Wednesday, June 13, 2012
"Why go to Mass?"
Anonymous wrote, "I've been considering studying abroad in Japan and O don't know how accessible mass will be for me there. I want to stay close to God and celebrate mass with him. But what if I can't find a catholic church? Or simply it's too far to commute? If I read the missal and try to pretend I'm there is that better?.."
Great question, Anon! Thanks for your commitment to Sunday Mass; God is very pleased with you. Do as much research as you can before you go. I just googled "Catholic Church in Japan" and found a great site for you - thecatholicdirectory.com. It lists all the cities in Japan with Churches. Clicking on each city then takes you to a listing of the Churches with their addresses. You can also try masstimes.org which locates Masses for Catholics around the world. You should be able to find Sunday Mass! If you do all that you can and find that there is no Church anywhere near you, you can ask your priest for a dispensation from the Sunday obligation (which can be granted for a just reason). He might give you suggestions on how you can be with the Church liturgically if you are physically uunable to attend Mass- reading the missal, praying over the Sunday readings (via the Magnificat, e.g.), and maybe even watching Mass on TV/internet (via EWTN). But, I believe that God will provide a place for you to attend Mass, receive the Bread of Life, and have a deep experience of the universality of the Church.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Contraceptives and the Environment
Contraceptives and the Environment
What the Pill Is Doing to Our Water Supply
By Rebecca Oas, PhD
WASHINGTON, D.C., MAY 16, 2012 (Zenit.org).- In 1960, the combined oral contraceptive pill was first approved for use in the United States. Seven years later, “the Pill” was featured on the cover of Time Magazine, illustrating its enormous societal impact[1]. Roughly two generations later, statistics from the United Nations show that, within more developed nations worldwide, just under 16% of “partnered” women use contraceptive pills, a number which does not include usage among single women[2].
However, even as the popularity of oral contraceptives remains high, the drugs themselves have been evolving in response to further discoveries about the human reproductive system, as well as efforts to reduce the Pill’s negative side effects. As with any major technological or medical development, particularly one embraced very quickly by a large sector of the population, it can take years, and even decades, for the full range of effects to become evident. And as demonstrated by several recent studies, many questions remain unanswered regarding the long-term and environmental effects of the hormones used in oral contraceptives, as well as other medical treatments.
When a new synthetic substance is created, or a naturally occurring substance is generated at greatly increased levels, the effects can be far longer-lasting and wider-reaching than its manufacturers predict or intend. Some well-known examples of this include asbestos, a popular insulation and flame retardant in the late 19th century, which was later discovered to be carcinogenic; and polystyrene foams like Styrofoam, which is frequently used in disposable packaging, yet takes hundreds of years to break down once discarded. In the case of oral contraceptives, the key ingredients are synthetic hormones known as progestins, which mimic progesterone, either alone or combined with estrogen. When used therapeutically in contraceptive pills or in hormone replacement treatments for menopause, these synthetic hormones make their way into the water supply after being excreted in the patients’ urine. As environmental contaminants, these are referred to as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), due to the fact that they interfere with the endocrine systems of humans and animals alike following exposure.
While its impact is still being widely studied, there is no doubt that the exposure is occurring: multiple international studies have documented elevated levels of natural and synthetic hormones in drinking water, and one such study conducted in France noted that progestins in particular were more resistant to removal by water treatment methods, compared with other types of pharmaceuticals (3).
Due to the accumulation of synthetic steroids in water, much of the research conducted on its impact has been done using water-dwelling vertebrates such as fish and frogs. An ever-increasing collection of studies report harmful effects of these hormones on aquatic vertebrates, particularly with regard to their reproduction, as would be predicted given the nature of the contaminants (4). One study focused on the effects of exposure to the progestin Levonorgestrel (LNG) on the frog Xenopus tropicalis. While the male reproductive system did not appear to be impaired, female tadpoles exhibited severe defects in the development of their ovaries and oviducts, rendering them sterile (5).
While studies such as these cannot be taken as a direct assessment of the impact of environmental EDCs on humans, they do have certain advantages: the capability of controlling for the duration and concentration of exposure, and the fact that these animals’ life cycles are much shorter than those of humans, thus enabling multigenerational studies in far less time. Like the proverbial “canary in the coal mine,” animal studies can serve as early indicators of environmental conditions that may prove harmful to humans and direct our attention toward seemingly innocuous substances we encounter in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and, as in this case, our water supply. However, the effects of EDCs are not limited to water-dwelling frogs: female sterility resulting from early exposure to progestins has been reported in studies involving rats and mice, whose mammalian reproductive systems more closely resemble those of humans (6). The female reproductive system undergoes many key developmental changes in the early stages of life, and these changes are dependent on endocrine signaling events that are sensitive to contaminating environmental hormone exposure. A series of studies by a group at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have demonstrated that mice exposed to phytoestrogens – plant estrogens such as those found in soy products – at key developmental time points exhibited impaired fertility (7). In contrast to mice, in which the critical period of time is during the neonatal period, the human female reproductive tract is undergoing development from prior to birth through adolescence. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the risk of exposure to EDCs across a broader window of time, beginning in the womb.
The use of hormonal contraceptives by pregnant women is discouraged for the obvious reason that they are not ovulating, in addition to the potential for harm to the unborn child. However, postpartum contraception guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control in 2011 state that the use of progestin-only contraceptives “can be initiated immediately postpartum,” and discourage the use of estrogen-containing combined contraceptives in breastfeeding women primarily because the estrogen can reduce the mother’s milk supply (8). The presence of progestins in the breast milk of women taking oral contraceptives has not been demonstrated to adversely affect their babies’ health, although such assessments tend to focus on the short-term outcomes rather than those that might not manifest until adulthood. Nevertheless, the most recent report from the NIH group studying the effects of phytoestrogens highlights the notion that limiting early exposure to plant estrogens, such as those found in soy-based infant formulas, may prove to be beneficial to female reproductive health in the long term. Furthermore, the potential harms of prevalent EDC pollution in the environment are not restricted to women: in November of last year, the British Medical Journal published a report indicating that levels of prostate cancer in men are highest in geographic areas with the greatest use of oral contraceptives (9). While the authors stress that their findings are correlative rather than causative, their work provides a sobering hypothesis for further important research.
Ultimately, the Catholic opposition to contraception is grounded in a fundamental understanding of the meaning of human life and the purpose of procreation as a part of God’s plan, not a pragmatic conclusion reached by painstaking scientific research. While it makes intuitive sense that humans both individually and as societies benefit by living in accordance with the wishes of their Creator, in a fallen world there are practical things that can be done to alleviate some of our suffering, including the use of medical technology and pharmacology. It should be noted that synthetic hormones are not exclusively used in contraceptives, nor are the chemical compounds marketed as contraceptives intrinsically immoral – for instance, an unmarried and abstinent woman using hormonal treatments to treat endometriosis in the hopes of safeguarding her future fertility is doing nothing sinful, regardless of the efficacy or side effects of her decision. However, in a world in which influential groups and individuals are increasingly advocating for population control, often in a manner that recalls the eugenics movement of decades past, it is necessary to insist that research be done to uncover truths regarding the long-term and unintended side effects of widespread contraceptive pill usage.
* * *
Rebecca Oas, Ph.D., is a Fellow of HLI America, an educational initiative of Human Life International. Dr. Oas is a postdoctoral fellow in genetics and molecular biology at Emory University. She writes for HLI America's Truth and Charity Forum.
--- --- ---
What the Pill Is Doing to Our Water Supply
By Rebecca Oas, PhD
WASHINGTON, D.C., MAY 16, 2012 (Zenit.org).- In 1960, the combined oral contraceptive pill was first approved for use in the United States. Seven years later, “the Pill” was featured on the cover of Time Magazine, illustrating its enormous societal impact[1]. Roughly two generations later, statistics from the United Nations show that, within more developed nations worldwide, just under 16% of “partnered” women use contraceptive pills, a number which does not include usage among single women[2].
However, even as the popularity of oral contraceptives remains high, the drugs themselves have been evolving in response to further discoveries about the human reproductive system, as well as efforts to reduce the Pill’s negative side effects. As with any major technological or medical development, particularly one embraced very quickly by a large sector of the population, it can take years, and even decades, for the full range of effects to become evident. And as demonstrated by several recent studies, many questions remain unanswered regarding the long-term and environmental effects of the hormones used in oral contraceptives, as well as other medical treatments.
When a new synthetic substance is created, or a naturally occurring substance is generated at greatly increased levels, the effects can be far longer-lasting and wider-reaching than its manufacturers predict or intend. Some well-known examples of this include asbestos, a popular insulation and flame retardant in the late 19th century, which was later discovered to be carcinogenic; and polystyrene foams like Styrofoam, which is frequently used in disposable packaging, yet takes hundreds of years to break down once discarded. In the case of oral contraceptives, the key ingredients are synthetic hormones known as progestins, which mimic progesterone, either alone or combined with estrogen. When used therapeutically in contraceptive pills or in hormone replacement treatments for menopause, these synthetic hormones make their way into the water supply after being excreted in the patients’ urine. As environmental contaminants, these are referred to as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), due to the fact that they interfere with the endocrine systems of humans and animals alike following exposure.
While its impact is still being widely studied, there is no doubt that the exposure is occurring: multiple international studies have documented elevated levels of natural and synthetic hormones in drinking water, and one such study conducted in France noted that progestins in particular were more resistant to removal by water treatment methods, compared with other types of pharmaceuticals (3).
Due to the accumulation of synthetic steroids in water, much of the research conducted on its impact has been done using water-dwelling vertebrates such as fish and frogs. An ever-increasing collection of studies report harmful effects of these hormones on aquatic vertebrates, particularly with regard to their reproduction, as would be predicted given the nature of the contaminants (4). One study focused on the effects of exposure to the progestin Levonorgestrel (LNG) on the frog Xenopus tropicalis. While the male reproductive system did not appear to be impaired, female tadpoles exhibited severe defects in the development of their ovaries and oviducts, rendering them sterile (5).
While studies such as these cannot be taken as a direct assessment of the impact of environmental EDCs on humans, they do have certain advantages: the capability of controlling for the duration and concentration of exposure, and the fact that these animals’ life cycles are much shorter than those of humans, thus enabling multigenerational studies in far less time. Like the proverbial “canary in the coal mine,” animal studies can serve as early indicators of environmental conditions that may prove harmful to humans and direct our attention toward seemingly innocuous substances we encounter in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and, as in this case, our water supply. However, the effects of EDCs are not limited to water-dwelling frogs: female sterility resulting from early exposure to progestins has been reported in studies involving rats and mice, whose mammalian reproductive systems more closely resemble those of humans (6). The female reproductive system undergoes many key developmental changes in the early stages of life, and these changes are dependent on endocrine signaling events that are sensitive to contaminating environmental hormone exposure. A series of studies by a group at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have demonstrated that mice exposed to phytoestrogens – plant estrogens such as those found in soy products – at key developmental time points exhibited impaired fertility (7). In contrast to mice, in which the critical period of time is during the neonatal period, the human female reproductive tract is undergoing development from prior to birth through adolescence. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the risk of exposure to EDCs across a broader window of time, beginning in the womb.
The use of hormonal contraceptives by pregnant women is discouraged for the obvious reason that they are not ovulating, in addition to the potential for harm to the unborn child. However, postpartum contraception guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control in 2011 state that the use of progestin-only contraceptives “can be initiated immediately postpartum,” and discourage the use of estrogen-containing combined contraceptives in breastfeeding women primarily because the estrogen can reduce the mother’s milk supply (8). The presence of progestins in the breast milk of women taking oral contraceptives has not been demonstrated to adversely affect their babies’ health, although such assessments tend to focus on the short-term outcomes rather than those that might not manifest until adulthood. Nevertheless, the most recent report from the NIH group studying the effects of phytoestrogens highlights the notion that limiting early exposure to plant estrogens, such as those found in soy-based infant formulas, may prove to be beneficial to female reproductive health in the long term. Furthermore, the potential harms of prevalent EDC pollution in the environment are not restricted to women: in November of last year, the British Medical Journal published a report indicating that levels of prostate cancer in men are highest in geographic areas with the greatest use of oral contraceptives (9). While the authors stress that their findings are correlative rather than causative, their work provides a sobering hypothesis for further important research.
Ultimately, the Catholic opposition to contraception is grounded in a fundamental understanding of the meaning of human life and the purpose of procreation as a part of God’s plan, not a pragmatic conclusion reached by painstaking scientific research. While it makes intuitive sense that humans both individually and as societies benefit by living in accordance with the wishes of their Creator, in a fallen world there are practical things that can be done to alleviate some of our suffering, including the use of medical technology and pharmacology. It should be noted that synthetic hormones are not exclusively used in contraceptives, nor are the chemical compounds marketed as contraceptives intrinsically immoral – for instance, an unmarried and abstinent woman using hormonal treatments to treat endometriosis in the hopes of safeguarding her future fertility is doing nothing sinful, regardless of the efficacy or side effects of her decision. However, in a world in which influential groups and individuals are increasingly advocating for population control, often in a manner that recalls the eugenics movement of decades past, it is necessary to insist that research be done to uncover truths regarding the long-term and unintended side effects of widespread contraceptive pill usage.
* * *
Rebecca Oas, Ph.D., is a Fellow of HLI America, an educational initiative of Human Life International. Dr. Oas is a postdoctoral fellow in genetics and molecular biology at Emory University. She writes for HLI America's Truth and Charity Forum.
