Monday, August 31, 2015
To teach as Jesus taught: A reflection on the qualities of Jesus as preacher and teacher...
To Teach as Jesus Taught – A Reflection on the Qualities of Jesus as Preacher and Teacher - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: As a priest I am called to preach and teach, and as such I must look to Jesus Christ as my model. In this I refer to the real Jesus of Scripture. Too many people today have refashioned Jesus into a sort of “harmless hippie,” an affable affirmer, a pleasant sort of fellow who healed the sick, blessed the poor, and talked about love but in a very fuzzy and “anything goes” manner. But absent from this image is the prophetic Jesus, who accepted no compromise and called out the hypocrisy in many of His day.
Bishop Michael Melki, Catholic bishop murdered during 1915 genocide, is beatified
CatholicHerald.co.uk � Catholic bishop murdered during 1915 genocide is beatified: Bishop Michael Melki, a Syrian Catholic cleric martyred during the Assyrian Genocide of 1915 for refusing to convert to Islam, has been beatified. The bishop was beheaded by the Ottomans during the Sayfo – “putting to the sword” – of Assyrians in 1915, a tragedy in which at least 250,000 Syriac-speaking Christians were murdered, alongside one million Armenians.
Bishop Melki was beatified at a monastery in Lebanon on Saturday, the centenary of his martyrdom. On Sunday Pope Francis told the faithful in St Peter’s Square that “In the context of a terrible persecution of Christians, [Melki] was a tireless defender of the rights of his people, urging all to remain firm in their faith.
Bishop Melki was beatified at a monastery in Lebanon on Saturday, the centenary of his martyrdom. On Sunday Pope Francis told the faithful in St Peter’s Square that “In the context of a terrible persecution of Christians, [Melki] was a tireless defender of the rights of his people, urging all to remain firm in their faith.
Ahead of Pope Francis's Philly visit, the media are writing hit pieces on Archbishop Chaput
Archbishop Chaput: Pope Francis Isn't His Foil | National Review OnlineJDFLYNN: In 2003, Charles Chaput gave a lecture on the life of St. Francis to undergraduates at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. I was among those undergraduates, and twelve years later, the experience is still fresh in my mind.
I don’t much remember the lecture. I do remember that after an hour of talking, the archbishop gamely agreed to take a few minutes of questions. He was deluged. For more than 90 minutes, students asked him about faith, politics, obscure and controversial apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and about their personal lives. Some of the questions were absurd. But the archbishop answered each one with respect and candor. When the questions ended, hundreds of students lined up to shake Chaput’s hand. I later learned that he stood for more than two hours, until each student had been greeted. His patience — and most especially his availability — left an impression.
I don’t much remember the lecture. I do remember that after an hour of talking, the archbishop gamely agreed to take a few minutes of questions. He was deluged. For more than 90 minutes, students asked him about faith, politics, obscure and controversial apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and about their personal lives. Some of the questions were absurd. But the archbishop answered each one with respect and candor. When the questions ended, hundreds of students lined up to shake Chaput’s hand. I later learned that he stood for more than two hours, until each student had been greeted. His patience — and most especially his availability — left an impression.
20,000 pounds sterling per "dot" is infinitely too little
20,000 Pounds Sterling per "Dot" | Catholic AnswersKEATING: That Saturday was blustery, filled with persistent showers and a low overcast. I saw our weekend plans running into the storm drains. Late at night I woke, peeked out the bedroom window, and saw stars—a good sign. The storms were passing and with them the winds. Sunday dawned cloudless, the air almost still. It would be ideal weather for our flight into Big Bear City for lunch.
After preflighting the motorglider, I settled into the left seat and my non-pilot friend got into the right. We flew north from San Diego, skirting Mt. San Gorgonio, the tallest peak in the coastal range. To the west spread the Los Angeles basin. Despite the rain, it still wore a blanket of smog. To the east, through the Banning Pass, lay Palm Springs and the desert, where the air was clean and the visibility unrestricted. Beneath us the scrub was green, but in a month the green would be replaced with summer’s brown. We left the lowlands and turned northeast up a deep and rapidly rising valley, where pines above and below us wore yesterday’s snow.
After preflighting the motorglider, I settled into the left seat and my non-pilot friend got into the right. We flew north from San Diego, skirting Mt. San Gorgonio, the tallest peak in the coastal range. To the west spread the Los Angeles basin. Despite the rain, it still wore a blanket of smog. To the east, through the Banning Pass, lay Palm Springs and the desert, where the air was clean and the visibility unrestricted. Beneath us the scrub was green, but in a month the green would be replaced with summer’s brown. We left the lowlands and turned northeast up a deep and rapidly rising valley, where pines above and below us wore yesterday’s snow.
The strange case of the bishop who ran a gas station in New York for 40 years
The Strange Saga of the Bishop Who Ran a Gas Station for 40 Years |Blogs | NCRegister.comBECKER: Ordained a priest in Connecticut in 1896, Bishop Broderick’s clerical career led him to Cuba where he served as a secretary, pastor, and seminary rector. In 1903, Broderick was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop and, later, appointed coadjutor bishop for Cuba’s Archdiocese of San Cristóbal de la Habana. Due to a falling out with the Holy See over financial matters, Broderick resigned his episcopal position and returned to the United States. His public disgrace was followed by chilly reception back home, and Baltimore’s Cardinal Gibbons effectively sidelined the repatriated prelate with no appointment, no pastoral duties, and no income other than a small stipend provided by Rome.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Inc. Magazine: Why we should all learn to speak Latin...
Why We Should All Learn to Speak Latin | Inc.com: I took four years of Spanish in high school. Today, I’m only good for “Hola!” and, “Dónde está el baño?” (At least I’m covered where friendliness and a very basic human need are concerned.)
And that’s why I was intrigued by the idea that learning a language, especially a dead language, could make you a better founder, a better CEO...really a better anything.
So here’s a guest post from Michael Ortner, the CEO and co-founder of Capterra, a website dedicated to helping people find the right software for their business.
And that’s why I was intrigued by the idea that learning a language, especially a dead language, could make you a better founder, a better CEO...really a better anything.
So here’s a guest post from Michael Ortner, the CEO and co-founder of Capterra, a website dedicated to helping people find the right software for their business.
Is this what Saint Rose of Lima looked like?
Is this what Saint Rose of Lima looked like? :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The face of the first saint of the New World may be better known than ever, thanks to a team of scientists that has analyzed the skull of Saint Rose of Lima.
Scientists from the University of Saint Martin de Porres in Peru and the Brazilian Anthropological and Dental Legal Forensics Team reconstructed her face and the faces of two other saints who lived more than 300 years ago.
The Dominicans have preserved the skulls of Saint Rose, Saint Martin de Porres and Saint John Macias in Saint Dominic Church, located in the historic center of the Peruvian capital of Lima.
Scientists from the University of Saint Martin de Porres in Peru and the Brazilian Anthropological and Dental Legal Forensics Team reconstructed her face and the faces of two other saints who lived more than 300 years ago.
The Dominicans have preserved the skulls of Saint Rose, Saint Martin de Porres and Saint John Macias in Saint Dominic Church, located in the historic center of the Peruvian capital of Lima.
Heading to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families? Watch these videos...
Heading To Philly For The World Meeting Of Families? Watch These VideosWEATHERS: My pal, Diana von Glahn, aka The Faithful Traveler, lives in Philadelphia. Lucky her! She’ll be seeing Pope Francis, and a couple of million people, inflating the population of the city come the World Meeting Of Families in September. Even better, she’s made a number of pilgrimage related videos that you’ll want to watch whether you’re making the trip, or not.
Why ESPN's Curt Schilling got penalized for preferring fact over tact
Fact versus Tact: Why Curt Schilling Got Penalized for Preferring the Former | National Review OnlineFRANKOVICH: Curt Schilling was recently denounced from coast to coast, and suspended by ESPN, after tweeting an observation on a note similar to though more nuanced than the one sounded by Father Douglas: If only 5 to 10 percent of Muslims can be described as extremists, Schilling indicated, remember that membership in the Nazi party never constituted much more than 10 percent of the German population.
Schilling provoked outrage not because he compared Germans to Muslims who are extremists but because he compared Muslims to Germans who were Nazis — or, rather, because he was thought to have drawn such a comparison. Read the tweet. He was precise in a way that his critics are muddled. The comparison he pointed to was between the ratio of Muslim extremists to Muslims today and the ratio of Nazis to Germans in 1940.
Schilling provoked outrage not because he compared Germans to Muslims who are extremists but because he compared Muslims to Germans who were Nazis — or, rather, because he was thought to have drawn such a comparison. Read the tweet. He was precise in a way that his critics are muddled. The comparison he pointed to was between the ratio of Muslim extremists to Muslims today and the ratio of Nazis to Germans in 1940.
5 things that an Esquire writer learned from wearing a cassock for a day
5 Eye-Opening Things a Layman Learned From Wearing a Cassock for a Day | ChurchPOP: Esquire Magazine – not a publication ChurchPOP would normally recommend reading – published a fascinating article on August 24th titled “What Happened When I Dressed Like a Priest: An investigation into the power of the uniform.”
The author decided to do an experiment to test the power of various uniforms. He bought four: the uniforms for looking like a Catholic priest, security guard, mechanic, and doctor.
The author decided to do an experiment to test the power of various uniforms. He bought four: the uniforms for looking like a Catholic priest, security guard, mechanic, and doctor.
What do (Catholic) women want?
What do (Catholic) women want? - The Catholic ThingThe Catholic ThingMCCLOSKEY: Sigmund Freud is remembered for many reasons, but one of his most quoted remarks is this: “The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is ‘What does a woman want?’”
I believe that prayerful Catholic women hold great power with God, and as they awake to that intercessory power and mobilize their great intelligence, piety, and love of family and marriage, they will overcome and conquer the Evil Empire that abuses them and their families throughout what was once the Catholic West.
I believe that prayerful Catholic women hold great power with God, and as they awake to that intercessory power and mobilize their great intelligence, piety, and love of family and marriage, they will overcome and conquer the Evil Empire that abuses them and their families throughout what was once the Catholic West.
22nd Sunday of the Year: The love of the law and the law of love
The Love of the Law and the Law of Love - A Homily for the 22nd Sunday of the Year - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Today’s readings teach a proper understanding of the Law and its relationship to our hearts. The readings go a long way toward addressing the false dichotomy that many set up between love and law, as though the two were opposed; they are not. For if we love God, we want what He wants and love what He loves. And the Law goes a long way toward describing what God wants and loves. Indeed, the Law is letting love have its way.
Will Nigeria’s Muslims and Christians let Boko Haram set the agenda?
Will Nigeria’s Muslims and Christians let Boko Haram set the agenda? | CruxALLEN: It would certainly be understandable if the almost 1,000 Nigerian Christians today living in a crude camp for internally displaced people called New Kuchingoro, located outside the capital city of Abuja, weren’t feeling very charitable right now toward Muslims.
These are Christians, after all, who’ve been driven from their homes by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram. They’ve lost the farms where they once made a comfortable living raising beans, and they’ve seen their villages razed to the ground.
These are Christians, after all, who’ve been driven from their homes by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram. They’ve lost the farms where they once made a comfortable living raising beans, and they’ve seen their villages razed to the ground.
Pope's Sunday Angelus: "If the heart doesn't change, we aren't true Christians"
Pope Francis: conversion isn't just an appearance – it's a matter of the heart :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): In his Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis said that merely obeying the rules isn’t enough to make us holy, but that if we truly want to serve God our conversion has to be deeper, changing the heart.
“It's not exterior things which make us holy or not holy, but it's the heart that expresses our intentions, our choices and the desire to do everything out of love for God,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square Aug. 30.
“External attitudes are the consequence of what we have decided in the heart, not the contrary: with external attitudes, if the heart doesn't change, we aren't true Christians.”
