"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son"

This Sunday, June 18, 2015, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity. The Triune nature of God is the principal mystery of the Catholic faith. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

The Very Mystery of God


What we know about God is not made up, not a fable invented by our ancestors. What we know about God is revealed by God himself. The Triune nature of God is the principal mystery of the Catholic faith. Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB says it is the first and last horizon of the universe and of history: the Love of God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is not solitude, but perfect communion. All three in a great dynamic of love, are so close that they are One God, explains Fr. John Foley, S. J..

Of course, we can only ever know God partially because to know him fully would be beyond our capacity as human beings in this life. The reality of God is too rich to ever be captured, even half adequately, in imagination, thought, and word. Fr. Ron Rolheiser says the idea of God needs to stretch, not shrink, the human imagination. But in order for us to get to know God we need to to root out sin and to cultivate the qualities that bring us closer to him. Fr. Alex McAllister SDS tells us that these qualities are the virtues of faith, hope, charity and all the rest.

If Christianity were simply a religion of keeping the law, the inner life of the lawgiver would not matter. But if Christianity is about personal relationship with God, Dr. Marcellino d'Ambrosio explains, then who God really is matters totally. Further, Fr. Joseph Pellegrino tells us that God possesses us, and we possess Him, not for ourselves, but to continue His Presence in the world. Thus every Sunday's liturgy helps unfold the mystery of divine life. In each gospel Jesus makes the Father's truth and love present in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit. We open each Liturgy invoking the Trinity, Fr. James Gilhooley highlights for us, and we also close it by calling upon those same Persons.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world.” - us. The truth of that statement is so simple and yet it boggles the mind. Its so easy to say and so hard to wrap our minds and hearts around. And yet, explains Fr. Orlando, Sapuay, MS. the truth remains. God loves us. No matter what our sins or our attitude towards God. Whether we accept the truth of His love or not - He does love you.

And the "world" which God loves so much as to give it his only Son? We are that world -- human beings tragically alienated from God, alienated from each other, alienated from our own deepest personal identity as children of God. Fr. Campion P. Gavaler, O.S.B. says this is the world described in the first chapters of Genesis, in every evening's TV news, in our own experience of life. And yet, points out college student Emily Clark, that thing that an earthly father would never be willing to do—sacrifice his child—is just the thing God chose to do . . . for us.

The Communion of Saints

Every Sunday's Eucharist is the prayer of the church in living communion with the Risen Lord praising the Father through the power of the Spirit. Father Cusick points out to us that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit live eternally, love eternally and pour out divine love and life in the world through the Body of Christ, the Church.

We pray to the Father through Jesus his Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit. And this unity of the Holy Spirit, according to Fr. Phil Bloom,  is the Communion of Saints. Our origin is family, the Trinity, and our goal is family, the Communion of Saints for ever united to the Persons of the Trinity.

Prayer, Worship & the Sacraments

Joe Heschmeyer urges us all to prepare ourselves to become tabernacles for the Lord. When we receive Communion, our very bodies and souls become the receptacles for the Second Person of the Trinity. And that's why we need the Sacrament of Confession. Because otherwise, when we receive the Eucharist, we're placing God in the pit of filth inside of us.

This is also the time of year when Bishops celebrate Confirmation. It is certainly a wonderful moment for all you recipients of the sacrament, as you receive the same Holy Spirit bestowed upon the Church at Pentecost, which we celebrated last Sunday. But now that you've been confirmed. Now what? Archbishop Richard W. Smith from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada has the answers for you.

Family Matters

Then Archbishop now Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York lamented the media and its rush to push the states to re-invent the very definition of an undeniable truth – one man, one woman, united in lifelong love and fidelity, hoping for children – that has served as the very cornerstone of civilization and culture from the start. Our beliefs, he argued should not be viewed as discrimination against homosexual people. This is not about denying rights. It is about upholding a truth about the human condition.

This media push to erode our long-set values has to be met with a re-education process. And that is where the new evangelization comes in. Cardinal Odilo Scherer, archbishop of São Paulo, Brazil  says it needs to be as ordinary as daily life -- because it has to happen in our homes. "The peoples to evangelize are in our own house," he asserted. "The Gospel is not a good that constitutes our privilege [as Catholics], but a good for the world."

