Ralph Martin | Catholic PulseRALPHMARTIN: The world’s press and the blogosphere have been abuzz for several months now with comments on how frequently Pope Francis talks about our enemy, the devil. Not only does he talk frequently about the devil, but he talks in such a way that indicates he actually believes in the devil’s existence and daily relevance to each of our lives — as should all faithful and well-formed Catholics.
There has been such an atmosphere of skepticism in the world, and in some places in the Church, about what could be called the “biblical world view” — what Jesus and the Apostles actually believed about the world — that Pope Francis’ frequent comments on the reality of the devil come across to many as shocking. But belief in the devil and his work to destroy souls is an integral part of the biblical revelation and is authoritatively taught by the Church (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 391-395).
Thursday, October 31, 2013
The existence of the devil is something revealed to us by Christ and which we can know with certainty...
Farewell to the Devil? | The Gregorian Blog | The Gregorian Institute at Benedictine CollegeRAMAGE: The existence of the devil is not very compatible with modern thinking. Such is the view confronted by Benedict XVI in a response he once wrote to a book called Farewell to the Devil. Its author, an Old Testament scholar, expressed the view of many a modern man in claiming, “By now we have understood that the term ‘devil’ in the New Testament simply stands for the term ‘sin.’” The devil is just an image for sin, just something Jesus talks about to keep a little holy fear in us—but not someone we really have to fear, someone whose existence we can prove and wiles we can’t explain otherwise through modern psychology.
Must-watch: 10-month-old baby cries tears of joy at sound of mother's singing
New Advent: Must-watch video: 10-month-old baby cries tears of joy at sound of mother's singing: She's was only ten months old when this video was taken. Her reaction is priceless...
Raw video: Young boy steals the show during papal event
New Advent: Raw video: Young boy steals the show during papal event: Pope Francis gained an unexpected attendant at the weekend after a little boy wandered onto the stage as he was addressing thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. The unidentified boy refused to leave the Pope's side, clinging to his legs while two aides encouraged him to sit back down with sweets...
Of elephants and Divine Mercy, or how I'm justifying my child's Halloween costume as indeed spiritual...
Of Elephants And Divine Mercy, Or How I’m Justifying My Child’s Halloween Costume As Indeed Spiritual | Duel to the DeathSWAIM: This time of year, I’m consistently impressed by efforts to help children connect with the feast of All Saints by having them dress up as holy men and women for Halloween. I’ve seen some creative St. Sebastians, a valiant St. George or two, and even the occasional St. Lucy, complete with fake eyeballs on a platter. Of course, I’ve also seen other Catholic parents phone it in by throwing a bathrobe on their kid and claiming they’re some random canonized monk.
This year, as Colleen was at CostCo, she happened to run across a pretty sweet elephant costume that happened to be modestly priced, and so she went with it. When I told someone at work what Zeke would be for Halloween, I was ribbed for not picking a saint for him to be. This got me thinking about how I could spin the child’s attire into something I could justify in front of the next homeschool child with a levitating Joseph of Cupertino outfit who asked his parents why the Swaims don’t believe in God.
This year, as Colleen was at CostCo, she happened to run across a pretty sweet elephant costume that happened to be modestly priced, and so she went with it. When I told someone at work what Zeke would be for Halloween, I was ribbed for not picking a saint for him to be. This got me thinking about how I could spin the child’s attire into something I could justify in front of the next homeschool child with a levitating Joseph of Cupertino outfit who asked his parents why the Swaims don’t believe in God.
Faith in the time of persecution: A letter from Iraq to Christians in the West
Faith in the Time of Persecution | National Review Online: How can we live our faith in a time of great difficulty? What can we do for those who are persecuted because of their faith? To ask these questions means above all questioning ourselves about the meaning of our faith. In order to be able to speak about the time of persecution, Christians must really know their own faith.
In 2010, when I was appointed Chaldean bishop of Mosul, I knew that I would be coming to a city facing an extremely critical situation with regard to security. Many Christians had already been killed, and many had been forced to leave the diocese. Brutal violence took the life of a priest, as well as that of a bishop, my predecessor: Both were murdered in extremely gruesome fashion.
In 2010, when I was appointed Chaldean bishop of Mosul, I knew that I would be coming to a city facing an extremely critical situation with regard to security. Many Christians had already been killed, and many had been forced to leave the diocese. Brutal violence took the life of a priest, as well as that of a bishop, my predecessor: Both were murdered in extremely gruesome fashion.
Sex, babies, and humor: An interview with Simcha Fisher
Sex, Babies, and Humor: An Interview with Simcha Fisher | BrandonVogt.comFISHER: If I ranked my favorite bloggers by their laughs-to-post ratio, Simcha Fisher would certainly be near the top. She's known for her deep insights on faith, sex, parenthood, and femininity but what sets her apart is her humor. Wrapped around her wise and honest writing you'll find heavy doses of sarcasm and self-deprecating wit, a combo that leaves you sighing and chuckling in equal measure. Few days go by without me or my wife asking each other: "Did you read Simcha today?"
Several months ago, I received an email from Simcha announcing her first book. Titled The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning, it looked really exciting. The book set out to explore two very deep and important topics—sex and marriage—but with Simcha's typical candor and fun. I hoped it would breath new life into Natural family planning (NFP), an awesome life-choice with a middling reputation.
Several months ago, I received an email from Simcha announcing her first book. Titled The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning, it looked really exciting. The book set out to explore two very deep and important topics—sex and marriage—but with Simcha's typical candor and fun. I hoped it would breath new life into Natural family planning (NFP), an awesome life-choice with a middling reputation.
Another precedent-shattering move: Five months early, Pope Francis calls consistory to name new cardinals...
Whispers in the Loggia: Francis' First "Red Dawn" – Five Months Early, Pope Calls ConsistoryPALMO: Even if the timing of consistories for the creation of new cardinals has long been one of the Vatican's worst-kept secrets – last time excepted – never has definitive word come like this: confirming a Tuesday report by the French agency iMedia, this morning the VatiSpox Fr Federico Lombardi SJ announced that, indeed, Papa Bergoglio intends to dole out his first batch of red hats on the feast of the Chair of Peter, 22 February 2014. (This adds further heft to a joke that's been making the rounds lately: in a 180 from past practice, these days, "If you want to know a pontifical secret, just ask the Pope – he'll tell you himself.")
New cardinals, and new opportunities for change
John Thavis | New cardinals, and new opportunities for changeTHAVIS: Pope Francis is going to name his first batch of cardinals in a few months, a move seen as part of the slow and methodical process of reshaping the church’s hierarchy more or less in the new pope’s image.
The Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said today that the pope will preside over a consistory to create the cardinals on Feb. 22. The consistory is expected to be preceded by a separate meeting of the College of Cardinals, presumably to discuss impending changes in the Vatican bureaucracy.
The Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said today that the pope will preside over a consistory to create the cardinals on Feb. 22. The consistory is expected to be preceded by a separate meeting of the College of Cardinals, presumably to discuss impending changes in the Vatican bureaucracy.
Washington Post examines the demons (and a ghost) in ‘The Exorcist’
WPost examines the demons (and a ghost) in ‘The Exorcist’MATTINGLY: It’s that time of year again, the time when reporters keep trying to reach author William Peter Blatty to talk about pea soup, noises in the night, long flights of stairs and the degree to which human necks can swivel. Now, this Post interview does have its snarky moments — hang on for its swipe at the legacy of the Blessed John Paul II — but I want to stress that the article at least attempted to take seriously the spiritual, even doctrinal, side of Blatty’s life and work. The sense of fairness breaks down when the Post team moves from a consideration of the themes Blatty wove into “The Exorcist” to his views of his alma mater, Georgetown University.
NSA allegedly spied on Vatican before papal conclave, Italian paper says...
NSA allegedly spied on Vatican, Italian paper says :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): A new report by an Italian publication accuses the U.S. National Security Agency of listening to the phone calls of Vatican officials and prelates, during a time period leading up to the conclave.
Father Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican press office, told CNA on Oct. 30 that he is unaware of such activity and is “not worried.”
His comments come in response to allegations published by Italian weekly magazine “Panorama,” citing fears that “the great American ear continued to tap prelates’ conversations up to the eve of the conclave.”
Father Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican press office, told CNA on Oct. 30 that he is unaware of such activity and is “not worried.”
His comments come in response to allegations published by Italian weekly magazine “Panorama,” citing fears that “the great American ear continued to tap prelates’ conversations up to the eve of the conclave.”
Why are we so afraid to be afraid of Hell?
Why are We so Afraid to be Afraid of Hell? :RALPHMARTIN: As I’ve taught classes and given talks on the “New Evangelization,” I’ve been struck at how both Jesus and the apostles make a regular part of their message not only the positive proclamation of the Good News that Christ has, by his sacrifice, won redemption for the whole world, but also the terrible consequences of neglecting such an offer: namely, hell.
Yet seldom is this foundational part of the New Testament’s message heard in the contemporary Church. Why are we so afraid of speaking about hell?
Yet seldom is this foundational part of the New Testament’s message heard in the contemporary Church. Why are we so afraid of speaking about hell?
The question is not whether ghosts exist. (Catholics know that they do.) The question is whether they haunt us...
Do Catholics Believe in Ghosts?THIGPEN: When I used to edit the national magazine called THE CATHOLIC ANSWER, this time of year, with the approach of Halloween, we always received the same question from our readers: What about ghosts? Do they fit into Catholic belief?
Some may quickly scoff at the idea as fanciful or superstitious. But belief in ghosts seems to have been universal across human cultures from the beginning of recorded history, and it’s based at least in part on countless reports that the living have in fact encountered them. Given the special significance that genuine ghostly phenomena would have for theology, Catholics should not so easily dismiss the possibility.
Some may quickly scoff at the idea as fanciful or superstitious. But belief in ghosts seems to have been universal across human cultures from the beginning of recorded history, and it’s based at least in part on countless reports that the living have in fact encountered them. Given the special significance that genuine ghostly phenomena would have for theology, Catholics should not so easily dismiss the possibility.
Not only have many lost a proper fear of Hell, but also a deep longing for Heaven...
Ho Hum on Heaven? Not only have many lost a proper fear of Hell, but also a deep longing for Heaven. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Many years ago I was taught that the essence of heaven is the Beatific Vision. That is, one will look upon the glorious and radiant face of God, and find in that look the fulfillment of all desires, and a joy (beatus) beyond all telling.
And surely this description remains both true and worth repeating. However, I have noticed that some get stuck on the the word “vision” and to some extent on the word “face,” and tend to reduce the experience to a kind of “static” (unchanging) vision.
For our experience of the “face” of another is that it does not change. And we are further taught that God does not change.
And surely this description remains both true and worth repeating. However, I have noticed that some get stuck on the the word “vision” and to some extent on the word “face,” and tend to reduce the experience to a kind of “static” (unchanging) vision.
For our experience of the “face” of another is that it does not change. And we are further taught that God does not change.
Christians today live in the greatest tribulation-time in 2000 years of Church history...
The Church Persecuted | First ThingsWEIGEL: Each issue of the admirable ecumenical journal, Touchstone, includes a department called “The Suffering Church.” It’s a title that Catholics of a certain age associate with purgatory; in Touchstone’s vocabulary, however, “the Church suffering” is the Church being purified here and now by persecution. It’s a useful reminder of a hard fact.
For that hard fact too rarely impinges on the Christian self-awareness, much less the Christian conscience, of the Church Comfortable, the Church Lax, or the Church of Nice—even though the historical commission created by John Paul II in preparation for the Great Jubilee of 2000 made clear that Christians today live in the greatest tribulation-time in Christian history. Indeed, that historical commission suggested that more Christians were killed for fidelity to Christ in the 20th century than in the previous nineteen centuries of Christian history combined. As I’ve noted in this space before, “martyrdom” is not just a matter of Richard Burton and Jean Simmons turning their backs on Jay Robinson’s madcap Caligula while Michael Rennie/St. Peter looks on benignly in the classic Hollywood romance, The Robe; “martyrdom” is going on around us, all the time.
