In Just Five Days!

Five days remain until we celebrate the birth of our Savior, and so I wanted to share this video with you. It features the song, Mary Did You Know. Merry Christmas!

Evangelization Opportunity

Visit The Reason For Our Hope Foundation website where Father Larry Richards presents some great lessons on the Catholic Faith on both audio and video. You may also listen audio files of past homilies he’s given at his parish, St. Joseph Church/Bread of Life Community, in Erie Pennsylvania.

I became a fan of Father Larry Richards after listening to his audio presentation a year or two ago entitled, The Mass Explained. I have since purchased the video of this presentation, which I believe is a must see for every Catholic, fallen-away Catholic, and those thinking of converting to the catholic Faith.

I like Father Larry’s style! He pulls no punches and never compromises the truth!

Are You a Real MAN?

Are you a MAN, or do you just think you’re a MAN? Just as merely uttering the words, ‘I love you’ are meaningless without them being made manifest through action, calling yourself a MAN, is equally as meaningless without acting like one!

What must I do to be a real MAN you ask? God provided us the perfect example of what it is to be a MAN in our Lord Jesus Christ! Another great example is St. Joseph, the man God charged to love and care for His very Son, as well as our Blessed Mother!

Want to be a REAL MAN? For starters, take a little time away from the things far less important, pray for wisdom, and get yourself a copy of Father Larry Richards latest book, Be A Man, and as you read it allow the words to sink in and take root! Then ask God for the grace and strength to make the necessary changes in your life!

Father Larry is right on target, and pulls no punches in offering his words of wisdom in the areas of love, marital fidelity, lust, sex, and everything else we need to know about to really and truly Be A Man!

Heaven on Earth

Father Larry Richards, in his presentation entitled, The Mass Explained, says this about what occurs at every Mass, ‘eternity folds into the present and the present folds into eternity.’

At the beginning of each Mass we hear the priest say these words in what is known as the Penitential Rite, “My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.”

Yes, the fact that the God of the universe, Jesus Christ, becomes truly present among us and gives Himself to us in the Eucharist is a mystery of faith. As we commemorate Christ’s one redeeming sacrifice for the sins of the world, we join our Blessed Mother and all the angels and saints at the foot of the cross as we give glory and honor to our Savior as He gives us His life so that we may live!

How awesome is this image? And how privileged we are to stand in His presence!

Dr. Scott Hahn, in his book, The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, uses a beautiful illustration of the Mass as a time “when heaven touches down to save an earth under siege.” Of course Dr. Hahn is referring to the continuous battle we wage against the spiritual forces of darkness perpetrated by Satan and his army of demons.

Now that we have a little knowledge of what goes on at Mass, it should be a place where we all long to be! We should be there as often as possible, and eagerly look forward to each and every celebration of this Holy Sacrifice!

Please pass this on to all our Catholic brothers and sisters, as well as all humanity for that matter – Jesus gave His life for ALL!

A Tale Of A Good Shepherd And A Lost Sheep

Recently, Congressman Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island has clashed with the Catholic Church and Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Diocese of Providence regarding the congressman’s public support of a health care reform bill which supports public funding for abortions.

Congressman Kennedy’s public support for the right to choose abortion and his criticism of the Catholic Church’s opposition to the current health care reform bill is in clear contradiction to his claim that he is a practicing Catholic. At this juncture, the bishop would be negligent in not responding to, and caring for a sheep that has wandered from the flock into dangerous surroundings!

All of this has now made national news. Congressman Kennedy claimed in an interview dated November 22, 2009, that Bishop Tobin has forbid him to receive Holy Communion. You may read Bishop Tobin’s response to Kennedy’s claims here.

Catholics should be concerned not so much with the their ability to receive the sacraments, but with whether or not they are properly disposed to receive them. Christ’s sanctifying and saving grace is conferred through the sacraments when the recipient is properly disposed to receive that grace, i.e., receiving the Eucharist in the state of mortal is not the proper disposition toward receiving the Sacrament. The same goes for the sacrament of Confession (Penance, Reconciliation). The recipient asking to be absolved is not properly disposed to the sacrament if he or she is not sincerely contrite, and willing to repent and make every effort to avoid sin in the future.

Discussions on local radio talk shows has served to reveal that many professed Catholics, at least in and around the Diocese of Providence have much to learn about the Faith they claim to be practicing. A professed Catholic is not at liberty to pick and choose which Church doctrine he or she believes and follows, and what he or she does not believe, and thus does not follow. The Church has one teaching authority, the Magisterium, whose teachings are the true teachings received from Jesus Christ and passed on through apostolic succession over the centuries up to the present day.

We cannot profess the Catholic Faith and then do what we want concerning abortion, contraception, and reception of the sacraments etc.!

As Catholics, and I include myself, we need to spend much more time learning about and practicing our Faith, then on doing things that do little to enhance the quality of our life here on earth, much less our eternal life!

This is a wake up call for the Catholic Church. We are in dire need of better ways in which to educate the faithful and evangelize the truth. We need to pray more often and more fervently, not only for ourselves, but for our Holy Father, our bishops and priests and all the clergy and religious, all catechists, all political leaders, and everyone throughout the world who does not know Christ, or does not think that Christ is essential in their lives!

Let us pray for Bishop Tobin, that he remain close to our Lord, and continue to courageously and boldly proclaim and stand by the truth as he shepherds his flock! And let us pray for Congressman Kennedy, and all Catholics, whom have strayed and are wandering, that they may safely return home!

Always Time for Mass

http://www.masstimes.org/ is a great resource for those wanting to attend Mass when they are unable to take advantage of the Mass times offered at their home parishes.

