Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Why bringing up a child is one of the most amazing thing you'll ever do
New Advent: Why bringing up a child is one of the most amazing thing you'll ever do: We hear a lot about the expense, the bother and the trials of bringing up children. But when all is said and done, bringing up a child is also undeniably one of the most amazing thing you'll ever do...
A conservative solution to modern Know-Nothingism
A Conservative Solution to Modern Know-Nothingism | commentaryAHMARI: Thousands of column inches have been devoted to the closing of the conservative mind lately, and for good reason. A movement that once admired the likes of William F. Buckley, Russell Kirk, and Irving Kristol has morphed into the brain-frying cult of Donald J. Trump, which is lamentable even if you think the 45th president is doing some good things on the policy front. And as the latest CPAC booing-fest demonstrated, many conservatives have concluded that the best response to the left’s race-gender-sex mania is a right-wing version of the same.
Pope names Montana’s Bishop George Thomas as 3rd Bishop of Las Vegas
Whispers in the Loggia: For Vegas, The Pope's Payout – Amid Growth and Grief, Helena's Thomas Hits The StripPALMO: Resolving the US' largest open seat a bit more quickly than expected, at Roman Noon this Wednesday the Pope named Bishop George Thomas (above) – the 67 year-old head of western Montana's Helena diocese since 2004 – as the third bishop of Las Vegas: carved into a stand-alone diocese just two decades ago, now boomed to some 850,000 Catholics amid Sin City's marked growth.
In the post overseeing the five counties of southern Nevada, the Seattle-bred prelate – once the top aide to Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen at the end of his tumultuous tenure – succeeds Bishop Joseph Pepe, who reached the retirement age of 75 last June.
In the post overseeing the five counties of southern Nevada, the Seattle-bred prelate – once the top aide to Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen at the end of his tumultuous tenure – succeeds Bishop Joseph Pepe, who reached the retirement age of 75 last June.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Know the difference between righteous and sinful anger
The Seven Deadly Sins: Anger - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: The deadly sin of anger is defined as the inordinate and uncontrolled feeling of hatred and wrath. Unlike righteous anger, the capital sin of anger is understood as the deep drive to cling to hateful feelings for others. This kind of anger often seeks revenge.
The consideration of anger as an experience, passion, or feeling requires some distinctions, however. Not all anger is sinful nor necessarily a deadly sin. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus manifests quite a lot of anger and issues many denunciations, often accompanied by the phrase, “Woe to you!” In this way, He spoke in much the same way as all the prophets before Him.
We live in a culture that tends to be shocked by expressions of anger; it is almost reflexively rejected as counterproductive. In some situations, though, anger is the appropriate response.
The consideration of anger as an experience, passion, or feeling requires some distinctions, however. Not all anger is sinful nor necessarily a deadly sin. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus manifests quite a lot of anger and issues many denunciations, often accompanied by the phrase, “Woe to you!” In this way, He spoke in much the same way as all the prophets before Him.
We live in a culture that tends to be shocked by expressions of anger; it is almost reflexively rejected as counterproductive. In some situations, though, anger is the appropriate response.
50 wise and wonderful insights from Padre Pio
50 Wise and Wonderful Insights from Padre PioPRONECHEN: During year marking the 100th anniversary of his stigmata and 50th anniversary of his death, Padre Pio should also be remembered for the countless spiritual insights, succinct spiritual direction, and constant encouragement he gave through his concise sayings and teaching. Here are 50 of them to think about.
The heavy influence of Cardinal Sodano, defender of Maciel, may finally be fading
The Pope and the Vatican’s top power broker | Catholic CultureLAWLER: For the first time in my life, I find myself in substantial agreement with Robert Mickens, who now covers Vatican affairs for La Croix. In his most recent column there, Mickens examines the enormous and enduring influence of Cardinal Angelo Sodano. It’s an eye-opener.
Cardinal Sodano retired as Vatican Secretary of State in September 2006. But he did not leave office willingly—in fact, he literally stayed, physically, at the same desk for weeks, forcing his successor Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to work out of a temporary office—and he has continued to play his accustomed role behind the scenes, promoting the interests of various prelates and various causes. He remains the dean of the College of Cardinals today, at the age of 90, with no sign that he is prepared to step down from that position.
Cardinal Sodano retired as Vatican Secretary of State in September 2006. But he did not leave office willingly—in fact, he literally stayed, physically, at the same desk for weeks, forcing his successor Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to work out of a temporary office—and he has continued to play his accustomed role behind the scenes, promoting the interests of various prelates and various causes. He remains the dean of the College of Cardinals today, at the age of 90, with no sign that he is prepared to step down from that position.
Jordan Peterson’s new book is positively chockablock with wise insights
The Jordan Peterson Phenomenon | Word On FireBARRON: Like many others, I have watched the Jordan Peterson phenomenon unfold with a certain fascination. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you don’t spend a lot of time on social media, for Peterson, a mild-mannered psychology professor from the University of Toronto, has emerged as one of the hottest personalities on the internet. He is followed by millions of people, especially young men. His lectures and presentations—cool, understated, brainy, and blunt—are avidly watched and commented upon. And his new book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, is a number one bestseller all over the world. Moreover, Peterson’s spirited and articulate opposition to the imposition of speech codes in his native Canada has made him a controversial political player, a hero of free speech to his supporters and a right-wing ideologue to his detractors. His interview with Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News, during which Peterson’s interlocutor revealed herself as a hopelessly biased social justice warrior, has, as of this writing, been viewed 7.5 million times.
How to pray your children into Heaven
How to Pray Your Children into HeavenSPENCER: As the Minnesota winter lingered on in full force in February we found ourselves a second weekend in a row in the nearby conservatory. We wandered through the beautifully landscaped greenhouses breathing in the humid, oxygen-rich air, remembering what it is like to be surrounded by green things. As my children dangled over the edge of a fountain, reaching for the tricking water, a conservatory volunteer handed them each a penny, instructing each to make a wish and throw the penny in. My 2-year-old son flung his in with gusto, but the girls pondered over their wishes for a moment and tossed theirs in as well. As we were walking away from the fountain through the greenery, one of my daughters clasped my hand and said, “Do you know what I wished for, Mom? I wished that I would go to Heaven someday.”
What do Google, the Navy SEALs and the Catholic Church have in common?
What do Google, the Navy SEALs and the Catholic Church Have in Common?GRESS: In the just-released book, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, New York Times best-selling author Daniel Coyle dives deeply into what drives cultures — particularly those of businesses, sports teams and military units. He wants to know what makes for infectious organizations, the ones that people just want to be a part of and find energizing. Analyzing groups like Google, Zappos, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Navy SEALs, Coyle draws some very startling conclusions about what supports cohesion, cooperation and creativity.
The key to these out-performing cultures is not the collective intelligence of a group, heaps of financial resources or pools of talent. It is much more basic than that. Coyle sums it up in three things: (1) a sense of belonging, (2) a shared purpose as part of a bigger story and (3) a sense of safety for people to be who they are. These things, when they go together, Coyle explains, are the heart of a great culture. Surprisingly, what they boil down to is a sense of family.
The key to these out-performing cultures is not the collective intelligence of a group, heaps of financial resources or pools of talent. It is much more basic than that. Coyle sums it up in three things: (1) a sense of belonging, (2) a shared purpose as part of a bigger story and (3) a sense of safety for people to be who they are. These things, when they go together, Coyle explains, are the heart of a great culture. Surprisingly, what they boil down to is a sense of family.
World War I dazzle camouflage was fantastically weird — and surprisingly smart
New Advent: World War I dazzle camouflage was fantastically weird — and surprisingly smart: Dazzle camouflage was a surprisingly effective defense against torpedoes. In this episode of Vox Almanac, Phil Edwards explains why.
Family Faith Snapshots: Dr. Jared Staudt
Family Faith Snapshots: Dr. Jared Staudt: I am a Catholic educator and I carry out my work primarily by supporting parish catechesis in the Archdiocese of Denver, but also by teaching various courses, supporting Catholic schools, and through writing, especially for the Denver Catholic paper and the website Those Catholic Men.
Are we living in The Twilight Zone?
Are We Living in The Twilight Zone?CLARK: In one classic episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, the viewer is introduced to Anthony Fremont, a little boy with an amazing power: whatever Anthony wishes to happen, happens. Sadly, the young protagonist’s exceptional power is used only for terrible evil. His goal seems to be maximizing the unhappiness of others. He tortures, murders, and sends poor souls to the mysterious “cornfield,” a miserable wasteland of death. He also manipulates nature, creating strange and frightening animals, but when the animals turn on him, he kills them. To some, Anthony’s malignance may seem inexplicable, at least at first. But as the story unfolds, the reasons become all too clear.
Whither the reform? Amid a move to Korea, aftershocks in Rome...
Whispers in the Loggia: Whither The Reform? – Amid a Move to Korea, Aftershocks in RomePALMO: As the news-cycle already begins to immerse itself in the coming fifth anniversary of Francis' pontificate in two weeks' time, this Monday brings another inflection-point for one of the Pope's key projects – and yet again, one that leaves more questions than answers in its wake.
Topping today's batch of appointments, Papa Bergoglio named Msgr Alfred Xuereb (above left) – the 59 year-old Maltese best known for his years as deputy secretary to Benedict XVI – as Nuncio to South Korea and Mongolia, elevating him to the rank of archbishop. Yet while the pick's history with the Pope-emeritus has garnered no shortage of sentimental headlines, the move's real ramifications lie elsewhere, reaching right to the heart of both the reigning Pope's foreign policy, not to mention Francis' attempts at reform within the Vatican itself.
Topping today's batch of appointments, Papa Bergoglio named Msgr Alfred Xuereb (above left) – the 59 year-old Maltese best known for his years as deputy secretary to Benedict XVI – as Nuncio to South Korea and Mongolia, elevating him to the rank of archbishop. Yet while the pick's history with the Pope-emeritus has garnered no shortage of sentimental headlines, the move's real ramifications lie elsewhere, reaching right to the heart of both the reigning Pope's foreign policy, not to mention Francis' attempts at reform within the Vatican itself.
Envy is ugly and it is diabolical, so you’d better know how to recognize it when you see it
The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: There is a picture of envy in First Book if Samuel: Upon David’s return from slaying Goliath, the women sing a song praising him. Saul should rejoice with all Israel but instead he is resentful and envies David: Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought, “They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me. All that remains for him is the kingship.” And from that day on, Saul looked upon David with a glaring eye. Saul discussed his intention of killing David with his son Jonathan and with all his servants (1 Sam 18:6-9). Saul’s reaction is way over the top; this is what envy does.
Church to examine married priests to ease Amazon clergy shortage (WSJ paywall)
Catholic Church Considers Married Priests to Ease Amazon Clergy Shortage - WSJ: In the remote Brazilian town of Tabatinga, João Souza da Silva helped construct the Catholic church where he got married 31 years ago, a wedding that officially ended his boyhood dream of becoming a priest. He may get a second chance, as Catholic leaders in the vast Amazon basin consider whether the church should let married men become priests in certain cases. The issue is likely to be discussed at a gathering of bishops Pope Francis has called for next year about the church in the Amazon.
Priest in Saginaw, Michigan, accused of ‘detestable’ sex assaults against young men
Mid-Michigan priest charged with sex crimes - WNEM TV 5: A local priest has gone before a judge, accused of multiple sex crimes. Father Robert DeLand, Jr., a pastor at St. Agnes Church in Freeland, was arrested in the late hours of Feb. 25 after months of investigation. DeLand, 71, was first accused of sexual assault in August of 2017 by a then 21-year-old man who claimed the incident happened at DeLand’s house on Mallard Cove in Saginaw Township, according to Det. Brian Berg with the Tittabawassee Township Police Department. Police were then approached by a 17-year-old and his parents, concerned about the relationship developing between the teen and the priest.
Jerusalem backs down after protests, suspends tax plan that closed Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Israel Suspends Plan to Tax Jerusalem Church Properties | World News | US News: Jerusalem's mayor on Tuesday suspended a plan to impose taxes on properties owned by Christian churches, backing away from a move that had enraged religious leaders and led to the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said a professional team was being established to negotiate with church officials to "formulate a solution."
"As a result, the Jerusalem Municipality is suspending the collection actions it has taken in recent weeks," it said.
Roman Catholic officials issued a statement saying that Christian leaders were holding consultations and would soon announce their response, including a decision on whether to reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said a professional team was being established to negotiate with church officials to "formulate a solution."
"As a result, the Jerusalem Municipality is suspending the collection actions it has taken in recent weeks," it said.
Roman Catholic officials issued a statement saying that Christian leaders were holding consultations and would soon announce their response, including a decision on whether to reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
4 unusual ways to make your car last longer
4 Unusual Ways to Make Your Car Last Longer: Every driver knows the importance of oil changes and routine maintenance help keep any car ticking, and air filters clog, brake pads wear out, and serpentine belts stretch as the miles add up. Usually there are warning signs that let you know something is off, but there could be things you're doing – or not doing – that will make your engine sputter to a stop.
