St. Joseph’s Vanguard And Our Lady’s Train

Our hearts ache for the Gretencord family tonight.  Their fifth child has run to heaven too soon, and they ache for his loss.  Gerard Francis Gretencord, pray for us.

We have been praying for our bishops for years, praying that they become bold and lead us a good shepherds.  Praying that they turn from political correct-ness and maintaining the status quo.

Apparently, now is the fullness of time, and our prayers are being answered.  Check out this amazing account of the bishops’ annual meeting.

One of my favorite quotes from Archbishop Hermann of St. Louis: “I think any bishop here would consider it a privilege to die tomorrow to bring about an end to abortion.  If we are willing to die tomorrow, then we should be willing to, until the end of our lives, to take all kinds of criticism for opposing this horrible infanticide.”  Martyrdom, anyone?

Our beloved Holy Father declared this the year of St. Paul, beginning in July 2008 and continuing for the following twelve months.  I wasn’t super-thrilled when he declared it so; I mean, St. Paul is great, but I don’t have a particular love for him.

But, as I talked with various pro-life friends today about the election, a thrill began to run through us.  It’s the year of St. Paul.  It’s the year of St. Paul.  Who better to intercede for our President-Elect and direct his conversion to Christ?  St. Paul had written orders to kill every Christian he could find, and he was eager.  Barack Obama seems to have the same eagerness to stifle our pro-life efforts and certainly has the smarts and the power to do some damage.

Let’s pray for him, everyone!  Let’s entrust Mr. Obama to the care of St. Paul and ask for a miraculous and complete conversion!

St. Paul of Tarsus, pray for us!

Come on, everybody.  Please pray with us for Our Lady of Victory to obtain a miracle from Jesus in this election.  So much hangs in the balance with this election.  The next president will likely appoint two or three new Supreme Court justices, who will likely hear cases involving Roe v. Wade, marriage (its protection or redefinition), the protection of private property (or a move toward increasing socialism), and so forth.  Your prayers count for so much.

And, definitely remember to vote.

This will take you half an hour, but you know it’s worth it.  Our Lord fasted and prayed for 40 days in the desert.  Let’s join him for nine days as we pray together for the election of the right president for our country.

First, pray the Rosary.  Don’t know how?  Learn here. 

Then, the prayers below.

(more…)

Catholic bishops are speaking with increasing boldness about the moral priorities for Catholic voters.  It is such a relief to hear clear teaching from our shepherds, and I am grateful that Our Lord is guiding them.

Check out this recent statement from Bishops Farrell and Vann from Dallas/Fort Worth.  Quotes like this make me want to stand up and cheer:

“As Catholics we are faced with a number of issues that are of concern and should be addressed, such as immigration reform, healthcare, the economy and its solvency, care and concern for the poor, and the war on terror. As Catholics we must be concerned about these issues and work to see that just solutions are brought about. There are many possible solutions to these issues and there can be reasonable debate among Catholics on how to best approach and solve them. These are matters of “prudential judgment.” But let us be clear: issues of prudential judgment are not morally equivalent to issues involving intrinsic evils. No matter how right a given candidate is on any of these issues, it does not outweigh a candidate’s unacceptable position in favor of an intrinsic evil such as abortion or the protection “abortion rights.” (Italics original)

You can reach them with encouraging and grateful remarks here:

Also, Bishop Finn of the Kansas City diocese just wrote this excellent blog post (how awesome that he has his own blog!) to answer the question “Can a Catholic, in good conscience, vote for a candidate who’s pro-abortion?”.  He says, among other things, this:

“Our country is at the edge of the precipice concerning the protection of the life and dignity of the human person. A significant new attack on innocent human life will likely send us into a moral freefall that would rival any financial decline. The price for such a “walk over the cliff” is millions more human lives for many more years to come.

A candidate who asks us to add our weight to such a destructive momentum in our society, asks us to be participants in their own gravely immoral act. This is something which, in good conscience, we can never justify. Despite hardship, beyond partisanship, for the sake of our eternal salvation: This we should never do.”

