She was with Fetus?

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 1:18)

A thought struck me the other day that by my assumption has never struck any "pro-choice" Christians. Am I correct that pro-choice Catholics and Christians in general have never read or heard the birth narrative of the very person they claim as their creator and savior? The words of Sacred Scripture that we hold to be one of the most sacred things in our lives state very simply and clearly (and repeatedly) that Jesus Christ was a CHILD while in Mary's womb. If the passage quoted above doesn't say it clearly enough, then how about Luke 2:5.

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child." (Luke 2:4-5)

These passages don't say Mary was with fetus (though fetus is a scientifically correct term for the developing child, abortion advocates use the word to devalue the life of the child in womb). And they don't say she was with tissue. No, she was carrying a child. Well, isn't that different because Jesus is God? You can interpret the passages as many ways as you want in your own mind, but it still says child. It amazes me to what lengths people will go to justify sin. They will omit scripture verses like they never existed or rewrite them to say what they want.  Well, if you are going to do that, then why not write your own Bible?! God is God, and Truth is Truth, as much we one may not like it.

How can any person who claims to believe in Jesus ignore the very words that tell them who he is? Or maybe they aren't ignoring the fact that Jesus was a child in womb. After all, Planned Parenthood now acknowledges that it is a child in the womb, but it is the mother's choice what to do with it. Okay, that makes a lot more sense. Pro-choice Christians must just be advocating for women's free choice when they condone the murder of a CHILD. Oh that makes a lot of sense...not. I mean if I'm not mistaken, didn't Jesus say one of the greatest commandments was to love your neighbor? Or did he mean the murdering kind of love?

Now I'm totally confused. Can anyone help clarify how a person claiming to be a CHRISTian can be "Pro-Choice" (also known as pro-abortion or whatever you want it to be)?

An Offering for Love

There have been many ideas racing through my head lately for things I could write about in this blog.  And even though I have had less time to write than I would prefer, I would like to pass up another opportunity for something I think is more worthy of your time.

I just came across a remarkable article/dialogue of a 2010 summa cum laude graduate of Harvard University and her decision to pursue the life of a Nun. This is a profound witness of love for God in a day when intellectualism is often pitted against spirituality.

No matter where you are coming from, please read this and enjoy!

National Review Online
God and Woman at Harvard - A 2010 summa cum laude heads to a convent.

A Change in God's Glory

Is it wrong to appreciate God's presence in others? Is it okay to acknowledge how God is at work in people's lives and in the world? Or is doing so taking Glory away from God?

This somewhat unusual but very important topic came to mind the other day because of what I heard someone say. You may be thinking to yourself, "Yes, all glory should go to God alone." Or you may be thinking, "It is only right that we praise God for what he does in the lives of men and women." I have always believed both of these things, but at one time I would have said that all glory is God's and any regard given to man is idolatry. (Which is partly true, but there is more I see now.) I'm sure there are others that would still say that too. But it just occurred to me the other day how my thinking of God has grown. I really hadn't though much about it because I have had the same general understanding as long as I can remember.

This is a significant issue because part of the Protestant Reform hinged on it. But I would suggest that many modern Protestants actually hold a Catholic or historic Christian view of God's Glory. Let's ponder this.

What is God's Glory? Is it something intangible that God has? So one would say all glory is God's alone. Or is it something we see, recognize, and experience? Of course it is, how else would we know God has glory?!

Now let's jump to the other side. Is it okay to thank someone for an act of kindness? Yes. Is it okay to revere someone who exhibits holiness (i.e. a pastor, or preacher)? Is it okay to remember with fondness someone who has died but touched your life in a powerful way? Yes and yes.

Here is the issue. I used to be of the mindset that praying to a saint (loved one that has passed on to Heaven) was idolatrous and that Jesus' mother Mary wasn't any more significant in and of herself than any other person. These are not uncommon Protestant views because if you give your attention to Mary or the saints, then you would be taking glory away from God. But are you really taking glory away from God?

I used to see humans and God as being in a power struggle for Glory. Which is half true. Yes we often try to take God's glory, but God is not trying to take ours. You see God in his very nature gives his life and love, which are the manifestations of his Glory. God is pleased to pour out his life for us. God is pleased when we become holy. God isn't trying to hold us down, he wants to lift us up. And so it is only acknowledging the reality of God's nature and in fact giving him more glory when we acknowledge his glory present in people and creation.

