QUAERITUR: Is water blessed with the newer rites really holy water?

Monday, June 4, 2012

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QUAERITUR: Is water blessed with the newer rites really holy water?

Today’s the day to Speak Out!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Today in my country, many environmental and other organizations such as the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and the Pembina Institute are acting as one in calling on our government leaders to rethink Bill C-38, a budget bill which will weaken many of our country’s most important environmental protection measures and silence Canadians who seek to defend our beautiful natural heritage from over-development. So it’s time to get involved. For the past week, my inbox has received a few reminders from the David Suzuki Foundation about doing my part to act for our environment by signing a petition and contacting government officials.

If you’re reading this in Canada and this is the first you’ve heard of BlackOutSpeakOut, you can find a short list of their list of concerns here. You’ll find the homepage here. If you love nature and democracy, now’s your chance to prove it by getting involved. If you’re not the type to endorse the political activities of environmental activist groups, why not at least write a letter to your government official and let them know that you love nature and want to see it protected? Even if you’re not Canadian… our world leaders need to be reminded more often that we all depend on our environment for life!

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Today’s the day to Speak Out!

Kedrov Pater Noster

Monday, June 4, 2012

Catholic liturgical music is serious, solemn, transcendent, but Catholic musicians are never more fun and inspiring than when they are talking about what they love most. This is what happens at sacred music events around the world: the social and intellectual are critically important elements. The musicians (and music enthusiasts) at the Chant Café, a project of the

Church Music Association of America

, bring that sense of life and love to the digital world. As St. Augustine said, “Cantare amantis est.”

Among the contributors:

Arlene Oost-Zinner, programs director CMAA and chant director St. Cecilia Schola | archive
Adam Bartlett, composer, conductor, and Phoenix musician | archive
Kathleen Pluth, S.T.L, hymn writer and Church musician | archive
Charles Culbreth, California-based parish musician and composer | archive
Fr. Christopher Smith is a priest in Beaufort, SC, currently studying in Paris | archive
Jeffrey Tucker, managing editor Sacred Music journal and polyphony director St. Cecilia Schola | archive

contact@chantcafe.com

Link:

Kedrov Pater Noster

Optimism

Monday, June 4, 2012

Christians are supposed to be optimistic people. They believe Jesus wins in the end. But there is a lot to be concerned about for Christians. Society seems like it is leaving faith behind. We have embraced pornography and promiscuity almost without question. Same with divorce and contraception. Church attendance is dropping. In some places it is already in single digits. there does not seem to be much good happening.

The first thing we need to consider is that the 1950′s were not as great as we sometimes think. We compare to that time a lot. People went to church. People were chaste. Seminaries and convents were full. Religion was respected. Life was good.

But how good was it? A lot of the religious fervor in the 1950′s was a reaction to WWII. Modernism was proceeding and religion was being attacked before WWII. Read GK Chesterton and you will find many of the same attacks on the church that we find today. So we have a progression towards modernism that was interrupted by the war and then resumed after a couple of decades. Hitler scared people back into the churches. It just didn’t last.

The second thing to note is that many Christians were not really free Christians. By that I mean they were not given a real choice between being Christian and the various other world views. They were processed into the faith but not always evangelized fully. That is they believed because what they heard at home, church and school was consistent and never really challenged.

You might say that still does not sound very optimistic. We can understand why things are bad but they still seem bad. Yes and No. Yes, the church is struggling. But that should not be reason for pessimism. We are here to struggle. Christianity being the religion of the majority should be hard for us to understand. That does not mean everyone is Christian. It means people feel social pressure to act Christian. That makes life confusing. One reason for optimism is an increase in honesty. If people really think Christianity is a bunch of horse pucky they are much more likely to say so today than in the past.
But what about mass media? Isn’t that killing us? Yes and No. Lots of people are using the mass media to attack the faith. Perversions that were once barely thought of are presented as mainstream. But choosing the right thing because you are ignorant of the other choices is not a virtue. Choosing to do good in the face of temptation is much more impressive. Boy do we ever get a lot of chances to do that! Temptation is everywhere.

Where sin abounds there grace abounds all the more. Our faith is attacked everywhere we go but we have great arguments that if we bother to learn them will make us more confident than ever of the truth of Catholicism. Sexual temptation is everywhere but that should just push us to greater prayer and penance. We get ridiculed but that just means we are counter-cultural.

