Recently in Catholic Life Category

Lent is in the air, so to speak, and the themes and focus of Lent seem to flow right through our posts this week. Hope you have a wonderful Lenten season!
 
The Blog from the Core starts us off with a continuation: Tabb Centenary Year XIV: Five lyrics by Rev. John B. Tabb. This is the fourteenth installment of a selection of his poetry to be blogged throughout the year, which is the centenary of Fr. Tabb's death in 1909.
 
Homeschool Goodies keeps us crafty with Lenten Milagros Cross. It's a Lenten craft the whole family can enjoy.
 
Another crafty site, Virtual St. Joseph Altar offers a 3D Cut & Color Virtual St. Joseph Altar. The pdf file has all the instructions to make your own home altar!
 
Moving into current events, Ὁι Λόγοι offers us Distinctions, which is a reflection on the events around SSPX over the past few weeks. Questions, but in a spirit of obedience.
 
Sanctus Christopher comes to The End of the Pilgrimage, Observations. After touring 26 Austin churches in sixteen weeks, this rounds up their thoughts on the experience.
 
Not Lukewarm brings us back to Scripture with Beloved Son. It is a reflection on the Scripture "This is my Beloved Son, listen to Him" and "You are My Beloved Son with You I am well pleased."
 
Going back a little further in the Bible, Hoi Kai Paulos offers us Coming to Terms with Abraham's Sacrifice. There is a Yiddish proverb: "Man plans and God laughs". What about the reverse? What is our response when God plans? This post examines Genesis and Abraham's response to God's plan.
 
Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering moves the Carnival along with The 40 Minute Surprise. Sarah found herself using her scant free time in a way she didn't intend...and she shares some of the blessings of following God's will (albeit unintentionally).
 
A Catholic Life reflects on The Purpose of Lent. Monsignor Massimo Camisasca discusses the purpose of Lent; a good piece for reflection as we progress through this season.
 
Staying on Lent, Prepare for Mass takes a look at Third Sunday in Lent. When asked for a sign, Jesus said "Destroy this Temple and in three days it will be raised." Video clips on Jewish zeal and Jesus' response.
 
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod thinks Maybe It's God. Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl just busted his #1 myth about the Catholic Church: she doesn't advertise.
 
How about a free app? Catholic+Linux+Monkey is Relaunching Catholic Mobile Prayerbook. Includes a ton of Catholic prayers in several languages.
 
Musings from a Catholic Bookstore adds an interesting post: The Botany Behind the Crown of Thorns. Provides some fascinating information about the plant that made the Crown of Thorns.
 
Back to SSPX, A Catholic View points out that Cardinal Mahony bans Bishop Williamson from L.A. Archdiocese. Any chance he'll add some CINO's to that?
 
As always, HMS Blog offers an insightful post: Confirmed in the Grace of Courage. It is a reflection on the readings from the Second Sunday of Lent, linking them to the Sacrament of Confirmation and the virtue of courage.
 
Catholic Fire has an update: Breaking: Obama wastes our tax dollars by overturning Embryonic Stem Cell research policy. This post explores the President's change and asks, "Is this Science?", while pointing out the immorality of embryonic stem cell research.
 
Finishing us off, My Domestic Church offers a review of Fireproof. Includes a trailer and details of the movie - I recently saw it and agree with her thoughts!
 
Hope you enjoyed! Once again I ask for personal prayers for my family.
 

 
God bless,
Jay

We're having a few technical problems here, so this week's Catholic Carnival is here. It is a good Carnival this week; lots of good stuff about life, both the pro-life "life" and how to live our lives in the best possible way.

Sorry for the problems!

God bless,
Jay

Just a quick public service announcement. You can find out more at SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org:

The WORLDWIDE ROSARY FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 18th, 2008. You are invited to participate by praying the Rosary during the 9:00 a.m. hour for the following intention: For an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn babies. This worldwide prayer event is being organized by the Saint Michael the Archangel Organization(www.SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org * P. O. Box 41257; Memphis, Tennessee 38174; United States of America)

God bless,
Jay

This week - probably because of everything going on in the world - is a more serious collection of posts that I remember seeing recently. And it makes for compelling reading that really challenges you to think through your preconceptions and understand Catholic teaching. That's not to say there aren't a few lighter posts, but this Carnival is a little heavier than most! Enjoy:

Father Aloysius starts us off with Fundamental Truth at Life's Crosses. This post explores our reasons for being and why we reject the overtures from God so often.

Next we move to Mini Confessions at Quantum Theology where we hear the outcome of sending a 14-year-old to a face-to-face confession rather than a penance service.

Never forget that God Alone is Enough as explained on Thoughts on Grace. When you are filled with fear, remember St. Theresa's poem and know that God alone is enough.

Steven highly recommends him, so he reviewed J.F. Powers Bibliography at Book Reviews and More. Powers is an excellent Catholic short story writer that you should know more about. This is a good place to start!

Poetry speaks and convicts in Like Dinner on Wood at Long Skirts. It is a poem about how Catholics before us were willing to be served up Like Dinner on Wood to preserve the Faith.

Okay, I admit it at Homeschool Goodies takes us in a different direction: She admits being a "dance mom" and explains the benefits her homeschooled children receive from dance.

Keeping on that theme, Homeschooling: A Growing Trend at A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars explores the question of why people are homeschooling and paints a great picture of the homeschooling family.

Sarah makes grape jelly in The Color Purple at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering. She also reflects on opportunities for prayer during her work. Wow - sounds delicious . . .

A Reflection . . . at Organ-ic Chemist ponders a homily on the reading from September 14 where the image of a snake is raised to save those who were bitten. What caught her attention was the pastor's reference to a snake being an ambivalent symbol.

Another reflection on the same readings: God's Punishment and Salvation at HMS Blog. As always, HMS Blog is definitely worth your time. It also focuses on the image of a snake prefiguring Christ.

Moving to politics, Over the Edge? at A Catholic View points out that Bishop Niederauer wants to speak with Nancy Pelosi about her recent misstatements on Catholic positions. Can we expect anything to come from this? Interesting comic included.

In a moving post, an Abortion Survivor Pleads with Obama in New Ad at Catholic Fire. Gianna Jessen survived when her mother's abortion was botched. She asks Senator Obama why he would vote against a bill requiring doctors to provide medical attention to babies born during botched abortions. It's a powerful ad.

Staying in politics, The Change We Need at Living Catholicism takes a closer look at Senator Obama's stance on abortion and how it matches up against Catholic teaching. Includes the USCCB's points from Faithful Citizenship.

Don't miss the Worldwide Rosary for Unborn Babies reported on at A Life of Benevolence. The event happens on October 18th and you can find the details in this post.

Serious issues continue with Suicide and Salvation at Aggie Catholics. Is it a sin to think about killing yourself? How about to try to kill yourself? This post explains Catholic teaching.

Notes from a Subculturist at The Catholic Journeyman explains what a subculturalist is and how they find balance, beauty, and battlescars in Catholic apologetics.

We finish up with Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard at Prepare for Mass offers a series of videos exploring the readings - it's a great way to get prepared for Mass!

God bless,
Jay

Is this the end of belief in Darwinism? An interesting article called The Sunset of Darwinism at Tradition, Family, and Property suggests that this might be the end:

"What is left, then, in evolutionism, that is valid according to the scientific method? Nothing, actually nothing!" This is the conclusion of journalist Marco Respinti in his recent book Processo a Darwin (Darwin on Trial, Piemme, 2007). He continues: "Not one of his postulates can be verified or certified based on the method proper to the physical sciences. His whole claim escapes verification. Based on what, therefore, other than on strong prejudices of an ideological nature, can anyone affirm or continue to affirm that the evolutionist hypothesis is true?"

But the article continues by showing more and more scientists no longer believe that Darwinism is a scientifically provable hypothesis:

Francis Crick, who together with Watson discovered the structure of DNA, openly declared, "An honest man, armed only with the knowledge available to us, could affirm only that, in a certain sense, the origin of life at the moment appears to be rather a miracle," In the same wavelength, Harold Hurey, a disciple of Stanley Miller who made history with his failed attempt to recreate life in the laboratory from a so-called primordial broth, said, "All of us who studied the origins of life uphold that the more we get into it, the more we feel it is too complex to have evolved in any way." Indeed, a lot of faith is required to believe in evolutionism, and it is precisely that faith, of a clearly positivist[1] mold, that is now beginning to weaken.

Go read the full article here, it's worth your time. If this is the sunset of Darwinism, then it's about time. There's lots of faith in Darwinism, but not much science.
 
God bless,
Jay

I firmly believe that they shouldn’t, but if someone can put up a strong argument for it, then I’m willing to change my mind. A couple of Catholic parishes I’ve attended in the past couple of years have hosted Christmas parties in the beginning of December. This has always bothered me, but really sunk in this past Sunday. Last Sunday was Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, which is supposed to signify a break from some kind of abstinence during Advent.

My question is, what’s the point of Gaudete Sunday if there is no effort to keep Advent a sober, reflective, prayerful time before Christmas? What’s the point of Advent altogether? Shouldn’t parishes have Christmas parties during the 12 days of Christmas after Christmas day?

Has anyone else had similar experiences, or are these isolated cases?

God bless,
Daniel

We always hear from others about the problems they see in the Catholic Church. But the reality is that a lot is "right" with the Catholic Church. This video is a homily by a priest on exactly what is right with Catholicism (worth watching):

If you can't see the video, go see it here.

It came from a new video site: Love To Be Catholic, so if you enjoyed it go check out the site!

God bless,
Jay

Archbishop Raymond Burke of the archdiocese of St. Louis was asked if he would deny Communion to Giuliani or any other presidential candidate who supports abortion rights. His response was: "If any politician approached me and he'd been admonished not to present himself, I'd not give it. To me, you have to be certain a person realizes he is persisting in a serious public sin." When asked if the same would apply to politicians who support the death penalty or pre-emptive war, he said, "It's a little more complicated in that case."

I applaud the Archbishop for his leadership and clarity on the issues. Abortion is always wrong because an innocent person is always killed, but the death penalty and war, while the Church is generally against them, can in certain circumstances be used legitimately to protect life. That is why they are more complicated issues. It would be a shower of mercy if the U.S. Bishops spoke in unison on these matters.

Some U.S. bishops interpret church teaching to say that an individual examination of conscience, not a minister, should dictate whether a person is worthy to receive the sacrament. But I agree with Archbishop Burke because I think it is an act of mercy. It is a great mercy for anyone administering Communion to deny it to someone who knowingly and publicly shapes the policy of this very grave sin contrary to Church teaching. It is an incredibly strong statement and reminder that they are not in communion with the fundamental teachings on the dignity of the human person. It would be false love to help them ignore the gravity of their actions and give them the Eucharist anyway.

We have to pray fervently for our politicians and Bishops because they have the ability to do serious public good or serious public evil. Let’s pray especially that in this election we’ll have an option for a president who will do some serious public good, beginning with ensuring the right to life, and Bishops who have one strong voice in helping us know and obtain what is good.

God bless,
Daniel

Catholics have always made certain Saints into "patrons" of a certain area or for a certain cause. Typically it is tied very closely with how the Saint lived their life or the issues they had. For example, St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer patients since he suffered with the ailment (and was miraculously cured) while on earth.

And countries are no different. The Americas have a single patron saint: Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary's appearance in Guadalupe. Because of the interest shown for the Americas, she naturally became the patron saint for our area. On the 4th of July, we take time to ask for her prayers for our country in a special way, since she is our patron (as well as the patron of other areas). Here's the prayer:

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe
How kind you were, O Mary,
to appear to an Indian convert in Mexico,
leaving on his cloak as a credential
a permanent image of yourself.
You thereby won many for Christ
and naturally became the patroness of Mexico and the Americas,
and especially of the poor,
May more and more people through your intercession
accept your dear Son as their Lord.

God bless,
Jay

Growing up as a protestant, I never really understood why Catholics made such a fuss over seemingly normal things during Lent. One great example is the practice of not eating meat on Fridays during Lent. How does that help us or help God? We've written about Lent in general before. This post points out some of the Catholic practices during Lent and attempts to explain why Catholics do that.

Why Eat Fish on Fridays?
One of the most obvious Catholic practices involves giving up all meat on Fridays. Catholics only eat fish and vegetables on Fridays during Lent (and lots of Catholics do this year-round). To step back, one of the important things about being a Christian is integrating your Christian beliefs into every part of your life. It's easy to compartmentalize your religion to Sunday mornings only, but true Christianity means living your faith every day, all day.

So going back to Fish on Fridays, there are two good aspects to this. First, we make a sacrifice of something small to God. In other words, we give up something we like for Our Lord, whom we love. Yes, it's a small sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice given from Love and it is always positive to give up something good for something great. Second, it enables us to keep Jesus Christ in the front our minds during the day. You have to actively remember not to eat meat on Fridays and this practices forces you to keep thinking about God all day. This is always an excellent idea.

To Mimic Christ at Lent
Lent is forty day fast that starts with Ash Wednesday and goes for forty days (not counting Sundays) to Easter. During this time we prepare our souls for the coming of God. We make personal sacrifices to help us remember God all day and to actively show God our love. As St. Paul wrote:

Col 1:24-25. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known

Even the smallest sacrifice, when given up for love of God, has value. Our sacrifices also act as repentence for our sins and help us to realize our weakness outside of God. But we are called to do even more . . .

Confession and Lent
All Catholics are required to attend confession at least once during Lent. Why? To prepare our souls for Easter Sunday. We believe that Jesus Christ through the grace of the Sacrament of Confession actually forgives us our sins when we confess them "one to another" as Christ commanded us. This is just another way that Lent focuses us on the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross and our mortality (in other words, why we should be preparing to meet God).

Other Lenten practices
There are many other practices that we are called to do during Lent. The three pillars of Lent are fasting, prayer, and almsgiving (giving to the poor). These three pieces help prepare our souls. Many Catholics also attend the "Stations of the Cross" at their local parish, which involves going step by step from Jesus' arrest through His Crucifixion and meditation on each step in the process. It really forces you to consider what Christ has done for you.

The blessings of Lent
The true value of Lenten practices becomes apparent on Easter Sunday morning when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and our salvation. Our little gifts of sacrifice to God help bring us closer to Our Lord as we prepare for this time.

God bless,
Jay

Do you know the leading cause of poverty in the United States, according to the president of DePaul University? Last September I was at the National meeting for the St. Vincent de Paul Society where he was the keynote speaker, and his answer struck me: divorce.

Unfortunately, this was a minor side-note in his speech and he went on to say many other things, but my mind kept coming back to this fact. To me, it is obviously true that in this country of immense wealth, moral poverty often (not always) has a link with material poverty. Ironically, when many Catholic institutions talk about decreasing poverty, there is no mention of the moral link. For example, Catholic Charities (with St. Vincent de Paul Society) has set a goal of cutting poverty in half by 2020. The main means in their effort to reach this goal is changing government policy. To my knowledge, there is no mention of the moral poverty link.

The goal is a noble one, but I think a different approach would more successful. What if a huge effort was made to create healthy families? There would be fewer single mothers, and I know for a fact that single mothers are the main type of client that the St. Vincent de Paul Society serves. Children would grow up with more financial security, but more importantly, with more love, values, and emotional support. Many Christians know what most of secular society doesn’t; that the family is under attack and it is wreaking havoc on society. The breakdown of the family is a much greater problem in this country than material need. The huge piles of free bread thrown away every other day at the St. Vincent de Paul Society proves that to me.

If we focused our efforts in this area, not only would we reduce poverty, but we would increase people’s dignity and happiness, even if they fell on hard economic times. This approach would help people holistically, by addressing their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs, not just their physical needs. I’m sure many have seen the movie “American Beauty”. If we succeed in pulling thousands of families out of material poverty, but they are as dysfunctional as the ones in that movie are, have we succeeded in anything?

Sadly, many Catholics who are all about social justice do not see the intricate web of personal sin, corruption, and different kinds of poverty. They tend to put all the blame on what they see as black and white government economic policies. Let us pray for a deeper conversion to Christ in our pursuit of justice.

In Christ,
Daniel

Recently, Pope Benedict XVI spoke to a group of judges, officials, lawyers and collaborators of the Roman Rota, the Church's central appellate court at the Vatican. During the address, Pope Benedict pointed to the fact that relativism is eroding the concept of marriage even in the minds of Catholics. He expressed concern about the use of annulments as a means of regulating the breaking up of marriages that, in truth, were authentic. He cautioned that marriage risks losing its "existential relevance in a cultural context marked by relativism and juridical positivism, which consider marriage as a mere social formalization of emotional bonds." He went on to say that "not only does it become contingent, as human sentiments can be, but is presented as a legal superstructure that human will might manipulate according to its pleasure, even depriving it of its heterosexual character".

Clearly the Pope's concerns are being made manifest in our society today. Let us pray that more will listen to God's call to faithful and loving marriages. And may those marriages be open to life and to the raising of children grounded in the Faith.

In Christ,
Joe

Social justice is an important area of the life of the Church. It strives to protect the dignity of the human person, which is made in the image and likeness of God. When one says the phrase, what words come to mind? Most would probably say issues like poverty, immigration, just war, labor issues, etc. Indeed, the US Conference of Catholic Bishop’s website (rightly, I think) includes those issues under the topic of social justice. But I propose that the faithful need to start thinking of “life” and “family” issues as the primary subcategories of social justice. To keep this article short, I will only focus on the “life” subcategory. A second article will follow on the “family” subcategory.

The abortion issue needs to be front and center on the Church’s fight for social justice, and it must be seen as social justice. It is clear that the right to life is the fundamental right upon which all other rights can exist. And because the law currently does not allow some to have this right, this issue is of primary importance to fight. Ironically, many who fight for social justice do not assent to this truth, and this includes many Catholics who fight for social justice. I work for a Catholic non-profit organization that helps “the poor” and, sadly, I witness this often. I am frustrated at the extent of this problem, and how little it is addressed. Unfortunately, the divorce of “pro-life” issues from social justice perpetuates this problem, and makes wonderful organizations like Priests for Life look more like narrow-minded, single-issue focused extremists rather than the social justice champions they truly are.

Another reason why the abortion issue is of primary importance is that it is a black and white issue, while most social justice issues are in a gray area. They have to either balance the rights of two different entities, or have several moral options for their solutions. Let’s take the immigration issue and poverty for each example. People have a right to look for work and to provide for their families while being paid a just wage for their labor. On the other hand, nations have the right to protect their borders and enforce their laws. Social justice should lead us toward policies that balance the rights of both of these entities and bring about the most good.
There are several moral options for the question “what is the best way to help lift people out of poverty?” Should we raise the minimum wage? If so, how much? If we do, what negative economic consequences will that bring? Will the new economic equilibrium put in place by raising the minimum wage truly help the poor? There are no black and white moral answers to these questions, and policies that try to bring about the most good should be shaped by fair and sound economic research.

These are examples of gray areas where Catholics can disagree in good faith, and should debate the policy that would bring about the most good. Abortion does not fall into either of these gray areas; there are no opposing rights and the killing of an innocent is never a moral option. Fighting the holocaust of abortion is a black and white, non-negotiable, primary social justice issue; this we cannot debate. Unfortunately, many Catholics involved in social justice see it as a gray issue and the others as black and white. We must work and pray to clear this confusion.

In Christ,
Daniel

Just wanted to point out that our sponsor site, Holy Family Catholic Catalog is having a sale on several apologetics books:

• Dave Armstrong's A Biblical Defense of Catholicism is 20% off. It's a great exploration of Scripture to explain Catholic doctrine.
  
