Stained Glass Windows

Thank you God, for artists who bring forth such glorious creativity and beauty to honor our Lord of Lords and King of Kings!

Stained Light

To God be the glory, the power now and forever. Amen.

Braveheart - William Wallace

Rise up oh men of God. . .Take up the armor of God and fight the good fight of Faith in Truth, let not your heart grow weary, but be BRAVE of HEART, for the heart of a Lion (of Judah) beats within you along with your heart, if indeed you believe Jesus is substantially and truly present in the Eucharist, then HE IS IN YOU...and YOU WILL BE VICTORIOUS OVER THE ENEMY IN AND WITH GOD. Apart from Him you can do nothing, but with God...ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

It might just kill you, but though they may kill the body...the soul made pure by the infused grace of God cannot die. It will surely rise to be joined forever with Jesus Christ, if we persevere to the end.

I've done a lot of copying here today. Not much from "my own wee brain." Kind of lazy but hopefully you'll find something worthwhile and informative and a lot better than my own stuff. Getting the TRUTH out as best I can, from all sources orthodox.

PAX,
suise




Karl Keating is the founder and president of Catholic Answers.

He had been working as an attorney for several years when, on leaving Mass one Sunday, he found anti-Catholic tracts on the windshields of the cars in the church parking lot. He wrote his own tract in reply and distributed copies of it at the Fundamentalist church responsible for the anti-Catholic tract. That was the start of what has become the country’s largest lay-run apologetics and evangelization organization.

Catholic Answers was incorporated in 1982, and in 1988 Karl left the practice of law and went into apostolic work full time. That year marked the publication of his Catholicism and Fundamentalism, the first book to deal extensively with challenges posed by "Bible Christians." Other books followed: What Catholics Really Believe, Nothing But the Truth, The Usual Suspects, and Controversies. He is at work on several more titles.

For nine years Karl served as the editor of This Rock. He has been a columnist for the National Catholic Register and the Canadian Catholic Review and has written for many other publications. Each Tuesday he answers questions on "Catholic Answers Live." His avocations include backpacking (his favorite locales are the High Sierra and the Grand Canyon) and flying.

Books by Karl Keating published by Ignatius Press:

Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians"

What is in this book that has led so many Protestants to convert to Catholicism? What truths are revealed that has caused so many lapsed Catholics to return home? Find out for yourself when you read Catholicism and Fundamentalism.

This book is so insightful that it has been used as a college textbook in theology classes across the country. Yet it is so full of heart that it has inspired and guided Catholics everywhere to defend their faith.

Controversies: High Level Catholic Apologetics

In his book Controversies: High Level Catholic Apologetics, best-selling Catholic apologist and author Karl Keating presents writings from five of his favorite apologists who give a clear and forceful exposition of Catholic truth. These five well-known British writers of the 20th century had strong convictions, were not afraid of controversy and defended the truth with vigor and charity.

Examine and learn from the writings of John Henry Newman, Hilaire Belloc, Herbert Thurston, Arnold Lunn, and Ronald Knox. This book will introduce you to some of the best defenses of the faith ever and provide a peek at great minds at work.

What Catholics Really Believe

Karl Keating does an excellent job of clearly explaining Catholic practices that even devout Catholics can have a difficult time explaining to others. Keating's common sense approach to apologetics makes What Catholics Really Believe an excellent source for anyone who is curious about "Why do Catholics...?"

The writing style is straight forward and easy to read. Answers are backed up with direct scriptural references -- and helpful hints and analogies are added to make difficult concepts easier to grasp.

The Usual Suspects: Answering Anti-Catholic Fundamentalists

If you thought anti-Catholicism was on the wane, think again. In The Usual Suspects you will find out who is behind the baseless new anti-Catholic attacks and how their efforts can affect you.

Keating will open your eyes with thoroughly researched information about the efforts, origins, and threats presented by the usual suspects. In the process, he will give you new-found conviction in your own Catholic beliefs. As Karl Keating defends the truth of the Catholic Church against a host of attacks, he will confirm what you have always suspected but may not have been able to prove. The truth wins every time.

The Latin Mass: Old Rites and New Rites in Today's World | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D. | March 28, 2007

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On Sunday, May 12, 1996, Alfons Cardinal Stickler offered a Tridentine Latin Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York in an overfilled church. A strong supporter of the greater use of Latin in the Mass, Cardinal Stickler was visibly happy that day, stating, "I feel privileged that you have requested this Mass be celebrated here in what is your cathedral. . . . All are welcome here. We are one body, one body in Christ." [1] For several thousand lovers of the Latin Mass that day was a rare joy, but it is sadly all too common that whenever one brings up the topic of the "Latin Mass" either an argument or a litany of clarifications ensue.

Nothing should unify Catholics more than the liturgy, but there is little else that so often separates them. It would be dishonest to begin a discussion of the Mass offered in Latin without admitting that God's beautiful gift to his followers has become a venue for division; what brings Catholics together is also the most virulently debated topic in the Church. What is actually a sign of Catholic unity has unfortunately become an area of contention, leading some Catholics to leave the Church altogether.

It is not my intention here to recount the debates between the various camps who argue whether or not the Mass should be in Latin, offered according to the Tridentine Rite, offered according to the New Rite, or whether the Church should return wholesale to the pre-Second Vatican Council liturgy, or "reform the reform" and "traditionalize" the New Mass. My purpose is to provide a general outline of the Old Rite and the New, as they are offered in Latin, still the official language of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Catholic and secular media is presently abuzz with reports of an imminent Motu Proprio (official Papal provision) allowing all Roman Rite priests the freedom to offer the Mass in Latin without the current ecclesial obstacles. [2] The liturgical use of Latin is becoming increasingly popular, and Orders such as the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (established by Pope John Paul II in 1988) and the Institute of Christ the King (established in 1990) are by necessity turning away applicants because their seminaries are already crowded with young men eager to preserve the old Mass. There are good reasons to celebrate its resurgence in the Church, for it may be that this past venue of division is finally serving its original purpose: to restore unity.