For this reason, it is good to ask Mary or other holy people in Heaven to pray for us. It is actually an act of recognizing God's glorious work in others and gives him more glory. Kind of like a parent helping their child to walk for the first time. People get excited for the child, and the parent doesn't get upset but is happy because they know that have helped that child do something good. And if you follow the child they will lead you to their parent.

So you see how not recognizing God's presence in others in an effort to ONLY give him the glory may in fact fail to give him the glory he is due. Yet this is what motivated many iconoclasts.

Now if you actually start seeing something other than God as your god, then that is idolatry. But I wanted to share my thoughts on this, because I know I spent so much time worrying about how not to give glory to others, that I probably missed many chances to more fully honor my Creator.

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.

What is a Family?

Has anyone ever stopped to ask the basic question of what a family is? I'm really not sure. It seems like such a basic and common sense concept of a husband, a wife, and children. I mean, everything in the natural order points to this reality even if you don't believe God instituted it a certain way. A male and a female equal little ones. In more cases than not the male and female (whatever species) experience a natural bonding that draws them together. This bonding (or relationship) can be ignored, but I believe it is fair to say that it is beneficial in cases where it is embraced.

For much of recent history it has been acknowledged and promoted as a good thing to have a mother and father together establishing a family. But it seems that as the trend of moral decay continues, simultaneously does acceptance of things such as sodomy and unnaturally ordered relationships.

We have missed the boat for protecting marriage and family life dependent on it. No, two men raising a child can't offer it the same as a mother and father, but (apart from a distorted understanding of sexuality) whether two men could offer a child more than one woman or one man is a point to be contested. You see marriage has been misunderstood for quite a while based on the strong 50% divorce rate. Gay marriage and adoption were only logical next steps in the disintegration of the family.

So perhaps secular society will completely forget what family is at some point. I mean, what is to stop a man from marrying a robot made to look like a female or a man? I know I have discussed in past posts how contraception is destroying lives (which it is) but I believe the deterioration of the family goes back even further than contraception. I believe the responsibility for this phenomenon rests mostly on the shoulders of Men. Yes, a point could probably be made to point the finger at women too, but men need to be men and stop pointing the finger. Adam should have stood up as the head of his marriage and told Eve to obey the Lord, but instead he just went along with his wife. How many men fail to be good leaders in their families simply out of laziness? How many women would change their minds about having abortions if men really stood up and said they wanted to support their wife and child? How many women would cease to have sex outside of marriage if men stopped using them as objects? Men now-a-days have forgotten their dignity as good strong leaders. We have gone overboard one way or another. Either men become controlling and abusive, or they become woosie push-overs, or they become gay. And men have stopped learning to become men because our fathers have abandoned us.

At this point, half of an entire generation does not know what a real father is or what a real man is. A real man will help his wife to be the best version of herself and gives of his own time and concerns for his family. And in the end, what better could a young naive child ask for than a real father and a real mother who are completely and permanently committed to each other and them for life?!

It is really amazing how beautiful and amazing a real family is. Each person compliments the others, and the relationships formed in genuine love seem to bless others by rippling through the lives of those yet unborn for generations to come.

Marriage is beyond being saved now. It needs to be rebuilt.

"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I will send you Eli'jah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse." (Mal. 4:4-6)

For some good resources on family, marriage, and fatherhood, please visit the sites listed below:
Marriage - Unique for a Reason
For Your Marriage
Family Life Center International

Communism or Communalism

In today's Gospel Reading Jesus gives an interesting teaching on distribution of wealth. He tells a parable about a landowner who hires laborers periodically throughout the day to work in his vineyard. When pay time comes at the end of the day, the landowner pays the first workers the same amount as the last (previously agreed upon). Well, this doesn't sit well with the first workers who were working longer and felt they were unfairly compensated.

What made their compensation unfair? It is the amount they agreed upon, after all. The landowner even challenges the complaining laborers that he is "free to do as [he] wish[es] with [his] own money?" Then Jesus reveals the motives of each of the characters in the story. The landowner is being generous and the laborer is being envious of the other workers. The landowner is acting out of a good heart that wants to bless others, while the laborer is acting out of selfishness and wants to bless himself.

