10 Most Shared Bible Verses Online | BrandonVogt.comVOGT: The uber-popular YouVersion Bible app just released its year-end analysis revealing how its millions of users engaged the Bible this past year. In 2013, users shared more than 65 million Bible verses via the app.
What was the most popular verse this year? Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Interestingly, the most-read biblical chapter was Romans 8, which YouVersion notes was "read four times per second in 2013." Other top chapters include Romans 12, Matthew 5, 1 John 4, and Hebrews 12.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
I’ve been told of a New Year’s tradition that is popular in monasteries and convents...
Starting the New Year Off Right! | Truth & Charity The Intersection of Faith & LifeMURPHY: I’ve been told of a New Year’s tradition that is popular in monasteries and convents. �Every year, the monks and nuns get together and draw the names of saints from a hat. �These become their patrons of the year, about whom they will learn and for whose intercession they will pray.
So I spent some time to program the following for you. There are 130 possible saints. Enjoy!
So I spent some time to program the following for you. There are 130 possible saints. Enjoy!
The family that prays together makes saints together...
The Family that Prays Together Makes Saints TogetherLOPEZ: “The house of Nazareth is a school of prayer where one learns to listen, meditate on and penetrate the profound meaning of the manifestation of the Son of God, following the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus,” Pope Benedict XVI told an audience gathered on the Feast of the Holy Family, just days after Christmas, in 2011.
Getting to know Christ through the context of a family — knowing God as a loving Father and accepting the intercessory help and model of Mary and her courageous “yes” and Joseph and his quiet trust and leadership — can be challenging at a time when what exactly family is is a matter of some confusion and contention in the public square and foreign to the lived experiences of many (a point Mary Eberstadt explores in her How the West Really Lost God).
Getting to know Christ through the context of a family — knowing God as a loving Father and accepting the intercessory help and model of Mary and her courageous “yes” and Joseph and his quiet trust and leadership — can be challenging at a time when what exactly family is is a matter of some confusion and contention in the public square and foreign to the lived experiences of many (a point Mary Eberstadt explores in her How the West Really Lost God).
Nothin’ like the “Patron Saint Generator” to instill a little humility...
Nothin’ Like the “Patron Saint Generator” to Instill a Little HumilitySCHIFFER: OK, I finally did it.� Everyone’s been using Jennifer Fulwiler’s Saint Generator to choose his/her patron saint for the year 2014, so I finally clicked on the button to find out what the hullabaloo is about.
And I got my patron saint.� It’s St. Guntramnus.
Wait:� Who?� My patron saint is St. Guntramnus?� Patron of divorced people, guardians, and reformed murderers?
This is a guy who had his ex-wife Mercatrude’s doctor murdered!
What’s an aspiring saint like me going to learn from a criminal like that?!
And I got my patron saint.� It’s St. Guntramnus.
Wait:� Who?� My patron saint is St. Guntramnus?� Patron of divorced people, guardians, and reformed murderers?
This is a guy who had his ex-wife Mercatrude’s doctor murdered!
What’s an aspiring saint like me going to learn from a criminal like that?!
Catholics used to be open to the lessons of freedom from the American experience. Are we forgetting those lessons?
Illiberal Catholicism - AleteiaZMIRAK: What do nostalgic, Renaissance Faire Catholics have in common with neo-Marxists? �What do would-be Catholic “Amish” separatists share with Inquisition re-enactors? What is the thread linking Cardinal Dolan, who wished that he could be the “biggest cheerleader” for Obamacare, and the right-wing Catholics who downplayed the bishops’ plea for religious liberty in the face of the HHS mandate — arguing that, instead, Catholics ought to be arguing whether contraception should even be legal?
A spiritual director told me once, “We don’t choose Saints; they choose us...”
A New Year – A Saint Companion 2014 | nunspeakDOTY: Keep your eyes and ears open. Saints can adopt us throughout the year (this past year I received St. Francis of Assisi on New Years, and St Raphael the Archangel during my annual retreat. Saint Padre Pio kept interrupting my life off and on throughout the year as well). Maybe the holy card you were given was put in your path because that saint wants to help you. Or that book you received on a particular saint ended up in �your hands because that saint wants to accompany you. Or maybe a particular quotation or passage from a saint kept turning up in your email or reading. Maybe you came across a saint you didn’t know well, and found yourself captivated by a particular virtue. These are all good reasons that maybe your patron saint is right under your nose, just waiting for you to welcome him/her into your life in 2014.
Saint Augustine was right. The whole of history is a struggle between two loves...
Fr. Robert Barron's Word On Fire - A Struggle Between Two LovesBRADLEY: It is an unceasing struggle to see reality. To see neither reality as we like it to be nor reality as we make it to be, but reality as it truly is. And when we discover reality as it is, it is an even more arduous task to inhabit it. What is reality? Reality is that which exists objectively, independent of our minds, whether we believe it or not. It is that to which the mind conforms when it possesses the truth. In its essence, the truth is not an abstraction but a person. Jesus tells us that He is the truth. St. John uses the term logos, the fundamental principle of reality. Jesus also explains that He, and the Kingdom from which He was sent, and the children of this Kingdom, are assailed by a great Adversary. A thousand years prior, Job alluded to this Adversary, lamenting, “The life of man upon earth is warfare.” You and I were born into the midst of this war, a cosmic conflict, a clash between two kingdoms.
Sorrowful mothers, dumbstruck fathers, crucified children. The Cradle and the Cross, here in Rome...
The Cradle and the Cross | Dominicana BlogBOUCK: I found myself one January day walking through the halls of Bambino Gesù children’s hospital on top of the Gianicolo in Rome. I knew the priest chaplain there, and he asked me to put on a fake beard and dress up as San Giuseppe and go around to cheer up the little children in the oncology ward.
We had a small Bambino Gesù for the children to kiss, and we prayed a little with the children and their parents. What was each child thinking? My words and their words didn’t align, not just because of our different languages. I couldn’t cure their cancer or give them advice. What about the parents? Did they, like Job’s wife, want to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9)?
Did the child here in this room, bald and weak, know what the doll he was kissing represented? Did it comfort the suffering child to see a crucifix in her room? I can’t know. When they saw me in my silent San Giuseppe costume, did it bring them any joy at all?
We had a small Bambino Gesù for the children to kiss, and we prayed a little with the children and their parents. What was each child thinking? My words and their words didn’t align, not just because of our different languages. I couldn’t cure their cancer or give them advice. What about the parents? Did they, like Job’s wife, want to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9)?
Did the child here in this room, bald and weak, know what the doll he was kissing represented? Did it comfort the suffering child to see a crucifix in her room? I can’t know. When they saw me in my silent San Giuseppe costume, did it bring them any joy at all?
Do you even deserve a happy new year? Take this simple quiz to find out!
Do You Even Deserve a New Year? |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: "Done anything for the environment lately? This summer, I came across someone running the engine in her gas-guzzling minivan -- just running the engine, not even going anywhere.� She spouted some anthropocentric nonsense about having to keep her disabled grandmother cool with air conditioning while she waited for the pharmacy to refill her heart medication prescription.� I showed them!� Grabbed the keys right out of the ignition, tossed 'em in the river.� I feel kind of bad about the river, though."
In a sleepless moment the other night I found myself discovering the world of Catholic garage churches...
Catholic Garage ChurchesLONGENECKER: A garage church is a church somebody has in their garage.
Within the Anglican cosmos I was always fascinated by the umpteen little Anglican churches that you could find lurking in various out of the way places.
I called them garage churches because you would come across their website which would be billed as something like, “The American Anglican Orthodox Church” or “The Conservative Anglican Church of the Western Hemisphere” or maybe a bit more jejune like “The Celtic Orthodox Church of the Anglican Use (Glastonbury Designation)”. Or maybe you would meet one of their clergymen. He’d roll up in full clericals with a business card that announced that he was the Universal Archdeacon of the Canons Regular of the Hippolytan Conserve. He’d tell you that he was an Anglican priest and make sure you understood that he was of the Hippolytan Conserve and NOT one of those terrible members of the Ambrosian Conflation.
Within the Anglican cosmos I was always fascinated by the umpteen little Anglican churches that you could find lurking in various out of the way places.
I called them garage churches because you would come across their website which would be billed as something like, “The American Anglican Orthodox Church” or “The Conservative Anglican Church of the Western Hemisphere” or maybe a bit more jejune like “The Celtic Orthodox Church of the Anglican Use (Glastonbury Designation)”. Or maybe you would meet one of their clergymen. He’d roll up in full clericals with a business card that announced that he was the Universal Archdeacon of the Canons Regular of the Hippolytan Conserve. He’d tell you that he was an Anglican priest and make sure you understood that he was of the Hippolytan Conserve and NOT one of those terrible members of the Ambrosian Conflation.
The more things change, clearly, the more they stay the same...
Whispers in the LoggiaPALMO: In 2013, The Pope resigned. And weeks later, the 266th Bishop of Rome would be called to The Chair from beyond Europe – or, as he put it, "from the end of the world."
The last time any generation saw either moment, the Americas had yet to exist on the map, the Earth was predominantly judged to be flat, and only the rival families constantly warring for temporal dominance on the Italian peninsula (playing the church as their ever-coveted pawn) had the ability or desire to know the provenance of the pontiff.
For all the rest, however, one thing alone mattered: "He is Peter."
The last time any generation saw either moment, the Americas had yet to exist on the map, the Earth was predominantly judged to be flat, and only the rival families constantly warring for temporal dominance on the Italian peninsula (playing the church as their ever-coveted pawn) had the ability or desire to know the provenance of the pontiff.
For all the rest, however, one thing alone mattered: "He is Peter."
Pope Benedict: The other Man of the Year
Pope Benedict: The Other Man of the Year | National Review OnlineLOPEZ: Time magazine and countless others have heralded Pope Francis as the man of the year. In doing so, they may have missed the story of the year.
On February 28, 2013, the best-known religious leader in the world stepped away from power, believing it to be God’s will for him and His Church. �
If you love Pope Francis, thank Pope Benedict XVI. And do him the favor of listening to the new pontiff.
On February 28, 2013, the best-known religious leader in the world stepped away from power, believing it to be God’s will for him and His Church. �
If you love Pope Francis, thank Pope Benedict XVI. And do him the favor of listening to the new pontiff.
9 things you should know about how the Church celebrates January 1st
9 Things You Should Know About How the Church Celebrates January 1 |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Didn't this day used to signify something else?
Yes. Pope Benedict explained:
It was Pope Paul VI who moved to 1 January the Feast of the Divine Motherhood of Mary, which was formerly celebrated on 11 October.
Indeed, even before the liturgical reform that followed the Second Vatican Council, the memorial of the circumcision of Jesus on the eighth day after his birth -- as a sign of submission to the law, his official insertion in the Chosen People -- used to be celebrated on the first day of the year and the Feast of the Name of Jesus was celebrated the following Sunday...
Yes. Pope Benedict explained:
It was Pope Paul VI who moved to 1 January the Feast of the Divine Motherhood of Mary, which was formerly celebrated on 11 October.
Indeed, even before the liturgical reform that followed the Second Vatican Council, the memorial of the circumcision of Jesus on the eighth day after his birth -- as a sign of submission to the law, his official insertion in the Chosen People -- used to be celebrated on the first day of the year and the Feast of the Name of Jesus was celebrated the following Sunday...
Pope Francis ushers in 2014 with year-end Vespers, Te Deum, Mass at St. Peter's Basilica
Pope Francis presides year-end Vespers, Mass for New Year: Pope Francis presides the traditional year-end Vespers and the singing of the Te Deum hymn on Tuesday in thanksgiving for gifts received over the past year. The solemn celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica began at 5:00 p.m. Rome time.
The Te Deum is a hymn of praise that dates from early Christian times. In Latin, the hymn’s words: “Te Deum laudamus” can be translated "Thee, O God, we praise".
The Te Deum is a hymn of praise that dates from early Christian times. In Latin, the hymn’s words: “Te Deum laudamus” can be translated "Thee, O God, we praise".
10 things you need to know today: December 31, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 31, 2013 - The Week: Three prisoners are freed from Guantanamo, Russia boosts counterterrorism security, and more...
Monday, December 30, 2013
Duck Dynasty: Freedom of speech vs. intolerance
Duck Dynasty: Freedom of speech vs. intolerance | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto SunCOREN: To an intelligent, open-minded person who sincerely believes in pluralism, the entire Phil Robertson, Duck Dynasty incident should have nothing at all to do with where one stands on gay issues or what one thinks of the man’s opinions, but whether we believe in freedom of speech or prefer intolerance and censorship.
Tragically, many people — especially those on the left — are increasingly of the latter variety.
And please spare me the sophomoric argument that this is a market and not a free speech issue.
Tragically, many people — especially those on the left — are increasingly of the latter variety.