Language, Liturgy, and the Semantic Conundrum

The most common problem that arises when discussing the "Latin Mass" is a basic one: what is meant by the term "Latin Mass"? This is not easily answered because the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council expected all Roman Rite Masses to be offered largely in Latin. It is incorrect, then, to state that only the Tridentine Rite of the Mass is the "Latin Mass." I attend Mass at a parish near Atlanta, Georgia, which is offered according to the Tridentine Rite, and also in Hanceville, Alabama, where the New Rite of Mass is in Latin. The Mass of Trent, called the "Tridentine Mass," and the Mass of Vatican II (Novus Ordo)--sometimes called the "Pauline Mass"--are both correctly called the "Latin Mass" when they are offered in Latin. One can attend the New Rite of Mass at the Vatican offered entirely in Latin.

The Tridentine Mass, unlike the New Mass, can only be offered in Latin; it is presently forbidden to use vernacular in the Old Rite. This regulation was made by the Church in light of its hallowed belief that the Mass should transcend national and cultural divisions; that is, the culture and language of the Church should retain a similar aesthetic and semantic appearance as to best represent its catholicity. By insisting on linguistic continuity, people from all cultures share the same liturgical rites regardless of location. Valerian Cardinal Gracias expressed this idea in his assertion that:

The mind of the Church is expressed in the authoritative teaching of the Fathers is neither Eastern nor Western, but universal. It is expressed in Western languages--Greek and Latin--but it was in Africa rather than in Europe that it received its classical formulation . . . under strong oriental influence. And the same is true of the . . . Latin liturgy itself. No doubt the Roman Rite which has outlived and absorbed other Latin Rites bears an indelible mark on the Roman spirit in its simplicity, its severity, and its concision. But this does not mean that it is only adapted to Western man, or that its spirit is alien from that of the East. On the contrary it gives a classical universal, and supernatural character. . . . [3]

Gracias expresses well the Church's belief that the use of Latin unifies rather than disunites the faithful. The term "Latin Mass," then, can be used to describe both the Tridentine and the new rites of the Roman Mass, and the use of Latin has been preserved, especially in the Old Rite, as a symbol of the Church's unity.

I'm kind of glad I got this one, too.
susie

Which 16th century theologian are you?

You are Philip Melancthon, author of the Augsburg Confession and colleague of Luther at Wittenberg. You were the most prominent among the Lutheran theologians seeking reconciliation with the Catholic Church.
Take this quiz!








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Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Here's my score. I'm Augustine YAY! I love Augustine. I took the test 3 times and got Karl Barth 1 Augustine 1 and then tied this last go 'round. I can't believe I got so much in the Calvin column though! I probably have a lot of residue left over from 26 years in the Evangelical world. Predestination 'Calvin's way' is NOT me! I do believe sin is a big problem and should be called sin, but the depravity of man, no. God created us good...we aren't dung hills covered with snow! I AM being transformed by Christ every day at Mass as I receive Jesus into my very being. But anyway, it was fun to dink around with and see the results. So my friend, Which Theologian are you?

Which theologian are you?

You scored as a Augustine

You have a big view of God and also take human sin and depravity very seriously. Predestination is important for you.

Karl Barth 87% Augustine 87% Friedrich Schleiermacher 73% Anselm 73% John Calvin 67% Paul Tillich 53% Charles Finney 47% Jonathan Edwards 40% Jürgen Moltmann 33% Martin Luther 33%

A Church Musician's

Lament

In a typical American parish, the selection of music betrays--and reinforces--an irreverent approach to the Mass.

By Michael Olbash

Apr 2003 (CWR) - Most CWR readers are probably familiar with the orthodox Catholic weekly newspaper, the Wanderer . I do not know how that title was chosen, but as a conservative Catholic musician with a considerable amount of training in organ, voice, and liturgy, I certainly feel like "the wanderer" myself. I wander from parish to parish, trying to find a community of people with whom I can share my gifts without being forced to perform the usual "sacro-pop" that has spread throughout the American Church like an unfettered parasite over the past thirty years.

Since my graduation from high school just ten short years ago, I have held "Director of Music" positions in eight separate parishes, with my terms of employment ranging in duration from six months to two years. I can't seem to hold down a job. Sooner or later--usually sooner--I come to blows with the pastor or a group of influential parishioners over the selection of liturgical music.

A FAMILIAR PATTERN

Here is the basic pattern of what happens when I am hired at a parish. My first order of business is to clean up that which has preceded me. I come in armed with the instruction on sacred art and furnishings from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (124):

• remove from the house of God... those works that are repugnant to faith and morals and to Christian devotion and that offend true religious sense either by their grotesqueness or by the deficiency, mediocrity, or sham in their artistic quality.

When they refer specifically to music, the Vatican II documents, and subsequent Church instructions, are much more delicate in their terminology referring to sacred musical arts. But their fundamental intent is still the same. A good deal of the music performed in American churches today is simply not fit for the house of God, and ought to be replaced.

Even just playing one sappy song per Mass is like giving sugar to a toddler; it's only a matter of time before the average individual in the pew will be demanding more and more of the stuff. Unfortunately, the people in positions of power at the parish level do not seem to understand that music ministry is not meant to entertain. It is meant to express our unity, our reverence, our humility, our awestruck wonder at the holy Sacrifice which Christ celebrates for us on the altar. It is meant to give voice to our beliefs, to lift up the teachings of the faith--not just to give everyone a warm feeling. Sappy music begets sappy theology, sappy dogma, and sappy moral teaching. Today's Catholics, facing the difficult challenges that come with living a moral life and defending the faith, need more.

