Becoming A Devout Disciple

On Life's Surprises (Always be prepared)

2011-10-14T07:28:00.001-04:00

One must always be prepared for life's little surprises, for both the happiness and the sadness waiting in the next room, beyond the next door. Each day people announce engagements, announce pregnancies, remember birthdays, remember anniversaries. Each day some people live, each day some people die. Each day we muddle through our lives, moving forward, moving toward goodness, holiness, kindness. Each day we offer prayers for ourselves, for our immediate families, our immediate friends. Each day some deals with depression, each day someone deals with loneliness, each day someone lives with despair.

One must always be prepared for life's little surprises, one must always be prepared to confront pain, to confront suffering, to confront loss with hope, with love, with God.

One must always be prepared to pray, be prepared to be asked to pray, be prepared to ask someone to pray.

One must always be prepared to share charity, humility, compassion, mercy.

As Christians we are invited, we are called to always share God's love, to alway show God's love.

We are always to be prepared for God's arrival, for God's work order. Each day we encounter people who need God. Each day we encounter people who want God.

Friday of the Twenty-Eighth Week

2011-10-14T07:12:00.002-04:00

Our aim as Christians is always to find salvation. We are to be righteous in thought, deed, action. The highest compliment, the greatest observation that can be made of a true Christian is John believed God, and his words and actions were righteous. With confidence, with love allow the world to view your faith, your hope, obedience to both the God's commandments and God's teachings. Look within your heart for goodness, kindness, holiness. Seek only that which leads to being blessed. Seek only to forgive and to be forgiven. Seek salvation, live for salvation. Seek redemption, live for redemption. Seek God's truth, live for God's truth.

Prayer for the Day - October 13

2011-10-13T05:56:00.000-04:00

Lord

Teach me how to be righteous
Teach me how to love
Allow me to hear your voice
Please be attentive to my cry
May my supplication
fill you with mercy for all those
known and unknown, all those who
I encounter in my travels
who have troubles, who have despair
help those who are most in need of your love
May my supplication
begin with all I see, all I sense
and when you see fit allow me
to be your servant, your hands, your feet,
for you are the most loving, you are the most righteous
You are the Lord.

Amen

Thought for the Day - October 13

2011-10-13T05:39:00.000-04:00

The principle of love leads to many conversations and often much confusion. Being Catholic provides a rich history of reference that begins with the Jewish faith embodied in Moses, Isaiah, David that continues until to today embodied in the Pope and the Cardinals. The principle of love remains the same, retains the same simplicity.

As Christians learn from history. Humanity makes mistakes. Christians make mistakes.

As Catholic embrace your history, embrace your traditions, embrace prayer, embrace repentance.

Being penitent, being truthfully penitent leads to salvation.

Catholics receive blessings, we talk of God’s grace. We can be gracious, we can be righteous. We are asked to believe in God, to love God, to serve God, to turn away from sin.

The principle of love begins with a call for an expiation, personal and private. We are all asked to repent, to pray for forgiveness. The principle of Christian life connects expiation and redemption. Each Christian journeys between thoughts of expiation and redemption all of our Christian lives, between acts of expiation and redemption all of our Christian lives, between deeds of expiation and redemption all of our Christian lives.

Thursday in the Twenty-Eighth Week

2011-10-13T05:22:00.000-04:00

Today is Thursday in the Twenty-Eighth Week of Ordinary Time.

God’s righteousness exists beyond the control of man, beyond the understanding of man. God’s righteousness begins in the lyrical language of the prophets, in the pristine language of the oracles. Jesus Christ embodied righteousness, Jesus Christ encouraged his disciples, his followers to seek righteousness. The righteousness of Jesus Christ signals the beauty of faith, the beauty of trust, the bounty of God’s love, God’s patience, God’s mercy.

Righteousness is an expression of obedience, is an expression of supreme faithfulness, is an expression of supreme trustfulness, is an expression of beauty, is an expression of bounty.

God encourages each Christian to seek that which is righteous and only that which is righteous, to love that which is righteous and only that which is righteous, and to obey that which is righteous and only that which is righteous.

The principle of faith rests quietly with the request to be righteous.

Christians have examples of righteous deeds, Christians can choose righteousness as a manner of living, as a manner of becoming closer to God.

And Now for the News of the Day - Wednesday, October 12

2011-10-12T06:39:00.000-04:00

God is impartial. God offers justice.

Here are today’s News headlines from around the world. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Each of these events and issues require our prayers. Remember that God has a plan for each believer, each faithful follower.

Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.

Pope Benedict XVI used today’s general audience for catechesis on Psalm 126 which “celebrates the great things which the Lord has done for his people, and which he continues to do for all believers.”

Pope Benedict spoke on redemption, salvation. This psalm moves beyond being simply historical, there is also a theological dimension. Imagery is used to allude to the mysterious truth of redemption. “The Psalm teaches us that ... we must remain hpeful and firm in our faith in God. Our history, though often marked by suffering, uncertainty and moments of crisis, is a history of salvation and ‘restoration of fortunes’. In Jesus our exile ends: ... in the mystery of His cross, in death transformed into life, like the seed which splits in the earth and becomes and an ear of wheat”.

On October 27, 2011the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul’s World Day of Prayer from Peace will be the date of “Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace” which will be held in Assisi. This will be a meeting of world religious leaders in Assisi which will not contain inter-religious prayers. A Catholic prayer vigil will occur in St. Peter’s Square in Rome the night before.

When they gather in Baltimore for their November 14-16 Fall General Assembly the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will vote for their secretary-elect, the chairman-elect of five committees and the new chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace.

Angelina Jolie made a two day trip to Libya to assist agencies bringing aid to Libyans in Tripoli and Misurata. Jolie is an actress and United Nations goodwill ambassador.

Israel has concluded negotiations with Hamas to release a 25 year old soldier Gilad Shalit who has been a prisoner since 2006. Israel is expected to release between 450 and 1,000 Palestinian prisoners including some behind terrorist attacks that killed Israelis.
With the turmoil and unrest in the region, Israel decided to offer this gesture as it reflects on its position in the region as former dictatorships willing to coexist peacefully with Israel are moving to new governments which might not be peaceful.

As a sign that it is moving toward democracy, Burma released 120 political prisoners including one of its most famous dissidents a comedian Zarganar who was arrested in 2008 after organizing deliveries of aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis. Zarganar was a prominent satirist and government critic.

The Philippine president has announced a stimulus package to protect the nation’s economy from fallout from Europe’s debt crisis. The package is worth $1.68 billion.

Tuesday, hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters marched by the homes of some of the wealthiest executives in America. New York City’s Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue sidewalks were filled with the protesters.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have set October as Respect Life month and as Domestic Violence Awareness month.

Prayer for the Day - October 12

2011-10-12T06:32:00.000-04:00

Lord

Teach me to obey the truth
Teach me to seek a clean mind
and a pure heart
Teach me to always love my brothers
and sisters with compassion and mercy
May I learn how to become your
humble penitent servant
May my life be filled with penance
and sacrifice
May my actions lead others to salvation
and redemption
Lord, I am sinful and sorrowful
Please show me forgiveness and mercy
Please help me to follow in your footsteps
Amen.

Thought for the Day - October 12

2011-10-12T06:10:00.000-04:00

As Christians we are asked to be obedient to God’s wishes. Our obedience is natural, loving, an act of free will. As Christians we are asked to follow the commandments. Each choice that we make has a consequence. Each choice that we make can encourage others to seek salvation, to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Each choice that we make can discourage others from seeking salvation, from following Christ. As Christians the challenge of living a life of universal, unconditional love with unconditional mercy, unconditional compassion requires prayer, reflection, effort, persistence. Loving our neighbor will always be a difficult request. Showing mercy, compassion are becoming more and more difficult as technology separates people from people, reduces real person to person contact. What is the real benefit to any individual of walking on a crowded street yelling into a cell phone. Too much collateral anxiety bombards each human being every day. Expletives are Bad words are used easily, freely. They are acceptable. To not use expletives is becoming abnormal.

As Catholics we are asked to have a life of charity, humility, obedience. As Catholics our faith encourages us to be selfless, to create penitent hearts.

As Catholics we seek eternal life by praying, by reflecting on Holy Scripture, by doing good works. Peace, honor, glory will be the rewards for obeying God, for doing good works.

Wednesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week

2011-10-12T00:25:00.000-04:00

Today is Wednesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time.

As Christians we are reminded of our place in the world, we are reminded of the cost of doing evil. But, for some reason the lessons never are learned, never are accepted. Man wants to be the Masters of the universe. Man judges, does all type of evil forgetting that there are consequences for his actions. Why are there so much unrest in the world? Why are there so many wars? What central ideas are forgotten? What is being disobeyed?

And Now for the News of the Day - Tuesday, October 11

2011-10-11T03:59:00.000-04:00

Here are today’s News briefs from around the world. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Each of these events and issues require our prayers. Remember that God has a plan for each believer, each faithful follower.

Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.

Mr. Thein Sein, Burma’s president granted amnesty to approximately 6300 prisoners. The announcement was made on state radio and television. This appears to be the first step steps of reforms of the new elected government. There had been an appeal from the government appointed Human Rights Commission requesting that the president to grant amnesty as a gesture of forgiveness.

According to a report issued by the United Nations Taliban detainees in 47 facilities, in 24 provinces run by the Afghan National Police and Directorate of Security received interrogation techniques considered to be torture under international and Afghan law. These practices were not encouraged by the government. They were individual actions routinely overlooked by the security services.

In the 14 years since control of Hong Kong was returned back to the Chinese government the number of poor has increased by a staggering 50 percent. The Chinese government estimates that there are 1.26 people living below the poverty line. The conditions of the poor are now for the first time worse on Hong Kong than in many of China’s mainland cities. There is pressure for Hong Kong’s political leadership to correct this situation.

Despite having available land, the city built under 14000 units last year. 150000 families are on a waiting list for low rent public housing. Many poor citizens live in tenements subdivided by slumlords into plywood boxes locally known as “coffin homes”.

Would-be travelers to Japan may receive free flights to Japan sponsored by the Japan Tourist Agency to boost tourism in the country following the March natural disasters. Travelers would apply online, provide details on which parts of the country they would like to visit. Successful entrants will be asked to write a report on the visit to Japan which would be published on the internet.

If the program is approved, it is scheduled to begin in April. Travelers would still have to pay for their accommodations. Tourism declined over 50 percent in the three months after the March 11 earthquake tsunami caused meltdowns and explosions at the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Coptic Christians are beginning three days of fasting and prayers to mourn Christians killed in violence with Muslims and Security forces on Sunday night.

At least 26 deaths occurred in Cairo, Egypt after what started out as a peaceful protest requesting police protection of Christian churches became violent with police shooting into the crowd of protesters and driving their vehicles over the protesters.

Coptic Christians in Egypt are the victims of sectarian attacks on both churches and Coptic worshippers. Several churches have been destroyed. Hundreds of Coptic worshippers have been injured or killed. Islamist militants with connections to Egypt’s Salafist sect are blamed for the violence.

Coptic Christians constitute approximately 10 percent of Egypt’s 85 million population. Egypt’s interim government’s inability to provide adequate protection for the Coptic Christians does not provide a postive outlook for the country’s future political development.

Christians throughout the Middle East find themselves under attack by radical Islamic groups.

The European Union is preparing to announce new sanctions against Syria because of the increased violence in the country and the defiant political rhetoric of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in which foreign meddling is being blamed for the turmoil and unrest in the country. Estimated dead is 3000 including 30 people killed after security forces open fire on a funeral in the city of Homs where the army fought against former soldiers who defected to the opposition.

This rebellion started as essentially peaceful demonstrations which escalated to an armed insurrection that is building strength, mobility, popularity on the periphery of what remains a civilian revolt.

Pope Benedict’s October general prayer is: “That the terminally ill may be supported by their faith in God and the love of their brothers and sisters”.

Pope Benedict’s mission intention is: “That the celebration of World Mission Day may foster in the People of God a passion for evangelization with the willingness to support the missions with prayer and economic aid for the poorest Churches”.

World Mission Day is October 23, 2011.

October is Respect Life Month.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Prayer for the Day - October 11

2011-10-11T03:53:00.000-04:00

Father

Lead us away from all wickedness,

Teach us to do your will

Teach us to revere and worship you

Show us the path to salvation

the path to forgiveness, the path to mercy

We are sinners,

We kneel before you sinful, sorrowful

asking for assistance, asking to be saved

from all that distracts us from your love

from all that diverts are love from you

Amen.

Thought for the Day - October 11

2011-10-11T03:35:00.000-04:00

Seek only that which is righteous. Live only for that which is righteous. Share only that which is righteous.

Modern life is filled with sin, with selfishness, with loneliness, with desperation which conceals the truth from observation. Darkness clings to many false statements, false thoughts. We are blind to many motivations. Discover the truth of what is in the hearts of yourself, of the ones whom you love.

Share only that which is righteous. Live only for that which is righteous. Seek only that which is righteous.

The love that the media promotes may not be the same love that God promotes. Remember that many of the commandments of God no longer are seen as to be obeyed. Remember that God is no longer seen as an authority, as the creator of life. Truth can not always be reduced to a scientific theorem or formula. Faith can never be reduced to a scientific theorem or formula.

Live only for that which is righteous. Seek only that which is righteous. Share only that which is righteous.

Much of goodness, holiness, kindness remains invisible, appears naturally, spontaneously. Faith is God begins with an acceptance of simple principles of something essentially good, essentially positive, essentially nurturing; an action that springs from selflessness, an action that contains charity, an action that contains humility. Selflessness and humility can create an action, an event of love, of faith. This combination when combined with charity, obedience, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness can create righteousness, love.

Live only to praise God. Live only to give thanks to God. Live only to serve God.

Seek only that which is righteous. Live only for that which is righteous. Share only that which is righteous.

Tuesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week

2011-10-11T03:09:00.000-04:00

Today is Tuesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time.

Salvation, Gospel, righteousness.

As a Christian we are to love and obey the Gospel. The Gospel remains the greatest book of love, book of hope, book of sacrifice. The Gospel provides lessons of goodness, holiness, kindness for us to live by. The Gospel reminds each Christian of the various sins we might encounter, reminds us of God’s commandments.

Always keep truth in your heart, mind, soul. God asks for obedience in faith. What does this mean to you? Are you able to discern how to live with obedience in faith? Truth is essential to a relationship with God.

Keep simplicity in your life, keep righteousness in your life. Avoid wickedness, impiety.

Always encourage truth, love, peace. Always give thanks to God, always offer praise to God, always acknowledge God’s glory, God’s mercy, God’s love, God’s forgiveness, God’s majesty.