And please spare me the sophomoric argument that this is a market and not a free speech issue.
So you want to own the Church?
So You Want to Own the Church? - Ethika PolitikaHAINES: Thomas Peters wrote recently that “the soul of [the Franciscan] papacy is up for grabs.” If that’s true, it’s a gambit long in the making, but perhaps only recently matured enough to identify. With the middle clearing fast, and with “dissenting Catholics” poised to snag leadership of both Christianity’s evangelical and spiritual traditions, the “soul of the papacy” proxies for something far greater—namely, possession of the Church herself.
While much truth shines through Peters’s claim, the ultimatum suggested is misleading. We should always, of course, “put our money where our mouth is [...] show our compassion for the poor with concrete acts [...] show how much we care that we are catholic and how much that reality forms who we are and inspires what we do.” As Peters says, “That’s the choice we face in 2014 and always.” And there’s nothing to quibble with, here.
While much truth shines through Peters’s claim, the ultimatum suggested is misleading. We should always, of course, “put our money where our mouth is [...] show our compassion for the poor with concrete acts [...] show how much we care that we are catholic and how much that reality forms who we are and inspires what we do.” As Peters says, “That’s the choice we face in 2014 and always.” And there’s nothing to quibble with, here.
100-year-old photographic negatives discovered in Antarctic exploration hut
On Ice: 100 year-old negatives discovered in Antarctic: Conservators restoring an Antarctic exploration hut recently made a remarkable discovery: a small box of 22 exposed but unprocessed photographic negatives, frozen in a solid block of ice for nearly one hundred years.
These negatives were meticulously processed and restored by a Wellington photography conservator. Antarctic Heritage Trust executive director Nigel Watson said of these never-before-seen images...
These negatives were meticulously processed and restored by a Wellington photography conservator. Antarctic Heritage Trust executive director Nigel Watson said of these never-before-seen images...
Be clothed in the beauty of holiness! A meditation on the virtues in Colossians 3...
Be Clothed in the Beauty of Holiness! A Meditation on the Virtues in Colossians 3 � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: In yesterday’s blog post, (which was actually a written version of my Sunday sermon), I mentioned that it might make sense for us to look more deeply at some of the virtues In the Letter to the Colossians which ought to be cultivated by a Christian, especially in the family setting.
The third chapter of The Letter to the Colossians, while speaking in a general way about vices to be avoided and virtues to be cultivated, has a particular family focus since it builds to its conclusion about wives being submitted, husbands loving their wives, and children obeying their parents. Because of this, I use Colossians 3 as a central text in marriage preparation.
The third chapter of The Letter to the Colossians, while speaking in a general way about vices to be avoided and virtues to be cultivated, has a particular family focus since it builds to its conclusion about wives being submitted, husbands loving their wives, and children obeying their parents. Because of this, I use Colossians 3 as a central text in marriage preparation.
This year has been the Year of Two Popes
MondayVatican – Vatican � A new year with two popes. Expectations and challenges | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: This �year ended with the image of two joined Popes. On December 23, Pope Francis went to visit the Pope emeritus Benedict XVI: Christmas wishes, sunrises and photo opportunity, together with a Pope Francis invitation for lunch to Pope Benedict. This latter obviously accepted: he promised obedience to his successor since when he gave his farewell to cardinals on February 28, and he reiterated his promise to Pope Francis when Pope Francis called him on the phone shortly after his election.
10 things you need to know today: December 30, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 30, 2013 - The Week: Another bombing in Russia, ObamaCare surges in December, and more...
Sunday, December 29, 2013
"We look to the family": Pope Francis gives 2014 centerpiece an early start...
Whispers in the Loggia: "We Look to the Family" – Francis Gives 2014 Centerpiece An Early StartPALMO: At the Noonday Angelus on this feast of the Holy Family, the Pope turned his sights to the New Year and his already-indicated focus for 2014 on the life of the family.
Of course, the centerpiece of the push is next October's Extraordinary Synod on the "pastoral challenges" facing the domestic church, the responses to the preliminary survey for which are due in Rome from the global episcopates by the end of January, and among the US bishops must be submitted to Washington by this Tuesday.
In addition, however, Francis said today that the family focus will figure at what's now apparently become a two-day consultation of the College of Cardinals in advance of the February 22nd Consistory that'll see Papa Bergoglio elevate his first batch of cardinals. (Current expectations have the biglietto of the cardinals-designate being announced on Epiphany Day, 6 January.)
Of course, the centerpiece of the push is next October's Extraordinary Synod on the "pastoral challenges" facing the domestic church, the responses to the preliminary survey for which are due in Rome from the global episcopates by the end of January, and among the US bishops must be submitted to Washington by this Tuesday.
In addition, however, Francis said today that the family focus will figure at what's now apparently become a two-day consultation of the College of Cardinals in advance of the February 22nd Consistory that'll see Papa Bergoglio elevate his first batch of cardinals. (Current expectations have the biglietto of the cardinals-designate being announced on Epiphany Day, 6 January.)
Pope Francis told a colleague that he's "shocked" by gay adoption. Will Time take back its Person of the Year award?
Pope Francis 'shocked' by gay adoption. Will Time take back its Person of the Year award? – Telegraph BlogsTHOMPSON: So just how gay-friendly is Pope Francis? Consider this.
In his Christmas sermon, Bishop Charles Scicluna of Malta condemned adoption by same-sex couples. He insisted that God's own son was raised by a man and a woman, and not by two men or two women.
How divisive! said the media. But now it turns out that Bishop Scicluna met Pope Francis on December 12. The bishop later told the Times of Malta: “We discussed many aspects… and when I raised the issue that’s worrying me as a bishop [the right for gay couples to adopt] he encouraged me to speak out."
Indeed, the Pope was "shocked" to learn that Malta's proposed Civil Union bill allows gay adoption. And Bishop's Scicluna's controversial sermon seems to have been delivered at his prompting.
In his Christmas sermon, Bishop Charles Scicluna of Malta condemned adoption by same-sex couples. He insisted that God's own son was raised by a man and a woman, and not by two men or two women.
How divisive! said the media. But now it turns out that Bishop Scicluna met Pope Francis on December 12. The bishop later told the Times of Malta: “We discussed many aspects… and when I raised the issue that’s worrying me as a bishop [the right for gay couples to adopt] he encouraged me to speak out."
Indeed, the Pope was "shocked" to learn that Malta's proposed Civil Union bill allows gay adoption. And Bishop's Scicluna's controversial sermon seems to have been delivered at his prompting.
Suicide by sissiness: Neglect of traditional manly virtues is putting Western civilization at risk, warns Camille Paglia...
The Weekend Interview With Camille Paglia: A Feminist Defense of Masculine Virtues - WSJ.com: 'What you're seeing is how a civilization commits suicide," says Camille Paglia. This self-described "notorious Amazon feminist" isn't telling anyone to Lean In or asking Why Women Still Can't Have It All. No, her indictment may be as surprising as it is wide-ranging: The military is out of fashion, Americans undervalue manual labor, schools neuter male students, opinion makers deny the biological differences between men and women, and sexiness is dead. And that's just 20 minutes of our three-hour conversation.
When Ms. Paglia, now 66, burst onto the national stage in 1990 with the publishing of "Sexual Personae," she immediately established herself as a feminist who was the scourge of the movement's establishment, a heretic to its orthodoxy. Pick up the 700-page tome, subtitled "Art and Decadence From Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson, " and it's easy to see why. "If civilization had been left in female hands," she wrote, "we would still be living in grass huts."
When Ms. Paglia, now 66, burst onto the national stage in 1990 with the publishing of "Sexual Personae," she immediately established herself as a feminist who was the scourge of the movement's establishment, a heretic to its orthodoxy. Pick up the 700-page tome, subtitled "Art and Decadence From Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson, " and it's easy to see why. "If civilization had been left in female hands," she wrote, "we would still be living in grass huts."
Antiques Roadshow shocker: Painting bought by Catholic priest for $650 is worth MUCH more than anyone realized...
A van Dyck masterpiece bought for just �400 | Weird | News | Daily Express: Father Jamie McLeod, a Catholic priest, brought the painting to the show after it was originally purchased in a Cheshire �antiques shop, with no mention of the 17th century painter.
It was correctly identified as a masterpiece after the show’s host, Fiona Bruce, saw it and thought it might be genuine.
She had been making a show about van Dyck with art expert Philip Mould and it seemed to her to be remarkably similar in style to the ones she had seen featured in the programme.
After the roadshow, held at Newstead �Abbey in Nottinghamshire, Mr Mould agreed to look at it. Following a lengthy restoration process, the painting was verified as a van Dyck by Dr Christopher Brown, one of the world’s authorities on the artist. The portrait, which is the most valuable to be identified in the 34-year history of the Antiques Roadshow, will now be sold to raise funds for new church bells.
It was correctly identified as a masterpiece after the show’s host, Fiona Bruce, saw it and thought it might be genuine.
She had been making a show about van Dyck with art expert Philip Mould and it seemed to her to be remarkably similar in style to the ones she had seen featured in the programme.
After the roadshow, held at Newstead �Abbey in Nottinghamshire, Mr Mould agreed to look at it. Following a lengthy restoration process, the painting was verified as a van Dyck by Dr Christopher Brown, one of the world’s authorities on the artist. The portrait, which is the most valuable to be identified in the 34-year history of the Antiques Roadshow, will now be sold to raise funds for new church bells.
Michelangelo’s handwritten (and fully illustrated) grocery list was probably much cooler than yours...
Michelangelo’s Handwritten 16th-Century Grocery List | Open Culture: I admit to having a hard time keeping grocery lists. Do I write them by hand? If so, do I do it in a dedicated notebook, on a refrigerator pad, or on any old scrap I find around? Do I compose them electronically, using some combination of my computer, my phone, and other, more specialized devices? And do I keep separate lists for separate trips to separate stores? (Certain delicacies, after all, you can only get at Trader Joe’s.) Living in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Italian High Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer Michelangelo faced a rather less complicated shopping problem: he had only to send assistants off to market to bring back what he needed. Though vanishingly few of this prolific creator’s papers survive today, we do happen to have a few of the grocery lists he sent with them, like that which you see above.
10 things you need to know today: December 29, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 29, 2013 - The Week: Obamacare enrollment surpasses 1 million, a bomb kills 13 at a Russian train station, and more...
The statistics on marriage and family are more than alarming. They're downright astonishing...
Biblical Teachings on Marriage and Family. A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: It is not difficult to demonstrate that most of our modern problems center around struggles and misunderstandings regarding marriage, sexuality, and the family. Collectively as a nation and the culture, we have departed significantly from the teachings of God and common sense, when it comes to our thinking and behavior regarding these three fundamental pillars.
Today’s Feast of the Holy Family presents us an opportunity to reflect, and provides a rich tapestry of Scriptures. Many of these teachings are not “politically correct,” but for that, no apology should be made. They remain God’s teachings and it is hard to argue that modern notions of sexuality, marriage and family have produced anything short of catastrophe and disaster. And as is usually the case, it is the children suffer the most.
Today’s Feast of the Holy Family presents us an opportunity to reflect, and provides a rich tapestry of Scriptures. Many of these teachings are not “politically correct,” but for that, no apology should be made. They remain God’s teachings and it is hard to argue that modern notions of sexuality, marriage and family have produced anything short of catastrophe and disaster. And as is usually the case, it is the children suffer the most.
“Be submissive?” Spanish feminists must really hate today's second Scripture reading...
“Be Submissive?” Spanish Feminists Must Really Hate Today’s Second Scripture ReadingSCHIFFER: Get Married and Be Submissive.� That’s the advice coming from a best-selling new book by Italian author Costanza Miriano.
And while the book—which was published in Spain with the support of Francisco Javier Martinez, the Catholic Archbishop of the Spanish city of Granada—has hit the top of the Amazon charts, the just-released Spanish-language edition Cásate y se sumisa has provoked Spanish feminists.� Protesters have taken to the streets, ripping copies of the book to shreds, claiming it promotes violence against women.
And while the book—which was published in Spain with the support of Francisco Javier Martinez, the Catholic Archbishop of the Spanish city of Granada—has hit the top of the Amazon charts, the just-released Spanish-language edition Cásate y se sumisa has provoked Spanish feminists.� Protesters have taken to the streets, ripping copies of the book to shreds, claiming it promotes violence against women.
Today we celebrate the great feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
The 20th Anniversary of the Year of the Family | TOM PERNA™PERNA: Twenty years ago today, Blessed John Paul II declared the Year of the Family for 1994. Drawing on the text, Familiaris Consortio, the Church sought to focus on the family as the “domestic church”, to promote the dignity and value of each person in the human family, and to promote the importance of traditional marriage and family life.
