Lawrence Welch Responds to Sylvester Brown

In a previous post discussing another lame article from the Post Dispatch, writer Sylvester Brown, Jr. quoted Lawrence J. Welch, a professor of theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.

It seems, however, that Brown was rather selective in what he chose to use from his conversation with Prof. Welch:

Sylvester Brown called me to discuss the Catholic Church's stand on the ordination of women for his column "Would Jesus exclude women? I don't think so" (Nov. 4). Several points were left out.

The church defends the equal dignity of women and men yet recognizes their different roles within the Church. The priesthood is founded on the discipleship of 12 apostles. The Church believes Christ intentionally chose only men for apostolic ministry. Thus, it has been the constant and universal practice of the Church to ordain only men to the priesthood. That does not mean women don't have a prominent role in the Church. Their role is indispensable and necessary for the life of the Church, but it is not the priesthood.

Catholics believe Christ gives sacraments to the Church. The ordained priesthood is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles will be exercised until the end of time. It is Catholic doctrine that the priest represents Christ in a very specific way to the Church. The Church does not have the authority to change certain things about the sacraments. Recent teaching has reiterated that sexual symbolism is a necessary part of the sacrament of ordination and the sacrament of marriage. This symbolism cannot be altered without changing those sacraments into something that they are not. To learn more, read the Catechism of the Catholic Church or visit the website of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Lawrence J. Welch | Shrewsbury
Professor of Theology, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary

I'm surprised that the Post printed this. It can be viewed here.

Following this unexpected inclusion of facts in the Post, we read yet another justification by the Central Reform Congregation for permitting two women (and hundreds of supporters) to thumbs their noses at the Church and the Catholic faithful of St Louis. This "explanation" comes from Steve Friedman, Board President, Central Reform Congregation:

Responding to Rose Marie Dunn Hudson and Elsie Hainz McGrath's request to hold their ordination ceremony at Central Reform Congregation was a difficult task for our board of directors. We had several extensive, thoughtful and soul-searching discussions, ultimately relying on CRC's traditions and core values to guide our decision.

After 16 years of gracious hospitality from a church, CRC built our "Sukkat Shalom" (Shelter of Peace) in 2000. We have worked to model its use on the words of the prophet Isaiah, who said, "My house shall be a house of prayer for all people." For us, providing a safe and holy space for Elsie and Rose Marie was consistent with those words.

CRC long has been a leader in interfaith dialogue in St. Louis. We respect the need of all people of faith to act according to their values and beliefs, even when that path is not easy. We regret any pain or misunderstanding our decision has caused among our friends in the Jewish and Catholic communities.

We look forward to continuing to partner with the interfaith community to advance our many shared goals, such as decreasing poverty and increasing access to health care. There is much that we can accomplish by working together.

It's easy to express regrets after deeds are done - it's quite another to deliberately partner with those who foster division in another's faith community. Note that there is no apology - it's business as usual.

Something not discussed in any detail are the reasons why Hudson and McGrath chose this place to engage in their act of rebellion and schism...Others, it appear, wanted no part in damaging relations with the Catholic Church. CRC, it seems, cares little for responsible ecumenical dialogue.

A New Encyclical on the Horizon?

Catholic World News is reporting that Pope Benedict XVI is close to completing a new encyclical that will focus on the virtue of hope, as reported by the Polish newspaper Dziennik.

Dziennik says that the papal letter, which is about 70 pages long in its current draft form, is now being circulated among theologians for review and comments. The final version could be released before Christmas, the paper says.

More here at CWNews.com.

CoE has more new priestesses than priests

The number of women who became priests in the Church of England outnumbered men last year for the first time since the church began ordaining women.

The Church of England said 244 women were ordained, compared with 234 men...

Senior members of the Church are now considering the introduction of women bishops.

More than two-thirds of the General Synod have backed the concept as "theologically justified".

Everything and anything can be theologically justified when one is working from a relativistic point of view...

Cardinal O'Malley: Abortion is the key moral issue facing Catholic voters

From a Catholic World News report:

Baltimore, Nov. 15, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The continued support that Catholic voters have given to politician who support legal abortion "borders on scandal," Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley said in an interview with the Boston Globe.

Isn't making such statements in Boston anathema?

Good for Cardinal O'Malley - it's takes courage to begin to speak the truth, especially in societies where the truth is constantly rejected.

Evicted LA Nuns Find Temporary Shelter

Catholic nuns forced to relocate get temporary housing
The Associated Press

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—It's a case of nuns helping nuns.

Three Roman Catholic nuns who were going to be displaced from their convent because the building would be sold to help cover church abuse settlement costs have been offered a temporary home by an order of Episcopal nuns.

The Sisters of Bethany will move around Thanksgiving to St. Mary's Retreat House, an Episcopal center near the Santa Barbara Mission. The center is a ministry of the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity, an order based in Wisconsin....

The Catholic nuns received a letter in August from the Los Angeles Archdiocese telling them they had until Dec. 31 to move out. The convent would be sold to help pay for the $660 million settlement between the archdiocese and clergy sex abuse victims, the letter said.

The letter offered no recourse for the nuns.

Cardinal Mahony should have sold the "Taj Mahony" to raise money and left the sisters alone.

But as they say, "No bad deed goes unpunished..."

The Holy Father on St Jerome

Zenit has a translation of the address Pope Benedict XVI delivered yesterday at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. The reflection focused on St. Jerome.

Priest has pro-life parishioner arrested

A pro-life activist banned from stepping on the grounds of St. Matthew’s Church in San Mateo after a controversy over his display of signs showing graphic pictures of aborted babies was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 13, for trespassing on church grounds.

St. Matthew’s pastor, the Rev. Anthony McGuire, placed Ross Foti, 72, under citizen’s arrest when he came for the 8:15 a.m. Mass on Tuesday, the Nov. 14 Oakland Tribune reported. San Mateo police arrived and cited Foti for misdemeanor trespassing and released him. Foti has been ordered to appear in San Mateo County Superior Court on Dec. 27...

Foti, a well-known pro-life activist, has long been controversial at St. Matthew’s. Parents of children at the parish school began complaining last year of Foti’s truck, displaying the graphic signs, which he parked on a public street adjacent to the school. Parents, who dropped their children off on the street for school, complained that their children had to view the graphic pictures.

Those who are offended by the graphic and horrendous pictures of the murder of the innocent unborn should be thankful that they are not among the dead and this should give them even more resolve to diligently pray for the murdered little ones whose blood flows constantly because of society's decadence and hedonism.

I wonder how many of those who complain actually explain to the children or to others that they should use this truthful reminder to pray - both for the murdered babies as well as for those who perpetuate this culture of death?

Jesuit Priest Convicted of Molestation: 'I will always be a priest'

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Defiant molester: 'I will always be a priest'
RELIGION | Fights Chicago Jesuits' efforts to expel him
November 15, 2007
BY SUSAN HOGAN/ALBACH Religion Reporter shogan@suntimes.com

The Rev. Donald J. McGuire, convicted of molesting two boys, said Wednesday that he's fighting an effort by Chicago's Jesuits to expel him from their religious order.

"They can't abandon me," a defiant McGuire told the Chicago Sun-Times in a rare interview...

The Chicago Jesuits have presented McGuire with a dismissal decree from the order, which still needs Vatican approval to become official. McGuire said he has appealed to the Vatican not to allow the dismissal.

"I will always be a priest," McGuire insisted to the Sun-Times. "They can't take that away..."

Gospel for Thursday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial of St. Albert the Great, bishop, confessor and doctor
Old Calendar: St. Albert the Great; St. Leopold of Austria

From: Luke 17:20-25

The Coming of the Kingdom of God

[20] Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming, He (Jesus) answered them, "The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; [21] nor will they say, `Lo, here it is!' or `There!' for behold, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you."

The Day of the Son of Man

[22] And He said to His disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. [23] And they will say to you, `Lo, there!' or `Lo, here!' Do not go, do not follow them. [24] For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His day. [25] But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."
___________________

Commentary:

20-21. Like many Jews of their time, the Pharisees imagined the establishment of the Kingdom of God in terms of external, political authority; whereas Jesus teaches that it is something eminently spiritual, supernatural, which has been happening since Jesus' coming, although its climax will be after His Second Coming or Parousia at the end of the world; its effect is to be seen, above all, in men's hearts, although it is also something visible and external, just as the Church has a visible dimension.

The presence of the Kingdom of God in each soul is something one perceives through the affections and inspirations communicated by the Holy Spirit. St. Therese of Lisieux says this about her own experience: "The Doctor of doctors teaches us without the sound of words. I have never heard Him speak, and yet I know He is within my soul. Every moment He is guiding and inspiring me, and, just at the moment I need them, `lights' till then unseen are granted me. Most often it is not at prayer that they come but while I go about my daily duties" ("The Story of a Soul", Chapter 8).

22. After the Apostles receive the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost they will devote their whole lives to preaching boldly the message of Jesus Christ, and winning all people over to the Lord. This will lead them to experience many severe contradictions; they will suffer so much that they will yearn to see even "one of the days of the Son of Man", that is, one of the days of the victory of Jesus Christ. But this day will not arrive until the Lord's Second Coming.

23-36. These words of our Lord are a prophecy about the last coming of the Son of Man. We should remember that prophecy often involves events on different levels, many symbols, a terminology of its own; the "chiaroscuro" which they create gives us insight into future events, but the concrete details only become clear when the events actually occur. Our Lord's last coming will be something sudden and unexpected; it will catch many people unprepared. Jesus illustrates this by giving examples from sacred history: as in the time of Noah (cf. Genesis 6:9-19:7) and that of Lot (cf. Genesis 18:16-19:27) divine judgment will be visited on men without warning.

However, it is useful to recall here that everyone will find himself before the divine Judge immediately when he dies, at the Particular Judgment. Thus Jesus' teaching has also a present urgency about it: HERE AND NOW a disciple should scrutinize his own conduct, for the Lord can call him when he least expects.
___________________________
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.

More Consequences of Rejecting Humanae Vitae

New Study Shows Double Cervical Cancer Risk for Oral Contraceptive Users

Thoughts and Counsels - November 15

In doing penance it is necessary to deprive one­self of as many lawful pleasures as we had the misfortune to indulge in unlawful ones.

-St. Gregory the Great
_________________________
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 November 15, Barriers

St. Gertrude complained at finding between God and herself a barrier made of the "thick leather" of her negligence. She spoke further of a hedge between her Lord and herself.

Certainly God is in Himself difficult to attain. Belonging to an invisible world, He escapes our immediate grasp, escapes us who are so immersed in sensible things. A constantly renewed effort of faith through an assiduous cultivation of supernatural reflection is needed to arrive at the truth of divine realities, so that they appear to us henceforth as something actually existing, absolutely real, nay, even more real than the most concrete realities here below.

But that still does not suffice. If between our souls, properly attentive let us suppose, and God, there arises the opaque wall of our self-indulgences, we will not attain to the Treasure hidden within us. It will escape our grasp; it will not let itself be discovered.

Then a double purification imposes itself....Purification of the powers of attention: cultivation of the spirit of faith, acclimati­zation of the soul to invisible realities, just as when we come from the outside, into a dark place, we see nothing at first, but upon becoming accustomed to the darkness, little by little, finally dis­cover all.

Purification of the powers of the will: We must avoid every­thing which might make a barrier between God and our soul; not cherish any idol...mere trifles, perhaps, but they can create a wall....God alone!

I will therefore size up situations thoroughly; I will admit nothing between God and my soul. On this double condition I shall see God.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

In Good Faith - Catholic Bishops Meet On Candidates

KTVI-myFOXstl.com -- You Decide 2008 - Mixing politics and religion.
Catholic bishops aren't afraid to take that step. Wednesday, they called on Catholics to follow church teaching when they enter the voting booth. In our “In Good Faith” segment, FOX 2's Dan Gray reports on reaction from local Catholics.

Report and Videos available here.

Comment Moderation Has Been Activated

Comments are a reflection of the person who makes them.

Due to recent activity which could rightly be considered lacking in Christian charity and opposed to Catholic teachings and understanding, it was decided that "comment moderation" be activated for a short time so that sufficient consideration is given to the comments which one intends to make.

Meet the New VP...

Regarding the USCCB in general, does it sometimes seem as if there is no end in sight? Read it and weep, then pray!

and waiting on deck,....

Let's get acquainted with the new vice-president of the US bishops' conference, since the odds are overwhelming that in another 3 years, he'll be elected president.

Bishop Gerald Kicanas now heads the Tucson, Arizona diocese. But he's a native of Chicago: another product of the powerful archdiocese that has already produced 4 presidents of the US bishops' conference (Bernardin, May, Gregory, & George) in the past generation...

So where does Bishop Kicanas stand on the all-consuming issue of sexual abuse? The Chicago Sun-Times caught up with man who was once seminary rector there, to ask him a few questions about the case of Father Daniel McCormack. It turns out, you see, that Kicanas was aware of three different incidents involving sexual impropriety by McCormack prior to his ordination. Did he therefore blow the whistle, and hustle the young man out of the seminary? Guess again.

"There was a sense that his activity was part of the developmental process and that he had learned from the experience," Kicanas said. "I was more concerned about his drinking. We sent him to counseling for that."

Drinking can be a problem, certainly. Especially if it's not part of a developmental process.

Just in case you've missed the headlines, McCormack is now in prison, serving a term for 5 counts of sexual molestation of young boys. But now, looking back from the post-Dallas perspective, surely Bishop Kicanas has second thoughts, right? Wrong.

"I don't think there was anything I could have done differently," Kicanas said.

They still don't get it.

Source CWNews.com

Catholic University to Give Award to Goddess-Worshipping Theologian

Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson advocates calling God 'She Who Is'
By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

Miami, November 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Department of Theology and Philosophy of Barry University which is run by the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan, will give an Award for Theological Excellence in January to radical feminist theologian Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson, a professor at Jesuit run Fordham University.

Sister Elizabeth, who advocates goddess worship, actively dissents from the Church's infallible teaching on the invalidity of women's ordinations and promotes the cause of world government and a one-world religion.

In her book She Who Is (Crossroad, 1993) Sister Elizabeth announced "that the time has come to stop addressing God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to begin addressing Him as 'She Who Is.'" For this she won awards and a promotion to "Distinguished" Professor of Theology at Catholic Fordham University.
. . .
When asked for a comment on the award being given to Sr. Elizabeth, the office of the Archbishop of Miami had difficulty finding someone who would make a statement.

No one able to make a statement? It appears that there are very few left to defend the faith, especially among those who are charged to do so.

Clinton... has big leads with all significant religious groups

BRIARCLIFF MANOR - At a time when presidential candidates of both parties are hustling to win over religious voters, Sen. Hillary Clinton is dominating all religious groups in the Democratic world, while Rudy Giuliani is doing well with all Republican groups - except evangelicals.

Will Pat Robertson's surprising endorsement of Giuliani help?

"I think these endorsements matter, but it's hard to say how much," John C. Green, perhaps the country's top expert on why people of different faiths vote the way they do, said during a presentation last night at St. Theresa's Church...

Green, a senior fellow in religion and American politics at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is certain to be one of the most quoted men in America in the next year about which candidates are appealing to evangelicals, Catholics and other faith groups that could swing a close vote.

Green explained that recent polls show Giuliani comfortably winning the support of Catholic and mainline Protestant Republicans...

Clinton , on the other hand, has big leads with all significant religious groups in the Democratic community - Catholics, black Protestants and mainline white Protestants. She has the support of 48 percent of black Protestants versus 36 percent for Barack Obama.

Gregorian Chant Wins New Fans

One of the world's oldest styles of religious music is attracting a host of new enthusiasts

Gregorian chant is usually associated with monks in monasteries, but it's being heard more often now in regular services.

Its growing popularity brought 70 representatives of choirs from Northern Ireland to a chanting workshop in the Dominican Convent in west Belfast.

The college chapel became a study for a day as experts passed on advice on how best to perform the ancient melodies.

Principal tutor Donal McCrisken said Gregorian chant was an excellent medium for vocal training...

The Illogic of C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before the Common Era)

In a recent E-Letter from Karl Keating, he passes on some thoughts contained in a book titled "The History of Time." The author is Leofranc Holford-Strevens, and the book is part of the "Very Short Introduction" series published by Oxford University Press.

The author says that if the dating system we use doesn't commemorate Christ's birth, then it makes no sense to use this particular system at all. Changing the designations from B.C. and A.D. to B.C.E. and C.E. reduces to a sleight of hand. After all, what is the "Common Era" based on? On the birth of Christ and on nothing else. If on the birth of Christ, then why not say so candidly?

You can say so even if you aren't a Christian. You don't have to believe in Christ's divinity to believe that he was born at a certain time (even if we can't pinpoint that time). You don't have to be a follower of his to acknowledge that, historically, many people have been followers and that our modern civilization largely is a product of what those people believed and did.

You even could be an outright opponent of Christianity and still admit that the religion you excoriate has been more important in the history of the world than has any other institution and that that fact alone is sufficient reason to based a calendar around its Founder's birth.

In the preface to "The History of Time," Holford-Strevens explains that "the traditional terms A.D. and B.C. have been retained, in preference to C.E. and B.C.E., for two reasons: adopting the latter causes the maximally distinguished 1 B.C. and A.D. 1 to become the minimally distinguished 1 B.C.E. and C.E. 1; and although, as a date for the birth of Jesus Christ the epoch is almost certainly wrong, it remains a commemoration of that event, and no other event of the same year can be proposed as an alternative of world significance. Attractive, especially in a globalized age, as a purely secular era may appear, the Christian era cannot be made secular by denying its origin."

I don't know Holford-Strevens' religion, but I can't think of many Catholic leaders who could phrase the argument so well.

FSSP to Celebrate a Rorate Mass in Hanceville, Alabama, Will be Televised by EWTN

From Catholic PRWire;

DENTON, NE (NOVEMBER 13, 2007) – The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) will celebrate a Solemn High Tridentine Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama on Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 8:00AM EST. The "Rorate" Mass will be televised live by the EWTN Global Catholic Network.

The "Rorate Mass," so called because it begins with the words "Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum..." (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One...), is a votive Mass offered within the season of Advent in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated by candlelight, and traditionally held before dawn, this beautiful liturgy is esteemed particularly as part of the patrimony of the German-speaking peoples.

Very Rev. Fr. John Berg, FSSP, the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity, will travel from the community's headquarters in Switzerland and will serve both as the celebrant and preacher. Priests and seminarians from Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, the FSSP's international seminary in North America, will also travel to Alabama to assist...

Source

Gospel for Wednesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: St. Josaphat, bishop and confessor

From: Luke 17:11-19

The Ten Lepers

[11] On the way to Jerusalem He (Jesus) was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. [12] And as He entered the village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance [13] and lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." [14] When He saw them He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. [15] Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; [16] and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. [17] Then said Jesus, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? [18] Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" [19] And He said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
________________________

Commentary:

11-19. The setting of this episode explains how a Samaritan could be in the company of Jews. There was no love lost between Jews and Samaritans (cf. John 4:9), but shared pain, in the case of these lepers, overcame racial antipathy.

The Law of Moses laid down, to prevent the spread of the disease, that lepers should live away from other people and should let it be known that they were suffering from this disease (cf. Leviticus 13:45-46). This explains why they did not come right up to Jesus and His group, but instead begged His help by shouting from a distance. Before curing them our Lord orders them to go to the priests to have their cure certified (cf. Leviticus 14:2ff), and to perform the rites laid down. The lepers' obedience is a sign of faith in Jesus' words. And, in fact, soon after setting out they are cleansed.

However, only one of them, the Samaritan, who returns praising God and showing his gratitude for the miracle, is given a much greater gift than the cure of leprosy. Jesus says as much: "Your faith has made you well" (verse 19) and praises the man's gratefulness. The Gospel records this event to teach us the value of gratefulness: "Get used to lifting your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because He gives you this and that. Because you have been despised. Because you haven't what you need or because you have.

"Because He made His Mother so beautiful, His Mother who is also your Mother. Because He created the sun and the moon and this animal and that plant. Because He made that man eloquent and you He left tongue-tied....

"Thank Him for everything, because everything is good" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 268).
___________________________
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.

Thoughts and Counsels - November 14

The two principal dispositions which we should bring to Holy Communion are detachment from creatures, and the desire to receive Our Lord with a view to loving Him more in the future.

-­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 November 14, Modern Sanctity

It seems that present-day sanctity, such as it is represented in the modern fashion, may be compared to the sanctity of earlier years as being more disengaged from the body, more removed from a set pattern, and freer from certain conventions.

More disengaged from the body: Formerly one could scarcely conceive of sanctity without considerable afflictive mortifications; such was the general idea at least. Today, without neglecting cor­poral penances, the emphasis is put on interior renunciation. That is correct.

More removed from a set pattern: Saints in earlier ages fled into the desert, or adopted a kind of life absolutely beyond current habits; the idea of a religious life practiced under a worldly ex­terior and dress could never have been imagined. It may be true that the habit does not make the monk, but a monk without a defi­nite habit attesting his separation from the world was never dreamed of. Today we distinguish between the essentials and the accessories.

Freer from certain conventions: It was understood that a saint had no faults, that he was holy from the cradle, no wrong could be found in him. The reading of edifying biographies of a certain period is discouraging; there is never any shadow in the picture; the human never shows through the control of the divine. Reality is less ethereal; the saints are human beings like us, the difference only being that they force themselves to correct their miseries courageously; we put less valor into our striving.

I will take from these three traits of modern sanctity whatever is good, I need not overload my body with penances, but I should treat it firmly. Within the limits of my Institute, and according to its spirit, I will try my best to sanctify myself. I will do my utmost without, however, making any show of it. I will certainly not consent to my faults but I will allow no tension in my efforts for virtue, and if I am to become a saint, that is to say, rich in the divine, I will try to become one in an attractive and very human manner.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

Pope Benedict XVI’s Nearly Unnoticed Letter on St. John Chrysostom

With thanks to Fr Z , who writes:

On 8 November, the Holy See released a letter of Pope Benedict for the 1600th anniversary of the death of St. John Chrysostom, a doctor of the Church of great importance to both the West and the Eastern Churches.

The occasion of the letter was a conference being held at the Patristic Institute (and my school) the "Augustinianum".

This is a "Letter", not a "Message" or a "Discourse". It is not an "Apostolic Letter".

It is not too long, but it is one of the best written Letters I have seen for a while.

There was a CNS story on this letter, which so far has been placed on the Vatican web site only in Italian. Also, for reasons I cannot fathom, the Vatican website does not list it in Latest Updates....

So, as a service to you, WDTPRS provides the Letter in English translation, which you can download in Word format. Here below I will briefly explain the structure of the letter so that when you read it, you can see what Pope Benedict is really trying to say.

Continued here

Polish bishops' document on formal apostates

Warsaw, Nov. 13, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Polish bishops’ conference is preparing a pastoral statement to address apostates, the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza reports...

Apostates-- those who formally break ties with the Church-- may not be buried in a Catholic cemetery, receive the sacraments, or act as official witnesses at Catholic weddings...

I wonder if they've seen one of these news reports?
>

More at CWNews.com here.

USCCB - The votes have been cast...

President: Francis Cardinal George, Chicago

VP: Bishop Gerald Kicanas, Tuscon

Treasurer: Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, Louisville

Cultural Diversity in Life of the Church: Archbishop Jose Gomez, San Antonio

Clergy, Consecrated Life and Religious: Cardinal Sean O'Malley OFM Cap, Boston

Catholic Education: Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry, Los Angeles

Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs: Archbishop Wilton Gregory, Atlanta

Evangelization and Catechesis: Bishop Richard Malone, Portland Maine

International Justice and Peace: Bishop Howard Hubbard, Albany

Canonical Affairs and Church Governance: Aux. Bishop Thomas Paprocki, Chicago

Protection of Children and Young People: Bishop Blase Cupich, Rapid City

Committee for Divine Worship: Bishop Arthur Serratelli, Paterson

Archbishop Burke Moves to Penalize "Womenpriests"

From the Associated Press:

Two women who made Roman Catholic religious history say they are ready to be the new face of the priesthood, even as Archbishop Raymond Burke moved to formally penalize them for violating church law.

Journalistic incompetence from the start - the only history these two clowns will have made in "Roman Catholic religious history" will be that showing their departure from the Church, as so many other heretics and schismatics. And there is no doubt that they will make for themselves a new face of the priestesshood - this in addition to a new self-made 'church'...

One of the other priestettes said on a newscast video that they (Roman Catholic WomenPriests) were both Pro-Choice and Pro-Life...Others would infer from such statements that members of the group are schizophrenic or mentally challenged in some way.

Rose Marie Dunn Hudson, 67, and Elsie Hainz McGrath, 69, were ordained Sunday as Roman Catholic Womenpriests, a reform movement begun in 2002...[which] defies church doctrine that reserves ordination of priests and deacons to only men as unjust and discriminatory.

They not only defy the Church, they defy God as Father and in so doing they reject His Son, Jesus Christ, who taught His disciples to see God as our Father.

But this group of theological superstars has decided that the word "Father" will not be used without the word "Mother" as in "Our Father/Mother who art in heaven..." - you know, the same way Jesus taught us to pray!

The women said that at the end of Sunday's ceremony, attended by more than 600 people, they were served with a summons and letter from Burke ordering them to appear before a church tribunal Dec. 3.

600 people? First it was 400, then 500...By the end of the month the number attending will have been 1,000..

Burke's three-page letter admonished the women to "renounce any attempts" to celebrate Mass, hear confessions or officiate at any other sacrament under the "penalty of interdict."

These woman reject God and the Church - they will not subject themselves to a man or the patriarchal institution he represents, just like they will not submit to Christ, apparently, because He came into this world as a man...

"He [Burke] loves to do this," Hudson said. "But nobody's paying attention. Some of these laws have to be changed. The church has been practicing gender apartheid for centuries."

Gender apartheid - a term picked up from the current queen/priestess/bishopress Patricia Fresen from South Africa. It seems that all of these women have some sort of male anger management issues which are the root cause of their rebellion...

Neither woman plans to appear before the tribunal, which McGrath called a "canonical kangaroo court," referring to canon or church law.

What a deepseated haterd of authority! Will they say the same thing to Christ when they are called to appear before His tribunal? Will they call it a "kangaroo" court?

[Rev. Arthur Espelage, executive coordinator for the Canon Law Society of America], said the actions of Burke, a church lawyer who served on a Vatican supreme court, are "extremely formal" measures.

Extreme measures for extreme crimes...

McGrath said the two women are helping to "bring about badly needed reforms," to heal the church's "dysfunction."

Those who suffer from such delusions should really seek professional help. There will never be a "reform" in the Church of permitting women priests just as potato chips will never be permitted to substitute for the wheat bread in the Holy Eucharist. And all 'dysfunction' in the Church is brought about by man's (or woman's) sin or ignorance.

She said she is doing the "bidding of my God, to further the cause of all the people who have been marginalized by this church."

Got it?"My" God - the one she seemingly conjured up in her own mind...And does anyone know what is meant by "to further the cause of all the people who have been marginalized by this church"? Is this to further the cause of those who, because of sinful rebellion and pride, separate themselves from the Church by their own actions?

But the AP doesn't want to limit itself to dissenters of the female gender...

Frank Flinn, adjunct professor of religious studies at Washington University who wrote "The Encyclopedia of Catholicism," called Sunday's event "a watershed."

"The church is going to have to change on this issue and these women were ahead of the curve."

He said scholars agree that women were fully functioning members of the early church, but the hierarchy wants to "preserve the male patriarchal model."

Flinn is no authority on anything Catholic. He sounds like one of the 'cheerleaders' for the group advocating heresy and schism. For all we know, he might have been at the circus cheering on the clowns!

It just goes to show that sometimes, obtaining a degree in some religious studies subject does nothing to help one's intellect - as a matter of fact, at times, it seems to fan the flames of an arrogant and prideful contempt for the Church...

Canonical Summons Issued to Women Priestesses

Two women ordained as priests in a disputed ceremony Sunday have been issued summonses by St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke demanding they appear before a church tribunal...

Elsie Hainz McGrath said she and Rose Marie Dunn Hudson do not plan to show up for the Dec. 3 hearing as ordered by the archbishop. "If I do go, it's just going to cause a lot of grief and it's not going to change anything," McGrath said.

She said she's not sure what the repercussions will be but said the letter makes it clear that the hearing would be their last chance to defend themselves...

There is no defense of their actions, unless of course they would plead insanity - which this appears to be. They have endangered their own souls as wells as the souls of those who support them. May they repent of their pride and their rebellion which is not of God but of the evil one. Pray that they might be converted.

Source.

Bishop Skystad's Presidential Address...

at the November 2007 Genenral Meeting can be read here..

The main topic is about leadership...

"Call to Action" turned away at bishops' meeting

LINCOLN, Neb. - A group critical of the Lincoln Diocese for being the only one in the nation not to participate in a sex abuse survey said it was turned away Monday when it tried to hand-deliver petitions to bishops from across the country.

The Catholic reformist group Call to Action instead planned to use a person not known as a member of the group to sneak roughly 1,000 petitions into the hotel where the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was meeting in Baltimore, said a member of the group.

"It's been very discouraging to us that our own bishops won't meet with us," said Call to Action national organizer Nicole Sotelo, who was in Baltimore.

Only those who have no qualms by wasting time would meet with such a group. What could a member of this group possibly bring to a discussion?

A spokesman for the Lincoln Diocese called the attempt in Baltimore a publicity stunt, saying that the group's motivation is not protecting children, but attacking Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz...

By their "fruits" will you know them... Why are they complaining (besides that being all they can do):

The Lincoln Diocese was the only one of 195 nationwide that refused last year to conduct the sex abuse audit...

It is also the only one in the country that does not allow women and girls to assist priests during Mass or serve at the altar...

But their hatred and rebellion runs deeper than this - and the media doesn't seem to pick it up...

About a dozen members of various groups calling for reforms to prevent sexual abuse tried to enter the Baltimore hotel where the bishops were meeting, according to Rachel Pokora, who tried to enter and is president of the Nebraska chapter of Call to Action.

So all of the malcontents are prohibited from disrupting the meeting? How did that ever happen? Are these the cheerleaders for rogue bishops?

Gospel for Nov 13, Memorial: St Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin

Old Calendar: St. Didacus, confessor

From: Luke 17:7-10

Humble Service

[7] "Will any of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? [8] Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? [9] Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? [10] So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
__________________________

Commentary:

7-10. Jesus is not approving this master's abusive and arbitrary behavior: He is using an example very familiar to His audience to show the attitude a person should have towards his Creator: everything, from our very existence to the eternal happiness promised us, is one huge gift from God. Man is always in debt to God; no matter what service he renders Him he can never adequately repay the gifts God has given him. There is no sense in a creature adopting a proud attitude towards God. What Jesus teaches us here we see being put into practice by our Lady, who replied to God's messenger (the Archangel Gabriel), "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38).
___________________________
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.

Thoughts and Counsels - November 13

When we have to reply to someone who speaks harshly to us, we must always do it with gentle­ness. If we are angry, it is better to keep silence.

-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 November 13, Sanctity and the Cloister

In the third or fourth centuries it took nothing less than the desert to construct the edifice of perfection. Later on, when re­ligious decided to live in the heart of cities or in their neighbor­hood, they surrounded themselves by high walls, protected them­selves by grills; they could not imagine the fervent practice of asceticism without the cloister. St. Francis de Sales failed in his attempt to organize religious life without enclosure.

It would not be true to say that sanctity runs the streets, if by that we mean that the street is its most frequent habitat; it is cor­rect to say, however, that it runs the streets if by that we under­stand that sanctity is not the exclusive privilege of deserts and cloisters. There are saints in families; in the factories; in drawing rooms. As someone has wittily said, "A Madame Leseur serves a cup of tea amiably; a Leon Harmel speaks to us of the latest stock quotation on cotton; a Guy de Fontgalland hurls himself heedlessly against our legs while running too fast."

But if it is true that one finds saints in the world, it would be a great misfortune if one did not find any at all in the religious life, where one would expect to find more, since that state provides so many more helps, and a program of life in which everything leads to God.

Do I profit by my vocation as I ought; of all that my vocation offers to sanctify me? What is the value of my prayer, of my de­votion, of my obedience, of my zeal at work, of my charity, of my fidelity to the rule? I am not asked to strike my breast, as did St. Jerome, with a piece of rock, nor to pass my life on a pillar like a Stylites, or in a wall like a recluse; all that exterior show is not sanctity.

How far am I really convinced of this?
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

Cures Without Cloning Initiative Campaign

Cures Without Cloning - St. Charles County has scheduled three meetings for this weekend. These meetings are designed for you and anyone who is interested in the Cures Without Cloning Citizens' Initiative effort. The attendees will be brought up to date on where we are in the effort, what the strategy for St. Charles County is, and how individuals can help. There will also be an opportunity for anyone who may need to be trained to circulate a petition to do so at the end of the meeting. Attached is a flyer regarding the meetings. Please invite anyone you know that is interested in this issue. One only needs to attend one of the meetings.

The "Cures Without Cloning" campaign will begin to gather signatures very soon for the Initiative Petition required to place the cloning issue back before the voters in 2008.

Signatures will be gathered in a variety of places: churches, neighborhoods, individuals contacting family and friends, etc. Volunteers will be able to participate in whatever venues they are most comfortable.

Gathering signatures must be done according to the specifications of the Secretary of State, and must be done only by those who are registered.

There are three special meetings scheduled for November 17, 18, or 19. These meetings are being held to give those attending the information on this campaign thus far - the grand plan, the situation with the Secretary of State, and the strategy for St. Charles County. There will also be an opportunity to be trained in petition circulating at the end of the official meeting. Please plan to attend one of the meetings or see that someone from your church attends.

Saturday, Nov. 17 at 9 am
Spencer Rd. Library, 427 Spencer Rd., St. Peters

Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2 pm
Liberty Christian Church, 709 Crestview Dr., O’Fallon

Monday, Nov. 19 at 7 pm
McClay Library, 2760 McClay Rd., St. Charles

For more information call
Bev Ehlen at 314-608-0168
Darlene Loeb at 314-440-2061

A Morning Star Christmas

On Friday and Saturday, the 21^st & 22^nd, of December, our friends at Theater of the Word Incorporated will produce a variety show called A Morning Star Christmas in the Pope John Paul II Theater at The Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. Evening performances Friday and Saturday start at 8 P.M., and there will be a 2 P.M. matinée on Saturday. Credo members may remember the founder and creative director of the Theater of the Word, Kevin O'Brien, from the September Forum. And we know quite a few Credo members attended the first two shows at the Rigali Center.

The show will have Christmas carols (not "holiday songs"), comedy, and two one-act plays. The program features The Morning Star Players, two young women, Mary LaHood and Elizabeth Bauer, who perform shows across the country with themes of chastity, modesty, pro-life issues, the lives of the saints and other topics. They're making their St. Louis debut in this show, and would love to be booked for other shows, which are performed mainly for young adults.

The two plays were written just for us.

WHO KILLED CHRISTMAS? - A PROPHECY FOR MODERN TIMES stars Ebenezer Scrooge, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Stewart, and Andy Griffith. The Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future visit Scrooge again to help him recapture the joy he felt after their last visit.

MAKING ROOM - THE STORY OF THE INNKEEPER'S WIFE - Have you ever wondered who told Mary & Joseph there was no room at the inn? In this bittersweet tale, we tell the story of the Innkeeper's Wife, a woman who has no room for shepherds, her neighbors, or even the Holy Family on that blessed night - until something she sees in Mary makes her cold heart begin to thaw.

Get your tickets from The Theater of the Word, Incorporated at 314-894-9673. $15 for all performances. Tickets also available at all Metrotix locations, and on the Metrotix website , or charge by phone at 314-534-1111.

November 18-Celebrate the Feast of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

Please join us in celebrating the feast of
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart, was one of Missouri’s foremost pioneer women. She lived in the St. Ferdinand convent from 1819 to 1827 and again from 1834 to 1840. Pope John Paul II canonized her in Rome on July 3, 1988.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2007
Tours of Old St. Ferdinand Shrine from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Holy Mass at 7:00 p.m.
Music by St. Angela Merici Church Choir
Reception following

Historic Old St. Ferdinand Shrine
1 Rue Saint Francois  Florissant, Missouri
Sponsored by
St. Joseph Radio and Friends of Old St. Ferdinand Shrine
For more information or to volunteer, please contact us:
St. Joseph Radio at: lucortese@earthlink.net or 636-244-0089
Shrine at: oldstferdinandshrine@gmail.com or 314-837-2110

November 17-The Family Treasure Chest

St. Joseph Radio and Friends of Old St. Ferdinand Shrine present

The Family Treasure Chest

Marriage and Family:
The Heart of the Home and the Future of the Church

OUR SPEAKERS:
Fr. Patrick D. Ryan - Pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Church, St. Charles, Missouri. "Life is lived forward but understood backward," says Kierkegaard. Father will look at ways to reflect on personal values, life stories, being with people you love and on the meaning of unavoidable suffering.

Patty Schneier - wife, mother, cantor and radio show host. She will share the story of her challenge to God and His daily response. The results were life changing! Her conversion marks the beginning of a totally new life in Christ, a renewed marriage and a ministry in public speaking.

Frank and Mary Ann Daub - married for 40 years and parents of 12 children. Frank is Director of Development for the American Life League and Mary Ann is a full time mother and grandmother who loves to volunteer for politically incorrect causes. Both are activists for their church and community.

SCHEDULE: The Keys to the Family Treasure Chest
8:30 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. Talk 1: Patty Schneier, “Come and Go”: Living the Sacramental Life in a Secular World

10:15 a.m. Talk 2: Fr. Patrick D. Ryan, Winter Grace: Finding the Meaning of Life in Older Age

11:30 a.m. Holy Mass, Celebrant: Fr. Patrick D. Ryan

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:15 p.m. Talk 3: Frank and Mary Ann Daub, Keeping Our Children Catholic: The Challenges and the Reward

2:30 p.m. Talk 4: Patty Schneier, God, I Really Don’t Have Time for This!: Discovering the Hidden Treasure
4:00 p.m. Closing

Saturday  November 17, 2007  9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Historic Old St. Ferdinand Shrine  1 Rue Saint Francois • Florissant, Missouri

BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
Freewill Donations Appreciated! Reservations required for lunch – please call 636-244-0089
For more information or to schedule a speaker for your parish event or organization, please contact:
St. Joseph Radio • P.O. Box 2983 • Orange, California 92859 • Phone: 714-744-0336 • Fax: 714-744-1998

No help from the Left Coast

Bishops to consider excluding pro-abortion politicians from communion, but California’s prelates unlikely to support such a ban

A four-day meeting of U.S. bishops begins today at the posh Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel. On the bishops’ agenda, among other items, is a revision of their statement on “faithful citizenship,” a guide for Catholics on political issues....

Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis is probably the strongest advocate of denying communion to pro-abortion politicians as a disciplinary measure. In a recent interview published by the Archdiocese of St. Louis’ Office of Communications, Burke minced no words when asked if the majority of bishops supported this discipline: “It is not a question of what number of bishops agree or disagree with the discipline. It is the discipline of the universal Church, which every bishop is required to uphold.”

Those favoring denial of communion to Catholic politicians who defy Church teaching point to Canon 915 of the Code of Canon, and particularly to a clause that says those “who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to communion.” In 2004, Pope Benedict XVI (then Cardinal Ratzinger) sent a memorandum to U.S. bishops specifically about the issue of denying communion to politicians. The memo said defiant politicians should be given “due process” of prior warning, but insisted that denial of communion was the next step...

The documented statements from California's bishops are more than troubling. Apparently too few seem to be praying for their bishops and priests.

More here.

The choice between Abp. Burke and Bp. Paprocki

Dr Edward Peters writes:

Before finding out which candidate, Abp. Raymond Burke of St. Louis or Chicago auxiliary bishop Thomas Paprocki, has been elected to chair the USCCB Committee on Canonical Affairs, I write to say only that both candidates are highly qualified and widely recognized among American bishops for credentials, competence, and orthodoxy. Each one has a doctorate in canon law (both from the Gregorian), and while Burke has extensive Roman judicial experience, Paprocki is a licensed civil lawyer. It's a happy day, folks, when the choice is between two such excellent lawyers.

Read more it at: http://www.canonlaw.info/2007/11/choice-between-abp-burke-and-bp.html

Gospel for Nov 12, Memorial: St Josaphat, bishop and martyr

From: Luke 17:1-6

On Leading Others Astray, Fraternal Correction

[1] And He (Jesus) said to His disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! [2] It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. [3] Take heed yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; [4] and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, `I repent,' you must forgive him."

The Power of Faith

[5] The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith! [6] And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea', and it would obey you."
___________________

Commentary:

1-3. Our Lord condemns scandal, that is, "any saying, action or omission which constitute for another an occasion of sin" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 417). Jesus is teaching two things here: the first is that scandal will "in fact" happen; the second, that it is a grave sin, as shown by the punishment it earns.

The reason why it is so serious a sin is that it "tends to destroy God's greatest work, that of Redemption, through souls being lost; it kills one's neighbor's soul by taking away the life of grace, which is more precious than the life of the body, and it is the cause of a multitude of sins. This is why God threatens with the most severe punishment those who cause others to stumble" ("ibid"., 418). See [the notes on] Matthew 18:6-7; 18-8; 18:10.

"Take heed to yourselves": a serious warning, meaning that we should not be a cause of scandal to others nor should we be influenced by the bad example others give us.

People who enjoy authority of any kind (parents, teachers, politicians, writers, artists, etc.) can more easily be a cause of scandal. We need to be on the alert in this respect in view of our Lord's warning, "Take heed to yourselves."

2. Millstones were circular in shape with a large hole in the center. Our Lord's description, therefore, was very graphic: it meant that the person's head just fitted through the hole and then he could not get the stone off.

3-4. In order to be a Christian one must always, genuinely, forgive others. Also, one has to correct an erring brother to help him change his behavior. But fraternal correction should always be done in a very refined way, full of charity; otherwise we would humiliate the person who has committed the fault, whereas we should not humiliate him but help him to be better.

Forgiving offenses--which is something we should always do--should not be confused with giving up rights which have been justly violated. One can claim rights without any kind of hatred being implied; and sometimes charity and justice require us to exercise our rights. "Let's not confuse the rights of the office you hold with your rights as a person. The former can never be waived" ([St] . Escriva, "The Way", 407).

Sincere forgiveness leads us to forget the particular offense and to extend the hand of friendship, which in turn helps the offender to repent.

The Christian vocation is a calling to holiness, but one of its essential requirements is that we show apostolic concern for the spiritual welfare of others: Christianity cannot be practiced in an isolated, selfish way. Thus, "if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).

5. "Increase our faith!": a good ejaculatory prayer for every Christian. "Omnia possibilia sunt credenti". Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.' The words are Christ's. How is it that you don't say to Him with the Apostles: `"adauge nobis fidem"! increase my faith!'?" ("The Way", 588).
___________________________
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.

Two Women Claim to be Ordained Priests

Yesterday, Charles Jaco of Fox2 News reported on two women to be "ordained" as priests in St Louis today at a Jewish synagogue and who will be having 'services' starting December 1 at a Unitarian church...

His report with video is here. The same old tired arguments are put before the viewers again and some may actually buy into it.

So today, Sunday, two new Catholic priests were ordained, but chances are you'll never see them at the pulpit in a Catholic church. The priests are women, and they're going up against centuries of tradition and church law. Their decision could get them kicked out of the church they want to represent. FOX 2's Andy Banker has the story.

And that story and video is here.

More video from KMOV TV...

Extended interview with newly-ordained priests (from KMOV)

And the Post Dispatch reports:
Cheering crowd attends disputed ordination of two women as priests

Thoughts and Counsels - November 12

If humble souls are contradicted, they remain calm; if they are calumniated, they suffer with pa­tience; if they are little esteemed, neglected, or forgotten, they consider that there due; if they are weighed down with occupations, they perform them cheerfully.

-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 November 12, The Gift of Self

Great courage is necessary to leave the world and to give one­self entirely to God in the religious life.

I ought to thank God, my Savior, for having given me this courage.

But once in the religious life, there is another step to make; in the novitiate one feels animated by a very great fervor. Then years are added to years, and if the soul is not vigilant, it becomes contented with mediocrity. Oh, exteriorly everything seems all right; the religious disedifies no one; is always at work; and causes no trouble to the superiors. But God demands more and the soul resists the absolute gift of self.

At times there is even a reclaiming of the gift; some real taking back, negligences consented to in prayer; curiosities unduly satis­fied, comforts granted with only half good faith, and other similar weaknesses.

A Breton Jesuit of the seventeenth century, Father Rigoleuc, en­couraged himself to take the definitive step, to cut all bonds, to profit by his third year, with the following thoughts:

"Will you always be unable to overcome yourself? Once for all give yourself completely to God. For such a long time He has in­spired you with the plan for it and offered you the necessary grace without your yielding to His loving pursuits. Perhaps this is your last chance; you may never have another occasion like this to tes­tify your zeal for His glory, and the desire you have for perfection. The time is short."

I, too, must examine myself. Do I live in the constant habit of a total gift of self? For what am I waiting to sacrifice my last reserves? The time is short. The present invitation is perhaps the last for me.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

Reparation for San Francisco Sacrilege planned

From Tradition Family Property:

The controversy around the sacrilegious scandal at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in San Francisco still rages. It was terrible to see two transvestites dressed as nuns receiving Holy Communion from the Archbishop’s hands.

While many have reacted to the scandal by protests, the sacrilege itself remains largely without reparation.

That is why we have announced a Holy Hour of Reparation on November 16. We want to storm heaven with our prayers of reparation. After over 2,000 Public Square Rosary Rallies, we would like to see thousands sign up to participate in their hour before Our Lord. Read about our prayer vigil and register now by clicking here. Mark your calendar and attend!

Remember, at Fatima Our Lady herself spoke of such sacrileges and the need for reparation: “Do you want to offer yourselves to God to bear all the sufferings that He may wish to send you, in reparation for the sins with which He is offended and in supplication for the conversion of sinners?”

Click here for more information.

AmP Reader Poll: The '08 USCCB Nominees

From American Papist:

This week the USCCB is meeting in Baltimore where, among other things, they will vote in a new vice-president and elect several important committee chairs.

Lay people, of course, don’t have a vote in these elections, but I thought it would be interesting to see which nominees St. Blogs would vote for if they could.

The poll already has a few hundred votes, but I’d like to see a wider sampling of the Catholic blogosphere:

http://www.americanpapist.com/2007/11/amp-reader-poll-08-usccb-nominees.html

The USCCB Vote to Watch This Week

From CWNews we read:

The US bishops hold their annual meeting in Baltimore this coming week, with a few interesting items on the agenda. There will be an open discussion about the bishop's role in political debates; that promises to be lively and revealing. There will be new report from John Jay researchers on the causes of the sex-abuse crisis. (In preparing this report, the researchers asked members of Voice of the Faithful to answer an opinion survey. Did they ask for your opinion, too? No, I didn't think so. Do you see where this is going?) And then there are the elections.

Cardinal George will become president of the USCCB. That's a foregone conclusion; the vice-president is always tapped to succeed a president ending his 3-year term. More interesting is the choice of a new vice-president, who will step into the limelight in 2010.

Can anyone guess who one of the nominees for VP is? None other than Bishop Trautmann........How discerting is that?

Still more interesting will be the vote for chairman of the relatively obscure Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.

The candidates are Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis and a Chicago auxiliary, Bishop Thomas Paprocki.

Archbishop Burke will be noticably absent as he is in Rome on business...

Diogenes' concluding comments are here...

Gospel for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

From: Luke 20:27-38

The Resurrection of the Dead

[27] There came to Him (Jesus) some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, [28] and they asked Him a question saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. [29] Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; [30] and the second [31] and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. [32] Afterward the woman also died. [33] In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."

[34] And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; [35] but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, [36] for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. [37] But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. [38] Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him."
______________________
Commentary:

27-40. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body or the immortality of the soul. They came along to ask Jesus a question which is apparently unanswerable. According to the Levirate law (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5ff), if a man died without issue, his brother was duty bound to marry his widow to provide his brother with descendants. The consequences of this law would seem to give rise to a ridiculous situation at the resurrection of the dead.

Our Lord replies by reaffirming that there will be a resurrection; and by explaining the properties of those who have risen again, the Sadducees' argument simply evaporates. In this world people marry in order to continue the species: that is the primary aim of marriage. After the resurrection there will be no more marriage because people will not die anymore.

Quoting Sacred Scripture (Exodus 3:2, 6) our Lord shows the grave mistake the Sadducees make, and He argues: God is not the God of the dead but of the living, that is to say, there exists a permanent relationship between God and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who have been dead for years. Therefore, although these just men have died as far as their bodies are concerned, they are alive, truly alive, in God--their souls are immortal--and they are awaiting the resurrection of their bodies.

See also the notes on Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27.

[The note on Matthew 22:23-33 states:
23-33. The Sadducees argue against belief in the resurrection of the dead on the basis of the Levirate law, a Jewish law which laid down that when a married man died without issue, one of his brothers, according to a fixed order, should marry his widow and the first son of that union be given the dead man's name. By outlining an extreme cases the Sadducees make the law and belief in resurrection look ridiculous. In His reply, Jesus shows up the frivolity of their objections and asserts the truth of the resurrection of the dead.]

[The note on Mark 12:18-27 states:
18-27. Before answering the difficulty proposed by the Sadducees, Jesus wants to identify the source of the problem--man's tendency to confine the greatness of God inside a human framework through excessive reliance on reason, not giving due weight to divine Revelation and the power of God. A person can have difficulty with the truths of faith; this is not surprising, for these truths are above human reason. But it is ridiculous to try to find contradictions in the revealed word of God; this only leads away from any solution of difficulty and may make it impossible to find one's way back to God. We need to approach Sacred Scripture, and, in general, the things of God, with the humility which faith demands. In the passage about the burning bush, which Jesus quotes to the Sadducees, God says this to Moses: "Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).]
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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.

2nd Reading for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5

The Need for Steadfastness (Continuation)

[16] Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, [17] comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Paul Asks for Prayers

[1] Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed on and triumph, as it did among you, [2] and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not all have faith. [3] But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from evil. [4] And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things which we command. [5] May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
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Commentary:

16-17. God chose believers without any merit on their part; that choice marks the first stage in their path to salvation; the journey to the goal of salvation involves cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom. Man needs the help of the "good hope" which comes from recognizing that he is a son of God. "In my case, and I wish the same to happen to you", Monsignor Escriva writes, "the certainty I derive from feeling--from knowing--that I am a son of God fills me with real hope which, being a supernatural virtue, adapts to our nature when it is infused in us, and so is also a very human virtue [...]. This conviction spurs me on to grasp that only those things that bear the imprint of God can display the indelible sign of eternity and have lasting value. Therefore, far from separating me from the things of this earth, hope draws me closer to these realities in a new way, a Christian way, which seeks to discover in everything the relation between our fallen nature and God, our Creator and Redeemer" ("Friends of God", 208).

