Joe Catholic

Tuesday Tech Talk: God and the Machine

2012-03-06T09:10:00.000-06:00

If you like the occasional Tuesday Tech Talk posts I have written reviewing technology from a Catholic perspective you will love Thomas L. McDonald's new blog God and the Machine. McDonald is eminently more qualified to write about technology than I will ever be. He has written numerous articles (mostly) on technology for several different publications. You can view a more complete list of his work on his Blogger's Bio. Additionally, he is a certified catechist for the Diocese of Trenton. He has also written on religion for the National Catholic Register and he is working on his Masters in Theology.

He writes another blog on gaming entitled State of Play. Not being much of a gamer, I haven't read that one, but I trust the advice of Happy Catholic, who directed me to God and the Machine with her recent post. I read McDonald's early posts and I like them. His writing is both witty and insightful. I think his Illustrated Introduction does a great job of quickly displaying this wit. His approach reminds me of some of the prose often found in Wired. I am a fan of Wired and I mean this as a compliment.

I have added God and the Machine to Joe Catholic Blog Roll. I recommend you check it out.

A Priest, Two Deacons and Acolytes

2012-03-05T09:22:00.000-06:00

Last week I posted that seven men in our parish would be installed by Bishop Kevin Vann as Acolytes. Six of the seven (one had a work conflict) were installed Saturday and served at Mass this Sunday. It was great to see Father Mathew have a complete team of helpers. At the 5pm Mass yesterday we had two deacons, two acolytes and three altar servers. This coupled with the chanting of many of the prayers, added a nice solemn touch deserving of the Mass.

I am proud to say that five of the six acolytes are regular attendees at Joe Catholic and the other has attended some of the gatherings. More importantly, I am thankful that these men answered the call to serve the Lord and our parish in this capacity. I can only think that they will serve as role models for boys to become altar servers. Perhaps some young men may even become open to the vocation to the priesthood.

North Texas Catholic Men's Conference

2012-03-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

April 28, 2012, Joe Catholic is taking its gathering on the road to go see the men of Crossing the Goal at the North Texas Catholic Men's Conference.

The speakers will include Danny Abromowitz, Peter Herbeck, Curtis Martin and Brian Patrick. They will speaking on Conversion, Transformation, Evangelization and How to Start a Men's Group. Additionally the team will be joined by Aux. Bishops Deshotel and Seitz.

The sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered throughout the day. There will also be an opportunity for Eucharistic Adoration and for praying the Holy Rosary. Mass will be celebrated and Aux. Bishop Deshotel will conduct Benediction.

The conference is being hosted by the Brothers of Christ at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Plano, TX. If you register before April 13th the investment in your spiritual development is only $25. After that deadline it goes up to $35.

Spiritual Toolbox: The Sign of the Cross

2012-03-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

[Originally posted 8/5/09, this update contains significant upgrades to the links and has added commentary]

The Sign of the Cross is one of the most basic prayers in the Catholic Church. For many of us, it may have been the very first prayer we learned. The simplicity of the prayer speaks to the perfect simplicity of the Holy Trinity. Proclaiming the name of God is a powerful prayer in itself.

SaintsSQPN describes the prayer this way:

The most important of the sacramentals. It is a symbol of our deliverance from Satan, and an emblem of God‘s mercy as manifested through the crucifixion of Our Saviour. It consists in making a movement with the hands, or with some object, in the form of a cross.

[T]he words and the action form a summary of the Catholic faith in God and the Redemption. We say “In the name” – expressing the unity of God; we mention the three Persons of the Trinity; the cross itself, made with the hand, manifests our belief in the Incarnation, death, and resurrection of Our Saviour, and shows that we regard Him not only as God but as man – for otherwise He could not die. The use of this sign goes back probably to the days of the Apostles.

Here are some resources explaining the origin of the Sign of the Cross and why we make this gesture with the prayer.

Catholic Encyclopedia

Early Explanation

Interview with Bert Ghezzi on Catholic Online

Karl Keating (link to audio has expired)

The Sign of the Cross, Bert Ghezzi (the book featured in the picture)

Prayer, The Golden Rule & Forgiveness

2012-03-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today's Gospel begins with instruction on the efficacy of persevering in prayer and closes with the Golden Rule. We have probably all heard this reading a number of times. I believe that we have a tendency to become desensitized to the message of these passages when he hear them, but fail to reflect on them.

Ask and You Shall Receive
I know when I was younger I used to think this verse meant that I would get what ever I asked of God. In retrospect, I now I understand I was treating the LORD like some personal genie to grant my every wish. If that were indeed the case, why is it that I don't always get what I ask for?

According to the commentators of the Navarre Bible, "St. Augustine says that our prayer is not heard because we ask 'aut mali, aut male, aut mala.' "Mali' (= evil people): because we are evil, because our personal dispositions are not good; 'male' (= badly): because we pray badly, without faith, not persevering, not humbly; 'mala' (= bad things): because we ask for bad things, that is, things which are not good for us, things which can harm us" (cf. "De Civitate Dei, XX", 22 and 27; "De Serm. Dom. In Monte", II, 27, 73) (As sited by Navarre Bible commentary).

Give Him a Serpent?
We find a clarification to St. Augustine's commentary in the next verse. Jesus uses two great analogies to demonstrate that God, who is perfectly good, will not give us a bad. I love reading this passage because it always reminds me of my Mom. She loved quoting this scripture when I asked her for something. Recently, I had the opportunity to quote it back to her when she was surprised by something Stacey and I had recently given her.

I like St. Josemaria's in response to this passage: "Pray. In what human venture could you have greater guarantee of success?" (The Way, 96).

The Golden Rule
The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses the Golden Rule specifically:

The Law of the Gospel requires us to make the decisive choice between "the two ways" and to put into practice the words of the Lord. It is summed up in the Golden Rule, "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; this is the law and the prophets."

The entire Law of the Gospel is contained in the "new commandment" of Jesus, to love one another as he has loved us. (CCC, 1970)

This rule can be viewed in its proper context when joined with Christ's statement to "love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another" (John 13:34). When we really think about what Jesus is saying, it can (and should) cut to our hearts. Christ demonstrated his love for us by dying on the cross for us. If we are to love like him we should be willing to die for others. This does not mean literally laying our lives (although sometimes it might), but rather humbling ourselves to serve or put up with others. St. Josemaria had a witty way of describing this:

Long faces, coarse manners, a ridiculous appearance, a repelling air. Is that how you hope to inspire others to follow Christ?

Penance means being very charitable at all times towards those around you, starting with the members of your own family. It is to be full of tenderness and kindness towards the suffering, the sick and the infirm. It is to give patient answers to people who are boring and annoying. It means interrupting our work or changing our plans, when circumstances make this necessary, above all when the just and rightful needs of others are involved.

Penance consists in putting up good-humouredly with the thousand and one little pinpricks of each day; in not abandoning your job, although you have momentarily lost the enthusiasm with which you started it; in eating gladly whatever is served, without being fussy. (Friends of God, 138)

Forgiveness

I can't help but think that this Gospel reading is also related to yesterday's focus on forgiveness. We are called to forgive those who hurt us. Who are we to hold on to that grudge when Christ was willing to forgive all our sins (debts)?

During this time of Lent we need to refocus our efforts in forgiving others and enduring the daily pinpricks of our lives. We have to live the love of Christ. When we begin to do this, our lives become reflections of Christ's love and evangelization ensues.

Our Father - A Gospel Reflection

2012-02-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

Sermon on the Mount by Heinrich Bloch

Yesterday's Gospel reading is Jesus' instruction to the apostles on how to pray. While the ten verse passage is a relatively short one, it is rich with catechesis. According to the Navarre Bible commentators, "[t]he 'Our Father' is, without any doubt, the most commented-on passagein all Sacred Scripture." Rather than share my inadequate thoughts on this important reading, I thought I would share some from the Catechism, the Church Fathers and a few saints.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Summary of the Whole Gospel

The Lord's Prayer "is truly the summary of the whole gospel." "Since the Lord . . . after handing over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, 'Ask and you will receive,' and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer [the Lord's Prayer] is said first, as the foundation of further desires."(CCC, 2761)

The Lord's Prayer

It is called "the Lord's Prayer" because it comes to us from the Lord Jesus, the master and model of our prayer. (CCC, 2775)

Prayer of the Church

The Lord's Prayer is the quintessential prayer of the Church. It is an integral part of the major hours of the Divine Office and of the sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Integrated into the Eucharist it reveals the eschatological character of its petitions, hoping for the Lord, "until he comes" (1 Cor 11:26). (CCC, 2776)

Church Fathers and Saints
St. Augustine

"St. Augustine says that the Lord's Prayer is so perfect that it sums up in a few words everything man needs to ask God for (cf. "Sermon", 56). It is usually seen as being made up of an invocation and seven petitions--three to do with praise of God and four with the needs of men." (Navarre Bible commentary).

St. John of Avila

God is strongenough to free you from everything and can do you more good than all the devilscan do you harm. All that God decrees is that you confide in Him, that you drawnear Him, that you trust Him and distrust yourself, and so be helped; and withthis help you will defeat whatever hell brings against you. Never lose hold of thisfirm hope [...] even if the demons are legion and all kinds of severe temptationsharass you. Lean upon Him, because if the Lord is not your support and yourstrength, then you will fall and you will be afraid of everything" (Sermons, 9, First Sunday of Lent").

St. Teresa of Avila

"Anyone, then, who sincerely repeats this petition, 'Fiat voluntas tua', must, at least in intention, have done this already" (Way of Perfection, 32f).

St. Josemaria Escriva

"All right: that person has behaved badly towards you. But, haven't you behaved worse towards God?" (The Way, 686).

St. Josemaria's reflection on the nature of forgiveness is one key point of the Our Father that always strikes me. When we pray the Lord's Prayer we are asking Him to treat us in the manner that we have treated those that have offended us. In other words, all those times I have held others in contempt, I am condemning myself. Wow! It certainly makes you think about how we treat others. I think it might just lead me to be a bit more forgiving. How about you?

Tuesday Tech Talk:Web Sites for Lent

2012-02-28T23:32:00.001-06:00

There are a number of very good, authentic Catholic websites available. Unfortunately, if you are just returning to the Catholic Church (like I was eight years ago) or are a neophyte hungry to learn more, the Internet can be intimidating and even a dangerous place to find resources. We live in crazy times where so-called Catholic websites can be fronts for schismists who believe Vatican II was a heresy to progressives who think there's no contradiction between being Catholic and pro-choice.

I hope this brief list (it is by no means exhaustive) is a good starting point for you to develop your own tool chest of resources. I would recommend visiting the links and blog lists posted on these sites. You will find that good sound teachers and writers on the faith have a tendency to cite each other.

I picked this list because they tend to be comprehensive and catechetical. Additionally, I think these sites would be appropriate tools for deepening your faith during Lent. You can use them to stock your Spiritual Toolbox with more spiritual tools and knowledge. You might use them to research a saint. Or you might use them to answer a FAQ of the Faith.

Catholic Answers - one of the most comprehensive collection of Catholic apologetic and catechetical resources. The cite also has links to audio and video archives of their programming. On the low-tech side, they have a number of faith tracts that you can download for free.

Catholic Exchange - this site is structured like a news magazine containing topics that range from art to technology. The site contains a number of great columns and resources. It even posts recipes. For example, they recently posted a recipe for beer-battered fish fry.

EWTN - if you have not discovered EWTN, you need to just start watching the programming. Fortunately, if your cable or satellite provide does not carry Mother Angelica's network, you can follow most of the programming online. Additionally, the site has a huge library of documents and audio programming.

New Advent - in addition to having the complete copy of the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia, this site includes the complete Summa, writings from the Church fathers, the Bible and a library of other Church documents. The site also captures a number of popular Catholic blogs.

USCCB - the shepherds of the US Catholic Church have organized a robust website which includes resources ranging from the Bible to liturgical norms. The site contains a complete copy of the New American Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Remember they also have great video reflections on the daily readings.

The Minor Order of the Acolytes

2012-02-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Photo by Archdiocese of Washington

This past Saturday, Tom Jaconette (our media specialist), gave a brief talk on the installation of men into the Minor Order of the Acolytes. Essentially there are two types of acolytes: seminarians on their way to the priesthood and lay men who have been chosen by their pastors to be installed by the diocesan bishop. Our parish will have seven men installed by Bishop Kevin Vann next week.

In the last few years we have seen an increase in the number of adults who are altar servers. These adults help the children that serve on the altar, what we would have called altar boys in the old days. These men will be distinguished from the other adult servers in what they wear and the duties they perform. Our new acolytes will wear a black cassock covered with a white surplice as seen above. They have the responsibility of directly helping the priest and deacon during Mass. In the absence of a deacon they are able to take on many of those duties, including purifying the sacred vessels used in Communion. Because the acolyte is a minor order only men can serve in that capacity.

The functions of the acolyte are set forth in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

The Functions of the Acolyte
187. The functions that the acolyte may carry out are of various kinds and several may occur at the same moment. Hence, it is desirable that these duties be suitably distributed among several acolytes. If, in fact, only one acolyte is present, he should perform the more important duties while the rest are to be distributed among several ministers.

The Introductory Rites
188. In the procession to the altar, the acolyte may carry the cross, walking between two ministers with lighted candles. Upon reaching the altar, however, the acolyte places the cross upright near the altar so that it may serve as the altar cross; otherwise, he puts it away in a dignified place. Then he takes his place in the sanctuary.