“It's not exterior things which make us holy or not holy, but it's the heart that expresses our intentions, our choices and the desire to do everything out of love for God,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square Aug. 30.
“External attitudes are the consequence of what we have decided in the heart, not the contrary: with external attitudes, if the heart doesn't change, we aren't true Christians.”
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Pope Francis and the trendy new world of 'omniscient anonymous' journalism
Pope Francis and the trendy new world of 'omniscient anonymous' journalism — GetReligionMATTINGLY: It may be time to introduce a new term into the world of writing, and alleged hard-news journalism in particular.
First, a few notes about news craft. Normally, hard-news journalism is written in third-person voice in past tense, with a heavy emphasis on the use of clear attributions for quoted materials, so that readers know who is speaking. That crucial "comma, space, said, space, name, period" formula is at the heart of traditional, American Model of the Press journalism.
The bottom line: It's a key element in retaining the trust of readers. Traditional journalists are, as a rule, going to tell the reader the sources for the information they are reading. If something comes from the Family Research Council, say so. If something comes from Planned Parenthood or a company linked to Planned Parenthood, say so.
First, a few notes about news craft. Normally, hard-news journalism is written in third-person voice in past tense, with a heavy emphasis on the use of clear attributions for quoted materials, so that readers know who is speaking. That crucial "comma, space, said, space, name, period" formula is at the heart of traditional, American Model of the Press journalism.
The bottom line: It's a key element in retaining the trust of readers. Traditional journalists are, as a rule, going to tell the reader the sources for the information they are reading. If something comes from the Family Research Council, say so. If something comes from Planned Parenthood or a company linked to Planned Parenthood, say so.
The supervolcano under Yellowstone is alive and kicking
The Supervolcano Under Yellowstone is Alive and Kicking - Facts So Romantic - Nautilus: The wind shifts. The stench of rotten eggs makes it nearly impossible to breathe and the hot fog clouds my view. I hold my breath and close my eyes, imagining the fog growing thicker, crushing me. Then without warning the wind clears and I’m enveloped once again in the cold, dry air. The heat feels like a lost dream. I shiver as I analyze my surroundings.
Before me lies a steaming blue spring with concentric rings of green, yellow and dark red. I turn around to see another pool. But the rising fog is so dense, I can only guess at the existence of blue water below. Sometimes I glimpse bubbles boiling from some unknown source. The pools are a small sampling of the 10,000 geothermal features that dot Yellowstone’s caldera and hint at a mysterious hot spot beneath the crust.
Before me lies a steaming blue spring with concentric rings of green, yellow and dark red. I turn around to see another pool. But the rising fog is so dense, I can only guess at the existence of blue water below. Sometimes I glimpse bubbles boiling from some unknown source. The pools are a small sampling of the 10,000 geothermal features that dot Yellowstone’s caldera and hint at a mysterious hot spot beneath the crust.
Archbishop Cupich names new rector to replace Bishop-Elect Barron at Mundelein Seminary
New leader named for Mundelein Seminary, University of St. Mary of the Lake - DailyHerald.com: A biblical scholar and astrophysicist has been named the new rector/president of Mundelein Seminary and University of St. Mary of the Lake, Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich announced Friday.
The Rev. John Francis Kartje succeeds Bishop-elect Robert E. Barron, whom the pope appointed an auxiliary bishop in the Los Angeles Archdiocese in July.
The Rev. John Francis Kartje succeeds Bishop-elect Robert E. Barron, whom the pope appointed an auxiliary bishop in the Los Angeles Archdiocese in July.
Autopsy results confirm cause of former Nuncio's death, says Vatican
Autopsy results confirm cause of former Nuncio's death Vatican Radio: The vice-Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Ciro Benedettini, CP, issued a statement to journalists Saturday morning, explaining that preliminary results of the autopsy performed on the disgraced and defrocked former Nuncio, Jozef Wesolowski, confirm the decedent succumbed to natural causes – specifically a deadly cardiac episode.
Top 10 things you can do with a slow cooker that don't involve food
Top 10 Things You Can Do with a Slow Cooker That Don't Involve Food: The slow cooker (or crock pot) is a wonderful appliance for hands-off cooking, but the gentle, slow heating process can also be used for other things unrelated to food. Such as these ten things.
Many of these projects are crafty, and you might want a dedicated second slow cooker (perhaps picked up at a garage sale) for these purposes, such as the soap-making one. Others, however, you can just whip out your slow cooker to accomplish, clean, and then use for slow cooking food. It’s a wonderfully multi-purpose tool.
Many of these projects are crafty, and you might want a dedicated second slow cooker (perhaps picked up at a garage sale) for these purposes, such as the soap-making one. Others, however, you can just whip out your slow cooker to accomplish, clean, and then use for slow cooking food. It’s a wonderfully multi-purpose tool.
For Boko Haram victims, persecution is a never-ending story
For Boko Haram victims, persecution is a never-ending story | CruxALLEN: From the outside, religious persecution can often seem a one-and-done affair. A bomb goes off and then calm returns, or a militant group storms a village and then retreats. Generally news reports follow the story for a day or so, and then attention shifts elsewhere.
Spending time with victims, however, it’s crystal-clear that for them, the consequences linger long after the immediate calamity has passed.
Spending time with victims, however, it’s crystal-clear that for them, the consequences linger long after the immediate calamity has passed.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Former nuncio Wesolowski dies ahead of Vatican sex abuse trial
Former nuncio Wesolowski facing sex abuse trial dies :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Jozef Wesolowski, the laicized, former apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic who faced criminal charges of possession of child pornography and pedophilic acts in Vatican City died on Friday at the age of 67.
The Holy See press office announced Aug. 28 that Wesolowski dead in his room at the Vatican's Collegio dei Penitenzieri in front of a TV, which was turned on, at about 5 am by a Franciscan religious.
The Vatican has said that preliminary investigations indicate he died of natural causes, but an autopsy will be performed nonetheless.
The Holy See press office announced Aug. 28 that Wesolowski dead in his room at the Vatican's Collegio dei Penitenzieri in front of a TV, which was turned on, at about 5 am by a Franciscan religious.
The Vatican has said that preliminary investigations indicate he died of natural causes, but an autopsy will be performed nonetheless.
The life of Saint Augustine through the words of Pope Benedict XVI
The Life of Saint Augustine Through the Words of Pope Benedict XVI | TOM PERNAPERNA: Today, in the Western lung of the Catholic Church, we celebrate the great African Doctor – Saint Augustine of Hippo. Eloquent in his life and his words, the Church dons him the name – The Doctor of Grace. Even after 1600 years, the Catholic Church views him as one of the greatest theologians in her arsenal; an arsenal filled with many great fighters and defenders of Jesus Christ. The Church also sees him as one the greatest conversion stories of any saint.
Today, I am not going to focus on his biographical life, since I have done this in years past. For today’s memorial, I want to share with you Saint Augustine through the words of Pope Benedict XVI. In his general audiences from March 7, 2007 to February 27, 2008, Benedict taught on the Church Fathers from Clement of Rome to Augustine. So important is Saint Augustine to the Catholic Church that the Holy Father dedicated five general audiences to him from January 9 – February 27, 2008.
Today, I am not going to focus on his biographical life, since I have done this in years past. For today’s memorial, I want to share with you Saint Augustine through the words of Pope Benedict XVI. In his general audiences from March 7, 2007 to February 27, 2008, Benedict taught on the Church Fathers from Clement of Rome to Augustine. So important is Saint Augustine to the Catholic Church that the Holy Father dedicated five general audiences to him from January 9 – February 27, 2008.
Disgraced ex-envoy Wesolowski dies ahead of Vatican abuse trial
Vatican ex-envoy Wesolowski dies ahead of abuse trial - BBC News: Jozef Wesolowski, a former archbishop and Vatican envoy to the Dominican Republic, has died before he could be tried for child sex offences.
He had been taken ill just before the start of his Vatican trial in July.
He was accused of paying for sex with children in the Dominican Republic.
Wesolowski, 66, would have been the first high-ranking church official to be tried on paedophile charges. His case was seen as a test of the Vatican's pledge to stamp out abuse.
Last year, the Pope compared the actions of those who commit such crimes to a "satanic mass".
He had been taken ill just before the start of his Vatican trial in July.
He was accused of paying for sex with children in the Dominican Republic.
Wesolowski, 66, would have been the first high-ranking church official to be tried on paedophile charges. His case was seen as a test of the Vatican's pledge to stamp out abuse.
Last year, the Pope compared the actions of those who commit such crimes to a "satanic mass".
Pop Artist, provocateur, Catholic. Who was Andy Warhol?
Pop Artist. Provocateur. Catholic. Who was Andy Warhol? :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Chances are you've heard of the phrase “15 minutes of fame.” And you've probably seen the neon-colored canvases of Campbell soup cans or Marilyn Monroe's face – even if you don't know the artist behind them.
For those who've never studied Andy Warhol and his prolific body of work, they've still most likely encountered it in many of the pop icons of the late 20th Century.
For those who've never studied Andy Warhol and his prolific body of work, they've still most likely encountered it in many of the pop icons of the late 20th Century.
ISIS be warned: Persecution only strengthens the faith of Christians
ISIS Be Warned: Persecution Only Strengthens the Faith of Christians |Blogs | NCRegister.comFENELON: ISIS destroyed another ancient Christian holy site last week. The latest casualty in their 26-year-long campaign to wipe Christianity from the face of the earth was the Mar Elian monastery in the town of Qaryatain near Homs, Syria.
They first kidnapped 230 people—including dozens of Christian families—after taking Qaryatain, releasing about 48 of them and transferring 110 to Raqqa province, the headquarters of the Islamist group. Then they bulldozed the monastery.
They first kidnapped 230 people—including dozens of Christian families—after taking Qaryatain, releasing about 48 of them and transferring 110 to Raqqa province, the headquarters of the Islamist group. Then they bulldozed the monastery.
We are saved by Jesus Christ, not by rules
We Are Saved by Christ, Not by Rules |Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: Hell seems to have nothing to do with relationship in the modern mind. I constantly meet people who think of Hell as an absurdly sadistic overreaction by a touchy God who gets irrationally angry when people don't keep his arbitrary rules. Or else it’s something that falls on the head of innocent people like a safe from a third floor window: “How can you believe in a God who would damn to Hell people who were doing their best, just because they never heard of Jesus?”� Prescinding from the fact that the Church believes no such thing, what is striking is that again this notion of Hell has not one thing to do with relationship. There is not the slightest grasp that Hell is the "definitive self-exclusion" of a soul from the society of God.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Mark Twain said the Church in Hawaii in 1866 was "unmistakably Catholic." Is this the way to go forward now?
Servant and Steward: Mark Twain said the Church in Hawaii in 1866 was "unmistakably Catholic." Is this the way to go forward now?ZEHNLE: Finding myself in the unusual situation without another book to read at hand, I picked up a copy of Mark Twain's Letters from Hawaii, edited by A. Grove Day.
Having grown up on the banks of the Mississippi River just a few miles north of Samuel Clemen's (1835-1910) hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, I heard much about Mark Twain but - as is often the case - have never really read much of his works, only what was required for class (and that without much pleasure). What led me, then, to buy this book? It was this quote on the back cover that caught my attention
Having grown up on the banks of the Mississippi River just a few miles north of Samuel Clemen's (1835-1910) hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, I heard much about Mark Twain but - as is often the case - have never really read much of his works, only what was required for class (and that without much pleasure). What led me, then, to buy this book? It was this quote on the back cover that caught my attention
A synod is not a council, and other canonical facts
A Synod Is Not a Council—and Other Canonical Facts | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and views: Since the 2014 Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops a growing theological divide has become apparent. This divide, evident among a small minority of cardinals and bishops present (and not present) at the Extraordinary Assembly, has been recognized through their views on how to “pastorally” apply Catholic teaching regarding marriage, family and sexual relations. It has also come to light that a so-called secret planning group, seemingly consisting of this small minority together with some theologians and journalists, has been meeting to discuss such progressively theological opinions before the October Synod of this year.�
New York Times: Church inquiry may pit Pope against Medjugorje devotees
Church Inquiry May Pit Pope Against a Popular Bosnian Shrine - The New York Times: At exactly 6:40 p.m. one sultry day this month, the peal of church bells rang though the main square of this town, bringing countless pilgrims instantly to their knees.