If you're the type of driver who wants to keep your car for as long as possible, these are the four things you need to know.
If you're the type of driver who wants to keep your car for as long as possible, these are the four things you need to know.
How to know when a cardinal gets to Heaven
How to Know When A Cardinal Gets to Heaven | T.J. BurdickBURDICK: A few weeks ago, my wife and I took a trip to Chicago. We visited the Holy Name Cathedral for Mass on Sunday morning and, strangely enough, there was no traffic and we arrived early.
We sat in the front pew and gazed at the beautiful artwork, the striking architecture, and all but lost ourselves in the ambiance of the place. Then, we looked above the altar and saw what looked like dangling remains of art hanging from the ceiling.
We sat in the front pew and gazed at the beautiful artwork, the striking architecture, and all but lost ourselves in the ambiance of the place. Then, we looked above the altar and saw what looked like dangling remains of art hanging from the ceiling.
Is Plato necessary for salvation?
Is Plato Necessary for Salvation? - The Imaginative ConservativeKOZINSKI: In his Confessions, St. Augustine remarked that he found all the fundamental truths in Plato... except the Incarnation. Well, that’s a pretty big except. And if true, which it is—nowhere in the entire corpus of Plato is there even a hint of the “Good beyond Being” ever mixing itself with matter, for while the eternal and immutable forms may manifest themselves to us, they could, by metaphysical necessity, never descend to our world of time and space. If Augustine’s remark is accurate, it would constitute a definitive answer to the question that is the title of this paper. For since the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is man’s salvation; since the authoritative account of it is found nowhere else but in the Gospels, and since Plato, at least implicitly, denied its very possibility, then it would seem that in no way can reading Plato be necessary for salvation. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him; one must love the Lord with one’s whole heart, mind, soul, and strength; love is impossible without knowledge of the beloved; and ignorance of Scripture, as St. Jerome said, is ignorance of Christ. So, reading the Gospels, not Platonic dialogues, is what is necessary for salvation.
Whether the fault is theirs or ours, here’s how to bring home wounded and disaffected Catholics
Welcoming the WoundedBERG: There’s certainly no easy answer to the daunting question of how to connect with disaffected Catholics and attract them back to the Church.
But this season of Lent certainly is a good time to try.
Their personal situations and the causes for their estrangement from the Church can be complex. A plethora of issues can constitute a wedge between disaffected Catholics and their Church. In this article I want to focus on a particular portion of that population — namely, those who have become disillusioned with the Church because of some hurtful experience endured therein, particularly at the hands of those in leadership.
But this season of Lent certainly is a good time to try.
Their personal situations and the causes for their estrangement from the Church can be complex. A plethora of issues can constitute a wedge between disaffected Catholics and their Church. In this article I want to focus on a particular portion of that population — namely, those who have become disillusioned with the Church because of some hurtful experience endured therein, particularly at the hands of those in leadership.
God’s mercy is a mercy beyond our comprehension
Learning As I Go - Jeff MinickMINICK: We live in a world where many people peddle mercy and forgiveness, but where too few of us practice those ideas. From the suicide bomber who straps on explosives and murders or maims a hundred shoppers in a marketplace to the brother who refuses to speak to his siblings, from those who proclaim politics their god and their opponents demons to a daughter who cuts her parents out of her life , from the politician who attacks an opponent through lies and innuendo to the wife who daily berates her husband over trivial issues: in public issues or personal, great or small, mercy, pity, and forgiveness are often missing from the human heart.
The pathway of discipleship — a model to help guide you and others
Pathway Of Discipleship - A Model To Help Guide You & Others - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: I have a pretty accurate internal GPS. That means, when I think I know where I am going, I generally don't look at a map or have a guide (aka - my phone). Of course, that means there are times I have missed turns, gotten lost, and had to seek help (aka - my phone). Discipleship can be that way too. When we think we know where we are goind, we don't necessarily seek out help or tools that can guide us. This is unfortunate, because we may just lose our way.
The hidden warrior nuns of Tehachapi
The Hidden Warrior Nuns Of TehachapiSTEELE: Imagine if you will a wave, like a ripple in a pond, emanating from the Tehachapi mountains in a concentric circle. The source of this wave is not an earthquake caused by tectonic movement but something even more powerful: prayer. As it flows outward and eventually envelops the world, it penetrates both the darkness and the light.
This concerted “raising of one’s mind and heart to God and the requesting of good things from God” clearly does not destroy, but just the opposite. This mystical vibration, like a heart, “pumps the sap of grace” to our fallen planet and impacts the secular blind, the spiritually lethargic, the religious myopic and even the righteous. It advocates for our eternal well-being.
This concerted “raising of one’s mind and heart to God and the requesting of good things from God” clearly does not destroy, but just the opposite. This mystical vibration, like a heart, “pumps the sap of grace” to our fallen planet and impacts the secular blind, the spiritually lethargic, the religious myopic and even the righteous. It advocates for our eternal well-being.
What did Billy Graham think about the Catholic Church?
Billy Graham and the Catholic Church - The Coming Home NetworkSWAIM: When the news came in that Billy Graham passed away on Wednesday, February 21 at the age of 99, my thoughts immediately returned me to a class I took in grad school on American Evangelicalism. One of the daunting tasks of the class was to do something that no historian, pollster or news pundit has ever been able to successfully do: define the word “Evangelical” itself. Our professor, however, noted that the best single-sentence definition he’d ever come up with was “someone who likes Billy Graham.”
Monday, February 26, 2018
Catholic bishops in Scotland oppose new law that punishes parents for spanking their kids
Catholic church fights smacking ban | Scotland | The Times: The Catholic church has stirred up controversy by indicating that it will oppose a Scottish law banning parents from smacking their children.
The country is set to be the first part of the UK to outlaw the physical punishment of children after the Scottish government confirmed that a member’s bill lodged by John Finnie, the Green MSP, will become law.
Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said: “A bill which would criminalise parents for chastising their children appears to have little public support.
The country is set to be the first part of the UK to outlaw the physical punishment of children after the Scottish government confirmed that a member’s bill lodged by John Finnie, the Green MSP, will become law.
Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said: “A bill which would criminalise parents for chastising their children appears to have little public support.
Exorcists explain Ireland’s rise in demonic activity
Exorcists Explain Ireland’s Rise in Demonic ActivityARMSTRONG: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. It’s Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion. If you push a large rock up a hill, it will exert an equal force back on you.
Is there a similar law for the supernatural world? Absolutely. Walk away from God and the devil will meet with no resistance when he comes at you. It is the reason that Fr. Vincent Lampert, the designated exorcist for the archdiocese of Indianapolis, said in an interview for a previous article that if a person wants nothing to do with God, he cannot help, but if you go to Mass and receive the sacraments, the devil is already on the run. It is not an equal reaction, however. “The power of God is greater than the power of evil,” Father Lampert said.
Is there a similar law for the supernatural world? Absolutely. Walk away from God and the devil will meet with no resistance when he comes at you. It is the reason that Fr. Vincent Lampert, the designated exorcist for the archdiocese of Indianapolis, said in an interview for a previous article that if a person wants nothing to do with God, he cannot help, but if you go to Mass and receive the sacraments, the devil is already on the run. It is not an equal reaction, however. “The power of God is greater than the power of evil,” Father Lampert said.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed in protest of new Jerusalem tax law
Jerusalem Christians Unite ... to Close Church of the Holy Sepulchre | News & Reporting | Christianity Today: In an action not seen in more than a century, the leaders of Jerusalem’s churches closed the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday in a show of united protest. The dramatic decision comes in response to moves by Jerusalem authorities to begin collecting tens of millions of dollars in taxes from churches, as well as proposed legislation to confiscate church-owned land. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre—considered by many Christians to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, tomb and resurrection—is jointly managed by a cadre of Orthodox and Catholic churches. It is one of the most-visited sites in Israel, and its closure came as a sudden shock, especially with Easter celebrations approaching.
Images of Rome covered in rare blanket of thick snow
Images of Rome Covered in Rare Blanket of Thick SnowPENTIN: St. Peter’s Square came alive this morning with snowball fights among seminarians of the North American College, children sledging and even some skiing as Rome was covered in a rare, thick blanket of snow.
Unaccustomed to snow which last fell here in 2012, 2010 and 1986, the Eternal City was brought to a virtual standstill with many bus lines suspended due to inaccessible roads and the closure of archaeological sites such as the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Schools in the city were also closed.
Unaccustomed to snow which last fell here in 2012, 2010 and 1986, the Eternal City was brought to a virtual standstill with many bus lines suspended due to inaccessible roads and the closure of archaeological sites such as the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Schools in the city were also closed.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Why did the Crucifixion catch the Twelve by surprise? A clue from today’s Gospel...
Why Did the Crucifixion Catch the Twelve by Surprise? A Clue from Today’s GospelGREYDANUS: Jesus predicted his passion and death repeatedly — at least three times. Yet Jesus’ arrest, trial, passion and crucifixion seems to have caught the Twelve completely off guard. Why weren’t they expecting it? Hadn’t Jesus told them?
Why was Peter in particular so adrift and distressed that he denied the Lord three times, despite all the miracles he had seen?
Today’s Gospel offers an important clue: After the Transfiguration, Jesus charges Peter, James and John not to relate what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. The Gospel ends with this line
Why was Peter in particular so adrift and distressed that he denied the Lord three times, despite all the miracles he had seen?
Today’s Gospel offers an important clue: After the Transfiguration, Jesus charges Peter, James and John not to relate what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. The Gospel ends with this line
The Five Wounds of Christ and ‘Membra Jesu Nostri’
The Five Wounds of Christ and ‘Membra Jesu Nostri’MANN: During Lent the Church proposes that we dedicate ourselves to prayer, fasting, abstinence and almsgiving. Our parishes, like Blessed Sacrament here in Wichita, provide many opportunities for us to gather in prayer: Stations of the Cross, Holy Hours with Vespers and Benediction, Lauds after the 6:30 a.m. Daily Mass, etc. To promote abstinence, there’s a Lenten soup supper after Stations of the Cross on the Fridays of Lent; to promote almsgiving, there’s a canned goods drive each weekend. There are many opportunities for the Sacrament of Confession, including a Lenten Penance Service. We even received a postcard in the mail with details about these preparations for Easter.
How are the curial reforms of Pope Francis proceeding so far?
MondayVatican – Vatican Pope Francis, how are his reforms proceeding? | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: As soon as he returns from the Lenten Spiritual exercises, Pope Francis will preside the Council of Cardinals periodic meeting. But the week will likely begin with the appointment of three new nuncios.
The three nuncios are Msgr. Alfred Xuereb, currently secretary to the Secretariat for the Economy and formerly secretary to Benedict XVI, who should be appointed papal nuncio to South Korea; Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, Vatican vice minister for relations with states, who should go as nuncio to Singapore; and Msgr. José Avelino Bettencourt, head of the Vatican protocol, who is reportedly going to be nuncio in Georgia.
These three appointments constitute a shift in the governance of the Secretariat of State, and represent the first moves of Pope Francis as the beginning of his 5th year of pontificate approaches.
The three nuncios are Msgr. Alfred Xuereb, currently secretary to the Secretariat for the Economy and formerly secretary to Benedict XVI, who should be appointed papal nuncio to South Korea; Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, Vatican vice minister for relations with states, who should go as nuncio to Singapore; and Msgr. José Avelino Bettencourt, head of the Vatican protocol, who is reportedly going to be nuncio in Georgia.
These three appointments constitute a shift in the governance of the Secretariat of State, and represent the first moves of Pope Francis as the beginning of his 5th year of pontificate approaches.
One of the more misunderstood of the cardinal sins is sloth
The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE:Most see sloth merely as laziness, but there is more to it than that. Let’s take a moment and consider some aspects of this cardinal sin.
The Greek word we translate as sloth is ἀκηδία akedia (a = absence kedos = care), meaning indifference or negligence. St. Thomas Aquinas speaks of sloth as sorrow for spiritual good. By it, we shun spiritual good as too toilsome (cf Summa Theologica II-II 35,2).
Some modern commentators describe sloth as a “don’t care” feeling. Some even say it is a kind of falling out of love with God and the things of God (cf Rev 2:4). On account of sloth, the idea of right living and the gift of a transformed humanity inspires not joy, but aversion or even disgust because it is seen as too difficult or as requiring the setting aside of currently enjoyed or sinful pleasures. Through sloth, many experience sorrow rather than joy or zeal in following God and receiving a transformed human life. They are distressed at the prospect of what might have to occur should they embrace the faith more deeply.
The Greek word we translate as sloth is ἀκηδία akedia (a = absence kedos = care), meaning indifference or negligence. St. Thomas Aquinas speaks of sloth as sorrow for spiritual good. By it, we shun spiritual good as too toilsome (cf Summa Theologica II-II 35,2).
