Duc in Altum

Mary Vitamin

2007-09-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

Both M and I take vitamins. It is an essential part of our daily routine that L has picked up on to the point that she asks us on a given day whether or not we have taken them or not. Except when she asks, what she says sounds like, "Have you taken your diamonds today?" Of course, we joke about the diamonds that are actually vitamins, and we talk about how L's term might indicate the importance of these daily vitamins.

One woman has taken the idea of a daily vitamins to include the vitamin of devotion that we all need. She provides help in this area by encouraging Marian devotion through mental prayer. Her apostolate is to provide material to encourage mental prayer through an email that she sends five days a seek. The emails often contain quotes from saints referencing the virtues of our Lady. Then there is a vow to action that urges the reader to put in to practice what our Lady shows us through her example.

Mary Vitamin is a daily email support for Marian mental prayer. Each day (Monday through Friday) members will receive a brief Marian quote with a corresponding Marian meditation and resolution. The Mary Vitamin is designed to make mental prayer a little simpler and bring Our Lady into your day in a systematic way.

Real Marian devotion is studying the life and virtues of Our Lady and then putting into practice what we learn from her.

She calls her emails Mary Vitamin, and the emails are quite like taking a daily Marian vitamin. For more information, click here. To view her blog, click here.

More on Christendom College Podcasts

2007-09-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

Recently I mentioned that this past July we attended the Christendom College 2007 Summer Institute on Marriage and the Family. As it has been in past years, it was a wonderful conference. One of the main reasons that the Summer Institute is always so enjoyable is because the organizers always manage to bring in great speakers. This year was no different as the speakers included Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Ms. Mary Stanford, Bishop Thomas Welsh, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, and Sen. Rick Santorum.

A few weeks after the conference, L asked to see some pictures of the speakers. While looking on the Christendom College Web site, I found that the college posts podcasts of lectures that are given as part of the school's speakers program. However, I was disappointed to not find the Summer Institute talks on the Christendom podcast site.

It turns out, I just needed to be patient. Today, I received an email from Tom McFadden who is the Director of Admissions at Christendom. He had read my blog entry on the Christendom College podcast site, and he sent me an email to let me know that the Summer Institute podcasts have been made available.

I appreciate Tom's heads up on the podcasts being posted, and I am happy to pass on the information. It is certainly worth taking the time to listen to these talks. To listen to them, as well as other lectures given at the college during the academic year, click here.

Vatican Confirms Requirement to Provide Feeding Tubes

2007-09-17T01:45:00.000-04:00

In response to questions posed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Vatican has confirmed the moral obligation to provide nutrition and hydration to patients who are in a vegetative state.

In light of the tragic case of Ms. Terri Schiavo who was put to death by starvation and dehydration , the USCCB asked the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) for a clarification on the Church's teaching on this issue.

The response which was approved by Pope Benedict XVI, confirmed that "the church position that patients in a 'vegetative state' are living human beings with inherent dignity and deserve the same basic care as other patients. This basic care would include nutrition and hydration, even when provided through artificial assistance."

Furthermore, the CDF indicated that the food and hydration should be given regardless of the prognosis of the patient regarding consciousness. The CDF stated that, "ordinary and proportionate care which includes, in principle, the administration of water and food even by artificial means" should be supplied regardless of the prognosis of recovery of consciousness.

In a separate commentary, the CDF did note that there might be exceptions to this moral obligation, but these would be rare. Such circumstances might be remote places with extreme poverty, a situation in which it is futile to provide food and water because the patient is unable to assimilate the nutrition and hydration, or a case in which the discomfort of the reception of food and water far outweighs the benefits of providing it. In the Q&A document written by the USCCB to help apply this teaching, the example given for this last case is a patient who has stomach cancer. In this case, the patient may not be able to assimilate the food and water without great discomfort. Even given these exceptions, the CDF made clear that the exceptions do not negate the general provision that giving food and water, even by artificial means, represents "a natural means for providing life."

It would have been fairly easy to anticipate these answers. John Paul the Great made it clear that nutrition and hydration were ordinary means of care for a person regardless of the person's level of consciousness. The natural law, which is often understood as common sense, dictates that you cannot starve or dehydrate a person simply because the person is not conscious as is commonly understood. The fact that this was permitted to be done to Ms. Terri Schiavo, not to mention the numerous other people whose stories are lesser known, is a horrific and deeply disturbing tragedy.

Documents:

The responses from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF)
A CDF commentary, approved by Cardinal William Levada and bishop members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
A Q&A from the USCCB Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Pro-Life Activities

Sources:

USCCB
Zenit

Virtual Rosary

2007-09-13T01:30:00.000-04:00

I just recently discovered the Virtual Rosary. It is a small desktop application which guides you through praying the Rosary. There are attractive images, simple music, and meditations for each bead in the five decades. It comes in various languages, and it is up-to-date as it includes the Luminous Mysteries inaugurated by John Paul the Great. The Web site also offers additional modules with different meditations including ones based on St. Louis de Monfort. And for those who need it, there is a reminder feature.

The Web site states the goals.

Virtual Rosary is a free program with three goals in mind:
To teach the rosary and make it simple with the program's super-easy operation.

To help keep the rosary refreshing and deep for anyone with the aid of scripture, illustrations, and music.

To build a worldwide community of people to pray for each other through the PrayerCast network.

I think it is a terrific idea for encouraging praying the Rosary. I, myself, would rather not look at a computer monitor while praying the Rosary, but I am sure many people find this very useful as an aid in their prayer life. I added a link to the site on the right pane under Web sites of Interest.

Christendom College Podcasts

2007-09-05T02:00:00.000-04:00

This past July, we made our annual journey to the Christendom College Summer Institute. It was a wonderful day of inspiring speakers and a beautiful mass at the school's Christ the King Chapel. The theme this year was defending the family, and the speakers included Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Ms. Mary Stanford, Bishop Thomas Welsh, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, and Sen. Rick Santorum. As usual, we had a great time, and we left with much food for thought. (We also left with a few books, but that might need another post.)

L was with us, as well, so we sat together to hear the talks as much as we could, but when she got fidgety, I would take her outside to walk or stroll around the attractive campus. Fortunately, unlike most summers before, the temperature was rather mild for a day in the middle of July. One highlight was that M was able to speak with Fr. Groeschel. She enjoyed her chat with him, and she found him to have that wonderful fully human ability to relate to someone right away.

Yesterday, L wanted to see some pictures of the speakers that she had heard at the conference. (She has a remarkable memory for names and places for an almost three-year-old.) While showing her the picures of the speakers, I came across a podcast site where the school posts lectures from their speakers program which occurs during the academic year. I thought this was a site worth noting because the College draws a number of good speakers during the year, in addition to its own faculty including the remarkable Founding President Dr. Warren Carroll. Unfortunately, the Summer Institute talks are not posted here because they must be purchased.

Pope calls for more Catholics to help protect the Environment

2007-09-03T20:15:00.000-04:00

The Holy Father was in Loreto, Italy during the first two days of September as he presided over a national meeting of young people. Yesterday, in the homily at the concluding Mass, he urged the young people to consider the importance of helping to preserve the environment.

I appreciate the Holy Father highlighting this important area of justice. Ever since I was quite young, I have had a great interest in the environment. I remember at an early age reading magazines like National and International Wildlife and Audubon. In fact, one of my elementary school teachers predicted that I would become an environmental lawyer.

I never wound up in law school, but after receiving my degree in mechanical engineering, I have been able to work for several consulting firms that to a lesser or greater degree allowed me to work in my area of interest. My current job is the most directly related to preserving the environment, in particular, improving air quality.

I am grateful for the opportunity to work in this area because I know that it does make a difference in improving the lives of others. I have come to understand that preserving the environment is indeed an issue of justice because we are responsible for how we treat God's creation, particularly humans, and we are called to consider what legacy we will leave for future generations.

I can only echo the Holy Father's call to young people to be involved in this work. Faithful Christians can make an important impact by maintaining that any work to preserve the environment must keep human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, as the focus of all efforts.

The world is in urgent need of Catholics working to protect the environment, says Benedict XVI.

Following Christ, the Holy Father affirmed, brings with it "the continual effort to make one's own contribution to building a more just and solidary society, where all can enjoy the goods of the earth."

"I know that many of you dedicate yourselves with generosity to bear witness to your own faith in various social ambits, volunteering, working to promote the common good, peace and justice in every community," he said. "One of the areas in which work appears to be urgent is without a doubt that of protecting creation.

"To the new generations the future of the planet is entrusted, in which there are evident signs of a development that has not always known how to safeguard the delicate equilibriums of nature.

"Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions that reflect knowing how to re-create a strong alliance between man and the earth.

"A decisive 'yes' to the protection of creation is necessary and a firm commitment to reverse those tendencies that run the risk of bringing about situations of unstoppable degradation."

Benedict XVI applauded an initiative from the Church in Italy to promote sensitivity to the issue of protecting creation. Sept. 1 has been established as a national day for promoting awareness of these matters.

"This year," the Holy Father observed, "attention is focused above all on water, a most precious good that, if it is not shared in a fair and peaceful way, will unfortunately become a cause for significant tensions and bitter conflicts."

Source

Another Look at the Pharisees

2007-09-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

In his commentary on this Sunday's liturgical readings, the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa offers a different view of the Pharisees. One of the major religious groups of Jesus' day, the Pharisees have become synonymous with hypocrites. Fr. Cantalamessa points out the problems and the harm in making this judgement of the Pharisees.

The beginning of this Sunday's Gospel helps us to correct a widely diffused prejudice: "One Sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him." Reading the Gospel from a certain angle we have ended up making the Pharisees the prototype for all vices: hypocrisy, duplicity, falsity; Jesus' enemies par excellence. The terms "Pharisee" and "Pharisaical" have entered into the vocabulary of many languages with negative connotations.

Such an idea of the Pharisees is not correct. There were certainly many among them who corresponded to this negative image and it is with these that Jesus has serious problems. But not all of them were like this. Nicodemus, who comes to see Jesus one night and who later defended him before the Sanhedrin, was a Pharisee (cf. John 3:1; 7:50ff.). Saul was a Pharisee before his conversion and was certainly a sincere and zealous person then, if misguided. Gamaliel, who defended the apostles before the Sanhedrin, was a Pharisee (cf. Acts 5:34ff.).

Jesus' relationships with the Pharisees were not only conflictual. They often shared the same convictions, such as faith in the resurrection of the dead and the love of God and neighbor as the first and most important commandment of the law. Some, as we see in Sunday's Gospel, even invited Jesus to dinner at their house. Today there is agreement that the Pharisees did not want Jesus to be condemned as much as their rival sect, the Sadducees, who belonged to Jerusalem's priestly caste.

For all these reasons, it would be a very good thing to stop using the terms "Pharisee" and "Pharisaical" in a disparaging way. This would also help dialogue with the Jews who recall with great respect the role played by the Pharisees in their history, especially after the destruction of Jerusalem.

From Zenit (Also for the full commentary)

To view the liturgical readings for today, click on the link, Today's Mass Readings in the top right of this post.

September Prayer Intentions

2007-09-01T09:30:00.000-04:00

PAPAL INTENTIONS

General - That the ecumenical assembly in Romania this month may contribute to the growth of unity among all Christians.

Pope Benedict is concerned about the Church in Europe, a continent that has seen a long decline in all traditional Christian churches. Europe seems to have forgotten its first love, the Crucified and the Risen Jesus Christ, and the darkness of relativism has invaded all the institutions of Europe.

Opposing this darkness, the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly has chosen this theme: "The light of Christ shines upon all. Hope for renewal and unity in Europe." Ironically, the diminished churches bring an opportunity for greater unity as 3,000 delegates gather in Sibiu, Romania, September 4-8.

This meeting culminates a “pilgrimage” of the major Christian traditions of Europe as they listen together to the Word of Christ and seek the essence of what makes us Christian. At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed that all his followers might be one in him. He knew how easily divisions set in, even among sincere followers.

With Jesus, we pray that the assembly delegates may grow in understanding, love, and unity through the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray for the light of Christ on them as they discuss many topics, including the visible unity of the Church, the reconciliation between peoples and cultures, the safeguarding of creation, and the dialogue with other religions and philosophical viewpoints, starting with Judaism and Islam.

We pray that they may set in motion a powerful unification of all Christians in Europe and throughout the world.

Source

Missionary - That following Christ joyfully, all missionaries may know how to overcome the difficulties they meet in everyday life.

While celebrating Eucharist with fellow bishops in Brazil this past May, Pope Benedict spoke of the missionary nature of the Church. As Jesus was the missionary of the Father, so the Church extends Christ’s love throughout the world.

What difficulties face today’s missionaries? According to the Holy Father, "secularized culture, the crisis of the family, the drop in vocations, the aging of the clergy, churches closing in on themselves, and lowered hopes" are difficulties more formidable than perilous travel, primitive life, and savage rejection such as have afflicted past missionary efforts.

Some of today’s greatest missionary difficulties arise from the need to re-evangelize formerly Christian nations and peoples.

We pray in obedience to the Holy Father that missionaries may be full of Christ’s joy. We pray that their joy will give them strength and understanding needed to overcome the serious difficulties they face in their work.

Rather than lose hope ourselves, we ask God to make us passionate about evangelization in all its forms. Let us see new opportunities in new technologies. Let us welcome missionaries into our own midst. And, most of all, let us give ourselves to the missions in our prayers. We Apostles of Prayer seek everyday to “be apostles now.” We venture by our prayers into all the difficulties faced by the men and women missionaries we support.

With joy, with hope, we offer ourselves in prayer for missionaries today. We will offer ourselves again tomorrow—and again and again—until God’s Kingdom comes.

Source

PRIESTS FOR LIFE

That God may bless and strengthen the pro-life efforts of college students.

No Words Can Express their Grief

2007-08-26T08:45:00.000-04:00

In very sad news, Jude Gilliam, the two-year-old boy who was in the ICU, has passed away. This little boy had captured the hearts of so many who were supporting his family and praying for his full recovery. We entrust him to our Heavenly Father, and we grieve with his family at their terrible loss. I do not think that words can capture what they must be feeling at this time. How can parents ever bury their child, especially a child so young?

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday. For more information and to read the notes signed in the guest book, click here.

Please join your prayers with many others who are praying for the family that is mourning the loss of such a young child.

Prayer Request for a 2-year-old boy in ICU

2007-08-22T02:00:00.000-04:00

Obviously, it has been quite some time since I last posted. I am compelled to add an entry asking for prayer for Jude Gilliam, who is a 2-year-old boy in an intensive care unit. He is in the hospital because several days ago, he was pulled from his grandparents' pool after having nearly drowned.

Now in the ICU, he is being assisted with life support machines, and the medical staff continue to monitor his brain activity. There was significant swelling in his brain, and the doctors believe that his upper brain which controls movement, speech, and sight has not been working since he was pulled out of the pool.

The little boy is one of four children in the Gilliam family. My wife and I are acquainted with Robert, the father of the little boy, and we also know a number of the other family members and friends who have been affected by this terrible accident.

As parents ourselves, we cannot image what this family has endured and continues to face. It is simply a parent's worst nightmare to see your child hooked up to machines in an ICU. We, too, have known this horrible experience, and our hearts and prayers go out to the Gilliam family.

Many people throughout the world have expressed their support and empathy for the family. In addition, a number of friends and family members are keeping a prayer watch at the hospital. The family has expressed tremendous faith that God will heal their little boy Jude.

I would ask you to join your prayers with all of those who are praying. Pray that little Jude has a full recovery. I thank you for your prayers, and I know the family would, as well.

For more information, click here. On this site you can read the journal entries from family and friends, and you can view the hundreds of kind notes that have been added to the site.

I thought, given his name, that it is quite appropriate to ask for the intercession of the patron of desperate situations. St. Jude, pray for us ...

Positive Discipline: No spanking

2007-06-14T00:58:00.000-04:00

If you are a parent, you owe it to yourself to look into the whole concept of positive discipline. The ideas put forth by Dr. Jane Nelsen and others are fairly simple, but, depending on how you were raised, may require you to think about things completely differently than you have.

The basic premise is that it is unnecessary to use strictly punitive methods to discipline children. As it is often stated in the Positive Discipline books, why is it a given that you have to make children feel badly in order to teach them how to behave. Translated into practical terms, parents are discouraged from ever using spanking or any type of hitting to punish children.

Now this flies in the face of many people's assumptions that spanking is quite alright. After all, spanking was the discipline method of many people's parents and they turned out okay. Dr. Nelsen replies:

He: There are times when it is necessary to spank my children to teach them important lessons. For example, I spank my two-year-old to teach her not to run into the street.
She: After you have spanked your two-year-old to teach her not to run in the street, will you let her play unsupervised by a busy street?
He: Well, no.
She: Why not? If the spanking teaches her not to run into the street, why can't she play unsupervised by the street? How many times would you need to spank her before you would feel she has learned the lesson well enough?
He: Well, I wouldn't let her play unsupervised near a busy street until she was six or seven years old.
She: I rest my case. Parents have the responsibility to supervise young children in dangerous situations until children are old enough to handle that situation. All the spanking in the world won't teach a child until he or she is developmentally ready. Meanwhile you can gently teach. When you take your children to the park, invite them to look up the street and down the street to see if cars are coming and tell you when it is safe to cross the street. Still, still you won't let them go to the park alone until they are six or seven.
Studies show that approximately 85 percent of all parents of children under twelve years old resort to spanking when frustrated, yet only 8 to 10 percent believe that it is dignified or effective. Sixty-five percent say that they would prefer to teach through positive methods to improve behavior, but they don't know how. This book shows you how.

A response to the argument that adults who were spanked by their parents turned out okay can be found here. The basic idea is that although a lesson may have been taught and even caught when punitive means were used, it might not have been the best lesson for the child.

For our part, we have never spanked our daughter, and we have no intention of ever doing so. The key for us is to remain firm but kind while keeping in mind that the goal of discipline is to teach our daughter to become the respectful, responsible adult we want her to become. We want her to want to be virtuous. We do not want her to want to be good because she fears the wrath of her parents (or God) if she does not behave. This goes beyond getting her to mind us. That can be accomplished via shaming types of punishment, but in the long run, it will only cause problems. Finally, there are alternative methods for teaching her to behave even in the midst of her misbehavior. For me, it requires looking at things from a different perspective than how I was raised. Shaming and strictly punitive methods were constantly used. Although I turned out okay, there are many problems I have carried with me into adulthood that I have no desire to pass on to my daughter.

I have only touched briefly on this philosophy of raising children. There is much more I could mention. For more information, check out Jane Nelsen's blog and the Positive Discipline Web site.

Returning to Action and Abandonment to Divine Providence

2007-04-25T00:40:00.000-04:00

Over the past nine months or so, most posting has been very occasional. I continue to believe that there might be a more full return to action. Or at least a more frequent schedule of posting. Perhaps it would be best if I consider an achievable goal such as once a week. That seems somewhat reasonable.

That being said, this is my first attempt at moving in that direction. However, the most important thing is that I place all of this in His hands. I have been reading and listening to the book, Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J. I received the tip on this book from Fr. Groeschel who mentioned that he has been re-reading it ever since he first read it as a teenager.

Reading this book has solidified in many ways what I have thought and experienced in my life. Namely, that the path to following God is one in which one completely abandons oneself to following God's will in the present moment. Every item of one's life, no matter how mundane, is important to the life that God has planned. In each moment, He is calling to me to be obedient to His Will. Focusing on the past or the future will not help me as much as my concentrating on doing His will by fulfilling my duties in the present moment.

Although there is only Way for salvation, there are countless variations of the details of how to follow Christ that are made particular by God to suit the individual creatures He has created. In practical terms, I will not be called to live as you are called to live. You will not be called to live as I am called to live.

This seems so obvious, but in reality, many stumble in this area because they expect, conscioulsy or uncounscioulsy, everyone to follow the details which they follow. For example, I have found people who practically function as if one mass time on Sunday at a particular parish is the only mass to attend for "serious" Catholics. This is nonsense. What if God is calling them to attend that mass, but God is calling me to attend mass at a different time? Indeed He does this all of the time. The volumes of the lives of the saints are filled with men and women who did not necessarily follow the established path. The common bond for these saints was that they submitted to God's will, as best they could, in every moment of their lives. Perhaps today they are called to do one thing. The next day God might call them to do something else. Their trust in Him allowed them to not become attached to either things or creatures, but to remain attached to Jesus. This is my hope. That, I too, would strive to radically follow Jesus wherever He may lead me in the present moment He has given me. Much of this will be mundane fulfillment of the duties of my state in life. No matter, if it is what He wills, it is the best for me.

New This and That and Patient Endurance of Suffering

2007-03-06T00:25:00.000-05:00

This is the first post with the new Blogger. I have not fully explored the new features, but then again, I did not seem to have a choice. When I connected to Blogger, I was given the choice to either convert to the new Blogger or never post again. Fortunately, I already had a Gmail account. That saved one step. The other thing that made this less painful was the fact that I now have high speed Internet. It is somewhat unbelievable given my background, but we have just now moved from dial-up to DSL. So far so good. It is fast, and that makes quite a difference.

The next step is to move the graphics and scripts for this blog from the current server to the a new server because I need to shut down the dial-up service. That should not take too long, but tonight is not the night for that. I need to do a few more things and then head to bed.

This has not been a particularly theological or spiritual post. To make up for that I will add a quote from St. Colette whose feast is March 7th:

If there be a true way that leads to the Everlasting Kingdom, it is most certainly that of suffering, patiently endured.

The older I get, the more I grasp the very simple truth of that statement. Suffering, patiently endured, was the way of our Lord, and there is no reason why it should not be my way too.

Every time I avoid the cross, I quickly am given an opportunity to remember that my (spiritual) life is fundamentally about my cross that must be carried every day. The key, as St. Colette notes, is the patient endurance by which the suffering is borne. It is so easy for me to get caught up in the moment and to forget the need to remain calm under the pressure of daily life.

The virtue of patience allows me to recognize that often, well within 24 hours, what seemed to be a terrible crisis, is no longer even a problem. If I am able to remain focused on our Lord, have faith in Him no matter what the problems are, I can endure the suffering that is permitted. If I forget our Lord and try to muddle through on my own without the cross, I will make a mess of things. And if I try to do an end run around suffering or numb myself from it, I will be even worse off than if I had let it beat me down like wave in the ocean. No, my only hope for success is to heed this saints message and pray for the grace to patiently endure all that He allows, and to strive to overcome my own reluctance to accept suffering and embrace it as the way of our Lord.

Image Credit

Lenten Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving

2007-02-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

For Roman Catholics, this is the first Sunday in Lent. Since I was not able to post in time for the beginning of Lent last week on Ash Wednesday, I thought I would use this liturgical day to post on the beginning of the season of Lent.

The traditional means of keeping the season is to increase one's efforts in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Because I am a convert to Catholicism, I did grow up with the concept of giving something up for Lent in order to learn the concept of fasting. Instead, after I heard it several years ago, I have tried to practice the idea of fasting from sin. To that end I have established two fasts. One is a personal sin to overcome, and the other is the more traditional food item--chocolate. I realized a while ago that I actually consume quite a bit of chocolate; it should be a great thing to not have any in order to discipline my appetite.

Prayer comes in to play because in order to overcome sin, I must pray to obtain the grace to have a will that is able to choose good over evil. In addition, I must pray to cooperate with the grace that God gives me.

I do not have a plan for increased almsgiving. However, after reading this, I think that I not only need to come up with a plan, but I need to decide to put it in to action through consistent tithing. And that means tithing my time, as well as my money.

Der Kaiser geht wieder gerne in die Kirche

2007-01-17T00:16:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the private audience in October 2005 which Franz Beckenbauer had with his fellow countryman Pope Benedict XVI had a profound impact upon him. In a recent interview, he described the meeting, and the impact it had upon him:

German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer has told the Munich newspaper Abendzeitung that his October 2005 meeting with Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) was "the most important experience" of his life.

As chairman of the German committee organizing the 2006 World Cup competition, Beckenbauer met with the Holy Father at the Vatican in October 2005. The encounter made a deep impression on the German athlete, and after the Pope's trip to Bavaria in 2006, Beckenbauer began to immerse himself in the Pope's writings. As a result of his reading, Beckenbauer returned to the active practice of his faith.

"Benedict XVI leads people to the Church," Beckenbauer told Abendzeitung, "and I myself am the best example of that." CWN

I have always been a bit of a Beckenbauer fan. When I was first introduced to soccer as a child, I learned about this legend of the sport. I was able to see him play for a while prior to his hanging up his boots for good. After retiring from playing, he went on to add to his successful career by winning championships from the front office and as a head coach including Germany's last World Cup triumph in 1990.

Of course, this story is fascinating for me because of Beckenbauer, but it is also interesting simply because of the impact that Benedict XVI had on him. Benedict XVI is not considered to be as charismatic as Pope John Paul the Great, but this story points out that it is not the person, but the person who allows the Holy Spirit to work through him. Clearly, the Holy Father has the special charism of the office, and stories like this show the impact that this can have on people who are disposed to meet God through the Holy Father's ministry. This surely seems to be the case foBeckenbauerer who called it "the most important experience" of his life. That is fairly strong statement from someone who could have pointed to a number of personal and professional moments rather than a visit with Benedict XVI.

H/T Open Book

Moving Fast

2006-11-18T00:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks be to God. For so many reasons. We are fast approaching moving day. The old house has been rented, and the renter will come in on the 27th of this month. That means it is time to get into the new house. Fortunately, we have been moving things into the new house since we bought it back in July. There are a number of items left to go, but probably about eighty percent is already there. However, there is much to be done to ready the old house so we will be very busy over these next several days as we go from one house to the other and clean up the old one in anticipation of its new occupant. Thank you for your prayers for a renter. It certainly was not my timing, but I trust it is His and that will always be the best.

As it has been some time since my last post (Five months is considered a long time in the information age), I will see what I can do to increase the frequency of posts. Perhaps, once we are in the new house with DSL, I will be motivated to post more often. Believe or not, I have never had anything faster than dial-up at the old home. It will be nice to have a faster connection when that gets set up at the new home.

Watching the Time Go By

2006-06-20T00:34:00.000-04:00

I recently bought a new watch. It is not anything fancy. That really is not my style. Instead it is just a functional face watch with an hour hand and a minute hand which I purchased from a discount store. The only special feature on the watch is a small panel that displays the current date. Today I decided to set it to the right date, but I did not have the instructions. I do not think they were necessary because the watch only seems to have one way to adjust it. I ended up turning the little knob numerous times until it set the date to today's date. As I was doing this, I was struck at how fast the hands went around. I could not help thinking that my life is just like that. It really is speeding by, and the next thing I know it will all be over.

I am not that old, but fairly regularly I think about whether I have done much with my life. The answer is not one that makes me very comfortable. Instead, it really bothers me because I figure that even if I live to a ripe old age, I have wasted so much time. And it really pains me to realize what everyone knows--which is that you cannot go back and do it again. There really is only one shot, and the older I get the more I realize how much more seriously I need to take my life.

This business about being serious keeps coming to me. It is a form of the virtue of prudence in which you figure out how you are going to reach your goal. If my goal for my family and me is heaven, I need to map out, as best as I can, how we can hope to attain that beautiful and most magnificent of gifts. This requires seriousness. Not an uptight type of seriousness, but a seriousness that this is God's call to me. It is not a joke, but a real invitation that I can either plan to accept everyday with the long term plan in mind, or I can fritter away my time and painfully regret it later.

I am not sure where this thinking will lead me, but it certainly has given me food for thought and prayer. I know that I cannot remain where I am. My family depends on me to help plan for the future. I need to be more sober about my daily actions because the sum of them is what is building my life. There are just far too many habits and behaviors that are troubling to me, and I know that it is up to me to prayerfully work on those. The hands of time do not lie and they do not stop. Here is prayer that I use what time I have left much more prudently than I have the time to now.

Requests for Prayer

2006-06-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

I was reminded by a commenter that I had written about the Pope's address to young people at Blonie Park in Krakow when he was in Poland last month. (By the way the commenter is TheresaMF, who is graduate of the tremendous Christendom College and whose blog Destination: Order is listed in my list of Blogs of Interest. Also, she could use our prayers as she is discerning a vocation to the Dominicans. Click here to read more.) The theme of the Holy Father's talk regarded the parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount where are Lord speaks about the wise and the foolish man (Matthew 7:24-27). The foolish man builds his house upon the sand, and the wise man builds his house upon the rock. The storms test the houses of both men. Only the wise man's house survives the storms. I wrote a bit about how these theme really meant much to me because of my own understanding of how I desire a home.