The ringing marked the moment, 34 years ago, when a group of six youths say the Virgin Mary appeared to them. Three of them say she has continued to do so, usually at the same time, every day since.
Over that period, the scheduled apparitions have drawn millions of believers to this small town, and a good dose of suspicion from skeptics, including, perhaps, Pope Francis. In what was interpreted as a thinly veiled jab at the claims, he recently joked during a morning homily about “visionaries who can tell us exactly what message Our Lady will be sending at 4 o’clock this afternoon.”
The ringing marked the moment, 34 years ago, when a group of six youths say the Virgin Mary appeared to them. Three of them say she has continued to do so, usually at the same time, every day since.
Over that period, the scheduled apparitions have drawn millions of believers to this small town, and a good dose of suspicion from skeptics, including, perhaps, Pope Francis. In what was interpreted as a thinly veiled jab at the claims, he recently joked during a morning homily about “visionaries who can tell us exactly what message Our Lady will be sending at 4 o’clock this afternoon.”
5 seeming liturgical abuses that are actually legit
Five Seeming Liturgical Abuses That Are Actually Legit | Parishable ItemsFELTES: These five liturgical practices may seem unorthodox, but the Catholic Church officially allows for each of them...
An open letter to my kids' teacher
Dear Teacher |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Alas. We spent our summer swimming, watching X Files, sucking down gallons and gallons of ramen, eviscerating countless watermelons, making a meticulous survey of the entire lifework of the master cinematographer Chow Yun Fat, and creating various kinds of heartache for your long-suffering soul sister, the public librarian.
As a result, my kids are about 35% less educated, and maybe 36% more resistant to learning anything useful, than they were when you said goodbye in the spring. I made some feeble attempts to enrich them culturally, but then there was that episode where even Scully has to admit that that was no ordinary flukeworm. Brrr. Oh man!
As a result, my kids are about 35% less educated, and maybe 36% more resistant to learning anything useful, than they were when you said goodbye in the spring. I made some feeble attempts to enrich them culturally, but then there was that episode where even Scully has to admit that that was no ordinary flukeworm. Brrr. Oh man!
Satan hates priests and seeks above all to get to us...
St. Monica and the Prayers of Mothers - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Back in my 33rd year of life and my 5th year of priesthood, I was severely attacked by the Evil One. He made his move and sought to discourage and destroy me; he did not succeed. My mother and others were praying for me. My parishioners, too, saw my distress and rallied to pray for me and hold me up. And now, almost 20 years later, I feel strong, alive, joyful, and grateful. Sometimes I’m weary in the work, but never weary of the work.
But I am no fool; I know that Satan will try again. I pray only for the prayers of God’s holy people and for my own sober awareness of the need to pray and to fulfill the mandate of the Lord who said, Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt 26:41).
But I am no fool; I know that Satan will try again. I pray only for the prayers of God’s holy people and for my own sober awareness of the need to pray and to fulfill the mandate of the Lord who said, Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt 26:41).
Philly's Archbishop Chaput: "Lepanto Institute and Church Militant sow division wherever they tread"
Philly archbishop labels two Catholic groups 'destructive': Many Catholics who use the Internet are familiar with Michael Voris of ChurchMilitant.com and Michael Hichborn, formerly of American Life League and now president of the Lepanto Institute. And most of the Catholics who are familiar with Mr. Voris and Mr. Hichborn typically either ardently support them, or vocally oppose them. (Personally I've had friendly communications with both men over the last few years.)
But at least one member of the hierarchy here in the U.S. is not a fan of theirs: Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia.
But at least one member of the hierarchy here in the U.S. is not a fan of theirs: Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia.
For centuries, sailors used this low-tech tool to navigate the world’s oceans...
Traversing the Seas | Hakai Magazine: On a 16th-century vessel in the middle of the ocean, survival depended on captain and crew knowing their ship inside out, from the nuances of the rigging to how the boat behaved in adverse weather. One thing they didn’t always know was the ship’s exact location. Without landmarks, sailors navigated using a practice called dead reckoning.
Hell really exists, and its existence is a reminder of our human dignity...
Father James V. Schall, S.J. | Catholic PulseSCHALL: It was once popularly thought that “fear of hell” was a deterrent to bad deeds. At least such fear is said to minimize the potential damage that “principle-less” people might inflict on us. But no matter in what age of human history, or in what place we look, we will find some astonishingly gruesome deeds perpetrated by fellow members of the human race on one another. We are hard pressed indeed to explain why this is so. Yet we cannot not try lest we consider reality to be simply incoherent.
Christianity even suggests that most people — if not most of the time, at least some of the time — do some quite awful and unjustified things. This fact is why one of Christianity’s central teachings concerns the forgiveness of sins. So if we think that hell exists, then we must, on these grounds, also be able to imagine ourselves suffering in it or because of it. We must also wonder why knowledge of hell did not work better than it did to stamp out what ails us.
Christianity even suggests that most people — if not most of the time, at least some of the time — do some quite awful and unjustified things. This fact is why one of Christianity’s central teachings concerns the forgiveness of sins. So if we think that hell exists, then we must, on these grounds, also be able to imagine ourselves suffering in it or because of it. We must also wonder why knowledge of hell did not work better than it did to stamp out what ails us.
Before “choose adoption,” pro-lifers ought to start with “you can do it, and we’ll help”...
Adoption, Abortion, and a Message of Hope | J. D. Flynn | First ThingsJDFLYNN: On Saturday morning, my wife and I took our children to pray outside the Planned Parenthood clinic near our home in Nebraska. Nearly 700 other people joined us—praying on their knees, singing songs of praise, and holding pro-life signs for passing cars to read.
Among the signs, I noticed several that read “Adoption: the Loving Option,” and “Choose Adoption, Not Abortion.” Over the years, I’ve noticed that adoption is frequently among the first options mentioned when promoting alternatives to abortion. Iterations of “choose adoption” are standard components of pro-life sloganeering.
Among the signs, I noticed several that read “Adoption: the Loving Option,” and “Choose Adoption, Not Abortion.” Over the years, I’ve noticed that adoption is frequently among the first options mentioned when promoting alternatives to abortion. Iterations of “choose adoption” are standard components of pro-life sloganeering.
11 surprising facts about the Vatican and St. Peter's
11 Surprising Facts About the Vatican and St. Peter’s - Catholic HouseholdWARREN: Here's an interesting fact: The World Series could be played in the space of St. Peter’s Square.
St. Peter’s Square was designed after the construction and papal consecration of the new basilica. It was completed by the Baroque master, Bernini, between 1656-1667 AD. Today, the great Square greets pilgrim and visitor alike. It is 1,000 feet long and 750 feet wide. Wrigley Field could fir within the square twice (with space to spare). The World Series could be played in St. Peter’s Square, and approximately 250,000 people could fit within it.
St. Peter’s Square was designed after the construction and papal consecration of the new basilica. It was completed by the Baroque master, Bernini, between 1656-1667 AD. Today, the great Square greets pilgrim and visitor alike. It is 1,000 feet long and 750 feet wide. Wrigley Field could fir within the square twice (with space to spare). The World Series could be played in St. Peter’s Square, and approximately 250,000 people could fit within it.
Why can't the Catholic Church ordain women priests?
Why Won’t the Catholic Church “Get With the Times” and Ordain Women Priests?SCHIFFER: In Des Moines, Iowa, the Catholic Worker House is no longer permitted to hold liturgies on the premises, after conducting a service in which a woman who claims to be an ordained priest celebrated a Eucharistic service in their chapel.
The celebrant was Janice Sevre-Duszynskaper, who attempted ordination in 2008, being “ordained” by the Association of Catholic Women Priests. The group and the ordinations which it attempts are not recognized by the Vatican, and Sevre-Duszynskaper is therefore excommunicated.
The celebrant was Janice Sevre-Duszynskaper, who attempted ordination in 2008, being “ordained” by the Association of Catholic Women Priests. The group and the ordinations which it attempts are not recognized by the Vatican, and Sevre-Duszynskaper is therefore excommunicated.
On Chibok anniversary, Christians are caught between hope and experience
On Chibok anniversary, Christians are caught between hope and experience | CruxALLEN: On Thursday, Nigerians marked the 500th day since the kidnapping of almost 300 mostly Christian schoolgirls from the remote town of Chibok by Boko Haram, the radical Islamic terrorist group held responsible for more than 17,000 deaths here since 2009.
It’s long been frustrating for Nigerians that their armed forces, with 200,000 active duty troops, 300,000 paramilitary personnel, a budget of $3.25 billion, and a history of successful peacekeeping operations in neighboring countries, has been either unable or unwilling to get Boko Haram under control.
It’s long been frustrating for Nigerians that their armed forces, with 200,000 active duty troops, 300,000 paramilitary personnel, a budget of $3.25 billion, and a history of successful peacekeeping operations in neighboring countries, has been either unable or unwilling to get Boko Haram under control.
Denver International Airport puts Chick-fil-A on hold over CEO’s marriage stance
Denver Airport Puts Chick-fil-A on Hold Over CEO’s Marriage Stance | Daily News | NCRegister.com: The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says government may not abridge free speech or interfere with the free exercise of religion. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) that government may not “advance nor inhibit religious practice.”
In other words, government officials should not try to ban a business from the Denver International Airport on a basis of the CEO’s religious beliefs. So say critics of a decision by Denver City Council members to delay approval of a contract with Chick-fil-A on objections to the top executive’s old comments supporting the traditional family.
In other words, government officials should not try to ban a business from the Denver International Airport on a basis of the CEO’s religious beliefs. So say critics of a decision by Denver City Council members to delay approval of a contract with Chick-fil-A on objections to the top executive’s old comments supporting the traditional family.
Archbishop of Damascus: Nine dead and 47 injured in “rain of mortars” in Syria
CatholicHerald.co.uk � Archbishop of Damascus: Nine dead and 47 injured in “rain of mortars” in Syria: The Maronite Archbishop of Damascus has spoken about the moment bombs rained down on his neighbourhood – killing nine people and injuring 50.
Two churches were the target of “a rain of mortars” on Sunday, August 23 – with shells crashing through the archbishop’s church roof.
“Part of the war in Syria is to live under indiscriminate bombing,” Archbishop Samir Nassar said, “a kind of Russian roulette which is always unpredictable.”
Two churches were the target of “a rain of mortars” on Sunday, August 23 – with shells crashing through the archbishop’s church roof.
“Part of the war in Syria is to live under indiscriminate bombing,” Archbishop Samir Nassar said, “a kind of Russian roulette which is always unpredictable.”
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
As I watched my father die in the hospital where I was born, I learned a great truth...
Planned Parenthood and the Gift of Death | The StreamZMIRAK: It is natural for us to try to mitigate the sufferings in this life, and to fight off disease and death. Unlike the animals, we feel somewhere deep within that we were not made for the grave. We are not like salmon who spawn, then instantly lie down and die. Instead, we cling to life, and to hope for eternal life — and see in our children not copies of ourselves, or extensions of our egos, but fresh new creations, each of them just like us in one essential way: They too are made for eternity. We are sad that we cannot remain in this place, so we mourn for ourselves, even as we celebrate the growth and life of those whom we have brought up to replace us. That is why we cry at weddings.
