Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Fr. Fride Interview a must

I caught the first half of an interview with Father Ed Fride on Al Kresta's show yesterday. Fr. Fride's journey from Congregational to Nuclear Physics to Catholicism to Priesthood is stunning, hilarious and profound. Click on the link in the title here and go to 4/28 3rd hour on the left sidebar for his audio/podcast. It will make your commute feel like melted butter.

Yippie...So What.

Hey, I just noticed, I am a toddler blogger this month...over 1 year Old!

yeah, so what.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Notre Dame Thing

I've heard so many skewed judgements about this issue from every angle, its excruciating...here's a variety of official and non-official conclusions published so far:

  • Obama must be cancelled from speaking at Commencement
  • Obama can speak but he cant be given the Honorary Law Degree (that would be Catholics honoring a Heretic)
  • Jenkins needs to be fired for not consulting the Canon Law compatible speakers List
  • Jenkins' Bishop needs to be fired
  • They both need to be fired
  • Obama should take the hint and decline the event, out of respect for the Church
  • The Church has already sinned by inviting Obama, so all 1 Billion of us need to go to confession, including Benedict, with urgency
  • The Pope should pre-emptively anathematize Obama before we are all doomed by the Speech actually occurring at ND

I needn't go on.

The damage to the Worlds "perception" of the Catholic Church was done when Obama was elected by a majority of Catholics. Having him speak at ND is microscopic comparatively. Jenkins did what he did, he cant reverse that intent now.

Having Obama get near any kind of real Catholic flavored institution, let alone inside one, is an unprecedented opportunity for a striking influence of magnitude on Obama...if the right Catholics playbook the event with the power given them.

Lets see what happens.

Just sayin'.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Commandments Framework II

(Continued from here)

The Commandments, while initially easy to read and intellectualize, can be a deal breaker for some of us in the behavior department.

The accumulated emotional baggage of Life, in this World, attribute to our success or struggle with making conscious effort to habitualize putting others first...let alone loving our enemies. Thousands of mental health professionals make a substantial living on just making us aware of our inside-out reality. We are by culture, forced in a cycle of self absorbed maintenance routines and unless we have a natural, inherent motivation to place others first, the "love our neighbors as ourselves" Commandment requires external propulsion.

I gained my first real sense of Gratitude, and giving my time to others voluntarily by counseling Prison Inmates for some years in the 1980's. A team of 4 of us held weekly meetings in a State Prison where I learned how easily I could have been one of the "boys" in there. The taste of "getting out of myself and giving to others" was tangible, but it was overpowered by my weak ego and the feeling of freedom being able to walk out of there every week, while the inmates could not.

That's a good portion of the reason I became a Catechist. While I have done a couple decades of (secular) voluntary counseling, and it clearly benefited others, my motives weren't entirely pure. Since then, after sincerely practicing a Faith for some years, I have enjoyed a gift of valuing others in a deeper sense and what better way to love my neighbor than to hand them what I found to be the highest truth. It becomes effortless, unconditional and therefore infinitely valuable to me. Still it is only a micron of what depth of sacrifice is contained in Christs example of living in harmony, community and unity.

The path is clear, the Church is ready, the people are thirsty and we have the tools to begin obeyance. The price is zero yet the yield is unmeasurable.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

...And here's the Source of that Easter Article

Complete with Upper Pinellas Deanery Head Interview.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Come Home for Easter

I opened the local St. Pete Times today and was surprised to find the following nearly full page Document:

Come Home for Easter
Who are we?

We are your neighbors...We live throughout this area. Across the Country, over 25% of Americans are Catholic, and our international family numbers over 1 billion.

We are Christians...We believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God born of the Virgin Mary. We believe that He died to save us from sin and rose so that He might give us eternal life.

We are people of God...who trace our spiritual blood lines through the saints of all centuries back to Jesus, the promised Son of David and the Sacrificial Lamb prophesied by Abraham. Our membership includes Mother Teresa and Al Capone, smart, dull, rich, poor and people of all races and nationalities. One wit defined Catholicism as: "Here comes everybody."