--- --- ---
Monday, June 11, 2012
Solemn Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ - homily
Last month I went to the doctor for a long-overdue physical. One of the first things they asked me when I arrived was if I had been fasting (in order for them to take my blood). I said no because I didn't know I was supposed to (and it had been so long since my last physical that I had forgotten to) fast. So, a week later I went back to get my blood work done. It's kind of an amazing experience. I made a special trip for one little prick of a needle in my arm and they filled one small vial of my blood. That was it...I could go home. Then, the doctor called me last week with the results. He left a long message going into great detail about everything from my kidneys to liver to cholesterol levels. All of this from a small amount of blood! It was from my blood that he could tell me so much about my life...my physical life. Oh, and the results were good, thanks be to God!
Life is in the blood! Life is blood. Blood is life. This was the Jewish approach to blood; life and blood were synonymous terms. The principle of life resided in blood. Without blood there is no life. This is played out in our first reading as Moses leads the Jewish people into life with God...into covenant with God. The covenant was centered on blood, the symbol of life. Moses sprinkled half of the blood on the altar which symbolized God; he sprinkled the other half on the people. Can you imagine if we did this at Mass - the priest sprinkling you with blood?
We might be repulsed by that thought but it's not far off from what happens at Mass. In fact, the Jewish ritual has led to the Mass and is fulfilled by it. Both rituals are centered on blood...on the sacrificial offering of blood that was necessary for purification...necessary for life with God. In the Old Covenant, the blood of animals was sacrificed. In the New Covenant, the blood of Christ is sacrificed. In the Old Covenant, purification was external only; the sprinkling of blood purified bodies only. In the New Covenant, the purification is internal; the sprinkling of Christ's Body and Blood in Holy Communion purifies our souls. As the second reading explains, the blood of Christ cleanses our consciences! How sweet is it to live with a clean conscience.
Today we celebrate the awesome feast of Corpus Christi - the Body and Blood of Christ. It is a celebration at the heart of the Church...at the heart of what it means to be Catholic. The Eucharist is the center of the Church's life! When Christ taught about the Eucharist, he based it on the Jewish principle that life resides in blood. In fact, he says in John 6:53, "unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life within you". This has always struck me as an incredibly strong and important statement. "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life within you".
The life to which the Lord is referring is eternal life. He promises in verse 54 that "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life". So, if we want to have eternal life - if we want to go to Heaven - we need to receive the Eucharist. I have said this many times as a priest to many people of all ages. Most Catholics don't know John 6, so when they hear it, they get it. I have seen 10 year old kids get it! When they have asked me why they need to go to Mass every Sunday, I respond by asking them if they want to go to Heaven. They say yes! I then quote John 6:53 and tell them they need to be at Mass to receive the Eucharist. They get it. And, then they tell their parents to take them to Mass because they need to receive the Eucharist...and then the parents come to Mass!
Brothers and sisters, the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist are as real as the blood of the animals from the Old Covenant. A priest once told me that the Eucharist is as real as the nose on your face. We believe that it is really Christ because of the four words that Christ says about it: “This is my body”. The Eucharist is really Christ's Body and Blood and it is really necessary for us to have life. The Eucharist is not just our ticket to Heaven; it is our ticket to happiness in this life. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive a taste of Heaven. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life".
Friday, June 08, 2012
National rallies for religious freedom today
There are many more rallies for religious freedom today at noon all around the country as the following article from catholicnewsagency.com describes. The one in DC is on Capitol Hill is at 12 noon by the Russell Senate Office Building. Even if you aren't able to go, please say a prayer for the cause!
Chicago, Ill., Jun 5, 2012 / 02:26 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On June 8, Stand Up For Religious Freedom will hold its second round of national protests against the contraception mandate, continuing the movement that drew tens of thousands of protesters in March.
“We're up to 154 rallies across the country now, which is about 10 more than we had last time on the rally day,” said Stand Up For Religious Freedom's communications director Matt Yonke. The group is “expecting a few more (cities) to trickle in before Friday,” when the events begin at noon local time.
Organized in response to the Obama administration's denial of conscience rights to religious institutions, the first set of rallies included 28 Catholic bishops as well as other Christian and Jewish leaders. This time around, Yonke said, publicity and group endorsements have “only been bigger.”
“We had 64,000 (people) last time,” he recalled, noting the attendance tally from the first round of coast-to-coast demonstrations that took place March 23. “I definitely think we're going to top that.”
Under the leadership of national co-directors Eric Scheidler and Monica Miller, Stand Up For Religious Freedom has built a coalition that includes 96 Catholic and non-Catholic religious and civil rights organizations.
Stand Up For Religions Freedom's first nationwide rally took place on the anniversary of Patrick Henry's “Give Me Liberty of Give Me Death” speech. Its upcoming event coincides with the 223rd anniversary of James Madison's introduction of the Bill of Rights to the first U.S. Congress.
The new wave of protests comes as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on the 2010 health care law, under which the contraception mandate was drafted and finalized. The mandate requires employers to purchase plans that include coverage for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so goes against their beliefs.
Soon after the June 8 protests, U.S. Catholics will join with their bishops in a “Fortnight for Freedom” dedicated to religious liberty.
The forthcoming Supreme Court decision, Yonke explained, is “one of the reasons we wanted to do the rally when we're doing it.”
That way, he said, “(whichever) way the ruling goes, we've got people who are engaged, and active, and ready to move on to the next step of the fight” for the free exercise of religion.
No matter what the future of U.S. health care brings, Yonke said Catholics and other religious believers “need to have a significant place at the table.”
The Church has “been doing health care for thousands of years now. And we have something to say about it.”
Yonke said the dispute over conscience rights had intensified in recent months, as the Obama administration “dug in its heels” and refused to reach a mutually-acceptable agreement with critics of the contraception mandate.
Meanwhile, Stand Up For Religious Freedom's message has “spread farther and wider,” building popular momentum against the federal rule.
“There are new people getting informed all the time. And the more they get informed about it, the more they're getting upset about it,” Yonke noted. “So the opposition is only growing.”
Some activist groups have accused opponents of the mandate of fighting a “war on women,” or using the cover of religious freedom to advance a partisan agenda. But Yonke disagreed, citing well-known allies of the president who have broken ranks over their disagreement with the contraception rule.
Prominent commentators and thinkers, including National Catholic Reporter columnist Michael Sean Winters and former U.S. ambassador to Malta Doug Kmiec, have found the mandate to be “a bridge too far,” he pointed out.
“This is far from a partisan effort,” said Yonke. Rather, it is simply an attempt to stop “the government imposing itself on our faith.”
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Pope's advice when "God is far off" in prayer
Benedict XVI Gives Advice for Those Struggling to Pray
Emphasizes Role of Holy Spirit
VATICAN CITY, MAY 16, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Taking up the theme of prayer in the letters of St. Paul, Benedict XVI today reflected on the essential role of the Holy Spirit for those who wish to communicate with God.
The Pope spoke of prayer not primarily as a fruit of human effort, but as a gift, "the fruit of the living, vivifying presence of the Father of Jesus Christ in us."
Speaking extemporaneously, the Holy Father reflected on the human desire for prayer: "We want to pray, but God is far off, we do not have the words, the language, to speak with God, nor even the thought to do so. We can only open ourselves, place our time at God’s disposition, wait for Him to help us to enter into true dialogue. The Apostle says: this very lack of words, this absence of words, yet this desire to enter into contact with God, is prayer that the Holy Spirit not only understands, but brings and interprets before God. This very weakness of ours becomes -- through the Holy Spirit -- true prayer, true contact with God. The Holy Spirit is, as it were, the interpreter who makes us, and God, understand what it is we wish to say."
The Pontiff suggested that prayer brings us to understand more than in other aspects of life that we are weak, poor creatures. "And the more we advance in listening and in dialogue with God, so that prayer becomes the daily breath of our souls, the more we also perceive the measure of our limitations, not only in the face of the concrete situations of everyday life, but also in our relationship with the Lord," he said.
But again, "it is the Holy Spirit who helps our inability, who enlightens our minds and warms our hearts, guiding us as we turn to God. For St. Paul, prayer is above all the work of the Holy Spirit in our humanity, to take our weakness and to transform us from men bound to material realities into spiritual men."
3 consequences
Benedict XVI drew from Paul's teaching three consequences for our Christian lives "when we allow the Spirit of Christ, and not the spirit of the world, to work in us as the interior principle of all our actions."
First, he said, prayer animated by the Spirit "enables us to abandon and to overcome every form of fear and slavery, and so to experience the true freedom of the children of God."
"A second consequence that comes about in our lives when we allow the Spirit of Christ to work in us is that our relationship with God becomes so deep that it cannot be affected by any circumstance or situation," the Holy Father continued. "We then come to understand that, through prayer, we are not delivered from trials or sufferings, but we are able to live them in union with Christ, with His sufferings, with a view to participating also in His glory."
Finally, the Pontiff reflected, "the prayer of the believer opens out to the dimensions of humanity and of the whole creation. [...] This means that prayer, sustained by the Spirit of Christ who speaks in our interior depths, never remains closed in upon itself, it is never only prayer for me; rather, it opens out to a sharing in the suffering of our time, of others. It becomes intercession for others, and thus freedom for me; a channel of hope for all creation and the expression of that love of God, which has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit who has been given to us. And this is a sign of true prayer, that it does not end in ourselves, but opens out to others and so liberates me, and so helps in the redemption of the world."
Emphasizes Role of Holy Spirit
VATICAN CITY, MAY 16, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Taking up the theme of prayer in the letters of St. Paul, Benedict XVI today reflected on the essential role of the Holy Spirit for those who wish to communicate with God.
The Pope spoke of prayer not primarily as a fruit of human effort, but as a gift, "the fruit of the living, vivifying presence of the Father of Jesus Christ in us."
Speaking extemporaneously, the Holy Father reflected on the human desire for prayer: "We want to pray, but God is far off, we do not have the words, the language, to speak with God, nor even the thought to do so. We can only open ourselves, place our time at God’s disposition, wait for Him to help us to enter into true dialogue. The Apostle says: this very lack of words, this absence of words, yet this desire to enter into contact with God, is prayer that the Holy Spirit not only understands, but brings and interprets before God. This very weakness of ours becomes -- through the Holy Spirit -- true prayer, true contact with God. The Holy Spirit is, as it were, the interpreter who makes us, and God, understand what it is we wish to say."
The Pontiff suggested that prayer brings us to understand more than in other aspects of life that we are weak, poor creatures. "And the more we advance in listening and in dialogue with God, so that prayer becomes the daily breath of our souls, the more we also perceive the measure of our limitations, not only in the face of the concrete situations of everyday life, but also in our relationship with the Lord," he said.
But again, "it is the Holy Spirit who helps our inability, who enlightens our minds and warms our hearts, guiding us as we turn to God. For St. Paul, prayer is above all the work of the Holy Spirit in our humanity, to take our weakness and to transform us from men bound to material realities into spiritual men."
3 consequences
Benedict XVI drew from Paul's teaching three consequences for our Christian lives "when we allow the Spirit of Christ, and not the spirit of the world, to work in us as the interior principle of all our actions."
First, he said, prayer animated by the Spirit "enables us to abandon and to overcome every form of fear and slavery, and so to experience the true freedom of the children of God."
"A second consequence that comes about in our lives when we allow the Spirit of Christ to work in us is that our relationship with God becomes so deep that it cannot be affected by any circumstance or situation," the Holy Father continued. "We then come to understand that, through prayer, we are not delivered from trials or sufferings, but we are able to live them in union with Christ, with His sufferings, with a view to participating also in His glory."
Finally, the Pontiff reflected, "the prayer of the believer opens out to the dimensions of humanity and of the whole creation. [...] This means that prayer, sustained by the Spirit of Christ who speaks in our interior depths, never remains closed in upon itself, it is never only prayer for me; rather, it opens out to a sharing in the suffering of our time, of others. It becomes intercession for others, and thus freedom for me; a channel of hope for all creation and the expression of that love of God, which has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit who has been given to us. And this is a sign of true prayer, that it does not end in ourselves, but opens out to others and so liberates me, and so helps in the redemption of the world."
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Survey to "get them thinking" about the Eucharist
A friend sent me the following email from a priest whose parish is conducting a survey on people’s attitudes toward the Eucharist. The introduction explains that it is not like the typical survey which does the thinking for people; this one gets people thinking. While it doesn’t ask directly if people believe in the doctrine of the Real Presence, it probes into some of the foundational elements for belief. It’s a good exercise!
I appreciate it because it helps us to get ready for our big feast this Sunday: Corpus Christi. Also, it mentions another survey (’95 Gallop) that I have been alluding to in homilies, posts, and discussions for over six years.
The link for the survey is below, but you can click here to go right to it. As the priest says, share this with your friends and hopefully this will help to get folks thinking!
Dear Friend,
A 1995 Gallup poll on Catholic attitudes toward Communion was reported to show that only 30% believed that Communion is the actual Body and Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. Our parish survey is designed to get people thinking, to discern what people really believe. The results will be given at the Corpus Christi homily, June 10, 2012, and will be posted on the parish web site: www.sma-Church.org.
All are welcome to go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FQNYRBC
and take the survey. Then share it with your friends: perhaps it can get them thinking!
I appreciate it because it helps us to get ready for our big feast this Sunday: Corpus Christi. Also, it mentions another survey (’95 Gallop) that I have been alluding to in homilies, posts, and discussions for over six years.
The link for the survey is below, but you can click here to go right to it. As the priest says, share this with your friends and hopefully this will help to get folks thinking!
Dear Friend,
A 1995 Gallup poll on Catholic attitudes toward Communion was reported to show that only 30% believed that Communion is the actual Body and Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. Our parish survey is designed to get people thinking, to discern what people really believe. The results will be given at the Corpus Christi homily, June 10, 2012, and will be posted on the parish web site: www.sma-Church.org.
