25 posts tagged “catholic”

A google search using “Feast of the Assumption” yielded quite a number of hits as I expected, what I didn’t expect were the number of articles I found on various sites in various contexts that mock this doctrine of our Catholic faith. I scanned a few of these and for the most part can say that they are written by people completely ignorant of the Catholic Faith, much less our Doctrine, beliefs, and Apostolic Tradition. Of course I understand this completely and therefore simply pray that their hearts and minds will be opened to the Holy Spirit whereupon they are likely to become like us, fools for Christ.

I love our Holy Days and Feast days and those associated with our Blessed Mother are my favorite.

The Ark which God has Sanctified

The ark which God has sanctified,
Which He has filled with grace,
Within the temple of the Lord
Has found a resting-place.

More glorious than the seraphim,
This ark of love divine,
Corruption could not blemish her
Whom death could not confine.

God-bearing Mother, Virgin chaste,
Who shines in heaven's sight;
She wears a royal crown of stars
Who is the door of Light.

To Father, Son and Spirit blest
may we give endless praise
With Mary, who is Queen of heaven,
Through everlasting days.
(from Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal)

• We lift up our prayers to be one with the Blessed Mother who today was assumed into heaven:
• That the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, will guide and support all Church leaders with her maternal love.
• That all people will revere the sanctity of human life, and for an end to abortion and euthanasia.
• For blessings on children, especially those who are orphaned or abused.
• For the grace to live modestly and chastely.
• Eternal Word, you taught your mother Mary to choose the part that was best; let us follow her example and hunger for the food of everlasting life.

Loving Father, you have raised up the Blessed Virgin Mary to share in your communion of love. Accept us into that holy embrace through the sacrifice of our prayers. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(from the Women for Faith & Family website)

in the name of ecumenism. Made public July 11th, a document issued from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responds to the many attempts to focus on ecumenism as a vector for change in doctrine.

Catholic Culture describes the document this way:

. . . dated June 29, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, and bears the signatures of Cardinal William Joseph Levada and Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., respectively prefect and secretary of the congregation. In this document the Orthodox and Protestants are cautioned: the Catholic Church is the only one in which subsist the "essential constitutive elements" of the Church intended by Christ. It also states that if a dialogue between the Orthodox and Protestants "is to be truly constructive it must involve not just the mutual openness of the participants but also fidelity to the identity of the Catholic faith.

Fidelity to the identity of the Catholic faith is precisely what many would have us deny. That the true church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic most Christians acknowledge by their profession of the Nicean Creed (Apostle's Creed). Either there is authority or there is not and if the Catholic Church is not the authority then who is?

This document is encouraging to those like me who have a difficult time with trust. I say I trust in God, I trust Jesus, I believe the Church will prevail but there's always the "local" view I have that tends to make me see all the individuals and groups who would strip the Church of its identity and, in the name of ecumenism, simply give up our faith so as to become like all the others.

"Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church" reaffirms who the Church is and why. Be not afraid!

We who have the privilege of being citizens of truly democratic countries fear the loss of freedoms, the intrusion on our privacy, the false imprisonment by our justice system but we do not generally have to fear that our government will use dynamite to blow up our churches and shrines and arrest the faithful religious en mass.

China, on the other hand, continues its torment of any “unauthorized” religion, religious functions, religious gatherings, or religious celebrations of any kind and in any place that the government has not previously approved. Asianews reports on one of the latest attempts to suppress Catholicism by the Communists in China:

Next July 16th pilgrims and faithful from Henan will not be allowed to go on pilgrimage to the sanctuary in Tianjiajing. The government from the province of Henan has in fact decreed that the historic sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel will be blown up with dynamite; a complete ban on Catholics organizing their annual pilgrimage; a complete ban on any religious gathering or function being celebrated in the area.  A statue of the Virgin, over one hundred years old, is destined to be destroyed along with 14 stations of The Way of the Cross which punctuate the entrance to the shrine.

This shrine was built more than 100 years ago in thanksgiving to Our Lady for deliverance from the threats of the Boxer Rebellion. May Our Lady of Carmel intercede for these faithful and their shrine that they may freely visit and worship.

Henan government: destroy the sanctuary of Our Lady of Carmel in Tianjiajing

"It is the United States that is to lead the world to peace, the peace of Christ, the peace that He brought with Him from heaven," Sister Mary Ephrem quoted The Virgin as saying. "Dear children, unless the United States accepts and carries out faithfully the mandate given to it by heaven to lead the world to peace, there will come upon it and all nations a great havoc of war and incredible suffering. If, however, the United States is faithful to this mandate from heaven and yet fails in the pursuit of peace because the rest of the world will not accept or cooperate, then the United States will not be burdened with the punishment about to fall."

