CNS STORY: Vatican praises new UN status for Palestine, urges full sovereignty: The Vatican praised a United Nations vote making Palestine a non-member observer state but called for full recognition of Palestinian sovereignty as necessary for peace in the region.
One hundred thirty-eight member states voted Nov. 29 to boost Palestine's status from "entity" to "non-member state" -- the same status held by the Holy See -- in an implicit recognition of Palestinian sovereignty. Israel, the United States and Canada were among the nine states that voted against the motion. Forty-one countries abstained.
Friday, November 30, 2012
The Pope's Advent prayer: To welcome the stranger...
Whispers in the Loggia: The Pope's Advent Prayer: To Welcome the StrangerPALMO: Home to some 5 million Catholics – twice its 1990 size – the LA church, 70 percent of it Hispanic, is the largest diocese in the five-century history of the Stateside church by a slim margin of some 2 million (put another way, by the size of the archdiocese of Boston). Nationally, meanwhile, Latinos comprise fully three-fifths of the domestic faithful younger than 30, and above all – precise figures of the undocumented being difficult to pinpoint – form either a plurality or an outright majority of the roughly 70 million-member fold coast to coast.�
Here's what DNA actually looks like...
What DNA actually looks like | Compound Eye, Scientific American Blog Network: This blog often covers small things: insects, spiders, slime molds and so on. In the scheme of biology, though, the usual fare here is pretty big.
In contrast, here is something truly small- the first ever microscope image of an isolated molecule of DNA
In contrast, here is something truly small- the first ever microscope image of an isolated molecule of DNA
Deliver us from successful Catholics...
Deliver Us From Successful CatholicsLONGENECKER: What I mean is successful in the world’s terms. Now that I’ve returned to �America after living in the damp lands for twenty five years, one of the things I find most trying is America’s love affair with “success”. I’m not talking about being excellent or being a fulfilled human being or finding what you want to do in life and doing it well. I’m certainly not talking about building a fine family or achieving sanctity.
Who are the biggest Catholic dissidents of the recent past? Increasingly, nobody knows and nobody cares...
Who are these ‘c’atholic liberals? Young Catholics don’t know and don’t care. | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?ZUHLSDORF: I was talking with a priest friend today about the fact that virtually all the American seminarians we know were not educated by women religious. �Neither is the National Catholic Reporter on their radar screens. �The NCR was ubiquitous back in the day… lo those many years ago. They and their ilk had a strangle-hold. Now-aging-liberals propped it up in parishes and seminaries and religious houses, squelching other voices such as The Wanderer and alternative Catholic news sources and opinions. �In those days only one interpretation of Vatican II was licit, nay rather, was all holy! Dissident from their dissent was forbidden, dangerous to a seminarian’s vocation or a priest’s career.
10 things you need to know today: November 30, 2012...
10 things you need to know today: November 30, 2012 - The Week: The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly voted to grant the Palestinians "non-member observer state" status. Thousands of Palestinians cheered the news in the streets of Ramallah in the West Bank. The upgrade marks a leap forward in the quest for a Palestinian state, and means the Palestinians can now join the International Criminal Court and become members of certain U.N. agencies. The move was opposed by just nine of the U.N.'s 193 members — including the U.S. and Israel, which have argued that direct talks between the Palestinians and Israelis are the only legitimate way to reach a two-state solution. The vote was also a major victory for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who had recently lost stature among Palestinians following a clash between Israel and Hamas, the PA's more militant rival.
10 things you need to know about Advent...
10 Things You Need to Know About Advent |Blogs | NCRegister.com: Advent begins this Sunday.
Most of us have an intuitive understanding of Advent, based on experience, but what do the Church's official documents actually say about Advent?
Here are some of the basic questions and (official!) answers about Advent.
Some of the answers are surprising!
Here we go...
Most of us have an intuitive understanding of Advent, based on experience, but what do the Church's official documents actually say about Advent?
Here are some of the basic questions and (official!) answers about Advent.
Some of the answers are surprising!
Here we go...
5 reminders from the USCCB today: November 30, 2012...
USCCB Blog: Five Things to Remember on Nov. 30: Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, begins a new church year. The U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops has outdone itself with this year’s Advent resources. Among them is a downloadable family Advent calendar, in English and in Spanish. There are easy ways to make the hectic season holy.
1,000,000 Filipino Catholics attend National Thanksgiving Mass for recently canonized saint
Over 1 million attend thanksgiving mass for Calungsod | Inquirer News: President Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Friday led other government officials and more than a million devotees in the National Thanksgiving Mass for the canonization of St. Pedro Calungsod.
Four cardinals, 54 bishops and archbishops and some 700 priests from at least seven countries concelebrated the Mass held in a small temple built on the reclaimed South Road Properties.
Four cardinals, 54 bishops and archbishops and some 700 priests from at least seven countries concelebrated the Mass held in a small temple built on the reclaimed South Road Properties.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Three ways to kick porn out of your life...
Three ways to kick porn out of your life | LifeSiteNews.comJALSEVAC: That we even come to hate pornography is no guarantee that we will be freed from its allure. Many are those who have believed that they had their porn use “under control,” but who, upon seeking to quit once and for all, have found themselves inexplicably returning again and again, in defiance of their convictions and their good sense. It turns out that the temptation of anonymous, responsibility-free sexual pleasure on demand is a remarkably enduring one, even if we know from experience that all its promises of happiness are an illusion, and that if we give in it will only end in loneliness, bitterness and self-recrimination.
Vatican strips Austrian dissident of honorary title 'Monsignor'...
Vatican strips Austrian dissident of honorary title 'Monsignor' : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: Father Helmut Schüller, the head of the Austrian Priests’ Initiative and a former vicar general of the Vienna archdiocese, no longer holds the honorary title of “Chaplain of his Holiness,” the Vatican announced on November 29. The action comes more than a year after the Austrian Priests’ Initiative launched a “Call to Disobedience,” encouraging clergymen to defy Church teachings on issues including homosexuality, intercommunion, and the ordination of women. More than 400 Austrian priests have expressed support for the dissident movement.
Coming soon, a tweeting Benedict...
Whispers in the Loggia: The "iPope" Becomes @Pope: Coming Soon, A Tweeting BenedictPALMO: In the Vatican's latest move to leverage its profile on social media, a Monday morning press conference will be held on a topic that, not long ago, would've been unthinkable: "The Pope on Twitter."
In the works from early 2012 – and initially promised to launch as early as last Lent – the rollout of a papal handle will be led by a rare full-court press of the Holy See's lead communicators: the twin chiefs of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli and Msgr Paul Tighe; the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi; the editor of L'Osservatore Romano Gian Maria Vian and Greg Burke, the former Fox News correspondent (and Opus Dei numerary) hired earlier this year as a media guru based in the Secretariat of State.
In the works from early 2012 – and initially promised to launch as early as last Lent – the rollout of a papal handle will be led by a rare full-court press of the Holy See's lead communicators: the twin chiefs of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli and Msgr Paul Tighe; the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi; the editor of L'Osservatore Romano Gian Maria Vian and Greg Burke, the former Fox News correspondent (and Opus Dei numerary) hired earlier this year as a media guru based in the Secretariat of State.
Washington ditches "husband" and "wife" on marriage certificates...
Creative Minority Report: Washington Ditches "Husband" and "Wife" on Marriage Certificates: This tells you everything you need to know about us when we think we can vote away reality and then offer suggestions on what to call our distortion. Think about it. Until recently everyone knew that when you got pregnant, you got pregnant with a baby. But that wasn't good enough for us. In our utopia, we've now relabeled babies as a "product of conception" or a "blob of tissue."
Watch: Air New Zealand releases Hobbit-themed airline safety video...
Air New Zealand Releases <i>Hobbit</i>-Themed Airline Safety Video | TIME.com: Airplane safety is nothing to be taken lightly – in fact, it’s so regimented that you’ll hear a similar spiel about safety belts and oxygen masks aboard practically any airline you fly. But you probably haven’t heard it delivered by an elf.
To coincide with next month’s release of Peter Jackson’s latest film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Air New Zealand has unveiled its own epic production of sorts, an adventurous take on the standard in-flight safety film. It’s an obvious and aggressive effort to promote New Zealand’s role in the film as a stand-in for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, but also a clever way to inject some fun and attention into the presentation that — let’s face it — leaves little to the imagination.
To coincide with next month’s release of Peter Jackson’s latest film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Air New Zealand has unveiled its own epic production of sorts, an adventurous take on the standard in-flight safety film. It’s an obvious and aggressive effort to promote New Zealand’s role in the film as a stand-in for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, but also a clever way to inject some fun and attention into the presentation that — let’s face it — leaves little to the imagination.
Euthanizing innocent children: "You have to realize that a new age has dawned"...
Re: Euthanizing babies � LewRockwell.com BlogMCMAKEN: I know that it's generally considered to be hyperbole when one compares someone to Nazis, but really, what is the difference between the UK's practice of euthanizing sick babies and the Nazi practice of euthanizing retarded children and old people?
In Britain - and soon here - you clearly must view your physician with suspicion lest he or she decide that you or or child should simply be killed by the state medical bureucracy.
Bishop Clemens von Galen was an early opponent of Nazi social programs, and noted how government medicine worked under National Socialism
In Britain - and soon here - you clearly must view your physician with suspicion lest he or she decide that you or or child should simply be killed by the state medical bureucracy.
Bishop Clemens von Galen was an early opponent of Nazi social programs, and noted how government medicine worked under National Socialism
Death by "terrible thirst": British NHS targets newborns, elderly for agonizing euthanasia program
x: One doctor has admitted starving and dehydrating ten babies to death in the neonatal unit of one hospital alone.
Writing in a leading medical journal, the physician revealed the process can take an average of ten days during which a baby becomes ‘smaller and shrunken’.
The LCP – on which 130,000 elderly and terminally-ill adult patients die each year – is now the subject of an independent inquiry ordered by ministers.
The investigation, which will include child patients, will look at whether cash payments to hospitals to hit death pathway targets have influenced doctors’ decisions.
Medical critics of the LCP insist it is impossible to say when a patient will die and as a result the LCP death becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. They say it is a form of euthanasia, used to clear hospital beds and save the NHS money.
Writing in a leading medical journal, the physician revealed the process can take an average of ten days during which a baby becomes ‘smaller and shrunken’.
The LCP – on which 130,000 elderly and terminally-ill adult patients die each year – is now the subject of an independent inquiry ordered by ministers.