And Jennifer Fulwiler discusses how the digital revolution is impacting everything from prayer to marriages to the Church as a whole. But one of the areas that she finds most interesting is how it has impacted the fight for the dignity of human life. She says the internet will make the world more Pro-Life. And I agree with her.

Celebrating All Fathers

This Sunday is Fathers Day. Did you know that according to surveys, if a father made a decision to become a Christian, the rest of the family followed his example 93 percent of the time? No one wants to minimize the importance of faithful mothers, Terry Mattingly explains. But it's clear that fathers play a unique and special role in helping their children develop a living faith — especially their sons. There's no way to deny that.

And to inspire all you fathers out there, here's a story of a father's unelievable love for his disabled son. We all try to be good fathers, but compared to Dick Hoyt, we all suck. Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day. "I Can Only Imagine" is the story and the video will move you.

Conan, Chaste Dating & Graduations

And as we close, let's talk about our graduates and the new world that awaits them after school. Conan O’ Brien took center stage three years ago this week when he gave the commencement address at Dartmouth college. We have the video for you. It is longer than usual, but stick with it for the sheer entertainment value. At about the 18 minute mark, O’Brien gets serious and personal, and the speech goes from enjoyable to sublime. He offers some serious life nuggets to graduates everywhere.

And for those high school graduate who are off to college, allow us to share with you some Dating Rules as oyu navigate the tricky roads of college life. Here's Ten Ways to Chaste Dating for the over-21 Crowd and for those who live Outside the Home.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. A Happy and blessed Fathers Day to all dads!

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

BURNING QUESTION: Why do you make the sign of the Cross?
FEATURED BLOG: Lot's Wife Syndrome
PASTORAL HISPANA: La Solemnidad de la Santisima Trinidad

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"He will give you another Advocate to be with you always"

This Sunday, May 25, 2014, is the last Sunday of Easter. We are being prepared for the Ascension of Jesus, which comes next week. He has risen from death and now he is ready to be human in another way, that is, to go to up to heaven, as we hope we will too. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

This week, the Readings move us forward in our consideration of the Easter Mystery. We move from the contemplation of Christ's appearances after the resurrection over the last few Sundays to a meditation on the continued presence of Christ in the Church through the Holy Spirit.

A Comforting Promise

Christ Jesus had to return to heaven so that our salvation might be complete. Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S. tells us that Our Lord did this not to complicate things, but to comfort us. In fact, in our text we find that Jesus gives a comforting promise. He promises to care for us, and He promises to be with us always. He said "If you love me you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever" (John 14:15). Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB  says Jesus identifies the new Advocate as the Spirit of truth, unknown to the world but an abiding presence within the disciples. This then is the foundation of our trust in the guidance of the Spirit.

Fr. Phil Bloom explains to us why we do not fear the dark. We experience life as a mysterious adventure. And we are convinced that - because of Jesus - the adventure will not end with death. That is the reason for our hope. And that is what college student Stephen Chanderbhan is sharing with us when he offers his personal testimony to the message Jesus speaks: God is with us always. God never leaves those who love Him, and will even surprise us if we are open to it!

Jesus does not leave us at all. God has given us His Spirit, but His Spirit does not dominate our lives. Fr. Alex McAllister SDS explains how the Holy Spirit is there in a very gentle way prompting our actions, keeping us faithful, helping us to hang on in there even though God seems so far away. God does this so that we can grow in love, so that it can be stretched to its limits.

The Holy Spirit - The Paraclete

Here's a common thinking among Christians. God the Father–we can get a glimpse of His tenderness and strength, thanks to Michelangelo’s magnificent Sistine ceiling. And baby Jesus in the manger, the savior hanging on the Cross–these are images we can easily visualize. But Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost? Somehow, we can’t feel quite the same way about a dove as we do about a child on its mother’s lap. And then what does this “Spirit” do? The Father creates, the Son saves, but the Spirit?

Fr. James Gilhooley uses Daniel Durkin to summarize the Parakletos in these lyrical words: Eternally the Holy Spirit is love between the Father and the Son but historically the Holy Spirit is love between God and the world. Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio adds that the Holy Spirit is the real thing. He does not just come and go. He is with us always. We must grow into it, this Spirit within us. Or better, we must allow it to grow within us. Fr. John Foley, S. J. reminds us that we must learn to allow Jesus’ real presence to come into us at communion, for instance, and to love and forgive in daily life. We need Jesus to remain actually present in this world, and therefore we need the Holy Spirit.