189. Through the entire celebration, it is for the acolyte to approach the Priest or the Deacon, whenever necessary, in order to present the book to them and to assist them in any other way required. Thus it is appropriate that, in so far as possible, the acolyte should occupy a place from which he can easily carry out his ministry either at the chair or at the altar.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist
190. In the absence of a Deacon, after the Universal Prayer and while the Priest remains at the chair, the acolyte places the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar. Then, if necessary, the acolyte assists the Priest in receiving the gifts of the people and, if appropriate, brings the bread and wine to the altar and hands them to the Priest. If incense is being used, the acolyte presents the thurible to the Priest and assists him while he incenses the offerings, the cross, and the altar. Then the acolyte incenses the Priest and the people.

191. A duly instituted acolyte, as an extraordinary minister, may, if necessary, assist the Priest in distributing Communion to the people.[99] If Communion is given under both kinds, in the absence of a Deacon, the acolyte administers the chalice to the communicants or holds the chalice if Communion is given by intinction.

192. Likewise, after the distribution of Communion is complete, a duly instituted acolyte helps the Priest or Deacon to purify and arrange the sacred vessels. In the absence of a Deacon, a duly instituted acolyte carries the sacred vessels to the credence table and there purifies them, wipes them, and arranges them as usual.

193. After the celebration of Mass, the acolyte and other ministers return together with the Deacon and the Priest in procession to the sacristy, in the same manner and in the same order in which they entered.

Rooting for a Nun at the Oscars

2012-02-26T09:31:00.000-06:00

There aren't many movies on this year's list of nominees for an Oscar that I have seen or intend to see. One that stands out as a must see is the documentary, God Is the Bigger Elvis, which chronicles Dolores Hart's transformation from a Hollywood starlet to a cloistered nun. She will be easy to spot at tonight's Academy Awards, for she will be the only one in a Benedictine habit. The movie premiers in April on HBO.

Mother Dolores Hart is now the Mother Prioress at Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Mother Dolores has also appeared on EWTN and has been featured on Vocation.com.

Test Post for TechnoratiSWHWXAUA8KTS

2012-02-25T17:42:00.001-06:00

I am working on improving the traffic to the site.

SWHWXAUA8KTS

Prayer of the Church:The Laity Too!

2012-02-25T11:00:00.000-06:00

Photo by Holy Cross Office of Vocations

The Liturgy of the Hours (LOTH), also known as the Divine Office or Breviary, is the "official prayer of the Church" (EWTN). The LOTH contains a collection of prayers, psalms and readings used for allotted times of the day. As official representatives of the Church, clergy and religious are required to pray the Divine Office throughout each day. Lay people, though not required, are encouraged to pray the "prayer of the Church." In fact many parishioners who attend daily mass will join their parish priests in praying the morning prayers. You can join in the prayers anywhere you pray.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1174-1178) explains:

The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the prayer of the whole People of God. In it Christ himself "continues his priestly work through his Church." His members participate according to their own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives: priests devoted to the pastoral ministry, because they are called to remain diligent in prayer and the service of the word; religious, by the charism of their consecrated lives; all the faithful as much as possible: "Pastors of souls should see to it that the principal hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and on the more solemn feasts. The laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually." (1175)

According to the Apostolic Constitution - Canticum Laudis:

“The purpose of the Divine Office is to sanctify the day and all human activity. The Office is... the prayer not only of the clergy but of the whole People of God.”

It would be easy to get overwhelmed with the details of the LOTH. Which section do I pray? When do I pray? Which book do I use? I recommend putting all that aside and that you just begin to pray the LOTH in the format that is comfortable for you. Some days I only read the Morning Prayers also referred to as Lauds. Other days I may only read the Evening Prayers called the Compline.

Below I list a number of good online resources to help you begin praying the LOTH. If you scroll all the way to the bottom, I have included a brief YouTube video as well. I would recommend reading the post on Catholic Tide first because it contains a good overview on diving into the Divine Office. They recommend downloading the free PDF booklet entitled Discovering Prayer.

RESOURCES

Print Copies:

Aquinas and More

Online Tools:

Mobile Apps:

The Bag Lady & The Homeless Youth

2012-02-24T23:48:00.001-06:00

Photo by Kristjan Logason

Morning Drive

Most mornings that I drive to work, I have to stop at a light as soon as I get off the freeway. This corner almost always has a person begging for money. I try to have some change handy to give them. I have been giving money to these people and others I encounter (mostly when I am in downtown Dallas) since 2005. I'd like to tell you that I had always been motivated to be charitable, but that would be lie. No, instead, God blessed me with a life changing experience.

Can I have your book?

Twice a week my colleagues and I take a group of high school students to the Frank Crowley Courts Building to observe real court cases. On one particular rainy morning I drove my own car to court instead of riding the bus. I got out of the car, grabbed my umbrella and secured a book on prayer a friend from my parish had given me. I hadn't gotten very far when a homeless women darted out from behind another parked car, blocking my path. She grumbled, "Give me a dollar." I told her I didn't have one to give. Of course this was a lie. She wasn't done with me yet. "Give me your book," she demanded. I hugged the book to my chest like a little girl gripping a doll and meekly said NO as I hurried around her.

Second Thoughts

I had turned down panhandlers before. I had denied having money. I had even pretended I didn't see them as I walked by or simply ignored them as they spoke to me through my car's window. It never bothered me before. For some reason, this time I was bothered by inaction. I sat waiting for our court time to be over, vowing to find that lady in the parking lot and give her money for lunch. When I went back out to the lot, I didn't see her anywhere. Intent on finding her, I drove around and through each row of the lot looking for her. Finally, I found her, but someone else was taking care of her. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with guilt and I began to cry. "Lord, I let you down," I cried out in the emptiness of my car. I drove away in shame.

Lord, please give me a second chance.

As I finally composed myself, I prayed that the Lord would give me another chance to serve Him. I recalled the words of the hymn I sang so often as a boy" "That which you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me." I asked God to put another person in my path to help. I assumed it would be something simple like giving a few dollars. Boy was I wrong!

Excuse me sir, can you help me?

That weekend, my wife and thirty other women were putting on the second Christ Renews His Parish retreat for another group of women. The men from the previous retreat were tasked to clean up and take down the retreat furnishings. While I was loading my car with items from the retreat chapel, I saw a young man walking up the side of the Church. It was getting dark and I didn't recognize him, but I assumed he was one of high school boys from the youth ministry. As he approached, he called out, "Excuse me sir, can you help me?" I thought he was going to ask for directions. Instead, he explained that he and his father had had a huge argument and he had been kicked out of the house. He was clearly shaking from the cold and he confessed he hadn't eaten in days.

I've got to do this.

I instantly knew that this young man was sent as an answer to my prayer. You see, we live in fairly comfortable suburb and we just don't have homeless people wandering around. I asked him to take a seat on the step while I went inside to see if I could get him some help.

The ladies had a huge amount of lasagna leftover from their dinner. They helped me fixed him a hearty plate and we set him up in one of the classrooms to eat. One of the other men found a spare coat for him to wear. There was still the question of what he would do about shelter. Fortunately, one of the ladies on the retreat was the parish secretary and she found a directory of shelters.

As I was walking back to see the young man I ran into my wife and she asked me what I was doing. I told her about the young man and I explained that I intended to take him to a local shelter. "I've got to do this. God sent him to me." Stacey understood and just insisted that I take another one of the men with me. After the young man had consumed a second plate of food, my friend, Sylvio and I took the young man to a shelter in downtown Dallas.

Spare Change

Now, I try to carry some spare change or loose bills to give out whenever I am asked. Since that day, God has also put a number of students in my life who have needed help. Sometimes that has meant buying them a meal, giving them a ride or finding them a home. While these acts have not been as dramatic as the one at my church, the Lord has used those opportunities to help me see Christ in others, especially those in need.

As we begin this season of Lent, let's all look for opportunities to serve others.

Do You Have the Right Tools in Your Toolbox

2012-02-23T00:59:00.000-06:00

Photo by XJKyle1389

Our Dad's Toolbox
As I was preparing a talk on this subject for last month's Joe Catholic gathering, I thought of my Dad and his roll away toolbox. When I was in grade school my Dad was a machinist, specifically a lathe operator for LTV. I remember him having two roll away toolboxes, one for his home tools and the "Big Red" one he had at work. I got to see the red one when he had his Christmas vacation (I would later learn these were actually plant shut downs).

Dad was very clear that my brother Tony and I were not to get any of the tools out of his toolbox. It had a lock, but Dad never had to lock because we feared what would happen if we sneaked a peak. When we reached high school Dad declared we were old enough to be entrusted with the use of his tools from the home roll away. He, like many fathers, made it clear we were to return all the tools in the same condition as we received them. Inevitably we each put one away dirty, left one in the rain that got rusty and even lost one. Owning up to those times was not easy, but we learned a lot about responsibility and accountability from those tools.

Our Father's Spiritual Tools

Our heavenly Father has equipped and entrusted each and every one of us with the necessary spiritual tools to succeed in answering the call to universal holiness, to achieve personal sanctity. Unfortunately, like the boys we once were, we have let them get rusty, failed to sharpen some and even forgotten other spiritual tools.

A-Count-Ability
One of the first things my Dad taught us about the tools is that you had to account for what tools you had and where they belonged. His reasoning was that you cannot know what tools you need for a job if you don't know what you have. Similarly, this is how we need to make an honest assessment of the state of our spiritual toolbox. More precisely this is deeper examination of conscience, one that reflects on our daily use of the spiritual tools our Lord has provided us with. These include the Communion of Saints, prayer, the sacraments and spiritual reading.

Ultimately, this inventory of spiritual tools should be part of our Spiritual Game Plan, what St. Josemaria Escriva called a plan of life. I recommend ordering a copy of Father John McCloskey's pamphlet - Seven Daily Habits of Faithful Catholics, available at CatholiCity.

Spiritual Reading
Do you have a good Catholic Bible in your library? I recommend the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition, published by Ignatius Press. Along with the Bible, you should have a copy of the complete (GREEN) Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). The CCC is the most comprehensive collection of Catholic teaching; it is what we believe. Blessed John Paul II, in Fidei Depositum, described it as "a sure norm for teaching the faith" and thus "a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion." The cross-reference index and glossary alone make the "green book" worth purchasing.

In addition to the Bible and CCC, you should incorporate some spiritual reading from other sound Catholic writers. You can't go wrong with starting with writings of the saints, classic works like Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales or The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva. If you prefer something modern, I recommend looking at the spiritual reading list on the Joe Catholic homepage (right column).

Prayer
How can you say you are a man of God if you are not actively communicating with Him in prayer?
Scripture says we should pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17). This of course seems impossible for someone other than a cloistered nun or hermit monk. Actually it's not, if we begin to understand that prayer is more than words. When we begin to transform our lives into active prayer then we will begin to realize that we can communicate with God throughout our daily activities.

Can we really love God with our whole hearts, minds and souls when we allow other things in our lives to be more important? That which consumes most of our time is our God (not deliberately, but practically). What is your God? I know I watch too much online TV. If you don't know what is getting in the way of you spending more direct time with the Lord, I recommend a calendar drill in which you log your entire day (a week is preferable) and see how you are spending your time. You will be amazed at how little time you devote to your relationship with God. As we approach Lent, this would be a good time to recalibrate and refocus our lives on Him.

Sacraments
One of the consistent recommendations found in studying the lives of the saints is frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Church teaches that we are only required to go to Confession once a year or when we have committed a mortal sin. Blessed John Paul II went weekly. Dr. Taylor Marshall outlined Seven Reasons to Frequent Confession During Lent (or any other time). I once heard a talk in which the priest described frequent confession as "the rotor router of the soul." Our deacon recently recommended every two weeks. I believe this is also what Scott Hahn recommends in one of his books. I believe we should approach the sacrament in much the same way as physical exercise. If we have not been regularly exercising we should ease into it. I would begin with once a quarter and then build up to once a month and then twice a month or every two weeks. Try it; the grace you will receive will transform you.

We should strive to incorporate Daily Mass into our schedules. In the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex in which I live, we have numerous opportunities to attend daily mass, ranging from 6AM masses to 7PM. This is where a tool like Mass Times comes in handy. Even if your schedule does not permit attending Mass everyday, you could still carve out a few days, starting with Wednesday (because of the Wednesday devotion to St. Joseph), to attend daily Mass. Maybe instead of eating out for lunch, you go to Mass during you lunch break and eat at your desk while you work later. Better yet, you could skip the meal and offer it up.

In addition to incorporating daily mass, we should all strive to participate fully in Mass. This means arriving to Mass a few minutes early to give yourself time to get in the right frame of mind and spirit. It also means that during Mass you actively listen to the readings and homily. I recently asked a group of men at a Monday gathering what the theme of the Sunday Gospel was and only a handful knew.

Spiritual Battle
St. Paul urged us to be vigilant because we are engaged in spiritual battle:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12.)

St. Peter warned that we should "[b]e vigilant at all times for your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Would you let an intruder in your home harm your family without defending them with your very life? Then why would you not put your life on the line for their souls!?! We must man up and stand up to fight.

Earlier this month, Defend Us in Battle raised the battle cry:

We, the living, are part of the Church, we are the Church Militant. We are the warriors fighting the powers and principalities set on the destruction of as many souls that they can sink their claws into. We wage battles and war against these evil powers through prayer, fasting, and alms giving. We are at war, for real.

Conversion
Conversion, which means change, starts at home, including our own parish and those we encounter in our daily lives. We MUST begin to take a supernatural, spiritual outlook on our daily lives. If not, then how are we any different than the rest of society? Do others know you are Christian by the way you live your life or are you an imposter, one who blends in with everybody else?

Lenten Resources

2012-02-22T09:05:00.000-06:00

Cross, Michael O'Brien

Today we begin the forty days of Lent. This should be a time of conversion in which we recall or prepare for Baptism and practice penance. The Second Vatican Council said as much in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy:

The season of Lent has a twofold character: primarily by recalling or preparing for baptism and by penance, it disposes the faithful, who more diligently hear the word of God and devote themselves to prayer, to celebrate the paschal mystery. This twofold character is to be brought into greater prominence both in the liturgy and by liturgical catechesis. (SC, 109)

I have provided two comprehensive sites to aid in enriching your Lenten experience. Additionally, I have included a few links for the Three Pillars of Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

Comprehensive Resources and Links

Prayer

Fasting

Almsgiving

Tuesday Tech Talk: Lenten App

2012-02-21T22:21:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning of Lent. Today, I am recommending Magnificat's Lenten Companion available to download at iTunes for 99 cents.

The Magnificat Lenten Companion application is built to work on iPad and iPhone. The application is organized in a day-to-day format. Modeling the Liturgy of the Hours the app includes opportunities to pray morning, evening and night. It also contains the daily readings and prayers. Additionally, it contains a number of other Lenten practices, including the Stations of the Cross.

Download it now so you can have it ready for tomorrow.

The Healing of the Paralytic:Are We Paralyzed By Sin?

2012-02-19T21:18:00.000-06:00

In today's reading from the Gospel according to St. Mark, Jesus heals the paralyzed man. If you are like me, you have heard this reading a number of times and thought it was merely another miracle performed by Jesus.

Today I discovered a richer meaning of this account. First, I learned this morning in reading the Daily Word Reflection, which utilizes the commentary of the Navarre Bible, that "[i]n this man's physical paralysis, St. Jerome sees a type or figure of spiritual paralysis: the cripple was unable to return to God by his own efforts. Jesus, Godand man, cured him of both kinds of paralysis (cf. "Comm. in Marcum, in loc.").Cf. notes on Matthew 9:2-7." The paralyzed man needed his friends to take him to Jesus. Who have we brought to Jesus?

In the context of Father Mathew's homily at Mass today, I grasped that sometimes we have to fix a pallet for family members and friends and lower them into the confessional. When was the last time you invited a friend or family member (who you knew needed to go to Reconciliation) to join you for the Sacrament of Reconciliation? I remember a few years ago, I invited a family member to join us at our parish's Evening of Reconciliation in which multiple priests visit the parish to hear private confessions. The tears that flowed from her eyes were tears of joy; she had been freed from the paralysis of guilt and sin. What a wonderful gift to share with a loved one, especially as we approach the Lenten season!

I often tell the guys at the Joe Catholic gatherings that I have been looking for a shortcut to Heaven for years. I still haven't found one (and I know I won't), but I have gathered from the lives of the saints, that frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is key to a saintly life.

Just a couple of days until the beginning of Lent. How are you preparing?

New Blog:Catholic Zombie

2012-02-19T18:57:00.000-06:00

I didn't want to distract from the primary emphasis of this blog - catechesis and formation - so I have launched another blog entitled Catholic Zombie to deal with political and social commentary. The title is a play on the way secular media describes loyal Catholics as mindless drones.

I may occasionally drop a quick post directing you to visit the other site. For now, I am going to keep them separate, but I am leaving the option open to link it to Joe Catholic as an additional page.

I'd be open to your thoughts on whether to keep it separate or not.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Catholic Greetings

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you forgot to get your wife or girlfriend a Valentine's card, you can send her an ecard through Catholic Greetings, created by AmericanCatholic. You do need to register on the site, but you will have access to a number of free ecards to send to friends and family. The site has a number of ecards for various holiday and liturgical seasons.

You can include personal message on the ecard and set the day you wish to have it delivered. You will receive a confirmation email when the addressee receives her ecard.

CatholicGreetings also offers a premium service for a monthly fee. This service opens up a number of additional choices to share.

Happy Valentine's Day!

WMD & Marriage

2012-02-12T06:08:00.000-06:00

Sometimes when Stacey and I have a knock down drag out fight (yes, loving couples in a sound marriage CAN and DO fight) it can seem like someone is about to launch a WMD. The WMD I am referring to in the title of this post is World Marriage Day. The idea for WMD originated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1981. A few couples in that area approached their mayor, governor and bishop about honoring marriage on St. Valentine's Day. The event was so successful it was eventually adopted by the World Marriage Encounter and expanded to several other states. In 1993, Blessed Pope John Paul II "imparted his Apostolic Blessing upon World Marriage Day." WMD is now celebrated throughout the United States on the second Sunday in February.

Last night our parish celebrated WMD with a "sweetheart" dance and dinner. The evening began with a blessing over the couples, followed by a series of prayer petitions for married couples. This morning at Mass, Father Mathew blessed all the married couples in attendance.

I like the idea of the WMD, but I have a small issue with their logo. While I agree that the two hearts should be one, there is one heart missing - the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The sacramentality of marriage - and ultimately its success - rests in the union with Christ. Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote a book on this very subject entitled Three to Get Married (available in txt format on EWTN). Maybe I am being picky, but my point is that in a time when the sacrament of marriage is under attack, we should do all we can to promote its sacramentality.

Nevertheless, I think WMD is good start. It should be a launching point for developing more couples' oriented ministries within parishes. Our parish has a Couples' Ministry that meets once a month, revolving between homes of its members. The couples all gather for a potluck meal and then have organized discussions on various topics.

More Marriage Resources:

First they came for...

2012-02-09T08:53:00.000-06:00

The Execution of Blessed Miguel Pro

The recent attack on religious freedom reminded me of this famous quotation from Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak out because I was Protestant.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

This current battle is not about contraception. It's about religious freedom. If we stand (sit) by and let the Obama administration impose its will, what will be next? Priests being banned from preaching on faith and morals? You might think that's a far stretch, but it has already happened in Sweden.

Father Robert Barron makes this point in yesterday's National Review:

The secularist state wants Catholicism off the public stage and relegated to a private realm where it cannot interfere with secularism’s totalitarian agenda. I realize that in using that particular term, I’m dropping a rhetorical bomb, but I am not doing so casually. A more tolerant liberalism allows, not only for freedom of worship, but also for real freedom of religion, which is to say, the expression of religious values in the public square and the free play of religious ideas in the public conversation. Most of our founding fathers advocated just this type of liberalism. But there is another modality of secularism — sadly on display in the current administration — that is actively aggressive toward religion, precisely because it sees religion as its primary rival in the public arena.

We live in times for men and women of action and prayer. More precisely "these world crises are crises of saints" (St. Josemaria, The Way #301).

Viva Cristo Rey!

STOP HHS!

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have been surprised (I don't why I should, but I have been) by the number of people that do not know about the Obama administration's HHS mandate that would force Catholics to violate their own consciences in supporting abortifacients, contraceptives, and sterilizations.

We must send a message to Congress that we will not sit idly by as our religious rights are violated. All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men and women to do nothing.

To get frequent updates follow us on Twitter.

SIGN THE PETITION and spread the word on all your social networks!

Get informed:

Further reading:

Tuesday Tech Talk: Catholic Podcasts

2012-02-07T09:29:00.001-06:00

Today's Tuesday Tech Talk will focus on finding and downloading Catholic podcasts. A podcast is defined as audio content created to be downloaded and heard on computers, mp3 players, tablets and other electronic devices. Think of them as radio shows you can listen to any time you want. Podcasts can vary in length from a few minutes to and hour or so. Most of them range from fifteen minutes to an hour.

When I was commuting to the University of North Texas every other day - a commute that lasted more than an hour from work - I would listen to podcasts more frequently. Now, I listen to Catholic radio shows I was unable to complete, for scripture reflection or to prepare for a talk.

I couldn't find an appropriate video tutorial to show you how to subscribe to podcasts, but you can do a quick Internet search to learn how to download them to iTunes, etc. You can also use directories like PodcastAlley to search for podcasts based on content and topic.

Here's a list of a few of my favorite Catholic podcasts:

Catholic Answers - archive of radio programming from Q & A show
Catholic Underground - a collection of shows dealing with Catholic media and the Behold the Man series
EWTN - archive of homilies and shows
Kresta in the Afternoon - archive of radio shows from Ave Maria Radio
St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology - Scott Hahn's Sunday Gospel Reflections
SQPN - multiple shows including Father Roderick
Verbum Dominum - daily readings (now also included on USCCB site)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Fullness of Truth Conference:@ St. Francis in Grapevine, TX

2012-02-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

The Fullness of Truth is a lay apostolate which puts on conferences throughout the United States. A few months after my return to the Church, Stacey and I attended a FOT conference in Arlington, TX. We got to hear Tim Staples, Doug Berry, Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio and Father Corapi. Scott Hahn has also recently spoken at another local FOT conference.

This February conference will take place in the Ft. Worth Diocese and will have Mike Aquilina (who recently co-authored Dion the Wanderer Talks Truth), Marshall Taylor (who shared a guest post with Joe Catholic) and Father Bill Casey who often appears on EWTN. The emcee will be Matthew Warner who writes for the National Catholic Register. I regularly share his humorous blog posts on Twitter.

Joe Catholics interested in attending can go to the FOT website for more information.

Presentation of the Lord

2012-02-02T14:12:00.001-06:00

A Light to the Gentiles, Greg Olsen

Today is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Before I write about the feast day, I would like to say a few words about the Greg Olsen's piece, A Light to the Gentiles and why I selected it for this post. I first encountered this picture on the cover of Not Your Average Joe, by Rick Sarkisian, PH. D. (Looking back, I have to think that reading this book may have helped inspire the naming of the Joe Catholic apostolate.) I like the way Olsen portrays Joseph standing behind Mary with his hand on her shoulder. I think this is consistent with Joseph's treatment in the gospels. First, it reveals him as the quiet protector. Secondly, it shows he was a "righteous man," following the dictates of the Mosaic law. This is depicted with his carrying of the two turtle doves. Finally, it demonstrates his intimate love for our Lord, for he was the man closest to Christ.

Reflection #1: Adhering to the Law
Last night I was pondering the difficulty of always trying to stay true to the Church's teachings, both directly and indirectly. In the past two days, both Amazon and Starbucks have made public statements supporting a "gay marriage" bill in Washington state. I don't want to spend too much time getting into that debate. Others have done a good job with that already: CatholicVote and Defend Us in Battle. I had just asked myself if I should stop buying Starbucks and using Amazon when I read this in my morning reflections:

"Through this example, foolish child, won't you learn to fulfill the holy Law of God, regardless of personal sacrifice? "Purification! You and I certainly do need purification. Atonement and, more than atonement, Love. Love as a searing iron to cauterize our soul's uncleanness, and as a fire to kindle with divine flames the wretchedness of our hearts" (St. Josemaria Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Fourth Joyful Mystery).

I'm not sure how much of a sacrifice it would really be since I can still buy my coffee through Mystic Monk Coffee and order most of my books through Aquinas and More. I'm not advocating a boycott or anything like that. I am just thinking about how I choose to spend my money. Just a thought.

Reflection #2: Learning to be Humble
The presentation of Jesus in the Temple is another example of Christ's humility. He, who was perfect god and perfect man, had no need for the old laws, but still permitted himself to experience this. In allowing himself to experience all that we have, but sin, he shows us the path to sanctifying our daily lives. We should also think of this when we don't understand or agree with a teaching of the Church.

"Our Lord Jesus Christ as a child, that is, as one clothed in the fragility of human nature, had to grow and become stronger but as the eternal Word of God He had no need to become stronger or to grow. Hence He is rightly described as full of wisdom and grace" (St. Bede, "In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").

Reflection #3: Making a Bucket List
The priest on today's USCCB video reflection on the readings made an interesting observation. He said that Simeon was waiting his whole life to meet the Messiah. It was on his "bucket list." The priest concluded his reflection by asking what spiritual acts do we have on our "bucket list?"

Introduction to the Devout Life

2012-02-01T17:29:00.002-06:00

We recently celebrated the feast day of St. Francis de Sales who is the patron of writers (presumably this would include bloggers). One of the great gifts he has given the Church is his spiritual classic, Introduction to the Devout Life (At the end of the post, I provide additional links for obtaining a copy of the book).

Last month, I recommended Be a Man! by Father Larry Richards as a starting point for implementing consistent, daily, planned spiritual reading. I chose that title because it was written specifically for men of the laity. I have chosen Introduction to the Devout Life (IDL) for the same reason. It was written with the laity in mind.

St. Francis de Sales was ahead of his time. The idea of the universal call to holiness is common to us now, but the laity of the 16th Century were not privy to this teaching. St. Francis actually addresses this in his Preface:

"But my object is to teach those who are living in towns, at court, in their own households, and whose calling obliges them to a social life, so far as externals are concerned. Such persons are apt to reject all attempt to lead a devout life under the plea of impossibility[.]" (vi)

St. Francis actually wrote that "it is not however, my own choice or wish which brings this Introduction before the public" (vii). He was instead urged by a "devout Religious" to publish the work.

In IDL, de Sales describes devotion as that guide that “not only leads us to do well, but to act carefully, diligently, and promptly” (p. 3). St. Francis de Sales directs a person to ponder Jacob’s Ladder, in order to help a person understand how to progress from simply doing good to doing good carefully, frequently and instinctively. He asserts the two poles of this spiritual ladder are meditative prayer, which seeks God’s love, and the second is the Sacraments, which dispense God’s love. The rungs of the ladder are the virtues and graces by which we ascend to join God’s love or descend to share His love with others in acts of mercy and charity.