MORE . . .

Dr. Diane Moczar

Year 313
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'10 Dates Every Catholic Should Know'

Buy 'Don't Know Much About Catholic History'

Thomas Craughwell

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Purchase 'Saint's Behaving Badly'

Servant priests and brothers of the Home of the Mother

Wednesday Papal Audience May 23, 2007


I looked for our group but it's too small and too hard to see. It's not the "slow pan" shots that are on t.v. Unfortunately the audio is also very poor and the "English" doesn't sound like any language I've ever heard. Oh well, it's a nice memory to see him there and know it was THIS VERY DAY that I got to see my Papa B as a true Catholic with a gratitude so full in my heart and to know that while I saw him drive by and took a few pictures of him, that I was indeed FINALLY at HOME and at PEACE. VIVA BENEDETTO!

On Mark Mallett's blog today.

7-7-7

"Apocalypse", Michael D. O’Brien

TODAY, the Holy Father has released a long anticipated document, bridging the gap between the current Eucharistic Rite (Novus Ordo) and largely forgotten pre-Conciliar Tridentine rite. This continues, and perhaps makes "whole," the work of John Paul II in re-highlighting the Eucharist as the "source and summit" of Christian faith.

ESCHATOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE?

While I am extremely hesistant to place any significance upon dates, the symbolism of the release of this document on 7/7/07 struck me. I felt drawn to the book of Revelation, which is also a marvelous allegory of the Mass. I opened the Book to chapters 5 and 6.

I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" …Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been slain. He had seven horns and seven eyes; these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world. He came and received the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne.

Then I watched while the Lamb broke open the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures cry out in a voice like thunder, "Come forward." I looked, and there was a white horse, and its rider had a bow. He was given a crown, and he rode forth victorious to further his victories. When he broke open the second seal, I heard the second living creature cry out, "Come forward." Another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And he was given a huge sword… (Rev 5:1-6, 6:1-4)

On one level of interpretation, this scripture passage could be understood as the cardinals and bishops (four living beings) and priests (elders) before the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass, "a Lamb that seemed to have been slain" (see The Apocalypse Letter by Letter; Chapter 2; written by Steven Paul, for a literary analysis of the symbolism of Revelation; iUniverse Inc., 2006).

The Lamb with 7 horns, 7 eyes, which are the 7 spirits of God, is about to break open the scroll which commences the 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, and 7 Bowls of God’s wrath prior to the Era of Peace.

In his book, Antichrist and the End Times, biblical scholar Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi writes,

The seven seals of the Book of Revelation appear to unfold as follows: If people do not heed the Warning of Christ (first seal), there will ensue a great war at the hands of men (World War III), causing much bloodshed (second seal)… —p. 59, St. Andrews Productions, 2005

If this is the case, then this new document, Summorum Pontificum, may be a sign that we are approaching the Eye of the Storm, when Christ victorious will attain further victories through a soverign act of Divine Mercy.

These interpretations are worth "pondering in the heart." May I add the wise caveat of St. Paul:

Our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect… (1 Cor 13:9)

…for some things which are coming are already here, and those present, are yet to come.

Jeremy D Stanbary Actor/Playwright/Artist

Founder/Executive Director Jeremy received his Fine and Performing Arts degree in the Theatrical Arts with a performance emphasis from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and was awarded the top scholarship for actors at UN-L two consecutive years. After an Augustinian-like conversion of heart during this time, Jeremy forfeited his scholarship in order to focus more time and energy on growing in his relationship with Jesus Christ. Upon graduating from UN-L, Jeremy spent a year in the Catholic seminary after which he spent two years as the Director of Youth Ministry for a parish in Lincoln, NE. In June of 2003, Jeremy started Epiphany Studio Productions as a means of combining his passion and love for the Catholic faith with his passion and talents in the theater. He has since performed for thousands of audience members in the U.S. as well as Internationally at World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne, Germany.

We saw Jeremy Stanbary perform Alessandro in Omaha 2 years ago at St. Gerald parish. It was excellent and yesterday on the feast of Maria Goretti, I remembered with fondness that amazing one-man theater production. This man is truly talented and a very gifted performer. I sat in awe throughout the entire evening. He's also a very talented artist. Visit here and support this inventive and creative outreach of our Catholic Church.

Explanatory Letter on "Summorum Pontificum"

"Growth and Progress, But no Rupture"

JULY 7, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is the Vatican translation of the letter Benedict XVI addressed to all the bishops of the world concerning his apostolic letter issued "motu proprio," "Summorum Pontificum," which was published today.

* * *

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
TO THE BISHOPS ON THE OCCASION OF THE PUBLICATION
OF THE APOSTOLIC LETTER "MOTU PROPRIO DATA"
SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM
ON THE USE OF THE ROMAN LITURGY
PRIOR TO THE REFORM OF 1970

My dear Brother Bishops,

With great trust and hope, I am consigning to you as Pastors the text of a new Apostolic Letter "Motu Proprio data" on the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970. The document is the fruit of much reflection, nu! merous consultations and prayer.

News reports and judgments made without sufficient information have created no little confusion. There have been very divergent reactions ranging from joyful acceptance to harsh opposition, about a plan whose contents were in reality unknown.

This document was most directly opposed on account of two fears, which I would like to address somewhat more closely in this letter.