Being Christian is an acknowledgement of God’s supreme existence. God is superior, beyond our imagination. We can witness God’s achievements, we can love God, we can worship God. We can believe in God. Our belief provides an access to righteousness, to salvation. Our belief provides a foundation of charity, humility, obedience, compassion, mercy, forgiveness. Our belief provides a manner to create, nurture, and live a blessed life.

Prayer for the Day - October 10

2011-10-10T08:46:00.000-04:00

God our Father

you gave us the Holy Scriptures

to teach us patience, understanding wisdom.

May the Spirit of holiness

guide us to lives of charity, humility

and obedience.

May the Spirit of holiness

remind us of the life, sacrifice,

and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

May the Spirit of holiness

lead us from darkness, selfishness,

greed, envy into the eternal light of

your mercy, your forgiveness

May the Spirit of holiness

guide us to prayer and nurture

our faith, love, and obedience to you.

Amen

Thought for the Day - October 10

2011-10-10T08:18:00.000-04:00

We make promises, we say prayers each day. As Catholics we are encouraged to develop and share obedience to the faith. We seek eternal life, we seek salvation, we seek the Kingdom of heaven. To gain salvation requires effort, requires dedication, requires persistence.

We go to Mass, we receive the Eucharist. As Catholics we are encouraged to love and serve the Lord, to leave in peace. Time remains a precious gift. Love remains a precious gift. Serving God remains the most precious gift for a Christian. Treasure these gifts. Treat these gifts with reverence. Treat these gifts with respect, with care.

Allow yourself to love the entire world without wanting, without desiring to be loved back.

Allow yourself to do be flexible, to be malleable for the God.

Allow yourself to resist anxiety as you resist temptation and sin. Anxiety like temptation and sin creates indecision, causes worry that is often unnecessary and unnatural.

Allow yourself a moment with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Visualize them, listen to their individual voices.

Allow yourself a moment of peace.

God gives blessings to each Christian. God offers mercy to each Christian. God offers forgiveness to each Christian. We are encouraged to accept all that God offers and return our love, our loyalty, our obedience.

We make promises, we say prayers. God provides answers, God provides blessings. We say prayers.

Monday of the Twenty-Eighth Week

2011-10-10T07:54:00.000-04:00

Today is Monday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time.

Today is Columbus Day, a Federal Holiday.

As Catholics we are asked to search our hearts, our minds, our souls for the courage, the confidence, the desire to evangelize for the Lord. As we remember different aspects of our Christian lives, of our Christian identities, of our Christian promises, may strength of character lead us to do the work of the Lord. May the sacrifice of Jesus Christ provide our life with significance and meaning. May the resurrection of Jesus Christ provide our lives direction and understanding. A Christian life involves a continual narrative of conversion, of finding ways to please God, to love God, to serve God. A Christian life involves continual development of humility, charity, obedience. A Christian life involves continual expressions of mercy, compassion, forgiveness. Beloved is each Christian who obeys God, who loves God, who loves his neighbors. Beloved is each Christian who lives a life of truthfulness, faithfulness, fairness, justice. Beloved if each Christian who keeps his focus directed to God, directed to salvation, directed to the Kingdom of heaven.

Beloved live with goodness, holiness, kindness. Beloved allow the spirit of holiness to guide you, to inspire you live a life of evangelization.

And Now for the News of the Day - Monday, October 10

2011-10-10T04:24:00.000-04:00

Help and Accept Help on the Road to Salvation

2011-10-09T08:01:00.000-04:00

Humility and self reliance can be a path to righteousness, a path to salvation. As a Christian I try to always be prepared for the different experiences which God places in my path. I encourage every Christian to be prepared for the appearance of the Lord, for an invitation from the Lord.

As long as we fill our hearts with love, charity, humility, and obedience to the will and word of God, please enjoy and learn from the circumstances of your existence. With prayer find a way to live with an abundance of hope, abundance of love to be shared, to be extended to all who you might encounter. Always be humble and gracious. Enjoy delicious meals of multiple courses, with multiple glasses of wine to fill your stomach. Enjoy the moments when your stomach makes strange gurgling sounds because it is empty. Enjoy your entire life. Enjoy being a Christian. Enjoy learning how to serve the Lord. Enjoy learning how to love the Lord. Enjoy learning how to obey the Lord.

Being Christian involves a request of obedience to God commandments. Being Christian involves an invitation to be part of a community of believers of Jesus Christ. Being Christian begins with the love and hope and faith that rests within your heart, that is freely, honestly shared.

We experience the glorious riches of God each day when we are kind to each other, when we show mercy to each other, when we are compassionate to each other.

As Christians remember to always be willing to help others on the road to salvation, to always be willing to accept help from others on the road to salvation.

Remember to Rejoice

2011-10-09T07:10:00.000-04:00

What a great opening passage we are treated to today. How great the victory sounds. How great is the victory feast. Remember that Isaiah was one of Israel’s greatest prophets. Approach this prophecy delicately, enjoy the language, enjoy the imagery. But this is simply one oracle, written at a specific time for a specific audience with a universal message of victory, with a universal appearance of heaven. Salvation receives a description, heaven receives a beautiful treatment that signals a reason for rejoicing, a reason to offer thanks to the Lord.

How we apply this to modern life is tricky, how we utilize this short piece from Isaiah beyond simply listening to it, beyond hopefully enjoying the cadence of the words. God is very active in this oracle. This is our first clue. God destroys death, wipes away tears, destroys a veil over all people.

God simply offers salvation to his faithful, loyal, loving followers. God provide entrance to the Kingdom of heaven. God saves his people from sinfulness, from pettiness, from selfishness. Holiness and justice for all people exists, the feast is for all people, each one of us today who believes in the Lord, who loves the Lord, who serves the Lord, and who obeys the Lord.

Let us rejoice and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

And Now for the News of the Day - Sunday, October 9

2011-10-09T00:40:00.000-04:00

Here are today’s News briefs from around the world. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Each of these events and issues require our prayers. Remember that God has a plan for each believer, each faithful follower.

Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.

Bride kidnapping, bridenapping occurs in at least 17 countries around the world, from China to Mexico to southern Africa, to Russia. In each of these regions exist communities where it is acceptable and routine for young girls to be taken from their families, raped, tortured, and forced into marriage. This happens on each continent but there is little international awareness of these crimes, few police investigations, few global statistics.

One of the places to actually collect data on this situation is Kyrgyzstan where the practice has been on the rise since the fall of communism. There is anecdotal evidence to support that this practice might occur to avoid the embarrassment of being unable to afford a dowry. Up to a third of all ethnic Kyrgyz women in Kyrgyzstan are kidnapped brides. In certain regions of the country bride kidnapping accounts for 80 percent of the marriages.

Bridenapping is a criminal offense in Kyrgyzstan with a maximum three-year jail term, very few cases are prosecuted, and most that are prosecuted receive a light fine. Most citizens of Kyrgyzstan view this practice more as a tradition and not as a crime.

Because China has legalized sex-specific abortions because of the one child policy there is a shortage of women in China. Some desperate grooms pay between $250 and $100 for a kidnapper to locate a bride for them. Dealers often go to Vietnam, capture the young girls and smuggle them across the border into China

Anti-Gaddafi forces began a major assault on the besieged city of Sirte at dawn on Friday and heavy fighting continued into Saturday evening. Sirte is the last Libyan city resisting the rebel alliance. It is believed that Gaddafi might be hiding somewhere in the city.

Many pro-Gaddafi forces are using the high rise buildings in the city center as a base of operations to shoot at approaching fighters and to launch rockets and mortar fire.

Sirte is a Mediterranean coastal town. Once the rebel alliance gain control of Sirte they will be closer to having control over the entire contry.

The Socialist Party in France is preparing to hold the first round voting to determine which of six candidates will run against unpopular President Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2012 elections.

Former party leader Francois Hollande is the leading contender followed by the current head Martine Aubry in second place. Sunday’s primary voting will be open to all registered voters not just members of the Socialist Party. Voters are asked to sign a pledge that they share the values of the left and than donate one euro toward the cost of organizing the vote.

The Japanese city of Fukushima will host experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency to observe the decontamination effort following the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. The 12 member IAEA group is scheduled to visit farms, schools, and government offices in the Fukushima district in northeastern Japan as part of a clean-up process observation.

Local Japanese doctors have also began a long term survey of children looking for thyroid abnormalities, a problem with associated with radiation exposure. Officials plan to test approximately 360,000 people who were under the age of 18 when the nuclear crisis began in March and then continue to collect data throughout their lifetimes.

There are unconfirmed reports that a computer virus that collects keyboard stroke data has infected the United States Air Force computer network that is used by pilots who control the drones flown on the warfront in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Prayer for the Day - October 9

2011-10-09T00:27:00.000-04:00

Father

Help us to give love. Help us to share love.
May our focus always be toward doing your will
May our desire always be toward salvation
moving toward salvation ourselves
and leading others toward salvation
May we acknowledge with our complete hearts
that all of life’s beauty
that all of life’s bounty
that all of life’s goodness
that all of life’s holiness
begins with you
You alone are majestic, you alone are powerful
You alone are rich and pure in spirit
Teach us to honor your Word
Teach us to seek Christ in all the lives around us
Teach us charity, humility that we always strive to serve you
And then assist others with compassion and mercy
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

Thought for the Day - October 9

2011-10-09T00:12:00.000-04:00

How wonderful it is to have the Lord be our shepherd, to have the Lord guiding and protecting each one of us. As a member of the flock, as a Christian each one of us has a responsibility to be concerned for each other in addition to being concerned about our own personal welfare. We are asked to be mindful of other Christians, to offer assistance, to offer love, to offer mercy, to offer compassion, to offer forgiveness. Our life as Christians is a communal existence of sharing, of active participation with God, of active interaction with each other. Our faith, our God asks us to be filled with selflessness, to be more concerned with helping others than material gain. Being Christian is both an interior and exterior expression of charity, humility, and obedience to God, to God’s teachings, to God’s desire. How wonderful it is to have the Lord be the shepherd for each one of who believes and serves him. How wonderful it is to be a member of the Lord’s flock. May we have reverence for the privilege, for the honor of being Christian. May we have courage and confidence to love and serve God.

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY

2011-10-09T00:03:00.000-04:00

Today is the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Always remember to have faith in God. Always remember to give God thanks and praise. Always remember to rejoice in God. How easy it is for people to say that I believe in God. How difficult it is to really believe, to allow yourself to believe, to allow yourself to express true kindness, true holiness, true goodness.

As Christians we are asked to have faith, to share our faith, to encourage others to share their faith, their love and respect of God.

Prayer for the Day - October 8

2011-10-08T09:17:00.000-04:00

Rejoice in the goodness of the Lord

Enjoy the moments of quiet, the moments of prayer

Greet the Lord with praise, with love, with joy

May your heart's love, your tongue's word make a fanfare

that will become hope's convoy

Rejoice in the kindness of the Lord

Oh this is the time for fairness and justice

But avoid seeking that which is plushness

Life and love begin with a gruffness

which leads to kindness and justice

Rejoice in the holiness of the Lord

Let each action of each day be a fanfare

Filled with such joy, such loving happy air

That will beckon all to leave table and chair

To offer praise, thanks in a living fanfare

Rejoice in the goodness of the Lord

Oh each day provides us a moment of true joy

Seek honest words, honest pauses; be the bellboy

who seeks patience, who seeks to join the convoy

of mercy, love, compassion and true and pure joy

Rejoice in the happiness of the Lord

Thought for the Day - October 8

2011-10-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

I believe that the charitable and educational facets of being Catholic, of being Christian are important. They need to be encouraged, they need to be cherished as part of our collective history as the standard bearers of our rituals and traditions. The educational and charitable work need to continue, need to expand. Catechesis for all Catholics remains important for the vitality and vibrancy of the faith. There are many ideas, many opinions masquerading as facts providing chaos and confusion in our society, in our lives. The many doctrines and dogmas of the Catholic church are either misquoted with the enthusiastic zeal of a slippery merchant trying to sell you something at any price, misquoted with a sarcastic sneer of a desperate lawyer grasping for a way to connect with a jury, with a smile, a laugh, or a sigh.

I believe that the charitable and educational facets of the church are a natural conduit for the exchange of love, for the growth of faith at both the personal and communal levels.

Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week

2011-10-08T05:19:00.000-04:00

Today is Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time.

The Lord will provide refuge and protection to his people, to those who believe him, to those who follow him, to those who are his loyal, loving servants.

The world contains much unrest, much uncertainty. In many ways, in many places instability reigns. Social, economic, and religious institutions are under attack. A perpetual distrust of authority continues. A perpetual cry for the rights of the individual man continues. A perpetual desire for promoted and pampered self remains the ideal within western cultures. This selfishness persists, becomes the enemy of all that can be called goodness, holiness, and kindness. This selfishness begins and ends with lies, deceit, betrayal.

Christians are asked to remain vigilant, to be aware of all that is happening. Christians are encouraged to be prepared, to be ready to serve the Lord. Our confidence, our courage, our faith are needed now.

How we live, how we interact with each other and with strangers can make a difference, can help someone find their way to Jesus Christ, can help someone follow the path of fairness, social justice to the Kingdom of God, to salvation.

We can share love, we can share mercy, we can share forgiveness. We can encourage others to do the same. We can ask others to return to the Church, to return to God. As Christians our first duty remains to focus on loving and serving God. We are asked to acknowledge our own weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, our own sinfulness before ourselves and before God. We are asked to repent before God.

We are faithful followers of Jesus Christ, we are believers of God. We are guided by truth, charity, humility, obedience, patience, compassion, and mercy.

We are guided by love.

Prayer leads to more prayer; true, honest, loving prayer leads God.

And Now for the News of the Day - Saturday, October 8

2011-10-08T05:15:00.000-04:00

Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.

Pope Benedict XVI's meeting with Indonesian Bishops in Rome is the lead story.

“Christ’s message of salvation, forgiveness and love have been preached in your country for centuries,” Pope Benedict XVI told the Indonesian Bishops at a meeting in Rome. “Your country is composed of thousands of islands; so too the Church in Indonesia is made up of thousands of Christian communities, “islands of Christ’s presence.”

“I can only encourage you in your continuing efforts to promote and sustain inter-religious dialogue in your nation.” The 2010 census indicated that 85 percent of Indonesia’s 245 million citizens are Muslim, with Christians making up approximately 13 percent of the population. Only about a quarter of the Christians are Catholic. There are smaller but significant populations of Hindus, Buddhists, and Confucians.

