Recently in Catholic Life Category

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