Real love comes only from God

Everybody needs love. And, Father Cusick points out, 100% genuine real love comes only from God. The commandments protect us from falling for the counterfeits, the shams and the lies that often pass for love in our world. To love Jesus means to trust him.

Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. says that means that we trust his radical teaching about an ideal of unselfish loving. The most important consequence of this presence of Jesus in our lives is the profound conviction, given to us by the Spirit, that we are embraced by the heavenly Father's love, just as Jesus was embraced by that love. And that is why we Christians are truly eternal optimists. Fr. Joseph Pellegrino talks about how we may be dying of cancer, we may be in difficult family situations, strained relationships, financially hurting, what have you, but no matter what the situation, we know that if we are true to Christ, He will always be the source of our joy.

However, Fr. Ron Rolheiser cautions us that right truth and right morals don’t necessarily make us disciples of Jesus. What makes us genuine disciples of Jesus is living inside His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and this is not something abstract and vague. St. Paul tells us that we can live according to either the spirit of the flesh or the Holy Spirit. We live for the Lord. We die for the Lord. That is authentic Christian life.


Conversion, Vocations & More

With ordination season now in full swing, some great vocation stories are emerging. And this one, shared by Deacon Greg Kandra, is just one of them. Inside the burning Twin Towers on 9/11, Paul Carris took an injured stranger's hand - Judith Toppin's - and promised to lead her to safety down 71 flights of stairs. They were among the last to escape. Almost 10 years later, Carris says, he tapped into the trauma of that lifesaving experience to “save my own life” — and became a Roman Catholic deacon.

And here's an "Open Letter" from an evangelical pastor to all his fellow Protestant brothers and sisters. His brother is a Roman Catholic seminarian whom he visited him during the latter's acolyte installation ceremonies before hopefully being ordained a priest. After immersing himself into the spiritual environment of the seminarians, the pastor offered this observation: "Men, what a blessing you were to me! I have news for you. Heaven will be just like this! If these men are any indication of the kinds of people who will emerge as the priests and leaders of the Catholic Church in this new century, there are great days ahead for them, and more and more people are going to experience the Gospel in real, tangible ways." Amen.

Eight years ago this week, Taylor Marshall exchanged his Anglican clerical collar for a layman's necktie. He said it was the best decision that he has ever made. He, his wife and their children were received into the one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. It's been a blessing to be a Catholic. His only regret is that they did not become Catholic earlier. Taylor's story is a validation for Michael Coren who was getting challenged by his non-Catholic friends when he titled his new book: Why Catholics Are Right. To the mass of uninformed critics, he says he is often driven to say, "Think and agree, think and disagree, think whatever you like. But in the name of God and the Church He left us, please think!"

This challenge applies to us practicing Catholics as well. Judith Costello uses First Communion as her drawing board. She notes how our young first communicants are so excited on their special day as they feel the glow of love for Jesus. However, the sad reality is that some of the young people who receive the Eucharist for the first time, won’t receive Jesus again for a long time. Too many families see First Communion as the beginning and the end of their obligation for faith formation.

High School Graduations & Looking to College

"Don't believe your report Cards!" Talking about the true and hidden lessons we learned in High School, Dr. Antonio Miguel Dans delivered this message in 2001 to the graduating high school class of the top Jesuit school in the Philippines.  We share this with you because it's a wonderful reflection on the hidden lessons that we all walk away with from high school.

And here's a supposedly true story that happened at the University of Maryland.  We have no way of verifying it's authenticity. But it was simply too good and too inspiring not to pass on. It's about a graduating class who could not pray during the commencements----not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The last of the speakers at the ceremonies, a solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly sneezed!  The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said, "God bless you, each and every one of you!"

And to all our high school seniors, here's our Freshman Send Off. This fall over 1.5 million students of you will start your freshman year of college. Some of you will hit the ground running and never look back. For others their freshman year, especially the first few months, will be more of a challenge. Thirty percent of you will actually drop out during their first year. If you’re one of that 1.5 million and don’t want to be part of the 30%, check out our Freshman Survival Guide. It's the "17 Things College Freshman Should Know Before Classes Start."


