Catholic Guy’s blog

and just continue my main blog - Adjutorium Nostrum in Nomine Domini.

Essentially all I've been doing is duplicating my blog posts here on Vox and also on a blog hosted on Terapad. It's a pain though so I think I'm going to halt the Vox and Terapad blogs.

For any of you Catholic bloggers you may want to get your blog listed in Saint Blog's Parish.

No matter what else you may call it!

Another Veterans Day and we have seen an increase in the numbers of veterans due to the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the same time our veterans of prior wars are leaving us in greater numbers – the Dept of Veterans Affairs tells us that only 3 World War I veterans are still living.

Yesterday, the lector at our Mass was a World War II veteran – an army infantryman in the Pacific. He read with a strong, clear voice though he walks more slowly it seems each week.

God bless him and all my fellow veterans.

The USCCB discussed their document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States instructing the Catholic faithful more clearly on forming the conscience in regards to voting in the U.S. as a Catholic. What this document does not do is address the issue of Catholics who persist in active support of issues (such as abortion) contrary to Church teaching and Church doctrine. The document is intended for voters, not politicians. I do hope, however, that our beloved Bishops will at least discuss the matter of those presenting themselves for communion and whether or not communion may be refused to them. Some take the stance that it is the communicant who must determine if they may receive worthily; others believe that Canon law gives the Bishops and priests the authority to refuse communion. Perhaps the Bishops will openly discuss this during one of the coming sessions.

Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship has been set aside – it will not be issued. Apparently there were so many modifications (100 pages?) requested that it would not be possible to revise and prepare the document. It certainly would be interesting to see what the draft says and what the requested modifications are given their apparent number.

Last, but not least, the conference addresses Iraq (in a statement planned for release) and Iran in a statement just released.

What would you think if your religious education instructor made a point of asking “Did Jesus intend to establish a religion?” or “Did Jesus really intend a Church with a Pope, Bishops, and all the trappings we have today?” At first glance this seems an innocent enough question. If one thought no further than it’s face it might seem obvious — Jesus was born into the Jewish nation, raised a Jew – He was the Messiah of the Jews, not the founder of the Catholic Church as we have it today! Jesus simply wanted the Jews to accept the new order He was bringing to His people and accept Him as their Messiah – the Son of God. He wasn’t here to build a church, appoint Popes, bishops etc. etc. That happened later.

Believe it or not I’ve heard this or something similar from three different people in the last several months. Is this a new tack by the dissenting crowd? We can’t seem to discredit the hierarchy so we’ll simply declare their existence is contrived!

I would ask one simple question – if the Church, as we have it, was invented by men seeking power and control then where is the validity in our belief that the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit? If the Church is not guided by the Holy Spirit then it must be guided by man in which case I would ask how the Church could have existed for this long without falling prey to the myriad of pitfalls human institutions face?

Think how wonderful the Church would be without all that overhead to get in the way of being Real Christians!

Please lift up Ms. “S” in your prayers. This young lady is a beautiful soul but has been trapped in drug addiction. She was arrested yesterday for violating her probation and is facing 4 years incarceration. True justice for this young woman would be help for her addiction but our “justice” system, particularly in this city, is not geared to help people like “S”. She is frightened and feels alone and needs so much help. On top of that today is the one year anniversary of her mother’s death from cancer and her mother was a big support to “S”.  Pray also please for her public defender and the Judge who will, in the space of a few short minutes tomorrow morning, decide this woman’s fate, that God will touch their hearts and they will be compassionate and merciful. Pray that God’s will for this young lady be done and that she and we have the courage to trust in God’s providence for her.
UPDATE: 10/29 1:30PM - "S"'s hearing was postponed until Wednesday. Thank you for your continued prayers on her behalf (and for all those suffering addiction and those suffering the indirect effects of addictions). Certainly this isn't great news but it isn't terrible news either. +JMJ+ JB

UPDATE: 11/1 5:30PM – The hearing for today was adjourned until Monday the 5^th. “S” is being told by her probation officer and some of the jail guards that she should just take her sentence and not risk this judge giving her even more time on Monday! She’s asking us what she should do, but we have zero experience with the justice system beyond mailing in a speeding ticket fine once or twice. We’re trying to contact her public defender to have him talk to her asap.

FINAL UPDATE: 11/7 2:00PM – Thank you for all the prayers for this young lady and her family. I won’t go into any details except to say that she has been released and had her probation restored. She will be entering a treatment program on Friday. God is kind and merciful.

large and small, ways that we recognize and some that we simply don’t see for what they are.

I’ve been worried about the “future”. This worry comes on aperiodically,  I won’t burden you with details but suffice it to say that my worry isn’t much different than that of millions of others in this world so I realize I’m not alone.