This website offers listings for Mass times, Confession schedules, and times of Eucharistic Adoration in numerous languages and numerous countries. You may search it by country, province, diocese, and postal zip code.

I have used it and have found it extremely helpful when I have wanted to attend daily Mass when the Mass time in my home parish conflicts with my work schedule, or when looking for a time and place to go to Confession or Eucharistic Adoration.

How Do We Reject Christ?

I preface the following post by saying that I offer it in the spirit of love, and by no means out of a sense of self-righteousness! I have certainly been guilty of countless instances in which I traded Christ’s offer of an intimate relationship for the things of this world and my own selfish desires!

There is no doubt Christ experienced tremendous physical pain and suffering as he went to the cross for us, but was his physical suffering the thing that caused him the most anguish?

I thought of this during Mass today. I thought of all the times I chose to satisfy my physical needs and desires by making and taking the time to do so, rather than making the time to do the things that would help build my relationship with the God of the universe, the God who longs to be a close friend to this lowly sinner! In other words, I REJECTED HIM! I rejected him no less than those who cried out, “CRUCIFY HIM”!

We must ask ourselves, is it the rejection of Christ’s unending and extreme love for us that caused him the most intense anguish and pain as he prepared for the cross at Gethsemane? How do we feel when we are rejected by those we love? Magnify that feeling trillions of times over and we would only be able to begin to imagine what Christ must have felt and still feels today as we reject his love and invitation to share in his divinity!

We always seem to be able to make time for everything else but for the one who really matters, Jesus Christ!

Jesus strongly desires to be with us! Do we strongly desire to be with him? How painful it must have been for our Lord to know that so many would never respond to, or even give a second thought to what he was about to do out of love for us and a desire to be with us for eternity!

Jesus gives himself to us daily in the Eucharist – please consider preparing yourself through the sacrament of Reconciliation to receive him into your heart with all of the praise and worship he deserves, and then welcome him eagerly under your roof by receiving him in the Eucharist!

Let's Listen to Our Mother!

I recently finished a book entitled, "Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa". The author, Immaculee Ilibagiza, survived the terrible genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994 – thirteen years after Our Blessed Mother warned of the atrocities through the visionaries she appeared to in the village of Kibeho, Rwanda.

Over a million lives were lost in the genocide, including Immaculee’s grandparents, mother, father, and two brothers. However, under the care and direction of our Blessed Mother, combined with her faith in Almighty God, Immaculee forgives her family’s killers, and continues to preach about forgiveness and reconciliation to this day.

This book has inspired me to strive for a closer relationship with my heavenly Mother, a Mother who loves us and whose only desire is to draw us closer to her Son! I am sure it will continue to have the same impact on many others who read its pages.

Mary appeared to three young college girls in 1981. She predicted the genocide in Rwanda 13 years before it happened. This convinced the Vatican that the apparitions were real. Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the genocide and wrote the best selling novel Left to Tell. She was left to tell the remarkable story of how Our Lady appeared in Kibeho, Africa.

Reflections on the Eucharist

Lord, I am eager to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as often as I am able! It is there that you give me yourself in the Eucharist! And when I am properly prepared and disposed to receive you, the grace that you offer is astounding!

It is equally awesome to think, that the Creator of the vast universe in which we live, the designer of the complexities of it all, and the one who keeps it all in perfect balance, even as we fail to take proper care of what you have given us, humbles himself to become truly present in the form of bread and wine in order that I may be nourished for my journey back to you, Lord! How can I thank you, Lord, other than to say, “I am yours, I want to do your will, use me for the purpose for which you created me!” Amen!

Spectators On and About the Cross

Watch and listen to Bishop Fulton Sheen in his last Good Friday homily, recorded in 1979 at St. Agnes church, New York. This is part 1 of a 5 part video with a total time of about 45 minutes. It will be 45 minutes very well spent!

The title of the homily is Spectators On and About the Cross. The bishop speaks of three types of SPECTATORS; Spectators of indifference, or those who have fallen away, Spectators of pain, and Spectators of love. We are those spectators.

Heaven, Hell, Purgatory | Fathers for Good

Heaven, Hell, Purgatory | Fathers for Good

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Battle Over the Doctrine of Salvation

The Battle continues to wage over doctrine concerning salvation. Well meaning non-Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ vehemently argue that we Catholics are wrong to believe that works are an important aspect of salvation. In doing so they usually site a passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus in which he says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NAB).

These admonishments seem to imply that we Catholics believe that our salvation is determined solely by our works, and are therefore ignorant concerning the true Source of our salvation, and thus are not truly saved. Nothing could be further from the truth. If our brothers and sisters in Christ would just take the time to study carefully and prayerfully the teachings of the Catholic Church, they would soon learn of their gross misunderstanding, and perhaps even consider entering into the fullness of the Church! For it is there that Christ, the God of the universe and all its splendor and awesome wonder, humbles Himself out of love for each one of us, and makes Himself present in the sacrament of the Eucharist, giving Himself to us in a form we can understand and experience with all of our senses. What an awesome God to offer nourishment for our bodies and souls daily as we make our journey back to Him! Thank You Lord!!!

I can assure you that nowhere in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or in any other Magisterial teaching of the Catholic Church will one find anything that remotely implies that we Catholics are to believe that we are saved solely by our works, or that our salvation is contingent solely upon how good we tried to be in this lifetime! Catholics believe that we are saved by the grace which God makes available to us through our Lord Jesus Christ, which was gained for us through His passion, death and resurrection. It is a free gift to those who will accept it by faith!

We are free to accept or reject this gift, but if we make the freewill choice to accept it, we must continuously ask for God’s grace in order to meet the demands of daily Christian existence! As fallen creatures, this takes WORK! Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23-24, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily 11 and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” This means we must begin to deny ourselves in order to love and serve others, and we must live our lives in a manner that is indicative of our gratitude for God’s saving grace!