For that hard fact too rarely impinges on the Christian self-awareness, much less the Christian conscience, of the Church Comfortable, the Church Lax, or the Church of Nice—even though the historical commission created by John Paul II in preparation for the Great Jubilee of 2000 made clear that Christians today live in the greatest tribulation-time in Christian history. Indeed, that historical commission suggested that more Christians were killed for fidelity to Christ in the 20th century than in the previous nineteen centuries of Christian history combined. As I’ve noted in this space before, “martyrdom” is not just a matter of Richard Burton and Jean Simmons turning their backs on Jay Robinson’s madcap Caligula while Michael Rennie/St. Peter looks on benignly in the classic Hollywood romance, The Robe; “martyrdom” is going on around us, all the time.
Lou Reed’s last Sunday morning
Lou Reed’s Last Sunday Morning | Crisis MagazineHOOPES: I don’t know if Lou Reed’s life illustrates the maxim that promiscuity is a misbegotten search for God. But his lyrics do.
Reed’s lyrics were certainly promiscuous—and omnivorous—when it came to sex, as well as drugs and rock ’n’ roll. But they were also filled with spiritual seeking, which is why a Vatican official paid tribute to Reed’s life after his death on Sunday.
Lou Reed is one of those figures who is in danger of being distorted beyond recognition by great praise. I only know about him because there was an effort 25 years ago to make him a figure of importance. His career stretched from early 1960s forays into mainstream music to his late ’60s helming of the band cited as the inspiration of every oddball singer from David Bowie on. He is called the godfather of punk rock, as if punk rock needed a godfather and as if it would be worth bragging about if it did.
Reed’s lyrics were certainly promiscuous—and omnivorous—when it came to sex, as well as drugs and rock ’n’ roll. But they were also filled with spiritual seeking, which is why a Vatican official paid tribute to Reed’s life after his death on Sunday.
Lou Reed is one of those figures who is in danger of being distorted beyond recognition by great praise. I only know about him because there was an effort 25 years ago to make him a figure of importance. His career stretched from early 1960s forays into mainstream music to his late ’60s helming of the band cited as the inspiration of every oddball singer from David Bowie on. He is called the godfather of punk rock, as if punk rock needed a godfather and as if it would be worth bragging about if it did.
"Devout Catholic" is a foggy, meaningless label that is used way too often in mainstream news reports...
Define ‘practicing Catholic;’ report the Virginia optionsMATTINGLY: The problem is that the term “devout” is ultimately subjective. How does one use the basic skills of journalism to gather facts that prove someone is devout? I mean, that person on the kneeler at the back of the church may be fingering a Rosary, but how does one know that this Catholic’s mind is not focused on planning a quick trip to Las Vegas with a hot next-door neighbor?
Vatican confirms: Pope Francis calls February 22 consistory to create new cardinals
New Cardinals to be created in February 2014: The Holy See Press Office has confirmed a Consistory to create new Cardinals will be held next February. Pope Francis had informed both the Council of Cardinals and the Council of the Synod of his intention earlier this month, according to statement issued by Rev. Federico Lombardi, SJ, the head of the Press Office.
10 things you need to know today: October 31, 2013
10 things you need to know today: October 31, 2013 - The Week: The Red Sox win the World Series, Sebelius and Obama take responsibility for Healthcare.gov glitches, and more
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
What are we to make of the silence of St. John the Apostle?
The Silence of John: The Apostles of ActsMCDONALD: John is an enigmatic figure in Acts, which is fitting for the author of the most theological Gospel. Peter and John, in some Catholic mystical literature, tend to be viewed as complimentary characters, with John representing the head (thought, meditation, interiority) and Peter representing the heart (action, preaching, exteriority).
John the Beloved is depicted as calm and collected, not fleeing from the crucifixion, worthy to be a surrogate son to the Mother of God, comfortably resting on the bosom of the Lord. Peter, on the other hand, is the one who draws his sword to cut off the ear of Malchus. He is praised for declaring Jesus the Christ, and in the next breath vilified as Satan for denying the necessity of the crucifixion. He’s impulsive to a fault, only gaining a sense of mission and composure after the Ascension and Pentecost.
John the Beloved is depicted as calm and collected, not fleeing from the crucifixion, worthy to be a surrogate son to the Mother of God, comfortably resting on the bosom of the Lord. Peter, on the other hand, is the one who draws his sword to cut off the ear of Malchus. He is praised for declaring Jesus the Christ, and in the next breath vilified as Satan for denying the necessity of the crucifixion. He’s impulsive to a fault, only gaining a sense of mission and composure after the Ascension and Pentecost.
10 things you need to know today: October 30, 2013...
10 things you need to know today: October 30, 2013 - The Week: Intelligence officials defend NSA spying, polio spreads in Syria, and more...
If you want to boost your self-esteem, just memorize these four words...
Build Self Esteem – Say “I am a Sinner”LONGENECKER: I was doing some research on the self help industry and listened to some tapes by a guy who said his recipe for self esteem was to look in the mirror and repeat like a mantra, “I like myself, I like myself, I like myself.” I thought if he needed that much convincing then building self esteem was probably a lost cause.
To stand things on their head the fact of the matter is that saying
To stand things on their head the fact of the matter is that saying
Blessed Chiara Luca Badano, pray for us...
Blessed Chiara Luca Badano, Pray for Us! | Chris Stefanick, Assembly Speaker | Catholic Youth BlogSTEFANICK: Sometimes we’d prefer that our lives be a different story than the one God seems to be writing.� In our fragile existence it doesn’t take much to turn a romance into a drama, or an adventure into a tragedy.� At a glance, the story of Chiara Badano—an only child conceived after 11 years of marriage, who died at 18 after a bout with a painful form of bone cancer—looks like an empty tragedy, but not from the perspective of the Divine Author.��
Chiara seemed to have everything going for her as a teen.� She had a loving, holy family and a rock solid faith that was nurtured by retreats and youth ministry programs.� She was popular amongst her friends and was liked by boys.� It’s not hard to see why.� She was beautiful.� Chiara loved to hang out in coffee shops.� She was great at tennis, swimming and mountain climbing.� Her outgoing personality and adventurous spirit made her dream of becoming a flight attendant.� Chiara had a bright life ahead of her.�
Chiara seemed to have everything going for her as a teen.� She had a loving, holy family and a rock solid faith that was nurtured by retreats and youth ministry programs.� She was popular amongst her friends and was liked by boys.� It’s not hard to see why.� She was beautiful.� Chiara loved to hang out in coffee shops.� She was great at tennis, swimming and mountain climbing.� Her outgoing personality and adventurous spirit made her dream of becoming a flight attendant.� Chiara had a bright life ahead of her.�
The ancient worldview of the Bible is still the worldview demanded by modern science...
The Scientific Worldview of the Bible : Stacy TrasancosTRASANCOS: I have often remarked that the Bible is not a science book. However, after studying the history of science through the theological perspective of the late Fr. Stanley Jaki, I have a better answer.* The Bible absolutely has a scientific worldview beginning in Genesis 1:1 and continuing to Revelation 22:21.
This may seem a trivial point, but the mindset of the Old Testament stood out from all other ancient cultures, particularly the pantheism of the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks who thought the universe was an animistic god-being. The radically different psychology of the Old Testament held that the universe was a stable and ordered creation separate from — and held in existence by — God, the Creator.
This may seem a trivial point, but the mindset of the Old Testament stood out from all other ancient cultures, particularly the pantheism of the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks who thought the universe was an animistic god-being. The radically different psychology of the Old Testament held that the universe was a stable and ordered creation separate from — and held in existence by — God, the Creator.
How on earth is a pastor supposed to build any kind of community when people treat the parish church like a hamburger joint?
One Stop Catholic Drive ThruLONGENECKER: The ancient idea of a parish community was that it was coterminous with the geographical parish. Village people lived around the village church and the community of families also comprised the community of faith.
No more. At least not in America. Instead, with the suburban motorcar-driven society we church shop. Furthermore, there are plenty of Catholic shops on offer. In our town, for instance we have one church which offers traditional liturgy influenced heavily by the Anglican tradition–beautiful building, excellent servers, fine music. Then we have the Franciscan parish–African American gospel music, a strong emphasis on peace and justice, lively preaching and involvement with the poor. Across town we have a couple of typical American suburban parishes–easy going contemporary music, large, active congregations, busy youth work, Life Teen Mass, huge CCD program. On the other side of town a parish offers the Extraordinary Form every week–indeed every day. The parish school is thriving and a busy, enthusiastic traditionalist crowd fills the pews.
No more. At least not in America. Instead, with the suburban motorcar-driven society we church shop. Furthermore, there are plenty of Catholic shops on offer. In our town, for instance we have one church which offers traditional liturgy influenced heavily by the Anglican tradition–beautiful building, excellent servers, fine music. Then we have the Franciscan parish–African American gospel music, a strong emphasis on peace and justice, lively preaching and involvement with the poor. Across town we have a couple of typical American suburban parishes–easy going contemporary music, large, active congregations, busy youth work, Life Teen Mass, huge CCD program. On the other side of town a parish offers the Extraordinary Form every week–indeed every day. The parish school is thriving and a busy, enthusiastic traditionalist crowd fills the pews.
It's time we admit that the death penalty is an expensive and messed-up government program...
Government Can’t be Trusted With the Death Penalty - Marc Hyden - Mises Daily: The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Texas Capital Punishment Assessment Team recently reviewed the Texas death penalty system to find what surprises no one — it’s an expensive program that is run poorly and makes mistakes. The analysis, led by legal experts and former elected officials across the ideological spectrum, found that Texas relies on outdated, unscientific, and unreliable methods to prove guilt. Many changes were suggested to attempt to prevent wrongful convictions and provide fair due process.
When our Queen came to Fatima, she asked for nothing less than a revolution
New Advent: When our Queen came to Fatima, she asked for nothing less than a revolution: From Peter Howard's The Catholic Hour on Vimeo.
Be of good cheer, brethren, for in Christ, the victory is already won and the Word of the Lord endures forever...
And The Word of the Lord Remains Forever; as seen in sign and stone � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Today I was privileged celebrate in sign and stone what will always be so. Namely that the Word of the Lord forever stands!
In late September two unknown perpetrators toppled a monument of the Ten Commandments at approximately 3:30 in the morning. Their shadowy figures were captured on numerous security cameras near the Supreme Court here in Washington. The Headquarters of Faith and Action, a Christian outreach and ministry to the legislative and judicial branches, was the site of this monument. The headquarters sits in my neighborhood just across the street from the Supreme Court and the monument, though on private land, is seen by the Justices each day as they enter and exit the garage of the Court.
In late September two unknown perpetrators toppled a monument of the Ten Commandments at approximately 3:30 in the morning. Their shadowy figures were captured on numerous security cameras near the Supreme Court here in Washington. The Headquarters of Faith and Action, a Christian outreach and ministry to the legislative and judicial branches, was the site of this monument. The headquarters sits in my neighborhood just across the street from the Supreme Court and the monument, though on private land, is seen by the Justices each day as they enter and exit the garage of the Court.
What does it mean when the Church says, "God reveals man to himself"?
God Reveals Man to Himself | Catholic AnswersAKIN: If you read magisterial documents written in the last fifty years, you’ll occasionally run across a statement that talks about man being revealed to himself.
Sometimes, the statement will say that God reveals man to himself.
Other times, it will say that Christ reveals man to himself.
What do these statements mean?
Sometimes, the statement will say that God reveals man to himself.
Other times, it will say that Christ reveals man to himself.
What do these statements mean?
Pope's Wednesday audience: "The baptized on Earth, the souls in Purgatory, and the saints in Heaven form one big family"
VATICAN Pope: the communion of saints, an unbreakable bond between us and those who are in Purgatory or in Heaven - Asia News: There is " a deep and indissoluble bond between those who are still pilgrims in this world","the souls in purgatory and those who are already in Heaven ." A "shared union" that should propel us to seek God's help and that of our brothers in times of "insecurity, loss and even doubts on our journey of faith", which "we have all experienced", even the Pope, "none of this should surprise us because we are human beings, we are fragile, we have limits, all we have".
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Catholic university to teach students how to promote, protect Obamacare-covered abortions...
Catholic University To Teach Students How To Promote, Protect Obamacare-Covered Abortions: A Washington D.C.-based private Catholic university is slated to offer a class next semester that is expected to teach students how to promote and protect abortion coverage provided under the Affordable Care Act.