The greatest benefit of being Catholic today is having so much power and choosing Christ anyway. There have never been as many choices as there is today. Communication and transportation technology allow us to join almost any sect of any faith we want. So when we choose to belong to the church Jesus founded we that becomes huge. When contraception is easy then the choice to refrain from contraception becomes a source of great joy. Same with pornography and abortion and divorce.

There is a lot of reason to be concerned about society. We are making bad choices and we will pay a price. It looks like it will get a lot worse before it gets better. But we know that nothing we build in this world will last. That includes nations and wealth. So we should not be surprised when things crash and burn. We just need to learn not to be attached to such things.

There is a lot of reason to be concerned about souls. There always is. People get preoccupied with the question of whether anyone goes to hell. Stupid question. What we should ask is if we can do anything that might save someone. The answer is Yes. That is a reason to feel pretty good about life.

That is all we hope for from life. We can make sure we persevere to the end and we can help others do the same. The rest is God’s problem. But we can marvel at what God is doing. We can see how humans are being allowed to understand so much more of what God put in place and even to manipulate it. Yet He calls us to remain humble and faithful even as creation becomes less mysterious. He calls us to remain obedient and respect the sacredness of life and sex even as we gain amazing capabilities in those areas.

What we can marvel at is that some will respond with faith and obedience. Not all but some. What is more those that do will have a beauty that defies explanation. They will be saints. That is the core reason to be optimistic. Some of us are becoming saints. The impact of one saint is infinite and eternal. How do we become saints. We have to want to. That is it. God does the rest. But our desire to be close to God has to overpower all our other desires. Still that road is open to each one of us. Knowing that how pessimistic can we be?

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Optimism

Flowers in June

Monday, June 4, 2012

Antonio Martín y Coll, O.F.M. Diferencias sobre las folías _________________________ Jan-Erasmus Quellinus Flowers with Virgin and Child and the Baptist _________________________ To scatter flowers (St. Therese of Lisieux) O Jesu! O my Love!

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Flowers in June

All about the feast of Corpus Christi:

Monday, June 4, 2012

2012-06-05 Vatican Radio

“The medicine of Immortality” was how St. Ignatius of Antioch referred to the Eucharist while Thomas Aquinas considered it to be the greatest of all sacraments. Given its pre-eminent status, it seems only fitting that the Church has a feast day called Corpus Christi to specifically celebrate the Eucharist. Corpus Christi is traditionally observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and this year falls on June 7th.

Monsignor John Kennedy is an official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and he tells us more about the history and importance of the Corpus Christi feast, as well as its prayers, and the main customs and traditions associated with this feast day.

Listen to Susy Hodges’ interview with Monsignor Kennedy:

Monsignor Kennedy says this feast is “extremely significant for the Church” as ithe Church has always taught that “the Eucharist is the central aspect of the Church’s life … and is the “most august or the most special sacrament.”

He goes on to say that one of his “earliest memories” from his childhood “is taking part in the Corpus Christi procession” , wearing his Holy Communion clothes. Monsignor Kennedy says Pope Benedict aptly summed up the meaning of this feast day in a discourse in 2008 using three key words: “gathering, walking and kneeling… we gather around the altar of the Lord, we walk with the Lord and we kneel before the Lord in adoration.”

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All about the feast of Corpus Christi:

The death of Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruño

Monday, June 4, 2012

2012-06-05 L’Osservatore Romano

Three days of national mourning were proclaimed in Guatemala for the death
of Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruño, at 6:45 a.m. on Monday, 4 June. The
Archbishop emeritus of Guatemala died following post-surgical cardiac arrest in
Hermano Pedro Hospital, to which he had been admitted on 31 May. Last 8 March he
celebrated his eightieth birthday.