The words, ‘I am saved by grace alone’ seem to imply that once the free gift of salvation is accepted we need do nothing more then wait for God to carry us off to Heaven! Consider the following. The words, ‘I love you’ are meaningless without action, or, if you will, WORKS! Can we tell our wives, husbands, children, or anyone else for that matter that we love them and never give of ourselves to show it! Can one truly and sincerely accept God’s saving grace by merely speaking the words? I think we can all agree that the answer is no!

St. James talks about the necessity of both faith and works when he says the following, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called "the friend of God." See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26 NAB)

PLEASE, I appreciate the zeal expressed by my non-Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ, and the concern that they should have for my salvation, but I ask humbly and charitably to PLEASE look up and prayerfully read for yourself all that the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about SALVATION. Remember also that there is ONE TEACHING AUTHORITY for the Catholic Church, the Magisterium, which has been around for 2000 years, and will continue to exist until Christ returns.

Jesus Himself said, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13 and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Matt 16:18 NAB) THE Church will remain despite the attacks of Satan, all human frailty and weakness, and all persecution, until Jesus returns! Jesus said it, so you can BELIEVE it!

It is with charity and not pride that I ask that you to accept the Magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church as truth, for the sin of pride leads to death rather than life, and our Lord Jesus Christ is the Way, Truth, and the Life. There is no better way to intimately know and receive Jesus than in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which He, Himself instituted at the Last Supper as a way to remain with us until His return!

Approximately 1500 years after Christ founded His Church, a Catholic priest by the name of Martin Luther, publicly protested (the word from which the word Protestant is derived) against several practices of the Catholic Church. Satan saw this as a golden opportunity and an open door to conduct a clever attack, which for a relatively short period of time (500 years) has resulted in an extremely rapid increase in dissension and division among Christians, to the extent that there are now literally tens of thousands of Christian churches and denominations that continue to divide over doctrinal issues.

Contained in the Liturgy of the Catholic Mass, as part of the Eucharistic Prayer II are the very beautiful words, “Lord, remember your Church throughout the world; make us grow in love, together with Benedict XVI, our Pope . . .” Let us all ask the Holy Spirit for the wisdom to recognize the truth, and to protect us from all deception that hinders us from experiencing the closest relationship we can possibly have with our Savior, which is in the Eucharist!

All Saints Day

Halloween is in 2 days; a time when many children and some adults have fun dressing up, going to parties, or trick or treating, but more importantly is the day that follows, which is All Saints Day.

Saints are special because they showed God how much they loved Him by the way they lived their lives. Saints are important to us because they set the example of how we are to live our lives doing God’s will! Learn more about this special day here. You will also find a collection of great prayers fitting for this day in the Church year.

Pray the Rosary

Why pray the Rosary?

The Church believes that it is necessary for a Christian to meditate (prayerfully think about) the will of God, the life and teachings of Jesus, the price He paid for our salvation, and so on. Unless we do this we will begin to take these great gifts for granted and ultimately fall away from the Lord. Every Christian must meditate in some way in order to preserve the gift of salvation (James 1:22-25). Many Catholic and non-Catholic Christians prayerfully read and apply Scripture to their lives, that is, meditate on them. With the rosary this can be done virtually anywhere and anytime . . . read more

Here is a great resource for praying the Rosary online . . . Come Pray the Rosary

Blessed Brother Andre - Thank you, Phil!

Recently, a co-worker took his family on a trip to Montreal, Canada. Prior to leaving for the trip, Phil informed me that he intended to visit both Notre Dame and St. Joseph’s Oratory. He began to tell me about a visit to St. Joseph’s with his family as a youth, and how he learned then of the miraculous healings that occurred there over the years. It was refreshing to see that this man was excited about taking his family on a vacation that would both educate his children, as well as potentially impact their faith formation.

Upon his return from Notre Dame and St. Joseph’s Oratory, Phil presented me with a booklet about the man responsible for the establishment of St. Joseph’s, Blessed Brother Andre. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the life of such a great man of God, but what truly impressed me was my co-worker's thoughtfulness! When Phil gave me the booklet, I couldn’t help but think, here is a man that took the time to pick up a booklet that he knew I would enjoy reading, all while vacationing and spending time with his family. Thank you, Phil! May God always give you the grace necessary to continue to love and care for your family the way St. Joseph cared for Jesus and Our Blessed Mother!

Phil also told me that he prayed and lit candles at St. Joseph’s for one of our co-workers and the wife of a retired friend and co-worker, both of whom are seriously ill! Let us all keep Doreen and Linda in our prayers!

I love reading about the saints and also about those whose cause for beatification and canonization is in progress!

As Catholics, we look to the saints as role models. Saints, as well as those being considered for canonization, are ordinary people whose love for God and gratitude toward Him, manifests itself in what the Church refers to as living lives of heroic virtue. Heroic virtue is extraordinary and supernatural in nature because it is made possible only by the grace of God.

As Christians, we look to Christ as our number one Role Model. In his infinite wisdom, Christ, through his Church, also gives us the saints as role models.

The saints exemplify the extent to which we should all attempt to imitate Christ, and so it is useful to examine their lives to see what caused their transformation from ordinary to extraorinary.

For most it was a recognition of God’s love and mercy. Saints are not perfect people. St. Paul zealously pursued and persecuted Christians before his conversion. St. Peter, the rock upon which our Lord built his Church, publicly denied knowing Christ out of fear for his own life three times. St. Monica prayed for her son, St. Augustine for seventeen years before his conversion. There is hope for all of us through the grace of God!

