Saturday, October 20, 2007

Thoughts and Counsels - October 21

We should never abandon, on account of the difficulties we encounter, an enterprise under­taken with due reflection.

-St. Vincent de Paul
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)

Meditation for October 21, All Things But Means

A certain young sick priest was not able to say Mass; he did not feel, however, that he deserved the pity heaped on him. To a young girl who could not follow her vocation on account of illness, he wrote, mindful of his own affliction, as well as hers, "You see everything is only a means."

Ah, if I were able to understand that well, in what a spirit of faith, and in what peace would I live!

In Faith: Everything has but one goal, the glory of God. Health or sickness, success or failure, happiness or persecution, death or life, these are all means. If they are able to serve - and they are always able to serve, in procuring the glory of God - I ought not attach more value to one than to the other. If God wishes me to be ill, powerless, reduced to insignificance, to incapacity, could there be any more effective means then, than sickness, power­lessness, nothingness, for procuring the glory of God? They are the most excellent, they are freer from selfish whim and self-­satisfaction.

In Peace: Instead of always seeking for one thing more than another, for what delights rather than what wounds; instead of pitying myself and losing my spiritual poise when suffering strikes me, I should abandon myself peacefully into the hands of the Lord; provided that He be content, that His glory be procured, why should I care? Should He deign to send me what is most crucify­ing, far from losing heart, I will regard it as a particular mark of His goodness for me.

I will keep a clear view of the goal, of the end. Everything is but a means.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

Sisters of Perpetual (Self) Indulgence now teach theology

From Spero News:
In response to critics, the gay performers known as "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" defend San Francisco archbishop Niederauer for giving them Holy Communion "in keeping with the Second Vatican Council."

By Joni Durling

Pope says political field is for laypeople, but church must guide

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Involvement in politics is a role reserved to laypeople, but Catholic Church leaders must explain and promote the moral principles that will contribute to the common good, Pope Benedict XVI said.

"The church, while recognizing that it is not a political agent, cannot abstain from taking an interest in the good of the whole civil community in which it lives and works," the pope said in a message published Oct. 18...

Pope Benedict said the most pressing issues include "respect for human life and the attention that must be paid to the needs of the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman."


Gospel for Saturday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross, priest
Old Calendar: St. John Cantius (Kanty), priest


From: Luke 12:8-12

Various Teachings of Jesus (Continuation)


(Jesus said to His disciples,) [8] "And I tell you, every one who acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; [9] but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. [10] And every one who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. [11] And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; [12] for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
_______________________

Commentary:

8-9. This follows logically from Christ's previous teaching: worse than physical evils, worse even than death, are evils of the soul, that is, sin. Those who out of fear of temporal suffering deny our Lord and are unfaithful to the demands of the faith will fall into a greater evil still: they will be denied by Christ Himself on the Day of Judgment; whereas those who are penalized in this life because of their faithfulness to Christ will receive the eternal reward of being recognized by Him and will come to share His glory.

10. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit consists in maliciously attributing to the devil actions which have God as their origin. A person who does that prevents God's pardon from reaching him: that is why he cannot obtain forgiveness (cf. Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:28-30). Jesus understands and excuses the weakness of a person who makes a moral mistake, but He is not similarly indulgent to someone who shuts his eyes and his heart to the wonderful things the Spirit does; that was the way these Pharisees acted who accused Jesus of casting out demons in the name of Beelzebul; it is the way unbelieving people act who refuse to see in Christ's work a sign of the goodness of God, who reject the invitation God offers them and who thereby put themselves outside the reach of salvation (cf. Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31). See the note on Mark 3:28-30.

[The note on Mark 3:28-30 states:
28-30. Jesus has just worked a miracle but the scribes refuse to recognize it "for they had said `He has an unclean spirit'" (verse 30). They do not want to admit that God is the author of the miracle. In this attitude lies the special gravity of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit--attributing to the prince of evil, to Satan, the good works performed by God Himself. Anyone acting in this way will become like the sick person who has so lost confidence in the doctor that he rejects him as if an enemy and regards as poison the medicine that can save his life. That is why our Lord says that he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not forgiven: not because God cannot forgive all sins, but because that person, in his blindness towards God, rejects Jesus Christ, His teaching and His miracles, and despises the graces of the Holy Spirit as if they were designed to trap him (cf. "St. Pius V Catechism", II, 5, 19; St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 14, a. 3).]
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Thoughts and Counsels - October 20

Prayer is our principal weapon. By it we ob­tain of God the victory over our evil inclinations, and over all temptations of hell.

-St. Alphonsus
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)

Meditation for October 20, The Best Prayer

According to Father Foucauld, and he knew, "the best prayer is the one in which there is the most love."

It is not a question of the best prayer in itself according to theory, but of the best prayer in deed, according to our interior dispositions.

Then, I need not be frightened or disturbed, if at prayer I am utterly devoid of thoughts, or if my mind always revolves in the same circle; if I am not like those souls who discover beautiful ideas or new points of view, or at any rate, enjoy variety in their thoughts.

My prayer gets its value not from my head but from my heart. Should my prayer overflow with ideas but lack love it is very im­perfect, but if it is permeated with love, although poor in ideas, it is truly perfect.

Without doubt, when I prepare my meditation I ought to try to determine upon a definite subject to aid my memory and my intel­lect, since it has been proved that, in general, the heart and will are not moved unless the mind is attentive, enlightened, and con­vinced; but the subject of my meditation can be the same for several successive days, above all if I am experienced in the prac­tice of habituated prayer. I ought not hesitate, however, to aban­don this subject if the Holy Spirit suggests another to me, even at the very beginning of my prayer, or if, like Magdalen at the feet of Jesus, I am satisfied to unite myself to the Divine Master while gazing on Him.

I will do all in my power to use the means to pray well, but be willing to renounce them if God Himself enlightens me, drawing me into a silence that unites me more closely to Him than words could ever do.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

Hillary's National "Catholic" Steering Committee

OK, folks, I almost deleted this as spam before I read it...Here's what is says:
Dear Friend,

We are starting a conversation with Catholics across America and hope you will join us. Hillary shares your vision for the common good -- quality, affordable health care for all Americans, better educational opportunities for our children, and a plan for peace and stability from Baghdad to Darfur. Together we can make this vision a reality.

Join Hillary's National Catholic Steering Committee to be a part of this campaign to make history.

To sign up, visit our Faith Steering Committee website:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/faith

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
Burns Strider
Senior Advisor
Director of Faith Outreach

P.S. I have attached a document that discusses Hillary's record on issues of faith. Please read it and pass it along to your family, friends, and neighbors.
The document quoted may be available at the website - I think most, if not all, faithful Catholics already know where this woman stands...especially regarding her stauch support of the heinous crime of abortion,- the brutal killing of the most innocent among us.

It might be worth checking out in order to spread the Gospel, the truth about the sanctity of human life - especially the defenseless unborn, the necessity of safeguarding the institution of marriage and the family as the basic unit of societal life and well being, etc.! Maybe someone there will be touched by the grace of God.

We had "Katholics for Kerry" and soon we'll see "Catholics for Clinton"...How sad.

Starting Today-A Novena for Priests

From Fr Frank Pavone:
Where would we be without faithful pastors, priests and preachers? And how much more could we get done if we had a multitude more of holy and zealous shepherds of souls?

Every year, thanks to an organization called Serra International, the last Sunday of October is designated as "Priesthood Sunday." People are invited to pray for their priests and to honor them in various ways.

At Priests for Life, we have decided to observe this day by having a novena for priests, starting this Friday, October 19. Go to www.priestsforlife.org, and you'll see the link at which you can download the special prayer.

