much of the day cleaning and repairing the tombs and telling stories about their dead loved ones so that they will live on in their memories and in he memories of the children. In America, this tradition still runs strong amongst the French Cajuns of southern Louisiana and the people of New Orleans.

Halloween was originally known as "All Hallows Eve", an "eve" being the evening before a holiday, a time when people began celebrating. The term "All Hallows" refers to the holy saints in Heaven. Halloween involves dressing in costumes, lighting jack-o-lanterns, and giving special treats in a effort to either scare away or please evil spirits, whom ancient people believed roamed the earth at any major change of seasons. This harmless fun from ancient times became a part of All Hallow's Eve and continues today.

What is a saint?

In the Bible, the term "saint" means "holy ones" and refers to all people who are faithful to God. However, St. Paul also uses the term "saints" to refer to the holy ones who will accompany Christ when he returns from Heaven (1 Thessalonians 3:13). The Book of Revelation in the fifth and eighth chapters refers to the saints as the souls of the holy ones who surround God's throne and pray to him day and night.

The Catholic Church honors certain departed Christians with the title "saint" because we are confident that these individuals died in deep friendship with Christ and are now in Heaven with him. The pope has the authority to express this confidence that a deceased person is a saint. We call this "canonization". Canonization is usually the result of a long process that requires testimony of the person's holiness, an examination of his or her life and writings, and documentation of any miracles performed by God through that person either before or after death.
Saints are the role models of our faith. Their lives are examples that answer the question "what would Jesus do." We remind ourselves of their heroic examples by naming children, churches, Catholic schools, and hospitals after them.

Catholics do not worship the saints, since the first of the ten commandments forbids us from worshiping anyone other than God. We venerate the saints, which means we honor them and express our love for them. This involves using statues, paintings, and other forms of art. This is similar to displaying photos of deceased or faraway family members in your home. We could also compare using images and statues honoring the saints to the practice of erecting statues to honor great historical figures such as war heroes and presidents. These images remind us of the saints, but are not used for magic or luck.

Catholics also pray to the saints for intercession. This means that because we are confident these holy ones are in perfect communion with Christ, we trust that they can carry our needs directly to him. Just as we ask our Christian friends on Earth to pray for us, we ask the Communion of Saints in Heaven to pray for us too. Rather that distract us from Christ, the saints seek to draw us closer to him by sharing his grace with the faithful on Earth. In the fifteenth chapter of the second book of Maccabees, a leader of God's people had a dream in which he saw the high priest Oneidas and the prophet Jeremiah in Heaven praying for god's faithful people on Earth.

Among the saints are the holy angels who remained faithful to God when Lucifer and the fallen angels rebelled and were cast out. This includes the three archangels named in the Bible- Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. The angels are pure spirits who do not have bodies and were never human. In fact, God created them long before he created humans or the universe. They have free will, individual personalities, incredible intellect and power. according to Catholic writers such as Dionysus the Areopagite, St. Gregory the Great, and St. Thomas Aquinas, the angels exist in nine choirs, or ranks. The book of Revelation describes them as joining the saints in singing praises to God at his throne. The angels are God's messengers, servants, and warriors. The play a major role in protecting and guiding God's people in both the Old and the New Testament.

The Virgin Mary is the greatest of the saints, as we see when the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation depicts her as queen of both Heaven and Earth. In Luke's gospel, she is inspired by the Holy Spirit to say that all generations shall call her blessed. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest man ever born before him, and we believe that the apostles and the martyrs are also amongst the greatest of the saints. In Christian art, saints are often shown with halos, circles of light around their heads or their whole bodies. This represents the light of Christ- his goodness and wisdom- shining forth from that saint.

What is a relic?
A relic is an item or a part of the body from a saint. We do not worship these items or consider them to be magical. Yet we believe that because the Holy Spirit moved through a saint in a special way, God's grace still remains active in the objects or the body parts of the deceased saint. Because saints were natural people who lived their lives in union with the supernatural world, their bodies and all that they touched also came into contact with the supernatural. This tradition dates back to the earliest days of Christianity, including relics of St. Paul (see Acts chapter 19) and those of St. Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John. Many Catholic churches and monasteries throughout the world display relics of the saints. Many people insist that God has worked miracles through these relics, especially the relics of martyrs who laid down their lives for Christ in imitation of Christ.

What is incorruptibility?

The most important type of relic is the incorrupt body of a saint. Incorruptibility means that because a saint lived so closely to God and was so uniquely special to Him, God has protected the saint's body from decay. This is a sign to us that the saint was truly holy and worthy of our imitation. This also strengthens our Christian belief that all the faithful will experience bodily resurrection from death when Christ returns to our world. Around the world, Catholics can visit the publically displayed bodies of several incorrupt saints.

A Priest's Airport Encounter

2011-10-23T06:37:00.004-06:00

Archbishop Dolan's Airport Encounter . . . .

It was only the third time it had happened to me in my nearly thirty-five happy years as a priest, all three times over the last nine-and-a-half years.

Other priests tell me it has happened to them a lot more.

Three is enough. Each time has left me so shaken I was near nausea.

It happened last Friday . . .

I had just arrived at the Denver Airport, there to speak at their popular annual “Living Our Catholic Faith” conference.

As I was waiting with the others for the electronic train to take me to the terminal, a man, maybe in his mid-forties, waiting as well, came closer to me.

“Are you a Catholic priest?” he kindly asked.

“Sure am. Nice to meet you,” says I, as I offered my hand.

He ignored it. “I was raised a Catholic,” he replied, almost always a hint of a cut to come, but I was not prepared for the razor sharpness of the stiletto, as he went on, “and now, as a father of two boys, I can’t look at you or any other priest without thinking of a sexual abuser.”

What to respond? Yell at him? Cuss him out? Apologize? Deck him? Express understanding? I must admit all such reactions came to mind as I staggered with shame and anger from the damage of the wound he had inflicted with those stinging words.

“Well,” I recovered enough to remark, “I’m sure sorry you feel that way. But, let me ask you, do you automatically presume a sexual abuser when you see a Rabbi or Protestant minister?”

“Not at all,” he came back through gritted teeth as we both boarded the train.

“How about when you see a coach, or a boy scout leader, or a foster parent, or a counsellor, or physician?” I continued.

“Of course not!” he came back. “What’s all that got to do with it?”

“A lot,” I stayed with him, “because each of those professions have as high a percentage of sexual abuse, if not even higher, than that of priests.”

“Well, that may be,” he retorted. “But the Church is the only group that knew it was going on, did nothing about it, and kept transferring the perverts around.”

“You obviously never heard the stats on public school teachers,” I observed. “In my home town of New York City alone, experts say the rate of sexual abuse among public school teachers is ten times higher than that of priests, and these abusers just get transferred around.” (Had I known at that time the news in in last Sunday’s New York Times about the high rate of abuse of the most helpless in state supervised homes, with reported abusers simply transferred to another home, I would have mentioned that, too.)

To that he said nothing, so I went in for a further charge.

“Pardon me for being so blunt, but you sure were with me, so, let me ask: when you look at yourself in a mirror, do you see a sex abuser?”

Now he was as taken aback as I had been two-minutes before. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Sadly,” I answered, “studies tell us that most children sexually abused are victims of their own fathers or other family members.”

Enough of the debate, I concluded, as I saw him dazed. So I tried to calm it down.
“So, I tell you what: when I look at you, I won’t see a sex abuser, and I would appreciate the same consideration from you.”

The train had arrived at baggage claim, and we both exited together.

“Well then, why do we only hear this garbage about you priests,” he inquired, as he got a bit more pensive.

“We priests wonder the same thing. I’ve got a few reasons if you’re interested.”

He nodded his head as we slowly walked to the carousel.

“For one,” I continued, “we priests deserve the more intense scrutiny, because people trust us more as we dare claim to represent God, so, when on of us do it – even if only a tiny minority of us ever have — it is more disgusting.”

“Two, I’m afraid there are many out there who have no love for the Church, and are itching to ruin us. This is the issue they love to endlessly scourge us with.”

“And, three, I hate to say it,” as I wrapped it up, “there’s a lot of money to be made in suing the Catholic Church, while it’s hardly worth suing any of the other groups I mentioned before.”

We both by then had our luggage, and headed for the door. He then put his hand out, the hand he had not extended five minutes earlier when I had put mine out to him. We shook.

“Thanks. Glad I met you.”

He halted a minute. “You know, I think of the great priests I knew when I was a kid. And now, because I work in IT at Regis University, I know some devoted Jesuits. Shouldn’t judge all you guys because of the horrible sins of a few.”

“Thanks!,” I smiled.

I guess things were patched-up, because, as he walked away, he added, “At least I owe you a joke: What happens when you can’t pay your exorcist?”

“Got me,” I answered.

“You get ‘re-possessed’!”

We both laughed and separated.

Notwithstanding the happy ending, I was still trembling . . . and almost felt like I needed an exorcism to expel my shattered soul, as I had to confront again the horror this whole mess has been to victims and their families, our Catholic people like the man I had just met . . . and to us priests.

Source: http://blog.archny.org/?p=1127
a post by Archbishop Dolan

Steve Gershom's Views on Being Gay and Gay Marriage

2011-10-18T21:21:00.004-06:00

I just found a couple of cool blogs . . . . and this post is a good example of why I find both blogs intriguing: Gay, Catholic and Doing Fine, by Steve Gershom

Here are some excerpts:

I have heard a lot about how mean the Church is, and how bigoted, because she opposes gay marriage. How badly she misunderstands gay people, and how hostile she is towards us. My gut reaction to such things is: Are you freaking kidding me? Are we even talking about the same church?
Where are all these bigoted Catholics I keep hearing about?
Actually, the only time I get shock or disgust or disbelief, the only time I've noticed people treating me differently after I tell them, is when I tell someone who supports the gay lifestyle. Celibacy?? You must be some kind of freak.
If I want open-mindedness, acceptance, and understanding, I look to Catholics.
Is it hard to be gay and Catholic? Yes, because like everybody, I sometimes want things that are not good for me. The Church doesn't let me have those things, not because she's mean, but because she's a good mother. The Church believes, and I believe, in a universe that means something, and in a God who made the universe -- made men and women, designed sex and marriage from the ground up. In that universe, gay marriage doesn't make sense. It doesn't fit with the rest of the picture, and we're not about to throw out the rest of the picture.
If you don't believe in these things, if you believe that men and women and sex and marriage are pretty much whatever we say they are, then okay: we don't have much left to talk about. That's not the world I live in.

So, yes, it's hard to be gay and Catholic -- it's hard to be anything and Catholic -- because I don't always get to do what I want. Show me a religion where you always get to do what you want and I'll show you a pretty shabby, lazy religion. Something not worth living or dying for, or even getting up in the morning for. That might be the kind of world John Lennon wanted, but John Lennon was kind of an idiot.

I strongly encourage you to read the whole post . . . and to visit these blogs, stevegershom.com and Little Catholic Bubble

Steve Gershom (a pseudonym) is a gay Catholic man in his late twenties. His blog, stevegershom.com, has been around for some months, but he has just decided to make it public. It's original, funny, poignant -- and culturally important. You can also find him on Twitter as stevegershom.

See also:
Another great article (this one from Little Catholic Bubble): Why Gay "Marriage" Can't Be Hitched to the Civil Rights Train

When Homosexuals "Marry": Change Sex of 8 Year Old Son

The 29th Week in Ordinary Time

2011-10-14T18:38:00.000-06:00

The Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time - For a reflection on the readings go here

Sunday's Readings:

Isaiah 45:1,4-6
Psalm 96:1,3-5, 7-10
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Matthew 22:15-21

During this week, the Church celebrates the feasts of:

St. Ignatius of Antioch (Monday, October 17)

St. Luke (Tuesday, October 18)

St. John de Brébeuf (Wednesday, October 19)

St. Isaac Jogues and companions (Wednesday, October 19)

and St. Paul of the Cross (Thursday, October 20).

SOURCES:
Holy Comforter Parish

Preparing for the Mass Notebook

Wedding Feasts

2011-10-07T21:53:00.000-06:00

This week's readings at Mass are so great! I can't wait.

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

Cantaloupes and Other Killers

2011-10-01T21:18:00.000-06:00

Jensen Farms cantaloupes have been responsible for sickness and even some deaths. To date - at least 13 people have died and 72 have been sickened.

The Federal Food and Drug Administration reported in July that 14 U.S. women have died after taking RU-486 and a total of 2,207 reported adverse effects after using the drug.
That makes the abortion pill more dangerous than tainted cantaloupes.
The abortion pill has sickened over 30 times as many people as the melons.

People may ask for Jensen Farms cantaloupes at the grocery store, but no reputable grocer would supply them. There would be dire consequences for those that did.

It just goes to show that if a woman is getting an abortion, concerns for her health and safety go out the window. Any attempt to protect women from the irresponsible distribution of abortion pills is met with the harshest criticism and opposition. Right now in our country, the lives of people who eat cantaloupes are considered of more value than those of pregnant women and their pre-born babies.

Shockingly even Communist China has more sense than this. Known as one of the greatest abusers of human rights in the world through their brutal one-child, forced-abortion policies, they have expressed concern and taken action to protect women from the dangers of RU-486.

SOURCE: Operation Rescue
If you find this info compelling here is the full article: What Killer Cantaloupes and Abortion Pills Say About the Value of Life:

By Cheryl Sullenger

Recently there has been a major food-borne illness outbreak in the United States. The Center for Disease Control has traced the outbreak of listeria, an often fatal bacterial contagion, to cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farms in Colorado. So far at least 13 people have died and 72 have been sickened from eating the tainted fruit.
Authorities have asked that grocery stores pull the Jensen Farms cantaloupes from the shelf. They warn people that if they are not sure where their cantaloupes came from, they should throw them away.

“Honestly, as a nurse, I would tell people don’t eat the cantaloupe until this thing resolves itself,” said Laura Anderko, a Georgetown University public health expert. “This stuff happens because our system is not as tight as it needs to be.”
Contrast the cantaloupe hysteria with the lack of concern over a similar number of deaths caused by the RU-486 abortion pill

The Federal Food and Drug Administration reported in July that 14 U.S. women have died after taking RU-486 and a total of 2,207 reported adverse effects after using the drug.
That makes the abortion pill more dangerous than tainted cantaloupes.

But the official response to these deaths has been to call the drug “safe” and promote it on the market. It seems that the deaths of over a dozen people are only a problem when abortion is not involved. When it is, then the deaths become an acceptable risk.
It seems to us that abortion pills should be treated with at least the same precautions to public health as listeria-laden melons. They should be pulled from the shelf. The public should be warned. The fatal pills should be traced back to the distributor, Danco Laboratories, and destroyed.

If they can do that for dangerous fruit, why not for the more dangerous abortion pill?
Instead, we get Jill June of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, dispensing the deadly pills over Internet vending machines without even a physician present and spouting nonsense about the so-called “safety” of the scheme.

“It’s the way medical practice is taking place today,” June told the Lincoln Star in January. “The fact is we are providing a service women are asking us to provide. And it’s been proven to be safe and effective.”