"What am I to do, child of my heart, when my children turn from me? The false peace of this world lures them and in the end will destroy them. They think they have done enough in consecrating themselves to my Immaculate Heart. It is not enough. That which I ask for and is most important many have not given me. What I ask, have asked, and will continue to ask is reformation of life. There must be sanctification from within. I will work my miracles of grace only in those who ask for them and empty their souls of the love and attachment to sin and all that is displeasing to my Son. Souls who cling to sin cannot have their hands free to receive the treasures of grace that I hold out to them."

Our Lady of America , Pray for us, Intercede for us, Guide us to your beloved son our Lord Jesus Christ.

"By thy Holy and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, deliver us from evil.”

John Mallon (Mallon's Media Watch) blogs on Archbishop Curtiss’ rebuke of two Creighton University folks who evidently run the University’s Center for Marriage and Family. I’d heard a smattering about it but until I saw this did not realize the import.

I say good for the Archbishop, shame on Mr.  Michael Lawler and Ms. Gail Risch. As with many of those who consider the Church a “Dark Ages” medieval millstone, Mr. Lawler and Ms. Risch advocate young couples who live together outside the sacrament of marriage are not living in the sin of fornication but rather “growing in grace”!

May God protect our children from such as these.

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I stumbled across a National Catholic Register article that gave me cause for great excitement. The article, titled “Priest TV Show Vows Respect” carried the subtitle Karen Hall Amazed by Embrace Of New Cable Project.  Now for those who don’t know her, Karen Hall is a writer/producer, a Catholic, and a Saint Blog’s Parish blogger (Some Have Hats). My hopes were dashed though when I visited Karen’s blog and read this. NCR made it sound like a done deal, Karen makes it sound like an idea barely born! How could NCR get it so wrong? I dunno, but I sure hope they turn out to be right!

So what started me up this time? The New York Time and the Los Angeles Times – two articles that couldn’t be more different and yet more alike.

The LA Times printed what was described by NewsBusters as “a fawning article” about a former Catholic priest named John Carroll. He’s described in the article’s headline as a “Devout Catholic . . .” and then begins with this description of Carroll as

an idiosyncratic Catholic, a former priest who still celebrates his faith yet rejects the very roots of its doctrine, viewing Christianity's promise of eternal life as "destructive" and the cross as a symbol of Roman Emperor Constantine's lust for power.

Ok, so I read this sentence and my first reaction was “this guy’s a crackpot” (read the article, you’ll see more what I mean). But my next reaction concerned the author of the article (Gina Piccalo, Times Staff Writer) who must be either completely ignorant (and I mean completely) about the Catholic faith and the Catholic Church or have a deep dislike for the Church. What else could explain her understanding of this man as “devoted” yet “idiosyncratic”, as someone who “still celebrates his faith” but at the same time “rejects the very roots of its doctrine”. Give me a break. Mr. Carroll is not much better than Jack Chick or Dave Hunt in his devotion to the Church.

In contrast the NY Times published an op-ed that, to me at least, was essentially an admission that it’s (and the Dem’s) pro-choice stance is contributing to the defection of large numbers of Democrats from the party. You’ve got to read this article – as far as I’m concerned it’s the most amazing thing that it was even published!

Over 18 months, I traveled to 20 states listening to women of all ages, races, tax brackets and points of view speak at length on the issues they care about heading into ’08. They convinced me that the conventional wisdom was wrong about the last presidential contest, that Democrats did not lose support among women because “security moms” saw President Bush as the better protector against terrorism. What first-time defectors mentioned most often was abortion.

Here we have an icon of the Liberal Left’s movement publishing something that says exactly the opposite of what it has been preaching loudly for years. We are constantly barraged from the media with so-called “news” that seems to indicate that pro-lifers are the minority! Again and again we hear from Democrats and their friends in the media that virtually everyone in America support “a woman’s right to choose”. Apparently we’ve been lied to, but we already knew that didn’t we?

I’ll leave it to you to read Melinda Henneberger’s article and you’ll be amazed at the point of view she sees the Democrats as having. They apparently have truly been hijacked by the minority simply because that minority manages to scream more loudly than the majority or perhaps it’s because they actively promote their agenda with big dollars.

Perhaps I’ve been a tad incoherent in this post – I apologize. Fundamentally I see in the contrast between these two articles a similarity that extends beyond faith and abortion. In the “devout Catholic” who rejects the core tenets of his faith and the political party who have failed to listen to their constituents about a matter as serious as abortion I see this country and our diverse culture going down the proverbial potty. At the core of each of these articles is someone’s absolute refusal to accept Truth. Why do we typically refuse anything? Because it isn’t what we want! What’d I tell ya.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for our dear country.
Our Lady of Fatima, sanctify our clergy.
Our Lady of Fatima, make our Catholics more fervent.
Our Lady of Fatima, guide and inspire those who govern us.
Our Lady of Fatima, cure the sick who confide in thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, console the sorrowful who trust in thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, help those who invoke your aid.
Our Lady of Fatima, deliver us from all dangers.
Our Lady of Fatima, help us to resist temptation.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain for us all that we lovingly ask of thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, help those who are dear to us.
Our Lady of Fatima, bring back to the right road our erring brothers.
Our Lady of Fatima, give us back our ancient fervor.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain for us pardon of our manifold sins and offenses.
Our Lady of Fatima, bring all men to the feet of thy Divine Child.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain peace for the world.

Let Us Pray:
O God of infinite goodness and mercy, fill our hearts with a great confidence in Thy dear Mother, whom we invoke under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary and our Lady of Fatima, and grant us by her powerful intercession all the graces, spiritual and temporal, which we need. 
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The news is very much overwhelming, particularly where Iraq and Afghanistan are concerned. In the United States the media rarely report on anything aside from the carnage wreaked by massive bomb blasts.

A week or two ago I saw a small article online concerning the cold-blooded killings of a Chaldean Catholic priest and 3 companion sub-deacons. These men were driving home after the Holy Mass when their car was stopped by armed thugs, they were dragged from their car and shot dead right there in the street.

While I’ve been unable to find names and photos for the sub-deacons who died, AsiaNews did publish a story that included the photo of the priest – Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni. There are thousands upon thousands of Iraqis who have died in this conflict. Father Ragheed is most certainly a martyr for his Faith, having voluntarily returned to a country in turmoil to be with his Catholic faithful, persevered in his ministry despite constant threat of death, despite bombings and attacks which again and again decimated his church to the point where he and his congregation were celebrating the Holy Mass in what were essentially the ruins of their church.

I post Father Ragheed’s photo here for all of us to see what the face of faith looks like. Isn’t his a joyful face! May it please God that all of us will show the joy of Christ’s love for us as did Father Ragheed.

May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Update: 6/14/07 - Chuck Colson mentions Fr. Ghanni on today's Breakpoint commentary

His name is Joshua Blakesly and if you’d like a taste of what he can do listen to

this Happy Song

and this Heaven

(just hover your mouse cursor over the song link – a popup player should appear)

Oregon Catholic Press (I know, I know …. never mind being so picky about music for now just keep reading) runs a website called SpiritandSong that features Christian music by Catholic artists. There are some truly great singers and songs. This site, unlike virtually all others, permits you to listen to the entire song – quite literally you can listen to all the songs on an album if you like. Another nice thing to know is that many of the artists and their songs are sold through Apple’s iTunes – 99 cent songs, $9.99 albums (for the most part). (Sorry OCP, would I pay $17.00 or $10.00 – no contest. Plus iTunes (and other online music vendors) let you purchase individual songs so you buy only what you really like.

Can’t recall if I’ve mentioned this place or not and I’ve just “rediscovered” it so thought I’d throw up a post about it.

Jesus showed himself to the apostles in order to open their eyes to his resurrection and open their hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit which would “cloth them with power from above”. Then, as though losing Him to the Cross wasn’t traumatic enough, He leaves them again, this time though, He is “taken up on a cloud”.

After such heartwrenching disappointment, comes the revelation that Jesus lives, breathes, eats, walks, talks! Then He’s gone again, just like that. The very remarkable thing is that the apostles finally begin to understand and rather than splitting up and returning to their former lives, the do what Jesus tells them to do — they return to Jerusalem and wait to be “clothed with power from above”.

We also wait for that power. Some find themselves endowed early in their lives, others (many like me I’d imagine) probably had the power offered several times but were unable to accept it until later. Whenever we decided to receive the gift that God so freely offers us it most assuredly changed our lives — I can’t think of anyone I know whose life has not been changed by coming to know Jesus — no matter how long they’ve been a Christian or been going to Church!

Veni, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium: et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.

V. Emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur.
R. Et renovabis faciem terrae.

Oremus. Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere; et de eius semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.

Amen.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.