Her reminder about my post seemed quite apropos because as it turns out one of the reasons that I have not been posting over the past weeks has been because my wife and I are trying to purchase a home. We are set to close at the end of July, but one of the contingencies in our contract is that we are able to rent our current home. Consequently, we have been busy getting our house in order (so to speak) in order to show it to potential renters. I would appreciate your prayers for God to provide us with a good renter. Since we have never been landlords this is all a bit daunting. However, it seems like this is what should be the next step. And truly this has been one small step at time while trying to trust God and to discern His Will. Thanks for your prayers.

Patron Saint of World Cup 2006?

2006-06-05T05:38:00.000-04:00

As the world, or at least the sporting world, begins to turn its focus in earnest toward Germany because of the 2006 World Cup which begins on Friday, today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Boniface who is known as the Apostle to Germany.

A Benedictine monk was chosen by divine Providence to become Germany's great apostle and patron. Boniface's first missionary endeavor proved unsuccessful (716). Before attempting a second he went to Rome and received papal authorization (718). Under the holy bishop Willibrord he converted Frisia within a period of three years. On November 30, 722, Boniface was consecrated bishop by Pope Gregory II.
In 724 he turned his attention to the Hessian people, among whom he continued his missionary activity with renewed zeal. On an eminence near the village of Geismar on the Eder, he felled a giant oak that the people honored as the national sanctuary of the god Thor. Boniface used the wood to build a chapel in honor of St. Peter. This courageous act assured the eventual triumph of the Gospel in Germany.

The resident clergy and the priests dwelling at the court, whose unworthy lives needed censure, were constantly creating difficulties. Nevertheless Boniface continued to labor quietly, discreetly. He prayed unceasingly, put his trust in God alone, recommended his work to the prayers of his spiritual brothers and sisters in England. And God did not abandon him. Conversions were amazingly numerous. In 732 Gregory III sent him the pallium, the insignia of the archiepiscopal dignity. Boniface now devoted his time and talent to the ecclesiastical organization of the Church in Germany. He installed worthy bishops, set diocesan boundaries, promoted the spiritual life of the clergy and laity, held national synods (between 742 and 747), and in 744 founded the monastery of Fulda, which became a center of religious life in central Germany. In 745 he chose Mayence for his archiepiscopal see, and affiliated to it thirteen suffragan dioceses. This completed the ecclesiastical organization of Germany.

The final years of his busy life were spent, as were his earlier ones, in missionary activity. Word came to him in 754 that a part of Frisia had lapsed from the faith. He took leave of his priests and, sensing the approach of death, carried along a shroud. He was 74 years of age when with youthful enthusiasm he began the work of restoration, a mission he was not to complete. A band of semi-barbarous pagans overpowered and put him to death when he was about to administer confirmation to a group of neophytes at Dockum. Source

Here is an article about some of the efforts of the Church in Germany to use the World Cup to reach out to proclaim the Gospel to football supporters. Also, here is a Web site (in German) put together by the Catholic Church in Germany to the same ends. (I like the link "Play and Pray" which provides meditations with a sports-related theme from a book of the same name.) I know there are many other efforts by Christian groups to share the Good News during the upcoming tournament. I think that St. Boniface will be praying in support of their efforts.

June Prayer Intentions

2006-06-01T00:24:00.000-04:00

PAPAL INTENTIONS

General - That Christian families may lovingly welcome every child who comes into existence and surround the sick and the aged with affection.

[M]arriage and the family are rooted in the innermost core of the truth about man and his destiny. Sacred Scripture reveals that the vocation to love is part of that authentic image of God that the Creator willed to imprint in his creature, calling man to become similar to him precisely in the measure in which man is open to love. The sexual difference entailed in the body of man and woman is not, therefore, a simple biological fact, but bears a much more profound meaning: It expresses that way of love with which man and woman become only one flesh; they can realize an authentic communion of persons open to the transmission of life and cooperate in this way with God in the procreation of new human beings. (Benedict XVI in an address to the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family)
Source

Missionary - That the Pastors and the Christian faithful may consider inter-religious dialogue and the work of the inculturation of the Gospel as a daily service to promote the cause of the evangelization of peoples.

In carrying out his ministry, the new Pope knows that his task is to make Christ's light shine out before the men and women of today: not his own light, but Christ's. Aware of this I address everyone, including the followers of other religions or those who are simply seeking an answer to the fundamental questions of life and have not yet found it. I address all with simplicity and affection, to assure them that the Church wants to continue to weave an open and sincere dialogue with them, in the search for the true good of the human being and of society. I ask God for unity and peace for the human family, and declare the willingness of all Catholics to cooperate for an authentic social development, respectful of the dignity of every human being. I will make every conscientious effort to continue the promising dialogue initiated by my Venerable Predecessors with the different civilizations, so that mutual understanding may create the conditions for a better future for all. (Benedict XVI in his first address to the College of Cardinals)
Source

PRIESTS FOR LIFE

For fathers who are trying to save their unborn children from abortion.

Longing for a House

2006-05-29T23:59:00.000-04:00

During his visit to Poland, Benedict XVI met with many Polish young people at Blonie Park in Krakow. His address to the young people was based on Matthew 7:24-27 where Jesus gives the parable of the wise man and the foolish man who are building houses. The foolish man builds his house on sand, but the wise man builds his house on the rock. When the rains and the storms come, the foolish man's house is swept away, but the wise man's house stands. The Holy Father captured the essence of how this parable touches each of us in the beautiful and profound description of our hearts' yearnings for a secure home:

My friends, in the heart of every man there is the desire for a house. Even more so in the young person’s heart there is a great longing for a proper house, a stable house, one to which he can not only return with joy, but where every guest who arrives can be joyfully welcomed. There is a yearning for a house where the daily bread is love, pardon and understanding. It is a place where the truth is the source out of which flows peace of heart. There is a longing for a house you can be proud of, where you need not be ashamed and where you never fear its loss. These longings are simply the desire for a full, happy and successful life. Do not be afraid of this desire! Do not run away from this desire! Do not be discouraged at the sight of crumbling houses, frustrated desires and faded longings. God the Creator, who inspires in young hearts an immense yearning for happiness, will not abandon you in the difficult construction of the house called life. (Source)

He continues the rest of his message to describe how when can build that house by constructing it on Christ who is the rock and the Church which our Lord founded.

I found this passage especially moving because it put into words a deep longing in my own heart that I have known for some time. Many years ago, I was moved to tears as I realized how much that I wanted a home, a place to truly belong. My own family had rejected me, and it was not certain where I would be able to call home. Thanks be to God He has given me a new home through my marriage to my wonderful wife. And in addition, He has added to that home by blessing us with a beautiful daughter. Finally, He has given us a new home in the Catholic Church. These were all unexpected gifts from God, and I am foolish to not be certain to give Him thanks every day for these gifts.

However, lest this seem like a fairy tale ending, let me assure you that it has been anything but happily ever after. Instead, it has been more like the storms that Jesus notes will come and test the foundation of the house. There have been plenty of gales over the past years. And there continue to be many storms that constantly prove whether we are continuing to build on Christ or whether we have tried to build on something or someone else. In the midst of this, I still have that deep longing for a home. It would, perhaps, of all motivations, be the one that drives me the most although it seems to move beneath the surface in ways that are difficult to detect. And there are many times I have squelched that desire in order to make room for a more ignoble purpose.

Now, through the Pope's words, I am reminded again of this desire that God has planted within my soul. And I hope that once again I allow that motivation to move me forward. The end of a stable, secure house is Heaven, and I must always keep that goal in mind. In the present, I can look toward that house in order to help me make prudent decisions that either help me build toward that house or waste my time building a house that will crumble with the next storm that comes up the coast.

My Brief Take on the Da Vinci Code Release

2006-05-20T00:42:00.000-04:00

As the movie the Da Vinci Code opens this weekend in theaters across the United States, I thought I would finally write about the movie and the bestselling book of the same name by Dan Brown. Although there would be much for me to write about, others have done a wonderful job of addressing the many grave problems with the book and the film. (e.g, Amy Welborn of Open Book)

The phenomena that astounds me the most about this book is just how widespread has been the acceptance of the falsehoods that are presented as so many truths about Christianity. And this "new perspective" on the Faith is being swallowed by countless numbers of people who consider themselves to be Christians. It is such a sad commentary on the state of Christian formation that Christians (not to mentioned others of good will) are accepting as a viable possibility that for instance, Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. This idea is completely opposed to the truths of Christianity. I think that it might even be blasphemous to state it as a fact. This one idea alone should cause believers to put the book down for good.

Unfortunately, it seems that the march of the "success" of the book and movie continues virtually unabated. The positive approach is to see this as an opportunity to speak about the truth of Christ and His Church. There will be ample opportunity with the release of the movie. The long term goal is to change the landscape of religious illiteracy as Dr Richard Umbers described it an interview. Perhaps over time, the "nowness" of the book will fade along with the desire of its adherents to want so much secret knowledge. The problem is that there will be some other neatly package set of falsehoods poised to fill the void. In the meantime, for those of us who profess to believe in Jesus and His Church, will we have done anything to help others to recover from the current lies and to prevent others from not being duped again?

Does Prayer Help? (Part II)

2006-05-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

There is a well-known phrase that "the devil is in the details" which captures the idea that it is the small things that can cause failure. Through experience, I have learned that this phrase is poorly worded. It is not the devil, but God who is in the details because He is interested in all of the details of life, and in particular, He is interested in all the particulars of each person's life. Nothing is too small or insignificant that He does not care about the impact it has upon the life of one of His creatures. Jesus told us that God the Father is concerned about even the sparrow, how much more is He concerned about His children (Mt. 10:28-31).

The problem we have is that it is easier for us, in order to keep God at a distance, to ignore His loving concern for our lives. It is pride which masks itself as humility that claims that God would not be interested in me. Of course, He is interested in you and me. He created us and He longs to have a relationship with us. He is constantly seeking to get our attention, but we ignore Him by dismissing His attempts to talk to us. It is not just the two-by-four over the head incidents either. It is the simple mundane details of life where God is found. The busy signal when you must make the call. The parking spot that cannot be found. The friend who calls you "out of the blue". The child who wants to be picked up and held. In all of these God is acting and He wants us to respond in love.

I had no idea about this type of concept of a relationship with God because growing up, I was not taught that God acted in this way. However, if I had stopped to think about it, I might have asked myself why God would not be interested in all of the details of my life? He knows about everything and He knows each one of us perfectly. In addition, He is working to use everything to draw you and me to Himself. That is why it is incredible to hear people claim that God would not care what kind of car you buy or where you live. Consequently, one should not bother Him with such trivial prayers such as whether you should eat this or that for lunch. Figure it out for yourself because you are only bothering Him if you have to ask. What nonsense! If my daily bread, not to mention every breath comes from God, why would it be foolish to ask Him what He would have me do in the multitude of decisions I need to make each day. Better yet, thank Him for all of these things and the guidance He gives to help us follow Him.

This is one reason why prayer works. The perseverance in prayer reminds me that I am a child of God who is completely dependent upon Him. With each prayer I am in some way large or small acknowledging that He is God and I am not and that I need Him to show me the way. From my own experience, I know that when I at least begin to have that perspective, I live my life in a much more fulfilling way. The same problems and difficulties might be there, but I am able to face them with God rather than off on my own with some vague hope that somehow I will muddle through. The world becomes ordered correctly with God as the center and my life lived in and through Him.

If we consider the life of Christ, we know that He perfectly fulfilled His Father's will. Everything about His life on earth was in perfect conformity with His mission. That perfection inclued even the small details such as knowing whom He should first encounter in a certain town. Or His perfection also meant that He should make mud with His spittle to put on the eyes of a blind man in order that he might wash and have his eyesight restored. All of His actions were meaningful even if they seemed insignificant. This is truly God in the details. He wants us to follow Him with the same radical concern for the everyday details.

Prayer works because it is the way to ask Him what it is He wants me to do even in the smallest incident of my life. The key is for me to ask and then to be open to His response whatever it might be. My experience is that He will respond. My response should be to trust Him by accepting His reply.

Changing Subscription Service to FeedBlitz

2006-05-17T23:34:00.000-04:00

For those of you who read this blog via an email subscription, I am planning on switching from Bloget to FeedBlitz. The change should be virtually transparent. Instead of receiving an email from Bloget, you will receive an email from FeedBlitz. I am planning on making the switch on the evening of May 20th. That means that any emails sent after May 20th will come from FeedBlitz. Please email me if you have any questions about this change. (There is a link to my email address on the right side near the top of the blog's main page).

I am making the switch because I have found that Bloget's service is not very reliable. There have been many days when the emails were not sent. In addition, it appears that Bloglet will be going away. Let me know if you have any problems with the service from FeedBlitz.

Does Prayer Help? (Part I)

2006-05-16T11:59:00.000-04:00

A recent commenter asked the question, "Why pray...does it help?" The commenter included a link to his blog which has as its most recent post a lengthy look at prayer. Because I thought the commenter raised a good question, I have decided to write a few posts on prayer.

Although he raised a few points at the beginning of his post, I would like to first address information he included at the end regarding a study which sought to determine the efficacy of prayer for patients with heart problems. As he points out the patients were divided into four groups: a) one were assigned people to pray for them; b)one received MIT (music, imagery and touch) therapy; c) one received both distance prayer and MIT therapy; and d) one received no additional therapy. He notes that the study found that there was no clinical difference in the groups of patients.

The problem I find with this study is the assumption about prayer. Prayer is not like a therapy or even a medicine with somewhat predictable results. Instead prayer is speaking with a Person. It is mysterious because it is speaking with God. However, even everyday conversation with a human is somewhat mysterious. In the case of prayer, it is a conversation between a human and God.

Just because someone prays for another person to be healed does not mean that it will occur. There might be many reasons for this, but at the heart of the matter it is because prayer is the means of communication in a relationship between a human and God.

Consider a parallel human relationship. Children often approach their parents with all manner of requests. A good parent does not consent to every request that a child poses. For example, it would be dangerous for a parent to give a small child a pair of sharp scissors. It is very likely that to grant that request, the parent would be putting the child in a position to harm himself.

But wait, what about the request for a physical healing such as heart condition? Surely, God, who is all-loving and all-powerful would grant such a request. From experience, the answer is clearly no. Perhaps for the same reason. If the person is healed of a heart disease there might be a greater danger that will result. Such a danger could be pride as the person does not recognize the opportunity that his heart disease gave him to gain a new perspective on life. Instead of dealing with issues in his own life that he would have faced if he had thought his life was shortened, he ignores problems and proceeds with his life without heart disease, but with a hardened heart instead.

Now I recognize that it easy to talk about this in the abstract, but it is difficult to accept in your own life. However, there are many instances which I can think of where God did not answer my prayer in the way I wanted Him to answer my prayer. That can be very frustrating. However, there are some of these times when I later realized that if He had granted my request, I would have missed something better which came along later.

The other aspect of this is that requests of God are only part of our communication with Him. Think about a human relationship in which the one person only asks the other for favors. This is a rather odd relationship. The same can be said for someone who only prays to ask God for things. God hears every request, but perhaps an answer of no is to teach me that there is more to my relationship with God than simply asking Him for this or that.

Regarding the study of the patients. There is also the issue of the patients. Simply having someone pray for you may not make a difference in your own life if you are not open God. For instance, if a heart patient is filled with bitterness and hatred of God, he may not be open to being healed of his disease. The patient has a free will that may be in such a state that God, who will not force Himself on anyone, is unable to act.

The upshot of this is that prayer can be a tremendous help. Prayer can help me realize who I am and who God is. He is not a big slot machine in the sky which I may play until I hit a jackpot. Instead He is a Father who knows what is best for me, despite what I may think. Also, He desires a relationship with me. It should be child-like in that I should be free to ask Him for whatever I want, but it should also be a relationship like a child has with his parent in trusting His answer is the best for me no matter how difficult that is for me to see. And it should be a relationship of love in which the child knows he is loved by the parent and the child freely loves in return. This can certainly help me to see beyond myself and realize that I live in a world that is much bigger than me.

Our Lady of Fatima and Reparation for Sin

2006-05-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

Today is the optional memorial of Our Lady of Fatima. It celebrates the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three Portuguese shepherd children--Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco-- from May 13 until October 13, 1917. The overall message of our Lady to the children was one of a call to repentance, dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and increased prayer especially the Rosary.

The children actually received apparitions prior to the visits from our Lady. In 1916, the children were visited three times by the Guardian Angel of Portugal. Under obedience to her Bishop, Lucia recorded information about all of the apparitions. She recounts the first apparition of the angel, which occurred while they were shepherding their families few sheep:

We ate our lunch and began to say the Rosary. After that we began to play a game with pebbles. We had only been at it a few moments when a strong wind began to shake the trees and we looked up to see what was happening, since it was such a calm day. And then we began to see, in the distance, above the trees that stretched to the east, a light whiter than snow in the form of a young man, quite transparent, and as brilliant as crystal in the rays of the sun. As he came near we were able to see his features. We were astonished and absorbed and we said nothing to one another. And then he said:

Do not be afraid. I am the angel of peace. Pray with me.

He knelt, bending his forehead to the ground. With a supernatural impulse we did the same, repeating the words we heard him say:

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You.

After repeating this prayer three times the angel rose and said to us:

Pray in this way. The hearts of Jesus and Mary are ready to listen to you.

And he disappeared. He left us in an atmosphere of the supernatural that was so intense we were for a long time unaware of our own existence. The presence of God was so powerful and intimate that even among ourselves we could not speak. On the next day, too, this same atmosphere held us bound, and it lessened and disappeared only gradually. None of us thought of talking about this apparition or any pledge of secrecy. We were locked in silence without having willed it.

His words sank so deeply into our minds that we never forgot them, and ever after we used to spend long periods on our knees repeating them, sometimes until we fell down exhausted.

It is interesting the strong call that God had upon the lives of these three children. The second apparition, again expressed in the words of Lucia, reveals the seriousness of what was being asked of the children.

Suddenly we saw the same angel near us.

What are you doing? You must pray! Pray! The hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs for you. You must offer your prayers and sacrifices to God, the Most High.

"But how are we to sacrifice?" I asked.

In every way you can offer sacrifice to God in reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for sinners. In this way you will bring peace to our country, for I am its guardian angel, the Angel of Portugal. Above all, bear and accept with patience the sufferings God will send you.

The Angels' words sank deeply into our souls like a gleaming torch, showing us Who God is, what is His love for us, and how he wants us to love Him too; the value of sacrifice and how it pleases Him; how He receives it for the conversion of sinners. That is why from that moment we began to offer Him whatever mortified us.

The third visit by the angel to the children in the fall of 1916, was a final preparation for the visits by our Lady. Lucia records;

We lifted our heads to see what was happening. The Angel was holding in his left hand a chalice and over it, in the air, was a host from which drops of blood fell into the chalice. The Angel leaves the chalice in the air, kneels near us and tells us to repeat three times:

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.

After that he rose, took again in his hand the chalice and the host. The host he gave to me and the contents of the chalice he gave to Jacinta and Francisco, saying at the same time,

Eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ terribly outraged by the ingratitude of men. Offer reparation for their sakes and console God.

Once more he bowed to the ground repeating with us the same prayer thrice: Oh, Blessed Trinity etc. and disappeared. Overwhelmed by the supernatural atmosphere that involved us, we imitated the Angel in everything, kneeling prostrate as he did and repeating the prayers he said.

The message of reparation for sins is again strongly emphasized. It might seem difficult to understand God's choice of these three children, the oldest being only ten years of age, to make reparation for the sins of others, but it seems to only underscore the need for all of us to make reparation for our own sins and offer up sacrifices for the sins of others. Perhaps we cannot do the "great things" that others can, but we can offer up our "small offerings" of our daily life in love to God. It is perhaps a facet of the spiritual life to which I am not familiar.

I certainly did not grow up learning anything about patiently bearing suffering or offering my suffering to God as an act of love. And I was not taught a theology of making reparation for sins. However, the idea of taking up one's cross as Jesus called us to do clearly means bearing our burdens in love and offering them as sacrifices to God. Unlike Jesus, these should be made for our own sins out of love for the forgiveness that He gives us. And like Jesus, these sacrifices should also be made for others.

The crosses are already there in my life as they are in the lives of everyone. The question which God seems to ask is what will I do with them. I used to think that a stoic approach would be best. Now, I realize, although I fail miserably in practice, that these crosses are opportunities to grow in love. It is not simply a matter of gritting my teeth and making it through a bad situation, or even worse my ignoring the problem in order that it will go away. Instead, it is a matter of accepting what God has allowed, praying for grace, wisdom, and strength, and then offering the entire situation to God. I know if I do that He will use it to transform me and perhaps make a difference in someone else's life, as well.

Picture Source

Requiescat in Pace: Andrea Clark

2006-05-12T07:58:00.000-04:00

I feel very badly that I have not posted this earlier. On Sunday, May 7th, Andrea Clark, who fought to stay alive despite her hospital's attempt to discontinue her care under a Texas law, passed away in Houston. From her sister:

Andrea passed away peacefully a little before 3pm today, with her family and her friends at her bedside. We love her so very much and we are going to miss her terribly. We hope that the battle that we fought for our sister will bring to light and bear witness to the horrible acts committed in the name of ethics in hospitals across the state of Texas.

The fact that we had to fight this battle is both frightening and a sad commentary on the so-called "ethics" now being practiced in medical facilities in this state. The battle for life is a difficult one, in the best of situations, but when a family is put through what we had to go through at such a time, it is especially agonizing.

We wish so much that we could have spent more time at our sister's side, when she was living and fighting for her life, rather than having to visit our attorney's office, give interviews to radio and television stations to let the public know of the atrocity about to befall Andrea, and literally stand outside the hospital and beg them not to kill our sister. In attempting to deprive Andrea of the most basic of her human rights--life--St. Luke's Hospital managed to deprive her family and her of that which is most dear to us all, when we are faced with the death of a loved one: a proper goodbye.

How, in the name of God, anyone can call putting someone to death when they are at their most helpless and begging for their lives "ethical," we cannot imagine.

Melanie Childers

Source

I pray for the peace, rest, and repose of her soul. And I extend my deepest sympathies to her friends and family who are mourning her death.

Why Confess your sins to a Priest?

2006-05-11T00:08:00.000-04:00

I recently received the following email:

I have a friend who is educated in Catholic schools. She said the Bible states that you are forgiven upon confession to a Catholic priest. What is she reading? Please tell me where this is found in the Scriptures? She can not tell me. In need of help.

I appreciated the question because it made me think of why I do believe that it is necessary to confess my sins to a priest. The shortest answer is that I trust that Christ established the sacrament of confession, and He provides this sacrament through His Church. However, as the questioner asked, where is the foundation for this article of the Catholic Faith? The question begs the idea that it is always helpful to have solid support for what you believe. I thought of at least two passages in Scripture which point to the need for aural confession of sins, but I needed to do a little more searching to provide a cogent, but somewhat brief reply. One online resource that I used for my answer (and which I would recommend) is the Bible Christian Society.

The Bible does teach that sins are forgiven through what Catholics call the sacrament of confession. The sacrament of confession is the way that God has provided for the forgiveness of sins. In James 5:16, we are exhorted to confess our sins to one another. The passage does not say that we are to confess our sins to God alone. Instead, we are to confess our sins to one another.

In John 20:21-23, we read:

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

The passage describes the apostles' encounter with the risen Lord. He sends the apostles forth with the authority which He received from the Father. Part of that authority is the ability to forgive sins. (See Matthew 9:6 where Jesus indicates that He has the authority to forgive sins.) Of course, only God can forgive sins, yet, because the apostles are sent with the authority of the Father through Jesus, they have the authority to forgive sins. It is God who forgives sins, but He works
through the apostles and their successors to administer that forgiveness.

However, in order to forgive sins, priests must know what the sins are. Therefore, it is necessary to confess sins. Unless the sins are submitted to the authority of a priest, they cannot be forgiven.

In order to provide for future generations, the authority to forgive sins can be passed on to other men. It has been passed on from the apostles to today's priests. Thus, today's priests have the same authority in order to give people the opportunity to have their sins forgiven as Jesus established.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

A "Day Off"

2006-05-10T22:44:00.000-04:00

Today has turned out to be a day off of sorts. My wife started to feel poorly last night, and although she thought she might be well enough to take care of our daughter today, I was only at work for an hour before she called to say that I should come home. Fortunately, I work within ten minutes of our home so I was able to wrap a few things up and head home to take care of our daughter while my wife rested.

It appears that she has what I had last week. It is much like the flu with chills, body aches, fever, upset stomach, and vomiting. However, it does not seem to be the flu because it does not last long. And that is about the only good news about what she has: it does not last long.

Actually, when I got the illness last week I thought I had food poisoning. I was at a conference out of town, and the end of one of the days I started to feel a stomach illness. My wife and daughter had joined me on the trip, and we were scheduled to meet with a classmate of mine and his family for dinner. I went ahead with the plans without telling anyone I was not feeling well. Although I had to go to the restroom before the food arrived, I managed to make it through the dinner. After the dinner, the illness really struck me. However, after a night's sleep, I felt much better. I was still fairly weak so I did not go to the conference the next day in order to take some time off to recover.

The shortness of the illness made me assume that it was food poisoning. However, now that both my wife and daughter have had the same thing, I assume it must be some viral illness. Fortunately, when our twenty-month-old daughter was ill, it was very brief. She never really even acted ill. After a fairly rough period, my wife does appear to be on the mend.

In the meantime during my "day off", I enjoyed going outside with our daughter to walk around the azaleas, which are starting to lose their blooms, and the recently bloomed peonies and rhododendron. The weather recently has been absolutely perfect, and today was no exception. It was sunny with no discernible humidity and around 70 degrees. I weeded while our daughter practiced climbing up the very uneven railroad tie stairs that go from the side to the front of the house. She seemed quite happy that I was home even as she enjoyed when I was sick last week in the apartment we had rented while we were out of town. I, too, have very much enjoyed the extra time I have been able to spend with her today. Maybe next time it will not be a necessity, but a time for all three of us to enjoy the day.

Blogging Break

2006-05-01T00:38:00.000-04:00

I will be taking a brief blogging break as I will be out of town for a week. Although I will not be away from the Internet, the change in my schedule will probably not permit my adding any new posts. I plan on resuming early in the second week of May.

Update on Andrea Clark: No Transfer to Illinois

2006-04-30T00:47:00.000-04:00

Both Blogs for Terri and Wesley Smith are reporting that the plan to move Andrea Clark from St. Luke's Hospital in Houston, TX to a facility in Illinois has been cancelled. Apparently, the Illinois facility would not be able to provide the level of care that Ms. Clark needs.

The problem with this is that the Houston hospital now has the legal right to stop providing Ms. Clark care as of today, April 30th. Despite some assurances given, perhaps only given verbally, it is not clear whether the hospital will permit Ms. Clark to continue to receive care until a suitable facility may be found for her. Ms. Clark's sister is naturally trying via an attorney to get a written assurance that the hospital will not stop her sister's care over the weekend and perhaps even until Tuesday.

She said that they told her that they won't do it over the weekend. However, they have the right to disconnect Andrea, according to the law, on Sunday, April 30, unless they agree to do otherwise in writing. This means that, at any moment, on Sunday, or afterwards, they can go up to Andrea's room and turn off her respirator, without notifying anyone of this decision, without her family by her side as she dies, without allowing anyone to say goodbye.

Ms. Clark, her family, and supporters on the ground need our prayers and action. Click here for information on who to contact.

Pope St. Nicholas V List: Smart Sex

2006-04-30T00:30:00.000-04:00

The most recent recommendation from the Pope St. Nicholas V list is Smart Sex: Finding Life-Long Love in a Hook-Up World.