We are the Body of Christ...We believe that the risen Jesus lives in us spiritually through his Holy Spirit and that united with Him in the waters of baptism we form one "mystical body" with Christ as our head.

We are an earthly people...We believe that, since God came to earth, then earth itself is "Christ-alized." The world is good, life is good. people are good. Of course, we know that people sin; but we believe that sin can be forgiven - entirely wiped out, not just overlooked.

We are a sacramental people...Sacraments are signs of God's grace and special presence. Jesus Himself is the most fundamental sign of God's presence for Jesus is God in the Flesh. As Catholics, we believe that through the seven sacraments or sacred signs instituted by Christ, the Lord Jesus still speaks and reveals to us the infinite mystery and presence of God. Through our celebration of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmations, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Marriage, Holy Orders and Healing, we believe that God is as uniquely present to all whom He met.

We are heavenly people...Along with other Christians, we believe in everlasting life after death. We view heaven as a joyous place, a banquet at which God is our host, Jesus our waiter and a crowd of angels as entertainers. Our celebration includes friends and former enemies. We believe that all creation and all people are called to glory.

We are a people of Tradition...We trace our lineage back to Adam and Eve. We do not start each day as if it were not based on yesterday. We do not face each question as if we had learned nothing from experience. We combine the wisdom of scripture and the experience of our life with God through the centuries. This gives us respect for the past, openness to the future and hope for the present.

We are a people of values...With Paul the Apostle we hold on to all that is true and good. We believe that some values never go out of style, that marriage and family are holy and inviolable than that the ten commandments were not given to us as mere suggestions.

We are a people of life...We are convinced that Jesus came to give us life the the full and that God alone is in charge of life. We believe that human life is sacred from the first moment of conception through natural death. We are absolutely opposed to the destruction of life at either end of its spectrum, and we insist on the right to a certain quality of life in between. We pledge ourselves to fight the life-denying forces in our "culture of death."

We are a patriotic people...We are in love with America - even of America has not always loved us. Catholic immigrants were once excluded by law; the Catholic Church was not allowed to own property; Catholics were not even allowed to vote. Organized gangs, called "know nothings" and "Nativists" burned our Churches and persecuted our people. Nevertheless, while Catholics were only 16% of the population during WWI, we made up 35% of the Armed Forces that fought for America. And we have maintained our commitment to America ever since.

We are a church of the people...Catholicism was started by a poor carpenter and a dozen poor fisherman. We have never lost our bind with working people. We formed the craft guilds in the Middle Ages and helped found labor unions in America. We have a grand tradition of the Catholic social gospel. Eleven of the 12 proposals in our "Social Reconstruction" document became a part of the New Deal over 60 years ago. And we continue to help the poor in hospitals, schools, shelters, food banks, etc.

So - whats wrong with us?...Nothing...God isn't finished working on us yet. If you feel perhaps God isn't finished working on you either, we would like to invite you and your family and friends to join us for our celebration of Christ's Resurrection.

All of our Parishes would love to welcome you home this Easter.

Come to me says the Lord

On the left side of the document are the Church names, addresses, phone numbers and websites for 14 north county Parishes in our Diocese.

The first impression this made on me was the immaculate language approach. It conveys a gentle conversation and yet, does not withold our firm convictions. Second, it is also a sampling but clear outline of USCCB Catechetics for RCIA, which we have followed this year in our Parish teaching.

There are many striking points and the one that has timing for this week is the access we have Liturgically to the Divine Mercy Reconciliation.

"Of course, we know that people sin; but we believe that sin can be forgiven - entirely wiped out, not just overlooked."

Only once a year, for 15 days this particular year, are we granted such complete absolution in the Rite of Penance. While the document didnt spell this point out, I see the alignment.


Exquisite work of writing...whoever put this down...for secular outreach. I dont disagree with any facet of its content, even without a published imprimatur. I pray it will catch the eyes of those who need it.