He
was born in Guatemala City in 1932 and was ordained a priest on 21 September
1956. Then on 5 April 1972 he was appointed titular Bishop of Gadiaufala and
Auxiliary of Zacapa and received episcopal consecration on 13 May that same
year. In 1975 he was appointed Coadjutor of the diocese and succeeded as Bishop
of Zacapa on 16 February 1980. On 24 June 1986 he was appointed Prelate of Santo
Cristo de Esquipulas. On 19 June 2001 he became Archbishop of Guatemala and at
the Consistory of 21 October 2003 was created and published a cardinal, with the
title of San Saturnino. On 2 October 2010 he resigned from the pastoral
government of the Archdiocese. The Cardinal’s funeral will be celebrated on 7
June at 10:00 am in the Cathedral where he will subsequently be buried. On this
occasion a collection will be taken up for the John Paul II Paediatric
Hospital, which the Cardinal always supported. “Justice for the poor and an end
to violence in Guatemala: this sums up my whole mission”, Cardinal Quezada
Toruño used to say, when recounting his long and passionate service to the
Church. He played a major role in the peace process, which was recognized in his
homeland and in international organizations, starting with the United Nations.
From 1987 to 1993 he was Chairman of the National Reconciliation Commission
which led to peace between the militants and guerrillas after 36 years of
strife. In the “Basic Agreement for the Search for Peace by Political Means
(26-30 March 1990) [also known as the Oslo Agreement] he was appointed
“conciliator in the peace process” of Guatemala.

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The death of Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruño

CARDINAL QUEZADA TORUNO WAS A GENEROUS SERVANT OF THE CHURCH

Monday, June 4, 2012

Vatican City, 5 June 2012 (VIS) – Benedict XVI has sent a telegram of condolence to Archbishop Oscar Julio Vian Morales S.D.B. of Guatemala, Guatemala, for the death of Cardinal Rodolfo Ignacio Quezada Toruno, archbishop emeritus of that metropolitan see. Cardinal Quezada Toruno died yesterday at the age of 80.

In the telegram the Pope asks the Lord to grant His peace to a man who “served the Church with such intensity and generosity during his pastoral ministry, as guide of the diocese of Zacapa and prelate of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas, then as archbishop of the metropolitan see of Guatemala.

“With faith in the Paschal Mystery of Christ which illuminates moments of suffering and fills them with hope, and in recollection of a pastor committed to the mission of evangelisation”, the Pope concludes, “I am pleased to impart my special apostolic blessing to those mourning such a touching loss”.

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CARDINAL QUEZADA TORUNO WAS A GENEROUS SERVANT OF THE CHURCH

Card. Ouellet: IEC2012 an extraordinary moment for Irish Church

Monday, June 4, 2012

2012-06-05 Vatican Radio

“My hope is that the Church in Ireland be really strengthened in its identity as communion of God among people and through this testimony of others who are coming to visit and to share the same faith together with the people in Ireland”, says Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and Papal Legate to the 50

^th

International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, Ireland. He will be presiding at the Opening Mass in the RDS Arena this Sunday June 10th, but before his departure for Ireland spoke to Emer McCarthy about his hopes for the Congress and the Church in Ireland.

Listen:

“I think this is the first hope of a Eucharistic Congress to strengthen the bond of love in the Church, faith and love”. “Since the last decade has been so difficult in terms of the tragedies, of sexual abuse, of this crisis at the level of society of the economy, there is a real need of reconciliation of forgiveness and new dialogue among all people of Ireland, among the bishops and the laity, among the priests and the religious. There is a need of a new dialogue. We must turn the page on these difficult times – not to forget them, rather to keep them in mind so as not to repeat them – and to ask God, in His loving mercy to renew us”.

“Most of the participants will be from Ireland, which is normal, but there will be a good number of people coming from the whole world. A Eucharist Congress is the Universal Church that is uniting in a local Church to turn to God and ask Him for all kinds of blessings which we need for the path of the Church. I am convinced that this will be an extraordinary moment in the Church in Ireland and the starting point of a new path which will be followed also by other initiatives in the wake of this gift of God”.

Q: Four years ago as Archbishop of Quebec, you hosted the 49th International Eucharistic Congress. You described it as a “turning point” in the life of the Church in your nation. Can speak to us about that experience and explain why it was a turning point?

“Our Church in Quebec has been going through secularisation for several decades it needed a sort of grace of hope and renewal and the Eucharistic Congress did bring more unity to the local Church, more collaboration among bishops and priests, religious and lay people and also it did contribute to promoting charisms and to strengthening the bond with the Universal Church. And concretely, we had the creation of two seminaries afterwards to welcome priestly vocations, a minor seminary and also major seminary which joined the diocesan seminary. This other seminary, Redemptoris Mater, will give priests to other diocese in Canada or elsewhere. This was a fruit of the Eucharistic Congress, that’s why I think it was a turning point. We had thought that the Catholic faith and its central message was somehow depassè [outdated] in society, but it has proved to be still alive and promising for the future”.