The investigation, which will include child patients, will look at whether cash payments to hospitals to hit death pathway targets have influenced doctors’ decisions.
Medical critics of the LCP insist it is impossible to say when a patient will die and as a result the LCP death becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. They say it is a form of euthanasia, used to clear hospital beds and save the NHS money.
Germany is now debating whether bestiality should be a crime...
Bestiality debate in Germany � In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Should bestiality be formally criminalized under canon law? Well, given the affront that such conduct is to human dignity and to social integrity, and given that in at least some nations it appears that the Church cannot assume that the State is watching out for the best interests of their people in this regard, perhaps so. Seems worth thinking through, at least as an issue for particular law...
You know those Lighthouse Catholic Media kiosks you see in parishes? Now there's an app for that...
The Lighthouse Catholic Media Bible App is Here! | Carson WeberWEBER: Want to listen to Jeff Cavins’ amazing talk: “I’m Not Being Fed”? �Click on Additional Content and �through three successive simple taps, you’ll be downloading your content in seconds. �Then, there’s Dr. John Bergsma’s fascinating presentation on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Fr. Michael Schmidt’s inspiring talk titled: “True Worship.” �You can grab the famous conversion story of Dr. Scott Hahn...
10 things you need to know today: November 29, 2012...
10 things you need to know today: November 29, 2012 - The Week: President Obama, who heads to Pennsylvania on Thursday to stump for his plan to avoid the fiscal cliff, said he hoped to reach a deal with Republicans before Christmas. Obama urged Americans to use Twitter to pressure lawmakers to compromise on a deficit reduction plan to prevent punishing automatic tax hikes and spending cuts from taking effect Jan. 1. GOP unity against Obama's call for raising tax rates on the wealthy has begun to falter — conservative Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Wednesday he'd back an agreement to raise rates on the rich but extend tax cuts to the 98 percent of Americans making less than $250,000. "Why make the American people wait through 30 days of this, wondering — 98 percent of them — if their taxes are going to go up," Cole said.
10 silly reasons you won't pray today (and why you should reconsider)...
Ten Silly Reasons You Won't Pray Today (and Why You Should Reconsider) |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: You know how to talk, don't you?� That's what prayer is -- talking to God, and learning how to listen. �Like any conversation, it feels awkward if you are more or less strangers, or if you've been away for a while, but prayer is something that everyone can learn.� Try some Ignatian Spirituality for some gentle, practical advice on how to get the conversation going.
What should we make of the "Two and a Half Men" star's outburst?
What Should We Make of "Two and a Half Men" Star's Outburst? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: A few days ago a video went viral in which Angus Jones of the sitcom Two and a Half Men called the show "filth" and urged people not to watch it.
Then there was a day where neither he nor the show's producers could really be reached for comment.
I said to myself, "Desperate, back-stage damage control discussions."
Now Angus Jones has come out with a kinda, sorta apology.
That didn't take long.
Here's the story...
Then there was a day where neither he nor the show's producers could really be reached for comment.
I said to myself, "Desperate, back-stage damage control discussions."
Now Angus Jones has come out with a kinda, sorta apology.
That didn't take long.
Here's the story...
The biblical roots of the Battle Hymn of the Republic...
The Biblical roots of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: The author of these words, Julia Ward Howe, lived in times that were anything but dainty or delicate. She lived in time of war, the Civil War. And she , like many of that time, possibly including President Lincoln, had come to see that horrible war as God’s judgment on a land that had enslaved, and cruelly and unjustly treated a whole race of people. Many decades before Thomas Jefferson had written, Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free (Notes on the State of Virginia). Yes, many abolitionists and others saw the Civil War in terms of God coming to render justice for the oppressed and to punish and purify by fire a land that strayed far from justice.
After pressure campaign, Calgary Catholic school board approves HPV vaccine for 5th grade girls
Catholic board overturns ban on HPV vaccine: Trustees with the city’s Catholic school board have overturned a four-year-old ban on offering the HPV vaccine in its schools, a move greeted by doctors and victims of the disease who have fought the prohibition.
The decision was made at a meeting Wednesday evening and passed with a unanimous vote, after a consultation with school councils found an overwhelming number in favour of the immunization being made available.
The decision was made at a meeting Wednesday evening and passed with a unanimous vote, after a consultation with school councils found an overwhelming number in favour of the immunization being made available.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Why did abortion see its biggest decrease in ten years?
Why Did Abortion See Its Biggest Decrease in 10 Years? | CatholicVote.orgTHOMASPETERS: The media have been quick to claim the reason for the decrease in the abortion rate is more widespread use of artificial contraception. But step back for a moment. Does anyone honestly believe that in 2009 women suddenly became much “better” about using artificial contraception compared to the previous year? What’s the takeaway here? The pro-life movement is working, plain and simple. And we need to continue fighting to convert the culture every single day.
How do space potties work? This question (and more) answered in a fascinating tour of the International Space Station...
New Advent: How do space potties work? This question (and more) answered in a fascinating tour of the International Space Station...: In her final days as Commander of the International Space Station, Sunita Williams of NASA recorded an extensive tour of the orbital laboratory and downlinked the video on Nov. 18, just hours before she, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency departed in their Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft for a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan. The tour includes scenes of each of the station's modules and research facilities with a running narrative by Williams of the work that has taken place and which is ongoing aboard the orbital outpost.
We don’t “speak” at Holy Mass the way we talk at the local mall, and for a good reason...
Sacred Language for Sacred Acts | First ThingsWEIGEL: It was just about a year ago that U.S. parishes began using the new translations of the third edition of the Roman Missal—an implementation process that seems to have gone far more smoothly than some anticipated. Wrinkles remain to be ironed out: There are precious few decent musical settings for the revised Ordinary of the Mass; the occasional celebrant (not infrequently with “S.J.” after his name) feels compelled to share his winsome personality with the congregation by ad-libbing the priestly greetings and prayers of the Mass. Some of the new texts themselves could have used another editorial rinsing, in my judgment. But in the main, the new translations are an immense improvement and seem to have been received as such.
A free school under a bridge in India...
A free school under a bridge in India - PhotoBlog: Founder of a free school for slum children Rajesh Kumar Sharma, second from right, and Laxmi Chandra, right, write on black boards, painted on a building wall, at a free school run under a metro bridge in New Delhi, India. At least 30 children living in the nearby slums have been receiving free education from this school for the last three years.
In Tyler, Texas, it's time...
Whispers in the Loggia: In Tyler, It's TimePALMO: Eleven years ago on Assumption Day, the most exuberant episcopal ordination American Catholicism has seen in modern times took place in St Louis as a crowd of 2,700 – including, so it was said, "seminarians hanging off balconies" – thronged the city's Cathedral-Basilica to watch a certain wildly beloved former rector of the Pontifical North American College become his hometown's auxiliary bishop.
I am going to China to meet my son for the first time...
Of All Things Visible and InvisibleMULDOON: I am suspended between myriad emotions during this remarkable period. Most importantly, what I feel is a strong vocational stirring in this whole process: the sense that God has spoken to Sue and me, saying effectively that he needed us to respond with generous hearts even when we were not certain that another adoption was possible.
The stirring began, as it always does, with an emotional response. Fu Yuan's picture was in an adoption email that Sue receives regularly, and she did what you're not supposed to do with pictures: fall in love. She sent the picture to me and asked what I thought. My answer: I wish we could adopt him and all his friends. But we couldn't, I said, it's too expensive.
The stirring began, as it always does, with an emotional response. Fu Yuan's picture was in an adoption email that Sue receives regularly, and she did what you're not supposed to do with pictures: fall in love. She sent the picture to me and asked what I thought. My answer: I wish we could adopt him and all his friends. But we couldn't, I said, it's too expensive.
Man's war against Nothingness has been won by Jesus Christ...
Better Than NothingBARNES: Infinitely more depressing than the story of the cosmos is the story of man — a dying universe in himself. He comes from Nothing, brought into being several seconds after the sperm of his father crashes into the ovum of his mother, and will return to Nothing in death. His existence is an island in a sea of non-existence. Bleak? It depends on whether we’ve the courage to face it, for existence, at the final count, is resistance. To live, to try, to make, to act, to do, to be...
10 ways Catholics can transform modern culture...
Aggie Catholics: 10 Ways Catholics Can Transform Modern CultureLEJEUNE: Evangelize, evangelize, evangelize. When we get to heaven, I believe the first question St. Peter will ask is "who did you bring with you?" The mission of the Church is to evangelize and it is why she exists in the first place. WE are the Church! We need to live out our identity better.
For the first time in a year, Kilauea's lava has reached the sea and Hawaii is growing again...
Hawaii Volcano Lava Flow Into Ocean | Kilauea Volcano | OurAmazingPlanet.com: Lava overtopped a seaside cliff in Hawaii this weekend, sending up spectacular steam plumes caught on video and in pictures by a camera crew aboard a helicopter.
The slow-moving stream of molten rock, a sticky form of lava called "pahoehoe," crested the edge around 1 p.m. Hawaiian time on Saturday (Nov. 24), said Ken Hon, a geology professor at the University of Hawaii in Hilo. Hon and his students were accompanying a documentary crew at the site and saw the lava pour over the cliff.
The slow-moving stream of molten rock, a sticky form of lava called "pahoehoe," crested the edge around 1 p.m. Hawaiian time on Saturday (Nov. 24), said Ken Hon, a geology professor at the University of Hawaii in Hilo. Hon and his students were accompanying a documentary crew at the site and saw the lava pour over the cliff.
The readings for the upcoming First Sunday of Advent...
The Sacred Page: Happy New Year! The First Sunday of AdventBERGSMA: Happy New Year, everyone!� This Sunday, December 2, is the first day of Liturgical Year 2013, which is Lectionary Cycle C for readings on Lord’s Days and Holy Days.� Obviously, it is also the First Sunday of Advent.� Now, the tradition of the Church is to read the Book of Isaiah during Advent, because this prophetic book, more than any other, is regarded as a prophecy of the Coming of Christ (adventus Christi), both his first coming and his second coming.� Thus, if you examine the Sunday Lectionary for Years A and B, and the weekday Lectionary for Advent, you will see that the First Readings are dominated by selections from Isaiah.
An ever-changing College of Cardinals, and Pope Benedict's supermajority...
Whispers in the Loggia: An Ever-Changing College... Ever More, Benedict's SupermajorityPALMO: Much as last weekend's events highlighted the reality in the elevation of the two youngest members – by far – of the Pope's Senate (and, in time, the electorate that'll choose his successor), a 2010 analysis long ago set the stakes for what's now upon us....
