"But who do you say that I am?"

The restoration of the blind man's sight in last Sunday's Gospel must surely set the scene for Peter's confession of faith this week, Sept. 16, 2012. Jesus' nature is now gradually revealed to the disciples. He also relates the first of His three prophecies of His passion, death and resurrection. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

This Sunday we begin a series of seven Sunday Gospel readings from Mark’s account of the journey of Jesus and his disciples from northern Galilee to Jerusalem. This story consists of two sections: the messianic confession of Peter and Jesus’ prediction of His Passion, death and resurrection, followed by His clear teaching on discipleship. From this point on, everything in Mark's gospel moves toward the crucifixion.

“Who do you say I am?”

We see the centrality of the cross in today's Gospel. Jesus sets the stage by asking his disciples who He is. They have many different opinions - just like people today. Some people see Jesus as a powerful prophet, others as a noble teacher, still others as kind of guru. Fr. John Foley, S. J. relates that Jesus will have none of that. Our Lord doesn't care about public opinion. He cares about the human person.

So He asks Peter what Fr. Alex McAllister SDS says is the very same question Jesus seems to be asking each of us today: "But who do you say that I am?" Fr. Phil Bloom asks us further. Who do you say that Jesus is? When you stand before a tabernacle, before whom do you stand? Who is Jesus?

Peter responds, “You are the Christ.” Then Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him. So why the secret? If Jesus was the Messiah as Peter proclaimed in today’s Gospel from Mark, why be quiet about it? If Jesus healed people like He did throughout the Gospel of Mark, why keep it a secret? The reason is simple. Fr. Joseph Pellegrino tells us that we cannot understand Jesus’ Work or His Messianic mission, unless we understand and embrace the cross.

Jesus' Invitation to Follow Him

Peter’s messiah, as we find out a few verses later, was not going to be beaten raw by the Romans, suffer and die. Jesus Himself didn’t think of being the Messiah in the triumphal and nationalistic way that His early disciples did. The Good News He preached was ultimately about love. And at the heart of His teaching is a great irony. Fr. Orly Sapuay, MS points out that one actually gains one’s life by losing it. However what one loses is really not life at all, but the obstacles to real life.

Father Cusick urges us to look to the Scriptures where the Lord reveals Himself so as to nurture our relationship with Him. Jesus was not a social revolutionary. He did not denounce injustice, but confronted it with love. Still, Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB reminds us, those who lived by injustice made no mistake when they recognized in Jesus and in those who followed Him a fundamental challenge to their way of life. In the Gospel reading, the disciples never fully understood what Jesus taught. Let us not commit the same mistake, Fr. Omer Prieto advises.

The basis of our faith as acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God and our Lord and Savior. It also tells us that Christ Jesus became our Savior by His suffering, death and resurrection. Fr. Finally, John J. Ludvik tells us, it also outlines the three conditions of Christian discipleship -- denying oneself, taking up one’s cross and following Jesus.

The Four Last Things

Catholic teaching identifies the Four Last Things as Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. These topics are very important that Catholics need to understand. In the first installment of this series -- What Every Catholic Must Know About “The Four Last Things” -- Deacon Mike Bickerstaff examined what every Catholic needs to know about Death. In the second installment, he looks at the Particular and Universal Judgments, the second of the Four Last Things.

And then he talks about Heaven and Hell. Heaven is what awaits the souls of the Just after death where they will enjoy perfect joy and beatitude in the Beatific Vision -- seeing God face-to-face. Hell is the place of everlasting punishment that awaits the souls of the Damned after death. In both places, the soul will be reunited with the resurrected body after the Universal Judgment.

Piety, Forgiveness and Nice Churches

Msgr. Charles Pope discusses the sins of the pious and how the devil can hijack holy practices. He explains that we ought to acknowledge that there are certain temptations common to believers and church-goers. Perhaps we could refer to these as the “Perils of the Pious,” or the “Risks of the Religious.” What are some of these? He explains.

Meanwhile Fr. John McCloskey answers a sincere question from a reader: Why does God only forgive after we repent and turn back to Him, while we are asked to forgive regardless of whether or not the “offending” person asks for our forgiveness and repents?