Send him your thanks here:

Bishop Finn of Kansas City-St Joseph: Montes@diocesekcsj.org or 816-756-1858, ext. 221 (secretary)

Love it.  All of it.  Sara Palin:

“In this same spirit, as defenders of the culture of life, John McCain and I believe in the goodness and potential of every innocent life. I believe the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who are least able to defend and speak for themselves. And who is more vulnerable, or more innocent, than a child?

When I learned that my son Trig would have special needs, I had to prepare my heart for the challenges to come. At first I was scared, and Todd and I had to ask for strength and understanding. But I can tell you a few things I’ve learned already.

Yes, every innocent life matters. Everyone belongs in the circle of protection. Every child has something to contribute to the world, if we give them that chance. There are the world’s standards of perfection … and then there are God’s, and these are the final measure. Every child is beautiful before God, and dear to Him for their own sake.

As for our beautiful baby boy, for Todd and me, he is only more precious because he is vulnerable. In some ways, I think we stand to learn more from him than he does from us. When we hold Trig and care for him, we don’t feel scared anymore. We feel blessed.

It’s hard to think of many issues that could possibly be more important than who is protected in law and who isn’t – who is granted life and who is denied it. So when our opponent, Senator Obama, speaks about questions of life, I listen very carefully.

I listened when he defended his unconditional support for unlimited abortions. He said that a woman shouldn’t have to be – quote – “punished with a baby.” He said that right here in Johnstown –“punished with a baby” – and it’s about time we called him on it. The more I hear from Senator Obama, the more I understand why he is so vague and evasive on the subject. Americans need to see his record for what it is. It’s not negative or mean-spirited to talk to about his record. Whatever party you belong to, there are facts you need to know.

Senator Obama has voted against bills to end partial-birth abortion. In the Illinois Senate, a bipartisan majority passed legislation against that practice. Senator Obama opposed that bill. He voted against it in committee, and voted “present” on the Senate floor. In that legislature, “present” is how you vote when you’re against something, but don’t want to be held to account.

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat, described partial-birth abortion as “too close to infanticide.” Barack Obama thinks it’s a constitutional right, but he is wrong.

Most troubling, as a state senator, Barack Obama wouldn’t even stand up for the rights of infants born alive during an abortion. These infants – often babies with special needs – are simply left to die.

In 2002, Congress unanimously passed a federal law to require medical care for those babies who survive an abortion. They’re living, breathing babies, but Senator Obama describes them as “pre-viable.” This merciful law was called the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. Illinois had a version of the same law. Obama voted against it.

Asked about this vote, Senator Obama assured a reporter that he’d have voted “yes” on that bill if it had contained language similar to the federal version of the Born Alive Act. There’s just one little problem with that story: the language of both the state and federal bills was identical.

In short, Senator Obama is a politician who has long since left behind even the middle ground on the issue of life. He has sided with those who won’t even protect a child born alive. And this exposes the emptiness of his promises to move beyond the “old politics.”

In both parties, Americans have many concerns to be weighed in the votes they cast on November fourth. In times like these, with wars and a financial crisis, it’s easy to forget even as deep and abiding a concern as the right to life. And it seems our opponent hopes that you will forget. Like so much else in his agenda, he hopes you won’t notice how radical his ideas and record are until it’s too late.

But let there be no misunderstanding about the stakes.

A vote for Barack Obama is a vote for activist courts that will continue to smother the open and democratic debate we need on this issue, at both the state and federal level. A vote for Barack Obama would give the ultimate power over the issue of life to a politician who has never once done anything to protect the unborn. As Senator Obama told Pastor Rick Warren, it’s above his pay grade.

For a candidate who talks so often about “hope,” he offers no hope at all in meeting this great challenge to the conscience of America. There is a growing consensus in our country that we can overcome narrow partisanship on this issue, and bring all the resources of a generous country to the aid of both women in need and the child waiting to be born. We need more of the compassion and idealism that our opponent’s own party, at its best, once stood for. We need the clarity and conviction of leaders like the late Governor Bob Casey.