I have heard many times people claim that Jesus' early followers practiced communism. Okay, so what does this have to do with the parable? Well, communism as it has come to be practiced in our day and age reflects much of the motives of the laborers rather than the landowner. People who endorse communism now-a-days claim that it is a solution to fiscal inequity. They would say that if the people all contribute to a governing body according to their ability to give, then that body can redistribute the money according to people's needs. Individuals of a communist mindset can't stand to know that others have more money than them. It is this motivation that is identical to the laborer demanding his fair share. You see the vineyard laborer also wanted his fair share. So were Jesus' disciples communists? No. Because their sharing in common flowed out of their generosity not their selfishness. The communal life of the disciples was a reflection of their desire to give not to receive. They knew God was generous with them.

So there you have it. Communism is based upon everyone receiving their fair share, and communalism is based upon a desire to give freely. Communism doesn't acknowledge God's provision for us, whereas communalism embraces it fully. Communism = Envy. Communalism = Generosity (what the disciples practiced). Any questions?

"So the last will be first, and the first last." (Matt. 20:16)

Tough Questions

I've been thinking a lot about God recently (more than usual). I think this has partly come about because of a series of events as of late. One of them I mentioned early on in a blog post. It was my trip to the 2010 All-Michigan Catholic Men's Conference. At the conference there was an inspirational slide show that displayed a quote something to the extent of "The greatest tragedy in life is to fall short of becoming a Saint." The reason for the truth of this statement is that God created us to live the life of a saint, and anything less is less than he intended. Now I know I have thought about this idea before, but not put exactly that way.

I must admit that that quote made (and is still making) me ask myself a lot of questions. Like, how am I living a holy life? How am I not living a holy life? How am I helping others to know God? Why do I continue to sin? What changes do I need to make in my life to be more fully the person God created me to be? And on, and on...

Most of these are dangerous questions, because they are not easy to answer or follow through on in my fallen state, and because the Tempter is working hard get me to compromise or brush off the seriousness of the questions. So answering these questions and following through on them requires divine help imparted through the Sacraments, Scripture, and God's people.

We are just over half way through this year. Perhaps you made some spiritual resolutions back in January and have forgotten them, or perhaps you never made any. Either way, no need to wait till the next New Year because chances are you'd forget those resolutions before long. We all need to do a mid-year evaluation of our walk with God, and I'm not just talking about footsteps on the beach. We need to confront all the rugged terrain as well.

Have we grown soft or lazy in our faith? Do we at times choose the easy road? Have I been loving others radically for God? Am I willing to take a chance at stepping out in faith in a way that may change my life in order to serve the Lord? Am I aware of the presence of the evil one? (If not then it is time to evaluate, because he attacks those working for the Lord the most.)

When was the last time we asked ourselves some really challenging questions? It is time to get tough in our faith. Where are we aiming in life? Remember, we are only here for a short time.

Let's ask some tough questions.

Ordering Life

The other day we visited the Congregation of Holy Cross at Moreau Seminary in South Bend, Indiana. I knew very little about this religious order prior to our visit, but within minutes of stepping foot into the seminary a certain peace came over me.

Simplicity, order, prayer, education, charity. These are all things that I could see very clearly about this group of men from just a one day visit. And all these things struck a chord somewhere inside me, as they all draw one closer to God.

The day we were visiting happened to be the feast of St. Clare. She is known for her complete love of God that was expressed in her giving up all she ever had to gain the singularly most precious thing of all -- Christ. She desired nothing more than to know and love Christ. What a beautiful soul she had. From her love of God flowed an entire religious order and way of life, that of the Poor Clares.

One thing that most religious communities share in common is an ordered or structured way of life to some extent.  There seems to be something about an orderly life that reflects something of God. Whether the Poor Clares, the Congregation of Holy Cross, the Benedictines, or any other community. An orderly life is deliberately established in order to bring a sense of peace and freedom from confusion to day to day tasks. This allows more time to be given to doing what is important and less time spent trying to figure out what to do.

