Sunday, June 30, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Fortnight Day 6 - Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
Does the Catholic Church want to rule the United States of America?
And here is a video of today's Rosary:
And here is a video of today's Rosary:
The Church and Today's Supreme Court Decision
10 years ago, the Church wrote a document warning about decisions like the one we have today from our Supreme Court. The document is entitled
CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS
Click here to read it. I wonder how often it has been preached on? I wonder how many Catholics (priests or otherwise) have ever bothered to read it? It isn't nearly as entertaining as all of the entertainment options that we have out there (computer games, tv shows, movies, Netflix, etc.) but if you want to do something positive to try to save the Republic then do the following
1) read the thing by clicking here
2) then read it again (click here) figuring out "how can I succinctly help someone else understand what is in this document?"
3) then go succinctly help someone else understand what is in this document
CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS
Click here to read it. I wonder how often it has been preached on? I wonder how many Catholics (priests or otherwise) have ever bothered to read it? It isn't nearly as entertaining as all of the entertainment options that we have out there (computer games, tv shows, movies, Netflix, etc.) but if you want to do something positive to try to save the Republic then do the following
1) read the thing by clicking here
2) then read it again (click here) figuring out "how can I succinctly help someone else understand what is in this document?"
3) then go succinctly help someone else understand what is in this document
Tolkien on Christianity's Success Rate in This World
J.R.R. Tolkien: "I am a Christian, and indeed a Roman Catholic, so that I do not expect
'history' to be anything but a 'long defeat' - though it contains some samples or
glimpses of final victory."
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
A Response to J Patrick Redmond
I don't who J Patrick Redmond is, but apparently he is a blogger/author that a lot of people who favor the redefinition of marriage follow.
He posted his response to my "Mark of the Beast" post that I did several months ago (click here to read). He's a little late to the party, since I originally wrote the piece about three months ago, but since he has followers, I thought I'd answer his comment/post.
He posted on his blog:
"Sad, very sad indeed. You, sir, are no man of God. You are an enabler of hate. People listen to you; your words have power. Yet, you use this power to inflict harm.
LGBTQ teens, young adults, men and women will be beaten, gay-bashed, commit suicide, and even murdered — as they have in the past — by these same potent words and vitriolic statements.
Some folks understand your words as opportunity and permission to hate. Blessings to do so by a priest no less! Perhaps, Father, you should start with getting your Catholic house in order — from Brazil, Indiana to the Vatican. The Catholic Church is currently in no position to “cast stones” or to place judgment.”
1) The inference at the end is an old and tired one - "the "Church" has sinned, so it can't say anything is wrong, etc. etc."... but using that poor logic, given the fact that the majority of children abused were boys and young men, wouldn't that make the abusing priests also members of the LGBQT community? Therefore, by your logic, the LGBQT community has no moral authority to say that the Church is wrong either.
2) Again, I'm assuming here that he is referring to priests abusing children when he pleads that the Catholic Church "get our house in order." A question naturally arises - if priests hadn't abused children, does that mean that the Church WOULD be able to talk about the wrongness of homosexual sex? One only reverts to ad hominem (or in this case ad ecclesiam) attacks to distract the readership from a valid point.
3) Finally, I've asked seemingly thousands of people who want to redefine marriage the following question, and none have been able to answer it - "If two men can marry each other, why can't three." I'd love to hear your response, if you have the time.
He posted his response to my "Mark of the Beast" post that I did several months ago (click here to read). He's a little late to the party, since I originally wrote the piece about three months ago, but since he has followers, I thought I'd answer his comment/post.
He posted on his blog:
"Sad, very sad indeed. You, sir, are no man of God. You are an enabler of hate. People listen to you; your words have power. Yet, you use this power to inflict harm.
LGBTQ teens, young adults, men and women will be beaten, gay-bashed, commit suicide, and even murdered — as they have in the past — by these same potent words and vitriolic statements.
Some folks understand your words as opportunity and permission to hate. Blessings to do so by a priest no less! Perhaps, Father, you should start with getting your Catholic house in order — from Brazil, Indiana to the Vatican. The Catholic Church is currently in no position to “cast stones” or to place judgment.”
1) The inference at the end is an old and tired one - "the "Church" has sinned, so it can't say anything is wrong, etc. etc."... but using that poor logic, given the fact that the majority of children abused were boys and young men, wouldn't that make the abusing priests also members of the LGBQT community? Therefore, by your logic, the LGBQT community has no moral authority to say that the Church is wrong either.
2) Again, I'm assuming here that he is referring to priests abusing children when he pleads that the Catholic Church "get our house in order." A question naturally arises - if priests hadn't abused children, does that mean that the Church WOULD be able to talk about the wrongness of homosexual sex? One only reverts to ad hominem (or in this case ad ecclesiam) attacks to distract the readership from a valid point.
3) Finally, I've asked seemingly thousands of people who want to redefine marriage the following question, and none have been able to answer it - "If two men can marry each other, why can't three." I'd love to hear your response, if you have the time.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Are you waiting until they want to arrest YOU???
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"
- Edmund Burke
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Let's Get it On, Catholic Style
It's "Fortnight For Freedom" time!
I wish this were published a few weeks ago so parishes could have planned these events ahead of time, but overall I think the Fortnight Program has been well publicized.
What are you doing for this year's Fortnight for Freedom?
Here's some fact sheets from the USCCB on threats we face. Click on any sheet to see a larger version
I wish this were published a few weeks ago so parishes could have planned these events ahead of time, but overall I think the Fortnight Program has been well publicized.
What are you doing for this year's Fortnight for Freedom?
Here's some fact sheets from the USCCB on threats we face. Click on any sheet to see a larger version
Monday, June 17, 2013
Is Pope Francis a Glorified Social Worker?
Many are of course trying to tell the world how they know what Pope Francis is about. Many have tried to make him into some guy who isn't really Catholic but is rather a transcendent figure who cares about only the poor.
Here's a video where Pope Francis as Cardinal Bergoglio is pretty clear on what REALLY motivates and drives his love for the poor.
Pope Francs talks about the Devil all the time, the Eucharist, and he prays the Rosary daily. Those who want to ignore the Holy Father's source of motivation and focus only on his outward results do so at their own peril.
Here's a video where Pope Francis as Cardinal Bergoglio is pretty clear on what REALLY motivates and drives his love for the poor.
Pope Francs talks about the Devil all the time, the Eucharist, and he prays the Rosary daily. Those who want to ignore the Holy Father's source of motivation and focus only on his outward results do so at their own peril.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Sacramental Ministry is Hard on the Parish and the Priest
"Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching
and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God."
-Luke 8:1
A Thank You Video for Fathers Day
A new video about dads from Catholic Vote. Thanks to all the fathers out there - we need you!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
1 Corinthians 13:13, Updated
If the Apostle Paul were an American despot writing in 2013:
"Three things alone remain, Faith in me, Hope in me, and Welfare, and the greatest of these is Welfare."
Embryonic Stem cell "research" - check
Tax money for abortions here and overseas - check
Force Catholic companies to violate their conscience or close - check
Use the IRS to bludgeon pro-life groups - check
Use the gigantic government apparatus to spy on every American - check
Thank you cards may be sent to "Catholics for Obama"
"Three things alone remain, Faith in me, Hope in me, and Welfare, and the greatest of these is Welfare."
Embryonic Stem cell "research" - check
Tax money for abortions here and overseas - check
Force Catholic companies to violate their conscience or close - check
Use the IRS to bludgeon pro-life groups - check
Use the gigantic government apparatus to spy on every American - check
Thank you cards may be sent to "Catholics for Obama"
Friday, June 7, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Celebrating 4 Years of Priesthood Today
Today I celebrate my fourth anniversary of priesthood, and I can't imagine a better way to celebrate! This morning, my brother Tony and I were one of the first few hundred people into St. Peter's Basilica, and I was able to have Mass at the "Altar of the Presentation in the Temple". It was AWESOME to celebrate Mass there. There are probably thirty altars throughout the Basiilica, and each morning priests are allowed to come in and celebrate Mass from 7am until around 8am. After the morning, the pilgrims usually start to make it a less prayerful place, but when there are all the Masses being said at all of the different altars, it is an amazingly awesome time to be in the basilica. Below is a photo at the altar immediately after Mass finished.