• Also Suprised by Truth is 15% off. It's full of stories about why people converted to Catholicism.
  
• And for the teen/young adult crowd, Did Jesus have a Last Name? is also 15% off. It explains a lot of the practical realities of Catholicism.
  

So if you didn't get your Catholic stuff, go over and check out Holy Family's Online sale.

God bless,
Jay

From a homily by Pope Benedict XVI:

However, despite its contradictions, anxieties and dramas, and perhaps because of them, today's humanity seeks a way of renewal, of salvation, a Savior and awaits, sometimes unconsciously, the coming of the Lord who renews the world and our lives; the coming of Christ, the only true Redeemer of man and of all men. It is true, false prophets continue to propose a "cheap" salvation, which always ends by causing harsh deceptions. In fact, the history of the last 50 years shows the search for a "cheap" Savior and manifests all the disillusions that have derived from it.

We Christians have the task to spread, with the testimony of life, the truth of Christmas, which Christ brings to all men and women of good will. On being born in the poverty of the stable, Jesus comes to offer to all the only joy and peace that can satisfy the expectations of the human spirit.

But, how can we prepare ourselves to open our hearts to the Lord who comes? The spiritual attitude of vigilant and prayerful waiting continues to be the Christian's fundamental characteristic during this time of Advent. It is the attitude that characterizes the protagonists of the time: Zechariah and Elizabeth, the shepherds, the Wise Men, the simple and humble people, but, above all, Mary's and Joseph's waiting! The latter, more than any other, experienced in the first person the emotion and trepidation for the Child about to be born. It is not difficult to imagine how they spent the last days, waiting to take the newborn in their arms.

God bless,
Jay

It’s a varied collection, but the fragrance is beautiful. Don’t worry, there’s some controversy thrown in to keep interest up:

Kicking Over My Traces starts us off strong with Benedict and Reason. The Regensberg speech was not the first time that Benedict concerned himself with the relationship of faith and reason.

Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering brings a moving post, Small White Casket. Sarah explains:

Some people have the grace to know what's right. For me, there's the small white casket. In looking for baseball bats, God chose, instead, a small white casket to hit me with.

Next is HMS Blog with The Kingdom in this Present Age. It is a reflection on the Mass readings for Sunday 10/15, focusing on the promise of the Church as our family and home.

A Catholic Life keeps the focus on the members of our Church with Canonization of Mother Guerin and three others! This post explores the lives of Mother Theodore Guerin, Rafael Guizar Valencia, Rosa Venerini, and Filippo Smaldone.

Catholicism, holiness, and spirituality also looks at Sunday’s readings in Wealth and Eternal Life. Steve puts it this way:

We live in a material world, and it's challening to not let ourselves be defined by it. We can use this world to glorify God, but it's essential to have the right orientation.

Musings from a Catholic Bookstore risks offense with I Hate Large, Homeschooling Families. Provocative? Go read and see what you think.

My Domestic Church (who might reply to the post above ;-) swings us in a different direction with Keeping Kids Catholic - the Dreher Conversion. Dreher once commented:

" I used to think that being a Christian was merely a matter of finding the most logical arguments, intellectually assenting to them and doing your best to live by them. It is far more complicated than that, and I found through the scandal my intellect humiliated."

Elena disagrees - and explains why in this post.

Peace Be Still returns this week with The kind of place where when you sneeze no one says "God bless you". It is a fascinating post on her experiences at the United Nations, as well as the alarming feminist agenda present there.

From the Anchor Hold answers a challenge in Terrence Asked for it . . . She explains the absolute necessity of “spiritual fitness" openly lived for successful evangelism, and shows what that looks like.

View from the Choir raises eyebrows with Confessions of a homophobe. Tired of being labeled a “homophobe” by folks not interested in intelligent discussion, Lee explores other ways he’s “phobic.”

Catholic Fire educates us with St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church, Carmelite Reformer, Mystic. It’s a brief biography that includes quotes of St. Teresa of Avila and links to the Carmel podcast for an MP3 file of St. Teresa’s Way of Perfection.

A Penitent Blogger explores The religions. It is a brief reflection on Muslims, Jews, Christians and grace.

A Catholic Mom in Hawaii jumps in the middle of it with 14 Ways to Improve the Liturgy. No explanation necessary – go and see what you think.

AdoroTeDevote explores the answer to Lord, what must I do to inherit eternal life?:

Everything we have is a gift from God, and He wants us to be willing to part with ALL of it. And if God asks for it all, He gives us the grace to fulfill what He asks, and He repays a hundredfold what we offer back to Him.

Living Catholicism also asks a question with Is FoxFaith a Studio we can Believe in? The new studio is committed to making Christian movies. How should we react?

And this site offers What is an Annulment? written by someone with experience. It explores the Church’s teaching and how it differs from divorce.

Hope you enjoyed as much as I did.

God bless,
Jay

Catholic pro-life groups are now under attack. And their enemy is as deceptive as a snake: Catholics for Free Choice. It's important to note that Catholiics for Free Choice aren't really Catholic, they are simply pro-abortion liberals who are attempting to hide under the mantle of Catholicism. They are attacking pro-life groups through legal means in an attempt to silence them.

Their first attack was on Catholic Answers, who publishes the excellent Catholic Voter's Guide. Fortunately, they were able to re-create their business as another form of charity that solved the problem (at least the way I understand it). The next target is Priests for Life, which is another exceptional pro-life group. How pathetic is that? If you really believe what you preach, why not try to win through argument? Instead these guys try legal means to silence the opposition. Free speech, apparently, only applies to liberal interest groups.

If you able, please try to donate to Priests for Life and Catholic Answers. Both are exceptional groups in the fight to save innocent children. And remember: Catholics for Free Choice are not Catholic and, as we now see, not for free choice (they're for abortion).

God bless,
Jay

It's Sunday morning....you wake up, get dressed, and head to church. For those of you that are Catholic, you walk through the front (or side) door, dip your fingers in the holy water, make the sign of the Cross, and then head to your usual pew. Hold up...rewind...you dip your fingers in holy water?! What is that about?! I guess it is just another one of those crazy, superstitous, ritualistic Catholic traditions... Man, what are we going to do about those poor Catholics :-)

Okay, wait a minute we Catholics know why we use holy water, right? Unfortunately, many of us don't.

So here's a crash course on the use of holy water (references to more in-depth explanations will come at the end).

What Is Holy Water?

Holy Water is water that has been blessed by a priest. It is a sacramental , i.e. a "sacred sign which bears a certain resemblance to the sacraments, and by means of which spiritual effects are signified and obtained through the prayers of the Church" (CCC, 1667).

Why Is Holy Water Used?

1. It is a reminder of our Baptism. In making the sign of the Cross when using Holy Water we are reminding ourselves of our commitment to the Christian way of life, the way of Cross.

2. It is a symbol of interior cleansing. In baptism, Holy Water is poured over the individual as a sign of the actual effect of the Sacrament, the cleansing of the soul of all sin. Using Holy Water on a regular basis is a symbol of that cleansing and our desire to be continuously cleansed through Christ's life-giving Grace that we receive through the Sacraments.

3. It prepares us and properly disposes us to receive grace. Using Holy Water, especially as we enter the church on our way to Mass, should create in us that proper focus and disposition that is necessary when participating in the Mass. We remind ourselves of our baptism, of our need for continual cleansing, and then we participate in that "perfect" act of worship where we receive the very "source" of all grace, namely Christ Himself.

4. It wards off evil. Holy Water, being blessed by the priest, can be used to exorcise the presence of evil. "When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism (CCC 1673). In the blessing of Holy Water, the priest publicly and authoritatively prays for these things. Now, this DOES NOT mean that Catholics should whip up their bottles of Holy Water and run around the world trying to perform "major" excorisms. "Major" exorcisms can only be performed by a priest with the permission of the bishop (cf. CCC 1673). However, it does mean that the blessing invoked over the water by the priest is applicable to the individual who uses this sacramental.

What does Holy Water not do?

Holy Water does not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacrament of Baptism does, rather, by the Church's prayer, it prepares us to receive grace and disposes us to cooperate with it (cf. CCC 1670).

References

Holy Water - provides a good history of the use of holy water.

Holy Water - provide a detailed overview.

In Christ,
Joe

Be sure to check out the new Catholic Carnival - this week's theme is naturally Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras has always been a Catholic tradition tied to Lent (when we imitate Christ by fasting and penance for 40 days before Easter). But of course the New Orleans version of Mardi Gras is a secularized (and obscene) version of what Catholics envision. What to understand more? Go visit the Carnival. There's more there.

God bless,
Jay

Because our new host (LivingDot) is so good, we've been able to add a Catholic photo blog to our site. I added a link to the left and I've kept my additions similar to those on this site. It's still young, but it will allow us to add images to our regular posts as well, hopefully enhancing the readability of the site (and your enjoyment of it). Feel free to comment on the images.

God bless,
Jay

I’ve been reading Edmund Campion by Evelyn Waugh, which is a short biography of Saint Edmund Campion. He was a man destined for greatness in Reformation England who gave up everything in order to become a Catholic priest. Once ordained, he was sent back to England in disguise to attend to the needs of underground Catholics. This he did, knowing that he would be one day executed as a martyr for his faith.

Part of the book that really fascinated me was the hardships placed upon Catholics during that time:

By the two Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity which established the Church of England, there was imposed a fine of one shilling for non-attendance at the parish church, the proceeds of which were to go to the poor of the parish. It was also made illegal to hold any service, except those contained in the Prayer Book. An oath of submission to the Queen’s spiritual supremacy was formulated, which might be tendered to all officials and to anyone found attending an illegal service. The penalty for second refusal of this oath was death.
A later ordinance provided that anyone engaged in education, either as a schoolmaster or as a private tutor, must receive licence from the Bishop of the Diocese. A passport system at first hindered, and later prohibited, parents from sending their children to school abroad.
This was the situation up till 1570, the date of the Bull of Excommunication. It was then made high treason (punishable, of course, with death) to bring into the country ”any bull, writing or instrument obtained from the Bishop of Rome,” “to absolve or reconcile” any of the Queen’s subjects, or to be absolved or reconciled. To bring into the country or receive any object of devotion, ”tokens, crosses, pictures, beads or such like vain things from the Bishop of Rome,” was punishable by the confiscation of property.
In 1581, to meet the emergency of Campion’s mission, a further act was passed ”To retain the Queen Majesty’s subjects in due obedience.” It reaffirmed the principle that it was high treason to reconcile anyone or be reconciled to the Church and imposed a new scale of fines. For hearing Mass the penalty was 100 marks and a year’s imprisonment.

I wonder how many protestants – followers of the religion born from this – would be willing to recite an “oath of submission” to the “Queen’s spiritual supremecy” today. Would you? The “reformers” understood that the Mass and the Eucharist were the center of the Christian’s life, so they focused on wiping these out. Most could not pay 100 marks, not to mention a year’s imprisonment!

It’s fascinating to me how easily American Christians (of all stripes) live our lives and often take religion with an apathetic slant. I wonder how many of us would give up our faith if it meant the difference between being wealthy or being poor.

Just something to think about as we move into the 21st century.

God bless,
Jay

The posts this week seemed to all (in some way) work around our struggle to grow, to live, to love. I think everyone will find something of interest:

Sometimes we are called to struggle to find joy and The Lovely Dancer at Perfect Work explains her struggle with Yoga as part of this. Very interesting post.

In Italy, a priest was sued for suggesting Jesus was real. When Jesus Returns, Boy Oh Boy . . . from TMH’s Bacon Bits takes a look at the case and asks, “Could it happen here?”

One of the toughest things to blog is an intensely personal experience, especially when it’s a problem with our lives. Brewing in My Soul at A Song Not Scored for Breathing gives us a life changing experience of coming through the darkness into the Light.

Freedom from and for God focuses on the meaning and importance of the “authority” that Jesus shows in casting out demons from Sunday readings. HMS Blog even ties it in to our marriage vocation (for those of us who are married).

The recent Vatican announcement on copyrighting Encyclicals has raised some questions. Red Guy in a Blue State is concerned about the message it sends in On Vatican Copyrighting. Why the change? Red Guy takes a look.

In a post all Catholics should read, A Penitent Blogger takes a look at our potential reaction when the Church is attacked (or even when we are insulted). The Insulters is a meditation on reacting in a balanced, Christian way.

Pro-Life Values are On the Move according to Ramblings of a GOP Soccer Mom. New statistics look promising for the pro-life movement and this post has some interesting points.

The fad in contemporary culture is to think of Jesus as our "best friend." Our Word and Welcome To It points out that we shouldn’t overlook Jesus the Brother. What’s the difference? I’ll let you read about it.

Are Charismatics more likely to get caught up in Liturgical abuses? Charismatic Question at Crusader of Justice explores his experiences regarding this.

In apologetics, much debate centers around the Eucharist. Our submission is The Eucharist in the Age of the Fathers which offers an interesting look at how the early Church fathers saw the Eucharist.

Hope you enjoyed it!

God bless,
Jay

In an age when many chose to create their own code of ethics, of right and wrong, of good and evil, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on virtue. What is virtue? Why is virtue necessary? Are there different virtues? As a "cradle Catholic" I grew up learning about the theological virtues, the moral virtues, and the cardinal virtues (also included in the moral virtues).

Before we consider the different virtues it is appropriate that we consider what Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church have to say about virtue in general:

1803 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."62

A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.

The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.63
----------------------------------------------------------------------
62 Phil 4:8.
63 St. Gregory of Nyssa, De beatitudinibus, 1:PG 44,1200D.

Virtue, finding its origin in God, directs us back to God, to being and living as God's wills. The life of virtue is our imitation of Christ.

Yet even before the Incarnation we find this disposition towards the "good" as well as an understanding of the effects of virtue, Aristotle in his work Ethics stated:

...for the virtue of any being is that which makes its possessor good and also makes his work good.

Likewise, throughout the Old Testament we repeatedly hear the call to virtue. Yet in Christ the virtuous life was made new through His grace. The Catechism has this to say about the relationship between the virtues and grace:

1810 Human virtues acquired by education, by deliberate acts and by a perseverance ever-renewed in repeated efforts are purified and elevated by divine grace. With God's help, they forge character and give facility in the practice of the good. The virtuous man is happy to practice them.

1811 It is not easy for man, wounded by sin, to maintain moral balance. Christ's gift of salvation offers us the grace necessary to persevere in the pursuit of the virtues. Everyone should always ask for this grace of light and strength, frequent the sacraments, cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and follow his calls to love what is good and shun evil.

So what are these virtues that we are to pursue? Why are they important?

In our modern society, we are continually urged to “accept” as normal the homosexual person. We are told to “stop judging” them. Any suggestion that active homosexuality is gravely immoral is quickly condemned and ridiculed. We are encouraged to get with the times….to embrace same-sex marriages, to approve health insurance benefits for homosexual partners, and to allow homosexual persons to adopt children. So what is a Catholic to do? What does Christ desire of us? How do we, as Catholics, love our homosexual neighbor?

First and foremost, we are called to imitate Christ. We know that God is love. Christ came to earth and died on the Cross out of love for us. He commanded us to do likewise in His explanation of how we are to love our neighbor:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. – Mt 22:39

Those of homosexual orientation deserve to be loved and accepted for who they are, namely fellow human beings created in the image and likeness of God. Yet, through and in Jesus Christ, love and truth are made one. As brothers and sisters of those of homosexual orientation we are obliged to love them as Christ loves. Jesus Christ, while accepting sinners, also challenged them and called them to repentance. It is important that we love every brother and sister this way. Some Christians believe that it is not their place to challenge another, they feel as though they are condemning them. Yet there is a difference between condemning someone and calling them to repentance. This is most perfectly demonstrated by Christ Himself in the encounter with the woman caught in adultery:

Jesus looked up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.” – Jn 8:10-11

Here Jesus specifically states that He does not condemn her, but at the same time calls here to abandon sin. Our society tells that active homosexuality is not a sin, so there is no need to call the active homosexual person to repentance. Sacred Scripture contradicts this claim:

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. – Romans 1:24-27

As imitators of Christ we must “bear witness to the truth” (Jn 18:37). Love is truth. To say we love our neighbor demands that we do all we can to assist them in living lives of holiness; this includes challenging them to abandon sin. As St. James wrote:

My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. – James 5:19-20

In discussing the need for love and acceptance of those with homosexual orientation it is vital that we also speak about the intrinsic disorder of homosexuality. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

Chastity and homosexuality
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
141 Cf. Gen 19:1-29; Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:10; 1 Tim 1:10.
142 CDF, Persona humana 8.

The Catechism presents to us the ideal format for speaking about homosexual orientation – clear condemnation of the sin itself, genuine love and acceptance of those who have homosexual tendencies, and then the call to virtue. As John Paul II was once noted as saying:

Love the sinner, hate the sin.

This is love, this is truth. In proclaiming the truth we remove the possibility of confusion and untruth. Sin affects us all. We must strive to live lives of holiness and, at the same time, assist our brothers and sisters in doing so.

In Christ,
Joe

Go see the newest Catholic Carnival. It's a great collection of articles about Catholicism and containing Catholic thought.

God bless,
Jay

A woven tapestry has always been an incredible work of art. Different colored threads meshed together by an artist’s skill comes together in “big picture” way that the threads never realize. This Carnival represents another fascination collection of colored threads, which weave together a beautiful tapestry. Enjoy.

Depending on God from An American Housewife is a very personal and captivating post on examining our own lives and how we abandon ourselves to God.

Everyone’s a Victim at Ales Rarus points out that claims of entitlement by Christians distract us from those who really need help.

Catholics & the First Amendment at Kicking Over My Traces explains that the understanding of the meaning of the Religion Clause has changed so markedly over 200 years that what used to guarantee a citizen the free exercise of his religion is now used to procedurally bar orthodox Catholics from public office.

Martyrs Celebrated within the Past Seven Days at Pondering the Word examines the meaning behind a week of Nazi martyrs and offers us something to reflect on.

Devout Catholic and Cool - It is Possible from Happy Catholic starts with an interesting vocations recruitment poster from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and gets directly into how we can live in a secular society without losing our Catholic identity.

Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 137 -- Religious Denominations In The U.S. House Of Representatives at WILLisms breaks out the religious backgrounds of our representatives in the US House (see also the Senate).

The Ghost of Galileo: A New Dialogue on Evolution at TMH’s Bacon Bits takes a look at the recent developments in how the Church views Evolution (in light of Cardinal Schönborn’s article) from the eyes of a Catholic scientist.

What’s In It For Us? from Our Word and Welcome To It points out that we’re asked to give up a lot to become followers of Christ and asks “What’s in it for us?”

And Then She Returned Home from A Penitent Blogger reflects on life, death, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the last verse of the Gospel account of the Visitation.

My Bloglines List was Too Active Today at From the Anchor Hold along with the Catechism and Abbas of the desert, gives fellow bloggers good advice on how to handle the “Accuser of the Brethren.”

I Was Wrong About NARAL and Planned Parenthood at Ravings of John C. A. Bambenek talks about the proven false NARAL ad and how it's wrong to call it a lie because these groups actually believe that pro-lifers are extremists and clinic bombers by definition.

A Corinthians 13 Examination of Conscience for Families at Heart speaks to Heart provides us with an excellent examination of conscience for families and family members.

Lutherans and Crucifixes at On the Other Foot points out that if we ignore the crucifix in favor of a less "depressing" image, we risk forgetting why Christ came in the first place. He came to save our souls, not to hang with His buds.

God and Fate at Crusader of Justice explains why superstitions and reliance on fate don't mesh well with God.