St. Francis organized IDL into meditations. The meditations suggested by St. Francis de Sales act as instruments of purification, but are not themselves the purifying agent. Neither does the one who meditates purify himself, but rather the meditations prepare the soul to accept God’s sanctifying grace. When the meditations are obediently performed “they (by God’s Grace) will root out both sin and its affections from your heart (XIII, p. 24). As sin is abandoned and the will of God embraced, we seek to know, love and serve God. The CCC (2706) teaches, “to the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them.” This process stirs us to ask the question, "Lord, what do you want me to do?”

Introduction to the Devout Life - Multiple Formats (Some FREE!)
Online Searchable - Christian Classic Ethereal Library

PDF - CCEL

mp3 - CCEL (Recorded by a volunteer but adequate quality to supplement study.)

eBook - Amazon (Kindle)

Paperback - Aquinas & More

The Fight is On!Rise Up Oh Men of God!

2012-01-30T08:22:00.000-06:00

Photo by CrisisMagazine

Yesterday I wrote that we are in a spiritual battle against the forces of evil. The Obama-care mandate to fund contraception is a vivid example of this war.

It's clear that the Obama administration is dedicated to "treating pregnancy as a disease" and attacking the Catholic Church. It's most recent attempt at undermining the Catholic Church, is an HHS policy which would require all employers, including Catholic schools, hospitals and other Catholic charities to pay for contraception, sterilization and even some abortion producing drugs.

It's time to take a stand. First, we need to get informed and then we need to speak out directly to our legislative representatives and also spread the word via every possible venue and media.

Below you will find links to the USCCB page dedicated to responding to this issue. Additionally, you will find a copy of an OpEd written by Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan and a video from Dolan charging all Catholics to take action.

If you click on the icon on the left side of this blog that shows the Jerusalem Cross with the Stand With the US Bishops, you will be taken to a Facebook page addressing these issues. I intend to include as many links to other material via my Twitter feed: @dgonz15

Support Respect for Rights of Conscience Act

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan OpEd

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan's video plea

2012-01-30T07:34:00.001-06:00

Support Respect for Rights of Conscience Act

Catholic Toolbox: Spiritual Warfare

2012-01-29T16:38:00.000-06:00

Fall of Rebel Angels, Pieter Bruegel

Spiritual Leaders

Joe Catholics we have a God given duty to protect our families – physically, financially, emotionally and spiritually. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not we are at war. Not the war on terrorism, but an Ancient War in which “our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits” [Eph 6:12].

We are part of the Church Militant and as the spiritual leaders of our families, we are at the frontline of this battle. What can we do to arm ourselves against the devil and his minions?

Marching Orders

We need to return to spiritual fundamentals: prayer, sacraments and a life of virtue. Get straight and get right with God! You can be holier. Fight as to win. This is the big one. We are in dire combat with the forces of evil. Love is the answer.

Nurture your relationship with Him. Learn your faith. “Studying the faith is studying Jesus Christ.” Education is not enough. Most of us know more than enough to be canonized saints, but none of the saints were canonized for what they knew, but for what they did. It's not enough to know the faith, you have to live the faith. (NOTE: This is paraphrased from notes taken at a Father Corapi conference years ago.)

What is our purpose? To love, know and serve God with all our heart, mind and soul.

SWAT: Spiritual Weapons and Tactics:

Pray to your Guardian Angel for protection and help.
Pray the Rosary – “the greatest weapon;” “prayer of the Gospel. When you pray the rosary, you pray the Gospel, the Good News, the Word made Flesh, who is Jesus”
Receive the Sacraments frequently
Frequent Communion (i.e., daily mass)
More frequent Reconciliation
Use the Sacramentals: holy medals, scapulars, rosaries, prayer cards, blessed salt
Holy Water
Brown Scapular – like “dog tags” it identifies us as children of Mary, the Mother of God; we reflect on prayer and penance; you may grasp it to overcome the temptation
Unite all your pain and suffering with Jesus. Offer it up!

Saint Talk: St. Thomas Aquinas

2012-01-28T17:49:00.000-06:00

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church. He is the patron of students and author of The Summa Theologica, which is considered by many to be the most influential piece of western literature.

St. Thomas was a Dominican priest who studied in France under the tutelage of St. Albert the Great. By all accounts Thomas was a supernatural genius, who garnered inspiration from the Holy Spirit and was visited by Blessed Mother and Sts. Peter and Paul (See New Advent, Supernatural Causes). He is also reported to have had the ability to read even the most complex material and have full understanding upon only one reading. I could certainly use a little of that charism when studying for my IPT courses. One thing we can certainly learn from this extraordinary saint is that he prayed before each time he studied or wrote. I am particularly fond of his Prayer Before Study.

Today, our own Frater Bovious made a presentation on St. Thomas' teachings.
WARNING: If you are easily offended by "salty" language there is an S-bomb around the 21:05 mark.

Saint Talk: The Conversion of St. Paul

2012-01-25T09:06:00.000-06:00

Today the Church celebrates the Conversion of St. Paul. St. Paul's conversion is such a big deal that the Church sets aside a special day to reflect upon it. I can't think of another feast day on the Church calendar that celebrates any other person in such a manner.

Saul, as he was named before his conversion, was a Jewish zealot intent on persecuting Christians. Saul journeyed to Damascus "so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1). God had a different plan for Saul. While he was traveling to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul in a flash of light. Saul "fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' And he said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting' (Acts 9:4-5). Some biblical scholars dispute the accuracy of Caravaggio's famous painting which depicts Saul falling from a horse. The commentators of the Navarre Bible posit "Saul and his associates, who would probably have been mounted, would have had no difficulty in doing the journey in under a week." Personally, I like the image of Saul falling off his high horse. Isn't that what often happens to us right before we turn to God?

Saul was literally blinded by the light of the Truth. Soon after Saul encounters Ananias, who baptizes him and lays hands on Saul (a symbol of commissioning and ordination). Paul became the Lord's vessel, His instrument for good. Paul spread the Word to gentiles throughout the world and is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul's response to God's call is an example for all of us. Pope Paul VI explains:

"The apostolate is [...] an inner voice, which makes one both restlessand serene, a voice that is both gentle and imperious, troublesome and affectio-nate, a voice which comes unexpectedly and with great events and then, at aparticular point, exercises a strong attraction, as it were revealing to us our lifeand our destiny. It speaks prophetically and almost in a tone of victory, whicheventually dispels all uncertainty, all timidity and all fear, and which facilitates--making it easy, desirable and pleasant--the response of our whole personality,when we pronounce that word which reveals the supreme secret of love: Yes;Yes, Lord, tell what I must do and I will try to do it, I will do it. Like St. Paul,thrown to the ground at the gates of Damascus: What would You have me do?

"The roots of the apostolate run deep: the apostolate is vocation, election, interior encounter with Christ, abandonment of one's personal autonomy to His will,to His invisible presence; it is a kind of substitution of our poor, restless heart,inconstant and at times unfaithful yet hungry for love, for His heart, the heart ofChrist which is beginning to pulsate in the one who has been chosen. And thencomes the second act in the psychological drama of the apostolate: the need tospread, to do, to give, to speak, to pass on to others one's own treasure, one'sown fire. [...]

"The apostolate becomes a continuous expansion of one's soul, the exuberanceof a personality taken over by Christ and animated by His Spirit; it becomes aneed to hasten, to work, to do everything one can to spread the Kingdom of God,to save other souls, to save all souls" ("Homily", 14 October 1968).

When I was about sixteen years old, ABC ran a mini-series called Peter and Paul, starring Anthony Hopkins as St. Paul. While the movie was not completely accurate in its portrayal of biblical events, it did strike a chord with me. To this day, when I proclaim a reading from St. Paul's epistles at Mass, I think of Anthony Hopkins' portrayal. Here is a clip from the movie depicting St. Paul's conversion.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Evernote

2012-01-24T09:09:00.001-06:00

Evernote is a multi-purpose application that allows you to access, create and save various "notes" across multiple platforms (PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, etc.). I use it to take notes when I attend an evening of recollection, Catholic men's conference or when I am presenting at Joe Catholic or RCIA. You can capture audio or even file photos. I like that you can tag your notes with key words which facilitates easy access later on. You can also create folders to organize notes into projects or categories. One other key attribute is the ability to share files with others who have the app.

You can watch a brief video overview of this application.

Saint Talk: St. Francis de SalesDoctor of the Church

2012-01-24T08:55:00.001-06:00

By Father Lawrence Lew, OP

Today the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church.

St. Francis was born to a "noble and pious family." By all accounts he was a great student at the University of Paris and the University of Padua. He was well on his way to a successful career as a lawyer, which was his father's wish. Instead, he answered the call to the priesthood. He was instrumental in responding to the Calvinist movement during the 17th century. Eventually Francis would become the Bishop of Geneva.

His best known work, Introduction to the Devout Life holds the test of time as a guide for lay Catholics who are seeking to develop a closer relationship with Christ. He is the patron of writers.

Additional Reading:

St. Francis de Sales, Catholic.org

St. Francis de Sales, EWTN

For those would like to learn more about St. Francis de Sales from video, here's a one hour video from EWTN:

Keep the Coals Burning - Sustaining Conversion

2012-01-19T09:19:00.000-06:00

Tuesday we published the Joe Catholic debut of Frater Bovious. Today we get to see the man behind Frater Bovious, Mark Connolly. In November, Mark gave a talk comparing conversion to barbecuing. Only Mark could come up with such a unique analogy.

This is only our second Joe Catholic Media production (I use that term loosely), but we do have more in the works.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Holy Smokes! Our Lady of Guadalupe Cigar Matches!

2012-01-17T12:20:00.000-06:00

MATCH MUSINGS AND THE NATURE OF REALITY
------------------------------------------
By FRATER BOVIOUS
Guest Writer to Joe Catholic

Aristotle and Aquinas Have Some Tea
(Mr. Paley was not invited*)

Below you will find a picture of the Lady of Guadalupe cigar matches that I received in my stocking at Christmas. Are they sacrilegious, or are they, in some small "s" kind of way, sacramental?

(CARROLLTON, Cradle of Civilization) - Teleology (from Greek telos, end, and logos, science), like afternoon tea, is something quaint in the minds of many, something that people used to do before Starbucks and Hume. Except, of course, for the fact that no one really strays far from the concept of final causes in their day-to-day real world life.

Take these lovely matches for example. What are they for? Clearly they are for many things, but principally for me, they are for to light cigars. And so, do I take these matches, hold them aloft, utter an obscure latinate prayer to St. Elmo and bid my cigar "Alight!"?

Not hardly. It's way more magical than that. I strike them on the side of the box, which has a scratchy surface that was put there intentionally for the purpose of creating enough friction, that is, heat, to cause a chemical reaction within the head of the match resulting in a series of very small controlled explosions and resultant flame using the wood as fuel and which I then bring near to the cigar and thereby cause the cigar to light. As you can see, it's very magical.

I mentioned that these matches are for "many things". I did not say for "infinite things", meaning that I would not expect these matches, upon being struck, to recite Hamlet's Soliloquy or to suddenly grow wings and fly about the room. Principally, I expect them to make fire. The fire then can be used to do many things, such as light a cigar, charcoal, a candle, etc

"It's just a match," you say. "What's so magical about that," you ask? The fact that it is all so intelligible.

Scientism of today - Oh, what is Scientism? Well now, if fideism is faith without recourse to reason, and rationalism is reason without recourse to faith, then scientism is science without recourse to faith or reason. Anyway, scientism holds that there are no such things as final causes, or final causation - the idea that things work toward a final end or purpose. Things are simply, or simplistically, just random. This is a weak statement of the scientism position, but basically this randomness supposedly accounts for natural selection which is misunderstood as being evolution (when it is simply a process which may explain or support the theory of evolution, but I hear people yawning) and which in any event does not explain a rock.

However, no one actually lives as if randomness were the fundamental principle governing the universe. In fact, the two concepts "randomness" and "fundamental principle" cannot coexist.

Think of it like this - what about a match might disappoint you? If you come home from work, and the matches have not vacuumed, dusted, did the laundry, etc., would you be disappointed? No, what disappoints you about a match would be when it fails to light, or breaks when you strike it - in other words, when it does not meet your expectations; it has not accomplished its end. We think in terms of final causes, we build things in terms of final causes, we have expectations of things and others because we know they are ordered to a particular end or purpose. Sometimes things don't do what we expected, but we do expect that there is a reason or outside influence or something that prevent the match from performing its function.

I submit that no one could possibly live as if randomness were the fundamental principle governing the universe.

If you think about it for a bit, things are only intelligible in the framework of cause and effect, and specifically in terms of formal cause, material cause, efficient cause and final cause. It's rather handy that the universe works this way, since we are equipped such that we can make sense of it all.

But, that is a topic for a future Afternoon Teleology.

Meanwhile, sacrilege or sacrament? Allow me for a moment to simply define the idea of a sacrament as something which points to, and makes present in some way, a mystery. And let me define mystery as something which we can perceive in some manner, but which we cannot readily nor fully explain. These are working definitions, mind you and not rigorous by any means.

The fact that the Lady of Guadalupe matches have successfully lit at least three cigars thus far points to a reality about the universe - the universe is intelligible, and the things that make up the universe all work toward an end. It seems particularly fitting to me that Our Lady, whose end was to be the instrument by which God entered Time in the person of Jesus Christ, should grace this box of matches, consideration of which points back toward God.