I can't help but wonder why parishes do not have a “young mother’s ministry”...
Open Hand, Open Heart: Ministry to Young MothersSCALIA: It occurs to me that 21st century realities for young mothers — particularly for young mothers willing to have larger families — are quite different than they were thirty years ago, or fifty. In “the old days” — back when my mother had me, for instance, and my Mother-in-Law had my husband — families were larger to start with, and extended family members lived nearby. My grandmother lived with us; my husband’s grandmother lived a few blocks away; one aunt lived right up the street and another around the corner. A new mother had some resources to help her out, another pair of hands to catch a running kid; someone to sit with for a tea-break and an hour’s adult conversation.
A child with many siblings is a very loved child, many times over...
just showing up: The sibling factorHELDT: If you are considering family size, wondering if remaining open to children throughout your marriage is even possible in this day and age, Catholic or not, I want to tell you that it is. Counter-cultural, yes. The lesser-travelled road, most definitely. But it is also really, really good. We must resist the temptation to internalize arbitrary cultural norms that tell us our homes or our cars or our hearts are too small for more than _____ children. We must consider our priorities, and how we've ordered our lives, and see how that lines up with what Christ's Church has always told us: that children are a natural part of marriage, and are a gift to marriage--not primarily a burden.
Why do you yawn? Nobody really knows...
Pondering the Mystery of Yawning | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: The video at the bottom of the post is a remarkable 3-D video of a baby yawning in the womb. I was struck at how, while watching it, I began to yawn as well.
I want to say, that yawning is a very deep mystery. I have never heard an explanation for yawning that sounded very convincing. Frankly, honest medical people will shrug and say, no one really knows why we yawn, or why the practice is so catchy. It does seem related to fatigue but not every who is tired yawns.
I want to say, that yawning is a very deep mystery. I have never heard an explanation for yawning that sounded very convincing. Frankly, honest medical people will shrug and say, no one really knows why we yawn, or why the practice is so catchy. It does seem related to fatigue but not every who is tired yawns.
Nice work, Warner Brothers! Nine classic Superman cartoons restored and posted on YouTube...
Nine Classic Superman Cartoons Restored and Now on YouTube | Open Culture: At the top of this post, you can watch 1941′s Superman, a short nominated for an Academy Award and (according to 1,000 animation professionals) the 33rd greatest cartoon of all time. When you’ve done that, how about eight more of the Man of Steel’s most aesthetically distinctive, pristinely restored animated adventures? Warner Brothers has just posted them, free for the watching, to their YouTube channel. They originally came out of Fleischer Studios, which animation buffs will know meant a true mark of quality back then. “Then,” in this case, means the early 1940s, and these Fleischer-produced Superman shorts brazenly bear the stylistic mark of that era. But if their rich, clean-lined look bursting with Technicolor strikes our eyes today as vintage, it also has a certain retro timelessness — if that doesn’t sound like too much of a contradiction in terms. No wonder they call this the Golden Age of Animation.
What can a regular Catholic Joe like me do to evangelize?
Accidental Evangelism |Blogs | NCRegister.comPATARCHBOLD: Recently, I have been giving a lot of thought to how can a regular Catholic Joe like me can fulfill my evangelical duty. I suppose when I think about evangelism, I conjure images of a man on a soapbox on the corner or walking door to door like the Jehovah Witnesses do. When I think of these things, I get intimidated and turned off. And then I do nothing.
So I have been wondering how a guy like me, a guy with a 50 hour a week job with frequent business travel, a family with a wife and five young children, a mortgage and home could possibly evangelize too. It is so daunting and it seems impossible. And so I do nothing.
So I have been wondering how a guy like me, a guy with a 50 hour a week job with frequent business travel, a family with a wife and five young children, a mortgage and home could possibly evangelize too. It is so daunting and it seems impossible. And so I do nothing.
5 things Catholics need to know today: November 28, 2012...
USCCB Blog: Five Things to Remember on Nov. 28: The decision by the Supreme Court Nov. 26 to direct the Fourth Circuit to hear Liberty University’s appeal from the dismissal of its lawsuit is the right one. There is a serious impact on religious freedom when the government can coerce a religious organization to provide sterilization and contraception, including abortion-inducing contraceptives, when these directly violate the beliefs of the religious group. The courts must consider how this impacts freedom of religion and whether it violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Nothing is more important than the aggressive pursuit of progress in your relationship with God...
Navigating the Interior LifeMCCLOSKEY: How many times have you opened a book that promised to change your life, only to become disillusioned by the end of it (or long before!) upon finding that you did not understand it or agree with it or that you simply were not willing to exert the willpower necessary to follow the author's advice on how to lose weight, improve your memory, speed read, or run for office and become the governor of your state?
Corn be heavy soon: The tragic stories of 10 unlucky lottery winners...
The Unlucky Winners | $500 Million Powerball Jackpot: The Tragic Stories of the Lottery’s Unluckiest Winners | TIME.com: Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot is now expected to be an unimaginable $500 million, the second-biggest jackpot in history behind March’s $656 Mega Millions pot. But winning the lottery can have its pitfalls. Distant relatives and fair-weather friends can come clamoring for their share; spouse can turn on spouse; kidnapping and murder can suddenly become very real threats. And sometimes, the greatest danger to the newly well-off can be the winners themselves. Here are ten cautionary tales of some of the biggest-winning losers in lottery history.
Tips from 6 lottery winners whose lives weren't destroyed by the experience...
Powerball Winners on Being Filthy Rich - The Daily Beast: The country might be teetering on the edge of a fiscal cliff, but at least one lucky American might soon have nothing to worry about: the winner—or winners—of Wednesday’s record $500 million Powerball jackpot. Sure, you have a one in 175,223,510 chance of winning, but that shouldn’t stop you from gambling $2 of your hard-earned money for a shot at being filthy rich (that $500 million could be even higher by Wednesday night’s drawing, depending on how ticket sales go).
What are the chances that life on earth “just happened”?
What are the chances that life on earth “just happened”? | BrandonVogt.comVOGT: The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston's new VCAT project is one of the coolest I've seen. The film series walks viewers through the Catechism, one YouTube video at a time, and is designed to stir the heart while speaking to the mind. I think it's the perfect example of the "new expressions" called for by the New Evangelization. Bishop Michael Bransfield and the creative teams at Likable Art and Outside da Box deserve big kudos.
6 great Catholic Christmas gifts for 2012...
6 Great Catholic Christmas Gifts for 2012 | St. Peter's List: St. Peter's List once again brings you a list of the best Catholic Christmas gifts of the season. We are extraordinarily pleased to be able to offer you a special Christmas gift discount subscription to the excellent Catholic literary magazine Dappled Things. Also featured on this list are two excellent works: the well-known final volume of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth and the newest text from EWTN’s National Catholic Register Executive Director Dan Burke entitled Navigating the Interior Life. Finally, SPL has come a long way in a little over a year and is this Christmastime able to offer you products from our very own SPL Store.
10 things you need to know today: November 28, 2012...
10 things you need to know today: November 28, 2012 - The Week: Obama asks for public support in fiscal cliff talks, Egyptians clash with police, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
How changing what I wear changed my approach to Mass...
How Changing What I Wear Changed My Approach to Mass |Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: There's a new link-up that's getting a ton of traction in the Catholic blog world: It's called What I Wore Sunday, and participants link to posts on their own blogs with pictures of what they wear to Mass (so far it's only women, but I know that Mark Shea is thinking about jumping in next week). This online party has grown by almost 500% in a little over a month, and has been getting a lot of buzz in certain corners of the blogosphere. What is it about this idea that people find so appealing? Kathryn Whitaker described it well over at Austin Catholic New Media when she said of her own participation in the virtual festival
Holy Father's Wednesday audience: 'How do we speak about God in our times?'
VIS news - Holy See Press Office: SPEAKING ABOUT GOD IN OUR TIMES: The Pope explained that for St. Paul, communicating the faith did not mean "showing himself, but rather saying openly and publicly what he had seen and heard in his encounter with Christ, and how much his life had been transformed by that encounter. … The Apostle was not satisfied with merely proclaiming the words, but committed his entire existence to the great work of faith. … To speak about God, we must make space for Him, confident that He acts upon our weakness. We must make space for Him without fear, with simplicity and joy, in the profound conviction that the more we place Him - and not ourselves - at the centre of our lives, the more fruitful our communication will be. ... This also holds true for Christian communities. They are called to communicate the transforming action of God's grace, overcoming individualism, closure, selfishness and indifference, bringing the love of God to daily relationships. We must must act to ensure ... we always announce Christ, not ourselves".
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Here's what the Church in the U.S. needs to do next...
OSV Daily Take Blog: Shaw: Election results highlight need for ongoing catechesisSHAW: The cardinal looked grim. "This is the situation now," he said. "One political party is dangerous and the other is stupid."
Since that was said in a private chat, it wouldn't be fair for me to name the speaker. But his comment expresses sentiments that probably are widely shared in the American hierarchy today, as indeed they're shared widely by many Americans. Bipartisan disgust with politics is a sorry byproduct of our recent, toxic election campaign. If the country should actually topple over the infamous fiscal cliff, plenty of people would suppose both parties gave it a shove.
Since that was said in a private chat, it wouldn't be fair for me to name the speaker. But his comment expresses sentiments that probably are widely shared in the American hierarchy today, as indeed they're shared widely by many Americans. Bipartisan disgust with politics is a sorry byproduct of our recent, toxic election campaign. If the country should actually topple over the infamous fiscal cliff, plenty of people would suppose both parties gave it a shove.
Dorothy Day's daily diary reveals a spitfire saint...
Day’s days: her diary reveals a spitfire saintKANDRA: I’m working my way through Dorothy Day’s diaries, collected in “The Duty of Delight,“ and among all the mundane details of daily life —whom she met, what she prayed, when she ate—the woman being touted for sainthood by New York’s Cardinal Archbishop reveals a distaste, even a disdain, for some clergy.
You and your heathen friend...
You and Your Heathen Friend |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: If the Church can accept that there is some truth in other religions, doesn't it follow that there's some good in the people who belong to those religions?� Anyway, how the heck are we supposed to spread the Gospel if we can't hang around with people who haven't heard the Gospel?� Why should they listen to us if they don't already know and like us?� How are we supposed to make any progress in our own understanding of the Faith if we're grabbing onto it so tightly that we never hold it up for anyone to see?