The course, “Regulatory Advocacy: Women and the Affordable Care Act,” is set to be taught at Georgetown Law, and it has upset staunch Catholics, according to The Cardinal Newman Society, which first reported on the new academic offering.
Can you date if you don't have an annulment?
Can you date if you don't have an annulment? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Many people who have experienced the heartbreak of divorce wish to remarry.
The Church understands this.
To be faithful to the teachings of Jesus, the Church can't simply assume that everyone who is divorced is free to remarry, and so it has the annulment process to investigate whether a person was validly married in the first place.
Some in our culture don't want to wait for an annulment before they begin dating. They go ahead and date in the expectation that they will receive an annulment.
The Church understands this.
To be faithful to the teachings of Jesus, the Church can't simply assume that everyone who is divorced is free to remarry, and so it has the annulment process to investigate whether a person was validly married in the first place.
Some in our culture don't want to wait for an annulment before they begin dating. They go ahead and date in the expectation that they will receive an annulment.
Holy Communion for the divorced and remarried?
Holy Communion for the Divorced and Remarried? - Ethika PolitikaTEDMARTIN: The painful situation of Catholics who are civilly divorced and remarried is a shadow in the life of the Church. It is bad for everyone: Married couples, children, parishes, dioceses, countries and the universal Church. Without imputing guilt, divorce and remarriage always represents a break down of essential goods and truths and results in heart wrenching pain. All of us have been touched in one way or another by the agony of divorce and all of us hate it.
When atheists say that God commanded genocide in the Old Testament, here's how you can respond...
Did God Command Genocide? | BrandonVogt.comVOGT: Most atheists today display a remarkable inability to discern different genres throughout Scripture. They attempt to read Genesis through the same lens as the Psalms, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, the Gospel of Luke, and Revelation. And most of the time, this lens is the lens of modern journalism. The problem though is that none of the Bible was written in the way, according to today's journalistic standards. In most cases, the biblical authors are not interested in specific historical details but in conveying theological and moral truths. This realization, in itself, solves many apparent difficulties in Scripture.
Once we begin with a firm grasp of these two basic principles, that the "dark passages" do not present new problems, and that to solve them we must first ascertain their genre, then we're prepared to explore adequate solutions. Thankfully, many Christians today are rolling out tools for understanding these "dark passages" and I'd like to highlight a few of them.
Once we begin with a firm grasp of these two basic principles, that the "dark passages" do not present new problems, and that to solve them we must first ascertain their genre, then we're prepared to explore adequate solutions. Thankfully, many Christians today are rolling out tools for understanding these "dark passages" and I'd like to highlight a few of them.
I have been in jail for 14 months for a peaceful abortion protest. It is a blessing to share in the sufferings of Christ...
Jailed pro-life activist in open letter: I am ‘blessed’ to share in the sufferings of Christ | LifeSiteNews.comWAGNER: This letter goes out from Vanier CW, an Ontario jail where I have been incarcerated for the last fourteen months. I am awaiting trial on charges of "mischief" and breach of a probation order that unjustly prohibits me from entering within 200 meters of any place where abortions are committed in Ontario.
In response to an atheist blog, here's a growing list of hundreds of proofs of God's non-existence...
Hundreds of Proofs of God's Non-Existence: This is a response to Hundreds of Proofs of God's Existence by "Godless Geeks". To add to the list, email philosopher@thomism.org...
The devil has a secret weapon that works especially well on conservatives. Here's what it is, and how to guard yourself...
A Diabolical, Nostalgic Plan | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and views: I’ve looked at the files on your man, and you need to be extremely careful here. The believers on what the humans call the “left” of their church are easy. We’ve managed to convince them that salvation is to be found in social programs, liberal politics, and making jokes about conservatives. We’ve done a wonderful job in making it all about politics for them—all about the good they think they can do—and the angrier they become at those they see as their earthly enemies, the further they move away from their god. It’s very successful, and such great fun too. The joke is that they hardly change anything anyway, but the better and more pompous they feel about themselves the less humble and more strident they are, and that makes our enemy even more upset and disappointed.
If you didn't see this Gospel reflection last week, you should. Watch for the easter egg at the 1:45 mark...
New Advent: If you didn't see this Gospel reflection last week, you should. There's an easter egg at the 1:45 mark...: Father Denis Meade offers his thoughts on the Gospel for October 27...
10 things you need to know today: October 29, 2013
10 things you need to know today: October 29, 2013 - The Week: A judge blocks new Texas abortion restrictions, China suspects a crash at Tiananmen Square was a suicide attack, and more
A practical 10-step guide to holiness...
OSV Daily Take Blog: Called to be holy: Cardinal Dolan’s 10-step guide to holinessDOLAN: Here is the key to our spiritual growth: a faithful, personal, loving relationship with Jesus. To know Jesus, to hear Jesus, to love Jesus, to trust Jesus, to obey Jesus, to share his life in the deepest fiber of our being, and then to serve him — this is our goal.
How do we grow in holiness? How? That, of course, is our spiritual program, isn't it, the stewardship of the spirit, "the regimen of the soul bringing about the reign of God," to quote servant of the poor Charles de Foucauld. I propose to you a spiritual regimen, a stewardship of the spirit coming not from me, but from centuries of practice and learning.
How do we grow in holiness? How? That, of course, is our spiritual program, isn't it, the stewardship of the spirit, "the regimen of the soul bringing about the reign of God," to quote servant of the poor Charles de Foucauld. I propose to you a spiritual regimen, a stewardship of the spirit coming not from me, but from centuries of practice and learning.
There are two things everybody has learned from Prohibition, but neither of these things is true...
The Real Lessons of Prohibition | Crisis MagazineESOLEN: In October, 1919, a heavily “progressive” Congress passed the Volstead Act enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting, for almost all purposes, the production, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages. There are two things everybody has learned from Prohibition. First, it is wrong to try to legislate morality. Second, you cannot do it, for Prohibition failed. But neither of these things is true, and the real lessons of Prohibition go unheeded.
First, law is nothing if not the codification of morality. All laws bear some relation, however distant, to a moral evaluation of good and bad. We cannot escape making moral distinctions. One man’s theft is another man’s redistribution of income. One man’s defense of family honor is another man’s murder. Even people who reduce law to utilitarian calculations cannot evade this truth. They may say, “It is useful to refrain from stealing, because then everyone’s goods will be secure,” appealing to self-interest. But why should security be prized higher than the thrill of danger? And how can mere usefulness bind my conscience? A man may fight to the death for justice, and to hell with utility.
First, law is nothing if not the codification of morality. All laws bear some relation, however distant, to a moral evaluation of good and bad. We cannot escape making moral distinctions. One man’s theft is another man’s redistribution of income. One man’s defense of family honor is another man’s murder. Even people who reduce law to utilitarian calculations cannot evade this truth. They may say, “It is useful to refrain from stealing, because then everyone’s goods will be secure,” appealing to self-interest. But why should security be prized higher than the thrill of danger? And how can mere usefulness bind my conscience? A man may fight to the death for justice, and to hell with utility.
Measuring divorce rates is always tricky. But whatever the measure, practicing Catholics fare better...
Measuring Divorce Rates is More Difficult. But whatever the measure, Practicing Catholics Fare Better. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: It would seem that figuring the divorce rate would be a rather simple thing. But like most sociological phenomena, there are many complicating factors (especially today when even simple definitions are breaking down). But however you measure divorce, it would seem that practicing Catholics fare far finer than any other group, believer or non-believer.
I recently read a CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) study and would like to share a few thoughts from it. The fuller commentary by Mark Gray is over at the CARA blog here
I recently read a CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) study and would like to share a few thoughts from it. The fuller commentary by Mark Gray is over at the CARA blog here
In 1986, the future Pope Francis unknowingly brought the "Untier of Knots" Marian devotion from Germany to Argentina...
The Knots of the Pastor BergoglioMAGISTER: In Augsburg, in the church of the Jesuits, dedicated to Saint Peter, there is a venerated Marian image: the Blessed Mother "untier of knots."
In it Mary is depicted untying the knots of a ribbon held out to her by an angel, which another angel is receiving from her with no more knots. The meaning is clear. The knots are all that complicates life, difficulties, sins. And Mary is the one who helps to untie them.
Bergoglio was deeply struck by this Marian image. When he returned to Argentina a few months later, he brought with him a good number of prayer cards with the Blessed Mother "untier of knots."
In it Mary is depicted untying the knots of a ribbon held out to her by an angel, which another angel is receiving from her with no more knots. The meaning is clear. The knots are all that complicates life, difficulties, sins. And Mary is the one who helps to untie them.
Bergoglio was deeply struck by this Marian image. When he returned to Argentina a few months later, he brought with him a good number of prayer cards with the Blessed Mother "untier of knots."
New Ruthenian Bishop Burnette has doctorates in mathematics and law, and taught a pioneering class on quantum computing...
Pope names three bishops for N. America: Pope Francis has named three new bishops for North America in the past two days – two for the United States and one for Canada.
On Tuesday, Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, was named archbishop of Hartford, Connecticut; he succeeds Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, whose resignation the Pope accepted in conformity with canon 401.
Fr. Kurt Burnette, rector of Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was named the new bishop of the Ruthenian Eparchy of Passaic, one of the three eparchies of the Byzantine Catholic Church in the United States.
On Tuesday, Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, was named archbishop of Hartford, Connecticut; he succeeds Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, whose resignation the Pope accepted in conformity with canon 401.
Fr. Kurt Burnette, rector of Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was named the new bishop of the Ruthenian Eparchy of Passaic, one of the three eparchies of the Byzantine Catholic Church in the United States.
Over the weekend, something rather extraordinary happened on these shores...
Whispers in the Loggia: The Council's "Unfinished Business," The Church's "Return to Jesus"... and Dreams of "The Next Pope" – A Southern Weekend with Francis' "Discovery Channel"PALMO: Even if Father Francis feels his limits in English and won't likely make it to the US for another two years, to get things rolling in the meantime, the Pope sent his frighteningly-fluent principal adviser to light up the scoreboard.
To put it another way, the last time a Roman pontiff's Salesian top op came to lay out the program for the Stateside Church, it was two and a half years into the pontificate. Under the new regime, the same cycle took all of seven months.
Then again, for those who've been paying attention to the substance of things in an extraordinary moment, the speed should come as anything but a surprise – Bergoglio & Co. are well aware that time is short... while the vision to be implemented is sweeping.
To put it another way, the last time a Roman pontiff's Salesian top op came to lay out the program for the Stateside Church, it was two and a half years into the pontificate. Under the new regime, the same cycle took all of seven months.
Then again, for those who've been paying attention to the substance of things in an extraordinary moment, the speed should come as anything but a surprise – Bergoglio & Co. are well aware that time is short... while the vision to be implemented is sweeping.
Pope Francis names Toledo's Leonard Blair as new Archbishop of Hartford
Whispers in the Loggia: For Hartford, It's Lenny Time – Pope Taps Toledo's Blair for Conn. Pallium: Filling a strategically important seat in American Catholicism's now-faded Northeastern flagship, at Roman Noon this Tuesday the Pope named Bishop Leonard Blair, 64 – the Detroit native and longtime Vatican staffer who's led of Ohio's Toledo church since 2003 – as the fifth archbishop of Hartford.
The third US archbishop chosen to date by Francis (after Dubuque and Newark), Blair succeeds Archbishop Henry Mansell, who reached the retirement age of 75 a year ago this month. Head of the 700,000-member flock comprising most of Connecticut's western half since 2003, the Bronx-born prelate first made his name as auxiliary and vicar-general of New York under John Cardinal O'Connor, who undertook a ferocious (and ultimately futile) lobbying effort in his final months to have Mansell named as his successor in Gotham.
The third US archbishop chosen to date by Francis (after Dubuque and Newark), Blair succeeds Archbishop Henry Mansell, who reached the retirement age of 75 a year ago this month. Head of the 700,000-member flock comprising most of Connecticut's western half since 2003, the Bronx-born prelate first made his name as auxiliary and vicar-general of New York under John Cardinal O'Connor, who undertook a ferocious (and ultimately futile) lobbying effort in his final months to have Mansell named as his successor in Gotham.
