In case you haven't yet...

You may have noticed that I really enjoy the online webchannel known as RealCatholicTV.com. I definitely think it is worth the 5 minutes, if nothing else, to watch "Catholic News Roundup" to hear about some of the news from around the world that should be of concern to Catholics. Many of these stories the secular media wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole, or if they do, they will be skewed to a secular view. Please enjoy yesterday's epidode:

Hooray for Courage!

There is quite a story told over at RealCatholicTV.com at the beginning of this video:

One wonders why a parishoner would stand up to shout down the priest who is instructing him in the faith? Have we seriously lost the understanding of the priest as our "pastor"? Do Catholics no longer see the need to listen intently to the challenge of the Gospel and all that the Church has taught in support of it for centuries, I should add! If we believe in Jesus, then let us remember that God can speak to us through his priests and we should be open to the possibililty, especially when they are echoing the clear teaching of the Church!

"I set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life, therefore...."

Norway has seen the unfortunate consequence of our modern world that has rejected God. As St. Paul teaches, "the wages of sin is death." Over the weekend a lone gunman, in what appears was a decided mental state, chose to bomb innocent people and open fire on teens at a camp. This truly is a horrific act. But even more disturbing is that this young man, who opened fire, was doing this because he was concerned about Islam in his country in Norway. It has been said he was a "fundamentalist Christian," but it is becoming clear that that was not the case.

My dear reader, as I said, this is the consequence of rejecting Christ in once Christian Europe. It may be however, as with so many things, a demonic influence may have influenced this young man to try to play God by taking life by means of the death and destruction he caused. His idea, it seems, was to have Europe take up arms against Muslims and Marxists.

As horrid as his actions were, there is, however, something to his concern, one must admit. If one remembers the Muslim riots in France in 2005, then one might remember that they took place there because of a perceived police brutality. But such stories of muslim influence are popping up all over Europe, even in Rome. It is true that muslims are growing in number in Europe. Consider this:


It would seem that a big battle is brewing... or is it? What you will notice in the above video is also what many in the West are continuing to do; that is, to make this a socio-political dilemma. But is it? After all, St. John Chrysostom - a contemporary of Mohammed- noted that Mohammed was a heretic. Really? Then perhaps the one thing that could save the West is the one thing that the so-called Secular Humanism (and one might argue so-called Liberalism) of the West rejects whole heartedly: namely Christian Theology. How can I boldly state this?

Consider Fr. Zakaria Botros, "Islam's (so-called) Public Enemy #1" an Egyptian Coptic priest who boldly speaks out against Islam - not as so many in the West do with political and cultural arguments, but in theological terms [For the sake of full disclosure, this Coptic priest is Orthodox and thus not in full union with Rome - though we recognize their Sacraments as valid, and the Catholic Church is seeking reunification as we speak!]. He very sincerely and wisely asks of Muslims, especially scholars, to explain certain hard questions that confront Islam:


This priest is awesome! Talk about gutsy! He just goes straight to the heart of the Islamic system of belief and asks questions. Check this out:

A little education about these things go a long way! In another article I was reading (linked to above) the author noted that this priest regularly challenges the prominent Islamic scholars of past and present. In fact, over at Jihadwatch.org one can find a few of Fr. Zakaria's explanations of a number of "interesting" facts about Mohammed and Islam. One such article, and this is NOT FOR KIDS, is entitled "The Perverse sexual habits of the Prophet." It actually has a few parts: part II, part III, part IV, and part V are found here.