Most people these days recognize the benefit of order in their lives, thus the thriving industry of day planners and personal organizers. Life flows from organization. This can be seen from the beginning. God created life in a very orderly way over the course of six days. And human life is very much ordered in cycles, seasons, and periods of life. A baby grows in the womb for 40 weeks. We are over the hill at 40 years (joke). The Church also recognizes the value of order as laid out by God. And so we celebrate seasons for certain periods of time and holy days on an annual cycle.

Another reality is how sin and chaos work to draw us out of order. Busyness and or laziness (two extremes) can easily throw us out of our patterns of life or helpful daily routines. Sinful or bad habits also throw confusion and frustration into other parts of our lives. Confession is especially helpful in this area. It helps us to get right with God and others and to head off the corrosive effects of sin before they start to affect other parts of our lives or lives of those around us.

As my wife and I were leaving the seminary, we both remarked that we though it would be nice to have the kind of order in our lives that we saw among the men in the Congregation of Holy Cross. Well, I do think there are some things we can probably do in our marriage to establish more order. But we also have to remember that order in our family may look different from order in a religious community. Regardless, it could probably benefit all of us and society as a whole if we slowed down for a little bit, got back to basics, and consciously chose to live a more simple and orderly existence.

Women Priests?

The mind of God. It is much more than any of us can comprehend. Our finite existence surely can be a frustration at times, but part of the mystery of God is how he uses us for things we would never expect when we only humble ourselves to his will.

You know, I am very guilty of often trying to do things my way. It is this weakness that I will readily admit, but it is also a weakness of the human race. I often find myself frustrating my plans or intentions or getting more anxious about what I need to do for something to turn out perfect.

I learned this reality in a very real way one weekend when I was trying to get a bunch of kids together to attend a youth even a few years ago. I had it all planned out, but I kept running in to hangup after conflict after problem after frustration. Then somewhere in the midst of my building anxiety something dawned on me. I needed to let go and let God work things out. And in the end, everything worked out great!

Well, I know this kind of do-it-my-way mentality can be applied to numerous situations. I think now-a-days it can be seen a lot in people trying to give their opinions on how the Church should be run, or what the Church isn't doing right and should change. I think sometimes we (any of us) can tend to forget that the Church is a divinely directed institution. It isn't like some international human rights organization with a democratically elected board of directors. It can be hard seeing something that looks so human on the surface and not feeling like we should have a say in it's operation. Well sure we can give our input, but we have to remember that the one with the real power in the Church is the Holy Spirit. And Christ placed that power in the hands of the Apostles and their successors. So yes, God works through flawed human vessels.

When Christ was instituting his Church he did so with placing governance in the hands of 12 of his followers (the Apostles), with one of the 12 holding a special office of leadership and responsibility (Peter). Now I know that many people now-a-days look at the Catholic Church and think about all the problems the priesthood is dealing with (scandals and small numbers) and how all those old guys in their funny hats in Rome are completely detached with what is going on in the real world. Why doesn't the Church just start ordaining women, I mean after all, there are many women who are much more faithful and holy that could do the job. That is true, and you know, not much has changed in 2000 years. Some of Jesus' most faithful followers were women and his Apostles abandoned him. Why didn't Jesus pick his own mother to be an Apostle? I mean if he was just looking for holiness, how could he do any better than his own mother?!

Jesus obviously didn't know what he was doing by today's standards...WHOA! Okay, that is going a bit far to say that God didn't know what he was doing. God has his reasons. And who knows the mind of God? He is God and we aren't, therefore it is our duty to acknowledge that he is right, not to question his motives. We need to be content with how God has ordered things. Because he has done so to our good. It is when we grow discontent with God's ways that we open our souls to deception. Lucifer deceived himself into thinking that he could be God when he grew discontent with being the highest ranking angel. Adam and Eve bought the lie of Satan when they ceased being content with what God had ordered then in the Garden, and sin ensued to this day. And don't think that we are free from this same discontentment with God's plan. Lucifer (aka "The Devil") is trying to bring us down with him.

Jesus instituted a priesthood of men and that institution has been carried on faithful to the Lord's will to this day. Why should we assume that we can come up with a fix for what God made good. When we try to do things our way, we tend to mess them up.