Why abortion is probably going back to the Supreme Court
Why abortion is probably going back to the Supreme Court - The Week: Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis may have lost the early battle on abortion rights, but it appears the war is just beginning.
Months after Gov. Rick Perry called a special legislative session to pass a restrictive abortion bill that Davis had filibustered for 11 hours, a federal judge ruled on Monday that some of its provisions are unconstitutional.
A day before many of the provisions of House Bill 2 were supposed to take effect — including one that was expected to force the closure of one-third of Texas' abortion clinics — District Judge Lee Yeakel blocked them.
Months after Gov. Rick Perry called a special legislative session to pass a restrictive abortion bill that Davis had filibustered for 11 hours, a federal judge ruled on Monday that some of its provisions are unconstitutional.
A day before many of the provisions of House Bill 2 were supposed to take effect — including one that was expected to force the closure of one-third of Texas' abortion clinics — District Judge Lee Yeakel blocked them.
Monday, October 28, 2013
There's something about baseball that reminds me of tradition, and liturgy, and God...
Tradition, Baseball, and Liturgy | Truth & Charity The Intersection of Faith & LifeSPENCER: It is October in Minnesota, and I can’t help but notice and admire beautiful things. I love the bright flame colored trees, the decorative gourds, the last harvest of tomatoes, the taste of chocolate chip pumpkin bread, a hot cup of tea, and baseball. Yes, baseball is a beautiful thing. It also helps to be a St. Louis native and Cardinal fan this October. I have loved baseball as long as I have been conscious of it. It was a love passed down to me from my family in St. Louis. I am told that my grandmother listened to the games on the radio while preparing dinner, and my dad still talks about the 1968 series loss to the Detroit Tigers. My first October in existence, the Cardinals lost the 1985 World Series to the Kansas City Royals.
Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado does booming business while employing 40 developmentally disabled adults...
Arvada restaurant employs 40 developmentally disabled adults - The Denver Post: Kira Witt is very precise when explaining how she does her favorite job at Jack's Bar & Grill, making sweet- and-sour mix for margaritas with freshly squeezed juices.
She describes each step in the process slowly and deliberately — her halting speech the result of a developmental disability — but the pride and enthusiasm she has for her job is evident, both in her demeanor and her attention to detail.
"When I make the sweet-and-sour, I have to squeeze the lemons and limes, get all of the juice out of them, so they are nice freshly squeezed," said Witt, 31, who is engaged to be married. "Then, with the lemon and lime juice, we have to blend them into simple syrup. When we make our simple syrup, all we need is water and sugar. Then we add the juice to the simple syrup, and I stir that, and I ladle it into our bottles."
She describes each step in the process slowly and deliberately — her halting speech the result of a developmental disability — but the pride and enthusiasm she has for her job is evident, both in her demeanor and her attention to detail.
"When I make the sweet-and-sour, I have to squeeze the lemons and limes, get all of the juice out of them, so they are nice freshly squeezed," said Witt, 31, who is engaged to be married. "Then, with the lemon and lime juice, we have to blend them into simple syrup. When we make our simple syrup, all we need is water and sugar. Then we add the juice to the simple syrup, and I stir that, and I ladle it into our bottles."
Why are the notes of the tonal scale called "Do, Re, Mi"? A Benedictine monk named Guido has something to do with it...
Why are Notes of the Tonal Scale Called "Do, Re, Mi"? | Mental Floss: Solmization, or the practice of assigning syllables to the different “steps” of the scale, originated in ancient India. Fast forward a few thousand years, when Isidore, the Archbishop of Seville during the sixth century, lamented that "Unless sounds are remembered, they perish, for they cannot be written down." A Benedictine monk who was also a master of music named Guido d'Arezzo set to work to prevent so many sacred tunes from being lost.�
On Christmas Eve in 1906, something amazing happened that many hadn't thought possible...
Christmas Eve, 1906. A Miracle. |Blogs | NCRegister.comMATTARCHBOLD: It was Christmas Eve night in 1906. The ships at sea for the US Navy and the United Fruit Company received a message in Morse code to expect a special and important transmission. The telegraphers in their respective ships expected to hear the dits and dashes of Morse coming through.
But instead they heard something that many likely hadn't imagined possible. It was the sound of a human voice. In particular, it was the voice of Reginald Fessenden, the genius behind this first wireless voice transmission who had studied under Thomas Edison, transmitting from Brant Rock, MA, to ships on the North and South Atlantic Ocean.
But instead they heard something that many likely hadn't imagined possible. It was the sound of a human voice. In particular, it was the voice of Reginald Fessenden, the genius behind this first wireless voice transmission who had studied under Thomas Edison, transmitting from Brant Rock, MA, to ships on the North and South Atlantic Ocean.
Telling the truth: Confessions of a former tabloid writer...
Telling the Truth: Confessions of a Former Tabloid Writer :ARMSTRONG: What do O.J. Simpson, The Bachelorette, Charlie Sheen and Angelina Jolie all have in common?� The tabloids love them.
On the way to the grocery store checkout, one cannot help but notice headlines flashing the latest scandals.� If the high point of your day was discovering that cheese was on sale, reading up on the latest celebrity dirt is tempting. After all, it is not like you are sitting around gossiping at the office water cooler or making fun of the pants one of the moms wore to your book club. These people are celebrities so they should expect it, right?� In truth, regardless of what they should expect, all that really matters is what God expects of us.
On the way to the grocery store checkout, one cannot help but notice headlines flashing the latest scandals.� If the high point of your day was discovering that cheese was on sale, reading up on the latest celebrity dirt is tempting. After all, it is not like you are sitting around gossiping at the office water cooler or making fun of the pants one of the moms wore to your book club. These people are celebrities so they should expect it, right?� In truth, regardless of what they should expect, all that really matters is what God expects of us.
"The smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God": In 1972, Pope Paul VI delivered a sermon that startled the world...
The Smoke of Satan Returns | First ThingsDOINO: In July, Francis consecrated Vatican City State to St. Michael, the Archangel, who “defends the People of God from their enemies, and above all from the arch-enemy par excellence, the devil.” And in early October, Francis powerfully rebuked those who deny the existence of Satan, warning against relativism, deceit, and “the seduction of evil.”
Striking as his words are, they are not surprising. During his formation as a Jesuit, Jorge Bergoglio adopted the intense spirituality of St. Ignatius, who always recognized the reality of spiritual warfare. In On Heaven and Earth, his 2010 book with his friend, Rabbi Abraham Skorka, the then Cardinal Bergoglio spoke of the devil in the starkest terms: “He is the tempter, the one that looks to destroy the work of God, he that brings us to self-sufficiency, to pride. Jesus defines him as the father of lies.”
Striking as his words are, they are not surprising. During his formation as a Jesuit, Jorge Bergoglio adopted the intense spirituality of St. Ignatius, who always recognized the reality of spiritual warfare. In On Heaven and Earth, his 2010 book with his friend, Rabbi Abraham Skorka, the then Cardinal Bergoglio spoke of the devil in the starkest terms: “He is the tempter, the one that looks to destroy the work of God, he that brings us to self-sufficiency, to pride. Jesus defines him as the father of lies.”
"Pastor to some, chaplain to all": As the military is called on to do every day, chaplains make the difficult look easy...
Ecumenism in the Chaplaincy | First Things: Last week I was sitting in my office at the chapel when one of our chaplain assistants came in and told me that an Airman was on his way in and wanted to talk with a chaplain. He wanted to know if I was available to see this particular Airman. I said that I was, but inquired further if the Airman expressed any denominational preference. “Did the Airman want to see a particular kind of chaplain?” The chaplain assistant assured me that the in-bound Airman didn’t have a preference; he just wanted to see a chaplain.
Boy meets girl. Girl gives kidney to boy. Boy marries girl...
Kidney transplant patient in Brownsburg finds perfect match — and more | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com: Kyle Froelich had heard it before — nearly 100 times from well-meaning friends and family in kind gestures that ultimately never panned out.
His diseased kidneys were slowly failing him. One after another, people offered to donate one of theirs. But those good intentions — always foiled, never the right match — no longer raised his hopes.
It was his senior year at Brownsburg High School, the last year the doctors thought he would live, when he met a girl with a brand-new Camaro at a car show.
His diseased kidneys were slowly failing him. One after another, people offered to donate one of theirs. But those good intentions — always foiled, never the right match — no longer raised his hopes.
It was his senior year at Brownsburg High School, the last year the doctors thought he would live, when he met a girl with a brand-new Camaro at a car show.
Are scary Halloween costumes okay?
Are Scary Halloween Costumes Okay? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Many people of conscience view Halloween with some suspicion, and the way it is often celebrated today, that’s understandable.
Some have chosen not to celebrate Halloween at all, and that’s a respectable choice.
Others have chosen to invert the popular celebration by dressing up–or having their children dress up–as entirely wholesome figures, like doctors, nurses, and firemen or even as historical figures, like saints.
But what about scary Halloween costumes? Are those okay?
Some have chosen not to celebrate Halloween at all, and that’s a respectable choice.
Others have chosen to invert the popular celebration by dressing up–or having their children dress up–as entirely wholesome figures, like doctors, nurses, and firemen or even as historical figures, like saints.
But what about scary Halloween costumes? Are those okay?
The new Secretary of State will soon arrive in Rome with an aura of mystery about his illness...
MondayVatican – Vatican � Waiting for Pietro Parolin | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: Pietro Parolin was discharged from the hospital and should arrive in Rome after a short convalescing period at home. This is the first piece of news released about the new Secretary of State’s health. Parolin could not take part in the ceremony by which he formally assumed his new position because he needed to undergo an urgent surgery operation. If what the Holy See Press Office stated officially is accurate, Parolin was discharged on Friday, Oct. 25, about ten days after his surgery. A long recovery, it seems, for a simple surgery. Some rumors point to a shorter period convalescing at the hospital, and hypothesize that Parolin has been in Rome since Oct. 24.
The Church often has the unpleasant but necessary task of being the only adult in the room...
On Being the Adult in the Room � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: We live in times and in a culture where maturity is often significantly delayed. In fact there are many in our culture who never grow up. I have argued elsewhere that one paradigm of our culture is to that it is fixated on teenage years. Fixation is a psychological description of a person who has not successfully navigated one of the stages of infancy and youth and thus remains stuck in the thinking and patterns of that stage, to one degree or another. Out culture’s fixation on teenage issues and attitudes is manifest in some of the following
10 things you need to know today: October 28, 2013...
10 things you need to know today: October 28, 2013 - The Week: Rock 'n Roll legend Lou Reed dies, Republicans call for Sebelius to resign, and more...
"I thank you with all my heart": Pope Francis (@pontifex) hits 10,000,000 followers on Twitter
Pope Francis celebrates hitting 10m Twitter followers | World news | theguardian.com: A jubilant Pope Francis celebrated reaching 10 million followers on messaging site Twitter on Sunday , a milestone in the Vatican's drive to spread the gospel through social media.
"Dear Followers I understand there are now over 10 million of you!" the pontiff wrote on his nine accounts, which publish simultaneously in languages including Latin, Polish and Arabic. "I thank you with all my heart and ask you to continue praying for me."
"Dear Followers I understand there are now over 10 million of you!" the pontiff wrote on his nine accounts, which publish simultaneously in languages including Latin, Polish and Arabic. "I thank you with all my heart and ask you to continue praying for me."
Sunday, October 27, 2013
10 things you need to know today: October 27, 2013...
10 things you need to know today: October 27, 2013 - The Week: Gov. Christie blasts Congress over Sandy relief, the Cardinals win game three of the World Series, and more...
"How's the joy in your home?" Pope Francis hosts Day for the Family in Rome
'How's the joy in your home?' Pope asks families :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): At the Sunday Mass held during the “Day for the Family” in Rome, Pope Francis questioned pilgrims about the harmony of their home lives.
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“I would like to ask a question today. Everyone – how will you carry joy home in your heart? How’s the joy in your home? How’s the joy in your family?” he asked during his Oct. 26 homily.
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“The family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of society: the joyous family!” the Pope exclaimed.
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The Pontiff went on to draw out the connection between joy and faith lived in common life.
�
“I would like to ask a question today. Everyone – how will you carry joy home in your heart? How’s the joy in your home? How’s the joy in your family?” he asked during his Oct. 26 homily.
