Saturday, December 5, 2009

Christmas Approaches

About the year 130 A.D., a letter was addressed to a certain Diognetus who is otherwise unknown. Diognetus was evidently a pagan and the letter explains Christianity in a way likely to make sense to one of Diogetus' station.\

"For Christians cannot be distinguished from the rest of the human race by
country or language or customs. They do not live in cities of their own; they do
not use a peculiar form of speech; they do not follow an eccentric manner of
life... "They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a
share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every
foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign
land. They marry, like everyone else, and they beget children, but they do not
cast out their offspring... "They obey the established laws, but in their
own lives they go far beyond what the laws require. They love all men, and by
all men are persecuted. They are unknown, and still they are condemned; they are
put to death, and yet they are brought to life. "They are poor, and yet
they make many rich; they are completely destitute, and yet they enjoy complete
abundance. "To put it simply: What the soul is in the body, that Christians
are in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and
Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in
the body, but does not belong to the body, and Christians dwell in the world,
but do not belong to the world... "The world hates Christians, even though
it suffers no wrong at their hands, because they range themselves against its
pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and its members; in the same
way, Christians love those who hate them. "The soul is shut up in the body,
and yet itself holds the body together; while Christians are restrained in the
world as in a prison, and yet themselves hold the world together. "The
soul, which is immortal, is housed in a mortal dwelling; while Christians are
settled among corruptible things, to wait for the incorruptibility that will be
theirs in heaven."

Friday, November 6, 2009

Unity - At Least in the right direction

Some of the reporting on this has been ugly - especially in the "mainstream" media.


Anglican Province Accepts Pope's Offer

POSTED BY EDWARD PENTIN

Thursday, November 05, 2009 1:46 PM

The Traditional Anglican Communion’s province in Great Britain has become the first to accept Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans.

All its members voted unanimously to come into communion with Rome under the terms of the new provision, which allows them to retain their Anglican patrimony.

An undated statement on the province’s website reads:

“That this Assembly, representing the Traditional Anglican Communion in Great Britain, offers its joyful thanks to Pope Benedict XVI for his forthcoming Apostolic Constitution allowing the corporate reunion of Anglicans with the Holy See, and requests the Primate and College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion to take the steps necessary to implement this Constitution.”

A statement from Bishop David Moyer of the Traditional Anglican Communion reads:

“The well-attended Assembly was a grace-filled gathering where all in attendance became aware of the movement of the Holy Spirit. The bishops, priests, ordinands, and lay representatives were brought to a place of “being in full accord and of one mind,” as St. Paul prayed for the Church in Philippi.

Monday, October 19, 2009

North Dakota Leads

At last! An opportunity to check out these missile silos.
Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site State Historical Society of North Dakota: "The new Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site actually consists of two sites telling the story of the Cold War years in North Dakota. They are the Oscar-Zero Missile Alert Facility and the November-33 Launch Facility. They are the last remnants of the 321st Missile Wing, a cluster of intercontinental ballistic missile launch sites that were spread over a 6,500-square-mile area around the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The Oscar Zero Launch Control Center and the November-33 Missile Facilty played an integral part in the Cold War in North Dakota and the world. This site is the last launch control center intact with the top-side of November 33 missile facility left intact."

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Catholic convert and political commentator Robert Novak passes away

About the only agreement I found with Robert Novak was his decision to become a Roman Catholic. Still, he will be missed among the political pundits.

Catholic convert and political commentator Robert Novak passes away

Thursday, August 13, 2009

N.Y. archbishop takes stock of challenges in the American Catholic Church

This article says it very well. These are the challenges we regularly address in our Pastoral Council discussions.

N.Y. archbishop takes stock of challenges in the American Catholic Church

Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Teaching Company

In the past I have mentioned my satisfaction of the courses offered by The Teaching Company. Currently I am experiencing The Book of Genesis, a course of 24 half hour lectures by Professor Gary A. Rendsburg who holds the Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History at Rutgers University. So far I have only completed the first six lectures and they have helped in my understanding of the early Church Fathers of the Catholic Church. I look forward to the next 18 lectures.

Monday, March 23, 2009

New Bishop for us

Our new Bishop has been appointed. Bravo.



"Vatican City, March 23 (CNA) .- This morning Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone to become the next Bishop of Oakland, Calif. Currently serving as an auxiliary bishop of San Diego, Bishop Cordileone will become the shepherd of 400,000 Catholics in the Oakland area."

Monday, March 9, 2009

Protect Civil Disobience

While I rarely agree with actions taken by our late President, I support entirely the regulation prohibiting discrimination against health professionals who refuse to practice procedures they consider evil. I oppose abortion believing it to be a serious sin. But I also oppose making it criminal. If Obama is successful in repealing the regulation, doctors and others will be forced to perform abortions.

WASHINGTON (CNS)—To combat what they see as threats to the conscience rights of health care professionals who oppose abortion, the Catholic Medical Association and other organizations are taking both legal and educational steps.The Philadelphia-based Catholic Medical Association, which has some 1,100 members nationwide, has joined with the Christian Medical Association and the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists in an effort to intervene legally against lawsuits filed by the attorneys general of eight states, Planned Parenthood of America and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. The suits seek to overturn a Department of Health and Human Services regulation that codifies several existing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination against health professionals who decline to participate in abortions or other medical procedures because of their religious or other moral objections. On Feb. 27, the Obama administration announced it
was reviewing a proposal to rescind the regulation, which took effect two days before the inauguration of President Barack Obama. After the review by the Office of Management and Budget, the proposal is to be published in the Federal Register, opening a 30-day period for public comment.


Friday, March 6, 2009

Year of St. Paul the Apostle

During lent our parish, St. Rose of Lima, has a weekly bible study focusing on St. Paul. This promises to be a lively discussion proving that Paul remains exciting and provoking even after 2000 years.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Vatican Launches Youtube

This channel offers news coverage of the main activities of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and of relevant Vatican events.It is updated daily.Video images are produced by Centro Televisivo Vaticano (CTV), texts by Vatican Radio (RV) and CTV.This video-news presents the Catholic Church's position regarding the principal issues of the world today.Links give access to the full and official texts of cited documents. Numerous videos give me quick access to the statements of the Holy Father. In addition I added this channel to my Google page. The url is www.youtube.com/vatican.