These are things that most practitioners of Islam, or Mohammedans (as Catholic Tradition has referred to them) have not considered. In fact, Fr. Zakaria regularly appears on the Arab television show called "Daring Questions." For example, here when he calls into question the reliability of Mohammed's wife, who is said to have been a witness of the prophet's revelation, even though Islam does not allow women to be witnesses today! In another segment, he posed the question "Was Mohammed a prophet of God or of Satan?" And, as a sign that these things are effective in pointing to the Truth of Jesus Christ, it is said that Magdi Alam, who was publicly baptized by the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI was influenced by Fr. Zakaria. In short, Our Lord Jesus Christ is the answer to the problem of so-called Muslim extremism. To find the Truth of Christ will transform our world, and help Muslims to find the Truth of God that came to us in Jesus Christ. May the Truth of Jesus Christ be made known by each of us who claim the glorious title of Catholic Christians so that all may "have life, and have it more abundantly" (Jn 10:10)!

Have the Knights been hijacked?

To be upfront, I am a Knight of Columbus - 3rd Degree. To be totally honest it has been some years since I have been seriously involved with a Council, though I maintain my membership. But this report from Michael Voris is fairly disturbing:



It is important, as Catholics, to constantly reassess our associations and perhaps it is time for me to reassess mine...

In these days of great financial turmoil, our country needs a good laugh. With the announcement that our beloved Archbishop is leaving, we need a laugh. With the challenge of finding work for many people, we need a laugh. Since the heat will be getting to us this week in Denver, we need a laugh. And finally, with the summer almost half over, we need to laugh.

My childhood was lived during the 80's so as we have so much in modern cinema that is trying to recapture those times, I think it is worth some satire. I accidentally stumbled upon these videos, and for those of you who already know about them, bear with me. I hope, if you are familiar with these "blockbuster" movies of recent years, that these spoofs will give you a laugh:











If you enjoy these, there are plenty more online that you can find here. I highly recommend the Lord of the Rings spoof (though there is a cartoon rear-end shown, so be aware). As well, others may not be suitable for children - I can't recommend all of them, but these were pretty funny. May we find the Joy of the Lord in the midst of our trials.

Poor St. Lawrence....

Today, sixty eight years ago, we lost one of the great jewels of Rome. On July 16th, 1943 the Patriarchal Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls was destroyed by American bombers who were trying to bomb the nearby railyards. Sadly, our American bomber pilots missed with one serious bomb. There were, in fact, specific instructions for bombers to avoid any religious buildings in Rome, but one bomb strayed anyway. If you want to read more on this check this out. Here is what the devastation looked like:


Prior to that bombing, San Lorenzo was an ancient Church that was built above the tomb of St. Lawrence, one of the first seven Deacons of Rome. Originally, it was half the size it is today, because an entirely different Church was built over the original tomb. Then one was built next to it. Then, later, the two were conjoined. Even today, you can find a crick in the walls of the current Church were the two buildings were conjoined. For centuries, following a tradition propogated by St. Phillip Neri, it was one of seven Patriarchal Basilicas of Rome that people would often go to visit while in Rome. It houses a large cemetary just behind it as well, called in Italian the Campo Verano.

It was St. Lawrence who is famously shown with a grill, because it was reported that he had been put to death on a grill. He was so burned, that he exclaimed to his captors, "Turn me over, I am done on this side!" In fact, in the basement of that Basilica you can find, even today, the marble slab that was said to have been used to carry the Saint from his death to his tomb (perhaps I will post a picture of this slab on his Feast day). Upon the white marble slab, one finds blood stains that are said to have come from his back.

In short, the Church that was standing at the time it was bombed had a long and rich history. Unfortunately, when this Basilica was hit, some people who were nearby were wounded and some died. But the great pastoral heart of Pope Pius XII was shown when he immediately went out to visit the people. It is said that his cassock was stained with the blood of the victims, presumbly because he went to visit and/or pray over them - perhaps even offer Extreme Unction (Last Rites). This visit of the Holy Father to the bombed Church also preciptated one of my most favorite pictures of any Pope I have ever seen, because it bespeaks the heart of the Pope:

While we have lost the original Church, as it once stood, the Church that stands in its place today was restored from the original plans - and thankfully not ruined with weird modern art. While my post today is entitled "Poor St. Lawrence" I am certain that he didn't "sweat" (as the kids say) losing a Basilca named after him, nor even that its where his earthly remains are kept. I have a feeling he was more concerned for the poor souls who lost their lives that day that America bombed the city of St. Peter and St. Paul. It just goes to show you, you never know when God will call you home. Perhaps it is best that we each prepare our hearts, for we never know when we too will be asked to give account for our lives before the Lord. Like St. Lawrence, may we have the grace to die well... and even provide a lil' humor for centuries of martyrs to follow.

