The Priest at Prayer, May 6

The Priest and the Eternal Truths
Venial Sin

Second Meditation

Effects of Venial Sin

I. Venial sin demands further reflection.

Although it does not gangrene and destroy the essen­tial comeliness imparted by grace, venial sin at least contaminates the soul's supernatural beauty; it hinders the diffusion of exterior loveliness, it fetters those activi­ties of the supernatural life which one may consider its radiance and splendor; like stains or burns marring a beautiful face.

When you sin venially you commit an act that is useless, because it cannot be directed to your Last End; you halt on the path that leads to union with the Supreme Good, like a thoughtless child sent on an errand playing by the roadside; and because the matter is linked up with the perfection of the moral order and concerns to some degree life's ultimate goal you incur a real transgression, you really and ttuly disobey your Lord and your God.

And will you have the audacity to consider negligible a thing that offends God's infinite Majesty, that is lacking in reverence towards His Greatness and gratitude for His benefits, that diminishes His Glory, and is unmindful and contemptuous of His Love? My soul, are not these deterrents enough?

II. God, who has no hatred for anything He created, not even for suffering or for the most hideous freaks of nature, cannot but abhor, as long as He loves His own infinite Goodness, eternally and with unrelenting hatred, a single venial sin. And, in token of that detestation, He punishes it with such fearful torments in Purgatory that there is nothing in the world to equal them, neither the torments of the martyrs nor, perhaps, even those of Jesus Christ Himself in His passion and Death.

Further weight is added to this truth if we bear in mind that for no reason whatever and for nobody in this world or the next is it lawful to commit a venial sin: not even to deliver the world from all its pangs and sorrows; not even to bring about all imaginable good; nor to convert all heathens and sinners, nor to open the gates of heaven to the whole race of Adam, nor even to quench the flames of hell and reduce them to cold ashes; for God would hate it, detest it everlastingly.

And yet, O Lord, I commit it for any futile pretext, with the greatest ease; sometimes for no reason at all, just for the pleasure of doing something! Have pity on my unmindfulness; open my eyes that I may see, and tremble.

III. Reflect on another great harm of venial sin. When it forms a habit, the soul drifts into the deplorable state of spiritual lukewarmness attended by all the risks so vividly described by Our Lord in the Apocalypse when reproaching the Angel of the Church of Laodicea:

"A message to thee from the Truth,
the faithful and unerring witness,
the Source from which God's creating began:

I know of thy doings,
and find thee neither cold nor hot;
cold or hot, I would thou were one or the other.
Being what thou art, lukewarm, neither cold nor hot,
thou will make me vomit thee out of my mouth.

I am rich, thou sayest, I have come into my own;
nothing, now, is wanting to me.

And all the while, if thou did know it,
it is thou who art wretched,
thou who art to be pitied.
Thou art a beggar, blind and naked." (Apoc. 3:14-18)

Dear Lord, can it be that I am turning into something so repugnant to Thee, so sickening and nauseating, that Thou art ready to spew me out? Am I going to be some­thing vomited and unclean? And how would Thou take me again to Thy fatherly bosom? Only of a dog it is said: "Canis versus ad vomitum" . . . And I have no fears? And I even boast of my merits and virtues? Oh, "I am rich . . . nothing, now, is wanting to me!" Presumption, luckless child of tepidity!

IV. I shall avoid at all costs any venial sin fully deliberate. It may be a relatively small thing, but to harbor it so unconcernedly is no small proof of the low esteem my Heavenly Father inspires me with, seeing that I so easily and continually offend and slight Him, even though my transgressions be not of the calibre of those that sufficed to crucify Him. Is there a child, with but an average sense of dutifulness, who would behave like this towards his earthly father? Lord, Thou couldst befittingly reproach me after each venial sin with the words of the prophet: If then I be a father, where is my honor? (Mal. 1:6)

Resolutions
Whenever there is no mortal sin to confess, I shall aim at freeing myself during the following week or so, that is, until my next confession, of some definite venial sin; for instance: not to give way to carping criticism or to deliberate distractions during my spiritual exer­cises, etc.; and to achieve this I shall avail myself of the following means:

1. Resolute determination.

2. Sincere repentance as soon as I have fallen into the specified fault, together with ~ purpose of amend­ment.

3. To take this as the so-called "virtue of practice" for the interval before my next confession, bringing all my examinations of conscience to bear on it, both the particular examinations before meals and the general before going to bed.