He represented a humanity that speaks to all of us – no matter what our party, our background, our faith, or our gender. And no matter your position on this sensitive subject, I hope that spirit will guide you on Election Day. I ask you to vote for McCain-Palin on the November fourth, and help us to bring this country together in the rational discussion of compassion and life.”

10/11 12:52 PM

Beloved, two years today I stood before Christ and the Church and pledged my life to you.  I had slept little the night before.  I was trembling, with my heart in my eyes and my throat dry.  I was filled with holy fear, pledging a vow that I knew I could not fulfill but for God’s grace.  I could barely breathe.

And, then, the vows were said.  Suddenly, joy flooded me, and I could breathe and I could fly and I was your wife.  See here.  Woo hoo!

Father Albert celebrated Mass in French today, in honor of St. Therese of Lisieux. It was lovely, so garbly and musical.

Happy feast of St. Therese, everyone. I hope you get roses today, as she throws them down from heaven.

To date, 5000 e-mails have been sent to YouTube protesting the blasphemous videos of Eucharistic desecration. Keep it up, folks.

The youth who were privileged to participate in World Youth Day recently received another super-cool text message from the Holy Father recently:

“Dear friends, 50 days ago we were together for the celebration of Mass. Today, I greet you on the birthday of Mary, Mother of the Church. Empowered by the Spirit and courageous like Mary, your pilgrimage of faith fills the Church with life! Soon I am to visit France. I ask all of you to join me in praying for the young people of France. May we all be rejunevated in hope!”

I am so jealous, in a Christian way, of course.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a baby shower with Mrs. Gretencord and Mrs. Andrews for Mrs. Garcia. It was a lovely afternoon party, a sweet time for women, who have passed through the fire of childbirth, to minister to Mrs. Garcia; they traded childbirth stories and prayed over her and modeled motherhood themselves, as many of the shower guests were either holding their own babies or pregnant.

My co-hostesses are amazing. Please allow me to brag on them a little. Mrs. Andrews brought baby Violet, who is only 11 days old, and, in the midst of caring for young Violet, had the presence of mind to bring sparkling pink lemonade and research the story of the beautiful “Madonna of the Streets” painting to share with Roxy. Mrs. Gretencord, meanwhile, baked cinnamon madeleines for refreshments while hosting 4 Houston evacuees, caring for her own three children, and crafting Oreo animals for a party later that afternoon; she, also, generously shared with us a beautiful prayer for Mrs. Garcia that she attached to all the party favors.

This was my first experience of co-hosting a shower, and I’d say it went beautifully, thanks to the help of such accomplished ladies. Thanks, Jenny and Sharon!

It’s so interesting how “progressives” view Christianity as a chain that ties them down and takes away their freedom; they would totally silence the Christian voice so that then they could have freedom in the public square.

However, the only guarantee of their freedom, unbeknownst to them, is the Christian God who is Love and Reason, and Who has written on our hearts His law. When we reject our participation in the mind of God through rejecting God, we open the door for barbarism.

Check out this video showing brave Catholic young men handing out flyers in support of marriage on the Berkley campus–civilized reason meets witchcraft and theft and spitting.

And, look at this video, which shows the rage of an atheistic feminist march in Argentina, as they are peacefully barred from entered a cathedral which they planned to desecrate.

Who is more truly free, the person who spits in anger and yells in your face? Or, is it the person who is able to harness their emotions in the midst of great provocation and engage in reasoned conversation, understanding that there is disagreement but still respecting the human dignity of the opponent.

I knew there was a secret plan for us when we received a Bum Genius diaper in the mail on Monday, and now I have even further proof. We’ve now received a few lovely Catholic baby books (the Lord’s Prayer, Lives of the Saints, etc), thanks to dear Miss Dehan. Also, a lovely Moby baby wrap from the Brumleys–moss green, a prudent choice, and assorted baby items, including another sling, from the Kuschs. That’s two slings now, Team Rose Surprise, and they’re lovely; I think God might be trying to tell us something. Thank you so much.