In the first place, there is the fear that the document detracts from the authority of the Second Vatican Council, one of whose essential decisions -- the liturgical reform -- is being called into question. This fear is unfounded. In this regard, it must first be said that the Missal published by Paul VI and then republished in two subsequent editions by John Paul II, obviously is and continues to be the normal Form -- the "Forma ordinaria" -- of the Eucharistic liturgy. The last version of the "Missale Romanum" prior to the Cou! ncil, which was published with the authority of Pope John XXIII in 1962 and used during the Council, will now be able to be used as a "Forma extraordinaria" of the liturgical celebration. It is not appropriate to speak of these two versions of the Roman Missal as if they were "two Rites". Rather, it is a matter of a twofold use of one and the same rite.

As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a "Forma extraordinaria" of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted. At the time of the introduction of the new Missal, it did not seem necessary to issue specific norms for the possible use of the earlier Missal. Probably it was thought that it would be a matter of a few individual cases which would be resolved, case by case, on the local level. Afterwards, however, it soon became apparent that a good number of people remained strongly attached to this usage of the Roman Rite, which had been familiar to them from childhood. This was especially the case in countries where the liturgical movement had provided many people with a notable liturgical formation and a deep, personal familiarity with the earlier Form of the liturgical celebration. We all know that, in the movement led by Archbishop Lefebvre, fidelity to the old Missal became an external mark of identity; the reasons for the break which arose over this, however, were at a deeper level. Many people who clearly accepted the binding character of the Second Vatican Council, and were faithful to the Pope and the Bishops, nonetheless also desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them. This occurred above all because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations o! f the liturgy which were hard to bear. I am speaking from experience, since I too lived through that period with all its hopes and its confusion. And I have seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused deep pain to individuals totally rooted in the faith of the Church.

Pope John Paul II thus felt obliged to provide, in his Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei" (2 July 1988), guidelines for the use of the 1962 Missal; that document, however, did not contain detailed prescriptions but appealed in a general way to the generous response of Bishops towards the "legitimate aspirations" of those members of the faithful who requested this usage of the Roman Rite. At the time, the Pope primarily wanted to assist the Society of Saint Pius X to recover full unity with the Successor of Peter, and sought to heal a wound experienced ever more painfully. Unfortunately this reconciliation has not yet come about. Nonetheless, a number of communities have gratefully ma! de use of the possibilities provided by the Motu Proprio. On the other hand, difficulties remain concerning the use of the 1962 Missal outside of these groups, because of the lack of precise juridical norms, particularly because Bishops, in such cases, frequently feared that the authority of the Council would be called into question. Immediately after the Second Vatican Council it was presumed that requests for the use of the 1962 Missal would be limited to the older generation which had grown up with it, but in the meantime it has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them. Thus the need has arisen for a clearer juridical regulation which had not been foreseen at the time of the 1988 Motu Proprio. The present Norms are also meant to free Bishops from constantly having to evaluate anew how they are to respond to! various situations.

In the second place, the fear was expressed in discussions about the awaited Motu Proprio, that the possibility of a wider use of the 1962 Missal would lead to disarray or even divisions within parish communities. This fear also strikes me as quite unfounded. The use of the old Missal presupposes a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language; neither of these is found very often. Already from these concrete presuppositions, it is clearly seen that the new Missal will certainly remain the ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, not only on account of the juridical norms, but also because of the actual situation of the communities of the faithful.

It is true that there have been exaggerations and at times social aspects unduly linked to the attitude of the faithful attached to the ancient Latin liturgical tradition. Your charity and pastoral prudence will be an incentive and guide for improving these. For that matt! er, the two Forms of the usage of the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching: new Saints and some of the new Prefaces can and should be inserted in the old Missal. The "Ecclesia Dei" Commission, in contact with various bodies devoted to the "usus antiquior," will study the practical possibilities in this regard. The celebration of the Mass according to the Missal of Paul VI will be able to demonstrate, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the former usage. The most sure guarantee that the Missal of Paul VI can unite parish communities and be loved by them consists in its being celebrated with great reverence in harmony with the liturgical directives. This will bring out the spiritual richness and the theological depth of this Missal.

I now come to the positive reason which motivated my decision to issue this Motu Proprio updating that of 1988. It is a matter of coming to an interior reconciliation i! n the heart of the Church. Looking back over the past, to the divisions which in the course of the centuries have rent the Body of Christ, one continually has the impression that, at critical moments when divisions were coming about, not enough was done by the Church's leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity. One has the impression that omissions on the part of the Church have had their share of blame for the fact that these divisions were able to harden. This glance at the past imposes an obligation on us today: to make every effort to unable for all those who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew. I think of a sentence in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, where Paul writes: "Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return … widen your hearts also!" (2 Corinthians 6:11-13). Paul was certainly speaking in another context, bu! t his exhortation can and must touch us too, precisely on this subject. Let us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that the faith itself allows.

There is no contradiction between the two editions of the Roman Missal. In the history of the liturgy there is growth and progress, but no rupture. What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church's faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place. Needless to say, in order to experience full communion, the priests of the communities adhering to the former usage cannot, as a matter of principle, exclude celebrating according to the new books. The total exclusion of the new rite would not in fact be consistent with the recognition of its value and holiness.

In conclusion, dear Brothers, I very much wish to s! tress that these new norms do not in any way lessen your own authority and responsibility, either for the liturgy or for the pastoral care of your faithful. Each Bishop, in fact, is the moderator of the liturgy in his own Diocese (cf. "Sacrosanctum Concilium," 22: "Sacrae Liturgiae moderatio ab Ecclesiae auctoritate unice pendet quae quidem est apud Apostolicam Sedem et, ad normam iuris, apud Episcopum").

Nothing is taken away, then, from the authority of the Bishop, whose role remains that of being watchful that all is done in peace and serenity. Should some problem arise which the parish priest cannot resolve, the local Ordinary will always be able to intervene, in full harmony, however, with all that has been laid down by the new norms of the Motu Proprio.