And at some point Every Catholic finds himself obliged to defend against the modern axiom: The Catholic Church has gold and refuses to sell it, thus the Church lets the poor starve. In response, Marc Barnes says faulting the Cathedrals and Basilicas of the world for containing “too much” wealth is an awkward denial of the fact that the Cathedrals and Basilicas of the world are explicitly for the use of the poor, and to steal from them is to steal — not merely from the Church — but from the poor themselves, who — despite the perceptions of Hollywood — do not merely need bread, cash and contraception, but beauty, ritual, and God as well.

Life, Ten Commandments & The Year of Faith

So you're Pro-Life? Try this one on for size. Two Sundays ago Paul Dion, STL saw the Pro-Life cake get some icing. During the homily, the priest took pro-Life out for a ride over deep, deep waters. If you are pro-life, the pastor exclaimed, then you owe it to yourself and to others not only to prevent abortion, but to love, respect and enhance the lives of the humans around you.

And as the Year of Faith approaches, Elizabeth Scalia finds noteworthy ideas beginning to make headlines, the most recent being the notion by Kieran Conry, the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, who would like to see the faithful take a scheduled “moment for prayer” on the first Friday of every month and silently meditate on the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross out of love for you and everyone.

From the Vatican, Benedict XVI preached that the 10 Commandments are a sign of the love of God the Father. Without the guidance of the Commandments, he explained, man would be left to himself, proud in his own autonomy. In doing so, man “ends up by following the idols of egoism, of power, of dominion, polluting the relations with himself and with others, and following paths not of life but of death.” Meanwhile Jimmy Akin also uses the teachings of Pope Benedict to explain the "dark passages" in the Bible. The question of how these are to be interpreted has been with us for a long time, and apologists and Bible scholars--not to mention Church Fathers and theologians--have made many suggestions. Recently the pope provided some guidance.

Marriage After 40, ex-Playboy Playmates, Kids & Politics

Should little kids hear from you the parent that Obama is a crumb-bum who should lose, and that we should pray for him to repent. But! you will protest. That's indoctrination! That's brain washing! To which Simcha Fisher replies, Duh, that's her job. She says it's perfectly fine for parents to present their image of the world, painted in broad brush strokes, to their children. You tell 'em what you think is true, in ways that they can understand. When they're older, you can fill in more details, and they can figure out whether they believe you or not.

Also recently, Jennifer Fulwiler was having a conversation with a lady about treating infertility who said she was interested because she got married when she was over 40 and hoped to have a family. The conversation then turned into a great discussion about her experience being single longer than she'd hoped to be, as well as the benefits of marrying later in life. Jennifer blogs about the interesting chat.

Elsewhere, Donna D’Errico's reputation for being a wild girl isn’t exactly a secret. Being featured in Playboy was, by some accounts, not the greatest of her indiscretions. But that’s what makes this story so compelling. That she now goes to Mass every Sunday is impressive enough, but there are plenty of Sunday Mass-goers who then go out campaigning for pro-abortion Democrats. (For the record, D’Errico is a die-hard Ron Paul fan.) But the fact that she prays the rosary every night with her kids, that’s what really told me this is a woman who has turned her life around.

What To Do With Your Old iPhones

Millions of people will likely buy new iPhones once Apple announces the new iPhone 5 as expected this week. That leaves the question: What should you do with your old one? We offer you 11 things to do with your old iPhone, including things you never imagined as possibilities.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

 
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"Ephphatha!"-- that is, "Be opened!"

The Gospel on Sunday, Sep. 9, 2012, is about the healing of a man who was deaf and suffered from a speech impediment. Jesus’ liberating action on this double ailment calls our attention to the close connection between “hearing” and “speaking” – two essential faculties for proclaiming the Good News of salvation. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Physical and Spiritual Deafness

In the First Reading, Isaiah's Old Testament prediction of this miracle underlies Mark's understanding of Jesus' cure of the man in the Gospel. Abbot Philip, OSB outlines how Mark's story of the healing of this hearing and speech impaired man invites us to consider some important points about sickness and suffering in the New Testament.