What if we try to think of a solution from God's perspective? Has God ceased to be faithful to the Church he started? No. So he must still be calling men to the priesthood. Then what is the problem? Maybe there is a loss of faithfulness on the other end. Maybe the loss of faith of God's people has ceased to produce men willing to answer God's call to the priesthood. I mean, God isn't going to force ill prepared men to be priests. That would jeopardize their souls. So we are the problem. Not the priesthood. We need to "pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matt. 9:38)

This is the weakness of the Church. When the people of the Church start to think we know how to live our lives best we grow discontent with how God is doing things and this discontentment overflows into how we think of things in his Church. So we need to continually reevaluate where perceived issues in the Church are truly originating. Are we part of the problem? Let's pray that we be part of the solution.

For more answers to your questions on the priesthood please visit:
http://www.catholicscomehome.org/answers-priesthood.php

A Young World

Have you ever thought about people of the past? No. Really just thought about them? I find it quite interesting how we "modern" and "civilized" people tend to think that we are somehow different or better than people in the past. I'm not sure, but maybe it could be attributed to the Darwin's "Theory" of Evolution. The idea that everything somehow evolves into something better or more specialized.

People in the 21st century tend to think we are better in some way than people in the 20th century. Now granted, some things have changed and some things have improved, at least in first-world countries. We can communicate more easily, and we have better hygiene. There are also numerous technologies that make different tasks simpler. But all those things are externals. How has the person themself changed?

I would argue that any positive change in the human person over the last 2000 years has been the result of Christianity. And peoples that have not experienced positive change or perhaps have progressed backwards have either excluded, resisted, or flat out rejected Christianity. Christianity directs the human person toward virtuous improvement.

So what is going on in the world today? Is western civilization rejecting virtue? Well, virtue sure isn't a popular term any more. It almost appears as if vice or comfort has taken the place of virtue. Self gratification has become our new end. Funny thing is that that doesn't seem too different than how the "modern" world lived 2000 years ago. Perhaps the biggest thing that has changed in 2000 years is the growth in the number of people living for themselves.

Despite two thousand years of evolution, things don't really seem that different for the human person. I mean, for all of our advancement, modern culture still doesn't seem to have a favorable view of Christians or virtue. But now that I think about it, maybe something has changed. Maybe we Christians have changed. Maybe we are less willing to stand up against the powers that be in the name of Christ to defend what is right? Maybe we are less willing to accept persecution? Maybe we are too comfortable?

Just some thoughts.

Today is the feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr. He is famous for the line, "Now you may turn me over, my body is roasted enough on this side." His love for Christ was so great that it won the heart of Rome for Christ in years to come. This feast was one of the highest of the Roman cycle behind the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Read More

Tell Me I'm Right

I think one of the hardest lessons any person has to learn growing up is how to take correction. It can be really difficult. And there is something within us that resists being corrected, told what to do, or told that we are wrong. Our fallen nature doesn't want to do the one thing that it must do to be redeemed -- admit that it is fallen. Before a sick person can be healed, they need to acknowledge that they are sick. Well, part of our sickness is not being able to acknowledge that we are sick.

I would dare to propose that many people in our modern culture either avoided correction most of their lives or never learned to accept correction. It seems that sin has become so rampant in our society partly because of people being unwilling to accept that their sinful tendencies or actions are not good. Let's take pornography as an example. This has historically been looked down upon in this country as taboo. And I would venture to say that most people's consciences tell them it is wrong. But when you ignore your conscience for long enough, your conscience dies. And when you no longer think you are doing something wrong, then you can't stand when someone (those with alive and well formed consciences) tells you you are doing something wrong. So, over time the collective conscience of a secular society only degrades without anything to lead it back to the truth. And as things in a degraded society start to look in favor of your sinful behavior, then it is all the more affirming to have someone in authority tell you that what you are doing is okay. This is how sinful behavior becomes permissible by civil law. When mom tells you to stop something, you go to dad. It is typical.

We want to be told that what we are doing is okay. We want affirmation of our behavior. I would dare again to say that this is exactly the issue that people living a gay lifestyle are struggling with. Their consciences may be telling them they are wrong and they want someone to tell them otherwise, or maybe their consciences are dead and they are tired of history telling them they are wrong in wanting to be married. Dana Mack gave a good perspective on this idea of homosexuals trying to win affirmation using the age old institution of marriage in Friday's Wall Street Journal.