Q: In many countries worldwide Mass attendance is dwindling and International Eucharistic Congresses fail to attract the same global participation as other meetings such as World Youth Days and Meetings of the Family. How would you explain this apparent decline in awareness among believers about the centrality of the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith?

“I think we need to look at these global manifestations together as one complimenting the other. The Eucharistic Congress has been a prophetic testimony of the Church for more than a century now and it has acquired new characteristic with Vatican II were we have strengthened not only the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but the link between the Eucharistic Celebration and the Church as communion, as fraternity. This is part of the new development of the Eucharistic Congress after the Second Vatican Council, it is very positive, it does include still the testimony of adoration because the Eucharist is the real presence of Christ in our midst that is nurturing the Church and strengthening His Body through the Bread of Life. We have to see together these events; the Eucharistic Congress is the interior mystery of the Church, the spiritual mystery of the Church. The Youth gathering [WYD] and the family gathering is more the testimony of the specific aim of evangelisation. We have to hand on the faith to the new generations, so the Church is giving this message to the whole world, calling together the youth to be nourished by the Eucharist and experience also the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And the same thing with the Family gathering, there is an extraordinary need of renewal of relationships, we suffer so many fractures and divisions and broken hearts in the life of families. The Church is calling together the Families to give a testimony of hope to the world and to invite the world not to forget that this is the cell of society and the first cell of the Church. That’s the basic reality of communion in human life and in the life of the Church. Together the three events bring the same message: we are fed by the presence of the Risen Lord in the Eucharist, who is till calling the youth to follow him and the families to be a domestic church a real sanctuary of the Divine Life in the world”.

Q: The 50th Congress coincides with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The Ecclesiology of communion has often been declared the vision of Vatican II. This will also be the focus of a Theology Symposium in Maynooth ahead of the Congress at which you will deliver the keynote address. Do you feel that the theme of communion, unity, in the Church has been sufficiently explored since Vatican II?
“The Synod of Bishops of 1985 expressed the message of Vatican II in these terms; that the theology of communion is the fundamental inspiration and expression of Vatican II. So when we look over the last 5 decades we see that there is an extraordinary development of communion in the Church, not only in bringing together the Papal Primacy, but also the collegiality of bishops – the development of the synods of bishops for example – and also at the local level, the development of structures of participation, the development of councils of priests, of lay people and at the level of the parish. These structures in the life of the Church are also expressions of the ecclesiology of communion.

I think one of these developments is precisely the message of Familiaris consortio in 1981, the development of the Church consciousness in the family, in the family, where the faith is transmitted and where there is prayer together and a link to the Holy Eucharist in the Parish and principally, fundamentally the Sacrament of Marriage as the bond between a man and woman that is consecrated and sanctified by a gift of the Spirit which transforms this relationship into not only a basic cell of society, but also a basic cell of the Church. This is also an important development of the ecclesiology of communion.

Obviously there remains other aspects be discussed, in terms of ecumenical relations for example, the reflection on baptism with the communities of the reform, the reflection on Eucharistic ecclesiology with the Orthodox. This is something that is already in place, for 40 years we have had ecumenical dialogue that have been an expression of the ecclesiology of communion and has brought new ideas, new accents and also perspective for better collaboration between the Roman Curia and the local churches, the bishop’s conferences and so on…

The field is open for more reflection and dialogue on how to embody the gift of God which is the gift of the Trinitarian Communion to humanity through the Church. We should never loose sight of this mystery. The Church is not just a society like other societies. It is the mystery of the Divine Communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which is shared with us through faith, baptism and the sacraments. There is no point of comparison in the life of the world, because that’s the Divine presence which is there, sacramentaly palpable, entrusted to us to be shared through mission and dialogue with others”.

Q: Have you ever been to Ireland before? And if so what have your impressions been?