By inspiring us with hope, God fills our hearts with consolation and at the same time encourages us to put our faith into practice in daily life--"in every good work and word."

1. The whole Church, not just the Apostles, is given the task of spreading the message of Jesus. All believers can and should play an active part in this, at least by way of prayer. The Apostle's request for prayers also shows that he realizes that the supernatural work entrusted to him is beyond him and yet he does not shirk the work of apostolate. St John Chrysostom comments on St Paul's approach: "The Apostle [...] now encourages them to offer prayers to God for him, but he does not ask them to pray God to free him from dangers he ought to face up to (for they are an unavoidable consequence of his ministry); rather, he asks them to pray 'that the word of the Lord may speed on and triumph'" ("Hom. on 2 Thess, ad loc.").

The "speed and triumph" is evocative of the Games, which had such a following in Greece: the winner of a race was given a victory wreath. The victory, the triumph, of the word of the Lord is its proclamation reaching everyone and being accepted by everyone.

2. "Not all have faith": literally, "faith is not something that belongs to all", that is, not everyone has believed the Apostle's preaching though he has excluded no one from it. The "wicked and evil men" may be a reference to certain Jews hostile to Christianity who had persecuted Paul in Macedonia and were now putting obstacles in his way at Corinth.

It must be remembered that faith is a supernatural virtue, a gift from God, and cannot be obtained by man's unaided effort: "Even though the assent of faith is by no means a blind impulse, still, no one can assent to the gospel preaching as he must in order to be saved without the enlightenment and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who gives all men their joy in assenting to and believing the truth" (Vatican I, "Dei Filius", chap. 3).

God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4) and so to all men he gives his grace and offers the gift of faith; however, they are free to reject or accept the light he offers them.

3. "But the Lord is faithful": and therefore, unlike those who are unfaithful (v. 2), we should put our trust in God: "Do not doubt it", Chrysostom comments, "God is faithful. He has promised salvation, he will save you. But, as he said, he will do so on one condition--what we love him, that we listen to his word and his Law. He will not save us unless we cooperate" ("Hom. on 2 Thess, ad loc.").

"He will strengthen you and guard you from evil": These words may be meant to echo the prayer contained in the Our Father (cf. Mt 6:13; cf. Mt 5:37).

4-5. The Apostle is confident that the Thessalonians will stay true to Christ, and he asks God to give them the endurance they need in the midst of their difficulties. "The steadfastness of Christ" may be a reference to the example Christ gave during his passion by enduring unto death on the cross, out of love for the Father and for us; believers should love God in that kind of way (cf. Heb 12:1). However, "the steadfastness of Christ" can also be interpreted as referring to the need for Christians to be patient as they wait for the second coming of Christ (cf. 1 Thess 1:3).

Love and steadfastness are two Christian virtues which make us resemble God: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph 5:1-2). So, love and endurance are interconnected and complement each other "Jesus came to the Cross after having prepared himself for thirty-three years, all his life! If they really want to imitate him, his disciples have to turn their lives into a co-redemption of Love, by means of active and passive self-denial" ([St] J. Escriva, "Furrow", 255).
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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.

1st Reading for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14

Martyrdom of the Seven Brothers and their Mother

[1] It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine's flesh. [2] One of them, acting as their spokesman, said, "What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers." [9] And when he was at his last breath, he said, "You accursed wretch, you dismiss us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws."

[10] After him, the third was the victim of their sport. When it was demanded, he quickly put out his tongue and courageously stretched forth his hands, [11] and said nobly, "I got these from Heaven, and because of his laws I disdain them, and from him I hope to get them back again." [12] As a result the king himself and those with him were astonished at the young man's spirit, for he regarded his sufferings as nothing. [13] When he too had died, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the same way. [14] And when he was near death, he said, "One cannot but choose to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being raised again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life!"
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Commentary:

7:1-42. This is one of the most famous and popular passages in the history of the Maccahees--so much so that traditionally (but improperly) these brothers are usually referred to as "the Maccabees". The sacred writer does not tell us the boys' names, or where it all happened; and he brings in the presence of the king to heighten the dramatic effect. The bravery of these young men, it would seem, was inspired by the good example given by Eleazar (cf. 6:28). The mother's intervention divides the scene into two parts--first the martyrdom of the six older brothers (vv. 2-19), and then that of the youngest and the mother herself (vv. 20-41).

In the first part the conviction that the just will rise and evildoers will be punished builds up as the story goes on. Each of the replies given by the six brothers contains some aspect of truth. The first says that just men prefer to die rather than sin (v. 2) because God will reward them (v. 6); the second, that God will raise them to a new life (v. 9); the third, that they will rise with their bodies remade (v. 11); the fourth, that for evildoers there will be no “resurrection to life” (v. 14); the fifth, that there will be punishment for evildoers (v. 17); and the sixth, that when just people suffer it is because they are being punished for their own sins (v. 18).

In the second part, both the mother and the youngest brother affirm what the others have said: but the boy adds something new when he says that death accepted by the righteous works as atonement for the whole people (vv. 37­38).

The resurrection of the dead, which "God revealed to his people progressively" ("Catechism of the Church", 992), is a teaching that is grounded first on Moses' words about God having compassion on his servants (v. 6; cf. Deut 32:36), and the idea that if they die prematurely they will receive consolation in the next life. This is the point being made by the first brother, and it implies that God "faithfully maintains his covenant with Abraham and his posterity" (ibid.). As the mother sees it (vv. 27-28), belief in the resurrection comes from "faith in God as creator of the whole man, body and soul" (ibid., 992). Our Lord Jesus Christ ratifies this teaching and links it to faith in himself (cf. Jn 5:24-25; 11:25); and he also purifies the Pharisees' notion of the resurrection, which was an interpretation based only on material terms (cf. Mk 12:18-27; 1 Cor 15:35-53).

In what the mother says (v. 28) we can also see belief in the creation of the world out of nothing "as a truth full of promise and hope" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 297). On the basis of this passage and some New Testament passages, such as John 1:3 and Hebrews 11:3, the Church has formulated its doctrine of creation: "We believe that God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create (cf. Vatican I: DS 3022), nor is creation any sort of necessary emanation from the divine substance (cf. Vatican I: DS 3023-3024). God creates freely 'out of nothing' (DS 800; 3025). If God had drawn the world from pre-existent matter, what would be so extraordinary in that? A human artisan makes from a given material whatever he wants, while God shows his power by starting from nothing to make all he wants" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 296).

The assertion that the death of martyrs has expiatory value (vv. 37-38) prepares us to grasp the redemptive meaning of Christ's death; but we should remember that Christ, by his death, not only deflected the punishment that all men deserve on account of sin, but also, through his grace, makes sinful men righteous in God's sight (cf. Rom 3:21-26).

Many Fathers of the Church, notably St Gregory Nazianzen ("Orationes", 15, 22), St Ambrose ("De Iacob et Vitae Beata", 2, 10, 44-57), St Augustine ("In Epistolam Ioannis", 8, 7), and St Cyprian ("Ad Fortunatus", 11) heaped praise on these seven brothers and their mother. St John Chrysostom invites us to imitate them whenever temptation strikes: "All the moderation that they show in the midst of dangers we, too, should imitate by the patience and temperance with which we deal with irrational concupiscence, anger, greed for possessions, bodily passions, vainglory and such like. For if we manage to control their flame, as (the Maccabees) did the flame of the fire, we will be able to be near them and have a share in their confidence and freedom of spirit" ('Homiliae in Maccabaeos", 1,3).
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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.