In reality, Jensen Farms cantaloupes have been proven to be safer than the abortion pill. While they have killed a similar number of people, the abortion pill has sickened over 30 times as many people as the melons. People may ask for Jensen Farms cantaloupes at the grocery store, but no reputable grocer would supply them. There would be dire consequences for those that did.

It just goes to show that if a woman is getting an abortion, concerns for her health and safety go out the window. Maybe that is because “our system is not as tight as it needs to be.”

Yet, any attempt to protect women from the irresponsible distribution of abortion pills is met with the harshest criticism and opposition.

Shockingly even Communist China has more sense than this. Known as one of the greatest abusers of human rights in the world through their brutal one-child, forced-abortion policies, they have expressed concern and taken action to protect women from the dangers of RU-486.

“Press reports from Henan province and Chengdu relate cases where women narrowly escaped death when excessive bleeding occurred after taking RU-486 without a physician’s supervision,” according to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. In 2001, China banned all pharmaceutical sales of RU-486 in order “to guarantee patients’ safety and protect their health.”

Right now in our country, the lives of people who eat cantaloupes are considered of more value than those of pregnant women and their pre-born babies. There cannot be such hypocritical and inequitable treatment of life under the same roof. If our nation is truly one where “all men are created equal” then all human life has value and deserves protection, or none of it does.

Written by Operation Rescue
September 30, 2011

It's Coming Soon! November 27, 2011

2011-09-30T01:37:00.000-06:00

I hope most Catholics know about the upcoming changes to the Roman Missal. Here's one of the videos Mark Hart and Life Teen put together to help people see what is going to happen.

Myth of the Teenager

2011-09-27T13:38:00.002-06:00

Myth of the Teenager
By Dr. Michael Platt
Printed in Practical Homeschooling #2, 1993

"We have two teenagers," I sometimes hear parents say. "Oh, I'm so sorry," is sometimes the reply. Although it is usually said with a smile, the truth is sad.

While the growing-up process is inevitable, natural, and God-given, the process of children turning into Teenagers is not. The Teenager was invented, fashioned, permitted -- let loose you might say -- by
the generation of our parents and grandparents. Discovering that may help us to raise our children differently.

The Teenager is a Modern Invention

There were no "teenagers" before World War II. Ask those still living who raised their children before then. Or spend a rainy Saturday in the basement of your library, comparing old Life magazines from before the War and after.

Instead of Teenagers, there were Youths. Youths were young people who wanted to become adults. However confused, wayward, or silly they acted, however many mistakes they made, they looked to the future. They knew that adult life was different than a child's life. They planned to grow up, leave childhood behind, and become adults. They were aware that life is more than youth. The Teenager has no such horizon. Beyond the "Teeny" world there is no adult life, no past with heroes, no future with goals.

Note: Being a child of the times, in my head I keep hearing the characters from My Cousin Vinny.

Judge Haller: Did you say "yutes"?

Gambini: Yeah, two yutes.

Judge Haller: What is a yute?

Naming the Teenager

A new word was needed to describe these never-grown- up Peter Pans. Previously human beings between childhood and adulthood were called kids, boys and girls, young people, adolescents, and youths. These young human beings were addressed as "Young man" and "Young woman."
Looking at them, their parents thought, "My growing son," and "My growing daughter," and they addressed them as "Daughter" and "Son." Sometimes others addressed them as "Master" and "Miss." Even the words "gentleman" and "lady" were sometimes heard. To name a kind or aspect of youth, lass and lad, stripling and maiden, whipper snapper and squirt, sport and shaver, minor and juvenile were employed, and the latter, juvenile, did not yet invariably go with delinquent. Words such as upstart, brat, tough, rogue, and slut described deviations from the general good of "youth," not its characteristic features. The word "teenager" did not exist. Compare the entries in Webster's Second (1934) and Third (1961) editions; only after the war does the adjective "teen-age" become the noun, "teenager."

When parents today say "We have two teenagers," the reason why I can reply "I'm so sorry" is that they say this with a sigh. Indeed, there is a world of difference between having youths in your home and teenagers. Consider Tolstoy's Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth. Author Tolstoy is honest to a fault; youth Tolstoy was a bag of vices, poses, and miseries. However, youth Tolstoy was never a Teenager, for in the midst of his confusion, he was always striving to become a man. The world of grown-ups was there around and above him, not shut out.

Youths associated with other youths, sometimes dressed alike, talked alike, but never separated entirely from their teachers and parents. When you saw youths with their parents, they were not pretending to be unrelated to the family. After all, they wanted one day to become like their parents, or like their grandparents, or like their teachers.

Youths chose presidents, inventors, scientists, explorers, warriors, saints, teachers, and parents for their heroes. In American history they looked to the likes of Washington and Jefferson, Boone and
Crockett, Lincoln, Lee, and Grant, Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, and Clara Barton. In literature they looked to the likes of the Virginian, Robinson Crusoe, Hamlet, Odysseus, and Leather-stocking. The cowboy and the saint filled their imagination. Above these they looked to Abraham, Moses, Paul and Christ.

The Teenager has no such heroes; he may be miserable, he may not like himself, but his heroes are no more happy or worthy than himself. The highest desire of a Teenager is to become a more perfect Teenager, a Rock or movie star, certainly not a man or a woman.

What a Youth Wants and a Teenager Does Not

A youth wants to be trusted, given responsibility, and the opportunity to deserve esteem. Youths make more mistakes than adults. Usually their mistakes lead to lighter consequences, but they suffer more from them than adults; they like their mistakes less; they feel more shame. Shame is the other side of the respect they have for the virtues they see in adults.

Being immature, youths will always be tempted by pleasures, by flattery, and by illusions, but with an adult world around them, they will be able to make comparisons and judgments. Candy is candy, candy is sweet, candy can be given to you, but nothing in the world can substitute for knowing how to ride your bike. No one can give that to you. No one can do that for you.

Youths tend, then, to know the difference between the things that are really your own -- the virtues -- and the things that come from others, such as wealth, or come easy, such as the pleasures. Good
youths like good tests. They want to enjoy adult pleasures after they have earned them by performing adult duties. Thus during World War II many of them served their country, as young husbands on the front and as young wives at home, before they could enjoy the mature "blessings of liberty." Like many others, Audie Murphy was a hero before he could vote.

What a Teenager most fears is a child of his own. His second greatest fear is death. And his third greatest fear is solitude. The thoughts "I can beget a child," or "I can bear a child," "I will die," and "I am alone," have often been the beginning of wisdom. The Teenager flees them. The Teenager cannot stand to be alone. For such a human being the natural mode of association is the gang. And how does one picture a gang of Teenagers, if not in a car speeding down the road, listening to rock music, and on drugs? Or at the rock concert in a gang of gangs? Or at the orgy?

These pleasures are powerful, absorbing, and "quickie." The Teenager craves a melody that will rock him around the clock forever, seeks an experience so intense that he will forget what time it is, and so absorbing that it will blot out all eternity.

Never does one see a smile on the faces of those enjoying these pleasures. The Teenager is the most free and the least happy of beings. Thoreau said most people lead lives of "quiet desperation. "
The desperation of the Teenager is not quiet. With the Rolling Stones, they shout, "I can't get no satisfaction. " A being less acquainted with joy there has never been. A being more dangerous, it is hard to imagine. "Paint it black."

So far as I know, there have never been such youths on earth before. The Teenager is a novelty not only in the history of twentieth century America, but in the history of the human race.

Teenagers are Youths Orphaned by their own Parents

The day the Teenager was created was a sad day for every youth in America. Imagine yourself young again, unsure of yourself, swayed by strong passions, by turns ashamed and proud, sometimes shy, sometimes assertive, always awkward, filled with new desires and hard on yourself for having them, drawn toward cliques, tempted by clique cruelty, by affectation, by enslaving pleasures, and by premature bonds, but fighting on, knowing that you want to become something better, someone capable of good work, deserving your own respect, and maybe one day becoming a good parent -- imagine such struggling youths hearing their own parents say, "Relax, take it easy, enjoy yourself, adulthood will happen, don't sweat, this is the time of your life."

We see this parental neglect in the films of James Dean, especially in Rebel Without A Cause, where "Jimmy" must face his trials alone, hindered by a contumacious mother and a helpless father. An even less justified self-pity was inculcated by the effete Salinger in Catcher in the Rye, when he taught young readers to "trust no one over 14." In On the Road, Jack Kerouac taught that pleasure never disappoints.
Waiting in the wings were other dubious adults: the porn merchants Henry Miller and Hugh Hefner. A new music, Rock, through whose dances the couple was annihilated, contributed mightily to the destruction of courtship. The pill divorced eros from responsibility. Owning a car provided a hideout from home. Dope became a way of life. And TV brought soft versions of all this corruption right into the home. Behind these intermediary causes was the deepest one -- the altered relation of man to eternity. The substitution of daily newspapers for daily prayers is the briefest indication of it. All these things went into the "creation" of the Teenager, but no one was more responsible than the parents.

These parents said, "The kids have to work things out on their own," felt guilty, and gave them discretionary money. The junk, record, porn, and dope merchants said, "Let us at 'em." And the statesmen watched; Ike grinned and Jack joined in. In other words, the most vulnerable were exposed to the most predatory by those most naturally interested in their welfare, their own parents. Absolutely astonishing!

What Plato thought no parents would ever do, turn over their own children to others to be reeducated, the parents of America did after World War II. Before then there were no TVs, a few disk jockeys, and some movie stars, but they were seldom allowed in the home, and certainly not allowed to educate the children. Suddenly after the War, into the American home came hordes of them. Few parents would have invited these persons in as guests and yet they turned over the souls of their own children to them to be educated.

In raising Teenagers these parents were committing a crime against their own children. No one complained. In raising Teenagers these parents also committed a crime against society, but although society noticed the crimes of the children, as "juvenile delinquency, " it did not point to who was responsible, the parents. It is true that nearly every piece of social or court legislation since then has weakened the family, but alas equally true that the voters, that is the parents of the nation, have either supported the legislation or acquiesced to the legislators.

I'm a Teenager, You're a Teenager

We are now into the third generation of Teenagers. This means most people have had considerable experience of things that made the Teenager. In truth, many parents today are not much different from
Teenagers. To disapprove of the Teenager, then, they would have to disapprove of much in their past and much that still exists in their lives.

The truth is that modern parents are often mixed beings; our experiences have not always been good, our deeds virtuous, our hearts true, our minds clear. Parents who want to do better than this by their children have to face up to and repudiate their own past and present Teenage sins. I doubt that anyone is really o.k. who is still justifying their past and present Teenage behavior. Such people cannot think clearly, live well, or help others. When they form a group large enough to determine the social policies and mores of a nation, that entire nation takes on the characteristics of a Teenager. The Prodigal
Daughter is a portrait of America at the present time, free but not brave enough to be virtuous, discontented but not enough to free herself from bondage.

All the Excuses

The most potent impediment to modern parents acknowledging their negligence is the doctrine of choice. "Yes, we see rock music is bad; we don't like it ourselves. Yes, we see TV is shallow. Yes, we see that loose money is not good for our children. They have so much more than we had. Yes, they are not better off for it. But what can you do? The kids have to have some responsibility. You have to give them some choice." Thus runs the pro-choice excuse for negligence.

Its plausibility derives from two sources. In our political life, it is often good to tolerate deeds we would not commit and listen to opinions we do not hold. Of course, there are limits to this tolerance. Still, in a republic many points of view deserve toleration and consent is one principle of good government.

However, what is right for a federal republic is not right for a family. A family run on "democratic lines" with all members, children as well as adults, considered equal would be unnatural, for it would
deny the difference between adults and children. Such a family cannot educate its younger members. "One child, one vote," is a formula for the end of the family. Parents who encourage their children to call them by their first names should not be surprised when they do not respect, seldom will obey, and do not often learn from them. To forgo the high titles Mother and Father is not benevolent; it is negligent; and it does not win friends; it loses children. Not to be able to call someone "Mother" and "Father" is to be an orphan.

The second plausible excuse for negligence is that it is good for young persons to take responsibility for their deeds. An example often supplied is how desirable it is to have an allowance, to own your own bike, to save up for it, and be responsible for its upkeep. Well and good, provided the chores contributed to family life are greater than the allowance. When older children keep all the money they make at a summer or after-school job, something has gone wrong. What could be more irresponsible than to get your room, board, laundry, and education fees from your working parents, and have all your paycheck for discretionary purchases?

We know how welfare recipients often lose their spirit, unlearn responsibility, and fall into dependency. As a class Teenagers are less deserving of welfare and are just as debilitated by it. The parents who set up a "pro-choice" version of welfare are as unlikely to exhort their children, discuss responsibility with them, give them maxims, or give them examples of responsibility, fiscal or otherwise as the current Federal Government is. And even if the parents do exhort their children, by setting them up with discretionary money they are showing them the way to avoid such discussions.

Few such parents will exhort their children anyway. The advantage of welfare for them is that you don't have to exhort your children. You don't risk a stormy argument. You can just forget the children and get on with your own life. To justify this negligence parents who "welfare" their children say, "We are tired." Recognize a "right to be tired" and you can justify anything.

Growing Up

Fortunately, third generation Teenagers are not the only parents in America now. Having experienced the emptiness of the material advantages their negligent parents gave them, many parents have
resolved to give their children something truly good, an education in the virtues.

Nothing should make us more happy about our children today and more confident about our future public life than the number of parents who have chosen to educate their own children at home. In order to teach you must know and in order to know you must learn. Thus both generations grow up at once. Parents leave their own Teenage behind and become true adults. Children never have to become Teenagers at all.

The benefits last unto the third generation and beyond. A generation of parents whose good children could declare, "You set us on the good path you first trod" would constitute a mighty nation, might
reconstitute this once almost chosen one, and would surely please God.

1 Cf. the issues for 6/6/38, 6/14/43, 6/11/45, 12/20/48, and 4/2/56.

2 In the nineteenth century, the words "boy" and "girl" extended up to adulthood; for example, college students were called college boys. And they were called this despite the fact that more was expected of them, in the way of diligent study, moral conduct, and good manners than is now. Even in the late 1930s, F. Scott Fitzgerald, writing to his daughter at Vassar and expecting a lot, speaks of once being a Princeton boy. In the sixteenth century Ascham speaks the same way,
and also calls those from seven to seventeen "young gentlemen." "This day I go out of my teens" wrote Queen Victoria in her diary upon her twentieth birthday, not "This day I am no longer a teenager." (Oxford Book of Ages, ed. A. & S. Sampson, s. v.) The word "teenager," as we now use it, was first noted in the third edition of Webster's (1961); it was not in the second (1934); there it is noted only as an adjective "teenage."

Dr. Michael Platt studied at Harvard, Oxford, and Yale. Here in the States, at Dartmouth and the University of Dallas, and abroad, at Heidelberg, he has taught philosophy, theology, political science,
American government, biomedical ethics, literature, and Rembrandt. In these fields, especially on Plato, Shakespeare, and Nietzsche, he has written and published as well. At Dartmouth he proposed a Liberal Arts Program, which continues to this day at Queens College; at the University of Dallas he taught literature and politics and directed the Literature part of the integrated Ph.D. program of the Philosophic
Institute. He and his wife Patricia are raising their three youngsters -- not Teensters -- in Vermont.