“I was in Ireland in 2001 and 2002, twice, for ecumenical dialogue. I remember vividly the discovery of the situation between Northern Ireland and Ireland, the two parts of the island. And I saw that it was very meaningful, this effort for dialogue and reconciliation there. But I noticed that, if I compare it with my own country, that the level of secularisation was not as strong as I experienced in my own country. This, for me, was good news. The participation of the faithful in Mass attendance was higher than in my country and there were still some vocations. So I cam back with a good impression. It was also and occasion to discover the glorious history of fidelity of Ireland, to its Catholic faith and also its contribution to the missionary activity of the Church. It is an extraordinary history and they should be proud of this past which still has an impact on the present and is always part of the heritage that we should meditate upon and look for new energies for the renewal of the Church nowadays in Ireland”.

Originally from:

Card. Ouellet: IEC2012 an extraordinary moment for Irish Church

World Environment Day

Monday, June 4, 2012

2012-06-05 Vatican Radio

Combating climate change and water scarcity and supporting agricultural entrepreneurs for sustainable food security – those are just some of the issues at the heart of World Environment Day June 5. The theme for 2012: Green Economy- does it include you?

The United Nations Environment Programme describes the Green Economy “as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.” A Green Economy then, is “an economic environment that achieves low carbon emissions, resource efficiency and at the same time is socially inclusive.”

For a Green economy to work, it must begin at “an individual level, scaling up to macroeconomic and global levels.” Hence, the question “does it include you?”

With a global population of 9 billion people projected by the year 2050, countries are increasingly hard pressed to guarantee food and water security and demand could soon exceed supply. According to estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity by 2025.” Moreover, the U.N. says world resources continue to be exploited unsustainably, leading to dire environmental degradation.

Immediate interventions are needed to curb the situation. And delegates to the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development will be discussing these June 20-22nd in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dubbed Rio +20, the Conference marks the twentieth anniversary of the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro.

But Fr. Joe Rozansky ofm says “there’s a lot of concern about what has not happened” over the last twenty years. “We haven’t been caring for Creation in the way that we need to do to keep things sustainable.”

As Director of the ofm office for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation,
Fr. Rozansky will be among a delegation of some 60 Franciscans to go to Brazil for Rio +20 and other meetings on the sidelines of it.

“From the outside looking into the U.N. conference, we want to ask them ‘why is it that way? What are the real concerns that we have in the world today?’”

Fr. Rozansky even takes issue with the term “Green Economy” itself saying many people are concerned that instead of being “white washed,” issues are being “green washed.” There’s a concern, he clarifies, “that (in) using certain kinds of vocabulary, people are going to be satisfied that something’s happening.”

“There is a major concern that there is not enough happening or that what’s being sold as green economy is really in a sense an excuse to keep things going the way they have been going.”

In this interview with Tracey McClure, Fr. Rozansky also raises the alarm about what he calls the “commodification of the common goods of our world – things like air and water…”

Listen to the interview:

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World Environment Day

Cardinal Bertone: Milan a manifestation of love for Pope

Monday, June 4, 2012

2012-06-05 Vatican Radio

The Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See, Tarcisio Bertone made an appearance on Italian television yesterday, during which he spoke about the Holy Father’s weekend trip to Milan and also addressed the recent media attention on the Pope and the Vatican. In an interview with Italian State Television’s flagship news programme, Cardinal Bertone described the weekend visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the archdiocese of Milan as one in which everyone involved experienced the extraordinary manifestation of love for the Holy Father, as well as of closeness and support for his teaching, his work. He said, “We all felt the joy that surrounded him.”

Listen

:

Pope Benedict was in Milan to preside over the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families – and, the family, seen as a moral resource, a resource for society – was the message of Pope Benedict to the participants and to the world.

Cardinal Bertone also addressed the ongoing media attention focused on the Pope and the Curia in connection with information leaks from inside the Vatican. “What is most sad in all this,” he said, “is the violation of the Holy Father’s privacy and of that of his closest collaborators.” Nevertheless, continued Cardinal Bertone, “these [recent] days have not been ones of division, but of unity…days of strength in the faith, and of steadfast serenity also in making decisions.”

Cardinal Bertone noted the frequent use that Pope Benedict made of the word, “courage” – which became a rallying cry in his remarks from the Archbishop’s residence in Milan. “He spoke it to young people, to young people who are seeking to start a family, to families in difficulty, to those in authority, to the whole Church.” Cardinal Bertone concluded expressing the hope that we all might take the Holy Father’s call to heart.

