Relearning our Ritual Language

I have found this article on the rituals that we do (or should be doing) during the liturgy that help us to deepen our faith and to enter more into the mystery of the Eucharist and the Mass. I am a firm believer in the fact that our rites and our actions during the Mass help to convey to us, as corporeal beings, the mysteries of God. We enter into the actual mystery of the Incarnation of Christ when we realize what he came to do and how he came to do it: with a body.

When we participate in the Mass we participate with our whole being. Our voice, our minds, our hearts, our bodies and our spirits are oriented to worship. True worship comes from our entire gift of ourselves to our God in union with his Son through the Holy Spirit. That's why Catholicism is so beautiful. It incorporates the entire body in the action of worship. Plus, even the smallest of us can participate, even if not fully understanding. Our actions do speak louder than words sometimes. How great it is when it is during Mass.

Let us relearn our ritual language so that we too can pass on our rich heritage to the generations to come.

"Shalom"

Christ says to his disciples, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you" (John 14:27). Again, our English word to convey what Christ said leaves a bit lacking. But, that being said, the peace that one gets from following God's Will is like nothing else in this world.

Shalom has been described as a greeting; a state of affairs between men. But most of all shalom is the peace that comes along with living faithfully one's covenant with God. God only desires peace and everything good for His people. Peace is naturally (or supernaturally) a gift of God. Therefore it has a spiritual aspect to it as well. Without the spiritual aspect, true peace will be lacking.

Christ offers the peace that is between God and man when He said and says "Shalom." It is through our Lord's Passion, Death, & Resurrection that the soul of the Christian enjoys the peace that only God can give. We must live like Christ did, wishing peace to all and being in peace with each other.

All that being said, the soul can only truly find peace when it rests in God. And a big shout out to the man upstairs for giving me a peace of which I have not felt in a long while! :)

Litany of Saints, ora pro nobis and shalom!

Happy Birthday USA!

Our great country turns 234 today. May we remember the sacrifices and the blood, sweat and tears that went into making us great.

May we always remember that we are one nation UNDER God. And that if we truly are to be indivisible, we must rest and acknowledge the One who is indivisible. God protect us and guide us into another 234 years and beyond.

Immaculata, Pray for us!!

What's with Beauty?

This was a question that had been troubling me

so I asked my dear Lord, "What's with Beauty?"

He didn't tell me but directed me to another.

He said, "Ask Mary," His most beautiful Mother.

I thought this a bit strange, why would this be?

But I said, "Umm, Mary... teach me about Beauty."

And right then and there it dawned on my soul,

and the words that she taught me made my heart whole.

She said, "Come to adoration and kneel down to pray,

keep your eyes fixed on Jesus whatever you say,

but notice the monstrance all beauty ornate,

it shines with the splendor of the heavenly gate.

Precious jewels and gold fit for a king,

enticing your eye making you sing."

"It surrounds Beauty in beauty so He can be adored -

Child! I AM THE MONSTRANCE I hold up the Lord!

It was my life's sole purpose and it's still what I do,

I gave him to shepherds, I give him to you.

"I show him off to the world for all to see,

always pointing inward so you look past me.

I use my beauty and strength, my gifts and my charm
so you'll only see the divine Child in my arms.

You're captured by Beauty, drawn in to the One

who died and then rose and now shines like the sun."

"Momma," I said, "what do I do with these graces?"

"Be the smile," she said, "that illumines dark places.

Be a good steward of your talents and gifts

pointing toward Jesus so He won't be missed."

And now I'll pass on her final commission.

It goes for me and for you and for every good Christian.
Now it's your turn, consider this your duty:

You become the monstrance- Let's save the world with Beauty!

--(Author: Unknown to me)

The Joys of Being Catholic!

Recently, a few Reformed Christians -David Meyer and Christopher Lake- decided to make the leap into the Tiber and come back (or for the first time) to Holy Mother Church. Praise God! Their stories are just a few of the conversion stories that are happening right now.

I'm not sure about you, but whenever I hear about those who are converting and those who have "found" (as if it was ever lost!) Christ's Church, I cannot but help be humbled and overjoyed with them! My spirit does leaps and bounds and a profound love and joy well up deep inside of me. I am emotional for them and with them. Please pray for them as I am sure this will include some difficult times. But the richness and the fullness of the faith will surely outweigh any of the negative aspects to this process! The joys of being Catholic!