Resources:

Aquinas by Edward Feser;
The Shape of Catholic Theology byAidan Nichols
Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Kreeft, Peter and Ronald K. Tacelli.

*(For a hint as to why Mr. Paley was not invited to tea, see this briefest of dismissals of the design argument in the wiki on Hume. Contrary to what many think today, Aquinas was not a proponent of the argument from design for the existence of God. This is not to say that the argument from design is wrong - rather it is to say both proponents and detractors are missing the point.)

Evangelization: Who Have You Invited to Meet Christ?

2012-01-15T23:00:00.000-06:00

Band of Brother by ~7mts

Today's gospel reading (John 1:35-42) contains two subtle examples of evangelization. First, John the Baptism points out Jesus as he is walking by and then tells two of his followers "Behold the Lamb of God." They respond to John by following Jesus.

In the next passage we see that Andrew is the one that invites his brother Simon, soon to be renamed Peter, to meet Jesus. I find it fascinating that in John's gospel account, Peter, the chosen leader of the early Church, was not called directly by Christ.

The Navarre Bible commentary explains:

Sometimes He addresses a person directly by stirring his soul and inviting him to follow Him; at other times, as in the present case, He chooses to use someone close to us who knows us, to bring us to meet Christ.

St. Josemaria Escriva describes the apostolic implications of inviting a friend to meet Jesus:

"Open your own hearts to Jesus and tell Him your story. I don't want to generalize. But one day perhaps an ordinary Christian, just like you, opened your eyes to horizons both deep and new, yet as old as the Gospel. He suggested to you the prospect of following Christ earnestly, seriously, of becoming an apostle of apostles. Perhaps you lost your balance then and didn't recover it. Your complacency wasn't quite replaced by true peace until you freely said 'yes' to God, because you wanted to, which is the most supernatural of reasons. And in its wake came a strong, constant joy, which disappears only when you abandon Him" (St. Josemaria Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 1). [emphasis added]

The Second Vatican Council explained the laity's role in the mission of the Church to evangelize:

"On all Christians therefore is laid the pre-eminent responsibility of working to make the divine message of salvation known and accepted by all people throughout the world"
(Apostolicam Actuositatem, 3).

God is counting on us to do our part in bringing others to Christ. This is at the heart of the Church's mission. Practically speaking, it's our mission too. We might have a friend or family member who has fallen away from the Church and is scared to come back. Or maybe they have never stepped foot in a Catholic Church. Perhaps all they need is a kind gesture, an invitation. They need to know that Christ is waiting for them. We don't have to thump them over the head with a Bible or Catechism; we merely need to be their friends and, like St. John the Baptist and St. Andrew, point the way. We can't let our own insecurities get in the way. The fact is our inadequacies don't matter as long as we put our trust in the Holy Spirit. He will do the rest of the work.

What are you waiting for? Go out and invite someone you know who needs the love of Christ. It will change their lives forever...and yours.

ToolBox: Resources for Studying the Sacrament of Reconciliation

2012-01-12T09:22:00.000-06:00

(Note: I had originally posted this in June of 2009 when the Joe Catholic apostolate was only a month old and I didn't know what I was doing with this blog.)

This is simply a list of resources to begin exploring the Church's teaching on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I have also added a link to two popular Confession apps which are meant as preparation tools for your examination of conscience.)

Scriptural Support for Sacrament of Reconciliation

Baptism and the Forgiveness of Sin
Acts 2:38 - Forgiveness of sins at Baptism cited by St. Peter
Acts 22:16 - Forgiveness of sins at Baptism cited by St. Paul
1 Peter 3:21 - God's pledge of forgiveness thru Baptism

Forgiveness of Sin AFTER Baptism
Matt 28:20 - Christ entrusts apostles with authority
John 20:21-23 - Christ institutes the sacrament of reconciliation
Matt 18:18 - Christ commissions apostles with binding authority to absolve sin
2 Cor 5:18-20 - St. Paul confirms the ministry of reconciliation passed on to bishops/priests

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

(You may need to scroll down the linked page to find section that is cited)

CCC 1425-1426 - Why did Christ institute the sacrament of reconciliation?
CCC 1440-1442 - Who alone forgives sin?
CCC 1453 - What is perfect contrition?
CCC 1457 - Is confession of sins necessary?
CCC 1461 - Who has the power to absolve sins?
CCC 1484 - How necessary are complete confession and personal absolution?

Web Resources

Forgiveness of Sins - Catholic Answers
Confession - Catholic Answers
Confession - The GodPod

Recommended Reading

Lord Have Mercy, Scott Hahn
A Guide Book for Confession for Adults
Why We Need Confession, Russell Shaw
Frequent Confession, Benedict Baur

Apps

iConfess

Confession

Tuesday Tech Talk: VolunteerSpot

2012-01-10T08:43:00.000-06:00

If you have ever had to organize volunteers for an apostolate, ministry or event and wished you had an easy electronic way to do it, VolunteerSpot is the answer.

VolunteerSpot is a simple sign up sheet application that allows you to quickly and easily manage volunteers. There is no software to download and registration is user friendly. VolunteerSpot provides free and premier options.

I coordinate the Lector Ministry at our parish. I was looking for an easy, fair and transparent way to get readers to sign up for special liturgical celebrations. I registered on the website. Next, I scheduled the events I needed volunteers for. This was much like entering a calendar entry on iCal or Outlook. Finally, I cut and pasted my email list into the application and I was able to send out a customized email message that allowed readers to volunteer for the day they were able to read. The app even sends out a reminder email prior to the event.

See the video below for a tour of the application.

SNL Tebow Skit: One Catholic's Opinion

2012-01-09T08:28:00.000-06:00

Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos pulled out another Miracle at Mile High yesterday in defeating the defending AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime and advancing in the NFL playoffs. I am sure the upcoming rematch against Tom Brady's New England Patriots will drum up more chatter about Tebow.

A few weeks ago Saturday Night Live performed a skit satirizing Tim Tebow's style of Christianity. In the skit, Jason Sudeikis portrayed Jesus addressing Tebow and the Broncos in the locker room after their come from behind victory over the Chicago Bears. The skit drew the ire of televangelist Pat Robertson who declared it "anti-Christian bigotry."

I don't think the skit was anti-Christian and I even think it may have contained some subtle insights on how to more effectively evangelize our non-Christian, secularized friends and family. The message of the skit seems to be that you don't have to constantly bring up your faith to be a good Christian. I think this approach, like "Bible thumping" is counterproductive and turns people off. I speak from the experience of one who tried to evangelize my family this way and it failed miserably; they didn't want to be around preachy Don. Instead, I believe, we should focus our attention on living our lives in accord with the teachings of Christ, by being living witnesses of His love and mercy. Thus, they will know we are Christians by our love (John 13:35).

Maybe I am reading too much into the skit, but I also think it contains a more direct message that God gives us plenty of gifts to handle life's challenges on our own; that we don't need to be sitting around waiting for a last minute miracle. In the skit (around the 1:00 mark and again at 1:30), Sudeikis' Jesus says to the team, "I need you to meet me half way." Isn't this what God actually does in our real lives? It reminds me of the story of God and the man in the flood.

I don't purport to know a lot about Tim Tebow. He seems genuine and is certainly a likable guy. I have seen a few of his post-game interviews and press conferences. What I think gets under some people's skin is that he constantly brings up God when it's unsolicited and perhaps unwarranted (if that's possible). For example, after one of the games, a reporter asked him about the defensive unit, and his answer was basically, "I didn't see it; I was praying." To non-believers this can seem to be "in their face" or some might even think it disingenuous.

Watch the skit and you decide for yourself.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Flipboard

2012-01-03T07:11:00.000-06:00

If you were one of the many people who received a new iPad or iPhone as gift, Flipboard is a must have app for your new device. Flipboard is described as a social media magazine app. What this means is that the app allows you to capture your RSS feeds, social sites, and other online media onto one place. What I like about Flipboard is that it allows you to organize your content into categories and you can read through it like a magazine and browse quickly through titles. Best of all it is FREE.

Here is a video demonstration.

Starting the Year Right with Spiritual Reading

2012-01-01T22:49:00.000-06:00

One of the common recommendations in spiritual direction is to incorporate spiritual reading in your daily plan of life. I think it would be a reasonable and attainable goal to read one good, authentic Catholic book per month. This year, I will recommend a different title to read each month. I hope to also squeeze in a few book reviews throughout the year.

I chose Be a Man! by Father Larry Richards as my first recommendation because Father Richards wrote the book specifically for men. Furthermore, the book lays a great foundation for beginning or revitalizing your spiritual game plan. The book is divided into ten manageable chapters that conclude with reflection and action questions.

What are you waiting for? Be a man!

Theotokos: Mary, Mother of God

2011-12-31T17:57:00.000-06:00

Some rights reserved by wordcat57

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This teaching is one of the four Marian Doctrines of the Catholic Church.

Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who is fully man and fully God, "was born of a woman" (Gal 4:4). Mary is that woman. In fact, in Luke's gospel this is revealed in Mary's visit to see Elizabeth. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth proclaimed, ""Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:42-43).

In 431, the Council of Ephesus confirmed Mary as Mother of God, Theotokos. This was proclaimed to answer a heresy denying Jesus’ dual nature as both human and divine. The Council declared:

"We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her" (Formula of Union [A.D. 431]).

Note, the language used by the Council and how that is reflected in our liturgy.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also teaches:

Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord." In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos). (CCC 495)

Pope John Paul II expanded the Church's understanding of the doctrine in his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater:

The Second Vatican Council prepares us for this by presenting in its teaching the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and of the Church. If it is true, as the Council itself proclaims,[8] that "only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light," then this principle must be applied in a very particular way to that exceptional "daughter of the human race," that extraordinary "woman" who became the Mother of Christ. Only in the mystery of Christ is her mystery fully made clear. Thus has the Church sought to interpret it from the very beginning: the mystery of the Incarnation has enabled her to penetrate and to make ever clearer the mystery of the Mother of the Incarnate Word. The Council of Ephesus (431) was of decisive importance in clarifying this, for during that Council, to the great joy of Christians, the truth of the divine motherhood of Mary was solemnly confirmed as a truth of the Church's faith. Mary is the Mother of God (= Theotokos), since by the power of the Holy Spirit she conceived in her virginal womb and brought into the world Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is of one being with the Father.[9] "The Son of God...born of the Virgin Mary...has truly been made one of us,"[10] has been made man. Thus, through the mystery of Christ, on the horizon of the Church's faith there shines in its fullness the mystery of his Mother. In turn, the dogma of the divine motherhood of Mary was for the Council of Ephesus and is for the Church like a seal upon the dogma of the Incarnation, in which the Word truly assumes human nature into the unity of his person, without canceling out that nature. (Redemptoris Mater, 4)

Mary is our Holy Mother too. Although He was on the verge of death, Christ called out to John from the cross, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:27). Furthermore, since Mary is the mother of Christ, who is head of the Church, she is also Mother of the Church.

I will conclude with this simple, logical syllogism: Jesus is God. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Therefore, Mary is the mother of God.

Recommended Reading:

Redemptoris Mater, Pope John Paul II

Hail Holy Queen, Scott Hahn

Theotokos: Woman, Mother, Disciple, Pope John Paul II

How Can Mary Be God's Mother, Tim Staples

Saint Talk: Holy Family

2011-12-30T11:05:00.000-06:00

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Today's Gospel reading is the basis for the Fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. Instead of giving you my thoughts on the subject of the earthly trinity, I have included some excerpts from the writings of Pope Benedict XVI and Blessed Pope John Paul II.

In the Gospel we do not find discourses on the family but an event which is worth more than any words: God wanted to be born and to grow up in a human family. In this way he consecrated the family as the first and ordinary means of his encounter with humanity.

In his life spent at Nazareth, Jesus honoured the Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph, remaining under their authority throughout the period of his childhood and his adolescence (cf. Lk 2: 41-52). In this way he shed light on the primary value of the family in the education of the person.

This Gospel episode reveals the most authentic and profound vocation of the family: that is, to accompany each of its members on the path of the discovery of God and of the plan that he has prepared for him or her.

Mary and Joseph taught Jesus primarily by their example: in his parents he came to know the full beauty of faith, of love for God and for his Law, as well as the demands of justice, which is totally fulfilled in love (cf. Rom 13: 10).

From them he learned that it is necessary first of all to do God's will, and that the spiritual bond is worth more than the bond of kinship.

The Holy Family of Nazareth is truly the "prototype" of every Christian family which, united in the Sacrament of Marriage and nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, is called to carry out the wonderful vocation and mission of being the living cell not only of society but also of the Church, a sign and instrument of unity for the entire human race. (Pope Benedict, Angelus, 12/21/06)

Pope John Paul II repeatedly emphasized that "the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family." I particularly like what he had to the role of the father was in Familiaris Consortio:

In revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God, a man is called upon to ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the family: He will perform this task by exercising generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother, by a more solicitous commitment to education, a task he shares with his wife, by work which is never a cause of division in the family but promotes its unity and stability, and by means of the witness he gives of an adult Christian life which effectively introduces the children into the living experience of Christ and the church.

Catechesis and evangelization starts at home with the family. This is our responsibility and not one we can delegate. We cannot simply dump our children off at the church on Sunday Youth Night or Wednesday CRE and think we have fulfilled our duty as parents. Certainly, formal religious ed has its place, but formation must take place at home. As a school teacher, I can tell you that children don't care so much about what you say as they care about what they see you do. Formation at home means we have to live our faith every day. An integral part of this includes family prayer. Father Peyton was on the mark when he coined the phrase: "The family that prays together, stays together."

Feast of the Holy Innocents

2011-12-28T13:32:00.001-06:00

Today the Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Innocents. King Herod feared the birth of the new "king of the Jews" so he "ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi" (Matt 2:16).

Rather than focus on the theological implications of the feast day (others have done a great job of that already), I'd like to propose we use this day to reflect on our modern massacre of the innocents - abortion.

Over 40 Million innocent babies have been killed in the United States since 1973 when Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in this country. These numbers do not even reflect the U.S. government's efforts to export abortion to other countries. In January 2009, President Obama overturned the Mexico City policy which had prohibited U.S. funding of international groups that provided abortions. The Obama administration has implemented a systematic, anti-life agenda which it continues to pursue.

It's not enough to just say we are pro-life, we have to act. First, we must pray. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of unborn children. We should ask for her intercession and offer up Holy Hours before the Blessed Sacrament for an end to abortion. We can ask our parishes to make sure that pro-life prayers are incorporated into the Prayers of the Faithful.

Next, we need to get formed and informed. We need to form our consciences in conformity with the teachings of Christ handed down by the Church. Then we need to act on that formed conscience. In the last presidential election too many people, Catholics included, voted with their pocket books and left their consciences at home. In addition to voting with our consciences we should support the efforts of organizations like 40 Days for Life, Priests for Life, Rachel's Vineyard and Pro Life Across America.

We need to attack the culture of death with a culture of authentic love. We don't pass judgement, we provide compassion. We don't reject, we comfort. We don't take, we give. We don't lie, we share the Truth.

PRAYER

God of power and mercy,
you blessed the Americas at Tepeyac
with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.
May her prayers help all men and women
to accept each other as brothers and sisters.
Through your justice present in our hearts
may your peace reign in the world.
O Lady of Guadalupe, pray for the Church in America
and walk with us in the third millennium of faith.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Basic Catholic Tech Tools

2011-12-27T00:06:00.001-06:00

This last Tuesday Tech Talk I thought I would list out the basic tech tools every Catholic techie should have in his toolbox.

Bible - The mobile app created by Olive Tree is the still the best functional way to read and access the Bible when on the go. They have a New American Bible Catholic version available for $20. I wish they would make an RSVE edition; the Kindle version is difficult to maneuver.

Blog - There a number of great Catholic blogs from which to choose. If you are just starting to read Catholic blogs, I recommend adding Father Z's Blog written by Father John Zuhlsdorf. He consistently writes insightful and witty posts. While he is easy to read, he writes frankly and does not water down the truth.

Catechesis - Catholic Answers provides a great deal of accessable resources for learning, sharing and defending the faith.

Catholic Calendar - The best way to keep track of feast days and holy day of obligation is the Universalis Roman Catholic calendar app. When you have Internet access you can also download the Liturgy of the Hours and Daily Readings for that day, the previous and the following. It is free.

Daily Missal - Although the iBreviary (reviewed here) provides a decent missal app for free, I believe the iMissal app is simpler to use. I recently reviewed the iMissal for Tuesday Tech Talk.

e-Book - Recently the number of authentic, Catholic e-books available has increased. The release of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in e-book format makes it the hands down winner. The price is set at $18.99, but you need to view that as an investment.

Liturgy of the Hours - The iBreviary app will provide the most affordable and efficient way to pray the "official prayer of the Church."

Lives of the Saints - Saint of the Day narrowly edges out Saint a Day because it has an audio component and a cleaner look. It also has a social media link which allows you to share with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Mass Times - If you travel quite a lot or need to find a church, the Mass Times app is must. The app not only provides you with a list of the nearest parishes to your location, but it is integrated with Maps so you can get directions. In addition to mass times, it provides times for the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Media Library - EWTN maintains a large library archive of audio and document files. Additionally, the site streams live shows. If it's on EWTN you know it's going to be doctrinally sound.

Prayer Book - There are a number of prayer apps available but none as comprehensive as the iPieta app. This is the mobile app version of the little blue book you see daily mass attendees carrying with them. This app is more than a prayer book; it also contains a vast library of writings from saints, church fathers and the popes.

Rosary - I debated including a Rosary app, but in the end I had to go with the free CD's provided by CatholiCity. I copied my Rosary CD to my iPhone and use it to pray the rosary on my commute to or from work.

Saint Talk: St. Stephen the First Martyr

2011-12-26T03:54:00.000-06:00

The Stoning of St. Stephen, Rembrandt

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and patron of deacons. Stephen is described in the Acts of the Apostles (6:4) as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit." Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Stephen "did great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8). Eventually, his works angered the enemies of the early Church so they trumped up charges against Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. During the trial, Stephen recounted the entire salvation history from Abraham to the crucifixion of Christ, chastising his accusers for failing to believe in Jesus. This enraged his captors and they took him out of Jerusalem to be stoned. As they prepared to stone Stephen, they lay their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. While he was being stoned, Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right of the Father. Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" and then, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (Acts 7:58-60). These prayers are remarkably similar to Christ's words on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) and "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" (Acts 23:46)

I find it interesting that we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen the day after Christmas. I looked around for an explanation but could not find one. The closest I came, was this excerpt from a homily given by St. Fulgentius of Ruspe:

Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time of our eternal King. Today we celebrate the triumphant suffering of his soldier. Yesterday our king, clothed in his robe of flesh, left his place in the virgin’s womb and graciously visited the world. Today his soldier leaves the tabernacle of his body and goes triumphantly to heaven.

Our king, despite his exalted majesty, came in humility for our sake; yet he did not come empty-handed. He gave of his bounty, yet without any loss to himself. In a marvelous way he changed into wealth the poverty of his faithful followers while remaining in full possession of his own inexhaustible riches. And so the love that brought Christ from heaven to earth raised Stephen from earth to heaven; shown first in the king, it later shone forth in his soldier. His love of God kept him from yielding to the ferocious mob; his love for his neighbor made him pray for those who were stoning him. Love inspired him to reprove those who erred, to make them amend; love led him to pray for those who stoned him, to save them from punishment.

Love, indeed, is the source of all good things; it is an impregnable defense, and the way that leads to heaven. He who walks in love can neither go astray nor be afraid: love guides him, protects him, and brings him to his journey’s end.

My brothers, Christ made love the stairway that would enable all Christians to climb to heaven. Hold fast to it, therefore, in all sincerity, give one another practical proof of it, and by your progress in it, make your ascent together. (Homily excerpt obtained from SaintsSQPN)

Stephen's martyrdom is significant in the history of the Church. His faithful example and intercession affected Saul profoundly. (I believe this scene is beautifully portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the TV mini-series Peter and Paul.) "If Stephen had not prayed to God, the Church would not have had Paul" (St. Augustine,"Sermons", 315, 7).

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T09:45:00.001-06:00

The Nativity, El Greco

The following is a reflection on the Nativity written by St. Josemaria Escriva.

“Jesus is still looking for shelter”

Jesus was born in a cave in Bethlehem because, Sacred Scripture tells us, ``there was no room for them in the inn.'' I am not departing from theological truth when I say that Jesus is still looking for shelter in your heart. (The Forge, 274)

I am not at all stretching the truth when I tell you that Jesus is still looking for a resting‑place in our heart. We have to ask him to forgive our personal blindness and ingratitude. We must ask him to give us the grace never to close the door of our soul on him again.

Our Lord does not disguise the fact that his wholehearted obedience to God’s will calls for renunciation and self‑sacrifice. Love does not claim rights, it seeks to serve. Jesus has led the way. How did he obey? “Unto death, death on a cross” [1]. You have to get out of yourself; you have to complicate your life, losing it for love of God and souls. “So you wanted to live a quiet life. But God wanted otherwise. Two wills exist: your will should be corrected to become identified with God’s will: you must not bend God’s will to suit yours” [2].

It has made me very happy to see so many souls spend their lives — like you, Lord, “even unto death” — fulfilling what God was asking of them. They have dedicated all their yearnings and their professional work to the service of the Church, for the good of all men.

Let us learn to obey, let us learn to serve. There is no better leadership than wanting to give yourself freely, to be useful to others. When we feel pride swell up within us, making us think we are supermen, the time has come to say “no”. Our only triumph will be the triumph of humility. In this way we will identify ourselves with Christ on the cross — not unwillingly or restlessly or sullenly, but joyfully. For the joy which comes from forgetting ourselves is the best proof of love. (Christ is passing by, 19)
[1] Phil 2:8 usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis
[2] St Augustine, Enarrationes in psalmos, Ps 31:2, 26 (PL 36,274)

Pope Benedict's Midnight Mass & Homily

2011-12-24T23:37:00.001-06:00

If like me, you weren't able to make your way to Rome for this Christmas, I have provided the links to Pope Benedict's Midnight Mass Video and Homily text.

Merry Christmas.

Peanuts & The True Meaning of Christmas

2011-12-23T00:28:00.000-06:00

I saw this video clip from A Charlie Brown Christmas on OSV Daily Take and thought I would share it with you. Linus' monologue is actually a reading of Luke's account of the Nativity.

The author of the OSV blog post points out that Father James Martin, S.J. noted on Facebook that Linus drops his security blanket at the exact point he mentions Christ the savior.

My wife Stacey loves this movie. Our daughter Tiffany recently shared it with her co-workers in Slovakia. By the way, Starbucks is currently selling a CD/DVD set of the movie for less than $15.

UPDATE (9:55AM) Amazon is providing the Charlie Brown Christmas storybook to Android owners free. Today only.

Christmas Family Traditions

2011-12-22T22:23:00.000-06:00

Rightfully, Christmas is a time for being with family. Just take look at a nativity scene and you will see the Holy Family, certainly the model for us all to follow. When I think about getting together with my family, I think about some of the Christmas family traditions we had when I was a boy and how Stacey and I have carried those on with our family.

Midnight Mass - There was never any debate about which mass we were going to for Christmas. It was always the Midnight Mass and in those days it was actually celebrated at midnight. Nowadays, parishes have so-called midnight mass as early as 10pm. This is one tradition that has been difficult for us to maintain. Stacey's mom always has a big Christmas Eve party at her house. We have incorporated that as our tradition and most years we leave in time to still make Midnight Mass.

Santa Mugs - When I was a kid, my brother Tony and I would join our parents on their bed Christmas morning to have hot chocolate in our own Santa mugs. Only after we finished the chocolate did we open the gifts. As empty nesters, Stacey and I start the morning by drinking coffee out of our mugs. A few years ago we gave each of our grown children their own Santa mugs to carry on the tradition.

One Gift - After Midnight Mass we would all come home. At some point, Tony and I convinced our parents to let us open one small gift when we got home from Mass.

Gag Gifts - In addition to the socks, fruits and nuts we found in our stockings, my mother would give each of us a gag gift. Most of the time these had something to do with our personalities. My mother continues to give us gag gifts when we meet at her house for Christmas lunch.

Funny Stories - My brothers and I are notorious story tellers. My mom says we probably got that from our grandfather Pops. The thing is, my brothers tell the same worn out stories every year. Some how they still manage to be funny to us. Our wives have a different opinion.

What family Christmas traditions do you have? Please share in the comments.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Last Minute, Low Cost Christmas Gift Ideas

2011-12-20T23:01:00.000-06:00

For this final Tuesday Tech Talk entry before Christmas, I thought I would share my last minute low cost, gift ideas to give your Catholic techie. Most of the items I recommend are priced under $20 and can be downloaded instantly or picked up at a local office supply or electronics store.

Amazon Gift Card - We love gift cards in our family because you can buy what you want, when you want. We often wait for after-Christmas sales to use our gift cards. The Amazon gift card provides the techie with a number of flexible options. He can purchase apps, media content or even electronic hardware. By the way, Amazon has a large number of Catholic eBooks, including the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I recommend using this link with a discerning eye as not all the content is guaranteed to be loyal to the Church magisterium.

iTunes Gift Card - OK, I promise this will not turn this into a list of gift cards, but this time of year you can often find deals to purchase iTunes cards at reduced rates. That means FREE money. The iTunes store has the largest app library and lots of media content too, including the iMissal app.

Surge Protector - I think it's crazy that we will invest a large sum on a quality laptop or other electronic device and skimp on a surge protector (if we even get one). I recommend doing some research for the appropriate surge protector for your needs.

Screen Cleaners - I like to use the iKlear products for cleaning my iDevices and laptop screens. The cloths that come with the kit are good to carry in a laptop bag to clean up before a meeting. The larger cloths are great to keep in your desk.

Catholic e-Books - I mentioned above that Amazon carries a number of Catholic e-Books. If you don't want to worry about the fidelity of the content, I recommend purchasing your e-Books at Aquinas and More. Wherever you choose to make your purchase, I recommend Be a Man! by Father Larry Richards and The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt, which I will review on this blog later this week.

Saint Talk: Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha

2011-12-19T21:43:00.000-06:00

The oldest known portrait of Kateri Tekakwitha, painted by Father Chauchetière

Today the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI approved a series of decrees by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, including one which would clear the way for the canonization Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Blessed Kateri, known as the Lilly of the Mohawks was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

She was the first Native American to be declared blessed and when she is canonized will become the first Native American to be canonized.

Fiat: Your Will Be Done

2011-12-18T21:04:00.000-06:00

On this the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we read about the Annunciation of our Mother Mary. The gospel reading of the Annunciation is juxtaposed with the first reading which tells the story of David seeking to build a proper temple for the Ark of the Covenant. Together today's readings demonstrate a connection between the Old and the New Covenants.

"With her generous 'fiat' (Mary) became, through the working of the Spirit, the Mother of God, but also the Mother of the living, and, by receiving into her womb the one Mediator, she became the true Ark of the Covenant and true Temple of God" (Paul VI, "Marialis Cultus", 6).

Additionally, we are given a perfect example of how we are to respond to God's calling - fiat.

It's A Wonderful Life

2011-12-17T11:34:00.001-06:00

My favorite Christmas movie is It's a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. This 1946 classic, I believe, portrays an essential element of the laity's call to universal holiness.

The movie chronicles the life of George Bailey as he faces a life crisis. While on the edge of contemplating suicide, George makes a simple prayer asking God to help. His prayer is answered in the form of an angel in training named Clarence. Clarence, through God's intervention, grants George the opportunity to see the lives of his friends and family if he had never lived. George gets to see how he impacted the lives of many people by simply being a caring and loving friend. These encounters make him realize that his life had meaning.

I believe this goes to the heart of what we, the lay faithful, are called to do in our everyday ordinary lives. We are called to live our lives as living examples of Christ's love (see Lumen gentium, Chapter 4). In this way others will know we are followers of Christ (John 13:35).

What's your favorite Christmas movie and why? Enjoy the movie trailer below.

World AIDS Day

2011-12-01T09:05:00.001-06:00

"If it infects one of us...it affects all of us."

Today is World AIDS Day. Many of us have been directly affected by AIDS, losing family, friends and other loved ones to the disease. Today, let us take time to remember those we have lost and pray for those who are suffering, those who care for them and for a cure.

HIV/AIDSPrayer

God of ourweary years, God of our silent tears O Good and gracious God, You are the Godof health and wholeness In the plan of Your creation, You call us to strugglein our sickness and to cling always to the cross of Your Son. Father, we areYour servants. Many of us are now suffering with HIV or AIDS. We come beforeYou and ask You, if it is Your holy will, to take this suffering away from us,restore us to health and lead us to know You and Your powerful healing love ofbody and spirit. We ask you also, to be with those of us who nurse Your sickones. We are the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children and friends ofYour suffering people. It is so hard for us to see those whom we love suffer.You know what it is to suffer. Help us to minister in loving care, support, andpatience for your people who suffer with HIV and AIDS. Lead us to do whateverit will take to eradicate this illness from the lives of those who are touchedby it, both directly and indirectly. Trusting in You and the strength of YourSpirit, we pray these things in the Name of Jesus. Amen

Prayer byNational African American Catholic HIV/AIDS Task Force

Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. (Matt 25:45)

Tuesday Tech Talk: Advent App

2011-11-29T09:15:00.001-06:00

What better way to reflect on this Advent Season then by using a Magnificat published app? The Magnificat Advent Companion application is available for download at iTunes for 99¢ and is built to work on iPad and iPhone. The application is organized in a day-to-day format. Modeling the Liturgy of the Hours the app includes opportunities to pray morning, evening and night. It also contains the daily readings and prayers.

It includes a number of extras: meditations, essays, Advent Penance Service, art work (that can be used for meditation) and Advent Stations.

Favorite Christmas Song

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

Some rights reserved by pedrosimoes7

A few years ago, I began teaching a lesson with my high school debate students (around this time of the year) in which I asked them to name their favorite holiday song. Part of the lesson required that the students explain why they chose the song. The kids enjoy the lesson and they learn how to structure a simple argument. In the process they also learn a little about themselves.

A couple of years ago one of the students put me on the spot and asked me to name my favorite song. To the extreme pleasure of my students, I had been stumped. I didn't know. I gave it some thought and reviewed by my iTunes library, discovering I had a number of versions of the Little Drummer Boy. Apparently the Little Drummer Boy was my favorite Christmas song.

As I listened through Joan Jett, Bing Crosby/David Bowie and Jose Feliciano, I determined that the reason I so enjoyed that song is that the little drummer boy gives the only gift he has, his one talent. For me, this embodies our response to universal call to holiness. Like the little drummer boy we can sanctify our daily ordinary lives by offering our Lord our work and our simple talents.

Anyway, I now make it a tradition to search out new versions of the song and I am now up to 27 on my special playlist. This year I have added Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond and Johnny Cash.

What's your favorite Christmas song and why?

Free Missal Worship Aid

2011-11-27T07:19:00.001-06:00

Today (actually last night's Vigil Masses) marks the beginning of the use of the 3rd Edition of the English translation of the Roman Missal.

Thanks to Catholic Mom and Sadlier, Inc. I was able to download a worship aid to print at home. For those not using an app like iMissal, this makes a great low tech way of learning the portions of the Mass prayers that have changed, especially our responses.

Tuesday Tech Talk: iMissal Update

2011-11-22T07:08:00.000-06:00

iMissal has issued a number of updates just in time for the new translation of the Roman Missal. Most notable of these updates, is the recent inclusion of the Blackberry platform. The new Blackberry version is $6.99.

iMissal has added some few new features since I last reviewed it. First, the settings tab now also includes the option to switch to the new translation. The app now has a Catholic news feed that links to Catholic News Agency. The designers of the app have added more prayers and an email subscription to get information about new develops in the app. Additionally, they have included the ability to purchase the Saint a Day app within iMissal. Interestingly, the app does not recognize the Saint a Day app within its menu if you have previously purchased it separately.

At $4.99, iMissal remains one of the more expensive Catholic apps, but I still think it is worth it. I actually prefer using the iMissal to iBreviary (still the best value for praying the Liturgy of the Hours) because I do not have to worry about syncing it before mass and the font is easier to read.

Catholicism Mini-Series Debuts on EWTN

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Tonight, EWTN will begin airing episodes from Father Robert Barron's epic mini-series Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of Faith. Based on the previews running on EWTN, these are episodes that did not run on PBS. I don't know about you, but our local PBS station, KERA, is not carrying the series and is yet to respond to my email asking if they intend to air it. Maybe we can nudge them a bit with some calls or emails.

For now, enjoy the series on ETWN. Roll that DVR to make sure you get them all!

Tuesday Tech Talk: Ignio

2011-11-15T09:17:00.001-06:00

Thanks to my cousin Lupe, I discovered this new Catholic app. The best way I can describe Ignio is that is a hybrid scripture and prayer app with a social media twist. Ignio means ignite in Latin, and your virtual candle gets bigger as you share your prayers with friends (up to only 11 others) who also have the app. In some ways, it has the potential to be an accountability tool with prayer partners or in a small faith sharing group. Ignio opens with a daily scripture for reflection (and memorization if you like) and it also has the daily readings. You can also post your prayers on a wall to share.

The app is available for free download on the Apple App store. Bishop Kevin Ferrell, the shepherd of the Dallas Diocese, blessed the launch of the app.

RCIA Talk Part 2: My Life with the Saints

2011-11-05T10:15:00.000-05:00

I shared a few stories of saints who have helped me in my journey to answer God's call. Here I will only mention three: St. Paul, St. Josemaria, and Blessed John XXIII.

St. Paul

My earliest recollection of admiring a saint involves St. Paul. When I was a freshman in high school ABC aired a two-part mini-series entitled Peter and Paul, starring Anthony Hopkins as St. Paul. Hopkins portrayed St. Paul as a remarkable preacher. This inspired me to read the epistles of St. Paul.

Later I would volunteer to be a lector at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Dallas. I would always try and get the second reading so I could read a letter from St. Paul. Now as an adult, I still find myself thinking of Anthony Hopkins' St. Paul when I read one of St. Paul's letters at mass.

St. Josemaria Escriva

About seven years ago I experienced a reconversion that led me through a significant formation process. I truly experienced the awareness, renewal and dialogue found in the teaching of Ecclesiam suam, Pope Paul VI's encyclical written during Vatican II. I had become conflicted about living my "Sunday life" separate from my every-other-day-life. I mistakenly thought I needed to leave my profession as a teacher to serve God in a greater capacity. I was also looking for a saint to help me find congruence in my work and spiritual life.

The entire time I was searching for this saint, I kept stumbling upon the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. Ironically this coincided with the popularity of the Brown's DaVinci Code, which painted the Catholic Church and Opus Dei in a false negative light. Eventually I read The Way, St. Josemaria's most famous written work. In it, I found the precise message I was looking for: we are all God's children and we are ALL called to holiness, even in our ordinary work. I had found the saint I was looking for. Since then, I have become a Cooperator of Opus Dei and I begin each day of prayer reading a passage from St. Josemaria's writings.

Blessed John XXIII

For the last fifteen years, I have struggled with my weight. I went from being a fit cyclist to an obese couch potato (you are indeed what you eat). Recently, I had a series of events which inspired me to take a more spiritual approach to my weight loss. Like my search for a saint of the ordinary, I was looking for a patron saint for obese people or weight loss. I could not find one recognized by Church tradition. Other suitable candidates like St. Maximillian Kolbe (because the Nazi's tried to starve him to death) and St. Thomas Aquinas (because he may have been a large man) came to mind.

Instead, I decided Blessed John XXIII would be the patron I ask for intercessory help. I even took a picture of a statue of him we have in our sanctuary and use it as my iPhone wallpaper. I have lost over 50 pounds since I incorporated prayer into my weight loss plan (Weight Watchers has helped too). I must admit I have not read much about him, but what I do know, I have enjoyed. He was funny, friendly and, most importantly, he convoked the Council of Vatican II.

These are just a few of the saints who have helped me along the way. Some have inspired me by their writings. Others have been role models and still others I have asked for intercessory prayer.

Part 3 of this series will include a discussion of Fun Facts about the saints.

RCIA Talk Part 1: Communion of Saints

2011-11-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

Some rights reserved by Zeetz Jones

This Sunday I spoke on the Communion of Saints to the RCIA group at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Carrollton, Texas. This is one of my favorite topics to teach because by reflecting on the lives of saints, we draw inspiration and hope from these living examples of faith. In addition to their intercessory prayer, this is precisely why they are helpful to our own spiritual development. What follows are the highlights from the talk.

CCC
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that the Communion of Saints is the Church (#946). More specifically, the CCC teaches that the Communion of Saints is made up of the souls in heaven (Church Triumphant), those on Earth still fighting the fight - sometimes with ourselves (Church Militant) - and the purifying souls in Purgatory (Church Suffering).

Role Models
The Saints - the Holy Ones - are our spiritual role models. They provide us with real life examples of people who faced similar challenges and overcame them through the grace of God. Although there are a number of saints who lived the totality of their lives has "holy people" most did not. Most were like me and you - every day sinners trying to make their way through life. This is why it important to read the lives of the saints, to get the complete before and after picture. For me, reading about someone like St. Augustine - the Charlie Sheen of his day - gives me hope. What makes the saints different is that they humbled themselves to accept the will of God and live is His love. This is what we are called to do right now: submit to will of God, answer His call to holiness and share His love with others. This does not mean we have to be preachers on street corners. What it really means (and I think this is more difficult) is to be friends to those we work and live with. They will know we are Christians by our love! "By this all men will know that you are Mydisciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)

This post was getting lengthy so I am going to break it up into three parts. Part Two will be My Life with the Saint, in which I talked about a few of the saints that have helped me in my spiritual journey.

For now, we pray for the intercession of St. Augustine, St. Joseph and all Holy Men and Women of God. Amen!

Purgatory - One of the Lord's Greatest Mercies

2011-11-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

So that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire...1 Peter 1:7

The Catholic Church's teaching on Purgatory is commonly misunderstood by non-Catholics and Catholics alike. First, it important to note that the Catholic Church teaches that in the end, there are only two places a soul ends up: Heaven or Hell. Properly understood, Purgatory is a state of cleansing and purification for souls who are on their way to heaven. You could think of it as a triage station or even a decontamination chamber before you enter the clean room of Heaven.

We don't earn our way into heaven and we have done nothing to deserve God's divine mercy. Instead, Purgatory is a loving gift from the Father which prepares us for the beatific vision. Even though not explicitly referred to by name (by the way neither is the Trinity), the Bible does allude to it, especially in terms of purging fire because nothing unclean can enter heaven (see Isaiah 35:8).

There are are several Biblical passages to support the teaching on purgatory. Here are just a few:

Mal 3:2-3

2 Mac 12:46

1 Pet 3:19

Rev 21:27

Please also review the sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that address the teachings on Purgatory: CCC 1030-1031

FOR FURTHER READING:

Catholic Answers provides an online article with a detailed explanation and answers to common objections.

Books for Further Reading

Purgatory, Fr. Frederick Faber

A Pocket Guide To Purgatory, Patrick Madrid

Game 6: An Apt Analogy

2011-10-31T17:49:00.000-05:00

It's taken a few days for the sting to wear off a bit, but I am ready to talk about the World Series. I was hoping to be writing a post about celebration and teamwork, instead I find myself reflecting on Game 6. I made a presentation to the RCIA group yesterday and it hit me as I was beginning that Game 6 is a apt analogy for our spiritual walk or should I say race.

The race we are in is not for a pennant, but for the beatific vision - the Face of God. St. Paul says in Hebrews (Heb 12:1) that we should "persevere to run the race that is before us." That is exactly what the Cardinals did; they didn't give up. Even down to their last strike (twice!). We need to take that same attitude into our spiritual lives, never giving up. We need not giving into despair (like Judas - see the scene in the Passions of the Chris).

On the flip side, we should never become so comfortable as to think we have finished the race, that we have closed the game. We need to persevere in our pursuit of holiness, up to the very last strike, our last breath.