What does God want you to do? Three steps to help you discern His will...
Discerning God's Will In 3 Steps! | Following The TruthZIMAK: This is a question that many of us wrestle with frequently. When I was trying to discern whether to go full time as a Catholic Evangelist, I was very happy to discover that St. Ignatius of Loyola had devised a set of guidelines for making decisions. Unfortunately, I found his recommendations to be a bit complicated. With some careful reading and the help of some other books, however, I was able to come up with a simplified version of St. Ignatius’ 3 Modes of Discernment. If you’re trying to make a decision and you truly want to do God’s Will, try these 3 steps in order. If the first one works for you, there’s no need to move on to the second. If the second one works, there’s no need to go on to the third. If you get to the third mode, keep trying…it WILL work!
The New York Times tries to pin a political label on Dorothy Day...
Times tries to pin a label on Dorothy Day (updated)MATTINGLY: Back in the early 1990s, I had a chance to interview the late Father Ellwood “Bud” Kaiser about his unique career as a Catholic priest and as a producer in modern Hollywood, through Paulist Productions. Much of the interview focused on his film “Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story.” One of the keys to the movie, he said, was finding a way a visualize the transformation that drove Day into ministry, the moment when the guilt she felt about an abortion earlier in her life was, through repentance, turned into a powerful source of energy to help the poor, especially the needy children and families she encountered on the streets of New York City. She went into a confession booth a woman burdened and trapped by guilt, he said. She came out a woman driven to show grace to others.
Chicago auxiliary bishop to offer Traditional Latin Mass after January's March for Life...
Traditional Latin Mass @ 40th March for Life: Shortly after the conclusion of the 40th March for Life in Washington, D.C., Catholics from across the nation will gather with Chicago auxiliary bishop Joseph Perry and members of Juventutem Michigan for a 6:00 p.m. Sung Pontifical Mass at St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church. (This liturgy is variously known as the “Traditional Latin Mass,” “Tridentine Mass,” “Extraordinary Form Mass,” “Usus Antiquior,” etc.)
Commies rejoice (and completely miss the joke) as The Onion names North Korean dictator 'Sexiest Man Alive 2012'...
Kim Jong Un wins 'Sexiest Man Alive': How�The Onion�tricked a Chinese newspaper - The Week: Bradley Cooper. Channing Tatum. Kim Jong Un? Not to be outdone by People's annual ode to chiseled abs, The Onion nominated North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un this year's "Sexiest Man Alive." Unfortunately, not everyone was in on the spoof, namely China's largest Communist Party newspaper, The People's Daily, which not only took the bait but splashed a 55-page slideshow dedicated to the boyish leader across its homepage.
Video: The Brothers in Black explain YouCat...
thebrothersinblack - Just Fun Gospel - YouTube: A new project from a group of seminarians in Rome...
The simple beauty of Gregorian chant...
New Advent: The simple beauty of Gregorian chant...: CNS' own Joanna Kohorst talks about how learning Gregorian chant taught her a new way of thinking about music.
Good news from Catholic Relief Services in the fight against global poverty...
Good News -- For a Change | Catholic Relief Services Newswire: In today’s world, bad news about poverty, disease and disaster abounds. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Catholic Relief Services offers another perspective. Good News – For a Change highlights major strides in the fight against global poverty that are making a real difference in people’s lives.
In tumultuous times, I turn to saints like Edith Stein...
Saint Edith Stein - My ThanksgivingSTEELE: If we listen to the Holy Spirit indwelling in us and trust, the leaping of tall buildings is only a start. Saints do that before breakfast. But some of them deserve more than my blithe humor. I’d like to tell you about one such woman whose faith and strength brings me to my knees. If she were alive today, her contributions to the national dialogue would be incalculable. I’m extraordinarily thankful for her life and inspiration.
What an NPR interview with Daniel Day-Lewis taught me about Lectio Divina...
For Thoughts On Lectio Divina Prompted by An Interview With Daniel Day-LewisWEATHERS: On my commute home the other day, I heard an interview on the radio that Daniel Day-Lewis gave regarding his role in the movie “Lincoln.” I was struck by the length and depth he went to, in essence, become the man whom he portrays in the film. Something Lewis said made me think that there may be a practical lesson here about the practice of spiritual reading as a way to better come to know Jesus.
The New York Times plays politics with Dorothy Day...
Not Strictly Spiritual: N.Y. Times plays politics with Dorothy DayPOUST: I was happy to see a front page New Times story on Dorothy Day this morning when I came down for coffee. Of course, I began reading with trepidation, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Didn't take long. By the first line of the second paragraph, I was annoyed by the lack of understanding of all things Catholic.
Why do the souls in purgatory suffer so? An answer from St. John of the Cross...
Why do the souls in purgatory suffer so? An answer from St. John of the Cross | The New Theological MovementERLENBUSH: The month of November is dedicated to the poor souls in purgatory. These holy souls are assured of their salvation and enjoy the possession of the three theological virtues, and yet they suffer greatly. Indeed, excepting only the pains of hell, there is no suffering which can compare with that which the souls endure in the purifying fires of purgatory.
The one consolation of purgatory would be the fact that it is only temporal and not eternal suffering which must be endured. Indeed, every soul in purgatory will eventually enjoy the beatitude of heaven. However, the souls which languish there are not consoled by this thought, for it seems to them that their purgation will go on forever. While they do truly possess the theological virtue of hope (and so are certain of their salvation), yet they are overcome by the thought that their current sufferings will go on forever and that God has abandoned them.
The one consolation of purgatory would be the fact that it is only temporal and not eternal suffering which must be endured. Indeed, every soul in purgatory will eventually enjoy the beatitude of heaven. However, the souls which languish there are not consoled by this thought, for it seems to them that their purgation will go on forever. While they do truly possess the theological virtue of hope (and so are certain of their salvation), yet they are overcome by the thought that their current sufferings will go on forever and that God has abandoned them.
Vatican says it will promote religious liberty in Saudi-backed interfaith center
CNS STORY: Vatican says it will promote religious liberty in Saudi-backed center: A new Saudi-backed interfaith center will provide an opportunity for the church to promote religious freedom for Christians and others around the world, said the head of the Vatican's office for interreligious dialogue.
Monday, November 26, 2012
The 2012 election has provided Catholics a bit of needed clarity...
Begin the Apocalypse! | First ThingsSCALIA: Two weeks ago in this space, while still processing Election 2012, I wrote of my relief at the outcome, not because I approved of it, but because it provided a bit of needed clarity. Faced with a challenger whose most daring political strategy was to cultivate vagueness in his relentless pursuit of all things beige, and an incumbent gleefully willing to launch a daily barrage of splattering, oozing color bombs heedless of what or whom they hit–or whether their tints were environmentally toxic or even true–the voters chose “sound and fury” over “nothing.”
Cardinal Dolan: Dorothy Day is a symbol "for everything right about the dignity of the human person"...
Dolan Champions Sainthood for Dorothy Day, Hero of Catholic Left - NYTimes.com: Dorothy Day has found a seemingly unlikely champion in New York’s conservative archbishop, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, who has breathed new life into an effort to declare the Brooklyn native a saint.
Cardinal Dolan has embraced her cause with striking zeal: speaking on the anniversaries of her birth and death, distributing Dorothy Day prayer cards to parishes and even buying roughly 100 copies of her biography to give out last year as Christmas gifts to civic officials including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
Cardinal Dolan has embraced her cause with striking zeal: speaking on the anniversaries of her birth and death, distributing Dorothy Day prayer cards to parishes and even buying roughly 100 copies of her biography to give out last year as Christmas gifts to civic officials including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
Where is our Church going? What will it look like in a century?
The near future of the American Church | Truth & Charity The Intersection of Faith & LifeSHAUGHNESSY: While it was the HHS Mandate that unanimously rallied the Bishops together around a common cause, the election results showed a far from unanimous Catholic vote. Indeed, the fact that a majority of Catholics supported the arguably most anti-Catholic Presidential candidate in decades should give us considerable pause. It doesn’t help that the laity are led astray by what should be Catholic leaders, be they clergy (in homilies or in print)�or laity themselves. Where is our Church going? What will it look like in a century?
Listen: Air traffic controller proposes to his girlfriend over the air...
New Advent: Listen: Air traffic controller proposes to his girlfriend over the air...: An air traffic controller at Vancouver's international airport proposes to his girlfriend who is on board an arriving plane.
For those Catholics who realize that difficult times lie ahead, St. Mercurius is a powerful intercessor...
The Father of Swords | laboraeditions.comTRUSELL: Amid the ruckus of a Thanksgiving weekend, the feast of a relatively obscure saint slipped past unheralded, a saint who could be a powerful intercessor for that portion of the Catholic Church in America which understands that there are difficult times ahead.
6 pieces of folksy wisdom that are actually true...
6 Pieces of Folksy Wisdom That Are Actually True - Mental Floss: The holidays are here again. That means family, and family means listening to insane, ill-informed debates over every subject imaginable. But just because your relatives are old and probably a little crazy doesn’t mean everything they say is nonsense. When it comes to some of that old down-home folksy wisdom, for example, they’re actually right.
How ignoring two little words has devastated evangelization...
How ignoring two little words has devastated evangelization. | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Just two little words in a carefully written text of the Second Vatican Council carry tremendous significance in terms of the emphasis that text was meant to convey. Two little words, so easily overlooked, add urgency to the task for evangelization, and usher in a reminder of why the task of the Church in announcing Jesus Christ is so critical.
TV actor bashes his own show: "Please stop watching Two and a Half Men; stop filling your head with filth"
Angus T. Jones bashes 'Two and a Half Men,' calls it 'filth' - latimes.com: Angus T. Jones has been on "Men" for what seems like an eternity in TV time: coming up on 10 of his 19 years. In the first part of his testimony, he admits to using weed starting in his junior year in high school (a cousin turned him on to it, he said) and dropping acid in his senior year, around the time he bought a cool car and got some speeding tickets. In separate testimony given in October, he noted that he never drank and is still a virgin.
The National Catholic Reporter takes aim at the Cardinal Newman Society, and misses...
NCR Takes Aim at CNS… and Misses � Campus Notes: The National Catholic Reporter has been digging around for several months to do a profile on The Cardinal Newman Society, and their reporter told us to expect an “objective-as-possible” article. But since the Reporter shows minimal respect for the Vatican, the bishops and any organization that fully embraces the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church, we were not particularly hopeful. And, it turns out, with good reason.
