Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus

The Holy Name
Today, the Church celebrates the optional Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. Sacred Scripture tells us:

⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Phil 2:9-11]

The name of Jesus is holy and powerful (cf. Lk 10:17). To aid us in reflecting on His Holy Name, we have included the text of the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus as well as a video from EWTN.

Daily Aspiration
As we start the new year with the intention of recommitting to our particular spiritual development, perhaps we could consider incorporating one of the lines from the Litany as an aspiration.

The Video


Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus
V. Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
V. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us.
R. Jesus, graciously hear us.
V. God the Father of Heaven
R. Have mercy on us.
V. God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. God the Holy Spirit,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Holy Trinity, one God,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Jesus, Son of the living God, R. Have mercy on us.
Jesus, splendor of the Father, [etc.]
Jesus, brightness of eternal light.
Jesus, King of glory.
Jesus, sun of justice.
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary.
Jesus, most amiable.
Jesus, most admirable.
Jesus, the mighty God.
Jesus, Father of the world to come.
Jesus, angel of great counsel.
Jesus, most powerful.
Jesus, most patient.
Jesus, most obedient.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
Jesus, lover of chastity.
Jesus, lover of us.
Jesus, God of peace.
Jesus, author of life.
Jesus, example of virtues.
Jesus, zealous lover of souls.
Jesus, our God.
Jesus, our refuge.
Jesus, father of the poor.
Jesus, treasure of the faithful.
Jesus, good Shepherd.
Jesus, true light.
Jesus, eternal wisdom.
Jesus, infinite goodness.
Jesus, our way and our life.
Jesus, joy of Angels.
Jesus, King of the Patriarchs.
Jesus, Master of the Apostles.
Jesus, teacher of the Evangelists.
Jesus, strength of Martyrs.
Jesus, light of Confessors.
Jesus, purity of Virgins.
Jesus, crown of Saints.

V. Be merciful, R. spare us, O Jesus.
V. Be merciful, R. graciously hear us, O Jesus.

V. From all evil, R. deliver us, O Jesus.
From all sin, deliver us, O Jesus.
From Your wrath, [etc.]
From the snares of the devil.
From the spirit of fornication.
From everlasting death.
From the neglect of Your inspirations.
By the mystery of Your holy Incarnation.
By Your Nativity.
By Your Infancy.
By Your most divine Life.
By Your labors.
By Your agony and passion.
By Your cross and dereliction.
By Your sufferings.
By Your death and burial.
By Your Resurrection.
By Your Ascension.
By Your institution of the most Holy Eucharist.
By Your joys.
By Your glory.

V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. spare us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. graciously hear us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. have mercy on us, O Jesus.

V. Jesus, hear us.
R. Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you." Grant, we beg of You, to us who ask it, the gift of Your most divine love, that we may ever love You with our whole heart, in word and deed, and never cease praising You.

Give us, O Lord, as much a lasting fear as a lasting love of Your Holy Name, for You, who live and are King for ever and ever, never fail to govern those whom You have solidly established in Your love. R. Amen.

Tuesday Tech Talk:Electronic Versions of the RSV-CE

Image by Eduardo Miranda

Too Many Translations
We recently had a Joe Catholic Workshop on the Catholic approach to reading Sacred Scripture and interpreting it in a way that follows the Church Magisterium. One of the challenges in conducting such a session is that people don't always show up with the same Bible translation.

Joe Catholic Bible
To eliminate that challenge, we have decided that the "official" Joe Catholic Bible will be the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (RSV-CE), also known as the Ignatius Bible. Unless we indicate differently any passage quoted from Sacred Scripture on this site should be from the RSV-CE. This is also the Bible we will be referencing in all of our workshops and conferences.

Is it Available Electronically?
One of the questions that came up as a result of my recommendation that we all use the RSV-CE for all future Joe Catholic Workshops, was how to locate it electronically. I have a couple of app recommendations and a few online options, too. I am not going to do an in depth reviews of these apps, but instead will just share a little bit about them and where you can find them.

Truth and Life
You may be familiar with the Truth and Life (TL) audio version of the New Testament. You can find the CD's at Half Price Books regularly for $10. The audio Bible is also available from Audible, iTunes and GooglePlay. TL also has an app available on iTunes, GooglePlay and Kindle Fire. They have recently cooperated with Ignatius Press, Lighthouse Catholic Media and the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (Scott Hahn) to make the audio Bible and the Ignatius Press New Testament Study Bible available as in-app purchases. As far as I can tell all of these features are also available on the Lighthouse Catholic Media app, too. Both apps operate about the same.