All are welcome to go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FQNYRBC
and take the survey. Then share it with your friends: perhaps it can get them thinking!
Monday, June 04, 2012
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - homily
How often do we think to ourselves or say, "someone else"? "Someone else will do it" or "that's for someone else". I've realized how prevalent this is in the past three years as a college chaplain. Students help themselves to our food and drink at the Newman Center which we encourage. But, sometimes, they make a fine little mess, and just leave it. "Someone else" will clean up behind them, I guess they are thinking. And then there's the trash! The trash in the kitchen will be overflowing, begging to be taken out. But, people will walk by time and again, probably thinking to themselves, "that's for someone else".
I realized when I first became chaplain that there was not someone else. There wasn't someone else to fix the leaky roof or pay the huge heating bills or deal with water damage in the basement. It was just me. We all think "someone else will do it" regularly. It happens a lot on the street- driving past someone with a flat tire, thinking "someone else will help them", or thinking the same when encountering a beggar asking for food.
We do this very often when it comes to evangelization - spreading the Gospel. We hear the "Great Commission" of the Lord in today's Gospel to go out and teach all nations about Christ, and we think, "someone else will do that" or "that's for priests and teachers and the Pope to do". But, the Great Commission is for all of us to do!
I have a bad feeling that when we die and go before the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Lord will show us all the situations where WE were supposed to help, not someone else. On the list will undoubtedly be situations involving evangelization. One of the questions the Lord will certainly ask us is, "how many people did you bring to me?” So, it's good to ask ourselves, how many people have I talked to about God? How many people have I told who God is? How many have I taught that God is Father, Son, and Spirit?
Now, I know that the Trinity can be difficult to explain especially if you don't have a degree in theology. Sometimes, you need to ask priests or teachers to help answer questions. My brother and his wife did this when their son, my nephew Ryan, asked them who the Holy Spirit is. Yeah, he was five years old at the time. "Uh", they said, "call Uncle Greg"! He did and I explained that the Holy Spirit is like the wind- we can't see that He is there. But, we can look at a tree and see the leaves of the tree blowing and know the wind is there. So, too, with the Spirit. We can look at the leaves of our lives (the fruits of the Spirit)- love, joy, peace, kindness, etc - and know the Spirit is there. I think Ryan got it!
You may not have theology degrees, but you have a Catechism, I hope. The Catechism teaches us about each divine person of the Trinity. We can learn about who God is and teach others! And teach like the author of the book of Deuteronomy in the first reading - teach how awesome God is and how much He has done for us. Teach personally that God is our Father who created us. God is Son who saved us. God is Spirit who sanctifies us.
You can also learn more about each Person through your reading. Scott Hahn has written an excellent book on the Father, "A Father who keeps his promises". One of the best-selling books of all time is on the Son, "Imitation of Christ" by Thomas A Kempis. And, the greatest book on the Holy Spirit is the Acts of the Apostles; it's commonly referred to as the "Gospel of the Holy Spirit".
The best way, though, to teach people about the Trinity is to bring them to Him. Bring people to God's House. Bring them to experience the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Where there is the Son, there is the Father and Spirit. One great, simple way to teach others that the Trinity dwells here is to make a sign of the Cross whenever you pass a Catholic Church. Don't be afraid to make that sign in public – like, for example, when saying grace in restaurants. It is a sign of the lives we live: Trinitarian lives.
Brothers and sisters, live Trinitarian lives! Imitate what we celebrate here in the Eucharist. Make your life an offering to the Father in the Son through the Spirit. Live the life you signify when you make the sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
I realized when I first became chaplain that there was not someone else. There wasn't someone else to fix the leaky roof or pay the huge heating bills or deal with water damage in the basement. It was just me. We all think "someone else will do it" regularly. It happens a lot on the street- driving past someone with a flat tire, thinking "someone else will help them", or thinking the same when encountering a beggar asking for food.
We do this very often when it comes to evangelization - spreading the Gospel. We hear the "Great Commission" of the Lord in today's Gospel to go out and teach all nations about Christ, and we think, "someone else will do that" or "that's for priests and teachers and the Pope to do". But, the Great Commission is for all of us to do!
I have a bad feeling that when we die and go before the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Lord will show us all the situations where WE were supposed to help, not someone else. On the list will undoubtedly be situations involving evangelization. One of the questions the Lord will certainly ask us is, "how many people did you bring to me?” So, it's good to ask ourselves, how many people have I talked to about God? How many people have I told who God is? How many have I taught that God is Father, Son, and Spirit?
Now, I know that the Trinity can be difficult to explain especially if you don't have a degree in theology. Sometimes, you need to ask priests or teachers to help answer questions. My brother and his wife did this when their son, my nephew Ryan, asked them who the Holy Spirit is. Yeah, he was five years old at the time. "Uh", they said, "call Uncle Greg"! He did and I explained that the Holy Spirit is like the wind- we can't see that He is there. But, we can look at a tree and see the leaves of the tree blowing and know the wind is there. So, too, with the Spirit. We can look at the leaves of our lives (the fruits of the Spirit)- love, joy, peace, kindness, etc - and know the Spirit is there. I think Ryan got it!
You may not have theology degrees, but you have a Catechism, I hope. The Catechism teaches us about each divine person of the Trinity. We can learn about who God is and teach others! And teach like the author of the book of Deuteronomy in the first reading - teach how awesome God is and how much He has done for us. Teach personally that God is our Father who created us. God is Son who saved us. God is Spirit who sanctifies us.
You can also learn more about each Person through your reading. Scott Hahn has written an excellent book on the Father, "A Father who keeps his promises". One of the best-selling books of all time is on the Son, "Imitation of Christ" by Thomas A Kempis. And, the greatest book on the Holy Spirit is the Acts of the Apostles; it's commonly referred to as the "Gospel of the Holy Spirit".
The best way, though, to teach people about the Trinity is to bring them to Him. Bring people to God's House. Bring them to experience the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Where there is the Son, there is the Father and Spirit. One great, simple way to teach others that the Trinity dwells here is to make a sign of the Cross whenever you pass a Catholic Church. Don't be afraid to make that sign in public – like, for example, when saying grace in restaurants. It is a sign of the lives we live: Trinitarian lives.
Brothers and sisters, live Trinitarian lives! Imitate what we celebrate here in the Eucharist. Make your life an offering to the Father in the Son through the Spirit. Live the life you signify when you make the sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Friday, June 01, 2012
White House: unborn child is "full human being"
The following online article from early May comes from freebeacon.com. It seems that the White House (Visitors Office) views an unborn baby as a human being, at least when it comes to its tours. As one of our med students pointed out, the most interesting line comes at the end from NRLC: “Obama White House recognizes [a] ‘baby that has not been born’ for White House security purposes, but tolerates legal abortion to [the] moment of birth in District of Columbia.” A new layer was added to the contradiction after the White House voiced support for yesterday’s vote in the House: it doesn’t deny tours for unborn babies based on gender or race, but tolerates discrimination in the choice for abortion.
The White House Visitors Office requires that an unborn child—still residing in utero—must be counted as a full human being when its parents register for a White House tour, according to documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
White House Visitors Office director Ellie Schafer sent an email to a Capitol Hill staffer Tuesday morning explaining the process for registering an unborn fetus for a White House tour:
Click here to see the article which includes the actual email.
We have received a number of calls regarding how to enter security information for a baby that has not yet been born.
Crazy as it may sound, you MUST include the baby in the overall count of guests in the tour. It’s an easy process.
LAST NAME: The family’s last name
• FIRST NAME: “Baby” as a first name
• MIDDLE NAME: NMN as in No Middle Name
• DOB: Use the date you are submitting the request to us as their birthday
• GENDER: if the parents know put that gender down if not, you can enter either M or F as we’ll ask you to update it at the time of birth
• SOCIAL: As they will not have a SSN and are under 18, you will not need to enter this field. Again if the spreadsheet asked for a social enter 9 zero’s (not the word nine zeros but 000000000 and yes it happens!)
• CITIZEN/CITY/STATE: The citizen, city and state should be entered the same as the parents
Update: The National Right to Life Committee released a statement on Tuesday afternoon about Shafer’s email, highlighting the fact that the “Obama White House recognizes [a] ‘baby that has not been born’ for White House security purposes, but tolerates legal abortion to [the] moment of birth in District of Columbia.”
The White House Visitors Office requires that an unborn child—still residing in utero—must be counted as a full human being when its parents register for a White House tour, according to documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
White House Visitors Office director Ellie Schafer sent an email to a Capitol Hill staffer Tuesday morning explaining the process for registering an unborn fetus for a White House tour:
Click here to see the article which includes the actual email.
We have received a number of calls regarding how to enter security information for a baby that has not yet been born.
Crazy as it may sound, you MUST include the baby in the overall count of guests in the tour. It’s an easy process.
LAST NAME: The family’s last name
• FIRST NAME: “Baby” as a first name
• MIDDLE NAME: NMN as in No Middle Name
• DOB: Use the date you are submitting the request to us as their birthday
• GENDER: if the parents know put that gender down if not, you can enter either M or F as we’ll ask you to update it at the time of birth
• SOCIAL: As they will not have a SSN and are under 18, you will not need to enter this field. Again if the spreadsheet asked for a social enter 9 zero’s (not the word nine zeros but 000000000 and yes it happens!)
• CITIZEN/CITY/STATE: The citizen, city and state should be entered the same as the parents
Update: The National Right to Life Committee released a statement on Tuesday afternoon about Shafer’s email, highlighting the fact that the “Obama White House recognizes [a] ‘baby that has not been born’ for White House security purposes, but tolerates legal abortion to [the] moment of birth in District of Columbia.”
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Summer spiritual reading
Yesterday officially commenced summer "projects" at the Newman Center. The first project underway is the re-filing of both offices - mine and Amy's (campus minister). When it is finished, it will be sweet to actually be properly organized (thanks in large part to Michael Russo)! But, that seems so far away with tons of files and years of paperwork piled up in each of our offices. One good result from going through years and years of paperwork is finding some really cool stuff from prior chaplains and campus ministers. Below is a spiritual reading list from over ten years ago...a timeless gem!
Every GW Catholic should be doing some spiritual reading this summer; 5-10 minutes a day, at least. Sacred Scripture is most preferred; reading a chapter of one of the Gospels each day might work well for you. The suggestions below are some of the most common in the Church for spiritual reading because they are the best for any Catholic. They are mostly in the first category of books. Things get a little more advanced as you go through this list, but I know GW Catholics who have read some in each category. The last category is more along the intellectual and cultural lines of Catholicism. This is a good find!
Spiritual reading
Initial text: I Believe in Love, Pere Jean D'Elbee
I. Confessions, St. Augustine of Hippo
Introduction to the Devout Life, St Francis de Sales
The Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola
The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis
II. On Spiritual Friendship, Br. Aelred of Rievaulx
Spiritual Passages and The Courage to be Chaste, Fr. Benedict Groeschel
Transcending All Understanding, Walter Kasper
New Seeds of Contemplation, Spiritual Direction and Meditation, and the Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton
To Know Christ Jesus, Frank Sheed
III. The Eucharist, St Alphonsus Ligouri
The Dialogues, St Catherine of Siena
Apologia pro Vita Sua, John Henry Newman
The Way of Perfection, Interior Castle, St. Theresa of Avila
The Cure de Ars, The Life of St. John Vianney, Trochu
IV. Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Surprised by Joy, and Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
Short Stories, Flannery O'Connor
Orthodoxy, The Father Brown Stories, G.K. Chesterton
The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene
Every GW Catholic should be doing some spiritual reading this summer; 5-10 minutes a day, at least. Sacred Scripture is most preferred; reading a chapter of one of the Gospels each day might work well for you. The suggestions below are some of the most common in the Church for spiritual reading because they are the best for any Catholic. They are mostly in the first category of books. Things get a little more advanced as you go through this list, but I know GW Catholics who have read some in each category. The last category is more along the intellectual and cultural lines of Catholicism. This is a good find!
Spiritual reading
Initial text: I Believe in Love, Pere Jean D'Elbee
I. Confessions, St. Augustine of Hippo
Introduction to the Devout Life, St Francis de Sales
The Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola
The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis
II. On Spiritual Friendship, Br. Aelred of Rievaulx
Spiritual Passages and The Courage to be Chaste, Fr. Benedict Groeschel
Transcending All Understanding, Walter Kasper
New Seeds of Contemplation, Spiritual Direction and Meditation, and the Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton
To Know Christ Jesus, Frank Sheed
III. The Eucharist, St Alphonsus Ligouri
The Dialogues, St Catherine of Siena
Apologia pro Vita Sua, John Henry Newman
The Way of Perfection, Interior Castle, St. Theresa of Avila
The Cure de Ars, The Life of St. John Vianney, Trochu
IV. Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Surprised by Joy, and Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
Short Stories, Flannery O'Connor
Orthodoxy, The Father Brown Stories, G.K. Chesterton
The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Test of Fire: "Incredible ad"
Last week, a friend sent me the link to a video below which vividly illustrates the most important issues for Catholics in the 2012 elections. Within an hour, another friend sent me the link and asked if I had seen this "incredible ad". Not long after, a GW Catholic sent it to a bunch of other students, describing it as "SO EPIC". So, this video/ad has gone viral. There have already been 1.5 million views on YouTube. 8,800 likes and 1,700 dislikes. Below is the video with its preceding summary.
"Will you vote the values that will stand the test of fire? Some things are more important than high gas prices or a faltering economy. They are life, marriage and freedom. This November, Catholics must stand up and protect their sacred rights and duties. Produced by: http://www.creative-lab.com/. Please share this video with your friends! Visit http for more details."