In case you have never seen it, let me leave you with this short video, the beginning 7 minutes of which shows the Basilica of St. Lawrence (the latter half shows the Basilica of Santa Prassede - but that is a blogpost for a different day):


UPDATE*** Here is a picture of the shell of the actual bomb! They kept it at St. Lawrence and you can see it there today:

OH NO!!!!

It is being reported over at the awesome Catholic website Newadvent.org (which links the Inquirer in Philadelphia) that we are about to lose our Archbishop to Philadelphia. While this should be sad for all those who care about the Archdiocese of Denver, it is important to remember that we should also have expectant hearts for what Jesus is about to do here in Denver! Let us pray begin to pray for our next Archbishop! At the same time, let us pray for our Archbishop that he will be blessed as he moves on to his new ministry at the service of Christ in his Holy Church. Thank you for your guidance of our Archdiocese, and we will miss you, your Excellency!

What many Americans could care less about...

This past weekend a profound moment in the history of the world and the Catholic Church happened. Many of us Americans had more important things to worry about from the economy, to Women's World Cup soccer, to baseball games. Nevertheless, a moment of great importance took place. To what do I refer? The funeral of Otto Von Habsburg. "Who was Otto?" an every day run of mill the modern American might ask? Among other things he was " Archduke of Austria, Crown Prince of Austro-Hungary, Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, of Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Lodomeria and Illyria." In short, he was the last pretender to the throne of the Austrio-Hungarian Empire, which has been defunct since the First World War. That's right, the one Our Blessed Mother warnned about at Fatima, Portugal.

This is the end of an era. Nevertheless, there are some great moments to be be seen from the funeral of the Archduke. Take for example the beginning of the ceremony:
What is happening here is described here:

The Master of Ceremonies knocks three times

Capuchin: "Who is there?"

Master of Ceremonies: "Otto of Austria,First Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, Imperial Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, of Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Londomeria and Illyria, Grand Duke of Toskana and Krakow, Duke of Lothringia, of Salzburg, Steria, Carinthia, Craina and the Bokowina, Grand Prince of Siebenburgen,
Count of Mähren, Duke of Upper and Lower Silesia, of Modena, Parma, Piacenza and
Guastalla, of Auschwitz and Zator, of Teschen, Friali, Ragusa, Zara, princely Count von Habsurg of Tirol, of Kyburg, Gorz and Gradisca, Prince of Trent and Brixen,
Count of Upper and Lower Lausitz and Istria, Count of Hoehenms, Feldkirch, Bregenz, Sonnenberg etc., Lord of Triest, of Cattaro and of the Windischen Mark,
Grand Voyod of the Voyodship of Serbia, etc., etc."

Capuchin: "We do not know him!"

MC knocks three times

Capuchin: "Who is there?"

Master of Ceremonies: "Dr. Otto von Habsburg, President and Honorary President of the Pan European Union, Member and Late President of the European Parliament, Honorary Doctor of numerous Universities and Honorary Citizen of many Societies in Central Europe, Member of honorable Academies and Institutes, Bearer of high and highest State and Church awards, orders and honors, which were bestowed upon him in recognition of his decades long fight for the freedom of peoples, for law and justice."

Capuchin: "We do not know him!“

MC knocks three times

Capuchin: "Who is there?"

Master of Ceremonies: "Otto -- a mortal and sinful man!"

Capuchin: "Come in."


That is pretty awesome you have to admit. Why? It is not our earthly achievements or titles that mean a thing in the life to come. It is merely our humble repentance before the Divine Majesty of Christ that allows for our entrance into the Church - our gateway into heaven. This is a beautiful example of the Church's wisdom in teaching us how to enter into eternity.

