Roll Up Your Sleeves

Time to get busy.
Time to pray.
Time to fast.
Roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Finally (again finally) some bishops are speaking out against the newly proposed health care legislation

It's a mess, a slippery slope and the demonic is manifesting itself.

Time to get spiritually busy.
First, clean your own spiritual house--get to confession--get on your knees--eat some bread and drink some water.
And this isn't some nice little--gettin' prepared for Lent--invitation.  This goes to the heart of religious freedom.

Read the following snippet from Catholic Exchange:

Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan wasn’t feeling the love. He rightly fumed: “In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences.” Dolan said that “to force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable. . . Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty.”

Folks, I’ve been warning for more than a year now that the Administration is constricting religious liberty bit by bit. It has abandoned any defense of traditional marriage. It is promoting gay rights abroad at the expense of religious rights. And I’ve documented that the Administration, beginning with Secretary of State Clinton, has intentionally used the phrase “freedom of worship” instead of “freedom of religion,” implying that one’s faith is a private matter — and that exercising that faith in public is not a protected right.

Well, if the Administration’s latest move isn’t proof of that, I don’t know what will be.

Now, to all my evangelical brethren who may be wondering why I’m making so much of this — after all, the vast majority of evangelicals don’t have a problem with contraception — I will say this: Which of our religious convictions will we be forced to abandon one day? Will our religiously affiliated groups be forced to hire people who oppose our faith? Will the government force a curriculum upon our schools and homeschoolers? Just a few years ago these possibilities seemed crazy. Now, they seem very real.

I’m reminded of the famous saying of German pastor Martin Niemoeller, referring to the horrors of Nazi Germany:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I

did not speak out —

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists,

and I did not speak out —

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did

not speak out — Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me — and there was

no one left to speak for me.”

Holy Mass Dunkirk NY

Get Back to God.
...an invitation.

Our Lady Medugorje pilgrimage 2010 Holy Trinity Church (1032 Central Ave., Dunkirk) will host Wayne Weible this Thursday evening, beginning with Mass celebrated by Fr. Raymond Donohue and Fr. Joseph Zalacca at 6:30 p.m. The author will speak immediately following Mass in the church. Weible will be at The Book Nook in the Dunkirk-Fredonia Plaza at 7 p.m. this Wednesday (the evening before his talk at Holy Trinity). He will be signing copies of his books on the messages of the Blessed Mother, the apparitions in general, and methods of prayer. Books are in stock now for those who wish to read a book before Weible's speaking engagement. All community members are welcome to attend, along with family and friends, to hear the powerful messages that have changed the hearts and lives of so many. The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome.

Jesus and Religion

By now you may have come across the internet video of a young man waxing poetically about Jesus and religion.  In his opinion the two don't mix and over 2000 years of history and tradition have been wrong.  The backdrop is some brick institutional-church-looking building.
I think he was going for a 'Luther nailing the theses on the doors of Wittenburg' look.

Freedom, grace, no responsibility, all humanity's living of Christianity has been wrong.  It comes across as "I have this 'new' insight and kernel of almost gnostic wisdom--and I am going to rap it to you."

I'm not too sure, but I think when he says he doesn't like religion that he is talking about Christian religions simply because of the association of Jesus in his rap.  I guess he's okay with non christian denominations.  After all the goal is obviously not to rattle their world.

He's using Jesus not as the center of his relationship but as an excuse to not enter into the everyday responsibilities of living in community. 
Here is what he is really saying:
I love Jesus not religion.
If religion was of God then we wouldn't have wars and the awful abuses in the name of religion
War and awful abuses are evil
Therefore God would be evil.
Follow my way instead--I have no religion.
Therefore I am god.....

For a pretty solid take on this check out Fr. Robert Barron

Sometimes It's The Little Stuff

St. Thérese had the 'little way'
But this is far from that.

Today I spent one hour--fighting a computer scanner.  I didn't want to bother my son who was busy doing his school work.  After all I was once able to program a vcr (remember those)  I even knew how to switch tracks on an 8 track.

I used the scanner plenty of times.  I knew it was a no brainer.
But it wouldn't work.  Between error messages and not wanting to 'communicate' or even scan--the whole process was frustrating.