"Will you vote the values that will stand the test of fire? Some things are more important than high gas prices or a faltering economy. They are life, marriage and freedom. This November, Catholics must stand up and protect their sacred rights and duties. Produced by: http://www.creative-lab.com/. Please share this video with your friends! Visit http for more details."
Monday, May 28, 2012
Pentecost - homily
In twenty years of youth ministry one of the things I've learned about young people is that they don't speak on their own, by and large. When I've talked with them about faith and morals and what they believe, they usually just repeat what they've heard from their parents, other adults, media, celebrities, or politicians. This is mostly true of kids in grade school, high school, and at the start of college. In college, they begin to make their beliefs their own and either separate from their "sources" or fine-tune what others have told them. Many of us adults still do the same thing - we don't speak on our own. This isn't a bad thing...although it does depend on the viewpoint and the source.
We celebrate the feast of Pentecost today. This is the solemn feast of the Holy Spirit coming down on the Apostles and beginning the Catholic Church. Jesus tells us in the Gospel that the Spirit doesn't speak on his own. Even the Holy Spirit doesn't speak on his own! The powerful Spirit of Christ who is from the Father and came down on the Apostles as tongues of fire, animated them and has continued to guide the Church for 2000 years, the Spirit of Truth who is the third divine person of the Trinity...He doesn't speak on his own. He speaks what Christ tells Him and Christ speaks what the Father tells Him. So, the Spirit speaks on the authority of the Father. The Father is the author of life, and so He is the true author-ity for all to base their beliefs.
"What is your authority?" This is a question I asked a Catholic couple with whom I'm good friends years ago when we were having a friendly debate about in vitro fertilization. I said my authority was Jesus Christ and His Church. They paused, and then said their authority was their feelings...and science. When I told them the science of IVF - that for every one embryo that implants on the mother's uterine wall, several other embryos die - they realized that they didn't have any real authority. They changed their belief on that issue by the end of the conversation.
Today's second reading helps us to see that we have a choice when it comes to authority: either the Holy Spirit is our authority on matters of faith and morals or the world is. The Spirit and the world are opposed to one another, St Paul writes. And, when we talk about the Spirit, we mean the Spirit that Christ sent...the Spirit of Truth that has guided the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals for 2000 years. The Spirit continues to speak through the Church in keeping us rooted in Truth...rooted in Christ. We belong to Christ! We don't belong to the world. We don't belong to the Washington Post or Fox News or the Internet or the culture or a political party. We don't even belong to our parents. We belong to Christ. We speak on His authority and on the authority of His Church.
What we think and say will lead to how we act. If we think as the world thinks, we will act as the world acts. St Paul refers to these as "the works of the flesh" – some that he cites are immorality, impurity, lust,...hatreds...and selfishness. And, he warns "that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God". But, if we think as the Spirit thinks, we will act as the Spirit acts. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Life in the Spirit is what each one of us truly desires!
I have had that quote from Galatians 5 about the fruits of the Spirit next to my bed for many years to remind myself every day that that's the life I want. I recommend all of you to do the same - make Galatians 5:22 visible to you on a daily basis. Make the Eucharist the center of your life in the Spirit so that it will nourish all the fruits of the Spirit. Our lives are like trees bearing fruit. Hopefully, they are bearing the fruits of the Spirit in our speech and actions - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Friday, May 25, 2012
For Greater Glory (movie) starts June 1
The other night, two women stopped me on the street to say, "You are a man of the cloth. You need to see the movie, 'For Greater Glory'. We just saw the trailer for it, and it looks incredible'". I had heard of the movie before, but was more intrigued to see it because of their reaction. Thanks, ladies! Then, a pamphlet from the Knights of Columbus promoting the movie just came in the mail. It includes a quote from Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles: "For Greater Glory is a top-flight production whose message of the importance of religious freedom has particular resonance for us today".
Below is the movie's synopsis from its website and a documentary about the film by EWTN:
What price would you pay for freedom?
In the exhilarating action epic FOR GREATER GLORY an impassioned group of men and women each make the decision to risk it all for family, faith and the very future of their country, as the film's adventure unfolds against the long-hidden, true story of the 1920s Cristero War the daring people¹s revolt that rocked 20th Century North America.
Academy Award® nominee Andy Garcia headlines an acclaimed cast as General Gorostieta, the retired military man who at first thinks he has nothing personal at stake as he and his wife (Golden Globe nominee Eva Longoria) watch Mexico fall into a violent civil war. Yet the man who hesitates in joining the cause will soon become the resistance's most inspiring and self-sacrificing leader, as he begins to see the cost of religious persecution on his countrymen . . . and transforms a rag-tag band of rebels into a heroic force to be reckoned with. The General faces impossible odds against a powerful and ruthless government. Yet is those he meets on the journey youthful idealists, feisty renegades and, most of all, one remarkable teenager named Jose who reveal to him how courage and belief are forged even when justice seems lost.
Director Dean Wright brings a visual power honed from years as a leading Hollywood effects guru on such blockbusters as TITANIC, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and CHRONICLES OF NARNIA to this real-life tale that has never been told on screen before. The film is written by Michael Love. The producer is Pablo Jose Barroso. Garcia and Longoria lead a stellar multinational cast that includes the legendary Peter O¹Toole, rapidly rising star Oscar Isaac (DRIVE), recording star and actor Ruben Blades (SAFE HOUSE), Bruce Greenwood (STAR TREK, SUPER 8), Nestor Carbonell (THE DARK NIGHT RISES), Bruce McGill (LINCOLN), Santiago Cabrera (³Heroes,² CHE), Oscar®-nominated Catalina Sandino Moreno (MARIA FULL OF GRACE) and Eduardo Verástegui (BELLA).
Shooting on historic locations throughout Mexico, the equally accomplished behind the scenes team includes director of photography Eduardo Martinez Solares (BAD HABITS), Oscar®-nominated editor Richard Francis-Bruce (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, SEVEN, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER¹S STONE), production designer Salvador Parra (VOLVER) and Oscar®-winning composer James Horner (AVATAR, TITANIC, BRAVEHEART).
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
"A New Generation of Catholics"
Here's a joke from a golf website (Swing by Swing):
One Sunday morning, a priest wakes up and decides to go golfing. He calls his boss and says that he feels very sick, and won't be able to go to work.
Way up in heaven, Saint Peter sees all this and asks God, "Are you really going to let him get away with this?" "No, I guess not," says God.
The priest drives about five to six hours away, so he doesn't bump into anyone he knows. The golf course is empty when he gets there. So he takes his first swing, drives the ball 495 yards away and gets a hole in one.
Saint Peter watches in disbelief and asks, "Why did you let him do that?!!"
To this God says, "Who's he going to tell?"
-----------------------------------
By Ann Schneible
VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today greeted the final group of United States bishops to come to Rome for their ad limina visits, praising the bishops for the welcome immigrants find in the Church in the U.S..
Bishops and archbishops from Region XV hail from the Eastern Rite eparchies and archeparchies throughout the United States, having been given their own Ad limina visit separate from their Latin Rite brothers.
"I am particularly pleased," said Pope Benedict, "that this, our final meeting, takes place in the presence of the Bishops of the various Eastern Churches present in the United States, since you and your faithful embody in a unique way the ethnic, cultural and spiritual richness of the American Catholic community, past and present."
"Historically, the Church in America has struggled to recognize and incorporate this diversity, and has succeeded, not without difficulty, in forging a communion in Christ and in the apostolic faith which mirrors the catholicity which is an indefectible mark of the Church."
The Holy Father praised their efforts to respond to the phenomena of immigration with compassion, taking into account the many complexities that society faces as a result. "The Catholic community in the United States continues, with great generosity, to welcome waves of new immigrants, to provide them with pastoral care and charitable assistance, and to support ways of regularizing their situation, especially with regard to the unification of families… It is thus of profound concern to the Church, since it involves ensuring the just treatment and the defense of the human dignity of immigrants."
"The immense promise and the vibrant energies of a new generation of Catholics are waiting to be tapped for the renewal of the Church’s life and the rebuilding of the fabric of American society,” he added.
Dignity of consecrated life
The Pontiff also spoke about the need to strengthen the rapport of friendship and trust between bishops and their priests, and offered encouragement for those many consecrated sisters who have given their all in service. "The urgent need in our own time," he explained, "for credible and attractive witnesses to the redemptive and transformative power of the Gospel makes it essential to recapture a sense of the sublime dignity and beauty of the consecrated life, to pray for religious vocations and to promote them actively, while strengthening existing channels for communication and cooperation, especially through the work of the Vicar or Delegate for Religious in each Diocese."
As the Church approaches the Year of Faith in October, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the convening of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic community in American will "awaken a desire… to reappropriate with joy and gratitude the priceless treasure of our faith,” the Pope said.
This Year of Faith, however, comes at a time when progressive ideologies threaten to overturn many of the Christian values in society. "The truth of Christ needs not only to be understood, articulated and defended,” he affirmed, “but to be proposed joyfully and confidently as the key to authentic human fulfillment and to the welfare of society as a whole."
Concluding his speech to the bishops and archbishops of Region XV, the Holy Father thanked God "for the signs of new vitality and hope with which he has blessed the Church in the United States of America. At the same time," he continued, "I ask him to confirm you and your Brother Bishops in your delicate mission of guiding the Catholic community in your country in the ways of unity, truth and charity as it faces the challenges of the future."
"With great affection I commend you, and the clergy, religious and lay faithful entrusted to your pastoral care, to the loving intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United States, and I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Lord."
One Sunday morning, a priest wakes up and decides to go golfing. He calls his boss and says that he feels very sick, and won't be able to go to work.
Way up in heaven, Saint Peter sees all this and asks God, "Are you really going to let him get away with this?" "No, I guess not," says God.
The priest drives about five to six hours away, so he doesn't bump into anyone he knows. The golf course is empty when he gets there. So he takes his first swing, drives the ball 495 yards away and gets a hole in one.
Saint Peter watches in disbelief and asks, "Why did you let him do that?!!"
To this God says, "Who's he going to tell?"
-----------------------------------
By Ann Schneible
VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today greeted the final group of United States bishops to come to Rome for their ad limina visits, praising the bishops for the welcome immigrants find in the Church in the U.S..
Bishops and archbishops from Region XV hail from the Eastern Rite eparchies and archeparchies throughout the United States, having been given their own Ad limina visit separate from their Latin Rite brothers.
"I am particularly pleased," said Pope Benedict, "that this, our final meeting, takes place in the presence of the Bishops of the various Eastern Churches present in the United States, since you and your faithful embody in a unique way the ethnic, cultural and spiritual richness of the American Catholic community, past and present."
"Historically, the Church in America has struggled to recognize and incorporate this diversity, and has succeeded, not without difficulty, in forging a communion in Christ and in the apostolic faith which mirrors the catholicity which is an indefectible mark of the Church."
The Holy Father praised their efforts to respond to the phenomena of immigration with compassion, taking into account the many complexities that society faces as a result. "The Catholic community in the United States continues, with great generosity, to welcome waves of new immigrants, to provide them with pastoral care and charitable assistance, and to support ways of regularizing their situation, especially with regard to the unification of families… It is thus of profound concern to the Church, since it involves ensuring the just treatment and the defense of the human dignity of immigrants."
"The immense promise and the vibrant energies of a new generation of Catholics are waiting to be tapped for the renewal of the Church’s life and the rebuilding of the fabric of American society,” he added.
Dignity of consecrated life
The Pontiff also spoke about the need to strengthen the rapport of friendship and trust between bishops and their priests, and offered encouragement for those many consecrated sisters who have given their all in service. "The urgent need in our own time," he explained, "for credible and attractive witnesses to the redemptive and transformative power of the Gospel makes it essential to recapture a sense of the sublime dignity and beauty of the consecrated life, to pray for religious vocations and to promote them actively, while strengthening existing channels for communication and cooperation, especially through the work of the Vicar or Delegate for Religious in each Diocese."
As the Church approaches the Year of Faith in October, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the convening of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic community in American will "awaken a desire… to reappropriate with joy and gratitude the priceless treasure of our faith,” the Pope said.
This Year of Faith, however, comes at a time when progressive ideologies threaten to overturn many of the Christian values in society. "The truth of Christ needs not only to be understood, articulated and defended,” he affirmed, “but to be proposed joyfully and confidently as the key to authentic human fulfillment and to the welfare of society as a whole."
Concluding his speech to the bishops and archbishops of Region XV, the Holy Father thanked God "for the signs of new vitality and hope with which he has blessed the Church in the United States of America. At the same time," he continued, "I ask him to confirm you and your Brother Bishops in your delicate mission of guiding the Catholic community in your country in the ways of unity, truth and charity as it faces the challenges of the future."
"With great affection I commend you, and the clergy, religious and lay faithful entrusted to your pastoral care, to the loving intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United States, and I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Lord."
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The Church is fighting for her life
Yesterday was a sad day in the Church in the United States. The Archdiocese of Washington and over 40 other Catholic dioceses and organizations filed lawsuits against the U.S. government over the HHS mandate that would force them to provide health services that violate their consciences. While the lawsuits are necessary for justice to prevail, the lawsuits represent an unprecedented and unwanted first step in the fight for religious freedom. The time, energy, and money involved will drain many of these institutions' resources. Winning these lawsuits will help them to avoid the fatal blow of bankruptcy which would result from the exorbitant fines of the mandate. But, victory will come at a steep price.
My hope is that all Catholics finally get that this battle transcends contraception. The Church in the U.S. is fighting for her life....and the life of all religious institutions. She is fighting for religious freedom and the freedom of conscience.
