Emailed August 24, 2007
BURNING QUESTION OF THE WEEK: "What is the Old Testament root of the sacrament of Baptism?"
FEATURED BLOG THIS WEEK: "FROM WOLVES TO DOGS TO PEOPLE - A reflection on the Michael Vick dog abuse case" by Paul Dion, STL
NUESTRO ARTICULOS EN ESPANOL: “Me aferré a una columna y no vi más" Benedicto XVI envía ayuda y al cardenal Bertone a Perú Campaña abortista de la OMS es guerra contra los más débiles dicen Obispos de Guatemala "Madre y Hermana" El Papa se solidariza con víctimas del terremoto en el Perú
DEAR FRIENDS:
This week we launch VOCATION NEWS - a new section in ParishWorld.net. Here you will find stories about the priesthood, priests and religious, and the many joys and challenges they face in their lives. We debut this section with the story of a would-be Harvard lawyer whose paper chase ended up in the priesthood. We also have the remarkable story of three brothers - all priests - who concelebrated Mass just recently. And we have the story of a widower, a father and military veteran. And now, he is a priest.
We also launch this week new ParishWorld.net websites for the following parishes: Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pomona, CA, St. Joseph the Worker in Loma Linda, CA and St. George Catholic Church in Fontana, CA. Welcome aboard!
PRAYER takes center stage in this week's issue. Often, we wait for the right environment or the right prayer book or the right prayer partners. When really God just wants us in our simplest form - our heart and soul. "Just P-R-A-Y: A Simple Formula for Prayer" tells this story. "Our search for order in the darkness" deals with prayers spoken at moments of darkness or chaos and how at times they can mean more than the ones we say in our prayer groups.
In "Grace," Mark Shea and his wife somehow find that in prayer we are able to put things in perspective, remembering that God remains God and that, in the grand scheme of things, financial hiccups are pretty small. And Pope Benedict sums it up well by declaring that prayer is the encounter of God's thirst for us and our thirst for Him.
"Where do you stand right now?" Do you stand with Jesus or not? It's a choice that must be made every day up till that last and final day - and no one know when that is. And "There is always that one thing more!" If you reflect long enough, you will discover the one thing that you seem to have difficulty in surrendering to Jesus - think about it. And when you stand before the Lord in judgment, I am certain of at least one thing and that is you do not want to be saying to yourself, "If only I had taken that opportunity when it came to me..."
Do you believe in Astrology, palm reading and tarot cards? Archbishop Sean Brady say they are superstitions that conceal a lack of trust in God's providence. And if you've found yourself saying this to yourself, "I thought they knew the Lord... why do those things still happen to them?" then "Never Alone" is an article you must read. What is the peace of Christ? Pope Benedict explains this quite profoundly saying it is not "the absence of conflict" but the "struggle against evil."
The Church challenges the youth this week beginning with a Bishop's answer to letters from teens about pornography. And "In the Name of Freedom," the youth is reminded that Freedom is capacity to greatness, the ability to say “yes” to what is noble and right when you could just as easily say “no”. And as a followup to our "back-to-school" series, Ben Stein delivers a winner: "Old-School Lessons for the College-Bound"
Finally, we have LIFESTYLE NEWS. "How Does a Catholic Invest His Money Morally?" And now it also seems that the safe place for Catholics to meet Catholics is no longer just in church. An archbishop frecently gave his blessings to an online dating service. And if you've ever had the hiccups, here's how they work, what causes it and how to stop it.
And how was your week? Have a great and blessed coming week.
Keep the faith. Peace.
Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief
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