What a privilege we have to welcome them with open arms and with open hearts. What a privilege to pray for them and with them. Our God is truly an awesome God!

Let us pray for the continued reunion of all Christians and that more are open to the call of God and to taking Jesus' prayer seriously that "we may all be one!"

+St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, ora pro nobis!

Catholic-Orthodox Relations

Whenever I hear of moves towards union between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox, I can't help but get excited about it. Our generation should be the ones to be known as the generation that brought back into union these "two lungs" of the Church. This website and the documents they are working on bring me great hope. May the Lord bless these meetings and may we pay ever more heed to the words of our Savior, "that they may be one"!

Come Holy Spirit!

Outrage at the Media

I am so sick and tired of baseless accusations (thank God there are people on the front lines combating this now) and lies aimed at the Catholic Church. I am so sick and tired of media outlets bad-mouthing Jesus Christ and making a mockery of Him on television and in other outlets.

Where are the Christians? Where is the outrage? Come on people! We need to rise up and combat this culture war. The only way we can do that is if we live out our Faith! This world needs it! Express your dismay and boycott those sponsors! Express your Faith and show the world what it truly means to be alive and what it truly means to be free!

Don't be afraid to be Christians!

"Against Heresies"

This is what makes me proud to be a musician and a Catholic! This is classic! Check out "Against Heresies" - the Musical.

The Power and Glory of the Catholic Church

What more can the title of this post say? Christ's Church, the Catholic Church, has all the power and all the glory that God wants it, indeed, needs it to have. That's the great thing about God and his power and his promises. "The gates of hell will not prevail..." Even during the most darkest, decadent times in the Church's history, she never wavered. The Truth was preserved because it is not a mere human institution. It is an institution, THE institution, that was founded by God while he was still on earth. Not many things can claim what the Church does. And no ones dares to. Either we are speaking the truth, or Jesus was a liar and humans are doomed to eternal nothingness.

But this is not so. The claims of Jesus and the Truth of Jesus have set the world free. And the Church is the harbinger of hope, charity, and truth to all the world until the end of time. We, the Church are on a journey to the final destination: heaven and the Beatific Vision. And we the people, are not perfect. The Church is the hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. It is because of this, that the Church has power and that the Church receives glory. Not because of what we do, but because of what God does in us.

Thanks be to God for the Catholic Church! Shout it from the rooftops! Let the world know you are proud to be Catholic!

Morality

All human beings desire to be happy. This desire is deep-rooted in the very depths of men's souls. It is the prime reason that moves men to action. All actions that man takes are to make himself happy. But most of those choices result in trying to get happy in this life. So, which actions should he take? What are the actions he should take in order to get true happiness? Every man must answer this question and ask himself, "What should I be doing with my life?" Personal discovery depends on personal prayer, thinking, acting, and choosing.

This is where morality comes in to play. Religion, and specifically Catholicism, are external sources of morality. Even if there was no religious underpining to morals, the natural law is written on all men's souls. And it is from this natural law that man can begin to know the difference between right and wrong. This is the arena where God first placed the desire to know Him and where man first realized that there was a deeper, more ultimate purpose to His existence. It is from this spark in our souls that we can come to discern truly what we should do and how we should act.

I pose a question: How do we discern that what we are doing is morally correct? What is the standard by which we measure true morality?

What Still Divides Us?

At the most fundamental level, I believe the one thing that ultimately divides Catholics and Protestants is the issue of authority and where that lies in terms of scripture, tradition, and general church beliefs and organization. This is fundamental because from it springs forth all other problems/hindrances that seem to arise. Ultimately, authority rests in God. All of creation must answer and must be under his authority. The Lord Himself speaks at the end of the gospel of Matthew that "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20).

As Catholics we render authority within and through the Church, just as it has been from the beginning. Remember what Christ said to Peter, "You are Rock and upon this Rock, I will build my Church." (Matthew 16:16). Who's Church? HIS, Church. Where do we go when we have problem within our believing community, not just to scripture. If you can't discern something from scripture, you appeal to the Church, which is the pillar and bulwark of truth (1 Timothy 3:15). God established a Church. That's clear. What is disputed is how much authority this Church actually has. Is the Church a product of the scriptures or are the scriptures the product of the Church? This Church has the power to bind and to loose. This Church has the power to affect salvation. This Church has the authority to determine the canon of Scripture. Even by appealing to scripture, our Protestant brothers and sisters are relying on the authority of the early Catholic councils as to what exactly constitutes the canon of scripture. (However, due to the unfortunate Revolt of the 16th century, most Protestants do not have the complete Bible.)