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 does the Holy Spirit do in your life?
FEATURED BLOG: Why Catholics Are Right
PASTORAL HISPANA: Por nuestros frutos seremos conocidos

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"I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved."

In the Catholic tradition this Fourth Sunday after Easter is called Good Shepherd Sunday. It is also kept as a Special Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

The Good Shepherd Discourse

God's image as Shepherd did not originate with Jesus. One finds the figure of speech strewn throughout the Old Testament like a common pebble. You will discover it in the Books of Zechariah, Isaiah, Ezechiel, and Jeremiah for openers. And don't forget the celebrated 23rd Psalm which is our Responsorial Psalm today: "The Lord is my shepherd." Matthew and Luke as well as this Sunday's John applied it often to their Leader.

But this Gospel of John opens very differently than the other Gospels. Fr. Ron Rolheiser explains how there are no infancy narratives. Right at the beginning we already meet the adult Christ and the first words he speaks are a question: “What are you searching for?” John’s whole Gospel tries to answer that, but the full answer is given only at the very end, by Jesus himself. Christ showed us the way by living God’s way.

Jesus is the faithful follower of the Father’s will to the end. Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S points out that Christ alone is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. Fr. Alex McAllister says our Lord is telling us that it is only His teaching of unselfish love that will lead us to true life and happiness. And He is not content to see us barely survive.

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio says Jesus wants us to thrive. So He spreads out a true feast before us. Imagine his surprise when most of his sheep walk right by the oasis with its succulent grass and instead insist on munching the dried weeds at the edge of the desert. But that’s what most Catholics appear to do. Prayers and rituals and fervor are wonderful and necessary. But when they don't lead to real conversion from selfish tendencies to genuine concern for others, Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. warns us, we ignore Christ's feast.

On Hearing The Voice That Soothes

Most of us do not like to think of ourselves as followers. But sheep are followers. The voice of the one they know, of the one they recognize, they will follow. Through Jesus, God knows each and every one of us better than we know ourselves. Fr. James Gilhooley asks us to imagine our name on the lips of God Himself in His role as the Shepherd as He calls to us. The name that our Lord confirms for each of us, Fr. John Foley, S. J. reminds us, finds its way down to the deepest interior of our souls. Through it He calls us to be most truly who we are, in our own self and in God.

We may misunderstand the voice of God, the shepherd, ignore it, resist it, button our ears to it, but in our moments of sane and solitary wholeness—or maybe in our times of trouble—our spirits pulse to the rhythm of that voice. It resounds within us. If we are going to be anybody's sheep, then let it be Christ's.

Jesus is the Sheep Gate

There is a door through which all of us must pass: the door of death which leads beyond this earthly life. Father Cusick says Jesus Christ has gone through this door. Having died according to the flesh, He has revealed that death has no power over Him because He is Lord of life. For those who love Him and surrender to His lordship, Christ is the gate of the sheepfold. As Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB reminds us, Jesus is the entrance into the loving security of God -- into the protection of the good shepherd.

No one comes to the Father except through him. So, let us open the door of our hearts to Jesus, Fr. Phil Bloom asks us. Repent for our sins, receive the Sacraments and put ourselves at the service of others.

May 11 is World Day of Prayer for Vocations

The Vatican has called for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations to be observed this Sunday, May 11, the fourth Sunday of Easter, commonly known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The USCCB offers many web resources to develop a vocation culture. Among these resources is the USCCB's list of "10 ways to promote religious vocations" in our parishes.

So how is parish stacking up in your efforts to develop priestly vocations? Allow us to share the stories of two parishes where the Holy Spirit is working overtime. The first one talks about how the pastoral and school staff at St. Mary Help of Christians Church worked to develop theirs into a vocations-aware parish in Aiken, S.C. The second parish success story comes from the Archdiocese of Atlanta where a simple seminarian "adoption" program sparked active discernment among parish young people.

Osama Bin Laden, Mercy & True Spirituality

Allison's husband escaped from the 68th floor of Tower One before the building collapsed on 9/11. As she contemplated the death of the man who tried to murder her beloved, she also considered Osama Bin Laden's destiny, which now is in God's hands. She took a look at Pope John Paul II's life, which mirrored Christ's in so many ways, and she learned that mercy is greater than justice. Paul Dion, STL echoed the same sentiments on the bin Laden killing in his blog, "Are you sure that you are pro-Life?"