Sometimes though this worry grows into truly fearful and anxious feelings. This fear and anxiety take over and I find myself almost paralyzed. I really don’t like this of course and it requires no little effort to overcome. What I do is to make sure I pray (mostly for Trust and Faith), go to Mass, receive Holy Communion, and, if ncessary (and it usually is!) I also receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

This feeling began again yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t feeling too well to begin with so it was able to grab me quickly. When I woke up this morning it was still with me. As I write this I have to admit that I’m not rid of it completely but that really isn’t the point of the post. My point is this: I pray a lot to be able to trust — to trust Jesus, to trust in God’s providence, his love for me — but I have a lot of trouble with that and don’t do very well at trusting. My experiences have shown me that mind over matter isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. The events of my life have demonstrated time and again that despite my best “positive thinking” and determined will, I usually don’t do nearly as well as I do when I ask for help from God.

This latest bout of anxiety got my prayer wheel turning and I even stayed after the noon Mass today and prayed a Rosary with the other half dozen folks who were there. At some point during this Rosary I noticed that I wasn’t feeling that undercurrent of anxiety so strongly. After the Rosary I returned to work. I checked email and a Saint Blog’s Directory application had come it .. I visited the web site to review it, noticed a link to an audiocast with the title “An Introduction to the Art of Suffering” by Fr. John Hampsch, CMF. On a whim I decided to listen. It was definitely God speaking to me through this audiocast, reassuring me and perhaps even chastising me for my lack of faith and trust. Fr. Hampsch ended his talk with a quote from Saint Francis de Sales

"The everlasting God has in his wisdom foreseen from eternity, the cross he now presents to you as a gift from his innermost heart. This cross he now sends you he has considered with his all-knowing eyes, understood with his divine mind, tested with his wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with his own hands to see that it not be one ounce too heavy for you. he has blessed it with his holy name, anointed it with his grace, perfumed it with his consolation, and taken one last glance at you and your courage – has sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the merciful love of God."

Then, when I Googled Saint Franics de Sales (isn't it just too funny how we've turned that into verb!) I found this Prayer of St. Francis de Sales

Be at Peace Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life; rather look to them with full hope as they arise. God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them. He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in his arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
the same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you then and everyday.
He will either shield you from suffering,
or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace,
and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.

St. Francis de Sales 1567-1622

Our epistle today ended with the words “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

(Image above from Oblates of St. Francis de Sales site)

Father Mazen Ishoa and Farther Pius Afas were released this morning by their kidnappers. They are in “good condition”.

Mosul (AsiaNews) – Fr.Mazen Ishoa (see photo) and Fr.Pius Afas were freed this morning. Immediate reports suggest that the two priests are in “good condition”, considering they’re experience in recent days.

Catholics in Mosul have described the event as a miracle given that Friday and again yesterday it was impossible to establish contact with their abductors, who failed to answer calls to the phone numbers used over the past few days, all of which were turned off.

Pope Benedict XVI had made an appeal for their release last Sunday.

AsiaNews.it

is our duty and is not something for which we are to be rewarded or given honor and recognition; rather it is something we should do gladly and without expectation of receiving in return.

In my sidebar and in a previous post I am linking to a challenge I have created on the DonorsChoose.org charitable site. This organization asks teachers to submit "projects" for which these teachers need funds and then we are asked to "take up the challenge" of a teacher or teachers and help them realize, or fund, their project. My challenge involves a teacher in an inner city school who has been teaching elementary students music without instruments of any kind other than using their own bodies as percussion instruments (think about that).

My teacher's need is very small - $216 dollars to purchase a few basic instruments that will help these kids begin to learn the beauty of music. Many of us know teachers personally and know that these teachers often spend fair amounts of their own pay to purchase supplies and special items for their classes. My own daughter does this. Why? Because otherwise they would not acquire the supplies or items and because these teachers want to TEACH and want their children to LEARN!

If you have been inclined to read this far I would entreat you to go one step farther. If you can donate anything at all to this challenge it would take us closer to completion. $1 or $100 -- it does not matter. Each penny will serve its useful purpose. May God bless all of us and give us charitable hearts for our children everywhere.

when you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do. Luke 17:10

 UPDATE: 10/23/07 - Thanks to everyone who contributed we have a successful challenge! This class will get their music!

November 10th. Talk on "The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On" and signing, Justin's Grill, East Syracuse, N.Y., 8:30 a.m. Sponsored by Advocating the Vocation of Women (AVOW). For information, contact Karen Stein, (315) 655-3837.

Hope to see you there Dawn!