Fear is at the heart of the sexual revolution—fear of other people, fear of relationships, fear of permanence—and its most fitting monument is the "hook-up." In a provocative new book, Jennifer Roback Morse exposes the sexual revolution’s fraudulent promise of freedom and points the way to the most thrilling human adventure of all: life-long love.
Morse explains why marriage is in crisis and why we should care. Strong, lasting marriages, she argues, are essential for the survival of a free society, not to mention basic human happiness. She fires the opening shots of a new sexual revolution and shows how everyone, married or single, can help. By the end of the twentieth century, most people had joined the once-radical sexual revolutionaries in embracing a pair of badly flawed ideas—that freedom means being unencumbered by relationships, and that sex is a purely private activity with no moral or social significance. Morse shows how these ideas reduced sex to a commodity--"consumer sex"--and left millions of people miserable.
Morse fearlessly explodes some of modern society’s most cherished, and destructive, myths. She argues that reproductive freedom is an illusion, recreational sex isn’t really fun, and sex is neither morally neutral nor essentially private. She offers a radically different yet compelling view of sex, based on the law of self-giving inscribed in our human nature.
A practical book by a practical woman, SMART SEX is about why and how to stay married. While most books on relationships deal with feelings and communication, SMART SEX is focused on the nature and meaning of sex and marriage, leading the reader to an appreciation of the demanding yet rewarding commitments they require.

I cannot say that I have read this book, but it certainly looks like a good read. For information which you would need to request the book for your local public library, click here. Also, consider joining the Pope St. Nicholas V email list to receive the emails with all of the information and suggested books.

Also, the author of this book, Jennifer Roback Morse, is currently involved in an online debate on the question of whether contraception is good for society. The debate is hosted by Marriage Debate. (Scroll down to the beginning of the debate.)

Good News for both Clark and Vo

2006-04-29T00:09:00.000-04:00

There is an update on the two women Andrea Clark and Lang Yen Thi Vo who have been facing the prospect of dying in hospitals because the hospitals refused to provide them the care which they need. In both hospitals, under a Texas futile care law, the decision has been made to terminate the necessary care that each woman needs. The law provides for 10 days before either the patient is removed or the hospital stops the care which they consider to be futile. Neither woman is terminally ill, but under the provisions of the law, the hospitals have determined that the care the women receive is only prolonging their dying. In the case of Andrea Clark, 54, who has suffered from bleeding in her head following a January surgery on her heart, the St. Luke's Hospital in Houston, TX had determined that April 30th would be the last day that Ms. Clark would receive dialysis and respirator care. For Ms. Vo, 63, who has suffered a number of strokes, the North Austin Medical Center hospital in Austin, TX was prepared to stop life support tomorrow.

After negotiations between the family and the St. Luke's hospital, Andrea Clark will be transported from to a facility in Illinois. The facility in Illinois has agreed to continue Clark's care. Naturally, the family is disappointed in being forced to have Ms. Clark transported to a facility which is so far from Texas. However, given the inhuman futile care law in Texas, Ms. Clark and the family might be very grateful to be outside of Texas.

In Ms. Vo's case, the family has been able, through a court action, to extend the ten day deadline that is provided by law. The hospital has agreed to extend the deadline until June 3. The extra time is only given to allow the family to find another facility which would provide Ms. Vo the care which she needs.

We can thank God for this good news for both of these women. It comes in the face of what is really quite an unbelievable occasion. In both cases, the hospitals are not refusing to provide treatment which had not yet been given. Instead, they are deciding to stop providing treatment which has already been given and proven effective. Members of both families want to see that their loved one continues to receive care, and in the case of Ms. Clark, she has been able to express her wishes to live. Also, in Ms. Clark's case, she has private insurance which is paying for her care. (I am not certain of Ms. Vo's insurance situation.) All of this has not seemed to matter to the hospitals who have been quick to use the Texas futile care law to demand that the patients be removed or left to die within 10 days of the hospitals' decisions. Ms. Vo has correctly received an extension because it is simply an absurd request to give only 10 days to transport someone to another facility. And, given the hospital climate in Texas based on this law, it almost forces the patient to leave the state. I pray that she too is sent to a facility that will give her the care which she needs.

Source

Andrea Clark's Fight Continues

2006-04-28T08:13:00.000-04:00

The situation for Andrea Clark in Texas continues to worsen. The hospital in Houston where the fully conscience and privately insured patient is now receiving care, is prepared to stop her respirator and dialysis treatment on Sunday, April 30th. As the family continues to look for another facility in Texas which will take Ms. Clark and provide her with the care that she needs, the hospital that is ready to terminate her life has offered a deal to the family. According to a post dated April 27, 2006 on Blogs for Terri,

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital has just notified the family that they are willing to pay the almost $17,000 to move Andrea to Illinois if they will immediately - that's TODAY, move Andrea out of St. Lukes to the Illinois facility. If the family waits until tomorow to decide, St. Lukes will only pay half. And if the family can't make a decision by tomorow, the hospital may consider to pay absolutely nothing. In other words, the hospital is attempting to force Andrea out of the hospital in order to stop the financial drain of the cost of her care.

The family is urging people to contact the hospital to let the hospital know that what is being done to Ms. Clark is unacceptable. The hospital may be contacted via:

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
6720 Bertner Ave., Houston, TX 77030
(832) 355-1000 (Main number)
generalinformation@sleh.com

Two Texas Women slated to die

2006-04-27T07:50:00.000-04:00

There are currently two women in the state of Texas who are living under a sentence of death. Neither has committed a crime. Neither are they currently incarcerated. Instead, they are guilty of requiring medical care which their physicians have determined should no longer be provided them despite their own wishes and the wishes of their family members.

There is a provision under Texas law which allows hospitals to refuse to give care despite the expressed desires of the patient and their families. In both of these women's cases, the hospitals have invoked these law provisions to decide that within ten days of the hospitals' decisions, the care will either be suspended or the patients will have been moved to other facilities.

The more widely known case is that of Andrea Clark who has been a patient of St. Luke's in Houston since November of last year. In January of this year she underwent open-heart surgery, and in February she began bleeding in her head. She currently requires a respirator and dialysis. However, she is not terminally ill, and her health care is being provided through her own private insurance. The attending physician has determined that continued care is futile. Under the provisions of the Futile Care Law, the physician's decision was reviewed by a hospital ethics committee who agreed with the decision.

Under Chapter 166 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, if an attending physician disagrees with a surrogate over a life-and-death treatment decision, there must be an ethics committee consultation (with notice to the surrogate and an opportunity to participate). In a futility case such as Andrea's in which the treatment team is seeking to stop treatment deemed to be non-beneficial, if the ethics committee agrees with the team, the hospital will be authorized to discontinue the disputed treatment (after a 10-day delay, during which the hospital must help try to find a facility that will accept a transfer of the patient). These provisions, which were added to Texas law in 1999, originally applied only to adult patients. In 2003, they were made applicable to disputes over treatment decisions for or on behalf of minors. One of the co-drafters in both 1999 and 2003 was the National Right to Life Committee. Witnesses who testified in support of the bill in 1999 included representatives of National Right to Life, Texas Right to Life, and the Hemlock Society. The bill passed both houses, unanimously, both years, and the 1999 law was signed by then Governor George W. Bush. The statute was designed to keep these cases out of court. Source

However, provisions in the law also require that the hospital and the attending physician assist in any type of transfer of the patient. The family of Andrea Clark, indicate that hospital has not cooperated in their efforts to have Andrea transferred.

Clark's sisters, Lanore Dixon and Melanie Childers, point out that under a little known Texas law, a self-appointed ethics committee can decide to forcibly remove care from a patient. Once that decision is made, the patient and family have 10 days to find another hospital to provide care for their family member.

But they say the law also requires that the attending physician help with the transfer which they say hasn't been done in Andrea's case. They say that the hospital has unlawfully and unjustly transferred responsibility to them, a denial of due process.
...
Houston hospitals have a policy in that once the medical treatment of a patient has been deemed "medically futile" no other hospital in the area will accept transfer of that patient to their facility. This means that the patient, who is usually in a very delicate condition anyway, has to be transported over a long distance, in order to receive care, her sister explains.

When asked if Andrea is capable of being transferred to another facility, the hospital hedges but reluctantly admits that she could be, according to the sisters. Hospital representatives will not discuss the case with media.
Source

Andrea's family and Andrea herself have expressed her desire to live.

Family members say that even though their sister can't speak, they know her wish is to live. They say that she can communicate by moving her lips and blinking her eyes.

"If their ethics committee makes a decision, it doesn't matter what the patient wants," Dixon said. "It doesn't even apparently matter what the patient's condition is, because our sister is not in a coma, she's not brain dead," Dixon said.
...
"Andrea, until a few days ago, when the physicians decided to increase her pain medication and anesthetize her into unconsciousness, was fully able to make her own medical decisions and had decided that she wanted life saving treatment until she dies naturally", Childers said. "We have learned that this is part of the process, when hospitals decided to declare the "medical futility" of continuing treatment for a patient.

"Andrea, when she is not medicated into unconsciousness (and even when she is, and the medication has worn off to some degree) is aware and cognizant", her sister said. "She has suffered no brain damage to the parts of her brain responsible for thought and reason or speech. She has only suffered loss of some motor control. The reason that the physician gave to medicate her so much is that she is suffering from intractable pain in the sacral region (in other words, she has a bedsore that causes her pain). This is not reason enough, in our books, and we are trying, as we speak, to get Andrea's medication lowered so that she can speak to us.

"There is also some disagreement as well as to whether Andrea is really in that much pain. When she is not medicated to this degree, and she sees her son, Charles, she smiles. She also mouths words (Andrea is very vocal, normally, even with a trach, and asks for food, etc., when she is not overly medicated) Andrea has voiced her wishes, over and over again, an d if she were not on so much pain medication, she would voice them again", Melanie says. Source

Another woman, Yelang Vo, finds herself in the same straits. According to Jerri Lynn Ward of the Texas Advance Directives Blog,

Ms. Vo is in her 60's. She is a patient at St. David's North
Austin Medical Center here in Austin, Texas. She has been diagnosed with persistent vegetative state--but that is disputed by the family. Ms. Vo's daughter, Loann Trihn, is an emergency room doctor and she disputes the diagnosis. Such a diagnosis is very subjective and involves clinical assessments. Dr. Trihn and her father have both witnessed her mother being responsive.

The attending physician wishes to withdraw dialysis, That is not acceptable to the family--and it against the express wishes of the patient expressed before she became unable to communicate. Ms. Vo needs a new shunt surgically implanted for her dialysis. She is receiving it by a different means at the present. The physician, apparently, does not believe that her state of life justifies the surgery.

Withdrawal of dialysis with no further attempt at creating a surgical access port not only condemns Ms. Vo to a rapid and untimely death, but prevents any initiation of dialysis on an outpatient basis should her sepsis be successfully treated and maximum medical improvement be obtained. The family have all observed signs that the mother retains certain cognitive abilities which may well improve with continued treatment. Removing dialysis is a preemptive and premature act which deprives her of a more natural path toward a peaceful end of life and is contrary to her expressed wishes to fight with all her strength until her time has come. Dialysis is no longer an extreme procedure and is performed for many patients on a routine outpatient basis and can in some case be self administered. To deny such a service in a critically ill patient without family consent and access to judicial due process is ethically, morally and very possibly legally wrong. The care for this lady should continue according to the highest current medical standard. Source

Ms. Vo is facing the same problem that she would require a transfer to a distant medical facility.

The irony in this is, of course, how the law that is being used to provide cover for those who are taking the lives of these two women was supported by pro-life organizations and unanimously passed by both Texas houses and signed into law by then Governor Bush. In other words, a great number of people who thought they were doing a good thing to keep these type of health care disputes out of courts have given the power to hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies to determine whether people should receive adequate care or not. As these two cases illustrate, the law has actually stripped away a patient's protection from those who would want to deny them adequate care. Patients now find themselves in the hands of people who seem far more concerned about costs than about people. Clearly, the supporters of this law did not read the language very carefully. Or perhaps some, such as the Hemlock Society, who testified in support of the law, did understand the implications of the law. Because what the law does is provide just yet one more inroad for euthanasia.

H/T: Blogs for Terri

St. Mark and Inspiration

2006-04-25T08:09:00.000-04:00

Today is the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. It is through him that we have one of the four precious Gospels which present the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The Gospel he wrote was a product of his relationship with St. Peter. Tradition indicates that he was baptized by St. Peter, and after he came to Rome with St. Peter, he was asked by the church in Rome to write down an account of Jesus' life. Numerous scholars have thought that the structure of the Gospel may take its form from the preaching of St. Peter. In addition, the influence of St. Peter is evident from the details which St. Mark provides regarding our Lord's relationship with the first bishop of Rome. The humility of St. Peter comes through in the accounts that do not hide his flaws and mistakes.

I think it is quite fascinating how God worked through the various writers to produce Sacred Scripture. The various styles and influences of the writers can be discerned even through translations of the Scriptures from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. And when one can appreciate the original languages, the individuality of the writing is even more pronounced. My limited experience during seminary of translating parts of the New Testament showed me that there is a vast difference between the way that St. Paul and St. Mark write. Translating St. Mark's Gospel was relatively easy compared to struggling to with St. Paul's complex sentence structure. Nonetheless, God used these differences to produce the very message He wanted written.

God is the author of Sacred Scripture. "The divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."

"For Holy Mother Church, relying on the faith of the apostolic age, accepts as sacred and canonical the books of the Old and the New Testaments, whole and entire, with all their parts, on the grounds that, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author, and have been handed on as such to the Church herself."

God inspired the human authors of the sacred books. "To compose the sacred books, God chose certain men who, all the while he employed them in this task, made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more."

The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures."

Still, the Christian faith is not a "religion of the book." Christianity is the religion of the "Word" of God, a word which is "not a written and mute word, but the Word is incarnate and living". If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, "open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures." CCC, 105-108

The Catechism expresses very beautifully how this relationship between God and the authors produced Sacred Scripture. Full use of their abilities was made in God's plan to have written the very words God desired. It is certainly a mystery as to how that worked, but it is not without some connection to other mysteries in our lives. God desires the birth of a child, yet He uses the human agents of the child's mother and father to bring the child into the world. Certainly our free will comes into play, but God is so great that He can work in and through our free wills for His purposes. The struggle and the key, it seems to me, is that I strive to cooperate with His purposes in order that He is able to work through me rather than in spite of me.

Source

John Paul the Great and Divine Mercy

2006-04-24T08:12:00.000-04:00

During yesterday's recitation of the Regina Caeli by Benedict XVI, he recalled the influence that the message of Divine Mercy had upon John Paul the Great:

In consideration of this, the Servant of God John Paul II, valuing the spiritual experience of a humble religious, St. Faustina Kowalska, wanted the Sunday after Easter to be dedicated in a special way to divine mercy, and providence disposed that he should die precisely on the vigil of that day (in the hands of Divine Mercy).

The mystery of the merciful love of God was at the center of the pontificate of my venerated predecessor. Let us recall, in particular, the encyclical "Dives in Misericordia" of 1980, and the dedication of the new shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow, in 2002.

The words he pronounced on that last occasion were as a synthesis of his magisterium, evidencing that devotion to Divine Mercy is not a secondary, but an integral dimension of a Christian's faith and prayer. Source

Indeed, last year, at the funeral mass, Cardinal Ratzinger recalled John Paul's teaching of the connection between Divine Mercy, suffering, and evil.

He interpreted for us the paschal mystery as a mystery of divine mercy. In his last book, he wrote: The limit imposed upon evil "is ultimately Divine Mercy" (Memory and Identity, pp. 60-61). And reflecting on the assassination attempt, he said: "In sacrificing himself for us all, Christ gave a new meaning to suffering, opening up a new dimension, a new order: the order of love ... It is this suffering which burns and consumes evil with the flame of love and draws forth even from sin a great flowering of good" (pp. 189-190). Impelled by this vision, the Pope suffered and loved in communion with Christ, and that is why the message of his suffering and his silence proved so eloquent and so fruitful. Source

The, then cardinal, touches upon the importance of divine mercy as something that is lived. While St. Faustina was asked to promote the message of Divine Mercy, her most important mission was to live it out in her daily life. Similarly, John Paul the Great did not simply teach about God's great Divine Mercy, he lived it out through the three-fold parts of the message.

The first part is to ask for God's mercy. I recall the Holy Father's example during the Jubilee Year of 2000 when he asked pardon for the sins committed by Christian men and women over the past several centuries. In particular, I remember the very moving picture of the Holy Father slowly making his way to the Wailing Wall, leaving a prayer for pardon, and pausing to pray.

The second part is to be merciful. John Paul the Great did not forget that although he was the pope, he was first a priest and a bishop. As the Gospel reading from Divine Mercy Sunday indicates, the apostles and their successors were given by Christ His authority to forgive sins.

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:21-23

During His pontificate, He would make a point of hearing confessions on Good Friday. This example demonstrated the mercy of God as he allowed himself to be a minister of God's mercy in the sacrament of confession.

The third part of the message of Divine Mercy is the need to trust in Jesus. The image of Divine Mercy which St. Faustina had painted includes the words at the bottom, "Jesus, I trust in You." Certainly, John Paul the Great trusted in Jesus. His last years were lived out with visible suffering that demonstrated his complete abandonment to the will of God. Undoubtedly, his trust in his savior who had called him to the Petrine office enabled him to continue serving despite all that he suffered.

As Cardinal Ratzinger indicated in the homily for the funeral of John Paul the Great, it his example of abandonment to God's Divine Mercy that is so eloquent. I think it is also the secret behind the beauty and attractiveness of his life.

Celebrating Mercy

2006-04-23T08:13:00.000-04:00

Today, the second Sunday in Easter, by a decree issued in 2000 by John Paul the Great, the Church celebrates the Feast of Divine Mercy. Because it is a new feast and the message of Divine Mercy is only slowly permeating local parishes, there are many places that do not proclaim the nature of this feast day. It is very unfortunate because it really is a feast to remind us of who God is and the way He relates to us. He comes to us to give us mercy in order that we may no longer be slaves to ours sins.

The origin of the feast can be traced to the private revelations which the Polish nun St. Maria Faustina Kowalska received during the 1930s. In several places in her diary, which she wrote under obedience to her spiritual director, she records Jesus' words to her concerning the nature of the Feast of Divine Mercy:

Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (Diary 300)

This Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies. (Diary 420)

On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will I contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary 699)

Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to our neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it. (Diary 742)

I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy. (Diary 1109)

What is revealed here is really quite beautiful. It is not a new message, because it has been the consistent message of the Church that God's infinite mercy is extended to all who will receive it. Instead, it is a fresh reminder and celebration of this wonderful truth that God's mercy is greater than any person's sin, indeed it is greater than all of the sins ever committed.

It is also a wonderful reminder to us that this is the essence of God's love for us and the basis for Christianity. God is reaching out to everyone He has created in His mercy in order to offer His mercy to us because we have gone astray. All of salvation history is God seeking His lost sheep in order to offer them the free gift of mercy and pardon for sins. Today is no different. He extends the same free gift. We simply have to trust in Him.

Source

Much needed rain

2006-04-23T07:47:00.000-04:00

Much needed rain has fallen in my area since Friday. It is an answer to prayer, as it has been far too dry. We have received about fifty percent of the rain that normally would already have fallen in the year. Although it has not reached the crisis we had several years ago when we had a very serious drought, it is not a good trend as normally the month of April is quite wet. (April showers and all of that apply here quite well.)

It was almost strange for our nineteen-month-old daughter to be in a rain storm as we drove around doing errands yesterday. She really has not seen much rain since she has been old enough to understand what it is. And she definitely found, what we would consider a familiar situation, to be quite new and unfamiliar.

It was also of interest to us to see this rain because we are considering purchasing another home. We have done quite a bit of work to learn about this home, and one of the questions we had was how it would hold up under a rain storm. It is new construction, and although it is not in a flood plane, there is a small stream in the back and it is close enough to a major road that it will get significant runoff from the road. In addition, the back area of the house is not a backyard per se, but instead it is very soft ground with some trees and shrubs which cover a distance of just over a hundred feet to the stream which is the back border of the property. After yesterday's rain, there was some water in several areas of the property, but no in any place that I would not have expected it. I have been asking the county officials whether they have any concerns about erosion and water management, but I have not yet gotten any information to cause me concern.

The backyard is one area we are concerned about, and I think the next step is to have a landscaper look at it to determine what options we have. One of the limiting factors is that the county ordinance provides for a one hundred foot stream buffer which severely limits what can be done in the back because the back of the house is only about twenty to twenty-five feet outside the stream buffer. I need to read more about what, if anything, can be done in the stream buffer, but more importantly I would like a landscaper to give me an idea of what can be done to make the backyard more like a regular backyard.

Some people enjoy the house hunting and house buying experience. It seems to always be quite a chore for us. I think it is all of these small details that make it quite a tedious process. However, I must say, we are very grateful for our current home, even if it took an excruciating amount of time and effort to purchase it. It looks like the next one will be purchased in the same vein. However, God willing, it will be not so much the home we want, but the home we need.

Mending our ways

2006-04-21T08:11:00.000-04:00

Lent is a time for us to consider again our sinfulness and our desperate need for the saving act of the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. Although we are now on the other side of Easter and no longer in Lent, we cannot forget the power of the cross. In fact, we are called in a deeper way to appreciate the impact that the cross has upon our lives and the life of the Church. Throughout the Easter season, there are no Old Testament readings. Instead, the Church presents us with readings from the Acts of the Apostles. It is as if we are being asked to recognize how Christ's salvation touched the lives of the apostles and the others who heard the Gospel for the first time in order for us to appreciate how the good news has affected us.

After forty days of Lent, we can become quite aware of our sinfulness. The hope of Easter is that we are not stuck in our sinfulness. Instead, through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we can be forgiven our sins and begin anew. As one commentator has noted, the sacrament of confession is quite a bargain. We come to the priest with all of our sins, and we leave with sanctifying grace. Our sins have been absolved, and we have been given the grace we need to overcome the very sins which led us to the confessional.

Part of confession is reparation. Often, although our sins might be great, we are given a penance which is quite light. However, we also know that there are some sins the effects of which we must undo. This, too, is reparation. In today's Gospel reading (John 21:1-14), we read of the disciples, after the resurrection, encountering Christ on the shore of the lake after He has directed them how to catch fish. (It is interesting to note, as Mother Angelica once commented, the disciples never catch any fish in the Gospels without the help of Christ.) Although today's reading does not include the latter portion of the story, we know what happens. Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves Him. Three times, Peter replies that he does. It must have been very painful for Peter to have to answer that he indeed loved Jesus. However, in His compassion for Peter, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to make reparation for the three-fold denial of Christ during His Passion.

We might not like the idea of having to undo what we have done, but it is necessary if we are going to move forward. Peter would not have been able to preach as he did on Pentecost and the subsequent early days of the Church if he had not made reparation for his sins. However, because he had been forgiven and he had repaired what he had destroyed, he was able to abide in Christ and speak of the power of the cross to save lives.

I, too, need to take seriously the need to make reparation for my sins. It might be easy to simply do the penance I have been given by the priest, but in my heart I know that there is more that can be done. And there is more that needs to be done. Peter is my example. He, who had fallen so far, was raised up by the mercy of Christ. When he raised him up, Jesus gave him the opportunity to undo what he had done. Peter's response was love.

Parish Revival

2006-04-20T05:55:00.000-04:00

Although I have only been a Catholic for five years, I think that, similar to many other Catholics, my experience of Catholic parish life has been quite mixed. The parish where my wife and I attended RCIA classes was a growing parish that provided many opportunities for people to express and live out their faith. At the heart of the parish was liturgy and devotion. The Sunday masses were well-attended and they were faithful to the rubrics of worship. The parish had for some time, even before we attended, been supporting a perpetual adoration chapel. There was also a very good adult formation session on Sundays. And the midweek RCIA classes we took were not only full of candidates and catechumens, they were also attended by many parishoners who simply came to deepen their understanding of their Catholic faith.

On the other hand, I have also experienced Catholic parish life which is struggling. In one of these parishes, the parishoners attend, but they all seem to be going through the motions in order to meet their Sunday obligation. The life of the parish is centered around social programs and fun activities. No one seems particularly proud to be a Catholic, and you suspect, if questioned, that they would be hard pressed to really explain their faith, let alone express why it is important to believe.

From my experience, the unsurprising driving force behind parish life is the pastor. In the first parish, the pastor was faithful to the teaching of the Church in his homilies, his administering of the sacraments, and his efforts to energize the parishoners. My understanding is that the parish was a success story because when the pastor arrived, the parish was just the opposite of where he left it after 12 years of service. On the other hand, in the other parishes I have experienced, the pastors have not been particularly concerned about being faithful to the doctrines of the Church. Instead of giving the people solid, healthy food, they have fed them fast food homilies on Sundays and virtually starved them during the rest of the week. They have eschewed devotion, and the celebration of the liturgy and the administration of the sacraments have been left open to interpretation at the whim of the priest.

How is it possible to revive a parish? Certainly, change must be based on the priest. Because of John Paul the Great's influence, I suspect that there a number of new priests who are being assigned to parishes which are in tremendous need of a revival. The spirit of these young, enthusiastic priests is willing to make the changes, but where should they begin? Father Peter Grover, Director of St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine in Boston's Back Bay thinks that the answer is to provide means for the parishoners to express their faith. In an article on GodSpy, Harold Fickett speaks with Fr. Grover about his success in reviving two different parishes through his efforts to give the laity voices to express their faith.

Catholics are starving for a deeper spiritual life. The order to which he belongs, The Oblates of the Virgin Mary, is devoted to feeding that desperate hunger. He's seen two parishes, St. Clement, and St. Andrew's in Avenel, New Jersey, revive under his direction. How did it happen? He made it possible for his parishioners to study the Scriptures and talk about their faith.
...
"We can't just tell people about Christ's life," Fr. Peter says. "We have to inspire our people to want Christ's life inside them. You can only have joy by living God's life. You've got to fall in love. The Lord asks Peter: 'Do you love me?' You've got to answer that question. Then the good works follow."
...
That's what's going on at St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine under Fr. Peter Grover's direction. "You've got to give people environments where they can talk about their faith," Fr. Peter says. "Normally, the priest does all the talking. He gets all the fun because he gets to talk about the faith, which is the greatest thing. But a lay person, he never gets to talk about the faith. You go to work, you can't talk about the faithÂthere you talk about the football game, politics. Maybe you go home and your wife and kids aren't interested. Where can you talk about the faith? It's the best thing in your life and you can't talk about it to anybody."
...
St. Andrew's and St. Clement were renewed by putting worship and catechesis first. Fr. Peter minimized the "happy get-togethers," parish dinners and the like, and took his parish leadership on retreats instead. By giving lay leaders opportunities to talk about their faith, he inspired them to claim that faith as their own and prepared them to lead others in doing the same.
...
Then he introduced a truly radical and hopeful notion: he thinks that the religious vocation crisis in the Western European Church today is being used by the Holy Spirit to correct the clericalism of the past. The clergy and the laity must now join in a true evangelistic partnership in which the clergy and religious focus on feeding the people and the people bring the world to Christ. "God's running the Church, hang in there," he told me, gently chiding my pessimism. "God's doing a good job, He's directing the Church to where it's going."

In this new partnership priests are being directed to concentrate on the essence of the priestly vocation. "I can do three things that you can't do," Fr. Peter tells me. "Say Mass, anoint the sick, and hear confessions. Preaching as wellÂthose four things, although the laity can preach in certain instances. I have to stay on mission in these things. To sacrifice hearing confessions to go to meetings, planning boards, or being a builder, that gets me further and further away from my mission."
...
As we concluded our talk, Fr. Peter emphasized that the laity can undertake its role in the new evangelization by virtue of their experience. He used the example of Jesus healing the Gerasene demoniac. After the demoniac was healed, and his demons were dispersed to a herd of swine who plunged over a cliff, the man asked Jesus if he could come with him and be his disciple. Jesus told the man to remain in his home territory. He was simply to tell his neighbors what God had done for him. The next time Jesus visited the area, Gennesaret, everyone knew him. They brought all their sick and afflicted to him to be healed. That's how powerful the testimony of the former demoniac had been. "You don't have to complicate it with theology," Fr. Peter says. "Just tell what God has done for you."
...
It's not hardÂin fact, it's a lot less time-consuming than the usual activities that consume so much of local parish life at present. The clergy need to stay on missionÂto do what only they can doÂwhile the laity must assume its diverse and multifaceted role in bringing Christ to the world. Source

I can only add an "Amen" to the ideas that Fr. Grover is implementing. He understands that if the shepherd feeds his flock with solid, healthy food, the sheep will grow and mature. In turn, they will help one another grow in their faith. It is not a difficult concept, but it requires faithful priests and faithful lay people. The priests, as Fr. Grover indicates, need to be faithful to their vocation as ordained ministers, and the lay people need to be faithful to their vocation as the laity who are reaching out to one another and to those outside the parish. The key does seem to be the priest. The lay people can only do so much without a good pastor. And the parish can do so much more with a faithful pastor.

Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Matthew 9:38

H/T: La Nouvelle Théologie

It's not fair!

2006-04-18T07:43:00.000-04:00

Probably countless times when we were children, we questioned the justice of some situation and declared to whoever was present at that moment that the situation was just not fair. We were receiving the short end of the stick. We did not appreciate it. And we wanted someone to make the situation right. By declaring that things were not fair, we hoped that the universe through the agency of our parents would tip the balance back in our favor and make things fair.

We would like to think that sometime during our childhood we would learn that much of life simply is not fair, or more accurately, it is not fair according to our selfish understanding of what is fair. However, even as adults, we can get very easily caught up in the fairness of various situations in our lives. We find ourselves again on the wrong side of the scales, and we want someone to correct the injustice.

One thing that is clear from Jesus' teaching is that divine mercy is not fair. At least, it is not fair according to normal human standards. I realized exactly how unfair God is when I recently read the parable of the laborers in St. Matthew's Gospel.

For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, You go into the vineyard too.' And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last." Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus makes it clear from the beginning that this is a parable that describes the nature of the kingdom of heaven. God goes out to hire laborers for His vineyard. Some are hired at the beginning of the day and work the entire day for the agreed upon denarius. Others are hired throughout the workday, even until the last hour. When the day is done, the vineyard owner has the men come forward to receive their pay. The last are paid first. They receive the same amount that those who began their work at the beginning of the day were promised. The vineyard owner does this in front of all the workers to demonstrate his generosity. However, it is lost on those who have worked all day. Instead, similar to what would be my reaction, they note the unfairness of the identical payments. But God is not moved by such pleas for justice. His justice is to be generous and give more than would be expected.

Early Church Fathers such as Origen have commented on how the image of the vineyard should lead us to recognize how God began his work of salvation through Israel. The Israelites have borne the burden of the labor in God's vineyard. It is only late in the day that the Gentiles have been grafted in to work in the vineyard of the Lord. The late arrival of the Gentiles is no matter to God. He will freely give to all who are willing to labor for Him.

We can also recognize God's mercy in that He always leaves open the door for those who have yet to come to Him. It might be late in a person's life, even at the hour of death, but God's mercy is open to receive even such a latecomer. It might not seem fair to the ones who have labored for the Lord lo these many years. But that is because we do not understand God's idea of fairness. He is fair to all those who come to Him. He grants them the reward of eternal life as payment for their willingness to stop being idle and to begin to work in His vineyard, even if were only for one hour.

Is this Heaven?

2006-04-17T08:01:00.000-04:00

Still basking in the glow of Sunday's Easter celebration, I came across Daniel Nichols' recent post on the beauty of the liturgy of Eastern Rite Catholics. I think it is a wonderful post which captures an important aspect of our worship, namely that it should be child-like. As the parent of a young child, I am very familiar with my daughter taking such joy in some activity that she desires to do the activity over and over without stopping. (There are several of my daughter's books which I now have well committed to memory.)

One of the reasons that people gripe so much about the liturgical abuses found throughout the Catholic Church is because people know how very important the liturgy is. It is our "work" of worship that we give to God. It grounds our relationship with God. That is why I appreciate Daniel Nichols' reflection that our worship should be child-like. God is our Father, and we are able to approach Him most fittingly as children who recognize our utter dependence on Him. Naturally, as profound an observation about worship must have been initiated by a child.

On Palm Sunday, in the middle of the Divine Liturgy, dazzling in its beauty, my three year old daughter, Maria, turned to me and asked "Is this Heaven?"

Yes, I told her, on Sundays we get to visit Heaven.

A lot has been written about the beauty of the Byzantine Liturgy, but Maria's wonder sums it up better than any scholarly tome.

...

The East, on the other hand, has a liturgy that seems to be made up by children. Is something worth doing? Then do it over and over again. I think of Chesterton's comment that God is like a child in this regard. If an adult is performing some act that delights a child, like tossing the child up into the air, the adult's arms will ache before the child becomes bored. "Do it again!" is the child's tireless refrain. And so, Chesterton says, God makes the sun rise day after day, saying "Do it again!" in His delight.

...

There is a childlike sensibility, too, in the Byzantine approach to the senses. Do we have incense burning? Yes, of course: incense is used at every Divine Liturgy, not just on feast days, and the sweet smell delights our senses even in Lent.

But this evidently wasn't enough. What else can we do? "I know," someone said, deep in our history, "Let's add some bells to the censer!" And so they did, and the sound of jingle bells accompanies the act of censing to this day.

Unfortunately, I cannot say that I have been to an Eastern Rite liturgy. Although, after reading this piece, I believe I would be quite remiss to never participate in such a liturgy. The closest I have come is to visit several Orthodox parishes, and once, I attended a Russian Orthodox liturgy in the suburbs of Chicago. Although at the time, I was not a Catholic, and I knew virtually nothing about liturgy, I did appreciate the other-worldly nature of the mass. In particular, I fond that the chanting of the priest and the choir was extremely moving. Also, I have also always appreciated icons, and the iconography in the particular church I attended was very beautiful. All of this added up to a beautiful experience which I do not think I had been fully able to appreciate until I read Daniel Nichols' post.

He is risen, indeed!

2006-04-16T15:11:00.000-04:00

V. Christ is risen!
R. He is risen, indeed!

Thanks be to God, Christ is risen. Today, on this feast of all feasts, we celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death. I think that the message of Christ's victory and the celebration of God's mercy toward us in Christ's resurrection is beautifully captured in the following Easter homily from St. John Chrysostom.

Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!
Is there anyone who is a grateful servant?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!
If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.

For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.
To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.

Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!

You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!
Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.

He destroyed Hades when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."

Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!
Source

I appreciate how St. John captures the depth of the mercy of God. He very beautifully describes how Christ welcomes all to join Him at His feast. Maybe you had a fruitful Lent, maybe you did not. Perhaps you have grown in devotion, perhaps you have not. You might have stood by our Lord, or you might have fallen again and again. No matter. God opens wide His arms to receive all those who will come to Him. This is a message that all the world can understand. Come to God. He is waiting for you at His feast. He has a place just for you. He will not drag you there, but neither will He stop inviting you to come.

Ora della Madre

2006-04-15T11:36:00.000-04:00

Waiting, especially for those of us who struggle with patience, can be about the worst possible way to occupy a space of time. Ironically, much of what many of us do is to wait. We spend much of our time waiting. We wait in traffic. We wait in lines at the grocery store, the bank, the ATM, and the toll booth. The information age has brought waiting on hold on the telephone as you wait for the next available representative. Even when we are participating in leisure, we wait in lines at the movie theater, the lift line, and the amusement park.

Today is a day of waiting. Jesus has given all on the cross. He has died, and He has been buried in a borrowed tomb. For most of His followers, everything had been lost. Jesus, who days before was teaching and preaching in Jerusalem, was no longer alive. He had been cruelly snatched from the disciples. Just a week before, He had been riding triumphantly into Jerusalem. Now, all that they had hoped for and longed for was dashed to pieces. Scared and disillusioned, they had all fled.

Only Mary trusts the words of her Lord. She understands that the cross is not the end for her son. Her hope is in Jesus who always proclaimed that He would be raised from the dead. In response, she waits and prays. Her heart is quieted by the hope that death has not had the final word.

According to tradition, the entire body of the Church is represented in Mary: she is the "credentium collectio universa"(152). Thus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, as she waits near the Lord's tomb, as she is represented in Christian tradition, is an icon of the Virgin Church keeping vigil at the tomb of her Spouse while awaiting the celebration of his resurrection.

The pious exercise of the Ora di Maria is inspired by this intuition of the relationship between the Virgin Mary and the Church: while the body of her Son lays in the tomb and his soul has descended to the dead to announce liberation from the shadow of darkness to his ancestors, the Blessed Virgin Mary, foreshadowing and representing the Church, awaits, in faith, the victorious triumph of her Son over death. Directory on popular piety and the liturgy, 147

Life from Death

2006-04-14T08:23:00.000-04:00

Today, on Good Friday, we mourn the death of the Lord Jesus Christ who gave up everything, including His life, for the sake of all humanity. It is for this very reason that He took on flesh: He came to earth in order to die. And we focus on His death--His holy sacrifice--especially on this Friday of all the Fridays in the year.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice:
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?",
that is:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Matthew 27:45-46,50

On one level, it is extremely difficult to grasp that Jesus died. After all, He is God Incarnate, yet, He submitted Himself into the hands of sinners who decided that the best thing do was to have Him crucified. The key to understanding His death seems to be grasping what the outcome of His death is.

Just before He gives up His spirit, quotes the opening line of Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" For a long time, I understood those words to simply be ones of despair. Indeed, the words from the Psalm begin a long description of the plight of psalmist which prefigure what Christ experienced on the cross.

But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people.
All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads;
"He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" 6-8

Many bulls encompass me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death.
Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet --
I can count all my bones -- they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots. 12-18

However, as I had pointed out to me, the psalm does not end in despair. Instead, throughout the psalm, the psalmist asks for God's help, and at the end he recognizes that God will answer his prayers and save him.

You who fear the LORD, praise him! all you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
From thee comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
he afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live for ever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.
Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself alive.
Posterity shall serve him; men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation,
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, that he has wrought it. 23-31

By quoting the opening line of the Psalm, Jesus was using a shorthand notation for quoting the entire Psalm. In referencing the entire Psalm 22, He is showing His fulfillment of all Scripture. In this case, it is not just the horrific things described in the psalm, but also the victory that God gives to the one who cries out to Him. Jesus is indicating that the purpose of His death is for God's glory. God's glory is manifested in His merciful salvation. Jesus will not simply die. He will die to be raised to new life. From His complete giving of Himself on the cross, He rises again to give new life to all who will receive Him.

On this day, I am especially reminded of this reality because today is the fifth anniversary of when my wife and I entered into the Catholic Church. At the Easter Vigil, five years ago, we received the sacrament of confirmation. On that same night, we also first received the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. From Christ's holy sacrifice on Good Friday, we received new life in Him by receiving Him. In that first Eucharist, we, for the first time received new life from Him because He had received new life in His resurrection. He did not despair, but entrusted Himself completely to His Father, and through His death and resurrection, He invites us to also place our trust completely in the One who is able to save us from death.

New Priests for Life Blog

2006-04-13T07:43:00.000-04:00

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has started a blog. In his most recent entry, he discusses the important issue of what type of legislation should be supported in order to further the pro-life cause. The context of his post is the recent passage by the Idaho Senate of a bill that requires a woman who is getting an abortion to receive information about the development of her child and the risks for her that are associated with having an abortion.

The measure would stipulate that doctors present women with information on a developing fetus and the potential psychological effects of having an abortion. Women also have to wait 24 hours before the procedure. If doctors don't disclose the information, they could be fined up to one hundred dollars every month they continue to perform the procedure. (Source)

In response to Fr. Pavone's favorable response to passage of this bill, he received criticism from some pro-life supporters who did not like the fact that the bill only regulates abortion rather than outlaws it.

Fr. Pavone responds with a very clear argument of why it is important to support incremental efforts to promote a culture of life.

The fact that it will limit abortions is good. The fact that abortions are still permitted is bad. But the fact that they are permitted doesn't come from this law, and the people working for this law do not necessarily agree that abortion should be permitted at all. It's just that they don't have the votes to do anything about that just yet. The choice to make it legal in the first place was somebody else's choice, not the choice of these lawmakers.

Should it be their ultimate goal to eliminate abortion altogether? Absolutely! That is our goal; it is our duty, and we will achieve it. Nobody should look at laws that simply limit or regulate abortion as the sum total of our pro-life legislative responsibilities, or as the final goal of our movement. Nobody should ever think that regulatory laws can ever substitute for our obligation to end every abortion and protect every child.

But neither should anyone who wants to protect every child despise efforts to limit the evil as much as possible on our way to the final goal.

I remember debating this issue with other pro-life students when I was in college. The discussion was quite passionate from all of the students, some of whom were getting arrested for their acts of non-violent civil disobedience at abortion clinics. The ones who took the extreme view saw all other legislative efforts as watered-down compromises that did not send a clear pro-life message. The other side took a more pragmatic view that since this was about politics it necessarily involved compromise. Now many years from then, I find it difficult to believe that someone can take an extreme position that only legislation that completely prohibits abortion can be supported. In addition, Fr. Pavone makes an important point that it is laudable for people today to correct the wrongs made by people in the past. Through his viewpoint that this is only one piece of the pro-life effort, he expresses the truly compassionate position which is for pro-life supporters to push back evil where it is possible while continuing to work for an even greater promotion of the culture of life.

Getting the Inside Story

2006-04-12T06:53:00.000-04:00

One of the beautiful gifts I have received as a Roman Catholic has been a better understanding of Scripture. Prior to being received into the Church, I learned various methods for interpreting Scripture. Some were better than others, but none contained the systematic understanding which is found in the magisterium.

The Church teaches that one of the important methods for interpreting Scripture is the use of typology. Much of the Old Testament can be understood as prefigurement and preparation for events which are fulfilled in the New Testament. For example, in John 3 when our Lord is speaking with Nicodemus, he explains that the event of Moses raising a bronze serpent on a pole in order for the Israelites to be saved from the serpents' bites was a prefigurement of how He would be raised on the cross to save sinners.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14-15

The Catechism of the Catholic Church presents this teaching in this way:

Christians therefore read the Old Testament in the light of Christ crucified and risen. Such typological reading discloses the inexhaustible content of the Old Testament; but it must not make us forget that the Old Testament retains its own intrinsic value as Revelation reaffirmed by our Lord himself. Besides, the New Testament has to be read in the light of the Old. Early Christian catechesis made constant use of the Old Testament. As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New. CCC 129

The recent release of a translation of the Gnostic Gospel of Judas illustrates this idea in the negative. One of the problems with such a gospel, and perhaps one of the reasons that the Church rejected it, is that it does not have a foundation in the Old Testament. In other words, one can tell that the Gnostic gospels are erroneous because they do not present events which are the fulfillment of Old Testament accounts. However, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John do present fulfillments of Old Testament events. Accordingly, Michael Barber at Singing in the Reign presents the real inside knowledge on the story of Judas:

If you really want to know the story "behind" Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus, you need to know the Old Testament.

In 2 Samuel 15 we read about the "betrayal" of David by Ahithophel.

2 Sam 15: 23 And all the country wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness...

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered; and all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

Later, we learn of Ahithophel's fate; he hanged himself (2 Sam 17:23).

Sound familiar?

Jesus, the Son of David, is betrayed by a member of his inner circle. While his betrayer is out planning his demise, he, like David, goes to the Mount of Olives (Matt 27:30), crossing the Kidron valley (John 18:1). As David prayed that the Lord would confound Ahithophel's plans, Jesus similarly prays for deliverance (Matt 26:29-34). In the end, Jesus' betrayer's fate is the same as that of David's betrayer's: he "hangs" himself (Matt 27:5). We might also note that the women weep for Jesus as the people wept for David (Luke 23:27).

When I read such a clear interpretation of Scripture, I become quite excited about reading Scripture. This type of understanding demonstrates the marvelous and supernatural nature of Scripture, and it also underscores how God is indeed the author of history even through the free will of humans.

H/T: The Way of the Fathers

Denying Humility

2006-04-11T07:41:00.000-04:00

From today's Gospel reading:

"My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you. Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later." Peter said to him, "Master, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times." John 13:33,36-38

When I read this today, I was struck with the amount of irony that is found in the exchange that our Lord has with Simon Peter. Jesus, of course, knows that Simon Peter will deny him three times in the next several hours. He also knows that one day Peter will follow Jesus where He is about to go when Peter, too, will be crucified. However, long before that time, Peter will commit the ultimate sin of denying Christ.

Peter, at some level, actually knows where Jesus is going because after asking Jesus where he is going, he adds that he is ready to lay down his life for Jesus. In his heart, he knows what Jesus is asking him to do because he vaguely understands what Jesus is about to do. Throughout His entire ministry, Jesus has spoken and lived a message of giving Himself for others. In particular, Peter, knows that Jesus has given Himself to Peter. He also recalls that Jesus has spoken about laying down His life. Although Peter may have only understood this in some very loose way, he knows that it is important idea, and he wants to do what his master teaches.

How often have I found myself exactly where I see Peter in today's Gospel! I have some vague understanding of what God wants me to do, but I am in no way ready to accomplish the task. Instead of doing His will, I end up doing the exact opposite.

The problem for Peter and for me seems to be a lack of humility. When our Lord states that Peter cannot follow Him now, but that he will follow Him later, that should have been the final word for Peter. Jesus knows us perfectly and when He says something is true about us, it is true. There is no point in trying to convince Him otherwise. Peter does not want to believe he is limited in his devotion to Christ. He fancies that he is devoted enough to Christ that he is ready to die for Christ. The reality is that Peter cannot even speak up for Jesus, much less be ready to suffer for Him.

Humility, on the other hand, helps us to simply accept our limits and to recognize that God knows them much better than we do. Jesus knew that for Peter everything was about to be turned upside-down. Instead of a triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus was about to be arrested by the religious authorities. All the disciples were to abandon Jesus. Suddenly, Peter would find himself looking in on his master, the prisoner. This situation was too much for Peter. Jesus knew it, but Peter did not. And instead of humbly accepting Christ's words, he probably thought he would show Jesus otherwise. When the moment came to stand up for Jesus, his lack of humility had not prepared him, and he failed miserably.

The key, as I have heard it said, to mental health is acceptance. It also seems to be the key to the spiritual life. In order to grow in Christ, I need to accept who I am right now. The fact is that I, like Peter in today's Gospel, am more ready to deny Christ than I am to stand up for Him. Jesus knows it, but I do not. The peace in my heart and the opportunity to serve Christ begins with accepting who I really am, not who I would like to be. If I accept who I really am, I am in a position to be used by God because I have not put a barrier of a false picture of myself between the Lord and me. As long as I keep that barrier, I will only add to my struggles. Peter learned the hard way, but he apparently remembered the lesson because, as Jesus stated, he eventually did follow Him where he was going.

Palm Sunday: Following the crowd

2006-04-09T23:59:00.000-04:00

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week for Latin Rite Roman Catholics. It begins with Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. At the beginning of today's liturgy, there is a special procession into Mass that includes readings from Scripture which recount our Lord's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. In the liturgy, we recite the words which were cried out when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a path covered by palm branches and the cloaks of the people:

Hosanna to the Son of David,
the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

The palm branches we receive help us to place ourselves back in the first century. I can imagine being an onlooker who rushes over to see what is happening. As I push through the crowd, I begin to catch glimpses of the procession. I can hear what sounds to be the singing of one of the messianic psalms. This is incredible. Who, I wonder, is coming into Jerusalem. It certainly is not a Roman because the people would not be excited. And they would not be singing. I cannot go any farther because of the swarm of people so I stop to ask those around me. One man says it is that prophet we have been hearing about. Another questions if it is indeed the Galilean. Finally, a third man confirms that it is Jesus of Nazareth. He is riding into Jerusalem on a colt and the people are throwing down their cloaks before him. Others are ripping off branches from the nearby trees to scatter before him in the path.

The crowd moves as a unit as people try to draw closer to Jesus. Through the heads and shoulders I can see part of the procession. I strain to get a better view. Wait, there he is. Just as the man said, I can see that he surely is riding into Jerusalem. How can he do that? All kinds of thoughts rush into my head, as I try to figure out what is happening. Surely the Romans will do something? This might strike them as an act of rebellion. After all, the only people who ride into Jerusalem like this are their cruel generals and their wicked politicians. If the Romans won't do anything, what will the Pharisees and Saducees think? They have been downplaying this prophet and claiming that he is crazed man who is only going to arouse the anger of the Romans. This just might be too much for them. He almost seems to be doing this just for this reason. His followers might think he is the messiah, but now they have this crowd believing it too.

As the crowd continues to follow the procession, some of the temple guard come out to disperse the crowd. It looks as if the Pharisees and Saducees alerted them to what was happening. Some of the crowd continues to follow the procession into Jerusalem to find out what will come of all of this. Others, once they see the temple guards, are not so brave and they decide it would be best for them to go about their business. If this is a revolutionary movement, I decide I need to keep some distance in case the Romans do get involved. In my caution, I follow a group of people who look curious, but who do not strike me as the type who are ready to take up arms against the Romans. All the same, I keep my thoughts to myself while maintaining what I think is a safe distance between the main part of the procession and me.

Freedom from the devil and freedom from sin

2006-04-08T08:41:00.000-04:00

I recently came across an interview of a priest in the German magazine Die Welt. The interview is from the December 2, 2005 issue, and it is extremely interesting because the priest presents the Catholic Church's teaching on evil, hell, and exorcisms. He also provides a fascinating comment regarding demonic reaction to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The questions were fielded by Father Pedro Barrajon who is a professor of theological anthropology at the Athenaeum Pontificium Regina Apostolorum in Rome. He is also a member of the Legionaires of Christ.

How could God permit evil in the first place?

For our freedom! Evil is linked implicitly to the gift of freedom. God made man free. In choosing whether to ban evil or give the gift of freedom, God opted for freedom. Without the possibility to choose between good or evil, there would be no freedom. That means that God values freedom more than all our sins. Animals are not evil - but they are also never free. With freedom, God elevated us above animals.

...

Where are demons at home? Hell?

Yes. Hell was made for them, not for people.

So Hell was made too?

Yes. Angels were created, thus fallen angels and thus hell. It is no self-creation. Hell is not a place, it's a state. It's the state in which demons can be themselves, united in their hatred of God. It's the state of the negation of love. God is love. Hell is anti-love, it's hatred. Hell is a notion of the state of these spirits. Hell is the state of an eternal anti-love. It's also the eternal refusal to accept the love of God.

Then there is a long series of questions and answers about exorcisms which closes out the article. Naturally, we are all curious as to what an exorcism is like. Fr. Barrajon helps us understand.

Are there objective criteria that can be used to determine if a person has been possessed by a demon?

The new ordinance on exorcism summarizes the criteria for the event of possession very well. The clearest for me as a priest is the deep aversion to holy objects such as the cross, the rosary or the sign of the cross. Also an aversion to the word God - when it is spoken, such people get very nervous. Less significant indications are the supernatural capabilities that these people can suddenly develop. They can speak foreign languages that they've never learned. They can levitate; they can float, they can overcome gravity. Sometimes they become inexplicably strong and violent. But it's not that easy to diagnose cases of possession. I usually suggest that people see a neurologist or a psychiatrist before I get involved in their case. If I am advised by these experts that they can't help, then I can begin a spiritual treatment. As a rule, I would say that of ten people who request an exorcism, one is truly possessed.

Are there reasons for possession?

We don't know them. Nor can we say why one person gets cancer and another doesn't. We have no explanation for that either. We only know that God's power and love is greater when it comes to our physical and spiritual illnesses. That's how possession has to be seen.

How does an exorcism work?

The church demands from a priest who is undertaking such an "expulsion" the moral certainty that it is indeed a case of possession. But there is no absolute certainty. So it is very important that an exorcist be a man of prayer and fasting.

And then?

The exorcism is a major official prayer in which the power of the church is very present. That's the main thing. Sometimes holy water is used or incense, and there is always a crucifix in the priest's hands. Several people should be present, in addition to the priest, in the event that the possessed person gets violent. People can be transformed by the expulsion of the devil. They don't remain the same. During this rite, the demon exposes himself, given the presence of God and the many people praying together. It often becomes violent, because it knows that it has been defeated in a way. The voice of the possessed person usually changes and becomes very unpleasant.

Also frightening?

Not at all. In such moments, I only feel sorry for the possessed person because he's suffering and you see that he's suffering. But at the same time you're happy because you know that the exorcism will free him from this anguish. Every exorcism begins with the invocation of the trinity: the father, the son and the holy ghost. Then there's a reading of excerpts from the Bible, before a kind of dialogue between the exorcist and the possessed person begins, in which the exorcist asks for the name of the demon. That's always a difficult moment. Evil never wants to reveal itself. It often lies.

Why doesn't he want to reveal his name?

The name discloses his being. Franz Rosenzweig once said the name is not "sound and smoke", as Goethe says, but "word and fire". The name Jesus means "God saves". Isaac, Jacob, all these names have a particular meaning. And it always discloses the person's being. When I say my name, I'm also saying: I am here. No Demon ever wants to say its name.

And once it's said it?

At the end, the priest says to the demon, "Go away! Disappear!" The demon usually answers, "No, I don't want to." It rebels and revolts. Sometimes it says "You have no power over me. You are nothing to me." But after a while, its resistance weakens. This usually happens after the invocation of the Holy Mother, she's very important for that. No demon ever dares to insult her during an exorcism. Never.

Does he have more respect for Mary than for God himself?

Apparently. Otherwise no holds are barred, and everyone is insulted: the priests, everyone present, the bishops, the Pope, even Jesus Christ. But never the Virgin Mary. It's an enigma.

And then?

An exorcism can last up to one hour - and it ends with prayers. It's advisable not to let it last too long because this battle is very difficult and stressful for all those present - also for the person being exorcised. After the exorcism, everyone feels enormously relieved, as though they can breathe again. But in many cases a new exorcism is necessary. I know of cases in which people were only truly free to begin a new life after several exorcisms. They often say it's like being born again.

There is so much evil in the world. Look at all the wars, all the massacres, the tyrants and murderers. Is it not strange that the devil still plays his games with lonely and poor people, taking them over? Couldn't he do better, or rather worse? Isn't he busy enough already?

That is truly a mystery. Cases of possession seem to me to be the evil flip-side of miracles, which are equally inexplicable, but which we can also observe. The devil is present everywhere that evil things happen within the normal laws of nature. In anyone who says: I don't accept love, the love of my brothers and sisters, the love of God. And in many places, in all massacres, in every murder, in physical catastrophes, in every concentration camp, in all evil. Sometimes he shows himself, strangely, but also in cases of possession. But he's much more dangerous where he doesn't let himself be seen, where he can't be done away with through exorcism. No question.

I was struck by two things in particular from the answers that Fr. Barrajon gave. First, was the enigma, as he described it, that the demons will not insult the Mother of God, although they are willing to insult everyone else including God Himself. This reminds me of an account recorded by St. Louis De Montfort. He describes an exorcism by St. Dominic in which the demons made it clear that the Blessed Virgin Mary is more feared than all the other saints combined. One reason they give is that her intercession is so powerful that many souls, who would otherwise be damned, are saved by her powerful intercession.

Second, the way that Fr. Barrajon described the demonic possession and exorcism reminded me of our efforts to overcome our attachment to sin. For instance, he indicates that the priest performing the exorcism should be a man of prayer and fasting. These are two practices that the Church, backed up by the experience of the saints, insists are part of freeing ourselves from sin. In addition, similar to the demon's struggle to retain possession, there is always a fight, even a very violent one, as we struggle to overcome the particular sin in our lives. Our flesh often wants to cling to the sin, although our will knows we must let it go. Also, the naming of the sin is similar to determining the name of the demon. As even psychology has come to understand, we must name our problem or properly understand what the issue is in order to successfully address it. Then, Fr. Barrajon made the point that instead of being frightening, he saw the suffering that the possessed person was undergoing. This is the same as the deep suffering we know when we are caught up in a sin, and we simply cannot become detached from it. Often, we do not know how much we are suffering until we have been freed from the attachment to that sin. And more often that not, it takes our having experienced much suffering before we realize our need to change. Fr. Barrajon noted the importance of Scripture and how the crucifix must be present. It is through God's word and Christ crucified that we can be transformed. Particularly, this captures the absolute truth that it is only through Christ's Holy Sacrifice that we are able to overcome any sin in our lives. Through the cross, grace is poured out for use which enables us to triumph over evil. And, as Fr. Barrajon, noted, a person who is freed from demonic possession will change. Similarly, when we allow God to heal us of sin, we will change, perhaps even as dramatically.