Fr. Z shows every sign of being a happy priest...
Fr Z at Holy Redeemer | Uncategorized |: Fr John Zuhlsdorf celebrated our 7am Traditional Latin Mass at Holy Redeemer Church. He sings simply beautifully and his homily was good. I thought some would want to see pictures from the reception after Mass. He is a very friendly great priest. Yes of course there was Mystic Monk Coffee, three varieties!
Fr Z will next celebrate Mass here on Dec 23rd. He travels quite a bit, heading soon to his home parish St Agnes in St Paul, MN, and then to Holy Innocents in New York City. Yes they pay his expenses to go there. He is in demand.
Fr Z will next celebrate Mass here on Dec 23rd. He travels quite a bit, heading soon to his home parish St Agnes in St Paul, MN, and then to Holy Innocents in New York City. Yes they pay his expenses to go there. He is in demand.
Evangelicals becoming more devout, Catholics less so...
Evangelicals Becoming More Devout, Catholics Less So | Religious Denominations | LiveScience: Evangelical Protestants have become more devoted to their religious beliefs over the last three decades, even as Catholics have become less attached to their faith, new research finds.
The denominational differences come even as religious affiliations have decreased overall in America, with the number of people who claim no religious affiliation at all doubling from 7 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2000, said studyresearcher Philip Schwadel, a sociologist at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
The denominational differences come even as religious affiliations have decreased overall in America, with the number of people who claim no religious affiliation at all doubling from 7 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2000, said studyresearcher Philip Schwadel, a sociologist at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
How Cardinal Newman handled the haters...
How Cardinal Newman Handled the Haters : IgnitumTodayVOGT: In January 1864, the Protestant pastor and novelist Charles Kingsley reviewed an English history book for Macmillan’s Magazine. The review began innocently enough. Kingsley critiqued the author’s handling of English figures like Mary Tudor and Queen Elizabeth. However, it quickly devolved into potshots against Catholicism in general and, in particular, one of its most ardent supports, John Henry Newman. Newman was not yet Catholic, though he was on his way to converting in October 1845. However that didn’t stop him from being grossly offended by Kingsley’s remarks.
My addiction to pornography...
My porn addiction | LifeSiteNews.comJALSEVAC: It was in the mid 90s that we began to hear a whole lot about this new thing called “the Internet,” which could answer all of mankind’s deepest questions. At around the same time I hit puberty and began to spend my time moping about pondering the age-old riddle of what, exactly, women look like underneath their clothing.
St. Augustine of Hippo was not a patient pig wrestler...
St. Augustine is Annoyed: Or, Don’t Wrestle With a PigMCDONALD: There are a number of things that draw people to St. Augustine: the power of his prose, the clarity of his faith, his humanizing struggles, and his centrality to Christian doctrine. No other saint (or, indeed, any single figure of the ancient world) left us so many words, and in these words we find an immensely appealing and brilliant man.
50 stocking stuffer ideas for men...
50 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Men | The Art of Manliness: Every year since we started the site back in 2008, we’ve done an annual holiday gift guide, highlighting manly, useful, classic, and unique gifts an Art of Manliness man might want to find under the tree. This year, I wanted to do something a little different: using the same criteria to compile an edition entirely dedicated to stocking stuffers.
The Servant of the Servants of God is the Supreme Pontiff. The word 'pontiff' comes from the Latin for 'bridge'. Here's what it all means...
New Advent: The Servant of the Servants of God is the Supreme Pontiff. The word 'pontiff' comes from the Latin for 'bridge'. Here's what it all means...: A classic clip from America's Funniest Home Videos...
Using Catholic social teaching to justify a vast welfare state? That's like appealing to Michelangelo to justify porn...
Catholic Social Teaching: It’s Time to End the Misrepresentations | Crisis MagazineESOLEN: Imagine someone appealing to Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, to justify the activities of gangs in Los Angeles. Why not?� Lord Baden-Powell wanted boys to do risky things, and what’s more dangerous than running guns or smuggling cocaine or fighting another gang in a shooting spree?� He enjoined upon the Scouts a stern code of honor and loyalty, and who is more loyal than a new recruit for the Crips?� Who is more willing to shed his blood for the honor of the gang?
Let them be born in wonder...
Bishop James Conley's Installation Mass in Lincoln, NebraskaDEMOOR: Since OBS team headquarters reside in the Mile High City, Denver, the mission has been blessed to have had Bishop James Conley as our Auxiliary Bishop for 3 years, and Apostolic Administrator for 1 year; and then the phone call came from the Vatican a few short months ago, the call no one wanted to come across the Atlantic. But we all knew, especially the young adults, that bigger vineyards awaited the Kansas native. How did we know? Because during Bishop Conley’s time in Denver, commitment to proclaiming truth in word and deed was his way of life. This has and will continue to spark great enthusiasm amongst the future laity of the Church in Colorado.
10 things you need to know today: November 26, 2012...
10 things you need to know today: November 26, 2012 - The Week: Israel's defense minister will step down, Cyber Monday hits as online sales rise, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
Why the modern view of the Book of Revelation may be flawed...
Why the Modern View of the Book of Revelation may be Flawed. | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Currently in the Liturgies of daily Mass we have been reading the Book of Revelation. It is commonly read at the end of the liturgical year, for it bespeaks the end of, and passing qualities. of all things of this world.
It is also a book of glory, depicting the ultimate victory of our Lord Jesus Christ, after a great period of conflict between the doomed kingdom of this world, and the victorious Kingdom of Christ. In this context the Book of Revelation is not a mere tour guide to the last days, but is a book of glory reminding us that Christ has the total victory already wrapped up.
It is also a book of glory, depicting the ultimate victory of our Lord Jesus Christ, after a great period of conflict between the doomed kingdom of this world, and the victorious Kingdom of Christ. In this context the Book of Revelation is not a mere tour guide to the last days, but is a book of glory reminding us that Christ has the total victory already wrapped up.
Who says Jesus couldn't predict the fall of Jerusalem?
Who Says Jesus Couldn't Predict the Fall of Jerusalem? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: One of the reasons that people often date the gospels after A.D. 70 is that they contain predictions of the destruction of the Jewish temple, which happened in that year.
Jesus couldn't have predicted that event in advance, it is supposed. Therefore, the gospels had to be written after the event.
Really?
Would it surprise you to learn that Jesus wasn't the only person to predict the fall of Jerusalem and the temple before it happened?
Or that we know this apart from the Bible?
Jesus couldn't have predicted that event in advance, it is supposed. Therefore, the gospels had to be written after the event.
Really?
Would it surprise you to learn that Jesus wasn't the only person to predict the fall of Jerusalem and the temple before it happened?
Or that we know this apart from the Bible?
The temptation of Pontius Pilate...
The Temptation of Pilate |Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: When I read the Bible for the first time when I was in my 20s, I had a hard time getting into it. With little knowledge of Christianity and no knowledge of Judaism, I often felt that an impenetrable gulf separated me from the events depicted on the wispy pages of my brand new book. Even the New Testament seemed foreign; it took a while before I was able to feel a connection even to the figure of Christ himself. But there was one exception. One event described in all four of the Gospels jumped off the page to me in its vividness, because I felt an odd connection to one of the main people involved: Pontius Pilate.
Supreme court revives challenge to Obama health law
Supreme court revives challenge to Obama health law: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday revived a challenge to President Barack Obama's healthcare reforms, allowing a Christian college to pursue litigation raising First Amendment objections to a law that the court mostly upheld in June.
Supreme court revives challenge to Obama health law
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday revived a challenge to President Barack Obama's healthcare reforms, allowing a Christian college to pursue litigation raising First Amendment objections to a law that the court mostly upheld in June.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
How to attend the Pope's general audience...
How to attend a Pope's General Audience: It happens once every week. Thousands of people make their way to the Vatican to hear the Pope speak during Wednesday's general audience. �That much is pretty well known, but here are a few things that may surprise many.�
The first thing is the location. If the weather is nice, the general audience will take place out in the open, in St. Peter's Square. But if it's raining or cold, it's usually held at the Paul VI Hall, inside the Vatican.
The first thing is the location. If the weather is nice, the general audience will take place out in the open, in St. Peter's Square. But if it's raining or cold, it's usually held at the Paul VI Hall, inside the Vatican.
'Hidden Mountain, Secret Garden' is an introduction to mental prayer...
Beginning to Pray: Hidden Mountain Secret GardenLILLES: To follow the way shown to us by the Risen Lord, no method or technique can �replace faith guided by love, a living faith which is ours for the asking, a bold faith that steps out in confidence even in the shadow of death. �Such faith sees what is hidden and secret: Jesus Christ is never absent in our struggles, no matter how dark the doubt, or the fear, or the trial, or the temptation engulfing us.� He is with us in all our efforts to love, and especially in our efforts to find Him, to cleave to Him, to share Him with others.
Contrary to rumors, Father Georg Gänswein will remain as papal secretary...
Fr. Georg Secretary. ConfirmedMAGISTER: Tomorrow's consistory with the creation of six new cardinals has been hailed with a fireworks display of conjectures.
It was above all the bestowal of the scarlet to the American archbishop James Michael Harvey that uncorked the more or less bizarre hypotheses on the future configuration of Vatican leadership.
Last October 24, in proclaiming the consistory, Benedict XVI had announced Harvey's appointment as archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls.
It was above all the bestowal of the scarlet to the American archbishop James Michael Harvey that uncorked the more or less bizarre hypotheses on the future configuration of Vatican leadership.
Last October 24, in proclaiming the consistory, Benedict XVI had announced Harvey's appointment as archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls.
Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy...
Beware That Your Hearts Do Not Become DrowsyBRAMWELL: These are Jesus’ words in the Gospel for today. We are all very busty in this season, but responsible people make time for the things that are important. And this is important.
We live between the First Coming of Christ to redeem the world and the Second Coming of Christ to judge the world and to give those who are worthy “the prize of eternal redemption.” (Prayer over the Offerings) Advent is the time to grasp this mystery anew so that we may “resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming.”
We live between the First Coming of Christ to redeem the world and the Second Coming of Christ to judge the world and to give those who are worthy “the prize of eternal redemption.” (Prayer over the Offerings) Advent is the time to grasp this mystery anew so that we may “resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming.”
Christ the King deserves our praise, obedience, and adoration...
Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: Christ the King deserves our praise, obedience, and adorationOLSON: Are sporting events evil? Is it wrong to make a good living being an athlete? Of course not.
Which brings up a point directly related to this great feast day: cathedrals, churches, and works of art were created over the course of many centuries as essential features of the Church's worship of Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings. Today’s reading from the opening chapter of The Apocalypse describes Jesus as “the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.” If Jesus really is God, he deserves our praise; if he is King of all, he deserves our obedience; if he is the Alpha and Omega, he deserves our adoration.
Which brings up a point directly related to this great feast day: cathedrals, churches, and works of art were created over the course of many centuries as essential features of the Church's worship of Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings. Today’s reading from the opening chapter of The Apocalypse describes Jesus as “the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.” If Jesus really is God, he deserves our praise; if he is King of all, he deserves our obedience; if he is the Alpha and Omega, he deserves our adoration.
Smoking, puffing, and snuffing: A history of Catholicism and tobacco...
In the Habit: A History of Catholicism and Tobacco: Catholic World Report: In 1873, impoverished Confederate veteran Chiswell Langhorne (left) moved his family from Lynchburg to Danville, Virginia and began looking for work. The owner of a Danville tobacco warehouse had recently developed a new system of selling tobacco by auction: Instead of having farmers’ tobacco hogsheads sampled for interested buyers, the warehouse owner had all the tobacco laid out in long rows for auction. Langhorne, a lively character with a taste for showing off, got the idea that he would make his mark somehow in the newly flourishing Danville tobacco trade.
Is Jesus your king? Are you sure?
Is He your King? Really? A Meditation on the Gospel of Christ the King | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: On the feast of Christ the King, we are called to acknowledge that Jesus is, in fact our King. It is one thing to say that he is our King because the song in Church we sang said that, or the preacher said that, or the Bible says that. Yes, faith does come by hearing. But there also comes a moment when WE must say that Jesus is our King. When we must personally affirm what the Church has always announced: “Jesus is Lord, and he is King, he is my king. He has authority in my life.”And this must become more than lip service. It must become a daily, increasing reality in our life.
The tears of a cardinal.... the hope of a Church?
Whispers in the Loggia: The Tears of A Cardinal.... The Hope of A Church?PALMO: Even as the timing of another intake might've made for a surprise, it's fair to say this Consistory's safest bet was that, at some point, Chito Tagle would burst into tears.
As the wider church has come to learn over recent months, that's a rather common occurrence. And right on the money, no sooner did the 55 year-old "golden child" of Manila kneel before Benedict XVI this morning to receive The Ultimate "Like" than the weeping commenced, prompting a moved Pope to cradle the new cardinal's face in his hands and offer a word of encouragement as, holding onto the armrests of the papal throne, a trembling Tagle lowered his head and broke down. Notably – yet perfectly in keeping with the unspoken "script" evident from this gathering's outset – the moment likewise seemed to spark B16's warmest expressions of the day.
As the wider church has come to learn over recent months, that's a rather common occurrence. And right on the money, no sooner did the 55 year-old "golden child" of Manila kneel before Benedict XVI this morning to receive The Ultimate "Like" than the weeping commenced, prompting a moved Pope to cradle the new cardinal's face in his hands and offer a word of encouragement as, holding onto the armrests of the papal throne, a trembling Tagle lowered his head and broke down. Notably – yet perfectly in keeping with the unspoken "script" evident from this gathering's outset – the moment likewise seemed to spark B16's warmest expressions of the day.
The demanding responsibility to bear witness...
Whispers in the Loggia: For All the Cardinals, "The Demanding Responsibility To Bear Witness"COATOFARMS: Today’s Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe, the crowning of the liturgical year, is enriched by our reception into the College of Cardinals of six new members whom, following tradition, I have invited to celebrate the Eucharist with me this morning. I greet each of them most cordially and I thank Cardinal James Michael Harvey for the gracious words which he addressed to me in the name of all. I greet the other Cardinals and Bishops present, as well as the distinguished civil Authorities, Ambassadors, priests, religious and all the faithful, especially those coming from the Dioceses entrusted to the pastoral care of the new Cardinals.
Angelus remarks for the feast of Christ the King
Vatican Radio - Pope Benedict: Angelus for the feast of Christ the KingCOATOFARMS: Today the Church celebrates Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This solemnity comes at the end of the liturgical year and brings together the mystery of Jesus “firstborn from the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth”, extending our gaze towards the full realisation of the Kingdom of God, when God will be all in all. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem says: “We announce not only the first coming of Christ, but also a second which is much more beautiful than the first. The first, in fact, was a manifestation of suffering, the second brings the diadem of divine kingship…..in the first, He was subject to the humiliation of the Cross, in the second He is surrounded and glorified by a host of angels”
10 things you need to know today: November 25, 2012...
10 things you need to know today: November 25, 2012 - The Week: A Bangladeshi factory fire kills 100 workers, a U.S. civil rights leader dies, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
I just bit the Archbishop of San Juan...
I just bit the Archbishop of San Juan… : IgnitumTodayBURDICK: Mexico is a crux for some great orthodox Catholic practices. During my time there as a missionary, one practice in particular struck me as especially reverent- the acceptance of the Eucharist on the tongue. While serving, my wife and I were blessed enough to go to daily mass and this accepting-Christ-by-the-hand gringo was doing pretty well with receiving Christ directly on the tongue…
Pope Benedict: "The Kingdom of Christ has been given to the Church"
Church is responsible for spreading Christ's kingdom, Pope recalls :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): After he celebrated Mass with six new cardinals for the feast of Christ the King, Pope Benedict spoke about God's kingdom and the Church’s role in making it present in the world.
�"The whole mission of Jesus and the content of his message consists in proclaiming the Kingdom of God and its practical application in the midst of men with signs and wonders," he said on the feast of Christ the King.
"But, as recalled by Vatican Council II, the Kingdom first manifests itself in the person of Christ, who established it through his death on the cross and his resurrection," he said.
�"The whole mission of Jesus and the content of his message consists in proclaiming the Kingdom of God and its practical application in the midst of men with signs and wonders," he said on the feast of Christ the King.
"But, as recalled by Vatican Council II, the Kingdom first manifests itself in the person of Christ, who established it through his death on the cross and his resurrection," he said.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
An image for the Kingdom of God in a beer commercial...
An Image for the Kingdom in A Beer Commercial | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: At the end of this dreadful day of shopping so aptly named “Black Friday” I propose an image for the kingdom. As I reflect I realize I will sound like a man (Which I am). For it remains true that most men absolutely hate shopping (unless the shopping involves electronic devices or sports gear).
A rookie among rookies: For India's Syro-Malankars, a historic red hat...
Whispers in the Loggia: A Rookie Among Rookies: For India's Syro-Malankars, A Historic Red Hat: Perhaps fittingly for an intake that was decidely Eastward-looking – or, as the Italians would have it, "soli stranieri" (read: "all strangers") – it bears noting that this morning brought the elevation of the youngest member of the Pope's Senate in the figure of the 53 year-old head of India's Syro-Malankara Catholics, now Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, shown above making the rounds following his induction.
The redbirds take flight...
Whispers in the Loggia: The Redbirds Take FlightPALMO: Well, that was quick – between the expected lower turnout of the veteran cardinals and the short biglietto (literally, the papal "ticket" granting a prelate entry into the College) at this intake, the Consistory was over and done and B16 whisked out within an hour flat. (Above, Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogotá is shown after receiving his red hat.)
"The Church of All Peoples": Pope creates six new cardinals from America, Lebanon, India, Nigeria, Colombia, Philippines
Vatican Radio - Pope creates six new Cardinals (full text): Pope Benedict XVI created six new Cardinals on Saturday in an Ordinary Public Consistory for the purpose here at the Vatican. The six new “Princes of the Church” are: Archbishop James M. Harvey, Prefect of the Papal Household; His Beatitude, Bechara Boutros Raï, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch in Lebanon; His Beatitude, Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum in India and head of the Syro-Malankara Church; Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria; Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogotá, Colombia; and Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila in the Philippines.
Friday, November 23, 2012
The self-rule of the vicious always ends in tyranny...
THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING REVEALS THE TRUTH IN IRONY | Prayer and PerspectiveHINKEL: The one precondition to receiving Christ as King is to desire and live in the truth. Pilate’s response reveals why people fail to accept Christ as their King: they don’t want the truth! Or maybe stated differently, they don’t want a truth when they can’t set the terms. Moderns will believe in the truth so long as it’s their truth, a truth either invented or agreed upon by them. Of course, this isn’t the truth at all but a confused counterfeit which is nothing other than what I want. This is precisely why Christ can only be revealed in full at the end, the termination of riches, status, power, and pleasure which tend to dominate human motivations. This is what fallen man calls the truth.
Clarity about Pius XII’s cool day-after-Thanksgiving indult...
QUAERITUR: Clarity about Pius XII’s cool Thanksgiving Friday indult | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?ZUHLSDORF: Pius’ very cool indult was a great example of Holy Church’s mercy and practical side. In a similar vein, bishops where there are large Chinese and Vietnamese communities have often dispensed or commuted the abstinence obligation when Lunar New Year fell on a Friday of Lent or even on Ash Wednesday itself.
"Biggest drop in a decade": U.S. abortions fell 5 percent during Obama's first term...
The Associated Press: US abortions fall 5 pct, biggest drop in a decade: U.S. abortions fell 5 percent during the recession and its aftermath in the biggest one-year decrease in at least a decade, perhaps because women are more careful to use birth control when times are tough, researchers say.
The decline, detailed on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, came in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Both the number of abortions and the abortion rate dropped by the same percentage.
The decline, detailed on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, came in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Both the number of abortions and the abortion rate dropped by the same percentage.
“Viva Cristo Rey!”: The readings for the upcoming Solemnity of Christ the King...
The Sacred Page: “Viva Cristo Rey!” The Solemnity of Christ the KingBERGSMA: This Sunday is the 34th Sunday of Ordinary Time, and as everyone knows, that means it is the Solemnity of Christ the King!� This is the last Sunday of the liturgical year.� The last day of the liturgical year will be Saturday, December 1, and Liturgical Year 2013 will begin with the First Sunday of Advent, December 2.
I give thanks to God for many things at this time of year, including the joy of living the liturgical calendar, which is such a consolation and guide for one’s spirituality through the seasons of life and the seasons of the year.� Each liturgical year is like a whole catechesis of the Christian faith, as well as a kind of microcosm of the entire life of the believer, from birth and baptism to final anointing and death.