Devin and I are deeply grateful and delighted with your generous gifts.

Dear bloggers,

Thanks for your prayers. They are really making a difference. I wrote last week about my fears regarding hosting foster babies for short intervals of time, and I am happy to say that Our Lord has calmed me. I’m not afraid anymore, by God’s grace. Of course, I’ll be sad if we host a baby for a time and then have to say goodbye. But, I’ve come to have a different view of what we’re doing. We’re not going to be parenting,exactly. More precisely, we’re going to be offering Christian hospitality.

Hospitality is an important ministry for Christians. Pope St. Gregory the Great opened houses of hospitality in Rome for Christians fleeing the decimation of the barbarian tribes. The hospitality of St. Gertrude of Nivelles was so notable that pilgrims named a drink for the road called “St. Gertrudes Cup.” And, places like Madonna House still offer hospitality to pilgrims and those seeking spiritual succor. And, I’ve come to accept that this is the call for Devin and me in this time. We’re going to prepare our home to welcome any little one sent by Our Lord for as long as He wills and do our best to love each child with generous detached love.

And, in case I’m sounding too saintly here, there are perks to this ministry. I have a team of 4-5 professionals supporting me–caseworkers, attorneys, etc. Plus, I can take breaks between infants; we can decide that we need a few weeks off and can accept no infants for a time. Finally, we get paid for this. Strange as it sounds and much as it makes me squirm, we get a generous per diem for each infant we host. And, then, best of all, we might get to adopt and grow our family very quickly. We are so very blessed. I am so blessed to have a husband who shares in this ministry and a community of friends who are supportive. Thank you very much.

Yesterday, I was reminded that people are good. We had a little break during our 6-hour Behavior and Crisis Management class and were chatting with our fellow participants. I asked the woman next to me the reason for her interest in foster care; she explained that she and her husband have already chosen the profile of a 7-year old boy on the TARE gallery whom they were interested in adopting. “But,” she said, “I’d really like to adopt enough boys for a whole baseball team” Her husband grinned and rolled his eyes. The woman to my left, Jennifer, who is currently adopting a sibling group, 3 and 5 years old, agreed; “I want to adopt, like, 15 children, and sometimes I make my husband nervous.” We met her husband on Thursday at our Psychotropic Meds class, and I don’t think he’s that nervous–he’s clearly smitten with their adoptive children. Many of our other classmates shared their sentiments, and we all laughed.

It was refreshing to see such goodness. We were talking about children as a source of joy, not as burdens or bothers. And, the gusto was contagious, making us all a little breathless as we contemplated opening our homes to many many children. Just as negativity and fear can spread, so does love, igniting nearby hearts and wreathing faces in smiles. Laughter seemed to bubble up inside of us at the audacity of generosity. Absolutely lovely.

I’ve spent less time at our computer the past few weeks, and the time I have been on it, I have been using to work on completing the Tower Defense game, hence the sporadic posting.

This fall I am facilitating a men’s book study group called Men at Work at my parish, and by God’s grace, a great group of guys have joined it, so I am looking forward to that.  Also, I am going to be coaching a boy’s soccer team with my Dad starting in about two weeks, which I am looking forward to but also will consume a lot of free time.

Finally, and most important of all, we are taking the foster-adoption classes; next week we have three during the week lasting for 2 - 3 hours and then a 7 - 8 hour one on Saturday; meanwhile we are filling out the reams (literally) of paper work for the application process.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way, but we have had a full schedule–how much fuller will it be if God blesses us with a baby or two?! 

And a last thought: I’ve gotten a bit burned out about the presidential election–it’s something that can really bother me as a person with a melancholic temperament, so I have to step away from it for a while and leave it on the back burner.