Recommending Books through Pope St. Nicholas V

2006-04-07T04:36:00.000-04:00

I recently came across Maureen Wittman's blog via Mike Aquilina's blog, The Way of the Fathers. On her blog, I learned about Pope St. Nicholas V, who is a pope with whom I was not familiar. He was a tremendous patron of the arts, and during his pontificate from 1447 until 1455, he sought to make Rome a place where the arts flourished. As the Vicar of Christ, he accomplished many things, but he is best known for translating his love of the arts, and literature in particular, into beginning what would later become the Vatican Library. To begin the collection of works of literature, he contributed his own personal library. As a bibliophile, who had also read many of the books he owned, he had developed quite a collection of books through his years of service to the Church prior to assuming the chair of St. Peter. In addition, he had works collected from numerous monasteries where the precious literature would otherwise have been discarded or ruined through neglect.

In this way he accumulated five thousand volumes at a cost of more than forty thousand scudi. "It was his greatest joy to walk about his library arranging the books and glancing through their pages, admiring the handsome bindings, and taking pleasure in contemplating his own arms stamped on those that had been dedicated to him, and dwelling in thought on the gratitude that future generations of scholars would entertain towards their benefactor. Thus he is to be seen depicted in one of the halls of the Vatican library, employed in settling his books" (Voigt, quoted by Pastor, II, 213). Source

In the spirit of Pope St. Nicholas V, Maureen Wittman has established an email list through Yahoo Groups, named after the saint, which periodically provides information about a quality Catholic adult or children's book. The information is designed to be used by the email recipients in order for them to assist in enhancing the collection of their local public libraries. With an increasing number of public libraries having online access, it is much easier to determine if the library already has a certain book, and, in many cases, if the book is not held, to fill out an online request for the library to purchase the book. I thought that this idea was tremendous because it motivated people to share their appreciation for good Catholic books with a much wider audience. In addition, it gave people an opportunity to become involved in their communities through an important resource in the community that is often neglected--the public library. Libraries, like many other institutions, respond to the vox populi. When the public shows an interest in a particular genre of book or a particular book, it will respond by purchasing copies of the book.

In my own case, as I went through the archives of the group and thought of other books that I like, I performed searches on my local library's Web site. To my surprise, I found that a number of the books already existed in the collection. In addition, I found that my public library had an online request form that could not be easier to use. And thanks to the Pope St. Nicholas V group I had all of the required information available at my fingertips to enter it into the Web form. I am anticipating that I will be using this quite a bit.

For more information on the Pope St. Nicholas V group, click here.

Blogging the Fathers

2006-04-05T07:48:00.000-04:00

One of the things that interested me when I attend seminary was the opportunity for studying the early Church Fathers. My primary exposure in Patristics came through my course on Church history prior to the Reformation. I was taken by all of these early Christians giving witness to their faith in Christ in the midst of periodic and often very intense persecution. And of course there was their own writings which demonstrated that the Church which Christ had established with his apostles continued through the early centuries through the successors to the apostles. These were powerful witnesses to me about faith in Christ and the fact that their faith was not like my faith. Instead it was full of sacraments and liturgy, and it was strong despite the fact that the culture in which they lived was opposed to this new faith in Christ.

It is through many of these writings, in particular St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Athanasius, that much groundwork was laid for my eventual reception into the Roman Catholic Church.

Needless to say, I get very interested in things Patristic. I recently learned that Mike Aquilina has begun a Patristics blog entitled The Way of the Fathers which is the same title as one of his books. I have already enjoyed some of his early posts. For anyone who has an interest in the early Church Fathers, this might be one to add to the bookmark list. (I have added to the list of Blogs of Interest on the right side of this page.)

H/T: Open Book

St. Isidore of Seville: Patron Saint of the Internet

2006-04-04T07:38:00.000-04:00

Today is the optional memorial of St. Isidore of Seville, Spain. He is a doctor of the Church, and, if not officially, at least somewhat officially, he has been made the patron saint of the Internet. He is also the patron of computer technicians, computer users, computers, schoolchildren and students.

Son of Severianus and Theodora, people known for their piety. Brother of Saint Fulgentius, Saint Florentina, and Saint Leander of Seville, who raised him after their father's death. Initially a poor student, he gave the problem over to God and became one of the most learned men of his time. Priest. Helped his brother Leander, archbishop of Seville, in the conversion the Visigoth Arians. Hermit.

Archbishop of Seville c.601, succeeding his brother to the position. Teacher, founder, reformer. Required seminaries in every diocese, wrote a rule for religious orders. Prolific writer including a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the world beginning with creation. Completed the Mozarabic liturgy which is still in use in Toledo, Spain. Presided at the Second Council of Seville, and the Fourth Council of Toledo. Introduced the works of Aristotle to Spain. Source

He is the patron of the Internet because much of his own writing consisted in gathering together the wisdom of previous generations in order to make available for his contemporaries.

As a writer, Isidore was prolific and versatile to an extraordinary degree. His voluminous writings may be truly said to constitute the first chapter of Spanish literature. It is not, however, in the capacity of an original and independent writer, but as an indefatigable compiler of all existing knowledge, that literature is most deeply indebted to him. The most important and by far the best-known of all his writings is the "Etymologiae", or "Origines", as it is sometimes called. This work takes its name from the subject-matter of one of its constituent books. It was written shortly before his death, in the full maturity of his wonderful scholarship, at the request of his friend Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa. It is a vast storehouse in which is gathered, systematized, and condensed, all the learning possessed by his time. Throughout the greater part of the Middle Ages it was the textbook most in use in educational institutions. So highly was it regarded as a depository of classical learning that in a great measure, it superseded the use of the individual works of the classics themselves. Not even the Renaissance seemed to diminish the high esteem in which it was held, and according to Arevalo, it was printed ten times between 1470 and 1529. Source

I appreciate the fact that St. Isidore was so learned and eventually declared a doctor of the Church despite the fact that in the beginning, his school career gave no indication that he would achieve success in the field of academics. It is interesting to note that it seems that God is not as concerned with our beginnings as much as He is concerned about our endings.

St. Isidore humbly gave over his poor academic abilities to God, and like the fishes and loaves, God multiplied the poor gift into a bountiful feast of knowledge which was shared with many. This is a powerful lesson for me that God wants me to give Him everything, but I should be especially eager to give him my weaknesses. Who knows? He may make the weakness into a gift for others. Even if He does not, I will know that I have placed it in His hands to dispose of as He sees fit.

Update
Thanks to Laura Gibbs of the Bestiaria Latina Blog, I can point to a post which has a number of links to St. Isidore's texts which are available online. Click here for more information on St. Isidore and his writings. Also, check out her site for resources for brushing up on your Latin, or in my case, picking it up for the first time.

Sudden (and Lasting) Impact

2006-04-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

It is not very often that I get stuck in a traffic jam. Although on occasion, generally for work, I have to travel to Washington, DC, I am typically in a car with a number of my colleagues from work, and we are able to travel in the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane. However, recently, I traveled by myself to DC and a got caught in a miserable traffic jam. It came at the most unexpected time because although I was driving to the nation's capitol on a workday, it was well outside the times for rush hour. The traffic jam lasted for well over 20 miles, and it gave me plenty of time to think about traffic jams.

My first thought is always that I never want to have to commute to DC on a regular basis because I could never waste that many hours every week simply sitting in a car to get to work. If I ever waver in that conviction, one simple trip to DC easily convinces me to stick to my resolution. Inevitably, no matter what day or time I travel on, the traffic is always bad. Most of the time, I am able to only observe the bad traffic from the HOV lane and not to have experience it myself.

The second thought I had was the amazing impact that a single action has on the lives of so many other people. The traffic jam I was in recently was caused by an eighteen-wheel truck somehow or other ending up stuck in a ditch on the side of the road. Fortunately, no one was injured. I was not able to learn any other details from the traffic reports on the radio, but one can imagine many scenarios that resulted in the truck getting stuck. At some point, either in reaction to another driver or by his own initiative, the driver made a decision that resulted in driving off the side of the road. The impact was tremendous. Suddenly thousands of lives were impacted by this one single decision. Traffic became backed up for miles and miles. Men and women had their schedules altered. If like me, they had appointments to attend, they were suddenly sure to be late. Cell phones were picked up and calls made to inform someone that they would be late. If a driver had hoped to grab a bite to eat, he would have to change his plans and not stop and spend the money to get food in order to try to make up lost time. Perhaps the lack of food affected his concentration at his meeting, and he missed some important point that was made. He either left the meeting ignorant of the information or he asked a question which asked about something that had already been covered.

There are of course almost an infinite number of ways that the truck driver's action affected others around him. Radio stations began to report on the traffic jam. Then, of course, there were other accidents that resulted because of the new traffic pattern. Most people affected either directly or indirectly experienced annoyance at the event. (There might have been a few who were relieved because they were not really interested in going to where they were traveling.)

Now none of this is very profound. I imagine that many people have thought the same thought, and there are many others who have written about it. However, the impact on me was a reminder of how everything we do, even if we consider it insignificant, has an impact upon the here and now and also on eternity. There is no escaping our impact upon the world in which we live. Even if we decide to stay in bed to avoid the day, we are affecting our world by not being out of bed and doing something different. It is almost a bit overwhelming and alarming to think about this for too long. And when I think of being in eternity and seeing how everything I did or did not do affected the many lives of others, I can become quite concerned. There are two things I can think to do in response. The first is to thank God that He is ultimately in control and able to work through all of the successes and failures, actions and inactions of every person. The second response is to pray, especially for the grace and wisdom to do exactly what God wants me to do each day.

Remembering John Paul the Great

2006-04-02T09:42:00.000-04:00

Today is, of course, the one year anniversary of the death of John Paul the Great. It is a time to remember the greatness of this man from Poland. His greatness lies in his having submitted himself so completely to God. He accepted God's will that he serve as the 263rd successor to St. Peter. And through one of the longest pontificates ever, he led the Church through his incredible service to all of mankind.

I will always associate John Paul II with my having entered into the Catholic Church. Years ago, my wife, before she was my wife, gave me a copy of John Paul II's Crossing the Threshold of Hope. Through this unique book in which he, as the Pope, answered the questions of a journalist, I was introduced to the Gospel in a new way. He answered many of the questions which I had about the Catholic Church through his clear answers to difficult questions about the faith. He employed Scripture, Tradition, and philosophical reasoning to help answer the journalist's probing questions. Later, my wife, who was not Catholic either, gave me a books on tape version of a biography of John Paul II. It was absolutely fascinating. Here was a man who had known incredible suffering from early in his life through the many deaths in his own family, occupation of his country first by the Nazis, then by the communists, and a couple of near death experiences. Yet, he pressed on by never taking the easy route. Instead, he grew closer and closer to God, and he continually urged others to do the same. These two books had a deep impact upon me. They were important pieces of the bridge that drew me from evangelical Protestantism into the Catholic Church.

John Paul II's impact goes back even farther in time. Back in the early eighties, when my family lived in Germany, we took a trip to Rome which included a visit to the Vatican. Of course, I remember viewing the beauty of the Vatican. I also recall being outside on some upper deck of St. Peter's where I was able to view the Papal apartments across the square, as I sat next to a huge statue of, I believe, Moses. The tour included attending the public Sunday Angelus. At that time, I first received the apostolic blessing from John Paul II. Even this, was part of God's drawing me into the Catholic Church.

The only other time, I was able to see Pope John Paul II was when he came to World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002. At this time, my wife and I had been Catholic for not yet two years. We never saw Pope John Paul II directly because of the huge throng of young people who had come to be with him. However, we felt very close to him simply because he had opened himself up to be available to the youth and indeed all people.

Seeing the Pope in person is not like being close to a celebrity in order to feel some sense of success or popularity. No, seeing the Pope in person, if one is able to, is an opportunity to be close to Christ. It is Christ who founded the papacy through St. Peter. He did so to provide a visible head for His Church. When I am able to see the Pope, even on television, I recognize that the Church has a visible head on earth, and that person is the Pope. God, in his infinite understanding of human weakness, has provided us with a person to represent Christ on earth.

Some of the popes over the centuries have been horrible persons, but that does not detract from the office that Christ established. In fact, it underscores the fact that God has always worked through weak and failing human beings. Although God asks us to strive for holiness, He does not require perfection in order to accomplish His will. John Paul the Great, on the other hand, is in the category of the truly great popes of all time. His life demonstrates what God is able to accomplish when someone cooperates with God's will. Accordingly, his legacy will long and great.

April Prayer Intentions

2006-04-01T23:23:00.001-05:00

PAPAL INTENTIONS

General - That the individual, social and political rights of women may be respected in every nation.

In other words, it is ultimately unjust and sinful to deny the differences between men and women or to view women as equal to men only in so far as they perform the same roles and work. Women have a unique contribution to make to the Church and the world and this does not depend upon their being like men. This teaching of the Church is not popular in a world that sees equality as sameness. The Holy Father concludes his letter with words that remind us of the importance of our role as Apostles of Prayer. The rights of women will only be respected in so far as there is a conversion of heart. And this requires prayer:

In Jesus Christ all things have been made new (Revelation 21:5). Renewal in grace, however, cannot take place without conversion of heart. Gazing at Jesus and confessing him as Lord means recognizing the path of love, triumphant over sin, which he sets out for his disciples. In this way, man's relationship with woman is transformed…. The witness of women's lives must be received with respect and appreciation, as revealing those values without which humanity would be closed in self-sufficiency, dreams of power and the drama of violence. Women too, for their part, need to follow the path of conversion and recognize the unique values and great capacity for loving others which their femininity bears. In both cases, it is a question of humanity's conversion to God…. Such a conversion cannot take place without humble prayer to God for that penetrating gaze which is able to recognize one's own sin and also the grace which heals it. In a particular way, we need to ask this of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the woman in accord with the heart of God, she who is "blessed among women" (Luke 1:42), chosen to reveal to men and women the way of love. Only in this way, can the "image of God", the sacred likeness inscribed in every man and woman, emerge according to the specific grace received by each. ("On the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World", 17)
Source

Missionary - That Church in China may carry out its evangelizing mission with serenity and in full freedom.

Presently it is estimated there are about 5 million Catholics who are members of the Patriotic Association and 8 million who are part of the "Underground Church". There are a total of 24 seminaries which operate with government approval and another 10 seminaries that are part of the "Underground". Though a split exists, almost all of China’s Catholics are considered to be in communion with the Holy Father and roughly two-thirds of the bishops of the Patriotic Association are also recognized by the Holy See.

However, in various ways the "Underground Church" is persecuted. The faithful are regularly subjected to harassment, interrogation, and arrest. Last year fifty bishops and priests were imprisoned. One of them was Bishop Jia Zhi Guo who heads the Diocese of Zheng Ding, which is near the capital Beijing. He has spent twenty of his seventy years of life in prison and from 2004 to mid-2005 alone, he was arrested six times. Also last year, four bishops, one of whom was a member of the Patriotic Association, were invited to attend the Synod of Bishops which met in October. The government would not allow any of them to leave the country. However, Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong, which is not part of China’s mainland, was able to attend the Synod.

Shortly after his election, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his hope for peaceful relations between the Vatican and China so that the persecution would end and all Chinese Catholics could be reunited. Last month he made Bishop Zen of Hong Kong, the largest Chinese diocese with 243,866 Catholics, a Cardinal. Again, this was not well-received by the government because Cardinal Zen has spoken out numerous times for religious freedom. The Cardinal, however, said: “this appointment is a sign of the Pope’s goodwill and love for the whole of China.”

China is the largest country in the world and the growth of the Church in spite of persecution is a sign of the power of the Gospel. We pray with Pope Benedict this month that the Church’s mission to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of China may be able to go forward. May there be full religious freedom in China and may diplomatic relations be restored between the Vatican and the government of China so that all Catholics may be able to come together in peace and fulfill their baptismal call to share their faith with others. We ask this through the intercession of the Chinese Martyrs whose blood is the seed of the faith.
Source

PRIESTS FOR LIFE

That those seeking to adopt a child may have courage and success.

Benedict XVI on Politics

2006-03-31T08:26:00.000-05:00

In in address to 500 parliamentarians of the European Popular Party, the Holy Father listed three essential principles which are to guide politicians:

-- "protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception to natural death";

-- "recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family -- as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage -- and its defense from attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its de-stabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role";

-- and "the protection of the right of parents to educate their children." Source

Interestingly, Benedict XVI pointed out that these truths are not confessional truths. Instead, they are part of the natural law, and as such are "common to all humanity." He added that when the Catholic Church speaks in the public square it is for the purpose of the "protection and promotion of the dignity of the person and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to [these three] principles which are not negotiable."

I am very grateful to the Holy Father for clearly articulating these three important principles for politicians which are indeed applicable for every person of good will. Benedict XVI has now, in the plainest terms, provided all politicians, but specifically Catholic politicians, with a clear mandate for their public service. It is a true gift because the Holy Father has so clearly described the goals of any political work.

Because today these truths are so universally denied and misunderstood, the Church must speak even more boldly in order to correct what amounts to crimes against the dignity of the human person. Every person of good will, regardless of religious affiliation, should be encouraged and enlisted to assist in the promotion of these three non-negotiable principles. I pray to God that He would raise up many men and women who are willing to answer the call to enter politics and to stand up for these truths. May God also grant all of us the courage to live out these ideals in our daily life in the many ordinary ways in which we are asked to be faithful to respecting the dignity of the human person.

Collateral Damage

2006-03-30T08:05:00.000-05:00

During and after any type of armed conflict, people will flee the area of danger, and the situation in Iraq is no different. However, if the numbers that are being reported for the flight of the Christian community in Iraq are accurate, the exodus out of the country is extremely alarming. As reported by Zenit, the numbers indicate that since the war began, around 250,000 of the 1 million Christians have left Iraq.

Baghdad's Auxiliary Bishop Andraos Abouna gave his bleakest assessment yet of the situation in Iraq, saying that despair is driving more and more Christians to leave the country.

Describing a worsening of the security situation since last December's parliamentary elections, the Chaldean prelate told how Christians were living in fear of their lives.

"In their hearts they do not want to leave the country, but because of the situation, they prefer to be outside Iraq," Bishop Abouna told the charity Aid to the Church in Need.

The 63-year-old prelate explained: "Security is now very bad. There are a lot of police in Iraq, especially around Baghdad -- you can find them everywhere and they are increasing all the time. The problem is that the quality of the policing is indifferent. Sometimes people feel afraid because, more so than before, they do not feel secure."

Stressing that Christians have suffered no worse than others, Bishop Abouna continued: "We still hope that Iraq will rise again, but it is very difficult when we have a government that cannot decide anything. Can you imagine what life is like without any real form of government?"

"Christians are getting less and less," he added. "When you look inside the churches, they are full of Christians. But when you go outside you feel that Christians are finished in Iraq." Source

Of course, the departure of Palestinian Christians from Israel is well-known. Unfortunately, Iraq is experiencing a similar situation. Who can blame them? I would probably take my family away from a war zone without question. The danger is that, although the Christians are small minorities in their respective countries, it is important that their voices be heard. As their numbers shrink, it is becoming less likely that anyone will, in fact, hear the Christians.

Standing with Jesus

2006-03-29T07:28:00.000-05:00

Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven, but he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven. Mt. 10:33

On some calendars, today is the memorial of St. Joseph of Arimathea. In Scripture, we get a brief glimpse of this man who is one of only two men who were there for Jesus after he died. The other man was Nicodemus who had come to Jesus during the night.

Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. Luke 23:50-536

It is interesting that all four Gospels recount this event. Each one provides a little more insight into Joseph. In Matthew's Gospel (27:57-60), we learn that Joseph was rich, a disciple of Christ, and he had Jesus' body laid in his own tomb. In Mark's Gospel (15:43-46), Joseph is described as "a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God." St. Mark also adds the details that Joseph took courage before meeting with Pilate. St. John's account (19:38-41), notes that Nicodemus assisted Joseph, and that although Joseph was a disciple of Christ, he was a secret one because of he feared the Jews. In addition, St. John provides information about how Jesus' body was wrapped in the linen shroud. They added spices of myrrh and aloes which was the custom of the Jews at that time.

All of this provides a picture of a man who has a growing faith in Christ. Prior to Christ's Passion, he had been a secret disciple of Christ. However, through the events surrounding, our Lord's Passion, we can see that Joseph's faith is beginning to quickly grow. As a member of the council, he had not consented to the death sentence that had been given to Jesus by the Sanhedrin. This would have branded him as some type of sympathizer with Jesus. Now, after being unable to prevent Jesus' death, he performs an act of mercy by burying Jesus in a tomb. It recalls the life of Tobit who buried his dead brothers, although he did so under the threat of death.

In the days of Shalmaneser I performed many acts of charity to my brethren. I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothing to the naked; and if I saw any one of my people dead and thrown out behind the wall of Nineveh, I would bury him...Then one of the men of Nineveh went and informed the king about me, that I was burying them; so I hid myself. When I learned that I was being searched for, to be put to death, I left home in fear. Tobit (1:16-17,19)

It took courage for Joseph to approach Pilate to ask for Jesus' body. Again, he would now be identified by the Romans as one who was sympathetic to Jesus.

It would seem that Joseph's life would never be the same after Christ's Passion. He had made a break from the consensus of the religious rulers, and he had openly shown mercy for a man many considered to be cursed because he had been crucified. Joseph had now identified himself as a disciple of Christ with both the Jews and the Romans. It seems extremely doubtful that he would be able to resume his life as if nothing had ever occurred. Then, of course, to his surprise, Jesus rises from the dead just days after all had seemed lost, and Joseph had put his life on the line. What joy must have been his to learn that Jesus was alive again. That joy was all the more his because he had been willing to take courage and stick his neck out for Jesus.

The life of this saint is a testimony to what the Lord calls all of us to do which is to stand by Him, even if it is the darkest hour. It would have been easy for Joseph to go with the council's decision. Maybe, later, he would have felt guilty about it, but it is doubtful that he would have then asked for Jesus' body. Instead, in Joseph, I see how faith builds on faith. By standing by Jesus against all opposition, he later had the courage to go to Pilate to ask for the body of Christ. And by performing the merciful act of burying Jesus, he was able to participate in the joy of Christ's resurrection more fully than if he had simply stayed at home and done nothing. If he had sat on his hands, he might have been happy about the resurrection, but he would also know that he had not stood by Christ when few people were wanting to identify themselves with Jesus. Undoubtedly, Joseph went on to do more great things for Christ. However, for Joseph, like all of us, what he did for Christ is founded on how he responded to Christ's Passion.

The Home Gardener

2006-03-28T07:38:00.000-05:00

As warmer weather returns to my area of the country, people are going outside to plant flowers and begin to spruce up their properties for spring. This past Sunday, I planted a few flowers at the front of the house. I put in some dianthus, which actually is a variety of flower which I had never heard of before I saw them at the hardware store. (The flower's name means "divine flower", and there are over 300 varieties of it which include carnations.) I planted them around the pansies which I had planted a few weeks back when it was a little colder. The combination of the yellow, white, and blue pansies along with the red dianthus makes for a nice spring look in the front.

At the same time I was out planting the dianthus, I trimmed the lirope. At the suggestion of a landscape expert, I put in the lirope to line the walkway up to the house. It is a shady area because it is covered by a couple of Bradford pear trees on one side and several white pines on the other. As I was told, I have found the lirope to be very hardy. They are able to do quite well with the partial sunlight and less water that the trees present.

Around the Bradford pear trees, there is simply bare mulch. I have wanted to put a ground cover there, but given that it is a large area of probably 100 square feet or so, I have opted for English ivy. There is a small portion that has vinca which has begun to bloom and looks quite attractive. It seems it would be too expensive to cover the area with vinca. Beside, it does not propagate as fast as ivy. In addition, I have ivy which I figure that I can transplant from where I do not want it to where I want it. Accordingly, I dug up a few ivy plants and put them in this bare mulch area. If they seem to take, I will move some more. For now it looks a bit strange with a few long ivy plants near the base of one of the Bradford pears.

As you might not have gathered from this, I am actually not much of a gardener. I just do a little bit here and there. Most of the time, my wife, who has the artistic eye, makes a suggestion, and we implement those. However, I have found an interesting phenomena which is that I feel the most like a homeowner when I am doing gardening work. Whether it is trimming something or planting something, I get an intense sense that I am indeed a homeowner, and I take an even greater amount of pride in our home. During the outdoors work, I begin to think of numerous ways to enhance our home through landscaping.

It makes me wonder because when I was growing up, I helped my father do outdoors work. And I really disliked doing it. There are a number of reasons for this. The primary reason is that I was the youngest of four children. The next nearest brother in line is five years older than me. That meant that for five years, I was the one who was supposed to mow the grass and help my father with his outdoor projects. By the time this responsibility fell on my shoulders, my parents had moved to a house that had lots of property on it. This meant there were many outdoor projects which were to be done.

Although some of the work was very cathartic, such as clearing out a grove of elantis, there was quite a bit of it I did not enjoy. One thing my father would do every year is order about a million tiny pine trees through the local forestry service. And then he and I would troop all over, what to me was already a heavily forested area on the property, and plant all of these tiny trees. This meant hauling water because there were no hoses that could reach where we had gone. It might have been good for him, but, at the time, I could not stand it. I remember the countless trips to the water spigot to fill up plastic one gallon milk cartons with water and then loading up the wheel barrow to return to where we were planting these trees.

I think the other reason that I enjoy this outdoor work is that this outdoor work captures a fundamental aspect of being a man. Contrary to popular belief, work is not a result of the Fall. As is recounted in Genesis, "The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it." (Gen. 2:15) The first work was gardening as Adam was given the responsibility of taking care of paradise. Perhaps when I engage in similar work, I tap into the original plan of God's that we would take great pleasure in our work as we cultivate the paradise given to us by God.

Case Dropped (For Now)

2006-03-27T05:33:00.000-05:00

As even many regular media outlets are noting, the dismissal of the charges against Abdul Rahman is a somewhat hollow victory, even for Rahman. According to news reports, the case was dismissed because of a lack of evidence, questions over whether he is really an Afghan citizen, and the concern that he is not mentally fit. In addition, this particular court has dropped the case, but it is put it back in the hands of the prosecutors.

For the moment, at least, Rahman does not face possible capital punishment for having converted to Christianity from Islam. The problem is that the case was not dropped because the fact that a court should take up an apostasy case is ludicrous, and on its face, the very charge of apostasy is a blatant violation of human rights. No, instead, under the pressure from many international sources, the Afghan court found a way to dismiss the case.

However, it does not mean that the case will not be taken up again once some of these issues are resolved. There seems to be quite a bit of pressure within the country to find Rahman guilty of apostasy and to have him put to death for not renouncing his conversion. In the meantime, although released from prison, he is to be examined at a hospital. There are also reports that he is to be forced to leave the country.

I, of course, have no idea whether Rahman is mentally ill or not. Reports do not seem to indicate that he is. Nonethelss, I am concerned that he may not receive a fair diagnosis. The political pressure to dismiss this case and the fact that many in Afghanistan would presume mental illness, given his conversion, do not bode well for Rahman. If he, indeed is mentally ill, it would be best if he was able to receive treatment somewhere outside of Afghanistan. (It would be good if he could get an open-minded mental health professional because there are many in that field who consider Christians to be de facto mentally ill.) And if he is not mentally ill, he will have been slandered by his own government in order for them to save face with the international community. However, if he had a legitimate grievance regarding custody, which was the event that began this whole affair, he will not be able to seek any recourse.

Naturally this incident has raised a greater debate in the U.S. regarding the military action in Afghanistan. I think that it is quite fair for citizens to question the administration regarding whether, in general, the U.S. military should be engaged in action in countries where basic human rights cannot be guaranteed. It is true, as Secretary Rice, has indicated, Afghanistan has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. And I would also agree with her argument that the changes we would like to see cannot be expected to occur overnight.

The real question is whether the U.S. should ever be involved in such countries with the hope of changing them into democracies. I certainly am not convinced that democracies will be formed after you invade a country and then try to help the people of that country form a democratic government. If the people are not ready for a democratic form of government, it simply cannot be forced upon them. In the case of Afghanistan, the concern is that without the U.S. presence over a long period of time, there is not enough support for a constitutional government that arises directly from the people. From the Afghanistan perspective, the country is just a puppet of yet another foreign power.