Archbishop Cordileone’s teacher contract successfully affirms Catholic values, says Cardinal Newman Society
Archbishop Cordileone’s Teacher Contract Successfully Affirms Catholic Values, Says Newman Society Expert: After months of harassment and nasty criticism by opponents of Catholic moral teaching—including dissident groups like Call to Action, politicians, and even many Catholic school teachers—Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has successfully reached a contract agreement with high school teachers in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
While the contract language is not as strong as many other diocesan employment documents, Archbishop Cordileone prevailed in expressing the important moral responsibilities that teachers must accept while working at a Catholic school, says Dr. Dan Guernsey, director of K-12 education programs for The Cardinal Newman Society.
While the contract language is not as strong as many other diocesan employment documents, Archbishop Cordileone prevailed in expressing the important moral responsibilities that teachers must accept while working at a Catholic school, says Dr. Dan Guernsey, director of K-12 education programs for The Cardinal Newman Society.
A quirky tour of the best bookshops in Tokyo
A Tour of Tokyo's Bookstores: Tokyo - the world's most populous metropolis with 35 million inhabitants - has endless attractions ranging from food to historic temples and unique architecture. To the delight of bibliophiles, Japan's capital also boasts numerous bookstores.
You can't talk about Tokyo without considering the neighborhoods. Typically centered around one of many large train stations, each district has its own special atmosphere and characteristics. Finding bookshops is exceptionally easy because an entire district is dedicated to used books and publishing. Jimbocho, also spelled Jinbōchō, is Japan's equivalent of a booktown and it is pure heaven for booklovers.
Earlier this year I travelled to Tokyo and did some "bookstore tourism" by visiting several bookshops in Jimbocho and beyond.
You can't talk about Tokyo without considering the neighborhoods. Typically centered around one of many large train stations, each district has its own special atmosphere and characteristics. Finding bookshops is exceptionally easy because an entire district is dedicated to used books and publishing. Jimbocho, also spelled Jinbōchō, is Japan's equivalent of a booktown and it is pure heaven for booklovers.
Earlier this year I travelled to Tokyo and did some "bookstore tourism" by visiting several bookshops in Jimbocho and beyond.
What the Catholic Church teaches about care for the dying
Pro-life Even at the End of Life: What the Catholic Church Teaches about Care for the DyingFISHER: The dehydration death of Terry Schiavo in 2005 was murder, because Schiavo was not dying. Withdrawing food and water had the direct goal of killing her.
But if a man is dying of inoperable cancer and no longer wishes to eat or drink, or his body can no longer process nutrition, withdrawing food and water from him might be ethical and merciful. He is already moving toward death, and there is no reason to prolong his suffering.
But if a man is dying of inoperable cancer and no longer wishes to eat or drink, or his body can no longer process nutrition, withdrawing food and water from him might be ethical and merciful. He is already moving toward death, and there is no reason to prolong his suffering.
Ten Commandments for Protestants considering Catholicism
Ten Commandments for Protestants Considering Catholicism: Working in the Bible Belt we Catholics often come across Protestants who are being led to the Catholic Church.
However, their path seems to be littered with land mines. There seem to be so many obstacles and one of the things which a Catholic finds curious is how the enquiring Protestant usually doesn’t have a sense of proportion about his objections.
It can be bewildering.
However, their path seems to be littered with land mines. There seem to be so many obstacles and one of the things which a Catholic finds curious is how the enquiring Protestant usually doesn’t have a sense of proportion about his objections.
It can be bewildering.
This violence is fueled by rage, which comes from fear, which only "perfect love" can cast out...
Virginia Gun Violence: Symptom of Society’s SicknessLONGENECKER: From what we know so far a “disgruntled employee” walks up and shoots dead two young people.
This continues a stream of mindless violence in our society that seems to be surging.
Social engineers will say, “People respond like this because they’re poor. They respond like this because they’re unemployed. They respond like this because they are....whatever. You choose your list of the causes and cures, but the real cause is far deeper.
It’s rage. Deeply rooted rage.
What causes such irrational rage? There are a host of problems deep within our society and the violence is a symptom of a deeper sickness.
Frustration and rage are rooted in fear. When I say “fear” I don’t simply mean being afraid of some tangible threat. Instead I’m referring to a deep, unconscious fear that runs through the human soul.
This continues a stream of mindless violence in our society that seems to be surging.
Social engineers will say, “People respond like this because they’re poor. They respond like this because they’re unemployed. They respond like this because they are....whatever. You choose your list of the causes and cures, but the real cause is far deeper.
It’s rage. Deeply rooted rage.
What causes such irrational rage? There are a host of problems deep within our society and the violence is a symptom of a deeper sickness.
Frustration and rage are rooted in fear. When I say “fear” I don’t simply mean being afraid of some tangible threat. Instead I’m referring to a deep, unconscious fear that runs through the human soul.
Pope to Catholic parents: "Teach your children how to pray!"
'Teach your children how to pray!' Pope tells parents :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): On Wednesday, Pope Francis continued his weekly catechesis on the family, saying that parents have the responsibility to teach their children to pray.
Delivering his address to pilgrims and visitors, gathered under the hot sun for the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, the pontiff stressed the importance of teaching children how to show love for God through prayer.
“It is beautiful when mothers teach their little children to blow a kiss to Jesus or to Our Lady. What tenderness there is in this!” he said.
Delivering his address to pilgrims and visitors, gathered under the hot sun for the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, the pontiff stressed the importance of teaching children how to show love for God through prayer.
“It is beautiful when mothers teach their little children to blow a kiss to Jesus or to Our Lady. What tenderness there is in this!” he said.
We have all become witnesses to murder. We must also become eyewitnesses to Christ's majesty...
When We Witness Atrocity, We Must Also Be Eyewitnesses to Christ's Majesty |Blogs | NCRegister.comHAMILTON: The first person I ever saw murdered was Lee Harvey Oswald.
I was a kid at the time. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated on Friday. My family sat in front of our small-screen black and white television all that weekend. We watched obsessively.
As I said, I was a kid, a newcomer to the horrors of life. In a way, all Americans were kids, newcomers, at least to this kind of horror. My parents had grown up in the Great Depression and lived through World War II and Korea, so they were hardly rubes when it came to the horrors that evil can wreak.
I was a kid at the time. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated on Friday. My family sat in front of our small-screen black and white television all that weekend. We watched obsessively.
As I said, I was a kid, a newcomer to the horrors of life. In a way, all Americans were kids, newcomers, at least to this kind of horror. My parents had grown up in the Great Depression and lived through World War II and Korea, so they were hardly rubes when it came to the horrors that evil can wreak.
Pews aren't ancient. They're Protestant. They suburbanize the City of God and put comfort before praise...
The Problem with Pews - Crisis MagazineRUTLER: The queen consort of George V was consistent in her sense of duty and unswerving in how she expressed it. Crowned with dignity and corseted with confidence, at five feet six inches, Mary of Teck was the same height as the king, but they were called George the Fifth and Mary the Four-fifths. Of her many benefactions to Empire, not least, and perhaps most conspicuous, was her habit of removing climbing ivy from regal residences and public buildings. Her detestation of climbing ivy was a life-long obsession, quite the opposite of Queen Anne’s love affair with boxwood. Even in the dark days of the Blitz when she was billeted outside London in Badminton House, home of her niece the Duchess of Beaufort, and forced by wartime exigencies to reduce her private staff to fifty-two, Queen Mary led them in tearing down the ivy from the house and surrounding walls, like Samson bringing down the Temple of Dagon, with not a single hair out of place.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Blessed are the pure of heart: A reflection on an often-misunderstood beatitude
Blessed are the Pure of Heart - A Reflection on an Often Misunderstood Beatitude and Virtue - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Being single-hearted, being pure of heart, not only orders our life but it also grants us freedom. In modern Western thinking, freedom is often equated with doing more rather than less. Freedom is interpreted as “being able to do anything I please.” This attitude has led to the kind of jumbled mess that much of modern life has become: a tangled web of contrary desires with little unifying direction or purpose. We tend to think of freedom in abstract terms and hence we tend to get abstract and disconnected results.
But biblically and spiritually, freedom is the capacity or ability to do what is right, best, and proper. And thus, paradoxically, freedom often means doing less, not more.
But biblically and spiritually, freedom is the capacity or ability to do what is right, best, and proper. And thus, paradoxically, freedom often means doing less, not more.
The REAL Sword in the Stone belonged to the Church's first formally canonized saint...
The REAL Sword in the Stone Belonged to the RCC's First Official Saint | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: You saw the Disney movie as a kid. You may have read the book. But did you know some of it was based on real history?
While the story of King Arthur, Merlin, and all the rest may not be true, there really is a centuries-old sword stuck in a stone.
In the small Italian town of Chiusdino, there’s a small chapel near Saint Galgano Abbey known as Montesiepi chapel. And inside you’ll find a big slab of stone in the floor with the handle of a sword sticking out of it.
How did it get there? Well the story goes that in the 12th century there was a knight named Galgano Guidotti who, toward the end of his life, decided to retire as a hermit. He then had two mystical visions: in the first, the Archangel Michael said he would personally protect him; and in the second, he met the Twelve Apostles and God himself. When the second vision ended, he decided to commemorate the place with a cross. Since he had no other materials, he stuck his sword into the ground as a cross. Immediately, the ground hardened up around it and it’s been stuck there ever since.
While the story of King Arthur, Merlin, and all the rest may not be true, there really is a centuries-old sword stuck in a stone.
In the small Italian town of Chiusdino, there’s a small chapel near Saint Galgano Abbey known as Montesiepi chapel. And inside you’ll find a big slab of stone in the floor with the handle of a sword sticking out of it.
How did it get there? Well the story goes that in the 12th century there was a knight named Galgano Guidotti who, toward the end of his life, decided to retire as a hermit. He then had two mystical visions: in the first, the Archangel Michael said he would personally protect him; and in the second, he met the Twelve Apostles and God himself. When the second vision ended, he decided to commemorate the place with a cross. Since he had no other materials, he stuck his sword into the ground as a cross. Immediately, the ground hardened up around it and it’s been stuck there ever since.
The National Abortion Federation tells me EVERYTHING...
National Abortion Federation Tells Me EVERYTHING.SCHIFFER: In what must certainly be a grave lapse in professional judgment, the publicist who serves the National Abortion Federation has added me to her email distribution list.
It’s like being given the keys to a Ferrari (if you know to what I refer): I sit at my desk, minding my own business, and behind-the-scenes information and misinformation from the enemy pops up in my inbox. I’m sure that the pastiche of callous disregard and jumbled thinking that the organization vomits will eventually contain a real scoop–so I take time to read it before hitting “Delete.”
It’s like being given the keys to a Ferrari (if you know to what I refer): I sit at my desk, minding my own business, and behind-the-scenes information and misinformation from the enemy pops up in my inbox. I’m sure that the pastiche of callous disregard and jumbled thinking that the organization vomits will eventually contain a real scoop–so I take time to read it before hitting “Delete.”
When was the last time you heard a professional tennis player talk about St. Josemaría Escrivá?
A Gentleman’s Guide to Pro Tennis (and Life) | Daily News | NCRegister.comBEATTIE: After battling 14-time Grand Slam singles champion Rafael Nadal for more than four hours in the second round of this year’s Australian Open, Tim Smyczek did something no one expected him to do. He was down 5-6, 0-30, in the fifth set, when Nadal missed a first serve badly during a verbal outburst from the crowd. This prompted Smyzek to allow Nadal to take his first serve over, and Nadal soon won the set 7-5, and along with it, the match.
Smyczek’s sportsmanship drew praise from the crowd and attention from the media, but he isn’t as impressed at his move as so many others have been. He considers it routine, since his parents only allowed him to pursue a professional tennis career on the condition that he conduct himself as a gentleman on court.