“Your country, so rich in its cultural diversity and possessed of a large population, is home to significant numbers of followers of various religious traditions. Thus, the people of Indonesia are well-placed to make important contributions to the quest for peace and understanding among the peoples of the world. Your participation in this great enterprise is decisive, and so I urge you, dear brothers, to ensure that those whom you shepherd know that they, as Christians, are to be agents of peace, perseverance and charity.”

Violence against Christian churches has begun to occur in Indonesia. Muslim extremists have burned churches, orchestrated Mosque suicide bombings, and interrupted Easter religious services.

“I appreciate the intense efforts made by numerous individuals and agencies in the name of the Church to bring the tender compassion of God to many members of Indonesian society. This is the hallmark of every movement, action and expression of the Church, in all of her sacramental, charitable, educational and social endeavors, so that in everything her members may strive to make the Triune God known and loved through Jesus Christ. This will not only contribute to the spiritual vitality of the Church as she grows in confidence through humble yet courageous witness; it will also strengthen Indonesian society by promoting those values that your fellow citizens hold dear: tolerance, unity and justice for all citizens.”

Mumtaz Qadri, one of Punjab governor Salman Taseer's bodyguards, was convicted of murder after he shot the governor 27 times in Islamabad in January. There were chilling scenes of celebration after the killing, with many hailing Qadri as a "hero of Islam". Taseer wanted to reform Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy laws. Shahbaz Taseer, one of the governor’s sons was abducted 43 days ago by militants in North Wazristan. There has been no contact with his kidnappers.

Qadri has appealed against his sentence and the judge in the case was forced to take "indefinite leave" for his own safety.

Researchers have evidence that babies as young as 15 months can recognize when someone is being treated unfairly and respond by being generous toward them, scientists have learned. 47 babies were tested by showing a video in which food was unevenly distributed between two people. Another similar video in which food was shared equally was shown to the children.

When something surprises them babies pay greater attention.

On this day October 8, 1982 Solidarity and all of Poland's other labor unions were banned

Prepare to Share the New Evangelization

2011-10-07T14:03:00.000-04:00

"New Evangelization can succeed when it comes from a humble place." stated C. Colt Anderson while speaking at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle as part of the Fall Lecture Series on Thursday, October 6. His lecture titled What Is The New Evangelization? was presented on Thursday, October 6. This lecture was conversational in tone, integrated questions from the audience, and included a digital slide presentation.

Many Catholics do not like the word evangelical because some Protestant denominations have taken the word and applied it to their ministries which often are biased against Catholicism.

C. Colt Anderson speaks at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle.

"To be Catholic means you have to be evangelical," stated C. Colt Anderson. "All we have to do is repent and call people to convert. The Council of Trent encourages us to keep trying, encourages us to remain in some mode of conversion."

Evangelization can help remind people about the deeper meanings of their faith. Evangelization can reinforce the necessity of penance, the necessity to repent, the necessity of prayer, the necessity of doing works of charity. There is also the message that we are all going to be judged by God for all of our actions some day. We are all going to be held accountable for our actions, for our ability to love, for our ability to forgive.

"The Church has lost the sense of urgency. The urgency that we're talking about is forgiveness and how important that is." said Mr. Anderson. "God is willing to forgive us."

Many people have drifted away from thinking about God's justice. There appears to be a belief that by attending Mass each Sunday, doing works of charity insures entrance into the Kingdom of heaven. Those activities help but they do not guarantee it. Many people today do not have a sense of being judged or a sense of accountability for their sins and wrongdoing.

Catholics believe in redemption. Catholics believe in salvation. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ allows us to be redeemed, to be saved. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ presents each Christian with an opportunity for salvation.

C. Colt Anderson listens to questions about New Evangelization.

Mr. Anderson said, "God brings good out of the evil we do and the evil we suffer. God brings some meaning into the narrative of our lives."

There was a brief discussion of rhetoric. An overview of apologetics, polemics, catechesis was presented. Effective evangelization begins with knowing, understanding, and respecting your audience explained Mr. Anderson. "Be plausible, be brief, be clear."

The main goal of New Evangelization is to get lapsed Catholics to reconnect with the Church. "Lay people are asked to share their faith. Lay people are asked to teach about their personal experience as a Catholic. Lay people are asked to share their delight in their faith. Lay people are asked to persuade people to return to the Church."

The call to conversion remains the responsibility of all Christians. "We have to witness for our faith." stated Mr. Anderson. "Being Catholic is the best and safest way to salvation."

The Making of an Evangelist

2011-10-07T11:39:00.001-04:00

Msgr. Peter J. Vaghi speaks at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle.

Monsingnor Peter J. Vaghi, pastor at Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda MD, presented a theological reflection titled Encountering Jesus in His Word: The Making of an Evangelist on Thursday, October 6 at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle.

This was the first of eight monthly reflections which are scheduled to occur on the First Thursday at the Cathedral immediately following the 5:30 P.M. Mass.

"Christian life is essentially marked by an encounter with God asking us to follow him." explained Monsingnor Vaghi.

There is, within each encounter with God, a challenge for each Christian to be more faithful in his life, to make changes to be more obedient to God.

"Peter is a model for us to follow as we evangelize." stated Monsingnor Vaghi. "Peter is a model for what it means to be an evangelist."

Holy Scripture passage Luke 5:1-11 was read by Monsignor Vaghi.

"Listening to his word, the people encountered Jesus." said Monsignor Vaghi as he briefly described the day to day ministry of Jesus and the crowds of people who were following him. There is a significance that Jesus chose Peter's boat to get into and to continue teaching the people. There were other boats which he could have used. But Jesus chose to be close to Peter.

Msgr. Peter J. Vaghi listens to a question about evangelization.

After he had finished talking to the crowd Jesus asked Peter to take his boat out to deep water and lower his nets. Peter said "Master we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing but at your command I will lower the nets." Peter's response could be interpreted as apostolic toil, working hard as an apostle. Within Peter's response exists a sense of weariness, lack of confidence, sense of defeatism.

"Peter could have rejected the request of Jesus. Peter decided to obey the word of Jesus, the word of God." explained Monsignor Vaghi. "He obeyed the Word of God. He trusted the word of Jesus. He allowed the movement of the spirit in his life. In the process he became a changed man."

Jesus provided a simple lesson for Peter on being obedient to God. Jesus showed Peter that obeying the word of God could lead to great success.

"We must take risks for Jesus. We are asked to challenge our friends, to challenge our family members to return to Church. We are to challenge their beliefs, to persuade them to believe that to live in such a way that one's life without God does not make sense."

On that fishing boat Peter came to terms with his weakness, with his unworthiness to be an evangelist. He was overwhelmed by his personal sinfulness.

Msgr. Peter J. Vaghi responds to a question about encountering Christ.

"We must pray to come to terms with our own sinfulness to be effective evangelists." said Monsignor Vaghi.

And Now for the News of the Day - Firday, October 7

2011-10-07T04:09:00.000-04:00

News for the Day

From Becoming A Devout Disciple

Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.

35 new deacons studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome were ordained at an October 6 ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica. Deacon means “one who serves” and the 35 new deacons will have the opportunity to do that within the ministry of the Sacred Liturgy, of the Word, and of charity.

There are reports that Syrian troops stormed villages close to the border with Turkey yesterday, hunting armed military defectors who fought back in clashes that left at least four soldiers and three others dead, activists said. This new wave of fighting in Syria’s restive northern region of Jabal al-Zawiya, was the latest sign of a trend toward growing militarization of the uprising. It is believed that former military defectors have joined the rebels and are now fighting against the government. The United Nations human rights office estimates almost 3000 people have been killed during the seven months of unrest in Syria.

NATO is being warned that an exit from Afghanistan will lead the women vulnerable to harsh treatment. A law to prevent violence against women is only being enforced in 10 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Young girls in rural Afghanistan are still married off as young as 12, some are sold to pay of debts. The United Nations estimated that at least 87 percent of Afghanistan women are victims of domestic abuse.

On this day October 7, 1963 President John F. Kennedy signed the documents of ratification for a nuclear test ban treaty with Britain and the Soviet Union.

On this day October 7, 1985 Palestinian gunmen hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean with more than 400 people aboard.

Prayer for the Day - October 7

2011-10-07T03:41:00.000-04:00

O my dear Jesus, I am sinful please forgive my sins. May your mercy lead me to live in service for you doing your will. May your mercy guide me and my soul to heaven. May your mercy guide me to help other souls find their way to heaven. May your mercy protect me from the smoke and fog of temptation, from poisoned thorns of sin. Always keep me in your mercy, in your love. Amen.

My God, help me to share that I believe in you, in your glory; help me to show that I adore you, your majesty; help me to trust in your will and your love; help me to love you first and completely with my entire being. I beg for mercy and forgiveness and redemption for those blinded, those corrupted, those afraid to love and serve you. Amen.

Prayer for the Day

From Sacristy, Cathedral of St Matthew the Apostle

Thought for the Day - October 7

2011-10-07T03:21:00.000-04:00

Keep your life simple. Seek to make your life pure.

Simplicity remains a very complicated ideal for many people. Simplicity requires focus, discipline. Simplicity asks for only the necessary, only the essential. Pray to create a life of simplicity in thought, speech, action. May your every action be directed toward God, directed toward salvation. May each thought, each action begin with charity, humility, and obedience to God. Simplicity asks us to decide who we love, to make God the center of our lives, to establish and promote God and the loving of God, and the serving of God, our using our individual free will to do God’s will as the most important and precious singular activity of our lives. The Christian life when the true focus is God becomes a life of true love, pure hope. The Christian life focuses on love, encourages love, nurtures love. The Christian life is one of giving, sharing. Simplicity asks us to simply love, to believe and accept that God loves us. Do not look for thanks, praise, or love to be shared automatically. Do not desire love in reciprocation for actions. Simplicity asks us to share love unconditionally, to share love universally. Simplicity involves letting go, trusting in goodness, holiness, kindness. Simplicity asks us, then reminds us to trust God, to love God, to have faith in God.

Simplicity leads us on a journey of focus on Jesus Christ and God, respect for the power and authority of God, reverence for the teachings of Jesus Christ, purity of intention creates a powerful connection between our souls and God when our prayers are true and honorable.

From Becoming A Devout Disciple

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

2011-10-07T02:58:00.000-04:00

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Enjoy this devotion. Respect this veneration of Mary.

Remember church history, church theology connected to the Rosary. Make time and say the Rosary today. Make time and give thanks to God today. Do not be afraid, do not be resistant. Remember that the path to Christ is through Mary. Saying the rosary is both a notable and popular feature of Catholic spirituality. The rosary is the epicenter of Catholic Christian spirituality. This is one of the most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation, Christian meditation.

Saying the rosary properly, devoutly involves discipline, focus, respect, purity of intention, reverence. The rosary can be used to start a conversation, to establish communication between the soul and Christ.

Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him. Padre Pio.

May the Rosary help each of us to find and serve the Lord.

Add Prayer to Your Life

2011-10-06T15:18:00.002-04:00

Prayer remains an essential part of being Catholic, of being Christian. We are often asking each other to be remembered in prayers. We pray for all types of things, in all types of ways. There is no right way to pray, there is no wrong way to pray. Our prayers can be about anything, for anything. We are asked to be honest when we pray, that is the only restriction, the only limit.

There are many wonderful examples of prayers. I have become attached to the Eucharistic prayers. I am thinking of experimenting with the Rosary more.

Prayer is a great way to calm down, prayer is a great way to center your thoughts, to discipline your mind.

We can pray for fairness, social justice, peace, recovery. We can pray for charity, humility, obedience, cupcakes, watermelon, fried chicken, romance, a new job, a new boss. Prayer does not come with any guarantees. Prayer does not have a warranty. Prayer can be very personal, very private or it can be communal.

We can pray for remembrance, we can pray for forgiveness, we can pray for protection of a loved one.

The subjects of our prayers are unlimited, endless. We can pray when we want, where we want, how we want. The important thing is that we pray. The important thing is that we are communicating with God.

Our prayers hopefully contain a moment when we remember to offer thanks and praise to God. Our prayers hopefully contain a moment when we acknowledge the goodness, kindness, and holiness in our lives, in ourselves moving us toward the kingdom of heaven..

Each time we pray we are given an opportunity to give God glory, thanks, praise. This is important; hopefully it occurs naturally, spontaneously.

Each time we pray we are given the opportunity to be like the Disciples and to ask God how we should pray. This can help create a close relationship with God.

All Catholics Asked to Evangelize

2011-10-06T14:50:00.000-04:00

C. Colt Anderson spoke at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle after the Wednesday 12:10 Mass as part of the parish Fall Lecture Series. Mr. Anderson's topic was "What is the New Evangelization?" The lecture was arranged by the Faith Formation Committee.

The lecture was part history of the New Evangelization movement and part application techniques. The aim of this lecture was to motivate people to evangelize, to share the stories of their conversion and belief in God, and to encourage others to share their stories.

C. Colt Anderson speaks about New Evangelization.

"The aim of New Evangelization is directed toward lapsed Catholics, Catholics who have fallen away from their faith," explained Mr. Anderson. "New Evangelization is really re-evangelization."

New Evangelization comes out of an European and secularization context with different levels of government involvement, explained Mr. Anderson. “Now New Evangelization needs to be translated in an American context.”

Mr. Anderson explained that evangelical is the Greek word for gospel. Gospel means the Good News. "Being evangelical means being in agreement with the Gospel, at least in theory. We can at least say we agree with the Gospel."

Mr. Anderson acknowledged that most American Catholics are uncomfortable with using the term because the word evangelical is often associated with fundamentalist Christian groups.

Evangelization is the work that is assigned to the laity, that is best done by the laity.

We find faith by hearing it spoken, by hearing it proclaimed. New Evangelization is a request for faithful believers to share their stories, to share their faith. "We have to proclaim the full significance of Christ."

Baptism admitted each Catholic to a holy priesthood. We are asked to give an account, to spread, and to defend the faith by word and deeds.

"The agent of the New Evangelization has to be a lay person. We all have had problems with the Church." stated Mr. Anderson. "We live in the world. It is easy to dismiss a priest. Lay people have to take up half of the task of evangelization."

Mr. Anderson provided simple instructions on how to prepare to be an evangelist. The most important items are know your audience and ask and then listen to their response to why they think how they do.

"People really are different. Some are motivated by love., some are motivated by fear. Different people are motivated by different things. People have different strengths, weaknesses, vices." declared Mr. Andesrson "Each person's spirituality is also different. Never presume that others have to follow your path."

C. Colt Anderson speaks at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle.

A brief lesson on rhetoric was presented. The aim of New Evangelization is to persuade the lapsed Catholics to return to the church community. Anderson stated that many of the Catholics who have left the faith will be hostile.

Mr. Anderson briefly described apologetics, catechesis, polemics and explained how and why they can be useful when discussing your faith with someone. He provided good advice about being polite, being attentive what the person is saying. Being honest is important when discussing the Church. Mr. Anderson stated that it is better to state the problems with the Church instead of whitewashing them. “Evangelization requires truth.”

"The aim is to win them over, not to beat them up." declared Mr. Anderson. "Christ was humble, shouldn't his disciples be humble too? Humility is attractive."

A Special Prayer

2011-10-06T06:23:00.000-04:00

May the family of Steve Jobs have all the peace, love, and hope that they need.

May the family of Rev Fred L. Shuttlesworth remember his greatness, his courage as he worked for civil rights in a dangerous time.

May the family of Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth have all the peace, love, and hope that they need.

May we be inspired by the goodness, kindness, holiness of these men.

May we remember their accomplishments, remember their hope, remember their enthusiasm.

May our accomplishments be for the glory of God, for the power of God.

May our accomplishments lead us to the kingdom of Heaven

We ask this in your gracious, loving name God

Amen

Prayer for the Day - October 6

2011-10-06T06:15:00.000-04:00

Dear Father

So much is happening in the world at this moment,
So much needs your attention
So much competes for our attention
You are always most merciful, You are always most gracious
You are always most patient, You are always most loving
Keep our focus on serving you, on loving you
Direct us away from all that which is wicked
Help us have clean mind, pure hearts
Heavenly Father
Please bless and protect those souls
sicks, those souls dying, those souls deceased
Please forgive those who need to be forgiven
Please redeem those who need and desire to be redeemed
Please offer mercy, hope, and love to the living

Amen.

Thought for the Day - October 6

2011-10-06T05:58:00.000-04:00

Those who believe in God are blessed.

Being Christian is to be visionary, is to focus on goodness, holiness, kindness. Being Christian is to look at the world lovingly. Being Christian is to be hopeful, creative, humble in our approach to life. Being Christian is simply cherishing simplicity, extolling simplicity. The genius of being Christian is the ability to love, is the ability to share compassion, is the ability to share mercy. The world needs those radical Christians who love God first, and then those who love their neighbors. The world needs those radical Christians who are amazing in their patience, devotion, and obedience to God, to God’s will. The world needs those radical Christians who seek goodness, holiness, kindness in all human beings. The world needs those radical Christians who are fortunate to share ideas on social justice, stewardship, faith with others. We are fortunate to be friends, to be acquainted with the Gospels, to be acquainted with the Beatitudes and Jesus Christ’s other the teachings of fairness and social justice. We are asked to always remember Jesus Christ. We are asked to always aspire to be like Jesus Christ. We are asked to use our short time on this life to inspire others to be like Jesus Christ. We share one spirit, one body each and every time we allow ourselves to join the Eucharist.

We have thoughts, we have memories, we have God’s love waiting to be shared.

Thursday of the Twenty-Seventh Sunday

2011-10-06T05:46:00.000-04:00

Today is Thursday of the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Today is a time of remembrance, a time of praise, a time of thanks.

Blessed are the brave, courageous people who allow themselves to hope in the Lord.

The battle for civil rights in the United States lost another one of its valiant soldiers who risked both his and his family’s life in the name of fairness, in the hope of justice for all citizens, in a quest for social justice as Jesus Christ taught us.

A blunt-speaking, combative, often confrontational preacher, Rev. Fred L Shuttlesworth the last of the “big three” civil rights leaders died Wednesday. He was 89. Rev. Shuttlesworth survived beatings, bombings, being jailed, being fire hosed as he work for civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama.

Death is not always a time of sadness, a time of sorrow, a time of mourning. Death is a natural part of life and should be treated as such. Remember that death follows life. Our lives hopefully did yield many fruits during our brief growing seasons. The body may leave but love does not fade; the body may vanish but hope remains within our hearts, minds, souls. Material goods and wealth pale in comparison to true love, true hope, true compassion, true mercy. These are just part of the riches that God bestows upon his believers, upon his followers.

The battle for civil rights continues, it is quieter, less bombastic. Prayers are still needed for those who are still working for civil rights, for those who died while fighting for civil rights.

And Now News for the Day Thursday, October 6

2011-10-06T03:10:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs, the founder and former CEO of Apple Inc. died yesterday. He had been battling with a rare form of pancreatic cancer for several years.

In the lives of each person there are sick people, dying people. Please offer your prayers for all the sick, all the dying. Please remember their friends, their families. Please say a prayer for Steve Jobs and his family.

Here are today’s News briefs from around the world. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Each of these events and issues require our prayers. Remember that God has a plan for each believer, each faithful follower. Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.

Garry Conille, an expert in development for the United Nations, will be Haiti’s new prime minister. Conille was the third candidate proposed by Haitian President Michel Martelly since he took office in May. Haiti is still trying to recover from the January 2010 earthquake.

Responding to rumors that Madonna might perform during the Super Bowl halftime, Catholic League President Bill Donohue stated that Madonna is unacceptable because of offensive lyrics, lewd behavior, and misuse of sacred symbols.

Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, one of the bravest, most dynamic leaders of the civil rights movement who survived bombings, beatings, and dozens of arrests while working to end segregation in Birmingham, Ala. died on Wednesday. He was 89.

The Catholic Bishops of the United States are pleased to re-propose to our people Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, our teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics. This statement, overwhelmingly adopted by the body of bishops in 2007, represents the continuing teaching of our Bishops’ Conference and our guidance for Catholics in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy. We urge our Catholic pastors and people to continue to use this important statement to help them form their consciences, to contribute to civil and respectful public dialogue, and to shape their choices in the coming election in the light of Catholic
teaching.

Palestinians have burned a few US flags and pictures of President Obama. Stones and shoes have been tossed at American diplomats. The Palestinians are frustrated because of the US threatened veto against granting membership to the Palestinians.

The U.N. says the death toll has gone over 100 after a suicide car bombing that targeted a government compound in Somalia's war-ravaged capital.

Prayers are needed all over the country, all over the world.

Steve Jobs, the Co-Founder of Apple Inc, is dead at 56. Please offer prayers of condolence, prayers of hope to his family, to his friends.

With Obedience and Reverence for God

2011-10-05T16:57:00.001-04:00

Approach your faith with reverence. Keep compassion and mercy in your heart, mind, and soul. Live each day governed by patience and wisdom. Seek only goodness, holiness, kindness in yourself, in others. Prepare for happiness, prepare for sorrow. Offer praise to God. Offer thanks to God. Prepare to be misunderstood, misused. Find strength in your faith. Find strength in your prayers. Find strength in Jesus Christ. Find strength in God. Approach your faith and your life with charity, humility, obedience to God, and reverence for God.

Thoughts on Stewardship

2011-10-05T16:27:00.001-04:00

You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God 1 Peter 1:23

Stewardship is a privilege, an honor for those who are faithful followers, for those who are true believers of Jesus Christ. Within stewardship rests a call for charity, humility, obedience. Within stewardship rests a formula for being a good Catholic, a good Christian, a good human. Within stewardship rests a call to be merciful with your neighbors and yourself. Stewardship asks each one of to be gracious and merciful. Stewardship asks each one of us to be humble. Stewardship asks each one of us to share our love of God in our own unique way.

There are no time limits, there are no restrictions. There are no rules. There is only a request that you share goodness, kindness, and holiness.

Avoid feeling pressured to do something, to say something.

The best examples of stewardship are often spontaneous, unplanned, natural. How you greet a stranger, how you answer your spouse can all be signs of stewardship in your life. I am often walking somewhere, often in a hurry to get somewhere and at those times someone will ask a question like "How do I get to Union Station from here?" or "Is the Zoo close? Am I going the right direction?" or "What's the best way to get to Georgetown from here driving?" I have any number of choices starting with ignoring the person, suggesting that they buy a map, suggesting they ask either a policeman or bus driver, or I can take the time and try to explain how to reach their destination.

Human interaction, face to face communication is becoming more and more rare as technology keeps creating new ways for us to communicate that can also keep people apart. As Christians we are asked to be vigilant, to be aware. We are asked to be active participants of our faith, active participants within our faith community. We can be observers. We can be doers. We can wait to be asked. We can ask others to help.

Being Catholic starts with an interaction between God and the individual. Being Catholic is not a membership. Being Catholic involves answering the call to love and serve the Lord. Stewardship provides an avenue to love and serve the Lord in our day to day existence.

Although the Church wants some of your stewardship activities directed toward strengthening, nurturing of the Church community, stewardship is an act is best when done out of love, compassion, and mercy. All acts of stewardship are welcome. All acts that show the power and glory of God are necessary and good. We should do as many good deeds as possible both inside and outside of our Church community. Our deeds and words can spread our belief in God, can share our love for God.

Stewardship is a way for us to share the Good News with others, to proclaim our love for God.

My Afternoon

2011-10-05T14:40:00.000-04:00

This afternoon I attended a lecture called “What is New Evangelization?” The lecture was held at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle. C. Colt Anderson Vice-President for Academic Affairs & Academic Dean, Washington Theological Union presented the lecture which lasted for approximately one hour.

Mr. Anderson stated that many American Catholics are uncomfortable with the word evangelical because of its association with some fundamentalist Christian groups.

“The aim of New Evangelization is toward lapsed Catholics, Catholics who have fallen away from their faith,” declared Mr. Anderson. “New Evangelization comes out of an European and a secularization context. Now it needs to be translated into an American context.”

Evangelical is a Greek word which means gospel.

And Now News for the Day Wednesday, October 5

2011-10-05T07:39:00.000-04:00

Here are today’s News briefs from around the world. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Each of these events and issues require our prayers. Remember that God has a plan for each believer, each faithful follower.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
These events may not be happening where you are but they require your prayers.

The inequality, high unemployment, and corporate greed is fueling the Occupy Wall Street movement which now is planning actions in other cities in the United States and Canada. Protests are also planned in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden.

Liam Fox, United Kingdom Defense secretary told the Conservative party conference attendees that NATO must maintain its role as the main defender of European countries. Fox also stated that any attempt to deepen EU defense integration must be resisted because of economic concerns in the region. NATO is a necessity for Europe’s security. Fox wants the United States military to remain in Europe.

BBC television network is being criticized by the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano because of a new network policy to stop usage of “A.D.” and “B.C.” The terms “C.E.” (Common Era) and “BCE” (Before the Common Era) will be used when referring to historical dates. The BBC believes that A.D. and B.C. offend non-believers. Opponents view this as an attempt to remove all traces of Christianity from western culture.

Father Jaime Rodriguez was appointed by the Legionaries of Christ to be their new general secretary. The post is purely administrative, the general secretary has no authority on his own. Father Rodriguez will assist the Legion’s general director, Father Alvaro Corcuera.

Turkey declared that it has started imposing sanctions on the regime of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Turkey was once Syria’s ally. Recep Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister is concerned about the rising death toll in Syria. Erdogan did not specify the exact nature of the sanctions.

The latest European back UN security council resolution that threatened sanctions against the Syrian regime was voted down by Russia and China. This would have been the first legally binding document adopted by the security council since the Syrian army started using tanks and soldiers against civilian protesters.

Saudi Arabia confirmed that there had been fighting in al-Qatif, a large city on the coast of Saudi Arabia’s oil rich Eastern Province. The government and opposition provide differing tallies for the number injured.

The Dalai Lama was forced to cancel a trip to South Africa where he was going to attend celebrations for the 80th birthday of Bishop Desmond Tutu. South Africa would not grant the Dalai Lama a visa. Many speculate that this action was done because South Africa did not want to anger China, it largest trading partner.

In Pakistan Sunni extremists are suspected in the execution style killings of 13 Shiite Muslims who were ordered off a bus taking them to work at a vegetable market near Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. Sectarian violence against minorities is increasing in Pakistan and the central government in Islamabad’s inability to offer protection to minorities within the country is exposed and an area for concern.

Prayer for the Day - October 5

2011-10-05T00:23:00.000-04:00

Father
You are the most loving, You are the most caring
You offer hope, You offer compassion
May I learn to be like your son
May I learn to obedient to you and your desires
May I learn how to use charity in your name for your honor
May I learn how to be humble
for all my actions, all my deeds I offer to you.
Please help me to remember all of those who I have said that
I would pray for.
Please give me the confidence to sacrifice myself in your name for your glory
For you are our God
You alone are the most high

Please remember all of those who are sick and in the hospital
Please remember all of those dying and alone
Please remember all of those who are alone, who are marginalized

You alone are the most high, You alone are the most merciful, You alone are the most gracious

Amen

Thought for the Day - October 5

2011-10-05T00:11:00.000-04:00

Gracious and merciful. Merciful and gracious. Jonah describes God as gracious and merciful. How would you describe Jonah? How would you describe yourself? How would you describe God? As Christians we are here to praise and give God thanks. We are not hear to barter with God, to give God ultimatums. As a Christian each one of us are asked to love, obey, and serve God. We are asked to seek goodness, kindness and holiness. Our lives are to be filed with charity, humility, compassion, mercy, and love. It is a challenge to be gracious, to be merciful.

As a Christian I have the choice to be like Christ, to follow in the footsteps of Christ or to live an earthy life filled with all types of fleshy desires and anxiety.

As Christians we are all charged with proclaiming the Good News by our words, by our deeds.

With time, patience, and prayer hopefully we can be described as gracious and merciful.

May our deeds lead each of us to the heavenly kingdom of God. May our deeds encourage others to join you on your journey, may our deeds encourage others to believe in God

Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Sunday

2011-10-05T00:03:00.000-04:00

Today is Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Jonah was upset that God was gracious and merciful. That Nineveh was not destroyed angered Jonah.

“Have you reason to be angry?”

Are we like Jonah sometimes when our plans are not met, when we don’t get something that we think that we should have. Are we running away from God, running away what he wants us to do?

Remember the Lonely

2011-10-04T19:16:00.000-04:00

Please allow yourself a moment of quiet, a moment to reflect upon all of those who you love and who love you. Allow yourself to feel blessed. Allow yourself to imagine what it would be like if you were alone in this city, in this world. There are many lonely people living among us, near us. Show them mercy, show them compassion. Include them in your prayers. Look for them, ask them if they need assistance. Allow time for a brief conversation. Loneliness finds people of all ages, all backgrounds. Please allow yourself to see the world beyond yourself, beyond your temporal comfort. Let your actions of mercy, compassion proclaim the Word of God.

Sin Happens Again

2011-10-04T18:45:00.000-04:00

Sometimes language is misused. Sometimes people are simply misunderstood. Social media is a product of the secular world. Social media is a platform for sharing ideas, sharing information, buying and selling products.