Knowing the importance of marriage and family life in the modern world, the soon-to-be Saint, Blessed John Paul II wrote, Gratissimam Sane (Letter to Families). In the twenty years since this document was written, our views on marriage, which come directly from the Sacred Scriptures, have been mocked, ridiculed, and threatened by those seeking to demolish the traditional family as we know it. As Catholics, we must stand up against these forces and declare the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Church.
Knowing the importance of marriage and family life in the modern world, the soon-to-be Saint, Blessed John Paul II wrote, Gratissimam Sane (Letter to Families). In the twenty years since this document was written, our views on marriage, which come directly from the Sacred Scriptures, have been mocked, ridiculed, and threatened by those seeking to demolish the traditional family as we know it. As Catholics, we must stand up against these forces and declare the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Church.
What was the top 2013 story for Pope Francis? Probably the rising tide of religious oppression worldwide...
Pod people: What was top 2013 story for Pope Francis?MATTINGLY: I am sure that GetReligion readers will be shocked, shocked to know that the Godbeat professionals in the Religion Newswriters Association selected the election of Pope Francis Superstar as the top religion-news story of 2013. It goes without saying that Pope Francis was also named Religion Newsmaker of the Year. Faithful GetReligion readers will also be shocked, shocked to know that I understood the logic of the RNA vote, but had a slightly different take on the top news event or trend in 2013.
Do atheists exist? A new "godless" church makes you wonder...
Do Atheists Exist? | National Review OnlineFRANKOVICH: For people who like church except for the parts about God, a British couple have bodied forth a new denomination that cheerfully excludes him, raising the volume on the question “What is atheism?” several decibels overnight. The Sunday Assembly, a “godless congregation” founded in East London last January by standup comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, now boasts affiliates in Brighton, Bristol, Oxford, Canberra, Melbourne, New York, and Portland, Ore. On September 21, it announced a “global missionary tour”: This past fall, interested individuals in 22 cities across the Anglosphere held Sunday Assembly meet-ups. Look for permanent congregations to be established in some of those locations. Look for more to follow if the momentum continues.
Video: Man asks homeless what they want for Christmas—and then gives it to them...
Must-see video: man asks homeless what they want for Christmas—and then gives it to them: I love this. The so-called Random Altruist does something wonderful. Just watch.
God's love transformed Eric Mahl of the Cleveland Browns from a merciless linebacker to a merciful messenger
From Merciless Linebacker to Merciful Messenger | Daily News | NCRegister.comBEATTIE: Eric Mahl has always loved a challenge. In his youth, it was the prospect of being the best football player ever. This desire drove him to bench press 450 pounds, earn an NCAA Division I football scholarship and later a place on the Cleveland Browns’ roster.
The 30-year-old Ohio native’s challenge now, however, is sharing the message of Divine Mercy with the world — particularly the poor and most abandoned. This has meant enduring regular rejection and sometimes sub-freezing temperatures on the streets of Cleveland and other cities, in the hope of convincing souls that God’s love for them has not expired.
Eric Mahl spoke about his radical transformation with Register correspondent Trent Beattie.
The 30-year-old Ohio native’s challenge now, however, is sharing the message of Divine Mercy with the world — particularly the poor and most abandoned. This has meant enduring regular rejection and sometimes sub-freezing temperatures on the streets of Cleveland and other cities, in the hope of convincing souls that God’s love for them has not expired.
Eric Mahl spoke about his radical transformation with Register correspondent Trent Beattie.
Holy Father marks Feast of the Holy Family with Sunday Angelus, prays for upcoming Synod of Bishops
Pope prays for upcoming Synod of Bishops :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): In his Angelus address given on the feast of the Holy Family, Pope Francis prayed especially for the approaching Synod of Bishops which will discuss pastoral challenges to the family.
“The next Synod of Bishops will address the theme of the family, and the preparatory phase has already begun some time ago. For this reason, today, (on) the feast of the Holy Family, I wish to entrust this synodal work to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, praying for families around the world,” he said on Dec. 29 in St. Peter’s Square.
“The next Synod of Bishops will address the theme of the family, and the preparatory phase has already begun some time ago. For this reason, today, (on) the feast of the Holy Family, I wish to entrust this synodal work to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, praying for families around the world,” he said on Dec. 29 in St. Peter’s Square.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
You just never know when Andrea Bocelli will show up and sing at Mass in Miami...
Because You Never Know When Andrea Boccelli Will Show Up And Sing At Mass: You know, to kick off the Octave of Christmas. That’s the case if you went to Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Miami on Christmas Eve...
Freethinker editor unwittingly does good on Christmas Eve
Freethinker Editor Unwittingly Does Good on Christmas -Stacy Trasancos : Stacy TrasancosTRASANCOS: On December 24 I woke to see my big pregnant belly plastered (without permission) on The Freethinker website, the folks who claim to be the “voice of atheism since 1881.” The title read Catholic Church has the ‘right and authority to veto scientific conclusions’ that contradict its dogma written by the editor, Barry Duke. Something I’d written caused him to leave skid marks on a marble floor, especially since it wasn’t written by someone “really, really stoopid” but by someone with a Ph.D. in Chemistry who just completed a M.A. in Theology. There was also a picture of Fr. Stanley Jaki and mention of my book, Science Was Born of Christianity: The Teaching of Fr. Stanley L. Jaki.
What we're doing in Steubenville
What We’re Doing In SteubenvilleBARNES: I love my school. Great philosophy program. But there is a serious — if unintentional — dichotomy between the wealth that exists on our campus and the poverty that exists “down the hill.” There is a bifurcation between the culture lived and loved at our Catholic school — with its constant call to love our neighbors and its rich investigations into the nature and inestimable worth of every human person — and the anti-culture our city struggles with below — with the heroin-running “Chicago boys,” the prostitution on North Street, and the tragic Steubenville rape case, where the weak were left to the wolves.
Mars is probably farther away than you realize. Here, we'll prove it...
How Far is it to Mars?: By David Paliwoda and Jesse Williams...
The coolest science of 2013, in animated GIFs
The Coolest Science of 2013, in GIFs | Surprising Science: If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a GIF is easily worth a million. The file format—which uses a series of images to produce a looping video, like a flip book—is a tremendous way to convey all sorts of moving wonders, and 2013 was the year that the GIF truly went mainstream, with GIFs of celebrities, sports and politicians filling the Web.
But 2013 was also a banner year for science—so much so that the word ‘science’ was Merriam-Webster’s word of the year. It’s appropriate, then, that we use the GIF to explore some of the coolest, weirdest, most remarkable science stories of 2013. What follows is a non-exhaustive list of amazing science GIFs from 2013, in no particular order.
But 2013 was also a banner year for science—so much so that the word ‘science’ was Merriam-Webster’s word of the year. It’s appropriate, then, that we use the GIF to explore some of the coolest, weirdest, most remarkable science stories of 2013. What follows is a non-exhaustive list of amazing science GIFs from 2013, in no particular order.
The legendary Duke Ellington kept Christmas very well, indeed!
Duke Ellington and the Great Christmas Secret | National Review OnlineSCALIA: The story goes that if the legendary composer and orchestrator Duke Ellington had met you, and gotten his hands on your mailing address, you’d have gotten a Christmas card from him. It may not come at Christmas, but at some point during the year, his personally written and signed greetings would grace your mailbox.
“Duke Ellington and I exchanged Christmas greetings each year,” wrote Joe Delaney of the Las Vegas Sun. “Mine were sent in mid-December. Duke sent his when the spirit moved him.”
“Duke Ellington and I exchanged Christmas greetings each year,” wrote Joe Delaney of the Las Vegas Sun. “Mine were sent in mid-December. Duke sent his when the spirit moved him.”
A very Franciscan Christmas after all
A very Franciscan Christmas after all | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: After you’ve been in the Vaticanology business for a while, it’s hard to be surprised by the occasionally tone-deaf questions people ask. During a Christmas Eve broadcast just before the pope’s vigil Mass, however, I was briefly at a loss when asked how I expected Francis to “shake up” Christmas.
On the surface of it, the notion that any pope would consciously upend one of the most sacred periods on the church’s calendar seemed so silly it was tough to know how to respond.
I choked down the temptation to reply “next question” – especially since the last guy to use that phrase in Rome, Polish Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, who’s in charge of the pope’s personal charitable activity, inadvertently created an urban legend about Francis roaming the streets at night incognito.
On the surface of it, the notion that any pope would consciously upend one of the most sacred periods on the church’s calendar seemed so silly it was tough to know how to respond.
I choked down the temptation to reply “next question” – especially since the last guy to use that phrase in Rome, Polish Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, who’s in charge of the pope’s personal charitable activity, inadvertently created an urban legend about Francis roaming the streets at night incognito.
10 things you need to know today: December 28, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 28, 2013 - The Week: Police release a trove of new information on Sandy Hook, A&E reverses course on Duck Dynasty, and more...
Syrian delegation visits Vatican, brings message to Pope Francis from President Assad
Syrian delegation brings message to Pope Francis: A delegation from the Syrian government met on Saturday morning with the Vatican Secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
According to a statement issued by the director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, “the delegation brought a message from President Assad for the Holy Father and explained the position of the Syrian government”.
The Syrian delegation consisted of Joseph Sweid, Minister of State, and Hussam Eddin Aala,who is both Assistant Minister and Director for Europe from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the current Syrian ambassador to the Holy See.
According to a statement issued by the director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, “the delegation brought a message from President Assad for the Holy Father and explained the position of the Syrian government”.
The Syrian delegation consisted of Joseph Sweid, Minister of State, and Hussam Eddin Aala,who is both Assistant Minister and Director for Europe from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the current Syrian ambassador to the Holy See.
Friday, December 27, 2013
The Third Day of Christmas: "I drink you the love of Saint John"
man with black hat: Christ-Mass: Day 3 (St John): “The disciple whom Jesus loved” (“ο μαθητης ον ηγαπα ο Ιησους”) was, for a time, banished under Emperor Domition to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. This was before returning to Ephesus to live to a ripe old age. While John was the only one of the Twelve to die a natural death (living to be nearly one hundred years old, according to tradition), it was not for want of his enemies trying. Upon an attempt to kill John by poisoning his wine, the evil substance miraculously took the form of a serpent, as it dissipated from his cup.
Today, families can celebrate the Feast of Saint John by drinking to the health of each other, based on a German tradition known as Johannissegen. Fisheaters has a recipe for mulled wine that is customary to the occasion.
Today, families can celebrate the Feast of Saint John by drinking to the health of each other, based on a German tradition known as Johannissegen. Fisheaters has a recipe for mulled wine that is customary to the occasion.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai rises twice as high as the Empire State Building. How do skyscrapers keep getting taller?
How Do Skyscrapers Keep Getting Taller? | Mental Floss: Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest skyscraper in the world, rising 2,717 feet. That’s twice as high as the Empire State Building. How can buildings stretch so high without toppling over?
Until the late 1800s, most urban buildings didn’t peak over 10 stories. Getting much taller was physically impossible with the available construction materials. The higher you build with brick and mortar, the thicker the lower walls have to be. The base of a 70-story brick building would have been so thick that there wouldn’t be any room for a lobby.
Until the late 1800s, most urban buildings didn’t peak over 10 stories. Getting much taller was physically impossible with the available construction materials. The higher you build with brick and mortar, the thicker the lower walls have to be. The base of a 70-story brick building would have been so thick that there wouldn’t be any room for a lobby.
I found an image for the Church in a Christmas gift catalog
An image for the Church in a Christmas Gift Catalog. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Well, I didn’t get the gift I wanted this Christmas� Maybe the fact that it cost $20,000 had something to do with it� It is the Seven-Seater tricycle in the Hammacher and Schlemmer Catalog.� I suspect it is one of those corporate “team-building” items and thus a large corporation might be able to afford the hefty cost or even just rent it for corporate “retreats.”
At any rate I was intrigued when I saw it as something of an image of the Church. I know that I exaggerate when I “see” these things, but it is good to reminded of the Lord and His Church in many ways.
At any rate I was intrigued when I saw it as something of an image of the Church. I know that I exaggerate when I “see” these things, but it is good to reminded of the Lord and His Church in many ways.
The Pope addresses world peace AND persecution (again)
Pope addresses world peace AND persecution (again)MATTINGLY: Covering speeches is tricky, I tell the students in my reporting classes.
A good public speaker says all kinds of interesting things before he or she gets to The Big Idea, the point to which they have been building all along. A good reporter, on the other hand, has to find a way to take The Big Idea — especially if it is truly newsworthy — and plant it right at the top of the story, while maintaining a sense of context.
The reporter can add the other important details later, I tell students. The key, as every journalist knows, is not to “bury the lede.” And may the journalism gods have mercy on a reporter who misses The Big Idea altogether.