The Blessed Ones at Exultet offers a captivating meditation based on a painting of the Madonna and Child by Mignard.

And this blog offers From On Being Catholic by Thomas Howard, which is a short excerpt from the book and my recommendation that you read it right now . . .

Thanks for your association with the Carnival. Enjoy the posts and

God bless,
Jay

This is so good I had to post the whole thing. From James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal:

No one seriously argues anymore that Roe v. Wade was correctly decided. Rather, pro-Roe advocates rest their case on policy grounds (warnings about coat alleys and back hangers, etc.) or, when they must argue the law, on the power of precedent. Of the five Supreme Court justices who more or less upheld Roe in the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, three went out of their way to avoid endorsing the decision, emphasizing instead the allegedly high cost of the court's admitting a mistake:

A decision to overrule Roe's essential holding under the existing circumstances would address error, if error there was, at the cost of both profound and unnecessary damage to the Court's legitimacy, and to the Nation's commitment to the rule of law. It is therefore imperative to adhere to the essence of Roe's original decision, and we do so today.

A jaw-dropping op-ed piece in today's Boston Globe suggests that these three justices got it exactly wrong. One Christopher D. Morris, "a writer and critic in Northfield, Vt.," argues that the Senate Judiciary Committee should subject the Catholic Church, and Catholic jurists, to special scrutiny:

Catholic bishops threatened to exclude Senator John Kerry from the Eucharist because of his support for Roe v. Wade. The Senate Judiciary Committee is now fully justified in asking these bishops whether the same threats would apply to Supreme Court nominee Judge Roberts, if he were to vote to uphold Roe v. Wade.

The bishops have made this question legitimate because Americans no longer know whether a Catholic judge can hear abortion cases without an automatic conflict of interest. . . .

Asking the bishops to testify would be healthy. If they rescinded the threats made against Kerry, then Roberts would feel free to make his decision without the appearance of a conflict of interest, and Catholic politicians who support Roe v. Wade would gain renewed confidence in their advocacy. If the bishops repeated or confirmed their threats, the Senate Judiciary Committee should draft legislation calling for the automatic recusal of Catholic judges from cases citing Roe v. Wade as a precedent.

In other words, in order to preserve the bogus constitutional right to abortion, it is necessary to disregard the actual constitutional provisions for church-state separation and against religious tests for officeholders. It's yet another reason why Roe must go.

When Cuomo Made Sense
Yesterday we noted that the Roberts nomination had Mario Cuomo, on "Meet the Press" Sunday, talking like a Know Nothing, demanding to know if John Roberts would do what "the pope says." During the same show, Cuomo's interlocutor, constitutional scholar Douglas Kmiec, praised a speech Cuomo gave in 1984 at Notre Dame in which the then-governor of New York discussed the role of religion in politics. "It was eloquent," Kmiec said. "It was a wonderful presentation."

We thought Kmiec was just being polite, but when we found the speech online, we actually found a lot to agree with. Here's the 1984 Cuomo:

The same amendment of the Constitution that forbids the establishment of a State Church affirms my legal right to argue that my religious belief would serve well as an article of our universal public morality. I may use the prescribed processes of government--the legislative and executive and judicial processes--to convince my fellow citizens--Jews and Protestants and Buddhists and non-believers--that what I propose is as beneficial for them as I believe it is for me; that it is not just parochial or narrowly sectarian but fulfills a human desire for order, peace, justice, kindness, love, any of the values most of us agree are desirable even apart from their specific religious base or context. . . .

I can, if I wish, argue that the State should not fund the use of contraceptive devices not because the Pope demands it but because I think that the whole community--for the good of the whole community--should not sever sex from an openness to the creation of life.

And surely, I can, if so inclined, demand some kind of law against abortion not because my Bishops say it is wrong but because I think that the whole community, regardless of its religious beliefs, should agree on the importance of protecting life--including life in the womb, which is at the very least potentially human and should not be extinguished casually.

No law prevents us from advocating any of these things: I am free to do so.

So are the Bishops. And so is Reverend [Jerry] Falwell [a 1980s "religious right" figure].

This sounds a lot like our Wall Street Journal article from May, "Why I'm Rooting for the Religious Right." Actually, we'd add that Cuomo or anyone else is perfectly free to advocate the policies he cites on strictly sectarian grounds as well. Making the case this way is foolish, though, since America is a highly pluralistic society, and "because the pope says so" will be sufficient to persuade only some Catholics and virtually no non-Catholics.

In any case, Cuomo's position then seems at odds with the prevailing liberal position today, which is that religiously informed arguments are essentially illegitimate, at least when they lead to conservative conclusions.

God bless,
Jay

Glad to be hosting the Catholic Carnival at Deo Omnis Gloria again! This Carnival is the biggest this site has hosted yet and it is full in every respect of the word. So sit, immerse yourself, and push away from the table when you’re full!

The Carnival continues to grow and for good reason – it’s an excellent spot to learn about Catholic blogs you haven’t seen before or to find great posts. So, let’s jump right in:

+ A Penitent Blogger starts us out in fine fashion with a brief reflection on our attitudes at Mass in They Will Respect My Son. I think we’re sure to recognize our faults in this exceptional piece.

+ The Anchoress gives us an excellent post on The Mystery of Suffering. It’s not short, but worth every word.

+ Lex Communis takes Saint Thomas Aquinas to the movies – including Star Wars – in We are all Manichaeans now. Who thought Aquinas, Augustine, and the goop in Prince of Darkness could all fit in an interesting, cohesive analysis of heresies?

+ Be Here Mondays blogs about ritual, dress, and reverence in Mary’s Detaching Veil. Includes illustrative photographs (and a serious point).

+ Clairity’s Place reviews a poem by Li-young Lee called My Father’s House. The post includes a link to the poem for those who haven’t read it.

+ Our Word and Welcome to It takes a look at J.F. Powers, a well-known Catholic author in the 60’s who is virtually unknown today, in Wish I’d Written That . . .. His small but powerful body of work can speak to Catholics today as powerfully as they spoke to his contemporaries.

+ HMS Blog pens a reflection on the Mass readings for Corpus Christi in The Bread of Life. The post focuses on how the Eucharist should give our lives the proper orientation toward Christ and the Church.

+ Veritas examines the inconsistencies of those politicians who oppose abortion but support embryonic stem cell research in More Inanities. He also clarifies exactly which side “the extremists” are on.

+ Heart speaks to Heart examines what I see as a very important issue these days in Being an Authentic Woman – Catholic Style. She does an excellent job of underlining the choices women face in our society.

+ Ales Rarus points out that we should all be better informed about the arguments for and against cloning, so he posts An Exchange on Cloning. The exchange takes place between an atheist lexivore and a Catholic MD/PhD student.

+ Crusader of Justice takes another look at the popular phrase from a few years ago in WWJD. Is this the right question? Read on for answers . . .

+ Quo Vadis offers an exceptionally good analysis of the utilitarianism in our culture and its effects in Utilitaria. He includes discussion on embryonic stem cell research, cloning, abortion, contraception and more – a must read.

+ From the Anchor Hold put sage wisdom (and three years of experience) online in The Lessons of this Blog’s Beginnings. Happy birthday to you! And bloggers should read the post . . .

+ Notes extends a few thoughts about the sexual abuse scandal the Church recently faced in And he took them up in his arms. It is based on comments in a St. Blogs Parish Hall post and makes some interesting points.

And this blog submits Is the Catholic Church the Anti-Christ? Inquiring minds want to know. Many of us have heard this statement, this post examines Scripture to find the truth.

Hope you have enjoyed the Carnival!

God bless,
Jay

He is risen indeed! Alleluia

A happy Easter season to you and yours.

God bless,
Jay

Lent is upon us. Starting with Ash Wednesday, Catholics begin celebrating the Liturgical Season of Lent during which we prepare ourselves for salvation, in effect. During Lent we choose suffering to mortify our bodies and focus our thoughts on God as He suffered for us at the first Easter. The verse that always comes to mind for me is:

Col 1:24-25. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known.

The pillars of Lent (as I wrote last year) are fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Not only for Lent, these are the pillars we need to form a good life, a holy soul, so we pay special attention to them during this time. For example, fasting is a form of suffering we take on to mortify our bodies. Each of us have opportunities every day to “take up our crosses” and follow Christ. The Christian life is a long experience in suffering, which prepares us for the next world (and prevents us from liking this one too much).

I think suffering is the one Christian concept that only the Catholic Church understands. In fact, I have yet to read a reasonable explanation of the verse above from a non-Catholic, since protestants discount the notion that our suffering can sanctify us and work toward our salvation. During Lent, we underline that value by choosing suffering in order to follow Christ.

Luke 9:23-25. And He said to all, "If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"

Any Christian can choose to try this and I challenge you to try it at least once. Just choose suffering in some way – give up something you enjoy that does not improve your spiritual life. These aren’t bad things (although sins should be the first thing given up), but they can be bad if they distract us from a greater good: God. You’ll be surprised at how much you focus on God when choosing this suffering – it gives you an eager anticipation of the coming Resurrection. This is the power of suffering (a message our world desperately needs).

God bless,
Jay

The newest Catholic Carnival is now Online. It has 13 great posts from various points of view and is organized around the different forms of prayer. Take a look - you'll be glad you did.

God bless,
Jay

Be sure to check out the latest Catholic Carnival. This is the best one yet with very good posts on a variety of topics. It's worth a few minutes just to see what's being discussed.

God bless,
Jay

Christianity Today reports on more evidence that the Shroud of Turin is real. At this time only the carbon dating suggests otherwise. The article doesn't touch on this, but carbon dating is notoriously unreliable - there are numerous factors which could change the date hundreds or thousands of years. And frankly, I think you're assuming much if you believe 21st century scientists could be fooled by a medieval forgery of this type.

I've long felt that the Shroud is the actual garment Christ's body was wrapped in. It's interesting how many little pieces of Christian history we still have available - many of them recovered during the Crusades, of course. God gives us all the evidence and yet some still refuse to see.

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins and save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.

God bless,
Jay

Merry Christmas to All!

May the birth of Christ renew the joy and love in your life.

By the way, the word "Christmas" comes from an Old English combination of the words "Christ's Mass," which of course is held on Christmas morning. So be sure to get to mass today and celebrate the birth of our Savior.

God bless,
Jay

Although Catholics automatically understand the Advent season (they have lived it since their birth), non-Catholics are unlikely to understand exactly what Advent means or is. Advent is more than just a time of year, it is an anticipation of Christ Himself.

The word Advent is from the Greek for “coming” and is used to describe the four weeks preceding Christmas. There are always 4 Sundays in Advent, which begins typically on the last Sunday of November (this Sunday also represents the first day of a new Liturgical year). Advent is similar to Lent in that we are spiritually preparing for the coming of God; in this case, for His coming as the Christ Child. During this time Scriptural readings during Mass focus on Christ and our anticipation of His coming, both at the end of the season on Christmas Day and at the end of time.

So how do we prepare for Christ’s coming? Typically in several ways.

Personal Focus
Our focus shifts directly to the Holy Family, specifically on the coming of the Christ Child. When we pray we pay special attention to the birth and life of Christ as well as the purity of the Holy Family. In addition, this is the Year of the Eucharist, so extra focus will be made on the Eucharist and it’s role during our preparation for the coming of God.

During the preparation, Catholics go to confession and put special focus on personal holiness, so that we might be ready for Christ’s coming. Families include special practices that are meant to keep our eye on the goal: Christ Jesus.

Advent Wreath
The Advent Wreath is probably something most people have seen. Traditionally, it’s an evergreen wreath that sits on a table with four candles coming out of it – three purple and one pink. Each night candles are lit (one the first week, two the second, etc.), a reading is read, and prayers are said for the coming of Christ as well as for our families and the world during this holy time of year. The last week before Christmas, the pink candle, which represents our joy in God’s coming, is lit along with the purple candles.

There are many sets of potential readings that can be used; for example, my parish offers a booklet of Advent Wreath prayers every year that we use. For those with a family, the Advent Wreath is a perfect way to keep your family focused on God during a very materialistic time of year. The Wreath forces us to stop each day and spend time in preparation, which is the point of the Advent season.

The Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree is another way to focus on Christ. It involves slowly creating a tree representing Christ’s lineage over four weeks time. It can be done using the literal family tree of Christ or by using spiritual “relatives” that prefigured some aspect of the Christian mystery. The Jesse Tree prepares us by focusing on the time before Christ’s arrival, so that the birth of Christ can better be understood. Personally, I’ve never done the Jesse Tree (I am a convert), but I plan on using it as my children get older.

The Nativity Scene
Typically, Catholics call this a “crèche,” but it is exactly what you’re thinking of. I prefer not including the baby Jesus in the Nativity scene until Christmas day – we leave it up through January 12th. Again, this is simply a visible reminder that this is Advent and we should be focusing on the birth of Christ.

Interestingly enough, the Nativity is one of the customs still practiced by many non-Catholics. In fact, this is the one time during the year that even Fundamentalists have a statue of Mary in their homes!

Conclusion
Advent is a time of preparation. By focusing on the coming of Christ, we can’t help but prepare our souls a little more for His final coming. During this time we pray, we help the poor, and we work on the state of our lives. I invite all Christians to prepare with us for the coming of God.

God bless,
Jay

The First Catholic Carnival is now up at Living Catholicism. It's a collection of Catholic posts from various blogs. Take a look if you get a chance.

Next week's Catholic Carnival will be held at The Curt Jester and will be specifically on the Eucharist, so plan ahead.

God bless,
Jay

I think there is some confusion about whose responsibility it is to teach children about God. This is a big subject, since parents must be aware of who is ultimately responsible for their children’s Christian education:

CCC 2221-2228. The fecundity of conjugal love cannot be reduced solely to the procreation of children, but must extend to their moral education and their spiritual formation. "The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute." The right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable.

Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons. Showing themselves obedient to the will of the Father in heaven, they educate their children to fulfill God's law.

Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery - the preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to subordinate the "material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones." Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them:

He who loves his son will not spare the rod.... He who disciplines his son will profit by him.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

The home is the natural environment for initiating a human being into solidarity and communal responsibilities. Parents should teach children to avoid the compromising and degrading influences which threaten human societies.

Through the grace of the sacrament of marriage, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents should initiate their children at an early age into the mysteries of the faith of which they are the "first heralds" for their children. They should associate them from their tenderest years with the life of the Church. A wholesome family life can foster interior dispositions that are a genuine preparation for a living faith and remain a support for it throughout one's life.

Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.

Children in turn contribute to the growth in holiness of their parents. Each and everyone should be generous and tireless in forgiving one another for offenses, quarrels, injustices, and neglect. Mutual affection suggests this, the charity of Christ demands it.

Parents' respect and affection are expressed by the care and attention they devote to bringing up their young children and providing for their physical and spiritual needs. As the children grow up, the same respect and devotion lead parents to educate them in the right use of their reason and freedom.

As parents, it is our job to educate and inform our children about God. We cannot simply send our kids to Sunday School or Mass and hope they learn it. We have the responsibility to ensure our kids learn their faith and are able to share it with others. This is not the Church’s responsibility. I think the Catechism makes it clear that it should not be the Church’s responsibility – the family is the place where a child looks to learn from his/her birth.

Having said that, I think it’s important to note that at some point in your life, as you become an adult, the responsibility shifts to you. You cannot continue suggesting that others are at fault for your ignorance: personal responsibility comes into play as you get older. Can you go out and learn the truth for yourself? Absolutely. And you must, whether your parents were good or bad instructors of the Christian faith.

God bless,
Jay

As I sit here pondering the upcoming birth of my first-born son, I can't help but wonder about how he will look at me. I hope to be a positive role model in his life, but I am realistic enough to know that he will look up to others. More often than not our children tend to make athletes their primary role models, be it Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Sammy Sosa, Chipper Jones, Derek Jetter, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Rodger Federer, Jennifer Capriati, Serena Williams, Jeff Gordon, Dale Ernhart, Jr., Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Sheryl Swoopes, Lauren Jackson, or Michael Phelps. All are great athletes, some are individuals of high moral standards. I am personally a big sports fan and an admirer of individuals who give themselves so completely to something. Yet, in light of the reality of my own child coming into this world, I realize that I have to point him toward the greater good, ultimately to life-everlasting.

Today is Jay's birthday so everyone say a prayer for him today. In addition to celebrating his birthday, Jay and Ashley (mainly Ashley) brought their fourth daughter into this wonderful world on August 4th, so Jay gets a "little" gift from God this year as well! :-)

Happy Birthday Jay!

Your brother in Christ,
Joe

We have recently renewed some discussion about the use of contraception and the intrinsic evil of such as an action against the human person and God. I thought it would be good for all of our readers to become familiar with exactly what the Catholic Church has to say on this matter.

The fecundity of marriage

2366 Fecundity is a gift, an end of marriage, for conjugal love naturally tends to be fruitful. A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment. So the Church, which is "on the side of life," teaches that "it is necessary that each and every marriage act remain ordered per se to the procreation of human life." "This particular doctrine, expounded on numerous occasions by the Magisterium, is based on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act."

2367 Called to give life, spouses share in the creative power and fatherhood of God. "Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters. They will fulfill this duty with a sense of human and Christian responsibility."

As many of you may have read, an attorney from Los Angeles has filed heresy charges against presidential candidate John Kerry for advancing the notion that you can be Catholic and pro-abortion. You can read the entire complaint at Defide.com. But specifically, he’s citing one section of Canon Law (essentially the law of the Church):

Can. 750 §1. A person must believe with divine and Catholic faith all those things contained in the word of God, written or handed on, that is, in the one deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn magisterium of the Church or by its ordinary and universal magisterium which is manifested by the common adherence of the Christian faithful under the leadership of the sacred magisterium; therefore all are bound to avoid any doctrines whatsoever contrary to them.
1. §2. Each and every thing which is proposed definitively by the magisterium of the Church concerning the doctrine of faith and morals, that is, each and every thing which is required to safeguard reverently and to expound faithfully the same deposit of faith, is also to be firmly embraced and retained; therefore, one who rejects those propositions which are to be held definitively is opposed to the doctrine of the Catholic Church.
Can. 751 Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.

There are a couple of things that could come out of this lawsuit. In the worst case, John Kerry could be excommunicated for persisting in his public message that life is not a fundamental right of a child. Kerry wants to argue that he is personally pro-life, but cannot force his opinion on another person. This is a joke. Imagine a politician claiming that he is personally against slavery or murder, but feels it is unjust to force his opinion on others. If you are truly personally opposed to something as heinous as abortion, slavery, or murder, you force your opinion on others to protect the victim in each crime (abortion is not a victimless crime). Besides which, Kerry is very obviously personally in agreement with the abortion lobby, as can be seen through his speeches at pro-abortion events (Clinton even refused to speak at these events).

Kerry could also be ordered not to receive communion until he publically apologizes and changes his viewpoint - this is probably the more likely outcome given Ratzinger’s recent letter (the case will end up in Ratzinger’s jurisdiction if appealed by the person filing charges). Or the case could be dismissed, which is not very likely given the state of American politics - particularly in regards to Catholic politicians.

I myself agree with the notion behind the lawsuit, but I have to wonder: isn’t this the role of the Bishops? Is this case a way to go around the American bishops and get something done despite their slow reaction time? The Church in her wisdom has always been slow to react - sometimes this is bad and sometimes it is good, but it comes from her understanding that this is still a small issue in one part of the world (and not even the most populous part). As Scripture teaches, sometimes when you pull the weeds up, you uproot good plants as well - Jesus notes that in the end the weeds will be uprooted. Any Catholic opinions on this? I would prefer to see the Bishops handle this serious public issue, but what has begun must be followed through.