You Are Special!

You Are Special!

What is it about us that prevents us from taking a moment every now and then to consider the incomprehensible majesty of our Creator?

It is amazing to think that our Creator God, our Heavenly Father, who remains in control of every aspect of the vastness of this universe, desires an intimate relationship with each and every one of us! THANK YOU, LORD!

If you ever found yourself thinking that you were nothing special, or perhaps even worthless and without purpose, think again!

The Creator of this vast universe would never have humbled Himself to walk among us and suffer terribly in order to offer us salvation if we were worthless creatures, however small and insignificant we may think we are, or seem to appear, in comparison to the incomprehensible size of the universe! THANK YOU, LORD!

God considers us to be so special that He remains with us to this day, again humbly making Himself available to us under the appearance of bread and wine in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist! He desires to be with you! Do you desire to be with Him? THANK YOU, LORD!

The Mass: Why Are We There?

I love seeing full churches at any Mass, and I would encourage all Catholics to attend Mass, not just on Sundays, but whenever possible. I realize that there are many responsibilities and commitments that place great demands on our time, but where there is a will, there is a way.

The more we learn about our Catholic faith, and the more we grow in knowledge of the grace available to us, especially in the sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession/Reconciliation, the more eager we will become to make time to go to Confession and attend and participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The entire Liturgy of the Mass is one big, beautiful prayer of worship and thanksgiving. I encourage you to take the time to listen carefully to the liturgy, and participate fully at Mass.

My prayer is that all Catholics, including myself, through the grace of Almighty God, will continue to grow in the knowledge of our faith, and to realize what a privilege it is to not only be in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also to be able to unite with Him in the Eucharist.

“We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit.” (from the Eucharistic prayer at Mass)

I am always on the lookout for good resources, especially videos, that will increase our knowledge of what the Mass is all about, which I pray will eventually lead us all into a full appreciation for this most precious Gift we have available to us!

The following is a video I found on YouTube and published by the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The title is Introduction to the Mass. At its conclusion, a series of videos will continue to play, each giving explanations for each part of the Mass.

One of my all time favorite video teachings on the Mass is entitled, The Mass Explained. It is presented most eloquently by Father Larry Richards. There is little doubt that you will find Father Richards to be very informative! He is a great speaker with the God-given ability to hold your attention! This video, along with other great resources can be found at The Reason For Our Hope Foundation.

Please don’t hesitate to share this with others! Thank you for your time, and may our Lord’s peace remain with you always!

Seven Secrets of Successful Parishioners

Our pastor recently published an abridged version of an article entitled, Seven Secrets of Successful Parishioners in this past week’s bulletin. The article was written by Paul Wilkes, and appeared in the August 2004 edition of The Catholic Update. The full article may be read here.

Immediately following the article in the bulletin was an encouraging and inspirational comment from our beloved pastor, in which he stated that we fit the description of successful parishioners as illustrated in the article.

Here are those “Seven Secrets of Successful Parishioners”

1) Believe in the Adventure of Being Catholic

. . . "We've never done that before" or "That's not in the budget" are not insurmountable barriers to living out what successful parishioners know is the gospel mandate to heal and serve and comfort and educate and evangelize. They are optimists who say, "This is too good an opportunity to pass up; let's do it, let's find the money and the people somehow, some way." . . .

2) Believe in Other Parishioners

. . . So it is in our parishes. The successful parishioner looks out over the parish and sees untapped talent, seeds waiting to sprout, an abundance of goodness just waiting to be summoned for whatever task is at hand. It's all there, the successful parishioner senses. It doesn't need to be "hired out"; it just needs to be summoned forth. . . .

3) See the Parish as the Spiritual Epicenter of Their Life

. . . To the successful parishioner, the parish is the Church. This takes nothing away from the universal Church of which we all are a part. But a universal church does not have the companionship, the immediacy, the intimacy of the parish and the successful parishioner continually returns to this spiritual home. This is the extended spiritual family, promising fellow travelers for this portion of the pilgrimage that is our lives. . .

4) Do Not Always Have to Win or Be Right

. . . The successful parishioner cares too much about the parish to look upon it as a jousting match or a place where ego must triumph and be continually fed.

This "secret" is not one that strong-minded, active parishioners always practice well, but it is absolutely crucial in the makeup of the successful parishioner. For without it, the Holy Spirit has little room to influence or inform or steer. . . .

5) Are Proud Enough of the Parish to Represent It Well

. . . Successful parishioners are ambassadors for their parish. While admitting the parish still has so much more to do to meet the needs of its people, the community and the world, they speak in positive terms about what their parish is doing. Without being boastful, they are proud of their parish's accomplishments, presence in the community, future plans.
They are not shy about both proclaiming they are Catholic and living out their Catholicism in a specific place. . . .

6) Are Not Members, But Disciples

. . . Membership has a static sound to successful parishioners. Quite frankly, it's not good enough for them. Attending or "doing their obligation" is not sufficient for this most important part of their life.
Discipleship, not membership, characterizes how they choose to live a Catholic life within their parish and in their everyday life. As Christ saw needs in the world and tried to meet them, so do the successful parishioners who are not afraid to proclaim Christ's message—no, not with words, but with their actions. . .

7) Believe in the Power of Prayer and the Eucharist

. . . While I've saved this "secret" for last, it is the most important. It is the very foundation of the successful parishioner's life. After all, what is all the work and involvement in parishes to accomplish, if it is not grounded in prayer? And without the Eucharist? Without God coming so urgently and completely into our lives . . .