The big news this week about John Edwards’ infidelity is sad; I feel the worst for his children who have had to see their father’s shameful behavior trumpeted on the headlines; may God bless his wife and children and lead him and the other woman to repentance, forgiveness, and deep conversion of heart.  How vital is the virtue of chastity!  And how much is every man tempted to lust and infidelity, which knows no political parties?

Oh yeah, happy memorial of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)!

This is just too cool.

St. Therese of Lisieux, greatest saint of modern times, female Doctor of the Church (and she died at only 24 years old), patroness of missions (even thought she never left her convent), and my patron saint, is about to have her parents beatified!

Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin:

Katie and I, while engaged, prayed a novena through the Martins’ intercession for our impending marriage. Both of the Martins wanted to enter religious life, and both, providentially, were turned away for various reasons.

God blessed them with 9 children, but 4 of them died in early infancy, and the 5 children who survived into adulthood were all girls. Personally, I am confident in our Lord that all of St. Therese’s sisters are in Heaven as well: All of them entered religious life; most of them to the same Carmelite convent at Lisieux, France.

Also, Blessed Damien of Molokai, who ministered heroically to the outcast lepers in Hawaii before finally contracting leprosy himself and dying, is being canonized! I bought the book, The Colony, for my dad this past father’s day which describes the fate of the lepers exiled to this remote island and the actions of St. Damien (Father Damien) and the other good people who brought Christ to the lepers.

The movie made called Molokai is also worth watching; it stars David Wenham, the actor who played Faramir in the Lord of the Rings movies, as Father Damien.

I received an this week e-mail from Regnum Christi, asking for prayers today for China, in answer to the Holy Father’s request. Pope Benedict XVI has asked that Catholics worldwide unite in a day of prayer for Catholics in China this May 24, in the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Father Alvaro Corcuera, general director of the Legion of Christ and of Regnum Christi, has asked all of the Legionary communities and teams of consecrated women to offer their Mass, rosary, and Eucharistic adoration for this intention.

In response to the Pope’s exhortation, we are also invited to join in prayer on this day by going to Mass at our parishes, by praying a rosary, or perhaps by making a visit to Christ in the Eucharist or to an image of Our Lady.

The Pope has also written the following text for the occasion: a Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan.

Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother,
venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title “Help of Christians”,
the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection.
We come before you today to implore your protection.
Look upon the People of God and, with a mother’s care, guide them
along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be
a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.

When you obediently said “yes” in the house of Nazareth,
you allowed God’s eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb
and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption.
You willingly and generously cooperated in that work,
allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul,
until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary,
standing beside your Son, who died that we might live.

From that moment, you became, in a new way,
the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith
and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross.
Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed
with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter.
Grant that your children may discern at all times,
even those that are darkest, the signs of God’s loving presence.

Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

A fellow blogger and convert, Tim Troutman, has made a post describing early Church witnesses to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary: that she was preserved by God from the stain of original sin from the moment of her conception.

I especially liked this passage from St. Augustine, which I had never read before (with preface):

In a famous and controversial passage of On Nature and Grace, one of the most important treatises that he devoted to the defense of the doctrine of original sin, Augustine had listed the great saints of the Old and New Testaments, who had nevertheless been sinners. Then he continued: “We must make an exception of the holy Virgin Mary, concerning whom I wish to raise no question when it touches the subject of sins, out of honor to the Lord. For from him we know what abundance of grace for overcoming sin in every particular [ad vincendum omni ex parte peccatum] was conferred upon her who had the merit to conceive and bear him who undoubtedly had no sin” pg 191

Pope Benedict is on United States soil.  Only 1500 miles.  Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of such a holy Pope.

My Jesus makes ugliness beautiful. He makes sorrow joy. He makes darkness light. He makes death life. Not Buddha, not Mohammed, not Krishna or Vishnu or Brahma. Jesus. And, He loves me.

Which means that He makes my ugliness beautiful and my sorrow joy and my darkness light. He makes my death life. Alleluia!

