Benedict XVI - Servant of the Truth

Ingatius Press has 2 very cool Pope Benedict XVI wallpapers available for FREE download. Follow the link to get them in the 3 available sizes. Click either picture to be taken to the download page.

Wallpaper 1


Wallpaper 2

I think they are quite good. I hope you enjoy them also.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Heretical Hymns? George Weigle

As usual The Curt Jester found it first...but I will post anyway. George Weigel is one of America's leading commentators on issues of religion and public life. He is also the author of many fantastic catholic books, including Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II.

He wrote an article titled "Heretical Hymns?". Below you will find a few excerpts.

I love hymns. I love singing them and I love listening to them. Hearing the robust Cardiff Festival Choir belt out the stirring hymns of Ralph Vaughan Williams at what my wife regards as an intolerable volume is, for me, a terrific audio experience.

...Hymns are distinct forms of confessing the Church's faith. Old school Lutherans take their hymns very seriously.

Most Catholics don't. Instead, we settle for hymns musically indistinguishable from "Les Mis" and hymns of saccharine textual sentimentality. Moreover, some hymn texts in today's Catholic "worship resources" are, to put it bluntly, heretical. Yet Catholics once knew how to write great hymns; and there are great hymns to be borrowed, with gratitude, from Anglican, Lutheran, and other Christian sources. There being a finite amount of material that can fit into a hymnal, however, the first thing to do is clean the stables of today's hymnals.

Thus, with tongue only half in cheek, I propose the Index Canticorum Prohibitorum, the "Index of Forbidden Hymns." Herewith, some examples.

Again, the full article can be found Here.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Catholic Facts (take 3) - 2 questions

Here is a 2 question Catholic Facts post. Hope you like them.

Question: Who is the Infant of Prague?

Answer: A statue of the Christ Child King has been preserved since 1628 in the church of Our Lady of Victory in Prague. Carved of wood and covered with wax, it stands 18 inches in height and rests on a broad pedestal. Its left hand encircles a miniature globe surmounted by a cross and its right hand extended in the manner of a pontifical blessing. The figure appears to represent in symbolical synthesis the idea of the Kingship of Christ and that of the Holy Childhood. The origin of the figure is shrouded in legend. It was brought from Spain to Prague in the 16th Century, and in 1628 was presented to the Discalced Carmelites. It became an object of popular devotion that received Church approval through its coronation by the Bishop of Prague on April 4, 1655 and through generous amounts of indulgences ("New Catholic Encyclopedia," McGraw-Hill Co,). Besides being the Adult Christ the King, Jesus is the Infant King of Bethlehem and His young years in Nazareth. The Infant of Prague is the King of our school children. Bob and Jolene Cole’s statue gift is an abiding reminder to our school children that Christ, their King, infant and adult, watches over them.

Question: If Jesus, the divine one, was the all holy-sinless person, why did He get John to baptize Him?

Answer: John the Baptist had the very same question: "I should be baptized by you," said John to Jesus. Jesus responded: "Give in for now. We must do this if we would fulfill all of God’s demands. So Jesus was following orders from his Father who, at the baptism, voiced His approval of His Son and had the Holy Spirit, like a dove, hover over Jesus. In having Jesus be baptized, the Father assured John’s disciples that Jesus would be "one of them," a card carrying member of the God movement, a citizen of the People of God. John’s baptism of repentance was not needed for Jesus; it was good for us, an assurance from heaven that Jesus was the approved Messiah, an assurance on earth that He was one of us. (Matt. 3: 13-17) ("Daily Bible Studies, Mathew," W. Barclay, Fortress Press).

Thanks to Fr. Mark at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for most of the questions and answers.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

150 Reasons Why I am a Catholic.

Saw this at Cor ad cor loquitur and felt the need to share it. I'll list a few, for the others see the entire list.

1. Best One-Sentence Summary: I am convinced that the Catholic Church conforms much more closely to all of the biblical data, offers the only coherent view of the history of Christianity (i.e., Christian, apostolic Tradition), and possesses the most profound and sublime Christian morality, spirituality, social ethic, and philosophy.

2. Alternate: I am a Catholic because I sincerely believe, by virtue of much cumulative evidence, that Catholicism is true, and that the Catholic Church is the visible Church divinely-established by our Lord Jesus, against which the gates of hell cannot and will not prevail (Mt 16:18), thereby possessing an authority to which I feel bound in Christian duty to submit.