The healing stories in the Gospels reflect Jesus' intimate, powerful relationship with God and His great compassion. He healed with words, touch and physical means. He worked so many cures that people were mobbing him. And that was the trouble. Fr. John Foley, S. J. says Jesus was in danger of becoming famous as a wonder-worker. The people were thinking their lives would be saved if only if only they got their health back, if only they could find relief in daily life, or if only—well, you name it.

But Jesus was concerned not only with physical infirmity but also spiritual impairment and moral deafness. Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB explains how our Lord He confronted one type in the man born deaf, the other type in the Pharisees and others who were unreceptive of his message. These miracles were meant to be signs, confirmations of the truth of His teachings, and invitations to trust and obey him. Unfortunately, Fr. John Bartunek points out, many people were willing to be cured by him but few were willing to suffer with him. And that became clear at the time of his passion.

"Ephphatha, be opened!"

The Lord continues to open our ears by preaching the Word of God to us. By listening to Him, He in turn calls us to proclaim his Word with the witness of our lives. Fr. Omer Prieto stresses that our ability to proclaim depends entirely on our capacity to listen. And we don't pray to make God present to us, Fr. Ron Rolheiser explains. We pray to make ourselves present to God. The secret to prayer is not to try to make God present, but to make ourselves present to God.

And when we read the Bible, do we "hear" what it says? The Bible does not tell us to read the Word of God, Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB explains. The Bible tells us to hear it, to listen to it. That is the great Jewish prayer: "Shema, Israel," "Hear, O Israel." Someone else must read the Word so that we may hear it and truly understand it.

And at our parishes, Fr. Phil Bloom adds, that is Faith Formation. It is about listening to the Lord. And he encourages us to take it seriously. For the purpose of God’s Word, after all, is not just to challenge us towards charity, social justice, morality, or even to the worship of something higher or to form community among ourselves. Fr. Ron Rolheiser tells us that Christ came, as God’s incarnate Word, to bring us life, light, and love.

Evidence of the Sacramental System

The Gospels are filled with the evidence of the sacramental system initiated by Christ. This miracle is one of them. As incarnate God he uses physical reality, the gifts of God's creation, as signs to bear the grace of supernatural life. All of creation is wrapped up in the proclamation of redemption.

Father Cusick illustrates how in the Baptismal ritual the priest continues this ordering of creation as a sign of salvation when he repeats the blessing "Ephphatha! Be opened!" over the ears and mouth of the newly baptized child. At this point too in the Baptism, Fr. Orly Sapuay, MS, points out that healing is best expressed. The priest says, “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May He touch your ears to receive His word and your mouth to proclaim your faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.”

The power of faith's hearing and seeing enables us to realize that the only way to share Christ's resurrection is through sharing Christ's love. And at our Eucharist, Fr. Campion P. Gavaler, OSB reminds us, we pray for the gift of sharing the faith and compassion of Christ in the particular circumstances of our own lives. We become a community whose unity is due to divine power, the power of the Spirit. And it is not just a spiritual club for those who look alike and dress alike. It is instead comprised by people from every tribe, tongue, people, language, occupation, and lifestyle. Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio says it is the universal family of God, the Church Catholic

When We and God Say “No”

We’ve all experienced those occasions when our prayers seem to have gone “unanswered.” Gary Zimak. asks given the many comments in the Bible regarding the Lord hearing our prayers, could there really be such a thing as “unanswered prayer”? While the obvious answer is “no”, why is it that we sometimes ask but don’t receive?

And we oftentimes also say "No" to God. Brent Stubbs offers three reasons why Jesus would be rejeceted by the Jews of His time. And they are the same three reasons why people reject the Church today. They can be summarized in three distinct yet overlapping categories: ontological, moral and epistemic.

Salvation and Heaven

Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith says the Church must challenge the idea that life on earth always ends with heaven. He explains how there has been in our society an almost complete loss of any sense of the “drama of salvation,” namely that the eternal outcome of our lives is an open question. If you ask churchgoers today what they think happens to them when we die, many of them will say that we go to heaven, not judgment.