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Cardinal Bertone: Milan a manifestation of love for Pope

Finding Fault With Ourselves

Monday, June 4, 2012

Too Busy Being Right To Want to Hear the Truth

I have pondered often these last few years my own inclinations to not want to be criticized, and to not want to say to others anything that might OFFEND them. In that sense, I have ignored the truth for that which is politically correct. I have searched the Bible for evidence that political correctness is a biblical concept, in vain. I also have tried to find reference to the word “nice”. Again, to no avail.

There was a time not all that many years ago, when I was in serious sin. Not one of my Christian friends, many of whom knew what I was up to, spoke up and told me that I was wrong. Now, of course, I knew that I was wrong, and my conscience bothered me for some time. But, I wonder if the silence of my brothers in Christ was sinful on their part, not to diminish my own sin, but on its own merits.

This morning in the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hour,s was an excerpt from the writings and teachings of Saint Dorotheus. Dorotheus was a monk, and abbot who lived in the 500s AD. Here is what he wrote about our deafness to unpleasantness.

Let us examine, my brothers, how it happens that many times a person hears something unpleasant and
goes away untroubled, as if he had not heard it; and yet on some occasions he is
disturbed and troubled as soon as he hears such words. What is the cause of this
inconsistency? Is there one reason for it or many? I recognize a number of them,
and one in particular is the source of all the others. As someone has put it:
Occasionally this results from the condition in which a person happens to be.

If a person is engaged in prayer or contemplation, he can easily take a
rebuke from his brother and be unmoved by it. On other occasions affection
toward a brother is a strong reason; love bears all things with the utmost
patience. Another reason may be contempt: if a person despises the one who is
trying to trouble him, and acts as if he is the vilest of all creatures and
considers it beneath his dignity even to look at him, or to answer him, or to
mention the affront or insults to anyone else, he will not be moved by his
words.

The result of this is, as I have said, that no one is disturbed or
troubled if he scorns and disregards what is said. But on the other hand, it is
also possible that a person will be disturbed and troubled by his brother’s
words, either because he is not in a good frame of mind, or because he hates his
brother. There are a great number of other reasons as well. Yet the reason for
all disturbance, if we look to its roots, is that no one finds fault with
himself.

This is the source of all annoyance and distress.This is why we
sometimes have no rest. We must not be surprised when we are rebuked by holy
men. We have no other path to peace but this.

We have seen that this is true
in many cases, and, in our laziness and desire for rest, we hope or believe that
we have entered upon a straight path when we are impatient with everyone, and
yet cannot bear to blame ourselves.

This is the way we are. It does not
matter how many virtues a man may have, even if they are beyond number and
limit. If he has turned from the path of self-accusation he will never find
peace. He will always be troubled himself, or else he will be a source of
trouble for others and all his labors will be wasted.

In this world in which we live, we have become our own judge and jury. We are, in fact, like the Pharisees of old, and this applies not just to non Christians, but is even more pernicious when it occurs among those who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Are we so frail in our own egos that we believe that someone telling us we are out of line is crushing our spirit, rather than offering us an opportunity for correction?

On the other hand, are we so afraid that someone would take offence at us for chastising something that they have done or said, which is harmful to their own person, or to others that they encounter or have encountered that we would stay silent rather than risk the distress speaking out the truth could cause?

I cannot count the number of times that I have failed to accept correction, nor to give it in love to someone in need of it. I have been afraid to speak what I have observed if I thought it would create angst for me or for the person I have observed.

And you know what? I am very likely to do it again, and soon. And do you know what else? It is going to bug me now each time I do it, because I know that I am wrong.

In failing to invite constructive criticism, to accept constructive criticism, and to offer constructive criticism, I am a LIAR. And you know what God will do to liars? Liars are basically lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, neither fish nor fowl. Lying in this context is a way of straddling the fences of life.

Jesus said he will spit the lukewarm out of His mouth. That is a disdainful image, and one that we liars deserve.

Forgive me Lord Jesus. Help me to be a truth seeker, a truth teller, and a truth hearer.