3. 2nd Alternate: I left Protestantism because it was seriously deficient in its interpretation of the Bible (e.g., "faith alone" and its missing many other "Catholic" doctrines - see evidences below), inconsistently selective in its espousal of various doctrines of Catholic Tradition (e.g., the canon of the Bible), inadequate in its ecclesiology, lacking a sensible view of Christian history (e.g., "Scripture alone"; ignorance or inconsistent understanding of of development of doctrine), compromised morally (e.g., contraception, divorce), and unbiblically schismatic and (in effect, or logical reduction, if not always in actual belief) relativistic.

Disclaimer: I don't therefore believe that Protestantism is all bad (not by a long shot - indeed, I think it is a pretty good thing overall), but these are some of the major deficiencies I eventually saw as fatal to the "theory" of Protestantism, over against Catholicism. All Catholics must regard baptized, Nicene, Chalcedonian Protestants as Christians.

8. Catholicism avoids theological relativism, by means of dogmatic certainty and the centrality of the papacy.

10. Catholicism formally (although, sadly, not always in practice) prevents the theological "pick and choose" state of affairs, which leads to the uncertainties and "every man for himself" confusion within the Protestant system among laypeople.

14. Catholicism retains (to the fullest extent) the elements of mystery, supernatural, and the sacred in Christianity, thus opposing itself to secularization, where the sphere of the religious in life becomes greatly limited.

There are more, but these are the few I saw and liked the most.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Prayer Request

All,
Please say a special prayer for a dear frend of mine who lost her baby at about 15 weeks in utero.

Mother Mary, we pray for our sister in Christ that you will place your comforting arms around her and she will feel your love and peace. Lord Jesus, we ask that you bring this child to be with you forever in paradise. Saints in Heaven, we ask you to show this young one the glories of the Father in Heaven and to pray for the family here on earth.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Adoration for Vocations - St. Joseph's Catholic Church

A local parish St. Jospeh's Catholic Church has Adoration for Vocations this Friday evening 8-25-2006.

"Our own belief is that the renovation of the world will be brought about only by the Holy Eucharist."
~ Pope Leo XIII

Adoration for Vocations will be this Friday, August 25th in the Cody Family Enrichment Center Chapel. Adoration begins at 7 p.m. and concludes at 8:30 p.m. "It is our hope to instill in our youth the need for prayerful discernment of vocation. The call from God to single, married or religious life can truly only be heard through prayer and our children need our guidance and support. One way (the best way) to do this is before the Blessed Sacrament. Our children need to see our faith and trust if they too are going to follow. For this reason, all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend." ~ Matt Breen

The Importance of Eucharistic Adoration and Prayer
“The worship given to the Trinity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit... must fill our churches also outside the timetable of Masses…This worship must be prominent in all our encounters with the Blessed Sacrament… Adoration of Christ in this sacrament of love must also find expression in various forms of Eucharistic devotion: personal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, hours of adoration, periods of exposition – short, prolonged, and annual (Forty Hours) - Eucharistic benediction, Eucharistic processions, Eucharistic Congresses… Let us be generous with our time in going to meet him in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease.”
~ Pope John Paul II

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Catholic Facts (take 2) - About Hell...

Like I mentioned in the first "Catholic Facts" post ... I have been thinking about "Catholic Facts". I have been asked may questions about the "small" things in the Church as well as the "Big" things. Here is the second installment...

Question: What does the Catholic Church say about "Hell"?

Answer: Some one liners about hell: 1. There is a hell. 2. Hell’s eternal. 3. Those who die in mortal sin descend into hell. 4. The chief punishment of hell is separation from God. 5. God predestined no one to go to hell. 6. A person goes to hell because of a willful turning away from God (mortal sin) and persistence in it until the end of life. These are just the hot points of the Church’s traditional teaching about hell. Consult the "Catechism" 1033-1037.

Thanks to Fr. Mark at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for most of the questions and answers.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Bishop Thomas Doran - The 'seven sacraments' of secular culture.

EWTN is hosting an article titled "AMERICANS TO ‘OUTSTRIP’ NAZIS IN TAKING HUMAN LIFE, SAYS BISHOP" referencing an article by Bishop Doran from the Diocese of Rockford. The article gives a clear view of how far America has fallen in the last 33 years.

The United States, with its vast abortion industry, will soon rival the Nazis, who were responsible for about 50 million deaths during the Second World War.

...“No doubt, we shall soon outstrip the Nazis in doing human beings to death,” he stated.