When you do so, you will also have the opportunity to send me:

a) Your prayer intentions. What priests should we pray for in a special way? Are there some who have health problems; are there others who need a special dose of courage?

b) Your stories. Tell me about your favorite priest, or how a priest or pastor inspired and strengthened you in your own walk with the Lord.

As you know, Priests for Life is committed to help every member of the clergy be a vigorous voice for the lives of the unborn. Priesthood Sunday can be a time when we all pray and work for that!
Join the Priesthood Novena: October 19- 27

Prayer for Priesthood Novena

Father,
You sent your Son Jesus Christ
To be our High Priest,
And you gave us the gift of the priesthood
To continue his saving work.

Bless our priests, and give us more of them.
Make them holy.
Strengthen them to proclaim the Gospel of Life,
And to defend the rights of all,
Especially the unborn.

Bring us, your priests and people
To the life that never ends.
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen

Latin Mass OK with Pope

...And it's OK with me, too!

In Rapid City, SD:
When Jean Carlson returned to the Latin Mass of her childhood, she immediately found something she had been missing.

"There's just a sense of humility when you walk in and participate in the Mass," she said. "There's a mystery about the Mass."

The sense of mystery and awe, lamentably in some cases, has been obscured. Nevertheless, if we are unable to find a church which celebrates the extraordinary form of the Mass, we can always look for a place where the ordinary form is celebrated with the reverence and dignity it so rightfully deserves.

Of course being a secualr report, here again we have a reporter who fails to check facts:

In the Extraordinary Mass, priests face away from the congregation. The Mass is celebrated in Latin, and there is less interaction between the congregation and the priest. A different liturgical calendar also is followed.
The priests faces toward God as do the people - as he leads them toward God in the Holy Sacrifice.

Ordinary Mass is celebrated in the vernacular, with priests facing the congregation. There is also more interaction between the congregation and priest.

After Vatican II, churches could celebrate Extraordinary Masses in Latin only with the permission of their bishops.
Again, and unless I'm mistaken, the Novus Ordo was always permitted to be celebrated in Latin.

The article relates the story of a young priest who now celebrates the Extraordinary form of the Mass even though he grew up with the Ordinary form:
The quiet contemplative atmosphere of the Extraordinary Masses appealed to him. "The new Mass ... There's so much distraction."
Quite understandable...there are plenty of distractions, at times, for the faithful as well.

Read more about, if you like, here.

Curran speech spotlights reforms of Pope John XXIII

When Charles Curran gave talks at Catholic universities 25 years ago, newspaper headlines the following day would read, "Radical priest disappoints."

But Curran got a very different reaction Thursday night during his talk, "The Life and Legacy of Pope John XXIII" at St. Edward's University.

Curran is best known for reaffirming the need for a ban on artificial contraception and questioning the Catholic Church's authority on teaching moral issues, including premarital sex, abortion and homosexuality. He was removed from the faculty of the Catholic University of America in 1986.
Actually Curran is infamous for his outspoken dissent against the Church and the natural moral law because of his affirmation of and support for artificial contraception, and the other moral issues above. But he is not alone in this widespread dissent. The author rightly notes that he was removed from the faculty of the Catholic University of America in 1986 - BUT, this was 18 years, almost 2 decades, after his tirade and denunciation of Humanae Vitae! And it took the Holy Father to do the job of the bishops who were supposed to be in charge of CUA, to evict this malcontent from the university.

"He is known for his book 'Loyal Dissent' that says you can be a faithful Catholic but disagree with the pope," said assistant history professor Anne Martinez. "For a lot of people, this approach is American Catholicism."
For far too many professed Catholics, this is their approach - it's been called "cafeteria Catholicism" and worse. The fact is, there is no such thing as 'loyal dissent.' It's analogous to claiming that there is such a thing as a 'square circle.'

Curran did not discuss the controversial issues that surround Pope John XXIII, but instead talked about his life and achievements.
What controversial issues surrounded the life of Pope John XXIII?

Pope John XXIII was best known for the reforms he enacted when he called the second Vatican Council, where he changed the way the Catholic Church operates its services to include the congregation, said engineering junior Julia Rosinski, a member of the Catholic Students Association. The former pope recommended that masses be conducted in the language of the people, while retaining Latin as a language of worship.

"It is beautiful in Latin, but it was harder for general public to connect with God and the mass," Rosinski said. "That was the biggest thing. He helped people relate to the church."
Now here's a gal who studied her church history and read the documents of Vatican II. Her professors must really be proud. Soon to be a Summa cum laude graduate, for sure.

Before John XXIII, Catholics were leaving the church because they couldn't connect. The new church was set up to help better connect people with Christ, Rosinski said.
Where does one go to learn this?

From the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University we see these statistics from Jan 2005:
Slightly more than 20 percent of Post-Vatican II Generation Catholics [born after 1960] say they attend Mass at least once a week or more.

By comparison, 52 percent of Pre-Vatican II Generation Catholics [born before 1943 ] and 38 percent of Vatican II Generation Catholics [born between 1943 and 1960 ] report weekly Mass attendance. The levels of attendance by these generations are unchanged from CARA’s September 2000 poll.
Somebody must have slipped her some bad data in class...

Curran said it was unfortunate that the Catholic Church may be pulling away from the issues important to John XXIII's Vatican.
Curran still thinks that he is the authentic interpreter of the documents of the Second Vatican Council.

Who needs a Church, when we have the likes of Curran and others repudiating the Holy Father and the Church? Some must think that Jesus said, "He who hears Charles Curran and his companions, hears Me!" It's probably to be found in the latest translation.


The 'Courage' to go 'Beyond Gay'

From Matt Abott's column from last Saturday:
I'd like to put in a good word about Courage, "a spiritual support system which would assist men and women with same-sex attractions in living chaste lives in fellowship, truth and love."

Developed by Father John Harvey, with the assistance of Father Benedict Groeschel, Courage held "its first meeting in September, 1980 at the Shrine of Mother Seton in South Ferry.

"With the endorsement of the Holy See, Courage now has more than 110 Chapters and contact people world-wide, over 1500 persons participating in its ListServs, and hundreds of persons per week receiving assistance from the main office and website. It has become a mainstream Catholic Apostolate helping thousands of men and women find peace through fellowship, prayer, and the Sacraments."
Some may recall that Archbishop Burke vigorously attempted to get an amendment passed recently at the USCCB bishops' meeting to have both Courage and Encourage included in a document the bishops were to vote on...Some realize how important this is, especially in today's confused world.

Secondly, Abbot includes an excerpt from a book by David Morrison, who is a Catholic writer and promoter of the apostolate. He authored the book Beyond Gay, from which the following excerpt comes (Chap. 15, 244-245):
'So much confusion reigns about what the Church teaches about same-sex attraction that I urge every homosexually attracted person to forget what they think the Church teaches or what they have heard she teaches and learn instead what she really teaches. . .
This is just the first sentence-It really is a must read. I highly recommend that Matt Abbott's post be read as Morrison eloquently relates what authentic, true love is.

Matt's column is here.

Traditional Anglican Communion Petitions Rome for Union

The College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) recently petitioned for “full, corporate, sacramental union” with the Roman Catholic Church recently.
HT to PG for the link

Bishops' document to offer new guidance on Catholics' political role

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Rejecting a political climate based on "powerful interests, partisan attacks, sound bites and media hype," the U.S. bishops call Catholics to "a different kind of political engagement" in a document to be voted on during their fall general meeting Nov. 12-15 in Baltimore.

Hey Father, erase my Baptismal records!

A court is Spain says the Church must do just that if a person requests it....

MADRID - DPA - The Spanish judiciary has for the first time recognized the right of a Catholic to stop being a member of the church, radio reports said Thursday.

The National Court sided with a person who had taken the Valencia archbishop's office to court for refusing to cancel his baptism certificate...