Some modern commentators describe sloth as a “don’t care” feeling. Some even say it is a kind of falling out of love with God and the things of God (cf Rev 2:4). On account of sloth, the idea of right living and the gift of a transformed humanity inspires not joy, but aversion or even disgust because it is seen as too difficult or as requiring the setting aside of currently enjoyed or sinful pleasures. Through sloth, many experience sorrow rather than joy or zeal in following God and receiving a transformed human life. They are distressed at the prospect of what might have to occur should they embrace the faith more deeply.
Is it a sin to put in a strenuous workout on Sunday?
ASK FATHER: Can I workout on Sunday? | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: In general, we should avoid strenuous work on Sundays. A “work out” is, by definition, “work”, but of a different kind than most labor. First, though it is hard, we derive a real good and satisfaction from it. By working out, you are caring for your body, which is your responsibility before God to do.
It is also possible to pray, for example, the Rosary while working out or running, etc.
That reminds me of the old chestnut about whether or not it is permitted for priests to smoke a cigar while reciting their breviary. The answer is, of course, No, it is not permitted. However, it IS permitted to pray the breviary while smoking a cigar. I think a Jesuit came up with that one. An oldie but goodie.
If some activity hinders you from fulfilling your obligations or if, after examining your conscience you sense that is lessened Sunday as an important time to rest in the Lord, as the Lord Himself rested on the seventh day, then leave that activity aside on Sunday.
It is also possible to pray, for example, the Rosary while working out or running, etc.
That reminds me of the old chestnut about whether or not it is permitted for priests to smoke a cigar while reciting their breviary. The answer is, of course, No, it is not permitted. However, it IS permitted to pray the breviary while smoking a cigar. I think a Jesuit came up with that one. An oldie but goodie.
If some activity hinders you from fulfilling your obligations or if, after examining your conscience you sense that is lessened Sunday as an important time to rest in the Lord, as the Lord Himself rested on the seventh day, then leave that activity aside on Sunday.
This town in the UK has found a potent cure for illness. It’s called community...
The town that’s found a potent cure for illness – community | George Monbiot | Opinion | The Guardian: It could, if the results stand up, be one of the most dramatic medical breakthroughs of recent decades. It could transform treatment regimes, save lives, and save health services a fortune. Is it a drug? A device? A surgical procedure? No, it’s a newfangled intervention called community. This week the results from a trial in the Somerset town of Frome are published informally, in the magazine Resurgence & Ecologist. (A scientific paper has been submitted to a medical journal and is awaiting peer review). We should be cautious about embracing data before it is published in the academic press, and must always avoid treating correlation as causation. But this shouldn’t stop us feeling a shiver of excitement about the implications, if the figures turn out to be robust and the experiment can be replicated.
Photographer’s incredible shots of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch go viral
Photographer Behind the Viral SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch Photographs: Professional photographer Brady Kenniston has been through a whirlwind over the past few weeks, ever since his incredible photographs of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch went viral. The 22-year-old photographer, who primarily makes a living shooting portraits, weddings, and local sporting events, hasn't missed a SpaceX launch since 2015. Little did he know that a few years later, Elon Musk himself would be retweeting his photographs.
Pope’s Sunday Angelus: “What is Jesus’ Transfiguration? It’s an anticipated paschal apparition...”
Angelus Address: On the Transfiguration of Christ – ZENIT – English: Today’s Gospel, second Sunday of Lent, invites us to contemplate the Transfiguration of Christ. This episode is linked to what happened six days before when Jesus revealed to His disciples that at Jerusalem He would “suffer much and be rejected by the Elders, the Heads of the priests and scribes, be killed and, after three days, resurrect.” This announcement put Peter and the whole group of the disciples in crisis, who rejected the idea that Jesus would be rejected by the leaders of the people and then killed. They, in fact, awaited a powerful, strong, dominating Messiah, instead, Jesus presents Himself as the meek, as the humble Servant of God and Servant of men, who must give His life in sacrifice, passing through the way of persecution, of suffering and of death. However, how could one follow a Master and Messiah, whose earthly fortune would end in such a way? The answer comes, in fact, from the Transfiguration. What is Jesus’ Transfiguration? It’s an anticipated paschal apparition.
Why you should always wash new clothes before wearing them, according to an expert
Why you need to wash new clothes before wearing them, according to a dermatologist | The Independent: It may be hard to resist putting on your new outfit as soon as you leave the store but a dermatologist has revealed why you absolutely need to wash new clothes first.
In addition to being unsanitary - think of all the people that handled them before you - wearing new clothes without first throwing them in the wash can also lead to some pretty gross consequences.
According to Donald Belsito, a professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center, wearing unwashed store-bought garments can lead to skin irritation, scabies, lice, or even fungus.
In addition to being unsanitary - think of all the people that handled them before you - wearing new clothes without first throwing them in the wash can also lead to some pretty gross consequences.
According to Donald Belsito, a professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center, wearing unwashed store-bought garments can lead to skin irritation, scabies, lice, or even fungus.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Are you battle-ready for the army of the Lord?
Are You Battle-Ready for the Army of the Lord? - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: What of us as a nation? Obesity among the young has increased dramatically since I was a boy. Young people today engage in less physical activity than the youth of my time, who watched much less television and did have not computers or video games to fill their time. We rode bikes, played pick-up football, and built tree forts. In those days, fewer than 1 in 20 kids was obese. Today, it is about 1 in 6. It also seems to me that there is something different about the food we eat today. I ate a lot throughout my 30s without gaining a pound; so did most people my age (I am in my late 50s). Something seems to have changed in the way food is prepared; I suspect a lot more sugar is being used.
An important week for Eucharistic discipline — or lack thereof
An important week for Eucharistic discipline–or lack thereof | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Canon 844 allows baptized non-Catholics to receive holy Communion if “grave necessity urges” the local bishop or (here) the conference of bishops to allow such reception, provided further only that those seeking holy Communion claim (as most can) to satisfy some practical and minimal credal criteria. Effectively, then, the canon expects the “grave necessity” requirement to keep the Communion rite at Mass from turning into a free samples line.
The problem, obviously, is about when (besides, one might concede, at the time of death, an option already allowed under a different part of the canon) is it ever gravely necessary for non-Catholics to receive holy Communion? Not, when might it be helpful or decorous or embarrassment-squelching to receive holy Communion, but when is it necessary for them to receive, and gravely necessary to boot?
The problem, obviously, is about when (besides, one might concede, at the time of death, an option already allowed under a different part of the canon) is it ever gravely necessary for non-Catholics to receive holy Communion? Not, when might it be helpful or decorous or embarrassment-squelching to receive holy Communion, but when is it necessary for them to receive, and gravely necessary to boot?
Pope makes statement by meeting victims of anti-Christian persecution
Pope makes statement by meeting victims of anti-Christian persecutionALLEN: Although it’s basically apocryphal, a saying attributed to St. Francis of Assisi advises, “Preach always, and, when necessary, use words.” Popes, of course, use a lot of words, but they also find plenty of other ways to preach - in gestures, through their travel, in policy decisions and personnel appointments, even through the meetings they choose to take. On Saturday, Pope Francis will speak volumes - quite apart from what he actually says - just by meeting Rebecca Bitrus, a Nigerian victim of Boko Haram, as well as Ashiq Masih and Eisham Ashiq, the husband and daughter of Asia Bibi, who’s been on death row in Pakistan since 2010 on a blasphemy charge.
Friday, February 23, 2018
What Mormonism can teach Catholics about ‘paradigm shifts’
What Mormonism Can Teach Catholics About ‘Paradigm Shifts’ABBOTT: The recent high-profile divorce of homosexual Mormon blogger Josh Weed, who ended his “mixed orientation marriage,” has once again revealed that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is actually a protean ideology that alters with the times. In the new HBO documentary Believer, Dan Reynolds of the rock group Imagine Dragons calls for the LDS church to change its beliefs on LGBT issues.
Much has changed since the days of Brigham Young who taught the “Adam-God doctrine” (that the God ruling our world was formerly Adam) and that interracial marriage could only be “forgiven” through “blood atonement.” Blacks weren’t ordained to the “fullness of the priesthood” until 1978, barring them from “ordinances” deemed necessary for “exaltation” to divinity.
Much has changed since the days of Brigham Young who taught the “Adam-God doctrine” (that the God ruling our world was formerly Adam) and that interracial marriage could only be “forgiven” through “blood atonement.” Blacks weren’t ordained to the “fullness of the priesthood” until 1978, barring them from “ordinances” deemed necessary for “exaltation” to divinity.
13 little Lenten sacrifices
13 Little Lenten SacrificesFEINGOLD: For some people Lent is pretty hardcore. I have at least two friends who are Eastern Catholics—that is, they belong to the churches in union with Rome, but have their own liturgy and customs, including the custom of eliminating all meat and dairy from their diets during Lent. I distinctly remember watching one of these friends at a restaurant a few years back. We had all gone out after a choir event and, while the music had been appropriately Lenten, it’s fair to say that the meals being ordered were on the celebratory, wow-I’m-glad-we-pulled-that-off side. Some time after the rest of us had finished making up our minds and were chatting away, this friend was scrutinizing the menu. Ultimately he ordered a salad, asking the waitress to hold the crumbled bacon, the cheese, and dairy-based dressing. I can’t recall, but I’m hoping there were a few nuts or seeds in there somewhere.
Philadelphia has Pat’s vs. Geno’s, but for coffee, Rome has Sant’Eustachio vs. Tazza d’Oro
Coffee, Roman Style — My Favorite Catholic ThingsGRESS: Coffee has long been a big deal in Italy. The coffee boom in the U.S. owes much to Italian's long love affair with their daily cups of Joe, or rather, Giuseppe. And if you have stood in the piazza of Pantheon before, you probably didn't know that you were in the vortex of a dueling coffee giants. Like prize fighters on either side of the ring, two companies have been locked in an Eternal-City battle for decades.
Cappucino gets it name from the likeness to a monk's haircut (Photo courtesy of Sant'Eustachio)
Coffee first arrived in Europe in the 17th centuries, although rumors of the unusual black beverage had been spread by travelers who had visited the East prior to its arrival.
Cappucino gets it name from the likeness to a monk's haircut (Photo courtesy of Sant'Eustachio)
Coffee first arrived in Europe in the 17th centuries, although rumors of the unusual black beverage had been spread by travelers who had visited the East prior to its arrival.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot could die out in a matter of decades
Jupiter's Great Red Spot Could Die Out in a Matter of Decades: On July 12, 2017, the Juno spacecraft made a close pass to Jupiter's Great Red Spot, the famous anticyclonic storm that dwarfs any other vortex in the solar system. The resulting images are some of the most detailed and spectacular observations of the storm ever taken. But that flyby told scientists something else: the famous centuries-old storm is on its last legs.
Jupiter's spot has been raging for at least 200 years, and probably longer. The first reliable drawings of the anticyclone were created in the mid 19th-century, and astronomers began photographing the planet-sized storm in the 1880s. Some less-reliable descriptions, which could refer to the Great Red Spot, date as far back as the 1600s.
Jupiter's spot has been raging for at least 200 years, and probably longer. The first reliable drawings of the anticyclone were created in the mid 19th-century, and astronomers began photographing the planet-sized storm in the 1880s. Some less-reliable descriptions, which could refer to the Great Red Spot, date as far back as the 1600s.
Ireland may soon legalize abortion — a decision future generations will bitterly regret
A tale of two countries, a choice between two cultures – Catholic World Report: In one country the President recently addressed the annual and widely supported pro-life March, calling it ‘a movement born out of love’.
Across the Atlantic, the leader of the main opposition party in another country just caved in to what most in the media would have us believe is the prevailing sentiment within that jurisdiction—and with it the inevitability of legalized abortion. With the Prime Minister and the political establishment of various ideological shades pushing strongly for a ‘Yes’ vote in a forthcoming referendum on the legalization of abortion, one wonders where the voice for the opposing view will come from in that land.
The first country, of course, is the United States. The second one is Ireland. The first has witnessed the deadly effects of abortion since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade; the second has forgotten or become blind to how much good has been done since a protection for mother and unborn child was enshrined in its constitution in 1983.
Across the Atlantic, the leader of the main opposition party in another country just caved in to what most in the media would have us believe is the prevailing sentiment within that jurisdiction—and with it the inevitability of legalized abortion. With the Prime Minister and the political establishment of various ideological shades pushing strongly for a ‘Yes’ vote in a forthcoming referendum on the legalization of abortion, one wonders where the voice for the opposing view will come from in that land.
The first country, of course, is the United States. The second one is Ireland. The first has witnessed the deadly effects of abortion since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade; the second has forgotten or become blind to how much good has been done since a protection for mother and unborn child was enshrined in its constitution in 1983.
A dramatic moment in the Bible, and in human history, that nearly everyone missed
A Dramatic Biblical Moment That Nearly Everyone Missed - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: The moment of the Presentation of Jesus was one of the most dramatic in biblical history, yet almost no one noticed.
The first part of this post is review for those of you who read my blog regularly. To skip to the newer insights, skip down to the sentence in red.
Joseph and Mary have gone to Jerusalem to fulfill two ancient mandates: the Rite of Purification for a woman after childbirth and the Rite of Presentation for a firstborn male child. These rites set the stage for a dramatic moment in biblical history, a moment missed by almost everyone.
Jewish law considered that after a woman gave birth she was ritually impure for a period of time. This was based on the flow of blood that occurred during childbirth. At that time, just about anyone who came in contact with blood incurred a ritual uncleanness for a period of time.
The first part of this post is review for those of you who read my blog regularly. To skip to the newer insights, skip down to the sentence in red.
Joseph and Mary have gone to Jerusalem to fulfill two ancient mandates: the Rite of Purification for a woman after childbirth and the Rite of Presentation for a firstborn male child. These rites set the stage for a dramatic moment in biblical history, a moment missed by almost everyone.
Jewish law considered that after a woman gave birth she was ritually impure for a period of time. This was based on the flow of blood that occurred during childbirth. At that time, just about anyone who came in contact with blood incurred a ritual uncleanness for a period of time.
Cardinal Tobin of Newark deletes ‘Nighty-night, baby’ tweet that he says was meant for sister
N.J. cardinal deletes 'Nighty-night, baby' tweet meant for sister - NY Daily News: A New Jersey archbishop raised a few eyebrows when he tweeted “Nighty-night, baby. I love you,” but his spokesman says it was an errant message intended for his sister.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s spokesman says the leader of the Newark Roman Catholic archdiocese later deleted Wednesday’s tweet because it was being misinterpreted.
Spokesman Jim Goodness says Tobin has eight younger sisters and “they’re all his baby sisters.” Goodness said he doesn’t know how the siblings were communicating before the message was tweeted out. Tobin’s Twitter account shows he tweets infrequently.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s spokesman says the leader of the Newark Roman Catholic archdiocese later deleted Wednesday’s tweet because it was being misinterpreted.
Spokesman Jim Goodness says Tobin has eight younger sisters and “they’re all his baby sisters.” Goodness said he doesn’t know how the siblings were communicating before the message was tweeted out. Tobin’s Twitter account shows he tweets infrequently.
An eerie eyewitness account of a haunted house in England
An Eerie Eyewitness Account of a Haunted House in EnglandTURLEY: Recently, I came across an article detailing many of England’s ‘haunted royal castles’ – The Tower of London, Windsor Castle and others. What struck me was how many of these reported ‘hauntings’ were connected to Reformation history. Perhaps it is no coincidence. After all, when Luther took to the streets, tract in hand, it was All Hallows’ Eve.
Of course, England’s Reformation history was different from Germany’s. It was not so much started by the actions of a friar as the capricious nature of a king. To this day the English countryside is strewn with the monuments to that nature. There are the ruined monasteries and, silhouetted by darkening skylines, the broken stones of the former friaries.
Some years ago, thoughts of this sad history came back to me. For it was to one of these former friaries, now a family home, that I traveled as part of a film crew. The tale I was told of what had happened there was a strange one; what took place during one night of filming at that location was, however, just as curious.
Of course, England’s Reformation history was different from Germany’s. It was not so much started by the actions of a friar as the capricious nature of a king. To this day the English countryside is strewn with the monuments to that nature. There are the ruined monasteries and, silhouetted by darkening skylines, the broken stones of the former friaries.
Some years ago, thoughts of this sad history came back to me. For it was to one of these former friaries, now a family home, that I traveled as part of a film crew. The tale I was told of what had happened there was a strange one; what took place during one night of filming at that location was, however, just as curious.
Lent should awaken us to the ongoing persecution of the Church
Lent Should Awaken Us to the Ongoing Persecution of the ChurchRUTLER: An engineer in Alexandria named Ctesibius is said to have invented the pipe organ around 265 B.C., originally an “hydraulis” using water to raise air pressure. Although there was a “water organ” in the narthex of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople for heralding the Emperor, one theory holds that organs are not commonly used in the Byzantine rite because they are reminders of the horrors endured by the holy martyrs as pagan entertainment. There were many places in the various circuses and amphitheaters throughout the Empire where these spectacles took place. Possibly the first to be sentenced to the damnatio ad bestias, or being fed to wild beasts, in the Flavian amphitheater of the Colosseum of Rome, was Ignatius, bishop of Antioch.
Hosts ‘miraculously’ preserved 16 months after devastating earthquake
Hosts ‘Miraculously’ Preserved 16 Months After Devastating EarthquakePENTIN: Forty ‘miraculously’ preserved, consecrated hosts have been discovered in a church that was destroyed by a large earthquake in central Italy in 2016.
The hosts, recovered from a tabernacle recently retrieved from the ruins of the parish church of Arquata del Tronto, have no bacteria or mold, as usually happens to hosts after a few weeks, according to the Italian bishops’ newspaper Avvenire.
The tabernacle, which since the earthquake had been kept in storage along with other artifacts and was recently returned to the diocese, contained an upturned but unopened ciborium.
Inside the ciborium were 40 hosts whose color, shape and scent were unchanged. Even though the quake took place nearly a year and a half ago, the hosts “seemed to have been made yesterday,” Avvenire reported Feb. 21.
The hosts, recovered from a tabernacle recently retrieved from the ruins of the parish church of Arquata del Tronto, have no bacteria or mold, as usually happens to hosts after a few weeks, according to the Italian bishops’ newspaper Avvenire.
The tabernacle, which since the earthquake had been kept in storage along with other artifacts and was recently returned to the diocese, contained an upturned but unopened ciborium.
Inside the ciborium were 40 hosts whose color, shape and scent were unchanged. Even though the quake took place nearly a year and a half ago, the hosts “seemed to have been made yesterday,” Avvenire reported Feb. 21.
German bishops allow Holy Communion for Protestant spouses in ‘some cases’
German Bishops Allow Holy Communion for Protestant Spouses in ‘Some Cases’PENTIN: German bishops have voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of producing a “guide” for Protestant spouses on reception of Holy Communion under certain conditions.
At their spring conference in Ingolstadt, the German bishops’ conference agreed that a Protestant partner of a Catholic can receive the Eucharist after having made a “serious examination” of conscience with a priest or another person with pastoral responsibilities, “affirms the faith of the Catholic Church,” wishes to end “serious spiritual distress,” and has a “longing to satisfy a hunger for the Eucharist.” Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German bishops’ conference, said Thursday that such a guide was a “positive step.” He said there had been an “intense debate” during which “serious concerns” had been raised, according to Katholisch.de, the website of the German bishops’ conference.
At their spring conference in Ingolstadt, the German bishops’ conference agreed that a Protestant partner of a Catholic can receive the Eucharist after having made a “serious examination” of conscience with a priest or another person with pastoral responsibilities, “affirms the faith of the Catholic Church,” wishes to end “serious spiritual distress,” and has a “longing to satisfy a hunger for the Eucharist.” Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German bishops’ conference, said Thursday that such a guide was a “positive step.” He said there had been an “intense debate” during which “serious concerns” had been raised, according to Katholisch.de, the website of the German bishops’ conference.
Matt Meeks, former Warner Bros. exec, is making digital media work for the Church
This former Warner Bros. exec is making digital media work for the Church – Catholic World Report: About a year-and-a-half ago, I interviewed Matt Meeks, chief digital and marketing officer for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, for an article on the transformation of the archdiocese’s media outreach. During that discussion, some interesting personal details came out, such as Meeks’ former job at Warner Brothers and his time spent discerning the priesthood. I recently spoke again with Meeks to hear more about his story and his work spreading the Gospel using digital media.
The alcoholic drink that’s even better for you than wine
The alcoholic drink that’s even better for you than wine: It seems like every other day there’s a new article extolling the benefits of red wine (or white wine, or all the wine). I see all my friends sharing them back and forth on each other’s timelines and being like, “time for a girls’ night!” and to be honest, I feel a little left out. It’s not that I don’t like wine — I do. It’s just that my go-to celebration drink is whiskey, not wine ... and you never see articles floating around about the health benefits of whiskey.
Until now. Delightfully, MSN kicked off 2018 with an article about how whiskey is as good for you as red wine — and in fact, it might actually be better.
Until now. Delightfully, MSN kicked off 2018 with an article about how whiskey is as good for you as red wine — and in fact, it might actually be better.
Saint Polycarp was one degree of separation from Jesus
Saint Polycarp, Heresy, and LentKRANICK: How many people today have left the Church because they deem the Bible incongruent, mythological and unscientific? This falling away is usually undergirded, whether knowingly or unknowingly, by assumptions made in critical historical and textual analysis of the Bible. Modern scholars have sought over the past couple of centuries to deconstruct the Bible by weeding out prophecies, miracles, supernatural occurrences, and other textual peculiarities from the “historical facts.” This technique of Biblical criticism has been used to try to delegitimize Jesus in the New Testament and Yahweh in the Old Testament. What we are left with, so they say, is that we know little about the “historical Jesus,” if he even existed, and much less about the genocidal, tribal God of the Hebrews.
Things to come: Faith, state and society in a new world
Archbishop Chaput’s Address at Villanova University: Things to Come: Faith, state and society in a new world – Archdiocese of PhiladelphiaCHAPUT: We live in complicated times. It’s easy to be angry and distressed. Earlier this month a friend sent me an email with a message of exactly four syllables: “Worse is better.” He was quoting a famous line from Vladimir Lenin. And his message did have some merit. The worse things get, the more painful they become. The more painful they become, the more urgently we ask why. And when we know the reason “why” behind our troubles, we can start to fix them.
But there are two problems with the Lenin quote. First, it’s not clear that he ever actually said those words. And second, even if he did say them, they’re not true.
Parents of the students massacred last week in Florida don’t think “worse is better.” They know what worse means. It’s unbearable. Murders in Chicago have been getting worse for years. They’re now so common that the rest of the country sees them as routine. Worse is not better. And one of the tasks of the Church, and each of us as individual believers, is to live and work in a way that does help to make the world around us better. What that means and how we do it are questions I hope we can talk about this afternoon.
But there are two problems with the Lenin quote. First, it’s not clear that he ever actually said those words. And second, even if he did say them, they’re not true.
Parents of the students massacred last week in Florida don’t think “worse is better.” They know what worse means. It’s unbearable. Murders in Chicago have been getting worse for years. They’re now so common that the rest of the country sees them as routine. Worse is not better. And one of the tasks of the Church, and each of us as individual believers, is to live and work in a way that does help to make the world around us better. What that means and how we do it are questions I hope we can talk about this afternoon.
Cardinal Sarah says Communion in the hand part of ‘diabolical attack,’ calls for Communion on the tongue while kneeling
Card. Sarah: return to Communion directly on the tongue while kneeling | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: A combination of factors has lead to erosion of understanding of the Eucharist and reverence for the Eucharist. Included in these factors is a near universal insistence that everyone go to Communion at every Mass and, of course, lay ministers of the Communion because numbers of people going are up, and, above all, Communion in the hand.
This has had a devastating effect on our Catholic identity and, hence, every sphere of life from family to conduct in the public square.
The other day I wrote about the problem of distribution of Holy Communion to huge numbers of people at mega-Masses. There is clearly a danger of profanation of the Eucharist, and yet they try.
This has had a devastating effect on our Catholic identity and, hence, every sphere of life from family to conduct in the public square.
The other day I wrote about the problem of distribution of Holy Communion to huge numbers of people at mega-Masses. There is clearly a danger of profanation of the Eucharist, and yet they try.
One of the more underreported sins is greed
The Seven Deadly Sins: Greed - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: One of the more underreported sins is greed. It is easy to conclude that greed is something manifested by “that other person,” who has more than I do. Yes, that rich guy over there, the one who earns a dollar more per hour than I do; he’s greedy, but I’m not.
Honestly, does any one of us ever come to a point in our life when we say, “I earn more than enough money. I’ll just give the rest away”? Not on your life!
Almost never would such a thought even occur to the average person. Instead, most of us respond to a pay increase, for example, by expanding our lifestyle and continuing to complain that we don’t have enough. At some point, we ought to admit that we do cross over into greed.
Honestly, does any one of us ever come to a point in our life when we say, “I earn more than enough money. I’ll just give the rest away”? Not on your life!
Almost never would such a thought even occur to the average person. Instead, most of us respond to a pay increase, for example, by expanding our lifestyle and continuing to complain that we don’t have enough. At some point, we ought to admit that we do cross over into greed.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Bishop Paprocki: Pro-abortion Sen. Durbin “is not to be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents”
Statement from Bishop Thomas John Paprocki on Senate Failure to Pass Pain-Capable Unborn Children’s Act - Diocese of Springfield in Illinois: I agree completely with His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, who called the U.S. Senate’s failure to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act “appalling.”
Fourteen Catholic senators voted against the bill that would have prohibited abortions starting at 20 weeks after fertilization, including Sen. Richard Durbin, whose residence is in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. In April 2004, Sen. Durbin’s pastor, then Msgr. Kevin Vann (now Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange, CA), said that he would be reticent to give Sen. Durbin Holy Communion because his pro-abortion position put him outside of communion or unity with the Church’s teachings on life. My predecessor, now Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, said that he would support that decision. I have continued that position.
Fourteen Catholic senators voted against the bill that would have prohibited abortions starting at 20 weeks after fertilization, including Sen. Richard Durbin, whose residence is in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. In April 2004, Sen. Durbin’s pastor, then Msgr. Kevin Vann (now Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange, CA), said that he would be reticent to give Sen. Durbin Holy Communion because his pro-abortion position put him outside of communion or unity with the Church’s teachings on life. My predecessor, now Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, said that he would support that decision. I have continued that position.
Classical music’s divorce from God has been one of the great failures of our times
Classical music's divorce from God has been one of the great failures of our times: Reverend Jonathan Arnold, dean of divinity at Magdalen college, Oxford, has written about the “seeming paradox that, in today’s so-called secular society, sacred choral music is as powerful, compelling and popular as it has ever been”.
But is this a paradox? Arguably the power of this music derives from having been written by supremely talented, well-trained composers who just happened to live in a Christian tradition, writing mainly for the church. If the dominant religion over the past millennium had been atheist secularism, say, talented composers might still have written equally compelling music.
But is this a paradox? Arguably the power of this music derives from having been written by supremely talented, well-trained composers who just happened to live in a Christian tradition, writing mainly for the church. If the dominant religion over the past millennium had been atheist secularism, say, talented composers might still have written equally compelling music.
Pope issues new message to youth: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God’
Message of the Holy Father Francis for the 33rd World Youth Day (Palm Sunday, 25 March 2018): World Youth Day 2018 represents another step in preparation for the international WYD due to take place in Panama in January 2019. This new stage of our pilgrimage falls in the same year that the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will meet on the theme: Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. This is a happy coincidence. The focus, prayer and reflection of the Church will turn to you young people, with the desire to receive and, above all, to embrace the precious gift that you are to God, to the Church and to the world.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
A real-world comparison between Apple Maps, Google Maps and Waze
Apple Maps vs. Google Maps vs. Waze – arturrr: In early 2017, a conversation with yet another Waze fanboy finally nudged me to start a navigation app experiment. I was skeptical that the Alphabet owned company could meaningfully best its parent’s home grown Google Maps. I was also curious whether Apple Maps had discovered competence since its iOS 6 release.
I thus set out to answer three questions:
Which navigation app estimates the shortest travel time?
How does each app over/underestimate travel times?
Which navigation app actually gets you to your destination most quickly?
This exercise lasted the majority of 2017 and led me to dread almost any car trip due to the self imposed data gathering tasks that came with it. Nonetheless, my wife and I persevered, and I hope this data serves the community well.
I thus set out to answer three questions:
Which navigation app estimates the shortest travel time?
How does each app over/underestimate travel times?
Which navigation app actually gets you to your destination most quickly?
This exercise lasted the majority of 2017 and led me to dread almost any car trip due to the self imposed data gathering tasks that came with it. Nonetheless, my wife and I persevered, and I hope this data serves the community well.
C.S. Lewis tells you how to observe Lent
C.S. Lewis tells you how to observe LentMILLS: Most people, C.S. Lewis said back in 1941, think unselfishness the highest of the virtues. So do we. Ask people today to name an example of goodness and most will point to someone like St. Teresa of Calcutta. Goodness equals self-sacrifice.
That’s not untrue, but it is misguided. It even gets the saint wrong. Lewis notes that the great Christians of the past saw love as the highest virtue. He talks about this in a sermon called “The Weight of Glory” in the book of the same name. In it he says two things that may help us in understanding and pushing through, and maybe even enjoying, the disciplines of Lent. And not only those, but all the apparently burdensome requirements of the Catholic life.
That’s not untrue, but it is misguided. It even gets the saint wrong. Lewis notes that the great Christians of the past saw love as the highest virtue. He talks about this in a sermon called “The Weight of Glory” in the book of the same name. In it he says two things that may help us in understanding and pushing through, and maybe even enjoying, the disciplines of Lent. And not only those, but all the apparently burdensome requirements of the Catholic life.
US Bishops, Catholic leaders praise Christian witness of Billy Graham
US Bishops, Catholic Leaders Praise Christian Witness of Billy Graham: The evangelist Billy Graham died Feb. 21 at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, his family announced. He was 99.
Born in Charlotte, Graham was ordained a Southern Baptist minister in 1939. During his work in ministry, he wrote more than 30 books and conducted the annual Billy Graham Crusades until his retirement from active ministry in 2005. His last book, Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity and Our Life Beyond the Now, was published in 2015.
During his time in ministry, Graham insisted that his crusades and rallies be racially integrated, and he was a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Born in Charlotte, Graham was ordained a Southern Baptist minister in 1939. During his work in ministry, he wrote more than 30 books and conducted the annual Billy Graham Crusades until his retirement from active ministry in 2005. His last book, Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity and Our Life Beyond the Now, was published in 2015.
During his time in ministry, Graham insisted that his crusades and rallies be racially integrated, and he was a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The extraordinary friendship of Rev. Billy Graham and Pope John Paul II
The Extraordinary Friendship of Rev. Billy Graham and Pope John Paul II | ChurchPOP: Evangelical Protestant preacher the Rev. Billy Graham passed away today at the age of 99.
He preached Jesus Christ in-person to hundreds of millions of people in nearly every country in the world. He fought for Civil Rights and against Communism. He befriended every U.S. president from Eisenhower to Obama. And he was a friend of Catholics, especially Pope St. John Paul II.
When Graham started preaching his “crusades” in 1947, relations between evangelical Protestants and Catholics were far different than they are today, filled with deep suspicion and distrust on both sides – which made his friendship with Catholics so important.
He preached Jesus Christ in-person to hundreds of millions of people in nearly every country in the world. He fought for Civil Rights and against Communism. He befriended every U.S. president from Eisenhower to Obama. And he was a friend of Catholics, especially Pope St. John Paul II.
When Graham started preaching his “crusades” in 1947, relations between evangelical Protestants and Catholics were far different than they are today, filled with deep suspicion and distrust on both sides – which made his friendship with Catholics so important.
Memory eternal: Billy Graham
On Religion – Memory eternal: Billy Graham – ColumnsMATTINGLY: Oklahoma was shrouded in grief after the deaths of 168 people – including 19 children – in a homegrown terrorism attack at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.
President Bill Clinton spoke at the memorial service. So did Gov. Frank Keating. But everyone knew who would deliver the sermon and face the hard questions.
That was a job for the Rev. Billy Graham.
"The Bible says … there is a devil, that Satan is very real and he has great power," said Graham, focusing on the 9,000 mourners in the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Arena. "It also tells us that evil is real and that the human heart is capable of almost limitless evil when it is cut off from God and from the moral law.
President Bill Clinton spoke at the memorial service. So did Gov. Frank Keating. But everyone knew who would deliver the sermon and face the hard questions.
That was a job for the Rev. Billy Graham.
"The Bible says … there is a devil, that Satan is very real and he has great power," said Graham, focusing on the 9,000 mourners in the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Arena. "It also tells us that evil is real and that the human heart is capable of almost limitless evil when it is cut off from God and from the moral law.
Billy Graham, R.I.P.
Billy Graham, R.I.P.GREYDANUS: Although I never saw Billy Graham, he had a profound influence on my life. Both of my parents saw him a number of times in 1957, at Madison Square Garden and other venues, and went forward for his altar calls. My father calls that experience a spiritual turning point in his life. My mother has called Graham her spiritual father. Both of my parents are now Catholic. Graham was one of a very few Christian leaders, along with Fulton Sheen and Pope John Paul II, who could be said to belong not just to one communion, but to Christians of many stripes — who could speak to Christians past sectarian lines, and to the larger world in some measure on behalf of the Christian world.
This is where the middle of nowhere is, according to the best data possible
This is where the middle of nowhere is, according to the best data possible – The Denver Post: In a triumph of data collection and analysis, a team of researchers based at Oxford University has built the tools necessary to calculate how far any dot on a map is from a city – or anything else.
The research, published in Nature last month, allows us to pin down a question that has long evaded serious answers: Where is the middle of nowhere?
To know, you’d have to catalogue and calculate the navigation challenges presented by the planet’s complex, varied terrain and the dirt tracks, roads, railroads and waterways that crisscross it. You’d then need to string those calculations together, testing every possible path from every point to every other point.
The research, published in Nature last month, allows us to pin down a question that has long evaded serious answers: Where is the middle of nowhere?
To know, you’d have to catalogue and calculate the navigation challenges presented by the planet’s complex, varied terrain and the dirt tracks, roads, railroads and waterways that crisscross it. You’d then need to string those calculations together, testing every possible path from every point to every other point.
Why you should block and ignore your bitter friends on Facebook
Social Media Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing - Bettnet.comBETTINELLI: The latest tragedies grabbing the headlines and especially the ensuing bluster on social media have reinforced for me why I have lately decided to stop engaging in discussions about these things there.1 In fact, I have been using a browser extension called FB Purity to block any updates that contain certain keywords from appearing in my timeline.
It’s not that I’m a heartless ogre who doesn’t care about making our country safer or protecting it from dastardly forces. Nor does it mean I don’t care about the Catholic Church and her doctrines and teachings and whether some of her leaders are undermining them.
It’s that I don’t believe that bluster and acrimony on Facebook and Twitter are going to change a damn thing. No, wait, it will change something: It will make me more bitter and angry and sinful.
Much of what passes for discourse on subjects like gun control or Donald Trump or Pope Francis consists of straw man arguments, emotional venting lacking in rational thought, failures to engage charity or to give the benefit of the doubt, silly memes that usually contain falsehoods and/or that mock others without engaging them. Then the comments on these posts devolve into shouting matches and insults that drown out anyone trying to make rational, intelligent responses.
It’s not that I’m a heartless ogre who doesn’t care about making our country safer or protecting it from dastardly forces. Nor does it mean I don’t care about the Catholic Church and her doctrines and teachings and whether some of her leaders are undermining them.
It’s that I don’t believe that bluster and acrimony on Facebook and Twitter are going to change a damn thing. No, wait, it will change something: It will make me more bitter and angry and sinful.
Much of what passes for discourse on subjects like gun control or Donald Trump or Pope Francis consists of straw man arguments, emotional venting lacking in rational thought, failures to engage charity or to give the benefit of the doubt, silly memes that usually contain falsehoods and/or that mock others without engaging them. Then the comments on these posts devolve into shouting matches and insults that drown out anyone trying to make rational, intelligent responses.
I’m a Catholic priest, but Billy Graham is one of my heroes
A Catholic Priest Pays Respects to Billy GrahamLONGENECKER: I was brought up in a strict Evangelical home where we were used to Billy Graham’s kind of old time religion.
We memorized Bible verses and believed that you had to “get saved.” Our heroes were the missionaries and traveling evangelists and we heard them when they came to our church, preached the gospel and called for people to “bow their heads and close their eyes with no one looking around.”
We raised our hands and went forward and accepted Jesus into our lives as our personal Lord and Savior, and I’m not ashamed of it.
In fact, my own first commitment to Christ was as a child of five. After church one Sunday night I knelt by my bedside with my mother and told Jesus I was sorry for my sins and accepted him as my Lord.
We memorized Bible verses and believed that you had to “get saved.” Our heroes were the missionaries and traveling evangelists and we heard them when they came to our church, preached the gospel and called for people to “bow their heads and close their eyes with no one looking around.”
We raised our hands and went forward and accepted Jesus into our lives as our personal Lord and Savior, and I’m not ashamed of it.
In fact, my own first commitment to Christ was as a child of five. After church one Sunday night I knelt by my bedside with my mother and told Jesus I was sorry for my sins and accepted him as my Lord.
Papal adviser Spadaro retweets call for Church to shut down EWTN unless they fire Raymond Arroyo
Papal advisor retweets call for Church to shut down EWTN unless they fire Raymond Arroyo | News | LifeSite: Papal confidante Father Antonio Spadaro retweeted a call for EWTN to be severely censured “until they get rid of Raymond Arroyo.”
The call for an “interdict” to be imposed on the Catholic media empire started by Mother Angelica came from Anthony Annett, Assistant to the Director at the International Monetary Fund’s Communications Department.
The call for an “interdict” to be imposed on the Catholic media empire started by Mother Angelica came from Anthony Annett, Assistant to the Director at the International Monetary Fund’s Communications Department.
Francis seeks to canonize not only Paul VI’s life, but also his legacy
Francis canonizing not only Paul VI's life, but also his legacyALLEN: Now that Pope Francis has said out loud what many have long suspected, which is that Blessed Pope Paul VI will be declared a saint within the year, it’s worth asking what the current pontiff seems to have picked up from his recent predecessors.
In all honesty, it’s possible to see pieces of each of the previous five popes in Francis.
From John XXII, Francis gets a maverick streak, and a determination to shake up a Church that both popes saw as being excessively closed on itself. From John Paul I, Francis picks up the smile and a populist touch. He’s got John Paul II’s charisma and command of the stage, as well as his relentless drive to make the social and political message of the Church relevant in the here-and-now. And from Benedict, Francis carries forward the root conviction that it’s time to focus on what the Church says “yes” to, not those things to which it says “no.”
In all honesty, it’s possible to see pieces of each of the previous five popes in Francis.
From John XXII, Francis gets a maverick streak, and a determination to shake up a Church that both popes saw as being excessively closed on itself. From John Paul I, Francis picks up the smile and a populist touch. He’s got John Paul II’s charisma and command of the stage, as well as his relentless drive to make the social and political message of the Church relevant in the here-and-now. And from Benedict, Francis carries forward the root conviction that it’s time to focus on what the Church says “yes” to, not those things to which it says “no.”
Pope’s request for $25 million donation to scandal-hit hospital divides Papal Foundation
Pope’s request for $25 million donation to scandal-hit hospital divides charity | CatholicHerald.co.uk: A charity is deeply divided over a request from Pope Francis to give a large donation to a scandal-hit hospital.
LifeSiteNews claims to have obtained internal documents from the US-based Papal Foundation showing that last year Pope Francis personally requested, and obtained in part, a $25 million grant for a Church-owned dermatological hospital in Rome.
The request has provoked controversy because of the unusually large sum – the foundation normally awards grants of no more than $200,000 – and the hospital receiving the money has been plagued by allegations of corruption.
LifeSiteNews claims to have obtained internal documents from the US-based Papal Foundation showing that last year Pope Francis personally requested, and obtained in part, a $25 million grant for a Church-owned dermatological hospital in Rome.
The request has provoked controversy because of the unusually large sum – the foundation normally awards grants of no more than $200,000 – and the hospital receiving the money has been plagued by allegations of corruption.
Billy Graham dies at 99
Reports: Reverend Billy Graham has died | WLOS: Reverend Billy Graham has passed away at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, a family spokesperson confirms.
The religious leader, known to millions around the world, died at the age of 99.
Billy Graham's spiritual journey began more than 60 years ago in 1949 with his first crusade in Los Angeles, CA. The reverend's fiery delivery launched his career as a national preacher capable of drawing large crowds. He developed his powerful speaking style after listening to tent revival preachers in the southeast. Graham grew up on his father's dairy farm in Charlotte.
The religious leader, known to millions around the world, died at the age of 99.
Billy Graham's spiritual journey began more than 60 years ago in 1949 with his first crusade in Los Angeles, CA. The reverend's fiery delivery launched his career as a national preacher capable of drawing large crowds. He developed his powerful speaking style after listening to tent revival preachers in the southeast. Graham grew up on his father's dairy farm in Charlotte.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
An overview of the Seven Deadly Sins
An Overview of the Seven Deadly Sins - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Do you know what the Seven Deadly Sins are? It is valuable to name and begin to understand these deep drives of sin within us because the more we do so the more we can grow in self-knowledge. Further, it helps us to “know their moves” and gain mastery over them. As they stir deep within us we can recognize evidence of this and begin to take greater authority over them.
Too many Christians know little about twisted nature of sin. They just know they’re a little (or very!) messed up and can’t seem to figure out why. Have you ever gone to the doctor, not knowing what was wrong with you, and left feeling better just because you finally knew that what ailed you had a name and a cure? Being able to name our demons is an essential part of growth and healing.
Too many Christians know little about twisted nature of sin. They just know they’re a little (or very!) messed up and can’t seem to figure out why. Have you ever gone to the doctor, not knowing what was wrong with you, and left feeling better just because you finally knew that what ailed you had a name and a cure? Being able to name our demons is an essential part of growth and healing.
Cowboy, engineer, saint: On the trail of St. José Brochero
Cowboy, Engineer, Saint: On the Trail of St. Jos� Brochero | America MagazineADDINGTON: It was the highways that drew me to Villa Cura Brochero. I wanted to see these roads that a saint built through the Sierras Grandes mountains—some overgrown trails, others paved and proud. They are completely ordinary, which is precisely why they are so striking. These were not highways that arose steadily out of zoning permits and construction budgets, those everyday miracles. No, these were handmade by a priest and his parish.
What Ireland’s abortion referendum is really about
What Ireland’s Abortion Referendum is Really About - Crisis MagazineTURLEY: This year Ireland will hold a referendum on the issue of abortion. The date has not yet been set but the vote will probably take place in May. Since 1983, enshrined in Article 8 of the Irish Constitution, there has been a constitutional ban on abortions taking place in the Irish Republic. This prohibition was the result of a referendum that took place that year with the resultant Article 8 stating: “The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.”
Ex-Vatican judge takes plea bargain on molestation, child pornography charges
Ex-Vatican judge takes plea bargain on molestation, child pornography chargesALLEN: A former judge of the Roman Rota, the Vatican’s highest appellate court, has accepted a plea bargain in an Italian criminal court for a conditionally suspended sentence of one year and two months in prison on charges of sexual molestation and possession of child pornography.
Based on reports in the Italian media, 55-year-old Monsignor Pietro Amenta was detained by police after an incident in March 2017, in which Amenta allegedly fondled the genitals of a young but over-age Romanian man in a Roman market. The man reportedly then followed Amenta and summoned police, who took Amenta into custody.
An investigation later discovered roughly 80 pornographic images on Amenta’s personal computer, some involving minors, leading to a second charge in the case.
Based on reports in the Italian media, 55-year-old Monsignor Pietro Amenta was detained by police after an incident in March 2017, in which Amenta allegedly fondled the genitals of a young but over-age Romanian man in a Roman market. The man reportedly then followed Amenta and summoned police, who took Amenta into custody.
An investigation later discovered roughly 80 pornographic images on Amenta’s personal computer, some involving minors, leading to a second charge in the case.
10 Lenten lessons for people who don’t like Lent
Ten Lenten Lessons from Father Daniel A. Lord, SJLOONEY: When it comes to saints, or any spiritual author for that matter, we might come across their works, be moved by their writings, and want to read everything they have written. That was true for me. A few years ago, I accidentally happened upon the writings of Fr. Daniel Lord, SJ, (1888-1955), an American Jesuit who reportedly wrote over a million words in his life. His accomplishments include 90 books, 300 pamphlets, and countless articles.
Top 5 Lenten tricks/tools to help you achieve a more sparkling soul
Look to the Light – WE'RE LATE FOR CHURCHGERD: There’s a time in the late afternoon when the spectacular Denver sun streams through the windows of my kitchen, casting an illuminating beam across the expanse of floors and countertops. The light hits at such a precise angle as to expose a blanket of crumbs lurking near the toaster, the layers of dust hidden in a corner under a cabinet and the otherwise invisible stains near the base of our wastebasket. It’s as if nature’s very own high-powered S.W.A.T. searchlight pours into the shadows, revealing the hidden, dirty underbelly of the kitchen. Once in a while, I delight in the chance to wipe out a smattering of crumbs or rub out the trail of sticky spots on my laminate floor.
In medieval times, Catholic Lent was harder than Islamic Ramadan
Medieval Lent was Harder than Islamic Ramadan - Taylor MarshallMARSHALL: I have been told that medieval Christians would ridicule the Islamic season of fasting called Ramadan as weak, effeminate, and easy when compared to the austere Christian season of fasting during Lent or Quadragesima.
The Catholic Church has decreased the austerity of Lent over the centuries so much that Islamic Ramadan now appears as more challenging than Lent. Let’s take a look at Ramadan compared to Medieval Lent.
The Catholic Church has decreased the austerity of Lent over the centuries so much that Islamic Ramadan now appears as more challenging than Lent. Let’s take a look at Ramadan compared to Medieval Lent.
2013 background reading on Papal Foundation story: ‘Catholic priest arrested for stealing €4m from Rome hospital’
Catholic priest arrested for stealing €4m from Rome hospital | World news | The Guardian: Italian police on Thursday arrested a priest accused of pocketing €4m from a Catholic hospital he ran and helping run up €600m in debts that forced it into bankruptcy.
The Rev Franco Decaminada, who until 2011 was the chief executive of the IDI dermatological hospital in Rome, was placed under house arrest by Italy's financial police. They also detained two other people while seizing a Tuscan villa that police say Decaminada built with stolen money.
The plight of 1,500 IDI workers who haven't received paychecks for months had prompted Benedict XVI in one of his last acts as pope to name a delegate in February to take over the religious order that owns the hospital to try to bring it back to financial health.
The Rev Franco Decaminada, who until 2011 was the chief executive of the IDI dermatological hospital in Rome, was placed under house arrest by Italy's financial police. They also detained two other people while seizing a Tuscan villa that police say Decaminada built with stolen money.
The plight of 1,500 IDI workers who haven't received paychecks for months had prompted Benedict XVI in one of his last acts as pope to name a delegate in February to take over the religious order that owns the hospital to try to bring it back to financial health.
At Pope’s request, Papal Foundation shifts $25 million to corruption-plagued skin hospital in Rome
Leaked docs raise question of Pope’s personal role in new Vatican financial scandal | News | LifeSite: LifeSiteNews has obtained internal documents of the U.S.-based Papal Foundation, a charity with a stellar history of assisting the world’s poor, showing that last summer the Pope personally requested, and obtained in part, a $25 million grant to a corruption-plagued, Church-owned dermatological hospital in Rome accused of money laundering. Records from the financial police indicate the hospital has liabilities over one billion USD – an amount larger than the national debt of some 20 nations.
After being driven from the public eye by a stalker, Catholic writer/speaker Mary Beth Bonacci is back
Mary Beth Bonacci is back – Catholic World ReportFLOOD: Mary Beth Bonacci had a thriving career as a full-time Catholic speaker. Attractive, cool, and hilarious, she connected well with young people and was among the earliest Catholic chastity speakers. She wrote two books, We’re on a Mission from God and Real Love, and the latter was translated into nine languages. On stage and in writing, she made St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body not merely comprehensible for a wide readership, but also inspiring and impactful. Her largest audiences included 10,000 in Mexico, 22,000 in St. Louis during Pope John Paul II’s visit there, and 75,000 in Denver for World Youth Day.
Cardinal Müller warns: In Catholic doctrine, ‘paradigm shift’ means corruption, not development
Development, or Corruption? | Gerhard Cardinal Mueller | First ThingsMUELLER: In commenting on Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, some interpreters advance positions contrary to the constant teaching of the Catholic Church, by effectively denying that adultery is always a grave objective sin or by making the Church’s entire sacramental economy exclusively dependent on people’s subjective dispositions. They seek to justify their claims by insisting that through the ages there has been a development of doctrine under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a fact that the Church has always admitted. To substantiate their claims, they usually appeal to the writings of John Henry Cardinal Newman, and in particular to his famous Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (1845). Newman’s arguments are indeed worth considering. They will help us understand the sort of development that is possible in the matters touched upon by Amoris Laetitia.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Who was the last of the Church Fathers?
Who Was the Last of the Church Fathers?BEALE: It seems that there are many contenders for the honor of the “last Father of the Church.”
One easy solution might be to draw the line after two of the most famous Fathers, St. Augustine and St. Jerome. One provided the foundation for most of the medieval Latin theology that followed. The other gave Latin Christendom an authoritative translation of the Bible in its then-native tongue. What more could be needed?
Augustine and Jerome died in the first part of the 400s and Rome fell in 476, so it’s tempting to draw the line there.
The problem is there are just too many too many indisputably recognized as Church Fathers who lived after 476. They include key figures like Cassiodorus, Boetius, St. Gregory the Great, and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, a brilliantly original and influential thinker on par with Augustine.
One easy solution might be to draw the line after two of the most famous Fathers, St. Augustine and St. Jerome. One provided the foundation for most of the medieval Latin theology that followed. The other gave Latin Christendom an authoritative translation of the Bible in its then-native tongue. What more could be needed?
Augustine and Jerome died in the first part of the 400s and Rome fell in 476, so it’s tempting to draw the line there.
The problem is there are just too many too many indisputably recognized as Church Fathers who lived after 476. They include key figures like Cassiodorus, Boetius, St. Gregory the Great, and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, a brilliantly original and influential thinker on par with Augustine.
The formal study of theology isn’t for everyone
Studying Theology Isn’t For Everyone | T.J. BurdickBURDICK: If you are thinking taking up theological studies, take a minute to read this list. Having studied theology “on the side” for over a decade now, I’ve gone through enough heartache and shame to not want you to suffer through what I suffered.
Think of these points as a devil’s advocate in that they will show the various dangers that can occur when one studies theology. Knowing them before you begin your first class can help you fight their temptations and complete your courses without remorse.
Think of these points as a devil’s advocate in that they will show the various dangers that can occur when one studies theology. Knowing them before you begin your first class can help you fight their temptations and complete your courses without remorse.
Hallowed ground: A wintry visit to a fresh grave
Hallowed Ground: A Wintry Visit to a Fresh Grave | God-Haunted LunaticBECKER: “It’s right here, along the fence,” Fred told me as he drew on a napkin. “The road comes around in front, but back near the fence there’s a gate that’s right by the spot.”
We were having lunch a couple weeks after Fred had said his final goodbyes to Debbie, his beloved wife, a stalwart mother and grandmother, and a true pillar of our local Catholic community. That sounds trite, but it’s absolutely true in this case. As Fred testified, so many people had been sharing with him anecdotes and testimonies about how Debbie had served them, quietly, humbly, almost invisibly, but substantially and always on the mark. I added my own testimony at lunch, telling Fred how important Debbie’s ministrations were to my young family way back when. At the time, we were new parents and had just moved to the area, and, frankly, we didn’t know how to cope. Debbie showed up to help us over the hump, and she did it with so much grace and good cheer. What’s more, she lent us a heaping portion of her confidence – “You can do this,” she silently communicated.
We were having lunch a couple weeks after Fred had said his final goodbyes to Debbie, his beloved wife, a stalwart mother and grandmother, and a true pillar of our local Catholic community. That sounds trite, but it’s absolutely true in this case. As Fred testified, so many people had been sharing with him anecdotes and testimonies about how Debbie had served them, quietly, humbly, almost invisibly, but substantially and always on the mark. I added my own testimony at lunch, telling Fred how important Debbie’s ministrations were to my young family way back when. At the time, we were new parents and had just moved to the area, and, frankly, we didn’t know how to cope. Debbie showed up to help us over the hump, and she did it with so much grace and good cheer. What’s more, she lent us a heaping portion of her confidence – “You can do this,” she silently communicated.
Big Protestant YouTube star announces she’s converting to Catholicism
Major Protestant YouTube Star Announces She's Converting to Catholicism | ChurchPOP: YouTube star Lizzie Estella Reezay of the YouTube channel LizziesAnswers has announced that she’s converting from Protestantism to Catholicism.
“I want everyone to know that I hated that this was happening,” she explains in a recent video. “I fought so hard to get out of this intellectually. I did not want to be Catholic. Not only did I think Catholicism was wrong, I just didn’t like the vibe of Catholicism. I wanted to be anything but Catholic.”
She explains how hard it was for her to make her announcement video because she knew many of her Protestant family and friends would perceive it to be a betrayal. But, she explains, she was obliged to become Catholic by the force of one simple fact: it was true.
“I want everyone to know that I hated that this was happening,” she explains in a recent video. “I fought so hard to get out of this intellectually. I did not want to be Catholic. Not only did I think Catholicism was wrong, I just didn’t like the vibe of Catholicism. I wanted to be anything but Catholic.”
She explains how hard it was for her to make her announcement video because she knew many of her Protestant family and friends would perceive it to be a betrayal. But, she explains, she was obliged to become Catholic by the force of one simple fact: it was true.
Don’t just lead well. Follow well. To give orders, you must first know how to take them...
Don’t Just Lead Well, Follow Well | The Art of Manliness: Media and literature on leadership abound. Everywhere you look, there’s another book, podcast, or motivational speech on how to become a better leader.
People are clearly very interested in the topic, which isn’t at all surprising. Nearly everyone is a leader is some aspect of their lives — whether at home, at work, at church, or in clubs, sports teams, and other extracurricular and civic organizations.
It’s a funny thing though . . . given the fact there are so many people leading out there, there must subsequently exist even more folks who are following them. And yet, almost no material — no books, no podcasts, no lectures — exist on how to become a good follower. The topic is almost completely absent from education and our cultural conversation.
The public’s utter lack of interest in learning how to follow isn’t any more surprising than its keen interest in leadership. Seeing ourselves as leaders warms our pride and enhances our sense of identity. Everyone wants to see themselves as self-sufficient, independent iconoclasts — leading the charge, marching to the beat of their own drummer. The Chief. The Big Cheese. The Head Honcho.
People are clearly very interested in the topic, which isn’t at all surprising. Nearly everyone is a leader is some aspect of their lives — whether at home, at work, at church, or in clubs, sports teams, and other extracurricular and civic organizations.
It’s a funny thing though . . . given the fact there are so many people leading out there, there must subsequently exist even more folks who are following them. And yet, almost no material — no books, no podcasts, no lectures — exist on how to become a good follower. The topic is almost completely absent from education and our cultural conversation.
The public’s utter lack of interest in learning how to follow isn’t any more surprising than its keen interest in leadership. Seeing ourselves as leaders warms our pride and enhances our sense of identity. Everyone wants to see themselves as self-sufficient, independent iconoclasts — leading the charge, marching to the beat of their own drummer. The Chief. The Big Cheese. The Head Honcho.
10 books that every boy should hazard
10 Books That Every Boy Should Hazard - Crisis MagazineFITZPATRICK: Thanks to the adulterators of children’s literature, the natural anticipations when approaching forgotten classics have been skewed. Everyone expects that everything will be picturesque, nice, and most importantly, safe. For reality is far too dangerous, far too harsh a thing, and children must be protected from it at all costs. Real stories for real boys, however, refuse to deliver saccharine platitudes. These books are composed of the uncanny, unforeseeable, and unimaginable. They present a reality that is often harsh, terrible, and so far from the idyllic it is free to become adventure. The books every boy should hazard are constantly on the brink of disaster, but still bear the distant but firm promise of final resolution; deftly navigating the fine line between realism and romance—requiring caution.
Mr. Rogers, were you talking to me?
Fred, were you talking to me? – SIMCHA FISHERFISHER: When I was an adolescent, our Catholic girl’s group made a large batch of cards for the residents of a nursing home. “You are loved,” we spelled out over and over again, switching to scented markers when we got bored. We added a few stickers, then we threw all the cards in a bag to be delivered, and we got back to our real lives. I felt obscurely ashamed and angry at the disingenuousness of this exercise, thinking how little it would mean to some ailing old woman to get a card from a girl she never met. Or, I thought, maybe it would mean a lot, and that would be even worse...
Pope accepts resignation of Nigerian bishop rejected by priests
Pope accepts resignation of Nigerian bishop rejected by priests | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Pope Francis backed down Monday and accepted the resignation of Nigerian bishop who had been rejected for years by the priests of his diocese, setting a precedent that could have repercussions in Chile and elsewhere when papal authority is challenged.
The announcement came after Francis in June issued a harsh ultimatum to the priests of Nigeria’s southern Ahiara diocese, warning they would lose their jobs if they didn’t obey him and accept Monsignor Peter Okpaleke as their bishop. Francis gave each priest 30 days to pledge their obedience.
The Vatican said Monday that 200 priests obeyed, but some still expressed problems in working with Okpaleke.
The announcement came after Francis in June issued a harsh ultimatum to the priests of Nigeria’s southern Ahiara diocese, warning they would lose their jobs if they didn’t obey him and accept Monsignor Peter Okpaleke as their bishop. Francis gave each priest 30 days to pledge their obedience.
The Vatican said Monday that 200 priests obeyed, but some still expressed problems in working with Okpaleke.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Correcting 5 errors in Fr. James Martin’s latest tweet about homosexual marriage
Correcting Fr. James Martin | Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: Fr. Martin’s charge that straight employees are not removed from their jobs at Catholic institutions for breaking their employment contract over matters of sexual morality is simply wrong. The comments on his Twitter feed provide multiple examples of heterosexual employees being fired for breaking their contract by giving bad moral example and violating Catholic morality. I worked in a Catholic school where a man and woman who worked there were in a relationship that destroyed the man’s marriage. They planned to re-marry, but had the dignity and respect of the school to realize their plans contradicted their terms of employment and their example as Catholic school teachers. The resigned quietly and found new employment. They didn’t attempt to stay on in their job and play the public victim.
How Blessed John Henry Newman helped to inspire the German anti-Nazi resistance
How Newman inspired the German resistance | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Seventy-five years ago, on February 18, 1943, Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie were caught distributing anti-Nazi leaflets in Munich University. Five days later they were tried and executed for high treason on Hitler’s direct orders. The Scholls belonged to a group of students who, using the nom de guerre of the White Rose, spoke out against National Socialism and circulated thousands of leaflets telling Germans of their moral duty to resist Hitler and his “atheistic war machine”. They also condemned the persecution of Jews in the year when Hitler began to implement the Final Solution – and were among the few to speak publicly of the Holocaust while it was taking place.
Why can’t I put my smartphone down? Here’s the science behind it, and some ways to break the mental chains...
Why Can't I Put My Smartphone Down? Here's The Science : Shots - Health News : NPR: If the Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov were alive today, what would he say about smartphones? He might not think of them as phones at all, but instead as remarkable tools for understanding how technology can manipulate our brains.
Pavlov's own findings — from experiments he did more than a century ago, involving food, buzzers and slobbering dogs — offer key insights into why our phones have become almost an extension of our bodies, modern researchers say. The findings also provide clues to how we can break our dependence.
Pavlov's own findings — from experiments he did more than a century ago, involving food, buzzers and slobbering dogs — offer key insights into why our phones have become almost an extension of our bodies, modern researchers say. The findings also provide clues to how we can break our dependence.
Overruling parents’ wishes, judge approves sex change as treatment for teen’s mental illness
Transgender teen may undergo hormone therapy, judge rules in Cincinnati: A Hamilton County judge has paved the way for a 17-year-old who wants to transition in gender to undergo hormone therapy. The case pitted the teen against his parents.
Sylvia Hendon, a visiting Juvenile Court judge, issued a ruling Friday granting legal custody to the teen’s grandparents, who according to a prosecutor "accept their grandson for who he is."
But the ruling comes with conditions.
Sylvia Hendon, a visiting Juvenile Court judge, issued a ruling Friday granting legal custody to the teen’s grandparents, who according to a prosecutor "accept their grandson for who he is."
But the ruling comes with conditions.
Jesus didn’t look the way you thought he did
Jesus Didn’t Look the Way You Thought He DidMILLS: You know how you picture Jesus? Like most of the pictures at church, right? You’re probably wrong.
Let me say right away that doesn’t matter. As long as Christians have made pictures of Jesus, everyone’s made Him look like them. St. Paul told the Christians in Corinth that He became all things to all men, so that He could save some. In the same way, the Church lets people picture Jesus as looking like themselves. He became one of us, so we can see Him as one of us.
Still, it’s fun to find out what He might have looked like. An English scholar has just written a book called What Did Jesus Look Like. Joan Taylor teaches early Christianity and Judaism at King’s College in London. She writes about this on a website called The Conversation.
Let me say right away that doesn’t matter. As long as Christians have made pictures of Jesus, everyone’s made Him look like them. St. Paul told the Christians in Corinth that He became all things to all men, so that He could save some. In the same way, the Church lets people picture Jesus as looking like themselves. He became one of us, so we can see Him as one of us.
Still, it’s fun to find out what He might have looked like. An English scholar has just written a book called What Did Jesus Look Like. Joan Taylor teaches early Christianity and Judaism at King’s College in London. She writes about this on a website called The Conversation.
What’s happening in Vatican-China talks? The necessary background...
What’s happening in Vatican-China talks? The necessary background | Catholic CultureLAWLER: What do we know for sure about the situation?
Not much—and that’s the first important caveat that covers much of the information set forth below.
Neither the Vatican nor the Chinese government is offering any detailed information about the proposed agreement. That perfectly normal; in any negotiations, both sides ordinarily choose to avoid public disclosure. That normal diplomatic discretion is accentuated in this case, because both parties, the Vatican and the Beijing regime, are notoriously close-mouthed about their affairs.
Moreover, the situation facing the Church in China is also murky. There are two strains of Catholicism on the mainland: the “official” Church and the “underground” Church. But the lines of demarcation are often blurred.
Not much—and that’s the first important caveat that covers much of the information set forth below.
Neither the Vatican nor the Chinese government is offering any detailed information about the proposed agreement. That perfectly normal; in any negotiations, both sides ordinarily choose to avoid public disclosure. That normal diplomatic discretion is accentuated in this case, because both parties, the Vatican and the Beijing regime, are notoriously close-mouthed about their affairs.
Moreover, the situation facing the Church in China is also murky. There are two strains of Catholicism on the mainland: the “official” Church and the “underground” Church. But the lines of demarcation are often blurred.
What we do with our body affects our soul. That’s why we fast...
Fasting. What's the Point? | Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: Have I said it before? I shall say it again: “Every argument is a theological argument.”
So why do we fast? What difference does it make if I eat a huge hamburger on a Friday or not? Isn’t that just a dumb rule?
Let’s start at the very beginning…
There is this heresy called Gnosticism and Gnosticism has lots of different forms. In the old days in included lots of myths and fantastic stories, esoteric teaching, magic and occult practices, supernatural philosophies and theories about gods, goddesses and demigods and all sorts of superstition and special ways to gain knowledge to get to heaven or the spiritual realm
So why do we fast? What difference does it make if I eat a huge hamburger on a Friday or not? Isn’t that just a dumb rule?