In his Aug. 10 column, the bishop said the “seven sacraments” of secular culture-abortion, buggery, contraception, divorce, euthanasia, feminism of the radical type, and genetic experimentation and mutilation-are “a clear and present danger to our survival as a nation.”

These “sacraments”, he said, “defile and debase our human nature and our human destiny.” He noted that these behaviors are promoted and defended in government by a particular political party, though he did not name the party.

...“What we have to remember is that violence breeds violence. When we tolerate unjust attacks upon the tiniest innocents among us, we habituate ourselves to violence,”

...All Catholics have the duty to support local pro-life movements and to work for an end to the culture of death, he insisted. The bishop expressed his dismay about some of his priests and some faithful not supporting the pro-life movement.

I have requested the August 10 article referenced in the column and will post it when I recieve it. Bishop Doran is right on. The abortion holocost is a horror that the United States of America has largely turned her back on.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas and Intersessor for the unborn, pray for us.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

"Fishers of Men" - Archdiocese of New York (one of several)

This video is a small compilation of several videos that the Archdiocese of New York has produced in a hope to get a greater response to the call for Vocations.



We can not have a Catholic church with out our priests. Please join me in a Novena for Priests
(Thanks EWTN). Mother Mary, please protect them and draw them closer to your son Jesus.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Cardinal Francis Arinze - Questions on Liturgy

The question and answer session followed Cardinal Arinze's talk on the meaning of the Eucharist. The cardinal, who has headed the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments since last October, has addressed these summer conferences, held at "Catholic Familyland" in Bloomingdale, Ohio for a number of years. Full text and article located HERE.

Does everybody have to stand until the last person has received Holy Communion?

There is no rule from Rome that everybody must stand during Holy Communion. There is no such rule from Rome. So, after people have received Communion, they can stand, they can kneel, they can sit. But a bishop in his diocese or bishops in a country could say that they recommend standing or kneeling. They could. It is not a law from Rome. They could -- but not impose it. Perhaps they could propose. But those who want to sit or kneel or stand should be left reasonable freedom.

Why do so many churches not place the tabernacle in the center of the altar or in a prominent place?

The directives from Rome -- including the new Missal issued two years ago -- say that the tabernacle in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved is to be located in a very prominent place either at the center or at such a side altar that it is really prominent and that around it there are kneelers and chairs so that people can pray -- kneel down or sit down. And it is to be so prominent that nobody should need to look for it when you enter the church.

Therefore, whenever you enter a church and you look for the tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved and you do not easily see it, then those who arrange it are already wrong. Because it should be prominent -- it should stand out -- to show our faith.

However, it is not a law that it must be at the center. But it is a law that where it is should be prominent. And that it should be easy for people to see it and to go there and pray. But unfortunately in some churches, sometimes those who did it did not know. But they did not know that they did not know.

So you enter the church and you ask where is the tabernacle? "They have taken the Lord away and we do not know where they have put Him". That's what Mary Magdalene said on Easter day.

In the history of the Church, were there ever women priests? Women can't be made priests, at any time; even the pope can't do that, can he?

No, the pope issued a document about seven years ago* saying that the Church has no power to ordain women priests. There were never women priests in the Church. If Christ would have wanted women to be priests, His Blessed Mother surely should have been number one.

* Ordinatio Sacerdotalis

Could you address the Church's teaching on abstaining from meat on Fridays outside of Lent?

The law is that we don't -- well, Good Friday and Ash Wednesday are the major days for fasting in general for those who have reached the age 21 and are not yet 60. Abstinence, that means no meat on those days for those who are age 14 [or over]. General canon law says that Fridays are days of abstinence -- no meat -- but if you want to eat meat, you should substitute some other form of penance. That's the Church law.

Has liturgical dance been approved for Masses by your office?

There has never been a document from our Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments saying that dance is approved in the Mass.

...Now, some priests and lay people think that Mass is never complete without dance. The difficulty is this: we come to Mass primarily to adore God -- what we call the vertical dimension. We do not come to Mass to entertain one another. That's not the purpose of Mass. The parish hall is for that.

So all those that want to entertain us -- after Mass, let us go to the parish hall and then you can dance. And then we clap. But when we come to Mass we don't come to clap. We don't come to watch people, to admire people. We want to adore God, to thank Him, to ask Him pardon for our sins, and to ask Him for what we need.

Don't misunderstand me, because when I said this at one place somebody said to me: "you are an African bishop. You Africans are always dancing. Why do you say we don't dance?"

A moment -- we Africans are not always dancing! [laughter]

Moreover, there is a difference between those who come in procession at Offertory; they bring their gifts, with joy. There is a movement of the body right and left. They bring their gifts to God. That is good, really. And some of the choir, they sing. They have a little bit of movement. Nobody is going to condemn that. And when you are going out again, a little movement, it's all right.

But when you introduce wholesale, say, a ballerina, then I want to ask you what is it all about. What exactly are you arranging? When the people finish dancing in the Mass and then when the dance group finishes and people clap -- don't you see what it means? It means we have enjoyed it. We come for enjoyment. Repeat. So, there is something wrong. Whenever the people clap -- there is something wrong -- immediately. When they clap -- a dance is done and they clap.

It is possible that there could be a dance that is so exquisite that it raises people's minds to God, and they are praying and adoring God and when the dance is finished they are still wrapped up in prayer. But is that the type of dance you have seen? You see. It is not easy.

...I saw in one place -- I will not tell you where -- where they staged a dance during Mass, and that dance was offensive. It broke the rules of moral theology and modesty. Those who arranged it -- they should have had their heads washed with a bucket of holy water! [laughter]

...If people want to dance, they know where to go.

Full text and article located HERE.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Mary Assumed into Heaven

Thank the Lord and the Holy Catholic Church for the gift of Mary our mother. Mary we ask your intersession for our priests and all religious, that they will cling to you and that you will place your mantle around them and draw them closer to your son Jesus.

For those who might not know the details...

According to Roman Catholic doctrine and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mary, the mother of Jesus) "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory." This means that Mary was transported into Heaven with her body and soul united. Mary's passage into Heaven is called the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics. This doctrine was dogmatically and infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950 in his Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus.
Quoted from Wikipedia.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Catholic Facts - As often as I can get them posted

I have been thinking about "Catholic Facts". I have been asked may questions about the "small" things in the Church as well as the "Big" things. In this section I will attempt to give a brief answer to a question about a "Catholic Detail".

Question: Is it ok for the priest to add his own pious prayers to the Mass, prayers like the "Hail Mary" immediately after Communion?

Answer: No, he may not "..no sacramental rite may be modified or manipulated at the will of the minister or the community. Even the superior authority in the Church may not change the liturgy arbitrarily." ("Catechism" #1125). Additions to the Mass are not authorized. Even the priest is not to impose his personal piety on the congregation. " Absolutely no other person (than Pope or Bishop) not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority." (Constitution on the Liturgy, Vol. II, #22, 3).

Thanks to Fr. Mark at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for most of the questions and answers.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Pope Benedict XVI - Interview on Vatican Radio

Vatican Radio transcript of the interview with Pope Benedict XVI by Bayerische Rundfunk (ARD), ZDF, Deutsche Welle and Vatican Radio.

Question: As Pope you are responsible for the Church throughout the world. But., clearly, your visit focuses attention on the situation of Catholics in Germany as well. All observers say there’s a positive atmosphere, partly thanks to your election as Pope. But, obviously, the old problems are still around. Just to quote a few examples: fewer churchgoers, fewer baptisms, and especially less Church influence on the life of society. How do you see the present situation of the Catholic Church in Germany?

Benedict XVI: I’d say, first of all, that Germany is part of the West, with its own characteristic colouring obviously, and that in the western world today we are experiencing a wave of new and drastic enlightenment or secularization, whatever you like to call it. It’s become more difficult to believe because the world in which we find ourselves is completely made up of ourselves and God, so to speak, doesn’t appear directly anymore. We don’t drink from the source anymore, but from the vessel which is offered to us already full, and so on. Humanity has rebuilt the world by itself and finding God inside this world has become more difficult. This is not specific to Germany: it’s something that’s valid throughout the world, especially in the west. Then again, today the West is being strongly influenced by other cultures in which the original religious element is very powerful. These cultures are horrified when they experience the West’s coldness towards God. This “presence of the sacred” in other cultures, even if often veiled, touches the western world again, it touches us at the crossroads of so many cultures. The quest for “something bigger” wells up again from the depths of western people and in Germany. We see how in young people there’s the search for something “more”, we see how the religious phenomenon is returning, as they say. Even if it’s a search that’s rather indefinite. But with all this the Church is present once more and faith is offered as the answer. I think that this visit, like the visit to Cologne, is an opportunity because we can see that believing is beautiful, that the joy of a huge universal community possesses a transcendental strength, that behind this belief lies something important and that together with the new searching movements there are also new outlets for the faith that lead us from one to the other and that are also positive for society as a whole.

Read the entire interview.

Thanks to Me monk. Me meander for the original post.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Novena to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - Day 8

Day 8, "And we know that all things work for good for those who trust in the Lord" Romans 8:28

Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by the Holy Trinity.

Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven.

From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help. I ask for this favor: (Mention your request).

When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.

EWTN link.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

"Imposing Our Beliefs" on Others - Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk

An amazing article by Fr. Tad in responce to a senatorial testimony he gave on embryonic stem cell research. The full text can be found HERE.

After I gave my testimony, one of the senators asked a pointed question. "Father Tad, by arguing against embryonic stem cell research, don't you see how you are trying to impose your beliefs on others, and shouldn't we as elected lawmakers avoid imposing a narrow religious view on the rest of society?"

...Lawmakers face the daunting task of making decisions about what should or should not be permitted by law within a reasonable society. Recently I was asked to speak in Virginia at legislative hearings about embryonic stem cell research. After I gave my testimony, one of the senators asked a pointed question. "Father Tad, by arguing against embryonic stem cell research, don't you see how you are trying to impose your beliefs on others, and shouldn't we as elected lawmakers avoid imposing a narrow religious view on the rest of society?" The senator's question was an example of the fuzzy thinking that has become commonplace in recent years within many state legislatures and among many lawmakers.

...Two major errors were incorporated into the senator's question.

First, the senator failed to recognize the fact that law is fundamentally about imposing somebody's views on somebody else. Imposition is the name of the game. It is the very nature of law to impose particular views on people who don't want to have those views imposed on them. Car thieves don't want laws imposed on them which prohibit stealing. Drug dealers don't want laws imposed on them which make it illegal to sell drugs. Yet our lawmakers are elected precisely to craft and impose such laws all the time.

The second logical mistake the senator made was to suppose that because religion happens to hold a particular viewpoint, that implies that such a viewpoint should never be considered by lawmakers or enacted into law.

...What is important is not whether a proposed law happens to be taught by religion, but whether that proposal is just, right, and good for society and its members.

...During my testimony, I pointed out how in the United States we have stringent federal laws that protect not only the national bird, the bald eagle, but also that eagle's eggs. If you were to chance upon some of them in a nest out in the wilderness, it would be illegal for you to destroy those eggs. By the force of law, we recognize how the egg of the bald eagle, that is to say, the embryonic eagle inside that egg, is the same creature as the glorious bird that we witness flying high overhead. Therefore we pass laws to safeguard not only the adult but also the very youngest member of that species. Even atheists can see how a bald eagle's eggs should be protected; it's really not a religious question at all. What's so troublesome is how we are able to understand the importance of protecting the earliest stages of animal life but when it comes to our own human life, a kind of mental disconnect takes place. Our moral judgement quickly becomes murky and obtuse when we desire to do certain things that are not good, like having abortions, or destroying embryonic humans for their stem cells.

Once the religious imposition card is played, and Christian lawmakers suddenly become weak-kneed about defending human life and sound morals, the other side then feels free to do the imposing themselves, without having expended too much effort on confronting the essence of the moral debate itself.

About the Aauthor
Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA, and serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See http://www.ncbcenter.org/.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Novena to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - Day 4

Day 4, "... Ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you." John 15:7

Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by the Holy Trinity.

Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven.

From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help. I ask for this favor: (Mention your request).

When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.

EWTN link.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Who should teach your kids about sex?

"Catholic Matriarch in my Domestic Church aka Catholic Mom" has a great article about this. Below are a few excerpts. Click the link above to view the original article.

The original title of the following artivle is
"It'sMy Job, Not the School's Job, To Teach My Child About Sex"

There was a time in my life when I understood calculus, differential equations, and advanced physics. Now, however, those brain cells have been permanently deleted. Therefore, I am happy to have someone whose advanced math and physics brain cells are still intact teach my children the wonders of integrals, vectors, and quantum mechanics. On the other hand, it is my job to teach my children about sex and sexuality. Because of this, my 10th grader is now happily engaged in a study hall each day, rather than sitting through the “morally neutral” presentation of human sexuality offered by this quarter’s health class. The public school program pays lip service to abstinence but with a “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” says, “Here is the rest of the story.” They proclaim to the students, “You are not ready to have sex now!” Okay. When will they be ready? The program can’t say “after marriage” because that is a moral stricture and this program is ---all together now—“morally neutral”. So they use the tried and true parental line, “When you are older.” This is followed up with “We know some of you will not follow our advice and are going to be sexually active, so here is what you need to know.”

...Discussions about sex and sexuality have proceeded in an age appropriate fashion their entire lives. I want them to have all the facts.

...I want them to receive this information within the framework of our values formed by our Catholic faith. My children need more than abstinence education. They need character formation and development of the virtue of Chastity.

...In the first encyclical of his papacy, Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI describes this marital love as the ultimate reflection of God’s loving relationship with mankind. This is what I want my children to learn.

...So as parents, we need to prepare ourselves. We need to be clear about the Church’s teachings. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body is a pivotal work on human sexuality. However, the full text can be intimidating. I recommend one of the works by Christopher West as a good starting point. In addition, read Real Love by Mary Beth Bonacci and Did Adam and Eve have Belly Buttons by Matthew Pinto. Once you are finished reading them, give them to your teens to read. Then listen to them. Don’t launch into your analysis of the books. Let your children tell you what they understood. Ask questions. Help them to make the lessons their own conclusions, not just parental lectures.

The full article can be found here

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Compendium of the CCC

I recently attended a talk by a Deacon in our area titled "An Intro to the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church" I have to aggree with the instructor, it is a great resource! All Catholics should have one. With the low price, why not!

For those who say it is not for everyone... (emphasis mine)

I entrust this Compendium above all to the entire Church and, in particular, to every Christian, in order that it may awaken in the Church of the third millennium renewed zeal for evangelization and education in the faith, which ought to characterize every community in the Church and every Christian believer, regardless of age or nationality.

-- Pope Benedict XVI, Motu Proprio, Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Thank you Holy Father for another great gift to the Church.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Crossroads Pro-Life Walk Across America

I first heard about Crossroads from a young man who came and spoke at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. He shared with us about his experience, and the trails and joys of this journey. I share this story with you. Let us all keep the walkers in our prayers.

It's difficult to walk in the heat, but what keeps all of us going, I think, is knowing that the purpose of our pilgrimage is to witness to life," said Missourian Dennis Stoll, one of more than 40 young people who have spent much of the summer walking across the country for the pro-life cause. Each summer, college-age walkers spread the pro-life message as they pray at abortion clinics in cities and towns along their route, attend daily Mass, recite the rosary and pray for a change in the culture to bring an end to abortion. "Crossroads Pro-Life Walk Across America" sponsors three walks that take place simultaneously. The northern walk starts in Seattle and goes through Billings, Mont., Minneapolis and Cleveland, among other places. The central walk begins in San Francisco and some of the cities on the route are Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Kan., and Indianapolis. The southern walk skirts the bottom of the country, originating in Los Angeles, and stops include Phoenix, Dallas and Atlanta. All three walks were to merge Aug. 12 in Washington for a rally on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Their website is www.crossroadswalk.com. Thanks to The World IMHO for the origional link.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Novena to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - Day 3

Day 3, Lord hear our prayers.

Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by the Holy Trinity.

Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven.

From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help. I ask for this favor: (Mention your request).

When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.

EWTN link.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Is God Calling You?

Here is a great video from the Archdiocese of New York showing a true witness to the world!



Be Not Afraid!

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Novena to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - Day 2

Day 2, keep the prayers flowing!

Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by the Holy Trinity.

Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven.

From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help. I ask for this favor: (Mention your request).

When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.

EWTN link.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Novena to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - EWTN

Today is the day to start it! A good friend of mine has a beautiful devotion to our Mother Mary and recently gave me a book of daily devotions to Mary. With that in mind, please join me in a Novena to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Special thanks to EWTN for the link.

Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by the Holy Trinity.

Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven.

From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help. I ask for this favor: (Mention your request).

When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Honest Sex, Honest Marriage, Honest Celibacy (Link)

I found this post by "Me Monk. Me Meander." It is well written and really gives good cause for reflection!

HONEST SEX, HONEST MARRIAGE, HONEST CELIBACY

— Without Reference to God, the Bible or the Church!

If we understand that sexual intercourse is "body language" that says, "I give you my all," then wholehearted HONESTY in making that statement requires several conditions.

Honestly:

… all of me entirely for you alone, not for another— monogamy;

… all my years— lifelong monogamy;

… all my body— without latex, pills or surgery to shield or impede my body.

— Now … What DOES God Have to Do with It?

Click HERE for the entire post (it is well worth the read).

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Back to School Time - Even for Pope Benedict XVI

As that time of year approches quickly, students everywhere are think about what this year will bring. School, some love it, some dread it. I for one would love to be in a class taught by Pope Benedict XVI.

The Ratzinger-Schülerkreis, that is the ‘Ratzinger Students’ Circle’, brings together once a year the old theology professor, now pope Benedict XVI, and his former students to discuss a new topic every year.

The private meeting is set for Saturday, September 2, and Sunday, September 3, at the Pontifical Villa in the pope's summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.

he first such meeting was held when Joseph Ratzinger was still a professor in Regensburg. Once he became archbishop of Munich, his students asked him to continue and he accepted. When he moved to Rome to take up the post of prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith the annual event continued. Typically, meetings were held at a monastery over a weekend. When the 2004 meeting ended, participants left already knowing the following year’s subject: the concept of God in Islam.

When in the spring of 2005, cardinal Ratzinger became pope, his former students thought that their annual tradition would stop, but were proved wrong. Thanks to Benedict XVI, the annual meeting was held last year and so it will this year.

Read the entire article HERE

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

"If you don't pray, you fail," - Fr. Kevin Gallagher

Encouraging message about a young priest in Philadelphia from The Christian Science Monitor.

In the 31-years since Fr. Gallagher was born, the number of Roman Catholic priests in the U.S. has dropped sharply, from about 59,000 to fewer than 44,000 today.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where Gallagher ministers, is no different. In 1975, 15 men were ordained for the archdiocese - but Gallagher was one of only five in his 2002 ordination class. That same year, emerging national news of sexual abuse of children began to thin congregations, fuel cynicism and foster mistrust among clergy and lay people alike.

But anyone who thinks the Catholic priesthood is dispirited should take a look at the Fr. Gallaghers of the church.

"I just want to say how happy I am," he declares unnecessarily. "And I think most priests are."

Gallagher is second in command at St. Denis Parish, a compact complex of church, rectory, convent, school, and cemetery serving a congregation of 2,600 families here in this Philadelphia suburb.

After Mass, the priest moves quickly through the rectory's big, comfy kitchen, gulping cereal, making introductions, absent-mindedly shoveling errant strawberries into the mouth of a visitor whose cerebral palsy makes her hand shaky. This morning, like all mornings, starts with a list of good intentions. Most of them get tossed as the day progresses, interrupted, as it is, by the never-ending beeping of voice mail, e-mail, intercom, phone, and the tuition payment queries, and church maintenance questions. There's a 9 a.m. spiritual direction appointment, which no one seems to notice is slow getting underway. There's the new family to register. There's a trip into Philadelphia to help prepare for the installation of a bishop. There's a meal with the family whose loved one Gallagher buried not long ago.

But first he's sitting down with a couple he has never met to plan the funeral of their 18-year-old son, the victim of an apparent drug overdose. The tragedy is compounded by news that the friend at whose house the man died has apparently taken his own life. Not parishioners, they came to St. Denis for the funeral because "we were the first place they thought of," says the priest.

Many who tussle with the ways of the Catholic church wonder how a celibate, all-male priesthood can adequately minister to a rarely celibate, often-female church. On this day, though, one wonders what a boyish and relentlessly positive 31-year-old can possibly do for a mother and father in shock. After the meeting, he appears unshaken. He says, he considers it a "blessing" to be able to minister at funerals - even gut-wrenching ones like this. "This is what I was ordained for."

Being dismissed as "young," with its implication that he's unqualified, drives Gallagher crazy. After all, this is a man sure of his mission, in full agreement with the teachings of his church, which undergird his every activity. By virtue of his ordination, his calling is to act - in however flawed and human a form - as the person of Christ for his flock. "You want to spend yourself for others," he explains.

"We often, often, often get called in the middle of the night. The callers don't want to see me," he says. "They want to see Christ." To Catholics, the sacraments an ordained priest administers are signs of the presence of God. As a priest, he says, "You're everything and you're nothing."
__________

Then and now, he's had no qualms about wearing clerical dress, even after receiving some "eerie" looks when first the scandal broke. "You [wanted to] say 'stop staring at me. I'm not a pedophile.' "
__________

An unapologetic "people person," the priest consciously surrounds himself with family, parishioners, and friends, taking care to avoid isolation and to head off the acute loneliness he felt when he arrived at the parish. Gift money from his ordination went to a down payment on a house at the Jersey shore he owns with two other priests, where the talk is sports, politics, current events, and the funnier side of parish life. He also remains close friends with several women, one of them a high school crush who married recently. His one fear, he acknowledges, is the passing of his parents. "They are everything to me."

These days, his praying comes more easily. "If you don't pray, you fail," he explains.