Surely, the Church will tell the state to go take a hike?

What's next? Who's going to be the first to demand that the state to erase his birth records?

More here.

The St Louis Archdiocese New Website!

www.archstl.org!

We are pleased to present to the faithful of the Archdiocese and to the Internet community the new cyberspace home of the Roman Catholic Church in St. Louis.

In addition to an attractive and streamlined design that allows for greater ease of navigation, many new features have been introduced to the website. Content for the offices and agencies that advance the mission of the Archdiocese of St. Louis has been significantly expanded, and the homepage of the site will be updated continually with news and other features, including blogs, questions and answers about the Catholic faith, homilies by archdiocesan priests, and much more. We hope that you enjoy your visit, and that you will bookmark the website and return to it often.
And it looks GREAT! It's time to become re-acquainted with it - click here.

Updates on the TFP Public Square Rosary

TFP Public Square Rosary Campaign:

We did it! We held well over 2,000 Public Square Rosary Rallies nationwide. For a brief account of this great victory for Our Lady on October 13, click here.

Also take a look at our photo album with impressive pictures from all over the country. Click here to enter the photo gallery.

Tridentine Mass II: An apology

By Rev. Peter J. Daly
The Tidings
October 19, 2007

I'm sorry.

Some weeks ago I wrote a column about the recent "motu proprio" from Rome permitting wider celebration of the Tridentine Mass (The Tidings, Aug. 17).

In 20 years of writing columns I never got so much angry mail. The only columns that even came close were about gun control and immigration.

On conservative Catholic blogs my name has been mud. I have been called everything from a heretic to a fool.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone. And it may surprise my correspondents, but I actually agree with many of them...
A decent article in the Tidings by Fr Daly.

Link here...
The old Latin ritual was universal. No matter where you were, from Korea to Chicago, it was the same. Its universality united us and set us apart.

HT to Trish!

Gospel for Oct 19, Memorial of Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs

Old Calendar: St. Peter of Alcantara

From: Luke 12:1-7

Various Teachings of Jesus

[1] In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trod upon one another, He (Jesus) began to say to His disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. [2] Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. [3] Whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops."

[4] "I tell you, My friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do. [5] But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into Hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! [6] Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. [7] Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."
_______________________

Commentary:

3. Most Palestinian houses had a roof in the form of a terrace. There people would meet to chat and while away the time in the hottest part of the day. Jesus points out to His disciples that just as in these get-togethers things said in private became matters of discussion, so too, despite the Pharisees' and scribes' efforts to hide their vices and defects under the veil of hypocrisy, they would become a matter of common knowledge.

6-7. Nothing--not even the most insignificant thing--escapes God, His Providence and the judgment He will mete out. For this same reason no one should fear that any suffering or persecution he experiences in following Christ will remain unrewarded in eternity.

The teaching about fear, contained in verse 5, is filled out in verses 6 and 7, where Jesus tells us that God is a good Father who watches over every one of us--much more than He does over these little ones (whom He also remembers). Therefore, our fear of God should not be servile (based on fear of punishment); it should be a filial fear (the fear of someone who does not want to displease his father), a fear nourished by trust in Divine Providence.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Former Priest "Reflects" on Upcoming Women's "Ordinations"

Received this evening:
Pastoral Comments
Franks’s Reflection on Roman Catholic WomenPriests’ Ordination

Ree Hudson, who has been visiting us from time to time since April of 2006, and Elsie McGrath, who also has visited Sts. Clare & Francis, are set to be ordained by Bishop Patricia Fresen at 3:00 pm on Sunday, the 11th of November at the Central Reform Congregation. Ree stood up last Saturday and welcomed all who wish to attend.

We at Sts. Clare & Francis belong to a branch of Catholicism that is not under the jurisdiction of Rome. We belong to the Ecumenical Catholic Communion (ECC). Ree and Elsie are doing something different. Their intention is to remain within the Roman Catholic Church and to take actions which we could call “civil disobedience.” Civil disobedience has a long and honored tradition for effecting social change, e.g., the Indian resistance to the British Empire, the Civil Rights Boycotts in the US, and the anti-Apartheid movement of South Africa. Ree and Elsie belong to a group of Roman Catholics (http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org ) who believe that by intentionally disobeying their church law and living as if it has no hold on them, they will be able to help effect change in the Roman Catholic Church. They are like Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man and who said by her action, “Your rules are unjust; and I will not obey them.”

What we are doing is different. To use the Rosa Parks example, we have chosen to live in a city, as it were, where people can sit wherever they want on the bus. Our bishop is thrilled about the ordination of women, including our own Jessica Rowley. We are not fighting any battles about women’s ordination. Of course, just like in the 1960’s, we hear of the struggles in places that border us, and our hearts are glad that someone has the courage to struggle for the full acceptance and integration of women. (We cannot ignore the fact that Patricia Fresen, the bishop who will be ordaining Ree and Elsie was herself a strong fighter against apartheid in South Africa.) Our sincerest congratulations to Ree and Elsie!

The world needs fighters and architects. We at Sts. Clare & Francis have chosen the latter path of imagining, designing, and building boldly. We intend to model a church in the Catholic tradition where all are truly welcome to participate. As we have open-house after open-house in our new “structure,” many will find that this is the model of Church they have been looking for. And they will want to move here, to live here. So let us continue to build in earnest. We are building for the same reason they are fighting: no one should be told they are less important on a bus that Jesus is supposedly driving.

Your brother,
Frank [Krebs]
An ex-priest, Mr. Krebs apparently left the Catholic Church years ago to pursue his relationship with his homosexual partner. He is now the "pastor" of Sts. Clare and Francis Ecumenical Catholic Church - a group with a changeable creed and beliefs with Catholic "symbols."

Regardless of the intentions of Hudson and McGrath, should they proceed with their attempts to be ordained, they will no longer be members of the Roman Catholic Church - they will have voluntarily separated themselves from Holy Mother Church and from Jesus Christ.

And the claim that this act of rebellion and disobedience to Christ and His Church is similar to "civil disobedience" is, at best, specious.

In Luke 10:16 we read the words of Christ:
"He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

Two weeks ago we read this Gospel and the commentary which states:
On the evening of the day of His resurrection, our Lord entrusts His Apostles with the mission received from the Father, endowing them with powers similar to His own (John 20:21). Some days later He will confer on Peter the primacy He had already promised him (John 21:15-17). The Pope is the successor of Peter, and the bishops the successor of the Apostles (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 20).

Therefore, "Bishops who teach in communion with the Roman Pontiff are to be revered by all as witnesses of divine and Catholic truth [...]. This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak "ex cathedra" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 25).

It is absolutely necessary for the salvation of our souls that we obey the law of God and live in accordance with His will - and He willed to leave us a Church and shepherds, invested with His authority to bind and loose, to guide us on our pilgrimage toward heaven.

If we refuse to listen to the Church, we refuse to listen to Christ - it's really that simple! It is not hard to understand!

Some, however, would rather follow Satan, who in his rebellion in submitting to God, cried out "I will not serve!" They, likewise, cry out to God and the Church, "I will not serve You! My will be done!"

One must not despise obedience, because obedience is divine, and the divine is not despicable. Divine, not only because, as St. Paul says, "Authority comes from God only" (Rom. xiii, I), but also because of Christ's example:

"He dispossessed himself, accepted an obedience which brought him to death, death on a cross." (Philippians 2:7-8)

While Obedience may at times be difficult, disobedience and rebellion are easy - because they are the tools of the devil, used by us to separate ourselves from God.

Unfortunately, these women and those who support their act of defiance against Christ and His Church, are sowing the seeds of eternal death and eternity apart from God. Pray that they might repent and seek His mercy.