Paul Wilkes is the author of The Seven Secrets of Successful Catholics, and creator of New Beginnings, a parish revitalization program, which is distributed by St. Anthony Messenger Press. To find out more, go to www.AmericanCatholic.org/NewBeginnings.

Positive Changes in the Newly Revised Liturgy of the Mass

New Words: A Deeper Meaning, but the Same Mass

The Missale Romanum (the Roman Missal), the ritual text for the celebration of the Mass, was first promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as the definitive text of the reformed liturgy of the Second Vatican Council. A second edition followed in 1975.
Pope John Paul II issued a revised version . . . read more

The Value of Every Life!

“You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew;
my bones were not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.” (Psalm 139:13-15 NAB)

Every life is willed into existence by God, our Creator, and all human life is precious in the His eyes! Our Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for each and every one of us without discrimination! That should suffice to define the value God has placed on human life!

God Is Not A Genie!

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus gives us the example of how we are to ask for our Heavenly Father’s help. As Jesus awaits his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prays the following prayer, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39 NAB)

Again in Matthew’s gospel we are given another example of how to ask God for help. This time the example is given to us by a leper who approaches Jesus asking to be healed. And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew8:2-3NASB)

The point is that God knows what is best for us and wants what is best for us, which means that He will sometimes choose not to respond to our requests for reasons that are beyond our understanding.

He may also choose to delay answering our prayers because immediately doing so would not conform to His divine plan of salvation.

When it seems that God has not heard our prayer, or that He is an uncaring God who ignores our pleas, we must remember to trust that He knows what is best for us!

It is truly unfortunate when people become angry with God when their prayers seem to go unheard, as if God were some genie who is under an obligation to grant our every wish and desire.

Trust in God! His love is eternal and perfect! He desires the best for us! Never allow yourself to stray from His loving care!

Into Great Silence: One Carthusian Monks Words of Wisdom

My favorite part of the film documentary, "Into Great Silence" a film about the Carthusian Monks, is an interview that takes place with an elderly, frail, blind monk.

Unfortunately, this video clip shows only about half of the interview. I'm convinced that the wisdom the monk shares during the interview is the result of a life spent in silent contemplation and prayer. He demonstrates a peace and contentment that goes beyond anything that the material world has to offer.

The interview begins about 1 minute and 10 seconds into this short video clip.

About Saint Philomena, Patroness and Protectress of the Universal Living Rosary Association.

About Saint Philomena, Patroness and Protectress of the Universal Living Rosary Association.

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Nourishment for the Soul!

You eat, you sleep, you exercise.

We take care of our bodies daily by doing these things. We get periodic checkups at the doctors and dentists in an attempt to remain healthy. We clothe ourselves and provide ourselves with shelter and as many physical comforts and pleasures as possible. We try to take good care of our bodies!

But has the hectic pace of life in today’s world kept you from taking the time to nourish and care for your soul? Like the body, the soul needs to be fed and nourished along this life’s journey.

We receive that nourishment through close union with Jesus Christ. As Catholics, we are privileged to receive this nourishment through the sacraments, through which God pours forth His grace via Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.

Our souls are brought to life through the Sacrament of Baptism, or as our evangelical brothers and sisters in Christ like to say, our souls are “BORN AGAIN”. That’s right! We are ALL “Born Again Christians” when we are baptized.

The Sacrament of Confession / Reconciliation / Penance heals the sick soul and restores it to the state it was in at the moment we were baptized. Frequent trips to the confessional are as important to the health of our souls, as visits to the doctor’s office are to our bodies!

Finally, and most importantly, Christ, through His Church, makes Himself available to us daily in the Eucharist. Christ in the Eucharist provides the ultimate nourishment for our souls as He unites intimately with us to give us the strength to love and serve as He has taught us to do!

There are many good resources available to those of you who are seeking the truth and looking for answers. I urge you to take some time to care for your soul. Explore the many good websites out there that can provide the information you're looking for, or at least point you in the right direction!

The following video is from the website, http://www.catholicscomehome.org/. It’s a good place to start. On the right side of this page are links to other good sites with great resources such as EWTN, THE REASON FOR OUR HOPE FOUNDATION, NEW ADVENT, and SCRIPTURE CATHOLIC.

Catholics - Know Your Faith: The Eucharist and the Road to Emmaus

Catholics - Know Your Faith: The Eucharist and the Road to Emmaus

For the wages of sin is death . . .

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23 NAB)

A question often raised by those who have wandered away or have lost their faith is – How can a “loving God” allow so much pain and suffering in the world, i.e., the atrocities of war, starvation, disease, abortion . . .?

The answer is simple yet difficult for most to accept because the counter argument for these skeptics goes something like this – “If God is all powerful He could put an end to it at any time!”

Let’s address the two questions:

First of all, pain, human misery, and suffering all began with the original sin of Adam and Eve, whose free will God respected. Think of the following analogy: God is the perfect parent who knows what’s best for His children, i.e., His will for us! As human parents we strive to lead our children in certain directions in an attempt to ensure that they have the best life possible, but in many cases they reject these attempts because they believe their way is better! Most of us know what happens when we do not follow our parents’ advice!

As human history continued man’s continuing rejection of God’s will eventually led to more and more misery and suffering up to the present day.

Secondly, although He has the power to end it all immediately, God cannot! By doing so He would in effect be saying, Go ahead, behave anyway you like without consequences.

Like any parent, God our Heavenly Father hates to see His children suffer! But again, God will not interfere with our free will to love or reject Him. Human parents have very little, or sometimes no control over their children once they have reached adulthood! Remember, without the free choice to love someone, true love cannot exist, and God wants us to choose to love Him freely!