Online Options
There a few places where you can find the RSV-CE online. Truth and Life has an online version that mimics the operation of its app. You can find that HERE. EWTN has a searchable version of the RSV-CE on its Devotionals page. Bible Gateway, not a Catholic entity, but nevertheless searchable and well laid out, is also available online.

Verbum Bible Software
One final way to access the RSV-CE is the Verbum Bible software system. The RSV-CE is one of the free Bibles available with the free app, which is available in iTunes and GooglePlay. Right now Verbum also has a sale for the Catechism and the Ignatius Study Bible. That bundle alone would be a great set of tools for your Spiritual Toolbox. I use Verbum daily in preparing materials for this blog and used it extensively in my graduate theology studies. Please mention Joe Catholic if you decide to make a purchase. We don't get a referral fee, but I would like them to know we are supporting their efforts. They came out to our Men's Conference last year and we hope to have them back.

Video: Joe Catholic Workshop Q & A
We included some additional resources on the board or during the discussion. Also note that we do NOT recommend the Kindle version of Ignatius Bible because it is not user friendly.

St. Joseph, The Man Closest to Christ

Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, foster father of our Lord and Patron of the Universal Church, fathers, husbands and workers. Second only to our Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph is the greatest of all saints in the Church. Just an aside, but since it is a Solemnity you are not bound to the Lenten abstinence; if the Solemnity had fallen on a Friday, you could have eaten meat. See Jimmy Akin's post; he cites a reliable canonist (Dr. Edward Peters).

Righteous Man
The bible says St. Joseph was a righteous man (Matthew 1:19), a just man. Permit me to paraphrase for a moment. Psalm 1 defines a just man as the man who studies his faith, lives it and doesn't hang out with naysayers. He was a spiritual leader.

Man of Action
St. Joseph was strong in his faith and thus possessed the grace to to answer God's call to be the protector of his most cherished creation - Mary - and his only begotten son, Jesus. Joseph was a man of action and a man of few words (he is not quoted at all in the bible). When God called Joseph to move the family to Egypt to protect them from Herod, he did it (Matthew 2:13-23). He did not negotiate with God. Instead he was humbly obedient and acted on God's instructions.

Role Model
Joseph is the leader, father and husband we can all model. He was the original Joe Catholic, just an ordinary guy living a holy life through the extraordinary grace of our Lord.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

• Oblates of St. Joseph
• In St. Joseph's Workshop, St. Josemaria Escriva Foundation
• 6 Reflections for Fathers, St. Joseph Covenant Keepers
• St. Joseph, EWTN

BOOKS & OTHER MEDIA

• Go to Joseph, Richard Gilsdorf
• Joseph of Nazareth, Federico Suarez
• The Mystery of Joseph, Marie-Dominique Philippe
• Joseph: The Man Closest to Christ (DVD that inspired the founding of Joe Catholic)

Tools for the Toolbox: Conclave Resources

As the Church gears up for the upcoming Conclave to elect a new pope, you might be asking yourself, "How do I find out more about papal conclaves?" I am debating on whether or not to devote a new page on this blog dedicated to all things related to the conclave. For the time being, I have gathered a number of sound resources for you to review and prepare yourself not only for the conclave, but for all the questions you are getting from co-workers, friends and family. These are all great opportunities for evangelization!

Electing the Pope

This new website is a collaboration of several Catholic bloggers, catechists and teachers and it seeks to be a meta site for explaining the conclave and related topics. Its contributors include the likes of Sarah Reinhard who writes the Snoring Scholar blog and is a regular contributor to the Catholic Mom. The  site includes information about the papacy, Catholic symbols and best of all, a Q & A section.

In the Light of the Law

If you are interested in a Canon Law perspective, you need not go any further than Dr. Edward Peters' blog, In the Light of the Law. Dr. Peters is a canon lawyer and has written several books on Canon Law including OSV's 100 Questions About Annulments.

EWTN - The See of Peter

You can never go wrong with EWTN as one of the resources you regularly check for anything Catholic. They have put together a number of resources on a new page entitled The See of Peter. The page includes a number of links including overviews on the papacy and the college of cardinals. The page also includes links to several of the documents governing the election of a new pope.

National Catholic Register

If you are looking for a resource to follow news about the Catholic Church, you needn't go further than the National Catholic Register.  The NCR provides comprehensive and orthodox reporting on the Catholic Church. You will find well written articles, radio broadcasts and blog posts on their site.

Pope Names Book, Jimmy Akin

Jimmy Akin, who is a senior apologist for Catholic Answers, has written an ebook entitled Pope Names. In the book he explores the history of papal names, how name have chosen and he even explores the statistical probability of the name choice for the next pope.