More California Catholic "News"

For those who have seen this, I apologize - actually, I need to apologize to those who haven't seen it, also. From RomanCatholicBlog:

Jungle Boogie: The Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino Goes Native


Archbishop Niederauer complains about blogging "bullies"...

Tom Peters writes:
...the truly unfortunate addition to the debate was made today by the Archbishop himself:

Asked about reaction he had received, Archbishop Niederauer expressed concern about the impact of Web logs, or blogs."

The blogosphere is a kind of dangerous, endless recess in a global schoolyard," he said, "where the bullies with the biggest bullhorns can shout whatever they want."
...doesn't the line given by Archbishop Niederauer ("The blogosphere is a kind of dangerous, endless recess in a global schoolyard where the bullies with the biggest bullhorns can shout whatever they want.") almost sound like a trial-run for the account he will be eventually asked to give for this whole affair to his brother bishops and superiors in Rome?
Of course, there is much, much more...

While complaining about blogs might be justified in some instances, this episode at Most Holy Redeemer doesn't appear to one of those cases - any reasonable and prudent individual should have been aware of the "climate" of the parish. This would seem to be even more important for a visiting bishop, especially considering the parish's history and its apparent defiance of the moral teachings of the Church.

One might wonder if the good archbishop would prefer that everyone close their eyes while the moral teachings of the Church are ridiculed and the Holy Eucharist is freely given to those who display such utter contempt for Christ and His Church. It's inconceivable how anyone could claim to be ignorant of history of the "Sisters of Perpetual Self-Indulgence" or shut his eyes to the whole sordid affair.

Some would prefer that faithful Catholics no longer defend the faith against such miserable atrocities. But this, no faithful Catholic can do.

These people need our prayers. Perhaps the sad experience will allow them to see the harm and scandal that they are causing to the Church>

You can read the entire post at AmericanPapist here.

Thoughts and Counsels - October 19

In your prayers, if you would quickly and surely draw upon you the grace of God, pray in a special manner for our Holy Church and all those connected with it.

-Ven. Louis De Blois
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)

Meditation for October 19, On Putting Up With Oneself

We have to put up with others. But that is by far not the worst. There is something much more difficult, to put up with self.

The beginner in the religious life thinks that she is going to con­quer everything, overcome all, at one stroke. After some years, however, the soul perceives that it has not conquered evil with a single blow, that it has not conquered it at all. Nature, checked for a moment, comes back on a gallop, stronger than before, as if to seek compensation for having been opposed.

It is true that it would be very agreeable to finally master the game; to command victoriously by my own powers; to be defini­tively established in perfection; to be free from my former cow­ardices, and a certain laxity that characterized me for a long time.

But no! There is never an end to them. What patience I need to accept my imperfect condition, and what a clear knowledge of the right tactics to adopt! There is really no contradiction in my desire to correct my faults and my continued imperfection; between a zealous hunger for good and for a perfect peace of soul, after having done what is less perfect.

I must realize that my taste for good is a desire for fidelity; my falls into imperfection prove infirmity. These apparently opposite conditions are not contradictory at all, they merely fulfil different objectives.

"Courage then my soul. Carry your cross, the cross of your nothing­ness. Change, but in no exaggerated way. Accept your imperfection and by a divine trick use it to elevate yourself above the earth and to come close to God."
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

Choosing the good and spiritual warfare

Diogenes writes, in part, "Taking sides":
...The intensity of the gay-activist antipathy as well as its target of choice is displayed with exceptional clarity in the Drag Nuns Communion incident [see here for details], and the reactions to the incident highlight the fault-lines along which the U.S. Church is split. One might think gay-friendly moderates would cringe at the flamboyance of drag-queen activism and the belligerence of the Sister Edith sacrilege, but in fact the reproaches come exclusively from the conservative side of the aisle, while the progressivists seem unable to grasp what all the fuss is about. Some have hesitantly conceded that the Sister Act was "inappropriate" -- as if the dispute hinged on the etiquette of church-going -- but the general liberal consensus seems to be that anything that antagonizes the Catholic League must be on the right track and worthy of defense...

...The majority of U.S. bishops, remember, was trained in a theological culture that views the Sister's principal lapse as "over-accessorizing." Blasphemy (little different from heresy in this respect) is treated as a quaint, 19th-century sort of sin, the censure of which would be as comically obsolete as a treatment for dropsy or St. Vitus Dance, and few churchmen speak ill of the objective disorder in whose service the blasphemy is uttered. We can expect few efforts to tackle the current scandal. But the post-Conciliar ecclesiastics are passing away, and their successors are bolder where they're wrong and bolder where they're right. By putting their real motives on open display, Sister Edith and her pals have helped shape the terms of the conflict for the next generation.
There's much more here and here at AmericanPapist.

DePaul Conference Blurs Truth about Homosexuality

DePaul University plans to host a pro-homosexual conference on October 19-20 called: “Out There: The Second National Conference of Scholars and Student Affairs Personnel Involved in LGBTQ Issues on Catholic Campuses.” 1

A June 12 draft of the conference schedule lists shocking lecture titles:

“The Ins and Outs of Teaching LGBTQ”
“Queer Teens Between the Sheets”
“Queering Theology: Contradictions and Accommodations”
“Queering Services and Benefits at Catholic Institutions”

The conference promoted by Women’s and Gender Studies seems to blur the distinction between good and evil, sidestepping two thousand years of Catholic teaching and natural law. The Catechism of the Catholic Church promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992 says:

“Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’” (CCC, § 2357)

DePaul is our nation’s largest Catholic university. However, the word “sin” is never mentioned in any of the twenty seven sessions of the “Out There” conference. The event reveals that there is a growing trend on Catholic campuses to adulterate and blur the truth about homosexuality.

Sign your instant protest now
More at TFP here.

Adult stem cells still trump embryonic stem cells

From MercatorNet:
An exclusive interview with an Iowa scientist who is promoting adult stem cell research.

Tabernacle Stolen from NC Catholic Church

A tabernacle from St. Ann Catholic Church is missing.

The 18-inch golden box used to store the Eucharist was stolen sometime between 4 p.m. Sunday and noon Monday, said the Rev. Tom Malloy.
. . .
“Whoever took it was either very very desperate or very very stupid,” Malloy said. “It’s not something that you can really pawn.”

But that won't keep people from trying. And what happened to our Lord?
The story about this theft can be read here. And speaking of tabernacles...

A couple of years ago while checking out the local flea market, an object caught my eye - and I'm sure that I did the classic double-take, I was so surprised. And I hope I haven't related this before.

I walked over to a folding table which supported, somehow, a rather impressive tabernacle, about 18-20 inches tall and deep, and about 15-16 inches wide, with double doors (2 sets) - and - the keys were with it. And this tabernacle weighed about 100 pounds or more, or so it seemed. It was h e a v y!



A young boy came up to me as I was looking it over and said that it was a 'Catholic sacrament holder.' "Oh, really," I said to him, "how much is this?"

The price being asked was a bit more money than I had with me at the time so I got the name and phone number of the man who was selling. I was determined to remove this sacred object from the realm of the flea market, which I was able to do later.

New Musical Season Opens at the Vatican – And Here's the Program

Pope Ratzinger seems to be stepping up the tempo. The curia will have a new office with authority in the field of sacred music. And the choir of the Sistine Chapel is getting a new director

by Sandro Magister
"...the institution, in the Roman curia, of an office endowed with authority in the area of sacred music"....?


Judge Finds Probable Cause on Criminal Charges Filed Against Planned Parenthood

WASHINGTON, October 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Planned Parenthood faces criminal charges for aborting late-term, pre-born babies in violation of Kansas state law. Today, Kansas District Attorney Phill Kline filed a 107-count indictment against the abortion group. District Court Judge James Vano found probable cause...
Some good news in Kansas.