God bless,
Jay

You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. - John 4:22-24

Since the time when Jesus uttered these words, Christians have sought to worship God in spirit and truth. Jesus Himself gave us the means to do so in giving us Himself in the Eucharist.

Today I wish to share with all of you young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 about a Catholic Lay Movement committed to helping each of you grow in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the Eucharist and Christian Fellowship. The name of this movement is Spirit and Truth and it is rapidly spreading across our country.

Spirit and Truth Mission Statement

The mission of Spirit and Truth is to bring young adults into deeper relationship with Christ through worship of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, study of Church Teachings and Sacred Scripture and celebrations of Catholic Traditions, while forming a community of life-giving relationships. - Taken from Spirit and Truth's Website

I attended one of their WOW (Wide Open Worship) celebrations and was amazed at their love and reverence for our Lord Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament as well as their fervent joy in praising Jesus through songs of praise and worship and through the celebration of the Holy Mass. It was an awesome event.

If you would like more information about Spirit and Truth please visit their website:

Spirit and Truth

On the Spirit and Truth website you can learn more about the movement's history, goals, as well as where various communities are throughout the United States. There are many wonderful movements in the Church that assist the faithful in deepening their relationship with Jesus Christ. Spirit and Truth is most certainly one of them.

In Christ,
Joe

Congratulations Jon and Keri on your wedding day!

I just ask that everybody keep the happy couple in your prayers today. Jon and Keri are both teachers at a private Catholic school. Keri is a kindergarten teacher. Jon teaches middle school religion and assists in the academy's young adult formation program. Jon is also the youth music director at a local parish and the music director for a young adult organization called Spirit and Truth. Jon discerned a vocation to the priesthood for about four years while attending the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he majored in Theology. But God had other plans for my little brother and we are all so happy that He did.

Jon and Keri are an awesome couple who share a deep love for each other and, more importantly, for our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. I wish the two of them love, happiness, patience, and peace all the days of their lives. May God give them many children!

In Christ,
Joe

Fatherhood is a special gift from God as well as a special responsibility. A father is known through his children, the "fruit" of his life. We're praying today for fathers, that they have the love, leadership, and willpower needed to raise Christian children in a post-Christian world.

By the way, our thoughts are especially with first-time fathers, such as Joe on this blog. Remember, those with pregnant wives are fathers, even if their children haven't been born yet (they become our children at conception).

God bless,
Jay

Darius Lesesne is a personal friend of mine and a fellow parishoner at our local Catholic Church. Darius is a convert to Catholicism and now produces Christian gift cards. Each card portrays a unique Christian historical figure as well as a quote or statement from the selected person. Darius has chosen such individuals as Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Charles de Foucauld, Evelyn Waugh, G.K. Chesterton, Rich Mullins, C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, Thomas Merton, Flannery O'Connor, and many others. Below is a piece written by Darius:

I tend to look upon myself as an artist in the traditional sense of that term--as one who "makes", rather than as one who "creates". An artist works with givens--the stuff of creation. The artist also recognized the givenness of his own being as "intellectual soul incarnate" (Marion Montgomery); and beyond this he is aware that he imitates his Creator in a highly significant way, namely, he makes things. If this work is beautiful, then God is praised, for phenomenal beauty invariably points to transcendent beauty, and hence to beauty's source, God Himself.

The artist, Andrew Lytle said, is not a special kind of man, but rather he is a special kind of craftsman. I am the latter--a maker of cards with ink and white paper. I often get asked, "Why are you learning Humanist Miniscule and Textura Prescisus?" or "Will people buy these cards?" First, a doctor practicing without bothering to learn anatomy is inconceivable--likewise, I must learn the "rhetoric" (de Rougemeont) of my own craft (which certainly includes historic caligraphic styles). Second, attached to the question about people buying cards is the implied one about "making any money". Both of these, Dorothy L. Sayers observed, should be reduced to the simplicity and pointedness of this question: "...are (these cards) useful things well made?" And, yes, you are quite right to think that it is you who must answer this simple question.

It must be said, furthermore, that any man's work, whatever it is, is the means by which he offers himself to God (D. Sayers)--I believe this. Moreover, artists offer the viewer beauty not as something which startles his mind like a stranger; no "the intelligence delights in the beautiful because in the beautiful it finds itself again and recognizes itself, and makes contact with its own light" (Jacques Maritain). Again Maritain affirms that when we experience beauty, we are left with a residue of longing for a more perfect Beauty.
- Darius Lecesne

If you are interested in learning more about Darius' cards please visit:

Possum Cards.com

In Christ,
Joe

I found this great article by the Archbishop of Milwaukee while poking around the Website, Pentecost Message. This is a stirring call to true Catholicity, and with the day of Pentecost just passed, it is very timely.

The article is a good launching pad for discussion for several reasons. For the orthodox concerned about the dissent in the Church, it admonishes hope. For the social activist concerned about abuse in the Church, it counsels fidelity. For the radical seeking compromise from the Church, it demands submission. For the outsider seeing disunity in the Church, it demonstrates solidarity. May the Holy Spirit bless each of you, fill you with his counsel, and lead you to Christ and His Church.

In Christ,
Dave

Which movies best present Catholic life? Take ten minutes and add your suggestions:

This is a good idea by NCR.

God bless,
Jay

PS - thanks to the Curt Jester for the classy banner ad . . .

Through having children we participate in the creative nature of God: a man and a woman love each other so much that a new being is created (this is a reflection of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). I think it's important to realize what a gift from God a child is:

1 Timothy 2:15. Yet woman will be saved through bearing children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

So children are not only a gift in the sense of a temporal joy to mothers, but they are also an attempt by God to save the mother's soul - an indication of God's love for you personally and His desire that you be saved.

So happy mother's day to all mothers and all pregnant women (after all you already have children even if they haven't left the womb).

God bless,
Jay

Father Gee is seeking donations for his mission. So far he's raised $33,000 to help build a school in Bianca, but he desperately needs $17,000 more in order to get everything done by September. Take a minute and read his blog: The Banica Mission and consider if you can help.

God bless,
Jay

I was pointed to an interesting site today: The Catholic Spectator. I like the concept and just wanted to point it out.

God bless,
Jay

The election is on its way and I hope everyone is keeping up with the issues - we have some responsibility to ensure that the right person takes office. Along those lines I wanted to point out the Catholic[?] Kerry Watch that watches John Kerry's moves in light of Catholicism.

Personally (as some may have figured out), I have a big problem with anyone who professes a specific faith and then publicly denies key aspects of that faith. You either believe or you don't. It's that simple. And Kerry clearly practices the fine art of Cafeteria Catholicism - he chooses what he likes.

Anyway, check out the blog and let me know what you think.

God bless,
Jay

Happy Easter! Christ has risen that we all might be saved! God bless.

I thought it would be interesting to point out some of the symbolic and historical information about the “things” we surround Easter with.

The word “Easter”. The word “Easter” came to us through the Germans who refer to Easter as "Ostern." Academics today believe this is derived from the German word eastron, which means "dawn." It used to be believed that "Easter" came from the pagan goddess "Eostre," but this is no longer thought to be true. See the Goethe Institute for more information.

Easter Eggs. Colored eggs were used in pre-Christianity to symbolize spring and the rebirth of the world. This was true as far back as ancient Egypt and Persia. Christians confiscated the practice and used it to symbolize the rebirth of man through Easter as well as the tomb of Christ. Interestingly enough, there are numerous wonderful polish legends about how coloring eggs for Easter came about; my favorite is that Simon of Cyrene was carrying a basket of eggs when asked to help carry the cross and when he came back they were all brilliantly covered. One tradition I find interesting is in Greece, where it is common to exchange scarlet eggs that symbolize the blood of Christ as well as the resurrection.

Easter Bunny. The rabbit is also a pagan symbol from the pre-Christian world, however it wasn’t ever brought into Christian celebrations and doesn’t really symbolize anything religious. The rabbit symbolized fertility and, therefore, Spring. The Germans are supposedly the first to tie the rabbit to Easter in the 1,500’s – they were quite the religious inventors in those times. In the 1,700’s the Pennsylvania Dutch brought the Easter bunny to the US, where it was believed the bunny would show up and leave a nest of colored eggs for good children. This evolved over time to become our tradition of leaving baskets that would be filled with candy as well as eggs (part of this was due to the commercialization of Easter).

By the way, the dates for celebrating Easter weren’t decided by the Church until 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicea – before this it was celebrated on various days of the week (not always Sunday). Just a few little tidbits about the history of the greatest Christian holiday (followed closely by Christmas).

God bless,
Jay

It seems almost certain that the entirety of my journey to the Catholic Church has been posted on this site already, though in bits and pieces scattered around various posts and comments. Nonetheless, I have been asked by more than one person to write an article that will give a more thorough flavor of my experience, so I feel somewhat obliged to do so. It may seem irreverant to post such a personal article on Good Friday. But as I see it, Jesus Christ died to save His Bride. This is my story of how I came to understand that Bride. I hope this proves entertaining, insightful, and encouraging to others... though I have no expectations on any of these counts!

Whenever I talk about my life, I predictably start off by noting that I am the oldest of seven children. I guess a head shrinker might say that it indicates the preeminence of family in my sense of identity. But true as that may be, my relationship to God must go back further than my own existence, and so I'll start with my mom and dad instead. My parents were not (and are not) people of extraordinary schooling, both of them having graduated high school and gone into the work force--my mother as a store clerk and my father, eventually, as a construction worker. Both of them grew up in Catholic homes and attended Catholic school. My father served as an altar boy when he was young. My mother's family, however, was the more observant of the two. It really didn't matter though, as neither family could really be labeled "saved". My grandparents (back in the day) did not understand the first thing about salvation, did not have a relationship with God, and most importantly did not have a saving faith in Jesus Christ. In short, my parents grew up as cultural Catholics.

They married as teenagers. Shortly after their marriage, my mother was converted to Protestantism by her older sister who had discovered the reality of Christ. Some time thereafter, my father converted as well, right around the time that I was born. His conversion, however, did not take the same course as my mother's, who was always more demure. My father was consumed with overwhelming zeal for his newfound faith. He read the entire Protestant Bible from cover to cover in three months. In a frighteningly short time after that, he joined the ministry at a local Assembly of God church (very charismatic by nature for those not familiar with it).

By the time I was five years old, my old man was the head pastor of the church. But it didn't take long for him to develop irreconcilable differences with the chuch governance. Apparently the Assemblies of God folks felt that speaking in tongues was a requirement for any good pastor and further held that this could actually be taught. My dad's antipathy towards this doctrine led to a split in the congregation, and my dad led his supporters away to a new, non-denominational church, which he called "New Beginnings". The doctrine there, as at so many "Bible" churches, was not well-defined and was really determined by my father on an ad hoc basis. After several years, the congregation became increasingly dissatisfied with my dad's insistence on Biblical purity and separation from all worldly things. Frustrated by what he perceived as the lack true Christianity in the flock, my dad canceled all Sunday services to demonstrate that the people should not be so wrapped up in ritual worship. Naturally this devastated the congregation and the flock quickly disintegrated. For about a year after that, we held occasional Bible studies at our home with the few stragglers that remained behind. But soon it was nothing but our family. My dad went back to working construction, though we never attended church. Instead, we held Sunday family Bible studies every morning in our house, headed up by my father.

Monsignor Burke gave a recent interview to Zenit.org on his new Scepter book Covenanted Happiness. In the question-and-answer interview, he makes a compelling point about how we view children:

Q: How do children bring happiness to a marriage and to the individual spouses?

Monsignor Burke: This century has come to separate and oppose married fulfillment and having children. Many look on marriage just as a tandem affair -- happiness à deux -- in which children are regarded as a possible advantage or a possible hindrance to personal fulfillment. This is fundamentally not to trust God's design for marriage.

Those who marry need to ponder that each child is a totally unique and unmatchable gift to the spouses' union and love. They also need to realize that children challenge each spouse's capacity to love even more than conjugal life does. Only the person who is prepared to face up to the challenges of love will grow in love.

Forty years of emphasis on self-fulfillment or on material comfort have been accompanied by an equal emphasis on family limitation.

Children -- one or two, at the most -- have come to be regarded as "optional extras" for a couple, not as the natural fulfillment of their married aspirations. Job, status, social life, gadgets, vacations, ease and comfort are seen as offering more happiness than children would.

Yet, if one is to judge from the growing number of broken homes, fewer children does not seem to have led to greater married stability, fulfillment or happiness.

Catholic couples, too, have been deeply affected by the family planning mentality, to the extent that a "planned" family is often presented as a norm in pre-marriage instruction. Most of our young people marrying today probably regard natural family planning as a normal part of marriage; many, for whom it was never designed, are experiencing its effects on their married life.

Even Catholics today look to "planning" a family and a potential family size. The monsignor is correct: we need to keep in mind that God is controlling the show. We trust Him with our finances, our health, etc. and we should be trusting Him to give us the right number of children as well. Remember, all is in the hands of God.

God bless,
Jay

Recently Bishop Thomas Olmsted penned a brilliant piece on making sure your professional life isn't destroying your spiritual life. I recommend you read the whole article here, but this is an excerpt:

“ I am a Catholic businessman but I don’t let the Church influence what I do at the office or in the boardroom;” but Jesus says (Mt 7:21), “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

“ I am a Catholic politician but I don’t let my Catholicism impact on how I vote or what legislation I promote;” but Jesus says (Mt 7:26-27), “Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

“ I am a Catholic physician but I don’t let my faith mold my decisions regarding abortion, contraception, or other medical practices;” but Jesus says Mt 5:37), “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.”

“ I am a Catholic talk show host but I don’t let the Church inhibit my right to say whatever I want on the air;” but in the Letter of James, God says (2:17) “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

“ I am a Catholic priest but I don’t let Magisterial teaching keep me from dissenting from moral or doctrinal points nor let it limit my own ‘pastoral solutions’;” but at ordination each priest professes a solemn oath, “I believe everything contained in God’s Word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the Church… I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by the Church definitively regarding teaching on faith and morals.”

Lent is the time to kick the “Catholic but...” out of our own daily lives. It is the time to expunge rationalization from our minds and to root out compromise from our hearts. Lent is the time to say a determined “No” to the temptation to water down our faith for personal gain. It is the time to say a much larger “Yes” to Jesus and His Gospel of Life. Lent is the time for Totus Tuus, the time to renew our commitment to love God with all our mind and heart and strength.

Something to consider this Lenten season. Thanks to Times Against Humanity for the link. Again, read the whole article.

God bless,
Jay

The Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia holds a special place in my heart: it's where my conversion experience started. Some of the bloggers associated with this site (including me) worked at the Monastery for several years a while back. It is a very unique place. Unfortunately, the Monastery is facing high medical bills and reduced revenues due to its aging population. This article on the Monastery's 60th anniversary is somewhat depressing, but perhaps it will bring in additional donations.

If you're ever in Atlanta, I recommend taking some time to stop by the Monastery - it's a wonderfully quiet, meditative place and only about 40 minutes from the airport. When I was there they had several monks who did a wonderful job creating beautiful stained glass windows (the one in the church alone is worth the trip). They also have a large Catholic store. And if you have any extra money, it sounds like the monks could use it. And I would ask that everyone pray for them.

(thanks to Amy Welborn for pointing this out.)

God bless,
Jay

Every week, Nick at Patriot-Paradox.com creates a roundup of the best in Christian blogging. He calls it the Christian Carnival and you can view this week's version here. It's a pretty interesting collection of posts - take a look.

God bless,
Jay

During Lent we try and focus on our interior life in preparation for the joy of Easter. I think great lessons can be taken from the greatest apostle, St. Peter, and the most criticized, Judas Iscariot. The reason these two men can be examined is because of the parallels in the Bible of their existence.

To explain the similarities, let me quote Fulton Sheen’s Life of Christ:

An interesting parallel can be drawn between Peter and Judas. There are some similarities, and yet such tremendous differences. First, Our Lord called them both “devils.” He called Peter “Satan” when he rebuked Him for saying He would be crucified; He called Judas a devil when He promised the Bread of Life. Second, He warned both that they would fall. Peter said that even though others would deny the Master, he would not. Whereupon he was told that during that very night, before the cock crowed, Peter would deny him thrice. Judas, in his turn, was warned when offered the dipped bread; and he was also told, in answer to his question, that he was the betrayer. Third, both denied Our Lord: Peter to the maidservants during the night trial; Judas in the garden when he delivered Our Lord to the soldiers. Fourth, Our Lord tried to save both: Peter through a look, and Judas by addressing him as “Friend.” Fifth, both repented: Peter went out and wept bitterly; Judas repented by taking back the thirty pieces of silver and affirming the innocence of Our Lord.

And yet, the two could not be remembered more differently. Why? It boils down to the interior life of each and their view of humility and pride. Judas never went to God and asked forgiveness. He never “wept bitterly” and privately repented. This is the pride of Judas that he would return the silver, the “blood money,” but would never go to God as a sinful child and seek to be forgiven through the blood of Christ. Peter on the other hand, realized his emptiness, his weakness, and went straight to God weeping for his faults and seeking forgiveness. Peter accepted humiliation as a way of developing humility, which is a requirement for a vibrant interior life. Judas rejected the humiliation and rejected the opportunity to come back to God on his knees, begging forgiveness.

This is an important lesson for us. No matter how close to God we are, without humility we can fall at any time. By accepting the humiliations we periodically go through, God prepares humility in our hearts and minds. We must understand that we will fall and should immediately seek God’s forgiveness, His mercy, and His love. The essence of humility is knowing that you are a speck of dust that can’t obey the easiest commandments of God without His direct intervention in your life.

During this Lent, remember Judas Iscariot hanging on that tree and try to reject pride and arrogance in order to accept humility. Perhaps Sheen said it best:

The tragedy of the life of Judas is that he might have been St. Judas.

God bless,
Jay

How to Fast during Lent

Fast from judging others; Feast on Christ dwelling in them.

Fast from apparent darkness; Feast on the reality of light.

Fast from pessimism; Feast on optimism.

Fast from words that pollute; Feast on phrases that purify.

Fast from anger; Feast on patience.

Fast from worry; Feast on Divine Providence.

Fast from unrelenting pressure; Feast on unceasing prayer.

Fast from negatives; Feast on positives.

Fast from complaining; Feast on appreciation.

Fast from hostility; Feast on non-resistance.

Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.

Fast from anxiety; Feast on hope.

Fast from yourself; Feast on a silent heart.

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in
a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly
used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming...'Wow! What a
ride!'"................anonymous

This is an article long in coming, but certainly due. The Rosary. What is it? Why does it benefit one to pray it? Where did this prayer come from? How come I can't find it in the Bible? For many Catholics and Protestants alike these are common questions. So let us take a closer look at this incredible prayer.

The Rosary is a beautiful combination of vocal prayer and meditation that centers upon the greatest Gospel mysteries in the life of Jesus Christ and secondarily in the life of the Mother of Jesus. It is an "incarnational" prayer, a prayer consisting of both vocal and mental prayer that serves to incorporate both body and soul into spiritual communion with Our Lord. - Dr. Mark Miravalle, S.T.D., Introduction to Mary: The Heart of Marian Doctrine and Devotion, pg. 86

This is very adequate summary of what the Rosary is. It is, as all prayers ultimately are, Christocentric (or focused on Christ), for in truth even the mysteries that focus on Mary only happened because Christ willed them to. But let's first look at the history of this prayer.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. - Matthew 4:1-2

And they said to Him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink." And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." - Luke 5:33-35

Lent is that time in the desert for Catholics, it represents the forty days and nights our Lord spent in the desert as well as the forty years the Jewish people spent in the desert after being freed from Eygpt, as well as the forty day fasts of Moses and Elijah. Fasting is an ancient tradition that has always been tied to almsgiving and prayer. Throughout Sacred Scripture it generally is associated with two things: penance and preparation.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say about fasting:

1969 The New Law practices the acts of religion: almsgiving, prayer and fasting, directing them to the "Father who sees in secret," in contrast with the desire to "be seen by men" (cf. Mt 6:1-6; 16-18). Its prayer is the Our Father (cf. Mt 6:9-13; Lk 11:2-4).