The prurience of the secular world is neither for improvement of the community, nor for the improvement of the individual. This prurience seeks only that which titillates, that which scandalizes, that which sensationalizes. This secular world encourages prurient behavior, sinful behavior. Being decadent, being rude, being selfish, being careless are virtues within the permissive world of the individual within the neon colored glossy secular world of endless good times and no personal responsibility.

Morality is a dirty word. That there are consequences for bad decisions is easily forgotten. There are explanations, justifications. There is sorrow. There is regret. But they happy later, the next morning, the next day. Now the party must continue. The fun must be captured, preserved.

Each generation is attracted to sin and temptation and wants to make them attractive and accessible for others to follow without too much effort. Sin is never original. Sin is never new. Each sin has been done before. Technology may change the distribution, the sharing of the sin but the acts remain the same.

We live in a time when no conversation is off limits, we live in a time when sex and being sexy dominates the media.

Our faith asks us to be merciful, to be compassionate. We are not asked to judge our neighbors. We are asked to control ourselves and to use our lives, our choices to lead others to Jesus Christ, to encourage others to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

As Christians we are asked to be aware, to be vigilant for the return of the Lord. As Christians we are encouraged to keep our gaze on goodness, holiness, kindness.

And Now News for the Day Tuesday, October 4

2011-10-04T03:44:00.000-04:00

Catholics are being asked to renew their support for Christians in the Holy Land by Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien who the Vatican has asked to become the Grand Master of The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem which it is responsible for promoting and defending Christianity in the Holy Land.

75 percent of the annual income for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem which cares for the Church in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus comes from the order. It also funds 40 schools in the region as well as hospitals and institutes of higher education such as the University of Bethlehem.

The pro-family group Fathers for Good, an initiative of the Knights of Columbus, announced the launch of online resources for Catholics as the U.S. Church gears up to celebrate Respect Life Month in October.

Different pro-life resources will be posted Fathers for Good each week on its site, www.fathersforgood.org, beginning with a current statement from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

In Malawi at the meeting of the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Lilongwe the government sent agents to gather information about what is discussed. This was the third annual plenary meeting reviewing the country conditions and discussing the Church’s education policy. All of the Malawi bishops and the Vatican Chargé d’Affaires for Malawi, Very Reverend Monsignor Hubertus Van Megen attended the meeting.

Tension between President Bingu wa Mutharika and the Catholic Church increased in August this year when Bishop Joseph Mkasa Zuza of Mzuzu in northern Malawi, gave a public speech in front of the president.

The National Religious Broadcasters released a report on new media platforms. Here is an excerpt:

The policies and practices of several major Internet-interactive “new media” communications platforms and service providers were examined and evaluated in order to determine the risk of those entities committing anti-Christian viewpoint censorship. The companies reviewed were: Apple and its iTunes App Store; Facebook; MySpace; Google;Twitter; and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon. Our conclusion is that Christian ideas and other religious content face a clear and present danger of censorship on web-based communication platforms.

The al Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab detonated a truck bomb Tuesday in front of the Ministry of Education in Mogadishu, killing at least 70 people, wounding dozens and shattering a relative calm that had prevailed in the Somali capital for weeks. Ali Hussein, a police officer in Mogadishu, said the vehicle blew up after pulling up to a checkpoint at the entrance to the ministry offices.

On this date in 2010 the Congress on the Catholic Press sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications began in Rome. Over 200 people from 85 countries attended the meeting.

On this date October 4 1957 “”Leave It to Beaver” premiered on CBS.

On this date in 1822 Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States, was born in Delaware, Ohio.

Because of their 17-10 victory over the St. Louis Rams, the Washington Redskins are in first place in their division with a 3-1 record.

Apply the Words of Saint Peter

2011-10-04T03:27:00.000-04:00

Active participation is essential for the life of the Church at all levels. May all of us who profess the Catholic faith have the courage to live the Catholic faith. May all of us who profess the Catholic faith have the patience to love the Catholic faith. May all of us who profess the Catholic faith have the wisdom to protect the Catholic faith.

The words of Saint Peter is both a description of who we are as Christians and a call to action. Saint Peter provides us with simple instructions on the most important duty, most important purpose of our lives as Christians:

But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Remember these words of Saint Peter and incorporate them into your life.

Active participation is essential for the life, the growth, of individual parishes, dioceses, religious orders, and the entire universal church. Active participation is essential for the growth of each believer, each faithful follower.

Do not allow your mind or hands to become idle, do not allow your mind become bored, listless. Keep yourself engaged with your faith, engaged with God.

Prayer for the Day - October 4

2011-10-04T03:18:00.000-04:00

Father

the example of Saint Francis provides a life filled with compassion and mercy. Please give me the strength and courage to serve you with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul. May i have the confidence to let go of all my possessions, leave all my friends and dedicate my life to loving you, serving you. May I lose all selfishness, all earthly pride and simply retain a gentle, tender love for you and everything that you have created.

You alone are the Most High, You alone are Most Gracious, You alone are Most Merciful, You alone are Most Loving

All hope, all faith, all love begins with you.

Kind Lord
Remember we are weak, remember we are vulnerable, remember we need your assistance.

Amen

Thought for the Day - October 4

2011-10-04T03:07:00.000-04:00

Allow yourself to repent all the wicked, sinful ways which modern permissive society allows and encourages even while acknowledging the danger to the core person some of these acts do cause. Allow yourself to find a philosophy of compassion, mercy, humility which can lead you to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Allow yourself to turn to prayer when temptation tries to seduce you, to corrupt you. Allow yourself to have a moment of quiet, a moment of hope, a moment of solitude. Look toward God, look toward heaven. Follow God, do not follow man as you plan your life.

Offer prayers to God filled with thanks, filled with praise, filled with compassion, filled with mercy, filled with humility, filled with charity. Live a life of simplicity, of obedience to the laws of God.

Simply, gently love God, love your neighbor, love yourself and by example others to do so.

Memorial of Saint Francis Assisi, religious

2011-10-04T02:31:00.000-04:00

Today is the Memorial of Saint Francis Assisi, religious.

Saint Francis remains one of the most vibrant and alive Saints of the Catholic Church. His life story remains relatable, accessible. He was neither pious nor studious during his youth. His father’s wealth ad connections allowed him to have a flashy life, a riotous social life, carefree and juvenile like many f the upper class of his time. Saint. Francis was known for bursting into song and his expensive clothes. Assisi declared war on Perugia. Francis joined Assisi’s army, which was defeated, and he bcame a prisoner of war for a year. After his release he still wanted to be a soldier and started on a journey to the papal forces in the south. In dream a voice told him, “follow the master, not the man.” His public ministry began then when he started taking care of the poor, the sick, including lepers.

Saint Francis’ life of rebuilding churches, being compassionate, being merciful, embracing poverty remains a model for us all.

Saint Francis is a giant of goodness, a giant of holiness, a giant of kindness. He is a great inspiration for all Catholics, all Christians, all humans.

Saint Francis’ life became an imitation of Christ’s life. He shared in the Lord’s suffering.

Red Mass - An Overview

2011-10-03T10:45:00.000-04:00

The Red Mass 2011 now recedes into another memory. The Mass presents the pageantry, the majesty, the ceremony of the Roman Catholic liturgical tradition in the splendor of hope, goodwill, and love. The beauty of any Mass begins with the congregation, with the involvement, with the interaction of the congregation. The Red Mass provides a spiritual moment presented splendidly with music, prayers, and a hint of patriotism.

The Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle had a standing room only crowd attending this Mass. The Red Mass presents a great introduction to the grandeur and simplicity that is Catholic worship. Hearing the voices of the congregation resonate with tenderness, with a melodiousness, so gentle, so angelic inspiring thoughts of God, thoughts of love, thoughts of hope.

The Red Mass was held at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle on Sunday October 2. The Mass was scheduled to begin at 10:00 A.M. Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, was the Principal Celebrant. The Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain, Archbishop of Seattle was the Homilist.

The Red Mass is held each year before the Supreme Court session begins. This is a time to offer prayers for justice, for hope, for the well being of our country.

The Red Mass provides a glimpse of the living God, of the continued call for each Christian to make informed decisions based upon the Beatitudes and other teachings of Christ. The Red Mass is a moment when religion and government, when church and state meet, acknowledge each other, and share a moment of hope, a moment of prayer.

The First Reading was Kings 3:11 - 14. The Second Reading was Phillippians 4:6-9. The Gospel was Luke 12:35-44.

Washington Symphonie Brass accompanied the Cathedral of Saint Matthew Schola Cantorum.

Each Day I Notice

2011-10-03T08:14:00.000-04:00

Each day I notice this and that. Each day something amazes me, some amuses me, something annoys me. Each day I try to decide what events from my day should be shared with my friends and how these events should be shared.

The idea of proclaiming the Word of God is daunting, frightening even if I am simply using each action in the glory of God. I know that there will be moments when I will be a mischievous and say or do something inappropriate for comedic effect or as a natural reaction to a situation that has either distressed me or hurt me.

God is very important to me. Being faithful, humble, loving, and loyal to God rank very high in my mind but there are times when I do fail. This sometimes spurs me to continue trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, keeps me wanting to do good, wanting to encourage others to do good.

The life of all Christians is simply a series of choices; our decisions hopefully reflect our love and devotion to God. Free will gives us opportunities to affirm our commitment to God. Free will also presents opportunities to make mistakes, opportunities to be seduced by temptation, opportunities to sin and turn away from God. Within each instance of sin is a quiet call for repentance, a desire to receive forgiveness from God.

Each day I learn how to be a better Christian by observing what I do and what I don’t do. Being Christian is an ongoing education process. Our souls need to be educated each and every day. We need to be reminded about goodness, holiness, and kindness. We need to be encouraged to be compassionate, merciful. We need to be taught how to love without a desire for reciprocation.

There are times when I feel that there is something that I should do for God but I decide not to do it. Like Jonah I try to flee but often something stops me, and I return to trying to serve God.

God waits for us to notice him, to notice his love for us.

Each day I seek God.

And Now News for the Day Monday, October 3

2011-10-03T06:41:00.000-04:00

Prayer for the Day - October 3

2011-10-02T23:53:00.000-04:00

Dear Father

May I offer you thanks, may I offer you praise
May I learn how to be courageous and to do your will
Thank you for your mercy, thank you for your compassion
Please help me to remember to pray for all of those sick
or dying or homeless

Please accept my thanks, please accept my warmth

Allow me to learn about peace so that I might share.

Amen

Thought for the Day - October 3

2011-10-02T23:43:00.000-04:00

Responsibility. Our lives present us with all types of things to worry about, all types of things to do. We allow ourselves to do good things, bad things. We allow ourselves to color our lives black, white, and gray. We choose when to go to Mass. We choose how we want to share our faith, our belief in God with other people.

We are given the responsibility of sharing the Good News. We are asked to do this, asked to find a way to achieve this, asked to do this of our own free will.

Is there a connection between free will and responsibility?

Does your free will lead you to God?

Monday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

2011-10-02T21:54:00.000-04:00

Today is Monday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time.

The life of a Christian involves choices. Either we accept what God asks us to do or we don’t and we flee. To be obedient or not to be obedient is more than a question. It is the core of our faith, our believing. As Christians do we have the confidence and courage to do what God asks? With prayer, reflection, discernment we can learn how to serve God, how to fill our lives with humility, charity, obedience, compassion, mercy.

Red Mass

2011-10-02T16:36:00.000-04:00

The 58th annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle today. All of the Justices of the Supreme Court were present. It was a solemn celebration. The National Anthem was sung at the beginning of Mass. Cardinal Wuerl was the celebrant.

On Obedience

2011-10-02T06:29:00.000-04:00

Obedience to God is very important. Each Christian is asked to believe in God and to be obedient to God. Various commandments have been given that lets us know what is pleasing to God and what is not pleasing to God. Each Christian has the choice on whether to be obedient or not to be obedient. Each Christian has the choice; each Christian makes the choice. God observes everything. We are asked to have faith in God, to believe in God, to do work for God. Our primary purpose is to love and serve God. There are many ways that we can accomplish this. But what is important to consider two things. How we serve God is very, very important. Why we serve God is very important. For the spirit in which we serve God is very important. Our obedience to God is the best way to show, to display, to present our love for God. Our obedience to the commandments is the best way to present our reverence for God. Our obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ, to the Beatitudes, to social justice is the best way to acknowledge the presence of God in our lives. How we serve and Why we serve will always be equally important. We are asked to do both of our own free will. We are asked to do both with lovingly. We are asked to be loyal servants. This is no simple request. It is a series of requests which increase the complexity and difficulty of being Christian, being adopted children of God. Obedience remains the choice that each man and woman is asked to make.

When we make the right choice, when we serve God in the right spirit an abundance of love surrounds us, nourishes us, nurtures us, protects us. Goodness, holiness, kindness wait for those who serve the Lord with true patience, true compassion, true mercy. The feelings in your heart, mind, and soul are always important to God. The feelings in your heart, mind, and soul need to be gentle, tender, flexible.

Obedience involves letting go, involves letting someone else be in charge, letting someone else run the show, control the outcome. Obedience is simply trusting God first. Obedience is putting God first. Obedience is doing everything within your control to do the right things out of love and respect for God. Obedience is doing everything in your life to bear good fruit for God, to encourage others to believe, to encourage others to serve God. Obedience encourages us all to make the correct choices, obedience encourages us to choose God, obedience encourages us to choose love unconditional and universal.

We have free will. We are asked to create lives of charity, humility, compassion, obedience, mercy, and love. We are asked again and again. We are asked today. We will be asked tomorrow.

Think obedience. Live obedience. Praise God. Give Thanks to God

Prayer for the Day - October 2

2011-10-02T00:28:00.000-04:00

Father in Heaven

Pleas hear my voice. You are most merciful, most loving, most compassionate. Please help me to remember all of those I am duty and bound to pray for and all of the sick, al of the dying, all of families and friends I am bound to pay for. May I not be anguished. May my prayers be for those who need it, be for those whom I have promised. May my love and hope grow wider and stronger, may I inspire others to be your humble servants, your patient servants.

Amen

Thought for The Day - October 2

2011-10-02T00:16:00.000-04:00

Remember the Sabbath. Rest on the Sabbath. Love, love, love and love some more.

Respect yourself, respect others. We are all members of the human race. Always try to be helpful, compassionate. Do not play with the lives of others. Never allow yourself to feel superior to anyone, never allow yourself to forget that you are loved by God. Allow God to be important to you, to your development as a human, to your development as a Christian. Oh modern life encourages us to hide our melancholy, our misery, our sacrifices, our suffering.

Respect of self is important as we learn how and begin to love God with the entirety of our bodies and souls.

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

2011-10-01T22:29:00.000-04:00

Today is the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Today is also the Feast of the Guardian Angels.