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Finding Fault With Ourselves

As ‘pro-life’ outnumbers ‘pro-choice’ Planned Parenthood CEO declares terms ‘irrelevant’

Monday, June 4, 2012

Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski broached the topic of the recent Gallup poll with Richards and got this eye-rolling response.

Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe program on May 30 to tout her group’s new anti-Romney ad. But the conversation veered onto other interesting topics, as I wrote in my previous post.

One of those topics was the May 31 Gallup poll that found the number of Americans considering themselves “pro-choice” at a record low of 41%.

Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski broached that topic with Richards and got this eye-rolling response:

Brzezinski: Were you surprised to hear those numbers?

Richards: Actually, it’s a great question, Mika. It’s the language “pro-choice” and “pro-life” that I think – and actually I think that’s something, too, Joe, we could probably all agree on – is totally irrelevant in this country. Everyone in this country – the vast majority of people in this country – agree on one basic thing, which is: Abortion is a very personal issue. Women should be able to make decisions about their pregnancy without government getting involved. And I agree, I totally understand that this is an issue that people have very strong feelings about, but what I think we do agree as Americans is we don’t want the government making very important personal decisions for women and their families.

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No, we do not all agree terminology is “irrelevant.” Of course Cecile would laugh at her own spin had the poll gone the other way.

And of course everyone in this country believes abortion is a “very personal issue.” Big whoop. What gobbledygook.

But whether self-labeling on the abortion issue is relevant or not, researcher Michael New at National Review Online made this observation:

Contrary to the mainstream-media spin, the results of the Gallup survey are important, for several reasons. The fact that a higher percentage of Americans identify as pro-life likely means more people are comfortable voting for pro-life candidates or supporting pro-life legislation. It also shows that pro-life movement’s reputation is improving. At one point, many Americans who opposed abortion may have been uncomfortable describing themselves as “pro-life.” These people may have been reluctant to identify with a cause that was often marginalized. They also may have linked the mainstream pro-life movement to abortion-clinic violence. As such, the fact that more Americans are comfortable with the “pro-life” label is a reason for optimism.

Reprinted with permission from JillStanek.com

Original source:

As ‘pro-life’ outnumbers ‘pro-choice’ Planned Parenthood CEO declares terms ‘irrelevant’

53 Years Ago: My First Holy Communion

Monday, June 4, 2012

This photograph was taken on the day of my First Holy Communion. Left to right: my dear little neighbour friend Brigitte Folz, at that time recently come from Germany; myself, my little sister Donna Marie; my brother Daniel; and little Monika Folz.

A Certain Thursday in June

I received my First Holy Communion 53 years ago today, on June 4th, 1959, from the hands of the Right Reverend Monsignor Vincent J. McDonough in Saint Francis Church, New Haven, Connecticut.

June 4th fell that year on Thursday, the Octave Day of Corpus Christi, and the day before the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I was far from imagining then the place that every Thursday — day of the Priesthood and of the Most Holy Eucharist — and the mystery of the pierced Heart of Jesus — would come to hold in my life.

We second graders had prepared for the great day by singing a little gregorianish hymn (in Latin!) from our “music readers.” I still remember it, and can still sing it lo all these years later:

Veni, Domine Jesu,
Veni, Domine, Jesu,
Veni, veni, veni,
Et noli tardare!

I remember the thrill and the fear of kneeling before the white marble neo-gothic high altar on a prie-dieu covered in white satin, and the glint of the large golden ciborium in Monsignor’s hands. Returning from the altar one had to keep one’s hands folded while walking straight on the white line inlaid in the church’s tile floor. The Sisters of Mercy prepared us well for our First Holy Communion, and even instructed on how to make a suitable thanksgiving with our little faces hidden in our hands. Inevitably, there was the temptation to “peek” through one’s fingers.

Adoration,Thanksgiving and Reparation

I celebrated this 53rd anniversary in adoration, thanksgiving, and reparation, mindful of all the times I have received Holy Communion over the past 53 years. I am grateful to Our Lord for having brought me, after 53 years, to to this day in my life, and to this hour, and to this place. In spite of myself, my life these 53 years has been a Eucharistic life, not because I have made it so, but because Our Lord is faithful, and merciful, and relentless in the pursuit of the little ones upon whom He has set His Heart.

I can only ask Him today, in His merciful love, to make the remaining years, or days, or hours of my life wholly Eucharistic. I count on Him to make me the adorer and the priest whom He created me and called me to be.