�
“The family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of society: the joyous family!” the Pope exclaimed.
�
The Pontiff went on to draw out the connection between joy and faith lived in common life.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Infographic: The complete history of coffee making
New Advent: Infographic: The complete history of coffee making: Taken from www.wildcard.co.uk. See the full infographic at http://visual.ly/complete-history-coffee-making.
The Vatican Film Library is home to some one-of-a-kind cinematic treasures
New Advent: The Vatican Film Library is home to some one-of-a-kind cinematic treasures: The Vatican Film Library is home to some unique cinematic treasures and demonstrates that the popes have always embraced new forms of communication.
Even fans of the Beatles believe the myth that they were no good live. I repeated the cliché myself until I heard this...
50 Years Later: The Greatest Beatles Performance of All Time - Colin Fleming - The Atlantic: One of the most pervasive misconceptions about the Beatles is that they were awful as an in-concert act. The myth, as I recall my eighth-grade music teacher putting it, says the Beatles weren’t even playing up there on stage most of the time. They were only pretending to because no one could hear them anyway. And then when they did play, they weren’t much good, relying as they did on on studio time and trickery to make their records sound nice.
St. Angela of Foligno knew the enlightening power of penance...
Saint Angela of Foligno and the Enlightenment of Penance :LILLES: Even though she died in 1309, Saint Angela of Foligno helps us appreciate the enlightenment that can come from a life of penance.� It was a time not unlike our own. Epicureanism was destroying society even as great saints attempted to help their contemporaries see that there is so much more than the short term pleasures of the here and now.� Saint Angela started out more on the Epicurean side of this equation. � But because she responded to Christ’s great love for her, she is now a witness to the truth: when we do our penance with contrition and love, we learn something about ourselves and about God that leads to a fullness of life and the freedom to love.
The beauty of the time-worn eternal Gospel
The Beauty of the Time-worn Eternal Gospel � Neal Obstat Theological OpiningNEAL: I have spent the last 3 years trying to complete David Bentley Hart’s book, Atheist Delusions, and the great pleasure I take in reading his inimitable celebration of language makes me wish the book had no final chapter. In any event, there was one quote on the utterly singular contribution of Christianity to ethical thought that I felt compelled to share here in its entirety. Brace and pace yourself for its density, but let me opine that the yield of insight is worth the labor...
Has Kristallnacht come to the Middle East?
Got news? Has Kristallnacht comes to the Middle East?MATTINGLY: There was always an important, yet unstated, idea at the heart of the “On Faith” website at The Washington Post: Religion is an important and powerful force in the real world, but the reality is that religion is all about feelings, experiences and opinions, not facts about history, doctrines, laws, scriptures, traditions and governance that journalists should cover in an accurate and balanced manner.
U.S. Air Force Academy makes "so help me God" optional in cadet honor oath...
AFA Makes 'So Help Me God' Optional in Honor Oath | Military.com: The Air Force Academy will make the "so help me God" clause of the cadet honor oath optional, academy officials announced Friday.
"Here at the academy, we work to build a culture of dignity and respect, and that respect includes the ability of our cadets, airmen and civilian airmen to freely practice and exercise their religious preference -- or not," said Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, academy superintendent, in a statement. "So, in the spirit of respect, cadets may or may not choose to finish the honor oath with 'so help me God.'"
"Here at the academy, we work to build a culture of dignity and respect, and that respect includes the ability of our cadets, airmen and civilian airmen to freely practice and exercise their religious preference -- or not," said Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, academy superintendent, in a statement. "So, in the spirit of respect, cadets may or may not choose to finish the honor oath with 'so help me God.'"
True or false possession? This book will help you tell the difference between the demonic and the demented...
NCRegister | The Devil’s CunningMCCLOSKEY: This update of an earlier work is entitled True or False Possession: How to Distinguish the Demonic From the Demented. The author, French neurologist Jean Lhermitte, originally wrote this book in the 1960s; this new edition has been edited and updated by Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, bestselling author of The Catholic Guide to Depression.
Written primarily for health professionals,True or False Possession is nonetheless of interest to any educated Catholic, in that it recounts from a Catholic viewpoint genuine suspected demonic possession and helps the layman, priest, psychiatrist and even family members to distinguish the real thing from mental illness and fakery. However, when and if it is necessary to bring the victim to an exorcist for treatment, Dr. Kheriaty points out, "This author knows the permanent limitations of his science: This book does not attempt to detail cases of what may be considered true possession, for these by their nature would be outside the scope of the author’s clinical expertise. In such cases, the physician and priest need to collaborate responsibly and with respect for the insights of both science and theology."
Written primarily for health professionals,True or False Possession is nonetheless of interest to any educated Catholic, in that it recounts from a Catholic viewpoint genuine suspected demonic possession and helps the layman, priest, psychiatrist and even family members to distinguish the real thing from mental illness and fakery. However, when and if it is necessary to bring the victim to an exorcist for treatment, Dr. Kheriaty points out, "This author knows the permanent limitations of his science: This book does not attempt to detail cases of what may be considered true possession, for these by their nature would be outside the scope of the author’s clinical expertise. In such cases, the physician and priest need to collaborate responsibly and with respect for the insights of both science and theology."
Second American prelate stricken with Hepatatis A after attending new bishops' orientation in Rome
Oh My Gosh! A Second American Bishop Has Contracted Hepatitis A!SCHIFFER: Earlier today, I reported that Fargo’s new bishop, Bishop �John T. Folda, had contracted Hepatitis A while attending the recent Bishops’ School in Rome, and had unknowingly exposed worshippers at four churches to the virus.
It turns out that Bishop Folda isn’t the only new bishop to contract the virus.� A statement released this evening from the Diocese of Tyler reports that their ordinary, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, has also been diagnosed with Hepatitis A.� Bishop Strickland, who was ordained in November 2012, also attended the Bishops’ School program in Rome on September 10-19.
It turns out that Bishop Folda isn’t the only new bishop to contract the virus.� A statement released this evening from the Diocese of Tyler reports that their ordinary, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, has also been diagnosed with Hepatitis A.� Bishop Strickland, who was ordained in November 2012, also attended the Bishops’ School program in Rome on September 10-19.
The Glory train, as seen in a Norfolk Southern commercial
The Glory Train, as seen in a Norfolk Southern Commercial � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: When I saw the commercial at the bottom of this post, my mind almost instantly went to a powerful and poetic text from the Book of Wisdom that begins, For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent, Your all-powerful Word from heaven’s royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land (Wisdom 18:14).
As the commercial begins, the lights go out in the room of a young man, much as the lights have gone out in Western culture. But the darkness does not last long, for a toy train leaps to life and, by its light, brings everything else to life and light.
As the commercial begins, the lights go out in the room of a young man, much as the lights have gone out in Western culture. But the darkness does not last long, for a toy train leaps to life and, by its light, brings everything else to life and light.
Brush up on your dining etiquette and table manners with The Art of Manliness
New Advent: Brush up on your dining etiquette and table manners with the Art of Manliness: Learn the basics of proper dining etiquette with Dim and Dash, and read the original article at The Art of Manliness.
How many countries are there in the world?
New Advent: How many countries are there in the world?: A consistent definition of "country" is impossible because your checklist needs to include Vatican City (the least country-like country that's still a country) while excluding Hong Kong (the most country-like country that isn't).
10 things you need to know today: October 26, 2013
10 things you need to know today: October 26, 2013 - The Week: ObamaCare fixes get a deadline, Saudi women protest a driving ban, and more...
Pianist Maria João Pires panics as she realizes the orchestra has started the wrong concerto...
Pianist Maria Jo�o Pires panics as she realises the orchestra has started the wrong concerto… – Telegraph BlogsTHOMPSON: This is quite extraordinary. The wonderful Maria João Pires is ready to play a Mozart piano concerto with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw conducted by Riccardo Chailly, only to hear the orchestra begin playing another Mozart concerto – no 20 in D minor, K466, not what she was expecting or had prepared for. Can you imagine her horror? You'll have to watch the film below to find out what happened next.
Friday, October 25, 2013
The full blast of God's glory shone through the North American Martyrs...
New Advent: The full blast of God's glory shone through the North American Martyrs...STEFANICK: Leaves show their full beauty and glory just before they die each fall. You know, the saints are kind of like that. You can usually see the full blast of God's glory shining through at the end of their lives. That's especially true of the martyrs, who gave up their lives for the faith.
Halloween has been taken over by the grotesque and by commercialized sex. So what should a Catholic do?
Aggie Catholics: Halloween & SmutLEJEUNE: Halloween decorations have invaded stores for a while now and it made me think about the changes that have happened over the last 30 years or so. When I was a kid [cue the 'old man' comments], Halloween was fun, not too macabre and not filled with sex or the occult. That isn't the case today.
Halloween has been taken over by the grotesque and by commercialized sex. What a shame! It is part and parcel of a culture that is stewing in a porn-injected understanding of sexuality and the human person. In many ways, other people are only pieces of meat for public display in modern culture.
Catholics should not participate in these sides of Halloween. Now, I am not saying that we should reject Halloween all-together, rather I am suggesting that we need to start to think about it now in order to plan on how we might redeem the good in it.
Halloween has been taken over by the grotesque and by commercialized sex. What a shame! It is part and parcel of a culture that is stewing in a porn-injected understanding of sexuality and the human person. In many ways, other people are only pieces of meat for public display in modern culture.
Catholics should not participate in these sides of Halloween. Now, I am not saying that we should reject Halloween all-together, rather I am suggesting that we need to start to think about it now in order to plan on how we might redeem the good in it.
Here's why some people hate people who call themselves Christians
Why people hate people who call themselves ChristiansSCALIA: If you’ve wondered what a “Christianist” is, this is a pretty fair example. It’s someone who uses Christ Jesus or the teachings of his church as an excuse to justify bigotry, to endorse a thoughtless ideology and to expose a heart full of hate.
Yesterday we read about a cop who saw the human person before her, not just a crime, and tried to help.
Today we read about people who sees nothing human in another, just a sin, and try to punish...
Yesterday we read about a cop who saw the human person before her, not just a crime, and tried to help.
Today we read about people who sees nothing human in another, just a sin, and try to punish...
Iranian Christians sentenced to 80 lashes for drinking wine at church service...
Iran gives Christians 80 lashes for communion wine as UN blasts human rights record | Fox News: Four Iranian Christians were reportedly sentenced to 80 lashes for drinking wine for communion, a shocking punishment meted out even as a new United Nations report blasted the Islamic republic for its systematic persecution of non-Muslims.
Topless activists attack Brussels archbishop, French pro-family activist at Catholic college event in Belgium...
Video: Topless activists attack Brussels Archbishop…again | LifeSiteNews.com: In their second physical assault of the year on the same target, a group of topless women, thought to be paid “protesters” of the extreme-left group Femen, have attacked Andrè-Joseph Leonard, the strongly pro-life and pro-family Catholic Archbishop of Mechelen Brussels.
Are you even aware of how little you know about Islam? Even the most devout Catholics usually get it wrong...
Are You Even Aware of How Little You Know about Islam? - AleteiaKILPATRICK: Despite all the emphasis on critical thinking in our schools, American students have long lagged behind students in the rest of the developed world in tests of reading, science, and math. �E.D. Hirsch, Jr., the author of The Knowledge Deficit and other books on education, suggests that the problem lies in the fact that the critical thinking craze was accompanied by a corresponding de-emphasis on factual knowledge. �As Hirsch points out, you can’t think critically unless you have something to think about, and American students have a woefully inadequate store of facts about history, geography, math, science, and grammar, leaving them not only unprepared to compete on international assessment tests but also leaving them unprepared to compete in the global job market.
Pope Francis: "Confessing our sins is not going to a psychiatrist, or to a torture chamber..."
Pope: Sacrament of Confession is not a 'torture chamber' :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): During his daily Mass Pope Francis centered his homily on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, stressing that sin is an everyday struggle which requires accountability through “face-to-face” contact.
“Confessing our sins is not going to a psychiatrist, or to a torture chamber: it’s saying to the Lord, 'Lord, I am a sinner,' but saying it through the brother, because this says it concretely. 'I am sinner because of this, that and the other thing.'”