There’s still time for you to join us in the Divine Mercy novena, in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday next week.  You can get the novena here.  Please consider praying with us.

St. Joseph’s feast day is today, moved up from March 19th because next week is Holy Week!

I started this blog under St. Joseph’s patronage, and the tagline under his picture used to read: “St. Joseph, terrorizing demons since 30 B.C.”

God the Father entrusted St. Joseph with His Only Son, Jesus Christ, and so we can entrust ourselves to St. Joseph’s prayers as well, knowing that our Lord will hear his prayers for us and answer them.

My fellow brothers in Christ: Today is the day!  Let us become the men that God made us to be: the image of the Father for our families, the protector and head of our families, the upright men of physical integrity who defend all women and teach others to do the same, just as St. Joseph did.

Why did St. Joseph decide to quietly divorce Mary?

Well, contrary to things you may have heard, here is the explanation that I have read from Mother Theresa and Mother Cecilia Baij:

St. Joseph loved the Virgin Mary and when he saw she was pregnant knew that it could not be from an impure union with another man because of her sanctity and love of God, and yet she was pregnant, so he could not claim the child as his own, either.

Therefore, he would quietly divorce her so she would not be exposed and killed; yet in doing so, people would still realize Mary was pregnant and so would assume that St. Joseph had had relations with her before their marriage; thus, the condemnation would fall upon him instead of her!

It has been revealed in private revelation that before their marriage or even their first meeting, both St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary had taken vows of celibacy to offer themselves to God completely; yet, God wanted them to be married, and so He made them fruitful in a singular way: the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

St. Joseph, guardian of the Redeemer and of His blessed mother, pray for us!

It’s been 35 years of war on our soil.  35 years of praying, begging, pleading for the lives of the little ones hidden in the womb who can’t speak for themselves.  35 years of wiping the tears of mothers and fathers whose arms are empty of the children who might have been.  47 million Americans who might have lived.  Our best friends and spouses and sisters.

Dear God, have mercy.  Heal us.  Save us from our sin.  And, please, when history condemns our culture of death in the years to come, let those who march today and those who pray from home be remembered as heroes.

Katie and I got my mom a book for Christmas called Opus Dei, by John Allen, Jr.

My mom is a speed-reader and finished it pretty quickly, so she lent it back to me because I was interested in reading it.

It has been a good book so far; Mr. Allen gives an informative history of Opus Dei, including a short bio of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder.

He also interviewed many members and ex-members and sprinkles the book with anecdotes and personal experiences of these people. In his effort to be objective, he gives a fair amount of pages to former members and their charges against Opus Dei and St. Josemaria, leaving judgment to the reader but giving his opinion that the man was not the demon some characterize him as, yet not the perfect-his-entire-life saint that some members paint him as, but rather a human being who had his faults but who also strove to overcome them by receiving Christ’s love and grace, ultimately living a life of heroic virtue.

Opus Dei is unique because it is the only “personal prelature” within the Catholic Church; it’s sort of like a world-wide diocese, though its members remain accountable to their own diocese for all matters other than Opus Dei ones.

Katie and I are in Regnum Christi, which is an “ecclesial movement”. Unlike Opus Dei, Regnum Christi is one of many ecclesial movements that the Holy Spirit has started in the Church; others are: Focolare, Neocatechumenal Way, Sant’Egidio, Communion and Liberation, Legion of Mary, Cursillo, and more.

Opus Dei is similar to an ecclesial movement in many ways. One similarity between them is the commitment to a daily set of prayers (though the prayers vary between groups), as well as some commitment to daily Mass, routine Confession, a Holy Hour of adoration, retreats, etc.

Opus Dei differs in that it focuses on each person sanctifying their work, sanctifying themselves through their work, and sanctifying others through it as well. Whether your work is exciting or boring, intellectual or manual, pays well or pays little, because God made work to be good and also because it is now redeemed in Christ, your work can become your route to holiness.