But then take a look at what's going on in Maine:

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Pupils at a city middle school will be able to get birth control pills and patches at their student health center after the local school board approved the proposal Wednesday evening.

The plan, offered by city health officials, makes King Middle School the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in grades 6 through 8, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
What responsible parent or adult could approve of such things? No one who has any sense of responsibility or good judgment could approve this - this is a complete act of irresponsibility and child endangerment.

Survivors of the abortion holocaust are being encouraged to kill or cripple themselves by engaging in sexual promiscuity. Vice or virtue - what an injustice for these children!

When I hear of these stories, I can't help but recall a comment by Fr Corapi during one of his talks, "God placed obvious limits on our intelligence, but none on our stupidity."

God help us all!

Link to the article.

Who's To Blame If Hillary Clinton Wins The Catholic Vote in 2008?

by Deal W. Hudson
"If Giuliani and Clinton are the nominees, then Hillary Clinton will certainly win the Catholic vote in 2008." This is the opinion of a chief strategist behind George W. Bush's success with Catholic voters in 2000 and 2004.

Steve Wagner, president of QEV Analytics in Washington, D.C., isn't happy in reaching this conclusion. "Hillary Clinton, in spite of her pro-abortion position, will present a vigorous social justice agenda that will fill the void created by the GOP candidates."
. . .
Wagner explains, "The Catholic discontent with Bush and the Republican Party is not about Iraq, or he would have lost their vote in 2004. It's about their failure to deliver on the promises they made to address the moral decline of our society. Iraq and 9/11 distracted the president and the party from addressing the core concerns of Catholics and other people of faith."
. . .
But for now, if Wagner is right, we face the prospect of a pro-abortion candidate belonging to a pro-abortion political party winning the majority of the Catholic vote.
Some may not have seen this.

Source.

Gospel for Oct 18, Feast: St. Luke, Evangelist

From: Luke 10:1-9

The Mission of the Seventy Disciples


[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to come. [2] And He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. [3] Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. [4] Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. [5] Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!' [6] And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. [7] And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. [8] Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; [9] heal the sick in it and say to them, "The Kingdom of God has come near to you.'"
____________________________

Commentary:

1-12. Those who followed our Lord and received a calling from Him (cf. Luke 9:57-62) included many other disciples in addition to the Twelve (cf. Mark 2:15). We do not know who most of them were; but undoubtedly some of them were with Him all along, from when Jesus was baptized by John up to the time of His ascension--for example, Joseph called Barrabas, and Matthias (cf. Acts 1:21-26). We can also include Cleopas and his companion, whom the risen Christ appeared to on the road to Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:13-35).

From among these disciples, our Lord chooses seventy-two for a special assignment. Of them, as of the Apostles (cf. Luke 9:1-5), He demands total detachment and complete abandonment to divine providence.

From Baptism onwards every Christian is called by Christ to perform a mission. Therefore, the Church, in our Lord's name, "makes to all the laity an earnest appeal in the Lord to give a willing, noble and enthusiastic response to the voice of Christ, who at this hour is summoning them more pressingly, and to the urging of the Holy Spirit. The younger generation should feel this call to be addressed in a special way to themselves; they should welcome it eagerly and generously. It is the Lord Himself, by this Council, who is once more inviting all the laity to unite themselves to Him ever more intimately, to consider His interests as their own (cf. Philippians 2:5), and to join in His mission as Savior. It is the Lord who is again sending them into every town and every place where He Himself is to come (cf. Luke 10:1). He sends them on the Church's apostolate, an apostolate that is one yet has different forms and methods, an apostolate that must all the time be adapting itself to the needs of the moment; He sends them on an apostolate where they are to show themselves His cooperators, doing their full share continually in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord their labor cannot be lost (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:58)" (Vatican II, "Apostolicam Actuositatem", 33).

3-4. Christ wants to instill apostolic daring into His disciples; this is why He says, "I send you out", which leads St. John Chrysostom to comment: "This suffices to give us encouragement, to give us confidence and to ensure that we are not afraid of our assailants" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 33). The Apostles' and disciples' boldness stemmed from their firm conviction that they were on a God-given mission: they acted, as Peter the Apostle confidently explained to the Sanhedrin, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, "for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

"And the Lord goes on," St. Gregory the Great adds, "Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.' Such should be the confidence the preacher places in God that even if he is not provided with the necessities of life, he is convinced that they will come his way. This will ensure that worry about providing temporal things for himself does not distract him from providing others with eternal things" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 17). Apostolate calls for generous self-surrender which leads to detachment; therefore, Peter, following our Lord's commandment, when the beggar at the Beautiful Gate asked him for alms (Acts 3:2-3), said, "I have no silver or gold" ("ibid.", 3:6), "not so as to glory in his poverty", St. Ambrose points out, "but to obey the Lord's command. It is as if he were saying, `You see in me a disciple of Christ, and you ask me for gold? He gave us something much more valuable than gold, the power to act in His name. I do not have what Christ did not give me, but I do have what He did give me: In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and walk' (cf. Acts 3:6)" ("Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc".). Apostolate, therefore, demands detachment from material things and it also requires us to be always available, for there is an urgency about apostolic work.

"And salute no one on the road": "How can it be", St. Ambrose asks himself, "that the Lord wishes to get rid of a custom so full of kindness? Notice, however, that He does not just say, `Do not salute anyone', but adds, `on the road.' And there is a reason for this.

"He also commanded Elisha not to salute anyone he met, when He sent him to lay his staff on the body of the dead child (2 Kings 4:29): He gave him this order so as to get him to do this task without delay and effect the raising of the child, and not waste time by stopping to talk to any passer-by he met. Therefore, there is no question of omitting good manners to greet others; it is a matter of removing a possible obstacle in the way of service; when God commands, human considerations should be set aside, at least for the time being. To greet a person is a good thing, but it is better to carry out a divine instruction which could easily be frustrated by a delay ("ibid.").

6. Everyone is "a son of peace" who is disposed to accept the teaching of the Gospel which brings with it God's peace. Our Lord's recommendation to His disciples to proclaim peace should be a constant feature of all the apostolic action of Christians: "Christian apostolate is not a political program or a cultural alternative. It implies the spreading of good, `infecting' others with a desire to love, sowing peace and joy" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 124).

Feeling peace in our soul and in our surroundings is an unmistakable sign that God is with us, and a fruit of the Holy Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22): "Get rid of these scruples that deprive you of peace. What takes away your peace of soul cannot come from God. When God comes to you, you will feel the truth of those greetings: My peace I give to you..., peace I leave you..., peace be with you..., and you will feel it even in the midst of troubles" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 258).

7. Our Lord clearly considered poverty and detachment a key feature in an apostle. But He was aware of His disciples' material needs and therefore stated the principle that apostolic ministry deserves its recompense. Vatican II reminds us that we all have an obligation to contribute to the sustenance of those who generously devote themselves to the service of the Church: "Completely devoted as they are to the service of God in the fulfillment of the office entrusted to them, priests are entitled to receive a just remuneration. For `the laborer deserves his wages' (Luke 10:7), and `the Lord commanded that they who proclaim the Gospel should get their living by the Gospel' (1 Corinthians 9:14). For this reason, insofar as provision is not made from some other source for the just remuneration of priests, the faithful are bound by a real obligation of seeing to it that the necessary provision for a decent and fitting livelihood for the priests are available" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 20).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Thoughts and Counsels - October 18

After knowing the will of God in regard to a work which we undertake, we should continue courageously, however difficult it may be. We should follow it to the end with as much con­stancy as the obstacles we encounter are great.­

-St. Vincent de Paul
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)

Meditation for October 18, The Merit of Religious Life

Why is consecration to God by the vows of religion of such im­mense merit in the opinion of eminent doctors and theologians, as for example, Suarez, who classes it according to its spiritual effects and its remission of the temporal punishments on the same level with baptism or martyrdom?