A good public speaker says all kinds of interesting things before he or she gets to The Big Idea, the point to which they have been building all along. A good reporter, on the other hand, has to find a way to take The Big Idea — especially if it is truly newsworthy — and plant it right at the top of the story, while maintaining a sense of context.
The reporter can add the other important details later, I tell students. The key, as every journalist knows, is not to “bury the lede.” And may the journalism gods have mercy on a reporter who misses The Big Idea altogether.
The gift of the fear of the Lord confirms the virtue of hope
Fear of the Lord Confirms the Virtue of Hope | Daily News | NCRegister.comSHEA: As we have seen in our previous discussions, the paradox of the gift of the fear of the Lord is that it is a fear that does not call us to cringe like slaves, but to rejoice in reverence of our Father as his children.
Jesus feared God, but never cringed before him. Instead, he worshipped and adored him so much that he willingly laid down his life in obedient love toward him for our sakes. And he did so, not in some act of despair, but because he trusted that God would bring abundant life and gladness out of it.
As Hebrews 12:2 says, it was for the joy set before him that he endured the cross, despising its shame. Jesus did not lay down his life because he saw himself as a worthless slave, but because he knew that he was God’s beloved Son.
Jesus feared God, but never cringed before him. Instead, he worshipped and adored him so much that he willingly laid down his life in obedient love toward him for our sakes. And he did so, not in some act of despair, but because he trusted that God would bring abundant life and gladness out of it.
As Hebrews 12:2 says, it was for the joy set before him that he endured the cross, despising its shame. Jesus did not lay down his life because he saw himself as a worthless slave, but because he knew that he was God’s beloved Son.
This is why busy parents should always go to Midnight Mass
Why Busy Parents Should Always Go to Midnight Mass |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: At our house, if we do something one time, the kids assume it's a tradition.� Not only a tradition, but an indispensable tradition without which life is nothing but an empty fraud.� This is frustrating when the insta-tradition is something like feasting on jumbo shrimp, which happened to be on sale on someone's birthday last year, but it certainly isn't on sale this year.�
We didn't mind at all, though, when the kids just assumed we'd be going to Midnight Mass this year, just because we did last year. �To them, it was a tradition, and we were happy to play along, even though we have tons of little kids and live in the great, frozen North
We didn't mind at all, though, when the kids just assumed we'd be going to Midnight Mass this year, just because we did last year. �To them, it was a tradition, and we were happy to play along, even though we have tons of little kids and live in the great, frozen North
Some critics condemn Seinfeld as a "materialistic, narcissistic" show, but they miss its particular genius...
Seinfeld’s Comedy of Custom | First ThingsLACOUTER: A frenzied George, who has promised to pick up Jerry from the airport, is anxiously checking the arrivals board at JFK. He asks a well-dressed businessman next to him for the time, in response to which the man mutters something about a clock over in the corner. Despite sporting a bold gold watch, which he waves in George’s face while pointing him towards the wall clock, the man refuses to check his wrist and tell George the time. The man eventually leaves angrily as George yells after him, “You know we’re living in a society!”
Pennsylvania appeals court overturns landmark conviction of Philadelphia's Msgr. William Lynn
Court Reverses Philadelphia Monsignor's Conviction - WSJ.com: A landmark criminal conviction of a Catholic monsignor imprisoned for his handling of sexual-abuse allegations was overturned Thursday by a Pennsylvania appeals court.
Some paradoxes and mysteries of the Incarnation
Some Paradoxes and Mysteries of the Incarnation � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: In the ancient Church, and until rather recently, we genuflected at the two references to the incarnation in the Mass: at the Creed and at the Last Gospel (John 1). Why did we do this? It was explained to me that the mystery was so deep that one could only fall in silent reverence.
There are many paradoxes and seeming impossibilities in the incarnation. As mysteries they cannot be fully solved, so they claim our reverence. We genuflected in the past, and we bow today at the mention of the incarnation in the creed for it is a deep mystery.
As we celebrate Christmas I would like to list some of the paradoxes of Christmas. I want to say as little of them as possible, just enough to make the paradox clear. This paucity of words, not common with me, is in reverence to the mystery and also to invite your own reflection.
There are many paradoxes and seeming impossibilities in the incarnation. As mysteries they cannot be fully solved, so they claim our reverence. We genuflected in the past, and we bow today at the mention of the incarnation in the creed for it is a deep mystery.
As we celebrate Christmas I would like to list some of the paradoxes of Christmas. I want to say as little of them as possible, just enough to make the paradox clear. This paucity of words, not common with me, is in reverence to the mystery and also to invite your own reflection.
Pope: As Christians are targeted worldwide, St. Stephen's martyrdom reminds us that Christmas is not a "mushy fairy tale"
VATICAN Pope: The Feast of St Stephen the first martyr dissolves the "fairy tale" image of Christmas - Asia News: The Feast Day of Saint Stephen is "in full harmony with the deeper meaning of Christmas" and dissolves "the false picture of Christmas as a mushy fairy tale that does not exist in the Gospel," Pope Francis said in today's Angelus before the many pilgrims in St Peter's Square, on the day when the Church remembers its first martyr.
10 things you need to know today: December 26, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 26, 2013 - The Week: Resignations rock Turkey's government, ice storms leave hundreds of thousands without power, and more...
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Christmas Day bombings targeting Christians kill 37 in Baghdad
Christmas Day bombings in Iraq’s capital kill 37 - The Washington Post: Militants in Iraq targeted Christians in three separate Christmas Day bombings in Baghdad, killing at least 37 people, officials said Wednesday.
In one attack, a car bomb went off near a church in the capital’s southern Dora neighborhood, killing at least 26 people and wounding 38, a police officer said.
In one attack, a car bomb went off near a church in the capital’s southern Dora neighborhood, killing at least 26 people and wounding 38, a police officer said.
Christmas in mission territory is Christmas everywhere...
Saving Grace, Christian Mission | First ThingsWEIGEL: Wedged between Isaiah’s glorious messianic hymn and Luke’s touching account of the angelic announcement of the Nativity, Paul’s confession of Christmas faith to Titus (Titus 2:11-14) often gets homiletic short shrift at midnight Mass. Which is a shame, because those three brief verses are a compact, early Christian catechism, offering perennially valid points for Christmas meditation.
Paul begins with the early Church’s understanding of just-what-happened in Bethlehem: the “grace of God has appeared.” That saving grace first appears to the world in the form of a child, “infinity dwindled to infancy,” in Father Edward Oakes’s fine phrase; the divine epiphany, this showing-forth of the “grace of God,” reaches its dramatic consummation at Easter, when the fullness of God’s saving power is revealed. Thus in its very first sentence, the reading from Paul’s letter to Titus links Christmas to Easter, or, perhaps better, “reads” Christmas through the prism of Easter faith, without which Christmas faith would be little more than sentimentality.
Paul begins with the early Church’s understanding of just-what-happened in Bethlehem: the “grace of God has appeared.” That saving grace first appears to the world in the form of a child, “infinity dwindled to infancy,” in Father Edward Oakes’s fine phrase; the divine epiphany, this showing-forth of the “grace of God,” reaches its dramatic consummation at Easter, when the fullness of God’s saving power is revealed. Thus in its very first sentence, the reading from Paul’s letter to Titus links Christmas to Easter, or, perhaps better, “reads” Christmas through the prism of Easter faith, without which Christmas faith would be little more than sentimentality.
10 things you need to know today: December 25, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 25, 2013 - The Week: The U.N. adds peacekeepers in South Sudan, the White House extends the ObamaCare deadline again, and more...
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Christmas is all about the God who loves you eternally, even if you do not wish to receive that love...
'The joy of Christmas is contagious' - Denver Catholic RegisterAQUILA: A group of atheists recently bought a billboard in Times Square and asked the provocative question: Who needs Christ at Christmas? They answered their own question with a one-word answer—nobody.
That is an interesting take on the holy day that is named, quite aptly, after Christ himself.
According to the billboard, Christmas can now be about anything you want it to be. For example, they suggested, it can simply be about family, friends, presents, parties and hot chocolate.
Christians obviously do not agree with this, but the atheists bring an important point to the forefront of the public debate. In recent years Christmas has been accompanied by a “war on Christmas,” which is rather strange: What does the world have to fear from the belief that God so loved humanity that he became a child and dwelt among us?
That is an interesting take on the holy day that is named, quite aptly, after Christ himself.
According to the billboard, Christmas can now be about anything you want it to be. For example, they suggested, it can simply be about family, friends, presents, parties and hot chocolate.
Christians obviously do not agree with this, but the atheists bring an important point to the forefront of the public debate. In recent years Christmas has been accompanied by a “war on Christmas,” which is rather strange: What does the world have to fear from the belief that God so loved humanity that he became a child and dwelt among us?
Pope Francis: "Jesus is the meaning of life and history, who has pitched his tent in our midst..."
Jesus is 'meaning of life, history,' Pope preaches on Christmas :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Pope Francis’ homily at the vigil mass for Christmas focused on the importance of Jesus’ incarnation as a real and meaningful event.
“The grace which was revealed in our world is Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, true man and true God. He has entered our history; he has shared our journey. He came to free us from darkness and to grant us light,” said the Pope on Dec. 24 at the mass held in St. Peter’s Basilica.
“In him was revealed the grace, the mercy, and the tender love of the Father: Jesus is Love incarnate. He is not simply a teacher of wisdom, he is not an ideal for which we strive while knowing that we are hopelessly distant from it. He is the meaning of life and history, who has pitched his tent in our midst.”
“The grace which was revealed in our world is Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, true man and true God. He has entered our history; he has shared our journey. He came to free us from darkness and to grant us light,” said the Pope on Dec. 24 at the mass held in St. Peter’s Basilica.
“In him was revealed the grace, the mercy, and the tender love of the Father: Jesus is Love incarnate. He is not simply a teacher of wisdom, he is not an ideal for which we strive while knowing that we are hopelessly distant from it. He is the meaning of life and history, who has pitched his tent in our midst.”
The central claim of Christianity is that God became one of us 2000 years ago
New Advent: The central claim of Christianity is that God became one of us 2000 years agoSTEFANICK: Prophetic writings several hundred years before His birth called Him Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Mighty Counselor, Father Forever, God With Us. He referred to Himself as the Way, the Truth, the Life. St. Paul said that in Him we live, and move, and have our being.
The emptiness of the human heart without Christ is echoed by the blank spaces all over the West where children should be...
The Empty Manger - AleteiaZMIRAK: This year, as every year, the crèche has sat empty of God. The shepherds knelt, the angels sang, the ox and ass and eager lamb looked on, even Joseph and Mary stared down adoringly—at a vacant manger. There was no Infant here. When people knelt before this nativity scene to pray, they closed their eyes, as if averting their gaze from a lovely face that gaped with a missing tooth.
�
For all the lights and wreaths that have hung since before Thanksgiving, it isn’t Christmas yet—as the good men of the Holy Name Society (who craft the crèche) remind us by withholding the Jesus bambino for four long weeks, until the eve of the feast.
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For all the lights and wreaths that have hung since before Thanksgiving, it isn’t Christmas yet—as the good men of the Holy Name Society (who craft the crèche) remind us by withholding the Jesus bambino for four long weeks, until the eve of the feast.
The 29 most hilarious atheist billboards, and what they should really say...
Man In the Woods: The 29 Most Hilarious Atheist Billboards… And What They Should Really SayCHAPMAN: It's the most wonderful time of the year... Although as a Christian I enjoy all of the joyful things that take place during this time of year, I have to say that I also kind of enjoy the atheist billboards that seem to adorn the season as well. What would December be without the great martyrs of atheism trying to make colors like red and green forbidden, or those magnificent "secret Santas" who work behind the scenes to make sure that trees are prohibited from the public square, or better still those altruists who stand firm against those propaganda-laden songs which attempt to remind us of charity and good will towards others. Nevertheless, these modern day Puritan party poopers, have their own form of propaganda, and one of their favorite proselytizing tricks is attempting to create disciples via the medium of gigantic billboards.
Why "Christmas" and "Holiday" now mean the same thing...
Petra BlogANTONITIS: It finally happened, the event I had been anticipating for a decade or more.
When it finally happened despite all the anticipation of its imminent arrival, it still made me cringe – so grating and unnatural it was to the ear.
But it always is that way the first time it happens.
It happened early December on CNBC when as I half-listened someone used the word “Holiday” to mean Christmas. That someone, I didn’t catch his name, didn’t use Holiday as just a synonym or a mere substitute. No, he used it interchangeably.
“I think you’ll see an uptick after Holiday is over.”� It was the first time I had ever heard anyone use Holiday in just that way.
When it finally happened despite all the anticipation of its imminent arrival, it still made me cringe – so grating and unnatural it was to the ear.
But it always is that way the first time it happens.