Each generation of believers finds different things to be grateful for, different reasons to remain faithful. Each generation combats the ravages of sin, combats the sense of unworthiness attached to us because of sin. We’re always wanting to be first, to be in first class. We’re alive, were human. We are given one important choice in our lives. We are given the choice to love and serve God or to not love and not serve.

Serving God, loving God happens according to God’s plan, God’s schedule. We are not in control.

Each Saint presents the story of a life that accepted God, a life that loved God, a life that made sacrifices for God.

Learn how to be generous and grateful. Learn how to follow the commandments and live simply, divinely as Jesus Christ taught us in the Beatitudes. Our parents and grandparents believed in goodness, holiness, kindness. Now is the time for us to believe, to share our beliefs with others.

Put God first, to God be true

2011-10-01T19:42:00.000-04:00

Allow yourself to give love, allow yourself to give hope

Encourage charity, encourage humility

allow yourself to fall in love, encourage yourself to fall in love

With God

offer him praise, offer him thanks again and again again

Allow your heart to God to be true

Put God first, to God be true

Sweet Silence

2011-10-01T18:06:00.000-04:00

Faith arrives with a sweet silence, a deep feeling of entwining prayers for persons known and unknown. Hope enamors my soul with a soft murmuring history of chanting goodness, holiness, kindness. Faith creates and then nurtures a lightly smoky rapture like cathedral candles tenderly extinguished after the service is done as the congregation leaves. The sphere of love is liquid crystal brilliant inviting us to believe to be precocious with holy thoughts, kind deeds. The hymns remain in my mind inspiring me to praise God silently, inspiring me to be look into my soul, into my silence. I am part of a manuscript, just a quire to preserve the story, the glory of God. The silence makes me think, helps me remember the lingering formulas of goodness and holiness. God inhabits us, God is close, God is distinct. And prayers are more than words. We have angels and saints floating around, with intercessions, with lessons leading us to God’s love, to God’s blessings. We are Christians. We are praying, we are meditating, we are discerning, we are serving. With love, in candle light our eyes, hearts, minds, and souls yearn and look toward heaven. Faith arrives with a sweet silence.

Watching Football with Her

2011-10-01T17:11:00.000-04:00

Entwined we sit an hour or two laughing, listening to music and stories of mayhem, listening to stories of Santa Claus, listening to stories about an insanity clause. We were listening and laughing during those autumn afternoons of beer commercials and college football games. It was a time of rustling, bustling, hustling. It was a time of suggestions. It was a time for anecdotes and jokes.

Daydreams and talk big and personal about life filled those hours together between glances up at the wide screen television filled with color and details and escape. The silence washed over us like water at low tide. There was something tender in the quiet as your eyes watch the players run, stop, run. The bartender brings taller glasses of beer. We find time to gulp thanks, not speak thanks.

Listening, laughing this is the dreamy dialogue of college students trying to decide what to do on Saturday night. There is much wonder in our slurred words. Now and then between sips we speak a strange language of epigrams, epitaphs, and dirges. Misery circles around us but remains voiceless, ignored. We bow our heads when a goal is missed. We murmur about the possibility of another losing season about to wash over us. The sky explodes in colors vibrant, colors multigenerational in shades of beauty and hopefulness. Our interest curves away from the game to love, to tomorrow, to God.

The commercials end. So much is discarded or forgotten while a game is on television. Life does not truly stop, but time does something to our perception, our reception of stimuli. The game becomes our old love, our current love. All we remember is the game. The game makes us swoon.

We are lost in the vast noise and color of the game of strange sundering movement, somehow elegant yet elegiac. Sooner or later a missed score will make us yell and swoon. How sweet it is to watch this game.

Nothing overwhelms those eyes watching this game, those eyes who have an interest in one team winning because of some rivalry or ranking. This is a time of quiet. This is a perfect time for discernment as the heart, mind, and soul can drift into a loving, compassionate reverie.

But when the inevitable defeat arrive melancholy arrives; but with the inevitable defeat sadness survives. Compassion, mercy, stop me from teasing, from taunting with statements juvenile and cruel but so irresistible.

Prayer for the Day - October 1

2011-10-01T09:47:00.000-04:00

Always Look to Heaven, Always offer Prayers to God

Lord, Please help me to remember that you are all powerful, all knowing, all loving, all merciful. Please help me to remember to give you thanks for each event in my life, each encounter, each thought. May I learn how to transform my entire life into a simple prayer to you. For it is my only desire, my true desire to be a servant for you, a humble, loyal, loving servant doing as you command. Please remember all those who are in the hospital, all those who are sick, all of those who are caring for the sick. Please remember them and help them to see your divine light, to see your presence, your love. Please remember those who have recently died. May they join you in heaven, may they find peace, hope, love, and beauty in death. May they find the path to salvation, the path to you. You are the most holy, You are the most loving. Amen.

Thought for the Day - October 1

2011-10-01T09:16:00.000-04:00

Praying for the future involves interpreting the conflicts and confusions of today. Seeing and interpreting are often at war with each other.

The Catholic Church’s real struggle of the future will begin with questions of general morality, how society perceives itself and how permissive is too permissive for the individual. The struggle of religious freedom is now frequently reduced to a conflict between sexual morality and a neutral individual state of equality. Morality is viewed as a remnant of dying generation. Desire rules. Instant gratification rules. The struggle of religious freedom is the search to renew the conversation about responsibility, consequence, sin. Many Christian object to be called sinners even as they ignore all of the commandments. At the center of this struggle, sexual freedom has been allowed and encouraged to attach itself to personal freedom, the freedom of the individual in such a way that in the eyes of each younger generation there is no difference, no separation between the idea of sexual freedom and the idea of personal freedom.

The struggle between the Catholic Church and the secular world is more than a war of words, more than a call to maintain a posture out of step with what is promoted to society each and every day. The real struggle now centers on what is sacred, what is divine, who is capable of creating, interpreting, and maintaining the desires of a devout public. This struggle shuffles all the cards around, shuffles definitions. This struggle aims to place the Church in the spotlight of ridicule and misinformation. This struggle wants to destabilize the Church’s role in the lives of all its believers and in the various communities where it provides needed services.

Find Yourself, Find Time for Prayer, Find Time to Serve God

Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus

2011-10-01T08:54:00.000-04:00

Today is the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus.

In our busy lives the saints of the church can sometimes be our guides, help us to see Christ in others, to find God in ourselves. As Christians with the emphasis on the presentation of unconditional love as the essential and important gift from God, the discovery and protection of this love are prime responsibilities as we try to share the Good News, as we try to be evangelists.

Evangelization remains important to the Church. All Christians are asked to lead lives of charity, humility, and obedience to the laws of God. We are all called to be witness, to proclaim the Word of God, not always verbally, but through our actions, through how we conduct ourselves in our daily routines.

What's tricky here is that many Christians don't realize that this is part of being Christian. I don't think they realize that they are asked to do more than just attend Mass on the Sabbath. Attending Mass is important but more work is needed, more dedication is needed. Within each of us is the potential to change the world for the better. We are asked to look inside ourselves and to strive to do just that. This request has always been given to the disciples of Jesus Christ. Each individual is asked to personalize it if necessary and to make it as original as they like. This is a challenge we all must accept, the challenge to love and serve the Lord.

Remember the sacrifice, Remember the Love

Theme And Variation on Happiness

2011-09-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

This was written under great duress and an empty stomach. If there are any grammatical errors please ignore them or accept them as being intentional attempts to create a breezy, cherry conversational tone.

Now each happy man seems to have collected faces happy and not so happy around him; a sad face is a challenge to him for his happiness, to his sense of well-being. So when I make my rounds on Saturday afternoons I distribute a honorable chorus of hopefulness with just a dollop of hopelessness to keep things honest, to keep things alive. All that an address is to a street, its honor, its spouse, its confidante, so the lucky ones are to each other as our lives intersect with Rihanna or Beyonce or Madonna or Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake or Ashford and Simpson or Ray Charles or Marvin Gaye or Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard songs playing under conversations about the Redskins, the Nationals, the Fighting Irish, the Cowboys, the Steelers. So the Saturday escape allows us to distribute hope and half remembered song lyrics. For a moment I am a polite gentleman for thirty seconds until I overhear some political declaration about immigration, global warming, rain forest deforestation, acid rain, negative advertising, budget deficit, government shutdown, Rihanna’s emergency Belfast bikini wax. Certain topics penetrate my mufti and calls me Governor or Sir and I am ready to march out with the infantry instead of thinking of ways to help the Salvation Army. But the first taste of food, the first sip of whatever the happy man has provided for his guests to sip and gulp, there is always a struggle between sipping or talking, between gulping or talking, between sipping or listening, between sipping and observing, between sipping and observing and remembering. Yes there is a struggle about when it is appropriate to remember the most juvenile and inappropriate story between sips, bites, and elongated sidelong glances. Saturdays were made for those wonderful pregnant pauses which used to indicate confusion, embarrassment but has fallen into disuse because of Youtube and psychotherapy. I often forget how many vowels are in vodka; I sometimes forget that embarrassment contains double letters. I often forget names, birthdays, anniversaries, song titles, movie titles, movie stars, television stars, celestial stars, tinsel stars, stencil stars, Russian czars, French cars, Italian scarves.

Fresh food and lots of ice makes things proceed happily. Discussing the latest detective novel or book of Victorian poetry creates a pleasant smile. There are so many topics which are approved for Saturday afternoon discourse Laurel and Hardy, twentieth century art, fast food, Asian food, Ethiopian food, Redd Foxx, the fox in sheep’s clothing, the sheep in foxy clothing, Bill Cosby, Bing Crosby, fatherhood, motherhood, childhood, getting out of the hood, designer hoodies, designer goodies, goodie bags, wearing your good time rags. There are so many topics. I am overwhelmed with topics, with memories, with snarky things to say. Of course I find ways to sneak snarky things into the conversation so innocently like a Bob Dylan lyric or a Dylan Thomas poem or a Clarence Thomas Coke can.

Oh, sipping whatever I am sipping allows me a moment to climb up on that soapbox and complain about what they are doing in Washington, how my favorite soap opera was canceled how so many of my friends lives are better than soap operas because everybody has a secret, everybody is searching for a beautiful stranger, everybody to express yourself.

Between all the sipping and sipping suddenly everybody becomes human and humorous with a dollop of compassion as we listen to each other and chime into the various conversations. I feel that the world is safe, people are good, people are kind. How great it is to have a pleasant afternoon with friends who smile heartily, laugh energetically, listen patiently, kindly. How wonderful it is to hear about South Bend, Harrisburg, Charlottesville, Charleston, Fort Washington, Boston, Reading, South Hill.

Somehow my glass no longer contains anything for me to sip. My mind finds ideas for comments; my stomach wants some salty food, some good food. I am tired of this shrimp, that hummus, this cheese but I’ll keep eating it until something else is offered.

Presently we talk only about approved kid friendly G-rated topics. Rihanna is too risque with her four letter necklace and all that which I should not know about but I do know about because of the internet and Patti Labelle and Patti Lupone and patty cake.

I sit there shoveling shrimp and hummus and cheese and crackers and napkins and shrimp and cheese and truffles and shrimp and pork rinds ad cheese and buffalo wings and hummus and peanut butter and celery and adult vitamins into my gullet as if I was doing some type of FDA inspection. My glass remains empty.

I am happy to be with my friends and talking about runs batted in, old nosy bats, wagging tongues, beef tongue, running backs, fat back. How great it is to talk about Quincy Jones, Quincy Adams, Kirk Franklin, Ben Franklin, Kurt Cobain Kirk Cameron, Captain Kirk, Erica Kane, Roger Federer, Roger Ebert. Now did I just hear that Tyler Perry and Rick Perry are related? Does Madea have a secret sister?

I am happy to be here with an empty glass hearing about birthdays, work days, school days, being in a daze, being in a haze, wanting to be in a daze. I am happy to hear about Teena Marie, Angela Bofill, Gladys Knight, Samantha Stevens, Samantha Fox, her father Redd Foxx, his daughter Foxy Brown, her husband James Brown, his son Jackson Brown, his second wife Julie Brown.

I am happy to be here with all this pleasant conversation. It is totally cool. And then all of sudden someone screamed something about sex. It’s amazing how much sex talk there is. Sex is like that movie Citizen Kane where at the end you learn Rosebud is a sled. There is chitterling sex, hummus sex, black eyed peas sex, quick sex, slow sex, so-so sex, sewing sex, secret sex, happy sex, empty glass sex, hoodie sex.

I am happy to be here objecting to all this sex talk. In polite society sex can discussed after dinner with a glass of port or maybe a cup of coffee. In polite society friendship bounces and trounces all rules, betrays all rules with kindness and hopefulness and laughter. There are jokes, there are anecdotes. There is lust, there is love. There is laughter.

Oh someone’s talking about Barry White, Barry Manilow, Barry Goldwater, the Beach Boys, the Good ole boys, Princess Diana, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Deena Jones and the Dreams, Mr. Magoo, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Peabo Bryson, Peter Brady, Wayne Brady, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Toni Braxton, Toni Basil, Tony Orlando and Dawn, King Kong, Confunkshun, Earthquake, Moms Mabley, Big Mabel, Billie Holiday, Doc Holliday, Doc Martens. Friends always find new and crazy things to talk about and names discarded and wandering in that kind of anonymity of blissful forgetfulness that have all types of silly associations. My friends are always talking always texting always asking about this joking about that. Remembering this shady girl, remembering that shady guy and dropping them conspicuously, copiously into the conversation.

There is laughter, there is love. There is friendship. There is happiness with friends on a Saturday.

And Now News for the Day Friday September 30

2011-09-30T02:49:00.000-04:00

Here are today’s News briefs from Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Libya, Britain, New Orleans. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Some of these events and issues require our prayers.

Earlier this month an All Nippon Airways Boeing 737-700 with 117 people aboard dropped 6,000ft in 30 seconds and rolled more than 130 degrees over the Pacific on a night flight from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa to Tokyo.

The passenger jet nose-dived and rolled almost upside down after the co-pilot hit the wrong controls while trying to open the cockpit door so the captain could return from a toilet break.

The Hong Kong High Court ruled that immigration laws barring foreign maids from applying for permanent residency violated the territory's mini--constitution.

Indonesia praised the 'benchmark' Hong Kong court ruling Friday that could allow thousands of its nationals to settle in the Chinese city and said it might open the way for similar action elsewhere.

Moussa Ibrahim, spin doctor for Muammar Gaddafi, has been captured by rebel forces while driving close to the city of Sirte, according to military commanders.

Officers from the National Transitional Council said fighters from Misrata found Ibrahim in a car close to Sirte, Gaddafi's birthplace, and seized him. Initial and unconfirmed reports even suggested Ibrahim was captured while disguised as a woman.