Here the Church directly points to the relationship between almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

The Catechism goes on to explain the two purposes I mentioned earlier: penance and preparation.

Fasting as a form of Penance
1434 The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others....
1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).
- CCC pgs. 360-361

Fasting as a form of Preparation
1387 To prepare for worthy reception of this sacrament, the faithful should observe the fast required in their Church. Bodily demeanor (gestures, clothing) ought to convey the respect, solemnity, and joy of this moment when Christ becomes our guest.
- CCC pg. 350

Lent is a wonderful opportunity for Catholic and Protestant alike to refocus themselves on our Lord. As Jay has previously mentioned, the three pillars of Lent are fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. What is so wonderful is that there can be little dispute about the holiness of all three things, as they are encouraged so often in Scripture. Taken together, they represent the highest manner of self-denial. We give up the satisfaction of our physical needs, reject the materials of the world, and offer up to Heaven the most valuable thing we possess, our worship. Often times, however, we go through Lent without understanding that it is not supposed to be about the things we are doing; rather, the things we are doing must actively change our hearts and at the same time reflect what is in our hearts. Our demeanor is usually a dead giveaway on whether we are truly pursuing the purpose of the Lenten season. I propose that there are two primary characteristics that should be reflected in your participation in Lent.

Solemnity and Sobriety
Lent should be a time of solemnity and sobriety. And in an age where joviality, comedy, outrageousness, and the party lifestyle are all celebrated and glorified, sobriety is a rare treasure. This treasure should be pursued most actively during this season where we contemplate the sufferings of Christ, the futility of all the world has to offer, and the need for the suffering of our own flesh.

My family is in the process of becoming more sober during evening prayers, recognizing that it is the Lord we are coming before. My wife and children have been somewhat confused by the new focus on proper bearing during prayer. After all, we are taught that Jesus is our "buddy", and all we need is love. He has forgiven us from all sin, right? Wouldn't God want us to laugh and have a good time? Unfortunately, this position is really a societal misconstruction of things like love, laughter, and friendship. When applied to our relationship with God, we subconsciously place ourselves on equal footing with God. The truth is that we are nowhere close.

Consider just two examples of people who saw God's face. First, Isaiah, the holy prophet of Israel, states, "I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple... 'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'" (Isaiah 6:1-5). Then, the apostle John states, "I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: 'Write on a scroll what you see...' I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw ... someone 'like a son of man,' dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest... When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!'" (Rev. 1:10-18).

Yesterday, the California Supreme Court handed down a ruling signaling a path of previously unknown levels of religious discrimination in this state. While some fault can be found with the religious group involved, the path we are on is unmistakable. The message: keep your religion in your house or church building, if you keep it at all.

Catholic Charities of Sacramento, Inc., is a charitable group providing wide-ranging charitable services in California, including "immigrant resettlement programs, elder care, counseling, food, clothing and affordable housing for the poor and needy, housing and vocational training of the developmentally disabled and the like." As might be expected, they do not limit their services to members of the faith. As might not be expected, they have no commitment to employing primarily Catholic employees, instead practicing an policy of open employment.

Catholic Charities provides health care services to their employees, including prescription drugs. They do not, however, cover contraceptive pharmaceuticals, in accordance with the dogmas of the faith. They were sued by a group of disgruntled employees claiming that they were entitled to contraceptive devices and medicines.

During Lent, we seek to prepare for Easter. It is our goal to improve our spiritual lives by concentrating on God – a “tithe” of our annual time allotment. A key part of this struggle towards God is our work in overcoming the temptations that befall us on a daily basis.

Does God tempt us? No, we would all agree, temptation comes from the Devil. And yet God allows us to be tempted. We are not without God’s help however, He does not tempt us beyond our strength to resist and He always supplies the necessary grace for us to overcome each temptation. Despite our concupiscence, we can resist the temptations that hit us on a daily basis through the grace of God; this is important to always keep in mind.

Perhaps the best way to understand temptation is through Jesus’ example during His 40 days in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus allows (wills, even) Himself to be tempted as an example for us. He is tempted to give into His flesh, His pride, and His greed (avarice). In each, Jesus resists temptation through a deep faith in God. A faith that trusts God over His body and accepts God’s Will over His Will. This is the perfect example of how we should each respond to temptation. We must be confident that God knows better than we do. We must be aware that our needs are temporary and not worth one iota of the glory to come. We must be humble in all things.

Ultimately temptation can and should be overcome in every instance. We are human, but we have the grace of God and the Holy Spirit working within us that we may reject temptation. (Note: without the grace of God this would be impossible – this should keep us humble!). But as humans, it is always a struggle. Shield yourself through prayer and mortification. And remember, always get up when you fall.

God bless,
Jay

Lent is a special time of preparation for Easter and the risen Savior. In order to prepare, I'm always seeking suggestions; particularly for family devotions.

Amy Welborn just pointed out this website containing detailed information on Lent and appropriate practices. The website was created by Women for Faith and Family and is a very detaile resource for Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Holy Week. Take some time and read through the articles - I'm sure you'll come away with some great ideas to make this Lent special.

One thing I learned: pretzels were designed to symbolize prayer and fasting during Lent: they are designed in the form of folded arms in prayer and made of only flour, water and salt.

God bless,
Jay

I’m always surprised when someone suggests that Guardian Angels are simply a myth; it’s very logical to assume that if God loves us He would constantly watch over us spiritually and physically. Moreover, the belief in Guardian Angels comes directly from the mouth of Christ Himself:

Matthew 18:10. [Jesus speaking] “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus clearly indicates that we each have an angel in heaven with access to God on our behalf (He’s warning those who would tempt or hurt children, specifically). We understand that God could do without Guardian Angels – in His omniscience, He does not need them. Yet, God Himself informed us that He chooses to use them.

This is important in other ways. When we attempt to understand God we will always fall short – we’re mere humans. So it is folly for us to suggest that something is unnecessary since God is omniscient. Why? Because God, in his omniscience, can choose to do and use whatever He feels necessary. We cannot possibly understand His motives. This is a problem with the thought that says, “God does not need the Church, so it can’t be necessary.” On the contrary, God has chosen to work through the Church for His own reasons . . . don’t discount them!

God bless,
Jay

Remember, man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return. - - Ash Wednesday mass, see Genesis 3:19

Lent is one of the Catholic practices I recommend for everyone – it’s hard to understand how much you can affect your life by focusing on your death. Lent, for those who don’t know, begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts until Easter. It is “a season of penance” when we imitate Christ who went into the desert for forty days (the length of Lent) before his earthly ministry began.

In the Bible, we see Moses (Ex 34:28), Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-8), and then Jesus (Matt 4:2) spend forty days fasting in preparation for a great event. Lent is our fast in preparation for the Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. But, how should we “fast” during Lent? Catholics are encouraged to make sacrifices and commitments to God the help us to focus on Him as we approach the Crucifixion and Resurrection. One simple and common example is giving up meat on Fridays. Does this directly impact your spiritual life? In one way it does: it is a constant reminder that we are in Lent and preparing for the Crucifixion of God. Sacrifice focuses you in a way that other things cannot.

In a more profound way, we also make commitments to prayer, almsgiving, and/or reading spiritual books. We push ourselves to resist temptation and remind ourselves that at any time we may die and face God. We give up the material things we enjoy for a season in an attempt to help form our will to God’s Will.

As Wednesday approaches, Catholics everywhere are considering what God would have them do; how can I personally sacrifice in a way that deepens my relationship with my Savior? I encourage everyone to do the same.

God bless,
Jay

I’ve been asked this more than once, so I thought it would be an interesting post. Catholics choose godparents for their children when the children are baptized. The role of godparents stems from the reality that it is a big responsibility to raise children properly in their faith. Especially today, when we are bombarded by materialism, it is important to have some assistance, a community of sorts, to help you keep your children on the straight and narrow. In addition, parents must constantly try to see the forest as well as the trees, so to speak, and godparents are further from the realities of everyday life – this gives them to ability to focus more on the forest, if you will. (Note: this does not mean parents aren’t directly responsible for this formation, it simply means that godparents can provide assistance).

The role of godparents is a serious role and not to be taken lightly. The Pope has noted that godparents should be examples “of solid faith, of deep prayer, and of active involvement in the Church’s life” in order to be selected as godmother and/or godfather. Godparents are expected to positively affect the child’s life in areas of faith and morals. In itself, this means praying for godchildren, sending religious gifts at appropriate celebrations, and making constant attempts to discuss and influence the godchild on religious reality. It is a tough role that requires commitment on the part of the godparent in order to succeed.

Logically speaking, assigning a godparent for your child is obviously good. Basically, you get another faithful adult involved in the formation of your child’s spiritual life – are two better than one? In this case, yes! Personally, I know some protestants who have adopted this tradition because of its obvious value to the child’s future. The role of godparent is taken too lightly by most parents; if you choose a disinterested person, all of the work in forming your child lies on you alone! Be sure to pick a faithful, trustworthy individual to fill this important role in your child’s life. Traditionally, the godparent takes over the parent’s role in the event that both parents die, although this isn’t necessarily the case today.

Personally, as a convert the selection of godparent is tough for me. My wife and I have only protestants in our family (we’re working on their conversions) and, since we live in the south, there are not many Catholics around! We do have good Catholic friends, which are likely to become the godparents for several of our children (rather than just one). So for us, choosing a godparent is a serious task that we pray and meditate on throughout the pregnancy. Usually we don’t actually choose until the date is reasonably near (my fourth is due in August). So pray for me in my selection, and I’ll pray for you.

From one of Pope John Paul II’s Baptismal Homilies:

I ask you, dear parents, who are participating with intense feeling this important moment, to renew the promises of your baptismal vocation. In this way you will be better prepared to fulfil your task as the first teachers of faith for your children. These little ones must find in you, and in their godparents, support and guidance on the path of fidelity to Christ and the Gospel. Be examples for them of solid faith, of deep prayer and of active involvement in the Church's life.

If you have any suggestions for being a good godparent or selecting a good godparent, please post below. As a father, I understand the value in this decision.

God bless,
Jay

Too often in our hectic world do we find ourselves failing to truly make time for leisure. It could be argued that leisure can take on different meanings for different people and to a certain extent I would agree. But I wish to speak of that form of leisure that can truly be called "restful leisure".

Josef Pieper wrote in his book Leisure, The Basis of Culture:

The soul of leisure, it can be said, lies in "celebration." Celebration is the point at which the three elements of leisure come to a focus: relaxation, effortlessness, and superiority of "active leisure" to all functions.
But if celebration is the core of leisure, then leisure can only be made possible and justifiable on the same basis as the celebration of a festival. That basis is divine worship.
The meaning of celebration, we have said, is man's affirmation of the universe and his experiencing the world in an aspect other than its everyday one. Now we cannot conceive a more intense affirmation of the world than "praise of God", praise of the Creator of this very world. This statement is generally received with a discomfort formed of many elements - I have often witnessed that. But its truth is irrefutable. The most feastive feast it is possible to celebrate is divine worship.

So it’s Monday morning again, another work week begins. As you prepare to head out the door for the office, the store, the factory, the warehouse, or school it is important to meditate on how you will live throughout the coming week, more importantly, how you will live today. As Christians it is necessary for us to live what we profess to believe. We claim to believe in Jesus Christ and be His followers. We claim to be good and caring people, and so we should be. We are ready to meet the day, full of virtuous aspirations and good intentions. Then we walk through the door of our workplace…

How often this is our story, not that we behave in ways that could be labeled “evil” or “immoral”, but rather in ways that continually fall short of the example of Christ. We become impatient, we gossip, we waste time, we are short with others, we ignore certain people, we allow ourselves to become frustrated, even angry at times, we also tend to forget the value of the human person in our highly productive workplaces, and often we find ourselves swept away by longings for more money, more power, more control, and more things. The question is why?

Among the many common objections to Catholic doctrine so frequently voiced by Protestants is the objection that Catholics practice routine idolatry in violation of First and Second Commandments. After all, Catholics pray before graven images, not only of Christ, but also the saints and angels. They ritually adorn themselves in religious garb. Their sanctuaries are filled with statues and symbols. They and their priests kiss nearly everything in site. Perhaps worse, they claim that various objects and relics have true power to heal and protect.

As a former Protestant, I myself often preached fiery condemnation for those who practiced this devilish nonsense. Why, I wondered, could Catholics not understand that God alone, in the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross, was enough? Statues, icons, and relics were so insignificant in this light. They also deceived Catholics into relying on images for protection rather than the one true God--idolatry!

I SAW THÉRÈSE

By Anthony Ryan
Director of Marketing
Ignatius Press

Recently my wife, Marcia, our 12-year-old son, Sean, and I had the
opportunity to attend a private screening of Luke Films’ new motion
picture, THÉRÈSE, at Sony Studios in Los Angeles. We were part of a
mixed crowd of laity, priests and religious. After a brief introduction
by director Leonardo Defilippis, the film began.

I tried to approach this film objectively, and as one who knew little
about Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (even though I have read and helped
publish many books about her). I thought, “How can you tell the story of
someone's inner life, the ‘story of a soul’, in a film?” It’s a daunting
challenge for a filmmaker, to say the least. But that is indeed what the
story of "the greatest saint of modern times" is about, as her own
autobiography reveals; no grand drama, such as one often encounters in
the lives of great saints. But, after all, sanctity is a spiritual
reality. It’s not so much what we do, it’s how, and with what kind of
love, we do it. This is, in essence, the heart of "the little way" of
Thérèse. But to portray that spiritual reality in a captivating,
inspiring, realistic way has not been achieved in any of the previous
film attempts on the life of Saint Thérèse. No wonder.

Until now. From the very start of this beautiful film, lovingly made,
and produced with unsparing effort to the highest industry standards in
every department, Luke Films has pulled off a tremendous cinematic
achievement - one that very few filmmakers would even attempt, or come
close to attaining. The biggest reason Defilippis succeeds in capturing
on film this "inner story" of a great modern saint is because he
understands the subject well and tells her story with a spiritual, yet
profoundly human approach. This understanding is what he gives to the
audience, bringing to life the wonder, inspiration and powerful message
of THÉRÈSE.

Thérèse is a saint for all of us, one we all can relate to, and imitate,
in her love of God and neighbor in the ordinary events of life. We found
her to be portrayed exactly that way in this film – like us, but filled
with extraordinary love. Lindsay Younce gives a wonderful, convincing
performance, and all the others in the film are excellent, especially a
man who is, in my opinion, one of the great actors of our time, Leonardo
Defilippis, who so movingly plays the father of Thérèse, Louis Martin.

The cinematography is outstanding and has a strong period-piece feel. It
comes off almost like a Monet artwork at times. The costumes, props and
sets are superb, down to the smallest details. And, most importantly,
the musical score is exquisite and deeply inspiring. Numerous touching
moments in Thérèse's life are told in such a moving way that at the end
of the movie, much of the audience was in tears.

My wife said it well when she remarked "This film makes you feel like
you are pulling back the veil and peering into the life of a soul, that
very mysterious life of one's relationship to God. It reveals the
complete trust this woman had in God's love for her, even in the midst
of tremendous suffering and spiritual darkness." Marcia finished by
saying, “The portrayal is so natural and unpretentious, I think it
perfectly captures the story and spiritual message of Thérèse."

I would agree with her. And that is a major accomplishment on film.
Thus, I am convinced that THÉRÈSE, a film about such an incredibly
popular and important contemporary saint, has the power to help renew
the life of the Church in America. It fills a huge need in our culture
and our Church. It will help Catholics especially, to renew their
understanding of what it means to be a Catholic. And what it means to be
a Catholic family, as so well shown in the love, joy and closeness of
the Martin family in this film. And it reminds all of us of the crucial
importance of focusing on our daily, ongoing conversion and deeper union
with Jesus.

I will do my part, and I hope many, many others will join us, in helping
spread strong support for this outstanding film so that it may receive a
nationwide theatrical release. If that happens, you can indeed count on
that "shower of roses" Saint Thérèse promised to continue to fall upon
countless souls who she will inspire in this film to love Jesus with
great love and confidence. Please make every effort to help this happen.

You can join Tony in supporting the release of THÉRÈSE by forwarding
this letter to all your contacts, and by telling them to visit
www.theresemovie.com. Luke Films really
needs your financial support to bring THÉRÈSE to movie theaters this
October 2004! To make a contribution online please visit
www.stlukeproductions.com and click
on the ‘Donate Online’ link or call us at 1-(800)-683-2998.

Voting has begun for the 1st Annual St. Blog's Awards. Stop by and pick your favorites!

God bless,
Jay

I'm currently reading a fascinating book, The Truth of Catholicism by George Weigel (Pope John Paul II's biographer). In it, Weigel discusses the Liturgy and some of the controversy surrounding the changes brought about through Vatican II. To understand his point of view, let me quote this:

Those controversies will be constructive rather than destructive – and the Liturgy will be more attractive to the curious and the skeptical – if Catholics can manage to agree on one crucial point: that the Liturgy is, in the deepest sense, God’s work, not ours.

I think he makes a great point that gets lost in much of the debate, the Liturgy comes from God rather than man. Weigel goes on to discuss the recent debates about the Liturgy:

Liturgy, like much else in Catholic life, has been bureaucratized in recent decades. Most parishes have liturgy committees, and in many instances Sunday worship is planned by a committee. There is nothing wrong with this in itself, but it helps to contribute to the notion that Liturgy is something we make rather than something of God’s making in which we participate. That self-conscious sense of creating the Liturgy is also reinforced by one of the unanticipated results of having the priest face the people during Mass: the priest-celebrant’s personality becomes the dominate factor in the liturgy.

What do you think? In my former life as a protestant, one of the oddities of life involved choosing a church based on the pastor. It just seemed odd for what should be a faith-based decision to become so emotional. As a Catholic, I have always simply attended the closest Catholic church, the priest’s personality never had any effect on my decision. However, I have a Catholic friend attending a church with a very liberal priest. What is the answer? Should you be willing to change churches based upon this issue? Let me know what you think.

God bless,
Jay

Bloggers are definately a unique bunch. Catholic bloggers probably take this to a new level. Funny, insightful, and sometimes simply dedicated, we all have our favorite blogs to thank. Well now we can nominate the best at the 2004 St. Blogs Awards site.

This is a very interesting idea - we'll see how it comes out. Basically you have several categories:

• Most Informative Blog
  
• Most Humorous Blog
  
• Most Bizarre Blog
  
• Best Presentation
  
• Most Pious
  
• Best Blog by a Group
  
• Best Blog by a Man
  
• Best Blog by a Woman
  
• Most Insightful Blog
  
• Most Theological Blog
  
• Best Blog by a Priest or Religious
  
• Best Political Analysis
  
• Best Apologetics Blog
  
• Most Intellectual Blog
  
• Best Blog Overall
  

First you nominate your favorites, then we'll vote (I assume). Thanks to The Curt Jester for pointing this out (and humbly suggesting himself for a nomination).

Nominate away.

