Glenn Beck and Me
10
Mar
Age
09
Mar
Age. We here many old people say that age is a state of mind. Or that if you are young at heart, you will stay young in being.
But I have found in my daily life that the same principle does not apply in reverse. People look down on young people as being childish or unworthy of their attention. Growing up, my family attended a myriad of churches and in almost all of them, there was this idea that the youth of the church were the church of tomorrow. I contended then, and I still contend that the youth are the church of today.
Having to answer questions once again this week about my age and how I can justify being a Bishop and being so young (as if 30 is really young!), it made me consider this notion once again.
The prophet Samuel was called of God at a very young age as he was serving the High Priest Eli. Eli saw this calling and encouraged it and cultivated it. If it had not been for that Samuel would not have been the major prophet of history that he turned out to be. If Eli had treated Samuel the way “Spiritual Leaders” treat the youth of the church today, Samuel would have turned out like Eli’s sons. Eli’s sons turned out to be evil and hateful men. God ended up smiting them for their evil ways!
And look at the prophet Jeremiah. He was young when God called him. Jeremiah 1:6-10 says, ” And I said, “Alas, O Lord God! Behold, I know not to speak for I am a youth.” And the Lord said to me; Say not, “I am a youth,” for wherever I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Fear them not, for I am with you to save you,” says the Lord. And the Lord stretched out His hand and reached my mouth, and the Lord said to me; “Behold, I have placed My words in your mouth. Behold, I have appointed you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to crush, and to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.”
Jeremiah was appointed by God to be a prophet and to preach to the people of Israel in a time when their country was in turmoil. It was Jeremiah that helped save the people of Israel from complete destruction!
Saint Paul spoke to Saint Timothy about this issue as well. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Saint Paul says, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
And finally, Jesus himself was 30 when he began his public ministry. Jesus, by many accounts, had died on the cross by the age of 33! If this is the case, the standard of not even considering someone for the episcopacy until they are 35 would have excluded Jesus!
Something to think about, that is for sure.
Lent
02
Mar
What have you given up for Lent?
It is a question that is asked of most catholic Christians every Lenten season. Lent is best known for the abstinence that is practiced (or not practiced) during this season. But there is so much more to Lent than just abstaining from meat or fasting from food.
Lent is a time when we are to look deep within ourselves and ask the hard questions. Do I live out my faith as I should? Are my motives right? Do I really believe what I profess to believe or do I believe what others want me to? It is a time to look at the core of our spiritual being and ask if there is more we should be doing or is there something we should be doing without.
Lent is not all about fasting and abstinence. It is also about doing deeds that we know we should be doing but are not doing. For instance, you can decide to go to confession at least twice during Lent. You can resolve to go to Mass 3 times during the week as well as on Sundays. You can set aside time to read your Bible 30 minutes everyday. You can spend time to say the Rosary once daily.
Here is a short list of things I think you could do to make your Lent more productive and more holy:
1. Spend 30 minutes in prayer everyday.
2. Go to Mass at least twice during the week (and on Sunday, of course!).
3. Pray the Rosary everyday (at least one decade a day to start with the goal being a full 5 decades everyday by Easter).
4. Find creative ways to live out one of the Corporal Works of Mercy everyday (You know: Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, Clothe the naked, Shelter the homeless, Visit the sick, Visit those in prison, Bury the dead).
5. Incorporate the Spiritual Works of Mercy in your daily life (Admonish sinners, Instruct the ignorant, Counsel the doubtful, Comfort the sorrowful, Bear wrongs patiently, Forgive injuries, Pray for the living and the dead).
6. Send someone you have wronged an apology letter.
7. Send someone who wronged you a letter asking to mend the wrong.
8. Forget a debt (someone ask for a loan, you give it to them and don’t expect or accept repayment).
9. Check in on an elderly neighbor.
If you want to give up something for Lent, but you can’t fast or abstain for medical reasons, here are some ideas:
1. Give up Facebook or Myspace for Lent.
2. Give up a video game or computer game.
3. Give up carbonated sodas.
4. Give up chocolate.
5. Give up deserts.
6. Give up swearing.
7. Give up gossiping.
8. Give up sarcasm and negativity.
9. Give up cigarettes.
10 Give up alcohol.
What are some of your ideas for things to do or to give up during Lent?
Limbaugh and Robertson’s foot and mouth disease
15
Jan
I was going to talk about Mr. Pat Robertson and Mr. Rush Limbaugh’s ungodly comments in the wake of the disaster in Haiti, but Father Johnathan at a blog called Second Terrace commented about this situation far better than I could ever do. So I will let his post speak for itself. I only add this simple comment to what he said, “Amen!”
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Haiti Earthquake
13
Jan
We at the Diocese of Saints Albert and Aelred want to extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of the massive earthquake in Haiti. Please know that you and your loved ones remain in our thoughts and our prayers.
We call on all clergy everywhere to offer Masses for the repose of the souls of those who have died and for the continued safety of those who remain alive in Haiti.
We also call on people to open their hearts and their wallets to help in the relief effort. You can donate money to help the relief effort in Haiti by going to any of the following links:
You can also find more ways to give at Huffington Post.
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Healthcare reform? Bahumbug!
17
Dec
I am angry. I am appalled. I am frustrated.
Why?
Healthcare Reform.
I have tried to remain optimistic as debates on healthcare have moved on. But there is nothing in this bill that will help the little people. It is a payoff to big insurance. It is a maintain the status quo and give more money to big insurance and big pharma.
And I am disgusted with those people who claim to be against healthcare reform while receiving their VA or SSI (Medicare and Medicaid) benefits. What a bunch of hypocrites! If you don’t want “socialized” medicine, then return your VA or SSI benefits. Call the VA and Medicaid and Medicare and tell them you don’t want your benefits. But will you? No!