So, before he hurries downstairs in the morning, he reads the breviary prayers that all priests recite daily. "Quiet time is sacred," he says. "Sometimes you even say your prayers faster so you can have your quiet time. Because once I come down those stairs in the morning it's all over."

We must continue to pray for all our priests that Christ will strengthen and support them and that Mother Mary will surround them with her vail and continue to draw them deeper into their vocation. St. John Vianney, Patron Saint of Priests, Pray for all our priests.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Theology on Tap - Friday 08-04-2006

The Diocese of St. Augustine's Office of Young Adult Ministry presents.....

THEOLOGY ON TAP!

A discussion about VOCATIONS with our distinguished speaker:

Fr. Alan Bower

August 4
6:30pm Happy Hour, 7pm - 8pm speaker

Mudville Grill, St. Nicolas Shopping Plaza

Please join us for an opportunity to socialize and enjoy an interesting discussion and dialogue about our faith. Remember to tell a friend, bring a friend!

Contact Chris Wilkey with questions.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

A Gift to Alter Servers from Pope Benedict XVI

Our beloved Pope Benedict XVI gave a special gift to alter servers during his General Audience today. Below are a few excerpts, the rest can be found at CNS.

The Holy Father began his remarks by recalling his first year serving Mass in 1935. Pope Benedict, assuring them that he would keep his comments brief due to the heat, told the altar servers that he wished to offer a message, “that can accompany you in your life and your service to the Church.”

Benedict spoke of the Apostles and their great friendship with the Lord as well as their service to him and the Gospel.

“Today, as a look out at you standing here in St. Peter’s Square,” the Pope told the many altar servers, “I think of the Apostles and feel the voice of Jesus who says to you, ‘I no longer call you servants, but friends, remain in my love and bear much fruit.’ I invite you: listen to this voice. Christ did not just say this 2000 years ago, he lives and speaks to you now.”

Benedict told the servers to listen faithfully to the voice of Jesus and that, while the Vocation of each person is different, He desires friendship with all.

The Pope challenged the young servers to take the fruits of goodness and service and carry them to all areas of their life, this he said, would make them true apostles and friends of Jesus.

Don't forget to keep Pope Benedict XVI in your prayers, that the Lord guide, protect, and strengthen our "German Shepard" in the walk God has planned for his life.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Portiuncula - August 2 - Indulgence

Having recently attended a conference at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, I was blessed by the chance to pray at the replica of the Portiuncula located on the beautiful campus in Ohio.

Any chance for an indulgence is one that I want to avail myself of. Here is your chance as well.

I am posting just the basics here. The Roman Sacristan has all these details and much more on indulgences.

First:
An indulgence is the remission in the eyes of God of the temporal punishment
due to sins whose culpable element has already been taken away. The Christian
faithful who are rightly disposed and observe the definite, prescribed
conditions gain this remission through the effective assistance of the Church,
which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively distributes and applies
the treasury of the expiatory works of Christ and the Saints.-Handbook of
Indulgences, Norms

Now for the details:
one can obtain a plenary indulgence on August 2nd by visiting a parish church and doing the following:

• Devoutly carry out the indulgenced work and devoutly pray the required prayers (if there are any) that go along with the action. In this case, visiting a parish church and reciting the "Our Father" and the Creed.
• Say one “Our Father” and one “Hail Mary” for the intentions of the Pope on the day you perform the indulgenced work.
• Worthily receive Holy Communion, ideally on the same day on which you perform the indulgenced work or at least within a few days of performing the indulgenced work.
• Make a Sacramental Confession within a week of (before or after) the day on which you perform the indulgenced work.
• It is also required that one be free from all attachment to sin, even venial sin.

Remember, indulgences may be obtained for oneself or may be applied to the souls in Purgatory, but they may never be done for other living persons.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic

Archbishop Charles Chaput (Denver) - Church vs. State

I saw this on NewAdvent.org and felt that it needed to be shared again. In light of the media's comments about religious people complicating the political scene with faith with their views; Pro-Life, Marriage between a man and a woman, the intrinsic value of the person, and many more.

The mostly solemn crowd erupted in laughter and applause when Chaput was asked if the government would listen to his church.
He replied, "I don't think the government should listen to the church - the government should listen to the people and the people should listen to the church."

Now that is a line worth memorizing! Archbishop Chaput gets an A in Civics.

Archbishop Charles Chaput (Denver) on July 18, 2006 from Rocky Mountain News.

In Our Lord and Our Lady,
1FaithfulCatholic