God bless,
Jay

In my study on suffering I learned something very interesting: the key to understanding the Good Samaritan. First, understand that Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan in response to the question, “Who is my neighbor” after explaining that we must love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:25-29). I think we all know the story (Luke 10:29-37), but I’ll quote a key part of it:

Luke 10:33-35. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he [the injured man] was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper saying, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.”

What does this have to do with suffering? The man the Samaritan helped was suffering greatly in a physical way. In my previous article, Why do bad things happen to good people, I noted the salvific value of suffering, but suffering remains painful and often requires the help of others (bringing about humility). Christ is teaching us here that our neighbor is anyone who is suffering – and we are required to help if we are get to heaven (see Luke 10:25-29). Pope John Paul II put it best in Salvifici Doloris (On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering):

Everyone who stops beside the suffering of another person, whatever form it may take, is a Good Samaritan. This stopping does not mean curiosity but availability. It is like the opening of a certain interior disposition of the heart, which also has an emotional expression of its own.

Notice that the Samaritan stops in love and acts by doing whatever is necessary to help the man. He doesn’t refuse money, physical help, or emotional help, but offers all he can to ease the suffering of another. Suffering, as the Pope says, calls for human love to assist, help, and console.

It is easy to give a little; it is holy to give a lot. When we know someone who is suffering, we must stop and act. There are no excuses not to help a creation of God get through a troubling time. Our lives are always busy, always full of important appointments and duties, but there is nothing more important than helping your neighbor through pain and suffering.

May we all be the Good Samaritans God calls us to be!

God bless,
Jay

PS – If you haven’t read Salvifici Doloris (On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering), I highly recommend it! It is an excellent look at suffering and the human condition.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
- - Matthew 28:19-20

This is the great commission of Christ to his apostles, who are now the bishops of the Catholic Church. The question is: what is the responsibility of a normal Christian (a lay person) in this respect? Our charity and concern for others leads us to want to help save the souls of others and correct them from error, which is basically the point of this site.

There are three possible ways to work towards another person’s salvation:

• Prayer. Clearly this is the most important way to help another. Only by the gift of the Holy Spirit can anyone be lead to truth (it is a moral issue, not an intellectual one).
  
• Example. We must be the example of Christ to others. In essence, we become salt so that others may be thirsty (Matt 5:13).
  
• Action. If someone says something incorrect, we can correct them. We can even reach out to those who do not realize they are doing something contrary to Christ’s teachings.
  

The debate has always centered on the last issue: do we have an obligation to help those who are in error in a direct way? I think we do. If we truly love others, then we will want to reach out to them. As we do to the least of God’s creatures, we do to Him. God has sent us into the world and occasionally He sends someone into our path. To pray for that person is noble and right, but to openly offer them the truth is more courageous. It involves standing up for your beliefs and being able to defend them.

From a personal standpoint, this is an important issue to me. I was a protestant actively seeking Truth. I wanted to know and do what was right. If others had not shown me the truth, I may have never known (Acts 8:30-31). If those around me had simply prayed for me (this is faith without works), I may never have found out. Can we honestly say to God, “I prayed that you would help that person, but I said nothing – my prayer was enough?” God may reply, “I did help them, I sent you to tell them the Truth.”

Just something to consider in our daily lives as we come into contact with so many who need our help. The Navarre Bible reading on today’s Gospel brought this post out, and I think the notes have an excellent point:

Life in union with Christ and apostolic zeal must be very closely linked together; in other words, effectiveness in apostolate always depends on union with our Lord, on continuous prayer and on sacramental life: "Apostolic zeal is a divine craziness I want you to have. Its symptoms are: hunger to know the Master; constant concern for souls; perseverance that nothing can shake" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 934).

May we all have hunger to know the Master, constant concern for souls, and perseverance that nothing can shake.

God bless,
Jay

Our color change wasn't exactly in tune with the liturgical year this time, but we finally got it done: we are a nice "Ordinary Time Green" at this point.

I'm planning on moving to Lent on the actual day Lent starts. Wouldn't that be amazing!
;-)

God bless,
Jay

CRISIS magazine has an interesting article looking at Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic lay group. I think most know who VOTF is through their press coverage, which has been completely out of proportion to their true value in the Church. I think it’s interesting to see how this group pretends to represent not just Catholics, but faithful Catholics has ended up being just another group of liberal dissidents. One section I found particularly revealing:

And this observation is hardly confined to “conservatives.” Dr. Paul Ginnety from St. Joseph’s College on Long Island, complimented VOTF as being a “fairly liberal” group of older Catholics who “cut their teeth” during the protest era of the 1960s in a Newsday op-ed published in July 2002. In the article, Ginnety went on to ridicule younger Catholics who agree with what the Catholic Church teaches, calling them nostalgic. Ginnety, an occasional contributor to Newsday’s editorial pages, also spoke during LI-VOTF’s September Faith Convention’s “working lunch.”

It’s troubling that a group attempting to wield so much power would call the faithful “nostalgic” – insulting them rather than understanding that they are the ones actually following God’s lead. I also found it interesting that the group seemed to focus on the vision of its founders, the human leadership, rather than purporting to be lead by the Holy Spirit.

There is obviously a place for lay groups within the Catholic Church. Some do amazing work that would be difficult for priests to accomplish. But Voice of the Faithful is an example of a group that, rather than desiring to follow God, simply seeks to make changes to the Church that they like. Ultimately, selfish motives push this group to desire women priests and contraception. They are not seeking to purify the Church or to help priests, they are seeking to control the Church. What a tragedy.

Like the author of this article, I think the last paragraph says it all:

In a fitting end note, the Michigan chapter of Call to Action reported in its Summer 2003 newsletter that it’s now sharing meetings with the VOTF chapter in that region.

I do recommend reading the article on VOTF. Thanks to Patrick Sweeney at Extreme Catholic for pointing out the article.

God bless,
Jay

And the King will answer them, “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” - - Matthew 25:40

I’m always glad to help out a good charity organization and Food for the Poor is a great one. If you’re looking for a way to help those in need, this group does a good job of using local resources to get the money directly to the needy in various countries. Today a guy from the organization spoke during mass. He helped them in Haiti and described the needy there. Clearly, as Americans, we don’t have a clue what real poverty is; one stat: almost half of children younger than 5 die of malnutrition. They need your help!

So, take some time and give at Food for the Poor. Jesus will appreciate it.

Jay

I find a lot of confusion surrounding what we should personally work towards on earth if we expect to get to heaven. Not everyone is called to the same specific mission, but we are called to the same general mission. The simple answer is: become a Saint. This isn’t the general sense of “saint” as a follower of God. It’s more than that: we must advance to “the fullness of Christian life and the perfection of charity” (Lumen gentium). This is our goal if we hope for heaven.

So how do we get there? Ultimately, we must subvert our will to God’s. We must choose to do what God wants, even if it isn’t convenient or what we want. It’s the ultimate in selflessness – and the opposite of what our culture pushes us towards. You would prefer to practice contraception and “enjoy” life with your spouse for a few years? Too bad. Subvert your will to God’s and stay away from contraception. This is an extreme example, but this must be done in every aspect of our lives. Our needs and wants are a far second to the acts that God calls us to. In every aspect of our lives (work, home, school), we should choose to live with integrity and to do what we know God would want (what would Jesus do?). It sounds simple, but practically achieving it is difficult – we’re too selfish in many ways, which causes the problem.

This is one benefit of reading about the Saints before us is that we get practical examples of how they lived out this mission. Many of them did great things, but this isn’t necessary (see St. Therese for example). We are simply required to perfect charity and advance to the fullness of Christian life.

God bless,
Jay

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the new year! We haven't posted as much here lately, but it's about to pick back up (this time of year is always busy).

God bless,
Jay

Today is the feast of the Holy Family. On the liturgical calendar, this feast is relatively new, being established as a "feast" day in the year 1921 by Pope Benedict XV. Yet we find the meditation and tradition of the Holy Family throughout the history of the Church.

For this article, I will draw from the Liturgy of the Hours. For today's feast, in the Office of Readings, we find a beautiful address given by Pope Paul VI, in Nazareth, on January 5, 1964. I will focus on three highlights of this speech which is entitled Nazareth, a model:

Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ's life was like and even to understand the Gospel...Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of His Gospel.

How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth...But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing, some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth.

First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God's inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.

Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family's holy and enduring character and exemplifying its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings; in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children - and for this there is no substitute.

Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman's son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I especially like to recognize its value - demanding yet redeeming - and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope this day is full of peace, joy, and happiness for each and every one of you.

I likewise hope that each of you take time today to reflect on the event that is the very heart of Christmas, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even in His birth our Lord teaches us. So what is the lesson of Bethlehem?

It is the lesson of perfect love. A love that was so perfect that it was willing to suffer poverty and rejection, thus coming to the world in a stable or cave, in the dead of winter. A love that was self-giving and foreshadowing the giving of His flesh to us in the Eucharist, for they laid Him in a manger, a place where animals gathered to eat when their master would feed them. A love that is obedient, for with His parents He submitted to the census of Caesar Augustus, thus, through obedience, fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament. Most importantly, His love was then and is now a love of humility, for the Son of God, the King of heaven and earth, was willing to come to us mere men in their very nature to "dwell among us" and to save us. How great His love is for us! Thanks be to God.

Again, I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas. May the love of the Christ Child fill our hearts and make us whole. May the peace experienced that great night so long ago by St. Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and the shepherds visit our hearts and homes today and all the days of the coming year. Let us gather around the manger and silently ponder in our hearts, with Mary, this little Child who loves us so much.

Merry Christmas,
Joe

Angels celebrate the birth of Christ in heaven tomorrow, I hope you celebrate with them.

From all of the DeoOmnisGloria contributors, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

God bless - and don't forget that it's Jesus' birthday!

I think it’s easy for us to conceptualize the birth of Jesus as if it were metaphor. But we must keep in mind that this was a literal event in history. The second person of the Trinity actually became man in a very real way. He was born just as you and I were born. He cried after birth, just as we did. This was not a metaphysical experience, it was real: the textures, smells, pain, all existed as they would in any other birth.

Who do you say that Jesus was? We must realize that He was not simply a great man. He was not simply more aware of God or God’s will than us. He was God. God created in the flesh to do what no man could: redeem us and give us the means to get to heaven. Jesus was God and knew He was God from the beginning. The birth of Christ is intensely personal; it was God reaching out not to humanity, but to you. It was God willing to suffer greatly that you may live. Never forget that God came specifically to save you, not simply to give people in general a chance at salvation.

Make sure that you don’t waste the greatest Christmas gift you will ever receive: the chance to become a Saint.

God bless,
Jay

Click here to register your hours of Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations.

By the way, if you don't participate in Eucharistic Adoration, I highly recommend it. You won't believe how your spiritual life can grow by just spending an hour a week or even an hour a month with our Lord in the Eucharist.

God bless,
Jay

What are gold, frankincense and myrrh and why did the Wise men give these gifts? There are many interesting tidbits behind the gifts of the magi. First and foremost, did you notice that the number of Magi (wise men) is never noted in the Bible. Over the years, we have assumed that there were three because of the number of gifts they gave Christ – one gift per wise man.

The wise men can typically be associated with magic, astrology, or interpreting dreams. They were also obviously wealthy, which can be deduced by the three gifts given. As the shepherds who come to see Our Lord are considered Jewish, the wise men are seen as portraying the gentile world visiting the newborn Christ.

Now to the three gifts. First, why three? Perhaps they represent Christ’s ministry (as some have suggested): prophetic, royal, and priestly. There isn’t a set answer to this, but they could also represent the trinity or various other aspects of God and man. And yet there were three: Gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The gold was given to represent the kingship of Jesus. It is a strictly material gift that focuses on his eventual role of King.

The frankincense is a form of incense, which is burned to represent our prayers going up to God. It represents the divinity of Christ and is a purely spiritual gift. This focuses on Jesus’ role as Priest.

The myrrh, the final gift given, is a burial spice and also a medicine for wounds. This is the most complex of the three gifts. It is very a bitter spice that represents sorrow and suffering. It was the burial spice that Mary would have used to embalm Jesus’ body and represents the sacrifice of Christ. This gift is both material and spiritual; it signifies that Jesus will one day die for us.

We can discern from these gifts that Jesus is our King, our Priest, and our Sacrifice. He is the door through which we get to heaven. In our lives, we can offer material and spiritual gifts to God: our tithes as well as our prayers and our works. It is important that we offer all of these gifts, rather than just one. What can you offer Christ during this Christmas season? Give to the poor, feed the hungry, help the homeless. We can all make a difference.

God bless,
Jay

Lord of the Rings is the perfect book trilogy. It captures the essence of Catholicism without ever mentioning God and while keeping the action flowing. Now we finally have all three movies on film, so what's the consensus? Here's an interesting critique of the movies that I tend to agree with. It's a well written review by someone who has actually read the books. Note: I have yet to see the third film, but Mr. Last is dead on in terms of the first two.

On a personal note, I understand that the books must be changed somewhat as they are transferred to film. I think I give a significant amount of leeway in this respect. But it ticks me off when the director corrupts pure characters for no obvious reason. And I think it says something about the director. I'll post a review once I've seen the third film, but now I'm worried . . .

I wonder what Quenta Narwenion (another Tolkien nut) thinks.

God bless,
Jay

PS - If you haven't read the books, use one of your Christmas gift certificates to get them. You won't be disappointed.

About a week before Christmas, Mom bought a new nativity scene. When she
unpacked it, she found two figures of the Baby Jesus.

"Someone must have packed this wrong," Mother said, counting out the
figures. "We have one Joseph, one Mary, three wise men, three shepherds,
two lambs, a donkey, a cow, an angel, and two babies. Oh, dear! I suppose
some set down at the store is missing a Baby Jesus because we have two.

"You two run back down to the store and tell the manager that we have an
extra Jesus. Tell him to put a sign on the remaining boxes saying that if a
set is missing a Baby Jesus, call 7126. Put on your warm coats, it's
freezing cold out there." The manager of the store copied down Mother's
message, and the next time we were in the store, we saw the cardboard sign
that read, "If you're missing Baby Jesus, call 7126." All week long we
waited for someone to call. Surely, we thought, someone was missing that
important figurine.

Each time the phone rang, Mother would say, "I'll bet that's about Jesus."
But it never was. Father tried to explain there are thousands of these
scattered over the country, and the figurine could be missing from a set in
Florida or Texas or California. Those packing mistakes happen all the time.
He suggested that she just put the extra Jesus back in the box and forget
about it.

I thought this was an excellent look at the French situation over at Extreme Catholic.

For those who don't know, the French are moving to ban public, visible evidence of faith in schools from any of the major religions. This is the opposite of separation of Church and State (which by the way is badly misunderstood here in the U.S.). Chirac stated (and I quote), "Secularism is one of the great conquests of the Republic. It is an element crucial to our social peace and national cohesion. We cannot let it weaken. We must work to reinforce it." To say he has a deep misunderstanding of the value of religion and the value of secularism would be an understatement.

Is this the future? France is so concerned about Islamic faith that they are willing to ban all religious sensibilities from schools (which isn't far from what we're doing in some parts of the U.S.). How does this solve anything? I think of the three monkeys, one covering his eyes, one his ears, and one his mouth. Does this solve the underlying problem? No. But at least Chirac won't have to see it. This is the perfect example of why French civilization is in decline.

I'd love to hear your comments.

Jay

This is an excellent quote explaining the nature of obedience to God's Will:

"We are not baptized into the hierarchy; do not receive the Cardinals sacramentally; will not spend an eternity in the beatific vision of the pope. Christ is the point. I, myself, admire the present pope, but even if I criticised him as harshly as some do, even if his successor proved to be as bad as some of those who have gone before, even if I find the Church, as I have to live with it, a pain in the neck, I should still say that nothing that a pope (or a priest) could do or say would make me wish to leave the church, although I might well wish that they would leave."

I had not heard this one before. Thanks to Mark Shea for pointing it out.

Allow me to begin by apologizing to several of you for the delay in writing this article. I promised this article over a week ago to some of our fellow bloggers but other obligations have kept me from having the time to prepare this adequately. So with that said let us look at the sacrament of Baptism.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16

Jesus Christ is the one who specifically taught the need for Baptism. So what is Baptism? Let us look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: ‘Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and the word.’” (CCC, para. 1213, pg. 312)

Thus Baptism becomes for Catholics the “gateway to life”. Yet it is important to understand that Baptism is what incorporates all Christians into the mystical Body of Christ, which is the Catholic Church. That is why Catholics consider other Christians to be “separated brethren”, because in reality that is exactly what they are.

Occasionally I write short stories examining some aspect of how God functions in our lives. They are written by a mere man, so they are simply reflections of how God might take care of us. I thought I'd post one and get your comments. Here's the story:

---

Eileen smiled. Her wonderful day shopping had finally ended in style. She probably wouldn’t have bought the last necklace of pearls if the salesman hadn’t smiled so big, but it was only a few hundred dollars and Eileen had the money to spare. Those pearls would come in handy when she dressed up for dinner at the country club. She always went once a month and she always made sure to look her best. Several friends met her there for their one night of very good food a month – everything else was a strict diet.

As she walked along Eileen considered that a simple smile made her day. God bless that boy, she thought. With or without the pearls she felt better simply because of the attention. After all, we’re all human and enjoy knowing someone realizes we exist. This need probably grows as you get older, Eileen thought, and at eighty-two I apparently have a large need for it. Oh well, that’s the way it goes.

Out of the corner of her eye, Eileen noticed a gruff man simply throw his newspaper into the street. Littering was a pet peeve of hers and she started to say something, but there was an odd look in the man’s face that scared Eileen a little. The man walked a little further down the street and entered a pawn shop.

“That figures,” Eileen thought, “those pawn shops never did anyone any good.”

Eileen never noticed the package she carried slip into the street or the beads roll to the side. In fact, Eileen’s memory wasn’t as good as it used to be and she wouldn’t remember the pearls after getting home, but the man’s smile would keep her day feeling a little brighter than before.

---

Richard was desperate. He had never made much money, so this was nothing entirely new. But it was different. Richard had been out of work for three weeks last month. His new job started when rent was due, so he had gone to a pawn shop and borrowed the money for rent. Now the situation had worsened. The pawn shop wanted their money back – plus interest, of course – and Richard only had enough for the latest rent payment. His wife had just delivered their first child and she was still out of work, which meant things were tight. But the new job had real promise – Richard had already been given some additional responsibility that might lead to a better income. If he could find a way to keep his apartment near work and get the pawn shop to loosen up.

Just a reminder: tomorrow is when you should start your nightly readings with the Advent wreath. If you haven't done this before, I highly recommend it. It's a great way to focus your Christmas season around Christ and His birth; especially for those with children.

You can still find wreaths online, although you'll have to start a little late - late is better than never.

May God bless you, especially during this Advent.

Jay

As the Liturgical seasons change, we'll update the colors of the website (you can see the change now, obviously). I'm still tinkering with the actual color. The site was designed to reflect the current season, which is why it was green before.

I keep hearing from people I respect that we shouldn’t “judge” others. However, many people misunderstand the notion of our judgment and critical reasoning abilities and how they should be used.

We shouldn’t “judge” others in an unfairly negative way. If Bob refuses to give money to a panhandler, we can’t jump to the conclusion that Bob is a tightwad or mean. Perhaps that particular panhandler has done something in the past (e.g. buy alcohol with Bob’s money) that disinclines Bob from giving him/her anything else. When we judge people in this way, it is clearly wrong.