Here is the letter from Cardinal Wuerl which explains the reasoning behind the lawsuit. Also, and on a brighter note, he announces a rally on June 24 for freedom of conscience which will take place at GW! This is fitting because the first rally of this kind in the country was held by GW Catholics on this campus (click here for my related post)...!
May 21, 2012
Dear Friends,
This morning, the Archdiocese of Washington filed a lawsuit to challenge the mandate, recently issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, that fundamentally redefines the nation’s longstanding definition of religious ministry and requires our religious organizations to provide their employees with coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, contraceptives, and sterilization, even if doing so violates their religious beliefs. Just as our faith compels us to uphold the liberty and dignity of others, so too, we must defend our own.
Joining the archdiocese in this local lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, are three of our related corporations: Archbishop Carroll High School, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, and the Consortium of Catholic Academies. We are joined by the Catholic University of America in this action as well. Ours is one of twelve lawsuits filed today on behalf of 43 Catholic dioceses and organizations nationwide. The lawsuit in no way challenges either women's established legal right to obtain and use contraception or the right of employers to provide coverage for it if they so choose. This lawsuit is about religious freedom.
The First Amendment enshrines in our nation’s Constitution the principle that religious organizations must be able to practice their faith free from government interference. As is generally the case with laws that may burden religious exercise, the mandate includes an exemption for religious organizations. And if the religious exemption in the mandate were reasonable, there would have been no need for this lawsuit—after all, we are indeed “religious” under any sensible definition. However, the mandate’s exemption is the narrowest ever adopted in federal law. Crucially, it does not include any organization that serves the general public. So under this mandate, our Catholic hospitals, schools, and social service programs, which serve all people, are not “religious enough” to be allowed to follow our Catholic beliefs.
For Catholics, the practice of faith has always required not just acts of worship, but also – necessarily – loving, charitable service to others. The understanding of charity as an essential religious activity goes back to the foundation of Christianity. Jesus Christ taught that obeying the first great commandment -- loving God -- must impel us to fulfill the second great commandment -- loving our neighbor as ourselves. As put by the Apostle St. James: “Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:14-26). When asked what “love of neighbor” requires, Jesus commanded his followers to act like the Good Samaritan, explaining that Christian love must impel us to concrete action and must be universal – extending not just to those of our own kind, but also to outsiders and even enemies (Luke 10:25-36). And Jesus describes the Last Judgment, where he will say to those he has placed at his right hand:
“Come, O blessed of 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 I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. … Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25: 31-46).
Thus, for two millennia, Roman Catholic entities have been engaged in charitable works – serving not just Catholics, but non-Catholics as well, with the understanding that these works are an essential part of Christian love and the practice of the Christian faith. As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has recently put it, “love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential to [the Catholic Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel. The Church cannot neglect the service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments and the Word.”
Considering the dedicated efforts put into these good works, it is understandable to feel somewhat disheartened to see our government attempt to force the Church out of the public square. To be clear, that is the message that the HHS mandate conveys: our beliefs are not welcome. Those who have the temerity to hold onto their convictions will be fined.
The First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom, however, was not meant to protect merely the right to worship, but also the right to contribute the fruits of our faith to the common good. And until now, our government had chosen to honor that guarantee. Never before has the government contested that institutions like Archbishop Carroll High School or Catholic University are religious. Who would? But HHS’s conception of what constitutes the practice of religion is so narrow that even Mother Teresa would not have qualified. We know that such a law cannot stand. So above all we find cheer in the worthiness of our cause and in the love of our Creator, who imbued us with the very dignity and freedom that this lawsuit seeks to protect.
The Church did not choose this fight. It is HHS that has departed from long-standing practice and precedent to change the law; our response merely aims to preserve our existing rights. Although the Church would naturally remain open to good faith negotiations with the Administration, previous discussions yielded no reasonable compromise, and the Church has been given little reason to think further attempts would be fruitful. Bringing this claim to the courts ensures a fair and impartial hearing—one that we believe we will win. For up-to-date information on this matter, please visit http://www.preservereligiousfreedom.org/.
To further advance our support for religious liberty, I invite you to a special event to publicly witness to our faith and our freedom in the nation’s capital. On June 24, 2012, the Archdiocese of Washington will host a “Celebration of Freedom.” The rally will be held at the Smith Center of The George Washington University. Together with prayer and inspirational music, this rally will feature a video that highlights our heritage of religious freedom and the vital contributions of Catholics to building this nation. I hope you will join us for this wonderful event to celebrate our faith and, most importantly, to pray for our liberty. Your presence at this archdiocesan event will be testimony to how important it is to celebrate our faith and, most importantly, to pray for our liberty. This headline event is part of the Archdiocese of Washington’s response to the “Fortnight for Freedom” called for by the bishops of the United States. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.sacredproperty.org/.
In the coming weeks and months, may God remind us that the freedom of religion is only meaningful when we exercise it. And may God look with favor on our prayers for the success of this endeavor we have undertaken in His name.
With prayerful best wishes, I am
Faithfully in Christ,
Donald Cardinal Wuerl
Archbishop of Washington
My hope is that all Catholics finally get that this battle transcends contraception. The Church in the U.S. is fighting for her life....and the life of all religious institutions. She is fighting for religious freedom and the freedom of conscience.
Here is the letter from Cardinal Wuerl which explains the reasoning behind the lawsuit. Also, and on a brighter note, he announces a rally on June 24 for freedom of conscience which will take place at GW! This is fitting because the first rally of this kind in the country was held by GW Catholics on this campus (click here for my related post)...!
May 21, 2012
Dear Friends,
This morning, the Archdiocese of Washington filed a lawsuit to challenge the mandate, recently issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, that fundamentally redefines the nation’s longstanding definition of religious ministry and requires our religious organizations to provide their employees with coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, contraceptives, and sterilization, even if doing so violates their religious beliefs. Just as our faith compels us to uphold the liberty and dignity of others, so too, we must defend our own.
Joining the archdiocese in this local lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, are three of our related corporations: Archbishop Carroll High School, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, and the Consortium of Catholic Academies. We are joined by the Catholic University of America in this action as well. Ours is one of twelve lawsuits filed today on behalf of 43 Catholic dioceses and organizations nationwide. The lawsuit in no way challenges either women's established legal right to obtain and use contraception or the right of employers to provide coverage for it if they so choose. This lawsuit is about religious freedom.
The First Amendment enshrines in our nation’s Constitution the principle that religious organizations must be able to practice their faith free from government interference. As is generally the case with laws that may burden religious exercise, the mandate includes an exemption for religious organizations. And if the religious exemption in the mandate were reasonable, there would have been no need for this lawsuit—after all, we are indeed “religious” under any sensible definition. However, the mandate’s exemption is the narrowest ever adopted in federal law. Crucially, it does not include any organization that serves the general public. So under this mandate, our Catholic hospitals, schools, and social service programs, which serve all people, are not “religious enough” to be allowed to follow our Catholic beliefs.
For Catholics, the practice of faith has always required not just acts of worship, but also – necessarily – loving, charitable service to others. The understanding of charity as an essential religious activity goes back to the foundation of Christianity. Jesus Christ taught that obeying the first great commandment -- loving God -- must impel us to fulfill the second great commandment -- loving our neighbor as ourselves. As put by the Apostle St. James: “Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:14-26). When asked what “love of neighbor” requires, Jesus commanded his followers to act like the Good Samaritan, explaining that Christian love must impel us to concrete action and must be universal – extending not just to those of our own kind, but also to outsiders and even enemies (Luke 10:25-36). And Jesus describes the Last Judgment, where he will say to those he has placed at his right hand:
“Come, O blessed of 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 I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. … Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25: 31-46).
Thus, for two millennia, Roman Catholic entities have been engaged in charitable works – serving not just Catholics, but non-Catholics as well, with the understanding that these works are an essential part of Christian love and the practice of the Christian faith. As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has recently put it, “love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential to [the Catholic Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel. The Church cannot neglect the service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments and the Word.”
Considering the dedicated efforts put into these good works, it is understandable to feel somewhat disheartened to see our government attempt to force the Church out of the public square. To be clear, that is the message that the HHS mandate conveys: our beliefs are not welcome. Those who have the temerity to hold onto their convictions will be fined.
The First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom, however, was not meant to protect merely the right to worship, but also the right to contribute the fruits of our faith to the common good. And until now, our government had chosen to honor that guarantee. Never before has the government contested that institutions like Archbishop Carroll High School or Catholic University are religious. Who would? But HHS’s conception of what constitutes the practice of religion is so narrow that even Mother Teresa would not have qualified. We know that such a law cannot stand. So above all we find cheer in the worthiness of our cause and in the love of our Creator, who imbued us with the very dignity and freedom that this lawsuit seeks to protect.
The Church did not choose this fight. It is HHS that has departed from long-standing practice and precedent to change the law; our response merely aims to preserve our existing rights. Although the Church would naturally remain open to good faith negotiations with the Administration, previous discussions yielded no reasonable compromise, and the Church has been given little reason to think further attempts would be fruitful. Bringing this claim to the courts ensures a fair and impartial hearing—one that we believe we will win. For up-to-date information on this matter, please visit http://www.preservereligiousfreedom.org/.
To further advance our support for religious liberty, I invite you to a special event to publicly witness to our faith and our freedom in the nation’s capital. On June 24, 2012, the Archdiocese of Washington will host a “Celebration of Freedom.” The rally will be held at the Smith Center of The George Washington University. Together with prayer and inspirational music, this rally will feature a video that highlights our heritage of religious freedom and the vital contributions of Catholics to building this nation. I hope you will join us for this wonderful event to celebrate our faith and, most importantly, to pray for our liberty. Your presence at this archdiocesan event will be testimony to how important it is to celebrate our faith and, most importantly, to pray for our liberty. This headline event is part of the Archdiocese of Washington’s response to the “Fortnight for Freedom” called for by the bishops of the United States. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.sacredproperty.org/.
In the coming weeks and months, may God remind us that the freedom of religion is only meaningful when we exercise it. And may God look with favor on our prayers for the success of this endeavor we have undertaken in His name.
With prayerful best wishes, I am
Faithfully in Christ,
Donald Cardinal Wuerl
Archbishop of Washington
Monday, May 21, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
You are worth it
Congratulations to all graduating GW seniors!! The entire GW Catholic community applauds your many accomplishments and wishes you the best for the future. For GW Catholic seniors, we will see you at the Baccalaureate Mass tomorrow (5/19) at St. Stephen’s, 5:30 pm, with a light reception in the Parish Hall afterwards.
DC Hood game tonight! I will be joining other priests and seminarians for an outdoor basketball game against Holy Redeemer in Kensington, 6 pm. Go ‘Hood!
They taught us in the seminary that the primary task of a priest is to teach. The main purpose of my post last Friday was to teach. It was to bring an important teaching to an all-important discussion in our country. I knew that in presenting the teaching and in the way that I did, I was taking a risk. I was risking criticism, personal attacks, condemnation, and hatred. But, it was worth all of that to proclaim the teaching in a firm, clear, and passionate way. You are worth it. I love you so much, GW students, that I am willing to risk everything for you. You know that I love you because I have sacrificed everything for you. I laid down my life for you, my friends, six years ago in becoming a priest.
Coinciding with one of the comments from last Friday’s thread, my love for you requires me to say no to some behaviors that are harmful to you. God has revealed these to us in the form of the commandments. God is the first person to love us and God is the first person to say no to some behaviors which are hurtful. It is because He loves us that He says no to our sin. For three years as chaplain, I have explicated why acting against the commandments is harmful. It is because I love you and want what’s best for you that I have done this. If I didn’t love or care about you, I wouldn’t talk about God’s commandments… I would join the world in saying do whatever you want.
But, I always say yes to you, the person. People on this campus who know me know that I have consistently been available for all students for three years. Celibacy frees me to be always available for you. I have given up everything – wife, family, career – to be available for you. I am playfully ridiculed for being available 24/7 for Confession. That is my policy for anything. I am always available for you, no matter what your religion, sexuality, race, or ethnicity is. I have been open to all GW students and the Newman Center has been open to all. That will continue as long as I am here. Even if you disagree with me… even if you hate me…I am available for you.
You command respect. You are a human being. You are a person. You are a child of God made in His image and likeness. This gives you amazing dignity. I respect your dignity as a child of God and I honor it through respect, openness, kindness, and love. Christ gives the greatest example of love in laying down his life on the Cross. And yet, that love is seen as “foolishness” to the world (1 Cor 1:18). It is that love that I have tried to offer you. It is a love that says I will give up everything for you…I will risk it all for you…you are worth it….I love you so much that I will even risk being rejected by you.
DC Hood game tonight! I will be joining other priests and seminarians for an outdoor basketball game against Holy Redeemer in Kensington, 6 pm. Go ‘Hood!
They taught us in the seminary that the primary task of a priest is to teach. The main purpose of my post last Friday was to teach. It was to bring an important teaching to an all-important discussion in our country. I knew that in presenting the teaching and in the way that I did, I was taking a risk. I was risking criticism, personal attacks, condemnation, and hatred. But, it was worth all of that to proclaim the teaching in a firm, clear, and passionate way. You are worth it. I love you so much, GW students, that I am willing to risk everything for you. You know that I love you because I have sacrificed everything for you. I laid down my life for you, my friends, six years ago in becoming a priest.