This authority goes beyond what even the canon of scripture is. Based on the fact that the individual believer can have a "burning in his heart" as to the "true" meaning of scripture, someone can twist it to conform to anything that they want it to. The rubrics of interpretation are thrown out the window without the proper authority to give you guidelines on how to interpret the passages of scripture. I seem to remember a certain eunuch in Acts that needed someone to determine what the scriptures mean (see Acts 8:30-38). When trying to show how and where the Church derives some of it's teachings and practices from scripture to a non-Catholic, verses seem to be thrown back that in essence have nothing to do with the matter being discussed. Of course, you have no idea what they will use it to support or negate because the individual has essentially become his own pope. Problems arise in the fact that in determining what is “essential” and “orthodox” are left up to the individual believer in this vacuum of authority. In today’s individualistic society this is no more apparent than in the seemingly endless divisions of Protestantism.

There seems to be an unnecessary dichotomy that arises when non-Catholics look at authority. They make a distinction between authority of the Church and authority of scripture. When in reality, they are complementary and there is no reason that they both cannot have authority, albeit different from each other. Where does authority of anything relating to Christ derive it's nature from? God the Father through God the Son given to the Apostles and those they pass the authority on to. The authority of the apostles sets apart what is orthodox and not heresy. They teach "all the Christ has commanded." We have, on God's own authority, the promise that "the Spirit will lead us into all truth." That is a future tense. It is a teaching authority that has it's blessing from God Himself.

So how do we know what to believe? Who has the authority to guide someone to what to believe and how do they know that that is the correct way? I think that that authority should ultimately rest in something or someone. We know as Catholics that the authority rests in Someone and that that Someone promised that He would be with us until the end. Not only that, but he would also send the Spirit to guide the Church into all truth. Now since Jesus is the ultimate Truth, then we have confidence in the fact that he can follow through on his promises and that deriving his authority from God the Father himself, he in turn is sharing that authority with the church and with us. The authority rests in the divinely established and mandated church. Because of that promise, the Church is still in existence and it is the Catholic Church. The fullness of the Christian faith rests with her because of the authority she was given by God to spread his message.

As Christians of the 21st century, we have a unique perspective of looking back not only through 2000 years of Church history but also the effects of said history and the beauty and depth of our history. Both sides can help each other to see the common ground that does exist and discuss at the most fundamental level what authority is and what it constitutes. People today do not like the concept of authority or heirarchical structures. Regardless, I think that a full quote from St. Cyprian is appropriate:

“The Lord says to Peter: ‘I say to you,’ He says, ‘that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. And to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever things you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth, they shall be loosed also in heaven.’ And again He says to him after His resurrection: ‘Feed my sheep.’ On him He builds the Church, and to him He gives the command to feed the sheep; and although He assigns a like power to all the Apostles, yet He founded a single chair, and He established by His own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed, the others were that also which Peter was; but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one chair. So too, all are shepherds, and the flock is shown to be one, fed by all the Apostles in single-minded accord. If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?”

                          --St. Cyprian, AD 251

"Behold, I make all things new"

"3 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them (as their God). 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed away." 5 The one who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Then he said, "Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true." 6 He said to me, "They are accomplished. I (am) the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water. 7 The victor will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son" (Apoc. 21:3-7).

God's plan is so supremely better than any of our grandest ideas or plans that we have. When God dwells within you, you cannot but help be filled with a joy that nothing else can give. God indeed wipes away all the tears and takes our worries and pain and cares as His own. He takes them and makes them go away. And in their place, he gives life and hope and he makes all things so wonderfully new. And what God sets his mind to, he accomplishes. And he knows the plan from beginning to end and if we trust in Him, we know that he will always lead us in the right direction.

May we always strive to be in His will for His purposes. Amen.

St. Paschal, pray for us!

To Everything -- Turn, Turn, Turn

1 There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. 6 A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace...11 He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done. --Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11

I believe that it is time...

