Too bad they can't just dislike us a lot...

With the way modern TV has become (see above), I am quickly becoming very supportive of Michael Voris, executive producer of RealCatholicTV.com. He has had some brilliant commentary on the Obama at Notre Dame Debacle as I posted here a few days ago. But now he has come up with a very intensive reflection for our last week of Lent.

Unfortunately, many Catholics will blow this off. Some priests, deacons, and lay people alike may laugh off his position as being "extremist" or "overly traditional" or "being too Catholic." I, for one, think he couldn't be more right. If you read through the Letters of St. Paul he clearly said, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as "refuse" [which in the original Greek really means "poop"] in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him (Phil 1:8-9)."

With relatively recent surveys that have up to 60% of Catholics, if not more, NOT believing in the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, one wonders what will become of Christ's Holy Catholic Church which we have been entrusted with to promote and to grow. If only more priests and deacons would preach on the fact that everyone in the parish is, whether they know it or not, part of the RCIA team at each and every Parish! Every one of us is already giving the witness of the importance and persistent practice of our Catholic Faith... or we aren't. The question we must ask ourselves is can we say everything else in our life, even our own earthly desires - including our desire to see the Church transformed the way we want to see it go, have been crucified with Christ, so that in Christ I meet God's way of living, God's way of thinking, because in our baptism we have already been made his adopted sons and daughters!!!

Let us be like the littlest children, and obey God with childlike love by means of the teachings of his Holy Catholic Church - though we may disagree with our priest or our deacons, never let us forget that they are not our Catholic Faith. Our Catholic Faith comes in the teachings of Holy Mother Church (which can be found summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church). We should never let a priest, deacon or lay person lead us astray or cause us to lose faith, though they are human they are still our brothers and sisters in Christ and we should obey Him who gave them pastoral authority over us (namely God our Father), as hard as it may be sometimes.

In fact, one of my students at the Biblical School asked me this morning if Paul really meant in Romans 13:1 "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath but for the sake of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due (Rom 13:1-3)." The answer is YES, he did mean it! We must be faithful citizens, but to be faithful citizens means to honor Christ above all things, otherwise we aren't even faithful to being what we are!!!

The question, in the Notre Dame Scandal, is whether our President is due an honorary Doctorate by a Catholic Institution. The answer, demonstrably, is "No!" ON the one hand, we due owe respect to the office of President. On the other, if we are to serve Christ first above all things, even the President cannot be held in honor by a University claiming the glorious title "Catholic."

As I said, Michael Voris has a great point and each of us should also consider our own lives and whether each of us - priest, deacon, or lay person - are also worthy of having others consider our life and ascribe to us that same glorious title of being "Catholic." Even if people are annoyed by us, at least he has a point.

What if your ALMA MATER DID IT?!

Michael Voris over at RealCatholicTV.com is nothing if not gutsy! He is turning up the heat by calling for the resignation or at least to put the pressure on Fr. Jenkins, current president at Notre Dame, for the outrage of disobeying the Bishops of our Country. You can find his latest commentary on the subject either by subscribing at RealCatholicTV.com or by following this link.

In fact, as he says in the video link above, he has now also posted a survey for those of us who wish to make our voices heard, as he himself is tied into the University as an alumnus. Please visit his site and add your voice to the many other faithful Catholics who are speaking out. You can find it here: http://www.realcatholictv.net/ndobama/survey.php

Let us join this man who is standing up for the Church and for those innocents whose lives are being destroyed in our country. God bless you Michael Voris!

This is NOT FUNNY!!!!

You have got to be kidding me! Will the "desecrating Sacrilege (Mt 24:15)" be appearing again? I am just asking the question, mind you...

PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU ARE A CATHOLIC!!!

http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2009/03/23/News/Jenkins.Obama.honored.University.By.Accepting-3679015.shtml

What's sad is Fr. Jenkins, may God have mercy on his soul, can't see a difference between this president and the whole line of other presidents prior to him. What happened to so-called Academic Freedom that is supposed to "cause us to think"? I guess thinking with the heart of the Church is out of the question, hunh?

The Number to call to tell the President of Notre Dame to stop "our President" from giving a commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame, effectively approving the policies of his administration then please call: 574-631-5000.

If only I could show you the Vortex on www.realcatholicTV.com (which I can't get to post on here), there is a brilliant commentary on this outrage by Michael Voris who not only is a practicing Catholic, but also an alumnus of Notre Dame. The best I can do is give you his petition, which also has a pretty good summary on it.

UPDATE: Ok, though I can't post it here, please follow this link as it is that commentary I mentioned above!

I am sorry... I just can't help laughing... is it because of my cynicism, or is this really funny?

Who is in to going with me? http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/index.php

Well... he has a point...