These lead us into more soul-searching reflection. In Psalm 81, God is anxious for us to allow Him to take care of us. Sadly, we are inclined to give up too easily on God and trust in our own ability to control our situations. If we are being honest, would we admit that our faith and trust in God is primarily intellectual? Anthony Buono leads the discussion.

Last Easter, many were received into our Catholic Church. It is best we remind ourselves that it is just the beginning of their journey. Msgr. Charles Pope talks about the challenging need to more clearly instruct Catechumens and those being received into the Church about spiritual attack. Plain and simple, the devil wants to destroy the faith of those who have newly entered the Church. And we need to be sober about this.

And here's a reflection from someone who, while attending Mass this past Sunday, experienced so many distractions that it inspired this post. As she reflected on what she saw and heard, she soon realized that at some point in the past, she also has been guilty of partaking in every single one of the distractions she points out..

Catholic News

Here's a gem from Pope Benedict a few years back. In this discourse, he reminded us all that the Bible’s truth is found in its totality. He said one cannot take individual biblical quotes or passages and say each one is literally true. Pope Benedict XVI said. “It is possible to perceive the Sacred Scriptures as the word of God” only by looking at the Bible as a whole, “a totality in which the individual elements enlighten each other and open the way to understanding.” He also spoke about the Liturgy, pointing out that it lives from a constant relationship between tradition and progress. He clarified that not infrequently tradition and progress are clumsily opposed. "In reality," he added, "the two concepts are integrated: tradition is a living reality, which because of this includes in itself the principle of development, of progress."

Mary, the Month of May & the Rosary

May is the month devoted to Mary and to praying the rosary. “Love our Lady…” This was the message Deacon Greg Kandra gleaned while working his way through St. Josemaria Escriva’s “The Way.” He said this is what jumped out at him one morning: “Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle. And the enemy will gain nothing by those perversities that seem to boil up continually within you, trying to engulf in their fragrant corruption the high ideals, those sublime commands that Christ himself has placed in your heart. Serviam! — ‘I will serve!’”

Catholic Businessmen, Smile s and Mothers Day

A few years ago, Dawn Carpenter had an interesting conversation with one of our country’s most respected business leaders about Catholic business ethics. Intrigued, he wanted the “elevator pitch” version of what Faith could do to inform business, beyond its admonishment about the rich man’s difficulties getting into heaven. Here’s what she told him — the five things that every Catholic businessperson must know.

How about making a stranger smile? Don’t wait for people to smile. Show them how. We offer you 88 ways to do it.


Fr. Phil Bloom uses this Sunday's celebration of Mothers Day and his homily as good moment to address a difficult issue: the decline in reverence for motherhood - and fatherhood. "Behold your Mother" is a wonderful Mothers Day reflection by Cheryl Dickow. While Susan Hines-Brigger asks "Mother's Day: What Does It Really Mean?" And we bring you the story of Chastity Brown who is "Happy to be celebrating my first Mother's Day." Finally just in case you haven't lifted a finger in preparation for Sunday's celebration, "Planning ahead for Mother’s Day" offers to help make the occasion delightful, fun and relaxing. 

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Happy Mothers Day to all mothers. I love you, mom!

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

BURNING QUESTION: Should Christians perform the sign of the cross?
FEATURED BLOG: Five Things Every Catholic Businessperson Must Know
PASTORAL HISPANA: Escuchar la voz del Buen Pastor

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"Prepare the way of the Lord"

“Stay awake,” we heard last week. “Prepare,” we hear this week. Stay awake for the opportunities to serve the Lord. Prepare to find Him. The words of John the Baptist in this Sunday's Readings for Dec. 8, 2013 (2AdvA) warn us against sleeping our lives away, against spiritual laziness. Our Discussion Questions for Dec. 5, 2010 - Second Sunday of Advent - will guide your Online Sunday Bible Study sessions with your family, friends and church groups.