Coinciding with one of the comments from last Friday’s thread, my love for you requires me to say no to some behaviors that are harmful to you. God has revealed these to us in the form of the commandments. God is the first person to love us and God is the first person to say no to some behaviors which are hurtful. It is because He loves us that He says no to our sin. For three years as chaplain, I have explicated why acting against the commandments is harmful. It is because I love you and want what’s best for you that I have done this. If I didn’t love or care about you, I wouldn’t talk about God’s commandments… I would join the world in saying do whatever you want.
But, I always say yes to you, the person. People on this campus who know me know that I have consistently been available for all students for three years. Celibacy frees me to be always available for you. I have given up everything – wife, family, career – to be available for you. I am playfully ridiculed for being available 24/7 for Confession. That is my policy for anything. I am always available for you, no matter what your religion, sexuality, race, or ethnicity is. I have been open to all GW students and the Newman Center has been open to all. That will continue as long as I am here. Even if you disagree with me… even if you hate me…I am available for you.
You command respect. You are a human being. You are a person. You are a child of God made in His image and likeness. This gives you amazing dignity. I respect your dignity as a child of God and I honor it through respect, openness, kindness, and love. Christ gives the greatest example of love in laying down his life on the Cross. And yet, that love is seen as “foolishness” to the world (1 Cor 1:18). It is that love that I have tried to offer you. It is a love that says I will give up everything for you…I will risk it all for you…you are worth it….I love you so much that I will even risk being rejected by you.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
"Water, Water Everywhere" (video)
Congratulations, GW students, on finishing your exams!! Thanks for another amazing and fruitful year. Keep it up through the summer - bearing fruit on the vine of Christ.
Here are two more videos from "That Catholic Show". The first is about the significance and use of water; hopefully, you are enjoying outdoor water in some way where you are. The second is about the priesthood. Btw, I went to seminary with the two priests who help produce these videos!
Here are two more videos from "That Catholic Show". The first is about the significance and use of water; hopefully, you are enjoying outdoor water in some way where you are. The second is about the priesthood. Btw, I went to seminary with the two priests who help produce these videos!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
"The Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body"
In last week's Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours, I (and all priests and religious...even the Pope) read the following reflection which we do every Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter. An ancient writing called "A letter to Diognetus", it gives a profound overview of being a Christian in the world.
“Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language, or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based on reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in...
And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven...
Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life...
To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.
Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body’s hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.”
“Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language, or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based on reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in...
And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven...
Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life...
To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.
Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body’s hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.”
Monday, May 14, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
"No human being can redefine marriage, especially a politician in an election year"
As Vatican II states, God is the author of marriage. He has defined marriage as between a man and a woman. So, marriage is between a man and a woman. Period. This is not just divine law, it is natural law (the law imprinted on each of our hearts about good and evil). Every single rational person knows that sexual relationships between persons of the same sex are unnatural and immoral. They know it in their hearts. And, yet, they go against what their hearts tell them when they try to argue for same-sex relationships and “gay marriage”. President Obama is the latest person to enter into this with his comments this week in support of same-sex marriage. He knows in his heart that marriage is between a man and a woman; he stated this as recently as a few years ago. Neither he nor anyone else has the authority to redefine marriage. God is the author of marriage; He has the sole author-ity to define marriage. No human being can redefine marriage, especially a politician in an election year.
Voters in North Carolina affirmed divine and natural law this week by passing a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Good for North Carolina in defending marriage! It is the 32nd state to vote in support of traditional marriage...32 out of 32.
Below are two statements from the USCCB website in response to the North Carolina vote and President Obama’s comments. Pray for our bishops!
CARDINAL DOLAN: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS ON MARRIAGE 'DEEPLY SADDENING'
May 9, 2012
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued the following statement:
President Obama’s comments today in support of the redefinition of marriage are deeply saddening. As I stated in my public letter to the President on September 20, 2011, the Catholic Bishops stand ready to affirm every positive measure taken by the President and the Administration to strengthen marriage and the family. However, we cannot be silent in the face of words or actions that would undermine the institution of marriage, the very cornerstone of our society. The people of this country, especially our children, deserve better. Unfortunately, President Obama’s words today are not surprising since they follow upon various actions already taken by his Administration that erode or ignore the unique meaning of marriage. I pray for the President every day, and will continue to pray that he and his Administration act justly to uphold and protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. May we all work to promote and protect marriage and by so doing serve the true good of all persons.
U.S. BISHOPS APPLAUD APPROVAL OF NORTH CAROLINA MARRIAGE AMENDMENT IN FACE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S RECENT COMMENTS
May 10, 2012
Marriage protection essential to the common good, says Bishop Cordileone
Cites right of every child to be raised by mother and father
North Carolina is 30th state to protect marriage via constitutional amendment
WASHINGTON—The decision by the voters of North Carolina to define marriage in a constitutional amendment as the union of one man and one woman “affirms the authentic and timeless meaning of marriage,” said Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland, California. Bishop Cordileone, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Promotion and Defense of Marriage of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), applauded the May 8 decision with Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh and Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte, North Carolina.
“The success of this amendment demonstrates people’s awareness of the essential role that marriage, as the union of a man and a woman, plays for the common good,” said Bishop Cordileone. “Despite his comments yesterday, I would hope that President Obama would recognize this essential role as well. This is not a partisan issue, but a matter of justice, fairness and equality for the law to uphold every child’s basic right to be welcomed and raised by his or her mother and father together.”
He added, “I extend my gratitude to all of the people in North Carolina who worked tirelessly to make this a reality. The people of North Carolina join millions of other Americans in affirming the importance of marriage in our society.”
North Carolina is the 30th state to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
The statement of Bishop Burbidge is available online: www.dioceseofraleigh.org/news/view.aspx?id=1486.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Georgetown Scandal
I have joked for a while that GWU is becoming more Catholic while Georgetown University is becoming more secular. In regards to the HHS mandate, it's serious! GW has had a more Catholic response (click here to see) than Georgetown. The write-up below from the Cardinal Newman Society sums up GU's response which is highly offensive to faithful Catholics. Please click here to sign a petition which urges the university to withdraw Kathleen Sebelius from speaking at its graduation ceremonies.
In what can only be interpreted as a direct challenge to America’s Catholic bishops, Georgetown University has announced that “pro-choice” Catholic Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and lead architect of the Obama administration’s assault on religious freedom through the HHS contraception mandate, has been invited to speak at one of Georgetown’s several graduation ceremonies.
The Cardinal Newman Society has posted a petition to protest this outrage here: GeorgetownScandal.com. It has also alerted Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl and sent a letter to Georgetown President John DeGioia urging him to immediately withdraw the invitation.
The nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university has chosen to honor Sebelius by granting her a prestigious platform at its Public Policy Institute graduation ceremony, despite her role as the lead architect of a healthcare mandate that will force Catholic institutions to pay for contraception, abortifacients and sterilization against their religious beliefs. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has termed the mandate “an unwarranted government definition of religion” that is “alien both to our Catholic tradition and to federal law,” “a violation of personal civil rights” and “a mandate to act against our teachings.”
But Secretary Sebelius’ record on abortion is at least as troubling as the mandate. When Governor of Kansas, Sebelius supported abortion rights and vetoed pro-life legislation. In 2008, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City reportedly told Sebelius, a Roman Catholic, to stop receiving the Eucharist until she publicly recants her position on abortion and makes a “worthy sacramental confession.”
Monday, May 07, 2012
Friday, May 04, 2012
Stamping Out Pornography Addiction
Stamping Out Pornography Addiction
Psychologist Peter Kleponis on the New Cocaine and How to Get Rid of It
WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 23, 2012 (Zenit.org).- After a half century of vigorous efforts to educate the public on the dangers of tobacco use, the prevalence of smoking and its level of acceptance dropped dramatically. According to Catholic psychologist Dr. Peter Kleponis, the same effort can and should be made regarding pornography.
Dr. Kloponis is the assistant director of Comprehensive Counseling Services in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. ZENIT spoke with him about pornography use and its addictive qualities -- and how to know when someone is addicted.
ZENIT: When have people crossed the line between the sexual imagery that is so prevalent everywhere in our culture, and actual pornography? Or is there a clear line?
Kleponis: To determine when a person has crossed the line between sexual imagery and pornography, we first need to look at how we define pornography. I define it as "any image that leads a person to use another person for his own sexual pleasure." The key word here is "use." Thus, the image doesn't have to be of an unclothed person. The woman seductively portrayed in a beer commercial during a football game can be just as pornographic as a woman shown in a hardcore pornographic movie on the Internet. The "line" is different for everyone. For some men, that beer commercial is a form of pornography because they may find themselves briefly lingering over the image and sexualizing it. Other men may not even notice the woman in the commercial. For those men, the image is an example of the sexual imagery that is prevalent in our society.
We also need to look at how images are designed to be used. It's obvious that hardcore pornography is meant to be sexually arousing. However, there are images of women in our society that are not defined as or marketed as pornography. However, common sense tells us that these publications are also designed to be sexually arousing for men. These would include the Victoria's Secret Catalog and the Sports Illustrated Swim Suit edition. Few men purposefully watch football games specifically for the commercials; however, most men view these publications specifically because they are sexually arousing. Thus, they could also be considered pornography.
ZENIT: The prevailing view for a lot of people is, "why is pornography so harmful; they're just images?" In a nutshell, how would you respond?
KIeponis: There are many reasons why pornography is harmful. First of all, pornography leads a man to use a woman for his own sexual pleasure. God never intended for us to use anyone. When a man is viewing pornography, he is usually not thinking that the woman is a person, with thoughts and feelings. He's not thinking that she's somebody's daughter or about the terrible circumstances that led her into the pornography industry. He is not aware of how the pornography industry abuses and exploits women. All he knows is that she is there solely for his sexual pleasure. This is using her.
Pornography is harmful to marriages and families. When a woman discovers her husband using pornography, she often feels devastated. Many women view this as serious as an extramarital affair. Marital trust has been broken. She loses all respect for her husband. She is no longer able to see her husband as a good role model for her children. Many women experience symptoms of severe emotional trauma because of their husband's pornography use.
Pornography harms young people's ability to have healthy relationships. The message it sends to young men is that women are there solely for their sexual pleasure. For young women, the message is that in order to be loved and desired, one has to look and act like a porn star. This may account for "sexting" and the spike in sexual promiscuity among young people. It's warping their view of what healthy sexuality and relationships are all about.
Finally, we now know that pornography is just as addictive as drugs or alcohol. Internet pornography has been called "the new crack cocaine" because of its addictiveness. As with any addiction, it can take over a person's life. This addiction is tearing apart marriages and families, ruining careers, and costing men thousands of dollars.
The bottom line is that pornography is not "just images." It is extremely damaging and should be avoided at all costs.
ZENIT: Is this just a problem for men?
KIeponis: Currently the breakdown of pornography addicts is 83% men and 17% women. Although it is still mainly a men's issue, more and more women are becoming addicted. However, the addiction is different for women. To understand this, we need to realize that men and women are "wired differently." Men are visually stimulated, and therefore they are attracted to the sexual images of pornography. While women enjoy looking at attractive men, they are not as visually stimulated as men. Women are more relationally stimulated. This is why they prefer romance novels, soap operas and "chick flicks." While some women are attracted to sexual images in pornography, most are attracted to Internet chat rooms.
In a chat room, a woman can be whoever she wants to be, and she can indulge in an online sexual relationship. She is, in essence, writing her own romance novel where she is the heroine. While there are no visual images used, the text is very pornographic in content. With this addiction, a woman can end up spending hours engaging in multiple online sexual relationships. What's more frightening is that women are more likely to meet in-person the men they have met online. This places them in potentially dangerous situations. Since it is a well-known fact that people lie about themselves in chat rooms, the man a woman meets could really be a dangerous predator. While women currently make up only 17% of pornography addicts, I believe this number will rise as more and more lonely women turn to chat rooms for comfort.
ZENIT: As you just noted, pornography use actually becomes an addiction. What are signs of this addiction?
KIeponis: Two common signs of an addiction are the development of a tolerance to the substance and a physical/emotional dependence on the substance. When a tolerance develops, a little of the substance is not enough. More is needed to get the same desired effect. With pornography addiction, a man will find himself spending more time online searching for porn. A few minutes turns into a few hours, and the content becomes more extreme. Instead of viewing it for a few minutes, he will end up spending several hours online. In addition, the type of pornography viewed becomes more extreme. Instead of soft porn, he now seeks out hardcore porn. This can include violent porn, fetishes, homosexual porn, and even child porn. This is because extreme pornography becomes the only kind of pornography that will arouse him.
Along with tolerance, a pornography addict will develop a dependence on it. Physically the body becomes dependent on the substance in order to function in daily life. Without a regular "fix" a man can experience real withdrawal symptoms. These include depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, difficulty with concentration, stomachaches and headaches. The dependence develops because the brain has become so accustomed to operating at an extreme level of stimulation (caused by the pornography use), that it can no longer function normally without that stimulation.
The ultimate symptom of an addiction is a life that is totally unmanageable, ruled by the addiction. The addiction has taken over and rules a man's life. Life becomes a constant search for the next fix, which in this case is viewing pornography and masturbating.
ZENIT: Is this addiction prevalent? What can be done to stop its growth across society?
KIeponis: Pornography addiction is highly prevalent in our society. Research has shown that there are approximately 16 million sex addicts in the United States; many of these people are specifically addicted to pornography. Another study found that 40% of Christians believe that pornography is a problem in the home, and 10% would admit to being addicted to pornography. Because of the shame attached to sex/pornography addiction, few people are willing to talk about it. Also, because this addiction is being fed in the privacy of people's homes, no one sees it. Thus, it seems invisible. However, every day thousands of people are becoming addicted to pornography. It's damaging marriages and families, ruining careers and enslaving people.