I give thanks to God for many things at this time of year, including the joy of living the liturgical calendar, which is such a consolation and guide for one’s spirituality through the seasons of life and the seasons of the year.� Each liturgical year is like a whole catechesis of the Christian faith, as well as a kind of microcosm of the entire life of the believer, from birth and baptism to final anointing and death.
Have you kept up with the Catholic blogosphere this week? Take this quiz to find out...
Weekly Round-Up | Truth & Charity The Intersection of Faith & LifeMURPHY: Welcome to this week's Weekly Catholic Round-Up! The questions in this quiz (the first of its kind) are based off this week's Catholic news, commentary, and events from around the blogosphere. I hope you've been paying attention!
Why the Church should stay in the "civil marriage business": A response to George Weigel...
Why the Church Should Stay in the “Civil Marriage Business”: A Response to George Weigel | Dominicana BlogGARRETT: Last week, George Weigel suggested that the Catholic Church in the United States seriously consider whether it should “withdraw from the civil marriage business” by prohibiting her priests and deacons from officiating at marriages for purposes of state law. Such a voluntary refusal to participate in the civil government’s marriage law would, according to Weigel, anticipate government attempts to compel the Church to accept gay marriage. A certain witness value would be lost if she were to wait until State action made it impossible for faithful Catholic clergy to perform marriages recognized by civil law. By acting first, the Church would make a prophetic statement about the growing divide between ecclesial and civil authorities over the definition of marriage.
Catholics must face squarely the dire threat to religious liberty...
Catholics Must Face Squarely the Dire Threat to Religious Liberty | Crisis MagazineRUTLER: When free people vote against their own freedoms, they pull down the columns of a free society on themselves, the way Samson brought down the temple on his own head. The first column to collapse would be the First Amendment right to freedom of religion. Naifs who thought this could not happen will be startled when the Church has to close charities, hospitals, schools, and even parish churches if they are subject to tax intimidation. In the long run, this would be far more disastrous to our civilization than looming fiscal chaos, and international belligerence provoked by foreign perception of our domestic lassitude.
What does a demon think about?
What does a demon think about? | Roman Catholic Spiritual DirectionFORTEA: Every demon retains the intelligence of its angelic nature. Demons know and inquire with their minds about the material and spiritual worlds, the real and conceptual worlds. As spiritual beings, demons are eminently intellectual; there is no doubt that they are deeply interested in conceptual questions. They know very well that philosophy is the most elevated of the sciences and that theology is built upon philosophy. In spite of this knowledge, every demon hates God.
Bringing the light of Advent to “Black Friday”...
Bringing the Light of Advent to “Black Friday” � Seek First the Kingdom: Catholic Blog by Cardinal Donald Wuerl - Archdiocese of Washington, DC Seek First the Kingdom: Catholic Blog by Cardinal Donald Wuerl – Archdiocese of Washington, DCWUERL: This year, we have an unusually long period of time – 10 days – between Thanksgiving and the First Sunday of Advent.� Perhaps this is a good time, particularly in this Year of Faith, to reflect on how we can make the best use of this time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ, who is God with us.�� What devotional materials might we gather with the intention of spending quiet time with Jesus in prayer?� What works of charity will we perform in service to our neighbors in need?� When will we schedule time to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation or to participate in Eucharistic Adoration?� And which people in our lives will we invite to return to the Church – or come for the first time – to experience the love of Christ, our Hope?
10 more bets you'll always win...
New Advent: 10 more bets you'll always win...: Master these tricks and you'll never pay for a beer again...
A reflection on the Solemnity of Christ the King...
A Royal Truth: Scott Hahn reflects on the Solemnity of Christ the King | St. Paul Center For Biblical TheologyHAHN: What’s the truth Jesus comes to bear witness to in this last Gospel of the Church’s year?
It’s the truth that in Jesus, God keeps the promise He made to David - of an everlasting kingdom, of an heir who would be His Son, “the first born, highest of the kings of the earth” (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:27-38).
Today’s Second Reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, quotes these promises and celebrates Jesus as “the faithful witness.” The reading hearkens back to Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would “witness to the peoples” that God is renewing His “everlasting covenant” with David (see Isaiah 55:3-5).
It’s the truth that in Jesus, God keeps the promise He made to David - of an everlasting kingdom, of an heir who would be His Son, “the first born, highest of the kings of the earth” (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:27-38).
Today’s Second Reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, quotes these promises and celebrates Jesus as “the faithful witness.” The reading hearkens back to Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would “witness to the peoples” that God is renewing His “everlasting covenant” with David (see Isaiah 55:3-5).
Within Two Worlds...
New Advent: Within Two Worlds...: "Within Two Worlds depicts an alternate perspective by giving us the illusion of times movement, signifying a beginning and end within a world of constant contradiction. It appears you are traveling in the midst of a dream, half-sleeping, half-waking, and touching the arch connecting heaven and earth."
A quick survey of some of the brains of the nineteenth century...
The Immaculate Conception: A Quick Survey of Some of the Brains of the Nineteenth Century, Part 1 |Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: The nineteenth century seems to have been a time of special abundance for people with mad schemes for Explaining Everything, or Planning Utopia, or otherwise Knowing It All. In the United States and Europe, there seemed to be no end of philosophers, prophets, and dreamers with New Revelations, Grand Plans, and Big Ideas. New communities sprang up all over the place, eager to create the New Jerusalem on earth. There were Shakers, Zoarites, Rappites, Icarians, and members of utopian groups like the Oneida community, the Amana community, and the Aurora community.
10 things you need to know today: November 23, 2012...
10 things you need to know today: November 23, 2012 - The Week: The Mideast cease-fire holds despite a violent flare-up, Black Friday begins, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
Is Christ the King of the angels, even in his humanity?
Is Christ the King of the angels, even in his humanity? | The New Theological MovementERLENBUSH: It is clear enough that, in his divinity, our Savior is head of both angels and men, for the reign of God extends to every creature. It was through the eternal Word that all things were made, and therefore we may well attribute divine authority and kingship to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
However, we may well ask whether, as man, Jesus is rightly called the King of the Angels. The angels were not created through the humanity of Christ, nor (it seems) were they redeemed through his sacred humanity – for he became man in order to save men, but the good angels were already saved.
Therefore, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, we ask whether Christ is the King of the angels in his humanity.
However, we may well ask whether, as man, Jesus is rightly called the King of the Angels. The angels were not created through the humanity of Christ, nor (it seems) were they redeemed through his sacred humanity – for he became man in order to save men, but the good angels were already saved.
Therefore, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, we ask whether Christ is the King of the angels in his humanity.
Holy Father addresses Apostleship of the Sea: 'Even today the Church sails the seas to bring the Gospel to all nations'
Vatican Radio - Pope receives participants in Church’s Apostleship of the Sea: Pope Benedict XVI met today with participants in the Church’s Apostleship of the Sea international congress, bringing the five-day event to a close.
The Congress explored various themes pertaining to the New Evangelization as it relates to seafarers and their families.
“Since the dawn of Christianity,” the Holy Father said, “the maritime world has been an effective vehicle for evangelization,” for it was by means of sea travel that the Apostles were able to spread the Gospel throughout the world.
The Congress explored various themes pertaining to the New Evangelization as it relates to seafarers and their families.
“Since the dawn of Christianity,” the Holy Father said, “the maritime world has been an effective vehicle for evangelization,” for it was by means of sea travel that the Apostles were able to spread the Gospel throughout the world.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Top 10 things you didn't know about Thanksgiving...
The First TV Dinner Was Thanksgiving Leftovers - Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Thanksgiving - TIME: In 1953, someone at Swanson severely overestimated the amount of turkey Americans would consume that Thanksgiving. With 260 tons of frozen birds to get rid of, a company salesman named Gerry Thomas ordered 5,000 aluminum trays, recruited an assembly line of women armed with spatulas and ice-cream scoops and began creating mini-feasts of turkey, corn-bread dressing, peas and sweet potatoes — creating the first-ever TV dinner. Thomas later said he got the idea from neatly packaged airplane food.
10 things you need to know today: November 22, 2012...
10 things you need to know today: November 22, 2012 - The Week: Israel and Hamas reach a truce, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. resigns, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
An Advent plan for a non-people person...
An Advent Plan for a Non-People Person |Blogs | NCRegister.comZMIRAK: To high-energy, sanguine, chipper citizens who like to step in and improve other people’s lives, the ever-earlier onset of the “Christmas” season is a gift from the baby Jesus. Now they can start before Thanksgiving to make up the lists of “improving” presents they will shower on friends and family: that diet book “you simply have to try,” the supply of intestinal bacteria cookies that will “knock out your Crohn’s disease,” that copy of The Theology of the Body your twice-divorced aunt cannot live forever without, �the Spanx your sister really should be wearing if she insists on leaving the house, the box of nicotine patches that could “add decades” to your aging dad’s life.
Assault of pro-life advocate leads to arrest of alleged serial rapist...
Assault of pro-life advocate leads to arrest of alleged serial rapist :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The arrest of a prominent Denver relator who allegedly assaulted a senior citizen collecting signatures for a pro-life petition has lead to new developments in three unsolved rape cases.
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving
Americans Celebrate Thanksgiving Holiday: Americans are marking the annual Thanksgiving holiday Thursday.
The holiday is engrained in American life as a day for family gatherings with sumptuous turkey feasts, accompanied by a wide array of side dishes and pies. By one estimate, more than 43 million people are expected to travel 80 kilometers or more to attend holiday gatherings between now and Sunday.
The holiday is engrained in American life as a day for family gatherings with sumptuous turkey feasts, accompanied by a wide array of side dishes and pies. By one estimate, more than 43 million people are expected to travel 80 kilometers or more to attend holiday gatherings between now and Sunday.
Dear Simcha...
Dear Simcha |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: It's a little known fact that turkeys aren't even an authentic Thanksgiving main course, so it's actually quite acceptable to serve something else.� Forget that boring old bird.� Instead, call yourself a purist and dish up what the original Pilgrims probably had for their main course:� a couple of juicy wild eagles.� If no eagles are available, swan is an acceptable substitute.� Just don't forget the traditional eel-and-poopberry compote for a side dish.� And they drank hot tar from wooden cups.� Hope this helps, and bon app�tit!� Or should I say (since French had not yet been invented in Pilgrim times), Huzzah!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The real first Thanksgiving...