Sadly, it also leaves a definitive gap between the once Catholic Austro-Hungarian empire and the secular state of Austria. This funeral took place in St. Stephensdom (the Cathedral) in Vienna, where the Imperial crypt is housed. It has been the practice of the Emperors to have their hearts removed and buried next to them. However, His Royal Imperial Highness had his heart placed in Hungary. It is said this was because he spent time there while in exile and being educated by Benedictine Monks there.

In days gone by, the Emperor and Kings were meant to embody the people and to act on their behalf. While there were some who weren't so good, there were a good many that demonstrated for their people the need to follow Christ, the King of kings. In the United States, we don't have this tradition because our culture is based on rejecting the authority of a King, namely King George III of England. Nevertheless, to once Catholic Europe, the potential of a king or emperor was that they would be a holy and wise person whose service was seen as a regency for Christ. In fact, it could be argued that in America it was the influence of the Freemasonic tenet of not allowing men to have authority over others that caused the establishment of America as a Constitutional Republic to begin with.

At any rate, it was a historical moment for the Church since the last actual Emperor of Austria was not allowed to be buried in their ancestral tomb in Vienna, since he died in exile. This funeral allowed for the family to return to its imperial crypt and the centrality of the Catholic Faith to be restored, even if only momentarily, as the rightful cultural basis for the Austrian people. I leave you then with this lovely rendition of the Salve Regina as sung at the Archduke's funeral, Requiescat in Pace!

The modern man is not really all that modern.

Pope Paul VI once wrote, "The modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than he does to teachers; and if he listens to teachers then it is because they are witnesses." I have found that is true. And in this vein, listen to the witness of this man:

Its hard to argue with a witness of Christ's grace. Sin is nothing modern, it is the same as it has been since our first parents. Thankfully, Christ is the same yesterday, today and always - merciful.

The Vestal Couple?

In the ancient Roman religion, which our Lord Jesus conquered by bringing us the the Truth of the Triune God, the goddess Vesta was the goddess of the hearth & home. In those days, there was the belief that a sacred fire was meant to keep burning in honor of the goddess. If the fire went out then the city would fall, or calamity was believed to be imminent. This seems to have come from the mountains around Rome, in an area today called Albano, when King Numa (2nd King of Rome) established religious practices in early Rome.

At any rate, I was thinking about this story this morning as my wife and I prepare to go to the Rocky Mountain Catholic Home Educators Conference this afternoon. Unfortunately, in our day, there are many schools who have begun to implode morally and some even academically. In fact, you may be aware that in California just a few days ago the governor approved the forced instruction of students about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender people. Moreover, you might also know about the scandal in Atlanta where teachers, of all people, were caught cheating on the reporting of standardized testing. This alleged crime caused these teachers and administrators to receive bonuses and honors that they did not deserve to receive. These same standardized tests are used throughout the entire nation, and it has renewed debate about pay for public school teachers, and standardized testing.

The point? Well, education, as we have come to know it is often symbolized with a lamp of learning:

This lamp comes from the annals of history and the philosopher Diogenes of Sinope. It is said that Diogenes would go around with a lamp in mid-day. When he was asked why, he said it was because he was looking for an honest man. Presumably, he wanted somebody to tell him how dumb he was for carrying a lit lamp! Diogenes was known more popularly as a "cynic" philosopher. This, in my opinion, speaks to what much of modern American public (read government funded and directed) education has become. It would not be inappropriate to suggest that the "fire" of the lamp of learning has become "the fire of cynicism." That is, children are taught that belief in anything Catholic is useless or just not that important, depending on the curriculum.

Thankfully, schools like Notre Dame and other Catholics Schools are integral to fighting the Secular Humanism that has become prevalent in the running of government-run schools. Not that all teachers are willfully teaching secular humanism, but the fact that public school teachers must be weary of speaking about their Catholic faith is itself a demonstration of the removal and non-equality of the Catholic Faith with other teachings in public schools.