However, God gave us the ability to reason and make critical judgment decisions. For example, we know that the virtues are learned together. If someone is deficient in one of the virtues, we can infer that they are deficient in the others as well. If we are aware that someone steals regularly, we can assume they are generally untrustworthy. These types of judgments are necessary to function properly in society. We give trust, respect, and honor where it belongs, not just to anyone in order to avoid “judging” them.

Sorry for the short rant, but it’s quickly becoming a personal pet peeve.

Jay

The power of suffering has been wiped out of American culture. But here’s a verse that always struck me as very profound:

1 Peter 4:1. Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same thought, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. [emphasis mine]

Wow. Peter is not just saying “accept suffering,” he’s suggesting we seek it out. This is why St. Thomas More constantly wore a very uncomfortable hair shirt under his clothes. How many of us can say we seek out suffering?

And the verse ends on another note: “whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” Does this mean our suffering removes temptation or simply removes culpability? What do you think?

Jay

Remember your patron today!

Just an update on some current events. Join the Traditional Marriage Crusade to stop the homosexual agenda and oppose immoral laws being put into place. Visit www.tfp.org for more info on petitions etc.

Protest a blasphemous play Corpus Christi in which Christ is portrayed as a homosexual as well as all the apostles. This is an abomination. Please join in the 2nd stage of the protest by using the information below to contact the Bartell Theater, and the Mayor of Madison.

The Bartell Theater
113 E. Mifflin Street
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-204-0280
Email: bart@bartelltheatre.org
Fax: 608-204-0281

The Honorable Dave Cieslewicz, Mayor
210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Rm. 403
Madison, WI 53703
mayor@cityofmadison.com
Phone:608-266-4611
Fax: 608-267-8671

Lastly, log on to www.ParentsTV.org to get latest info on how to fight the filth on TV besides unplugging it! Fox's new TV series Nip/Tuck is utterly obscene. However, the PTC has already gotten Orbitz, Carfax, and Castrol to withdraw their sponsorship funding and now they need your help to put the heat on the two major sponsors, Orkin and Gateway. You can contact them at:

Orkin Exterminating Company, Inc.
Gary Rollins, President
2170 Piedmont Rd. NE
Atlanta, GA 30324-4135
Tel: 404-888-2000
Fax: 404-888-2012

Gateway, Inc.
Ted Waite, CEO
14303 Gateway Place
Poway, CA 92064
Tel: 858-848-3401
Fax: 858-848-3402

The ACLU has officially jumped into the fray: they support the notion that husbands can kill their wives if they are incapacitated. Click here for the full story.

It's amazing to me that the ACLU would join this battle. Clearly Michael Schiavo has much to gain from his wife's death (financially). He could easily turn her over into her parent's care, but then the money would not be his. Of course, the ACLU is very, very good at spin, so I'm sure they will convince 80% of Americans that Micheal is a saint (it's unfortunate that we're such suckers).

Of course, the ACLU has consistently supported the murder of infants, so I assume invalids isn't much of a stretch for them. This is a slippery slope argument, which means if you accept that "incapacitated people" or "invalids" no longer have the right to live, then you must be prepared for a wide definition of the words "incapacitated" or "invalid."

Much prayer is needed (as always).

Jay

Spurred on by Jay's recent article on Christmas, I couldn't resist addressing the topic of Halloween especially since I am the mother of twin 3 yr. old boys who are becoming more aware of things in this world. Could someone please answer my question - is Halloween a pagan or a Christian Tradition? How and why did it start? Somewhere in my brain I have the notion that the word Halloween means Hallow Eve because it is the night before All Saints Day. I guess like Christmas Eve is to Christmas - the sacred night of anticipation for our Lord's birth. If this is true, where did the tradition of dressing up and asking people for candy come from? I don't know about most of you but I'm tired of all the gore and horror everywhere. Halloween is no longer a one night affair but rather a full month of satanism it seems. I hope someone can shed some light on this situation for me.

When I lived in Florida last year, I had the privilege of not celebrating Halloween the American way, but rather gathering with various Catholic families to have an All Saints Day Festival. Several Catholic families brought all their children who were required to dress up as a saint and they had activities and games set up pertaining to saints then we had a huge cookout with just good wholesome fellowship and then children got to take home a small goodie bag and a Catholic puzzle. If you homeschool your children, I highly suggest this alternative to Halloween and trick-or-treating. And if kids come to your door, hand out a Christian holy card or pamphlet on a saint or something Christ related.

It’s an interesting dilemma that Christians, and particularly Christian parents, find themselves in every year. Christmas has taken on the materialistic gloss that we Americans have become famous for over the past century. Christmas should be the celebration of Christ’s birth – an incredible event – but it seems that Christmas is rather a season of getting and getting and getting.

The onus is on Christian parents to break through the materialistic fun and get our children to focus on the core of the Christian identity, particularly at such an early time in their lives. How can this be done effectively? It’s not easy, but we do have the Holy Spirit (and lots of prayer) to help. So, I’ve seen several suggestions that I thought were good or interesting and I thought I would mention them here. Let me know if you have any that you would recommend.

1 – Santa is a fantasy. There are really two ways to go with Santa. One way is to use the little figurines that depict Santa praying to Christ in the manger. This is kind-of an attempt to ‘take Christmas back.’ The other route (and the one I use) is to explain that Santa is actually taken from Saint Nicholas. We explain the story of “St. Nick,” and we also explain that Santa Claus is not real. Basically, I don’t like deceiving the kids, so we don’t.

2 - The season of giving. Personally, giving is one of the key facets of a Christian holiday season. There are many ways to get this across, but one of my favorites is this: Give the kids a dollar (or any amount of money) whenever they are caught doing something “good.” In addition, put the same amount into a jar on your kitchen table, which is for the poor. I’ve heard variations where all of the money goes to the poor, which is good as well. You can always encourage kids to even give some of their earnings as well. Other options are to give a present to Jesus – it is His birthday – or have a Jesus birthday cake on Christmas. I think it’s important to do something that gets the central idea across: this is Christ’s birthday.

3 - The central message. Another key is making sure your kids understand why Christ came – the point of Christmas. There are numerous ways to do this (Bible stories, nativity plays, etc), but ultimately you have to sit down and discuss it with them. We make it a point on Christmas Eve to spend the day in the house together (just my immediate family – we see the rest of the family on Christmas). This day involves reading the Christmas passages in the Bible and generally discussing the importance of Christmas with the kids. You can make it more fun by including other games/information, but it’s ultimately a quiet conversation about God in our lives.

The Nobel Peace Prize began as a defiantly anti-political process by which those who worked for peace were honored. Unfortunately, that trend has not continued and the last two Nobel Peace Prize winners are significantly more political-driven than peace-driven. What a sad state of affairs for a noble cause.

The previous Peace Prize was given to Jimmy Carter, but it was immediately mired in controversy when news leaked that the only reason Carter received the award was because of his opposition to President Bush within the U.S. – many of those oppositions included non-peace related issues, such as abortion and stem cell research.

Now we’re learning that the Pope was not given the award this year (he was the clear favorite) because the committee felt it should not be given to someone in opposition of abortion and contraception. Oh how far the mighty have fallen. It really says something about the sad state of this world when the one man who’s worked harder for peace than anyone is denied this honor because of his unwillingness to exploit women and children.

Shame on the ignoble Nobel committee. This is not what Alfred Nobel wanted when the prize was created.

Jay

PS – they’ve also given the award to Yasser Arafat in the last ten years . . . that should’ve told us where they were headed.

Spurred on by Jay's most recent article, I wanted to comment on the role and importance of the family in our modern society.

As a cradle Catholic, I believe that the family is the foundation. Don't get me wrong, ultimately Christ is the foundation of all our lives, but we have to experience Christ and learn of Christ somewhere and, by natural design, God has chosen that somewhere to be within the family. Now some of us do not experience Jesus within our homes and that is certainly a misfortune. But if that experience of Christ came from the outside, meaning through a friend, a book, a professor, a priest, or a relative I guarantee you will find a strong Catholic family behind them.

As group, Catholics can be a strong voice confronting our culture. When we stand together, great things could be accomplished. Of course, it’s difficult to get a significant majority of Catholics to agree on a topic and even more difficult to get them to act. But if there are two issues that Catholics should clearly stand together on, it’s Abortion and anti-Catholicism.

We are called to live out the Catholic life on earth. One easy way is to help others. For example, Barr Labs just announced that they would be buying the morning-after abortion pill sickeningly called “Plan B.” As a Catholic, the one clear thing we can do is make sure we don’t buy anything Barr Labs produces. Because they are basically a contraception/abortion-oriented company, committed Catholics aren’t likely to affect their business too much. Is there anything we can do? Pray for the souls of those working at companies like this and work towards changing our culture of death. How, you say, can I change our culture of death – I’m just one little man/woman on earth? The easiest way is to talk to your friends. Convince them that contraception is sinful – this is easier than you think with non-Catholic Christians who strive to do God’s will. Kimberly Hahn has a great book that can teach you how to prove God didn’t intend for his people to use contraception (and this is a good one by a protestant on contraception). By doing this, even if you only change one mind, you slowly hurt Barr Lab’s and their business model and you help others live a life more full of God’s Grace. This is Catholic activism at it’s finest.

In terms of anti-Catholicism, some Catholic groups are currently pointing out the obvious in a public sphere, but individual Catholics can make a quiet and strong statement. Just last night I caught a CBS show called “Without a Trace.” The premise of the show was that a priest had shown up missing, however the show was basically filled with anti-Catholic sentiment and actions. Priests were having sex with parishioners; the Bishop was made out to be incompetent. Oh – and the only reason the missing man became a priest is because he killed a child as a drug dealer early in his life (believe it or not!). This is the easiest thing to confront: stop watching this crap CBS puts out – turn off the ‘boob tube’ and say the rosary instead. You’ll get more out of it, I promise. And you, personally, won’t be supporting this anti-Catholic mentality that the cultural elites of America have deemed okay to propagate.

I think it’s time we stood up for our beliefs and took concrete actions to have our voice heard. I’m sick of hearing about companies supporting the murder of babies. I’m tired of the anti-Catholic bias that has become not-so-subtle in America today. It’s time to make a stand, even if it’s just a small personal stand against the culture of death. Ultimately, we have a responsibility to improve America – clearly, a strong Catholic influence would do more good than anything else.

Jay

Of the King. The movie, that is (and the real King as well, although I need a little more work!). I just previewed the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King trailer and I’m itching with anticipation. From a Catholic point of view, this is an excellent book and the trailer even espouses some Catholic viewpoints that are pretty weighty (good to make us Americans think a little bit).

You can see the trailer here. If you haven’t seen the other movies, I highly recommend them, but read the books first. Tolkien was a committed Catholic that really poured his insights into these works – he also has an incredible family history as Narwen indicated in her answers. And, believe it or not, Hollywood did do a pretty good job of keeping the “Catholic” in the movie – typically they try and filter out that ‘religion’ and ‘morality’ stuff. But not here, thanks be to God.

Anyway, just letting everyone know.

Jay

Okay, I know it’s a silly title. I should be more serious; I’ve now been requested to interview an actual priest – Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, CPPS at The New Gasparian.

To start, my beliefs are that priests in the U.S. aren’t always given the respect that a man making the decision to be a priest deserves. While in Rome for the first time, I heard a story that will always stick with me. During the Reformation, the men graduating from the English College were certain to die. Most were martyred upon stepping off the boat from Rome. How were these men treated in Rome as the studied to become priests? It wasn’t unheard of for others to bow as they passed, full of respect for men who had the faith and the love to give everything – a great model of Christ.

I still believe that priests make a commitment that calls for more than most could bear. Therefore, I don’t believe they receive the respect generally deserved of someone who has the faith to move mountains – or in our case to go up against society in a very profound and real way. So, I think we should all thank those who are strong enough to become priests in our world and pray for them and their personal missions in life.

Okay enough of my blathering, now onto the interview. But, if you aren’t familiar with The New Gasparian, I recommend reading Pope John Paul II’s letter to the group here and taking a look at the profile of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood here first. The second is a little long, but very interesting. Here’s the interview questions:

1) What originally attracted you to the Spirituality of the Precious Blood and St. Gaspar’s mission?

2) I’ve read quite a bit of information about the Mission and the Missionaries on your site, but not a lot about you personally. How did you get to where you are and how does blogging fit into your life?

3) I have friends studying for the priesthood. What advice would you give someone else studying to be a priest?

4) I believe that the reality of suffering and the profound potential that suffering has in our lives is the one message that Americans (in particular) need to hear the most. Would you agree with that sentiment? If not, what would be your take on it?

5) Who would you like to see as the next Pope?

By the way, Fr. Keyes, I work for one of the owners of the San Francisco Giants, but I’m a Braves fan (I get to work in Atlanta, thank goodness).

I’ll post a link back to Father Keyes answers once they are posted.

Jay

UPDATE: Here are the answers Fr. Keyes posted. Very insightful IMHO, so I recommend you get over there and read them!

The blogger interview has taken a life of it’s own and it’s been great for me, personally. I hadn’t read Flos Carmeli or Quenta Narwenion before, but both are wonderful blogs. Just as a refresher, the deal is that these blogs must agree to interview other blogs that request it, thus passing on the blogger interview and introducing blog readers to new sites.

Well, since they’ve stepped up to the plate, I’ll pitch:

Click the link below for the interview questions.

Jeff Miller at the Curt Jester has also jumped into the DeoOmnisGloria ring for an interview. As before, I’ll add a link as soon as Jeff has posted his answers. Here’s the questions:

1) Obviously comedy is a key component of the Curt Jester’s repertoire. Were you always the ‘class clown’?

2) I can’t find much on your background at the Curt Jester (I’m one to talk . . .). I know that you are a programmer, a supporter of the military, and a convert like myself. Any other interesting factoids about your life you’d like to let us in on?

3) My all-time favorite post of your is the Blogging Ten Commandments. What’s your personal favorite?

4) You’ve been blogging almost since blogging was invented (a little stretch), what would be your advice for new, Catholic bloggers?

5) Who would you like to see as the next Pope (I love this question)?

Looking forward to your answers, Jeff. Anyone else in the blogosphere interested in a real interview?

Jay

UPDATE:
Jeff has posted his answers here and he has a pretty good perspective from which to blog, IMHO.

Alicia the Midwife at Fructus Ventris is the first courageous person to ask for an interview from the DeoOmnisGloria.com staff. So, here’s her interview questions (I’ll post a link to her responses once they are up):

1) You job seems (from the outside, of course) to be very fulfilling, since you have a very personal, up-front view of creation on a daily basis. What do you like the most about being a midwife?

2) Typically a blog fulfills some objective for the writer. What is the main purpose you have for your blog?

3) You’ve been blogging since early January this year, what have you learned either about your readers or your writing that has affected you the most?

4) Why did you choose “Fructus Ventris” as the name of your blog?

5) Who would you like to see as the next Pope?

I was actually asked question number 5 in my interview, but I liked it so much I kept it. The answer is likely to be very revealing in terms how the Church and its mission are perceived.

I’m looking forward to Alicia’s answers!

Thanks,
Jay

Here are the answers Alicia posted in response to this interview. Take a second to read them, they are quite thought-provoking for us Americans.

First, a quick apology: I went on a very, very relaxing vacation last week that left me disconnected from the internet (I left my laptop at home . . . on purpose). Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to answer the questions IdeaJoy posted before leaving. So these are a bit behind schedule, but here we go.

Basically, the blogosphere has started game of sorts that engages blogs in a question and answer interview session. IdeaJoy asked the questions and here are my answers:

1) Deo Omnis Gloria means “All Glory to God,” how did you pick that phrase as your blog title?

Answer: We were looking for a phrase that indicated a total trust in God for this ‘project.’ Basically we’re doing this to try and spread some Truth in a world dominated by lies. We know we are actually incapable of effectively doing this well, so we depend on God for some oversight and extra blessings. Ultimately, we concluded that anything worth doing is worth doing badly (as the old saying goes). So, we think the quote reflects God’s role in our humble blog: if we do something right, He should really get the glory!

2) Why in Latin?

The short answer is that we’re Catholic. The long answer is that Latin has a certain mysteriousness that seems to make everything a little more interesting. Why not, in other words.

3) The sub-title of your blog is “holding out the candle of Truth to the world.” Who do you see as your main audience?

This is a good question. When we put this blog together we had a goal of pulling in Catholics in different situations from different backgrounds; a strong focus on heterogeneity. The purpose was to expose our readers to different insights and perspectives on living out Catholic lives. We weren’t so much focusing on a specific audience, rather on a blend of Catholic viewpoints that exposes the depth of Catholicism in our lives. By choosing MovableType and maximizing search engine visibility, we knew we would see a substantial number of non-Catholics and some articles are geared in that direction. However, primarily we expect to see Catholics on the site seeking to learn more about their faith and their vocation.

4) One of the things I've found fascinating about the Catholic Church is it's diversity, the Jesuits who are known for their philosophy, the earthy mysticism of the Franciscans, charismatic movements like Couples for Christ, reform movements like the Voice of the Faithful, or the conservative “traditionalists” mentioned in your blog. What flavor of Catholic are you?

This goes back to our stated goal of not being homogenous. I personally grew up Baptist and went through a long process of coming around to the Church. My posts tend to focus on a ‘Bible-orientation’ (once a thumper, always a thumper), whereas Maria, for example, is a little more focused on the spirituality of the Church. We are sure that all of our posters are completely faithful to the Catholic Church and Pope John Paul II. And we aren’t interested in changing the Church to suit personal interests . . .

5) Who would you like to see as the next Pope?

This seems to be the question of the hour these days. I’m still holding out some hope that Pope John Paul II can be cloned for further use on earth – I’m kidding, of course. In all seriousness, I haven’t really studied this issue enough to comment on it. I think the next Pope will have some huge shoes to fill and will need the energy of ten men to continue the stated mission of PJPII. I wish that our current Pope could reconcile the Orthodox Church before he goes, although that seems a remote possibility at this point. He has really pushed this reconciliation and I think it would be the crowning achievement of his papacy if finished. So, I guess to answer your question: I’ll just kick back and see who the Holy Spirit decides to pick!

The way this works, I agree to interview any other blogger who is interested. Simply leave a comment saying ‘interview me’ and I’ll send you five questions (I’ll post them here as well) for you to answer. Each interview is personalized and oriented toward your blog, so each will be different. In response, you must agree to interview anyone else who requests it.

This is a great way to introduce your blog to others or to explain your positions.

Jay

Taken from an article I read in CCL(Couple to Couple League) Family Foundations publication, chief gynecologist at the Health Ministry in Russia, Vladimir Serov, reports that abortions are one of the primary causes of infertility in a country that is desperate to raise a plummeting birth rate. About 5 million - or 13% - of Russian married couples are infertile, and doctors report that diagnoses of infertility are on the rise.

In nearly three out of four cases, infertility is attributed to the women, typically because of complications from one or more abortions.

A study in 1994 found that the average Russian woman had three abortions by the end of her child-bearing years. For every live birth there are 1.7 abortions, compared with more than 3 births for every abortion in the United States. Even though Russian health experts claim that abortion rates have been rapidly declining in the past 15 years, the damage has already been done. Russian health and demographics experts say the abortion legacy has created a problem greater than the private trauma of childless couples, because the resulting infertility contributes to a low birth rate. That trend and a soaring death rate are helping reduce Russia's population at a rapid rate.

Projections show Russia will lose more than a quarter of its poplulation, dropping from 143 million people to 104 million by 2050.

Even more devastating is the solution for this problem, the promotion of contraceptives! Please keep this country in your prayers and take a more active stand against abortion in our own country as well. May God have mercy on our world and may we return to a culture of life instead of drowning in the constant bloodshed of the culture of death.