The Real First Thanksgiving | Truth & Charity The Intersection of Faith & LifeMURPHY: This week brings with it the 4th Thursday of the month of November and that in turn brings the joys of turkey, yams, and cranberries – those culinary items rarely if ever eaten on any other day of the year in their natural form – and while most Americans will prepare for the meal with parades and movie marathons centering around bb guns and leg lamps (post-gluttony festivities will consist of football and dishes), many of you pious readers of Truth & Charity will be attending Mass. Much has been said by secular commentators in cheesy school pageants about the First Thanksgiving, that occasion on which both English Pilgrims and Native Americans – those sometime friends and sometime enemies – broke bread at common tables. Less has been said about the first American Thanksgiving, celebrated not at Plymouth Rock, but in St. Augustine, Florida. Still less has been said about the first real Thanksgiving in all the world.
Video: Pope Benedict's Wednesday audience on the compatibility between faith and science...
Benedict XVI: Faith and science are not in conflict: More than 7,000 people took part in Wednesday's general audience at Paul VI Hall. Benedict XVI continued his catechesis on the Year of Faith. This time around, he focused on how faith and reason complement each other.
He said faith allows you to know God, and that along with reason, it shapes all activities towards achieving a greater good.
He said faith allows you to know God, and that along with reason, it shapes all activities towards achieving a greater good.
We need a new generation of quiet men with strong shoulders...
The Quiet Men |Blogs | NCRegister.comPATARCHBOLD: Sometimes I wish everybody would just stop talking, or at the very least speak less.
I recently saw the fabulous film "To Kill a Mockingbird" again.� As I watched it, I found myself riveted by Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.� Even though his character is a lawyer, other than in the courtroom, the man barely says a word.� His silence is his strength, self-restraint his weapon.
I recently saw the fabulous film "To Kill a Mockingbird" again.� As I watched it, I found myself riveted by Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.� Even though his character is a lawyer, other than in the courtroom, the man barely says a word.� His silence is his strength, self-restraint his weapon.
The striking mark of Christian friendship is this...
The Sacrament Of Friendship | Daily News | NCRegister.comSHEA: God’s grace perfects rather than destroys nature because God is the Creator of nature and does not contradict himself when he redeems it.
Consequently, God is constantly taking ordinary human things and turning them into vehicles of supernatural grace.
We require water to live, so he takes this ordinary everyday stuff and turns it into the fountain living water that, in baptism, bestows the washing, sin-drowning, eternally life-giving supernatural life of the Blessed Trinity himself.
Consequently, God is constantly taking ordinary human things and turning them into vehicles of supernatural grace.
We require water to live, so he takes this ordinary everyday stuff and turns it into the fountain living water that, in baptism, bestows the washing, sin-drowning, eternally life-giving supernatural life of the Blessed Trinity himself.
EWTN is planning to launch a daily newscast in the spring, and they're looking for reporters and producers. Interested?
EWTN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: In Spring 2013, EWTN - the global Catholic network - will launch its first ever daily television newscast. Based in Washington DC, the program will broadcast five nights a week across the English speaking world. Underpinned by editorial values rooted in the teachings of the Catholic Church, the program aspires to the highest standards of journalistic integrity, intellectual rigor and creative flair. Could you be a key player in our news team as a producer or reporter?
The Presentation of Mary in the Temple as foretold in the Old Testament...
The Presentation of Mary in the Temple as Foretold in the Old Testament ~ Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor MarshallMARSHALL: November 21 is the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast has always been celebrated as a commemoration of Mary being presented in the Temple at the age of three years by her parents St Joachim and St Anne. Mary lived in the Temple precincts until the age of fourteen when she was betrothed to Saint Joseph.
Ask an economist: Which Bond villain's nefarious plan would have worked?
Which Bond Villain Plan Would Have Worked? -- Vulture: While the bad guy in Skyfall is obsessed primarily with revenge and humiliation, many of James Bond’s chief adversaries over the years have wanted something more simple and tangible: cash money. The Bond villain is often deranged and grandiose, sure, but he (or she) is also capable of hatching elaborate plans to increase their bottom line, often by secretly manipulating the world’s economic systems (sometimes with the aid of a clandestine nuclear weapon or two). So, could they have succeeded? If James Bond hadn’t foiled these plots, could these Bond villains have fulfilled their dreams of financial glory? We looked through their schemes, and asked Jean-Jacques Dethier, a development economist at the World Bank (and a lifelong Bond fan), what he thought.
What's so sacred about meals?
What's So Sacred About Meals? |Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: When I first converted to Christianity, one of the biggest changes in my daily life was saying a prayer before eating. I wasn't used to doing anything other than scooting my chair in and grabbing my napkin before I ate, so it took a while to get into the habit of pausing to address God before I dug into my food. Yet, oddly enough, it felt perfectly natural. Almost all major human celebrations involve food. Even our big secular holidays are associated with celebratory mealtimes (barbecue and pickles on the 4th of July, a feast with blackeyed peas on New Year's Day). It would seem that humans have a natural sense that there's something special about food, and it's no surprise that almost all major religions take special care to offer thanks to the divine for the privilege of eating.
What does Remnant Theology have to teach us about the Church today?
What does Remnant Theology have to teach us about the Church Today? | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Yesterday on the blog we pondered that Mass attendance has held steady for Catholics at around 25% for at least a decade now and that there is a lot of coming and going in the number. So it is helpful to understand that things may be currently more stable than many of us presume.
That said, as a Catholic and a priest I remain quite stunned at the decline in Mass attendance during my overall lifetime. When I was a little child I remember jam packed Masses, get there early or stand. In those days of the early to mid sixties if you put up four walls Catholics would fill them. There were waiting lists for the parochial School, lots of Religious Sisters, and there was not just an associate pastor or curate, there was a first, second, third and fourth curate.
That said, as a Catholic and a priest I remain quite stunned at the decline in Mass attendance during my overall lifetime. When I was a little child I remember jam packed Masses, get there early or stand. In those days of the early to mid sixties if you put up four walls Catholics would fill them. There were waiting lists for the parochial School, lots of Religious Sisters, and there was not just an associate pastor or curate, there was a first, second, third and fourth curate.
Anna and Joachim’s little girl enters the Temple...
Anna and Joachim’s Little Girl Enters the TempleSCHIFFER: It’s in the Gospel of James that we see the story of Mary’s Presentation at the Temple.� From infancy, the story tells us, Anna and Joachim—devout parents grateful that God granted them a child in their later years—dedicated her to God.� When she was three years old, Mary’s parents took her to the Temple in Jerusalem, where she would live and learn to serve in the Temple worship.�� Mary remained in the Temple until she reached puberty, when she was betrothed to Joseph.
Holy Father's Wednesday audience: 'It is rational to believe, as it is our very existence that is at stake'
VIS news - Holy See Press Office: BENEDICT XVI: IT IS RATIONAL TO BELIEVE: Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to the rationality of faith in God, emphasising that the Catholic tradition "has always rejected the so-called principle of 'fideism', that is, the will to believe against reason. … Indeed, although a mystery, God is not absurd. … If, in contemplating the mystery, reason sees only darkness, this is not because the mystery contains no light, rather because it contains too much. Just as when we turn our eyes directly to the sun, we see only shadow - who would say that the sun is not bright? Faith allows us to look at the 'sun' that is God, because it welcomes His revelation in history. … God has sought mankind and made Himself known, bringing Himself to the limits of human reason".
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The confession of a seven-year-old convert...
The confession of a 7 year old convert: � 21 Century PilgrimNEUBAUER: Just over 4.5 years ago my entire family came home to the Catholic Church. �It was exhilarating and one of the best decisions we ever made. �Now, to be honest, my children did not have much to say about this particular decision. �They were too young at the time of our reception and their baptism. �Now that my eldest is 7 years old and actively participating in her own faith formation (at home & in catechism class) she is super excited about receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. �In anticipation she is actively leading prayers at home, participating in catechism class, in Mass and recently took part in her first reconciliation. �It was a perfect night!
An evangelization idea for Knights of Columbus councils everywhere...
Seems Like a Cool Idea: My local Knights of Columbus council has a project that lots of people can imitate:
To inform Catholics about important issues and raise awareness of the Knights of Columbus and its work, my council donated Columbia magazine subscriptions to the libraries of local Catholic high schools, colleges and student centers. Each month, the council also collects back issues of Columbia from members and places them in church lobbies and public libraries. A printed label covers the donor’s address and invites eligible men to join the Knights.
To inform Catholics about important issues and raise awareness of the Knights of Columbus and its work, my council donated Columbia magazine subscriptions to the libraries of local Catholic high schools, colleges and student centers. Each month, the council also collects back issues of Columbia from members and places them in church lobbies and public libraries. A printed label covers the donor’s address and invites eligible men to join the Knights.
10 moving images from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...
10 incredibly moving images from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - The Week: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was hastily dispatched to the Mideast on Nov. 20 to help end a week of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants. While a potential cease-fire is in the works, many people continue to report via Twitter that explosions are ongoing. Here, a Palestinian boy stands in the rubble of a home after an Israeli airstrike. Click through for a look at more civilians on both sides of the war.
Understanding the crisis in the Church of England...
Understanding the Crisis in the Church of EnglandLONGENECKER: This afternoon the Church of England General Synod voted against women’s ordination. For those of you who are befuddled by this–join the club!
Here are some explanations from this former Anglican:
The Church of England is the Mother Church of the churches of the Worldwide Anglican Communion. Each of these churches are national churches and are independent. So, for example, the Anglican Church in Nigeria is independent from the Church of England the from the Anglican Church of Kenya or Canada or American or Australia. Most of the Anglican Churches in the developed world already have women bishops and have had for years.
Here are some explanations from this former Anglican:
The Church of England is the Mother Church of the churches of the Worldwide Anglican Communion. Each of these churches are national churches and are independent. So, for example, the Anglican Church in Nigeria is independent from the Church of England the from the Anglican Church of Kenya or Canada or American or Australia. Most of the Anglican Churches in the developed world already have women bishops and have had for years.
Pope Benedict releases new book on the infancy and childhood of Jesus...
Pope's book on childhood of Jesus has family focus :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Pope Benedict's third and final book on Jesus' life has been launched, and this time he delves into Christ's childhood.
“The Pope's book refers especially to the infancy of Jesus in the context of a family and focuses on family tradition,” said Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi,� president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, at a Nov. 20 press conference.
“The Pope's book refers especially to the infancy of Jesus in the context of a family and focuses on family tradition,” said Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi,� president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, at a Nov. 20 press conference.
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