There are really no long term winners in this whole affair. I am glad that it looks like Abdul Rahman will not be put to death, much less tried, but his case shined the light a little closer on what is really happening in Afghanistan. The problems that the case exposed may not be so much in Afghanistan, as with a U.S. foreign policy which has unreasonable expectations.

Being Open

2006-03-26T05:56:00.000-05:00

It is a cliche to say that one must be open. When it comes to "being open", I think that there are two important questions. First, how is one allowing oneself to be open, and second, to what is one being open. It seems that Jesus is very concerned about whether the hearts of His listeners are open to Him. In the Gospel of Mark, St. Mark indicates on one occasion that because the people lacked faith in Jesus, he was constrained from performing miracles. The lack of openness to Jesus resulted in the people receiving less of Jesus.

In the Gospel reading for this Fourth Sunday in Lent, we hear part of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council who was curious enough about Jesus that he paid Him a visit, albeit at night. Although open to Jesus, he was fearful of associating himself openly with Jesus. However, even this timid curiosity is all the opening which Jesus needed to touch his heart.

Jesus explained to him the importance believing in Him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The faith of which Jesus speaks is a gift which we receive from God. As Benedict XVI recently stated

Faith, ultimately, is a gift. Consequently, the first condition is to let ourselves be given something, not to be self-sufficient or do everything by ourselves -- because we cannot -- but to open ourselves in the awareness that the Lord truly gives.

It seems to me that this gesture of openness is also the first gesture of prayer: being open to the Lord's presence and to his gift. This is also the first step in receiving something that we do not have, that we cannot have with the intention of acquiring it all on our own.

We must make this gesture of openness, of prayer -- give me faith, Lord! -- with our whole being. We must enter into this willingness to accept the gift and let ourselves, our thoughts, our affections and our will, be completely immersed in this gift.

Here, I think it is very important to stress one essential point: No one believes purely on his own. We always believe in and with the Church. The Creed is always a shared act, it means letting ourselves be incorporated into a communion of progress, life, words and thought.

We do not "have" faith, in the sense that it is primarily God who gives it to us. Nor do we "have" it either, in the sense that it must not be invented by us. We must let ourselves fall, so to speak, into the communion of faith, of the Church. Believing is in itself a Catholic act. It is participation in this great certainty, which is present in the Church as a living subject. Source

Nicodemus demonstrated his willingness to be open to Jesus by meeting with Him. We can only surmise that he was also open to the message which Jesus presented. Indeed, it seems that he was open to Jesus Himself because the Gospel of John makes it clear that Nicodemus did not join in the council's condemnation of Jesus. In addition, the man who previously was afraid to openly identify himself with Jesus later is willing to publicly connect himself with Jesus by assisting Joseph of Arimathea in burying Jesus. It would have been a scandal for a member of the council to be involved in the burial of someone who was crucified. Yet when all of the disciples have fled, Nicodemus along with Joseph of Arimathea is there to perform this work of mercy. Finally, because this was a private audience with Jesus, we can surmise that Nicodemus must have later shared with the early Christians the details of what Jesus shared with him that night.

All of these factors seem to indicate that Nicodemus took to heart what our Lord told him that night. He let his heart be open to Jesus by coming to Him to listen to what Jesus had to say. Then he was open to the Gospel by accepting the gift that Jesus gave him. He received the Good News and let it transform him into a believer in the Son of God who came to give eternal life to all who will believe in Him.

Humility and Obedience

2006-03-25T07:10:00.000-05:00

May it be done to me according to your word.

Humility and obedience are two words that are not celebrated in today's culture. In fact, it is rare that the words are found in a positive light. If humility is attributed to someone, it is often couched in terms that it is a virtue only for the very holy person. Or more often the word is used in the context of describing the hypocrisy of some individual, "N's sense of humility is in sharp contrast to his lavish lifestyle." Obedience is seen as the characteristic of the mindless person who is simply following orders without question. Perhaps even more fundamentally, there is a deep misunderstanding of what these two words mean. From my own experience of how people understand these words, I found that humility is often confused with humiliation and obedience is construed to be in complete opposition to freedom.

In the Annunciation, we find a beautiful example of both humility and obedience because the Blessed Virgin Mary's response to the angel Gabriel demonstrates the profound humility and obedience that she possessed. She was able to grasp the awesome mystery of Gabriel's announcement to her and remain grounded in who she is. And despite the fact that the angel's announcement might have caused some to doubt God, she trusted the Lord and submitted her will to His.

For centuries, the Hebrew children had awaited the coming of the Messiah. Every Jewish girl would have thought what it would be like to be the mother of God's Anointed One. Now in an instance, Mary learns that she is to be the one. God has chosen her to give birth to His Messiah

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

The Messiah is the one who will reign on David's throne, and his kingdom will have no end. Mary's son will be the very one that has been the desire and hope for centuries.

Even this is given to her as a question. An angel of God representing God Himself has come to ask Mary if she will accept. How does she respond? In humility, she requests that it happen exactly as the angel has stated it would. She responds with an affirmation filled with a deep understanding of Who God is and who she is. She is the handmaid of the Lord. This is not a put down, but a grasp of the truth. All of us our servants of the Lord Who is our creator and sustainer. Because she had internalized this truth, Mary considered herself the one who is at the service of the Lord. Also, she has a beautiful sense of trust in God. In her mind, if it is God's will, it must be the very best thing. Because of Who God is, it only makes sense to recognize that you are at His service.

Mary's initial response to the angel demonstrates this sense of obedience. Prior to the angel Gabriel's visit, Mary had consecrated herself as a virgin. In her heart, she knew that she had made a solemn vow to God in obedience to His will. Now the angel is telling her that she will conceive a son. Trusting in God completely, she asks how will this take place. This is not a question of doubt, but simply a question of understanding. Given that she is a virgin, how will God do this. And the angel replies that

he holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

Perhaps another with less faith or a weaker sense of obedience might have thought that something was wrong. Was God changing His mind about her call to virginity? Instead, the Blessed Virgin Mary maintained complete trust that God was leading her in the Annunciation just as He had led her to take a vow of virginity.

In her humility, Mary maintained her perspective of God and herself when she received the angel Gabriel's message. Her perspective enabled her to understand the angel's words and to receive them with joy. Her joy flowed over into love, as she went to Elizabeth to share in her joy of also being a new mother. In her obedience, Mary found freedom. If she had not obeyed God's call to consecrate herself as a virgin, she would not have had the freedom to say yes to being the Mother of God. If she had not trusted that God's ways are the best, she would not have been able to offer a freely given yes to His revelation of His plans for her. By her obedience to God, she was available for a beautiful freedom that enabled in her to share in this profound mystery of the Word becoming flesh.

Bloglet Service Resumed

2006-03-25T03:30:00.000-05:00

I apologize to those of you who read this blog via emails sent through Bloglet. (For those who do not know what that means, Bloglet is a service that allows one to subscribe to a blog and receive emails with content of the posts that are put on the blog. To subscribe to this blog, scroll down to the "Subscribe" heading on the right panel, type in your email address, and click the "Subscribe" button.) For some reason, the service was reset several days ago, and when the service was reset, it stopped sending out emails to those who are subscribed. It has been corrected, and the emails should resume. However, I do not know of any way to send the emails that were not sent. The last email which was sent was sent out for the post on March 14. Also, in the future, I will be sure to check if the emails are being sent.

Taking a Walk through Jerusalem

2006-03-24T07:13:00.000-05:00

It is a traditional devotional practice to pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent. For instance, in my parish every Friday during Lent people gather to pray the Stations of the Cross, and then they stay to eat a meatless soup dinner. However, the Stations of the Cross can be prayed anywhere and at any time. In Archbishop Raymond L. Burke's weekly column, he comments on this beautiful devotion. He notes that this prayer began as a way of pilgrimage for those who could not travel to Jerusalem. Instead of actually traveling to Jerusalem to go to the sites of Christ's Passion, we accompany Christ in His Passion with our prayers and meditation on the events surrounding His steps to Calvary and His crucifixion.

The Stations or Way of the Cross is a fundamental Lenten prayer. Through the praying of the Stations, we accompany our Lord along the way of His cruel Passion and Death. As we meditate briefly at each of the stops or stations along the way to Calvary, we ponder what it meant for our Lord Jesus to take our human flesh, to suffer and to die for love of us. The Stations of the Cross open up for us, in a most concrete manner, the immensity of God's love for us. It is helpful to recall that this venerable Lenten prayer has its origin in the pilgrimage of Christians to Jerusalem, in order to walk, in prayer, the very way by which our Lord won our salvation. Since many Christians are unable to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the Church developed the Way of the Cross over the centuries so that all Christians can mystically make pilgrimage to the places of our Lord's suffering and dying.

Praying the Stations means identifying ourselves with Christ in His suffering and dying. As we stop to pray at each station, we see the reflection of our own life in Christ. The Way of the Cross is our way of life, our way to eternal life. In a particular way, this most venerated prayer of the Church helps us to understand and embrace the mystery of suffering in our lives, as our Lord Jesus embraced the mystery of His Passion and Death. Meditating on the individual station, we pray that we may follow Christ by pouring out our lives in selfless love of God and of our neighbor.

I would heartily agree with Archbishop Burke's point regarding suffering and the Stations of the Cross. In my own experience, I am best able to accept suffering when I link it to Christ's willingness to suffer for sinners. The mystery of suffering becomes more bearable when I consider how He, Who truly was innocent, was treated so contemptuously. Yet He bore it all for the sake of others. It was not that He needed to suffer. Not even for Himself. He chose to accept suffering for the sake of others, even others who He knew would reject Him and His love. After a consideration of such love, I am better able to accept the small acts of suffering that I encounter. And even in the case where the suffering is much greater, I am comforted by knowing that He shares this burden with me.

Freedom of Religion?

2006-03-23T07:45:00.000-05:00

By now you have probably heard of the case of the Afghan man, Abdul Rahman, who is facing a possible death penalty because he is a convert to Christianity. If you have not heard, the basic facts of the case, as I understand them, are that Rahman became a Christian some years ago when he lived outside Afghanistan. In recent years, he returned to the country and became involved in a custody dispute regarding his children. His family turned him over to the authorities for the crime of having converted to Christianity from Islam. Under the current legal system in Afghanistan, one of the punishments for apostasy is capital punishment. Although the courts can pass a death sentence, it is the president of the country who must sign the order.

As international pressure mounts, albeit apparently very weak public pressure from the United States government, it appears that the Afghan government is scrambling to find a way out of this mess. The current tact seems to be to conclude that Rahman is not mentally stable. Thus, he is not fit to be subject to a trial regarding apostasy.

Of course, this is all very troubling to people of Western nations who value freedom, including the freedom of worship and the free exercise of religion. It is also very troubling because to date the President of the United States has not been questioned about this with any amount of energy. I am not certain why this is not more of an issue for the press corps to pursue.

In this country that we invaded and liberated in order to make the world more free from terrorism, we have a clear sign that laws and behaviors have a long way to go before Afghanistan could be considered any type of democracy. After the right to life, the right to freedom of conscience and the free exercise of religion is the most basic of human rights. It is grounded, as John Paul the Great articulated, in the fundamental dignity that each person has as a human being.

The same declaration of the Second Vatican Council was then taken up again in various documents of Pope Paul VI, in the 1974 Synod of Bishops' message, and more recently in the message to the United Nations Organization during the papal visit on October 2, 1979, which repeats it essentially: "In accordance with their dignity, all human beings, because they are persons, that is, beings endowed with reason and free will and, therefore, bearing a personal responsibility, are both impelled by their nature and bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth. They are also bound to adhere to the truth once they come to know it and to direct their whole lives in accordance with its demands" (Dignitatis humanae, no. 2). "The practice of religion by its very nature consists primarily of those voluntary and free internal acts by which a human being directly sets his course towards God. No merely human power can either command or prohibit acts of this kind. But man's social nature itself requires that he give external expression to his internal acts of religion, that he communicate with others in religious matters and that he profess his religion in community" ((Dignitatis humanae, no. 3). Source

Hopefully, Afghanistan will reverse its current position and not execute a man simply for his religious convictions. Similarly, I hope the United States is the leader in pushing for the release of Abdul Rahman. This would be a true demonstration of concern for spreading freedom throughout the world.

Remembering Terri Schiavo

2006-03-22T06:15:00.000-05:00

Over on Blogs for Terri, you can see a number of articles regarding the one year anniversary of the death of Terri Schiavo.

Beginning on March 18, 2004, Terri Schiavo was denied the basic necessities of food and water in order to put her to death. She was not terminally ill. Neither was she on any type of life support or in a coma. Instead, like every other person, she required food and water to survive. The food and water she needed was denied her when her feeding tube was removed. Over the next thirteen days, she was dehydrated to death, and on March 31, 2004, Terri Schiavo died.

One of the most frightening memories I have from the media's coverage of Terri Schiavo's death was the constant parade of people who somewhere in their interview on television would say something to the effect of, "Well, I know what the families are going through because just this past year we had to make the same decision regarding our Aunt Susie." Then they would continue to describe how they had essentially taken the life of Aunt Susie. Naturally, these folks were supporting the death of Terri Schiavo. Their own conscience had already been overridden in this area because of what they had done, and they were probably no longer able to discern that denying someone food and water was akin to murdering the person. The scary part was that so many people were telling of similar experiences. It is no wonder that there is widespread support for euthanasia, even among religiously active people.

A year later, many have forgotten what happened. They have moved on to other things. Or perhaps, they simply shake their heads in wonder at what all of the fuss was about regarding Terri Schiavo. However, there are many others who are supporters of life, and they have not moved on to other things. Neither will they forget what happened to Terri Schiavo. They are cognizant that what happened in Florida last year is happening throughout the country on a regular basis. Men and women are having their lives taken from them by family members who find it more convenient to terminate a life rather than support it.

In order to help, over the past year, Terri's parents, brother, and sister have been working on behalf of Terri's Foundation. On March 30 of this year, they are formally launching the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation. Through the foundation they hope to honor her memory

by offering assistance and support to individuals in need, establish a network of professionals and organizations that are dedicated to advocate, protect, and provide care for people with disabilities and their families, and by educating society about the crucial issues of protecting life. Ultimately, the Schindlers have a vision of instituting Terri Schindler Schiavo centers worldwide to provide care for brain injury victims and support for their families. Source

May God richly bless them in their efforts to honor Terri Schiavo by helping others who find themselves in a similarly vulnerable situation.

As we forgive those who trespassed against us

2006-03-21T01:16:00.000-05:00

One of the challenges to today's Gospel is understand what the keys to forgiveness are. According to our Lord, there are several keys. First, we must forgive, if we want to be forgiven. There is no way around this. The servant who owed the huge sum of money was forgiven. But in a foolish act, he failed to forgive the poor servant who owed him a small amount of money. His foolish behavior was punished.

The second key seems to be that we quickly forgive. We must be prepared to forgive in the heat of a moment. The second servant begged for mercy, but the first servant forgot how he had just recently done the same. The first servant did not catch himself and change his attitude. Instead of recognizing that this was his opportunity to be merciful, he had the servant thrown in jail. Ironically, that was where he himself would wind up because he failed to forgive.

Perhaps the first servant will later regret his decision to demand payment from the second servant. However, at that point it might be too late. How often do I give myself the satisfaction of not forgiving someone quickly with the presumption that I will be able to forgive them later? Before forgiving, I would like to hold a grudge for a least a little while. No, our Lord is clear that I must quickly forgive.

Another key to forgiveness is gratitude. If the servant had been grateful for what he had been forgiven, he would not have sought out a fellow servant who owed him money. Instead, he would have been ready to show his gratefulness to the king by emulating his behavior and forgiving the debt of the second servant.

Finally, we need to understand the depth of our sin. The first servant clearly did not realize how much debt he had been forgiven. If he had, he would not have wasted his time trying to recoup a small amount of money from a fellow servant. Instead, he would have been in awe of the mercy shown him, and he would have been moved to show mercy.

Lent is a wonderful time to reflect on forgiveness. It is the essence of the Faith. If we are united with God, it is because He has forgiven us. He expects no less from me. When I am wronged, I must forgive no matter how difficult it may be. It moves me closer to God and those around me.

St. Joseph: Dreamer and Guardian

2006-03-20T08:14:00.000-05:00

Although not much is known explicitly about St. Joseph from Scripture's accounts of the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we can know something of him based on the fact that his life has parallels with Joseph the Patriarch. Both spent time in Egypt, and both Joseph of the Old Testament and Joseph of the New Testament were led by dreams.

Joseph the Patriarch had dreams at an early age that indicated he would rule over his brothers. He also interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker when all three were in prison. It was the interpretation of the butler's dream which led to his rise to power. Pharaoh had two dreams which could not be understood by any of his wise men. The butler, who had been released from prison and restored to his position, remembered that Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream that indicated the butler's restoration. When summoned by Pharaoh, Joseph was able to interpret the Pharaoh's dreams which predicted that in Egypt there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. The Pharaoh was impressed enough to make Joseph the prime minister and put him in charge of dealing with the coming agricultural crisis. When the years of famine did come, Joseph's brothers had to come to Egypt and pay homage to their brother, whom they did not recognize, in order to obtain food because of the famine. Through Joseph, his brothers and father received needed food, and eventually after revealing himself to them, Joseph helped his family come to Egypt in order to provide for them during the famine.

Joseph was led by dreams to proceed to take the Blessed Virgin Mary as his spouse. He was also given dreams which instructed him to make haste and take his wife and the child Jesus to Egypt. By fleeing to Egypt, Joseph protected Jesus from Herod's attempt to kill the new king by slaughtering all of the boys two years and younger. After some time in Egypt, Joseph received a dream which instructed him to take his family back to Israel and to settle in Nazareth.

The parallels point to our Lord's identification with His people and the role of protector and provider that St. Joseph fulfilled. Joseph the Patriarch provided for Israel represented by the sons of Jacob. And Joseph the spouse of the Virgin Mary provided for our Lord by protecting Jesus and serving Him as His legal father. It is no wonder then, that the Church has made St. Joseph the patron of the Universal Church. He was the guardian of the redeemer as John Paul the Great called him in his encyclical on St. Joseph. Now with his prayers, he is the guardian of the Church with whom are Lord has so closely identified Himself.

No Story Time, But a Book Sale

2006-03-19T06:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I had hoped to take my eighteen-month old daughter to the local library for story time. Unfortunately, when we arrived a little after 11 AM at the library, we learned that there was no story time that day. And contrary to what is posted on the library Web site, I learned that she would need to be signed up to be able to participate. However, there is an open story time at another branch on Mondays at 11 AM. Given that the only time is on a weekday, I was a little disappointed that we would not be able to share a little father-daughter time on Saturday mornings at story time.

However, all was not a loss. I realized, as I pulled up at the library, that the annual book sale was taking place. The book sale is put on by a volunteer association to raise money for the library which consists of several branches spread out over the county. I cannot speak to other book sales, but this one is rather a serious event. Where I live, prides itself as being quite a learned place, and it once was ranked as the top-ranked U.S. city for reading. Not long from now there will be the annual book festival. All this adds up to the great anticipation and action which takes place at the book sale.

The basement of the library, which is not a large space to begin with, is filled with closely packed metal shelves that are groaning under the weight of all of the used books. It is difficult to navigate your way around because people are filling in every possible area that has been left free by the bookshelves. Some are standing. Others are kneeling. Some sitting. Then there are those who are collapsed on the floor in exhaustion with their carton, which is filled with their treasures, sitting close by for fear of losing one or two items.

The sale actually takes place over three weekends, and there are literally thousands and thousands of books. At times it gets a bit ridiculous as people become rude and even cutthroat in trying to get books off the shelves. It is good that I had forgotten about that. Otherwise, I might simply have turned away.

Throughout any given day, the volunteers are constantly adding new books. For some this might be a point of frustration, but I have learned simply not to worry too much about it. I figure that if there is a book that I need to find, I will find it.

My wife is never very thrilled to hear about this book sale because she reasons that I am simply adding more dusty or dirty books to our collection of books. She has a point. One of the books I did purchase seems that it spent some time in the home of a smoker because it smells of cigarette smoke. Nonetheless, my wife tolerates my occasional purchase of several used books. From my perspective, I have become much more disciplined, and I try to think whether any given book I am considering to purchase is really something I want or would ever read. This year I left with about seven books. The books I purchased were several books on the saints for my daughter, one book on the rosary, a book by Father Groeschel, and a book with the documents of Vatican II.

My daughter thought it was quite amusing to see all of these people packed into this small area. She was also thrilled to see bookshelves lined with books because this is a game with which she is very familiar. We have a book shelf in the basement which she likes to empty and then stack the books in various places around the room. I think that because we were not a home she did not decide to empty the shelves, and I only had to keep her from pulling off a few books.

When I gave her one book to hold she proceeded to do her imitation of reading which is to turn the pages and make what to her are sounds of reading. She also chewed on another one which guaranteed that I would be leaving with it. Finally, we stood in line to buy the books. Compared to to everyone else, what we had was quite a modest purchase. One man in front of us had several moving boxes full of books. Others were clearly only on round one, and who knows how many rounds there would be.

I was wondering how long the line would take, and I thought that there should be an express line for folks like me who did not come with a large plastic bin to be filled. My daughter was content to stand next to me with one hand in mine and the other clutching the copy of the Vatican II documents. This was amusing to some who saw her. I was, of course, thrilled that she had chosen that book as the one she wanted to carry while waiting in line. It shows that she is already very serious about her faith.

A Tragic One Year Anniversary

2006-03-18T08:19:00.000-05:00

A year ago today, the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo was removed. Over the next thirteen days, in order to put her to death, she was denied the basic necessities of food and water. Her death was the result of many factors. However, one of the most tragic causes was that although her case was widely known, there was not sufficient will to prevent her death. Some might argue that all the powers that could have stopped her being put to death did not have the ability to intervene. After all, it might be noted, every avenue of government was pursued, and none of them were able to save her life.

The problem, however, was not the lack of effort to try to save the life of Terri Schiavo. There were many who worked very hard to stop those who were determined to murder Terri Schiavo. No, the problem was a lack of will on the part of those who were being asked to intervene. There was not enough will to do what was necessary to save the life of a woman who did not need to die. Certainly, there were many in positions of power who tried to change the outcome of the situation. Nonetheless, there was not a sufficient collective will to push back the culture of death by preventing the deliberate killing of an innocent woman.

As many will note in various ways, the lack of a collective will to prevent this tragedy is one of the terrible realizations that came out of Terri Schiavo's death. For perhaps the first time, some of us understood that, yes, it is possible for such an event to occur. It is possible for an innocent, disabled woman to be put to death, not in the shadows, but in the light of public scrutiny. Up until that time, many Americans might have thought that the hue and cry raised against such an action would be sufficient to prevent her tragic death. The reality that splashed us in the face, is that public scrutiny was not sufficient to stop her death.

Many of us did not grow up thinking that the culture of death had such deep roots in American culture. Nor is this a reality which many of think should continue to represent the culture of the United States. Consequently, as we note this tragic anniversary, we are faced with a fresh reminder that Terri Schiavo's fight continues. Against difficult odds and constant opposition, she fought for her life for so many years. She continued to fight even when her feeding tube was removed. We must honor her and all those who like her are in a vulnerable position between life and death.

The best way that I can think to honor her memory is for us to be strong proponents of a culture of life in every aspect of our lives. Through conscience acts of the will to act in a way that promotes life, even in the smallest details of our lives, we can make a tremendous difference. All of our choices to choose life over death will add up and begin to make a difference. This difference will lead to a greater collective will to promote a culture of life. And through such a collective will, we may be able to reverse the trend toward acceptance of deaths like Terri Schiavo's and instead be a people that embraces all life, even the life of a disabled woman who wills to live.

For more information vist Blogs for Terri.

St. Patrick and a Dispensation

2006-03-17T08:03:00.000-05:00

Today, of course, is the feast day of St. Patrick of Ireland. It is sometimes forgotten that this well-know saint was also a bishop. As a bishop, he enjoys the designation of a successor to the apostles. Through the laying on of hands upon him, he received the authority which Christ had given to His apostles.

In recent years, it is might have become easy to ignore that bishops have been granted authority. The scandals that are due to the sins of priests and bishops have tainted many opinions against authority within the Church. However, as many have pointed out, no matter how unworthy is the man who holds the office, if he has validly received the office of bishop, he carries the authority granted to him by Christ as a successor to the apostles.

For bishops, he is a model because he was a priest and bishop committed to sharing the Gospel. His zeal for the souls of Ireland moved him in faith to serve with fervor those to whom Christ had entrusted him. He writes in his confession:

"I am greatly God's debtor, because he granted me so much grace, that through me many people would be reborn in God, and soon after confirmed, and that clergy would be ordained everywhere for them, the masses lately come to belief, whom the Lord drew from the ends of the earth, just as he once promised through his prophets: "To you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited naught but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit." And again: "I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the uttermost ends of the earth."

In a somewhat lighthearted example, we can see the authority of the bishop. Today, being a Friday in Lent, would normally be a day of abstinence from meat for Latin rite Catholics. However, in honor of St. Patrick, my bishop has granted all in the diocese a dispensation. This means that we can enjoy some corned beef, stew, and Shepherd's pie to go along with our cabbage, soda bread, and beer.

Reality Check

2006-03-16T06:13:00.000-05:00

The Church is very interested in providing us with what today might be termed a reality check. Indeed, the Gospel is a call to the truth about God and ourselves. The truth is that although God created us and loves us, we have turned from Him. We have rejected the very One we need. That does not stop God from continuing to offer Himself to us. Consequently, we need to repent or turn back to God and away from our path which leads us away from Him.

One of the most powerful ways that the Church has provided us with a reminder of what is real is the liturgical season of Lent. It begins on Ash Wednesday with a reminder to us that our life is very fragile. We have come from dust and to dust we shall return. The reality of death cannot be ignored. However, the end is not like the beginning. The end of Lent is the death of Christ. God who has become man takes our place on the cross as the perfect lamb slain for our sins. Faced with the prospect that our rebellion against God will lead to certain death, God intervenes and offers His Son to take death in our place.

Even in grasping that reality, we recognize that sin has caused death. God did not create man and woman to die, but through sin, man and woman chose other than God. At that time, death became part of the fallen human experience. If man is able to choose to be apart from God who is Life, there must be a reality which is separation from God. Such spiritual death is the final end for those who set their will against God.

Today's Gospel reading underscores that reality. Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar. The rich man chose his comfortable life rather than God's Life which would have moved him to help Lazarus. Lazarus, on the other hand, suffered greatly during his life and was reward with comfort after he died.

The will of the rich man became set through his preoccupation with things rather than God. His will had become so hardened in its opposition to God that even after death he does not understand what has happened. He wants Lazarus to comfort him in his torment. His will had become so far removed from God that he did not understand the reality that not only could Lazarus not comfort him, but he was foolish to even be asking for comfort from the one he had failed to comfort.

The parable ends with Abraham explaining to the rich man that each person is given by God all that he needs to turn to God. The rich man's brothers have Moses and the Prophets (shorthand for the Old Testament) to warn them to return to God. If they do not believe in God through God's prophets, neither will a man raised from the dead convince them.

This last comment is a powerful reality check. Jesus spoke this parable to the religious leaders of His time who knew Scripture. He was to be raised from the dead. However, He is making the point that those who hear Him could believe in Him based on Moses and the Prophets. If God's prophets do not convince them, neither will His resurrection convince them that God is with them. Jesus seems to be indicating that each of us is given by God all the opportunities needed to return to Him. It is not a matter of waiting for that powerful sign or proof to convince us. We already have enough to persuade us. It is our will that is keeping us from coming back to him. Like the rich man, we are too preoccupied with this world and failing to focus on the next.

Morning Offerings

2006-03-15T06:59:00.000-05:00

I recently heard that one way to help you to have success in your day is to, before you even arise from your bed, envision yourself successfully completing the most difficult task of the day. For example, if you have some type of presentation to give to your colleagues and boss, you would go through a scenario in your mind of how you will present the material flawlessly and then answer any follow-up questions with well-informed answers.