It happened early December on CNBC when as I half-listened someone used the word “Holiday” to mean Christmas. That someone, I didn’t catch his name, didn’t use Holiday as just a synonym or a mere substitute. No, he used it interchangeably.
“I think you’ll see an uptick after Holiday is over.”� It was the first time I had ever heard anyone use Holiday in just that way.
God became a baby so that we could know Him and understand Him properly...
Christmas, Suffering, and the Cross | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and viewsCOREN: I graduated from high school in England back in 1977, and it’s grimly sobering that some of the people reading this column weren’t even born then! Be warned younger people—middle age creeps up on as surreptitiously as the most careful and crafty beasts of prey. There was a somewhat perfunctory party where students and teachers said goodbye to one another, but most of us were only too eager to see the back of school and go on to university, work, fun, whatever. I remained close to my oldest friend, who later was the best man at my wedding, but otherwise I have not maintained contact with most of my contemporaries. Frankly, I can’t even remember their names.
Don’t use Pope Francis as a bludgeon for ideological submission. There’s not humor or humility in that...
Bob Newhart and the Narrowing of Freedom | National Review OnlineLOPEZ: Humor “makes us free.”
That was Bob Newhart’s observation during a commencement address at my alma mater, the Catholic University of America in 1997. “As long as the tyrant cannot control the minds of free men, they remain free,” the comedian continued. “Humor abounded behind the Iron Curtain and in POW camps. Humor is also our way of dealing with the inexplicable. We had an earthquake a couple of years ago in Los Angeles, and it wasn’t more than three or four days later that I heard the first earthquake joke. Someone said, ‘The traffic is stopped, but the freeways are moving.’”
That was Bob Newhart’s observation during a commencement address at my alma mater, the Catholic University of America in 1997. “As long as the tyrant cannot control the minds of free men, they remain free,” the comedian continued. “Humor abounded behind the Iron Curtain and in POW camps. Humor is also our way of dealing with the inexplicable. We had an earthquake a couple of years ago in Los Angeles, and it wasn’t more than three or four days later that I heard the first earthquake joke. Someone said, ‘The traffic is stopped, but the freeways are moving.’”
Is Pope Emeritus Benedict the “founder of the feast”?
Is Benedict the “founder of the feast”?SCALIA: Because the world is paying attention, again; exposure to Catholic teaching is on the rise. This is the first step toward learning and renewed understanding. The Church itself seems to be a renewed place this Christmas, because of a great lesson in Trust taught to us via this much-reviled and put-upon servant of Christ. Let’s take a second to offer a prayer for him in the spirit of these days of hope and quiet longing. By casting the church — and in truth, the entire world — into the path of the Holy Spirit, he is, in one sense, “the founder of the feast” of quasi-goodwill we are currently enjoying since the election of our dear Pope Francis.
The world is simply not the same as it was before this event in Bethlehem. Human history changes at this point...
Father James V. Schall, S.J. | Catholic PulseSCHALL: God did not have to create the heavens and the earth. Why did he do it then? In order that beings which were not God could also love God. And when it was clear that God’s plan for mankind was rejected by free man, God responded. How? Gently. The Father sent his Son to dwell amongst us. Where? He was born in Bethlehem of Judea. When? During the time of Caesar Augustus. Why? In order that we might be able to achieve the purpose for which we were created. God will not coerce us. We have to choose to see the reality of what occurred.
Why did this plan of God result in the Word becoming flesh? God might perhaps have redeemed us in some other way. But the way he chose was via the Nativity. A real divine Person, now true God and true man, appeared amongst us so that we could freely respond to God’s love of us when we saw the consequences of our rejecting of him. Could God have done anything more than he did? Undoubtedly, no. Where does this leave us? It leaves us at the scene of the Nativity.
Why did this plan of God result in the Word becoming flesh? God might perhaps have redeemed us in some other way. But the way he chose was via the Nativity. A real divine Person, now true God and true man, appeared amongst us so that we could freely respond to God’s love of us when we saw the consequences of our rejecting of him. Could God have done anything more than he did? Undoubtedly, no. Where does this leave us? It leaves us at the scene of the Nativity.
The best time management tip for mom entrepreneurs
Embrace the Chaos: The Best Time Management Tip for Mom Entrepreneurs | CatholicMom.comCENICCOLA: It wasn’t until my last little child was out of diapers that I began yearning for another newborn. I miss those days. When I see a baby – fussy or not – I look at my husband with an achy heart. He thinks I’m a crazy hormonal mess, but I know for certain my ovaries are in a state of serious depression. Despite the newborn chaos, I loved every single minute of those early years. Even if I didn’t recognize it then.
Every time I put my little boy’s socks on him, I have this nagging feeling that I shouldn’t...
What Really Matters | CatholicMom.comBOAS: There are things eight year olds should be doing for themselves, and putting on socks is one of them.
This particular eight-year-old, however, cannot tolerate that little sock lump that often forms between toe and shoe. Neither can he endure tags at the back of his neck, itchy seams on his pants, a drop of water on his sleeve, the pressure of eyeglasses on his nose. You get the picture.
John is my preemie, born fifteen weeks early. They told us when we adopted him that the preemie brain is not quite the same as some others. It was formed outside the womb for a good portion of its development. That has to yield some different results.
This particular eight-year-old, however, cannot tolerate that little sock lump that often forms between toe and shoe. Neither can he endure tags at the back of his neck, itchy seams on his pants, a drop of water on his sleeve, the pressure of eyeglasses on his nose. You get the picture.
John is my preemie, born fifteen weeks early. They told us when we adopted him that the preemie brain is not quite the same as some others. It was formed outside the womb for a good portion of its development. That has to yield some different results.
How to follow the Pope's Christmas Mass and "Urbi et Orbi" blessing
Christmas Mass with Pope Francis | nunspeakDOTY: “25 December. The twenty-second day of the lunar month. Innumerable ages having passed since the creation of the world…The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.”
So are the beginning and ending words of the proclamation of the birth of the Savior at Midnight Mass. The words speak of the long waiting for the Savior from the beginning of time, culminating with the birth of Jesus. Christmas is here! What better way to celebrate with the Universal Church than to watch Midnight Mass unfold with Pope Francis at Saint Peter’s Basilica.
So are the beginning and ending words of the proclamation of the birth of the Savior at Midnight Mass. The words speak of the long waiting for the Savior from the beginning of time, culminating with the birth of Jesus. Christmas is here! What better way to celebrate with the Universal Church than to watch Midnight Mass unfold with Pope Francis at Saint Peter’s Basilica.
A few thoughts about changes to the Congregation for Bishops. Wherein Fr. Z rants...
A few thoughts about changes to the Congregation for Bishops. Wherein Fr. Z rants. | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: A lot of you are asking by email my take on Pope Francis’ not confirming Card. Burke as a member of the Congregations for Bishops and for Saints.
The fact is that the members of these Congregations are routinely shifted around. �Do I like the fact that Card. Burke and some others are no longer members? Not much, no. �However, I don’t think it is wise to have a spittle-flecked nutty about it.
Some people are turning this into some sort of papal pogrom against conservative cardinals. I can’t rule that out.
The fact is that the members of these Congregations are routinely shifted around. �Do I like the fact that Card. Burke and some others are no longer members? Not much, no. �However, I don’t think it is wise to have a spittle-flecked nutty about it.
Some people are turning this into some sort of papal pogrom against conservative cardinals. I can’t rule that out.
Why is Christmas celebrated mainly at night?
Why is Christmas Celebrated Mainly at Night? � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: O Holy night! Yes, a silent night! and, it came upon a midnight clear. Christmas, it would seem, is a festival of the mid night. Jesus is born when it is dark, dark midnight. We are sure of it. And why not?
Even though we are not told the exact hour of his birth we are sure it must have been night. Scripture does say that the Shepherds who heard the glad tidings were keeping watch over their flock “by night” (cf Luke 2:9). Further the Magi sought him by the light of a star, and stars are seen at night, deep midnight. None of this is evidence that Jesus was born at 11:59 PM, but it sets our clocks for night, deep midnight.
Even though we are not told the exact hour of his birth we are sure it must have been night. Scripture does say that the Shepherds who heard the glad tidings were keeping watch over their flock “by night” (cf Luke 2:9). Further the Magi sought him by the light of a star, and stars are seen at night, deep midnight. None of this is evidence that Jesus was born at 11:59 PM, but it sets our clocks for night, deep midnight.
Pope Francis makes visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for Christmas
Video: Pope Francis makes visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for Christmas - Telegraph: Video released by the Vatican showed the two men, dressed in identical white robes save for Pope Francis' cape, embracing each other at Benedict's home in the Vatican.
The two popes also prayed together in the adjoining chapel.
It is the first time the interior of Pope Emeritus Benedict's home has been shown publicly.
Since Benedict's retirement in February, the two men have only met once in public for an official Vatican ceremony in July.
The two popes also prayed together in the adjoining chapel.
It is the first time the interior of Pope Emeritus Benedict's home has been shown publicly.
Since Benedict's retirement in February, the two men have only met once in public for an official Vatican ceremony in July.
CDF prefect says SSPX in schism, suspended from sacraments
CDF prefect says SSPX in schism, suspended from sacraments : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: The leaders of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) are in schism, and remain suspended from the sacraments, says the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Archbishop Gerhard Mueller said that although Pope Benedict XVI lifted the canonical excommunication of SSPX prelates, they remain suspended from the sacraments because “by their schism they have broken away from communion with the Church.”
In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Archbishop Gerhard Mueller said that although Pope Benedict XVI lifted the canonical excommunication of SSPX prelates, they remain suspended from the sacraments because “by their schism they have broken away from communion with the Church.”
10 things you need to know today: December 24, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 24, 2013 - The Week: Snowden says "mission accomplished," Americans get an extra day to enroll for ObamaCare coverage, and more...
Monday, December 23, 2013
These final lines of the Old Testament are nothing short of astonishing
The Dramatic and Final Words of the Old Testament. A fitting close to the Advent Season � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Yes, it is fitting, that on the last full day of Advent we read the final lines of the Old Testament. And as the curtains of the old dispensation slide to a close, a promise of grace and mercy are extended. Messiah will come. But before the day of fiery judgment he will extend grace and mercy through Elijah.
Tomorrow evening we will see the Christ child lying in a manger.� God makes himself small for us; he comes to us meek and lowly, also extending his grace and mercy. One day he will come in fiery judgment on this world, but until that time,� grace and mercy.
Tomorrow evening, the cry of an infant will sound, saying “Come unto me. Accept me now before it is time to finally close the curtains on this, the final age.”
Tomorrow evening we will see the Christ child lying in a manger.� God makes himself small for us; he comes to us meek and lowly, also extending his grace and mercy. One day he will come in fiery judgment on this world, but until that time,� grace and mercy.
Tomorrow evening, the cry of an infant will sound, saying “Come unto me. Accept me now before it is time to finally close the curtains on this, the final age.”
Has Pope Francis replaced the Curia's leaders with his own trusted men?
MondayVatican – Vatican � Has Pope Francis displaced with his own trusted men the Curia’s leaders? | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: Pope Francis gave himself a birthday gift. On December 17 the Pope received Cardinal Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The Pope listened to the report that he asked Amato to write about Peter Faber, the first companion of St. Ignatius and “a model of virtue,” according to Pope Francis. The Pope later decreed that veneration for the Blessed Peter Faber should extend to the universal Church. In practice, the Pope canonized Peter Faber, leaping over all of the Congregation’s procedures, and without any known miracles attributed to Faber’s intercession.
Based on a true story? Fact-checking 'Saving Mr. Banks' and 5 other Oscar contenders...
Based on a true story? Fact-checking 6 Oscar contenders - The Week: Every year, Hollywood delivers a handful of movies that are "based on a true story," and every year, a number of them become front-runners for Oscars. Unfortunately for Hollywood, that leads to yet another annual tradition: Experts and real-life counterparts weighing in and picking nits. It doesn't seem to hurt anyone's Oscar chances. Last year, Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, and Lincoln picked up an admirable number of nominations and prizes among them, despite misgivings about their accuracy.
This optical illusion is stationary, but you'll swear it's moving...
Optical illusion: Motion using vertical slits.: Our brains are massively complex machines, constantly processing huge amounts of data from our senses. Our eyes provide most of that input; they send a huge amount of information to the brain, and it’s actually rather astonishing we can figure anything out from it. Given that, our ability to detect motion is pretty amazing. Despite all that noise, if something moves, something changes, our brain targets right on it.
Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson: "I will not give or back off from my path"
Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson: I Will Not Apologize for My Comments | LifeNews.com: Pro-life Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson is sticking by controversial comments he made about moral issues in an interview with GQ magazine that has caused a national and international furor. TV network A&E suspended Robertson from the show over the comments.
Robertson talked about sexual purity in the interview, saying, “Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong… Sin becomes fine. Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there… Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.”