"For those same-sex couples in California and elsewhere who are striving for deeper affirmation of their sexual partnerships, Judge Walker's decision —while hardly the final judicial word on the subject—is balm. Gay couples have moved closer to sewing lives in patterns borrowed from their own birth families' cultural histories and traditions. The question, however, is whether giving them license to piece together remnants of so decayed an institution as marriage will not aggravate all the more the fraying of its fabric." (Wall Street Journal)

I think Dana's reflection is very insightful. In trying to make marriage something that it is not for the sake of their own feelings, gay activists will wind up destroying marriage. A virtuous vocation is no longer a virtuous vocation when you redefine it with vice. Yet true marriage as Dana also discusses will always be defined by being "principally an arrangement for bearing children" not by being "primarily a romantic, or even an economic, bond." The divinely ordained institution of marriage can't be changed by any court or law but only by the one that instituted it. And He doesn't change.

The truth is, that no matter how hard we try, we can NEVER get true affirmation of our sins. God loves us too much.

Adam and Steve?

"And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19)

The days grow dark and weary, but take heart and rejoice! For yes, the light has come into the world!

Well brothers and sisters. If there has ever been an hour or a time where one must stand and say NO MORE. This is it. If the murder of countless millions of children in the womb has not shaken you to get out of your lazy-boy then this should. For the day is at hand when the very fabric (or what remains of it) of our society is coming to trial. The Prince of Darkness has been working tirelessly long hours, day upon day, year upon year, for this moment.

If you have not heard, Proposal 8 in California defining marriage as between one man and one woman has been struck down by a judicial activist. You see, even our judges have lost an understanding of truth. Well, if our degrading secularistic increasingly liberal culture gets its way, "Pro-Marriage" will become a common phrase. Not for liberals, but for those who really understand what God ordained marriage to be.

Don't brush this off, because I'm telling you now, that gay activists are licking their lips at the opportunity to finally take this debate to the highest court of the land. And they will. And what do you think that court would rule if they had no constraints? Well, lets see. If they can redefine the value of life why can't they redefine marriage? Do you get what I'm saying? We are soon to have a battle on our hands the likes of which has not been seen in any of our lifetimes. A battle for the very institution that has defined western civilization as we know it. A battle for the meaning of marriage.

Don't think that this battle will just be handed to us. No, now it is time to fight. To fight with all we got. To fight with ideas. To fight with the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Eph. 6:17) And most of all to fight with prayer! Yes, we can win. Yes, we can, because Christ reigns victorious over sin and death.

If marriage is redefined in this country then children will grow up confused and soon generations will not have any reason to get married at all. Then children will be diagnosed with more behavioral problems and will be seen as a commodity to be bought and sold; people will vote in more liberal politicians and laws; crime will rise; and finally when there is no difference between anyone, all self-worth, dignity and innocence will be lost. Eventually we will forget completely who we are. Just like we have forgotten the original beauty of Eden.

Now is the time. Now is our day. We must spend ourselves for that which is good, for that which is true, for that which is holy. Tell all your friends. Tell all your family. Tell everyone you know. For if we lose this, it will not stop here. The licentiousness will continue until society is no more.

What can I do?  First, visit The Manhattan Declaration website to read and sign the declaration. Then read up on the issue. And talk about what you know is right. If you are afraid of offending others then we will lose. Every good team requires a strong offense.

Lastly, keep Hope. Because the light has come into the world.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Today is the great memorial of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. This basilica is indeed of such beauty that it overwhelms the senses, much like our Blessed Mother herself. The universal church celebrates the anniversary of four major basilicas in Rome: St. Peter's, St. Paul's Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major, and St. John Lateran. Through the celebration of these great churches, which indeed are wonderful testimonies to God's great glory, all Christians find a special connection with the Holy See.