The Pope offered his Oct. 25 reflections to those gathered in the chapel of the Vatican's Saint Martha’s guesthouse, when he has chosen to reside.
“Confessing our sins is not going to a psychiatrist, or to a torture chamber: it’s saying to the Lord, 'Lord, I am a sinner,' but saying it through the brother, because this says it concretely. 'I am sinner because of this, that and the other thing.'”
The Pope offered his Oct. 25 reflections to those gathered in the chapel of the Vatican's Saint Martha’s guesthouse, when he has chosen to reside.
Hackett interview; Gotti Tedeschi; Lefebvrists; and speaking dates
Hackett interview; Gotti Tedeschi; Lefebvrists; and speaking dates | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: Using categories made famous by Joseph Nye, the United States is the world's leading "hard power" and the Vatican among its most influential "soft powers." In that light, one way of defining the role of a U.S. ambassador to the Holy See is getting these two superpowers in sync on shared humanitarian concerns: feeding the hungry, fighting poverty, curbing war, fostering dialogue, and so on.
If that's the job, there's a strong case that few people ever have been more qualified for it than Ken Hackett.
If that's the job, there's a strong case that few people ever have been more qualified for it than Ken Hackett.
The 50 most significant breakthroughs since the wheel...
The 50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since the Wheel - James Fallows - The Atlantic: Some questions you ask because you want the right answer. Others are valuable because no answer is right; the payoff comes from the range of attempts. Seven years ago, The Atlantic surveyed a group of eminent historians to create a ranked list of the 100 people who had done the most to shape the character of modern America. The panelists agreed easily on the top few names—Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, in that order—but then began diverging in intriguing ways that reflected not simply their own values but also the varied avenues toward influence in our country. Lewis and Clark, or Henry Ford? Thomas Edison, or Martin Luther King? The result was of course not scientific. But the exercise of asking, comparing, and choosing helped us understand more about what these historical figures had done and about the areas in which American society had proved most and least open to the changes wrought by talented, determined men and women.
Archbishop Pietro Parolin, new Secretary of State, released from hospital after surgery...
VIS news - Holy See Press Office: COMMUNIQUE REGARDING THE HEALTH OF ARCHBISHOP PAROLIN: The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., today made the following declaration on the state of health of Archbishop Secretary of State Pietro Parolin...
New Fargo bishop falls ill with hepatitis after orientation in Rome; health department warns communicants of transmission risk
Bishop of Fargo, ND May Have Unwittingly Exposed His Flock to Hepatitis ASCHIFFER: Although the risk of infection is considered extremely low, health department officials felt that the public should be informed of the possible exposure. Symptoms of Hepatitis A include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, pale stools or jaundice. Symptoms can take 15 to 50 days to appear. Since it’s a virus, there is no treatment which will cure it; sufferers are given palliative care to relieve their symptoms until the virus runs its course.
A vaccine for Hepatitis A is now available and is often recommended for persons traveling outside of the United States. However, the vaccine is given as two doses over a six-month time period; so Bishop Folda may not have had sufficient time to complete the full course of immunization before his European travel.
A vaccine for Hepatitis A is now available and is often recommended for persons traveling outside of the United States. However, the vaccine is given as two doses over a six-month time period; so Bishop Folda may not have had sufficient time to complete the full course of immunization before his European travel.
10 things you need to know today: October 25, 2013...
10 things you need to know today: October 25, 2013 - The Week: NSA monitored phone calls of world leaders, Twitter announces its IPO price, and more...
Some prominent pro-life Catholics are saying that Christians should be vegetarians. Here's why they're wrong...
Must Christians Be Vegetarians? | Crisis MagazineRUSE: Is there a religious obligation not to eat meat? Is there an obligation of faithful Catholics to become vegetarians or even vegans? Quite astonishingly, Professor Charles Camosy of Fordham University says yes in his new book For Love of Animals: Christian Ethics, Consistent Action.
Genesis, according to Camosy, makes it clear that God intended only for us to eat green and grain because that is what He gave mankind to eat. God did not say we could eat the animals. Camosy argues that recent popes, when they have called for the care of creation, implicitly endorse this view. He also cites the Universal Catechism for his point of view.
Camosy is not the only one making these arguments. The modern granddaddy of these arguments is former Bush speechwriter Matthew Scully who published a book called Dominion that has turned many to vegetarianism. Camosy was deeply affected by Scully’s book, as was my dear friend Mary Eberstadt who has written the foreword to Camosy’s book. And in recent days Weekly Standard writer Jonathan Last has joined their ranks and come out as a campaigning vegetarian.
Genesis, according to Camosy, makes it clear that God intended only for us to eat green and grain because that is what He gave mankind to eat. God did not say we could eat the animals. Camosy argues that recent popes, when they have called for the care of creation, implicitly endorse this view. He also cites the Universal Catechism for his point of view.
Camosy is not the only one making these arguments. The modern granddaddy of these arguments is former Bush speechwriter Matthew Scully who published a book called Dominion that has turned many to vegetarianism. Camosy was deeply affected by Scully’s book, as was my dear friend Mary Eberstadt who has written the foreword to Camosy’s book. And in recent days Weekly Standard writer Jonathan Last has joined their ranks and come out as a campaigning vegetarian.
The 27 Stages of Sin from St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Fasten your seatbelt and read on...
Stages of Sin from St. Bernard of Clairvaux – Fasten Your Seatbelt! � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: There are just times when a saint speaks and one is stunned by the insight, the piercing analysis, like a surgeon’s scalpel dividing diseased from healthy tissue. Such is the case with a quote I read recently from St. Bernard that Ralph Martin references in his Book “The Fulfillment of all desires.”
In this quote Bernard analyzes the descent into the increasing darkness of sin experienced by those who do not turn back, who refuse to hear the call to repent. And not individuals only, but, I would argue, cultures too.
In this quote Bernard analyzes the descent into the increasing darkness of sin experienced by those who do not turn back, who refuse to hear the call to repent. And not individuals only, but, I would argue, cultures too.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Schooling decisions should not be based on fear
Fear-Based Schooling |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Okay.� I fear and mistrust government as much as any red-blooded American.� But my children aren't going to "a government facility" when they go to school, any more than Walsh is going to a government supermarket when he eats a carrot inspected by the USDA, or going on a government vacation when he drives on a road built by the DOT. �When it comes to making decisions that affect the actual children we're actually raising, my husband and I thought it made sense to do some actual research into the actual schools in our actual town.
9 major blind spots that homeschooling families commonly have, but need to avoid...
Homeschool Blindspots - Joshua Harris: In the last couple of years, I have heard from multitudes of troubled homeschool parents around the country, a good many of whom were leaders. These parents have graduated their first batch of kids, only to discover that their children didn't turn out the way they thought they would. Many of these children were model homeschoolers while growing up, but sometime after their 18th birthday they began to reveal that they didn't hold to their parents' values.
Some of these young people grew up and left home in defiance of their parents. Others got married against their parents' wishes, and still others got involved with drugs, alcohol, and immorality. I have even heard of several exemplary young men who no longer even believe in God. My own adult children have gone through struggles I never guessed they would face.
Some of these young people grew up and left home in defiance of their parents. Others got married against their parents' wishes, and still others got involved with drugs, alcohol, and immorality. I have even heard of several exemplary young men who no longer even believe in God. My own adult children have gone through struggles I never guessed they would face.
Pope Francis: "Take your sanctification seriously! Lukewarm Christianity is the road to hypocrisy..."
Pope Francis at morning Mass: we are made new in Christ: Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Thursday morning in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence in the Vatican. In his remarks following the readings, the Holy Father focused on the universal call to holiness.
The "Bling Bishop" exits, of sorts...
Whispers in the Loggia: The "Bling Bishop" Exits... Of SortsPALMO: Saying Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst "cannot, at the present moment, continue to exercise his episcopal ministry" after months of embarrassing revelations on the prelate's lavish spending for a new diocesan compound, while it was anything but surprising that Rome moved yesterday to depressurize the fraught situation in Limburg, the solution reached was a remarkable departure from the standard course of action.
10 things you need to know today: October 24, 2013...
10 things you need to know today: October 24, 2013 - The Week: ObamaCare's health-insurance penalties will be delayed, Prince George is baptized, and more...
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Springfield's Bishop Paprocki: Saying the Rosary for gay marriage is blasphemy
Bishop Paprocki: Saying the Rosary for Gay Marriage is Blasphemy | CatholicVote.org: Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, IL has already demonstrated his ability to stand tall against hostile advocates of gay marriage.
Maybe it’s a certain toughness bred from his experience as a hockey goalie.� More likely it’s a rock-solid commitment, born out of love for Christ and his Church, to defend the souls he is charged with from the subtle but relentless onslaught of sin and ignorance that Satan unleashes through the culture of death.
Maybe it’s a certain toughness bred from his experience as a hockey goalie.� More likely it’s a rock-solid commitment, born out of love for Christ and his Church, to defend the souls he is charged with from the subtle but relentless onslaught of sin and ignorance that Satan unleashes through the culture of death.
Do you know what Confirmation is and what it does?
Aggie Catholics: Do You Know What Confirmation Is And What It Does?LEJEUNE: First off, the best place to start exploring Confirmation is to begin by exploring what both the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation are and are not.
Baptism is the first of the Sacraments of Initiation, that is, a Sacrament which cleanses our souls of the guilt (not the stain) of original sin, makes us partakers of the Divine Nature, brings us into the family of God (the Church), makes us sons and daughters of the Father & brothers and sisters of Christ, and it gives us sanctifying and actual grace. It is not complete in the sense that it doesn't give us every grace we need to have a mature Christian faith. Rather, it is the gateway into a Christian and Sacramental life.
Baptism is the first of the Sacraments of Initiation, that is, a Sacrament which cleanses our souls of the guilt (not the stain) of original sin, makes us partakers of the Divine Nature, brings us into the family of God (the Church), makes us sons and daughters of the Father & brothers and sisters of Christ, and it gives us sanctifying and actual grace. It is not complete in the sense that it doesn't give us every grace we need to have a mature Christian faith. Rather, it is the gateway into a Christian and Sacramental life.
Bishop Paprocki: Blasphemous same-sex advocates wearing rainbow sashes won’t be allowed at Mass
Springfield bishop: ‘Blasphemous’ same-sex advocates wearing rainbow sashes won’t be allowed at MassVoices | Voices: The head of Springfield’s Catholic diocese moved Tuesday to scuttle a silent protest by same-sex marriage advocates planned at the capital city’s largest Catholic church, calling their plans to pray the rosary for marriage equality “blasphemous.”
Advocates for the Senate Bill 10 plan to attend a 5:15 p.m. Tuesday Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception as part of what organizers describe as a “loud Catholic Presence for marriage equality” that will wrap up a daylong rally in support of the stalled legislation.
Advocates for the Senate Bill 10 plan to attend a 5:15 p.m. Tuesday Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception as part of what organizers describe as a “loud Catholic Presence for marriage equality” that will wrap up a daylong rally in support of the stalled legislation.
A retired New Jersey priest says he just "married" another guy. You can't make this stuff up...
Priesthood or porridge? | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: This isn’t news to thinking Catholics. We’ve covered this ground many times before. But here’s what is new: the affront to truth that Pivinski has worked is worse than that caused by non-believers who (perhaps through no fault of their own) can’t see what’s wrong with ‘same sex marriage’, and even worse than Catholics who should be able to see what’s wrong with ‘same sex marriage’ and choose not to do so. For Pivinski is an alter Christus (regardless of whether he is still a cleric, and I agree with Dcn. Greg that Paterson should simply tell us what Pivinski’s canonical status is) which means that Pivinski received the sacrament that configures a man most closely to Christ the Great High Priest and ever-chaste Bridegroom of his Church. What could be a greater calling than that? Nothing.
Polygenism is problematic: A Catholic caution on another aspect of evolutionary theory...
Polygenism is Problematic – A Catholic Caution on another Aspect of Evolutionary Theory � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: At one level, the genre for the Genesis accounts must be taken into consideration wherein figurative language is sometimes used to confer the sacred truths that God alone created everything out of nothing. Further, that God oversaw every aspect of creation with intelligence, and purpose, and that he created everything out of nothing, each according to its kind. However the genre, or literary form, of Genesis does not purport to be of nature of a scientific journal article, or of a comprehensive historical genre with exact dates and geographical descriptions. What Genesis tells us is true, but it speaks to us in a summary sort of way, more as a poetic description than an earth science textbook.