Robertson talked about sexual purity in the interview, saying, “Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong… Sin becomes fine. Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there… Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.”
10 things you need to know today: December 23, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 23, 2013 - The Week: The ObamaCare enrollment deadline arrives, Americans get out of South Sudan, and more...
Sunday, December 22, 2013
More details about the 20-year-old with Down syndrome who was accepted to Clemson University
Happiness! 20-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Learns He’s Been Accepted at ClemsonSCHIFFER: A few weeks ago Rion Holcombe, a 20-year-old man from Moore, South Carolina, learned that he’d been accepted to Clemson University.� �Ryan has Down Syndrome and so many colleges would not accept him; but Clemson University offers the ClemsonLIFE program, which is “designed for students with intellectual disabilities who desire a postsecondary experience on a college campus.”
Rion’s mother filmed him as he opened the acceptance letter and gradually realized that he would really be going to college. Rion’s sheer joy at the news is contagious!� The heartwarming video was posted to YouTube; and as of this writing, more than 1,240,000 people have viewed it.
Rion’s mother filmed him as he opened the acceptance letter and gradually realized that he would really be going to college. Rion’s sheer joy at the news is contagious!� The heartwarming video was posted to YouTube; and as of this writing, more than 1,240,000 people have viewed it.
Students perform “Silent Night”, but without religious references...
Students perform “Silent Night”—but without religious references: It happened on Long Island last week. This is unreal...
That oh-so-predictable CNN article on ducks and doctrine...
That oh-so-predictable CNN article on ducks and doctrineMATTINGLY: So color me confused.
At the moment, CNN is hailing this article — “Does Phil Robertson get the Bible wrong?” — as the “best, fairest, article on Christians and homosexuality you’ll ever read. Fact.”
Of course, we are talking about the Duck Dynasty doctrine wars and the GQ interview with duck patriarch Phil Robertson. Thus, the crucial passage of the CNN religion-blog post...
At the moment, CNN is hailing this article — “Does Phil Robertson get the Bible wrong?” — as the “best, fairest, article on Christians and homosexuality you’ll ever read. Fact.”
Of course, we are talking about the Duck Dynasty doctrine wars and the GQ interview with duck patriarch Phil Robertson. Thus, the crucial passage of the CNN religion-blog post...
A homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
Crisis At Christmas – A Homily for the 4th Sunday of Advent � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: The Gospel today gives us some background for the Christmas feast that we need to take to heart. It speaks to us of a crisis at Christmas.
We tend to sentimentalize the Christmas story as we think of the “baby Jesus in the manger.” It is not absolutely wrong to be sentimental about Christmas but we also have to be prayerfully sober about how difficult that first Christmas was, and the heroic virtue required of Mary and Joseph in order to cooperate with God in its coming to pass.
Let’s look at the gospel in three stages: Distress, Direction and Decision.
We tend to sentimentalize the Christmas story as we think of the “baby Jesus in the manger.” It is not absolutely wrong to be sentimental about Christmas but we also have to be prayerfully sober about how difficult that first Christmas was, and the heroic virtue required of Mary and Joseph in order to cooperate with God in its coming to pass.
Let’s look at the gospel in three stages: Distress, Direction and Decision.
Duck Dynasty is not the show that A&E wanted. It's the show that got away from them...
Duck Dynasty: The Show That Got Away |Blogs | NCRegister.comPATARCHBOLD: This is what happened.� The whole idea of the show was to parade these nouveau riche Christian hillbillies around so that we could laugh at them. "Look at them," we were supposed to say.� "Look how backward they are!� Look what they believe!� Can you believe they really live this way and believe this stuff?� See how they don't fit in? HAHAHA"�
When the producers saw the way the show was shaping up, different than they envisioned it, they tried to change course.� They tried to get the Robertson's to tone down their Christianity, but to their eternal credit they refused.� They tried to add fake cussin' to the show by inserting bleeps where no cussword was uttered.� At best, they wanted to make the Robertson's look like crass buffoons. At worst they wanted them to look like hypocrites.
When the producers saw the way the show was shaping up, different than they envisioned it, they tried to change course.� They tried to get the Robertson's to tone down their Christianity, but to their eternal credit they refused.� They tried to add fake cussin' to the show by inserting bleeps where no cussword was uttered.� At best, they wanted to make the Robertson's look like crass buffoons. At worst they wanted them to look like hypocrites.
Restoring faith in fiction: A visit with Walker Percy and Paul Elie
Restoring Faith in Fiction: A Visit with Walker Percy and Paul Elie: There is an indistinct moment of passage on the north-south corridor of U.S. Interstate 55 where the Midwest becomes the South—and it’s located somewhere in the lower middle half of the state of Missouri. It is a place that is no place, as the novelist Walker Percy might have put it; somewhere between the last scattering of hay bales, left where they fell from balers, basking in the mid-autumn sun, and the first maculation of cotton bolls bursting forth with pallid punctuation from their russet-rusted shrubs. It is a moment on the perpetual roll of asphalt ribbon where upland’s gentle roll exhausts itself into a certain undeniable flatness, a place where tasseled corn rows surrender to tow-headed cotton fields.
10 things you need to know today: December 22, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 22, 2013 - The Week: A massive storm disrupts holiday travel, Target makes amends for a credit-card security breach, and more...
Pope's Sunday Angelus: "The Gospel shows us the greatness of St. Joseph's soul"
VATICAN Pope: Celebrating Christmas contemplating Mary and Joseph - Asia News: We should celebrate Christmas contemplating Mary and Joseph .... With them, we walk together towards Bethlehem".� This was Pope Francis' invitation to the tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square for the Angelus today, the last Sunday of Advent (the fourth ), the period leading up to Christmas . Immediately after the Marian prayer , he focused on a banner held up by those present in the square: " The poor can not wait," and devoted a special greeting to a group of believers , together with members of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions ( PIME) .
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Hell is real, and it is likely that many people go there. Love compels us to warn others about this...
Hell? Don’t Yell.LONGENECKER: Here’s a faith story to make my point: a correspondent told me some time ago that she speaks about hell very clearly to people. She was working with a homeless fellow who was also a drunkard and a lapsed Catholic. She was helping him with his physical needs but she also said, “Jimmy, you’re living in sin. You haven’t been to Mass or confession in years. Your problems are huge, but your staying away from God is not helping. What if you were to die tonight? You’re in a state of mortal sin brother! You’d go to hell. Don’t you know that? Why don’t you come with me and we’ll go find Father Bob and he’ll hear your confession and get you right with God.”
On religious liberty, crickets
On Religious Liberty, Crickets | National Review OnlineLOPEZ: The president of the United States just held his final press conference of 2013 (all the “tough,” “worst year” talk is best left to the Friday afternoon before Christmas). During it, President Obama got a pressing question from NBC’s Chuck Todd on his mess of a health-care law, and tried to talk his way out of it by blaming contractors and bad I.T. decisions of White House years past. But as we know, there are substantive problems with the law way beyond a bad Internet rollout.
Meanwhile, this week, the Obama administration was struck a substantial blow by a federal judge in New York. During the presidential campaign year, an unprecedented political unity on the part of Catholic bishops, among others, protested the administration’s abortion-drug, contraception, sterilization mandate.
Meanwhile, this week, the Obama administration was struck a substantial blow by a federal judge in New York. During the presidential campaign year, an unprecedented political unity on the part of Catholic bishops, among others, protested the administration’s abortion-drug, contraception, sterilization mandate.
"A virgin shall conceive": The readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Sacred Page: "A Virgin Shall Conceive": The Readings for the Fourth Sunday of AdventBARBER: This weekend, as we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the lectionary readings have us focus on Jesus' virgin birth. Much could be said about the readings for this Sunday, but here I want to especially look at this theme (as it seems to be the intention of the lectionary).
Why is the Virgin Birth important? Is it simply the result of a mistranslation? What is the point of this Christian belief? Why is this belief so important that it appears in the Creed? Is it relevant today?
Why is the Virgin Birth important? Is it simply the result of a mistranslation? What is the point of this Christian belief? Why is this belief so important that it appears in the Creed? Is it relevant today?
10 things to know and share about the Fourth Sunday of Advent
4th Sunday of Advent: 10 things to know and share |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: To us today, the “Immanuel” prophecy is naturally understood as a reference to Christ.
However, King Ahaz lived more than seven centuries before the birth of Christ, and so the birth of Jesus could scarcely have served as a sign for him.
Scholars have therefore looked for a closer, initial fulfillment of this prophecy—one that occurred during the life of King Ahaz.
One possible fulfillment they have proposed is the birth of King Hezekiah. Others have been proposed as well.
However, King Ahaz lived more than seven centuries before the birth of Christ, and so the birth of Jesus could scarcely have served as a sign for him.
Scholars have therefore looked for a closer, initial fulfillment of this prophecy—one that occurred during the life of King Ahaz.
One possible fulfillment they have proposed is the birth of King Hezekiah. Others have been proposed as well.
"I am gay, and I agree 100 percent with Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty"
x: Phil Robertson has my support, and more importantly he has my prayers. Every single person (including myself) out there needs to further wake up to the magnitude of what is happening, and realize that “a prayer is worth more than a posting”, and that we need to pray first and foremost before anything else. Pray for what? Pray that people will wake the heck up, and see that they are being lied to and that there is more to the story…but I am not talking about Duck Dynasty or Phil Robertson, I am talking about the topic of homosexuality.
In short, the culture of this day tries to have it both ways. They promote the idea that “I define me”, which is fine – it is accurate to say we can choose to embrace any particular identity. However, the culture also promotes the idea that just because you experience a certain type of attractions, you must self-identify in a particular way (if you want to be honest with yourself, that is). The culture closes the door on people even being able to become aware that the attractions we experience are not the same thing as the identities we choose to embrace. That is, the culture of this day lies to us by not differentiating our non-specifically chosen sexual attractions, from the specific choice that we make when we embrace an identity as our own. One more time, because it is THAT important, the culture says that “being gay” (or “being straight”) is “who you are”, when in reality, it is not who you are, unless you make it who you are, by specifically choosing to wholeheartedly self-identify and define yourself in that way.
In short, the culture of this day tries to have it both ways. They promote the idea that “I define me”, which is fine – it is accurate to say we can choose to embrace any particular identity. However, the culture also promotes the idea that just because you experience a certain type of attractions, you must self-identify in a particular way (if you want to be honest with yourself, that is). The culture closes the door on people even being able to become aware that the attractions we experience are not the same thing as the identities we choose to embrace. That is, the culture of this day lies to us by not differentiating our non-specifically chosen sexual attractions, from the specific choice that we make when we embrace an identity as our own. One more time, because it is THAT important, the culture says that “being gay” (or “being straight”) is “who you are”, when in reality, it is not who you are, unless you make it who you are, by specifically choosing to wholeheartedly self-identify and define yourself in that way.
Pope to Curia: An end to the role of 'inspector and inquisitor'
John Thavis | Pope to Curia: An end to the role of 'inspector and inquisitor'THAVIS: Pope Francis’ meeting today with officials of the Roman Curia was important for what was said and what wasn’t said.
The annual Christmas encounter between the pope and his bureaucratic support system is often a time for “big” speeches that outline papal agendas, and what better occasion for Pope Francis to explain his big project of Curia reform?
That didn’t happen. Instead, in a short speech, the pope made three points that, while offering some praise for the performance of the Roman Curia, also seemed to challenge the reigning attitudes there.
The annual Christmas encounter between the pope and his bureaucratic support system is often a time for “big” speeches that outline papal agendas, and what better occasion for Pope Francis to explain his big project of Curia reform?
That didn’t happen. Instead, in a short speech, the pope made three points that, while offering some praise for the performance of the Roman Curia, also seemed to challenge the reigning attitudes there.
The greater gift (as seen in a touching Christmas commercial)
The Greater Gift – As seen in a touching Christmas Commercial � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: There is an old saying that the greatest things in life aren’t things. Our greatest gifts are those we love, beginning with God, and extending to one another.
One of the great dangers at Christmas time (and with life in general) is that we maximize the minimum and minimize the maximum, of, as Jesus puts it, we strain out gnats and swallow camels (Matt 23:24).� He spoke this of the religiously observant of his day who meticulously followed small and technical rules about cleanliness and ritual purity,� but neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness (Matt 23:22).
One of the great dangers at Christmas time (and with life in general) is that we maximize the minimum and minimize the maximum, of, as Jesus puts it, we strain out gnats and swallow camels (Matt 23:24).� He spoke this of the religiously observant of his day who meticulously followed small and technical rules about cleanliness and ritual purity,� but neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness (Matt 23:22).