That being said, even beyond Catholic schools, there is a small growing minority (though not as small as many would think!) of parents who have turned to homeschooling their children as a way to educate their children and integrate their Catholic faith into their education. While homeschooling is not for everyone, I think, as Americans, we should appreciate the freedom to teach our children as we see fit. It is not the place of the government to be the primary instructor (<--see #3 of that Declaration of Vatican II) of any child. Taken to an extreme, some places have even outlawed parents teaching their children!!! You think I am kidding? In Germany it is illegal for parents to teach their children! Consider this story. If we don't appreciate our liberties in this country, then we may find that we too will one day lose them.

While I am at work, my wife is at home busily helping our children to learn to read, to count, to explore the world. As a family, we are evangelizing our children to know our Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord of History and the Lord of Life. Again, homeschooling may not be for everyone, but it is a serious and tenable way of teaching children to enjoy their faith. True, homeschooling takes a lot of sacrifice. But with children, as I like to repeat to people, "No greater sacrifice, no greater joy."

The thing it seems that most people don't realize who flatly reject homeschool as an option is that every parent teaches their children already at home, only it is not formalized. Sadly, some children learn that their faith is just short of useless from their parents, but some children learn that it is integral but equal to other subjects they study. While still other children learn from their parents that the Catholic Faith is the most important thing they will ever learn. There are, of course, a great spectrum of these realities, but homeschooling is a great catalyst for this final mode of education.

The fire that kept burning in the city of Rome, and other places, dedicated to the goddess Vesta was meant to never go out. To tend to it, the high priest of Vesta chose certain virgin girls at around the age of 10 years old, yes 10! They were to live almost the rest of their lives tending to the fire (among other duties): 10 years to learn their duties, 10 to live their duties, and 10 training a younger Vestal virgin. If they were to be found to no longer be a virgin, then they were to be buried alive - killed, essentially.

In a similar manner, if our children do not learn to fully appreciate their Catholic Faith then the fire of the Holy Spirit may be extinguished in our family. This, I believe, is partially what we can understand St. Paul to mean when he exhorted St. Timothy, "stir into flame the gift of God bestowed when my hands were laid on you (2Tim 1:6)." Many of the Catholic Church's traditions were borrowed from pagan practices, and purified by being given a Catholic sense. In this way, it demonstrated to people what Christ desires from us and for us: to be transformed by grace. It seems to me that we Catholic parents can not neglect the idea behind the Vestal Virgins if we hope to keep our Catholic culture alive. Though, thanks be to Jesus, we get to do it in the Sacrament of Marriage!

The thing about humidity...

You know it is funny what humidity does to you. It can be uncomfortable, pervasive, and profusive. Even more striking, literally, is hail. I was caught in the hailstorm yesterday as I made my way home. As I walked from the bus to the place my family is living, and I was being pelted, I thought about many things; not the least of which was the death of Sherwood Schwartz, whom some of you may know as the creator of two great television shows of yesteryear, Gilligan's Island and the Brady Bunch. He was also known for his work with the Red Skeleton Hour and some other lesser known works.

I was struck yesterday as I listened to the radio by some hosts saying how when "The Brady Bunch Movie" came out in 1995, the script contained the children cussing. Schwartz, apparently so outraged at this, said that if this was filmed he would personally campaign against the movie. Decency... its a dying art, apparently. Even though the movie was a parody of his TV show, they changed it to honor him.

How is it a guy whose whole career was partially built upon this TV show could stand against that movie because of a few swear words? Standards. Its funny what we, as human beings, are willing to compromise on to get our name out, to get our 15 minutes of fame. Yet this man was willing to reject the movie based on his own TV show because it undermined what he had worked so hard to portray in the show - namely family life.