Thomas à Kempis in Dei Verbum?
Thomas a Kempis in Dei Verbum? – Catholic Bible Student | Catholic Bible Student - A Blog About the Bible, Catholicism and the Habit of StudyGISZCZAK: One of the famous phrases of the Second Vatican Council that has always stuck in my mind is from Dei Verbum, which teaches that “Holy Scripture must be read and interpreted in the sacred spirit in which it was written” (section 12). That is the translation from the Vatican website. The Latin reads, “Sacra Scriptura eodem Spiritu quo scripta est etiam legenda et interpretanda sit.” Notably, the phrase “eodem Spiritu” means “same Spirit” not “sacred Spirit.” The old Walter Abbot translation gets this right and so does the Catechism (section 111). But the point is, where does this principle come from?
Mothers as "gestational carriers"? Cross-dressing for youngsters? These behaviors aren't just weird. They're wicked...
Children as Commodities | First ThingsWEIGEL: The Council of the District of Columbia is considering a bill, sponsored by its most aggressively activist gay member, to legalize surrogate child-bearing in your nation’s capital. Infertility is a heart-rending problem. But solving that problem is not what’s at issue here, for the D.C. surrogacy bill is being pushed by the same people who brought “gay marriage” to the shores of the Potomac River: people who affirm what are, by definition, infertile “marriages.”
Moreover, in their determination to deny reality—or perhaps reinvent it—the proponents of the D.C. surrogacy bill have adopted a species of Newspeak that would make George Orwell cringe.
Moreover, in their determination to deny reality—or perhaps reinvent it—the proponents of the D.C. surrogacy bill have adopted a species of Newspeak that would make George Orwell cringe.
From the top of Mars Hill in Athens, 5 lessons on the New Evangelization
Mars Hill and the Blueprint for the New Evangelization | Prayer and PerspectiveHINKEL: I just recently returned from a pilgrimage of the footsteps of St. Paul to Greece and Turkey. I went with my wonderful Archbishop, Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, as well as the Midwestern region of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. While journeying the ancient mission routes of St. Paul and companions, this eleven-day pilgrimage proffered many interesting sights and experiences. I don’t have the space to recount them all here, but encountering the ancient Roman provincial cities where Paul preached and proclaimed the Gospel left me speechless at times. There was one experience, however, that exceeded the others, and because it was so amazing I must recount it for you.
If an asteroid were very small but supermassive, could you really live on its surface?
Little Planet: The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is a story about a traveler from a distant asteroid. It's simple and sad and poignant and memorable. It's ostensibly a children's book, but it's hard to pin down who the intended audience is. In any case, it certainly has found an audience; it's among the best-selling books in history.
CTSA internal report admits: "We are a group of liberal theologians and this permeates virtually everything..."
Report on theology society both 'encouraging, saddening' :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): A spiritual theology professor has said that an internal report acknowledging the Catholic Theological Society of America excludes more-orthodox and conservative thinkers is regrettable, yet an opportunity for change in the group.
The National Catholic Reporter recently published a May 15 report of the Catholic Theological Society of America's committee on theological diversity, which said, “the self-conception of many members that the CTSA is open to all Catholic theologians is faulty and self-deceptive.”
"As one of our members put it, the CTSA is a group of liberal theologians and 'this permeates virtually everything … because the CTSA does not aspire to be a partisan group, both attitudes and practices will have to shift if the CTSA is to become the place where all perspectives within Catholic theology in North America are welcome," the report continued.
The National Catholic Reporter recently published a May 15 report of the Catholic Theological Society of America's committee on theological diversity, which said, “the self-conception of many members that the CTSA is open to all Catholic theologians is faulty and self-deceptive.”
"As one of our members put it, the CTSA is a group of liberal theologians and 'this permeates virtually everything … because the CTSA does not aspire to be a partisan group, both attitudes and practices will have to shift if the CTSA is to become the place where all perspectives within Catholic theology in North America are welcome," the report continued.
Pope's Wednesday audience: Mary is united to Christ in the 'martyrdom' of her heart...
Pope: Mary is united to Christ in the 'martyrdom' of her heart :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): In his weekly general audience, the Pope continued his catechesis on the Church, reflecting today on the importance of Mary as an example of how to respond to God’s plan with fidelity.
“She is also a model of union with Christ, be it in her daily duties, be it in the way of the Cross, until she unites herself with Him in the martyrdom of the heart.”
Pope Francis directed the words of his Oct. 23 general audience to the nearly 100,000 pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.
“Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Church, we now look to the Virgin Mary who, as the Second Vatican Council reminds us, is ‘the model of the Church in the order of faith, charity and perfect union with Christ,’” the Pope stated, quoting Vatican Council document “Lumen Gentium.”
“She is also a model of union with Christ, be it in her daily duties, be it in the way of the Cross, until she unites herself with Him in the martyrdom of the heart.”
Pope Francis directed the words of his Oct. 23 general audience to the nearly 100,000 pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.
“Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Church, we now look to the Virgin Mary who, as the Second Vatican Council reminds us, is ‘the model of the Church in the order of faith, charity and perfect union with Christ,’” the Pope stated, quoting Vatican Council document “Lumen Gentium.”
Is Pope Francis going to let the divorced and remarried receive Communion?
Is Pope Francis going to let the divorced and remarried receive Communion? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Pope Francis has made a number of statements that the Church needs to reach out pastorally to the divorced and civilly remarried.
This has started a lot of speculation that he may drop the Church’s discipline regarding whether they can receive Holy Communion.
It would be stunning if he did so.
But is he likely to do so?
Here’s are 12 things you should know about why the speculation is overblown...
This has started a lot of speculation that he may drop the Church’s discipline regarding whether they can receive Holy Communion.
It would be stunning if he did so.
But is he likely to do so?
Here’s are 12 things you should know about why the speculation is overblown...
Order! Order! A meditation on how the mystery of order proclaims the glory of God...
Order! Order! A Meditation on how the mystery of order proclaims the glory of God � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: One of the things that most amazes me about the universe is its order. And its order is even more striking for its context of another widespread force: disorder, the tendency of things to fall apart. Let me explain.
When we look at things we can observe that, left to themselves, things tend to fall apart and and become disorderly.
Consider for example a house in Detroit (Photo upper right). Let’s say that in 1890 human beings assembled basic elements like wood, nails, brick, glass, and so forth and ordered (or assembled) these materials into a complex system known as a “house.” It has divisions, known as rooms and other structures that supply electricity, ventilation, water and so forth. It has a purpose, known as “shelter.”
When we look at things we can observe that, left to themselves, things tend to fall apart and and become disorderly.
Consider for example a house in Detroit (Photo upper right). Let’s say that in 1890 human beings assembled basic elements like wood, nails, brick, glass, and so forth and ordered (or assembled) these materials into a complex system known as a “house.” It has divisions, known as rooms and other structures that supply electricity, ventilation, water and so forth. It has a purpose, known as “shelter.”
Déjà vu on divorced and remarried Catholics...
John Thavis | D�j�vu on divorced and remarried Catholics?THAVIS: I remember that in the 1990s, bishops attending Vatican-sponsored synods suggested more flexibility on reception of sacraments by Catholics in irregular unions. They were supported by some theologians, who argued for a review of scriptural and traditional reasons for the ban on sacramental participation.
In 1999, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the doctrinal congregation, responded in a lengthy essay, strongly defending the church’s rules. His arguments were similar to those put forward today by Archbishop Müller.
In 1999, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the doctrinal congregation, responded in a lengthy essay, strongly defending the church’s rules. His arguments were similar to those put forward today by Archbishop Müller.
CDF prefect Archbishop Gerhard Müller affirms Catholic marriage, urges care for divorced
Archbishop M�ller affirms Catholic marriage, urges care for divorced :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The Vatican’s head official on doctrinal matters has reaffirmed that Catholics in irregular marital unions after divorce cannot receive communion, but he urged that this means it is “all the more imperative” to show “pastoral concern” for them.
“The path indicated by the Church is not easy for those concerned,” Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said of Catholics who have divorced and remarried civilly.
“The path indicated by the Church is not easy for those concerned,” Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said of Catholics who have divorced and remarried civilly.
10 things you need to know today: October 23, 2013
10 things you need to know today: October 23, 2013 - The Week: American spy chief denies hacking French phone calls, most Americans now back marijuana legalization, and more...
Pope Francis suspends German 'luxury' bishop after scandal over $42 million renovation, appoints vicar general in his place
Pope Francis temporarily suspends German 'luxury' bishop | News | DW.DE | 23.10.2013: Pope Francis announced he would remove Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst from his position for the time being, according to a Vatican statement on Wednesday. The decision came two days after the pontiff held a private audience with Tebartz-van Elst.
The pontiff had chosen to suspend Tebartz-van Elst because he "could not [carry out his duties] at the current time," given the controversy surrounding his costly renovation project, the Vatican statement said.
Vicar general Wolfgang Rösch from the neighboring city of Wiesbaden was named as the temporary caretaker for the bishop of Limburg's diocese. Rösch had already been selected to become Limburg's vicar general beginning January 2014.
The pontiff had chosen to suspend Tebartz-van Elst because he "could not [carry out his duties] at the current time," given the controversy surrounding his costly renovation project, the Vatican statement said.
Vicar general Wolfgang Rösch from the neighboring city of Wiesbaden was named as the temporary caretaker for the bishop of Limburg's diocese. Rösch had already been selected to become Limburg's vicar general beginning January 2014.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
About those bombs planted in a confessional of Syria's ancient Cathedral of Constantine and Helen...
Bombs planted in confessional box of Syrian church - Telegraph: Bombs have been planted in the confessional box of one of the world's oldest churches in a Syrian town hailed as the country's last remaining centre of religious tolerance, Syria's most senior Christian leader has disclosed.
On a visit to London to highlight the persecution of Christians in the civil war, Patriarch Gregorios III said the two devices were found at the Cathedral of Constantine and Helen in the rebel-held town of Yabroud.
On a visit to London to highlight the persecution of Christians in the civil war, Patriarch Gregorios III said the two devices were found at the Cathedral of Constantine and Helen in the rebel-held town of Yabroud.
Help Catholic media in Maine and win President Bush's ugly old socks...
Help Catholic Media in Maine, Win the President’s Old Socks!SCHIFFER: On September 5, 2013, former President Bill Clinton paid his annual visit to former President George H.W. Bush at the Bush home in Kennebunkport, Maine.
The two men enjoyed lunch together; afterwards, there was a photo session, during which President Clinton was photographed laughing and pointing down at Bush’s flamboyant cactus-themed socks.
The two men enjoyed lunch together; afterwards, there was a photo session, during which President Clinton was photographed laughing and pointing down at Bush’s flamboyant cactus-themed socks.
7 things you might not know about Calvin and Hobbes...
7 Things You Might Not Know About Calvin and Hobbes | Mental Floss: Though we can’t pick your friends, we strongly encourage you to ostracize anyone who expresses disinterest or disdain for Calvin and Hobbes, the brilliant comic strip illustrated by Bill Watterson from 1985 to 1995. While you pursue a copy of our December issue—featuring a retrospective and rare interview with the famously private Mr. Watterson—check out these seven notes about the author, the boy, and his stuffed tiger. Tuna fish sandwich and toboggan optional.
The comprehensive reform is yet to come, but Pope Francis is moving forward by his own lights...
Vatican Diary / How the new curia is taking shapeMAGISTER: With Pope Francis there has taken root an "evangelical revolution," as was said in peremptory terms at the end of August by the Uruguyan Guzman Carriquiry Lecour, secretary of the pontifical commission for Latin America and therefore the highest-ranking laymen at the Vatican, for years very close to the current pontiff.
One of the effects of this "revolution" can bee seen in the onslaught of decisions made by the bishop of Rome to mold a Roman curia in his image and likeness, following up on what was asked of him by many of the cardinals who elected him.
One of the effects of this "revolution" can bee seen in the onslaught of decisions made by the bishop of Rome to mold a Roman curia in his image and likeness, following up on what was asked of him by many of the cardinals who elected him.