This idea of "visioning" is not anything new. Sports psychologists have been working with athletes for years utilizing the same idea. A footballer might be asked to see himself marking the opposing team's star striker such that he is not able to even get a decent shot off all game. Or perhaps the striker who has not had a goal in several games is encouraged to see himself hitting the back of the net with a brilliant shot taken after he has freed himself from his defender.

The Church knows something about this idea of preparing yourself for the rest of your day. It is called the morning offering. It has been part of her spiritual wisdom for centuries. The idea is very simple, but like many things that are simple, it is quite beautiful. The goal is, with the first action or your day, to put yourself in the hands of God. The key is to do it as soon as possible at the beginning of the day. It is a way of acknowledging that you belong to God, and you want to give Him yourself and your day's activities. Also, through doing this as the first action of your day, you are humbling yourself by recognizing that you need Him to assist you from the very beginning to the end of you day. Another way of looking at it is to see this morning prayer as a greeting to God, just like you would greet someone else in the morning.

Perhaps the best known morning offering is from the Apostolate of Prayer:

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart:
the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians.
I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer,
and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

This is the morning offering which I like to pray. I would like to say that I pray it every morning, but I do not. However, when I do remember to pray it, and especially when I quiet myself long enough to pray it with some recollection, it does change my mindset. I realize that what I do and say throughout the day is being offered to God. I certainly need His help to make anything I do worthy of being offered to Him. I also realize that all can be offered to God, even, and perhaps more so, the sufferings and disappointments of my day. He knows about the ups and downs of my day, and He wants me to know He is there to receive whatever I am able to offer to Him.

Here are some others:

Lord, one more day to love you!
Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Lord, today is the day I begin!
St. Philip Neri

Jesus, shine through me and be so in me that every person I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul.
John Henry Cardinal Newman

My God, send me thy Holy Spirit to teach me what I am and what thou art!
St. John Vianney

Grant me the grace to spend this day without offending You and without failing my neighbor.
St. Louise de Marillac

I like this last morning offering because it is prayer to be able to fulfill the two greatest commandments to love God with all your heart and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. It sums up all that we are to be about in all that we do throughout the day.

There is of course no need to use a particular prayer or to even make it formal prayer. The important thing is at the start of the day to make a habit of putting God first and "seeing yourself" with Him, supported by Him, and giving all to Him.

Set Things Right

2006-03-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

From Today's Readings:

Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah!
Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil;
learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.
Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken! Isaiah 1:10,16-20

How many of us see the mercy of God in these words to us? He is merciful to tell us that we are doing evil, we have wronged others, we have ignored the orphan's cry, and we have neglected widows. If we understand the depth of our sin, which is simply the truth about ourselves, we are open to having our sins cleansed. We often want to think that we are pretty good people, but the reality is that we have done many things that are offensive to God. We have hurt Him by our lack of love for Him and His creatures.

Instead, we must have a perspective that we are sinners who have access to mercy of God at any moment. He invites us to set things right with a wonderful promise. By setting things right with Him, we will enjoy His favor otherwise we can only expect suffering because of our refusal to address our sins.

St. Francis of Assisi was a great saint because he understood the mercy of God. He loved God for His having given him mercy although he had sinned against God. The closer he drew to God, the more he understood that he was a sinner and the more he was amazed at God's mercy which covered his sins. One way that he demonstrated this was by always trying to bear insults with patience. He was able to do this because he thought that he deserved even worse than the insults which he was given. Any insults were light in comparison.

I can only understand this intellectually. I am not wont to accept insults with much patience. Perhaps the solution to this lies exactly where St. Francis found it--developing a deeper relationship with God through prayer and devotion. It sounds so easy, but I do not pursue it the way I pursue so many other things. Perhaps the problem is that I know that if a draw closer to God, my sins will be clearer. What I am failing to realize is that I will also have a greater grasp of God's infinite mercy.

Freecycle

2006-03-13T05:54:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I was musing to a colleague of mine that there were things that I did not want to throw out, but I really wanted to get rid of them because they were simply cluttering up my house. She responded by telling me about Freecycle. Freecycle is a grassroots effort to limit the amount of junk that is put in our landfills. The method is very simple and brilliant. Through online resources people offer things that they no longer want and other folks pick up the items. The key is that it all must be free. No monetary offers are allowed.

The way that it works is that people post items to a local freecycle group. Others read the list of items and offer to take the items off of the hands of the ones making the offer. As of now, there are close to 3,500 local groups established for localities in the U.S. and in several other countries.

I went ahead a signed up for an email distribution which allows me to see the items that are being offered and to post items which I would like to offer. Of course, personally, I have no interest in getting any more items. Instead, I am interested in posting items to clear out the unwanted items which are taking up space. And I have enjoyed some success in getting rid of an old photocopier which worked, but needed a new, expensive toner cartridge and two printers, one which might work with some repair work and another which works quite well. I might have been able to sell the one printer which worked, but, in terms of time to sell it, I probably would have broken even, at best, when I finally sold it. Of course, the other two items would probably never have sold. Who wants to buy something that "might work"?

The effort due to Freecycle is minimal. After someone agrees to take the item, typically an arrangement is made for the item to be picked up by the person who wants it. The most work that the person who offered the item has to do is often select among the several people who want to take the item.

It is, however, interesting to take a look at the list to see what items people are offering and accepting. I have been amazed at what people will give and take. As I look at recent items which have been taken, I see pressure treated lumber, children's soccer boots, a tricycle, and rug shampoo. There have also been offers of washers and dryers, aquariums, and some expensive baby items which were in full working condition. In addition, I have also seen plenty of broken items and other items that would be destined for the landfill simply because no one would ever be able to figure out how to find someone who would want the item. Many times someone wants those items, as well. As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

As trite as this might sound, I have to say that it is nice to see a community-based effort like this work well. It gives me hope that people are able to work together for good.

Transfigured into Faith

2006-03-12T01:03:00.000-05:00

The Gospel reading for the second Sunday in Lent is the account of Jesus' transfiguration. It is an interesting passage because it marks the transition point in our Lord's ministry after which He has set His face toward Jerusalem in order to undergo His Passion.

Jesus picks three disciples to accompany Him on a retreat on the mountain. The three disciples are Peter, James, and John. These are the same three who are given exclusive access to the raising of Jairus' daughter and Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemene. It seems that our Lord wanted to help them understand that He is able to overcome death despite the appearance that He is very human as He showed in the garden. In the transfiguration, Jesus shows His glorified humanity as a foretaste of how these three disciples will encounter Him after the resurrection.

Peter, of course, is the clear leader of the disciples, but he has also shown that he does not understand our Lord's Passion. Although He correctly answered the question which Jesus posed to the disciples as to who He is, Peter followed up his right answer with a rebuke to our Lord that it is unnecessary for Him to suffer and die. Jesus is giving Peter private instruction in order that he will be able to strengthen his brothers after he repents of his denial of Jesus. After the transfiguration, it would seem more difficult for Peter to question our Lord's words. Instead, he should pay even more attention to what Jesus says.

James and John are the sons of thunder. They were ready for our Lord to call down fire upon the Samaritans who would not let Jesus pass through their towns. They may have held the same idea as others that Jesus was preparing to overturn all of the wrongs in the world with great violence. Instead Jesus is helping them to understand that all of the violence is going to be focused on Him. Jerusalem is the place where the king will be crowned with thorns, and He will be rejected by His own and thrown out of the city to be violently removed.

The disciples learn this through what must have been an absolutely terrifying experience. The master is transformed into the brilliance of glorified humanity. It is as if, part of the curtain is pulled back for the three disciples to see how man is meant to appear. Then the three are given a hint of the fact that God is Triune. The Holy Spirit overshadows them all in a cloud, and the Father speaks to them to let them know that Jesus is His beloved Son. The Father follows this with an exhortation for the disciples to listen to Jesus. After this experience, I would think that this would be easier to do.

In addition, Elijah and Moses appear to speak with our Lord about His Passion. Again, the disciples are privy to the discussion of Jesus' Passion to help them grasp that this is what is going to happen--Jesus will suffer and die. Even Moses and Elijah, who stand for the Law and the Prophets, know about this. Peter, James, and John should remember this when later they struggle to grasp what has happened with all of their expectations for the Messiah.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the transfiguration is over. Peter, James, and John are there with Jesus in complete shock over what they have just experienced. I wonder how long was the pause before anyone said anything. Then as they come back down the mountain, Jesus commands them to not tell anyone else about what happened. In His mercy He had picked three witnesses in order that they could discuss it among themselves. One would have not been able to not tell someone else. Two might not be certain what they saw happened. But with three, each can be sure it has happened, and for each, there are two persons' perspectives from which to draw.

The transfiguration is a mysterious event that transformed the disciples. After the resurrection, they could point to this event as a powerful revelation of who Jesus is. Such a man is not overcome by evil because He is too weak. Instead, He clearly laid down His life as the strong man submitting to the weak. He was in complete control of all that happened to Him because no one who was transfigured like that is going to be caught unaware or surprised. Instead, He died for a reason because He meant to die. That He rose from the dead should also not be a surprise. He had raised others from the dead. He communicates with Moses and Elijah. And the Heavenly Father calls Him His Son.

The transfiguration would strengthen the faith of Peter, James, and John because it would help them piece together all that Jesus had said and done. His mission culminated in His Passion, and it was completed in His resurrection. They had heard about His Passion on the mountain of transfiguration, and on the same mountain, they had seen Him as He would be appear after His resurrection.

When Right makes Wrong

2006-03-11T03:50:00.000-05:00

I found the following challenging mediation on the Catholic Culture site:

In disagreements between you and your neighbor, you must always remember that to be in the right is the consideration that influences a Christian the least. The philosopher may indulge such a satisfaction. But to be in the right and to act as if one were not, to allow one's opponent to triumph on the side of injustice,-this means to overcome evil by good, and to secure peace for one's soul. No more convincing argument for your own vindication is required than the silent exterior acknowledgment that you are in the wrong. He who edifies does more for the truth than he who is zealous for the combat. Instead of trying to refute those that are in the wrong, it is better to pray for them. A stream flows much more rapidly when nothing is done to hold it back. Pray for those who are prejudiced against you, never become embittered against them, pity them, await their return to better feelings, and help to free them from their prejudices. One would not be human if he does not feel how easy it is to stray, and how much it costs to acknowledge this. The spirit of meekness, of indulgence, of patience and humility in examining the behavior of others toward us, secures us that peace of mind which is not compatible with the jealous, suspicious sensibilities of self-love. - Fenelon

My own experience has shown the absolute truth of the statements which I have emphasized in bold print. Every time that I have been concerned about being "right" has almost always been disastrous in my relationship with the other person. Only alienation and deepened bitterness has resulted from maintaining such a stance. On the other hand, when I have focused on prayer even in the moment such as asking God for the grace to be loving toward the person with whom I am speaking, I have seen walls be brought down instead of be built.

When I have been the one who was in the wrong, it was prayer, more often than not, which had the greatest impact upon me. Arguments for and against some point or other might have a minimal impact, but prayer to God will always have an immediate impact. It begins the transformation of our souls which always begins with humility and results in peace of mind.

Booked

2006-03-10T04:41:00.000-05:00

The other day my wife surprised me by giving me the book Four Witnesses by Rod Bennett. The essential goal of the book is to examine Church writings from the second century to understand the shape of the early Church. In order to do this, Bennett uses excerpts from the writings of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyons. I have added this title to my list of current books being read on the right panel of this page.

This is a great book for me because I always enjoy reading the early Church Fathers. Having been drawn to their writings a number of years ago, I was opened up to truth of what Bennett is seeking to illustrate, namely, that the early Church was the beginning of the Catholic Church. The practices of the early Church are the same practices which are found in the Catholic Church throughout history until this very day.

I am also looking forward to reading this because I have a very special place in my heart for Ignatius of Antioch. In particular, his letters to the various churches as a bishop who is preparing for his martyrdom have been powerful witnesses to me of the authority of the Church which Christ founded on His apostles. In his person, Ignatius combines the tremendous virtues of obedience and service. He is obedient to God to the point of giving up his own life. And he lives a life of service to those to whom have been entrusted to his care. Ignatius also has a way of calling things as they are without mincing words. This is refreshing to read from a shepherd of the people. In addition, I am connected to Ignatius of Antioch because my birthday is on his feast day (October 17). This fact only solidified my choice to select him as one of my two confirmation names which I took when I entered into the Church.

In other book news, I just recently finished reading a tremendous book on parenting. I now have the task of writing a review of the book. The reason that I am writing a review is because when I first discovered this book I so enthusiastic about the book that I wrote the publisher to ask for a free copy of the book on the promise of my writing a review of it. To my surprise, the publisher agreed, and I was sent a copy.

For some time now, I have been reading a chapter a night. It really is difficult to go beyond that because, although each chapter is only a few pages, the material is very challenging. The author calls each parent to take seriously the responsibility to be a good parent by being a good person. His advice is imminently practical, and it is clear that his counsel is based on the wisdom he has gained through his work in education and his being a parent himself.

I am looking forward to writing the review because I want to tell more people about the book. Already, a colleague of mine has begun reading the book, and she is telling friends of hers about it. It has fostered some good discussions with my colleague and I have enjoyed sharing with my wife some of what I have learned. My hope is to write the review in the next several weeks

Cold Front

2006-03-09T05:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday our daughter turned eighteen months old. To mark the occasion she has had a cold. Unbelievably, this is really the first cold she has ever had. There have been a few days when she has had a low grade fever, but those might simply have been because she was teething. This cold, however is a full-on cold with a runny nose, sneezing, slight fever, and a little coughing. All of this is brand new to our daughter.

It really is quite sad to see because she has no idea what this is all about, and it has thrown her off of her regular pattern. However, like she does with most new things, she is adapting fairly well. In fact, other than the congestion, it would be difficult to tell she is ill. She runs around like she always does. Then she will sneeze, and she is perplexed and annoyed by the results of that action. Unfortunately, she does not like to have her nose wiped despite my having specially purchased the softest tissues I could find. This makes for quite the comical scene of one of us trying to wipe her nose while she protests.

We know exactly where she caught the cold. On Sunday, we visited some friends of ours who have two boys. The younger one who is only a few months older than our daughter had a cold. We were warned by our friends, but we went over to their house hoping our run of avoiding illness would continue. Instead, at eighteen months, our daughter is learning what it is like to feel miserable because of cold. She just went back to bed after getting up in the middle of the night to have something to eat and to get a dose of children's Tylenol. Some of the Tylenol I gave to her directly. Some came hidden in some mushed-up fruit she ate. Then, not long after she ate, she wonderfully fell asleep on the carpet. This tremendous turn of events allowed me to carry her off to her crib for what I hope will be several more hours of sleep.

Five Little Things

2006-03-08T00:54:00.000-05:00

David offered this as an open invitation for others to be tagged. I liked the meme enough to share these responses.

Five Little Things that Bring You Satisfaction or Pleasure

1. Giving my wife a compliment.

2. Taking my eighteen-month old daughter to the playground.

3. Laughing about something and having others join in the laughter.

4. Thanking someone for something he has done.

5. Completing some small manual labor task.

As I received this, I will pass it on. Anyone who is so inclined should post his own list of five little things which bring satisfaction or pleasure.

February Prayer Intentions

2006-02-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

PAPAL INTENTIONS

General - That the International Community may be ever more aware of the urgent duty to bring an end to the trafficking in human beings.

In 1877 a nine-year old girl was kidnapped by slave traders in Sudan, Africa. As a cruel joke she was given the name "Bakhita" or "the Fortunate One." Eventually she was purchased by an Italian diplomat and taken to Italy where she was freed and became a nun, taking the name Sister Josephine Bakhita. She died in 1947 and was canonized in 2000.

We may think that the buying and selling of human beings is a thing of the past. It isn’t. According to the International Labor Organization at least 2.4 million people are victims of human trafficking every year. In a report issued earlier this year, Fides, the Vatican missionary news agency, stated that more than a million children are victims of trafficking in what has become a $1.2 billion business.

Human trafficking is a reality in the United States. According to a 2005 State Department report, 14,000 to 17,000 victims are transported into this country every year. Since 2003 the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has made 5,400 arrests and obtained 2,300 convictions in cases of human trafficking. Last year alone the ICE seized nearly $27 million from human smugglers and trafficking organizations.

Clearly, human trafficking is a grave national and international problem. We ought to become more aware of this crime which dehumanizes our brothers and sisters. And we ought to do all we can to prevent and stop it. The Second Vatican Council condemned this evil in Gaudiem et Spes #27, saying that "whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children … where people are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed." The human person is made in God’s image and likeness and is never to be treated as an object for pleasure or for profit.

We cannot ignore this evil. We must confront human trafficking and the root causes that lead people into a servitude that they never imagined. Let us ask St. Josephine Bakhita, herself a victim of human trafficking and whose feast we celebrate on February 8, to intercede for all those people who share her fate today. May the victims be released and experience healing of the degradation they have suffered. May the traffickers be converted. And may we, with St. Josephine Bakhita’s help, do all we can to become more aware of this grave problem and to challenge our nation and other countries to fight it.
Source

Missionary - That in the Missions the lay faithful may recognize the need to serve their own country with greater commitment in its political and social life.

The primary focus of the vocation of lay people is the world. Lay people are called to be a leaven in society. Through their active participation in political life and in social issues, lay people are called to help make society more humane and just. In fact, the health of both society and the Church depends upon this active involvement of lay people in the social issues and politics of their countries. This is particularly true in mission countries that are often part of what is called "the developing world." The Vatican Council II document on the Missions, Ad Gentes, states in section 21:

The Church has not been really founded, and is not yet fully alive, nor is it a perfect sign of Christ among men, unless there is a laity worthy of the name working along with the hierarchy. For the Gospel cannot be deeply grounded in the abilities, life and work of any people without the active presence of laymen. Therefore, even at the very founding of a Church, great attention is to be paid to establishing a mature, Christian laity.

Lay people must take ever more seriously their call to transform the world. Following a Synod of Bishops which discussed the vocation of the laity, Pope John Paul II issued Christifideles Laici. In sections 42 and 43 he wrote about how essential it is for lay Catholics to be involved in the social and political life of their nations:

In order to achieve their task directed to the Christian animation of the temporal order, in the sense of serving persons and society, the lay faithful are never to relinquish their participation in "public life", that is, in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative and cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the common good. The Synod Fathers have repeatedly affirmed that every person has a right and duty to participate in public life, albeit in a diversity and complementarity of forms, levels, tasks and responsibilities...

[T]he lay faithful must bear witness to those human and gospel values that are intimately connected with political activity itself, such as liberty and justice, solidarity, faithful and unselfish dedication for the good of all, a simple life-style, and a preferential love for the poor and the least. This demands that the lay faithful always be more animated by a real participation in the life of the Church and enlightened by her social doctrine...

In the context of the transformations taking place in the world of economy and work which are a cause of concern, the lay faithful have the responsibility of being in the forefront in working out a solution to the very serious problems of growing unemployment; to fight for the most opportune overcoming of numerous injustices that come from organizations of work which lack a proper goal; to make the workplace become a community of persons respected in their uniqueness and in their right to participation; to develop new solidarity among those that participate in a common work; to raise up new forms of entrepreneurship and to look again at systems of commerce, finance and exchange of technology. To such an end the lay faithful must accomplish their work with professional competence, with human honesty, and with a Christian spirit, and especially as a way of their own sanctification...

It is within the world that lay people live out their vocation and become holy. It is very important that all lay people, but especially those in mission countries where the Gospel is not as well known, work to create conditions that make their countries more receptive to values that are rooted in the Gospel—human dignity and rights. In this way they will fulfill their baptismal call and responsibility and the society in which they live will become more humane and just.

Pope Benedict has recently echoed the challenge of both Vatican II and John Paul II. In his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est he wrote:

The direct duty to work for a just ordering of society…is proper to the lay faithful. As citizens of the State, they are called to take part in public life in a personal capacity. So they cannot relinquish their participation "in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative and cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the common good" (Christifideles Laici #42). The mission of the lay faithful is therefore to configure social life correctly…. [I]t still remains true that charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as "social charity" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1939).

Source

PRIESTS FOR LIFE

For all those who share their abortion testimonies through the Silent No More Awareness Campaign.

Charnette and Tom Messe and their children were guests on some of our recent television shows. Tom, a medical doctor in the Navy, has successfully defended his right to refuse to administer contraceptives. Charnette is part of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, and speaks about how her abortion led to breast cancer. Her son was in her womb while she had chemotherapy, and is as healthy as can be. See Charnette’s testimony (and many others) at www.SilentNoMoreAwareness.org. Source

Two-Child Policy vote in the Philippines (Update)

2006-01-19T08:23:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I reported on a bill that is being taken up in the Filipino House which among other things will enshrine as preferential public policy that Filipino families have at most two children. This is really quite an incredible development that this bill is considered to have a realistic possibility of passing. The essence of the proposed legislation is akin to the one-child policy which China has maintained for years. However, the Philippines is neither a communist-run country nor is it ruled by a dictatorship. On the contrary, it is one of the most Catholic nations in the world (87% of the population). However, it seems that a small minority of folks who are influenced by the culture of death are trying to pass this legislation which flies in the face of all concepts of human dignity and freedom. Many are expressing their opposition to the bill including bishops, priests, and lay people. Fortunately, the bill has not yet come to a vote. This is allowing those in support of a culture of life to makes their case to the legislators. While the vote has been delayed, I would urge prayers against its passage and to click on some of the following links for more information.

Although the bill was to come to a vote this past Monday. It has not yet been put forward for a final vote. In an update from the Filipino Family Fund it is noted that:

[The] [b]ill is still pending deliberation at anytime. On 1/16/06, the bill was scheduled as "unfinished business" but debate was delayed due to other business which continued.

If you would like to know more about this issue, look at my previous post on this topic, go to the Filipino Family Fund Web site, or listen to a podcast from Catholic Exchange.

The Crossroads Initiative and St. Anthony, Abbot

2006-01-18T00:05:00.000-05:00

I recently received an email inviting me to view the Crossroads Initiative Web site. It is a Web site produced by Marcellino D'Ambrosio in order to provide solid, Catholic resources. It is quite a nice site, and I would recommend taking a look at it. In the Web site he pulls together resources in order to make them available for purchase.

I am familiar with Marcellino D'Ambrosio from EWTN and Catholic Answers. These are great recommendations in of themselves, but I will add my own. I especially appreciate his presentation of the early Church Fathers. It is through my understanding of many of these early believers that I began my journey into the Catholic Church.

One such figure is St. Athanasius who is somewhat of a hero of mine. I certainly admire his faith that motivated him to defend Christ's fully humanity and full divinity against the overwhelming forces supporting Arianism early in the Church's history. In addition, St. Athanasius wrote a biography of St. Anthony of the desert whose feast was celebrated yesterday, January 17th. In this biography, he recounts how St. Anthony sensed God's call for him to leave the life he knew for a life fully dedicated to God. The Crossroads Initiative reminded me of this saint's call by including an excerpt from the Roman Office of readings about St. Anthony:

When Anthony was about eighteen or twenty years old, his parents died, leaving him with an only sister. He cared for her as she was very young, and also looked after their home.

Not six months after his parents' death, as he was on his way to church for his usual visit, he began to think of how the apostles had left everything and followed the Savior, and also of those mentioned in the book of Acts who had sold their possessions and brought the apostles the money for distribution to the needy. He reflected too on the great hope stored up in heaven for such as these. This was all in his mind when, entering the church just as the Gospel was being read, he heard the Lord's words to the rich man: If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor - you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.

It seemed to Anthony that it was God who had brought the saints to his mind and that the words of the Gospel had been spoken directly to him. Immediately he left the church and gave away to the villagers all the property he had inherited, about 200 acres of very beautiful and fertile land, so that it would cause no distraction to his sister and himself. He sold all his other possessions as well, giving to the poor the considerable sum of money he collected. However, to care for his sister he retained a few things.

The next time he went to church he heard the Lord say in the Gospel: "Do not be anxious about tomorrow." Without a moment's hesitation he went out and gave the poor all that he had left. He placed his sister in the care of some well-known and trustworthy virgins and arranged for her to be brought up in the convent. Then he gave himself up to the ascetic life, not far from his own home. He kept a careful watch over himself and practised great austerity. He did manual work because he had heard the words: If anyone will not work, do not let him eat. He spent some of his earnings on bread and the rest he gave to the poor.

It reminds me of St. Francis of Assisi's call to a life of poverty in which he had the Gospels opened three times in a row and the first passage found to be read. Each passage confirmed that he should sell all he had, give it to the poor, and follow Christ.

How often do we hear these types of stories and think that these are so simplistic. Or we think to ourselves that it certainly is not for me because God does not act that way in my life. My own experience is that He more often than not works in such straightforward, clear ways. The key is that we have to be open to Him revealing Himself and His Will in such beautifully, simple ways. St. Anthony and St. Francis were humble enought to accept God in a plain way. Perhaps the next time we are faced with such a decision, we should ask God to plainly show us the way, pray for a humble heart, and watch God answer our prayers with a straightforward reply.

Two-Child Policy vote in the Philippines

2006-01-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

Around 8 AM local time in Manila, Philippians (7 PM EST), the Congress will continue debate toward a vote on legislation entitled the Responsible Parenting and Population Control Act of 2005. It is clearly a piece of legislation which supports the culture of death because it legislates a governmentally-supported two children per family preference. A ZENIT interview with Eileen Macapanas Cosby, who is executive director of the Filipino Family Fund (www.filipinofamilyfund.org), outlines the many problems with the proposed legislation:

It is an affront to the culture of life in the U.S. and not just in the Philippines. I hope people see that.

If we let the most Catholic country in the world -- 87% of its nearly 85 million people are Catholic -- fall prey to these fringe groups, this will be a huge blow to the pro-family and pro-life movement. This will give the pro-choice leadership an advantage to do more damage than they did in Beijing or Cairo.

We have to pray that on January 16 the bill does not pass. It is up for a vote and the author claims 135 of 238 congressmen will support it.

Elements of the bill include preference in education for two-child families, free access to abortifacients, and mandatory sex education for children as young as 10 years old.

Under the bill, employers -- including the Catholic Church -- would be obligated to provide free "reproductive health care services and devices to the workers."

The bill defines "reproductive health care" as "availability and access to a full range of methods, techniques and services that contribute to reproductive and sexual health and well-being." This includes "family-planning information, condom and abortifacient birth prevention." Voluntary sterilization is also included.

The penalties for not participating in the proposed reproductive health program include imprisonment for up to six months.

Catholic health-care professionals who object to sterilization and contraception will be obligated to make a referral and not have the freedom to practice medicine according to their beliefs.

Catholic educators who will not share the mandated reproductive health curriculum will be imprisoned or fined up to 20,000 pesos ($382). Parents who object to their children receiving abortifacient health services will also pay the same penalty.

She continues to describe how the Filipino people have reacted:

The bishops are adamantly opposed. Filipinos are organizing prayer rallies. Mayors are joining Church leaders in speaking out and only permitting natural family planning as the family planning method of choice.

Some priests concerned about the abortifacient push have actually withheld Communion from legislators who signed the bill.

One archbishop addressed the faithful in pastoral letter in February: "The Church cannot be unmoved by these assaults on the family. The legislative proposal to limit the size of the Filipino family in the guise of 'reproductive rights' is unjust, arbitrary and unreasonable legislation. It has no place in public governance."

Obviously defeating this legislation should be of interest to all people who support a culture of life. It is, of course, interesting to note how some bishops and priests have reacted to this action. Their support for life should be supported by our prayers that this legislation is not passed.

For more information from the Population Research Institute click here.

To sign a petition opposing the legislation click here.

Well Said

2006-01-04T00:21:00.000-05:00

Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life writes in his most recent column (also available as a podcast) about three important events that occur this month in the United States. First, there is Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday on January 15th which is celebrated as a federal holiday on Monday, January 16th this year. On this day, we remember the work that this man did to help lead the civil rights movement in this country. One of the things for which he is remembered is his "I have a Dream" speech in which he was able to express the hopes and dreams of millions of African-Americans, indeed of all Americans of good will, who simply want all Americans regardless of race or skin color to be able to exercise their civil rights which they possesses as citizens of the United States. His work is continued today by all men and women who continue to fight all forms of discrimination and prejudice.