Furthermore, I invite you, dear Brothers, to send to the Holy See an account of your experiences, three years after this Motu Proprio has taken effect. If truly serious difficulties c! ome to light, ways to remedy them can be sought.

Dear Brothers, with gratitude and trust, I entrust to your hearts as Pastors these pages and the norms of the Motu Proprio. Let us always be mindful of the words of the Apostle Paul addressed to the presbyters of Ephesus: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son" (Acts 20:28).

I entrust these norms to the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to you, dear Brothers, to the parish priests of your dioceses, and to all the priests, your co-workers, as well as to all your faithful.

Given at Saint Peter's, 7 July 2007

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

And the "Flying Fish Award goes to. . . ." This is a result of too much Thai food for lunch...I'm too full to blog but boy was that Chicken Pad Thai goooooood!

Jesus and Moses Went Golfing

I love the way Doc tells this one. By the way, this is a great dvd Dr. Ray is speaking to a men's conference a few years ago and can be purchased here. or here

The email below is from a person who's unfortunately suffering from RRA. Romish Receptive Aphasia. (see Tiber Jumper's blog re: this Syndrome) I had written previously to 'Shea' after coming across their website stating that we Catholics do not worship Mary, as I'd read on their website I wrote back in charity (with only very slight, somewhat venial mischief ; ) this reply in the subject line: "Alrighty then, see ya in purgatory."

I have prayed for Shea and will continue to pray for these misguided souls. The person who writes most of their "Catholic commentary'" is a 'former Catholic" and they won't budge one bit. I think their not wanting to discuss/converse/debate says much about them. I had truly written with charity, but when lies and half-baked ideas are thrown about as truth, and we come across them on line, I think we're obligated to tell the truth in love. What ears it falls on and their replies aren't up to us for if they don't receive it, we're to "shake the dust from our sandals and proceed to the next town." I hope the links I sent them will be checked out, especially by the former Catholic with an obvious ax to grind. I hope that a seed was planted. I wish them well and they'll be in my prayers when ever they come to mind. I've highlighted where RRA kicks in.

susie


Susie,

Should I ignore everything you say about the Protestant Church because you are now an ex-Protestant? That would be the logical result of your reasoning regarding former Catholics. Just because a person is a "former" something does not mean the person no longer knows anything about the something.

In regards to Catholicism, we really have no desire to engage in this discussion with you. You are not the first Catholic to object to our articles. We recently engaged in a 9 month ongoing conversation with a Catholic priest (with a doctorate in Catholic dogma). As a result of our conversation with him, we revised several of our articles...but we did not change the fact that we strongly disagree with many Catholic beliefs and practices.

As an example, you bring up the "worship of Mary" issue. Like most other Catholics, you claim, "Catholics do not worship Mary." I could point you to hundreds of examples of Catholics worshipping Mary. Excusing it away by calling it "veneration" does not change the substance of what it is. Under any normal definition of the term "worship," Catholics do in fact worship Mary. If names, titles, and words of praise that the Bible only uses for God, are used by Catholics for Mary, how is that anything but worship?

There is no point in continuing this conversation. You are not going to convince us, and we are not going to convince you. Let us commit to praying for each other, that God would minister the truth to both of us.

Sincerely in Christ,

Shea

GotQuestions.org

For other great guests on The Choices We Face. Listen to Dion Dimucci and his wife, Susan share their journey back to the CC; Michael O'Brien, author; Pam Stenzel speaker for chastity among teens, Fr. Michael Scanlon; Dana Scallon, Irish Catholic singer/song writer. We really enjoy this program on Friday mornings at 5:30 CDT. We're early risers and some of the best EWTN is on in the early morning. It's all great of course, but it seems the shows we most enjoy besides The Journey Home, LOTR, Threshold of Hope, EWTN LIVE, most are on around 3-6 a.m.

Ralph Martin's recent interview with Janet Smith. . .

Janet Smith can be seen on The Choices We Face.

For other information by Janet Smith.

Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest (RM)

Born in Cremona, Italy, 1502; died there, July 15, 1539; canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1897.

"That which God commands seems difficult and a burden. . . . The way is rough; you draw back; you have no desire to follow it. Yet do so and you will attain glory."

Antony studied medicine at the University of Padua. In 1524, at the age of 25, he set up his practice in his hometown. As a medical man he found himself ministering not only to the sick but also to the dying and the bereaved. He found man and women sick not only in the body but spiritually, and so he turned to the study of theology to learn more about the comfort and ways of God.

By 1528, it seemed natural that the young doctor should be ordained as a secular priest who pursued a spiritual and corporeal ministry. Soon he moved to work in Metan near Milan. His zeal, molded on that of Saint Paul, knew no bounds.

In 1530, he and a few other priests, including Venerable Bartholomew Ferrari and Venerable James Morigia, founded the congregation of Clerks Regular of Saint Paul, the members of which were neither monks nor friars but lived under a rule "to revive the love of divine worship and a true Christian way of life by continual preaching and faithfully administering the sacraments."

They worked among the plague-stricken Milanese, in the midst of wars, and during Luther's reforms. The group so invigorated the city's spiritual life that it was approved by Pope Clement VI in 1533 with Antony as its first provost general. The order became known as the Barnabites when, in the last year of Antony's life, the church of Saint Barnabas in Milan became the order's headquarters.

Antony resigned in 1536, helped spread the community, and worked ceaselessly to reform the Church. Under his direction, Louisa Torelli founded the congregation of women called Angelicals, who protected and rescued girls who had fallen into disreputable lives. Antony was only 37 when he died as a result of his unceasing apostolic toil

The Doctor Is In . . .July 5, 2007

Listen here to Dr. Ray as he takes a call from Shirley (2nd caller) then Jack from Michigan. He was brilliant with his apologetics answers. He was away from the Catholic Church for 10 years in an Evangelical church, so he's scratched and clawed his way back Home as many of us have. I thought it worth posting. I get jazzed when he gets going and talks so passionately about the Church and the Faith. You ROCK, DOC! ~ susie

- the archives at ave maria radio are there for a couple weeks or so. Also availavle at Immaculate Heart radio archives.

Matt Maher -- Your Grace is Enough

more than enough!

Matt's place

Poor Clares - Malawi

I LOVE the Poor Clares! They are holding this world together, as are other contemplatives, with their hidden lives and copious, fervent prayers ascending to the Father on our behalf.

When someone says, "those nuns," or "those monks... what are they doing for the world tucked away in some convent or monastery?" or the tedious line: "They should be out in the world helping people." (I have to confess here and now that that very line escaped my lips back in my 'know it all' 20's and 30's. When I KNEW the CC was wrong on all counts! It was so sad for those 'trapped' in such a horribly archaic, oppressive hierarchy of the "traditions of men." Gee what a ignoramus I was!)

As I cringe and bite my tongue, which sometimes is ready to snap back a sharp retort with less than Catholic charity. When my lips long to spurt out some answer birthed in venial mischief (my flesh is so weak!) I wait, pray quickly for patience then say.."Those holy women and men, set apart for God, in their particular calling, are the reason we are still here and good is still flourishing on this earth."

I wonder if we will ever know the magnitude of hearts changed, souls saved, spiritual and physical healings due to the faithfulness and diligence of their daily sacrifice and their many prayers this side of Heaven? I sometimes think we may never know...but yet that is the beauty of their hidden life...they'd NEVER seek or desire any credit. . . EVER. I long to grow in such humility and holiness. I'm thankful for the gift of the virtue of hope!

Thank you to ALL religious and for your sacrifice so precious in the eyes of God!

Growth of the Catholic Church. . .

Vatican stats: Catholic Church growing, especially in Asia, Africa

By John Thavis
2/12/2007

Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The latest Vatican statistics confirm that the church's population and ministerial workforce are continuing to shift to developing countries, especially those in Africa and Asia.

Figures released Feb. 12 showed that the overall number of Catholics increased to nearly 1.12 billion at the end of 2005, an increase of 1.5 percent from the previous year.

The Catholic growth rate was slightly higher than the rate of overall population increase, which was 1.2 percent. Catholics now represent 17.2 percent of the global population, the Vatican said.

The statistics were released in connection with the presentation of the 2007 edition of the Vatican yearbook, known as the Annuario Pontificio, which catalogs the church's presence in each diocese.

The church's population grew fastest in Africa, where the number of Catholics increased 3.1 percent in 2005, about half a percentage point higher than the overall population growth rate on the continent.

In Asia, the number of Catholics was up 2.7 percent, and in the Americas up 1.2 percent. In Europe, there was a very slight increase in the number of Catholics, the Vatican said.

Similar geographical differences were reflected in the number of priests and seminarians.

The number of Catholic priests around the world was 406,411 at the end of 2005. That was an increase of 520, or about 0.1 percent, over the previous year.

Broken down by continent, the increase was 3.8 percent in Asia and 3.6 percent in Africa. Europe and the Americas showed a decrease of about half a percentage point in the number of priests, while the number dropped 1.8 percent in Oceania.

The global distribution of priests continued to swing slowly toward Africa and Asia, which at the end of 2005 had 20.3 percent of the world's priests; in 1985, that number was about 11 percent. Europe continued to lose priests and was home to 48.8 percent of the world total; in 1985, Europe had 58 percent of the world's priests.

The distribution numbers were relatively unchanged for the Americas, which has about 30 percent of the total number of priests, and for Oceania, which has about 1 percent of the total.

Regarding seminarians, the Vatican said that globally the number increased 1.2 percent in 2005, from 113,044 to 114,439. Africa led the way with an increase of 3.46 percent, followed by Asia with 2.9 percent.

The Americas had an increase in seminarians of 0.6 percent, while Oceania remained virtually unchanged. In Europe, the number of seminarians dropped 1.9 percent.

For every 100 seminarians in the world at the end of 2005, 32 were from the Americas, 26 were Asian, 21 African, 20 European and one from Oceania, the Vatican said.

Living the Hidden Life

And a Poor Clare's thoughts are these. . .

I can only Imagine - Catholic Version

Heaven bends to kiss earth at every Mass. The Bridegroom embraces the Bride at Mass. Want to taste and see the goodness of the Lord, for REAL? Then do what is written on our dear Father Wee's license plate:


GO 2 MASS.

We cry holy

Speaking of Glenn's comedy bits. . .

Baseball advertising run amok.

This one always made me roll off my chair. Still does.

Our Troops . . .

Celebrating Our Independence, and the Men & Women Who Make it Possible

The Fourth of July is the day that we as Americans celebrate our independence. And while it's come to be a holiday that usually means fireworks, cookouts and time spent with family, we must never forget who we have to thank for that freedom to rest and relax: The troops.

America's independence was achieved and continues to be maintained by the brave men and women who volunteer for the armed forces. When they step up and put on a uniform, they put themselves in harm's way...risking the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I can live a quality of life that is the envy of the entire world.

I can remember a time in this country when a word like "patriotism" got people rolling their eyes at you, treating a love for your country as an outdated, nostalgic notion. Sadly, it took a tragedy like the 9-11 attacks to remind us of what our parents and grandparents knew far better and never forgot: Our nation is rare and precious—because of that, she is also vulnerable and must be protected and loved. We cannot afford to be indifferent or complacent because our enemies see our restraint and compassion as a weakness-we have been challenged once again, and I'm proud to say that America continues to stand tall.

Since the 9-11 attacks, we as a nation have new-found respect for our men and women in uniform...I'm just sorry it took such a vicious wake-up call to remind us what we should keep in our hearts and minds all along. Other nations need to make military service mandatory-in this country, we stand as the world's lone superpower because those with the right stuff stand up and choose to carry a gun and stand a post. We have the most powerful military on the planet and it's not because of weapons and technology-it's due to the character and commitment of our fighting men and women. A gun isn't noble, brave or courageous...but the American carrying it is.

Let us not forget that we are at nation at war-some of those fights have been declared (like the struggle in Iraq and Afghanistan), and some are happening more subtly, as with the growing threat of Iran and rogue terrorist states the world over. No one hates war more than a soldier-just ask one. But at the same time, no one knows better than a soldier that sometimes a fight is what's needed to save lives in the long run.

Yes, July 4th we celebrate our independence, so let's take special time today to think of those in uniform both here and abroad. It's the least we can do for those who selflessly give the most. We are who we are because of them, and I for one am eternally grateful.

-glenn

The above is written by Glenn Beck. I was a huge Glenn fan, and inveterate listener to his program daily, and an Insider on his website. (Wonder if my old posts are still there?) I haven't listened to much of talk radio for over a year now, to Glenn or anyone else. My Catholic radio listening is more important to me now. I liked a lot of Glenn's humor and comedy bits, but I'm just plain sick of the "news" which is mostly tragedy t.v. and stupid gossip anymore and all the yap on both sides is just so much blah blah blah. It gets to you, and before you know it ...it can 'ruin your day' if it's all you hear. I was a BIG news talk junkie. Radio in the day, FOX news at night. Fine if you can handle it, but too much information is a killer. People were much happier in the old days when news "took days" to get to you. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Life has been far more calm for me the past year . Catholic radio programs and EWTN feed me just enough now and blogging, well, it's my new favorite pastime. I meet so many dear people and learn a lot from others about the Faith. I read a lot more books and I pray a lot more now, too, and it's much healthier for my mind/soul. I get 'enough' news to know a little of what's going on, but that constant barrage was not helpful in my Christian walk. Some can take more than others. I took too much in for too long and I'd get so irritated and unsettled inside at times. But Glenn's essays were always very good, and many brought me to tears, for he's a great writer and a really genuine guy with a big heart. I've met him twice in person, and we even rode along on the caravan for the Rally for America when he left from Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas in 2003 up to Tulsa. I pray for him now. Glenn, come back Home to the CC. You're missed and loved!

susie

Whitney Houston - Star Spangled Banner (Super Bowl XXV)

I pray for Whitney...as she struggles in life. Her voice is incredible and it's why I chose this video. What a gift and talent from God.

Happy Independence Day....let us pray at Mass for all those in joy and in sorrow today. That we will continue to seek God, to know God and to live as God would have us live. Let us pray for this country to once again put God first and to give the weakest, smallest, most vulnerable among us, the unborn babies, LIFE, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But let it not stop there, the pursuit of happiness is truly happy only in 'doing the will of God.' So let us stop the murder of innocents and pray for peace in our country and our world. Our flag still waves like a beacon in the sky. His Church still shines like a beacon to all. Thank you Lord for our freedom and our country, may we not take our freedom and all our blessings and your Church and sacraments for granted.

Oh Queen of Peace, Blessed Mother, pray for us.

Amen. God bless America and God bless all of you and your loved ones on this our nations birthday.

Rich and Susie

Freedom

Paul McCartney Freedom LIVE

A right given by God. . . .

Happy 4th of July . . .

Greeting the Fourth

by Dr. Jeff Mirus
July 3, 2007

Committed Catholics in America sometimes fret over the celebration of Independence Day. The culture wars keep us focused on so much that is seriously wrong in our country. This can lead to depression and bitterness when it comes to our preeminent national holiday. But what other perspective is possible?

A Vale of Tears

The answer to this question lies in a proper understanding of this world, which prior generations were astute enough to call a vale of tears. I suppose it is only human to wish we could be dealing with problems other than those we’ve been given, but it is nonetheless a character flaw, and the first point to remember is that there are always grave problems with the world.

Pick any century, from the first to the twenty-first, and you’ll find wars, oppression, natural disasters, poverty, famine, apostasy, corruption of various kinds in the Church, characteristic vices which mark the spirit of each age, and plenty of good old-fashioned sin. Is the United States currently in a period of severe moral and Christian decline? Certainly. But one can argue that this decline has been going on for our entire history, and in the West generally for the past five hundred years.

Nor does this make the middle ages a sort of golden age. The process of Christianizing Europe (which is, after all, a relatively small portion of the globe) was long, hard and murky, with the slowly-forming culture often infected by all kinds of competing ideas, not unlike the slowly forming Christian culture in Africa. And when the Church gradually shaped Christendom in the high middle ages, the result was a host of problems caused by bishops drawn from the younger sons of the nobility, who saw ecclesiastical life as a road to worldly power.

I’m not saying that there have not been great achievements in Catholic history, or that our Western Christian civilization is not in crisis. My point is that the world is always a vale of tears. There is no golden period to which we can look back, or forward. To understand this is to keep our expectations reasonable.

Patriotism

It is in this context that we must consider the virtue of patriotism. This side of heaven, we don’t love anything because it is perfect. Rather we strive to love all things as God loves them, for whatever good is in them. But we do not have God’s universal dominion, and so we cannot possibly have a natural love for all things equally. Each person is given a finite range of things—a natural, immediate and specific connectedness to certain things—which he is therefore bound to love in a special way.

Thus each one of us is directly connected to himself, his family, his close associates, some sort of local community, his local church, perhaps the land on which he lives and the home in which he dwells, probably the tools of his trade, and also a particular people and country which becomes as familiar to him as his own life. In all these things he will see blemishes and faults. But he will also know their virtues and, in any case, his instinct will be to cherish and defend the things which have fallen by Providence into his sphere of sustenance and responsibility.

If a person has sufficient sensitivity to recognize also his connectedness to God, all of these natural perceptions will be heightened. In the light of God, he will develop not only a generally correct estimation of the surpassing good of all creation, but a keen sense of the particular privations of good which we call evil. He will take both pride and delight in the hundreds of small features he encounters each day which remind him that he has become suited to his place in the world, without being mastered by whatever is imperfect in it.

The more a person loves something, the more sensitive he will be to its privations, but by the very force of this same love he will not therefore overlook the good. Even patriotism will become a Christian virtue, a supernaturalization and intensification of our God-given instinct to love that which we have been given to love. There will be scope for exhortation, but never bitterness. There will be room for sadness, but never for true depression, not for a son or daughter of God.

Living by Hope

Christians live in hope of the life with God to come and hope that all whom they love will ultimately share this life. This hope has two important corollaries. First, our hope is not in this world, and we are not to grow disappointed or peevish as if it is. Second, our hope is in God “who desires all men to be saved.” It is worth quoting the entire relevant passage from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2:1-4)

St. Paul, who had no illusions about the problems of his age, speaks here of supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings. Applied to our particular place, people and nation, this makes a good recipe for patriotism. Committed Catholics, who are undoubtedly no strangers to supplications, prayers and intercessions, must also have no fear of thanksgiving. Leaving our cynicism with the other trash at the curb, let us do exactly as Paul says. To all our American readers, I wish a genuinely happy Fourth of July.

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – “Remember this,” Richard John Neuhaus told a ballroom full of Catholic luminaries, “The greatest, moral, political, cultural contest of our time is…the contest between the culture of Life and the culture of Death.”

Richard John Neuhaus, a former Lutheran pastor born in Pembroke Ontario, is now a Catholic convert and priest and edits the leading American intellectual Catholic journal First Things. He addressed attendees at the 4th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC earlier this month. In the formal traditional American oratorical style, he encouraged those who had been involved in the pro-life movement not to lose confidence, even in the face of apparent set-backs.

Neuhaus’ identification of the core of the Culture Wars as the life issues, abortion, embryonic experimentation and euthanasia, came in the context of the question of the place in US political and cultural life of Catholics. Neuhaus told those present that the contribution of Catholic thought to the “American experiment” in popular democracy was to present the moral questions on the nature of human dignity and human rights.

“We say to our fellow citizens, ‘Come, let us reason. Come let us carefully think about what it means for the very notion of the dignity of the human person. What…does it mean when you say that some human beings, because of their size or because of their dependency, or because of their location, or because of their unwantedness – are, in fact, not part of the community for which we accept common responsibility’.”

Neuhaus decried the notion that American Catholics should blend and assimilate and become invisible as Catholics in their country’s political life.

“God has put us here in America,” he said, “and He has put us here not to be like everybody else. He has put us here not to be American Catholics but Catholic Americans and in this moment of history – to exemplify that most boldly, courageously, persuasively, persistently, in contending for the culture of life.”

Neuhaus praised the Catholic contribution to that contest saying that at the passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973, nearly every other American cultural institution, the medical, legal, media and even religious establishments, were in support of the Supreme Court’s abortion decision, Roe v. Wade, except the Catholic Church.

In time, Neuhaus said, the position of Catholics became the pro-life position and the reasoned arguments drew in support from other groups such as the Evangelicals. But he said, “The Catholic Church is the vanguard of the culture of Life.”

The essence of the Catholic message for public life, he said, is “an understanding of what we call Natural Law, Natural Reason, of a gift of God, of a sanctuary of conscience in which we recognize that we are hard-wired for truth – including moral truth.”

A PRAYER FOR AMERICA

Father, we beg Your blessing for the Right to Life, the Unborn, the weak, the sick and the old; all who are finding themselves being targets of the vicious culture of death; that our Lord Jesus bless and protect all who stand up for the Christian dignity of persons. That God enlighten those who are traveling down death's highway by their involvement, in any way, with either the contemporary death culture, selfism, relativism, or any of the new age errors of our times, that God envelop our culture with His Divine protection and help us both individually and as a nation to true enlightenment, conversion and repentance of our selves and our culture. Help us to turn from our national sin of abortion, and return to, and once again become a Christian nation, on the narrow road, that is, the path to becoming a nation and culture, under God. Amen.


QUEEN OF PEACE, PRAY FOR US!

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

WYD Cross arrrives in Australia . . .

World Youth Day Cross Arrival - Guy Sebastian performs anthem

Where:

Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour

When:

Sunday, 1 July 2007

What:

Guy Sebastian and Paulini will headline a welcome celebration in Darling Harbour to mark the arrival in Australia of the World Youth Day Cross on Sunday 1 July. Thousands are expected to attend the free event in Darling Harbour next month where Guy and Paulini will perform his WYD 2008 anthem Receive The Power for the first time. The event will celebrate the arrival in Australia of the WYD Cross and an Icon of Our Lady, the international symbols of World Youth Day. The Cross and Icon will begin a 12 month journey around the country as Australia counts down to the hosting of the world�s largest youth event in Sydney from 15 � 20 July 2008. Heralded as the �Olympic torch� of World Youth Day, the 3.8m high, 40 kilogram Cross and Icon have travelled throughout the world, most recently through Asia and Oceania on their journey to Australia. From 1 July, young Australians will take the Cross and Icon around Australia to more than 400 communities, including some of the country�s most significant, historic and beautiful locations.

Contact:	World Youth Day Sydney on 02 9390 5900
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Receive the Power - Guy Sebastian and Paulini

Receive the Power!