Thanks Mom

To my mother:

Thank you for choosing life. Thank you for all that you do and have ever done sacrificing your time and your self and your ambitions for me and my siblings. Thank you for spending time with me when I was little and forming me into the man I am today. You still have a big effect on me, mom, even if you don't realize it. There is nothing that I can say or do to truly express my gratitude for you.

I love you.

"He saves in time of trouble..."

Often in the course of life, a man must make some tough decisions. These decisions can and do affect not only him, but others as well. The true quest, as I am coming to find out, is not necessarily the end result, but the journey itself. Getting from point "A" to point "B" will undoubtedly happen. It is the way that one gets there that truly allows a man to grow into what he should become and must become in order to be what God wants him to be.

A true leader must make decisions that are tough and that others might not understand until they look back at a distance. A true Christian must take up His cross and follow Him. But His yoke is easy and His burden is light. We are not given more than we can handle. And Christ assures us that He is with us always, even unto the end of the age.

I don't know how much more obvious God can get. It is my perceptions, 'mis' or otherwise, that oftentimes get in the way of me truly seeing what the Lord has laid out for me. I am hesitant not because I don't trust God, but because I don't trust myself and my ability to make decisions. I know that I can, it is the act of doing that I seem to be shying away from.

I must take heed of the words, "Fear not, for I am with thee: turn not aside, for I am thy God: I have strengthened thee, and have helped thee, and the right hand of my just one hath upheld thee." -Isaiah 41:10.

Or these great words from the Old Testament that have always brought comfort to me, "My son, when you come to serve the LORD, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, undisturbed in time of adversity. Cling to him, forsake him not; thus will your future be great. Accept whatever befalls you, in crushing misfortune be patient; For in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation. Trust God and he will help you; make straight your ways and hope in him. You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy, turn not away lest you fall. You who fear the LORD, trust him, and your reward will not be lost. You who fear the LORD, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy. Study the generations long past and understand; has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken? has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed? Compassionate and merciful is the LORD; he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble." -Sirach 2:1-11.

On Friendship

I'm always amazed at how God puts people in my life right when I need them. What's even more amazing is the fact that this is one of His favorite ways to let us know he hears our prayers. (At least I think so). Life would be terrible without friends. I've heard it said that "Friends are the family that we choose." I believe that wholeheartedly. I guess that's how all families start. Jesus says,

13 No one has greater love than this, than to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. 16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. 17 This I command you: love one another. 18 "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

What amazing words from the Master. Laying down your life does not necessarily mean that you have to die, but it could mean that you sacrifice your whole life for the greater good of this other person. Your friend. That's what Christ did. And that is something that is hard to wrap your mind around. My God has called me, little old flawed me, His friend. Wow. It doesn't get much more personal than that (except for when we receive the Eucharist. And when you can receive the Eucharist with your friend, that's a whole new level of friendship that exists between both of you). Eat that Protestants! Literally (see John 6).

That's the kind of friend that I want to be; that I strive to be. If I have the love of God, I want to share that with others. Especially my friends. I suppose that all of my recent posts all tie together somewhat. That just kind of happened. I think. God works it, not me.

To all who are and remain my best and closest friends, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We can get through anything together because Christ was our friend first and He is the one that brought us together in the first place.

Our Lady of the Rosary -- Pray for us!
St. Pius V -- Pray for us!

Meant to Be

Love will not betray you

Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free

Be more like the man you were made to be...

What amazing words from a band called "Mumford and Sons." It's from the title track Sigh No More. It was actually suggested by a really great priest friend of mine. Seriously, one of the coolest guys ever.

When I listen to this song and really feel the words, I come to a sort of peace. When I hear "Love will not betray you" I hear God telling me these words. This is the same God who IS Love. When you are in love with God and being loved by God, it will set you free. It will help me to become the man that I am meant to be.

I have no idea of where I am going or what I will do. All I know is that I love God and I want what He wants. And music is a gift from God. Seriously. Find some that means something and listen to it. He might be speaking through that. Where my life will take me is up to Him. I will respond accordingly.

When I love as God Loves, I will truly be set free.

2 Cor 6:1-10

Okay, this is appropriate:

2 Cor 6:1-10

Brothers and sisters:
As your fellow workers, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Discerning

How do we know that what we are doing is, in fact, the Will of God? How can we completely unite ourselves to His love and His Will? Is that even a remote possibility this side of the veil?