Maria

* A great organization to belong to, especially if you are married, is CCL. Visit ccli@ccli.org or write to Couple to Couple League, PO Box 111184, Cincinnati, OH 45211 or call #513-471-2000.

Those outside the Church (especially the media) are constantly discussing the failures of individual members of the Church. Usually this is taken to indicate the entire Church has problems, rather than that one individual has problems. But I contend that failure is an important part of Christianity.

Why? Ultimately our salvation lies in the struggle to do good and to be good. We are called to perfection, which is a difficult calling only attainable through the workings of the Holy Spirit. But, our calling also requires humility, the virtue grown and nourished by failure. And failure teaches us another key lesson: how to get up and start again. Christ illustrated this persistence beautifully when he fell three times carrying the cross and yet rose again each time. We must do the same, rising in hope even after our failures.

As we grow in the Holy Spirit, big failures become small ones and yet, they are still failures. The “Church full of hypocrites” I heard the other day and thought, “And God wants even more hypocrites”. Hypocrites who strive for holiness and despite these failings continue in hope and humility. May God bless us all with enough failure to keep us humble and enough success to ensure our sainthood!

Jay

In honor of this month being National Women's Month, I decided to post some of my favorite quotes on motherhood. Whether you are a mother or not these thoughts are worth pondering and please feel free to pass them on to any mommies that you might know. We all need support and encouragement!

"How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman's function is laborious; but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness." (What's Wrong with the World, G.K. Chesterton)

"Many times the richest boy is the one who sits in a poor mother's lap, because she has nothing else to give him but her love and affection."

"The greatest gift one can give our nation is to teach one's children to pray."

"Ah! How delicate a Mother's heart really is, and how it shows its tenderness in a thousand little cares that no one thinks about it!" St. Therese of Lisieux (Story of a Soul)

Maria

"Everything that is done out of Love acquires greatness and beauty." St. Josemaria Escriva' The Way

Thank you Mom and Dad for giving us a great life full of beauty. May God continue to bless your marriage and may you both in turn continue to glorify Him through your love for one another. Happy Anniversary!
Love,
Maria

Here's an update I received on the status of Terri Schiavo's fight for life from Earl Appleby at Times Against Humanity:

Contributing editor Pamela Hennessy of the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation brings us the latest news from Ground Zero in the fight to save Terri:

As you may already know, a hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 11, 2003, at the courthouse in Clearwater, Florida. This hearing is to be at 10.00am (GMT -5) and, at that time, Judge Greer is expected to schedule a date when Terri Schindler-Schiavo's feeding tube will be removed. When that is done, Terri will die from dehydration and/or starvation. Though the attorney representing Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, contends that this is a peaceful and painless death, the truth is that Terri will be made to suffer tremendously. You can read more here.

Demonstrators are expected to convene that day, prior to the proceedings. If you are in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, you are welcome to join in. It is of the utmost importance that any demonstration be a peaceful one. The courthouse is located at the intersection of Court Street and Fort Harrison Avenue in downtown Clearwater, Florida. If you are able to attend, bring signs. Bring water as it will be warm. Plan on media asking you questions. Try to answer the questions of passersby, if you can. Direct people to www.terrisfight.org if they don't understand the case. There is a public sidewalk directly in front of the courthouse, facing Fort Harrison Avenue. Likewise, there is a public sidewalk directly across the road. Traffic, both auto and foot, is high from the hours of 7.00am until 9.30am. You will be seen and heard. It is not appropriate nor recommended that you assemble on the campus of the court complex itself. Only public encroachment such as sidewalks. Understanding that everyone has obligations andwork, if you can attend, your presence is appreciated.

There is a pending petition to federal courts that will be refiled before the week is out. This petition argues that Terri's civil liberties have been denied by her husband. If the federal judge accepts jurisdiction of the case, Terri's case will move to the federal courts and out of the present venue of the 6th circuit court of Pinellas County.

Additionally, the attorney representing Terri's immediate family has filed a Motion to Disqualify Judge George Greer based on evidence that he has spoken openly about Terri's case to confidantes and media - without litigating attorneys present.

There is no guarantee that Judge Greer will step down, nor that the federal courts will accept jurisdiction of Terri's case. With that in mind, the hearing on September 11 could be the final decision in this young woman's life.

If you have questions, suggestions or require more information, please do not hesitate to email me directly. Please also feel free to circulate this email.

On behalf of Terri Schindler-Schiavo and the family who loves her, thank you.

Pamela F. Hennessy, Media Volunteer
Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation

CURE thanks you, too. Let us never surrender in the fight for what is right!

Please pray for Terri!

Jay

I just wrapped up a really difficult week at work. This was a "cross" week without a doubt. But as I sit here reflecting over the past week I am reminder of the things I should be thankful for, namely, the fact that I have a wife and a home and work for my hands. There are so many in the world who want to work and are not given the opportunity to earn a fair wage.
Yet there is a mystery to this thing we call "work." Why must we work? Why must it be difficult at times? Shouldn't I be able to find a job I can enjoy all the time?

Hi. I'm Krista, wife of Joe. This is my first entry and I'm not as graceful with my words or with this computer as all of the others, so please forgive me.

I am a beginner in a lot of ways, most pertinent to this site is my newfound Catholic faith. One week before my wedding (two weeks ago) I entered into this mysterious and wonderful unity of faith. I'm still a baby Catholic, but not at all new to God's great love. I, like Jay, was raised Baptist. Learning the Catholic faith is learning the secret of life to me. I'm so excited at every tiny step I take toward knowing the fullness of the Church. Sometimes I feel like my own parent watching her child grow and learn. I am still surprised by the words coming out of my soul and my mouth, so different than the ones I spoke even one year ago. I want to share one HUGE truth I've come to realize.

In America, Sunday has become just another day of the week with one small difference: we go to Mass. Why should it be different? God decreed one day of the week as a day of rest:

Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.

Originally, this was Saturday, however it moved to Sunday with the coming (and Crucifixion) of Christ. Did God need rest? No, He’s omnipotent. He did this as an example for us to follow, because He was aware of our limits. Ultimately, humans need a day of rest and relaxation, but it goes further than that:

Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; 11 for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

This is one of the Ten Commandments and is repeated in Deuteronomy 5:12-15. It’s not only that we are to rest from our labors on the Sabbath, but we are also to “keep it holy” by remembering God in this time. A family rosary, bible study, and personal prayer are great ideas for honoring the Sabbath in our day and time. This is a perfect time to include the family – a whole day meant to honor God.

In America, we’ve really gotten away from this – we’re workaholics and productivity nuts. But this compulsion to work takes it’s toll on us physically and spiritually over time. We need this time to rest and focus on our spiritual lives. So take the time to slow down – God knows we need it.

Jay

In this country, believe it or not, ‘Freedom of Religion’ has become a catchphrase for ‘Freedom from Christianity.’ Ultimately, we’re moving toward a society in which you can only practice your religion as long as it isn’t Christianity.

In the latest move in this direction, California is waiting for Gray Davis to sign a bill that requires potential adoptive parents to agree that homosexuality is legitimate. In other words, you must either lie or ignore 2,000 years of Christian Truth to adopt a child. Wow.

This is but the latest step in our society towards a socialist system that criminalizes Christian beliefs and spins ‘love’ into ‘hate’ or ‘truth’ into ‘falsehood.’ Where does this end? Will only homosexuals be able to adopt at some point? I know California is so far gone that they have become the national joke, but let’s remember that states like Massachusetts and New York aren’t far behind.

How far are we away from a national consensus that suggests those condemning homosexuality are spreading ‘hate’? We’re closer than you think. Read this article on Ireland. This is just something else we should be praying about.

Jay

A few weeks ago, I was delighted to have my good friend come stay with me, who currently has six children ranging from the ages of 1 to 16. I have three wonderful children 3 and under. We decided to one day take a walk through my neighborhood with all the kids. As we pass one of my neighbors, who I have always enjoyed talking to and who has always loved to see my kids, she cries out, “Oh my goodness, we’re being invaded!” We laughed as I proceeded to tell her this was my friend visiting with her six children. She screams out, “Six children, six children!? Honey, don’t you know what to do about that?” I was in utter shock, completely embarrassed and enraged. My friend politely says, “Yes, I do.” But my neighbor persists, “I mean you know they have things nowadays to stop that.” My mind was reeling. I thought to myself, “Stop that!? Here this lady has before her eyes six beautiful children – all well-dressed, well-mannered and she refers to them as “that”, how utterly sad. My friend like myself is speechless so the lady continues her tirade, “Well, God Bless You! And I mean it because you really need it!” My friend politely thanks her and we move on. I immediately apologize and then for the first time I understood how the Nazis were able to kill so many Jews before mankind stopped them. I understood how easily it is for people to embrace the self-centered contraceptive mindset because it doesn’t affect them immediately and it enables them to have more things without having to deal with “that”. I looked at each of my friend’s children and thought which one of these “that’s” would my neighbor like me to get rid of by killing them because you know we now have “things” these days that makes this possible and effortless (contraceptives, operations, and abortions). When we start referring to humans as objects and not living souls, we give permission to the devil to wreak havoc in our lives and society at large. Thus, like Jay stated in his article titled Dead People Don’t Work, we reap what we sow. May God have mercy on us.

Raising a family whether big or small is no small feat in today’s society, and we need much prayer and support. Mother Teresa wisely once said, “A family that prays together, stays together.” My friend and I talked about things we could have said to my neighbor but didn’t think of at the time. We acknowledged our lives of “replay”, how situations come and go, how we are not always graced with the appropriate things to say at the right moments, how our human weaknesses allow us to be humble, and then instead of living our life in “replay” all the time, we opt to invade our society with prayer. We have faith in God’s grace and mercy to change our nation from a culture of death to a culture of life on which this great nation of ours was founded. It is not too late for we rest in the hope that good will conquer evil in the end, so we choose to invade other people's lives with good, with the gift of other human souls striving to follow Christ. For further food for thought, I highly recommend reading Life Giving Love by Kimberly Hahn who goes into depth on the reason why we as Catholics and Christians should be open to life.

Maria

Being a lover of freedom, when the (Nazi) revolution came, I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of their devotion to the cause of truth; but no, the universities were immediately silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers, whose flaming editorials in days gone by had proclaimed their love of freedom; but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks...Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler's campaign for suppressing truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration for it because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual and moral freedom. I am forced to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly.
- - Albert Einstein Kampi und Zeugnis der bekennenden Kirche

At this point in history an interesting event is happening. Even Catholics are beginning to believe the nonsense being published about the Catholic Church and Hitler. The attack is always the same: Pius XII did not do enough to fight against Hitler and his regime. This statement is so dishonest that Catholics should feel personally insulted by the remark.

So, what can we as Catholics do? Learn. Know the facts so you can defend when someone brings up the subject. A great resource is EWTN’s Pius XII Library, which contains many articles that actually include research on the historical events. Take some time and read through them, particularly the first one concerning John Cornwell’s book. This type of blatant bigotry against Catholics has become ubiquitous in our time and needs to be resolved.

One thing every Catholic should know: Pope Pius XII saved more Jews than any other person on the planet, including Schindler (estimated at more than 800,000 by a Jewish scholar). The New York Times even referred to Pius as “a light in the darkness”, because he was the only one speaking out against Hitler.

It’s amazing how ‘spin’ can be so blinding as to create truth. I even saw a post the other day where a Catholic suggested that Pius only was against Hitler because of Hitler’s anti-Catholic approach, but Pius was actually an anti-Semite. This is patently absurd; in reality Hitler was anti-Catholic because Pius was saving the Jews!

Please help spread the word!

Jay

Greetings All! It is wonderful to be back for two reasons. First, because I am now a happily married man, and while the honeymoon was an adventure, I am longing for "the wildness of domesticity" (Brave New Family, Chesterton). Second, because I have missed this cyber home of ours, this tremendous place of liberty and love.

I wanted to shed some Chestertonian light on this topic of the problem of wealth that Jay had touched on several days ago. I say touched on because Jay mentioned that there are "many moral problems with riches." I wanted to share some of G. K. Chesterton's thoughts on some specific problems in relation to the life of home and family.

Today I got word that a dear family member passed away. Please offer a prayer for the soul of Dr. William Esser II. I feel blessed to have known him and to have been able to share a few pleasant memories with him. He was a man of impeccable character who devoted his life to serving Christ. Now he is standing before our Lord and King. What joy for him and for all those who have gone before him. My heart is gladdened to think of his beautiful homecoming yet still being human I weep for the lack of his physical presence in my life and for all the other ones he has left behind. However, I have lived through quite a few funerals and it always amazes me how the spiritual body of Christ works. How people pray for one another just at those right moments. At times I can't wait to die to experience this aspect in its entirety in heaven being in full communion with the Mystical Body of Christ. Do not fear death, but rather through our tears rejoice for our New Life that God has chosen for us.

"It is not Death that will come to fetch me, it is the good God. Death is no phantom, no horrible specter, as represented in pictures. In the catechism it stated that death is the separation of soul and body, that is all! Well, I am not afraid of a separation which will unite me to the good God forever." - St. Therese of Lisieux, Counsels and Reminisces.

Proverbs 30: 8. Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9. lest I be full, and deny thee.

In this materialistic society of ours, ‘riches’ are regarded as the end-all, be-all of our existence. Are you consumed by the desire for wealth? No? Well, here’s the question: If you had a lottery ticket and you knew someone in your area won, could you throw away the ticket without checking to see if you’d won?

Materialism is a problem that seeps into you from our external culture. Most people don’t understand that there are as many moral problems with riches as there are with poverty. I included the next part of verse eight and the start of nine, because they illuminate the problem of riches: “lest I be full, and deny thee.” It all goes back to Jesus’ statements on the difficulty of attaining heaven if you are rich; it is very easy to no longer ‘need’ Christ or God and to generally turn away from him.

Let us all have the ability to pray ‘give me neither poverty or riches.’

Jay

Just a quick note to our readers: Today Joe is getting married to Krista. So, the blog is a little light (we’re both working to get everything ready), but I wanted to ask for your prayers as they start their new lives together.

If you’re doing a holy hour, please dedicate it to them. These days young married couples need all the prayer and support they can get. Oh – and if you aren’t doing a holy hour, you should try it. It’s amazing what God can do in an hour.

God bless,
Jay

In light of the current economic situation of our country, I thought it might be appropriate to touch on this very important subject. So often we lose sight of the fact that God has a plan for our lives. We become self-centered and limit our spiritual vision. We forget that we were made for greater things than simply working for this or that company. We have dignity and uniqueness as human beings. We are loved and can love in return. Jesus wants what is best for us; therefore we have to abandon ourselves to His divine will.

We have so many uncertainties in this life. Will I have a job next month? Will my children be provided for? Will I have enough money saved up for retirement? Yet despite all of these legitimate concerns, we do have one certainty...God loves us.

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they: And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all those things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." - Matthew 6:25-34

So during these times of uncertainty let us place our trust in the Lord of heaven and earth and abandon ourselves to His divine will.

I think we need to put out a plea for help. Just wandering around the blogosphere a little tells you how honest this statement is: we need more faithful Catholic bloggers. There are some out there – Patrick Sweeney and Mark Shea, for example, but we still lack quantity – the key to our evangelization efforts.

Currently there are tons of anti-Catholic bloggers and more unfaithful Catholic bloggers than you would believe; in fact, probably the most well-known Catholic blog out there is a homosexual Catholic who rages against the Church on a daily basis (he’ll get no link from me). Granted blogging is a new arena, which suggests it will take time to gain new adherents, but someone should talk to Scott Hahn (I’ll personally code his site gratis – just for the honor of having him online), Stephen Ray, and the other muscular converts who really have something to add to the online dialogue.

However, it doesn’t stop there: why aren’t you blogging? Talk about an easy way to do a little work for heaven, just espouse Catholicism as Christ intended and you’ll be amazed by the lives you touch. The Pope is calling for a New Evangelization and this is your big chance. As Chesterton famously wrote: “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” So don’t worry if you aren’t the most able writer or don’t worry you may get something wrong (we obviously don’t). To start is half the journey. Feel free to comment on this message or email me and I’ll be glad to direct you to resources.

Oh – and someone get a hold of Scott Hahn! The blogosphere needs him!

Jay

PS – Hahn was a major force in my conversion, hence the hero-worship! ;-)

I recommend you stop by and read about the events going on in Ireland.

This is a disturbing turn of events and suggests some of the issues the Catholic Church and us, it's adherents, might face in the coming decade. Basically words like "hate" have been redefined by society and are now being used as a weapon against God and His Church.

What bothers me most about all this is the shortsightedness of those involved. As Americans, we tend to ignore the long-term ramifications of a decision and focus only on the short-term - as can be seen in the Episcopal church issue. What are the long-term ramifications of legitimizing homosexuality? Go back and read Humane Vitae.

Also, don't miss the Lileks column today. The second half of this column discusses some of his issues with the Episcopal's decision. Very thought provoking.

Jay

2 Peter 1:5. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge.

Virtue seems to have disappeared these days; gone the way of chivalry, which was simply another way to describe a virtuous man. But I think it’s a profound lesson that our society – especially 21st century American society – must take note of: Lack of virtue is destructive.

Often you hear older men and women suggest that the world is far different from their youth. I think what they are describing in physical terms is the degradation of virtue in our society. No longer can we trust the word of an unknown person. In fact, we typically distrust our bosses, coworkers, and even neighbors, always assuming that no one has kept the virtue of truthfulness. One thing we understand in modern America, with its libertarian direction, is that you’re on your own. Caveat Emptor has become an excuse for companies to lie and people to give up on living honest lives. Where does this leave us?

One important lesson for Christians is that the virtues are learned together. You can assume those who are virtuous in one area are virtuous in others. Likewise, don’t expect a thief to be honest. As followers of Christ, we are obligated to assume the best in others and trust in God to protect us from those less than deserving. Ultimately, this is the advice we follow, but God does not expect blindness. We should watch those who are unkind, not loyal, or dishonest. These are signs that point directly to a lack of virtue.

As for ourselves we should work to become virtuous. I highly recommend Learning the Virtues by Romano Guardini. It’s an excellent guide to become virtuous in your life – and through virtue living a more joyful, happy life.

God bless,
Jay

Darkness can not drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
- - Martin Luther King, Jr.

I believe we are a ‘tipping point,’ if you will, in American society. We can have the hope that a new Supreme Court will rule abortion illegal. Yet at the same moment, we worry that the Supreme Court will legalize homosexual marriage. It is, as they say, ‘the best of times, the worst of times.’ Our society is moving more and more toward an Objectivist (read: Libertarian) point of view that removes morality from the public sphere. And yet, the Catholic church is growing stronger through conversions and studious cradle-Catholics.

A tipping point is a peculiar opportunity; we have the ability to strongly impact the future, not only of America, but also of the world, by ensuring that the right decisions are made concerning our society. As Catholics, we have the full Truth, but we also have a moral obligation to push that Truth into the public realm; holding our candle high, rather than hiding it. To paraphrase MLK – Ignorance cannot drive out ignorance, only Truth can do that.

Let me begin by stating that this is a subject very near to my heart. One of my passions is the study of economic theory and the application of that theory. The particular area that I wish to focus on today is labor and the dignity of the worker. Most economists consider labor to be a means for an end, that end being profit. The problem with this train of thought is its complete failure to acknowledge the dignity of the worker. An economy driven solely by profit will quickly place value of the efficiency and proficiency of the worker verses the worker's uniqueness as a human being. Man is not for work, work is for man.