EWTN: Interregnum Terms

EWTN, is producing a series of brief videos in which they define terms for the interregnum or sede vacante, "the period during which an episcopal see or diocese is vacant." (Catholic Dictionary)

Today I have chosen to post the video defining CONCLAVE which comes from the Latin word for key (clavis) and literally means with the key:

EWTN & the Internet

EWTN is consistently on the cutting edge of technology, making use of online video streaming and even archiving their major programing onto Mp3 downloads and podcasts. Their website contains a bountiful collection of print and audio resources in their libraries. They even allow you to stream their shows on mobile devices and have recently been added to iHeart Radio.

Today they released a video that gives great insight into the use of the Internet.

A Look at Vatican II

Image from Vatican Archive of the Documents of Vatican II

We are now one full month into the Year of Faith (YOF) promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI. One of the explicit instructions we have received in order to more fully participate in the YOF is to revisit the documents of Vatican II. Pope Benedict exhorted the Church to build the New Evangelization "on a concrete and precise basis, and this basis is the documents of the Second Vatican Council.” This is wholly consistent with the Pope's comments in July 2007:

And thus it seems to me that we must rediscover the great heritage of the Council, which is not a “spirit” reconstructed behind the texts, but the great conciliar texts themselves, reread today with the experiences that we have had and that have borne fruit in so many movements, in so many new religious communities. [emphasis added] 

Since we are being asked to read the documents, we should also possess an understanding of the context in which they were written. I can think of no better way to do this than to share the insights of Douglas Bushman, STL, the director of the Institute of Pastoral Theology at Ave Maria University. Here is an interview with Father Mitch Pacwa on EWTN Live. The video is nearly an hour long, but well worth the investment.

Tuesday Tech Talk:Catholic Voting Guide App

This past week the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (CCC) published a Catholic Voting Guide application that works on most smartphone platforms – Android, Apple and Windows. The app is FREE, non-partisan and written concisely so it can be easily read in preparation for voting. So you have some idea who the CCC is, its president is Father John Trigilio, co-author of Catholicism for Dummies.  Father Trigilio appears regularly on Catholic Answers Live and is the long-time host of Web of Faith on EWTN. You can see an interview with Father Trigilio explaining the app on World Over Live HERE.

The app is organized into Six Vital Issues including Right to Life, Freedom of Religion, Sanctity of Marriage, Right to Own Private Property, Right to Access to Goods and War & Peace. The app is rooted in the teaching of the US Bishop's Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship and Cardinal Prefect, Josef Ratzinger's (now Pope Benedict) Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion.

For a more comprehensive review check out the one on CatholicMom. For a more complete explanation of the vital issues and how we are called to inform our decisions through our Catholic faith please view the interview with Cardinal Burke:

A Review of The Way starring Martin Sheen

The first time I heard the title of this movie, I thought it might have something to do with St. Josemaria Escriva's famous book of points, The Way. It isn't. Instead, The Way is about a father trekking through the Pyrenees mountains following El Camino de Santiago (the way of St. James) in an effort to deal with the death of his adult son who was taking the way as a pilgrimage.

The movie has gotten a lot of coverage in the Catholic media. In fact, Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez, Sheen's son and director of the film, have even appeared on EWTN. The film is not overtly Catholic even though it deals with what is essentially a Catholic pilgrimage. I would describe the film as being about relationships, especially those between fathers and sons. It's a movie about getting too caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day life and not stopping to live life. My favorite line in the movie (and included on some of the movie posters) occurs during a flashback,  Daniel, the son played by Estevez, says to Tom, Sheen's character, "You don't choose a life, Dad. You live it."

The film made me laugh and it made me tear up a few times. In this sense, it reminded me of Field of Dreams. If you get this then you know what I mean. If you don't, I won't be able to adequately put it into words. The cinematography is superb as Estevez captures the beauty of the French and Spanish region covered on the pilgrimage.

The acting is solid all around. There is some brief partial nudity when a French peregrino (pilgrim) is changing his clothes. There is also some subtle drug use by a few of the characters, but mainly to demonstrate the challenges facing one of the travelers who joins Tom on the way. Some might be put off by the spreading of the son's ashes along the way because this is contrary to the Catholic Church's teaching on the treatment of remains of one who has died. I don't think the film is attempting to make a statement about this. Instead, I think it's the use of literary license to add sentiment to the film. Additionally, we are reminded throughout that Tom is not a practicing Catholic; he doesn't know any better.