Britain’s government is preparing to raise the motorway speed limit from 70 mph to 80 mph. The motorway speed limit was established in 1965.

Retired Archbishop Philip M. Hannan, 98, was the leader of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans for more than 20 years. He died on Thursday at a hospice in New Orleans. The archbishop was a confidant to President John F. Kennedy. He also delivered the eulogy for President Kennedy in 1963.

Glory of your name

2011-09-30T02:38:00.000-04:00

Each day we are encouraged to pledge our activities, our hearts to the glory of the name of God. Each day we acknowledge that we are sinners, that we make mistakes. We have sin our past, we will probably have sin in our future. Do not glance into the angry eyes of jealousy, pride.

The more we think of God, the more we do in the name of God, the closer we will become to each other. Being Christian is all about being a part of a community. Being Christian is all about something supernatural, something very fishy and unprepared to be cut.

Remember and avoid the iniquities of the past.

May we remember the glory of your name, glory and peace of your being.

May we encourage others to be followers, to be believers.

Now is the time for learning, for sharing love and our faithfulness to God.

Listen for the Voice of God

2011-09-30T01:55:00.000-04:00

As one month ends and another begins, one thought remains perfectly clear. Depending on which newscast, which newspaper provides your information. Is this a recession? A depression? Are we ready for a recovery? One fact remains undisputed. This world needs peace. This world needs food. This world needs hope. This world needs faith. This world need love. As I type these words and I watch the letters appear on my computer screen there is a hint of sadness within me.

The world needs more love instead of the death penalty. Young people need to be taught about friendship. Young people need to be taught about sacrifice and hope. We are all call ed to be holy, all called to be humble obedient servants of God. The world needs more love, not more bullets. The world needs more love, not civil wars.

We need truth, we need love. Our lives as Christians contain a purpose, contain a mission. We are asked to love and serve the Lord. We are asked to sacrifice for love, sacrifice for the Lord.

We are asked to listen to the voice of God, we are asked to listen for the voice of God.

Our Christian lives are a struggle as we try to serve God and try to avoid temptation.

And the love that I speak of is selfless, unconditional, universal. And this love speaks the truth, encourages me to seek truth, to speak truth. And Love reminds us of sun shine at noon and moonlight and mulberry trees; nevertheless true selfless encourages love, encourages earnestness. We seek liberty for all.

As one month ends and another begins I am happy to be alive, happy to be able to think of going to another street fair.

A good life is filled out as needed with humility, charity, and obedience to God. How great it would be to offer praise and thanks to God, to offer love to all those who need love.

Thought for the Day - September 30

2011-09-30T01:41:00.000-04:00

Which inheritance is more important to us, the earthly inheritance or the heavenly inheritance. Christians are encouraged to answer the heavenly inheritance. Saying it is easy, meaning it, living it is difficult. The minute we accept and acknowledge our desire for the heavenly inheritance we start a journey. The heavenly journey asks for our obedience, our patience. The heavenly journey asks for us to acknowledge our weaknesses, our sins. The heavenly inheritance encourages us to ask for forgiveness from God for all our sins. The heavenly inheritance asks us to offer forgiveness, to offer hope, to offer mercy, to offer love.

As a Christian I listen for the voice of the Lord, I listen for the call of God.

May the inheritance we receive encourage others to follow the footsteps of Christ.

Prayer for the Day - September 30

2011-09-30T01:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Father

May justice feel my heart. May hope lead me to your side. May I honestly, gently offer you praise and glory each moment of this day. May I remember the events in the world, may I respect all people in this world. May I be filled with loving compassionate selflessness. May I always patiently listen for your voice. This world is filled with bigotry, ignorance, violence, greed, hatred. May you open the eyes and hearts of all of those who are filled with darkness, with those who are leading others to darkness. May I be a vessel to lead them to light, to lead them to you. May each day of my life reflect all of the goodness, kindness, holiness that is majestic, that is you. You are the holy one, you are the loved one. All glory, honor, and love flow from you.

Amen

Memorial of Saint Jerome

2011-09-30T01:13:00.000-04:00

Today is the Memorial of Saint Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church.

Justice is very important to all Christians. We seek it for ourselves, for our loved ones. How we treat each other, how we treat ourselves should always be with honor, with truth, with fairness. We are asked to listen to the voice of God, to treat each other with charity, humility, compassion, mercy. When we do all of those things, and do it naturally, honestly, justice is definitely there.

We are human beings. We are here to help God, to assist God in reaching other human beings, in encouraging other human beings to become followers, to become believers.

Christians desire knowledge, desire wisdom; these items help us to find our way to God, help us to lead others to God.

Praying is something which should never stop in the life of a Christian. Every moment is a time for us to offer prayers.

Prayers are to be offered in thanks and in praise. But, the true sign of a Christian rests in the prayers for the unknown strangers, the forgotten former colleagues, the friends who no longer call frequently. We pray for single people hoping to get married; we pray for married people hoping to have children; we pray for children waiting to be adopted. We pray for people who appear happy, who appear sad. Our prayers are for those who are sick, those who are healthy. Our prayers are for those who make grammatical errors, typographical errors.

Praying leads us to learning; learning leads us to loving; loving leads us to serving God.

Reflection: On Goodness and Holiness

2011-09-29T16:33:00.000-04:00

How do we recognize goodness, holiness? How do we know that God is present in our lives? These questions are just the tip of the ice berg. Many Christians ask each other these questions and others while drinking coffee or having salads at lunch. Recognizing God, seeing goodness, seeing holiness are all essential important parts of being Christian, of being Catholic. We each have unique ways of doing it, unique ways of interpreting events. In others goodness and holiness are quiet qualities, gentle qualities which are easy to overlook, easy to mistake for something else. Holiness is possibly the most difficult to see because we are all called to be holy, all asked to have a special type of compassion, mercy, and concern that never changes, that always displays itself with the same sense of fairness between all people. Holiness does not play favorites. Goodness is very close to holiness but goodness lacks the consistency. Goodness is sporadic. Goodness is closest to the human temperament. Goodness can be temporary. Both goodness and holiness are best when they are unconditional, with universal application.

Seeing God starts with recognizing goodness and holiness in others, ourselves.

Reflection: On Prayer

2011-09-29T16:25:00.000-04:00

A greater responsibility to remember and have concern for all their neighbors gives Christians both people and ideas to add to their prayers. The prayers of Christians reflect events in their present, personal events as well as private events. Our prayers provide an intimate opportunity to be selfless to show ourselves and God how we relate to the world, how we relate to each other, how we relate to God. Each day new events occur which require careful consideration and prayer. No human being is perfect. Nothing on earth is perfect. Prayer helps us accept this reality, helps us improve our world view. Prayer can help us calm down, be objective, be rational.

Just look at any newspaper and each headline provides something in need of prayer.

And Now News for the Day - Thursday September 29

2011-09-29T05:40:00.000-04:00

Here are today’s News briefs from Rome, Syria, Indonesia, Germany, New Jersey. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Some of these events and issues require our prayers.

The Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL) presented the Vatican with an official response to Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” which was published in 2009 and which was covered by many major news organizations because it provided an ethical structure for new thinking on social and economic issues.

Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, who is a CALL founding member was in Rome to present the 28 page response to “Charity in Truth”.

CALL has chapters in Denver, San Antonio, Washington, DC, Houston, Miami, San Antonio.

Click here to receive a pdf of the document.

The new General Instruction of the Roman Missal released in June of this year allows more freedom for bishops to determine norms for communion distribution under both forms within their diocese.

The Church in the United States, the United Kingdom and Oceania were allowed special privileges to experiment with communion under both forms. Currently, the practice of receiving both forms has become acceptable in these regions.

The Vatican did not renew these privileges and they expired in 2005.

There are new fears are growing that Syria may be on the verge of civil war as reports emerged yesterday that army deserters were battling Bashar al-Assad's forces in the first major confrontation against the regime. This occurred as the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Germany were trying garner support for a extremely diluted draft Security Council resolution condemning the Baathist regime.

There is intense fighting around the town of Al-Rastan, a rebel stronghold. Army deserters and armed citizens are waging battle against the government security forces. There have been unconfirmed claims that Al-Rastan has been bombed by Syrian military jets.

An important vote on whether to approve an extension of powers for the eurozone's financial rescue fund is scheduled to be held by the German parliament today.

The Bundestag is expected to approve the legislation, backed by the opposition Social Democrats and the Green party – but German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is still trying to persuade her own ruling coalition to vote in support.

A powerful typhoon made landfall in southern China today after avoiding Hong Kong and bringing death and destruction to the Philippines earlier this week. Typhoon Nesat attacked the eastern tip of China’s Hainan Island. 35 people died in the Philipines and 45 are missing due to this storm.

Eighteen people are believed to be dead today after the plane they were travelling in crashed into a mountainous area in western Indonesia. Indonesian Ministry of Transportation stated that the missing passenger plane has been found intact in a North Sumatra mountain range, raising hopes that the 18 people aboard are alive.

Indonesia relies heavily on air transport and has a poor aviation record.

Republicans want New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to run for President even though he says he does not want to be president, he has only served 20 months of his term, and he describes himself as “pretty fat.”

Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael, archangels

2011-09-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today is the Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael, archangels.

Three angels are venerated in the liturgy today. They remind us that prayer is always necessary in the life of the church, in the lives of the faithful.

On Faithful Christian Love

2011-09-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

There are days when all individual experiences feel as if written by Ibsen on a very bad day. Faith protects me from some very frightening moments such as when washing my hands quietly as to not disturb anyone and I somehow glance into the mirror above the basin and see semi-familiar eyes staring back at me in a completely uncharitable manner.

The Faithful Christian estate pulls along many cares, troubles, calamities, conversation topics, homemade remedies; it is one of the greatest of institutions; people of all ages, all abilities, all imaginations, all inspirations earnestly desire to enter it and learn some of the secrets and even gain eternal youth. In the modern group who with a sulfurous enthusiasm tease and taunt all who desire something so noble humility, charity, obedience with all types of troubling popular songs and videos of half unclad young people frolicking and encouraging others to frolic instead of discerning serious things such as feeding, clothing, sheltering the poor the wish to punch and torment those who promote goodness, holiness, kindness. Nature gives way to neon lights and fruity cocktails and microbreweries and everybody talks of Love; everybody looks through the multiplying glass at Love which often waits in someone else yard or lobby; love is quite pardonable, often questionable, very moveable; modern secular popular culture infused Love is a snickering feast of tasty unhealthy things with multisyllabic words like meningococcal, Benzalkonium chloride, dimethylammonium, varicella. Science and society and magazine publishers all have advice and knowledge and information to present with the hope of providing a sense of understanding or at least some levity or gaining a drink or two or winning a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer or an Oscar or an Emmy or a martini. This love encourages foolish conversations, foolish activities. There is something vile in the music and melancholy of this Love which escapes observation as longer and longer scientific words (some of which are so new that they do not appear in any dictionary) are employed to describe and promote it. Oh, how troubling all this is as people start out with one foot dangling from a barstool, end up in a strange hospital with out internet or cable television or fashionable French cuisine. Love with a foundation in the ethos and pathos of popular culture is flattering for a moment before becoming destructive, a movement carelessly, thoughtlessly choreographed with gestures, smiles, winks, sips, glances; this courtship with moral relativism remains a dangerous activity which can damage the heart, mind, soul; which can destroy goodness, kindness within a character, within a personality. But the other Love, the Faithful Christian Love offers something more, something more delicate yet universal, something selfless yet gratifying, something honorable yet majestic. The splendor of Love unconditional, rests in its very nature of not being limited, not being directed at just one person without a foundation of charity, humility, obedience, compassion, mercy in the hope of some reciprocal activity developing. The Faithful Christian Love exists within hearts, imaginations of those who are courageous enough to want to share it, who want to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. There is a great simplicity in this Love, a great contrariness as it leads us away from ourselves, away from our miseries, real and imagined, toward God, toward holiness. As Christians we are all called to be holiness, to be ambassadors for God, living and sharing the Word, encouraging others to believe.

With comfort and compassion we move forward, speaking and singing about goodness, holiness, kindness. The burdens of modern life with its conflicting messages trails behind us, trails behind, falls off. We’ll keep pulling along our cares, troubles, calamities, conversation topics, homemade remedies but we have prayer, we have God’s love, God’s grace, God’s mercy to help us.

Thought for the Day - September 29

2011-09-28T23:49:00.000-04:00

Simple question about your identity as a Catholic. How do you see yourself? How would you describe yourself? Are you an Apostle? An Angel? A Martyr? How important is your life as a Catholic to you? How easy is it for you to share your faith with others?

Prayer for the Day - September 29

2011-09-28T23:42:00.000-04:00

Father

Please help us to be faithful believers. May we look to these angels for guidance, inspiration as we use our lives to proclaim the Good News. Help us to be patient and humble. May we serve you both here on earth and also in heaven. Please keep our lives free from mayhem and harm. Please remember the sick, the dying, and all those who I have promised to ask you help. Please show mercy and compassion to both the sick and dying and their loved ones.

You are a great and merciful Lord

Amen.

Godlessness Hurts

2011-09-28T19:41:00.000-04:00

Please include in your prayers all who die senselessly, needlessly because of other people’s anger, frustrations, childishness, selfishness. All across the world many conflicts and wars exist. Violence, murder, rape, torture are the way of life for many people. The world allows a temporal godlessness in times of war, in times of armed conflict. Once some people experience godlessness, experience the violence, ignorance, hatred attached to this call for godlessness, it is difficult to accept godliness, to return to godliness. Godlessness might be great for headlines and to win battles but it is bad for souls, bad for daily living.

Pray for End to Childhood Poverty

2011-09-28T16:57:00.000-04:00

Our prayers should be offered for all children living in poverty, for all families living in poverty.

The Pew Hispanic Center a report on Childhood Poverty today.

More Hispanic children are living in poverty—6.1 million in 2010—than children of any other racial or ethnic group. This marks the first time in U.S. history that the single largest group of poor children is not white. In 2010, 37.3% of poor children were Latino, 30.5% were white and 26.6% were black.

And Now News for the Day - Wednesday, September 28

2011-09-28T04:40:00.000-04:00

Mexico’s Supreme Court considers legalizing abortion in the country which would overturn pro-life constitutional personhood amendments in two Mexican states, Baja California and San Luis. Judge Jose Fernando Franco Gonzales’ Action for Unconstitutionality seeks to have the personhood amendment declared unconstitutional.

Mississippi is preparing its own personhood initiative for the November 8 election despite objections by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.