The only problem is, and it is arguably the fundamental dilemma of our country, is not that we have power of our own sake. For as Our Lord taught us, "You would have no power over me, unless it was given to you from above." In fact, what seems to sound so good in the above video should cause some disturbance to us as Catholics. Not because we are not citizens or something like that, rather Thomas Paine was himself a Freemason, who inherently was also led to reject the Catholic Church and her teachings. Although we live in a country in which we are encouraged to be very patriotic, we must remember that, as Catholics, we have a more important citizenship - and it is NOT to the VATICAN ITSELF, but to HEAVEN!!! We are already citizens of Heaven and citizens of the United States, but we must never let the latter overtake or usurp our need to live out our citizenship to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

I just can't help it...

How in the world am I supposed to ignore this recent report that the State of Missouri is now on the lookout for Ron Paul & Chuck Baldwin supporters? I am definitely opposed to "Abortion on Demand." And I have been an advocate for the vision of Dr. Ron Paul, though not an official endorser, due to being aware that I am associated with the Parish. Certainly, as you read through my posts, I have not been about the business of promoting Dr. Paul, for purely political reasons, but always through the lens of the implications towards the Catholic Faith. In fact, as a matter of service to and for the sake of the education of the Catholic Parish of St. Jude, I have also added to my links the website for the Constitution Party - entitled "Consider whether this 3rd Political Party "jives" with our Catholic Faith..."

Nevertheless, it appears one of united States, namely Missouri, would consider me a "terrorist." I am not now, nor have I ever been a terrorist... though there was that one time when I was bein' a lion...

but beyond that... nothing, I swear. (...and anyway that picture is grainy, and you can't even really tell it was me.)

I am seriously concerned for our country if this is where we are heading to call political parties near-criminal and seemingly towards the outlawing of political ideologies people don't like. Why? Precisely because not many people like the Catholic Church, and we have to be very aware of that. Nevertheless, St. Paul reminds us, "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1Cor 1:18)." We know, as well, that Jesus taught us who follow him, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (Jn 16:19)."

As a Catholic Church we must remember that we strive to follow after Jesus Christ, not because he is one among many options, but because he IS the Truth, and the only Truth. While we must be sensitive and apologetic (though never apologizing) for our Holy Catholic Faith, let us never allow ourselves to think we are merely one denomination among many for Christians. Jesus established one Holy Catholic Church for the sake of humanity to understand all that God wants us to know, and it is fully given in the Catholic Faith. The world continues to plot to attack the Church, but for now the world is seeking to destroy the right of mankind to have free speech and to voice one's disagreement with the current government. I for one will not shut up, I will not give up my faith - so help me God!

As Chuck Baldwin points out this egregious attack on free American Citizens affects us all, but in particular the Catholic Church. Specifically for the "abortion on demand" element of this, which may, as Mr Baldwin points out, have already broader reaching effects possibly in the sharing of these criteria for terrorists in other states, and possibly with a Federal implementation. The money quote, as they say comes from the Martin Niemoeller who was a decorated U-Boat Captain and pastor of great distinction. Who, at first, supported Hitler's policies, but in the end saw the implications too late. He is attributed as saying:

"They came first for the communists, and I did not speak up - because I was not a communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak up - because I was not a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak up because I was not a Jew; And then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak up."

Ron Paul is a flash in the pan, in the end; albiet an important one, I would argue. But the enduring liberty and, more importantly, the inalienable rights that have established the United States government directly effect our Holy Mother Church in these same United States. Let us then be leary of these encroachments that will culminate in the persecution of the Church - for where the defense of unborn life is seen as an act of terrorism, the Church will not back down now. As one of my friends used to say, "If loving the Lord is wrong, I DON'T WANT TO BE RIGHT!" And, if all of us are faithful, St. Ignatius of Antioch may prove his wisdom once again when he said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church!"

Could this be true...

Our Catholic Faith will be under attack soon, if the government is truly going this way, because the Socialists hate the Catholic Church, since we actually promote the education and self-sufficiency of each human being. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless America!

Need a new kind of update...?

I recently had the opportunity to hear Mr. Michael Voris give an incredible talk on the fundamental reality of evil in the world and the Church's reality and call to push back the darkness in the world.

Mr. Voris was actually a newscaster for a good number of years and he eventually, in spite of working for the newsmedia, came back to his Catholic Faith. Because of this, he has more recently has started a new endeavor. It is called RealCatholicTv.com, and it is awesome. You can get free Catholic news updates that are quick and very informative, but did I mention it is FREE!

But perhaps you need a good laugh from a Catholic perspective? Well, Mr. Vories is Irish and the sterotype is true (at least here) he is pretty funny, as I experienced at his talk at the Living the Catholic Faith Conference back on March 13-14. You might enjoy his humor in his commentary on modern culture known as the Vortex. It is the drywit humor that you can't help but laugh at. For example, watch this old video here.

If you might be interested, definitely go the website for RealCatholicTv.com and sign up for the free website and watch it daily. You get news, commentary and a Daily Saint! FOR FREE... AND IT IS CATHOLIC, really CATHOLIC! Real Catholic TV! I am trying to watch it more frequently as well. Care to discuss?

UPDATE on classes

It appears that everything is ready for the children to begin classes in the Community Center beginning on Sunday. When parents come the Community Center Liz will be able to direct everyone to their proper location. Mostly everyone will be down in the Lower Level, though we will need to have one class in the Church basement. We will look forward to seeing you all on Sunday or next week on Tuesday or Wednesday.