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53 Years Ago: My First Holy Communion

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Monday, June 4, 2012

Council Meeting

First Friday of the month at 6:30 pm

Fraternity Meeting

Second Friday of the Month 6:30 pm

Weekly Holy Hour

Mondays at 6:00 pm St. Gregory the Great Church, Oshawa,

Devotions to St. Pio

Last Friday of the Month at St. Gertrude’s Church, Oshawa.

Upcoming Events

Feast Day of St. Anthony

Wednesday June 13th Mass at 7:30 pm, distribution of
St. Anthony’s Bread to follow

Franciscan Fest

Saturday June 24th Mt. Alverno near Orangeville

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Catechetics in the seminary

Monday, June 4, 2012

June 4, 2012

Catechetics in the seminary

By transformedinchrist

Last week, I spent some time at the seminary teaching on catechetics. What a fantastic few days. It was difficult to know how to pitch it, given that I’m used to speaking to adults in the parish without a great deal of theological background. But how refreshing to be able to share some catechetical principles along with concrete examples from our parish, with a wonderful group of seminarians. We discussed different experiences of catechesis – what makes good practice and what makes bad, we explored the pedagogy of God in the GDC and compared methodologies to it, we looked at the goals of catechesis outlined by Mgr FD Kelly as well as his ecclesial method, we looked at liturgical catechesis, particularly how to teach ‘from’ and ‘to’ the rite, we discussed the importance of the four dimensions of Christian life in catechetics, and the ‘symphony’ of the Catholic faith whose main themes are the five foundational truths. It was an enjoyable and inspiring three days, and I was privileged to be able to share ideas with them. For the future of catechesis in the Church, vital to her flourishing, is the solid formation of seminarians in catechetics. These few days showed me the importance of this, and I am increasing my prayers for seminarians in our country. Please increase your prayers, too!

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About transformedinchrist

I live in London and have a big love for the Church and for the mission of catechesis. Currently studying for an MA in catechetics, I work for a wonderful south London parish where I coordinate, plan and deliver catechesis.

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Catechetics in the seminary

142. The Avalon Chronicles Vol. 1 by Nunzio DeFilippis

Monday, June 4, 2012

Once in a Blue Moon

by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir. Art by Emma Vieceli (

US

) – (

Canada

)

The Avalon Chronicles

, Volume 1

Pages:
152
Ages: 8+
Finished: May 17, 2012
First Published: Apr. 24, 2012

Publisher: Oni Press
Genre: children,YA, manga, fantasy
Rating: 3/5

First sentence: “We return now to the kingdom of Avalon with the sun shining high over Walden Castle.”

Publisher’s Summary: “When Aeslin Finn was a little girl, her parents read to her from a magical book called THE AVALON CHRONICLES. But that was a long time ago. Now a teenager, Aeslin is about to discover just how magical she and that book really are. Transported to the world of Avalon, she discovers a kingdom in need of a Dragon Knight – and the last dragon, Blue Moon, is waiting for her!”

Acquired: Received an egalley from the publisher.

Reason for
Reading: Sounded like a fun fantasy.

This is a good beginning to a potentially great series. The plot (in this volume) starts off fairly cliched with a girl finding out she is the prophesied saviour of another world. It then continues to go on in a routinely predictable manner, ending with an interesting reveal. Along with the reveal the book also has other points going for it which lead one to believe that this first volume is only weak in that it is setting the groundwork and I am much intrigued as to what will come later. The book is rated all ages and has a main character 16 years of age, from this first book I’d say the author has done a good job of writing something that will appeal to both children and teens. Aeslin is a spunky and smart girl. Right away she stands up for herself and yet she notices what she will have to do to fit into this medieval-style world. I like the fact that her parents are involved in the story and a major part of the plot as we go into it. The artwork is typical non-Japanese manga and tells the story well, the men are quite beautiful without being feminine. The travel between the worlds via the storybooks is one I’ve seen done before but have always enjoyed. It can provide the opportunity for some interesting situations. The reveal at the end was predictable but sets an interesting storyline in motion; along with finding all the characters likable and engaging, I’m quite looking forward to seeing where this series will go.

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142. The Avalon Chronicles Vol. 1 by Nunzio DeFilippis