"This feast commemorates the miracle of the snowfall that occurred during the night of August 4-5 in the year 358 on the site where the basilica now stands. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to two faithful Roman Christians, the patrician John and his wife, as well as to Pope Liberius (352-366), asking that a church be built in her honor on the site where snow would fall on the night of August 4-5. Pope Liberius traced the outlines of the church in the snow and the first basilica was built on that site. It was completed about a century later by Pope Sixtus III (432-440), after the Council of Ephesus in 431 during which Mary was declared to be the Mother of God." (CatholicCulture.org)

On a visit to Rome, it is common for pilgrims to make a point of visiting all four of these basilicas. The age and beauty of these basilicas point to God in a way that few things still do in this modern world that so eagerly disregards Him. But in addition each basilica holds significance to the lives of every Christian through the treasure of the faith which they contain and the role they have held as witnesses to God on Earth through the centuries.

What specifically sticks out in my memory about this basilica is not only the breathless mosaics and artwork covering almost every surface, but more wonderful yet is the relic of Christ's Crib hidden beneath the High Alter. How can one even give words to the awe of beholding part of the humble little crib which held our Lord on that most holy of nights. Praise God! It is a bit of Bethlehem in Rome.

For a virtual tour of the basilica please click here.

To learn more about St. Mary Major and its history please visit the following sites:
http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/sm_maggiore/vr_tour/index-en.html
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2010-08-05

Veritas

Veritas in Latin means truth. I am in constant pursuit of the truth. This is because God is Truth, and my heart longs for the living God. In my pursuit of the truth I have come to discover that the well of truth in the Catholic Church is deep and vast. And so I am continually delighted in my exploration of the Catholic Church.

Now the truth is a tricky thing because only those with ears to hear will hear it and only those with eyes to see will see it. "And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you." (John 14:16-17) But when you do receive the truth it is liberating unlike anything you have ever known before. "Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'" (John 8:31-32)

I love how the truths of the Catholic faith all make sense in the broader context of Scripture and the life of the Church.  Nothing is added, or omitted, or skimmed over to make the faith fit into some ideology. It is the life of the Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- made available to man. In the Church, we can enter into the life of God as fully as humanly possible. And so, in my desire to draw deeper into that life I enjoy discovering resources that help build up and confirm God's people in the faith.

Here are a couple of resources that I came across recently at the Catholics Come Home blog and the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church website.

The first is a great visual diagram of origin of churches throughout history. Now you may be saying. How do we know this is true? Don't other churches claim similar things? Well, lots of people claim lots of things, but many of them are built around sketchy facts and half truths. Go ahead, do the historical research. It will verify exactly what this chart shows. The early Church Fathers (early Christians carrying on the faith the Apostles shared) believed and practiced the same faith that the Catholic Church does today. And if after confirming these facts you still don't believe, then it is possible that you may never see it apart from the grace of God. But let me say that I stake my very life of the truth that the Catholic Church is the church established by Jesus Christ.

The second resource is a chronology of the Apostolic succession of every pope from the first one established by Jesus (Peter) to our current Pope Benedict XVI.

"Pilate said to him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.' Pilate said to him, 'What is truth?'" (John 18:37-38)

The Big Snip

Well, that's good for us. Thanks for a daughter God. I think that's all we need so we're gonna call it quits with kids now.

This is not an uncommon train of thought these days. But how well considered is it? How much thought do people really put into it?

I'm gonna subtly get right to the point. Vasectomies are WRONG! Tubal ligations are WRONG! Contraception is WRONG! I hope it is now clear for those of us that didn't know. It is actually very surprising how many people don't know now-a-days. I'm sure most of us know of someone that had a procedure to prevent children and doesn't think there's any problem with it.  Well, part of the issue is lack of education, and the other part is false indoctrination by the mass media. You know, if the New York Times makes it seem like everyone is getting their tubes tied, then it must be okay. Right?

First of all, we need to remind ourselves that children are not a disease. We have procedures to prevent or treat diseases, not children. Please. Vasectomies and tubal ligations are a form of self mutilation. Remember, children are NOT a disease! Would you have your right hand surgically removed to prevent having any more children? No. Of course not. So why would you have your organs detached?