Fruits of Love

God's mysterious goodness is around us and in us. He gives it all out of pure generosity and love. But, Fr. John Foley, S. J. notes, you and I do very little to “deserve” it. In fact, we definitely are not worthy of it. Fr. James Gilhooley offers the observation that many Catholics no longer buy into the concept of personal sin. We live our lives in an era which has dry cleaned sin away.

So John the Baptist makes it clear this Sunday. Our prayers and our running to God will do us no good at all unless we produce the fruits of our repentance. Abbot Philip Lawrence, OSB says these fruits are those that bring about peace, harmony and seeking the good of others above our own good. Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB calls it the gift of love, the fruit of love, that fruit which "befits repentance." College student Colleen Corcoran reflects on this "Good Fruit" and how it manifests in on-campus student life.

Repentance and Change

Notice that these two things are inseparable, repentance and change. It was the Pharisees reluctance to change that brought about John's indignation. John’s message directed to the Pharisees and Sadducees was a message of judgment. To call the most influential religious leaders of the time, "offspring of snakes" was not designed to bring popularity.

He then challenged them to demonstrate actions worthy of repentance. It was a call for a genuine turning to God instead of regular religiosity. Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S. wonders whether John would issue a similar call to religious leaders today. Fr. Alex McAllister SDS agrees. He says this is something that finds a clear parallel today. So often we have questions about why people bring their children for baptism when they plainly have no intention of bringing the child up in the faith. When we refuse to live our faith, we are treating our baptism as a mere ritual act.

It seems then that we have three distinct groups; one, those who had already given up and did not respond to John's call; two, those who heard him but whose hearts were hardened and were reluctant to change, just like the Pharisees; and the third group who came to John full of hope and with a real preparedness to change. We must ask ourselves: to which group do we belong?

What is called for is repentance and we must be careful not to confuse that with remorse. Remorse is simply a temporary regret about our unworthy behavior. It usually lasts a very short time and then we return to our old habits. By contrast, repentance means that we have found something better and more promising than our sinfulness. This discovery is the love and goodness of God, Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. tells us. If we realize that the stakes are eternal, Fr. John Foley, S. J. adds, then the words of Christ will not be lost upon us. We will take His words and teachings to heart, as spirit and life.

To the Desert - Prepare!

Father Steve Grunow reflects on the great Advent figure of John the Baptist and expounds upon his role as not only prophet, but as temple priest in the era of Herod "the Great." This imposing figure chose to spread the Good News in the desert. In the desert, Fr. Joseph Pellegrino points out, John the Baptist confronted people who thought they were entitled - the Pharisees and the Saducees. “Stop making presumptions,” the Baptist warns them....and us.

This Sunday, Fr. Phil Bloom says God also invites us to go to the desert. Not the desert of Judea, but one much closer: the desert of the human heart. The desert is a place free from distractions, a place where a person can be alone with God. In silence we meet God. And by meeting him, we find our true selves.

The coming of the Messiah as prophesied by John the Baptist obviously has something to do with the advent of peace. Dr. Marcellino d'Ambrosio says we need to examine the biblical notion of peace. For it is not quite the peace that some have in mind. It is not niceness or political correctness. It is not just the absence of armed conflict or “peaceful co-existence.” It is rather right relationship between people that flows from right relationship with God.

And just like John the Baptist, our impatience for truth and justice makes us want and expect a messiah who comes in earthly terms, all talent and muscle. But that’s not the Christmas story, nor the power revealed in it. An infant lying in the straw in Bethlehem didn’t outgun anyone. He just lay there, waiting for anyone, good or bad, to come to him, see his helplessness, feel a tug at his or her heart strings, and then gently try to coax a smile or a word out of him. Fr. Ron Rolheiser reminds us that it is still how God meets us.

Spreading the Faith

We are called to spread the Good News of God's love for each one of us. But it's not always easy. Those who have encountered the beauty and power of faith want to give that gift to their children. The question is, how? Well, explains Jake Frost, the good news is that the best way to pass faith on to our children is easy. It doesn’t require a Ph.D. in theology. It’s as simple as living the faith ourselves, day in and day out. Kids see, they absorb, and through that, they learn.

But what about evangelizing to people you don't even know - or haven't seen? Over the years, Catholic blogger David Mills has learned many things about the sort of people who write strangers on the internet to ask religious questions. Here are ten rules he developed from his experiences when writing people he didn't know. It's a very good guide to follow. We highly suggest you read it.