How could one be so ignorant....

I don't get it. If you were the President of the United States, you would think you would be an educated man. Yet it appears that at least one of our former presidents doesn't even get the basic reality that an embryo, as defined by science - even atheistic scientists, is already fertilized! For this reason, since it is no longer merely an egg, and already a real human person in reality the Church continues to maintain that the destruction of these human beings is intrinsically evil. But apparently our former President is either for changing basic scientific definitions or is completely ignorant of some basic biology:


This comes from a great website my wife sent me today, which you can find here.

How do you know...

I got an email from one of my students today at the Catholic Biblical School that I loved. It is such a beautiful question: "How do we know we are doing God's will?"

Why is it so beautiful? Precisely, because it is "the song" of the heart of one who is in love! St. Thomas Aquinas noted that to love someone is "to will the Good of the other." And this is precisely at the heart of this question.

It does not seem like there is much that can be withheld when one loves then, eh? If you would will God's will, then you desire your whole life to be at his service. But how did I respond may be your next question....

Well I began with what is recently becoming one of my favorite scriptures, because it has applied for me (especially given my previous post): “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying, but test everything; hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil.”

The problem when it comes to God's will is that we have to remember what Isaiah taught first the Israelites and then us Gentiles who have been brought into the living family of God and the Ark of Salvation, known as the Catholic Church. Particularly, in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." In other words, we have to know that God thinks with an eternal perspective and with an eternal plan of salvation.

As I responded: "It is necessary to ask for God’s will because, at times, we have a last minute God (especially since there is NO watch big enough for him to receive on Father’s day). Our plans can be all laid out, and things may not go as we expect or hope. Jesus himself said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this chalice from me; nevertheless, not my will but yours, be done (Lk 22:42).” So Jesus, at least in his humanity, had the idea that God’s will could still be different than what he had come to understand. And why? Why would he hold out this hope? For you and I to realize that God is a God of love, but one who asks we love with childlike obedience to trust Our Father. We see things from such a limited perspective. We only have our fluctuating emotions and our desires, good and bad, and our human experience to make the decisions we make, yet God sees things wholly (or holistically – as people like to say these days), from an eternal perspective and with His perfect plan for our greatest joy – but as the Catechism says, “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails ascesis [i.e. spiritual purification] and mortification [i.e. bodily training] that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes. (CCC #2015)” Why? Because we must learn to collaborate with God as his children, growing into the full stature of Christ, desiring only God’s will as our own because He has already manifestly and persistently shown his love for us."

Let us always seek his will, because for us who have received Him with Faith, as manifested in our Baptism, we now have our True Father who is in heaven. As Jesus taught us, "What is born of flesh is flesh, what is born of Spirit is Spirit (Jn 3:6)."

Things could always be worse...

After I found out on November 6th that I would have a week to move the whole Holy Family House into the Youth Center so that our business administrator's wife, Tammi, could start her preschool in the Holy Family House, people would ask me how are you doing, and I would say, "I could be worse." It was sad to learn that some people had brought their kids to the Holy Family House 26 years before. Hopefully the sacrifice of the children's space will be a real bolster to the parish though when the new preschool starts.

It turns out things could get worse for me though, after our having moved out in a week in November of last year, I was just informed today at 2:30 that I would be moved out of the Youth Center this Friday March 13th from the Youth Center into the Community Center. I hope this move will also help the parish when Tammi starts her Summer Day camp in there, after it has been renovated to help the space she needs.

As a result of this, as I wrote to most of the parents, we will begin classes next week in the Community Center starting next Sunday. This means quite a busy weekend to do make sure this will be done by Sunday when classes start, and I had plans with my wife, with the kids at my parents... ah well. I guess it is Lent, after all.

And anyways... it could be worse...

Danger Will Robinson, DANGER!!!

Pray.

It turns out the anti-Catholic Bias is now not being kept in the halls of abortion clinics and on Bill Maher's show anymore. It apparently is preparing to go governmental. PLEASE READ THIS!!!

I guess the question becomes: is this true? ANd if it is, then we should all be worried for we are soon to see more American Martyrs.

UPDATE! After checking out the Bridgeport Diocese website it is true, and we must consider how to best support our Brothers and Sisters now being persecuted.

A little bit of levity...

A friend of mine sent this to me, perhaps it may brighten your spirits in the midst of our country experiencing our moral crisis manifested in an economic crisis:

Jesus and Satan arguing about the computer....

Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.

Finally fed up, God said, “THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job.”

So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.

They moused.

They faxed.

They e-mailed.

They e-mailed with attachments.

They downloaded.

They did spreadsheets!

They wrote reports.

They created labels and cards.

They created charts and graphs.

They did some genealogy reports.

They did every job known to man.

Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.

Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.

Jesus just sighed.

Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming: “It's gone! It's all GONE! I lost everything when the power went out!”

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work.

Satan observed this and became irate.

“Wait!' he screamed. That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his
work and I don't have any?”

God just shrugged and said, “JESUS SAVES.”