Smyczek’s sportsmanship drew praise from the crowd and attention from the media, but he isn’t as impressed at his move as so many others have been. He considers it routine, since his parents only allowed him to pursue a professional tennis career on the condition that he conduct himself as a gentleman on court.
Fr. Dwight Longenecker building "a church that looks Catholic" in Bible Belt
Fr. Longenecker Building "A Church That Looks Catholic" in Bible Belt |Blogs | NCRegister.comPRONECHEN: The title of Our Lady of the Rosary was originally Our Lady of Victory that was given after her critical help for the victory in the Battle of Lepanto. Putting the proverbial two-and-two together, there is another victory for a parish and for church architecture going on as Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, S.C. On July 5, with Charleston Bishop Robert Guglielmone, it broke ground for a new Romanesque edifice.
Like Lepanto, what a tremendous challenge for a small parish of 500 families in what is considered a poor section of town to take on in building a new church. But the victory is assured from the fortitude of the pastor, Father Dwight Longenecker, the passionate enthusiasm of the parishioners, and surely the help of our Blessed Mother for a church dedicated to her.
Like Lepanto, what a tremendous challenge for a small parish of 500 families in what is considered a poor section of town to take on in building a new church. But the victory is assured from the fortitude of the pastor, Father Dwight Longenecker, the passionate enthusiasm of the parishioners, and surely the help of our Blessed Mother for a church dedicated to her.
What is the Devil's favorite sin? Some insights from an exorcist...
What Is the Devil’s Favorite Sin? Pride, Says an Exorcist | Daily News | NCRegister.com: Is an exorcist afraid? What is the devil’s favorite sin? These and other questions were tackled in a recent interview with Dominican Father Juan José Gallego, an exorcist from the Archdiocese of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.
It has been nine years since Father Gallego was appointed as exorcist. In an interview conducted by the Spanish daily El Mundo, the priest said that, in his experience, pride is the sin the devil likes the most.
“Have you ever been afraid?” the interviewer asked.
It has been nine years since Father Gallego was appointed as exorcist. In an interview conducted by the Spanish daily El Mundo, the priest said that, in his experience, pride is the sin the devil likes the most.
“Have you ever been afraid?” the interviewer asked.
It's time for men to grow up...
Time For Men To Grow UpLEJEUNE: It is time for the generations of men to grow up. Before you get upset at that statement, consider the evidence of what has happened to our understanding of masculinity.
First, men are now conditioned to live in a state of permanent adolescence. They are not raised, coached, mentored, and taught to be men. They are just “guys”. Women don’t want to marry a “guy” then want a man.
Second, men are told that their masculine traits are merely culturally created and therefore should be shed or being a man is all about selfish conquering of desires.
First, men are now conditioned to live in a state of permanent adolescence. They are not raised, coached, mentored, and taught to be men. They are just “guys”. Women don’t want to marry a “guy” then want a man.
Second, men are told that their masculine traits are merely culturally created and therefore should be shed or being a man is all about selfish conquering of desires.
In Labor Day statement, USCCB renews call for living wage
In Labor Day statement, USCCB renews call for living wage : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, emphasized in the importance of a living wage in the USCCB’s annual Labor Day statement.
“In demanding a living wage for workers we give hope to those struggling to provide for their families, as well as young workers who hope to have families of their own someday,” he said. “Unions and worker associations, as with all human institutions, are imperfect, yet they remain indispensable to this work, and they can exemplify the importance of subsidiarity and solidarity in action.”
“In demanding a living wage for workers we give hope to those struggling to provide for their families, as well as young workers who hope to have families of their own someday,” he said. “Unions and worker associations, as with all human institutions, are imperfect, yet they remain indispensable to this work, and they can exemplify the importance of subsidiarity and solidarity in action.”
Will the booming Catholic Church have a growing role in Korean reconciliation?
Will the Catholic Church Have a Growing Role in Korean Reconciliation? | Daily News | NCRegister.comGAGLIARDUCCI: With an increasing number of faithful, the Catholic Church in South Korea may foster a climate of reconciliation and peace, as the nation has reportedly made a deal with North Korea to avoid military escalation after days of fire exchanged between the nations.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Aug. 24 that North Korea had agreed to express regret over the injury of two South Korean soldiers by a landmine earlier in the month, and that South Korea agreed to stop propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers located on the border between the countries.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Aug. 24 that North Korea had agreed to express regret over the injury of two South Korean soldiers by a landmine earlier in the month, and that South Korea agreed to stop propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers located on the border between the countries.
If rainforests and Buddhist statues are worthy of conservation, so is the Traditional Latin Mass
Conservationism and Conservatives |Blogs | NCRegister.comHARNWELL: We have something at our disposal that effortlessly appeals to people's sense of veneration for that which is ancient.
Is much of the focus on environmentalism simply evidence that nature abhors a vacuum — that our innate yearning to conserve and hand on what has been received is a yearning that has not been adequately nourished?
Conservation of the secular environment, yes! But never at the expense of our most fundamental obligation: to conserve for posterity our religious and spiritual environment — which just like the earth, does not belong to us to exploit or neglect. Just like the earth, the liturgy is merely entrusted to us to steward in humility, to ‘hand on’ to the next generation.
Is much of the focus on environmentalism simply evidence that nature abhors a vacuum — that our innate yearning to conserve and hand on what has been received is a yearning that has not been adequately nourished?
Conservation of the secular environment, yes! But never at the expense of our most fundamental obligation: to conserve for posterity our religious and spiritual environment — which just like the earth, does not belong to us to exploit or neglect. Just like the earth, the liturgy is merely entrusted to us to steward in humility, to ‘hand on’ to the next generation.
Stephen Colbert, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Henry Newman, and the Providence of God
Stephen Colbert, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Henry Newman, and the Providence of God |Blogs | NCRegister.comBARRON: Just last week, Stephen Colbert gave an interview in which the depth of his Catholic faith was on pretty clear display. Discussing the trauma that he experienced as a young man—the deaths of his father and two of his brothers in a plane crash—he told the interviewer how, through the ministrations of his mother, he had learned not only to accept what had happened but actually to rejoice in it: "Boy, did I have a bomb when I was ten; that was quite an explosion...It's that I love the thing that I wish most had not happened." Flummoxed, his interlocutor asked him to elaborate on the paradox. Without missing a beat, Colbert cited J.R.R. Tolkien: "What punishments of God are not gifts?" What a wonderful sermon on the salvific quality of suffering! And it was delivered, not by a priest or bishop or evangelist, but by a comedian about to take over one of the most popular television programs on late night.
A defeat for women? FDA approves libido drug Addyi...
A Defeat for Women? FDA Approves Libido Drug Addyi |Blogs | NCRegister.comSTAUDT: We’ve all seen the commercials for Viagra. Now there’s supposedly an equivalent for women, though it works quite differently. Viagra provides a physical solution to a physical problem. Flibanserin, marketed as Addyi, however, addressing not a physical condition, but a lack of sex drive for women and does not address this issue physically but by altering brain chemicals. Specifically, it increases dopamine and norepinephrine, while decreasing serotonin.
Addyi claims to address Hypoactive Sexual Drive Disorder (HSDD), which results from a change in hormones, sometimes resulting from medical issues, but many times from menopause, or from emotional difficulties, arising from relationships or even abuse. Because of its very different nature, many have cautioned against comparing it to Viagra, but at the same it is seen as the closest equivalent for women, and may be generating in part by the need to address the increased virility of an aging male population.
Addyi claims to address Hypoactive Sexual Drive Disorder (HSDD), which results from a change in hormones, sometimes resulting from medical issues, but many times from menopause, or from emotional difficulties, arising from relationships or even abuse. Because of its very different nature, many have cautioned against comparing it to Viagra, but at the same it is seen as the closest equivalent for women, and may be generating in part by the need to address the increased virility of an aging male population.
Monday, August 24, 2015
His wrath is not turned back, His hand is still outstretched! Pondering God's wrath as a work of revelation...
His Wrath is Not Turned Back, His Hand is Still Outstretched! Pondering the Wrath of God as a Work of Revelation - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: When reading Scripture that mentions the wrath of God, most think of His wrath in human terms. But we must be clear that God does not get angry the way we do. Further, our God is not moody: pleasant and patient one moment and then angry and punishing the next. No, God does not suffer from mood swings or throw tantrums. God is love; stably, serenely, and consistently so.
So then what is God’s wrath? I have written on this topic in greater depth here: What is the Wrath of God? However for this post, allow me to summarize by saying that God’s wrath is His “passion” to set things right. His wrath is His work to root out sin and injustice and bring forth holiness and righteousness.
So then what is God’s wrath? I have written on this topic in greater depth here: What is the Wrath of God? However for this post, allow me to summarize by saying that God’s wrath is His “passion” to set things right. His wrath is His work to root out sin and injustice and bring forth holiness and righteousness.
Daughters of St. Paul sing “God Bless America” at Red Sox game...
Nuns Sing “God Bless America” at Red Sox Game!NOBLE: The Daughters of St. Paul choir sang at a Red Sox game today.
Some of you may think nuns are not baseball fans.
You are wrong.
When the Cardinals were playing against the Red Sox in the World Series, a novice (who shall not be named) wore a Cardinals shirt into the cafeteria and was met with angry boos and hisses. One brave sister cheered.
We have some serious baseball, especially Red Sox, fans in the convent, (although I am not one of them).
Neither is Sr. Helena apparently
Some of you may think nuns are not baseball fans.
You are wrong.
When the Cardinals were playing against the Red Sox in the World Series, a novice (who shall not be named) wore a Cardinals shirt into the cafeteria and was met with angry boos and hisses. One brave sister cheered.
We have some serious baseball, especially Red Sox, fans in the convent, (although I am not one of them).
Neither is Sr. Helena apparently
4 lessons from Mark Twain's little-known book on St. Joan of Arc
Four Lessons from Mark Twain’s Little-Known Book on St. Joan of Arc | Mountain CatholicSEWELL: Few people today know that Mark Twain, one of the greatest American authors in history and hardly a man with healthy respect for organized religion, wrote a book on the great 14th-Century saint, Joan of Arc.
Even fewer, I imagine, realize that Twain regarded it as his best and most important work, devoting 12 years to researching the project and enduring six failed attempts at writing the book in order to produce his great masterpiece.
Many of Twain’s contemporaries knew the high esteem he had for St. Joan, as well. In a later essay on Joan of Arc, Twain called her “the Wonder of the Ages” and proudly declared that she was “easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.”
Even fewer, I imagine, realize that Twain regarded it as his best and most important work, devoting 12 years to researching the project and enduring six failed attempts at writing the book in order to produce his great masterpiece.
Many of Twain’s contemporaries knew the high esteem he had for St. Joan, as well. In a later essay on Joan of Arc, Twain called her “the Wonder of the Ages” and proudly declared that she was “easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.”
The weird history of hand dryers will blow you away
The Weird History of Hand Dryers Will Blow You Away | Atlas Obscura: The constant forward march of technology is visible pretty much everywhere. But perhaps the most unusual place where evolving technology has changed significantly in just a few years is in the restroom—specifically, when you have to wash your hands.
After decades where the basic concept stayed roughly the same, the hand dryer has become in some ways the most innovative piece of technology you'll use in an average day.
Companies like Dyson, World Dryer, and Excel Dryer are in a cutthroat battle to ensure your hands are completely dry by the time you leave the restroom. If you have to dry your hands on your pants, they haven't done their job.
After decades where the basic concept stayed roughly the same, the hand dryer has become in some ways the most innovative piece of technology you'll use in an average day.
Companies like Dyson, World Dryer, and Excel Dryer are in a cutthroat battle to ensure your hands are completely dry by the time you leave the restroom. If you have to dry your hands on your pants, they haven't done their job.
Mosquito-eating vampire spider could be recruited for war on malaria
Mosquito-eating vampire spider could be recruited for war on malaria | Global development | The Guardian: Mosquito-eating spiders from east Africa and Malaysia could become a weapon in fighting malaria, researchers have said.
A species of jumping spider found only around Lake Victoria in east Africa, called Evarcha culicivora, is adapted to hunt female Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria parasites.
“This is unique. There’s no other animal that targets its prey based on what that prey has eaten,” says Fiona Cross, an arachnologist at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) in Kenya, who co-authored a study on the spiders.
Cross says that these arachnids, also known as vampire spiders, “love” feeding on human blood as it gives them an odour that renders them sexually attractive to potential mates.
A species of jumping spider found only around Lake Victoria in east Africa, called Evarcha culicivora, is adapted to hunt female Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria parasites.
“This is unique. There’s no other animal that targets its prey based on what that prey has eaten,” says Fiona Cross, an arachnologist at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) in Kenya, who co-authored a study on the spiders.
Cross says that these arachnids, also known as vampire spiders, “love” feeding on human blood as it gives them an odour that renders them sexually attractive to potential mates.
If you want to evangelize more effectively, read this article on the psychology of persuasion...
What the church could learn from the psychology of persuasion | America MagazineKACZOR: In his work On Christian Doctrine, St. Augustine argued that Christians should make use of rhetorical insights offered by pagan writers, like Cicero. If Augustine were writing today about how parents, ministers and teachers communicate with their children, parishioners and students, what secular wisdom might he draw from? What can be learned, for example, by considering contemporary research on the psychology of persuasion?
Parents and teachers want their children and students to behave a certain way. How do they convince them? One approach is to stress the rules and what happens when people break the rules. The focus is on the ways in which people behave badly. Yet contemporary research suggests that highlighting widespread misbehavior may actually lead to even more misbehavior.
Parents and teachers want their children and students to behave a certain way. How do they convince them? One approach is to stress the rules and what happens when people break the rules. The focus is on the ways in which people behave badly. Yet contemporary research suggests that highlighting widespread misbehavior may actually lead to even more misbehavior.
Photo: Statue of the Virgin Mary is left miraculously intact after fire
Statue of the Virgin Mary is Left Miraculously Intact After Fire - Aleteia: The events took place at the El Goloso military base, located near the Spanish capital, seat of the nation's armored infantry brigade "Guadarrama." According to several Spanish news sites, including Infovaticana and Religión en Libertad, a fire broke out that was impossible to control, burning most of the surrounding vegetation.
Once the flames were extinguished, to the soldiers’ surprise, in the middle of the charred area, stood a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes—totally undamaged! What's more, the soldiers were shocked to see that the grass near the statue had not been touched by the flames and that it was even still surrounded by vases filled with flowers, also intact, as if the flames had respected the space around the statue.
Once the flames were extinguished, to the soldiers’ surprise, in the middle of the charred area, stood a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes—totally undamaged! What's more, the soldiers were shocked to see that the grass near the statue had not been touched by the flames and that it was even still surrounded by vases filled with flowers, also intact, as if the flames had respected the space around the statue.
Does belief in God enhance gratitude? Here’s what psychology suggests...
Does belief in God enhance gratitude? Here’s what psychology suggests. - The Washington PostKACZOR: Recent findings in positive psychology point to the enormous psychological and even physical benefits of gratitude. Giving thanks leads to increased energy, generosity, enthusiasm, sociability, health and resiliency in the face of stress. Gratitude is an empirically proven path to a longer, happier life.
But what exactly is gratitude? In his book “Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier,” psychology professor Robert Emmons defines it as “a willingness to recognize (a) that one has been the beneficiary of someone’s kindness, (b) that the benefactor has intentionally provided a benefit, often incurring some personal cost and (c) that the benefit has value in the eyes of the beneficiary.” Gratitude, an inherently social trait, always involves a benefit, a benefactor and a beneficiary. Emmons further distinguishes different facets of a grateful disposition such as span, frequency, intensity and density.
But what exactly is gratitude? In his book “Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier,” psychology professor Robert Emmons defines it as “a willingness to recognize (a) that one has been the beneficiary of someone’s kindness, (b) that the benefactor has intentionally provided a benefit, often incurring some personal cost and (c) that the benefit has value in the eyes of the beneficiary.” Gratitude, an inherently social trait, always involves a benefit, a benefactor and a beneficiary. Emmons further distinguishes different facets of a grateful disposition such as span, frequency, intensity and density.
You must hear this: Virtual choir of 90 voices sings haunting "Soma Christou" hymn
Virtual Choir of 90 Voices Sings Haunting "Soma Christou" Hymn | ChurchPOP: During the midnight Easter Liturgy, scores of Orthodox choirs sing Tikey Zes’s arrangement of the Paschal communion hymn, “Soma Christou.”
As a tribute to Tikey and his music, choir members from around the United States helped AXIOS Music created the first-ever, Orthodox virtual choir. They chose to record “Soma Christou” because of its singular place in the annals of Greek Orthodox choral music in the United States.
As a tribute to Tikey and his music, choir members from around the United States helped AXIOS Music created the first-ever, Orthodox virtual choir. They chose to record “Soma Christou” because of its singular place in the annals of Greek Orthodox choral music in the United States.
NO, there were no Ashley Madison clients from the Vatican...
NO, There Were No Ashley Madison Clients From the Vatican!SCHIFFER: Last week a shocking headline insinuated that Vatican employees, perhaps priests or even bishops, were among those whose names and email addresses were released in the Ashley Madison hacking scandal. The reader could only imagine the ramifications for the Catholic Church, as a new sex scandal threatened to expose high-ranking Vatican officials to public scrutiny.
But now David Taylor, a Montreal-based biochemist and blogger who operates the website prooffreader.com, has stepped in to counter the accusation with facts. The article begins...
But now David Taylor, a Montreal-based biochemist and blogger who operates the website prooffreader.com, has stepped in to counter the accusation with facts. The article begins...
How guys like former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle go from "regular" porn to child porn
� How Guys Like Jared Fogle Go From “Regular” Porn To Child Porn: Last week it was announced that Jared Fogle, the former Subway spokesman who gained fame after losing 245 pounds and becoming a weight loss inspiration, will plead guilty to possessing child pornography and traveling to pay for sex with underaged girls. Subway announced that it has parted ways with Fogle due to the allegations.
We must shun group-think politics and have the mind of Christ
We Must Shun Group-Think Politics and Have the Mind of Christ |Blogs | NCRegister.comHAMILTON: Why would a pro-life person stay in the Democratic Party?
Or, if a person stays in the Democratic Party, can they be truly pro-life?
Those questions are based on a presumption of political purity that does not exist outside fantasy. I know. I lived the many conundrums of full-speed contact politics for many years. White horse politics, which is looking toward political party or a politician on a white horse to save us from ourselves, is a fantastical creation of those who do not understand the real meaning of Calvary as it applies to humankind.
Or, if a person stays in the Democratic Party, can they be truly pro-life?
Those questions are based on a presumption of political purity that does not exist outside fantasy. I know. I lived the many conundrums of full-speed contact politics for many years. White horse politics, which is looking toward political party or a politician on a white horse to save us from ourselves, is a fantastical creation of those who do not understand the real meaning of Calvary as it applies to humankind.
When a man calls himself a chicken
When a Man Calls Himself a Chicken - Crisis MagazineFITZPATRICK: Sanity becomes arguable when insanity becomes attractive. Only a sound mind can assess an unsound mind, and the traditional assessment of insanity is that it is a tragedy. The progressive diagnosis is slightly different. Some forms of insanity pertaining to human identity are now considered wholesome and admirable. This cultural stance of endorsing people who are “questioning” or “transitioning” their very essence, however, is not a stance at all, but rather a stumbling. The less people are able to identify insanity, the less sane they are as a people. Even in these days of mass madness, however, there is still a line that can be crossed over into insanity. A man is a hero if he calls himself a woman; but if a man calls himself a chicken, he is crazy—but for how long? If a man can have the courage to be the woman he thinks he is, even without the anatomy or nature of a woman, what precisely is stopping him from having the courage to be the chicken he thinks he is?
Should (or can) babies be baptized?
Should (or Can) Babies Be Baptized? | Catholic AnswersKEATING: Evangelical Protestants say that infants are not fit candidates for baptism because they are unable to manifest a desire to “accept Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior.” Baptism, they continue, is not regenerative—it does not do anything to the soul but is only a public sign to other Christians that the new believer believes.
In contrast, the Catholic Church (like the Eastern churches and “mainline” Protestant churches) always has taught that baptism forgives sins, infuses grace, and marks one’s entrance into the faith, and baptism can be conferred on infants validly.
In contrast, the Catholic Church (like the Eastern churches and “mainline” Protestant churches) always has taught that baptism forgives sins, infuses grace, and marks one’s entrance into the faith, and baptism can be conferred on infants validly.
My perspective on the Facebook fracas
My Perspective on the Facebook Fracas |Blogs | NCRegister.comPOPE: Early last week when my Facebook account was blocked I first thought it was a scam. Sometimes identity thieves simulate a website and ask for personal information. Yet after some research I discovered this was the real deal: Facebook was demanding government ID to prove that Msgr. Charles Pope is the real name I go by in everyday life. Strange. I know many people who do not go by the exact name on their driver’s license. What good would a government ID do to prove someone’s name?
What's going on with the stock market? Should we all be freaking out?
Wait — What's Going On With The Stock Market? - Digg: Last Friday saw massive drops in world markets, with a 530-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and stocks continued to plummet Monday, including a brief 1000-point drop in the Dow. So what's going on? Should we all be freaking out?
Nigeria is a laboratory for testing solutions to religious persecution
Nigeria is a laboratory for testing solutions to religious persecution | CruxALLEN: In many ways, Nigeria is the Texas of Africa. It’s a loud, bold, swashbuckling land where “go big or go home” could be the national motto. With a population of 183 million, it’s the largest nation in Africa and also the largest economy, and is the continent’s largest producer of oil.
Even Nigeria’s defects, such as its legendary corruption, are larger than life. Despite producing 2.4 million barrels of crude oil every day, generating $50 billion in annual revenue, so much money is siphoned off that the country imports gasoline and its power grid is notoriously unreliable.
Even Nigeria’s defects, such as its legendary corruption, are larger than life. Despite producing 2.4 million barrels of crude oil every day, generating $50 billion in annual revenue, so much money is siphoned off that the country imports gasoline and its power grid is notoriously unreliable.
Your hometown is a magical far-off place. Don't be deluded by familiarity...
The Delusion of the Familiar |Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: I have always been joyously afflicted with wanderlust. In It’s a Wonderful Life, when George Bailey tells Uncle Billy that the three most exciting sounds in the world are anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles, something stirs in my marrow. I have always felt the romance of travel, even when I’m standing in line while some portly TSA (Thousands Standing Around) agent puzzles over my rosary, wondering whether it might an Al-Quaeda Ninja weapon. When the car engine starts at the beginning of a vacation or you feel the jet shove you into your seat on take off, I think you have to be a little dead of soul not to feel the thrill of it.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Two hard sayings in one day: A homily for the 21st Sunday of the Year
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Blogtrottr <busybee@blogtrottr.com>
Date: Saturday, August 22, 2015
Subject: ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON: Two Hard Sayings in One Day – A Homily for the 21st Sunday of the Year
To: kcknight@gmail.com
AUTHOR=Msgr. Charles PopePOPE:
Today's readings feature two "hard sayings," one on the Eucharist, the other on marriage. One is hard because it defies our sensibilities, the other is hard because it is out-of-season and politically incorrect.
The first hard saying is Jesus' insistence that the Eucharist is actually His Body and Blood and that we must eat His true Flesh and drink His true Blood as our true food, as our necessary manna to sustain us on our journey through the desert of this life to the Promised Land of Heaven.