The Way is currently available to stream for free on Netflix and to rent on iTunes and Amazon. You can also rent the DVD at Walmart.

For a more detailed and professional review, I recommend Steven D. Greydanus' review at Decent Films.

Happy 89th Birthday Mother Angelica!

Join me in wishing Mother Angelica a Happy Birthday. Mother Angelica is 89 years old today. While it has been a while since she has appeared publicly, her work continues to touch the lives of many within and out of the Church. EWTN has played a vital role in my formation a Catholic man. Furthermore, I am convinced that a pilgrimage that Stacey and I took to visit the National Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament and EWTN, helped fortify our resolve as we waited out the annulment process.

I still enjoy listening to her "live" shows. Her wit and no nonsense approach to the faith is still powerfully infectious. Here are some links to books about Mother Angelica that will allow you to share her prayers and witticisms:

Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles by Raymond Arroyo

Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures by Mother Angelica and Raymond Arroyo

Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality by Raymond Arroyo

The Prayers and Personal Devotions of Mother Angelica by Raymond Arroyo

How Many Times Should I Forgive?

Image from Dinah Roe Kendall

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Until a few years ago, I had not given this parable much thought. Then, on a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament and EWTN, it hit me squarely between the eyes.

Confession and Life on the Rock
Late June of 2004. Stacey and I had set out for our first trip to the headquarters of EWTN and to visit the nearby shrine. Our first full day there, we decided to go to reconciliation. I happened to be in the line for the confessional in which Father Anthony Mary was hearing confessions. I'm not going to lie, I thought it was pretty cool that I was going to Confession with the (then) co-host of Life on the Rock. While I was in the confessional, I caught myself confessing the same sin I had been struggling with for months. I don't remember exactly what Fr. Anthony said to me, but it jarred me into remembering a huge argument I had had with my son Kevin recently.

I am the Unforgiving Servant
I don't remember the underlying reason for the argument with Kevin. In retrospect, it was probably something having to do with daily chores. Nevertheless, what I do remember is me clearly responding to his apology by saying, "I don't want to hear you're sorry. I am tired of you doing the same thing over and over again. I want to see results!" The memory of those words shot through my mind as Father Anthony spoke the words of absolution.

Our Father
The thought of the parable moved me to change my approach to forgiving others. Taking into account the line in the Our Father - "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" - it was also a self-serving decision. If I didn't learn to forgive, I was not only hurting others, but I was condemning myself. Do we really want God to forgive us like we forgive others?

How Many Times Must I Forgive?
When Peter poses the question about how many times we should forgive, it might be tempting to judge him. We shouldn't be so quick to do so. If we just take the reading literally, how many of us would be willing to forgive seven times? The number seven represents completion in the Bible. But Jesus goes beyond that by saying we should forgive seventy-seven (see Gen 4:24) times which suggests that we should be infinitely merciful in forgiving, as He is. The parable is told in that context. If we review the details of the parable we discover that its about the forgiveness of a disproportionate debt. We will never be worthy of Lord's forgiveness, yet all we have to do is ask for it. If only we could do the same with others.

Some advice from St. Josemaria:

Force yourself, if necessary, always to forgive those who offend you, from the very first moment. For the greatest injury or offense that you can suffer from them is nothing compared to what God has pardoned you (The Way, 452).

Lent is a good time to start working on that.

Tuesday Tech Talk:Web Sites for Lent

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.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Catholic Podcasts

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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)

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Catholicism Mini-Series Debuts on EWTN

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: EWTN Libraries

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.

Feast of the Transfiguration

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord. The account of the transfiguration is documented in the gospels of Matthew (17:1-6), Mark (9:1-9) and Luke (9:28-36). According to EWTN and the Catholic Encyclopedia it marks the "culminating point of his public life." The three apostles who join him on the mountain - Peter, James and John - are also the same three who are present on the night he is taken in the garden.

The Transfiguration is the Fourth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary. Blessed John Paul II, who instituted the new mysteries, wrote that the transfiguration is an event which "strengthens the faith in the disciples' hearts, prepares them for the tragedy of the Cross and prefigures the glory of the Resurrection."

To learn more about the Transfiguration:

Insight Scoop The Ignatius Press Blog: The Transfiguration: Gospel to the Dead

Canterbury Tales by Marshall Taylor: The Metamorphosis of Jesus Christ

EWTN: Transfiguration

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Tuesday Tech Talk: Catholic YouTube Channels

Joe Catholic recently launched its first YouTube video and we will be working on producing additional videos in the future. Therefore, today’s Tuesday Tech Talk will focus on using YouTube channels to learn more about Catholicism. YouTube is easily accessible on the Internet and even most smart phones come with a YouTube mobile app.