I needed to get some copyright info out to the publisher concerning scripture quotes used in the book.
Finally, a scan made it through over to my son's computer and was self titled--SCAN 6--
hmmm.
"Okay, just send it to me Buddy."
He emailed it.
Of course it never went.

Its the little stuff, frustrating and playing on impatience--wanting us to cave or explode or whatever reaction would correlate with your personality.


One time, years ago, my wife had wired money for a pilgrimage oversees---it was lost in some holding bank for one month.  (Since then business is now conducted differently.)
Then there was the time we had a pilgrimage group--On our way to the airport--first an unseasonal snowfall, then, on the interstate the back doors to the shuttle 'unexpectedly' opened (though none of the luggage flew out).
hmmm again.

So we keep praying.
Use the frustrations of the 'little stuff' to our spiritual advantage.


By the way--I finally got the information sent.

Postcard from Georgia II

My family and I are wrapping up our visit to Georgia and New Hope Press Publishing.

The rule of St. Benedict (RB 53) shares that 'all guests are to be received as Christ'
Guess what?....Wayne and Judi Weible and everyone at New Hope Press and the people we met from the prayer group--- make 'great Benedictines' !!  Their hospitality was phenomenal.


We spent our time meeting, laughing, praying, eating southern meals, editing, relaxing, learning, and looking at potential book covers.
It truly was a blessing and a neat way to begin closing the chapter on a five year endeavor.
This evening we all attended Holy Mass at Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart

Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart
North Carolina

Here's a little side bar irony...
When we decided, years ago, to return to the Roman Catholic Church, we met with a Roman Catholic bishop.
To celebrate our 'confession' to the bishop I bought my wife a statue.
The only one the store had was  --Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart.

A Lost Shepherd--a postcard from Georgia

At the publishing house of New Hope Press in Georgia--working on the final edition of A Lost Shepherd.
Had a great breakfast with members of the prayer group and all those who work at New Hope.

Asking for some prayers for all those involved with this little endeavor.
Thanks!

Pathetic Part II

It appears that the previous post about the Bishop Zavala hit a nerve.  There are a few interesting comments.
I copy one here in order to address their question.  The reader addresses me as Melchizedek....good one.


"...this comment was supposed to go here and was for Melchizedek
So.....how do you propose to address your points? If you just bring them to light without some way to admonish/allow the Holy Spirit to enter this bishops life, then it is nothing more than judgement.......right? "


Nope.
  
My only 'point' was this:  The fact that these kids had an absent father wasn't because he was a bishop but because he didn't have the guts to make a commitment to being a dad.  The fact that he was a bishop simply gave him another life in which to hide--and that is what is pathetic.


You know deep down what he lived was wrong on so many levels. Shame on him for perpetuating a life that undermined the foundational standards of husbands, dads, priests, and bishops.
Yes I judge the act--but I am not judging the person.  Knowing that something is wrong does not equate me with judging that person's soul.
Nor will I get into setting up some sort of admonishment--not my area.
As to a 'way to allow the Holy Spirit'---well, I think that may have already occurred.  
A great light has been shone on this man's life.  One can only hope that the truth will now set him free.  
Here is what I think--
Pray for the kids, and the mother, and him.  Pray that somehow they don't leave the church.  And lastly, pray for his brothers who are probably very confused, hurt and angry.


So, you ask what my proposal is?
Prayer
and while you're at it a day of fasting--for husbands, dads, priests, and bishops.
(seriously--this Friday 1/13)--you in?

Liebster Awards

It appears that I was nominated as the recipient of a 'chain' blogger award.
I feel 'virtual'

The name of the award is the Liebster Award and there are three informal canons which clarify and direct its purpose.
1.  I thank the blogger who passed me this torch
2. I share five of my favorite blogs
3. Those blogs must have less than 200 followers

Thanks goes to Daniel over at Through Vocation.  Quite frankly when I was in seminary--such tools for evangelization were unheard of, not to mention such ecclesiological and theological expressions.  We come from different generations but it is interesting to hear of his thoughts, travels, and spiritual journey.  I pray he will make a holy priest someday.

So now for the blogs.  First please realize that I am a blog hermit.
Ergo--i travel very little in the blog world and my community is very small and even related.

1. Isaac-- author of  Praeceptorum Deus    and   Wendy--author of Thoughts of a Dr. Mrs. Catholic Mom
I don't need to explain why they are both together on this list.