I plan to write a bit more about the book and Opus Dei as I continue to read it.

Though if we did, I would probably destroy my TV after watching this episode of The View, where Ms. Behar demonstrates frightful ignorance and negligence toward the Catholic faith.

Here’s something good from this disappointing situation: In the Fox News article linked to above, Fr. Jonathan Morris clarifies how the Church recognizes that someone is a saint and charitably yet clearly points out the gross ignorance in Ms. Behar’s statements.

“Clearly she [Ms. Behar] is no church historian. Saying ’she [Mother Theresa] didn’t believe 100 percent’ is a simplistic and superficial reading of the news,” said Morris. “Why would you spend 60 years in a slum in the name of Jesus out of love for God if you don’t believe in Jesus or God 100 percent?”

How cool would it be if more faithful priests were the Rome correspondents or faith correspondents for newspapers and big TV stations, like Fr. Jonathan is? CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN: Any takers?

…they’ve been here for years.

Ah, what can I say? I memorized lyrics from LL Cool J back in junior high school that will probably stay with me until the day I die.

Wikipedia has a good overview of the Jesuit order. The Society of Jesus is awesome, and I think that this century is going to see a resurgence and renewal in the order.

Why? Well, right now the order has convened to choose a new superior general. This man will lead the order, under the filial loyalty to the pope, and will be instrumental in the direction that the order takes in this century.

The Jesuits have a long formation period, similar to the Legionaries of Christ and the Brothers of St. John. This long formation is good because it means that only a very dedicated young man can persevere through it; further, young men nowadays are drawn to orders and communities that are faithful to the pope and the teachings of the Church.

I believe that these factors combine such that only young men who believe fully in the Church’s God-given authority are joining the Jesuit order. If you don’t believe in who the Church says she is, then you can disbelieve it on your own with a lot less trouble and effort than going through 14 years of formation in the Society of Jesus!

The result will be the purification of the Jesuit order, which will see the retirement of some older priests, who through no fault of their own received erroneous formation, and a new generation of priests restoring the order to its foundations, including the notion of sentire cum ecclesia (thinking with the Church).

I pray also that those Jesuit priests who have received bad formation will grow in their faith and will realize more and more fully who Christ is and the nature of the Church He established. With God, all things are possible.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

Catholics all over the world today celebrate the epiphany of Christ’s divinity to the Gentiles–that’s me.  It can be difficult to understand the import of this feast, considering that we’ve grown up in a “Christian” culture where everyone knows that Jesus is God. (At the very least, we can say that ours is a post-Christian culture which still retains many Christian values, albeit cut off from their saving Source.) 

This feast made much more sense to me, however, after my semester abroad during undergrad at Notre Dame; I travelled with a group of students and a professor all over Asia–Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and throughout India.  There, pagan culture was very evident.  It was not assumed in many of those countries that the poor should be fed, that baby girls are as equally treasured as baby boys, that the dying have a right to succor.  The culture had not been permeated by the good news that God loves humanity and became man to share in our lot. 

Their religions believe in god/gods and even believe in divine love.  Hinduism, for example, has many instances of gods taking on the form of human flesh to assist persons in need; but, their gods do not truly become human–they sort of remain god in a body suit.  Only in Christianity is the good news, the crazy news, that God is Love which becomes one of us.  That God deigned in humility to wear a diaper.  That God truly had a human soul and truly died, so that we might become His friends.  This is wondrous news to much of the world which knows only a God who is distant and capricious.

Blessed be the magi who sought Him and may He reveal himself again to our world, so dark and hopeless.  TKC!

I recently heard about an effort called Biblia Clerus (clear Bible?) that combines multi-language translations of the Bible linked with Sacred Tradition and the Magisterial teachings of the Church, as well as analysis and reflections on different Scripture passages by the early fathers of the Church, saints, and encyclicals and councils.

The cool part is you can download whatever parts of it you want and peruse through it.  I am downloading it now and am going to try it out.  Hopefully it is accessible because it sounds really awesome.