Another cool feature of the multiple Masses being prayed throughout the Basilica is that sometimes a group at one of the altars will sing or chant, and so throughout the Church, for about an hour, the space is filled with (but not overpowered by) beautiful hymns of praise. At the altar directly across from the "Altar of the Presentation" is the altar where Blessed Pope John Paul II is buried, and there was a massive Polish Pilgrimage celebrating Mass 100 yards or so from us. They sang and chanted most of the Mass, and although I don't know a lick of Polish, it provided a beautiful aura for our Mass as well.
After Mass, my brother and I had a nice Italian breakfast to celebrate four blessed years of priesthood. Here's a photo of us enjoying some coronetti and espresso. I had a double shot to celebrate the anniversary.
Just a brief reflection from the day: the reading at Mass today is the reading that is perhaps most associated with the vocation of marriage - the interaction between the Archangel Raphael with Tobiah and his wife Sarah (click here to read the readings for the day). In my brief homily I simply noted that it would at first seem somewhat ironic that a priest have that particular reading on his anniversary of ordination, but there is much in common between the priesthood and marriage. A priest marries the Church and is asked to be a "Father" just as a husband is given the same call. And just as in the story of Tobiah, the "Father" is guided by an angel, so to priests are guided by the angels and saints. Also, just as Tobiah and his wife Sarah kneel in prayer together, a priest is sustained by prayer. As Archbishop Buechlein once told me, "when a priest comes to me and says he's thinking about leaving the priesthood, I always ask him how long ago he stopped praying."
I end with the opening prayer from the Mass a priest prays on the anniversary of his ordination:
Another cool feature of the multiple Masses being prayed throughout the Basilica is that sometimes a group at one of the altars will sing or chant, and so throughout the Church, for about an hour, the space is filled with (but not overpowered by) beautiful hymns of praise. At the altar directly across from the "Altar of the Presentation" is the altar where Blessed Pope John Paul II is buried, and there was a massive Polish Pilgrimage celebrating Mass 100 yards or so from us. They sang and chanted most of the Mass, and although I don't know a lick of Polish, it provided a beautiful aura for our Mass as well.
After Mass, my brother and I had a nice Italian breakfast to celebrate four blessed years of priesthood. Here's a photo of us enjoying some coronetti and espresso. I had a double shot to celebrate the anniversary.
Just a brief reflection from the day: the reading at Mass today is the reading that is perhaps most associated with the vocation of marriage - the interaction between the Archangel Raphael with Tobiah and his wife Sarah (click here to read the readings for the day). In my brief homily I simply noted that it would at first seem somewhat ironic that a priest have that particular reading on his anniversary of ordination, but there is much in common between the priesthood and marriage. A priest marries the Church and is asked to be a "Father" just as a husband is given the same call. And just as in the story of Tobiah, the "Father" is guided by an angel, so to priests are guided by the angels and saints. Also, just as Tobiah and his wife Sarah kneel in prayer together, a priest is sustained by prayer. As Archbishop Buechlein once told me, "when a priest comes to me and says he's thinking about leaving the priesthood, I always ask him how long ago he stopped praying."
I end with the opening prayer from the Mass a priest prays on the anniversary of his ordination:
Holy Father, who, by no merit of my own, chose me
for communion with the eternal priesthood of your Christ
and for the ministry of your Church,
grant that I may be an ardent yet gentle preacher of the Gospel
and a faithful steward of your mysteries.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
for communion with the eternal priesthood of your Christ
and for the ministry of your Church,
grant that I may be an ardent yet gentle preacher of the Gospel
and a faithful steward of your mysteries.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.