2. Fr. Len--author of Journey Thoughts
He's a good priest, a good pastor, a great friend, and a great 'uncle' who recently took a fall in the garage--stop over and help the guy up--tell him I sent you.

3.  Richard--author of Linen on the Hedgerow
It has a bite and it's across the pond.  Had I read it as a newly ordained--my blood would have boiled (but hey I wanted EWTN off the air also).

That's really all I have at the moment that meet the criteria-- Like I said--i'm a blogger hermit.

I have others but they exceed the 200 follower limit.  They are listed on the sidebar.

Just Plain Pathetic

I refer you to a news story posted by Rocco Palmo on Whispers in the Loggia.  You have to scroll down to the second story that has a photo of LA's Auxiliary Bishop, Gabino Zavala.  For those who just want a snippet here is what Mr. Palmo reports, via Catholic News Service:

Meanwhile, in a surprise move, B16 has accepted the early resignation of LA Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala, who turned 60 last September.

While rumors of unspecified Roman concerns over Zavala have circulated for some time, and have intensified over recent months, Catholic News Service reported this morning via Twitter that the bishop submitted his resignation after he confessed to having fathered two children.

In a letter to the Los Angeles church released early this morning, Archbishop José Gomez wrote that the auxiliary "informed [him] in early December that he is the father of two minor teenage children, who live with their mother in another state."



Come on.
Now I must be careful because this is the same bishop who asked bloggers to be a little more kinder and refrain from hateful demeaning speech.  Okay, then....come on...please.
He shared this request while from his position as the Chair of Communications for the US Bishops. 
I think he forgot to communicate a few things---like maybe "Oh, by the way Holy Father,  I am a Dad--uh, twice!"


Okay, so hopefully there was love and some kind of relationship with the mother.  As two adults they will need to deal with that.
  
But my first thoughts were for the children.
What about commitment and responsibility and manning up to being a dad?  
I wonder if, in all his social issue preaching, he ever had to address single mothers, or children who had no fathers present in their lives?  
We hear that they are minor teenagers--so this means that at the very least for the past thirteen or fourteen years two children grew up with their dad in another state--pretending to not be their dad.


When I was a court appointed therapist the majority of my clients didn't know who their father was or their father simply didn't care.  You do the psychological and sociological math and extrapolate the results.  This time instead of the government or some social service agency stepping in to deal with it--the church will.  Perhaps the bishop ought to attend mandated parenting classes.


Now, before some wacko gets this blog and says--'see that's why priests should marry' I want them to think about this:  

The fact that these kids had an absent father wasn't because he was a bishop but because he didn't have the guts to make a commitment to being a dad.  The fact that he was a bishop simply gave him another life in which to hide--and that is what is pathetic.

So those are my thoughts--coming from a man who was a priest and fell in love and left and married and together with is wife is raising a son--trying to form him in the Roman Catholic faith.

Need Help? Just Text

So my wife, son, brother and I were at the Cleveland Browns--Pittsburgh Steelers football game this past Sunday.
It was supposed to be an away game for Pittsburgh--but in the Brown's stadium there were more terrible towels and black and gold than orange and brown.

This was my son's second professional football game.  One at Heinz Field and one in Cleveland.
At Heinz field I returned from standing in the refreshment line for a pretzel for my boy.  I think I missed one half quarter of football.  When I returned I missed not only a touchdown but some guy getting tasered.

This past Sunday we witnessed two fans get ejected from just our section.  One for flipping us off and another for some other apparent show of unsportsmanlike conduct.  In addition, we witnessed a near collision of angry drunk men (of course one was in orange and the other in black and gold).  And,
Just three seats to my right a young lady would yell whatever sexual obscenities her intelligence could provide--in response to any Pittsburgh cheer.

On our return drive we stopped at a MacDonald's--and, you got it...a drunk fan who couldn't stand or order or even count money stood next to me trying to be the 'friendly' drunk beginning and ending every sentence with God or Jesus Christ.

What's the deal?
What happened?
God sent his Son to save all this?
Why is there such anger unleashed at a stupid football game?  When did attending a sporting event become a license to be a vulgar jerk?

It's an epidemic.  How do I know?  Because at both games there is a permanent sign encouraging the fans to text the stadium security if they need assistance.

Go Steelers.