Maria Elizabeth Macias, a 39-year-old editor of newspaper Primera Hora and a member of the Community of Scalabrinian Lay Movement was kidnapped and murdered by drug cartels in the border state of Tamaulipas. She was found dead on Sept. 24 after she went missing two days earlier.

During a four day visit to Germany Pope Benedict XVI spoke about secular endorsed godlessness. "God is increasingly being driven out of our society. ... Are we to yield to the pressure of secularization, and become modern by watering down the faith?" he said. The Pope also stressed that human dignity needs to be protected. The Pope presented an address to the German Parliament.

China is preparing to send a space station into orbit. Tomorrow China will launch a Tiangong-1 from the Gobi desert. The rocket will be unmanned and is part of an ambitious Chinese space program which might culminate with Chinese astronauts landing on the moon.

Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry will go on sale in December at Christie’s New York. The highlights currently are on a three month tour to Moscow, London, Los Angeles, Dubai, Geneva, Paris, and Hong Kong. There are 269 jewels representing Ms Taylor’s life. The sale of the jewels is estimated to earn over $30 million. The sale will take place over three days in December.

A Saudi women has been sentenced to 10 lashings for challenging the ban on women driving.

Proclaim the Word of God

2011-09-28T02:50:00.000-04:00

The Christian life is a radical life. The Christian life is a different life. Do not simply say that you will follow the Lord. Find a way to do it. Find a way to move along on the path with the Lord. Prepare yourself for resistance both interior and exterior. Always be prepared within your soul, mind, and body for whatever will present itself to you as you journey toward God, as you journey for God. Fill your mind with peace, with calm. Move as a disciple of the Lord. Move with humility, charity, compassion, and mercy. May each movement, each step echo the commandments given to man by the Lord. May each movement, each step echo the Beatitudes given to man by the Lord Jesus Christ. Go and proclaim salvation. Go and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Keep your gaze directed to Jesus Christ. Keep your gaze directed to the Kingdom of God. Fill your heart, mind, soul with thoughts of goodness, holiness. Keep your spirit fit with unconditional love, unconditional forgiveness. Keep your spirit fit with patience, wisdom. Keep your spirit fit with love, silence, and prayer. The Christian life remains a life of reflection, a life of prayer. A Christian life begins and ends with love, love for God, love for neighbor, love for self.

Proceed. Go forward. Proclaim the Kingdom of God.

Proceed. Go forward. Proclaim the Word of God.

Prayer, Silence, God

2011-09-28T02:28:00.000-04:00

Allow ancient Babylon, ancient Zion to fill your heart with dreams. Allow ancient Babylon, ancient Zion to fill your mind with prayers. Allow ancient Babylon, ancient Zion to fill your soul with music. Within our dreams we are resting, we are moving, we are weeping. Move into silence, move into prayer.

The lyrics of being Christian urge us to rejoice, proclaim the goodness and greatness of the Lord. We are all asked to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for unconditional love to find each and every human heart. Step into silence, step into prayer.

Make temptation and sin be the foreign land. Make the Kingdom of God your destination of destinations, your place of places. Forget selfishness. Sing praise to the Lord. Sing thanks to the Lord. Sway into silence, sway into prayer.

May you remember the mercy and compassion of the Lord as you remember the vibrant colors of a September sunset which saturates the sky with a palate of loving, gentle color inspiring dreams, inspiring prayers for comfort, prayers for joy, prayers for praise, prayers for God, prayers for human beings.

Forget temptation and sin. Seek only silence, seek only prayer. Seek obedience to God. Seek to be a humble servant for God.

Look Toward the Lord

2011-09-28T02:11:00.000-04:00

Look forward. Look toward the Lord. Only have fear for the Lord. Look forward. Believe as your ancestors taught your father and your father’s. Believe with honor, believe with hope. Pray for guidance to reach heaven, pray for guidance to honor your ancestors, your living family, your living friends. Pray for patience to honor God. Fill your heart with humility, charity, obedience as you fill a bottle with water. Always have a clean heart, always have a clean mind, always have a clean soul. Learn each day ways to fill your life with holiness, kindness, goodness. Look forward. Look toward the Lord. Allow yourself the strength and courage to be a humble servant. Allow yourself the confidence to ask for a favor from the Lord. Offer your life to rebuild love and hope for God in this crazy world of chaos and fear. Offer your life to help others to journey to the Kingdom of God. Offer your life to please God. Ask God to provide only what you deserve, only what you need, only what God deems acceptable for you to receive. Look forward. Look toward the Lord with gentle awe, with loving fear that leads to respect and reverence. Look forward. Look toward the Lord and prepare to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Look forward with hope. Look forward with mercy. Look forward with compassion.

Prayer for the Day - September 28, 2011

2011-09-28T02:05:00.000-04:00

Father

We offer thanks and praise to you. We ask for peace in the world, peace in the Mideast. May calm, security, peace, and love find the countries struggling with strife and division. Please grant love to all families. Help us to remember that you are the power, you are the glory, you are the majesty. You are our Lord.

Amen

Thought for the Day - September 28, 2011

2011-09-28T00:02:00.000-04:00

Search for goodness, search for holiness, search for kindness buried with enthusiasm, optimism. Search for truth, search for beauty. May we find new ways to love God.

Wednesday, Twenty-Sixth Week of Ordinary Time

2011-09-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today is Wednesday of the Twenty-Sixth Week of Ordinary Time. Why do you look sad?

King Artaxerxes allows Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple

Urgent - Please Pray for Syria

2011-09-27T19:13:00.000-04:00

Prayers are needed for the country of Syria which is moving closer and closer to civil war. The Christian community in Syria needs the prayers of all Christians and the protection and blessings of God. This is a dangerous time for all citizens of Syria. The Christians are undecided about supporting the rebels against the regime of current President Bashar al-Assad. The Christians are afraid that if the rebels win and the Sunni Muslims take control there might be bloody reprisals targeting the Christian community which did not fight against the President Bashar al-Assad.

Please offer prayers for peace for Syria, for all of the various ethnic communities living within Syria.

Letter From A Friend

2011-09-27T16:47:00.000-04:00

Dear ----

I was told to remind you that since you are now in the big city to keep your head and your heart filled with kindness and goodness. A tidbit of temptation is dangerous to a gentle character. Dangerous things often glitter and sparkle to gain attention. I am sure that you know this but as a friend I felt it my duty to write this. I hope you will not become a victim of the latest social fads, latest ideas on morality. How regrettable modernity creates absurd terms and descriptions for accepting rudeness as somehow fashionable. The city is filled with taxicabs, lonely displaced people, neon lights, and violent and vague vices. You will always be in our prayers. Be careful. Go to Church.

Sincerely

R

And Now News for the Day - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2011-09-27T02:46:00.000-04:00

In Washington, DC the US Senate reached a bipartisan spending agreement on Monday which allows the government to avoid a shutdown on September 30. The Senate voted 79 -12 for a seven week extension of government financing. The House will have to approve the measure next week.

In London six men from Birmingham have been charged with planning an act of terrorism in Britain. The plot included training in Pakistan, preparing for suicide bombings, and constructing an explosive device. Wanting to be suicide bombers, having raised money for terrorism, recruiting people for terrorism are some of the charges the men received. Four of the men will appear at the Old Bailey on October 21.

In Austria computer hackers published names and addresses of almost 25,000 police officials, a move that critics say compromises the personal security of the police officials. The names were published in response against a draft law requiring telecommunications companies to provide police with internet and telephone activity for six months.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president knows it's all over. His party lost its Senate majority in a historic defeat seven months before the 2012 presidential election. The Socialist party will have the majority in the Senate for the first time since 1958. Optimism fuels the Socialist party leaders who now think their chances of winning the presidency have improved greatly because Sarkozy is unpopular with many voters.

Wangari Maathai was one of Kenya's most recognizable women. in 2004 Ms Maathai won her Nobel in 2004 for combining science and social activism. Wangari Maathai was beaten and arrested by the former president of Kenya who described her as the mad woman. World leaders, former students, and some African visionaries remembered her as the Tree Mother of Africa. Maathai was the first female from Africa to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She died after a battle with cancer. She was 71.

Household vinegar can be used in fighting cervical cancer. The procedure was developed at John Hopkins medical school and endorsed last year by the World Health Organization.

At least 26 schoolchildren and two teachers were killed and forty other people injured in a bus accident in Pakistan. The accident occurred east of the capital of Islamabad.

Events happen which require the prayers of the faithful.

Am I Willing to Obey God

2011-09-27T01:43:00.000-04:00

I sometimes feel, sometimes believe that the American dream is now the search for fabricated, perfected memory. Truth avoids this memory. Hope avoids this memory. Painstaking resurrected fear and animosity and anxiety and angst wait to seep into conversations, to leak into moments of quiet, moments of reflection.

Vengeance and violence are acceptable, are encouraged. Human sexuality is no longer private respected. It is part of consumerism’s ever expanding landscape. This is the world we live in filled with half unclad women and young girls gyrating and moving suggestively and everybody accepting it, looking at it, nobody cries foul, cries stop.

We are being exploited and we do not seem to notice or care. We pretend that some of this is entertainment. We pretend that all of it is harmless, that our brains are not damaged, our psyches tormented by all the rampant graphic sex and violence playing before our eyes.

I am glad to be Christian, glad to have an awareness of the trash and dangers lurking in pop culture. It is hard being a witness for God in a world that downgrades sin, upgrades wealth, privilege, greed.

Humility, charity, obedience to God are lost, are discarded practices, often untried, often untrusted. Many people talk about Jesus. Many people talk about Jesus on the Cross. Many either do not understand the story and the glory of Jesus’ life. Many do not understand that being Christian means applying the teachings of Jesus Christ to their daily existence. Many do not understand the simple idea of forgiveness. Many refuse to love their neighbors.

I am learning how to be a better Catholic, a better Christian, a more obedient, loving, loyal servant of the Lord. There are days when I feel as if I am with Jesus moving toward Jerusalem. There are days when I feel like the unwelcoming Samaritan village. I have learned the beauty of silence and prayer.

Accepting God

2011-09-27T00:52:00.000-04:00

The rules of popular culture dictate that purchased goods and services will make us happy. This remains as a popularly accepted notion. For many Christians God remains the one breakout wonder, the greatest blockbuster, the hit of the season, the best show of the century. Believing in God is a wonderful experience. Many consider it to be the best part of their lives. God defies any specific designation, subject matter, target demographic. Faith sometimes feels like a push and pull game as it develops, as doubts are confronted and discounted. Believing in God, loving God, serving God requires a palpable spiritual development. There is no Hollywood type chemistry between God and his adopted children. The interaction is subtle. It does not happen how we want it to occur but it occurs how we need it to happen. I sometimes feel inadequate as I try to communicate with God, I sometimes feel a little shy. I sometimes feel inadequate wanting to be a servant of the Lord.

I wanted my Christian experience to reflect something that I understood, something that I had felt, something that I could always remember, something that would inspire me to always love, honor, and serve God. I wanted my Christian experience to provide something for me always to aspire to. I wanted my story to be universal, acceptable, entertaining. Believing in God starts with accepting something which is hard to explain, hard to visualize. Believing in God starts with accepting and proclaiming something very vague and yet something very tangible. God provokes reactions, God encourages prayers. I quickly understood the shortcomings of corporate media dominated life. Too much information and thought is premixed, pre-measured, and served to the population. Modern life is filled with anger, violence, frustration. The Christian experience, the stories about finding God presents a view of tenderness, mercy, forgiveness, hope which is lost in mainstream popular culture.

Being a witness for God somehow feels fresh, original. Being a witness for God somehow strengthens us as we explore questions of morality, intimacy, love as actions for the good of the community first instead of the good of the individual. God wants us to mature, wants us to seek wisdom, knowledge, patience, humility.

Accepting God, believing in Jesus Christ reflects the remnants of hope, truth, and integrity within our culture as morality and sexual attitudes are controlled and influence more by corporate bodies wanting to sell products than save souls, protect hearts.

Scientific thought often is easily manipulated to suggest that God is nonexistent or powerless or unsympathetic to man’s plight when there is a disaster natural or manmade. Educated and civilized popular culture becomes surprisingly primitive when bad things happen, blaming God, asking why did God allow this to happen. How easy it is to blame God than to blame man? How easy it is to blame God for earthquakes, droughts, tidal waves! How easy it is to forget the good weather, the sunshine, the long lazy summer days.

Being Christian is like being a film director at a film festival waiting for audience reactions, waiting for panel discussions while feeling happy with your film, confident in both your content and presentation, pleased to be at the festival, ready to leave, ready for solitude, silence, and prayer.

Seek The Lord

2011-09-27T00:15:00.000-04:00

When Christianity is discussed many people accept and expect the fire and brimstone verbal lashings of some Fundamentalist Christians who are determined to present faith as sin and punishment or as sin and hypocrisy. Fundamentalist Christians appear ready to judge everyone as a guilty sinner, ready to chart the course to hell. That Jesus Christ was born and taught love and forgiveness barely registers, religion is not a love story, nor a hope story. There is something unhappy, something sad, something misleading in some fundamentalist teaching.

God offers love, hope, salvation. Believers offer God prayers, respect, loyalty, obedience, love.

The intensity of the religious experience, of the conversion experience is a story of diligence, hope, discernment. The importance of discovering and sharing the beginning of an awareness of God is good both for each individual and the faith community.

What is the predecessor to the moment of awareness? A Laurel and Hardy film? Star Wars? A Charlie Chaplin film? An Aretha Franklin song? A Gospel choir? For each person something connects the dots, creates an alignment of God, love, faith, belief, acceptance. Something allows, even encourages our Gminds to linger in moments of enlightenment, moments of reverie. We seek something which we sense is all around, very near and yet very far away, just beyond our physical touch.

We seek an emotional connection, a spiritual connection, a mystical revelation. We seek answers to unasked questions, unanswered prayers. We seek truth, love, hope.

Those who seek God need both confidence and courage. Those who seek God use their souls, minds, hearts. Seeking God requires, demands active participation. Seeking God turns into something more. Seeking God asks us to try love, to try forgiveness, to try fairness. Being Christian involves developing a philosophy based upon simplicity, based upon justice, based upon charity. Being Christian involves a daily exploration of personal humility, of personal humanity. Being Christian is an invitation to love everyone unconditionally. Being Christian is also about rethinking who you are, what is your purpose in life.

Christianity is a search for identity, a search for self-definition, a search for the desire for obedience to God. Christianity is a story of falling in love with God, with serving God, with helping our neighbors. Christianity offers a quiet, understated resonance of goodness, holiness, kindness as each believer, each follower finds their personal path and begins to follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

Those who hear and obey God’s voice accept and believe that God is always with them.

The Christian experience often is a very romantic experience of determination and humility.