Because of our First Amendment right to freedom of speech, pornography will always be available in our society. I believe the best way to stop the spread of pornography addiction is through education. I compare this to tobacco use. Fifty years ago, doctors knew that smoking was killing people. They knew it was causing cancer, lung disease, heart disease, etc. However, it was politically incorrect to say anything negative about smoking. Every adult had the right to smoke. It took 50 years of massive public education, and the example of millions of people dying from tobacco use, to convince Americans that tobacco was dangerous. Today, most Americans don't smoke and are aware of the health risks associated with tobacco use. I believe that pornography addiction will have to be addressed in the same way. We need to educate Americans on the true dangers of pornography so that they too will choose not to use it.
* * *
Peter C. Kleponis, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Therapist and Assistant Director of Comprehensive Counseling Services in West Conshohocken, PA. He has 15 years of professional experience working with individuals, couples, families and organizations, specializing in marriage & family therapy, pastoral counseling, resolving anger, men's issues, and pornography addiction recovery (www.MaritalHealing.com)
Dr. Kleponis is giving an IPS Online Seminar on "Causes, Treatment and Prevention of Pornography Addiction" for 3.5 CEs May 11, 2012. For more information and to register, click here.
Psychologist Peter Kleponis on the New Cocaine and How to Get Rid of It
WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 23, 2012 (Zenit.org).- After a half century of vigorous efforts to educate the public on the dangers of tobacco use, the prevalence of smoking and its level of acceptance dropped dramatically. According to Catholic psychologist Dr. Peter Kleponis, the same effort can and should be made regarding pornography.
Dr. Kloponis is the assistant director of Comprehensive Counseling Services in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. ZENIT spoke with him about pornography use and its addictive qualities -- and how to know when someone is addicted.
ZENIT: When have people crossed the line between the sexual imagery that is so prevalent everywhere in our culture, and actual pornography? Or is there a clear line?
Kleponis: To determine when a person has crossed the line between sexual imagery and pornography, we first need to look at how we define pornography. I define it as "any image that leads a person to use another person for his own sexual pleasure." The key word here is "use." Thus, the image doesn't have to be of an unclothed person. The woman seductively portrayed in a beer commercial during a football game can be just as pornographic as a woman shown in a hardcore pornographic movie on the Internet. The "line" is different for everyone. For some men, that beer commercial is a form of pornography because they may find themselves briefly lingering over the image and sexualizing it. Other men may not even notice the woman in the commercial. For those men, the image is an example of the sexual imagery that is prevalent in our society.
We also need to look at how images are designed to be used. It's obvious that hardcore pornography is meant to be sexually arousing. However, there are images of women in our society that are not defined as or marketed as pornography. However, common sense tells us that these publications are also designed to be sexually arousing for men. These would include the Victoria's Secret Catalog and the Sports Illustrated Swim Suit edition. Few men purposefully watch football games specifically for the commercials; however, most men view these publications specifically because they are sexually arousing. Thus, they could also be considered pornography.
ZENIT: The prevailing view for a lot of people is, "why is pornography so harmful; they're just images?" In a nutshell, how would you respond?
KIeponis: There are many reasons why pornography is harmful. First of all, pornography leads a man to use a woman for his own sexual pleasure. God never intended for us to use anyone. When a man is viewing pornography, he is usually not thinking that the woman is a person, with thoughts and feelings. He's not thinking that she's somebody's daughter or about the terrible circumstances that led her into the pornography industry. He is not aware of how the pornography industry abuses and exploits women. All he knows is that she is there solely for his sexual pleasure. This is using her.
Pornography is harmful to marriages and families. When a woman discovers her husband using pornography, she often feels devastated. Many women view this as serious as an extramarital affair. Marital trust has been broken. She loses all respect for her husband. She is no longer able to see her husband as a good role model for her children. Many women experience symptoms of severe emotional trauma because of their husband's pornography use.
Pornography harms young people's ability to have healthy relationships. The message it sends to young men is that women are there solely for their sexual pleasure. For young women, the message is that in order to be loved and desired, one has to look and act like a porn star. This may account for "sexting" and the spike in sexual promiscuity among young people. It's warping their view of what healthy sexuality and relationships are all about.
Finally, we now know that pornography is just as addictive as drugs or alcohol. Internet pornography has been called "the new crack cocaine" because of its addictiveness. As with any addiction, it can take over a person's life. This addiction is tearing apart marriages and families, ruining careers, and costing men thousands of dollars.
The bottom line is that pornography is not "just images." It is extremely damaging and should be avoided at all costs.
ZENIT: Is this just a problem for men?
KIeponis: Currently the breakdown of pornography addicts is 83% men and 17% women. Although it is still mainly a men's issue, more and more women are becoming addicted. However, the addiction is different for women. To understand this, we need to realize that men and women are "wired differently." Men are visually stimulated, and therefore they are attracted to the sexual images of pornography. While women enjoy looking at attractive men, they are not as visually stimulated as men. Women are more relationally stimulated. This is why they prefer romance novels, soap operas and "chick flicks." While some women are attracted to sexual images in pornography, most are attracted to Internet chat rooms.
In a chat room, a woman can be whoever she wants to be, and she can indulge in an online sexual relationship. She is, in essence, writing her own romance novel where she is the heroine. While there are no visual images used, the text is very pornographic in content. With this addiction, a woman can end up spending hours engaging in multiple online sexual relationships. What's more frightening is that women are more likely to meet in-person the men they have met online. This places them in potentially dangerous situations. Since it is a well-known fact that people lie about themselves in chat rooms, the man a woman meets could really be a dangerous predator. While women currently make up only 17% of pornography addicts, I believe this number will rise as more and more lonely women turn to chat rooms for comfort.
ZENIT: As you just noted, pornography use actually becomes an addiction. What are signs of this addiction?
KIeponis: Two common signs of an addiction are the development of a tolerance to the substance and a physical/emotional dependence on the substance. When a tolerance develops, a little of the substance is not enough. More is needed to get the same desired effect. With pornography addiction, a man will find himself spending more time online searching for porn. A few minutes turns into a few hours, and the content becomes more extreme. Instead of viewing it for a few minutes, he will end up spending several hours online. In addition, the type of pornography viewed becomes more extreme. Instead of soft porn, he now seeks out hardcore porn. This can include violent porn, fetishes, homosexual porn, and even child porn. This is because extreme pornography becomes the only kind of pornography that will arouse him.
Along with tolerance, a pornography addict will develop a dependence on it. Physically the body becomes dependent on the substance in order to function in daily life. Without a regular "fix" a man can experience real withdrawal symptoms. These include depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, difficulty with concentration, stomachaches and headaches. The dependence develops because the brain has become so accustomed to operating at an extreme level of stimulation (caused by the pornography use), that it can no longer function normally without that stimulation.
The ultimate symptom of an addiction is a life that is totally unmanageable, ruled by the addiction. The addiction has taken over and rules a man's life. Life becomes a constant search for the next fix, which in this case is viewing pornography and masturbating.
ZENIT: Is this addiction prevalent? What can be done to stop its growth across society?
KIeponis: Pornography addiction is highly prevalent in our society. Research has shown that there are approximately 16 million sex addicts in the United States; many of these people are specifically addicted to pornography. Another study found that 40% of Christians believe that pornography is a problem in the home, and 10% would admit to being addicted to pornography. Because of the shame attached to sex/pornography addiction, few people are willing to talk about it. Also, because this addiction is being fed in the privacy of people's homes, no one sees it. Thus, it seems invisible. However, every day thousands of people are becoming addicted to pornography. It's damaging marriages and families, ruining careers and enslaving people.
Because of our First Amendment right to freedom of speech, pornography will always be available in our society. I believe the best way to stop the spread of pornography addiction is through education. I compare this to tobacco use. Fifty years ago, doctors knew that smoking was killing people. They knew it was causing cancer, lung disease, heart disease, etc. However, it was politically incorrect to say anything negative about smoking. Every adult had the right to smoke. It took 50 years of massive public education, and the example of millions of people dying from tobacco use, to convince Americans that tobacco was dangerous. Today, most Americans don't smoke and are aware of the health risks associated with tobacco use. I believe that pornography addiction will have to be addressed in the same way. We need to educate Americans on the true dangers of pornography so that they too will choose not to use it.
* * *
Peter C. Kleponis, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Therapist and Assistant Director of Comprehensive Counseling Services in West Conshohocken, PA. He has 15 years of professional experience working with individuals, couples, families and organizations, specializing in marriage & family therapy, pastoral counseling, resolving anger, men's issues, and pornography addiction recovery (www.MaritalHealing.com)
Dr. Kleponis is giving an IPS Online Seminar on "Causes, Treatment and Prevention of Pornography Addiction" for 3.5 CEs May 11, 2012. For more information and to register, click here.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
Why YOUNG Catholics Should Pray a Daily Rosary
As we begin the month of Mary, here's a timely and inspiring post about the importance of praying the rosary from "Young and Catholic" blog - http://youngandcatholic.net/2012/03/5-reasons-why-young-catholics-should-pray-a-daily-rosary/:
5 Reasons Why YOUNG Catholics Should Pray a Daily Rosary
Let’s be honest. The rosary isn’t the most popular prayer amongst our age group. It’s the prayer that we sometimes got guilt-tripped into reciting on long car rides with the family, or guilt-tripped into reciting while at the Lenten prayer service, or guilt-tripped into reciting when…well, you get the picture. For many of us, the rosary is pretty much just the result of a guilt trip.
However, despite what preconceived notions or feelings you may have towards the rosary, I submit to you that it should be a regular part of your daily life as a young Catholic. Why? Five main reasons:
1. In the fight against temptation and against Satan, a wimpy and sporadic prayer life simply will not do.
What does the prayer life of most people our age look like? Most likely: whatever we feel like that day. This is, quite simply, a recipe for disaster, and a fast-track to grave sin.
If you’re not accustomed to it, developing the habit of praying a daily rosary (or any consistent daily prayer) is difficult. Because of this, we can easily come up with a thousand reasons why getting in a rosary every day is just not all that important. The Catechism describes this battle of prayer:
2725 Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort. The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. We pray as we live, because we live as we pray. If we do not want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray habitually in his name. The “spiritual battle” of the Christian’s new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.
So, we turn to the one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal: the rosary.
“The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.” -Saint Josemaria Escriva
“No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary” -Bishop Hugh Doyle
2. Because “World Peace” isn’t just a go-to answer for beauty pageant contestants
Prayer may be described both as an internal struggle and as a spiritual battle, but as Christians, we are always faced with the task of bringing the peace of Christ to a confused and hurting world. How are we even to begin to go about this?
Mary literally gave us the answer to this herself. And then she made the sun dance.
If you’re not familiar with Mary’s apparitions at Fatima, she appeared several times to three children at the beginning of the twentieth century. Her message:
Our Lady stressed the importance of praying the Rosary in each of Her apparitions, asking the children to pray the Rosary every day for peace. Another principal part of the Message of Fatima is devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, which is terribly outraged and offended by the sins of humanity, and we are lovingly urged to console Her by making reparation. She showed Her Heart, surrounded by piercing thorns (which represented the sins against Her Immaculate Heart), to the children, who understood that their sacrifices could help to console Her.
Again and again, Mary has appealed to us in her apparitions to pray the rosary daily. Why not do as she says?
3. Because Jesus listens to his mom
We see this in John’s account of the gospel, when Jesus transforms the water into wine after Mary tells him they had run out at the wedding (John 2:1-11). In a similar way to the Old Testament, when the King listened to and respected the Queen Mother, so Jesus respects and listens to his Mother, Mary, Queen of Heaven.
“And the king said to her, ‘Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you” -1 Kings 2:20
Of course we can go straight to Jesus, but he has given us his Mother as well (John 19:27). And as we know from the gospel, Jesus hastens to answer his Mother’s requests.
4. Miracles Happen
“Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary.” -Pope Pius IX
Books could be filled (and, in fact, have been filled) with stories of miraculous healings, conversions, and other events brought about by the regular recitation of the rosary. There’s no reason to expect the rosary not to bring about some dramatic and powerful change in your life as well.
5. Because meditation helps us to “see for the first time”
The rosary is meant to be the “epitome of the entire Gospel”. When we pray the rosary, we are engaging in the practice of mediation
CCC 2708: Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.
Mediation is meant to lead us as a step along the way to true knowledge of the Lord, to personal union with Jesus. As GK Chesterton said, “If you look at a thing 999 times, you are perfectly safe; if you look at it for the 1000th time, you are in danger of seeing it for the first time.” This is what we attempt to do in mediation – to see for the first time. We meditate on the stories of the Gospel as we pray with Mary to help us see Jesus for the first time, to fall in love with Him by meditating upon his life.
So get the beads out and start praying! You won’t regret it
5 Reasons Why YOUNG Catholics Should Pray a Daily Rosary
Let’s be honest. The rosary isn’t the most popular prayer amongst our age group. It’s the prayer that we sometimes got guilt-tripped into reciting on long car rides with the family, or guilt-tripped into reciting while at the Lenten prayer service, or guilt-tripped into reciting when…well, you get the picture. For many of us, the rosary is pretty much just the result of a guilt trip.
However, despite what preconceived notions or feelings you may have towards the rosary, I submit to you that it should be a regular part of your daily life as a young Catholic. Why? Five main reasons:
1. In the fight against temptation and against Satan, a wimpy and sporadic prayer life simply will not do.
What does the prayer life of most people our age look like? Most likely: whatever we feel like that day. This is, quite simply, a recipe for disaster, and a fast-track to grave sin.
If you’re not accustomed to it, developing the habit of praying a daily rosary (or any consistent daily prayer) is difficult. Because of this, we can easily come up with a thousand reasons why getting in a rosary every day is just not all that important. The Catechism describes this battle of prayer:
2725 Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort. The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. We pray as we live, because we live as we pray. If we do not want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray habitually in his name. The “spiritual battle” of the Christian’s new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.
So, we turn to the one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal: the rosary.
“The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.” -Saint Josemaria Escriva
“No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary” -Bishop Hugh Doyle
2. Because “World Peace” isn’t just a go-to answer for beauty pageant contestants
Prayer may be described both as an internal struggle and as a spiritual battle, but as Christians, we are always faced with the task of bringing the peace of Christ to a confused and hurting world. How are we even to begin to go about this?
Mary literally gave us the answer to this herself. And then she made the sun dance.
If you’re not familiar with Mary’s apparitions at Fatima, she appeared several times to three children at the beginning of the twentieth century. Her message:
Our Lady stressed the importance of praying the Rosary in each of Her apparitions, asking the children to pray the Rosary every day for peace. Another principal part of the Message of Fatima is devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, which is terribly outraged and offended by the sins of humanity, and we are lovingly urged to console Her by making reparation. She showed Her Heart, surrounded by piercing thorns (which represented the sins against Her Immaculate Heart), to the children, who understood that their sacrifices could help to console Her.
Again and again, Mary has appealed to us in her apparitions to pray the rosary daily. Why not do as she says?
3. Because Jesus listens to his mom
We see this in John’s account of the gospel, when Jesus transforms the water into wine after Mary tells him they had run out at the wedding (John 2:1-11). In a similar way to the Old Testament, when the King listened to and respected the Queen Mother, so Jesus respects and listens to his Mother, Mary, Queen of Heaven.
“And the king said to her, ‘Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you” -1 Kings 2:20
Of course we can go straight to Jesus, but he has given us his Mother as well (John 19:27). And as we know from the gospel, Jesus hastens to answer his Mother’s requests.
4. Miracles Happen
“Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary.” -Pope Pius IX
Books could be filled (and, in fact, have been filled) with stories of miraculous healings, conversions, and other events brought about by the regular recitation of the rosary. There’s no reason to expect the rosary not to bring about some dramatic and powerful change in your life as well.
5. Because meditation helps us to “see for the first time”
The rosary is meant to be the “epitome of the entire Gospel”. When we pray the rosary, we are engaging in the practice of mediation
CCC 2708: Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.
Mediation is meant to lead us as a step along the way to true knowledge of the Lord, to personal union with Jesus. As GK Chesterton said, “If you look at a thing 999 times, you are perfectly safe; if you look at it for the 1000th time, you are in danger of seeing it for the first time.” This is what we attempt to do in mediation – to see for the first time. We meditate on the stories of the Gospel as we pray with Mary to help us see Jesus for the first time, to fall in love with Him by meditating upon his life.
So get the beads out and start praying! You won’t regret it
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Two more GW Catholic bloggers!
We have another GW Catholic blogger! That brings the total of three, that I know of. I have posted his most recent reflection which is very timely with today's Gospel..."my sheep hear my voice". And, the second one fits in perfectly because when we hear the voice of Christ, it is often that we hear the phrase that the disciples heard, "peace be with you". To this second blogger, I apologize for not posting her insightful spiritual reflections sooner. The links to each blog is below their posts. Oh, and btw, they are sophomores...sophomores!
Today's Gospel (Jn 10:22-30)
...My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
The Father and I are one."
Taking Time to Creep on Jesus' Profile
It's dead week here at THE George Washington University and the tension on campus is palpable right now as we approach the merciful end to another semester. Folks are sleep-deprived and more apt to start spontaneously murmur incoherent babble or let their tempers get the best of them. In times like this, when it is so very easy to get caught up in chaos of papers, finals and a comically endless slew of e-mails reminding us to fill out online course evaluations, it is more important than ever to try and set aside some quiet time each day for prayer and reflection.
Back at home, there's a framed picture on one of the walls of my living room that says, Make time for the quiet moments as God whispers and the world is loud. If we fill our lives with too much studying, too much Facebook or too much idle chatter, we can make it virtually impossible to hear the Lord speaking his will for us, to us. The risk is that will fall prey to the devil, who speaks very loudly through temptations, especially at our most stressed and weary moments.
Back at home, there's a framed picture on one of the walls of my living room that says, Make time for the quiet moments as God whispers and the world is loud. If we fill our lives with too much studying, too much Facebook or too much idle chatter, we can make it virtually impossible to hear the Lord speaking his will for us, to us. The risk is that will fall prey to the devil, who speaks very loudly through temptations, especially at our most stressed and weary moments.
Now, one cannot simply ignore their responsibilities as a student or as an employee or as a friend. The challenge is to make time for God. We can make time by subtracting what you really do not need. Rather than eating in front of the TV or the computer, eat silently in prayer or do 10 minutes of spiritual reading. Instead of spending study breaks with Facebook, spend them with Our Savior. After all, amongst your 900 billion notifications, don't forget to check and see what Jesus is writing on your Wall!
This week and next I'm trying to take just 10 extra minutes per day and devote them to my spiritual formation. I hope you will join me! It should help us all to be a little more patient and a little saner. Remember, no time devoted to God is ever wasted and overlooked.
http://voicecriesout.blogspot.com/
Give Peace a Chance
Dona nobis pacem. Give us peace. It's a phrase every Catholic is familiar with, even just in passing. Most people are accustomed to hearing about peace every week at Mass in the Agnus Dei, but nowhere else. That is only the most obvious example, because if you pay attention to the Bible, you know Jesus preaches about peace. If you listen to hymns, many of them devote lyrical space to peace. Even the Blessed Mother has a title devoted to peace (as in, Our Lady, Queen of Peace). Clearly this is an important aspect of our Catholic faith, but so many people don't seem to know it. I myself am a champion at not being peaceful. I can be boisterous, I can be active, and I'm great at worrying, but peace is something that eludes me rather often, and I notice that it seems to elude many others, as well. I'd like to outline a few reasons we should all be paying more attention to and striving after peace in our lives.
Reason #1: Peace is Scriptural. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus preaches specifically on having peace. Chapter 6, verses 25-34 are all about peace. Not peace with others, which is important, but peace within ourselves, which I believe is more important because if there is peace within people, it becomes easier for them to achieve peace with others. In particular, verse 34 says, "Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil." This advice is helpful both practically and spiritually, as we can no more affect our vocation, job prospects, or family life by worrying than we can the weather. Work one day at a time toward your desired end in accordance with God's will, and try not to worry. God knows what He has planned for you, and it will come along much more easily if you're at peace about it than if you worry yourself to pieces.
Reason #2: Peace is part of Tradition. Quick! Do you know what precedes the Sign of Peace in the Mass? It's five rapid-fire mentions of the word peace. We give peace to each other in the Mass, but how many of us bother to receive it? Paul exhorts us to greet each other with the kiss of peace, and Christians actually used to do it! Now we hardly want to give each other the Sign of Peace when we're told to, and although I understand the arguments against allowing the members of the congregation to give each other the Sign of Peace during the Mass, I find that for the most part, people who do actually give it are more at peace, or seem to be, anyway. If we've been conveying the peace of Christ to each other in some way for two millennia, why stop now? It must be important if it's lasted this long.
Reason #3: We're going to have to be at peace at some point. How many times have you worried about something, only to completely deflate when it was over? For me, that's pretty much every stressful thing I do, and I become utterly useless when I finish, neither allowing myself peace when I need it most, nor when I can actually enjoy it. Why do so many people seem to be afraid of being at peace? Why would we rather pull our hair out over things than handle them as the (mostly) relatively minor situations they are? I have no clue, but sooner or later, we're going to have to relax a little. Saint Augustine said that our hearts are restless until they rest in God, but even he acknowledges that our hearts have to rest at some point, even if it's only in heaven. Some day, each of us is going to have to be at peace, so why not cut ourselves a little slack now and practice?
Yes, I realize that saying this now is a little hypocritical, as I'm sitting on my friends' couch, surrounded by books, food, empty pizza boxes, and the clothes I changed out of earlier this morning, having just finished two ridiculous final assignments. However, I know that once Tuesday afternoon comes, I'll be able to relax just a little bit, take my time, and maybe even get in a little time for being peaceful. And I'll enjoy that. No running around, no worrying, just hanging out with my friends for a bit before finals. I'm looking forward to being at peace this week, even if I'll start to stress again next week. For now, the peace of Christ be with you. You could probably use it.
http://reflectionsofacatholicinformation.blogspot.com/
Today's Gospel (Jn 10:22-30)
...My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
The Father and I are one."
Taking Time to Creep on Jesus' Profile
It's dead week here at THE George Washington University and the tension on campus is palpable right now as we approach the merciful end to another semester. Folks are sleep-deprived and more apt to start spontaneously murmur incoherent babble or let their tempers get the best of them. In times like this, when it is so very easy to get caught up in chaos of papers, finals and a comically endless slew of e-mails reminding us to fill out online course evaluations, it is more important than ever to try and set aside some quiet time each day for prayer and reflection.
Back at home, there's a framed picture on one of the walls of my living room that says, Make time for the quiet moments as God whispers and the world is loud. If we fill our lives with too much studying, too much Facebook or too much idle chatter, we can make it virtually impossible to hear the Lord speaking his will for us, to us. The risk is that will fall prey to the devil, who speaks very loudly through temptations, especially at our most stressed and weary moments.
Back at home, there's a framed picture on one of the walls of my living room that says, Make time for the quiet moments as God whispers and the world is loud. If we fill our lives with too much studying, too much Facebook or too much idle chatter, we can make it virtually impossible to hear the Lord speaking his will for us, to us. The risk is that will fall prey to the devil, who speaks very loudly through temptations, especially at our most stressed and weary moments.
Now, one cannot simply ignore their responsibilities as a student or as an employee or as a friend. The challenge is to make time for God. We can make time by subtracting what you really do not need. Rather than eating in front of the TV or the computer, eat silently in prayer or do 10 minutes of spiritual reading. Instead of spending study breaks with Facebook, spend them with Our Savior. After all, amongst your 900 billion notifications, don't forget to check and see what Jesus is writing on your Wall!
This week and next I'm trying to take just 10 extra minutes per day and devote them to my spiritual formation. I hope you will join me! It should help us all to be a little more patient and a little saner. Remember, no time devoted to God is ever wasted and overlooked.
http://voicecriesout.blogspot.com/
Give Peace a Chance
Dona nobis pacem. Give us peace. It's a phrase every Catholic is familiar with, even just in passing. Most people are accustomed to hearing about peace every week at Mass in the Agnus Dei, but nowhere else. That is only the most obvious example, because if you pay attention to the Bible, you know Jesus preaches about peace. If you listen to hymns, many of them devote lyrical space to peace. Even the Blessed Mother has a title devoted to peace (as in, Our Lady, Queen of Peace). Clearly this is an important aspect of our Catholic faith, but so many people don't seem to know it. I myself am a champion at not being peaceful. I can be boisterous, I can be active, and I'm great at worrying, but peace is something that eludes me rather often, and I notice that it seems to elude many others, as well. I'd like to outline a few reasons we should all be paying more attention to and striving after peace in our lives.
Reason #1: Peace is Scriptural. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus preaches specifically on having peace. Chapter 6, verses 25-34 are all about peace. Not peace with others, which is important, but peace within ourselves, which I believe is more important because if there is peace within people, it becomes easier for them to achieve peace with others. In particular, verse 34 says, "Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil." This advice is helpful both practically and spiritually, as we can no more affect our vocation, job prospects, or family life by worrying than we can the weather. Work one day at a time toward your desired end in accordance with God's will, and try not to worry. God knows what He has planned for you, and it will come along much more easily if you're at peace about it than if you worry yourself to pieces.
Reason #2: Peace is part of Tradition. Quick! Do you know what precedes the Sign of Peace in the Mass? It's five rapid-fire mentions of the word peace. We give peace to each other in the Mass, but how many of us bother to receive it? Paul exhorts us to greet each other with the kiss of peace, and Christians actually used to do it! Now we hardly want to give each other the Sign of Peace when we're told to, and although I understand the arguments against allowing the members of the congregation to give each other the Sign of Peace during the Mass, I find that for the most part, people who do actually give it are more at peace, or seem to be, anyway. If we've been conveying the peace of Christ to each other in some way for two millennia, why stop now? It must be important if it's lasted this long.
Reason #3: We're going to have to be at peace at some point. How many times have you worried about something, only to completely deflate when it was over? For me, that's pretty much every stressful thing I do, and I become utterly useless when I finish, neither allowing myself peace when I need it most, nor when I can actually enjoy it. Why do so many people seem to be afraid of being at peace? Why would we rather pull our hair out over things than handle them as the (mostly) relatively minor situations they are? I have no clue, but sooner or later, we're going to have to relax a little. Saint Augustine said that our hearts are restless until they rest in God, but even he acknowledges that our hearts have to rest at some point, even if it's only in heaven. Some day, each of us is going to have to be at peace, so why not cut ourselves a little slack now and practice?
Yes, I realize that saying this now is a little hypocritical, as I'm sitting on my friends' couch, surrounded by books, food, empty pizza boxes, and the clothes I changed out of earlier this morning, having just finished two ridiculous final assignments. However, I know that once Tuesday afternoon comes, I'll be able to relax just a little bit, take my time, and maybe even get in a little time for being peaceful. And I'll enjoy that. No running around, no worrying, just hanging out with my friends for a bit before finals. I'm looking forward to being at peace this week, even if I'll start to stress again next week. For now, the peace of Christ be with you. You could probably use it.
http://reflectionsofacatholicinformation.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)