Pope delivers annual Christmas message to Roman Curia, warns against becoming a "ponderous, bureaucratic customs house"
Whispers in the Loggia: At Christmas "Greeting," Pope Cites When the Curia "Hinders the Spirit"... And the ChurchPALMO: Over the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the traditional "Christmas greeting" to the Roman Curia became one of the year's most anticipated speeches as the now Pope-emeritus both recapped the closing cycle and mused on topics of his interest. Among the group, perhaps the emblematic talks are 2005's watershed address on the interpretation of Vatican II, which aimed to lay the groundwork for one of his most controversial projects – the reintegration of the SSPX – and 2010's reflection on clergy sex-abuse in the wake of that year's European outbreak of the scandals, which a media frenzy attempted to drive right up to Joseph Ratzinger's doorstep.
10 things you need to know today: December 21, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 21, 2013 - The Week: Obama meets the press, America braces for a winter storm, and more...
Friday, December 20, 2013
A pope with no down time and an interview with the Vatican's financial reformer
A pope with no down time and an interview with the Vatican's financial reformer | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: Not so long ago, the yuletide season at the Vatican meant calm. The pope and the Curia went into semi-hibernation while hearing Advent sermons from the Preacher of the Papal Household while the system was on a basic hiatus, with no real drama rolling out of Rome until well into January.
In the Francis era, however, there's no "off" switch, which makes me very glad I've been in Rome this week.
The pope marked the period around his 77th birthday on Tuesday with a series of decisions and gestures that collectively amounted to another important chapter in the "Francis revolution." A tick-tock of notable developments includes the following.
In the Francis era, however, there's no "off" switch, which makes me very glad I've been in Rome this week.
The pope marked the period around his 77th birthday on Tuesday with a series of decisions and gestures that collectively amounted to another important chapter in the "Francis revolution." A tick-tock of notable developments includes the following.
Watch the priceless reaction of Rion Holcombe, a 20-year-old with Down syndrome, as he gets a special letter in the mail
New Advent: Watch the priceless reaction of Rion Holcombe, a 20-year-old with Down syndrome, as he gets a special letter in the mail: Rion Holcombe, a 20 year old with Down syndrome, gets a special letter in the mail...
"A national disaster of dangerous proportions": Marketing trumps medicine as 3.5 million U.S. kids are drugged for ADHD
The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder - NYTimes.com: After more than 50 years leading the fight to legitimize attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Keith Conners could be celebrating.
Severely hyperactive and impulsive children, once shunned as bad seeds, are now recognized as having a real neurological problem. Doctors and parents have largely accepted drugs like Adderall and Concerta to temper the traits of classic A.D.H.D., helping youngsters succeed in school and beyond.
Severely hyperactive and impulsive children, once shunned as bad seeds, are now recognized as having a real neurological problem. Doctors and parents have largely accepted drugs like Adderall and Concerta to temper the traits of classic A.D.H.D., helping youngsters succeed in school and beyond.
Was Johannes Gutenberg a fifteenth-century con man?
Was Johannes Gutenberg a 15th-century con man? - The Week: Who printed the Gutenberg Bible? It sounds like a Groucho Marx joke, of the "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?" variety. But the story behind the invention of the printing press, and the first book ever printed, is riddled with intrigue, subterfuge, and mystery. Let's start by finding out more about who Gutenberg really was.
Just bring it: The action plan and birthday hope of Pope Francis...
Whispers in the Loggia: Just Bring It – On His 77th, Francis' "Action Plan"... and Birthday "Hope"PALMO: Francis' double-sevens comes with equally perfect timing, as the close of a stunning year brings even more incredible developments to Peter's doorstep. As it's impossible to summarize the whole of these months in any succinct form, though, we'll just have to pick one moment – even if, the way all this is rolling, something tomorrow could upend the cycle all over again.
Indeed, that's happened more times since the evening of 13 March than we could count.
Needless to say, to single out any one thing from this year-long thrill-ride is anything but easy. Sure, the outside world has been fixated on the images of these months, yet even for as moving and extraordinary as they've been, the focus here is different by definition: the preaching and teaching that'll be translated into policy, the message that informs and is formed into ecclesial substance.
Indeed, that's happened more times since the evening of 13 March than we could count.
Needless to say, to single out any one thing from this year-long thrill-ride is anything but easy. Sure, the outside world has been fixated on the images of these months, yet even for as moving and extraordinary as they've been, the focus here is different by definition: the preaching and teaching that'll be translated into policy, the message that informs and is formed into ecclesial substance.
A reflection on the great wedding feast that Christmas brings
The Bridegroom Comes! A reflection on the Great Wedding Feast That Christmas Brings � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: The coming of Christ at Christmas was as an infant. And thus we don’t usually think of wedding imagery related to the First coming of Jesus.� Yet, since the first coming of Christ is certainly fulfilled, we now focus more on his Second coming, of which the first coming is a sacramental reminder.
Thus, in Advent our longing and thrill are also and essentially� directed to his glorious second coming. And now Mother Church, the New Jerusalem, our Mother looks for her groom Jesus to come again all his glory
Thus, in Advent our longing and thrill are also and essentially� directed to his glorious second coming. And now Mother Church, the New Jerusalem, our Mother looks for her groom Jesus to come again all his glory
An update on the sad situation of the man who set himself on fire in St. Peter's Square
Follow-Up: More Details Re. the Burning Man at the Vatican This MorningSCHIFFER: The Italian newspaper La Stampa has an update on the sad situation this morning, when a 51-year-old man set himself on fire in St. Peter’s Square.
Apparently the man, a housekeeping attendant at the nearby Sancto Spirito Hospital, may have been involved in a “serious family quarrel” before dousing himself with flammable liquid at the end of the Colonnade, near the corner of Piazza Pio XII.
According to the Vatican Press Office, his condition is “severe.”� He might have died at the scene, though, but for the quick intervention of a Jesuit priest who was arriving for his job at the Curia, and who threw his jacket over the man’s burning torso.� There followed two Vatican Inspectors, who each had a blanket and fire extinguisher in his car—and they were able to suppress the flames, although they suffered burns to the hands and smoke inhalation, which required treatment at the local hospital.
Apparently the man, a housekeeping attendant at the nearby Sancto Spirito Hospital, may have been involved in a “serious family quarrel” before dousing himself with flammable liquid at the end of the Colonnade, near the corner of Piazza Pio XII.
According to the Vatican Press Office, his condition is “severe.”� He might have died at the scene, though, but for the quick intervention of a Jesuit priest who was arriving for his job at the Curia, and who threw his jacket over the man’s burning torso.� There followed two Vatican Inspectors, who each had a blanket and fire extinguisher in his car—and they were able to suppress the flames, although they suffered burns to the hands and smoke inhalation, which required treatment at the local hospital.
With glaring exclusions and surprising promotions, here's how the Pope is transforming the 'bishop factory'...
Vatican Diary / How the bishop factory is changingMAGISTER: The motu proprio canonizations of John XXIII and the Jesuit Peter Faber on the one hand, and the incisive and determined interventions in the organizational structure of the Roman curia on the other are the most demanding juridical actions taken by Pope Francis during the first nine months of his pontificate.
Among these latter a prominent place belongs to the shakeup in the leadership of the congregation for bishops, the crucial dicastery that works most closely with the pope in the appointment of Latin bishops in much of the world: Europeans, Americans, Australians, and Filipinos (the appointment of prelates for missionary territories in Asia and Africa are overseen by Propaganda Fide).
Among these latter a prominent place belongs to the shakeup in the leadership of the congregation for bishops, the crucial dicastery that works most closely with the pope in the appointment of Latin bishops in much of the world: Europeans, Americans, Australians, and Filipinos (the appointment of prelates for missionary territories in Asia and Africa are overseen by Propaganda Fide).
10 things you need to know today: December 20, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 20, 2013 - The Week: Obama relaxes rules for people losing health coverage, New Mexico's top court allows gay marriage, and more...
Pope Francis to make first Holy Land trip in May, says Israeli newspaper
Pope to make first Holy Land trip in May – Israeli paper | Inquirer News: Pope Francis is to make a brief visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories from May 25, his first to the Holy Land, Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot said on Thursday.
According to the top-selling daily, which published what it said was a preliminary papal program, Israeli authorities are unhappy with the brevity of the 48-hour visit and the fact that the prelate will not celebrate mass in Israel, but in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Christ’s traditional birthplace.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said he could not comment on travel plans.
According to the top-selling daily, which published what it said was a preliminary papal program, Israeli authorities are unhappy with the brevity of the 48-hour visit and the fact that the prelate will not celebrate mass in Israel, but in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Christ’s traditional birthplace.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said he could not comment on travel plans.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
A Shepherd I Will Remain
A Shepherd I Will Remain | First ThingsSCALIA: My little cousin and I watch as my uncle washes away the blood, and examines the wound. He is making that odd breathless noise—halfway between a gasp of surprise and a sigh of regret—that he always makes when an attack has been thwarted. My uncle, after all, is nearly forty; an old man long past the charms of making his bed upon the chill earth at night; disenchanted with stargazing while wolves in the dark distance howl, or creep in silence, just beyond our sight.
Advent is a season of running more than waiting...
Run, Don’t Walk, To the Nearing Jesus. How Advent is a season of running more than waiting. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: The Lord’s coming is near. And though we have all been well taught that the word “Advent” means “coming”� there is the danger that we think we are only passively waiting for him to come.� It is not just that the Lord is coming to us, but we are also journeying to him. In fact, as the Advent prayers in the Roman Missal instruct, we ought to run (don’t walk) and hasten, to greet him as he draws near.
The image of the Prodigal Son that comes to mind. His Father saw him and ran toward him, but he too was hastening to his Father with contrition and hope.
The image of the Prodigal Son that comes to mind. His Father saw him and ran toward him, but he too was hastening to his Father with contrition and hope.
10 things you need to know today: December 19, 2013
10 things you need to know today: December 19, 2013 - The Week: Stocks soar as the Fed tapers its stimulus, advisers urge Obama to curb NSA spying, and more...
'Extreme' judicial appointee confirmed to key court position
'Extreme' judicial appointee confirmed to key court position :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The confirmation of Cornelia “Nina” Pillard to the D.C. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has prompted concerns from critics worried about her “radical” views on abortion and religious freedom.
Ed Whelan, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Ethics and Public Policy Center and former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, criticized Pillard’s “manifest extremism on abortion” and “extremism against religious liberty.”
Whelan offered reflections on Pillard’s confirmation in two Dec. 13 posts at “Bench Memos” for National Review Online.
Ed Whelan, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Ethics and Public Policy Center and former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, criticized Pillard’s “manifest extremism on abortion” and “extremism against religious liberty.”
Whelan offered reflections on Pillard’s confirmation in two Dec. 13 posts at “Bench Memos” for National Review Online.
Pope Francis: "Can the desert blossom? Yes. But humility is necessary for fruitfulness..."
Humility is necessary for fruitfulness, emphasizes Pope :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Pope Francis focused his daily homily on the importance of acknowledging the need for God in our lives in order to be fruitful Christians.
“Humility is necessary for faithfulness,” said the Pontiff on Dec. 19. “The humility to say to the Lord, ‘Lord, I am barren, I am a desert’ ...come to give us life, come to save us, because only You can. Alone, I cannot!”
In order to stress God’s ability to bring about new life, Pope Francis linked together the stories of the Old Testament in which barren women are given children by God and the image of a desert that becomes a forest.
“Humility is necessary for faithfulness,” said the Pontiff on Dec. 19. “The humility to say to the Lord, ‘Lord, I am barren, I am a desert’ ...come to give us life, come to save us, because only You can. Alone, I cannot!”
In order to stress God’s ability to bring about new life, Pope Francis linked together the stories of the Old Testament in which barren women are given children by God and the image of a desert that becomes a forest.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Picture of the Day: An eighth-century abbey floating in the sky
Picture of the Day: The Flying Cathedral �TwistedSifter: Seen here is the amazing “Flying Cathedral” by Jan Kaeser and Matin Zimmermann. The hot air balloon is a replica of the Abbey of Saint Gall, a Roman Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Abbey has existed since 719 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
Cardinal Burke considered dropping push to deny Communion to pro-abortion politicians
Cardinal Burke considered dropping push to deny communion to pro-abort politicians | LifeSiteNews.com: Vatican Cardinal Raymond Burke said in an interview last week that he has considered dropping his push to have pro-abortion Catholic politicians denied Holy Communion. Attention to this particular stance was highlighted Monday as Pope Francis removed Cardinal Burke from the influential Congregation for Bishops and appointed another US Cardinal who opposes Burke on the matter of communion for politicians who promote abortion.
In the interview with Cardinal Burke which aired Thursday on EWTN, host Raymond Arroyo asked the Cardinal if he’d ever considered pulling back due to the “scorn” he has experienced over the years “for that clear teaching” on denying Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians. “Do you ever stop and say maybe I should back off a little bit?” asked Arroyo.