Benedict XVI refers to it as "false religiosity." It as entrusting our joy and security "in material goods, power or other 'gods'." In this way religion "loses its true meaning which is found in listening to God, in doing His will" and external practices which "instead satisfy the human need to feel right before God."

Evangelization in the Workplace

We criticize the Church a lot for lagging when it comes to its use of technology. Should we, the champions of communion, also be the foremost champions of the latest communication methods? Of course! But in the end, Matthew Warner says these are not what we should be known for most. The opportunity for us is a much greater one. And it's one that is deeply and directly connected with the core mission of the Church in the first place.

These offer us opportunities to spread our faith in places like our workplace. Randy Hain shares five thoughts on how to overcome our fear of what others may think of us, be more courageous and go about setting a good example. But often times we hear from the culture that Catholics and other Christians come off as pushy, annoying, and extremist. Jerome Placido says sometimes we are even perceived as hypocrites. Ryan Eggenberger says the best way to overcome this is to “make a friend, be a friend, and bring a friend to Christ.” He offers four “Non-Churchy” tips to open up opportunities for evangelization.

Stories of Hope

LaChita Calloway tells the story of his wayward son. When twelve-year-old son, Donnie became involved with drugs and alcohol, as far as she could tell, he was still the same obedient and kindhearted son he had always been. They had been close during his childhood but she failed to recognize the changes he was going through. And strayed - badly. But friends and family never gave up and they kept praying for him.. Today Donnie is a faith-filled Catholic priest. And LaChita is a modern day St. Monica.

Simcha Fisher talks about her summer adventure. Because they haven't suffered enough this summer, she and her husband took their nine kids camping this week. Last time they went camping, they were single, fit, and owned sneakers. They are not really the outdoorsy type. But this was their summer for just going ahead and doing things, whether they made sense or not. So there they were, camping. This is what they learned.

Hot Jobs in a Cold Economy

Technology, business, retail and service industries rank among the other fast-growing careers in the rapidly and profoundly changing American workplace, according to employment experts and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What follows is a list of some of the 10 hottest industries for jobs over the next decade, as determined by NBC News based on government and private data.

The hottest opportunities remain in the health care industry, where demand is fueled by new technology, new treatments, our increased longevity and the reality that bedside care is one commodity that just can’t be outsourced.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief
 
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"Be doers of the word and not hearers only"

After our series of reflections on the 6th Chapter of John’s gospel, this Sunday, Sep. 2, 2012, we now go back to the gospel of Mark. Jesus rightly castigates the Pharisees for concentrating on trivial elements of the law because by doing this they miss the bigger picture. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

The Pharisees and Role of Law

The traditions of the Pharisees were quite a different matter. Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio explains that they were not of themselves evil. They were pious customs of human origin passed down to support the living out of the law. Unfortunately, however, the Pharisees used these pious customs as loopholes to help them get around the difficult demands of the Torah.

Jesus tells the scribes and pharisees that they are hypocrites when they are more concerned about the law than the reason for the law. The letter of the law without compassion is dehumanizing. He did not belittle the “tradition of the elders” nor indicate that it has no value. He does not dismiss the law but condemns its misuse.

Rather, Fr. Alex McAllister, SDS explains, our Lord rejects the Pharisees' and the scribes' notion of sin. For according to Jesus, Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB points out, sin is the human spirit gone wrong, not a failure to distinguish between types of food. And so no matter how much we do in God’s service, regardless of how active we are in our churches, Fr. Orly Sapuay, MS rightly reminds us that God will not overlook a sinful heart. Thus the invitation of this Sunday, Fr. Phil Bloom explains, is to follow Jesus, to learn His teaching, to follow His moral law and to receive His sacraments.

Conversion of the Heart

Father Cusick notes that today more Americans go to church services each week than go to sports events in an entire year. But he also notes that such reverence is empty while mere human precepts are taught as dogmas and the eternal laws of God are spurned and ignored.