Through the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, God has provided the means by which death, sin and suffering is defeated. Most Christians believe that this will only occur when Christ returns, but if you think about it, although man will continue to sin because of his nature, much of the death and suffering we now experience in this world could be eliminated if we only followed what Jesus taught us!

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is asked by a Pharisee (a scholar of the law), "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus responded, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." (Matt 22:34-40 NAB)

In conclusion, most who have seen Mel Gibson’s movie, Passion of the Christ, I’m sure would agree that Christ painfully suffered immense physical torture. What the film does not accurately portray however, is what must have amounted to the greatest source of Christ’s suffering, and that is the visions he must have had, and the knowledge he possessed of the suffering and atrocities humankind would endure due to their rejection of God’s will which Jesus came to reveal.

Throughout history, man has an spent an inordinate amount of time, energy, and resources devising ways to inflict death and suffering upon one another. If only it had been spent caring for and loving one another!

The following video is graphic and only one example of the many things Christ must have visualized during his passion. It’s no wonder he sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane! PLEASE! Let us repent and pray that all will turn to Christ so that the suffering depicted in this video and all such human suffering will not be repeated!

The Rosary

"Woman, Behold Your Son - Behold, Your Mother"

Jesus appointed Mary to be the Mother to all Christians when he said the following words as he hung on the cross.

“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:26-27)

Our Blessed Mother’s words to the servants at the wedding at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you," (John 2:5) are the very same words she has for us today, ‘Do what Jesus tells you!’ Mary wants nothing more than to lead us to her Son!

If you have ever been told by well-meaning, but uninformed Christians about how wrong Catholics are to “pray” to Mary, David MacDonald offers some valuable information concerning the truth about our relationship with our Blessed Mother . . . read it here

Sacraments, Grace, Nourishment

The sacraments were given to us by Christ. They are the means by which we receive the sanctifying grace that Jesus earned for us through his passion, death, and resurrection. Jesus, being God, knew that the sacraments would be the perfect and most fitting way for us to receive the grace he earned for us, since as creatures with bodies, we experience the sacraments with all of our bodily senses, sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. We hear the words used in the administration of the sacraments (“I baptize you in the name of the Father . . .” “The Body of Christ . . .” “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”), we feel, taste, and smell the bread, wine, water, oil and other matter used in the sacraments. God knows that we are best led to things spiritual through things that we can experience with our bodies. This makes perfect sense since it is also through our bodily senses that we are tempted and led to sin.

We must always remember that we consist of a body AND a soul. Just as the physical body is born, strengthened, nourished, healed in affliction, helped at the hour of death, guided by authority, and given a place in which to dwell, the soul is brought into spiritual life by Baptism; it is strengthened by Confirmation; nourished by the Holy Eucharist; healed by Penance; helped at the hour of our death by Anointing of the Sick; guided by God's ministers through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and it is given a body in which to dwell by the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Every sacrament is important! As Catholics we are extremely fortunate to have the sacraments at our disposal. Our faith is centered on the sacraments, especially the Eucharist in which Jesus is present and makes himself available to us daily at Mass. Jesus Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist is our greatest source of nourishment and strength for our journey through life, the goal of which is to return to our Father in Heaven and experience the Beatific Vision (to behold God face to face)

As parents we love our children, we want only the very best for them, and so we provide everything humanly possible for them out of love and concern for their welfare. We desire for them to have the best life possible!


Well think about this! God is the PERFECT PARENT and we are all His children. If we, as imperfect parents, want the best for our children, how much more do you think God, the PERFECT PARENT, wants for all of us? He knows what is best for us and He wants the best for us which is exactly why He wants us to do His will (to live and behave in certain ways)!

It is similar to us wanting our children to do certain things and behave in certain ways because we know that it is in their best interest. Just as our children’s lives will be made better by following our direction and listening to our advice, our lives will improve beyond measure by following the direction of our Heavenly Father. God directs us and makes His will known to us through Jesus Christ! The teachings and truths of our faith have been passed on to us beginning with the Apostles and remain with us today in the one teaching authority of the Church referred to as the Magisterium.

In Matthew 7:24-27, at the conclusion of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says these words, 24 "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 26 And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

Let us build foundations on the Rock and sustain and support those foundations with the grace Jesus provides through the sacraments!

Blessed Imelda’s Eucharistic Miracle!

Blessed Imelda Lambertini, born in Bologna, Italy in 1322, was given the title, Patroness of First Communicants for good reason!

Even at the age of nine, Imelda had an extraordinary devotion to Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist at Mass and in the tabernacle. To receive Our Lord in Holy Communion became the consuming desire of her heart, but the Church at that time and place prohibited anyone under the age of twelve from receiving their first Holy Communion.

In expressing how she yearned to receive the Eucharist, Imelda was known to ask the question, "Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die? "

The following miracle story illustrates how our Lord responded to Imelda’s intense desire to receive Him in the Eucharist, and is one that should remind all of us Catholics of how we should approach the Blessed Sacrament with the utmost reverence, and to receive the Eucharist only after being made worthy through the sacrament of Reconciliation!

Blessed Imelda was a pious child who begged her parents to allow her to become a Dominican when she was just nine years of age. Her parents, though saddened at having to be separated from their only child, recognized God's will for their daughter, and Imelda joined the nuns at Val di Pietra.

Her status among the nuns is unclear. She received the habit and participated in the life of the nuns to some extent. At that time, children were not allowed to make their First Holy Communion until age 12, but Imelda prayed continually that she would be able to receive Our Lord without having to wait so long.

When Imelda was 11, after Mass on the vigil of the Feast of the Ascension, the Sacred Host was seen suspended amidst a brilliant light above Imelda's head. The chaplain, who was immediately summoned, gave the Host to Imelda. Afterwards, the nuns left her alone to make her thanksgiving. The prioress soon discovered, however, that Imelda, who had been in ecstasy, had died shortly after receiving her First Holy Communion, so much in love was she with Our Lord in the Eucharist.