The second event that Fr. Pavone mentions is the marking of the terrible Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision which has allowed for tens of millions of abortions. This January 22nd will be the 31st year that this decision has remained in force. On Monday, January 23rd many people will unite together to provide an alternative view, a pro-life view that recognizes the reality that all human life is sacred even the unborn person. The March for Life will be held in Washington, DC in order to demonstrate to all Americans that civil rights are for all persons regardless of whether they have been born or are still developing in the womb.

Finally, Fr. Pavone notes that January 18 - 25 is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. During this week Christians of many backgrounds come together in an honest way to pray for the unity which Christ desires. As Fr. Pavone notes, it is important for all to recognize what are our differences are what they are not. In particular, it is important that all Christians build on the One who is able to unite us. It is only Christ the Redeemer who is able to unite us.

Fr. Pavone continues to note that one source of unity in Christ is the work that many are doing throughout the world to, in the words of John Paul the Great, "chang[e] the world by inculcating respect for the rights and needs of everyone, especially the poor, the lowly, and the defenseless". He continues by noting that the civil rights and pro-life movements are doing this very work because both have the mission of, "seek[ing] to secure equal rights for marginalized human beings, despite their appearances, and to apply to law and culture the promises of the Gospel."

He emphasizes this idea by including a quote from Dr. King which captures the importance of these works of mercy which are saving and transforming lives,

"I'm always happy to see a relevant ministry. It's alright to talk about 'long white robes over yonder,' in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It's alright to talk about 'streets flowing with milk and honey,' but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's alright to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preacher must talk about the new New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do."

Christmas Season: Why the 25th?

2006-01-03T08:03:00.000-05:00

In the most edition of the Rosary Center's Rosary Light and Life, I read an explanation for why Christmas was placed on the twenty-fifth of December. I found it to be quite fascinating because it runs counter to most ideas about how backward the ancients were. The shortest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere, to which all of the following only applies) is December 22nd. On this day, there are the shortest number of hours of daylight. However, December 13th is the first day on which the sun sets later than it did the day before. And January 6th is the first day on which the sun rises earlier than it did the day before. Both of these days have astronomical significance in terms of light. They also share the spiritual theme of light. December 13th is the feast of St. Lucy whose name is derived from the word for light, lux. She was a martyr early in the life of the Church. Her martyrdom is a light of witness to Christ. And December 6th is Epiphany when the Light of Christ is first revealed to the Gentiles as the Church celebrates the magi who came to worship the new King. December 25th is 12 days away from each of these days. By placing the feasts days is this way, the early Church calendar-makers were highlighting the theme of light which is so important to this holy feast day.

The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen. Is. 9:2

The Christmas Season: Epiphany

2006-01-02T10:27:00.000-05:00

One of the benefits of following the liturgical calendar is that you continue to celebrate Christmas long after December 25th has come and gone. When I was growing up and prior to my having any knowledge of the liturgical calendar, I had a sense that Christmas should continue to be celebrated for a while, not just for one day. However, without a framework for supporting that idea, there is little support for actually continuing to think about Christmas in the days that follow the actual day.

In the spirit of recognizing the liturgical season of Christmas, this year, my wife and I have decided to postpone our own gift exchange to one another until January 6th which is the traditional feast day of the Epiphany*. It is also the day that the Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas. It is of course fitting to consider this a day to emulate the magi by giving gifts. On this feast of the Epiphany, the Church celebrates that the Word made flesh was first revealed to the Gentiles when the magi came to worship Him offering their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

I also like the tradition associated with the feast of Epiphany on which the home is blessed. Part of this tradition includes inscribing with chalk the year and the initials of the three magi above the doors on the outside of your house. This year, the chalk will be used to make the following marking above the door:

20 + C + M + B + 06

I remember seeing that marking above doors when I was in Europe, but I did not know what it meant. I learned later that letters "C", "M", and "B" represent two things. First, they are the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. In addition, the initials can be an abbreviation for the Latin phrase Christus mansionem benedicat which means "Christ bless this house". In general, when I see that above a door, I think that Christ has been welcomed into that home because the family that lives there has made room for Him. It is my prayer for my family that when we see the inscription above our door we will be reminded to make room for Christ in our home and in our hearts. In addition to the inscription, the blessing of the house includes asking for God's blessing upon the house and the family goes from room to room in the house sprinkling each room with Holy water.

For the past several years, we have celebrated this tradition. It is something which I look forward to in part because it fulfills that sense I had when I was growing up that Christmas is more than just one day. Instead, through the liturgical calendar, we get to enjoy a much longer Christmas celebration.

For more information on Epiphany traditions go to Catholic Culture.

*In the United States, the feast day is moved to the following Sunday which is January 8, 2005.

January Prayer Intentions

2006-01-01T22:04:00.000-05:00

PAPAL INTENTIONS

General - That the effort to bring about the full communion of Christians may foster reconciliation and peace among all the peoples of the earth.

We can say it: the funeral of John Paul II was a truly extraordinary experience in which was perceived in some way the power of God Who, through His Church, wishes to form a great family of all peoples, through the unifying force of Truth and Love. In the hour of death, conformed to his Master and Lord, John Paul II crowned his long and fruitful pontificate, confirming the Christian people in faith, gathering them around him and making the entire human family feel more united. …. Nourished and sustained by the Eucharist, Catholics cannot but feel stimulated to tend towards that full unity for which Christ hoped in the Cenacle. Peter’s Successor knows that he must take on this supreme desire of the Divine Master in a particularly special way. To him, indeed, has been entrusted the duty of strengthening his brethren. Thus, in full awareness and at the beginning of his ministry in the Church of Rome that Peter bathed with his blood, the current Successor assumes as his primary commitment that of working tirelessly towards the reconstitution of the full and visible unity of all Christ’s followers. This is his ambition, this is his compelling duty. He is aware that to do so, expressions of good feelings are not enough. Concrete gestures are required to penetrate souls and move consciences, encouraging everyone to that interior conversion which is the basis for all progress on the road of ecumenism.Source

Missionary - That Christians may know how to welcome migrants with respect and charity, seeing in each person the image of God.

Jesus specifically mentions the “stranger.” He began His earthy life as a stranger, as a migrant and refugee. He knew firsthand the sufferings of those who, for whatever reason, must leave their homes to find the necessities of life and freedom from the threat of death. May we and all Christians see in every migrant the image of God and Jesus Himself begging for our welcome and care. May we show migrants the respect and charity that will lead Jesus to some day say to us: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me."Source

PRIESTS FOR LIFE

That more Americans may understand how extreme is the policy that Roe v. Wade imposed.

Benedict XVI on a Relationship with Christ

2005-12-27T03:28:00.000-05:00

In a papal document dated November 21st of this year, the Holy Father explains beautifully the essence of the Christian faith--a vibrant friendship with Jesus Christ who is able to meet all of our deepest needs. The Holy Father shares with the Dutch youth to whom he addressed the document, several ways to develop a relationship with Christ including adoration, confession, and praying the rosary. I was moved by Pope Benedict XVI's ability to describe a friendship with Christ in such appealing words.

Dear friends, Jesus is your true friend and Lord; enter into a relationship of true friendship with him! He is expecting you and in him alone will you find happiness.

How easy it is to be content with the superficial pleasures that daily life offers us; how easy it is to live only for oneself, apparently enjoying life! But sooner or later we realize that this is not true happiness, because true happiness is much deeper: We find it only in Jesus.

As I said in Cologne, "The happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy, has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth" (Address at the Poller Rheinwiesen Wharf, Aug. 18, 2005; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, Aug. 24, p. 4).

I therefore invite you every day to seek the Lord, who wants nothing more than for you to be truly happy. Foster an intense and constant relationship with him in prayer and, when possible, find suitable moments in your day to be alone in his company. If you do not know how to pray, ask him to teach you, and ask your heavenly Mother to pray with you and for you.

The recitation of the rosary can help you learn the art of prayer with Mary's simplicity and depth. It is important that you make participation in the Eucharist, in which Jesus gives himself for us, the heart of your life. He who died for the sins of all desires to enter into communion with each one of you and is knocking at the doors of your hearts to give you his grace.

Go to the encounter with him in the Blessed Eucharist, go to adore him in the churches, kneeling before the tabernacle: Jesus will fill you with his love and will reveal to you the thoughts of his Heart. If you listen to him, you will feel ever more deeply the joy of belonging to his Mystical Body, the Church, which is the family of his disciples held close by the bond of unity and love.

You will also learn, as the Apostle Paul says, to let yourselves be reconciled with God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20). Especially in the sacrament of reconciliation, Jesus waits for you to forgive you your sins and reconcile you with his love through the ministry of the priest. By confessing your sins humbly and truthfully, you will receive the pardon of God himself through the words of his minister.

What a great opportunity the Lord has given us with this sacrament to renew ourselves from within and to progress in our Christian life! I recommend that you make good use of it all the time!

Dear friends, as I said to you above, if you follow Jesus, you will never feel lonely because you are part of the Church, which is a great family in which you can grow in true friendship with so many brothers and sisters in the faith scattered in every part of the world. Jesus needs you to "renew" contemporary society.

Take care to grow in the knowledge of the faith in order to be its authentic witnesses. Dedicate yourselves to understanding Catholic doctrine ever better: Even if at times in looking at it with the eyes of the world it may seem a difficult message to accept, in it is the answer that satisfies your basic questions.

Trust your pastors and guides, bishops and priests; become actively involved in the parishes, movements, associations and ecclesial communities to experience together the joy of being followers of Christ, who proclaims and gives truth and love. And truly impelled by his truth and love, you will be able, together with other young people who are seeking the true meaning of life, to build a better future for all.

Dear friends, I am close to you with my prayers. May you generously accept the call of the Lord, who holds up to you great ideals that can make your lives beautiful and full of joy. You can be certain of it: Only by responding positively to his appeal, however demanding it may seem to you, is it possible to find happiness and peace of heart.

May the Virgin Mary accompany you on this journey of Christian commitment, and may she help you in all your good resolutions. Source: Zenit

H/T: Open Book

Hibernation

2005-12-18T07:40:00.000-05:00

This blog has entered into a state of hibernation. I do not know how long the slumber will last, but similar to the hibernation of some animals there will probably be an occasional awakening from sleep in order to post an entry or two.

Although the blog is in hibernation, I am not. Actually, quite the contrary. And that is probably the biggest reason that the blog is in hibernation. How often have we asked somebody to do something and the response has been that the something could not be done because the person is busy? On its face, it is really a very poor excuse. The real reason that underlies the "busy" excuse is that the person will not do something because the person does not consider it a priority. That is my reason for infrequent posting. As much as I enjoy writing posts, there are a number of other things in my life which are a much higher priority than this blog. For now, I need to devote more of my time in these areas, and I am not left with enough time to post. Perhaps the new year will see an increase in the amount of time available for the blog. Right now, however, I could use some sleep...

175th Anniversary of the Miraculous Medal

2005-11-27T23:15:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 175th Anniversary of the apparition of Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Catherine Laboure in which our Lady instructed Catherine to have a medal struck with the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." This medal which became know as the Miraculous Medal, has been a powerful sacramental ever since the devotion surrounding it began shortly after this apparition.

Saturday, November 27, 1830, was just another day, busy like all the rest with prayer and work and study of the things of God. The next day would be the First Sunday of Advent. At half past five, all the Sisters, professed and novices alike, gathered in the chapel for their evening meditation. The chill November dusk had settled outside, and the chapel was in semi-darkness.

Catherine liked this time of evening. She had always liked it. even at home: the laborious day was over and the tired mind found rest in thinking of God. Tonight, the quiet voice of the Sister reading the prophecies of Christ's coming at Christmas seemed like the voice of Isaiah himself, calling down the centuries. In the darkness, time and place were no more; only the mind was alive. The voice stopped, and a great stillness followed.

Suddenly, Catherine's heart leaped. She had heard it—that rustling, that faint swish of silk she could never forget, the sound of Our Lady's gown as she walked! There it was again—and there was the Queen of Heaven, there in the sanctuary, standing upon a globe. She shone as the morning rising, a radiant vision, "in all her perfect beauty," as Catherine said later.

Catherine's eyes widened with bliss at the sight. Yet they were not so dazzled but that, womanlike, they took note of every detail of the Virgin's dress: that her robe was of silk, "of the whiteness of the dawn," that the neck of it was cut high and the sleeves plain, that she wore a white veil which fell to her feet, and beneath the veil a lace fillet binding her hair.

The Virgin held in her hands a golden ball which she seemed to offer to God, for her eyes were raised heavenward. Suddenly, her hands were resplendent with rings set with precious stones that glittered and flashed in a brilliant cascade of light. So bright was the flood of glory cast upon the globe below that Catherine could no longer see Our Lady's feet.

Mary lowered her eyes and looked full at Sister Laboure. Her lips did not move, but Catherine heard a voice.

"The ball which you see represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular."

These words stirred the heart of the Sister with fresh transports of joy, and the dazzling rays seemed to her to increase to blinding brilliance.

"These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask."

At this moment, Catherine was so lost in delight that she scarcely knew where she was, whether she lived or died. The golden ball vanished from Mary's hands; her arms swept wide in a gesture of motherly compassion, while from her jeweled fingers the rays of light streamed upon the white globe at her feet. An oval frame formed around the Blessed Virgin, and written within it in letters of gold Catherine read the words:

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

The voice spoke again:

"Have a Medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence."

The tableau revolved, and Catherine beheld the reverse of the Medal she was to have made. It contained a large M surmounted by a bar and a cross. Beneath the M were the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the one crowned with thorns, the other pierced with a sword. Twelve stars encircled the whole.

And then the vision was gone. Source

Fr. Pavone's Pro-Life Podcast

2005-11-17T02:30:00.000-05:00

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has a new podcast to which you can easily subscribe in order to get a one-minute pro-life message every day. The podcast consists of his daily one-minute radio spots which air on a number of Christian radio stations throughout the United States including EWTN. Like most podcasts, there is no cost associated with subscribing to the podcast.

For more information and for the RSS feed click here. Or simply copy the following RSS feed into the software which you use for playing pocasts:

http://www.priestsforlife.org/rss/pfl.xml

For those who might ask what podcasting is, I will offer a brief explanation. Podcasting is a way to produce audio or video programs which are distributed via a produce and subscribe method. The audio podcasts are produced as mp3 audio files.

Typically, in order to listen to the podcast, you subscribe to the podcast feed through software, such as iTunes or iPodder, which maintains your subscription. The software downloads the new productions from the feed in order to keep your subscription up-to-date. The idea is that unlike regular radio to which you must be tuned in to hear a program, you are able to partake of the latest program from your subscription on your time. Or you can easily listen to the program as often as you like.

If you have an iPod, you can update your podcast subscriptions and take your programs with you to listen wherever and whenever you want. However, you do not need to have an iPod to listen to the programs. Instead, you can simply have the files downloaded to your computer and listen to them off of your computer.

Meme: Influences

2005-11-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

I have received a meme tag from David of David's Daily Diversions with the meme, "MY TOP TEN (OR SO) GREATEST INFLUENCES, OUTSIDE OF GOD AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS."

It seems that I am able to include those whom I have actually known and those who I might have only known in a secondary way such as through their writings. I would be hard pressed to be certain that these are the top ten, but they are certainly ten who have had a major impact upon my life.

In alphabetic order:

·  Mother Angelica--A modern saint. This holy woman has touched my life in many ways. Of course, through being the foundress of EWTN, she has impacted my life. In addition, she has been a tremendous inspiration through her life which includes so many trials and tribulations which she met with faith, hope, and love. She continues to inspire through her holy witness. Perhaps, she is not able to articulate with words as she used formerly could, but now she speaks profoundly of the mystery of suffering and be united to Christ.
·  Mr. Cottingham--My fifth grade teacher. I did not realize it at the time, but he taught me that learning and teaching can be enjoyable. He had a good time teaching the students, and he had the respect of the students because he seemed to really enjoy what he was doing and he spread that enthusiasm to his students.
·  Ms. Fisher--My first grade teacher. I remember really enjoying everything about her class. And I am very grateful for the very good start which she gave to my school years.
·  St. Francis of Assisi--It is difficult to find a more devoted saint. As far as I can tell, I am not very similar to him, but I like his style, especially when it comes to discerning God's will (See the Little Flowers of St. Francis). His life demonstrates that following Christ radically is in no way contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
·  Fr. Benedict Groeschel--Another modern saint. He is a beautiful teacher of the Faith through his words and actions. He personifies what it means to be a priest through his complete giving of himself for others' sanctification. He had a profound influence on my entering the Catholic Church, and he continues to inspire me to grow in the spiritual life.
·  Swigert Hockensmith--My world history teacher in high school. He made the study of history interesting and he fanned my interest in understanding history. He worked for a Department of Defense run school, and like many teachers did a very good job despite being underpaid and unappreciated.
·  St. Ignatius of Antioch--I learned from his writings that the Catholic Church is the church which Christ founded.
·  St. John Chrysostom--For a church history course at an evangelical seminary, I did a project on him. In order to find relevant writings of his, I first began looking in the new Catechism which I had recently purchased during a lunch break from work. At least one of his quotes which I used caused some consternation with the professor because it referred to praying to the saints. Although I was not yet praying to the saints, I think St. John Chrysostom was praying for me.
·  John Paul II--Long before I was Catholic, I was able to attend a Sunday Angelus at which he presided. I believe the blessing that I received then came to fruition many years later, after his writings, starting with Crossing the Threshold of Hope, helped me to understand the Church and to shed my ignorance and naivete about Catholicism.
·  Bud Kellstedt--Professor of political science who helped me understand politics as a way in which men and women can serve one another. Consequently, he helped me see that Christians should be active in politics in order to serve Christ who is in their fellow man. He also taught me much about survey research. However, he never understood my interest in engineering, and he thought that I might follow an academic path. Perhaps it is not too late...

What is a meme without passing it on? Here are those whom I have "tagged":

Catholic Fire
Destination: Order
Doxology
Heart of a Seminarian
St. Joseph's Vanguard

Dueling with Dualism

2005-11-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

In a recent talk, Fr. Frank Pavone, who is the director of Priests for Life, talked about the murder earlier this year of Ms. Terri Schiavo. He used the strange grave marker which was placed where her remains lie, to explain the philosophical underpinnings of how her death was justified. He made the point that what is intellectually driving this is simply the re-emergence of an old heresy.

If you recall, her grave marker has three dates on it. Normally, of course, a gravestone contains two dates which indicate the person's birth date and date of death. In the case, of Ms. Schiavo's grave marker, there are three dates. The first date is her birth date, the second date is the date of her collapse, February 25, 1990. The words which accompany that date indicate that this was the date that Terri "departed this earth". The last date is March 31, 2005, which the grave marker indicates as the date on which Terri was "at peace".

Fr. Pavone pointed out that the type of thinking that would justify the death of Ms. Schiavo and also have such a grave marker placed over her remains is simply dualistic. Dualism has ancient roots, but it nonetheless a heresy. In the third century, Marcion held that there were essentially two gods. One for each testament in Scripture. The old testament god was evil, and the new testament god was good. Manichaesm, which held sway for some time in the life of St. Augustine of Hippo before his conversion, was based on the philosophy of dualism.

For dualists, the consequences of the theological idea that there is a good god and evil god is that human person is two separate entities of body and spirit. The spirit, which is good because it is created by the good god, is trapped in the body, which is evil because it is created by the evil god. The goal of human existence is to free the good spirit from the evil body. Throughout history, many have shared this dualistic thinking about spirit and body, although often without any of the theological underpinnings. As Fr. Pavone noted, the advocates for Ms. Schiavo's murder, who are most likely unconsciously supporting this heretical thinking, contend that when Ms. Schiavo's body stopped functioning "normally", she had departed from this earth. In other words, her spirit had been freed from the evil body which had trapped it.

In this particular case, however, there is much evidence that Ms. Schiavo's body never stopped functioning normally. Fr. Pavone was an eyewitness to Ms. Schiavo's abilities which included tracking him with her eyes when he moved around in her room. In addition, he saw her respond to outside stimuli such as attempting to answer a question from her mother and laughing at her father's jokes. Fr. Pavone also recounted how Ms. Schiavo would close her eyes during the time he was praying and then open her eyes at the completion of his prayer.

Aside from these very obvious bodily responses which demonstrate Ms. Schiavo's ability to respond to world around her, the dualistic thinking simply does not fit with reality. We are composites made up of both body and spirit. We recognize in our daily experience that the body and spirit work together not in opposition to one another.

The results of this dualistic thinking are very troubling. By separating body from spirit, a person can justify abuse by asserting that he is not dealing with a person's spirit, but only the person's body. In Ms. Schiavo's case, the grave marker indicates that Michael Schiavo believed that Ms. Schiavo's spirit "departed this earth" when she collapsed over 15 years before she actually died. Consequently, her body could be abused because it was just the shell that was left behind.

For dualists, Ms. Schiavo must be a vegetable. She simply cannot be a whole person because that would mean that there was more than a body that was lying on her bed. Evidence points to the fact that she was not just a body, but a whole person who could even interact with her surroundings. However, this was not the thinking that prevailed, and ultimately, she, not just her body, was abused to death by denying her the basic necessities of life--food and water.

November Prayer Intentions

2005-11-01T23:30:00.000-05:00

PAPAL INTENTIONS

General - That married people may imitate the example of conjugal holiness shown by so many couples in the ordinary conditions of life.

Where do we find such exemplary marriages? We begin in Nazareth. In his 1994 Letter, Pope John Paul II wrote: "The Holy Family is the beginning of countless other holy families." Following the example of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are numerous holy couples and families, many recognized as saints and many more unknown to us. From Priscilla and Aquila, contemporaries of St. Paul, to Isidore and Maria of the 12th Century, to St. Therese’s parents, Louis and Zelie Martin (who are being proposed for beatification)—married couples have found holiness in the ordinary circumstances of their lives together. Every parish has holy couples who witness to the meaning of true love through their sacrifices for one another and their family.

At the heart of every holy marriage and family is Jesus. Since Jesus is the fullest revelation of God, love within a marriage can only continue and grow if Jesus is the heart of every family. Source

Missionary - That Pastors of mission territories may recognize with constant care their duty to foster the permanent formation of their own priests.

We see Pope Benedict XVI’s concern for this ongoing formation in his meetings with Bishops who have come to Rome recently for their "Ad Limina" visit. On September 23 he told a group of Bishops from Mexico:

You must devote your best efforts and energy to your priests. I therefore encourage you always to be close to each one of them and to build a relationship of priestly friendship with them, after the example of the Good Shepherd. … Take an interest in the particular situation of each priest, encouraging him to journey on the path of priestly holiness with joy and hope, offering him the help he needs and fostering brotherly relations among all priests. May no priest lack the means he needs in order to live his sublime vocation and ministry with dignity. Source

PRIESTS FOR LIFE

For greater awareness of pain management options for the terminally ill.

Beckenbauer meets with the Pope

2005-10-28T04:30:00.000-04:00

Perhaps if had not been reading David Holford's posting on sports, I would not have considered posting this news item. However, there is something quite fascinating about Franz Beckenbauer. In soccer (Fussball), he has had the magic touch. When Germany defeated Holland in '74, it was a bit of a surprise because the Dutch were so good. He also had European success when the English and the Italians were dominating the continental trophies. After hanging up his boots, he demonstrated that rare ability to translate success as a player into success as a manager. As a manager, he was able to lead both Bayern Muenchen and, of course, the national team to numerous victories, including the World Cup. I am sure that next year's World Cup will also be a success in large part to his having been involved.

In general, it is always interesting to see how people react to meeting with the Holy Father. However, there is an added dimension of interest when it is someone like Beckenbauer. It is easy to forget that he, too, is simply another human being. It seems as if an audience with the Pope reminds people of their humanity and, for those who are open, strikes a deep chord within them.

Franz Beckenbauer, one of Germany's best soccer players ever, was able to meet Benedict XVI and said afterward: "This was one of the most moving moments of my life."

At the end of today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, Beckenbauer got his wish. The Holy Father granted a brief private audience to the Organizing Committee's delegation.

Beckenbauer is president of the German Organizing Committee of the 2006 Soccer World Cup. He wanted to culminate his welcome tour to the 31 countries that have won a place in this championship, by visiting the Pope, a fellow Bavarian.

Beckenbauer took advantage of the occasion to give the Pope a 2006 FIFA World Cup pennant.

Benedict XVI thanked him for the gift and wished him "lots of luck for the World Cup in Germany," adding that "I'll be watching many of the games on TV."

When he was archbishop of Munich, Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope) did not hide his support for the Bayern Munich soccer team.Zenit

Two things to note about this article. First, on a personal level, I was always a 'Gladbach fan as a Protestant. Since becoming Catholic, I have maintained my support for 'Gladbach, but I have also picked up an interest in the more well-known team from Bayern. Second, the Pope has time to watch football matches? I do not feel that I have time to watch any games, although I like to catch a few minutes here and there. My guess is that he is a far better manager of his time.

Comments on Comments

2005-10-28T04:00:00.000-04:00

A brief note that I have turned on the word verification feature which Blogger offers for adding comments. I am sure that many have seen this elsewhere. For those for whom this is unfamiliar, it is not very complicated. Now when you click on the Comment link below the post, the add comment page which pops-up will have an additional box in which you must type a randomly-generated word which appears in a graphic above the box.

It is an unfortunately necessary additional step for adding comments. The step is necessary in order to thwart the comment spammers who are otherwise able to simply add irrelevant comments related to either selling something or simply promoting their blog without regard to the original post.

I appreciate all those who take the time to comment on the posts. Please continue to do so despite the additional step.

Familiar Ideas

2005-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

I had heard it said many times before, but perhaps, because I just recently celebrated a birthday, a familiar idea really made a deep impression on me. In a book on parenting, I read the words, "You can live for yourself, or you can live for others." At some level, I have always understood the truth of those words, but for some reason, when I encountered the idea again this most recent time, I really had to think about how that applied to my life. How much of my life had been and continued to be a life pursued for myself? How many decisions do I make that only really consider the impact that my choice will have on me? Being married and a parent, one must think about others, but there is still quite a bit of my life, even indeed the parts which seem safe because of marriage and family concerns, in which I have quite a bit of room to be very selfish.

Moving from myself to others, my mind turned to examples of men and women who had lived for others. In recent history, we have our late Holy Father John Paul the Great who lived out his own writings in which he noted that a life of self-donation is the most authentic life. He left a powerful example by a life of service in which he gave of himself until his last breath. Throughout his life, he demonstrated another familiar idea which if one wants to lead, one must serve.

Another contemporary example is Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She is another example of a life lived for others. She simply gave of herself to help the men and women whom she found in her midst. Many make the point that she served the poor, as indeed she did as a specific mission of the religious order she founded, but she also served the entire world through her powerful example and words. It is interesting to note that although she did not seek to be a leader, she became one because of her service.

Of course, the example par excellence is our Lord Jesus Christ. He stated that His own mission was to serve and not to be served. He came to give his life as a ransom for many. He poured Himself out in service to those who He encountered, and, indeed, for the whole world through His Passion and Death. Just yesterday, I read chapter eight of St. Matthew's Gospel. In this chapter which follows the Sermon on the Mount, St. Matthew captures this idea of service for others by recording a number of Jesus' healings. Every part of that chapter is a story about Jesus healing someone or casting out a demon. It is as if, St. Matthew wants to make the point that Jesus did not simply preach a nice sermon about loving your neighbor, He lived it out completely in His giving of Himself for the sake of others.

All of these examples, point to the fact of how deficient I am in my living my life for others. I wondered what I could do about that. One answer came recently when it was suggested to me a way in which I can examine the past twenty-four hours of my life at the end of the day. There are, of course, many ways to perform a daily examination of conscience, but the one which was suggested to me appealed to me, because it is really quite simple and it is another familiar idea. The concept is that there is a hierarchy of love for people in my life. God is first, my wife is second, my daughter is third, family and friends are next, and I am last. The examen is to simply think about the times during the past day in which I have or have not maintained that hierarchy. How many times have I put myself first or put someone else ahead of God? Or are there times when I have kept everything in the right order? It has already proved to be quite fruitful in helping me to see where I am falling short in order that I can pray more specifically for the grace to overcome my selfishness in those areas. At least, I think that I am finding the areas which need to be targeted for work.