In the interview with Cardinal Burke which aired Thursday on EWTN, host Raymond Arroyo asked the Cardinal if he’d ever considered pulling back due to the “scorn” he has experienced over the years “for that clear teaching” on denying Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians. “Do you ever stop and say maybe I should back off a little bit?” asked Arroyo.
Pope urges Curial officials to hear confessions at local parish
Pope urges Curial officials to hear confessions at local parish :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)GAGLIARDUCCI: Pope Francis has strongly encouraged the bishops and cardinals of the Roman Curia to spend time hearing confessions weekly at a local parish, according to a priest of the church in question, Santo Spirito in Sassia.
The announcement was made at the end of evening Mass on Dec. 15 by Fr. Jozef Bart, a parish priest at Santo Spirito in Sassia, and was reported by “Inside the Vatican.”
Fr. Bart announced that the initiative “had been planned to begin in January, but this week, word came down that the Pope wished to begin immediately.”
The announcement was made at the end of evening Mass on Dec. 15 by Fr. Jozef Bart, a parish priest at Santo Spirito in Sassia, and was reported by “Inside the Vatican.”
Fr. Bart announced that the initiative “had been planned to begin in January, but this week, word came down that the Pope wished to begin immediately.”
The essential kitchen skills no one taught (but everyone should know)
The Essential Kitchen Skills No One Taught (but Everyone Should Know): Most of us never get a crash course in how to cook or find our way around the kitchen. We learn from others: friends, parents, cooking shows, or cookbooks. That means it's easy for there to be gaps in our knowledge, like things we really should know, have been doing wrong, or just never had to learn. Let's take a look at some of them. P
Even if you do know your way around a kitchen, odds are you've come across a problem or two that you just didn't know how to tackle, or you had no idea what the right way was, so you got along the best you could. There's nothing wrong with that—it's how we all learn. I've been cooking for years, and only recently did I really pick up on the best way to dispose of frying oil, and I was scolded on my garbage disposal use by a plumber who came to replace the one in my apartment. Don't make the same mistakes I have. Here are some tips to keep you in the clear in your kitchen.
Even if you do know your way around a kitchen, odds are you've come across a problem or two that you just didn't know how to tackle, or you had no idea what the right way was, so you got along the best you could. There's nothing wrong with that—it's how we all learn. I've been cooking for years, and only recently did I really pick up on the best way to dispose of frying oil, and I was scolded on my garbage disposal use by a plumber who came to replace the one in my apartment. Don't make the same mistakes I have. Here are some tips to keep you in the clear in your kitchen.
"Madam, I think your child's hungry": Pope Francis promotes public breastfeeding...
Pope Francis Promotes Public BreastfeedingPOPCAK: Back in April, I posted a beautiful picture of, then, Cardinal Bergoglio,� blessing nursing mothers at a mass for newborns.� Yesterday, Pope Francis made a statement of public support for nursing moms and the witness they provide to the Corporal Work of Mercy that is giving food to the hungry.� In response to a question on world hunger, Pope Francis said...
The world needs forgiveness. Without it, we will eventually destroy everything we love, including our civilization...
ForgivenessHAMILTON: Forgive.
It sounds easy. People often claim that they have forgiven, when, in fact, they are a long way out from anything that approaches actual forgiveness.
To forgive when there is no love is a practical impossibility. To forgive when the person or people who have harmed you refuse to admit that they’ve done anything wrong can seem as if you are agreeing with them. To forgive when they are actively continuing to harm either you or other people feels as if you are cooperating with your own abuse.
The greatest challenge of forgiveness in the face of truly horrific harms against you as a person such as rape, battering, murder and prolonged, vicious slander is that it raises the specter in your mind that you are in fact acquiescing to the thing that was done.
It sounds easy. People often claim that they have forgiven, when, in fact, they are a long way out from anything that approaches actual forgiveness.
To forgive when there is no love is a practical impossibility. To forgive when the person or people who have harmed you refuse to admit that they’ve done anything wrong can seem as if you are agreeing with them. To forgive when they are actively continuing to harm either you or other people feels as if you are cooperating with your own abuse.
The greatest challenge of forgiveness in the face of truly horrific harms against you as a person such as rape, battering, murder and prolonged, vicious slander is that it raises the specter in your mind that you are in fact acquiescing to the thing that was done.
Ghosts in those one-sided reports about victims in Syria
Ghosts in those one-sided reports about victims in SyriaMATTINGLY: Rare is the day that I do not receive at least one or two emails from Eastern Orthodox Christians, or those sympathetic to the plight of Christians in the Middle East, containing URLs pointing toward new reports about alleged atrocities linked to the fighting or acts of terrorism in Syria, Egypt or elsewhere. The common question: Why are these events rarely if ever covered by mainstream news organizations in North America?
These people are smart and they know their history. They understand, for example, that most American journalists see Christians and other endangered religious minorities in Syria as the allies of the corrupt regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his battle against a complex swarm of rebels and Islamists, including forces with strong ties to al-Qaeda and other jihadist networks. They also know that Russia supports the current Syrian regime and that President Barack Obama and the U.S. State Department now support many groups in the Syrian rebellion.
These people are smart and they know their history. They understand, for example, that most American journalists see Christians and other endangered religious minorities in Syria as the allies of the corrupt regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his battle against a complex swarm of rebels and Islamists, including forces with strong ties to al-Qaeda and other jihadist networks. They also know that Russia supports the current Syrian regime and that President Barack Obama and the U.S. State Department now support many groups in the Syrian rebellion.
10 things you might not know about A Christmas Carol
10 Things You Might Not Know About A Christmas Carol | Mental Floss: Dickens was inspired to write A Christmas Carol in 1843 after he spoke at a charity night to raise money for the Manchester Athenaeum in England—an institution dedicated to "advancement and diffusion of knowledge." The 31-year-old spoke alongside the young Benjamin Disraeli, who would later become prime minister of Great Britain. After their talk, Dickens went on a long nocturnal walk later and had the idea for his "little Christmas book."
Dickens and Dante were kindred spirits
Through a Glass Brightly: Kindred Spirits: A Juxtaposition of Dante & DickensWALES: I cannot recall a time when I didn't know the story of A Christmas Carol. The images and themes have delighted or haunted me since my childhood, either in the form of the "Dickens Village" adventure at the mall or the hundredth or so viewing of the Muppet version. (Michael Caine, you will always be my Scrooge.) So when I studied Dante's Commedia in college, it was no leap for me to recognize the countless similarities between the two stories. I would write C.C. in the margin every time I came across another bit of Dickens in Dante. At long last, I can pitch some these ideas to the wider world.
For soothsayer Harold Camping, the world has finally come to an end...
The World Has Finally Ended for Soothsayer Harold CampingSCHIFFER: Harold Camping was the fundamentalist minister and radio broadcaster who first predicted that the world would end in 1994.� Seventeen years later, he took to the airwaves on Camping’s own Family Life Radio to proclaim that the world would end on May 21, 2011.� When that didn’t happen, he revised his math and changed the date to October 21.� And when that date also passed without incident, Camping admitted he’d been wrong, attributed his error to sin, and went into seclusion.
The problem was, many of his devoted followers had prepared for the Apocalypse, selling their homes and possessions and giving all of their belongings to the poor.� When the world didn’t end on Camping’s schedule, there were a lot of people who’d quit their jobs to travel the country, carrying his message of imminent doom.
The problem was, many of his devoted followers had prepared for the Apocalypse, selling their homes and possessions and giving all of their belongings to the poor.� When the world didn’t end on Camping’s schedule, there were a lot of people who’d quit their jobs to travel the country, carrying his message of imminent doom.
Here's what's wrong with the New Evangelization
De-mythologizing: the Default SettingLONGENECKER: When considering the challenges of the New Evangelization what no one seems prepared to talk about is the default de facto demythologization that exists in the church. To put it simply and bluntly, too many of our priests, bishops, and theologians have swallowed a Bultmannesque view of the Scriptures and the Catholic faith. The supernatural dimension has been airbrushed out and we are left with a merely human gospel and a merely human church. We are left with Catholics whose sole attention is on the human dimension of ministry and making the world a better place.
To coin a phrase, they are self absorbed promethean Arians.
To coin a phrase, they are self absorbed promethean Arians.
7 year-end tax tips to keep Uncle Sam out of your wallet
7 year-end tax tips to keep Uncle Sam out of your wallet: If you usually try to avoid thinking about taxes until after January 1, you may be missing out on the chance to save a little money. According to some tax experts, now is the time to take last-minute action if you want to reduce your tax bill in April.
Filipino priest invents computer-based Confession tool for deaf people
Filipino priest invents computer-based confession tool for deaf people | CBCP News: A retired Filipino priest based in Phoenix, Arizona has invented a computer-based confession tool that would facilitate confession for hearing-impaired penitents.
Fr. Romuald P. Zantua, DS, formerly of Daet diocese and founder of a religious community called Disciples of Hope has created a technology-based confession device that will make the valued sacrament of reconciliation easily available to hundreds of thousands of people with hearing problems.
The confessional tool—also called the St. Damien Confession Box—consists of two laptop computers running on special software and connected exclusively for penitent and priest to type on and send their messages to each other. Both laptops can only function for the particular intent it was created and not for other purposes.
Fr. Romuald P. Zantua, DS, formerly of Daet diocese and founder of a religious community called Disciples of Hope has created a technology-based confession device that will make the valued sacrament of reconciliation easily available to hundreds of thousands of people with hearing problems.
The confessional tool—also called the St. Damien Confession Box—consists of two laptop computers running on special software and connected exclusively for penitent and priest to type on and send their messages to each other. Both laptops can only function for the particular intent it was created and not for other purposes.
Pope's Wednesday audience: A Christian refusing to serve others is a 'pagan'
Pope: A Christian refusing to serve others is a 'pagan' :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): In his Wednesday general audience this morning, Pope Francis stressed the importance of humility and service in the Christian life.
“It is an ugly thing when one sees a Christian who does not want to lower himself, who does not want to serve, a Christian who parades around everywhere. It’s terrible, no? That person isn’t a Christian: he is a pagan! The Christian serves (and) lowers himself,” said the Pope on Dec. 18 in St. Peter’s Square.
With Christmas approaching, Pope Francis focused on the great ‘gift’ of God in sending his son, who came humbly as a baby in Bethlehem.
“It is an ugly thing when one sees a Christian who does not want to lower himself, who does not want to serve, a Christian who parades around everywhere. It’s terrible, no? That person isn’t a Christian: he is a pagan! The Christian serves (and) lowers himself,” said the Pope on Dec. 18 in St. Peter’s Square.
With Christmas approaching, Pope Francis focused on the great ‘gift’ of God in sending his son, who came humbly as a baby in Bethlehem.
An airline pilot explains how your flights will get all messed up starting in January, and what you should do about it...
Here is how your flights will all get screwed up starting in Jan.: Because I care about you...I will discuss the new rules affecting me. They will also affect you during bad weather airline days and make things worse. Because of a close look at how tired the pilots can get with the current 70's era rules in place, and it's effect on a certain crash in Buffalo a short while back, the FAA geniuses figured out that, after observing us work for 40 years, perhaps the pilots aren't getting enough sleep. I can tell you this is true. A lot. In fact I know of many pilots whose first rule upon returning from an overseas international flight, is "No powertools". So what's happening? The biggest change is to how much we can work and sleep in a day.
A mother who looks like me
A Mother who Looks Like Me |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Children are, of course, very capable of understanding that their adoptive parents love and welcome them -- that the ones who adopted them are their true parents.� And yet non-Caucasian adoptees who feel adrift in a sea of white may feel a longing to experience something biological children take for granted: blending in.� Love may be colorblind; but for some children, there are itches that no amount of love scratch.
�Do you know who gets this?� Mother Mary.� That's why (among many reasons!) she appeared as an indigenous Mexican to the indigenous Mexican, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin.� As Jimmy Akin tells us, Juan Diego was baptized at age 50 -- adopted into the family of the Church, grafted onto that tree.� But how did he feel when the bishop, and perhaps most of the priests he knew, were white?� Did he have a longing to be surrounded by brothers and sisters in the faith who not only believed like him, but looked like him?� This was the 16th century, but some human sensations are perennial.
�Do you know who gets this?� Mother Mary.� That's why (among many reasons!) she appeared as an indigenous Mexican to the indigenous Mexican, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin.� As Jimmy Akin tells us, Juan Diego was baptized at age 50 -- adopted into the family of the Church, grafted onto that tree.� But how did he feel when the bishop, and perhaps most of the priests he knew, were white?� Did he have a longing to be surrounded by brothers and sisters in the faith who not only believed like him, but looked like him?� This was the 16th century, but some human sensations are perennial.
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