It is because of the perfection of the love of God which this con­secration testifies, perfection which can be measured by the gran­deur of the sacrifices for which love has rendered it capable.

Is it not the surest mark of the greatest love to make the offering of all that one holds most dear, through love of Our Lord Jesus Christ?

By the vow of poverty, one immolates material goods with the pleasures they might procure.

By the vow of chastity, the desires of the flesh and the joys of family life.

By the vow of obedience, independence and exterior liberty.

Let us note, besides, that it is not a question of an act made merely in passing but of a definitive offering, giving not only the fruit but the tree.

And if each time that one renews the vows, alone or publicly, she puts into that offering the same love as the first time, the same privileges are merited. Even more, for is it not reasonable that the more one perseveres in her gift, the more the intensity of love ought to increase?

"My God, let me not pass even one day without renewing my engagements. Consider each beating of my heart as a constant renewal of my three vows."
October 19
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

Embryonic stem-cell opponents decry hefty donation to Blunt

Several groups opposed to embryonic stem cell research say they're distressed by Gov. Matt Blunt's $250,000 campaign donation from a group supporting such research.

"It's appalling that any candidate would take any money from an organization that supports the destruction of human embryos for research," said Sam Lee, executive director of Campaign Life Missouri, an anti-abortion lobbying group.

He added, "These large amounts of money give the appearance that candidates and officeholders are for sale."
Bought and paid for, it seems...

Pam Fichter, president of Missouri Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion group, declined to say whether the donation would affect her group's decision over which candidates to endorse in next year's statewide election.

Missouri Right to Life supported Blunt, a Republican, in his first bid for governor in 2004. But many of the group's leaders have been at odds with him for several years since then, largely because of their differences on the stem cell issue.
Blunt's position on ESCR is more than problematic - it's appalling, disgraceful, and a source of scandal yet Jay Nixon's positions on the sanctity of human life are even worse:

Blunt spokesman John Hancock said anti-abortion activists should remember there is "a cavernous difference" between Blunt and Nixon on most other abortion-related issues. Blunt has emphasized his abortion opposition, while Nixon supports abortion rights.
Catholics will need to seriously review Archbishop Burke's Pastoral Letter, "On Our Civic Responsibility for the Common Good," when voting for candidates for public office this next year.

The Post Dispatch article is here.

"Sisters" Upset Communion Being Turned into Political Issue

The "Sisters" of Perpetual Indulgence Press Release:

We are dismayed that a moment of genuine communion during sacred worship is being twisted for political gain by the forces of hatred and dissension.
— Sister Edith Myflesh, Current Abbess of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc.


SAN FRANCISCO — On Sunday the 7th of October, the morning of the Castro Street Fair, two members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence® attended Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Church. Most Holy Redeemer is located in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco and "prides itself in being an inclusive Catholic community." The service was an opportunity to welcome the new Archbishop of San Francisco, Most Rev. George Niederauer. While at Mass the Sisters joined other parishioners in respectful and sincere worship and received Communion from the Archbishop. After the services, they stayed to socialize with the congregation before moving on to attend the Castro Street Fair.

Sadly, while the Sisters participated in the celebration, others not there to worship secretly filmed and photographed the Mass hoping to spark a controversy and cast the parishioners of Most Holy Redeemer and the Archbishop in a negative light. These professional muckrakers then gave the photos to an anti-gay Fundamentalist Catholic Website which in turn sent them to right-wing media outlets who willfully distorted the facts for political gain.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are appalled that some media outlets have unwittingly spread these distortions while others have intentionally taken advantage to fuel a mean-spirited and divisive political agenda. These forces have been critical of Most Holy Redeemer for their welcoming approach to the diverse community they serve and have frequently seen fit to attack the parishioners as part of a larger campaign against "San Francisco values."

Our hearts go out to the parishioners of Most Holy Redeemer and to the Archbishop who have been unfairly stigmatized by these disingenuous campaigns for doing nothing more than following the welcoming teachings of Christ and administering Communion in keeping with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.

We would like to take this opportunity to state again that, contrary to the spin of right-wing fanatics, that the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence do not "mock nuns" but live "as nuns," taking vows that affirm the traditional compassionate and justice-seeking ministries of religious women, extending their reach beyond the convent walls to those most in need. We are open and supportive of all forms of spirituality that teach respect for human life, diversity, freedom and community, including those of the Catholic Church. In fact, we have given several thousand dollars in grants to several religious-based organizations, including Most Holy Redeemer.

It is no secret that our vows sometimes call us to challenge the dogmas and hypocrisies of the Catholic hierarchy, in the same way they call us to confront politicians and even leaders within the queer community whenever they use their power and influence to promote fear, shame, division, and self-hatred. It is a bittersweet irony that these same forces of fear and shame now use the media to twist a moment of genuine communion into another justification for policies that harm people of faith and members of the LGBTQ community.

In keeping with our vows to expiate stigmatic guilt and promulgate universal joy, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence call on all people of good faith to oppose those who would desecrate the sanctity of a church and defile a moment of true communion for cheap political gain. In a world wracked by violence and fear, we have no time for such lies and will continue to serve our community by boldly proclaiming that joy is more powerful than shame.

We extend our sincerest gratitude and affection to the parishioners of Most Holy Redeemer and hope that their new Archbishop continues to walk with them in service to the gospel of joy and justice.

###
This is really over the top...More later.

Source.

Liguori Publications Pulls McGrath's Booklets?

No one was in the office this afternoon who could give an answer or verify this but the site search revealed nothing by "deacon-soon-to-be-priestess" Elsie McGrath.

You may try it here.

Last year, the Women's Ordination Conference issued an "Action Alert" which read:

3. Contact Liguori Publications to register your disapproval for pulling Bridget Mary Meehan’s books.
After her ordination as a priest in Pittsburgh, Ligouri Publications issued a statement saying they would no longer distribute her books.

Write to LiguorianWebcs@palmcoastd.com or call (800) 325-9521 to register your disapproval and request that they transfer Bridget Mary Meehan’s books to a mainstream distributor so they will be available to interested readers.
One hopes that if Liguori has removed McGrath's items, a similar tactic will be attempted by these women...

And if Liguori has pulled her books and items, it should be praised and commended for avoiding a possible scandalous situation.

Priest's opposing views on Latin Mass

I was reading this man's bulletin articles last night and was surprised at his antipathy for the Pope and for the extraordinary form of the Holy Mass.

Father Father J. Patrick Wissman, pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and St. Catherine of Siena Mission in Bolivar, Mo., wrote, in part:

'The Pope seems to be out of touch with the ordinary church. He seems to be acting in good will, but giving into the 'letter writers' who have been complaining for years, he will create a shadow church and cause great divisions in every diocese. Such will be that when churches are built, they would have to accommodate both rites and seminarians would have to take courses in Latin. During many centuries seminarians have fallen through the cracks and not been able to reach the goal of the priesthood because Latin was too difficult for them. This was a scandal! To return to such a course would be lunacy!....

'The gospel is meant to enlighten and challenge us! It is my opinion that the use of Latin should have been done away with hundreds of years ago. This is one of the things that Martin Luther was right about. After WWII Christians worldwide shook their heads in sober sadness and declared that Christianity had failed in Europe because it had let Hitler and his hateful and mad ways to succeed. Some very holy people said: 'No, Christianity was just never tried.' I fault the use of Latin as partly responsible for the rise and success of Hitler and his neo-pagan mythology which was obviously the religion he was supporting and that actually managed to capture the German imagination. I say the people, because of Latin never were confronted by the gospel. The Mass and the sacraments never really reached down deep into the soul. There are some notable exceptions of priests and laity and some very heroic ones as well as Protestant theologians who confronted the lies of Hitler — of course, they were gotten rid of...."

Fr John Trigilio responds to the charges made by Wissman here in an article by Matt Abbott.

Spinning Damage Control in SF

Archbishop Niederauer team spinning damage control

It seems highly unlikely that Catholicism at Most Holy Redeemer can be salvaged. One wonders if the parishioners would be tolerant and inclusive of a new, orthodox, pastor. Tolerance never seems to run both ways with dissenters.
by Joni Durling

Joni Durling, homeschool mother of six from the San Francisco Bay Area, is also a Catholic activist and long- time member of the Catholic Media Coalition. The Catholic Media Coalition is a nationwide group of publishers using print and electronic media aimed at restoring orthodoxy in the nation's dioceses. For more information see: Catholic Media Coalition

I noticed something very interesting in the bulletin and I'm certain others saw it as well. It concerned the number of people attending Mass on Oct 6-7, enumerated by gender and whether adult or child.

Look at the numbers. They are amazingly revealing:

Week 1-Total attendance for the weekend was 409 persons and of these 323 (79%) were men. There were 81 (19.8%) women. And more disturbing, depending on how one views it, there were 5 (1.22%) children in attendance.
To Summarize, of the total of 409, there are:
Men, 323 (79%)
Women, 81 (19.8%)
Children, 5, (1.22%)

About 4 men to every woman and, for every 20 women, 1 child.

Week 2- For October 13-14, the numbers are similar. The total is 421:
Men, 328 (77.9%)
Women, 84 (20%)
Children, 9, (2.1%)

There's still about 4 men to every woman, but this week, there is 1 child for every 10 women.

Updated 10/26/07 -
Week 3- For October 20-21, there is no substantial change in the numbers. The total jumps by 10 to 431:
Men, 340 (78.9%)
Women, 83 (19.3%)
Children, 8, (1.8%)

The third week is basically identical to the previous week.
----End of 10/26/07 update---

Last update of MHR Annual October count.
Week 4- For October 27-28 - The total DROPS by 40 to 391:
Men, 307 (78.5%)
Women, 80 (20.5%)
Children, 4, (1.0%)


Fecundity is not something which appears to be valued at Most Holy Redeemer Parish. Not surprising for a presumably "gay" parish.

Coming Oct 19- A "New" St Louis Archdiocesan WebSite

Cuurently, the website www.archstl.org is down and the countdown clock for the new site indicates that we must wait another 1 day and 20+ hours...

I liked the previous site. I can't wait to see what's being done to enhance it!

Pope names 23 new cardinals

***
VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2007 (VIS) - Following today's general audience, the Holy Father announced the names of 23 prelates who will be created cardinals in a consistory due to be held on November 24, the eve of the Feast of Christ the King. The consistory will be the second of his pontificate.

Following the November 24 concistory, the College of Cardinals will number 202 members of whom 121, under the age of 80, will be electors.

Given below is a list of the new cardinal electors:

- Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
- Archbishop John Patrick Foley, pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
- Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
- Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum."
- Archbishop Angelo Comastri, archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Peter's in the Vatican, vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican City and president of the Fabric of St. Peter's.
- Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
- Archbishop Raffaele Farina S.D.B., archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church.
- Archbishop Agustin Garcia-Gasco Vicente of Valencia, Spain.
- Archbishop Sean Baptist Brady of Armagh, Ireland.
- Archbishop Lluis Martinez Sistach of Barcelona, Spain.
- Archbishop Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris, France.
- Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, Italy.
- Archbishop Theodore-Adrien Sarr of Dakar, Senegal.
- Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Bombay, India.
- Archbishop Francisco Robles Ortega of Monterrey, Mexico.
- Archbishop Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, U.S.A.
- Archbishop Odilio Pedro Scherer of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
- Archbishop John Njue of Nairobi, Kenya.

Having pronounced the names of the new cardinal electors, the Pope then indicated that he had also decided to elevate to the dignity of cardinal "three venerable prelates and two worthy priests," all over the age of 80 and hence non-electors, for their "commitment and service to the Church." Their names are:

- His Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Iraq.
- Archbishop Giovanni Coppa, apostolic nuncio.
- Archbishop Estanislao Esteban Karlic, emeritus of Parana, Argentina.
- Fr. Urbano Navarrete S.J., former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University.
- Fr. Umberto Betti O.F.M., former rector of the Pontifical Lateran University.

He added: "Among these, I had also intended to confer the dignity of cardinal upon the elderly Bishop Ignacy Jez of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg, Poland, a worthy prelate who died suddenly yesterday. We offer a prayer for the repose of his soul."
----------------
From the Vatican Information Service

Bishops To Vote On Education Catechetical Items

WASHINGTON (October 16, 2007)–The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will vote on two youth related catechetical documents at their annual meeting in Baltimore, November 12-15.

The first, Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for People of High School Age, establishes a specific curriculum framework for the instruction of the faith for high school students. It is primarily for use in Catholic high schools, but is also adaptable for parish youth ministries and home-schooling. The document offers a framework of instruction within a four-year, eight-semester course.

The second item, Catechetical Formation in Chaste Living: Guidelines for Curriculum and Publication Design, addresses education in morality and virtue.
This appears be a big step in the right direction, considering some of the things we have witnessed over the past decades.

It would be nice to be able to review the documents. If anyone has a link to them, please pass them on.


The Price of Sexual Promiscuity

From California Catholic Daily we learn of the staggering number of cases of sexually transmitted diesease, especially among the young:

How does Planned Parenthood explain this?
Rate of sexually-transmitted diseases soars among young Californians

A study published last month in the Californian Journal of Health Promotion reports that in 2005 there were 1.1 million new cases of sexually-transmitted infections among young people in California.

The 1.1 million figure is ten times higher than previously believed, and it means that in the 15-24 age group, diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV and HIV now infect almost one out of every four young Californians.

For those who are fortunate enough to be spared the the 'sacrament' of abortion and be born alive, 1 in 4 will suffer these physical ills. These children can look forward to, not only the physical diseases, but the psychological and spiritual effects which are also present:

Ed Thomas of OneNewsNow.com added another dimension to this distressing picture by reporting that a striking increase in suicide rates among people ages 10 to 24 has been confirmed by recently released statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control .

At the same time, says Thomas, UCLA psychiatrist Dr. Miriam Grossman is convinced that promiscuity is the root cause of much depression...

And we also learn that California law "prohibits 'abstinence-only' education in the public schools." Gross negligence is the law of the law and children suffer as a result.




Gospel for Oct 17-Memorial: St Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

Old Calendar: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin

From: Luke 11:42-46

The Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees (Continuation)

(Jesus said to the Pharisees,) [42] "But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. [43] Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places. [44] Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it."

[45] One of the lawyers answered Him, "Teacher, in saying this You reproach us also." [46] And He said, "Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens hard to bear and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers."
__________________

Commentary:

42. The Law of Moses laid down that the harvest had to be tithed (cf. Leviticus 27:30-33; Deuteronomy 12:22ff; etc.) to provide for the worship offered in the temple. Insignificant products were not subject to this Law.

Rue is a bitter medicinal plant used by the Jews in ancient times. Did it have to be tithed?: the Pharisees, who were so nit-picking, said that it did.

44. According to the Old Law, anyone who touched a grave became unclean for seven days (Num 19:16), but with the passage of time a grave could become so overgrown that a person could walk on it without noticing. Our Lord uses this comparison to unmask the hypocrisy of these people He is talking to: they are very exact about very small details but they forget their basic duty--justice and the love of God (verse 42). On the outside they are clean but their hearts are full of malice and rottenness (verse 39); they pretend to be just, appearances are all that matters to them; they know that virtue is held in high regard, therefore they strive to appear highly virtuous (verse 43). Duplicity and deceit mark their lives.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Alter Christus - Disinterestedness in Zeal

What gives to apostolic zeal its chief greatness and beauty is the sublimity of its object: God's interests and whatever furthers His kingdom on earth and the reign of Christ in souls. In the degree in which that lofty aim stamps all the activities of the priest, in that degree is he a true apostle, in the eyes of God as well as of men. Any deviation from that single purpose cuts into his merits and future reward; it also jeopardizes his ministry among men who quickly cease to respect, and to have confidence in, a pastor whom they see swayed by selfish motives. Among such motives, the two perhaps most opposed to disinterested­ness in zeal are covetousness and self-complacency. We must strengthen ourselves against these dangers by detachment from worldly goods and by a true spirit of humility.

DETACHMENT FROM WORLDLY GOODS

In his encyclical on the Catholic Priesthood Pius XI has forcibly stressed the need of such detachment for the priest and the tremendous harm that befalls him who is "greedy of filthy lucre". The priest - in search of souls, not of money - must "holily spurn all vile greed of earthly gains". True, he may legitimately look out in his ministry for the fitting sustenance he needs; he may also, and often must seek the material help necessary for his good works. But in these preoccupations he must never pursue selfish aims, nor seek after money to gratify his desire of ease and comfort, nor look upon it as the reward of his labours.

Nothing turns people away from the priest so much as greed of money. St Paul could remind his enemies in Corinth of his complete disinterestedness: "I have not been a burden to you. For I seek not your goods but yourselves. . .I will most gladly spend and be spent myself for your souls' sake" (2 Cor. 12). And when he sent his disciple Timotheus to the Philippians he recommended him for his whole-hearted devotedness: he is not like so many others who "have their own interest at heart, not Christ's" (Phil. 2).

The nobility of his vocation should be a sufficient deter­rent. "Ordained for men in the things that appertain to God", how can he make use of his ministry to seek earthly gains for himself? Christ's teaching and example always remind him that wealth is alien to the apostolic life. By the same standard will his flock judge him: they will be shocked and repelled by any sign of greed for money or any selfish use of it. Especially in these days of widespread hardships, how can he hope to influence the poor and the destitute unless he himself is animated by a spirit of evan­gelical poverty and gives the example of an austere life of detachment and unworldliness? And what an account will he not have to render at the Judgment, if he has used the goods of this world for his own profit to the detriment of his flock:' "Woe to the shepherds of Israel that fed them­selves, etc." (cf. Ezechiel, 34, 2 seq.).

* What are my attitude of mind and my conduct in life: am I detached at heart from the goods of this world, unswayed by their desire in my priestly functions?

Do I in no way appreciate the various ministries according to the revenue they bring in?

On those occasions when I have to ask for money, do I do so in a manner that does not disedify my people and lead them to suspect my apostolic disinterestedness: "not seeking that which is profitable to myself, but to many, that they may be saved" ?

Do I practise, within my means, the precept of almsgiving which I preach?

In my way of living (dress, meals, furniture, travelling) am I behaving, as far as circumstances allow, like a true disciple of the Divine Master who could say of Himself: "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head"?

HUMILITY AND SELF-FORGETFULNESS

The main object of our ministry is God's glory; but there easily creeps in a secondary motive: the desire of being praised and esteemed. The danger is the greater that the very nature of the priest's functions puts him, so to speak, on a pinnacle: men are bidden look up to him as the Ambassador of Christ, and indeed he comes to them with His powers, he teaches, rebukes, rules "tamquam auctoritatem
habens"
. How difficult for poor human nature to resist the temptation of self-complacency in such a position!

Every priest then must beware of that self-complacency which may easily play havoc with his virtue, vitiate his zeal and spoil his ministry by self-conceit and an attitude of pride, if not of arrogance. Else he will prefer the works that bring him to the fore and neglect the more humble ministra­tions. He will care only for the good done by himself and be indifferent to, if not jealous of, the good done by others. And perhaps the admixture of selfish motives may so grow that it deprives him of most of his merits: "Amen dico vobis, receperunt mercedem suam."

The great remedy against this danger is to establish oneself more and more in true humility; to forget self and think only of Christ and His interests: "Oportet Illum crescere, me autem minui" ; to despise the vanity of human praise, "dust and ashes" in the eyes of God; to drop all subtle calculations about the accidental circumstances of the apostolic work, keeping mind and heart steadily fixed upon the all-absorbing goal: "Adveniat Regnum Tuum". "Non quaero gloriam meam. . . ; honorifico Patrem meum" (John 8, 49-50).

* Am I never swayed in my apostolic labours by pre­occupations of self-love?...Which are its open manifesta­tions which may spoil my work in the eyes of men, and its more hidden but none the less corroding influences which rob me of merit before God?

I resolve to counteract pride and vanity, by giving reference and greater care to the more humble parts of my ministry. . .to keep before my eyes the lofty goal of my vocation and the expectations of the Sacred Heart: "Ego elegi vos et posui vos ut. . . fructum afferatis."
________________________
Adapted from Alter Christus, Meditations for Priests by F.X. L'Hoir, S.J. (1958)
Meditation 22.

###
Please pray for our priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood.

Nov 25 - Bishop Bruskewitz Dinner/Talk

Credo of the Catholic Laity
is pleased to co-sponsor with
The Catholic Central Union

The Annual Christ the King Dinner
on Sunday, November 25th, 6:30 p.m.

Featuring

Most Reverend Fabian Bruskewitz

With an Introduction by

Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke
Archbishop of St Louis


Bishop Bruskewitz will be discussing:
“Some Contemporary Issues in Catholic Theology”

Bishop Bruskewitz will discuss the authentic meaning of freedom as well as other current issues important to Catholics.

The Bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska is a man who needs no introduction to faithful Catholics. A shepherd willing to take a stand for truth when others seem reluctant to speak out, he is a prelate who accepts the blows and arrows from a hostile secular media, dissidents within the Church, and left-wing politicians while he strives to lead his flock to eternal salvation.

He is certainly not without credentials. He was ordained in Rome in July of l960 and served as assistant pastor at various parishes near Milwaukee. He did his graduate work at the Gregorian University in Rome. For eleven years he worked in the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome. He was named a Monsignor in 1976 and elevated to prelate of honor in 1980. In that same year he became the pastor of St. Bernard Parish in suburban Milwaukee. In 1992 he became the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln. And what a job he has done!

When other dioceses were closing churches and schools, he has opened two new parishes and a new elementary school. While many Catholic seminaries were being shuttered he established St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Lincoln. The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter also built their seminary in his diocese.

The Diocese of Lincoln assumed ownership of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln to preserve its Catholic nature. We could go on and on in our praise of this good Bishop, but most of you already know his story.

Join us for dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 7750 Carondelet in Clayton MO., on Sunday, November 25th 6:00 PM.

Cost $25:00 per person payable to:
Credo of the Catholic Laity
C/O Howard Brandt
4386 Honeydew Lane
St. Louis MO. 63128
Phone (314) 894-6003

Free inside parking. Take a ticket as you enter the parking garage at 7777 Bonhomme. The gate will be open when you leave. Take the Orange Level bridge to the hotel and follow the signs.

Please have your paid reservations in no later than Wednesday Nov. 21st.

===================cut here===========================
Name_________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________
City/ST/Zip__________________________________________
Telephone____________________
e-mail_______________________________________________
Enclosed is my check for $______ to cover ____persons
for the Bishop Bruskewitz Dinner/Talk.
My menu entree selections are:
Roast Beef Bordelaise #____ Chicken Supreme #____
===================cut here===========================