Life, I have come to realize, is just one big discernment process. Even at the most basest of levels. Even in the most mundane everyday things, there is a process of discernment. Do I put on this shirt or that one? Eat this for breakfast or that? Go to sleep or keep reading? Though seemingly unimportant, I believe that the process perfects itself and helps you to decide when it really matters. Practice, as they say (whoever 'they' are), makes perfect.

Jesus Himself, had periods of intense discernment. Think about His time in the desert for 40 days or about His prayers in the Garden before His Passion. God Himself, in virtue of His humanity, had to discern the Father's Will. He knew what He had to do, and still asked if the cup would pass. But the key was complete and total loving submission to the plan of the Father. That is what I want to do. ('Course, J.C. was God and knew what exactly was going to happen. I don't have the luxury.)

I am only concerned with what God's plan is for me. I am entirely in His hands right now. I know that my life also includes me and my wants and desires. I've said it before, if I conform myself so intimately with His Will, my will becomes His. Or something like that. That's true freedom.

I just wish sometimes that he would drop a letter on down telling me what exactly to do. I suppose that's what it means to have Faith. Faith in God that He will lead me to what He wants for my life. Faith that I will be able to act accordingly to His Will.

St. Louis-Marie de Montfort -- Pray for us!
Check out this link to Fr. Longenecker's blog about the still small voice in discerning. I love God!

On Love

So, I randomly was surfing the net for a few minutes and found this blog from another blog. I figured that I would also share this content. It's something that I think people need to know. I agree with the fact that English as a language lacks some very needed words, especially when it comes to describing love. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Pope Benedict XVI

Happy birthday your Holiness! May God grant you many more years of service to His people, the Church! Happy 83rd! We love you!

Adoration: Remedy to Stress

Lately, I have been in a constant conversation with myself about a lot of different things. It's been good days, bad days, and just daze sometimes. One minute I feel that I should be going in one direction and the next minute, I feel that I should stay the course that I am on.

I get frustrated at myself and have trouble sometimes with what exactly is going on. I will say that because of this internal "strife" I have been even more prayerful than normal and it has been an opportunity to again place all of my woes and worries in Christ's hands. Those wonderful hands that stretched themselves out on that cross for me. I don't have to worry about if I am the only one in this. I know that God Himself has gone through this and is going through it all with me now.

I thank Him for all the support of friends, family, and the prayers that I know are being said. And another great benefit through this has been my adoration time. It's increased a lot in the past month or so (going from no time to some time is a big increase.) I find myself ever more longing to spend some more time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. To paraphrase a great saint, "I just stare at Him and He just stares right back".

Adoration: try it and you'll be hooked.

By Who's Authority?

Palm Sunday Mass was great yesterday. Well, Mass is great all the time. But my own experience of it was a good one. I felt close to the Lord and it was a great way to start the day and to begin Holy Week.

An aquaintence's cousin's son was getting "dedicated" that day as well. So we went to church at another place in the town with the rest of her family. This church is a "plant" from a big church in a local bigger city near here. It's also in an auditorium. I'm never going back to that place, even if I'm asked to show support. Ever.

For some strange reason, I knew at some point that the pastor was going to bash Catholics. I don't know how I knew, I just did. He was more blatant than I expected. And what makes it worse is that her cousin's wife is a "former" Catholic and her mother was there too. I just don't understand it.

The pastor was speaking on the authority of Christ. I thought that it was something good to talk about. However, whenever a Protestant talks about authority I have to chuckle and pay attention. He was doing alright until I started to notice a trend in talking about "ritual" and "tradition" in a negative light. "Jesus bashes the Pharisees; let's bash the Catholics, because clearly they aren't scriptural." By the way, he was referencing Luke 4.

He specifically said, "We can't put our trust in authority other than in Christ and the Bible. Look at the Roman Catholic church now and all that has been in the news." We can't trust our leadership, huh? How can these people trust you as a pastor? How do they know you have the authority to preach and condemn the Catholic church?

Boy, I sure am glad he set me straight! Thank Jesus for the 'authority' of this guy to preach in His name. Oh, and by the way, he felt compelled to tell the audience that he was afraid what he was saying this week didn't match with what he said last week. And he thanked God for preventing him from contradicting himself. Whew.

Ugh....

To Our Seperated Brethren...