Catholic YouTube videos can be useful tools for adding emphasis to a talk you may be giving or for personal study. Additionally, you can follow some of your favorite Catholic programming through their YouTube channels. I subscribe to a few Catholic YouTube channels that automatically alert me when new content has been uploaded. I don’t spend hours watching all of them, but I will use the videos to enhance my study or even to include on this blog. For example, if Stacey and I are out shopping and I am sitting around waiting for her, I can watch a brief video to pass the time constructively.

You don’t have to have a YouTube account to watch the videos, but you will need one to subscribe to the channels. Here are the steps for setting up an account.

Here are some links to some of my favorite Catholic YouTube Channels:

Catholic Answers

EWTN

St. Josemaria Escrivá

Vatican

USCCB

SOLT Releases Statement Incriminating Corapi

Both EWTN and Catholic World News are reporting that the religious society that Father Corapi belonged to has made a public statement that he "is not fit for public ministry." The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) issued a stern statement warning that Corapi was misleading his followers with "false statements and characterizations." The press release, which can be found in it's entirety on SOLT's website, spells out the measures SOLT took to conduct a fact-finding mission in accordance with Canon law. The SOLT document confirms that their investigation revealed that Corapi had indeed engaged in inappropriate behavior.

I don't feel it necessary to post a play by play account of what they uncovered. The links above can provide that information. Instead, I think it's time for Corapi's "followers," "fans," etc. to move on. I put myself in that camp. I had a bad feeling when Corapi came out swinging, but I held on to a sliver of hope that the allegations were false. This latest information eliminated that.

This entire scandal demonstrates that we should not place our faith in men (or women). Our faith should be placed in Christ Jesus and the teachings of the Church he founded to be His teaching authority on Earth. It is good that the Church has talented teachers and preachers. Most of them will live out their lives faithful to Christ and His teachings, but our faith is not dependent on their holiness. It is only dependent on the truth which is Jesus.

I will pray that Father Corapi gets help, that he returns to SOLT and spends the remainder of his life as a cloistered priest. I do not judge him, for we are all capable of falling. He himself had said that a number of times in his talks. If he doesn't repent and insists on continuing as the black sheep dog, I fear he will become a clerical version of Charlie Sheen.

I experienced these same feelings of betrayal and sadness when I first came back to the Church. I discovered that Father John Bertolucci, a great preacher, televangelist (sound familiar?) and promoter of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the 1980's, had been forced to leave public ministry because of sexual abuse. I shared that with a friend who I knew from my years in the charismatic movement. He threw away all of his Bertolucci tapes. I don't think I will do that with Corapi's CD's. The teaching was sound, but like all of us are capable of, he fell short of executing it in his life. Father Corapi always said that God permits evil to exist in the world to draw out a greater good. I believe that. I don't know what the good that will come from this scandal, but I do know that all things are possible through Jesus, our Lord.

Catholic Toolbox: Parish Mission

St. Alphonsus Liguori is responsible for creating the first Parish Lenten Missions through his religious order - the Redemptorists. They conducted the first missions in the 18th Century.  One hundred years later, they brought the Parish Lenten Missions to the United States.

A parish mission consists of a series of preaching events, usually conducted over two or three nights.  Today, parish missions may be lead by a priest from several religious orders or even lay people like Scott Hahn and Tim Staples.  The focus of the mission is the Word of God,  Catholic doctrine and Catholic practice. The preaching generally stresses individual development of a personal relationship with Christ.  Additionally, for the parish community the emphasis is on developing a greater sense of community within the parish and a greater sense of service within that local church community.

Last year, St. Catherine hosted a Pentecostal Parish Mission. This year, the parish is returning to the more traditional Lenten Parish Mission format. Father Thomas McDermott, a priest of the Order of Dominican preachers, will be leading the mission. He will speak on the spirituality of the parish patron, St. Catherine of Siena. The mission will conducted the evenings of April 6th-8th in the main church.

Below is a video of Father McDermott on EWTN.

Saint Talk: St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." -- St Jerome

St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church, is most known for translating the Holy Bible from the original languages to Latin.  This came to be known as the Vulgate as it was the vernacular language of the time.   This translation continues to be used today.  One prime example is the Navarre Bible which contains exceptional commentaries.

• EWTN
• SQPN
• A Daily Word service is available which utilizes his writings and those of other saints and doctors of the church.

The Navarre Bible is an excellent bible translation to use for study and reflection: