Ash Wednesday, 2012

Suffering is inescapable in life. From the moment we are conceived we possess a body that is fragile - susceptible to illness, disease, injury and eventually death. Indeed, birth is the first stage in the process of dying. It is unavoidable. As surely as new life begins, we know that that same life will someday end.

Today is Ash Wednesday. The ashes on our forehead remind us that, no matter our circumstances in life – rich or poor, young or old, sick or in good health – we are all destined for the grave. “You are dust and unto dust you shall return,” – these words are among those spoken as the ashen cross is traced upon our heads.

The cross is a symbol of Christ's suffering as well as our own suffering. The cross is a symbol of the common path we must tread to arrive eventually at our end. We “take up our cross” and follow Him. It is a process, a march to our graves. Between conception and death, the life we live is filled with ups and downs. All life contains suffering. All life is marked with the sign of the cross.

But we should not despair, for the cross gives us hope - not because it brings an end to suffering, but because it gives new meaning to our suffering.

Jesus did not come to end all pain and suffering. But His suffering transforms the world. When we accept the cross we seek solidarity with the lowliest and most wretched of humanity. We search out those who suffer and find spiritual companionship. We even seek ways to suffer alongside them, and add our suffering to the redemptive act of Christ on the Cross. As we look around us and see all those fellow travelers marked with their own crosses today, we see Christ walking beside us.

If there is to be meaning in our life we must not reject suffering but embrace these moments of pain as channels of grace…just as Jesus embraced the cross for the salvation of the world, if we unite our suffering to His, then we can share in His plan of salvation, and become channels of grace to the world.

Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and ponderings to begin the week...

Just a reminder that Lent begins this week. Two more weeks to decide how to commemorate this season of penance and sacrifice.

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Here is something I don't understand: As a faithful Catholic, Rick Santorum is mocked and openly attacked for his religious beliefs. But if you try to bring up Rev. Wright and the church that Obama belonged to for twenty years in Chicago... 'Well, that's just not fair! How dare you question his religious affiliation.'

We should go back and listen to a Rev. Wright sermon and compare it to something from Pope John Paul II or Benedict XVI - Then let's see whose religious beliefs are more radical.

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Just caught a couple of blogs that might be interesting to readers of this blog.. one for the guys and one for the ladies:

Two Catholic Men and a Blog - "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.  Today we need to work for a reconciliation between faith and reason." [quoting Blessed John Paul II]

Catholic Mom's Connect - "...a ministry to encourage women to celebrate Faith-filled friendships and to support each other in our God-given role as Catholic mothers."

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

Lenten Observances in the Vein of a New Liturgical Movement - "Lent begins this Wednesday and so it is about that time to once again give our readers some considerations for their possible Lenten observances..."

Dealing with the Devil - "We may not be exorcists, but each one of us is called to engage in the spiritual battle, and we will succeed best when we take the battle seriously, and ourselves not so seriously."

How Not to Become a Catholic - [A rather long article...but clever and witty. The author is a former Presbyterian minister who converted to Catholicism. He explains tips for NOT becoming a Catholic, though he expects the readers to do the opposite.]

A Protestant Historian Discovers the Catholic Church - "I wanted to be able to show how the medieval church had left the true faith and how the Reformers had recovered it. To this end, I began Ph.D. studies in historical theology...I never imagined that Reformation Church history would move me to the Catholic Church."

What's the big difference between NFP and contraception? - "When we consider the positive impact of NFP on a marriage and the potential dangers of contraception, the most loving option becomes obvious."

19 Facts About Abortion In America That Should Make You Very Sick - [It does make you sick, but you need to know it.]

American Catholicism’s Pact With the Devil - "In the 1930s, the majority of the  bishops, priests, and nuns sold their souls to the devil, and they did so with the best of intentions. In their concern for the suffering of those out of work and destitute, they wholeheartedly embraced the New Deal."

Catholic Bishops: Don’t Revise, Rescind - "The administration 'shifted' on nothing. It simply decreed that insurers, not employers, must provide 'preventive services' (including sterilization and abortifacient drugs), a shell game that has been variously and accurately described as a 'fraud' (Andrew McCarthy, in the Corner) and an 'absurdity' (the Wall Street Journal)."

The bishops' tougher response to the Obama 'compromise' mandate - "While that initial reaction was ambiguous, the bishops’ 2nd statement left no doubt that the USCCB would continue to oppose the Obama mandate."

Secularism and the HHS Mandate - [Brief post...but to the point.] "Collectivism is often very appealing to Christians who want to do good for their neighbors.  Unfortunately, collectivism is frequently a fellow-traveler of aggressive secularism with little respect for religious liberty."

The Father of Lies - "The Left realize they've lost the debate on abortion. Therefore they are moving the goalposts and deliberately making the debate about contraception."

Don't Be Deceived! Evil Obama Policy Now Even MORE Evil! - "Under the guise of making room for religious conscience, the President has actually made the policy worse—far worse."

Archbishop Dolan Wants to Believe Obama's Not Anti-Christian. But... - "That's the thing about Obama. He's all about words. You're supposed to listen to his soothing words and ignore the shank in your spleen."

Can a Faithful Catholic Run for President? - "Maybe you have to be a Sebelius Catholic or a Pelosi Catholic nowadays to succeed. But then, isn’t that a discussion worth having as well? Or are we not allowed to discuss that either?"

Chesterton's Racehorse - "If you are Catholic, you are on the right horse and this horse will ultimately win. The question becomes, will you run the race with her?"

I STAND WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: 10 Pictures In Defense of the Church - [Great for sharing on Facebook or other social media outlets...]

8 Reasons to Turn Out the Lights During Lent - "...if you’re looking for something to add to your Lenten practices that will shake things up and help you see your whole life from a fresh perspective, I highly recommend turning out the lights."

Marriage Fight Continues in Washington State - "Same-sex 'marriage' was signed into law by the governor Feb. 13, and traditional-marriage groups have filed a referendum as Catholics and Christians speak up for God's plan for marriage."

The Truth About Same Sex Attraction - "I never had any idea things could be this good, that I could be so confident, that I would so often feel like smiling for no particular reason."

Same-sex attraction and the choice for the greatest good - "A major part of my struggle as a Catholic who experiences same-sex attraction has been the difficulty of wrestling with my desire for the goodness of love, relationship and pleasure that seems to be denied me by the teachings of the Church about homosexual relationships."

Should The Government Be Involved in Marriage? - "The theory that marriage does not need government is foolish and irresponsible. It is related to the even more foolish and irresponsible theory that society itself does not need government."

"Brethren in Unity" -- History in Houston As Ordinariate Launches  - "Though precluded from becoming a Catholic bishop due to his marriage, the new monsignor -- who, unlike his English counterpart, Msgr Keith Newton, has taken to donning the violet zucchetto normally reserved for bishops -- enjoys full membership and voting rights in the USCCB."

A Call to Prayer and Joyful Witness [A message from Archbishop Dolan] - "When the Holy Father presents the 'red hat' to the new cardinals, he will ask us to accept it as a sign of our readiness to shed our blood for the strengthening of the faith, the peace and tranquillity of the people of God, and the liberty and growth of the Church."

MSNBC's Martin Bashir Outrageously Compares Rick Santorum to Mass Murderer Joseph Stalin - [Don't trust the Mainstream Media!]

Remember when no one understood why ABC asked about contraception at the NH Republican debate? - [I don't think that was just a coincidence...]

The Loss of the Apostrophe in “Valentine’s Day”: One More Victory for the Forces of Secularization - "If St. Valentine is in our minds, then we can hardly forget that the 14th is HIS day, in honor of his witness: it is Valentine’s Day, and the possessive apostrophe pays him just tribute.  To omit it is an offense against piety, if perhaps an unintentional one."

 Megadeth frontman backs Rick Santorum - [Interesting endorsement... Well, I don't like his music, but I like his politics.]

Obama to Give Catholics a Present - [This is a satirical piece that I thought was pretty funny.]

I am sure there were many fine articles I missed in this round-up. In the comments section below, feel free to add any links you found interesting.

Random Thoughts of Sola Scriptura, Part V

In Part IV we heard the complaint from some Protestant Christians that Catholics are “spoon-fed” their faith by an authoritative Church. Catholics look to the Church as the final authority on Biblical interpretation. Meanwhile “Bible-only” Christians are free to disagree with their church leaders and pastors whenever they feel that a particular doctrine is unbiblical. According them, every individual is capable of privately interpreting Scripture without turning to the Church for guidance.

So what does the Bible itself have to say about this principle?

The Apostle Paul established several Christian communities during his lengthy travels, and he taught them the faith as it had been passed on to him. He realized that this process of teaching Christian Truth is an ongoing and laborious process. The pupils (that is, we lay Christians in the pews) must be instructed by our pastors as children are taught by parents. Paul writes: “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.” (1Corinthians 3:2)

So, as we can see from Paul’s words, not only are Christians sometimes “spoon-fed” the faith, we must first be “bottle-fed” on “milk” if we are to one day digest the solid food of a well developed faith. The Protestant notion that every Christian can pick up the Bible and dispute his pastor is laughable when one examines the facts about the early Church.

We can be sure that Paul knew well what kind of damage could be done to souls when individuals twist the words of Scripture and misunderstand doctrine. His own words were abused by Christians of his day. On this subject of twisting the Bible, 2Peter 3:15-16 attests: “…our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

So we know that the Bible can be easily abused and twisted by those who are ungrounded in the faith. The Bible itself admits to this problem. And as Paul describes, there must be some preparatory work, instruction in the faith. We must be fed milk before we eat meat; we must crawl before we walk. Christians must be taught by some authority outside of the Bible, which then can help them make sense of God’s Word.

In the Acts of the Apostles, when the Ethiopian eunuch was asked whether he understood the Scriptures he was reading, he replied:  “How can I, unless someone shows me?” (Acts 8:31) We should be humble enough to answer in the same way. Many Bible-only Christians are comfortable disagreeing with their own pastors and denominations. They do not recognize the Biblical concept of an outside teaching authority. And this is the root of many division and schisms. They “distort Scripture to their own destruction.”

Quote of the Week

"A woman who deliberately destroys a fetus is answerable for murder. And any fine distinction between its being completely formed or unformed is not admissible among us."

- St Basil the Great

Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and ponderings to begin the week...

Just gotta keep telling yourself: No matter how bad it gets, it's all going to be OK. We know who wins in the end.

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Obviously the new Health and Human Services mandate requiring that Catholic institutions pay for employees' contraception coverage has been the hot topic among Catholic bloggers and among friends on social networking sites. Here are a few thoughts based on some comments I shared on Facebook recently:

The Health and Human Services mandate requires that religious institutions pay for coverage of contraceptives and medical procedures that are considered immoral by Catholics. Everyone is free to choose whether these things are moral or not. I'm not forcing that view on anyone. But the government should also not force Catholics (or anyone else) to pay for something that is considered by us to be a sin.

Contraception is not a "healthcare" issue. It is a matter of convenience. Contraception makes it easy to have sex without getting pregnant. So to claim that contraception is somehow saving women or protecting their health is false. All forms of contraception were designed with one goal in mind - to prevent a child. Contraception is not "medicine." Think about it. Medicine is meant to fight a disease. By telling the public that contraception is a "medical" issue the government is making children the "disease." This is not true medicine...they are pushing an agenda that hurts children and women.

I can't stop someone from participating in this contraceptive myth. But likewise the government should NOT require that I and my Church participate.

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The contraception mandate is an egregious attack on religious liberty. Forcing Catholic institutions to pay for sin is an abomination. But the though just occurred to me, what about employers who are faithful Catholics but NOT associated with the Church? What if I, as a lay person owned a business, and I am now forced to pay for my employees contraception? Do I not have the right to object based on my conscience? The Church is right to fight against this intrusion committed by the State, but every individual business owner has a conscience that can be violated as well. Shame on every Catholic who supported Obama and the Healthcare atrocity that he has produced. We are now reaping the results.

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[Note: A fellow Catholic, disturbed by recent events, commented below and mentioned his own blog. I recommend checking out this post of his for more commentary on the HHS mandate.]

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

Baptism etiquette requires a sober rite and a Christian name - "Benedict XVI urged parents: 'Give your children Christian names, these seal Christians with the spiritual mark that indicates the beginning of the path in the faith.'"

Bringing Christ's Church Door to Door - "Homeowners are used to members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints coming to their doors, but many Catholic door-to-door missionaries are springing up across the country for the purposes of evangelization."

The Tide is Turning, Pro-Life Movement is Now Winning - "We should be aware of how much is being done in the United States for life. The tide of history is with the pro-life cause now."

The Santorum Sweep, Thank Obama - "Simply put, he has been a superior candidate to his rivals and getting better... There has been one candidate who has stood up for life and liberty like no other candidate and that candidate is Rick Santorum."

Time To Admit It: The Church Has Always Been Right On Birth Control - "The Church teaches that love, marriage, sex, and procreation are all things that belong together. That's it. But it's pretty important. And though the Church has been teaching this for 2,000 years, it's probably never been as salient as today."

Six Things Everyone Should Know About the HHS Mandate - [A must-read from the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.]

Obama administration faces backlash over rule ordering birth control coverage - "'President Obama just may have lost the election,' conservative columnist Peggy Noonan wrote over the weekend, adding, 'There’s no reason to make this ruling — none. Except ideology.'"

No, Obama is NOT looking to compromise or back down - "...Anyone who thinks otherwise is asking for a rock upside the head by year’s end."

Compromise On Religious Freedom? Never! - "How can you compromise on this question? Either the government is forcing our Catholic institutions to do this, or it isn’t. There isn’t any room in-between those two positions."

A Disturbing New Day for American Religious Liberty - "The United States government is now demanding that we 'pay for the bullet,' essentially, to assist employees at Catholic institutions to kill their children."

Spokeswoman of Evil Speaks! - "Children are not a disease, and they do not need to be prevented the way cancer or pneumonia do. While some women might have medical conditions that contraindicate pregnancy, that does not justify contraception as a means of avoiding it, and certainly the idea of recommending contraception to women in general is reflective of agenda rather than medicine."

Why the Pope's Army Will Not Kneel to the HHS Mandate - "For us Americans, it seems like there has always been a pernicious chorus in the background of our lives asking us to kneel to this or that false hope. Yet, the HHS contraception mandate was the keynote that explicitly brought the idol before the faithful and said 'Kneel or else.'"

How hedonism became America’s official religion - "In effect, we have a new state religion, a new Established Church of the United States of America, with Barack Obama as its head. It is the religion of Secular Hedonism, the worldview that sex is a sterile recreational activity, with babies thrown in as an afterthought, an optional extra, for people with quirky life-style preferences."

Young and Pro-Life? What About Pro-Marriage? - "While pro-life outreach has become a commonplace feature of campus life at many Catholic and secular colleges, many students who oppose same-sex 'marriage' think twice about speaking out."

Komen board member: new statement doesn’t mean Planned Parenthood funding will resume - [Well, I'm still confused. It sounds like they don't know which side to come down on. Personally, I would just avoid supporting the organization. Better to err on the side of NOT supporting abortion.]

I guess I'm not the only one confused: Pro-life leaders call for prayer, vigilance in wake of confusion over Komen statement

And I'm not the only one withholding my money: It Would Be Irresponsible for Pro-Lifers to Donate to Komen Now

Check out this political cartoon.