"When will Protestants realize, after five hundred years of talk of reformation: you can’t reform the Church from without, only from within. You can’t reform the Church you want reformed, while in schism from her. Come back in and die for her, with us. We may not see the fruit in our generation, but our children and grandchildren will. Otherwise, the schism will simply continue on, until Protestantism withers and fragments into the oblivion of history."

--Bryan Cross on a thread at the Called to Communion website. Comment #55.

A Homily that Hit Me

On St. Patrick's Day, I went to Mass to honor the feast day of this great Christian missionary to the Celts. (I'm a little Irish me-self.) The homily that was given really hit home and kind of goes along with the guerrilla story that I told not too long ago.

Father was talking about how Christ told Peter and Andrew to cast the net on the other side. Keep in mind that they had been fishing all night and it was now daytime. They had caught nothing and they were tired and smelly and irritable. But, they acquiesced to his request. And they put their net on the other side.

They caught the biggest catch in broad daylight that anyone could have imagined. Sometimes we are asked, not told, to have some faith and cast our nets on the other side. What we think is not the same as what God knows. We could argue with Him for a bit and we think that He might be a little crazy telling us to do one thing when we surely know the outcome. Ha.

Do we have that faith to go ahead and listen to God? Can we have faith to know that He knows whats best and what He's doing? I say, absolutely. So go ahead and trust in the Lord. Be open to his requests. Cast your nets on the other side and see what happens.

St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Pray for us!

I Heard a Story

I heard a story today on the Drew Mariani Show on RelevantRadio. It's worth sharing:

A priest was in the middle of celebrating Mass in a small town in Africa. Guerrillas came from the woods surrounding this little community and burst into the small chapel with guns firing and people screaming. The main guerrilla grabbed the priest and threw him out of the small church. The doors being slammed shut so that the parishioners would not be able to see.

The man asked if anyone else believed that Jesus is God. After a time, an elderly man near the front stood up and declared that he did. He was grabbed by the other man and thrust out the door as well. After a few more moments other parishioners stood up and were escorted outside. When no one else stood up, the guerrilla leader walked outside. His men were still at the door.

Outside the sound of machine gun fire was heard. The guerrilla leader came back in and ordered everyone left outside. What they saw surprised them all. Instead of bloody bodies on the ground they saw all who had given witness and their priest fine, just a little dirty.

To the people who did not stand up for their faith, he said "Find what you believe in and stand up for it!" He looked at his men and ordered them back into the woods and they were gone.

How many of us would be in the group who stood up for their beliefs? How many of us would belong to the second group?

"Vianney"

Last night I went to the one man show "Vianney" that has been performed all over the United States by Leonardo Defilippis. All that I can say is "wow". It was a truly edifying experience and one that I hope makes it all the way to the Holy Father himself in Rome.

It's a simple play and gives a good portrait of a humble man now known as the Cure of Ars. His close relationship with St. Philomena is a friendship that transcends the bounds of time and space. Truly this man is a saint and it's no wonder that he is to be forever known as the patron saint of all priests. Let us all pray for more vocations and let us recite with him the prayer that he said daily:

I love You, O my God,

and my only desire is to love You

until the last breath of my life. 

I love You, O my infinitely lovable God,

and I would rather die loving You,

than live without loving You.
I love You, Lord

and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally...

My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You,

I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath. 

On Schisms and "Diversity"

"Why does is matter that we are part of different churches? We're all on the same team."

"I don't agree with why I can't receive the Eucharist. I'm a Christian too you know."

"I really don't understand what all the fuss is. We can all love Jesus. We love him in our own ways. God won't judge us on that."

Wow. What passes as just "mere" diversity is in all reality, truly schism. People don't like or understand that word anymore. Especially in today's culture. Everything is about self expression and individualism. It's this mindset that pervades most people's minds today, Protestant and Catholic alike it seems.

A schism is (from the Greek word σχίσμα, skhísma -"to tear, to split") a split or division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement. Schism implies that there is/was an original group to "break" with.

I believe people don't want to see schism for what it is and that in today's world it's okay to pass it off as "diversity." If we are to make any progress towards full, visible unity again, we need to know and be able to show others what it means to be in schism with the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Find out what more about schisms here.

Prayer: The Remedy to Stress and Life

Lately, there have been a lot of distractions and a lot of little stresses in life. But, I believe that God sends people to let us know that he is still there and that yes, He is right here with us all. Not that I truly ever doubt that he is there. It's just nice to know that people have your back and that behind those prayers and those people, God is right there smiling and allowing life to be experienced through Him, with Him, and in Him.