We have examined this teaching extensively in previous weeks and it is clear that the Lord is not speaking merely figuratively or symbolically. His listeners understand Him to be speaking literally; He is insisting that they eat His flesh, really, truly, and substantially. The severe reaction of His listeners can only be explained if they believe that Jesus is speaking literally. The listeners scoff and murmur, but Jesus only doubles down, insisting that unless they gnaw (trogon) on His flesh and devour His blood they have no life in them (cf Jn 6:53-54).
This leads to the crowd's scoff: This saying is hard; who can accept it? The Greek word translated here as "hard" is Σκληρός (skleros) and does not mean hard in the sense of being difficult to understand. Rather, it means hard in the sense of being violent, harsh, or stern. It describes a position (or person) that is stubborn and unyielding, It describes something (or someone) that won't bend or submit.
Despite every protest, Jesus will not back down for a moment. He will not qualify what He has said or in any way try to minimize its impact. So essential is the food of His Flesh and Blood that He will not even hint that there is some way out of this "hard saying."
The upshot is that many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Knowing this and seeing it, Jesus still remains clear in His teaching. He poses this question to his listeners and to you and me: "Do you also want to leave?" How will you answer Him?
The Eucharist remains a "hard saying" because it goes against our senses. Of the five senses, four are utterly deceived, for the Eucharistic elements still look, taste, smell, and feel like bread and wine. Only the sense of hearing is safely believed: "This is my Body … This is my Blood … The Bread that I will give is my flesh."
Yes, it is hard; will you leave? Maybe you won't leave, but will your faith in the Eucharist be tepid, the kind of faith that is un-devoted? Will you drift away from regular reception of the Eucharist? Where do you stand on this "hard saying"?
How consoled the Lord must have been by Peter's words: Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God. And how joyful He must be at your "Amen" each Sunday as you are summoned to faith: "The Body of Christ." Yes, you stand with Christ.
Sadly, others leave. Only 27% of Catholics today go to Mass. Further, many other Christians reject the dogma of the True Presence in the Holy Eucharist even though Jesus paid so dearly to proclaim it to us.
Is it a hard saying? Yes! But Amen anyhow! I stand with Jesus!
*******************
The second "hard saying" is hard for a different reason: it is (way) out-of-season and politically incorrect because it insists not only on headship within marriage but male headship. The Holy Spirit and the Apostles apparently never got the memo that this teaching is a "no go" in our modern, "enlightened" age. Indeed, the text "Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord." is like a stick in the eye to most moderns. Talk about a hard saying!
There are cultural and worldly notions that underlie the rejection by many Catholics and Christians of the biblical teaching on the headship of the husband. Indeed, such a concept is unpopular in our culture, which usually gets pretty worked up over questions of authority in general. But that is because the worldly notion of authority usually equates it only with power, dignity, rights, and being somehow "better" than someone else.
That is not the biblical view of authority. Consider what Jesus says about authority:
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority and make their importance felt. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:41-45).
Jesus sets aside the worldly notion of authority, wherein those in authority wield their power by "lording it over" others using fear and the trappings of power. In the Christian setting there is authority (there has to be), but it exists for service.
Consider a classroom teacher. She has authority; she must, so that she can unify and keep order. But she has that authority in order to serve the children, not to berate them and revel in her power over them. The same is true for a police officer, who has authority not for his own sake but for ours, so that he can protect us and preserve order.
Having authority in a Christian setting does not make one "better" than another, for authority is always exercised among equals. Our greatest dignity is to be a child of God, and none of us is more so just because we hold a position of authority.
But, truth be told, worldly notions of authority affect Christians. Many harbor resentment against authority because they think of it in worldly ways. Further, many who have authority (and most of us have some authority in some capacity) can fall prey to these worldly notions and abuse their leadership role.
The key to understanding the authority of a husband and father within the home is to set aside worldly notions of authority and see the teaching in the light of the Christian understanding of authority: that it exists for love and service, to unite and preserve.
With that in mind, let's turn to the highly unpopular and politically incorrect notion of wives being submissive to their husbands. The teaching is found in a number of places in the New Testament: Ephesians 5:22ff (today's text); Col 3:18; Titus 2:5; and 1 Peter 3:1. In all of these texts, the wording is quite similar: wives are to be submissive to, that is under the authority of, their husbands. In each case, however, the teaching is balanced by an exhortation that the husband is to love and be considerate of his wife.
The most well-known of these passages is today's text from Ephesians 5: Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is Head of the Church … so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything (Eph 5:20-21, 23).
Maybe this grates on modern ears, but don't just dismiss what God teaches here. One of the great dangers of this passage is that it is so startling to modern ears that many people just tune out after the first line and thus miss the rest of what God has to say. There is text that follows. And before men gloat over the first part of the passage, or women react to it with anger or sadness, they should pay attention to the rest of the text, which spells out the duties of a husband.
You see, if you're going to be the head of the household there are certain requirements that must be met. God is not playing around here or choosing sides. He has a comprehensive plan for husbands that is demanding; it requires them to curb any notions that authority is about power and to remember that, for a Christian, authority is always given so that the one who has it may serve. And before we look at submission we might do well to look at the duties of the husband.
What are the requirements for a husband?
1. Husbands, love your wives – Pay attention, men! Don't just tolerate your wife; don't just bring home a paycheck; don't just love her in some intellectual sort of way. LOVE your wife with all your heart. Beg God for the grace to love your wife tenderly, powerfully, and unconditionally. Do you hear what God says? LOVE your wife! He goes on to tell husbands to love their wives in three ways: passionately, with a purifying love, and with a providing love.
2. Passionate love – The text says that a man is to love his wife even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her. The Greek word παραδίδωμι (paradidomi), translated here as "handed over," always refers in the New Testament to Jesus' crucifixion. Husbands, are you willing to give your life for your wife and children? Are you willing to die to yourself and give your life as a daily sacrifice for them? God instructs you to love your wife (and children) with the same kind of love He has for His Bride, the Church. That kind of love is summed up in the Cross. Love your wife passionately. Be willing to suffer for her. Be willing to make sacrifices for her and for your children.
3. Purifying love – The text says of Christ (and of the husband who is to imitate Him) that He wills to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Now a husband cannot sanctify his wife in the same way that God can. But what a husband is called to do is to help his wife and children grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. First, he is to be himself under God's authority, thus making it easier for his wife and children to live out their baptismal commitments. He ought to be a spiritual leader in his home, praying with his wife and children, reading scripture, and seeing to it that his home is a place where God is loved and obeyed, first of all by him. His wife should not have to drag him to Church. He should willingly help her to grow in holiness and pray with her every day. He should become more holy himself as well, thus making it easier for his wife to live the Christian life. He should be the first teacher of his children, along with his wife, in the ways of faith.
Too many American homes do not feature a man being the spiritual leader of his household. If anyone at all is raising up the children in the Lord, it is usually the wife. But Scripture has in mind that the husband and father should be the spiritual leader to his wife and children. Scripture says, Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4). Fathers and husbands need to step up here and not leave all the burden on their wives.
4. Providing love – So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it. Husbands, take care of your wife in her needs. She needs more than food, clothing, and shelter. These days, she can get a lot of that for herself. What she needs more is your love, understanding, and appreciation. She needs for you to be a good listener. She needs an attentive husband who is present to her. Like any human being, she needs reassurance and affirmation. Tell her of your love and appreciation; don't just assume that she knows. Show care for your wife; attend to her needs just as you do instinctively for your own. Encourage her with the children. Confirm her authority over them and teach them to respect their mother. Show her providing love by taking up your proper role and duty as a father who is involved with his children. That is what God is teaching here.
OK, so scripture DOES teach that a wife should submit to her husband. But what kind of husband does Scripture have in mind? A husband who really loves his wife, who is a servant-leader, who makes sacrifices for his wife, who is prayerful and spiritual, who submits to God's authority, and who cares deeply for his wife and her needs. The same God who teaches submission (and He does) also clearly teaches these things for the husband. The teaching must be taken as a whole. But all that said, there IS a teaching on wives submitting (properly understood) to their husbands.
There is just no way around it. No matter how much the modern age wants to insist there doesn't need to be headship, there does. Every organization needs a head. Consider your own body. With two heads you'd be a freak; with no head you'd be dead. The members of your body need a head to unify the parts, otherwise there would be disunity, death, and decay. Every organization needs headship; it needs a final decider, a person to whom all look when consensus on a significant issue cannot be reached. The Protestants have tried to have a "church" without a head, without a Pope, and behold the division. Even this country, which we like to call a "democracy," is not actually a pure democracy. There are legislators, judges, law enforcers, and many other people and mechanisms that exercise local, state, federal, and final headship and authority.
Thus in a family, where consensus and compromise may often win the day, there nevertheless must be a head, a final decider to whom all look and submit, in order to resolve conflicts that cannot otherwise be worked out. Scripture assigns this task to the husband and father. Headship just has to be. But please remember to shed your worldly notions of headship when considering the teaching of Scripture. Headship (authority) is for love and service; it is for unity and preservation not for power, prestige, or superiority.
For more on this topic, consider listening to my sermon Teaching on Marriage (in mp3 format). But beware, it is 35 minutes long! Consider downloading it if you can't listen to it just now. You can download this and other sermons of mine by going here: http://frpope.com/audio/recordings.php. (Once there, right click on the title of any talk and select the "Save Target As" option.) You can also get my sermons at iTunes by searching on my name.
The post Two Hard Sayings in One Day – A Homily for the 21st Sunday of the Year appeared first on Community in Mission.
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Pope's Sunday Angelus: "Ask yourself the question, 'Who is Jesus for me?'"
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Blogtrottr <busybee@blogtrottr.com>
Date: Sunday, August 23, 2015
Subject: RADIO VATICANA: Angelus address: Full text
To: kcknight@gmail.com
AUTHOR=webteam@vaticanradio.org: 
Below you can find the full text of Pope Francis' address at the Angelus on Sunday 23 August 2015:
Today is the conclusion of the readings from the sixth chapter of the Gospel of St John, with the discourse on the "Bread of Life," proclaimed by Jesus on the day after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. At the end of that discourse, the great enthusiasm of the day before faded, because Jesus had said He was the Bread come down from heaven, and that He would give His Flesh as food and His Blood as drink, clearly alluding to the sacrifice of His very life. These words provoked disappointment in the people, who considered them unworthy of the Messiah, not "winning." That's how some saw Jesus: as a Messiah who ought to speak and act in such a way that His mission would be successful, immediately! But they erred precisely in this: in manner of understanding the mission of the Messiah! Even the disciples failed to accept that language, that disturbing language of the Master. And today's passage refers to their discomfort: "This saying is hard," they said, "Who can accept it?" (John 6:60).
In reality, they understood well the discourse of Jesus—so well that they did not want to hear it, because it is a discourse that undermines their mindset. The Words of Jesus always discomfort us; discomfort us, for example, with regard to the spirit of the world, of worldliness. But Jesus offers the key to overcome the difficulty; a key made of three elements. First, His divine origin: He is come down from heaven and will rise up "to where He was before" (v. 62). Second: His words can only be understood through the action of the Holy Spirit, He "who gives life" (v. 63). It is precisely the Holy Spirit that makes us understand Jesus well. Third: the true cause of misunderstanding of His words is lack of faith: "Among you there are some who do not believe" (v. 64), Jesus says. In fact, from that point, "many of His disciples turned back" (v. 66). In the face of these defections, Jesus does not take back or soften His words, in fact, He forces us to make a clear choice—either to remain with Him or to separate ourselves from Him—and He says to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" (v. 67).