The confessional is always a brush with death, as well it should be...
The Nation at Princeton’s Service | Crisis MagazineESOLEN: One of the many forms of self-promotion, at my old mater ferox, was a regular bulletin called “Princeton in the Nation’s Service,” detailing the many ways in which Princetonians past and present were making the world a better, that is a more Princetonian, place to live. �I suspect that, after the ordinary fashion of human desires, some of it was noble, some of it merely the crafting of careers in politics, and some of it plain old selfishness. �Given that more than half of my fellow Princetonians came from families of some wealth and prestige, and therefore insulation from the lives of farmers, carpenters, janitors, and housewives, they probably did their share of harm, though more from ignorance than from outright malice.
10 things you need to know today: October 22, 2013...
10 things you need to know today: October 22, 2013 - The Week: A slain Nevada teacher is hailed as a hero, Obama vows to fix health care website, and more...
Here's what the Moon would look like if it were orbiting at the same distance as the ISS...
What would the moon look like if it was only 400 km away? | Geekquinox - Yahoo News Canada: Have you ever wondered what it would look like if the moon were closer to the Earth? How about if it was a lot closer — like just one tenth of one per cent of its current distance?
That's what this cool animation shows, as the moon rises and sets as if it orbited around Earth at the same distance as the International Space Station...
That's what this cool animation shows, as the moon rises and sets as if it orbited around Earth at the same distance as the International Space Station...
Monday, October 21, 2013
Pope Francis summons Germany’s ‘bishop of bling’ over spending uproar
Pope summons Germany’s ‘bishop of bling’ over spending uproar - FT.com: A senior German cleric dubbed the “bishop of bling” in the media has met Pope Francis at the Vatican to discuss the uproar surrounding reports that he spent €31m on a palatial new residence and community centre, including €15,000 on his own bathtub.
Pope Francis, who has called for the Roman Catholic Church to be “poor and for the poor”, intervened in response to appeals by German congregations concerned at alleged mishandling of funds by Church institutions.
Pope Francis, who has called for the Roman Catholic Church to be “poor and for the poor”, intervened in response to appeals by German congregations concerned at alleged mishandling of funds by Church institutions.
When no one wants to raise the parents...
When No One Wants to Raise the Parents | First ThingsSCALIA: It is easy to love our children, and to love parenting, when the stories are unique and funny and the memories are warm. It is one of God’s abiding mercies that, as years pass, parental reverie tends to enlarge the moments of adorable sweetness while the anxieties born of illnesses and outbursts are first diminished and then forgotten. As our children transition into responsible adulthood we feel a slow ebbing-away of the self-doubt that has been our decades-long companion on wakeful nights.
For every parent, though, a thin-but-constant electrical current of concern runs through the psyche. A psychotherapist friend once confessed to me that she still makes each of her five grown children call her on rainy nights, to tell her they are safely at home. “So many mothers run away from their children or put them in nurseries or go out to work,” Dorothy Day noted, “because they can’t stand . . . the suffering that such love entails.”
For every parent, though, a thin-but-constant electrical current of concern runs through the psyche. A psychotherapist friend once confessed to me that she still makes each of her five grown children call her on rainy nights, to tell her they are safely at home. “So many mothers run away from their children or put them in nurseries or go out to work,” Dorothy Day noted, “because they can’t stand . . . the suffering that such love entails.”
3 absolutely terrifying visions of hell...
3 Absolutely Terrifying Visions of Hell - AleteiaMILLEGAN: Since it’s only a place for those who have died, hell cannot be accessed by those of us still living - at least under ordinary circumstances. Many saints and non-saints throughout the history of the Church have claimed to have had vivid mystical experiences of hell and written about it. Below are three such descriptions.
The Catechism makes clear that private revelations do not “improve or complete” the deposit of faith but instead are meant “to help [us] live more fully by it in a certain period of history.” So read these visions with a grain of salt, seeing if they can help inspire you to take more seriously the reality the eternal realm of the damned.
The Catechism makes clear that private revelations do not “improve or complete” the deposit of faith but instead are meant “to help [us] live more fully by it in a certain period of history.” So read these visions with a grain of salt, seeing if they can help inspire you to take more seriously the reality the eternal realm of the damned.
The media have gotten it right: Pope Francis is setting the Church on a new path. Get ready for an exciting ride...
The New Papal Program - AleteiaSHAW: Among Catholics who’ve been rattled by remarks by Pope Francis in his famous interviews, some have sought solace in blaming the media. They have a point. Sensationalism, oversimplification, and ignorance (headline writers notwithstanding, “proselytism” and “conversion” are two quite different things) really have marked some of the papal coverage to date.
But when you’re through criticizing the press, the fact remains that the reporters have gotten it essentially right. Pope Francis truly is saying something different while apparently preparing to set the Church on a significantly new path. This makes it a matter of urgency that Catholics, instead of getting hung up on media mistakes, grasp where the Pope’s newness really lies.
But when you’re through criticizing the press, the fact remains that the reporters have gotten it essentially right. Pope Francis truly is saying something different while apparently preparing to set the Church on a significantly new path. This makes it a matter of urgency that Catholics, instead of getting hung up on media mistakes, grasp where the Pope’s newness really lies.
The "fairy tale" prince and the five surprises...
The Fairy-Tale Prince and the Five Surprises- TIC: He was a real prince but the fairy-tale elements are just as true. The five surprises unfolded as this exceptional man was swept from relative obscurity to legendary romance and glamour, from terrorist murder to military valour, from unrivalled power to daunting challenge, to heart-rending defeat and then glory beyond our dreams. You couldn’t make it up.
Our handsome fairy-tale prince was born in 1887; three years after U.S. President Harry Truman and five before J.R.R. Tolkien. So Archduke Karl von Habsburg comes neither from chivalry’s High Middle Ages nor a closer distant past. He lived within the lifetimes of people you met; in historical terms he is one of us.
Our handsome fairy-tale prince was born in 1887; three years after U.S. President Harry Truman and five before J.R.R. Tolkien. So Archduke Karl von Habsburg comes neither from chivalry’s High Middle Ages nor a closer distant past. He lived within the lifetimes of people you met; in historical terms he is one of us.
Ignorance of the faith? Absolutely. Poor catechesis? Absolutely. Who’s fault is it? It might be yours...
Meeting the MasterLONGENECKER: When discussing the problem of the Catholic Church one of the main culprits is “poor catechesis”. The lukewarmness of the laity, the misguided political correctness, the sentimentality, and bland, suburban do-gooder mentality prevalent in the pews is all blamed on “poor catechesis.”
“If only the people had been taught what the Catholic Church really teaches. Then we’d be okay!”
“If only the people had been taught what the Catholic Church really teaches. Then we’d be okay!”
U.S. bishops to choose a new president from list of ten...
U.S. Bishops to Choose a New President from List of TenSCHIFFER: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops today announced the list of ten candidates for their next president and vice president.
The highest vote-getters in the election will replace outgoing president and vice president Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, whose three-year terms will expire at the end of the Fall General Assembly.� Among �the nominees, I’m proud to say, is my archbishop, �Archbishop Allen Vigneron.
The highest vote-getters in the election will replace outgoing president and vice president Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, whose three-year terms will expire at the end of the Fall General Assembly.� Among �the nominees, I’m proud to say, is my archbishop, �Archbishop Allen Vigneron.
Ralph Martin is right: Prayer is, at root, simply paying attention to God...
A simple but powerful definition of prayer. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: More traditionally I have heard prayer defined as “conversation with God.” True enough, and well attested. But the definition sheds less light since many, while able to grasp the talking part of conversation, are less able to grasp or appreciate the listening part of a conversation. And thus, there can be a lot of emphasis on recited prayers, intercessory prayers, etc., good in themselves and even required, yet, when and how does one listen?
One could theoretically recite long prayers, but in the end pay little attention to God. This is not usually for malicious or prideful motive, but often simply to due the fact that our minds are very weak. And thus the “conversation” definition has pitfalls and limits.
One could theoretically recite long prayers, but in the end pay little attention to God. This is not usually for malicious or prideful motive, but often simply to due the fact that our minds are very weak. And thus the “conversation” definition has pitfalls and limits.
Buon Compleanno, CTV: In a year of historic papal events, Vatican Television Center marks its 30th anniversary
Whispers in the Loggia: Buon Compleanno, CTV – The VatiTube Turns 30PALMO: Especially in a spot like this, we'd be remiss to let a special milestone in the family over these days pass without a very warm, grateful word.
Tomorrow brings the 30th anniversary of the Vatican Television Center (CTV), the in-house crew whose extraordinary work in beaming papal events to the wider world has become an indispensable resource for outlets of every stripe... all the more over the beyond surreal ride of these last months.
Tomorrow brings the 30th anniversary of the Vatican Television Center (CTV), the in-house crew whose extraordinary work in beaming papal events to the wider world has become an indispensable resource for outlets of every stripe... all the more over the beyond surreal ride of these last months.
Pope Francis wants to govern without the Curia. And possibly with an absent Secretary of State...
MondayVatican – Vatican � Pope Francis wants to govern without the Curia. And possibly with an absent Secretary of State | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: The absence of Msgr. Pietro Parolin at the ceremony of his taking possession as Secretary of State was certainly not a good thing. Struck by gallstone (or appendicitis according to other sources), Msgr. Parolin had to undergo an urgent, albeit not grave, surgery operation. During the ceremony, Pope Francis, after thanking the outgoing Secretary of State Card. Bertone, coined for Parolin a peculiar description: Secretary of State in absentia, in absence. In doing so, Pope Francis almost seemed to underline that the Secretary of State can be present or not. Clearly, Pope Francis does not want to give the Roman Curia too much importance.
Who advises the Pope?
Who advises the Pope? - Vatican InsiderTOSATTI: One of the most frequently asked questions behind the Vatican walls (and a bit beyond) is who Francis has regular contact with. Who advises him? Who does he listen to? One of these figures is Mgr. Fabiàn Pedacchio Leaniz, an official of the Congregation of Bishops and unofficial but highly efficient private secretary to the Pope, a bit like – mutatis mutandis of course - what Stanislao Dziwisz was to John Paul II.
10 things you need to know today: October 21, 2013...
10 things you need to know today: October 21, 2013 - The Week: The administration hires tech experts to fix HealthCare.gov, New Jersey mayors hold the state's first gay weddings, and more...
Sunday, October 20, 2013
This enormous portrait covers 11 acres and can be seen from space...
Streets: Jorge Rodr�guez-Gerada – “Wish” (Belfast) � Arrested Motion: Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada is a man of great conviction and indistinguishable vision. He has a huge heart and always seems to be dropping the biggest projects, and his latest endeavor is no exception – entitled Wish. This enormous 11 acre piece of land art has been years in the making and is currently the largest portrait in the UK, depicting a native child and the magnitude of a single wish. Phase 1 of the project consisted of Rodriguez-Gerada and his team of landscape architects utilizing the latest in GPS transponder technologies to lay out more than 30,000 wooden stakes to this gigantic plot of land. During phase 2, it began to get serious with the painstaking task of laying the ground work with more than 4000 tons of topsoil, sand, grass and stone. Just� in case you don’t feel like doing that math that translates to roughly 8 million pounds of natural materials.
Jesus won’t be Judge Judy (8 things to know and share)...
Jesus won’t be Judge Judy (8 things to know and share) |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: We can show by comparing the different Gospels that sometimes the Evangelists arrange material topically rather than chronologically, so Luke may be grouping this teaching with the account of the inheritance dispute because they both involve a concern with money.
On the other hand, Jesus may have discerned that the inquiring brother was too preoccupied with his inheritance and needed to take a broader perspective. He may have been applying the lesson directly to him.
However that may be, the lesson is valid for all time: We must not be covetous and must recognize that we can’t define ourselves in terms of how many possessions we have.
The one who dies with the most toys does not win.
This is made clear in Jesus’ next action.
On the other hand, Jesus may have discerned that the inquiring brother was too preoccupied with his inheritance and needed to take a broader perspective. He may have been applying the lesson directly to him.
However that may be, the lesson is valid for all time: We must not be covetous and must recognize that we can’t define ourselves in terms of how many possessions we have.
The one who dies with the most toys does not win.
This is made clear in Jesus’ next action.
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