And praying is key. Prayer gets us through the day and prayer can be small offerings throughout the day. And it's really humbling to know other are praying for me too. Just knowing that gives me a sense of peace that everything will be okay. I guess, I just really recommend praying and being open to what is being prayed.

It sure is good to be a Catholic Christian.

Call for Unity

In this week of Christian Unity, let us all pray that we will always strive towards the total reunification of all Christians into the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church that Christ founded on the rock of St. Peter.

With that in mind, please check out the website entitled "Called to Communion" and read more about the efforts and the fruit that God has given towards this goal. May we come to fully realize what Christ prayed for in the 17th chapter of John, "that they may all be one..."

The Anima Christi

Apologies for yesterday's post. I was in a rare mood. However, this prayer has recently been introduced in my life and I find great comfort in it. The Anima Christi is still used by many after they receive communion. It is a beautiful prayer that has been around since roughly the 14th century. I am trying to promote it once again into wide use.

In English:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints and with Thy angels
Forever and ever.
Amen

In Latin:

Anima Christi, sanctifica me.
Corpus Christi, salva me.
Sanguis Christi, inebria me.
Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
Passio Christi, conforta me.
O bone Jesu, exaudi me.
Intra tua vulnera absconde me.
Ne permittas me separari a te.
Ab hoste maligno defende me.
In hora mortis meae voca me.
Et iube me venire ad te,
Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te.
In saecula saeculorum.
Amen

Whatever Happened to Christian Charity??

Why does it seem that so many people preach on loving your neighbor and sacrificing yourself for others, then turn around and throw it straight out the window? What happened to Christian charity?

Do this person agree with what I believe is true? No. Do I agree with his beliefs completely? No. Can I show him truly what Catholicism teaches? Yes. Will he listen? That depends on him. Respect is key to dialogue. Especially with talk about ecumenism and anything relating to Christian unity and dialogue. When it appears that openness is there, but truly is not, then that is where it starts to decay.

How does this build up and edify Christ's kingdom on earth? It doesn't. So much for John 17! I'm sure that Christ just loves the fact that his body has been torn asunder. That's true unity! No! It's a plurality of individualism that is the cancer of modern Christianity. No wonder the world is the way it is. (Both sides can use help. Don't think I am attacking just one side.)

Only the Truth can set you free. One Truth. One Church. One Body. Open yourself up to God and his Church. He will lead you into all Truth if you let him. If not, good luck in your endeavors.

491 Years Ago...

“I never approved of a schism, nor will I approve of it for all eternity. . . . That the Roman Church is more honored by God than all others is not to be doubted. St. Peter and St. Paul, forty-six Popes, some hundreds of thousands of martyrs, have laid down their lives in its communion, having overcome Hell and the world; so that the eyes of God rest on the Roman church with special favor. Though nowadays everything is in a wretched state, it is no ground for separating from the Church. On the contrary, the worse things are going, the more should we hold close to her, for it is not by separating from the Church that we can make her better. We must not separate from God on account of any work of the devil, nor cease to have fellowship with the children of God who are still abiding in the pale of Rome on account of the multitude of the ungodly. There is no sin, no amount of evil, which should be permitted to dissolve the bond of charity or break the bond of unity of the body. For love can do all things, and nothing is difficult to those who are united.”

Martin Luther to Pope Leo X, January 6, 1519
more than a year after the Ninety-Five Theses
quoted in The Facts about Luther, 356

Time: A Measure of Change

The first decade of the 3rd millenium has passed in the blink of an eye. If it seemed to have gone quickly then you were there. I'm trying to fathom what it feels like to be 2,010 years removed from the time of Christ. Time has passed slowly since that time and a lot of world history has happened since then. Yet, I can't help but realize what a small number of years it has been in the scope of things.

Think about eternity. Don't try too hard, it will hurt your brain. Ten years ago it was 2000. Ten years before that 1990. Ten years before that I wasn't even born yet. But it wasn't that long ago! Christ was little over the mark of 3 decades when he died. How quickly it must have seemed to Him, His mother and now, in retrospect, to us.

Yet in the time that he was here, he accomplished all that he was supposed to and changed history forever. What can we do here and now, in our time, however long it might be, to change the world forever and leave it a better place? Leave it a little closer to what it's supposed to become?