Blessed Imelda Lambertini was declared Patroness of First Communicants by Pope St. Pius X.

Be Anxious for Nothng!

In the Liturgy of the Mass as part of the Communion Rite, we hear the priest say these words following the Lord’s Prayer, “Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

We are reminded that as followers of Christ we need not be anxious! The Lord will deliver us if we wait on Him and trust in Him!

For all of you who are experiencing anxiety over the things of this world, take heart and trust in God. Below are only a few verses from God’s Word about His promise to protect and guide us through the storms of this earthly life.

Following the Bible verses below, please click on the video to listen to and read the lyrics of Matt Redman’s song, Never Let Go - this song is very appropriate for the times in which we live!

BIBLE VERSES:

A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me;
you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.
Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.
You set a table before me as my enemies watch; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come. (Psalm 23:1-6)

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9-10)

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)

Trust in the Lord and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him. (Psalm 37:3-5, 7a)

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)

Fear of others will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:13a,14)

Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

By his light I walked through darkness. (Job 29:3)

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28

Happy Easter! Experience the Resurrection Power!

In the liturgy we say the words, “Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.”

Today we celebrate the glory of Christ’s resurrection along with the promise of eternal life made available to all who trust in Him!

Always remember, you are never alone! In our darkest hour Christ is there with us!

Let us give Him thanks and praise! Let us love Him and serve Him always!

The Eucharist and the Road to Emmaus

In the Gospel of Luke, (Luke 24:13-35) Jesus suddenly appears walking alongside two of his followers after his resurrection, however his followers did not recognize him to the point that they began to give Jesus the account of his own trial and crucifixion.

Jesus then proceeded to interpret Scripture passages that made reference to his passion, death and resurrection. Still not recognizing him, the two then asked Jesus to stay with them for a while to which he agreed.

Later as they were having dinner, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. Luke tells us in verse 31 that it was only when Jesus broke the bread and gave it to them that the two followers recognized him.

This account of the two disciples’ interaction with the risen Lord, which occurred on the Road to Emmaus, concludes this way in verse 35 – “Then the two recounted (to the other apostles and followers of Jesus) what had taken place on the way (to Emmaus) and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

We come to know Jesus in the breaking of the bread, The Eucharist!
Let us continue to recognize Jesus when we come to his table at Mass, and always remember his words, "This is my body, which will be given for you”

Transubstantiation – Christ Is Truly Present!

Believing that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist is essential to the practice of our Catholic faith! (CCC 1324)

Why is it so hard for some to believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist?

After all, if Christ is the Creator of the vast universe in which we live and all that it contains, then what could possibly prevent him from making himself present to us under the form of something with which we are familiar, and are capable of experiencing with all of our senses?

St. Thomas Aquinas explains the mystery of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist in terms of what the Church refers to as transubstantiation. He tells us that everything that has substance, such as bread and wine, stands under what philosophers refer to as “accidents”,. The accidents give a substance its appearance, texture, taste, and smell.

UPON CONSECRATION OF THE BREAD AND WINE, CHRIST HIMSELF BECOMES, OR REPLACES, THE SUBSTANCE UNDER WHICH THE ACCIDENTS OF THE BREAD AND WINE STILL REMAIN. In other words, what we still perceive through all of our senses as bread and wine, has now supernaturally become transformed into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Listen to what St. John Chrysostom and St. Ambrose have to say about transubstantiation in the following references found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1375.

“It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.” (St. John Chrysostom, prod. Jud. 1:6: PG 49, 380.)

“Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed. . . . Could not Christ's word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature.” (St. Ambrose, De myst. 9, 50; 52: PL 16, 405-407.)

Read More About Our Lord's Presence in the Eucharist

Come Back To Confession!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in CCC #2181 - The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

When a person negligently “bags Mass,” to go shopping, catch-up on work, sleep a few extra hours, attend a social event, or not interrupt vacation, the person is allowing something to take the place of God. Something becomes more valuable than the Holy Eucharist . . .Read More

What is grave sin?

A serious, grave or mortal sin is the knowing and willful violation of God's law in a serious matter, for example, idolatry, adultery, murder, slander. These are all things gravely contrary to the love we owe God and, because of Him, our neighbor.

Mortal sin is called mortal because it is the "spiritual" death of the soul (separation from God). If we are in the state of grace it loses this supernatural life for us. If we die without repenting we will lose Him for eternity. However, by turning our hearts back to Him and receiving the Sacrament of Penance we are restored to His friendship. Catholics are not allowed to receive Communion if they have unconfessed mortal sins.

Thousands, if not millions of Catholics have abandoned the sacrament of Penance. Some reject the Church’s teaching on the sacrament and rely on their own opinions and interpretations, while others suffer from the lack of proper faith formation. In any event, proper disposition toward, and reverence for the Eucharist must be restored by informing Catholics of the error of receiving Communion while not in a state of grace.

Only when properly disposed to the sacrament of Penance, can we be restored to a state of grace and thus become worthy to approach and receive our Lord in the Eucharist!

COME BACK TO CONFESSION! Let’s repent of our sins and return to practicing our faith in accordance with the teachings of the Church. Let us show thanks for the grace Christ provides for us through His sacraments by humbly accepting these gifts of love!

Catholic Apologetics with Dr. Peter Kreeft

Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at Boston College and at the King's College (Empire State Building), in New York City. He is a regular contributor to several Christian publications, is in wide demand as a speaker at conferences, and is the author of over 45 books including: Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Christianity for Modern Pagans, and Fundamentals of the Faith.