And Eric Sammons makes us aware of something we've all been guilty of at one time or another. He calls it "Every Catholic jerk’s motto." He explains that one of the dangers of being knowledgeable about Church history and the lives of the saints is that you can cherry-pick just about any action or words used by some saint at some time in history to justify your own actions. There's much to be learned about our own actions from this eye-opening piece.

Fr. Longenecker relates this story: "All you need to do," said the Mormon missionary at the door, "Is to pray to the Holy Spirit before you sit down to read the Book of Mormon. Say, 'Open my eyes, my mind, my heart, and if what I read is true, make me realize it in my heart of hearts.'" Then guess what? The new convert says, "I prayed that prayer and as I read my eyes really were opened and I realized that the whole thing was true!!" Gawrsh! Amazing!! Well, the good father warns us, it's really not quite that simple. He goes on to explain the important role the Church plays in helping you discern what the Holy Spirit is really telling you when you read Scripture.

Advent in Full Swing

The local radio stations are already playing Christmas music and everyone is already talking about the "Christmas" season--but it's not yet Christmas. It's the Advent Season, the season for preparing for Christmas. So what is Advent and why is it important? Taylor Marshall offers some answers with his "Top 10 Facts About Advent."

It is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. It has a quasi-penitential theme, and this can be a strong antidote against the consumerism of our nation and time. So in honor of the Holy Trinity, Dr. Jeff Mirus, presents the three most important things you can do to make your Advent more successful this year. While Lynn Wehner asks us during these early days of Advent to focus on Mary’s Yes that changed the world forever. And what better time can there be than now to recommit ourselves to the Yes that God is asking of us in our own lives each and every day.

People Are Nicer Than You Think

Danielle Bean had the enlightening experience once of having a surprise “in-real-life” social meeting with someone (she will call her Jane) whom she had previously known only online. Before their in-real-life meeting, she did not like Jane. At least she thought she didn't. They met - and was she surprised. Danielle talks about lessons learned on the internet. People are nicer than you think.

Anna Eicher survived a highway pileup that killed her father and two others and left more than a dozen people injured, a crash triggered by a trucker who was distracted by his cell phone. After four days in a hospital recovering from her injuries in the 2008 crash, Eicher returned to this Amish community in northeast Missouri to bury her father, then did what any good woman of her faith would do. She forgave the trucker and refused to sue. People are nicer than you think.

It's 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: Did John the Baptist go straight to heaven after he died?
FEATURED BLOG: Please Hold the Applause - at Mass
PASTORAL HISPANA: Conversion es parte del mensaje de Adviento

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"And I tell you, ask and you will receive" 17C

In this Sunday's Gospel for July 28, 2013, we find Jesus praying. This provokes the curiosity of the disciples who then ask him to teach them to pray. Jesus instructs them in the basic elements of the prayer we know today as the Our Father. This is followed up with some instruction on importance perseverance in prayer and the overwhelming generosity of God. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with your family, friends and church groups.

Prayer is a vitally important aspect of the life of any Christian. One could say that prayer is the life-blood of faith, the vital force that gives us energy and moves our faith forward.

"Teach us How to pray, Lord"

The disciples asked Jesus, “Teach us how to pray.” They came to the Lord. And like them we also come to the Lord, asking the same. This was the longing of their souls then, it is the longing of ours today. We want to be with God.

Jesus is the master of prayer, for as the God-man He prayed perfectly. And He does so still. What is wonderful for us, Father Cusick explains, is that our Lord invites us to enter ourselves into His life of perfect prayer and communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit of God. And in teaching the apostles how to pray, our Lord Jesus gave them - and us - the Lord’s Prayer. And, Fr. Joseph Pellegrino adds, Jesus also gave us the Eucharist. Today He invites us and challenges us to enter into deep prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every time we receive communion.

The Lord's Prayer

Of all prayers, the Our Father is the best known. This is good but it also bespeaks a challenge. For when something is so well known we can say it mindlessly and miss its message. Msgr. Charles Pope tells us that the Our Father gives us more than words to say. It also gives us a structure for our prayer life, a basic plan for our spiritual life. Thus, Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S. thinks we might best call it "The Disciple's Prayer" for it is a model prayer. It tells us what we are to pray for, and it gives us the order of the requests.