Jesus does not condemn ritual observance, which today would mean frequenting the sacraments and devotion to prayer. What He does condemn, Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. points out, is religious observance that does not include conversion of one's heart from pride and self-centeredness. Granted, Jesus does warn about staying within the bounds of proper belief (monotheism and all that this implies) and proper morals (the commandments, love of our enemies, forgiveness). But, Fr. Ron Rolheiser adds, our Lord stresses too that we can miss the real demands of discipleship by not going far enough in letting ourselves be stretched by His teachings.

True Religion

So who’s a real Christian and who’s not? Who’s faithful to the teaching of Christ and who’s selective in following him? Fr. Ron Rolheiser asks, did Jesus have a litmus test? What is Jesus telling us then? Fr. John Foley, S. J. says Jesus is telling us to have the right heart within and law will be your friend. True religion is this, Fr. Joseph Pellegrino explains. It is looking after widows and orphans in their distress and keeping oneself unspotted from the world.

And here is where we have the beauty of our Catholic faith life, our Catholic morality. Our Catholic faith is profoundly realistic. Fr. Joseph Pellegrino says it recognizes that we are human beings tempted to make bad as well as good choices. When we call out, Fr. Phil Bloom reminds us, the Holy Spirit gives us help. We are in continual need of having our course to the Lord refined and even restored. He's not through with any of us and will not be through until the time for our making free choices is over.

Social Issues, Politics & Catholics

Lori Hadorn Disselkamp reports that today only 22% of American Catholics attend Church once a week. Where are the other 78%? Why have they fallen away from Church attendance yet they are still proud to call themselves Catholic? But there is hope, according to Jennifer Fulwiler. She believes the Internet offers specific characteristics that make it particularly powerful for the Church. And she honestly believes this instrument of truth will lead to mass conversions to Christianity.

And the Truth is the Truth; there is no compromise, says Benedict XVI. The Pope made this observation thsi week as he reflected on the feast of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. John "did not keep silent about the truth, and thus he died for Christ who is the Truth. For love of the truth, he did not give in to compromises with those who were powerful, nor was he afraid to address strong words to the one who lost his way to God," he said.

George Weigel discusses the Church and Unions. He says the right of workers to organize is a settled matter in Catholic social doctrine. No one will begrudge a union the right to defend its own; that’s why it exists. But when unions defend only their own, to the detriment of the rest of society (and, in a prime American case, the detriment of poor, inner-city children), something is wrong.

That is why these elections are so important. Rachell Zoll says forget the Mormon moment. The religious group that seems to be figuring most prominently in the presidential election right now is the Roman Catholic Church. With Mitt Romney's recent choice of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate, this campaign is the first in which Catholics are on both major party tickets. Vice President Joe Biden and Ryan are lifelong Catholics who attend Mass regularly and credit the church with shaping their views.

And what is characteristic of the United States, explains Sandro Magister, is that this lively debate is taking place in the light of the sun, with public statements of position on the content of the issues. Politically, bishops and faithful are divided. No one is asking that Catholics make a united front, much less form a party. No one is calling for the organized involvement of Catholics in politics. In the political field, Catholics in the United States are simply present as far as they are able. The public sphere belongs to them also, as it does to all. Their power is that of persuading, not of imposing.

Divorce, Rape & Prayer

Recently an otherwise good politician incompetently waded into the politically explosive area and lit a match. A rape is often the most physically and emotionally devastating event in a victim’s life. And this is why the case against the rape exception is among the hardest for pro-lifers to articulate and for others to understand. It happens to be the position of most mainstream pro-life groups and, indeed, the teaching of the Catholic Church that killing an innocent child can never be justified, even if that life began as a result of rape.

Meanwhile, Matthew AIchbold talks about an old friend he met in the parking lot after Mass. The friend said that he'd just rented an apartment nearby because he was getting a divorce. Their conversation prompted Matthew to talk about divorce and the myth of quality time. From New York City, Cardinal Dolan talks about one of those rare-but-dramatic moments of divine illumination. The experience happened after he had just celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation for about two-dozen of our special needs children. And it revolves around one of the confirmandis, a young man with Down Syndrome the cardinal calls "God’s Work of Art."