In fact, many of these people against reform have been at protest shouting about how evil “socialized” medicine is while also shouting to keep the governments hands off of their Medicare! What hypocrites!
I am angry that our elected officials forgot the goal of this reform. The reason for reform was simple. Offer coverage people in the lower tiers could afford, eliminate pre-existing conditions and keep the cost of medical coverage down. Instead, all of that got scrapped. Now the bill does not include a public option. It does not stop pre-existing conditions and it does nothing to cap the cost of healthcare.
How did we end up there? Compromise. Bipartisanship.
The Democrats gave the farm away in an effort to get people like Joe “Flip-Flop” Lieberman and Ben “I started my career working for insurance companies” Nelson to sign on to the bill. Instead of pandering to them, the Democrats should strip them of their committee seats and throw them out of the caucus!
For over 40 years healthcare reform has been debated. And here we are 40 years later with 46.3 million people without insurance. And of that, many will die over the next year of illnesses that could have been prevented or treated. That is many fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmothers and grandfathers who did not need to die.
And yet, the debate drags on. The Republicans continue to work to kill the bill and the Democrats hand then the ax on a silver platter. And what does that say to us in the middle and low classes of society? That we aught to go ahead and die and decrease the surplus population!
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When a bow is simple not just a bow
16
Nov
There are many pundits today that are still attacking President Obama over his bow to the Emperor of Japan. But is this really the first time a US President bowed to a foreign leader?
No, it is not.
In 1971, President Richard Nixon, bowed to the Japanese Emperor and even called him “Your Imperial Majesty.”
And then there is President George W. Bush kissing the Saudi Arabian King and held hands with him too as the strolled through a romantic forest together. And Bush’s hugging of Prime Minister of India. And Bush’s bow to Pope Benedict XVI (who is a monarch of a country!).
And it seems that President Dwight Eisenhower seemed to bow a lot during his term in office.
I am sure there are more and I will add them as I find them.
Just goes to show, if you follow protocal and your a Dem, then you are treasonous. If you are a Republican, then you are doing the right thing.
What hypocrites!
Dobbs quitting!
11
Nov
One of CNN’s biggest bigots and hypocrites is leaving the air. Lou Dobbs is hanging it up.
Dobbs has been one of the media’s loudest voices when it comes to such lies as Obama was not an American citizen and that undocumented immigrants are to blame for every national ill in our country.
Ironically, Dobbs and his wife are not were not born in the USA either. Both where born in Mexico.
You would think that someone who was born in Mexico would not speak so harshly against immigrants to the USA. But I suppose a certain amount of it may be self-loathing.
In any case, I am sure Dobbs will find a nice home at FOX News. There he can distort and allow others to decided.
Death is not the end
02
Nov
Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. My their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.
As we celebrate today the feast of All Souls, I am reminded of the line in the Preface for Christian Death I: Lord, for Your faithful people life is changed, not ended. We have such a great hope and comfort in our own mortality if we only accept it and embrace it.
I know that this is a difficult task. Accepting the fact that we will all die someday is looked upon in our society as macabre. If you think about your own mortality, then there is something wrong with you. But yet, we as Christians are exhorted in the Gospels to live our lives as if today is our last day on this earth.
It is in that fullness, in that total awareness that our life is but a vapor (Psalm 39:5) that we are able to then minister to others more openly. We can offer more of ourselves to others, because we realize that there may not be a tomorrow with which to offer them more of ourselves. We can be honest with ourselves and with others because we know that we will die eventually and that we will then have to answer for that dishonesty.
The realization that death is inevitable also gives us the strength to fight against sin. Which one of us wants to die in a state or mortal sin? I am certain that none of us want to face our Maker with that to answer for! As such, facing our mortality helps us to ask ourselves about the consequences of our actions. Not just our actions towards others, but our actions towards ourselves too. It also helps to put into perspective the day to day struggles we endure. Because in the cosmic scheme of things, our day to day struggles are small in comparison.
And when that moment comes, as it will for all of us, for us to shuffle off this moral coil, we can pass in peace confident in the fact that for the faithful life is not ended but changed. We have the confidence that all those who came before us will be there once again to welcome us into the next world. And those that come behind us, can be confident that we will be there to welcome them when their time comes as well.
God Bless!
Missions: Home or abroad?
23
Oct
My wife and I got into a discussion last night that I thought was very interesting. So I thought I would share it with all my readers today.
We got to talking about a friend of hers that is going on yet another foreign mission trip. This person have great courage going on such a trip with the medical conditions she has. I want to get that clear up front that I respect her for being willing to go on such trips regardless of how it might affect her medically.
But I have to wonder, why are spending all that money and sending all these lay people into foreign countries when there are people here in America who need the help of the church? Why are we not feeding those who are hungry in our country? Why do we watch people die on the streets everyday from illnesses that can be cured if only they had access to medical care?
I am not saying that we should not help those in other countries to live better lives, to have access to medical care they need or to feed the hungry all while preaching the gospel that will save them when this life is over. But rather, I am saying that we need to stop and take a look deep inside ourselves and ask the hard question: Why are we not doing that here in America?
As of 2008, the population of America was 304,059,724. As of August of this year, 1.5 million Americans are homeless. As of last year, 47 million Americans do not have health insurance. Currently, it is estimated that 33 million Americans go hungry everyday. Of those 12 million are children. And nearly 152 million people are unchurched in America!
Before you send another dime to a foreign country, stop and consider these statistics and ask yourself, should I spend that money here in my own country to help others? Before you sign up for another foreign mission trip, stop and ask yourself, are there people here in the USA that could benefit from hearing the gospel message?
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