In explaining the meaning of the Lord's Prayer, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, points out how Christianity is absolutely unique. That the supreme Being is not just “King of the Universe” or “Master” but “Father,” and that he desires a close, familiar relationship with Him. This you don’t find anywhere outside the teaching of Jesus. Furthermore, explains Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, this prayer is an apostolic prayer because it is said in the plural and takes for granted one's awareness of a people, of co-responsibility, of solidarity. The Our Father links each of us to the other.

The Lord's Prayer is so central to our Christian experience that when asked how to be a true ontemplative, St. Teresa of Avila is supposed to have said, "You must simply say the Lord's Prayer. But you must say it very, very slowly!" The implication, Fr. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B. says, is that we will never exhaust the wisdom found in this wonderful prayer which is so special because it was given to us by Jesus himself.

Have you ever wondered what if while praying the Our Father, God really answered and initiated a conversation with you? You should read this and see what it just might be like.

Ask. Seek. Knock.

We are often told not to spend too much time in intercessory prayer; they tell us that we should not constantly ask God for this or that. They imply that this is just another kind of selfishness. But this is not what Jesus teaches. Fr. James Gilhooley quotes a prayer leader who once advised his listeners to adopt the A-P-U Program when they pray. When predictably they asked what the acronym meant, he said with a smile, "Be aggressive. Be persistent. Be unreasonable."

‘Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.’ Have no hesitation in asking God for whatever we might need whenever we might need it. Be obstinant, says Fr. John Foley, S. J. Keep knocking and it will be opened to you. And do not doubt the Father’s love and truest desire for you, adds Msgr. Charles Pope. Fr. Phil Bloom sums it up best: Ask, seek, knock. Try God.

But why, Fr. Ron Rolheiser asks, why doesn’t prayer always work? Sometimes we pray for something, pray for it in Jesus’ name, and our request isn’t granted. This likewise presents us with another with an interesting conundrum. Does God respond to our requests by intervening in the world? College student Rachel Blanton points out that God is on God’s time. And it is human to find it difficult to trust God’s time — difficult to be patient, to be persistent.

Fr. Alex McAllister SDS explains that it is not that we pray for what we want. It is that the Holy Spirit prays in us and gives expression to our deepest desires which, because we are disciples of Christ, are in harmony with God’s What we are being told here is that God’s greatest gift to us is Himself. The person, who experiences grace or healing as a result of prayer, is not moved so much by the grace as by the new awareness of God in his or her life.

Bible, Eucharist, Liturgy & Prayer

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera is the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. As the new Missal is is set to be implemented, the topic of “What does active participation mean?” takes on a prominent place for discussion. He rightly says that because the Holy Mass is at the center of the whole Church, it is the center of the Liturgy. For this reason, to talk about liturgical formation is to talk about Eucharistic formation.

But, Rhode Island's Bishop Thomas J. Tobin points out, as Catholics we have the tendency to take for granted God’s most precious gift of the Holy Eucharist and all that it means for us. Although we typically pay lip service to the importance of the Eucharist, he wonders if we really appreciate its significance in our lives.

And although it jumps out of the pages of the Bible with just a cursory reading, the Eucharist is one of several Catholic beliefs that Protestants or ‘Bible Christians’ reject. Eric Sammons offers several others in the “Biggest biblical blind spots of Bible Christians." Plus a recent Catholic convert talks about one of the challenges of Christian parenthood: How can parents help children stay strong in their faith?

We also tackle an interesting question on bio-etics and the latest Church teaching about couples seeking a Catholic marriage: When one or both of the spouses are impeded from having children by a tubal ligation and/or vasectomy, can they marry?



261 Ways to Save Money

Yes, you read it right. This humungous money-saving roundup includes healthy foods that cost under $1 a pound, retirement myths, websites for free TV viewing, most annoying things about grocery stores, stuff marketed to kids that kids simply don't need, and more. It's all here - all 261 ways we found to help you save money.

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

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

BURNING QUESTION: Should we hold hands during the Our Father? FEATURED BLOG: Never take the Eucharist for granted PASTORAL HISPANA: Dios contesta nuestras peticiones cuando oramos
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