Last year, while attending the diaconate convocation for the Archdiocese of Detroit, Kathy Schiffer wrote about how she and her husband were privileged to pray before a first-class relic of St. Teresa of Avila. But what,exactly, is a relic? First, let’s clear up what it’s not. Catholics do not, under any circumstances, “worship” relics. She explains more. While Martha Fernández-Sardina talks about the keynote address she gave at the "Proclaim" conference held earlier this month in Sydney, Australia's first national conference on the new evangelization. She talked about "Personal Conversion: An Indispensable Key in Personal and Parish Evangelization."

Does God really speak to us? Anthony Lilles says there are many who believe that God does not speak to us and that prayer is nothing more than an imaginary conversation with ourselves that makes us feel better about things. But such explanations of prayer, as sophisticated as they appear, do not adequately account for what both great saints and repentant sinners discover in the silence of their hearts.

This may be the very same experience gained by then Mormon professor Richard Sherlock when while attending mass as a non-Catholic, Archbishop Raymond Burke placed his hand on his head in a blessing at the Communion line. And the extraordinary presence of Jesus Christ moved his soul to tears. He has since converted to Catholicism.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief



BURNING QUESTION: "What is the Worst Sin?"
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"Do you also want to leave?"

We are now in the final section of the 6th chapter of John’s gospel, John 6:60-69. The Sunday Gospel for Aug. 26, 2012 concludes with the challenge of the Lord to his disciples – “Do you also want to leave?” – after many walked away, unable to accept his teaching. The apostles, however, remained; for they believed in him whose words are “spirit and life.” Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

A Hard Saying

Up until the end, people continued to question the teaching on the Bread of Life. The Lord Himself recognized this difficulty. But, instead of backing off, He reinforced His point: “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” For some of the disciples, this was too hard to accept. Fr. Joseph Pellegrino say these disciples left the island of trust. They were convinced that the spiritual would not make such outlandish demands on their senses. They left Jesus and returned to their previous lives.

A sad scene, and puzzling too. But why is Jesus saying such things to his followers, Fr. John Foley, S. J. asks, and how are we supposed to understand them? The truth, Fr. Ron Rolheiser explains, is that God is ineffable. What that means is that God cannot be captured in our thoughts or pictured inside our imaginations.

And so the Twelve told Jesus what was happening. Perhaps they were implying that Jesus tone down His teaching some. Maybe they were just pointing out that the Lord was losing followers. Whatever. The fact is that Jesus was not going to take back a single word. Fr. Phil Bloom says Jesus is drawing a line in the sand - and inviting us to cross it, to come with him. And this brings us to the fifth and final instruction. To receive Communion we cross a line - make a commitment to stand with Jesus, no matter what.

“Your words are spirit and life.”

Faith is a gift from God. And true biblical faith, Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio explains, entails faithfulness or a lifelong commitment, come what may. Difficult as it was, Peter spoke on behalf of the apostles. They were committed to stay with Him. Even though they, too, might not have fully grasped his very difficult teaching, their faith in His person came first; even before what He taught. Fr. Orly Sapuay, MS details how the quality time the apostles have spent together with Jesus has disposed their hearts and minds to develop trust in Him and to be open to the Truth.

Yes, there are times that it is difficult to follow Christ. This Gospel passage alerts us to the fact that faith is not primarily assent to a creed about God but a personal covenant with God. His followers of weak faith did leave him. Fr. Campion P. Gavaler, OSB points out that Judas betrayed Jesus and Peter denied that he had ever known Him.

Following Christ means taking up the cross. Fr. Joseph Pellegrino says it means denying ourselves the passing joys of immorality for the eternal joy of living in His Presence forever. The story of Judas and Peter is both a warning and a source of hope. Like Judas, we too can finally choose to place ultimate, suicidal trust in something other than God. Like Peter, we too may grievously sin; yet trust that if we return, the Lord will welcome us with the joy of steadfast love.