Dr. Kreeft is a great Catholic apologist! Please take time to visit his website by clicking on this link - Peter Kreeft. There you will find many writings and audio files that are yours to download for free.

Thanks, John!

Recently, I emailed a very good friend of mine, John, one of my postings entitled, Life Is the Only Choice! I knew he would like the pro-life message, but I wanted to get his opinion on the song, since we are both amateur musicians and have similar tastes in music.

John certainly supported the anti-abortion message, and as I suspected, liked the song as well. Contained in his response, John used a phrase I found to be very profound, which was “The real message is lets breath life into the living!!!! “

The context in which John used this phrase was in his reference to how we must defend life and cherish life at all stages, not just the lives of the unborn, which by no means are any less precious.

What struck me about the phrase was its application to evangelization, and the numerous references in Scripture illustrating God’s ability to create and restore both physical and spiritual life from His very breath.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that "16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

As followers of Christ, we are to proclaim the Gospel message to all the world., which in essence does breath life into the living, or perhaps more appropriately, the dead.

Thanks John!

Why the Sacrament of Reconciliation After Baptism?

We are regenerated, or, “born again” in the sacrament of Baptism. We are washed clean of all sin! However, this new life we receive does not abolish the frailty and weakness of human nature, nor the inclination to sin that tradition calls concupiscence.

Following our baptism, we proceed through life constantly engaged in a spiritual struggle toward holiness and eternal life to which our Lord never ceases to call us. We NEED the effects of the sacrament of Reconciliation to assist us in this life-long battle.

Please prayerfully consider going to Confession no matter how long it has been since the last time you have gone! Experience Christ’s healing power, as well as His warm, loving, and forgiving embrace, as you listen to the words of absolution spoken by Christ Himself through the ministerial role of His priest.

Knowing God's Will

Here is a two-minute long video clip from one of Father Larry Richard’s great video teachings entitled, Knowing God’s Will.

Please take some time to explore the many valuable resources available on Father Larry Richards' website.

Prayer After Receiving Communion

Jesus, Creator of the universe, we believe You are truly present among us under the appearance of bread and wine;

We acknowledge, that through the grace You offer us in this Eucharist, we grow closer to You, are healed of sin, and preserved from future sin;

Thank You for loving us so much!

We are Yours; we long to become the instruments through which others may come to know, love, and desire You;

Lord, please use us as You will to lead others to the grace You offer;

and may the sanctifying grace conferred upon us in this Eucharist today be shared with all those who will not, or cannot partake in this precious gift You offer! Amen!

Life Is The Only Choice!

Read David MacDonald's personal testimony about how he made his journey home to the loving, merciful and healing embrace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mr. MacDonald performs the song he wrote in the video below concerning his own personal experience with abortion. David is a great Catholic Christian artist whose music glorifies our Lord and His Church!

Pray and Fast NOW!

Brothers and sisters, we need to pray and fast NOW! Watch the video below. WARNING and CAUTION! It is extremely graphic!

No to President Obama at Notre Dame!

The Cardinal Newman Society is dedicated to renewing and strengthening Catholic identity at America's 224 Catholic colleges and universities.
By clicking on the picture in this post, or by following the link below, you will be directed to The Cardinal Newman Society’s website. There you will have the opportunity to sign a petition addressed to Father John I. Jenkins, president of Notre Dame University, imploring him to address the obviously poor choice of inviting President Obama to be this year’s commencement speaker. You can read the beginning of the petition below.
Dear Father Jenkins:

It has come to our attention that the University of Notre Dame will honor President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker on May 17.
It is an outrage and a scandal that “Our Lady’s University,” one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage.

This nation has many thousands of accomplished leaders in the Catholic Church, in business, in law, in education, in politics, in medicine, in social services, and in many other fields who would be far more appropriate choices to receive such an honor from the University of Notre Dame. . . read more and sign the petition

Worth a Few Minutes of Your Time

Worth a Few Minutes of Your Time

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We Are Being Deceived!

To my Catholic brothers and sisters,

We live in a time in which many misconceptions and beliefs have arisen about the truth of our Catholic faith, especially here in the United States.

Concerning SIN and HELL, rest assured these are both still very real!

We don’t seem to hear much about them anymore because they have become unpopular and uncomfortable topics for today’s believers. The Church can only refrain from incorporating teachings on sin and punishment and the remedy for such, as it is found in the sacraments, at the risk of placing many in peril concerning their salvation from eternal damnation!

Jesus has much to say about SIN and HELL in the gospels, all of which has been included in the Magisterial teachings of the Church. All we have to do is take some time away from our televisions, or any one of the many other trivial distractions we engage in, and break out the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn more about what Christ offers us through His Church!

The bottom line is that you are not free to pick and choose what to believe as truth concerning the teachings of the Church. This is why we as Catholics enjoy one teaching authority, The Magisterium! It is the truth which has endured for the past 2000 years!

We tend to choose to believe and practice only what suits our lifestyles and the rest we discard. Take the Sacrament of Reconciliation for example! Today 75 percent of American Catholics say they don't see the importance of formal confession. That is not what the Catholic Church teaches!

The Church teaches that intentionally missing Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is a mortal sin, as is sexual relations outside of marriage, as is also the use of artificial means of contraception, yet so many of us commit the sacrilege of receiving Christ in the Eucharist each week in the state of mortal sin rather than confessing and repenting of these sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation!

Please, brothers and sisters, let’s not fall victim to the deceptions concerning our Catholic faith, which Satan continues to so easily and effectively propagate!

I urge you to take some time to learn of the healing and nourishing grace filled power of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist and to practice the faith in accordance with its true teachings!

Peace!