Catholics Descend on Dallas

2011-10-28T08:59:00.000-05:00

Today the Dallas and Ft. Worth Dioceses are hosting the annual University of Dallas Ministry Conference at the Dallas Convention Center. I hope to obtain some audio and video footage from the weekend and some good ole Catholic "swag."

Here's a promotional video that includes Bishops Farrell and Vann:

Baseball - A Catholic Sport?

2011-10-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I won't lie, I was looking for an excuse to post about the World Series. I am beside myself because the Texas Rangers are one game away from their first World Series championship. I have followed the team since 1972 when my Dad took me to the Arlington Stadium to see the Rangers play the Oakland A's who would go on to win the Series that year.

This weekend, one of our Joe Catholic and RCIA catechists brought up the World Series wager between St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson and Ft. Worth Bishop Kevin Vann. The point he made in bringing up the World Series wager was that Catholicism doesn't have to be a stuffy religion about rules and regulations. While there is a place for rules (10 Commandments) and regulations (liturgical rubrics), we also find God in the ordinary corners of our lives.

In honor of the World Series I have collected a few articles written on the subject of Catholicism and Baseball. If you only have time to read one, start with A Perfect Game.

Catholic Dads - Catholicism and Baseball

Catechist's Journey - Catholicism and Baseball

First Things - A Perfect Game

Tuesday Tech Talk: Saint of the Day App

2011-10-25T08:53:00.000-05:00

As we approach All Saints Day (which IS a Holy Day of obligation) I thought I'd focus Tuesday Tech Talk on another tool to help us reflect on the lives of the saints.

The Saint of the Day iPhone application was developed by American Catholic/St. Anthony Messenger. The material is derived from the book of the same name authored by Father Leonard Foley, OFM. The application is straight forward and allows you to search saints by name, cause and date. Additionally, the application has a short audio file link for each saint entry. There are also other features that connect the app to the American Catholic web with snippets. The app costs $2.99 and is available on iTunes.

Here is a brief video demonstration of the app:

Saint Talk: Blessed John Paul II

2011-10-22T23:19:00.002-05:00

Today marked the first celebration of the feast day for Blessed John Paul II.

Related items:

Blessed John Paul II Intercessory Prayer

John Paul II Sister Spreads his charism

Saint Talk: St. Teresa de Avila

2011-10-15T09:42:00.000-05:00

Let nothing disturb you; Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God. God alone suffices.

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church. I like to call her the original flying nun because often while she was praying before the blessed sacrament, she would enter a state of ecstasy and begin to levitate.

St. Teresa is best known as a reformer of the Carmelite order and a spiritual mystic. Her spiritual classic, Interior Castle is widely read and considered a monumental examination on meditative prayer. In addition to her writings on meditative prayer, St. Teresa had a tremendous devotion to St. Joseph and wrote about it in her autobiography.

St. Teresa's life was the subject of a Spanish film entitled, Teresa de Jesus which has recently been made available in the United States by Ignatius Press. Below I have included a video from Arcadia Films, Saints Speak series.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Catholic Mass Times

2011-10-11T09:08:00.000-05:00

If you travel quite a bit or find yourself away from your local parish, the Catholic Directory's Mass Times application is a must. The app is FREE!

Using your "current location" or typing in a zip code, this app will find a list of nearby parishes along with their mass times and confession schedules. This is a wonderful tool for helping you fulfill your obligation to attend mass on Sunday (or the Saturday vigil), which is one of the precepts of the Church.

This app is NOT associated with MassTimes.org, which has its own app, but it is not nearly as good as this one. The website is still a great site to go to if you are at home or have wifi in your hotel.

Pray the Rosary

2011-10-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

Today mark's the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. It is also a reminder that October has been set aside as the Month of the Rosary. This is a good time to get back on track with incorporating the Rosary as part of your daily prayer life. Perhaps you can share the Rosary with your family one night a week. Father Peyton's saying is as true now as ever: "the family that prays together, stays together."

Remember, prayed properly - reflecting on the mysteries - the Rosary is not simply a set of repetitive prayers, but a meditation on the life, suffering and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is NOT a Marian prayer, but rather a Christocentric prayer, for it is a meditation on the Gospel, the Word of God, made flesh in Christ!

Here's an inspiring video on the Rosary. After the video, I have posted a few links to help with praying the Rosary. Also check out the many links on the right column of the Catholic Culture link I have above for the Month of the Rosary.

How to Pray the Rosary

The Rosary Army Podcast

The Rosary Pope: Leo XIII

Saint Talk: Anniversary of Canonization of St. Josemaria

2011-10-06T07:25:00.000-05:00

Today marks the ninth anniversary of the canonization of St. Josemaria, founder of Opus Dei. Blessed Pope John Paul II called St. Josemaria the "saint of the ordinary life." On this anniversary of his canonization, let us ask St. Josemaria for his intercession as we make our way in our daily lives, seeking to answer God's call to holiness.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Video Reflections on Daily Readings

2011-10-04T08:12:00.000-05:00

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' website is a wonderful and robust website for all things Catholic. I plan to do a review of the complete site in the future. Today's Tuesday Tech Talk (T3) is focused on a recent addition to the site - video reflections on the daily readings.

The USCCB has produced a series of videos which reflect on the Gospel reading of the day. The reflections are led by priests and lay people alike. Most of the reflections are no more than five minutes long. They make a nice complement to reading the scripture of the daily mass.

The videos can be shared by email, IM, Facebook and Twitter. My one complaint is that the videos cannot currently be embedded in blogs or parish websites. I would have liked to have embedded one as an example. For now, I will share the link to the Martha and Mary gospel reading from today.

One other minor criticism is that clicking on the Reflections link does not take you directly to the day's reflection. Instead you must click the tab for the month's reflections and scroll down for the day you are looking for. I am sure this will be worked out over time.

The Little Flower

2011-10-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux who is one of the most beloved saints of our time. She is a Doctor of the Church, patron of missionaries and author of the Story of A Soul.

One of my favorite accounts about St. Therese is one describing her interaction with a fellow nun who was especially difficult to get along with. St. Therese's response was to simply be nicer to that nun and smile at her as often as possible. There is a great scene in the movie Therese (now available for streaming on Netflix) depicting this story. The other nun is so moved by Therese's kindness that she can't help but ask, "Why do you like me so much." Although Therese doesn't specifically say so in the scene, it's because she sees Christ in that nun.

Herein lies one of the simply ways which we can model the Little Flower. I am sure each of you reading this post, knows at least one person you work with or encounter regularly who challenges your ability to be friendly.

Give St. Therese's "little way" a try and enjoy this video from Arcadia Films on St. Therese.

Tuesday Tech Talk: EWTN Libraries

2011-09-27T21:43:00.002-05:00

If you are looking for good, reliable content you can count on EWTN's Libraries. The site includes a collection of Document and Audio files. The Document Library includes everything from copies of the Code of Canon Law to Vatican II documents. It even includes articles by such writers as Frank Sheed, Father John Hardon, S.J., and Peter Kreeft.

The Audio Library is the unique gem. It contains a deposit of the audio from many of EWTN's popular shows, including limited series. The library includes several talks by the late Father Thomas Dubay. It also contains the many shows developed by Scott Hahn and Michael Aquilina to discuss Hahn's books. The audio files can be listened to directly on the website or downloaded to your Mp3 player.

Even if you do not have cable to watch EWTN, you can take advantage of these libraries. By the way, remember that you can stream EWTN on your computer and your mobile devices.

Lose-A-Palooza with a Catholic Twist

2011-09-19T22:19:00.000-05:00

In recognition of Weight Watcher's Lose-A-Palooza, today I am writing about my recent weight loss.

Late last April a couple of events merged to create the perfect storm to motivate me to get off my butt (literally) and do something about my morbid obesity. The first was my attendance at our parish's lenten retreat. During the course of one of the evening reflections, Father Thomas McDermott, OP asked us to prayerfully reflect on what the number one thing that was keeping us from growing closer to our Lord. Almost immediately, I thought of my weight and how it was making it difficult for me to serve in the ministries in which I am involved. I could no longer stand to teach RCIA and I couldn't comfortably descend from the altar after lectoring.

The second event involved our church deacon. We were having a conversation after mass and some how got on the subject of Pope Blessed John XXIII. Deacon Walt explained that Pope John XXIII was a big man, probably as "big as you, Don" and then he patted my stomach. I was a bit shocked at his joke (don't get me wrong, I like Deacon Walt and I think he has a great sense of humor), but I wasn't offended. Instead, it got me thinking that I should ask Blessed John XXIII to intercede for me as I contemplated doing something about my weight.

Stacey and I decided to join Weight Watchers and TOGETHER we would take this journey to lose weight. That was about four and a half months ago and I have lost 45 pounds in that time. I have dropped three pant sizes and I can wear my wedding band again. More importantly, I have greater energy and my knees are feeling better. Recently, I have even lectored without pain.

People have asked me why WW has worked for me. My answer is simple - WW works because it is not complicated. Tracking what I eat has led to me making wiser food choices. I can still eat whatever I want, but now I track everything down to the small dab of butter on my toast. The PointsPlus system is very much like maintaining a budget. You are allotted a certain number of points per day. I have been able to be be consistent because of the iPhone app that let's me log in immediately. If you are interested in reading a few more of my weight loss stories, you can read those at Gonzo's Gab.

For the remainder of this month, Weight Watchers is sponsoring a food drive. Our center (where we have our meetings) is dedicated to giving a pound of food for every pound we lose. Additionally, WW is donating money for every tweet, like or post which mentions their Lose for Good campaign.

I still have a long way to go before I reach my ideal weight, but I am not alone in my fight. I have my loving and supportive wife, Stacey and I have a new patron in Blessed John XXIII to pray for me. One of the great things about being Catholic is learning that offering up something like losing weight can be included in our efforts to answer the call to holiness.

Parable of the Sower Revisited

2011-09-17T23:50:00.002-05:00

In light of today's gospel reading I thought I would post a link to a previous post written about the parable of the sower:

Sower and Seeds (originally posted 7/10/11)

Remember

2011-09-11T09:11:00.000-05:00

I took this picture May 2004 while on a school trip to NYU.

As we reflect on this 10 year anniversary of the tragic events of 9-11, let us pray for peace and remember the words of Jesus: "I tell you to love your enemies." (Matt. 5:44)

Blessed John Paul II's Prayer for Peace:

To the Creator of nature and man, of truth and beauty, I pray:

Hear my voice, for it is the voice of the victims of all wars and violence among individuals and nations.

Hear my voice, for it is the voice of all children who suffer and will suffer when people put their faith in weapons and war.

Hear my voice when I beg You to instill into the hearts of all human beings the wisdom of peace, the strength of justice, and the joy of fellowship.

Hear my voice, for I speak for the multitudes in every country and in every period of history who do not want war and are ready to walk the road of peace.

Hear my voice and grant insight and strength so that we may always respond to hatred with love, to injustice with total dedication to justice, to need with the sharing of self, to war with peace.

O God, hear my voice and grant unto the world Your everlasting peace.

[L’Osservatore Romano, 3-9-81,14]

US Bishops Statement on 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Tuesday Tech Talk: The Better Part

2011-09-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

Today's Tuesday Tech Talk is a review of a Catholic iPhone app - The Better Part. The app is based on the book by the same name. The app and the book are written by Father John Bartunek, L.C., who is also a primary contributor to the Catholic Spiritual Direction blog.

The application is a vehicle to transmit portions of the book on a daily basis to it user. What this means is that the app becomes a tool for daily prayer and scripture study. Father Bartunek organizes the reflection by gospel readings. You have the choice of reading through a gospel or following the gospel reading of the daily liturgy.

Father Bartunek frames the daily prayer and reflections into four categories. First, is Christ is Lord. These sections tend to focus on the context of the gospel reading while focusing specifically at the totality of Christ's life as our savior.

The second section is entitled, Christ the Teacher. This focuses on the underlying message and teaching Christ is sharing in the passage. The third section is Christ the Friend. In this section, Father Bartunek focuses on the personal relationship Christ is developing with us through the story of his life with his disciples. The fourth section is entitled Chris is My Life and generally consist of prayers drawing us into the scripture and asking our Lord for guidance in understanding what we have just read.

Father Bartunek concludes the reflection with a series of questions that can be used for private meditation or part of a small faith group sharing. Throughout the app, you are provided with a "+" sign which pulls up an outline of prompts to help you meditate on the reading. The Meditation Guide includes the 4 C's: Concentrate, Consider, Converse and Commit. Each of these has a few sentences to help you move deeper into your meditative journey, towards Christ.

I actually prefer the app to the book because I can carry this around when I travel. Furthermore, the type is easier to read than the one in the book. I recommend you add this to your Catholic Toolbox.

We are Catholic!

2011-09-06T21:12:00.001-05:00

James Wilcox, seminarian and honorary Joe Catholic, shared this video on Facebook. I thought I would share it with you.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Daily Scripture

2011-08-30T06:22:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a good way to reflect on the daily readings I recommend subscribing to the Daily Word Google Group. The group is managed by Mike Harrison.

The Daily Word consists of a series of emails sent out a few days before the actual day of the readings. The readings and accompanying commentary are gathered from the Navarre Study Bible (NSB). The NSB is made up the RSV Catholic Edition and the Latin Vulgate. What makes the bible and the Daily Word great are the commentaries from Church Doctors and other saints. The NSB is published in the United States by Scepter Publishers and is available at most Catholic bookstores including Aquinas and More.