At this point Peter makes his confession of faith in the name of the other Apostles: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (v. 68). He does not say "where shall we go?" but "to whom shall we go?" The fundamental problem is not leaving and abandoning the work that has been undertaken, but rather "to whom" to go. From that question of Peter, we understand that faithfulness to God is a question of faithfulness to a person, with whom we are joined in order to walk together along the same road. All that we have in the world does not satisfy our hunger for the infinite. We need Jesus, to remain with Him, to nourish ourselves at His table, on His words of eternal life! To believe in Jesus means making Him the centre, the meaning of our life. Christ is not an accessory element: He is the "living bread," the indispensable nourishment. Attaching ourselves to Him, in a true relationship of faith and love, does not mean being chained, but [rather] profoundly free, always on a journey.
Each one of us can ask himself, right now, "Who is Jesus for me? Is He a name? an idea? Is He simply a person from history? Or is He really the person Who loves me, Who gave His life for me and walks with me?" Who is Jesus for you? Do you remain with Jesus? Do you seek to know Him in His word? Do you read the Gospel every day, a passage from the Gospel in order to know Jesus? Do you carry the little Gospel in your pocket, in your bag, in order to read it everywhere. Because the more we are with Him the more the desire to remain with Him grows. Now I kindly ask you, let us take a moment of silence, and each one of us, in silence, in his or her heart, ask yourself the question: "Who is Jesus for me?" In silence, everyone answer in his or her heart. "Who is Jesus for me?"
[A moment of silence.]
May the Virgin Mary help us always "to go" to Jesus in order to experience the freedom that He offers us, and that allows us to purify our choices from worldly incrustations and fear.
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Saturday, August 22, 2015
Mary is our Queen, and her dominion is as vast as that of her Son and God
Mary is Our Queen, And Her Dominion is Vast |Blogs | NCRegister.comFENELON: Years ago, my spiritual director pointed out to me that, since the folks in heaven don’t really need anything, it would make sense that they would give rather than expect gifts on special days like holidays and birthdays. Since our Blessed Mother Mary loves us purely and without bounds, wouldn’t that also be true of her – to an even greater degree?
On August 22, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Queenship of Mary, one of my favorite of her feast days.
That’s likely because of my love for all things Medieval, but I have another reason, too.
I love the feast because of the way it came about.
On August 22, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Queenship of Mary, one of my favorite of her feast days.
That’s likely because of my love for all things Medieval, but I have another reason, too.
I love the feast because of the way it came about.
The 2 most important things to remember when discerning your vocation
The 2 Most Important Things to Remember When Discerning Your Vocation | ChurchPOP: Priesthood or Married Life? Consecrated Single Life or Religious Life? Diocesan Priesthood or Religious Priesthood? Religious Life or Married Life?
Pick one! Quick!
This could be the most difficult and important question you answer in your entire life. Yes, it’s important. But are you making it harder on yourself than it needs to be? You can calm down now, because the answer is probably yes.
One of the most tumultuous and difficult things for young Catholics to speak and think about is vocational discernment. This is a deeply personal issue for each individual, but there are some general truths that seem to apply in every particular case.
Pick one! Quick!
This could be the most difficult and important question you answer in your entire life. Yes, it’s important. But are you making it harder on yourself than it needs to be? You can calm down now, because the answer is probably yes.
One of the most tumultuous and difficult things for young Catholics to speak and think about is vocational discernment. This is a deeply personal issue for each individual, but there are some general truths that seem to apply in every particular case.
What to read on the French train attack and the U.S. servicemen who thwarted it
What To Read On The French Train Attack And The US Servicemen Who Thwarted It - Digg: Late Friday evening, three US servicemen disarmed then subdued a gunman who attempted to open fire on a high-speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris, preventing what could have been a gruesome attack. Here's what to read to get a full understanding of the thwarted attack, and the men who stopped it.
Crossing the fearsome 30-mile tundra on the Colorado Trail
Colorado Trail: Crossing the fearsome 30-mile tundra - The Denver Post: Hikers call it the "30-mile tundra," and it's one of the most beautiful and feared sections of The Colorado Trail.
Segments 22-24 stretch along the spine of the San Juan Mountains from Molas Pass to San Luis Pass (for northbound hikers, like me) — a lot of mileage. Fifty miles, if you add it up, but people call it 30. You can't get any higher or wilder in Colorado on the Continental Divide. You're rolling along between 12,000 and 13,000 feet for days at a time up there, in the boiling storm clouds hovering in the peaks. Up there is where the lightning god lives. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. There are no trees. There is no cover. You are the tallest thing in the boulder-pocked green. You are the lightning rod.
Segments 22-24 stretch along the spine of the San Juan Mountains from Molas Pass to San Luis Pass (for northbound hikers, like me) — a lot of mileage. Fifty miles, if you add it up, but people call it 30. You can't get any higher or wilder in Colorado on the Continental Divide. You're rolling along between 12,000 and 13,000 feet for days at a time up there, in the boiling storm clouds hovering in the peaks. Up there is where the lightning god lives. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. There are no trees. There is no cover. You are the tallest thing in the boulder-pocked green. You are the lightning rod.
Pope Francis surprises pilgrims in St. Peter's Basilica
Pope Francis surprises pilgrims in St. Peter's Basilica Vatican Radio: Pope Francis surprised the faithful in St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday when he attended the 7:00 morning Mass at the Altar of St. Pius X in the church. It was the feast day of the saint.
The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Lucio Bonora, an official of the Vatican’s Secretary of State, who was unaware the Pope planned on being there.
When he was informed Pope Francis was praying at the altar, he asked if he should go back to the sacristy, but was told to say Mass as usual.
The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Lucio Bonora, an official of the Vatican’s Secretary of State, who was unaware the Pope planned on being there.
When he was informed Pope Francis was praying at the altar, he asked if he should go back to the sacristy, but was told to say Mass as usual.
The practicality, dignity and grace of confession
The Practical Dignity of ConfessionLONGENECKER: I am blogging from Phoenix, Arizona where I’m speaking at a Marian Conference, and it was my joy last night to spend a couple of hours hearing confessions.
There are nearly a thousand people signed up for the conference and all around the room were long lines of ordinary people wanting to make their confession.
In seeing this I thought of the sheer practicality, dignity and grace of this beautiful sacrament.
There are nearly a thousand people signed up for the conference and all around the room were long lines of ordinary people wanting to make their confession.
In seeing this I thought of the sheer practicality, dignity and grace of this beautiful sacrament.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Concerning green frogs, fish stories and Christians who keep falling for faux news
Concerning green frogs, fish stories and Christians who keep falling for faux news — GetReligionMATTINGLY: Long ago, when I worked on The Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette copy desk, the news editor quickly discovered there was one unpleasant newsroom task for which I was uniquely qualified, as a Southern Baptist preacher's kid and would-be religion-beat professional.
Every now and then an angry reader would call and accuse the newspaper of being prejudiced against all religious people or of deliberately screwing up facts in a story about religion. You might say that some readers were convinced that the editors simply did not "get religion."
Every now and then an angry reader would call and accuse the newspaper of being prejudiced against all religious people or of deliberately screwing up facts in a story about religion. You might say that some readers were convinced that the editors simply did not "get religion."
Little Sisters of the Poor get temporary relief while Supreme Court mulls taking case
Little Sisters get temporary relief while Supreme Court mulls taking case :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The Little Sisters of the Poor have received temporary protection from the federal contraception mandate until the Supreme Court decides whether or not it will hear their case.
On Aug. 21, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Little Sisters will not be subject the mandate’s requirements or the fines associated with resisting it. The court order lasts until the Supreme Court announces whether it will take up the sisters’ appeal. If the Court agrees to hear the case, the protection from the mandate will last until it issues a final ruling.
On Aug. 21, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Little Sisters will not be subject the mandate’s requirements or the fines associated with resisting it. The court order lasts until the Supreme Court announces whether it will take up the sisters’ appeal. If the Court agrees to hear the case, the protection from the mandate will last until it issues a final ruling.
Islamic State destroys ancient Catholic monastery in Syria
Islamic State destroys ancient Catholic monastery in Syria :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Reports surfaced on Thursday that Islamic State militants have bulldozed Mar Elian Monastery, an ancient structure located just outside a Syrian town captured by the group earlier this month.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, on Aug. 20 said that the Islamic State had destroyed the monastery using bulldozers. Photos of the destruction were soon released online by the militant Sunni Islamist group.
The destruction was confirmed to the AP by a priest in Damascus.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, on Aug. 20 said that the Islamic State had destroyed the monastery using bulldozers. Photos of the destruction were soon released online by the militant Sunni Islamist group.
The destruction was confirmed to the AP by a priest in Damascus.
8th shocking video released: StemExpress CEO admits Planned Parenthood sells fully intact aborted babies
8th Shocking Video: StemExpress CEO Admits Planned Parenthood Sells Fully Intact Aborted Babies | LifeNews.com: Just a short time after a judge issued a ruling that the biotech firm StemExpress can’t block the Center for Medical Progress from releasing another video that shows what it does with aborted babies Planned Parenthood sells to it, the pro-life group put up the 8th video in its series showing the scandal of Planned Parenthood selling aborted baby body parts.
While the videos have focused on the Planned Parenthood abortion business, the biotech firm StemExpress, which buys and resells aborted baby body parts from the abortion giant, has filed a lawsuit seeking to block some information the Center for Medical Progress obtained in its three year undercover operation.
While the videos have focused on the Planned Parenthood abortion business, the biotech firm StemExpress, which buys and resells aborted baby body parts from the abortion giant, has filed a lawsuit seeking to block some information the Center for Medical Progress obtained in its three year undercover operation.
In this truly magical Catholic village, rent hasn't been raised since the year 1520
Fuggerei | Atlas Obscura: After minting coins for the Vatican and making a name for himself as one of Europe's greatest early entrepreneurs, Jakob Fugger (aka "Jakob the Rich") turned his eye toward those in need. What emerged from this vision has persisted as the world's oldest charitable social housing complex.
In the year 1517, construction began on Fugger's vision for what would become the golden-walled enclave of Fuggerei, which he created as a way of providing affordable homes for day laborers, artisans and their families. Though it sustained heavy damage during a bombing raid in WWII, the community was restored to its pre-raid condition, where it has remained uninterruptedly inhabited since its founding in 1520. The city-within-a-city consists of private residences including 67 houses, 147 apartments, St. Mark's Church, and an administrative building.
In the year 1517, construction began on Fugger's vision for what would become the golden-walled enclave of Fuggerei, which he created as a way of providing affordable homes for day laborers, artisans and their families. Though it sustained heavy damage during a bombing raid in WWII, the community was restored to its pre-raid condition, where it has remained uninterruptedly inhabited since its founding in 1520. The city-within-a-city consists of private residences including 67 houses, 147 apartments, St. Mark's Church, and an administrative building.
This chart shows the life of a typical American in weeks
This Chart Shows the Life of a Typical American in Weeks - CityLab: Although the phrase “typical American” may conjure up images of picket fences and middle-class families with a couple of dogs and a kid on the way, the term is actually quite difficult to classify. To see what I mean, take a close look at the chart below from Wait But Why, which attempts to measure the life of a typical American using data from Gallup, Forbes, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Baby Center, and the Pew Research Center. On the right side, it divides the typical American’s life into seven broad categories: the early years, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, graduate school/career, and retirement. On the left, it marks the distinct milestones that a typical American might experience throughout his or her lifetime. Each row represents a year of one’s life.
Catholic deacon presiding at a lesbian wedding in Mississippi?
Catholic deacon presiding at a lesbian wedding in Mississippi?KANDRA: This popped up in my newsfeed this morning: part of a profile of writer, stand-up comic and cancer survivor Tig Notaro—who, not insignificantly, happens to be gay. She’s also about to get married to her longtime girlfriend, Stephanie. “Her family is completely on board, including the Catholic deacon cousin who’s agreed to marry them...”
I suspect the Diocese of Biloxi might be interested in hearing more about that.
To clear up any confusion, there’s this document. A couple years ago, Ed Peters looked at the canonical issues involved, and his first point has direct bearing on this story...
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