Let’s start at the very beginning…
There is this heresy called Gnosticism and Gnosticism has lots of different forms. In the old days in included lots of myths and fantastic stories, esoteric teaching, magic and occult practices, supernatural philosophies and theories about gods, goddesses and demigods and all sorts of superstition and special ways to gain knowledge to get to heaven or the spiritual realm
When you fast, are you degrading your body?
When You Fast, Are You Degrading Your Body? | The StreamRICHARDS: We are, each of us, unities of matter and spirit, body and soul. We are made from the dust of the earth and the breath of God. We’re neither mere matter nor ghosts trapped in bodies. We’re bodily persons. We are created good, but fallen — body and soul.
God came to earth, not as an angel or a ghost, but as a man. He became incarnate. He became flesh. In His body, He died for our sins. He rose — bodily — from the dead. He ate breakfast with His disciples. Forty days later, he ascended, body and all, into heaven.
That’s why we look forward not just to a vaporous existence as souls in heaven, but as people with new bodies, in a new heaven and a new earth.
Good spiritual practices should bolster these truths, not deny them.
God came to earth, not as an angel or a ghost, but as a man. He became incarnate. He became flesh. In His body, He died for our sins. He rose — bodily — from the dead. He ate breakfast with His disciples. Forty days later, he ascended, body and all, into heaven.
That’s why we look forward not just to a vaporous existence as souls in heaven, but as people with new bodies, in a new heaven and a new earth.
Good spiritual practices should bolster these truths, not deny them.
How overnight shipping works
New Advent: How overnight shipping works: The efficiency of these worldwide delivery networks is mind-blowing.
Sunday Angelus Address: Lent is a time of renewing ourselves according to the grace of our Baptism
Angelus Address: On the Need for Conversion – ZENIT – EnglishCOATOFARMS: On this first Sunday of Lent, the Gospel recalls the themes of temptation, of conversion and of the Good News. The evangelist Mark writes: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan” (Mark 1:12-13). Jesus goes into the desert to prepare himself for His mission in the world. He has no need of conversion but, in as much as man, He must pass through this test, be it for Himself, to obey the will of the Father, be it for us, to give us the grace to overcome temptations. This preparation consists in fighting against the spirit of evil, namely, against the devil. For us also, Lent is a time of spiritual “challenge,” of spiritual struggle: we are called to face the Evil One through prayer so that with God’s help, we are able to overcome him in our daily life. We know it, evil, unfortunately, is at work in our existence and around us, where violence, rejection of the other, closures, wars and injustices are manifested.
Vatican announces details of March 19-24 gathering of 300 youth to prepare for next Synod of Bishops
Press Conference on the pre-Synodal Meeting (Rome, 19-24 March 2018) in preparation for the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: At 11.00 am this morning, in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held on the pre-Synodal Meeting schedule to take place in Rome from March 19 to 24, in preparation for the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
The panel was composed of: Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops; H.E. Msgr. Fabio Fabene, under-secretary of the Synod of Bishops; Stella Marilene Nishimwe, a young woman from Burundi; and Filippo Passantino, a young Italian.
The following are the interventions by the speakers, along with the documentation and various links on the pre-Synodal Meeting:
The panel was composed of: Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops; H.E. Msgr. Fabio Fabene, under-secretary of the Synod of Bishops; Stella Marilene Nishimwe, a young woman from Burundi; and Filippo Passantino, a young Italian.
The following are the interventions by the speakers, along with the documentation and various links on the pre-Synodal Meeting:
Pope urges youth to go online and give the Church an earful
Pope urges youth to go online and give the Church an earful: In his noontime Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis essentially invited youth of the world to go online and give the Catholic Church an earful, as part of an upcoming March gathering of young Catholics ahead of a Synod of Bishops on youth in October.
“A month from now, March 19 to the 24, around 300 youth from the entire world will come to Rome for a preparatory meeting for the synod in October,” the pope said.
“However, I strongly want all young people to be able to be protagonists of this preparation,” he said, emphasizing the word “strongly” as he spoke.
“A month from now, March 19 to the 24, around 300 youth from the entire world will come to Rome for a preparatory meeting for the synod in October,” the pope said.
“However, I strongly want all young people to be able to be protagonists of this preparation,” he said, emphasizing the word “strongly” as he spoke.
The quiet progress of the Pope’s anti-abuse commission is a hard sell
Quiet progress of pope's anti-abuse commission a hard sellALLEN: As President John F. Kennedy famously said after the Bay of Pigs disaster in 1961, more or less paraphrasing Tacitus, “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” The odd thing from a media point of view is that it’s often precisely the opposite way around - failure is a celebrity, success a nobody.
That is to say, it’s considered news when war breaks out, planes fall from the sky, systems break down and leaders stumble. When peace holds, the plane lands safely, the checks arrive on time, and leaders quietly do their jobs, nobody seems to notice.
That is to say, it’s considered news when war breaks out, planes fall from the sky, systems break down and leaders stumble. When peace holds, the plane lands safely, the checks arrive on time, and leaders quietly do their jobs, nobody seems to notice.
Wood and water work wonders! A homily for the First Sunday of Lent...
Wood and Water Work Wonders! A Homily for the First Sunday of Lent - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: On the first Sunday of Lent the readings have a baptismal theme. This makes sense, for it is common that on this day the catechumens report to the Bishop for the Rite of Election, who officially recognizes them as the elect of God in these final weeks before their baptism.
In today’s readings there are actually many themes; they seem to form the spokes of a wagon wheel, with baptism being the central hub from which they emanate. Arching over it all is the image of the rainbow in the sky, the great sign of God’s love and mercy upon us all. Even during Lent, as we take heed of our sins, we can never forget that though we have been unrighteous, unholy, unkind, undisciplined, and at times unreachable, we have never been unloved. Yes, God put a rainbow in the sky.
In today’s readings there are actually many themes; they seem to form the spokes of a wagon wheel, with baptism being the central hub from which they emanate. Arching over it all is the image of the rainbow in the sky, the great sign of God’s love and mercy upon us all. Even during Lent, as we take heed of our sins, we can never forget that though we have been unrighteous, unholy, unkind, undisciplined, and at times unreachable, we have never been unloved. Yes, God put a rainbow in the sky.
Dear regular Mass-goers: The seats at the end of the pew aren’t for you
Dear regular Mass-goers: the seats at the end of the pew aren’t for you. | America Magazine: My work took me away from home a lot last fall, and so I was at a different Catholic parish every weekend. All the same Catholic Mass—and, depressingly, the same experience of being the unwelcomed stranger in a strangely familiar land.
Many of the parishes had a greeter smiling at the front door with a bulletin in hand. There was often an invitation from the pulpit for all visitors to stand and be welcomed. At one parish, I even received a shiny little gift bag with a ballpoint pen and a coffee cup, both bearing the name of the parish.
Many of the parishes had a greeter smiling at the front door with a bulletin in hand. There was often an invitation from the pulpit for all visitors to stand and be welcomed. At one parish, I even received a shiny little gift bag with a ballpoint pen and a coffee cup, both bearing the name of the parish.
Blessed Paul VI to be canonized this year, says Pope Francis
Pope Francis: Blessed Paul VI to Be Canonized This Year: Pope Francis has said he will proclaim Blessed Paul VI a saint later this year, and joked that he and Benedict XVI are “on the waiting list.”
At the end of a closed-door question and answer session with priests of Rome on Thursday, the Pope said it will be a “holy year” for Paul VI. "There are two Bishops of Rome who have recently become saints: John XXIII and John Paul II,” the Pope said. “Paul VI will become one this year. Benedict and I are on the waiting list. Pray for us."
Earlier this month, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the second miracle needed for the canonization of Blessed Paul VI.
At the end of a closed-door question and answer session with priests of Rome on Thursday, the Pope said it will be a “holy year” for Paul VI. "There are two Bishops of Rome who have recently become saints: John XXIII and John Paul II,” the Pope said. “Paul VI will become one this year. Benedict and I are on the waiting list. Pray for us."
Earlier this month, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the second miracle needed for the canonization of Blessed Paul VI.
Friday, February 16, 2018
3 types of people who secretly enjoy being miserable
3 Types of People Who Secretly Enjoy Being MiserableLONGENECKER: Let’s face it. Some people enjoy being miserable. Here’s why.
When I ran a business training company before I was ordained we used a personality type program to help people improve working conditions. I soon realized that there were three personality types who gain pleasure from being miserable.
When I ran a business training company before I was ordained we used a personality type program to help people improve working conditions. I soon realized that there were three personality types who gain pleasure from being miserable.
In London stands a statue of the long-forgotten Lenten king
In London Stands a Statue of the Long-Forgotten Lenten KingTURLEY: As Lent starts there is a statue in central London that it would be good to contemplate
It is not a religious statue, nor is it well known. Standing in the heart of London, outside the National Gallery, the statue is passed daily by the multitudes, and forgotten just as quickly as it is noticed — if indeed it is registered at all.
The statue looks like that of a Roman Emperor and so seems oddly out of place in its London setting. It is, in fact, the figure of a British king. The statue is stranger still. In a city replete with monuments, it speaks of earthly glory. And yet its ignominious tour around different sites in London — from the Houses of Parliament to storage in a London Underground station before its eventual siting in today’s location — tells a pointed tale of this world’s passing glories.
It is not a religious statue, nor is it well known. Standing in the heart of London, outside the National Gallery, the statue is passed daily by the multitudes, and forgotten just as quickly as it is noticed — if indeed it is registered at all.
The statue looks like that of a Roman Emperor and so seems oddly out of place in its London setting. It is, in fact, the figure of a British king. The statue is stranger still. In a city replete with monuments, it speaks of earthly glory. And yet its ignominious tour around different sites in London — from the Houses of Parliament to storage in a London Underground station before its eventual siting in today’s location — tells a pointed tale of this world’s passing glories.
Palestine asks Vatican to defend Jerusalem's status quo
Palestine asks Vatican to defend Jerusalem's status quo: The Palestinian Foreign Affairs minister, Ryadh al Maliki, met officials of the Vatican Secretariat of State Feb. 16, asking the Holy See to amplify its voice defending the status quo in Jerusalem.
�
“It is important to understand that the situation of Jerusalem also deals with Christians,” the minister told CNA after the meeting, during a short briefing with journalists in the State of Palestine’s recently opened embassy to the Holy See.
“We would like the Holy See lead a conference of Christians in the Middle East, in order to make their voice stronger.”
�
“It is important to understand that the situation of Jerusalem also deals with Christians,” the minister told CNA after the meeting, during a short briefing with journalists in the State of Palestine’s recently opened embassy to the Holy See.
“We would like the Holy See lead a conference of Christians in the Middle East, in order to make their voice stronger.”
Remembering that we are dust, as seen in an eerie video
Remembering That We Are Dust, as Seen in an Eerie Video - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: It is my usual Friday routine to feature a video (often a commercial) and draw some biblical or spiritual principle from it. The video below is no commercial; it is post-war footage from Berlin in July of 1945. Interestingly it is in color, but it can only be described as eerie. People walk about among the ruins in something of a daze. Not a word is said throughout. The people appear to be trying to get back to “normal” life in the middle of a city that has been reduced to rubble. Some have injuries: one man is missing a leg, another an eye. A bucket brigade works to clear away some of the rubble. Throughout, silence and sadness permeate the footage. The Berlin gate is still open, but already there are British and Russian sectors defined. An Iron Curtain will drop and a wall be built in the near future.
Congrats to Bermuda for reversing ‘same-sex marriage’
Congrats to Bermuda | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Last year a court, as happens so often these days, unilaterally imposed ‘same-sex marriage’ on Bermuda. That judicial fiat has now been legislatively reversed and, while “domestic partnerships” are recognized in Bermuda, some of which partnerships will make it legally easier for same-sex partners to carry on their common life, only one man and one woman can enter marriage in Bermuda. In short, Bermuda law again respects reality.
In new Tweet, Spadaro pillories Weigel, Chaput; Jesuit suggests conspiracy theory explains opposition to China deal
Antonio Spadaro on Twitter: "... and then meanwhile Steve Bannon compares China to the 1930 Nazi Germany, an American Archibishop, by chance, is remembering the Reichskonkordat (“Reich concordat”) between the Holy See and German government. Interesting isn’t it? https://t.co/83cMrTrXiQ": ... and then meanwhile Steve Bannon compares China to the 1930 Nazi Germany, an American Archibishop, by chance, is remembering the Reichskonkordat...
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Why the Blessed Virgin Mary is the best promoter of culture
Why Mary Is the Best Promoter of Culture — My Favorite Catholic ThingsGRESS: In my book, The Marian Option: God's Solution to a Civilization in Crisis, I spent a lot of time talking about how Mary is a unique driver of culture. The insight was certainly not my own, but hails from some unlikely places. The first is from Henry Adams (1838-1918), grandson of President John Quincy Adams, and great-grandson of Founding Father and President John Adams.
In the early 1900s, Adams, a Protestant who had spent much time living in Europe, wrote about the extreme power wielded by the Virgin Mary...
In the early 1900s, Adams, a Protestant who had spent much time living in Europe, wrote about the extreme power wielded by the Virgin Mary...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)