Second, let's take a good look at this issue and ask some real good questions. Does God think it is okay to get the big snip? Okay now, God created Man and Woman to become one in the conjugal act. Sex is meant to be the complete self-gift of one person in love to another within the bond of marriage. If one of the persons in the relationship is not fully giving of themselves then a gap remains. An emptiness remains. The bridge of complete communion from one person to another has not been crossed. It is at this point that sex becomes what it is to popular culture, an instrument for pleasure with the pleasure being the end in itself. And when pleasure is the end, then sex becomes a self-getting act as opposed to a self-giving act. If sex is now just a self-getting act then the person you are getting from becomes no more than an object for selfish use. Thus marriage has ceased to be an image of God's love for us. Because God only gives, he doesn't use us to "get" what he wants.

Another way to look at this would be to think about God's intended end in marital love. Children. New life. God is life and God gives life. And through God's giving of his life (i.e. Christ on the cross) love is born. Or visa versa, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) God's act of love gives life. And in the same way God created us to bring forth life through the complete self-giving love of marriage. If we aren't open to the gift of life then we aren't really giving the gift of love. And once again sex becomes an empty selfish, self-serving act.

How about we try one more time. I mean, after all it doesn't specifically say in the Bible that contraception is wrong. You are correct! And it also doesn't say that God gave us brains, but we know he did, so let's use them to see what else God "didn't" say. Now, he did say, "You shall not kill." (Ex. 20:13) But what isn't God saying here? For every negative command of the 10 Commandments, there is a positive side that God ultimately desires for us to embrace, but because of the hardness of our hearts and heads, he had to just tell us what NOT to do, like little children. What God was intending with this command is that we do the opposite of kill -- give LIFE.

When a man and woman give completely of themselves to each other within marriage, new live is created. Not only in the form of a child, but in their relationship with each other and with others, and in the world. You want to know why the culture of death is so strong in our world and why 50% or more of marriages are ending in divorce? Contraception. Think about it. Married couples not REALLY loving each other and millions of children not being born. If spouses in a marriage become objects to each other, then what is to stop one of them from finding a more pleasurable object somewhere else?

Closing thoughts. Among couples using Natural Family Planning (NFP) the divorce rate is below 5%. This is because when used properly it encourages an openness to LIFE. I also must say that it is remarkable how a little baby can bring so much joy and renewed life to a family. I have never seen anything else like it.

For more information on the above topic please visit the following resources:
Undoing the Wrong that Threatens Marriage
Contraception: Why Not?  by Janet Smith
The Hurtful Consequences of Artificial Contraception and Sterilization: Three Personal Testimonies

Eat, Drink, Be Merry, and Die

One thing I discovered when I became a homeowner is how much work keeping up a house really is. My wife and I are very grateful for our house and the previous owners were as well. It was kept up very well and has served many people well. Yet, regardless of its good condition, the house still requires almost continuous maintenance of some degree to keep it in good shape.

At the same time, almost anything we acquire can require some sort of ongoing investment to maintain. I once heard someone say, "The more stuff you have, the more time you spend taking care of it." Along these lines, the more things we have the more of our lives we spend taking care of things rather than people. And I have noticed (even in my own life at times) that it is all too easy to get so wrapped up in taking care of our stuff that we forget why we are taking care of it. This leads us to the question at point. Why do we spend so much time acquiring and caring for our stuff? What is the reason we have what we have? And what is the reason caring for our things can preoccupy our thoughts?

Yesterday's gospel reading for the Mass was quite a thought provoking and convicting one. It was the story about the farmer who had a great harvest and tore down his old barns to build new bigger ones. Is there anything wrong with that? No. But what was really his motivation behind building bigger barns for his crop? His motivation was to rest, eat, drink, and be merry for years to come. He was thinking about his own satisfaction. An even harsher description comes to mind, GREED. Hoarding thing for his own pleasure.

What was the farmer's alternative? Maybe sharing the surplus with those in need or using the extra blessing the Lord gave in the harvest to bless others as well.

So, what do we (I/you) invest our time and talents in? And how do we invest the fruits that come from those things? What do we do with the fruit of our labors? This question is important because we need to remember that it is God that brings forth the fruit. We just plant the seed and do the work.

If we have difficulty processing these questions, perhaps we could see them a little more clearly from the perspective of the farmer...through the lens of death. "But God said to him,‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’" (Luke 12:20) If we were to die, what would be the value of all our stuff at that point? Would all your labor benefit others even at your death? Or would it be found worthless with the fruits to simply sit and rot or be thrown away?

"Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.” (Luke 12:21)