Saint Talk: St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco serves us as a great role model for many reasons. First, he was not afraid to use his unusual talents (magic and acrobatics) for the glory and service of our Lord. Additionally, he was a man of prayer. In particular, he called on the intercessory prayers of Our Lady and St. Francis de Sales. Constantly in need of raising money for his projects, he counted on God to provide in all his needs.

I chose this unique picture of St. John Bosco because it relates to a prophecy he had in a dream which may have recently come true.

Internet Sources & Media:

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2010: The Year in Review - Milestones

As we reign in the new year, I thought it appropriate to reflect on the year we leave behind.   This will be a three part post: Milestones, Statistics and Goals for 2011.

Milestones:

• We celebrated our One Year Anniversary in May by visiting Bishop Vann. The Bishop acknowledged us at the morning Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Afterwards, we were given a tour of the Bishop's residence. We concluded the morning with Bishop Vann by presenting a session for him.  He invited us back for a future visit.
• We successfully negotiated for the rights to purchase the domain name JoeCatholic.org. Tom Jaconette, Ken Wendel and Chuck Gura  have been helping to get the beta version of the site ready for approval. We still need to show the current owner (a Catholic publishing company) of the domain name our new site before we can launch. This was part of the agreement to purchase the rights as the current owner wanted to make sure we are an authentic Catholic organization.
• Our April gathering (Holy Saturday) marked the first time we broke the "twenty ceiling" on attendance. We had twenty-one men gather that weekend. To date, it marks the largest number we have had at one gathering.
• Ken Wendel completed the design of our official Joe Catholic logo. The wooden toolbox, hammer and ruler represent our homage to St. Joseph. The green book is meant to replicate the Catechism of the Catholic Church to demonstrate that we are loyal to the Church's teaching authority. Furthermore, it represents we are dedicated to learning our faith, so we can better share and defend it. The Bible represents we are men of the Word of God. The Rosary represents we are men of prayer and we are not ashamed to have devotion for our Blessed Mother Mary.
• On October 10th our most consistent attendee, Bob Durham died. Prior to his surgery, Bob had not missed a gathering since our inception. He spoke fondly of Joe Catholic to his family and friends. Many of the men of Joe Catholic attended his funeral mass. The men of Joe Catholic have sponsored several mass offerings for the repose of Bob's soul. While we may have lost a member on earth, we know we will have another saint in heaven to intercede for us.
• Ken Wendell  got the logo digitized so we could have shirts made. Those shirts were showcased for the first time at the December gathering.

Christ the King

Lindon Leners explained the significance of the Feast of Christ the King Sunday. In particular, he pointed out that it marks the end of the liturgical calendar and prepares us for the beginning of the Advent season.

Furthermore, the feast day reminds us that Christ should be King of all of our lives. That means every aspect of who we are and what we do.

I chose this image of Christ the King that appears in the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D. C.  I like this mosaic portrayal because Jesus has an intimidating look about him. He seems to be challenging any evildoers to "bring it on!"

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY:

Quas Primas - Encyclical on Feast of Christ the King

St. Josemaria on Christ the King
This point elaborates on Lindon's observation that Christ's throne on Earth was the cross.

FAQ of the Faith: Pre-Mass Fast

Every once in a while I'll look up from praying before (or even during) Communion and I see someone chewing gum.  I'm not talking about kids; I'm talking about adults, even Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist!

According to Canon 919, the Church generally expects people to fast from all food and drink (except water) one hour prior to receiving communion.

Now, I am not saying that we should commission a posse of "liturgical police," but  I believe we have an obligation to gently and pastorally correct our fellow Catholics.  I suspect that most of them simply do not know better because someone did not care enough to let them know.

I like what St. Josemaria said about correcting our fellow Christians:

It happens, however, that some people (who are good, or should we rather say 'goodish') pay lip service to the beautiful ideal of spreading our faith, but in practice they make do with a superficial and careless professional output. They seem scatterbrained. If we happen to come across such Christians, we should do our best to help them, affectionately but uncompromisingly, having recourse where necessary to the gospel remedy of fraternal correction: 'Brethren, if a man is found guilty of some fault, you who are spiritually minded ought to show a spirit of gentleness in correcting him. Have an eye upon thyself, lest thou too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and so you will be fulfilling the law of Christ.' If besides the fact that they claim to be Catholics there are other factors involved, because, for instance, those at fault are older, or have more experience or responsibility, then there is all the more reason to talk to them. We should try to get them to react, helping them take their work more seriously, trying to guide them, like a good parent does or a teacher, but without humiliating them. (Friends of God, #69)

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:

FAQ of the Faith: IMPRIMATUR and NIHIL OBSTAT

The imprimatur and nihil obstat  collectively make up the evidence that the document or book has been reviewed by the bishop (where the work is published) and determined to be free of moral and theological error (i.e., nothing contrary to church teaching). Normally, these statements indicate you can read the work without worry that you are going to be reading something fishy. Unfortunately, a few "liberal" bishops have been known to approve questionable works. Additonally, absence of the statements does not mean a work is not loyal to the Church Magisterium. For example some of Scott Hahn's early book editions did not have them because he publishes with a mainsteam publisher.

So you're probably saying, "great so how do I know when something is a legitimate Catholic work or not?"  First, let me say absolutely DO NOT rely on an internet search or by just going to the Catholic section in a book store.  There is a lot of junk out there being sold and published under the guise of "Catholic."  Jesus did warn his apostles to "beware of false prophets (teachers)" [Matt 7:15]. Here are my suggestions for obtaining authentic Catholic materials:

• Find a reputable Catholic book store.  Locally, we have three: Sacred Heart in Richardson, Little Angels near St. Anne's in Coppell and Divine Mercy in Denton.  The obvious omission is deliberate.
• Ask someone you know who is well versed in Catholic reading material.
• Get to know the reliable publishers.  This site includes the links to many of these.
• Get to know the reliable authors like Scott Hahn, Tim Staples, Father Larry Richards, Patrick Madrid, etc.
• Go to reliable websites like EWTN which has a religious catalogue.
• Use this web site.  I often include links to books you can buy through our Amazon partnership.  Joe Catholic actually gets a small percentage of those proceeds.

I have included definitions from Catholic Dictionary:

IMPRIMATUR

NIHIL OBSTAT
For good measure I have included a link to Scott Hahn's new book which covers some of our Catholic customs.  I found it to be a great read.

Let me know what you think about me adding a monthly book review.

Live From Father Corapi's "Life, Love & the Purpose of Our Existence"

Brothers, I just heard four tremendous talks given by Father John Corapi.  I am coming back recharged and  inspired.

You are all in my prayers and I will be offering today's vigil mass for all the men of Joe Catholic.