Copies of the much longer essay from which this is taken, entitled "The Teenager and the West," can be
purchased from the author for $10.00; Friends of the Republic, Sugar Hill, East Wallingford, VT 05742.

Saint Cyprian of Carthage, pray for us!

2011-09-16T15:29:00.005-06:00

One of our Early Church Fathers from the first century of Christians talks about praying for the dead and vice-versa. So, this is a later "invented doctrine"? Apparently not.

"Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity.

Let us on both sides of death always pray for one another.

Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence the first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy."

~~ Saint Cyprian of Carthage (190-158) Martyr, Father of the Church, Memorial Day: September 16

NOTE: The underlining is, of course, my own emphasis!

September 2011 (Year A)

2011-09-12T02:57:00.000-06:00

				1 Col 1:9-14 Lk 5:1-11 Green	2 First Friday Abstinence Col 1:15-20 Lk 5:33-39 Green	3 Saint Gregory the Great Col 1:21-23 Lk 6:1-5 White
4 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Ez 33:7-9 Rom 13:8-10 Mt 18:15-20 Green	5 Labor Day* Blessed Mother Teresa* Col 1:24-2:3 Lk 6:6-11 Green/*White	6 Col 2:6-15 Lk 6:12-19 Green	7 Col 3:1-11 Lk 6:20-26 Green	8 The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mi: 5:1-4a or Rm 8:28-30 Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or 1:18-23 White	9 Saint Peter Claver 1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14 Lk 6:39-42 Abstinence White	10 BVM* 1 Tm 1:15-17 Lk 6:43-49 Green/ *White
11 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 11th Liturgical Considerations Pope Benedict XVI Prayer in Commemmoration of 9-11 A Time for Remembrance, Resolve and Renewal: Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11 Sir 27:30-28:9 Rom 14:7-9 Mt 18:21-35 Green	12 The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary* 1 Tm 2:1-8 Lk 7:1-10 Green/*White	13 Saint John Chrysostom 1 Tm 3:1-13 Lk 7:11-17 White	14 The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Nm 21:4b-9 Phil 2:6-11 Jn 3:13-17 Red	15 Our Lady of Sorrows 1 Tm 4:12-16 Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35 White	16 Saints Cornelius & Cyprian 1 Tm 6:2c-12 Lk 8:1-3 Abstinence Red	*17 Saint Robert Bellarmine;** BVM* 1 Tm 6:13-16 Lk 8:4-15 Green/*White
18 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 55:6-9 Phil 1:20c-24, 27a Mt 20:1-16a Green/*White	19 Saint Januarius Ezr 1:1-6 Lk 8:16-18 Green/*Red	20 Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, Saint Paul Chong Hasang & Companions Ezr 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20 Lk 8:19-21 Red	21 Saint Matthew Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 Mt 9:9-13 Red	22 Hg 1:1-8 Lk 9:7-9 Green	23 Saint Pio of Pietrelcina Hg 2:1-9 Lk 9:18-22 Abstinence Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux White	24 BVM* Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a Lk 9:43b-45 [Our Lady of Walsingham] Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux Green
25 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ez 18:25-28 Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5 Mt 21:28-32 Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux Green	26 Saints Cosmas & Damian Zec 8:1-8 Lk 9:46-50 Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux Green	27 Saint Vincent de Paul Zec 8:20-23 Lk 9:51-56 Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux White	28 Saint Wenceslaus; Saint Lawrence Ruiz & companions Neh 2:1-8 Lk 9:57-62 Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux Green/*Red	29 Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rev 12:7-12a Jn 1:47-51 Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux White	30 Saint Jerome Bar 1:15-22 Lk 10:13-16 Abstinence Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux White

SOURCE: http://www.wf-f.org/LitCal2011/Sept2011.html

Much About Paul

2011-09-05T23:28:00.000-06:00

#1 Rabbi Saul Becomes Apostle Paul

#2 Will the Real Paul Stand Up?

#3 Did Paul Believe in the Catholic Church

#4 Justified by Faith or Faith Alone?

#5 Paul on Baptism and Being Born Again

#6 Paul on Mortal Sin and Confession

#7 Paul on Purgatory

#8 Paul on the Eucharist as Sacrifice

#9 Was Paul a Catholic Priest?

#10 Paul's Celibacy and Fatherhood

#11 Paul on Matrimony and Marital Roles

Taylor Marshall's book
Catholic Perspectives on Paul by Taylor Marshall
Paul Articles Archives by Taylor Marshall

You Cannot Multiply Wealth by Dividing It

2011-09-04T20:40:00.002-06:00

‎You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom.

What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.

You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

~Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

Who is Dr. Adrian Rogers?
Rogers was instrumental in the Southern Baptist denomination's shift towards the right that began in the late 1970s, as he was elected president of the denomination during a theological controversy within the denomination.

The Music You Listen to Can Rot Your Brain & Kill Your Soul

2011-09-02T22:51:00.003-06:00

A wonderful article by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

One of my philosophy profs, a former Marine DI, told us that if everything that goes into our brains has no or little relation to reality, then we can’t expect to produce good and rational results. We will be, in fact, insane. In Latin we would say purgamentum init, exit purgamentum.

Madrid,Spain,Aug 20,2011 (EWTN News) -Bishop Samuel Aquila used one of his World Youth Day catecheses to urge young people to scrub “evil” music from their iPods.

“You need to look at the music you listen to and the words. Don’t fool yourself. It impacts upon you,” said the Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota,at his World Youth Day catechesis session on Aug. 19.

“There is good music out there that you can listen to, but there is also a lot of trash. And it is simply evil. It is the evil because it distorts the gift of human sexuality,the gift of sexual intimacy,the gift of human life.”

Bishop Aquila was talking to several hundred English-speaking pilgrims in the parish church of Virgen del Mar in the Madrid suburb of San Blas.

He told the youngsters how he was recently visiting a friend with two teenage sons who wanted to show him the music they had downloaded onto their cell phones. The title of one particular song grabbed the bishop’s attention.

“A few days later I read the lyrics of that song, and very honestly I was horrified,” he said. “The words used objectified women” and the woman the featured in the song “was very simply a toy for men and their sexual pleasure.”

Bishop Aquila said he’d then asked the two boys if they “would want your sisters’ boyfriends to treat them as the woman is being treated in that song?” That question “stopped the conversation completely, as these boys would defend their sisters to the hilt.”

He concluded by explaining to the young pilgrims that while the witness of a bishop can be effective,it was more important for young people to witness to each other when it comes to ditching “evil” music.

“Be not afraid to get rid of that sort of music from your iPods or your iPads or your iPhones or wherever you put that kind of music. And don’t be afraid to shut it off because it can play constantly in your head. Give witness to that.”

This morning’s catechesis session was only one of 220 being given in 27 languages all around Madrid.

The reaction to Bishop Aquila’s talk seemed overwhelmingly positive.

“I think that it’s important for the youth to hear what he said about music,because that sort of music is all over the place, it’s infected many levels, even young kids are listening to this stuff,” said 17-year-old Sean Palmer from Philadelphia.

“So it’s important that Catholics lead the charge and show the world what music is right and what music should be avoided because it affects our subconscious in ways we sometimes don’t realize,” Palmer said.

His friend,17-year-old Andrew Parrish also from Philadelphia, agreed, saying that “music is really language and it can be used to express beautiful things or things that aren’t so beautiful.” He added,“it was important to hear that message from Bishop Aquila because you don’t hear it that often.”

Sources: Father Z and Stella Borealis and Courageous Priest and ultimately EWTN comes this about the music you put into your head and heart.

Chastity is a Man and Satan is Crazy Like a Fox

2011-09-01T21:16:00.000-06:00

Isn't it crazy that everyone calls Chaz Bono a man and if you don't, you are a narrow minded bigot?

And how about the woman who calls him/herself a pregnant man? If you speak against the faulty logic, you may be accused of hate speech.

. . . . . . . yet, today's popular culture refuses to call the fetus in the womb a baby???

I read this on a friend's Facebook status. The first comment was:

"Yeah, it's crazy."

My comment:

Yes, it's crazy . . . . and Satan is crazy like a fox. The warped morality is frightening.
You know that feeling you get when you are watching a scary movie plot line unfold . . . you want to yell at the screen and say, "Get out of there!!" You hear the frightening music swell and you know something bad is going to happen?

Yep. That's the feeling here.

Thank God we know the ultimate end of the "story." I just hope I am doing my best to live my life the way that God wants.

And this brings me to this Sunday's Readings:
Ezekiel 33:7-9
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
Romans 13:8-10
Matthew 18:15-20

Notice that both the Gospel and the First Reading presume that believers have a duty to correct sinners in our midst. Ezekiel is even told that he will be held accountable for their souls if he fails to speak out and try to correct them.

This is the love that Paul in Sunday’s Epistle says we owe to our neighbors. To love our neighbors as ourselves is to be vitally concerned for their salvation. We must make every effort, as Jesus says, to win our brothers and sisters back, to turn them from the false paths.

We should never correct out of anger, or a desire to punish. Instead our message must be that of Sunday’s Psalm - urging sinners to hear God’s voice, not to harden their hearts, and to remember that He is the one who made us, and is the rock of our salvation.

Sources:
Facebook friends
Scott Hahn
Preparing for the Mass

Why We Memorize and Recite Traditional Prayers

2011-08-29T15:44:00.001-06:00

We read in the gospels that he apostles came to Jesus and asked him to teach them to pray. He didn't tell them to search their hearts and just talk to God in their own words. He gave them a structured, formatted prayer containing essential Christian beliefs
----> God as our father, the coming of his kingdom, our daily bread, forgiveness, and the need for God's grace to overcome temptation and Satan. We call this "The Lord's Prayer" or "The Our Father."

Matthew and Luke present the same prayer in basically the same words, even though the were writing years apart to different audiences in different lands. This suggests that the prayer was habitually repeated throughout the far-flung early Christian world even before the evangelists committed it to paper.

In the gospels, Jesus warned his followers to not do like the pagans, the people who worshiped gods and goddesses and believed in magic, to not repeat prayers as if they were magic spells whose length and wordiness force God to act. He also warned them not to pray in an effort to impress people with the appearance of holiness. Repetitious prayer only becomes meaningless babbling and pagan theatrics only if the person repeating the prayers is unfocused or insincere. In such instances, we should blame the person, not the practice.

Rather than make the words of prayer fit what's in our hearts , repetitious prayer helps us fit our hearts to the words. The words themselves are often based on scripture or the writings of scholarly saints whose holy lives show that they were very close to Christ.

The Prayer, by Vincent Van Gogh

Many of our prayers communicate deep and powerful mysteries of the faith. By reflecting on the meaning of the words, we deepen our intellectual understanding of God as well as our emotional ability to enter into relationship with him. The prayers protect us against false belief and unfaithful religious practices, since many of these prayers were written by the earliest Christians or by great scholarly saints.

Also, the prayers that we memorize are our birthright as Christians, an inherited treasure from our faithful ancestors, a cultural heritage passed down to from 2,000 years of martyrs and holy people who suffered so that we could receive the gospel of Christ. This legacy of prayer unites us as a family of faith, allowing us to express our love for God in a common set of words, a common language of the soul.

When we pray the prayers we've memorized, we are echoing the words prayed by our deceased loved ones who are in Heaven with the angels at the throne of Christ. We are also praying the same prayers as other Christians all around the world, many of whom pray despite heavy oppression and persecution. When we recite traditional prayers, we are also linking ourselves to future believers, those who will inherit this legacy of faith from us.

Blessing and Adoration
Petition
Intercession
Thanksgiving
Praise
In the CCC

Joseph Hebert

Refraining From Using God's Divine Name

2011-08-17T12:17:00.002-06:00

It is so convenient to have a dear friend with a brother who is a priest!

The question:

At Bible Study last night we were talking about not using the name Yahweh any more in the music at Mass. Why is this? Could you help us out?

The answer:

Musicians are asked to refrain (pardon the pun) from using the Divine Name “Yahweh” because of a tradition that goes back from before the time of Christ. In the the Book of Exodus we learn that God reveals His name to Moses (Yahweh) in an atmosphere of great awe and reverence. Moses has to take off his shoes because he is standing on holy ground, ground made holy by the powerful revelation of God’s name.

From that time on, the name of God (Yahweh) was deemed by the Jewish people as being so sacred that it would only be uttered one time each year, and then only by the High Priest standing within the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem. Instead of saying the divine name the Jewish people would use the word “Adonai,” which is translated as Lord.

Even though the divine name (Yahweh) was written down in the Torah (the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible), when the Torah was read out loud in the synagogue and the reader came to the word “Yahweh” the reader would substitute the word “Adonai.” This is the reason why in the New American Bible and many other translations (including the RSV and the NRSV) you find in the Old Testament the word “LORD” all in capital letters. This means that the text of the Bible says “Yahweh” but out of respect for the divine name the translation renders it “LORD.”

For the first 1966 years of the history of the Church every bible ever printed has used “LORD” to translate the Divine Name. In 1966 the Jerusalem Bible was printed and, amidst great controversy, that translation used the name itself (Yahweh). Musicians quickly followed and wrote songs such as “Yahweh I Know You are Near” etc.

This innovation of 1966 flies in the face of over 3000 years of tradition. The name of God is sacred and holy and shouldn’t be bandied about as if it is just any name. This is especially true because it offends the sensibilities of Jewish people, many of whom have been absolutely scandalized when visiting a Catholic church and hearing folk music that uses the name “Yahweh”.

So there. I hope that answers the question. The bottom line is that even though it is not a sin for Catholics to speak the Divine Name it does go against a very long tradition that was known and respected by Jesus and the apostles. Knowing that the use of the Divine Name offends the sensibilities of other people is a good enough reason for musicians to stay away from using it.

Hat Tip (and big thank you) to Mary Jo!

You Say; God Says

2011-08-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

You say: It’s impossible
God says: All thing are possible ~Luke 18:27

You say: I’m too tired
God says: I will give you rest ~ Matthew 11:28-30

You say: Nobody really loves me
God says: I love you ~ Jeremiah 31:3

You say: I can’t go on
God says: My grace is sufficient ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

You say: I can’t figure things out
God says: I will direct your steps ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

You say: I can’t do it
God says: You can do all things through Christ ~ Philippians 4:13

You say : It’s not worth it
God says: It will be worth it ~ Romans 8:28-29

You say: I can’t forgive myself
God says: I forgive you ~ 1 John 1:9

You say: I can’t manage
God says: I will supply all your needs ~ Philippians 4:19

You say: I’m afraid
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

You say: I’m always worried and frustrated
God says: Cast all your cares on ME ~ 1 Peter 5:7

You say: I don’t have enough faith
God says: I’ve given every believer faith ~ Romans 12:3

You say: I’m not smart enough
God says: I give you wisdom ~Proverbs 2:6-7

You say: I feel all alone
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you~ Hebrews 13: 5-6

H/T: my dear friend, Dawn. Thank you!

Canaanite Woman Teaches us to Pray

2011-08-14T15:34:00.001-06:00

Like the Canaanite Woman, with humility and faith, let us acknowledge Christ as our Lord, and savior. With reverence and devotion, may we on our knees worship Him in the Eucharist. With resignation, may we allow Him do to with us as He pleases. With confidence, may we always hope that He hears our prayers. With charity, may we intercede for our loved ones and those who need the Lord’s healing. And with perseverance, may we persist in prayer because we hope in Christ's mercy. ~Fr.CS,OP

Today's Gospel Reading (Matthew 15:21-28) is wrought with layers of meaning.

This woman of Canaan teaches us to pray.

1. With great humility, in that she acknowledges herself to be a dog.

2. With faith, because she calls Christ the son of David, i.e., the Messiah, the God and Saviour promised to the Jews.

3. With modesty because she sets before Christ the right of dogs and her own misery; yet does she not draw from thence the conclusion that Christ should heal her daughter, but leaves that to Him.

4. With prudence, in that she takes hold of Christ by His own words, and gently turns His reasoning against Himself, into an argument for obtaining her desire.

5. With reverence, with religion and devotion, because she made her supplication on her knees.

6. With resignation in that she did not say, ‘Heal my daughter,’ but ‘help me,’ in the manner which shall seem to Thee best.

7. With confidence, because although a Gentile, she had a firm hope that she would be heard by Christ.

8. With ardour.

9. With charity, in that she made intercession for her daughter, as if she were anxious for herself, saying, help me.

10. With constance and perseverance, in that she persisted when she was twice repulsed and became yet more earnest in prayer.

SOURCE: The New Theological Movement

See also:

The New Theological Movement and Preparing for the Mass -20th Sunday in Ordinary Time and Preparing for the Mass -Addendum.

Catechisms of the Catholic Church

2011-08-13T21:00:00.001-06:00

There are basically only two catechisms of the Catholic Church. The older one is called the Baltimore, with editions 1 thru 4 that are age-specific.

Baltimore Catechism No. 1, available at Project Gutenberg.. An abridged edition for younger students.
Baltimore Catechism No. 2, available at Project Gutenberg.. The main edition.
Baltimore Catechism No. 3, available at Project Gutenberg.. An expanded edition for older students.
Baltimore Catechism No. 4, available at Project Gutenberg.. An annotated edition for teachers.
Baltimore Catechism Summary

The latest catechism is the one approved by Pope John Paul II, and has a great deal more teachings. You'll find many references to the teachings of Vatican Council II which expands our knowledge of current doctrine. It is often shortened in references as the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church). There is an abbreviated version of this called the Compendium of the Catechism, but it covers the basics of these latest teachings. Searchable CCC

Another handy link: This site has a handy search string, so if you type in a word at the bottom of the page, all references to that topic will be shown. http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

Sources: Christian Forum and http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

Putting it into Perspective

2011-08-10T09:00:00.006-06:00

Saints Days this Week (August 8 -13)

2011-08-07T00:10:00.001-06:00

During this week, the Church celebrates the feasts of: St. Dominic (August 8), St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (August 9), St. Lawrence (August 10), St. Clare (August 11), St. Jane Frances Chantel (August 12), St. Pontian (August 13), and St. Hippolytus (August 13).

St. Dominic de Guzman received a vision from Our Lady who showed him a wreath of roses, representing the rosary. She told him to say the rosary daily, teach it to all who would listen, and eventually the true faith would win out. Dominic is often credited with the invention of the rosary; it actually pre-dates him, but he certainly spread devotion to it, and used it to strengthen his own spiritual life.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) was both Jewish and Catholic. She took the vows of a Carmelite nun in 1934 was assigned to Echt, Netherlands in 1938. When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, she and her sister Rose, also a convert to Catholicism, were captured and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz where they died in the ovens like so many others.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Martyrdom of St. Lawrence. Rome. c.1600.

On Wednesday, August 10, we will celebrate the feast of Saint Lawrence, a deacon of the Roman Church who was martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258. Tradition tells us that Saint Lawrence's martyrdom was particularly painful: He was roasted on a gridiron.

Lawrence was commanded to appear for his execution, and to bring along the treasure with which he had been entrusted by the pope. When he arrived, the archdeacon was accompanied by a multitude of Rome‘s crippled, blind, sick, and indigent. He announced that these were the true treasures of the Church.

Over time, accounts of Lawrence's martyrdom took on new details, and even some generally reliable sources report that, halfway through his torture, Saint Lawrence supposedly said, "Flip me over; I'm done on this side." While almost certainly not literally true, this story contains a spiritual truth, illustrating the strength of Saint Lawrence's faith, which was shared by the martyrs of the early Church. Even in the face of great physical pain and certain death, they could remain filled with joy, because they knew that they were standing up for Christ.

St. Clare

St. Clare - After hearing Saint Francis of Assisi preach in the streets, Clare confided to him her desire to live for God, and the two became close friends.
She eventually took the veil from Saint Francis at the Church of Our Lady of the Angels in Assisi, Italy.
Clare founded the Order of Poor Ladies (Poor Clares) at San Damiano, and led it for 40 years. Everywhere the Franciscans established themselves throughout Europe, there also went the Poor Clares, depending solely on alms, forced to have complete faith on God to provide through people; this lack of land-based revenues was a new idea at the time. Clare’s mother and sisters later joined the order, and there are still thousands of members living lives of silence and prayer.

An interesting tidbit: Her rapport with animals was so dramatic that her cat demonstrated an uncanny understanding of her wishes and used to bring things to her when she was too ill to rise

The icon of St. Clare is by Terence Nelson - his note on it reads, in part:As in her life, St. Clare devoutly holds the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament in protection of the monastery. At her feet are cats, symbolizing the contemplative life. Consistent with Franciscan love of nature, a sparrow nests in the colonnade, “Even the sparrow has found a home ... where she may have her young – a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.” (Psalm 84:3)

St. Jane Frances Chantel was born in 1572. She became a widow at twenty-eight, with four children. The broken-hearted baroness took a vow of chastity. In all her prayers she besought God to send her a guide and God, in a vision, showed her the spiritual director He held in reserve for her.
During Lent, 1604, she visited her father at Dijon, where St. Francis de Sales was preaching at the Sainte Chapelle. She recognized in him the mysterious director who had been shown her, and placed herself under his guidance. She knew that God was calling her to found the Congregation of the Visitation.

Her reputation for sanctity was widespread. Queens, princes, and princesses flocked to the reception-room of the Visitation. Wherever she went to establish foundations, the people gave her ovations. "These people", she would say confused, "do not know me; they are mistaken". Her body is venerated with that of St. Francis de Sales in the church of the Visitation at Annecy. She was beatified in 1751, canonized in 1767, and 21 August was appointed as her feast day.

St. Pontain: Son of Calpurnius.18th pope in 230.Ended the schism of Hippolytus and reconciled the schismatics with the Church.Exiled with Saint Hippolytus by emperor Maximinus Thrax to Sardinia and sentenced to work in the mines, he abdicated the papacy on 28 September 235 so a new man could lead the Church.

The Martyrdom of St. Hippolytus

St. Hippolytus:

The Martyr Saint Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170- c. 236) was a disciple of

The Martyr Saint Irenaeus of Lyon (c. 130-202), who was a disciple of

The Martyr Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69-81 to c. 155-167), who was a disciple of

The Apostle and Evangelist Saint John the Theologian, who was a disciple of

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Saint Hippolytus, the last of Greek-speaking fathers in Rome, is believed to have been a soldier converted to Christ.Martyred for assisting at the burial of some his martyred charges.

Due to a clerical error, Hippolytus was inadvertently listed as two people, Hippolytus of Rome and Hippolytus of Porto, on some calendars.The second entry had the feast day of 22 August.This problem was corrected in the calendar revision of 1969.

Sources:
The Catholic Encyclopedia
http://saints.sqpn.com/
http://testament25.blogspot.com/2011/08/st-lawrence-of-rome-and-holy-grail.html
Holy Comforter Parish Newsletter
http://themercyblog.blogspot.com/2006/04/st-clare-her-cats-one-of-my-favourite.html
http://www.bridgebuilding.com/narr/tncla.html

Same Sex Marriage Legal in New York

2011-07-23T22:25:00.001-06:00

There is some wonderful commentary at National Review Online. Here are some snippets:

What has been gained by the forces behind this act?
Certainly not marriage for same-sex couples.

They have gained a name, but not the thing it names. They have only destroyed a word’s meaning.
And they have harmed the thing it does name, by teaching — one of the things the law does — that marriage has no connection to children and families, but instead is just a bundle of privileges from the government, to be taken up if it is in one’s self-interest.

New York has struck a great blow, in the name of a false “right,” against real freedom. Same-sex marriage is inseparable from authoritarianism, as we will see when New York’s Christians, Jews, and Muslims lose the religious freedom to act on the truth about marriage as they know it.

Matthew J. Franck (director of the William E. and Carol G. Simon Center on Religion and the Constitution at the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, New Jersey)
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Same-sex marriage comes to New York on Sunday. Whom will it impact other than the couples involved? The answer is: almost everyone.

The New York legislature did not create a category of marriage called “gay marriage,” but instead redefined marriage for everyone. That means that anyone who doesn’t go along with this new politically inspired understanding of the historic institution of marriage will be treated under the law as the equivalent of a racist.

Already, town clerks with deeply held religious beliefs about marriage have been told they will be fired if they refuse to sanction gay marriages. Some have already been forced to quit. We know from the experience in other states that professionals with strongly held moral beliefs about marriage will be threatened with loss of their professional licenses — and thus their livelihood — if they resist. Christian counselors will be put out of business unless they violate their religious principles and condone gay marriage. Wedding professionals who don’t want to be involved in gay weddings will be sanctioned.

Most troubling, children as young as kindergartners will be taught in school that gay marriage is the same as traditional marriage — and parents will be powerless to do anything about it.

In short, the consequences to society will be profound.
But this is far from over. People all across the state are rallying to restore marriage by putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Thousands are attending marches throughout the state on Sunday, and volunteering in droves at www.letthepeoplevote.com. We are determined to let the people of New York have the final say on marriage, just as voters in 31 other states have been able to do.

— Brian S. Brown is president of the National Organization for Marriage.
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The sin of impurity looms our society because Christians have become part of the secular cultural norms and look to the government to legislate morality. The truth is, even if government legislate morality, it will not affect our inclinations to commit sin. Laws can't transform or convert hearts, prayers and penance does that! Hence, moral laws will automatically change if hearts are transformed by God
~~ Father Sama, OP
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Same-sex “marriage” is not marriage; it is an exercise in frivolity. At best, a same-sex union can produce entertainment.

Because there are no children, a same-sex “marriage” protects no one. What same-sex “marriage” does is provide the government’s sanction on a peculiar sexual relationship that tends to be both mentally and physically harmful to the participants.
Citizen Tom
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SOURCES:
CAN
National Review Online
Father Sama, OP
Citizen Tom

The Holy Rule of Saint Benedict

2011-07-19T21:42:00.000-06:00

Oh, what a wonderful find!
A real father to Europe, and now to the world, one of the few places to find St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries online is the translation our Father Boniface, OSB did over 100 years ago. http://rule.kansasmonks.org/

This english translation of the Rule of St. Benedict is the work of Father Boniface Verheyen O.S.B. at St. Benedict's Abbey. This, the eighth edition, was published by Abbey Student Press in Atchison, Kansas in 1935.

The text of the Holy Rule here rendered into English is that of D. Paul de Ferrariis, reprinted at the Archabbey of Montecassino in 1872, and the aim of the translator was to render it so that St. Benedict would recognize his Rule in this English dress as he wrote it at Montecassino.

May the blessing of St. Benedict accompany this translation, that the high ideal of monastic perfection unfolded in its pages may be realize to the full in the lives of the sons and the daughters of the great Father and Founder of Western Monasticism.—The Translator

Introduction to the Popular Edition of the Holy Rule

"Regarded merely from the philosophical point of view, the Rule of St. Benedict is perhaps the greatest historical fact of the Middle Ages." (Viollet-Le-Duc, Dictionnaire de l'Architecture, I, 242)
For many Centuries the Rule of St. Benedict was the favorite handbook of educators, of heads of families, and of rulers in Church and State; its inspiration and teaching is still shaping the spiritual life, the intellectual and other activities of many thousands in the world of today.

Renewed interest in things Benedictine makes a more popular edition of this venerable little work desirable, so that ever greater numbers may avail themselves of the caluable pedgogical, ascetical and litugical principles whish it contains.

Laws and rules of life, unlike dogmas, call for changes and adjustments to suit the requirements of different times and places. St Benedict himslef made provision for such adaptiations and modifications; they go under the name of Declarations to the Rule, and for Religious who make vows according to the Rule, they have the same force as the Rule itself. However, that the spirit o fth Rule and its Founder may remain intact, theese changes affecting more that the outward mode of life, are not left to the arbitrary will of individuals, but must have the approval of the supreme authority in the Church, the Holy See.

This little book contains the url so fSt. Benedict as it came down to us from the sixth century, without any subsquent changes or modifications. The fundamental tenets laid down in his Rule by the Patriarch of Western Monasticism are as full of meaning and vigor today as they were in the days of the conversion of Europe by the Monks of St. Benedict.

"The man of God, Benedict," says Pope St. Gregory the Great, "among the many wonderful works that made him famous in this world, was also conspicuous for his teaching: for he wrote a rule for monks, remarkable for dicretion and rich in instruction.
-Martin Veth O.S.B.

The Surprising Trouble With Harry

2011-07-18T19:35:00.000-06:00

There is a very intriguing article about Harry Potter here:

http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-09-011-v#ixzz1SVZg36Ka

Some quick quotes from the article -

1) Christians who take the idea of a cosmic struggle between good and evil seriously should see the Potter series as an ally because it reinforces a core Christian belief currently under attack.

2) Rowling provides something for students that American public schools do not. She illuminates why character education, values clarification, Kohlberg’s moral reasoning, or getting stricter about rules will never do what we wish.

3) What critics fail to realize about Harry’s moral world is that school rules are not tightly linked to the ultimate moral order, and obeying them can, at times, be pharisaical and even disobedient to the moral order.

4) Professor Dumbledore, tells Harry, “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

5) J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis understood true fantasy literature as pointing to truths that we often miss in reality.

6) Children need more than a set of virtues to emulate, values to choose, rules to obey, or even some higher form of reasoning to attain. They long to be part of a cosmic struggle between good and evil. And that’s why children want to read Harry Potter.

Don't Like? Don't Do!

2011-07-14T13:49:00.000-06:00

Have you seen this dribble posted on FB or making the email rounds?

Don't like gay marriages? Don't get one. . . . . Don't like cigarettes? Don't smoke them. . . Don't like abortions? Don't get one. . . . . Don't like sex? Don't have it. . . . . Don't like drugs? Don't do them. . . . . Don't like porn? Don't watch it. . . . . Don't like alcohol? Don't drink it. . . . . Don't like guns? Don't buy one. . . . . Don't like your rights taken away??? Don't take away someone else's.

I am reposting this ignorance not because I agree, but because it is so easy to prove false.
The 1st error is that the writer assumes that all of the above activities are a matter of personal, private choice but don't hurt anyone except the... doer.

Drinking and smoking are not naturally bad for an adult if done within moderation at appropriate times and places. The right to own a gun is enshrined in the US Constitution. And it follows logically that if I have a right to life, I also have the right to protect and defend my life with force. Thus smoking, drinking, and owning a gun are not in the same catagory as shooting heroine, killing unborn babies, and spreading disease into the population through perverse, self-destructive sex acts.

2nd- I do concede that what adults do in private is their business, an exercise of their God-given liberty. But what about MY liberty when the government forces me to hire, rent to, serve, and advertise for such people? Where is MY liberty... when government schools teach my kids that those behaviors are OK, but won't allow my kids to disagree out loud or hear a different view on campus? Where is my liberty when your smokers, drinkers, druggers, and perverts come down with lung cancer, serosis, brain damage, STDs, and illegitimate kids? That' s when these advocates of liberty suddenly want to force me and other tax payers to foot the bill through health care and welfare programs.

‎3rd- homosexuality isn't illegal in the US, and many so-called Christian denominations perform gay weddings. Gay marriage laws violate the freedom of the majority by forcing us to hand a license, a tax break, extra insurance coverage, and ...maybe even a foster-child in state custody to a gay couple. We are forced to express official approval and to foot the bill. Today I read that the state of Illinois is trying to kick 2000 foster-children out of a Catholic orphanage because the Church won't follow the state's gay marrage law. So who is the real bully there? Whose rights are being violated? (hint: read the 1st amendment)

Ironically, the friend who posted the defense of "liberty" above would NOT allow any of his friends to post statements disagreeing! So much for freedom and tolerance...

Guest contributor: Joseph Herbert

Do Not Feed the Beasts!

2011-07-13T22:41:00.003-06:00

Vices are like beasts! If you don't starve them, they will grow into monsters and may devour you if they are vicious.

For instance, curiosity can be a vice if it leads you to know things that will get one in trouble, and leads one to gossip or commit the sin of detraction. Curiosity is not necessarily bad, but can become an evil if leads us to sin.

We are to starve it by abstaining from unnecessary things.

~ Father Sama,OP

Words

2011-07-12T21:41:00.002-06:00

Whatever words issue forth from your mouth,

they should comfort and not irritate the other person(s);

they should bless, and not curse others;

they should affirm the goodness and not focus on condemning the vices of our neighbors;

and above all they should praise God --- always.

Father Sama CS,OP

Parables in The Gospel

2011-07-08T16:23:00.000-06:00

In the next several weeks in Mass we will be hearing parables in our Gospel Readings. They are meant to catch the attention of the listeners and are invitations to the listeners to find their places in the stories.

We are in the heart of the book of Matthew, learning about who Jesus is and who does his coming make us.

This Sunday's parable of the sower is especially poignant. The closer Jesus comes to our part of the soil the more fruitful we become and he will not leave us to ourselves. By ourselves we will whither and default to our beaten-pathness. By ourselves we will be choked by our own greed and self-centered demands.

When I was a little girl (in Methodist Church) I was perplexed by parables. I remember being taught that everyone was supposed to interpret these parables for themselves. So, it could get very confusing. Not knowing about the Magisterium or the Church that Jesus Christ set up here on earth I felt it was all so ambiguous! I remembered wondering,"Why doesn’t Jesus come right out and say what the point of the story is?"
I understood from an early age that there was only ONE truth. Truth is not relative (although I could not have worded it thusly as a child).I used to wonder why Jesus would leave us to personal interpretation --- especially when I heard so many versions of "what the Gospel meant."

Through the richness of the Magisterium and the guidance of The Holy Spirit I understand more now why Jesus spoke in parables . . .

Knowledge and insights do not save. Answers invite only more questions. Parables are for those who know beyond knowledge. They hear and see beyond senses. Tribulations, persecutions, worldly fears and the desires for riches are all parts of our human soil. The Word of God, Jesus, has come to identify the soil, improve it and assist its knowing and growing.

Fruitful living is how people live under the influence of the person of Jesus. As we reflected upon in last week's liturgy, relationships change the persons in the relationship. Usually the intimacy of the relationship brings about changes which are not immediately perceived by the relaters. Others see changes and the changes are usually defined as being more alive, more spirited, more who they have always wanted to be. Ideas don’t change us much or very deeply. The influence of the significant people in our lives changes us far beyond the power of thought. God so loved the world that God did not send an idea or a book. God rained down the grace within the person of Jesus the Word who remains until the good earth remembers who it is. So God did come right out and say it!

What remains is our staying attentive not to Jesus as teacher or idea-giver, but to Jesus who desires lovingly to bring God’s goodness out of our good soil.

Sources:
Preparing for the Mass
Larry Gillick, S. J., of Creighton University’s Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality

Independence Day Quotables

2011-07-03T08:51:00.002-06:00

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

~ George Washington (1789 – 1797), first President of the United States

“We recognize no Sovereign but God and no King but Jesus!” ~John Hancock (April 18, 1775)

“The care of human life and happiness, not destruction, is the first and only object of legitimate government.”

~ Thomas Jefferson, (1743-1826) third President of the United States, Principal Author of the Declaration of Independence

As the Declaration of Independence was being signed, 1776, Samuel Adams declared:

“We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.”

~ Samuel Adams (1722 – 1803) is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it.”

~ Abraham Lincoln, (1809 – 1865) the 16th President of the United States

“If the Declaration of Independence states our creed, there can be no right to abortion, since it means denying the most fundamental right of all, to human offspring in the womb. But if human beings can decide who is human and who is not, the doctrine of God-given rights is utterly corrupted. Abortion is the unjust taking of a human life and a breach of the fundamental principles of our public moral creed.”

~ Ambassador Alan Keyes

This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith. ~Lyndon B. Johnson

What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom "to" and freedom "from." ~Marilyn vos Savant, in Parade

While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.

~ George Washington

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. ~Ronald Reagan

Sources:
Quotes around the web
Keiki Hendrix
Catholic Fire by Jean H. via Colleen Hammond

From Unthinkable to Policy in 5 Easy Steps

2011-06-29T21:22:00.000-06:00

The Overton Window was developed in the mid-1990s by the late Joseph P. Overton. He describes a "window" in the range of public reactions to ideas in public discourse.

Overton’s model was developed to explain adjustments in the political climate. But I believe it can also illuminate how profound and deleterious changes are advanced in our culture. If the goal were to undermine cultural institutions, the process for getting from Unthinkable to Policy would follow these five easy steps:

Step #1: From Unthinkable to Radical — The first step is the easiest—provided the issue can become a fetish or the topic of an academic symposium. Since both the professoriate and the perverts have a fascination with the faux-transgressive (the truly transgressive [i.e., Christianity] tends to terrify them) all you need to do is get the attention of one of these groups. It doesn't matter which you start with since the politics of the bedroom and the classroom inevitably overlap.

Step #2: From Radical to Acceptable — This shift requires the creation and employment of euphemism. Want to kill a child exiting the womb? Call it "dilation and extraction” and infanticide becomes a medical procedure. Want to include sodomitic unions under the banner of “marriage?” Redefine the term “marriage” to mean the state-endorsed copulation of any two(?) people who want to share a bed and a tax form. Be sure to say it is about “love”—in our culture, eros excuses everything.

There will naturally be a few holdouts, of course, but those who reject the shift from Radical to Acceptable can be shamed into approving. All that is required is to deploy a stingingly suitable insult. The word “bigot”, for instance, is more effective than a billy club at beating the young into submission. There are few core beliefs they won’t change to avoid being called a bigot. The disapproval of their Creator is unfortunate; enduring the disfavor of their peers is unimaginable.

Step #3: From Acceptable to Sensible — There is nothing more sensible than to submit to one’s god. And while Americans may profess to worship Allah, Jehovah, or Jesus, we mostly worship an American Idol—ourselves. That is why social libertarianism has become our country’s fastest-growing cult. It has tapped into this self-idolatry by preaching a gospel of the Individual. It’s a pragmatic and accepting message. You were, as its chief evangelist Lady Gaga says, “born this way”: “It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M / Just put your paws up /'Cause you were born this way, baby.”

Step #4: From Sensible to Popular — This step merely requires personalizing the issue. Do you know someone who is LGBT? Divorced? Had an abortion? Sure you do, they are in your family, in your
school, at your church.

Do you hate them? If not, then how can you still disapprove of their actions? (Note: Be sure to talk fast so that no one follows the logic.)
Remember, "I'm OK; You're OK!"

As it says in the Good Book (or maybe in a Lady Gaga song), judge not lest God judge you for judging. You want people to like you, don’t you? Then express popular approval for what your cultural betters (e.g., people on reality TV) believe should be popularly approved.

Then you’ll be popular and it won't be necessary to call you a bigot.

Step #5: From Popular to Policy — Commission a public opinion poll. Show it to a politician. They’ll do the rest.

Source: an excerpt form How to Destroy a Culture in 5 Easy Steps (FirstThings.com)

Salvation History Like You Have Never Heard It

2011-06-22T23:47:00.000-06:00

Salvation History Bible Saga - 2011 Life Teen Training Convention from Life Teen on Vimeo.

Source: http://www.lifeteen.com/blog/learn-about-your-faith/salvation-history-bible-saga

Ten Great Women of the Bible (#4)

2011-06-20T08:45:00.000-06:00

The Mom Series continues . . . .

4. Mother of the Seven Sons (2 Maccabees 7)

This unnamed mother faced unspeakable tragedy, witnessing the martyrdom of her children before facing the same fate. Through the suffering and pain, she supported her sons, exhorting them to courage and abiding faith.

The hope of the resurrection was what inspired the seven sons and their mother to endure the sufferings recounted in 2 Maccabees 7.

Jesus, in the Gospel reading from Luke 20, affirmed that this doctrine of the resurrection is true.

The truth of the resurrection means that this life does have meaning. God made us to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him in the next.

Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him. (I Corinthians 2:9)

We are responsible for the kind of stewardship we practice with the time, talent, and treasure God entrusts to us in this life. But we don’t have to try to live as good stewards by our own efforts alone. In the reading from 2 Thessalonians, St. Paul tells us that God through his grace encourages and strengthens us.

Sources:

The Baltimore Catechism (1941)

Christian Forum

The Baltimore Catechism4

Catholics & the Environment

2011-06-06T21:57:00.003-06:00

• One must take into account the nature of each being and of its mutual connection in an ordered system,which is precisely the ‘Cosmos’. On Social Concern (Solicitudo Rei Socialis) 1988, No. 34

• The image of the creator must shine forth ever more clearly, not only in his creature man, but in all of his creation in nature. Pope Paul VI to the Council of the World Wildlife Fund, 1969

• Pope John Paul II invited some 4,000 people gathered in the rain to praise God and see the imprint of His love in the beauty of creation. He called the beauty of creation the first book that God has entrusted to the mind and heart of man. The beauty of nature impels the soul to recall God’s goodness, (the Pope) told the crowd that gathered to pray the angelus with him. Pope links beauty of creation to God’s love, Angelus Address given in the Italian Alps, 15 July 2001

• Faced with the widespread destruction of the environment, people everywhere are coming to understand that we cannot continue to use the goods of the Earth as we have in the past.

The public in general as well as political leaders are concerned about this problem, and experts from a wide range of disciplines are studying its causes. Moreover, a new ecological awareness is beginning to emerge which, rather than being downplayed, ought to be encouraged to develop into concrete programs and initiatives Introduction to the Message of His Holiness Pope John Paul II for the celebration of the World Day of Peace, 1 January 1990

• The ecological crisis is a moral issue... Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation... we cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention both to the consequences of such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations. Pope John Paul II, 1990

_______________________________________________________________________

God made man the steward of creation

In the hymn of praise proclaimed . . . (Ps 148:1-5), the Psalmist summons all creatures, calling them by name. Angels, sun, moon, stars and heavens appear on high; twenty-two things move upon the Earth, as many as the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, in order to give an impression of fullness and totality.

The believer, in a sense, is “the shepherd of being”, that is, the one who leads all beings to God, inviting them to sing an “alleluia” of praise. The Psalm brings us into a sort of cosmic church whose apse is the heavens and whose aisles are the regions of the world, in which the choir of God's creatures sings his praise. GENERAL AUDIENCE Pope John Paul II, Wednesday 17 January 2001
In this rediscovered harmony with nature and with one another, men and women are once again walking in the garden of creation, seeking to make the goods of the Earth available to all and not just to a privileged few, as the biblical jubilee suggests (cf. Lv 25:8-13, 23).

Among those marvels we find the Creator’s voice, transmitted by heaven and Earth, by night and day: a language “with no speech nor words; whose voice is not heard” and which can cross all boundaries (cf. Ps 19[18]:2-5).

___________________________________________________________________

The Book of Wisdom, echoed by Paul, celebrates God’s presence in the world, recalling that “from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator” (Wis 13:5; cf. Rom 1:20). This is also praised in the Jewish tradition of the Hasidim: “Where I wander – You! Where I ponder – You!... In every trend, at every end, only You, You again, always You!” (M Buber, Tales of the Hasidim [Italian ed., Milan 1979, p 256]). Pope John Paul II, 2001

Receiving The Most Holy Eucharist

2011-05-30T13:15:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the reasons I feel it important for me to receive Our Lord on my tongue and not in my hands.

~~> Council of Rouen (650 AD): "Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layperson, but only in their mouths"

~~> "If some nonbeliever arrived and observed such an act of adoration perhaps he, too, would 'fall down and worship God, declaring, God is really in your midst,'" explained Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Karaganda, Kazakhstan in the pages of L'Osservatore Romano.
[Exactly! Kneeling is a symbol for the whole world to help non-believers see that we believe the Eucharist truly is our God]

~~> "Not very long ago I said Mass and preached for their Mother, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and after breakfast we spent quite a long time talking in a little room. Suddenly, I found myself asking her -- don't know why -- 'Mother, what do you think is the worst problem in the world today?' She more than anyone could name any number of candidates: famine, plague, disease, the breakdown of the family, rebellion against God, the corruption of the media, world debt, nuclear threat, and so on.

"Without pausing a second she said, 'Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.'"

(Father George William Rutler, Good Friday, 1989 in St. Agnes Church, New York City, a precise transcript taken from a tape of his talk available from St. Agnes Church. Note: Fr. Emerson of the Fraternity of St. Peter was also a witness to this statement by Blessed Mother Teresa)

~~> Blessed Mother Teresa: Blessed Mother Teresa said, "Further it is the custom in our Society, and my known wish, that the Sisters receive Holy Communion on the tongue, which to my knowledge they are doing everywhere" (Mother Theresa, India 1995; Athi Thoothan Editor, Aquinas, p. 13, Vol 2, No 1 March 2000).

~~> Fr. John Hardon, S.J.: Whatever you can do to stop Communion in the hand will be blessed by God.” (November 1st, 1997 Call to Holiness Conference, Detroit, Michigan, panel discussion.)

~~> Pope John II: He only gave Holy Communion on tongue during private Masses in the Vatican. Concelebrating priests were told to do the same. Pope John Paul II said, "I do not revoke what one of my predecessors has said about this... ... here, my dear priests and my dear brothers and sisters, only Communion on the tongue and kneeling is allowed. I say this to you as your bishop!" (Sermon, March 1, 1989, Church of SS. Nome Di Maria)

When the wife of the President of France, Madame Giscard d'Estaing came before the Holy Father with outstretched hands, Pope John Paul II placed the host in her mouth. (Homiletic & Pastoral Review, March 1997 pg 24). He did likewise for a canon lawyer who was present at the 1981 Papal Mass in Chicago.

~~> Pope Paul VI: Memoriale Domini, a 1969 document, recognized that communion on the tongue was conducive to faith, reverence and humility. Specifically, the document states, "With regard to the manner of administering the sacrament, one may follow the traditional method, which emphasized the ministerial function of the priest or deacon, in having them place the host in the hand of the communicant." In the same document it is also written, "To preserve and defend the reverence, dignity and holiness due to the greatest treasure in the Church, only kneeling, not standing, to receive Holy Communion, always on the tongue, was allowed." Thus, the document not only allows Communion on the Hand but also Communion in the Hand. However, due to irreverence and a disbelief in the Real Presence in recent times as well as the common error of receiving Our Lord simply "out of habit", I urge fellow Catholics to receive the Eucharist joyfully on the tongue. Below is my final excerpt from the document:

A change in a matter of such moment, based on a most ancient and venerable tradition, does not merely affect discipline. It carries certain dangers with it which may arise from the new manner of administering holy communion: the danger of a loss of reverence for the august sacrament of the altar, of profanation, of adulterating the true doctrine.

~~> First of all, to receive is something that is passive. The priest takes Holy Communion because the priest is the one who offers the Victim in sacrifice. Therefore, the one who offers the Victim must also take part in that Victim. But the people of God are to receive Holy Communion. To take the Host from your hand and put It into your own mouth is to take Communion, not to receive Communion; and so it is an active thing, not a passive thing. The Lord desires to give Himself to you as a gift, not to be taken by you. We need to be very careful that we do not lose the symbolism of what is happening in the Blessed Sacrament. (Father Robert Altier) Father's complete statement is copied and pasted below the SOURCES.

~~> Holy Scripture: In the Old Testament, it is recorded that only Levite priests were allowed to carry the Ark of the Covenent (1 Chronicles 13:2), and when a non-Levite priest touched the Ark of the Covenent he was struck dead (1 Chronicles 13:9). Today the Holy Eucharist is the Holy of Holiess, and only those who have been consecrated to touch the Eucharist (Summa, Pt III Q, Q2 Art. 3) should touch it.

SOURCES:
A Catholic Life
Vatican Newspaper: Receive Communion on Tongue, Kneeling
LifeSiteNews
** Mission: Restore Eucharistic Reverence **
Catholic Apologetics Notebook
The Beauty and Spirituality of the Traditional Latin Mass

Fr. Robert Altier:

"In the first reading today Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Colossians, talks about how, in Christ, is hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This is because He is almighty God; He is the Creator of the universe; He is the Savior of the world; He is God, absolute and perfect. Saint Paul says at the beginning of the reading that he makes up in his flesh for what is lacking in the
suffering of Christ, for the sake of Christ's body, the Church.

"In Christ, now, there is no suffering, but only in the Mystical Body. But there is one place, which I would like to address this morning, where I believe that Our Lord is truly grieved. I want to challenge you in that area: That is, the manner by which we receive Holy Communion.

"The Church is very clear in Her documents that she desires that we would receive Holy Communion on the tongue and not in the hand.

"The bishops of America, as well as a few other countries in the world, have allowed Communion in the hand as a dispensation. But the Church is very, very clear that She does not want us receiving Communion in the hand.

"Let me explain a little as to why. First of all, to receive is something that is passive. The priest takes Holy Communion because the priest is the one who offers the Victim in sacrifice. Therefore, the one who offers the Victim must also take part in that Victim. But the people of God are to receive Holy Communion. To take the Host from your hand and put It into your own mouth is to take Communion, not to receive Communion; and so it is an active thing, not a passive thing. The Lord desires to give Himself to you as a gift, not to be taken by you. We need to be very careful that we do not lose the symbolism of what is happening in the Blessed Sacrament.

"Also, if you will notice, during Mass after the Consecration, my fingers remain together because of the particles of the Host that are there. When we take Holy Communion in the hand, there are particles of Our Lord that are on our hands and on our fingers. That is why, after Communion, the priest will purify his fingers - because of the particles of the Host. But how often the people of God, after receiving Holy Communion, simply brush the particles onto the ground and walk on Our Lord. Or they put their hands in their pockets, and Our Lord is right there on their clothing. The abuses that this opens them up to are very grave. Not that anyone is intentionally doing that, but I think it is something that we need to consider exceedingly carefully.

"What I always tell people is that you can look forward to the Day of Judgment and ask yourself how you intend to approach Our Lord, because He is your Judge. The same Lord you approach in Holy Communion is the same One you will approach on the Day of Judgment. Do you assume that you will put your hand out to Our Blessed Lord on the Day of Judgment?

"Is your view of judgment that you will shake Our Lord's hand and tell Him how wonderful it is to see Him? Or is your view that you will do great reverence to Our Blessed Lord? My view is that I will be flat on my face - not shaking His hand.

"We do not put out our hand to God. Scripture says that God holds us in the palm of His hand. We should not be holding God in the palm of ours. He created us; He made us in His image and likeness. He is the Creator; we are the creature. We must approach Him with the greatest reverence, the greatest respect.

"If we simply look at the fruit that has been borne by Holy Communion being taken in the hand, it is not good: the loss of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, the familiarity.

"Thankfully it is not happening here, but go to most churches and ask yourself if you see people praying before Mass or if they are chatting, goofing around, and talking.

"We have lost the reverence for the Real Presence because Jesus is just "our buddy" when we put our hand out to Him; He is not our God when we do that. So we need to be very careful.

"But beyond that, we can look also at what has happened spiritually to the people of God. Since we have been receiving Communion in the hand, we have lost sight of the idea of going to Confession, of our own sinfulness, of the reverence we must have for Our Lord. We have made Communion so easy a thing and so nonchalant a thing that people have lost that sense of reverence, of awe, and of respect in the Presence of Our Lord.

"I challenge you to think very seriously about this issue. The bishops, like I say, have allowed it; it is not a sin if you receive Holy Communion in the hand. In some places in the early Church they did that; Saint Justin talks about it. But the Church stopped it because of the abuses against the Blessed Sacrament that were occurring. I ask you to really pray about that.

"Look at Jesus in the Eucharist and ask yourself, "Do I really, truly believe that this is God? That this is my Creator and my Redeemer? How, then, do I desire to approach Him?" I really believe, if you pray that through, that there is only one conclusion to which you can come.

"Then, I beg you, do not remain silent about it. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Bring that word to others because all those good people out there, I do not think that they are willfully trying to do anything that would grieve Our Lord; they are doing what they have been told to do.

"But again, look at what has happened in the last forty years of this particular practice and ask yourself if the fruit it has borne has been good. Obviously, you love Our Lord: You are here at daily Mass; you are here every morning. The love of Our Lord is evident in you. Bring that love of Jesus out from here. The love that is in your heart, proclaim it to others and ask them in the same way to consider their actions toward Our Lord.

"Let us bring the reverence to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament back so that we can give Him fitting worship and praise because He is God, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are contained."

Applause and Mass

2011-05-29T13:51:00.000-06:00

There is clapping DURING Mass (in recognition of some person or persons) at least once a month at my parish. It makes me want to cringe. Hopefully I stand very still and do not let the horror show on my face. The applause is disruptive enough to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which is a re-presentation of the Holy Sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
I do not want to heap my obvious disapproval onto the situation. I just want it to be over and done with so we can get back to focus on our Lord.
Now . . . clapping for the choir or cantor? Well, unfortunately, that happens after every Mass at my parish and it makes me very sad.

There is a great post about this over at The Journey: Almost Not Catholic.

Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI said this:

"Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment."

I know this is a backwards introduction Brent's great post over at The Journey: Almost Not Catholic but here is my comment.

I agree, agree and agree some more. And, since I am at my dining room table I am giving you a hearty round of applause! ;-)
My family and I stand very still when clapping breaks out in or after Mass. Sometimes I think people feel were are cold fish. I sometimes wish they would ask why we do not clap. I hope our love for Christ would pour out in our answer and they could understand why we do not join in on praise for some kind of entertainment or "appreciation of human achievement".

The 1st and obvious reason we do not participate in applause is, as you stated, -- Mass is for and about our Lord.
The 2nd reason is that it seems very wrong that some people are celebrated and esteemed and congratulated and/or thanked when, in reality, there will be many left out.
Do we take time to thank the janitors, the people who volunteer time to keep the grounds clean, the men and women who run the nursery or those who take the Holy Eucharist to the sick? Do we get emotional and heap praise on the ushers or the readers?
Our Holy Father said it beautifully - thank you for that quote!

England and Wales: National Pastoral Letter on the New Translation of the Roman Missal

2011-05-28T17:33:00.003-06:00

27/05/2011

Press release

Issued by the Catholic Communications Network

National Pastoral Letter on the New Translation of the Roman Missal

The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have issued a National Pastoral letter on the new translation of the Roman Missal to be read on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, 29 May 2011.
.....................................
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
At the beginning of Advent this year, when we gather for Mass, we shall be using the new translation of the Roman Missal. This will be the case not only in England and Wales but throughout the English-speaking world. The Mass will remain the same but parts of it will sound different.

Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has produced three Latin editions of the Roman Missal. At present, we are still using a translation of the first edition which was published in 1973. Although the texts we have been using have served us well, since that time there has been much development in the liturgical texts themselves and in our understanding of them.

We all become very accustomed to the words we hear; and the fact that we have been praying in a certain way for so long has imprinted that style of language and words upon our consciousness and made them very special. The changes in the language now to be introduced, however, do not represent change for change’s sake, but are being made in order to ensure greater fidelity to the liturgical tradition of the Church. In the earlier translation not all the meaning of the original Latin text was fully expressed and a number of the terms that were used to convey the teachings of the faith were lost. This was readily acknowledged by the bishops of the Church, even back in the 1970s, and has become an increasing cause of concern since then.

There is an old adage in Latin which states that the way we pray forms the way we believe. So words and language are important for the teaching and the handing-on of the faith.

So what does this new translation offer us? First of all, there is a fuller expression of the content of the original texts. Then, there is a closer connection with the Sacred Scriptures which inspire so much of our liturgy. Also, there is a recovery of a vocabulary that enriches our understanding of the mystery we celebrate. All of this requires a unique style of language and expression, one that takes us out of ourselves and draws us into the sacred, the transcendent and the divine.

The publication of the new translation of the Missal is a special moment of grace in the English-speaking world. It offers an opportunity to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the mystery we celebrate each week. This itself will help us to move towards that fuller and more conscious and active participation in the liturgy to which the Church invites us. It will help us also to examine the dignity with which we celebrate the ‘source and summit’ of the Church’s life.

At the end of his visit last year, Pope Benedict asked us to use this moment for genuine renewal. He said: “I encourage you now to seize the opportunity that the new translation offers for in-depth catechesis on the Eucharist, and renewed devotion in the manner of its celebration. ‘The more lively the Eucharistic faith of the people of God, the deeper is its sharing in ecclesial life in steadfast commitment to the mission entrusted by Christ to his disciples’” (Sacramentum Caritatis, 6).

In order to achieve this, the bishops have produced resources for all our parishes and, as from September, we will gradually begin to use the new liturgical texts at Mass and hear why certain changes have been made. Each diocese is already preparing its priests and deacons, catechists and liturgical ministers. Programmes for schools are being developed and new musical settings are being composed. From September until Advent everyone will have the opportunity to study the new texts and familiarise themselves with the prayers and chants. In addition, this period of preparation will allow us to pray these new texts.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist is a gift, something we receive from God through the Church. Saint Paul spoke of it as coming from the Lord Jesus himself. Writing to the Church in Corinth, he said, “for I received from the Lord what I in turn also handed on to you” (1 Corinthians 11:23). So Eucharist is not something of our making but a gift received. Like Saint Paul, therefore, let us receive it with reverence and care, knowing that we are being faithful to what the Lord himself passed on to the Apostles, which has been handed on since, in faithfulness, by their successors to every generation of the Church.
Let us welcome the new translation of the Roman Missal as a sign of our unity and a powerful instrument of God’s grace in our lives.

Published by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, Thursday 12 May 2011

SOURCE on the web: http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/Catholic-Church/Media-Centre/press_releases/Press-Releases-2011/National-Pastoral-Letter-on-the-New-Translation-of-the-Roman-Missal

Jacob's Ladder

2011-05-23T15:21:00.002-06:00

SHALOM OF SAFED (1887-1980)

I was inspired to write this post because of a project over at Woodlands Home. I encourage you to check it out.
In order to participate you only need a photo. But you know me; I get carried away sometimes!

The image of Jacob's Ladder comes from the story in the Old Testament -- of the Patriarch Jacob's dream about a stairway reaching all the way to heaven and God's messengers going up and down it. Genesis 28:10-22.

St. Jerome wrote this:

Jacob's ladder is probably the most famous ladder in symbolism. Its story is found in the Old Testament (Gen 28:10-17). Jacob, fleeing from the wrath of his brother, lay down to sleep with a stone for a pillow. During the night he dreamed that he saw a ladder or stairway reaching up into the heavens upon which were angels ascending and descending. At the head of the ladder was God the Father confirming the Patriachal blessing upon him and promising to protect him on his journey. Jacob called the place Bethel (house of God). Since many people have surmised that angels travel this ladder daily as they go about the Lord's business, it has become a symbol of the comings and goings between heaven and earth of people, angels, and messages or prayers (The Letters of St. Jerome, Letter 22).

This stairway was called a ladder in some translations and we are quite familiar with that image. It was popularized in the African-American spiritual, "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder."

Engraving 1720

That ladder symbolized the 'help' that God gives to His people while they are journeying on earth. The stairway/ladder was the symbol of God's connection to the chosen people. And the messengers going up and down were 'evidence,' so to speak, of God's continual provision for the people while the earthly journey was going on.

The ancient Israelites had a significantly different understanding of life-beyond-death than we as Catholic Christians do. In fact, many scholars would argue that at the early period represented in the Jacob stories, these ancient Hebrew people had no sense of life-beyond-death at all.
The point is that for the ancient Israelites who heard and then later who read this story about Jacob and the stairway to heaven, the emphasis was on God's provision for the people in the here and now. Jacob's Ladder in this biblical context really didn't have any particular importance for life-after-death.
But, remember, we know that The Old Testament prefigured the New and the New Testament fulfilled the Old. We now understand those ancient stories from a different point-of-view. And clearly the Resurrection of the Lord made belief in life-after-death one of the primary tenets of our Christian faith. So, when Christians now read the Old Testament we see God's revelation of different meaning in those Scriptures than had the early Hebrew people.

Lika Tov

From this Christian perspective the story of Jacob's dream, with the stairway in it, has come to have a deeper meaning and significance.

We still see that the messengers going up and down the stairway suggests God's willingness to provide for us on our earthly journey, but we also see another very important meaning implicit in Jacob's dream.

Since we know that we are destined to share the Lord's Resurrection, we believe in life-after-death. Furthermore, we believe that in the great communion of saints we are 'connected to' those who have gone before marked with the sign of faith -- as Eucharistic Prayer 1 says .

MORE SYMBOLISM FOR A LADDER:

The "ladder" came to be seen by Christians as representing that "link" between heaven and earth which binds us to those saints whom we celebrate on All Saints' Day. This is why you will often see Jacob's Ladder used as associated with All Saints Day.

God's messengers going up and down came to represent the fact that our prayers can assist those souls in Purgatory who are awaiting their final entrance into the full glory of heaven. Just as the messengers brought help to Jacob in the dream and as they carried Jacob's supplication and prayer up to heaven, so they represent our prayers "going up Jacob's ladder" on behalf of the faithful departed.

Jacob’s Ladder Via Latina Catecombs 4th Century

In Christ heaven and earth meet. He is "the way, the truth, and the life." There is no way to approach the Father except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Jesus used the symbolism of Jacob's ladder to describe His intercessory role to Nathanael when He said,

"hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man" (John 1:51 NKJV).

The monastery, and the Church are considered ladders as they assist people in the attainment of heaven. Sometimes Cisterian and Carthusian religious houses called themselves "Scala Dei" or "Ladder of God."

In the Byzantium Church, the Virgin Mary is considered a ladder since through her God descended to become a Man and through her intercession He grants sinners the graces necessary to reach heaven.

St. John Chrysostom taught that the Mosaic Law was like a ladder which allowed God's people to ascend to the position of spiritual adoption and freedom they currently enjoyed in Christ. Having reached the top of the ladder, the climber no longer required it to attain his goals (The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians, Philippians, Homily 11 - Philippians 3:7-10).

William Blake Jacob's Ladder Painting

St. Augustine wrote that Jacob's ladder represented the Church and the angels the patriarch saw ascending and descending upon it represented the evangelists or preachers of the Gospel - those who ascended into the heavens, beauty, and knowledge of Christ and then descended again to give spiritual milk to the babes of Christ (Lectures or Tractates on St. John, Tractate 7, John 1:34-51; see also 2 Cor. 12:2).

According to Augustine, teachers of the Word also ascend and descend upon Christ when they preach ascendingly of Christ's majesty or divine nature and then descend to relate to their audiences that our Lord came to earth and became a man. He says,

"Christ is the ladder reaching from earth to heaven, or from the carnal to the spiritual: for by His assistance the carnal ascend to spirituality; and the spiritual may be said to descend to nourish the carnal with milk when they cannot speak to them as to spiritual, but as to carnal. There is thus both an ascent and a descent upon the Son of man."

He adds that

"We ascend to Him to see Him in heavenly places; we descend to Him for the nourishment of His weak members. And the ascent and descent are by Him as well as to Him. Following His example, those who preach Him not only rise to behold Him exalted, but let themselves down to give a plain announcement of the truth" (St. Augustine On the Morals of the Catholic Church, Reply to Faustus the Manichaean, Book 12).

The rungs of a ladder may represent the various stages the initiate or pilgrim must pass through to attain his goal, perfection, or heavenly home. Each philosopher, theologian, teacher, or tradition has its own ideas as to how many rungs their ladder to perfection should contain but twelve, seven, or ten runged ladders are the most common.

One may be thought to ascend a ladder by attaining wisdom and descend that same ladder to demonstrate or scatter the fruits of that wisdom in the exercise of various virtues or the doing of good works. Hannah Whithall Smith wrote that the little sacrifices we constantly make in our daily lives are "actual rounds in the ladder by which we are mounting to our thrones" (The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, Chapt. 19, p. 154). Her book can be found online here. Hannah was a Quaker from Germantown, PA.
The quote above made me think, immediately, of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower and her "little way." But instead of climbing to her throne" she said this: "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth".

Edward Bounds said, "Asking, seeking, knocking, are ascending rounds in the ladder of successful prayer" (The Necessity of Prayer).

Jacob’s Ladder III – Kathleen Anderson – 1995

St. John Chrysostom urged his congregation to climb a Jacob's ladder of virtue to heaven, correcting one fault a month as if it were a step in a spiritual ladder (The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of John, Homily 83, John 18:1).

St. Jerome taught that "the Christian life is the true Jacob's ladder" and admonished his listeners to give all they had to the poor so that they might climb Jacob's ladder unhindered by material possessions. At the head of this ladder he envisioned the Lord "holding out His hand to those who slip and sustaining by the vision of Himself the weary steps of those who ascend" (The Letters of St. Jerome, Letter 54 & 58).

The sides of a ladder may be used to symbolize the pillars of Solomon's Temple known as Boaz and Jachin or the two special trees of the Garden of Eden.

Several saints have ladders as one of their attributes because of their visions or teachings. These include St. John Cassian, St. Andrew, St. Romuald, St. Benedict, St. Perpetua, and St. John Climacus.

Artist: Gustave Doré

St. Benedict's ladder represents his vision of the members of his order climbing to heaven on the twelve runged ladder promoted in chapter seven of his Rule.
St. Romuald, the founder of the Order of Camaldoli, decreed that its members be dressed in white because he had dreamed of white-robed men ascending and descending upon heaven's ladder while he was looking for a place to build his monastery.
In The Ladder of Paradise (The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Scala Paradisi), St. Climacus describes thirty rungs (symbolising the thirty years of Jesus' hidden life) or qualities desirable for holiness and the attainment of Paradise. This work was illustrated with a picture of monks falling or being assaulted by demons while ascending a ladder to heaven. Climacus may be portrayed writing his book as a vision of this ladder floats near him.
Encouraged by her brother, St. Perpetua asked the Lord for a vision to let her know if her imprisonment would end in martyrdom. Then she dreamed of a "golden ladder of marvelous height, reaching up even to heaven, and very narrow, so that persons could only ascend it one by one; and on the sides of the ladder was fixed every kind of iron weapon. There were there swords, lances, hooks, daggers; so that if any one went up carelessly, or not looking upwards, he would be torn to pieces and his flesh would cleave to the iron weapons.

And under the ladder itself was crouching a dragon of wonderful size, who lay in wait for those who ascended, and frightened them from the ascent. And Saturus went up first, who had subsequently delivered himself up freely on our account, not having been present at the time that we were taken prisoners. And he attained the top of the ladder, and turned towards me, and said to me, 'Perpetua, I am waiting for you; but be careful that the dragon do not bite you.' And I said, 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he shall not hurt me.' And from under the ladder itself, as if in fear of me, he slowly lifted up his head; and as I trod upon the first step, I trod upon his head. And I went up, and I saw an immense extent of garden, and in the midst of the garden a white-haired man sitting in the dress of a shepherd, of a large stature, milking sheep; and standing around were many thousand white-robed ones. And he raised his head, and looked upon me, and said to me, 'Thou are welcome, daughter.' 'And he called me, and from the cheese as he was milking he gave me as it were a little cake, and I received it with folded hands; and I ate it, and all who stood around said Amen. And at the sound of their voices I was awakened, still tasting a sweetness which I cannot describe.
And I immediately related this to my brother, and we understood that it was to be a passion, and we ceased henceforth to have any hope in this world" (Tertullian, 5. Appendix, Chapt. 1).

SOURCES:
Father Phillip @ CatholicQ&A
Netnitco.net
an article by Suzetta Tucker
A collection of Gustave Doré: The Bible Illustrations
Hannah Whithall Smith's Book, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life
Quick review of book:

"One of the most inspiring and influential books we have ever read." -- Dale Evans and Roy Rogers "IS YOUR LIFE ALL YOU WANT IT TO BE? Hannah Whitall Smith--Quaker, rebel, realist--faced life as she found it, and she found it good. She took her Bible promises literally, tested them, and found them true as tested steel. She stepped out of conjecture into certainty, and the shadows disappeared. Here she reveals the secret--how to make unhappiness and uncertainty give way to serenity and confidence in every day of your life." -- from the Spire edition.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower

LAGNIAPPE:

The Bronze Ladder, by Malcom Lyons

Ten Great Women of the Bible (#5)

2011-05-22T21:36:00.001-06:00

The Mom Series continues . . . .

5. Hagar (Genesis 16 and 21)

Title: 'The Angel Appears to Hagar'
Painter: Il Guercino His original name was Giovanni Francesco Barbieri.
Year: 1652

Forced into exile, she faced incredible hardships with her son, Ishmael. In utter despair and facing death, her concern is for her child, whom she entrusts to God’s loving care.

Moby Dick begins with the opening line, “Call me Ishmael.” I must admit that I never fully understood that statement as anything more than an expression.

After reading Denise Bossert's blog entry over at Catholic By Grace. She says, and I concur (with editions),

“I prefer the words, 'Call me Hagar.'”

Artist: Il Guercino: Title: 'Abraham Casting Out Hagar and Ishmael' 1657

I can relate to Hagar. Like Hagar, I have planned my own big dreams. And I have seen those plans fall apart.

Hoping Abraham’s child would be her big break, Hagar becomes a little too sure of her position. The fact that it was Sarah’s idea all along means nothing. It carries no weight that Sarah, hoping to end their infertility, practically pushed her maidservant into Abraham’s tent.

Once Abraham’s legitimate wife conceives a child of her own, Hagar and Ishmael are yesterday’s news. Sarah bears a son, Isaac, the child of the divine promise. The culmination of Abraham and Sarah’s dreams. The fulfillment of an angel’s word. The mistress doesn’t stand a chance.

The surrogate mother is told to leave. (Genesis 21)

Title: 'Hagar and the Angel'
Painter: Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665)
Year: 1660

Hagar has no options. It is difficult to set things right when they are built on poor decisions in the first place. If only Sarah had fully trusted in God to make good on His promise. If only she had believed that God can do anything. Instead, she tries to force the Hand of God, which is never a good idea. Hagar pays the price.

There’s always a price to be paid when people play God.

Hagar didn’t deserve (in all fairness, no human DESERVES) to have God’s help. I do not deserve to have God's help. God looks beyond the series of bad decisions and has mercy.

Title: 'Hagar in the Wilderness'
Painter: Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647)

Lagniappe:

Hagar's Resume by Happy Catholic

Beautiful Biblical Art depicting this story is abundant!

SOURCES:
http://catholicbygrace.blogspot.com/2009/03/hagars-troubles.html
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/usccb

Ten Great Women of the Bible (#6)

2011-05-16T09:22:00.002-06:00

The Mom Series continues . . . .

6. Eve (Genesis 2-3)

Adam called her “the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). She is a reminder of human frailty and resilience and of the abiding forgiveness of God.

Graphics source: http://www.rekhabansal.com/pages/image/imagepage1.html

Lagniappe: http://www.catholicbook.com/AgredaCD/MyCatholicFaith/mcfc018.htm

Ten Great Women of the Bible (#7)

2011-05-15T03:13:00.008-06:00

The Mom Series continues . . . .

7. Elizabeth (Luke 1)

Despite facing the challenge of infertility, Elizabeth lived a righteous and faithful life, receiving God’s promise of a child with hope and gratitude, recalling that mothers must persevere. And Elizabeth points us to Mary!

The Feast of the Visitation commemorates what is the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: Our Lady's visit to her cousin, Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with St. John the Baptist at the time. At the end of the Archangel Gabriel's Annunciation to Our Lady that she will conceive, he tells her that her cousin, Elizabeth, an older woman thought barren, will also conceive. The story as told in the first chapter of Luke (verses 37-47 of this chapter form the Gospel reading for today), the words in italics being the prayer known as "The Magnificat":

And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: Because no word shall be impossible with God.

And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb.

And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.

And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own house. Now Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come, and she brought forth a son.

It was at the Visitation that St. John, along with his mother, were filled with the Holy Ghost, the cause of his being born without the stain of original sin. It is today that our Redeemer, Our Lady, and the one about whom Christ said "there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist" all came together, the three pure ones all born without sin after the Fall (of course, Christ and His mother were also conceived without sin).

But this Feast says something very profound about Mary and who she is. Compare how St. Luke describes Mary's visit with how David's visit to the Ark of the Covenant is described in II Kings (2 Samuel in some Bibles):

II Kings 6:2 And David arose and went, with all the people that were with him of the men of Juda to fetch the ark of God, upon which the name of the Lord of hosts is invoked, who sitteth over it upon the cherubims.	Luke 1:39 And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda
II Kings l 6:9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying: How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?	Luke 1:43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
II Kings 6:11 And the ark of the Lord abode in the house of Obededom the Gethite three months...	Luke 1:56 And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own house...
II Kings 6:16 And when the ark of the Lord was come into the city of David, Michol the daughter of Saul, looking out through a window, saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord [His Presence over the Ark]	Luke 1:41 And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb.

St. Luke clearly wants us to see Our Lady as the Ark of the New Covenant, the bearer the Word just as the Ark of the Old Covenant carried the tablets containing the ten words of God; the one who bore the Root of Jesse Who came back to life in three days, just as the Ark of the Old Covenant carried Aaron's rod which sprouted; the one who bore the Bread of Life just as the Ark of the Old Covenant carried some of the manna that sustained the children of Israel in the desert. St. John the Evangelist wrote of this same Truth when he described his Heavenly vision in Apocalypse 11:19-12:1-5:

And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake, and great hail. And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns: and on his head seven diadems: And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod: and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne.

These verses and the words of St. St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (a.k.a. Gregory of Neocaesarea, A.D. 213 - ca. 270) remind us who Mary is:

And thus she received the word, and in the due time of the fulfilment according to the body's course she brought forth the priceless pearl. Come, then, ye too, dearly beloved, and let us chant the melody which has been taught us by the inspired harp of David, and say, "Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest; Thou, and the ark of Thy sanctuary." For the holy Virgin is in truth an ark, wrought with gold both within and without, that has received the whole treasury of the sanctuary.

Pray the words of St. Athanasius and realize the depths of Mary's beauty! Turn to her to intercede for us with her Son:

O noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word? To whom among all creatures shall I compare you, O Virgin? You are greater than them all, O Ark of the Covenant, clothed with purity instead of gold! You are the Ark in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which Divinity resides.

Turn to Our Lady!
See also the Queenship of Mary (31 May).

Footnote:
¹ This Feast was moved to May 31 on the Novus Ordo calendar, which is the date of Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the traditional calendar.

SOURCE: Fisheaters

Ten Great Women of the Bible (#8)

2011-05-14T01:40:00.003-06:00

The Mom Series continues . . . .

8. Naomi (The Book of Ruth)
Though Naomi’s sons have died at the beginning of the Book of Ruth, she has the unfailing loyalty of her daughter-in-law and she adopts Ruth and Boaz’s child as her grandson. She reminds us that mothering is not always a matter of blood ties.

I am a homeschooler so I could not resist this (children's) story version of Naomi's courage and love!

History Alive! The Power of Friendship: The Lives of Naomi and Ruth

Through the stories of Abraham, Moses, and David and Solomon in Chapter 11, you learned how Judaism developed. The narrative of Naomi and Ruth is another important account in the development of Judaism. Their story has long been enjoyed as an example of love and loyalty. Many people learn from Ruth's inspiring devotion and friendship for her mother-in-law, Naomi.

Jews today honor Ruth by reading her story during the celebration of Shavout. This holiday remembers the harvest time in Jewish history. Below is a biography of Ruth and Naomi. As you read, think about the contributions they made to the development of Judaism.

Naomi lived with her husband and two sons in Bethlehem. It was a troubled time for the Hebrew people. After returning to Canaan from enslavement in Egypt, the 12 tribes of Israel were fighting. Finally, a famine forced Naomi's family to move away from their home. In Naomi's new home, her two sons married.

One married Ruth, and the other married Orpah. Tragedy then hit Naomi's family again: her husband and both her sons died. It was then that Naomi decided to return to her people in her homeland. She said goodbye to Ruth and Orpah, but Ruth wanted to go with her mother-in-law. "Where you go," Ruth insisted, "I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16) Together, Ruth and Naomi made the 120-mile journey back to Bethlehem.

Ruth's decision was impressive. The two women were poor, and Ruth had to work hard to support her aging friend. Ruth was not a Hebrew like Naomi; she was a foreigner. Even though there was still fighting among the 12 tribes of Israel, Ruth was devoted to Naomi and her way of life. She was willing to put her personal commitment to her friend over any problems she might face as a foreigner in an unstable land. She put faith not just in Naomi, but also in the Hebrew people. She was willing to take great risks to stay with her friend and adopt her religion. Ruth's story showed the Hebrew people that it was possible to take divided tribes and turn them into a single and united nation of Israel. It is simple kindness and faith that unites people and gives them strength.

Upon returning to Naomi's homeland, the two women found that the famine had ended. They returned just in time for the barley harvest. Ruth married again, this time to a man Boaz. Together they had Obed. Obed was the grandfather of King David. King David created the kingdom of Israel and made Jerusalem its capital city. All of this was possible because one friend had believed in and committed herself to another.

Investigating Biographies

The story of Naomi and Ruth is often told to young children. Create a children's book cover that includes
•	a front cover with an imaginative title and an eye-catching illustration that relates to the theme of the story.
•	a back cover with three comments about the significance of the story for Judaism. Each comment should be two or three sentences long. An example might begin, "What a wonderful story in the history of Judaism! Readers will see the significance of Ruth and Naomi's relationship by learning."

SOURCES:
History Alive! The Ancient World, Investigating Biographies
Bible - Ruth
USCCB on FB

Lagniappe: Bible Art

Ten Great Women of the Bible (#9)

2011-05-11T12:16:00.001-06:00

The Mom Series continues . . . .

9. Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1-2:11)

When God answered Hannah’s prayer for a child, she received that child as a gift and turned to God in joy-filled praise. Each child is a gift from God, to be treasured and nurtured so as to grow in God’s love.

Hannah's child was Samuel. You remember Samuel!

He said, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening!" (Samuel 3:10)

The Canticle of Hannah: (1 Samuel 2:1-10)

1: ¹ ² and as she worshiped the LORD, she said: "My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.
2: There is no Holy One like the LORD; there in no Rock like our God.
3: ³ "Speak boastfully no longer, nor let arrogance issue from your mouths. For an all-knowing God is the LORD, a God who judges deeds.
4: The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength.
5: The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.
6: "The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again.
7: The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.
8: He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage. He gives to the vower his vow, and blesses the sleep of the just. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he has set the world upon them.
9: He will guard the footsteps of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall perish in the darkness. For not by strength does man prevail;
10: the LORD'S foes shall be shattered. The Most High in heaven thunders; The LORD judges the ends of the earth, Now may he give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed!"

Lagniappe:
Ask a Franciscan @ American Catholic
Bible Stories (Protestant)

Ten Great Women of the Bible (#10)

2011-05-10T12:16:00.001-06:00

The Mom Series continues . . . .

10. Mother of the Sons of Zebedee (Matthew 20:20-28)
Like all good mothers, she wanted to help her children achieve success, but Jesus transformed her request, challenging her sons to live as disciples, embracing service and suffering, a life that will lead them to the heavenly kingdom. She reminds us of what is most important in life.

H/T: USCCB

Historically, October 22 is the feast day of St. Mary Salome, the mother of James the Greater and John the Evangelist, the "sons of Zebedee." (or, the Sons of Thunder!) She was among the women who stayed by while Jesus was on the cross, according to Gospels she is among the women who discovered the empty tomb.

The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) concludes that the Salome of Mark 15:40 is probably identical with the mother of the sons of Zebedee in Matthew; the latter is also mentioned in Matthew 20:20, in which she petitions Jesus to let her sons sit with him in Paradise.

^{Catholic Encyclopedia reference}

^{Catholic Culture}

Why Not Legalize Same-Sex Marriage?

2011-05-09T19:22:00.000-06:00

A very interesting take . . . .
I think there are some very valid points raised within the article I have included in this post. But . . .

1) I believe that people who are on the same-sex bandwagon are deluded into thinking it is an equal rights issue. Many liberals seem infatuated with the idea of "allowing" gay people to have the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples.
AS IF the state (the government) legitimizes marriage in some way. The state does not do that. The Catholic Church legitimizes a union through the sacrament of marriage. The covenant is established.

2) The ball is rolling on legalizing same-sex marriage and I do not see it pausing to ponder the points in the article. Perhaps I am a wee bit cynical.

3) I do believe that most gay couples (that I know) are most concerned with health insurance and other benefits. I can't tell you how many people bring this up! Do you get the same feedback?
The gay people I talk to feel they should have the same legal rights to their partner's health benefits and pension and life insurance benefits in the case of a partner's death.
I get the feeling that they are trying to get at those benefits via a legal marriage contract.

4) That is not the reason for marriage! I guess I should let you read the article!

Gay Marriage: Even Liberals Know It's Bad

by Frank Turek @ Townhall.com

Why not legalize same-sex marriage? Who could it possibly hurt? Children and the rest of society. That’s the conclusion of David Blankenhorn, who is anything but an anti-gay “bigot.” He is a life-long, pro-gay, liberal democrat who disagrees with the Bible’s prohibitions against homosexual behavior. Despite this, Blankenhorn makes a powerful case against Same-Sex marriage in his book, The Future of Marriage.

He writes, “Across history and cultures . . . marriage’s single most fundamental idea is that every child needs a mother and a father. Changing marriage to accommodate same-sex couples would nullify this principle in culture and in law.”

How so?

The law is a great teacher, and same sex marriage will teach future generations that marriage is not about children but about coupling. When marriage becomes nothing more than coupling, fewer people will get married to have children.

So what?

People will still have children, of course, but many more of them out-of wedlock. That’s a disaster for everyone. Children will be hurt because illegitimate parents (there are no illegitimate children) often never form a family, and those that “shack up” break up at a rate two to three times that of married parents. Society will be hurt because illegitimacy starts a chain of negative effects that fall like dominoes—illegitimacy leads to poverty, crime, and higher welfare costs which lead to bigger government, higher taxes, and a slower economy.

Are these just the hysterical cries of an alarmist? No. We can see the connection between same-sex marriage and illegitimacy in Scandinavian countries. Norway, for example, has had de-facto same-sex marriage since the early nineties. In Nordland, the most liberal county of Norway, where they fly “gay” rainbow flags over their churches, out-of-wedlock births have soared—more than 80 percent of women giving birth for the first time, and nearly 70 percent of all children, are born out of wedlock! Across all of Norway, illegitimacy rose from 39 percent to 50 percent in the first decade of same-sex marriage.

Anthropologist Stanley Kurtz writes, “When we look at Nordland and Nord-Troendelag — the Vermont and Massachusetts of Norway — we are peering as far as we can into the future of marriage in a world where gay marriage is almost totally accepted. What we see is a place where marriage itself has almost totally disappeared.” He asserts that “Scandinavian gay marriage has driven home the message that marriage itself is outdated, and that virtually any family form, including out-of-wedlock parenthood, is acceptable.”

But it’s not just Norway. Blankenhorn reports this same trend in other countries. International surveys show that same-sex marriage and the erosion of traditional marriage tend to go together. Traditional marriage is weakest and illegitimacy strongest wherever same-sex marriage is legal.

You might say, “Correlation doesn’t always indicate causation!” Yes, but often it does. Is there any doubt that liberalizing marriage laws impacts society for the worse? You need look no further than the last 40 years of no-fault divorce laws in the United States (family disintegration destroys lives and now costs tax payers $112 billion per year!).

No-fault divorce laws began in one state, California, and then spread to rest of the country. Those liberalized divorce laws helped change our attitudes and behaviors about the permanence of marriage. There’s no question that liberalized marriage laws will help change our attitudes and behaviors about the purpose of marriage. The law is a great teacher, and if same-sex marriage advocates have their way, children will be expelled from the lesson on marriage.

This leads Blankenhorn to assert, “One can believe in same-sex marriage. One can believe that every child deserves a mother and a father. One cannot believe both.”

Blankenhorn is amazed how indifferent homosexual activists are about the negative effects of same-sex marriage on children. Many of them, he documents, say that marriage isn’t about children.

Well, if marriage isn’t about children, what institution is about children? And if we’re going to redefine marriage into mere coupling, then why should the state endorse same-sex marriage at all?

Contrary to what homosexual activists assume, the state doesn’t endorse marriage because people have feelings for one another. The state endorses marriage primarily because of what marriage does for children and in turn society. Society gets no benefit by redefining marriage to include homosexual relationships, only harm as the connection to illegitimacy shows. But the very future of children and a civilized society depends on stable marriages between men and women. That’s why, regardless of what you think about homosexuality, the two types of relationships should never be legally equated.

That conclusion has nothing to do with bigotry and everything to do with what’s best for children and society. Just ask pro-gay, liberal democrat David Blankenhorn.

Divine Mercy Sunday AND the Beatification of Pope John Paul II

2011-05-01T01:51:00.000-06:00

A Catholic Notebook

Contraception and Fig Trees

"The root principle of birth-control is unsound. It is a glorification of the means and a contempt of the end; it says that the pleasure which is a means to the procreation of children is good, but the children themselves are no good.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Superintendent Bullies Christian Student, Calls Him 'Ignorant'

I urge you to send an email to Shawano Superintendent Todd Carlson. Urge him to immediately apologize for his unconstitutional and irrational censorship and humiliation of student Brandon Wegner.

January 25, 2012

I am deeply distressed by your actions against one of your students, Brandon Wegner. Your actions were very discriminatory and unconstitutional.

_________________________

I am Pre-Denominational

When someone tells me they are non-denominational -- I tell them I am pre-denominational.For those who don't get it: pre-denomination means "before the Protestant Reformation (read: Rebellion).

The Protestants gave birth to the every multiplying denominations. Before them there was the pre-denomination -- the Catholic Church.

Hat Tip to Steve Ray!

Father Barron's Comments on "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

Mini Bios of the New Cardinals

Mary in the Book of Revelation (y mas)

Girl Scouts Media Matters

St. Juan Diego: the Paradox of Humility

Go Fish and Sally

Our Lady of the Star - a Small Community of Young Men in France with Down Syndrome

30 Easy Memory Bible Verses

A Review of Reformation Sunday

The Feast Of All Saints

A Priest's Airport Encounter

Steve Gershom's Views on Being Gay and Gay Marriage

When Homosexuals "Marry": Change Sex of 8 Year Old Son

The 29th Week in Ordinary Time

Wedding Feasts

Cantaloupes and Other Killers

It's Coming Soon! November 27, 2011

Myth of the Teenager

Saint Cyprian of Carthage, pray for us!

One of our Early Church Fathers from the first century of Christians talks about praying for the dead and vice-versa. So, this is a later "invented doctrine"? Apparently not.

September 2011 (Year A)

Much About Paul

You Cannot Multiply Wealth by Dividing It

The Music You Listen to Can Rot Your Brain & Kill Your Soul

Chastity is a Man and Satan is Crazy Like a Fox

Why We Memorize and Recite Traditional Prayers

Refraining From Using God's Divine Name

You Say; God Says

Canaanite Woman Teaches us to Pray

Catechisms of the Catholic Church

Sources: Christian Forum and http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

Putting it into Perspective

Saints Days this Week (August 8 -13)

Same Sex Marriage Legal in New York

The Holy Rule of Saint Benedict

Oh, what a wonderful find! A real father to Europe, and now to the world, one of the few places to find St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries online is the translation our Father Boniface, OSB did over 100 years ago. http://rule.kansasmonks.org/

The Surprising Trouble With Harry

Don't Like? Don't Do!

Have you seen this dribble posted on FB or making the email rounds?

Do Not Feed the Beasts!

Vices are like beasts! If you don't starve them, they will grow into monsters and may devour you if they are vicious.

For instance, curiosity can be a vice if it leads you to know things that will get one in trouble, and leads one to gossip or commit the sin of detraction. Curiosity is not necessarily bad, but can become an evil if leads us to sin.

We are to starve it by abstaining from unnecessary things.

~ Father Sama,OP

Words

they should comfort and not irritate the other person(s);

they should bless, and not curse others;

they should affirm the goodness and not focus on condemning the vices of our neighbors;

and above all they should praise God --- always.

Father Sama CS,OP

Parables in The Gospel

Independence Day Quotables

From Unthinkable to Policy in 5 Easy Steps

Salvation History Like You Have Never Heard It

Ten Great Women of the Bible (#4)

The Mom Series continues . . . .

4. Mother of the Seven Sons (2 Maccabees 7)This unnamed mother faced unspeakable tragedy, witnessing the martyrdom of her children before facing the same fate. Through the suffering and pain, she supported her sons, exhorting them to courage and abiding faith.

The hope of the resurrection was what inspired the seven sons and their mother to endure the sufferings recounted in 2 Maccabees 7.

Jesus, in the Gospel reading from Luke 20, affirmed that this doctrine of the resurrection is true.

The truth of the resurrection means that this life does have meaning. God made us to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him in the next.

Sources:

The Baltimore Catechism (1941)

Christian Forum

The Baltimore Catechism4

Catholics & the Environment

• One must take into account the nature of each being and of its mutual connection in an ordered system,which is precisely the ‘Cosmos’. On Social Concern (Solicitudo Rei Socialis) 1988, No. 34

Receiving The Most Holy Eucharist

I am deeply distressed by your actions against one of your students, Brandon Wegner.
Your actions were very discriminatory and unconstitutional.

When someone tells me they are non-denominational -- I tell them I am pre-denominational.
For those who don't get it: pre-denomination means "before the Protestant Reformation (read: Rebellion).

Oh, what a wonderful find!
A real father to Europe, and now to the world, one of the few places to find St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries online is the translation our Father Boniface, OSB did over 100 years ago. http://rule.kansasmonks.org/

4. Mother of the Seven Sons (2 Maccabees 7)

This unnamed mother faced unspeakable tragedy, witnessing the martyrdom of her children before facing the same fate. Through the suffering and pain, she supported her sons, exhorting them to courage and abiding faith.

6. Eve (Genesis 2-3)

Adam called her “the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). She is a reminder of human frailty and resilience and of the abiding forgiveness of God.

7. Elizabeth (Luke 1)

Despite facing the challenge of infertility, Elizabeth lived a righteous and faithful life, receiving God’s promise of a child with hope and gratitude, recalling that mothers must persevere. And Elizabeth points us to Mary!

8. Naomi (The Book of Ruth)
Though Naomi’s sons have died at the beginning of the Book of Ruth, she has the unfailing loyalty of her daughter-in-law and she adopts Ruth and Boaz’s child as her grandson. She reminds us that mothering is not always a matter of blood ties.

^{Catholic Encyclopedia reference}

^{Catholic Culture}