Our Church is A Community of Faith

Fr. Omer Prieto tells us that it is our faith in the Lord that enables us to believe and accept His words. Such belief is not easy. Many times we are confronted by the same challenge to remain faithful to the teachings of our faith, even when we find them hard. Many find this stupendous reality a "stumbling block" and so reject the King of Kings who John salutes correctly in Sunday's Gospel as "the Holy One of God." But at some point our procrastinating and the rationalizing have to end. Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI reminds us that we have to choose, accept the painful renunciations inside that choice, and will the one-thing, God and faithful service of others, because ultimately our sadness comes from the fact that we are not yet saints.

The Church is a community of faith. The Catholic Faith is the faith of the Apostles. We look to them as the first group of Christians trained by the Lord himself and mandated by him to be the authentic interpreters of His teaching. And, Alex McAllister SDS adds, we believe that our Bishops are their direct successors and are also so mandated by Christ. We say in the creed that we believe in the one, true, catholic, and apostolic church.

This truth can never change. The Mass is the apex of the entire Christian life. Father Cusick emphasizes that the Eucharist is indeed the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. And blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb. In the "Guidelines for Reception of Communion," the bishops underscore this commitment. Communion they say involves "oneness of faith, life and worship." In other words, Communion involves our total being, our entire lives. Thus, explains Bishop Philip Boyce, each celebration of the Mass should be an experience of God and of faith, and a prayer.

Spreading the Good News

While some are called to be missionaries in foreign lands, for most of us, evangelization of inactive or non-Catholics begins in our own homes and communities. Some of these are the ones you might hear complain that the “Mass is boring”, “the priest is difficult to understand” or “the priest didn’t wow us with an exciting homily.” The list of complaints is likely much longer, but I think you get the picture. We must realize this is not healthy behavior. How do we change? Randy Haim offers key points he summarized into “Six Steps to Cure Catholic Boredom.”

Jim Graves also recently spoke with five prominent Catholic evangelists. And they offered suggestions to us Catholics on ways we can evangelize those they encounter day-to-day. And for a quick primer, Matthew Warner reports that John Paul the Great Catholic University is offering a FREE online crash course in the Catholic Faith. In the span of just 13 weeks - one session per week - you'll get lessons on different Catholic topics right in the comfort of your home.

Let’s reflect on how we feel right now about the Mass, priests, Church, etc. If we feel bored or critical, let’s follow a sound road map to bring us back from this dangerous territory.

Catholic Social Teaching

Solidarity? The Church is all for it. Subsidiarity? The Church couldn't be more enthusiastic about it. Not one or the other, nor some bland compromise between the two, but both, advocated with equal vigor. Rev. Robert Barron thinks it would be wise for everyone to keep this peculiarly Catholic balance in mind as the debate over Paul Ryan’s policies unfolds.

And meanwhile, an alliance of Catholic Hispanic leaders in the United States released Monday a guide for the 2012 elections, comparing the positions of the presidential candidates to Catholic social teaching. The document from the San Antonio-based Catholic Hispanic Leadership Alliance (CHLA) considers 23 specific questions, centered around the priority issues of the United States Catholic bishops. Immigration reform, same-sex "marriage" and the Affordable Healthcare Act are three of the issues on the list.

Men, Marriage & Men

When Msgr. Charles Pope speaks on marriage or do marriage preparation work, he sometimes get accused of being tough on men. He pleads guilty, with an explanation, or two. His advice to husbands on how to handle a woman? Love her.

Cheryl Dickow, meanwhile, admits that she is a weakling. But she points out that God has given her incredible strength through women who have become friends in the deepest sense of the word. They have surrounded her with love and have moved her forward, past pain and into God’s arms and his grace. She says Christ did not abandon her but strengthened her through these women, these friends. But there is one woman she does not know personally whom sets as the gold standard - Ann Romney. Take away the money thing, Cheryl jokes that she and Mrs. Romney have a lot in common. But she says it is Mrs. Romney's chronic MS condition that sets her on a level playing field with her. Cheryl explains why.

Dental Health and Dementia

Finally be made aware that people who keep their teeth and gums healthy with regular brushing may have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life, according to a U.S. study. Researchers at the University of California who followed nearly 5,500 elderly people over an 18-year-period found that those who reported brushing their teeth less than once a day were up to 65 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed daily.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief



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