Today, what can we find on TV that compares to the Brady Bunch? Let alone the glory and comedic genius of Gilligan's Island. Think about, if you have seen either show: every character is still memorable in each of their own way. Both were ensemble casts that were brilliant, though, as I understand it, in their day they was not really all that popular - but enduring, nonetheless.

Not that I want to personally canonize Mr Schwartz or anything. But I do think that we could use more of his wit and creativity in show business today, especially a show where the only people who slept together were the married couple... and they had separate beds! AND on top of everything else... he had Mr. Magoo as Thurston Howell III!

But I digress, humidity... the thing about humidity and Gilligan's Island is that they both require perseverance. You ever notice that on Gilligan's Island they never give up trying to get off the Island? Even after they were rescued a few times in the reunion movies, they kept trying to get back off! Its kinda the same thing with humidity... you have to keep pushing through because it eventually rains.... and sometimes you get pelted with hail.

It's not like I own stock....

...but RealCatholicTV.com sure makes some good points now and then. Michael Voris tackles the effects of Contraception on our culture and the life of the Catholic Church today... and I have to say, he nails some serious points:



Luckily, for us in Denver, Archbishop Chaput is a Bishop who has made clear the Church's teaching on these things with great charity and pastoral care. Nevertheless, perhaps some priests don't hear or feel the challenge to tackle this pressing issue. It is significant that the homosexual community is moving further and further into the mainstream, and many catholics continue to come accept this "lifestyle" as a tenable one. It is true though that this only comes from the acceptance of cohabitation as well.

What it all boils down to is the desire of the flesh, which, it should be noted, is a wholesome and beautiful desire IF IT IS LIVED ACCORDING TO GOD'S DESIGN! I was listening to a radio talk show last night where the host was talking about a tribe in South America where the young men are taken into the jungle in nothing but a loincloth and stinging fire ants are set on them so that they will sting his entire body. This sting is so intense that one sting might send your average person to the hospital for the pain. During this "rite" the boy is not supposed to cry AT ALL - not even a whimper. In this manner, in that culture, he will become a man. Why? Because he was able to endure the pain that was necessary to go into the jungle and hunt for food, during which he may be stung by one or two ants. In going through this "rite" he has proven that he can endure the pains that will necessitate his silence when he or the tribe is on the hunt for a jaguar or other animal. He has demonstrated his ability to control his emotion, fear and pain. I found that very interesting, given that the host began to speak to the "partiers" listening. He berated them for their desire to seek comfort above many other things.

Think about it: in America, our right of passage, for many of our non-believing contemporaries, is to go to college and drink yourself into numerous stupors and engage in promiscuity. Yet, we are called as Catholics to call all mankind to understand that they are called to live in virtue with custody of their eyes and lust. Has the Church failed?! Hardly not! However, we sure as heck should get busy speaking in charity to the persons in our culture who continue to erode the boundries of decency. I heard it once said that this desire for sex and being drunk is a way for Satan to deceive people from receiving what their soul truly desires: namely, the body and blood of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist.

One wonders if the mainstream culture will continue to promote a hypersexualization of our culture, or whether a return to sanity in modesty will ever return? If it is to happen, it is clear that Christians must articulate and defend the joy and value of these things to the world. Perhaps, no greater witness can come than from Our Lady who is always shown in the most modest attire (not that everyone must dress like her), because she understood most fully that her body was meant to honor God. And so it did, by providing him with the flesh by which to come into the world. Thus, Christians, and more so Catholics, should feel the need to follow her example of modesty and of honoring God by means of our bodies.

Goodbye Fr. Hellstrom!

Its funny. The last time I was hired by Fr. Michael at St. Jude he himself left after one year of my being employed there. Now, another priest is leaving when I have just arrived at Notre Dame. Kind of disheartening to think that "I am chasing priests away"... if I didn't believe that Jesus holds the key to the meaning of all this.

Fr. Hellstrom himself noted that the Lord Jesus had surprised him with this move from Notre Dame, but that it was because he trusted in God that he knew there was a purpose. One never knows how one's life will turn when one least expects it. After my former position at St. Jude, I was blessed to have the opportunity to move to Virginia to work for Christendom College, directing their Study Abroad program with my wife. This entailed us traveling to Rome with our, then, two children. But, the Lord had a lil different plan. We found out, just after accepting the job, that we were to have our third child. This meant that sometime between flying back and forth to Italy and running a program while we were there, my wife was going to have a baby. In His Providence, it turned out that our third child was born in Virginia at the end of Decemeber - in between semesters. It was truly perfect timing! (well, sort of...) We had only 4 weeks before we returned to Rome for the Spring Semester... with three kids. While we lived in a one bedroom apartment in Rome, with 4 bunkbeds. I won't bore you with the details of all this, but suffice it to say it was a "challenge." In the end, in spite of the economy beginning to tank, we decided it was a better decision to move back to Denver and live with my parents than to stay in the position. In all honesty, I had no idea if I would find a job back in Denver... turns out I did. Nevertheless, it took a full 13 months to find this new position.

Thankfully, we had a substantial tax return because of our 3rd child and so we were able to survive alright until this job came along. In the midst of all of it, I kept wondering what God's plan was. I think I may have found quite a bit of fruit from that time of unemployment, and now continue to grow closer to my wife, in particular, because of it.

In the end, it was clear that Jesus had a plan, and in spite of my complaining, He knew and knows what is best for us. If you happened to have been at Fr. Hellstrom's final mass at Notre Dame he made the point of demonstrating the difference between "complaining" to God and "crying out to the Lord." I have to say, perhaps I need more work on that one. Nevertheless, as the Psalmist wrote, "the Lord hears the cry of the poor." May we turn our hearts to Him and cry out for our needs.

"Homosexual Juggernaut?"

Many times people push the homosexual agenda, in spite of their evident association with the Catholic Church. It is clear that the Church cares for all of humanity, and it is also clear that the Church has consistently taught for near 2000 years that homosexuality is not of benefit to the fulfillment of mankind or womankind, for that matter. Nevertheless, many supposed Catholics promote and seek to live in this lifestyle. The Catechism of the Catholic Church strikingly notes, "Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection (CCC #2359)."

In spite of this teaching, some have taken it upon themselves to continue to push the homosexual agenda, which includes the legalization of same-sex marriage. One can note this report from yesterday over at RealCatholicTV.com:

We must keep abreast of these proceedings as our very culture is based on the building block of marriage between one man and one woman. From this union of man and woman comes the birth of children who are able to grow and live in a stable family environment where the complementariy of mother and father demonstrate how society is supposed to live in harmony.

For many, this sounds like a "pipe dream". Many do not have the experience of a father and mother who are seeking to love and serve one another. Nevertheless, this is the great challenge for those of us who consider ourselves practicing Catholics: we must live the love of Christ in our marriages and our parentage. This includes the priesthood in those whom the priest "spiritually-fathers-in-Christ." Each of us who have come to know the sacrifce of Jesus and his love for humanity must see that our own lives are the witnesses for the world of how human love can establish a more just and caring society by the choice to love, NOT - it should be noted - by a government mandate.

While marriage continues to be attacked as an institution by the homosexual lobby and those who have been duped into believing that homosexual couples are equal to heterosexual couples - which ostensibly they are not - we Catholics must reflect on our witness of marriage in the world. We must reflect on our prudent choice to love in spite of our spouse's sinfulness and for the sake of the holiness of our spouse. I, for one, know that I am thankful for my wife who calls me to holiness daily.

Beyond that let us pray for both Britain who is "giving children away" and India "who is now trying to increase sterilziation procedures." I recommend that everyone who reads this sign up for RealCatholicTV.com as a free member - the news alone is worth it!

Hope... it springs eternal...

During the last presidential campaign, many people sought to have a man give them "hope" and change. I think that has arguably come to America. Nevertheless, the premise or idea remains wrong to begin with. No man can give us hope. Why? After all, man is created good. Look at the accomplisments which mankind has wrought. What, after all, hasn't man accomplished to do!?

Well... for one, man has not solved his own sin problem. Each of us Catholics are struggling to fight against sin, that is, if we take our faith seriously. There are, of course, a great many Catholics who don't even bother to fight sin. They chalk up the evil in the world to karma, or to other causes. But see no need for the reality of a personal battle against sin. Others try to explain away how serious this battle is. All of us, at some point, fall prey to the wiles of sin. Its too easy some times to take the sinful way out of a situation. Nevertheless, we must always remember that God has called and is calling each of us to holiness. We are called to fight and conquer sin in every way possible in our lives. We are called to live up to the full stature of Christ, because He has shared his very life with us and allows us to share in the grace that constituted his own life.

To be Catholic is to be a realist in many ways, because one must see the reality of sin in the world. It is like humidity in a way, because it all around us (at least in Denver in the days I wrote this). In spite of sin, Jesus is like that cool drink that satiates our thirst, that hydrates us, and fortifies us to continue to work in spite of the humidity.

We are called to know Jesus and our knowledge is not fruitless, but has the ability to transform our lives. It is not without reason that Jesus told his Apostles to teach others all that he had taught them. If there is a blueprint to a happy life, then a loving God would certainly want to communicate that to us and even give us the strength to live it. And so he did... This fact, though, hinges on how serious we are in turning to Christ and learning from him. May we never cease to desire him who knows the meaning of life and the means by which to find our greatest joy in it!!!

To the Irish: may America help restore your faith!

In recent years, it has been quite amazing to watch as the Catholic Faith has been attacked and reviled by the secular media and world. Perhaps there is no more prolific place for this attack than in Ireland, once the Bastion of all things Catholic - and arguably the one-time cradle of Western Civilization as Irish Monks stored the patrimony of western culture in their quills and parchments. One might look to the classic book by Thomas Cahill, "How the Irish saved civilization" as proof to this claim. Michael Voris, who heads up RealCatholicTV.com posted this report from Ireland today:

It seems that, nowadays, there is a profound move away from the Catholic Faith in Ireland, though there are those who fight for the Kingdom of Christ found within the joy of Catholic teaching. One might look to the newspaper, The Irish Catholic, which continues to fight for the Kingdom of Christ and to help the Irish restore and strengthen their faith.

It is important that we, here at Notre Dame, understand there are two types of faith that every one of us holds, as Catholics. There are both types of what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the "fides quae" and the "fides qua." That is, the faith by which we believe, and the faith THAT is believed. To put it into philosophical terms, it is the subjective faith that each of us has, and the objective faith that Jesus taught the apostles and which he enjoined to them to:

"go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you (Mt 28:19-20)."

This "everything I have commanded you" is the teaching of the Catholic Faith. To be truly Catholic is to have our personal, our subjective, our "fides quae" integrate with the teaching of the Holy Catholic Church. Certainly, all of us find ourselves struggling with sin - from the Pope down to each of us in the pews. Nevertheless, we have been baptized and called to holiness by Jesus Christ, Our Lord, in his Love and Mercy. He has given us the means to become saints, but we must learn that Way! We must come to understand what it means to belong to the Kingdom of Christ, and we must come to know what it means to live that faith out in our lives.

Let no one of us cease to "stir into flame the Gift of God bestowed (2 Tim 1:6)" within us! If the Catholic Church in Ireland is to be restored, then we Americans - having just celebrated our Independence to (in part) freely worship God - must raise a generation that will be witnesses to the Holy Catholic Faith and we must be the building block for that generation. May we and our next American generation be those "witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria... even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)" so that Ireland, and all the world be restored to Christ!

A New Era...

Dear Friends and Parishioners,

I am very thankful to begin my work for the good of the parish of Notre Dame. If there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know. I have begun today, July 5th, and am very excited to meet you and your families. May you have a blessed week, and I hope to talk to you soon.