4. When preparing for my next confession, I shall start by examining my conscience on that particular fault, and I shall not fail to sum up its exact nature and the number of times I have committed it since my last confession; and in my accusation, this will be the first item; for example: "I accuse myself of giving way to anger seven times."

_________________________
Adapted from The Priest at Prayer
by Fr. Eugenio Escribano, C.M. (© 1954)
Translated by B.T. Buckley, C.M.

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Please pray for our priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood!

How One Word Has Defined Raymond Burke

By Tim Townsend
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/05/2007

Just as St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke was holding a news conference last month to announce his resignation from the board of the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center Foundation, his video statement was being posted on the archdiocese’s website.

The archbishop explained that he had no choice but to resign from the foundation after its board refused his demands to drop musician Sheryl Crow from a hospital fund-raising event because of her support for embryonic stem cell research.

It was a public repudiation of a public figure, broadcast across a wide spectrum of media — from print and television to radio and Internet.

“It is not a matter of Miss Crow’s personal beliefs, but a matter of her public stance in favor of abortion rights and in favor of embryonic stem cell research,” Burke said into the cameras. “As archbishop of St. Louis, I have a very serious responsibility to avoid giving scandal.”

Scandal, as defined by the catechism of the Catholic church, is “an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil.”

The scandal, in this case, was the hospital foundation aligning itself with a celebrity who had publicly supported an issue contrary to church teaching. Such an association was untenable to Burke, and he decided to make a very public response and disassociate himself from the foundation. Had he not acted, in Burke’s view, the faithful would have assumed the church condoned, and in fact was ready to profit from, Crow’s views on embryonic stem cell research.

Burke has been vocal about scandal involving Catholic politicians in the past, but his actions last month suggest he might be broadening his condemnation of other influential public figures — including Hollywood celebrities — whose activism runs contrary to church teaching. Burke declined to answer questions last week.

But how far is Burke willing to push this principle? If, for instance, a St. Louis church was holding a fundraiser for a new gym by showing “The Third Miracle” about a priest’s renewed faith, starring Ed Harris — an abortion-rights activist — would the pastor get a phone call from the archdiocese? Should parishioners stay away from the fundraiser? Will Catholic movie stars who are publicly supportive of issues like gay marriage or embryonic stem cell research be denied Communion by their local bishops?

Only if bishops perform their duties, earnestly attempt to teach, and when all else fails, follow Canon 915 as they are required! But alas, it seems far too many bishops are weak and have so little faith - if they have any at all. Too many of these seems to have become his own modern day "Judas", a traitor to Christ, having forsaken the Cross for human respect.

Given Burke’s history with the issue of scandal, it would have been more surprising had he not protested the hospital foundation’s choice of Crow, observers say.

(Burke’s) logic, but it’s also true that he’s reducing Sheryl Crow to her opinion about embryonic stem cell research,” said John McGreevy, a history professor at Notre Dame and expert on American Catholicism. “She might be in favor of other parts of the Catholic agenda, but that issue trumps everything.”

McGreevy doesn't seem to get it - bets are that he never listened to the Archbishop or read what he said...

Recent meditations on this blog (here) have focused on the evils of priestly scandal and the effects of scandal. Yet many are too concerned with earthly things to be bothered with the eternal.

Burke’s zeal about scandal can be traced all the way back to the Gospel of Matthew and a scene in which Jesus curses those who would give scandal. “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me,” he says, “it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

In Burke’s three years in St. Louis, it has been the archbishop’s overwhelming desire to avoid “giving scandal” that has made him, alternately, a champion and a pariah among Catholics here. His heart-felt responsibility to explain controversial church teaching — and demand it be followed by the faithful — despite frequent disapproval of a secular society, has kept his name in the headlines.

In 2004, barely two weeks into his tenure in St. Louis, Burke made a statement that ricocheted around the world, saying if Sen. John Kerry, then the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, were to present himself at the Basilica Cathedral, “I would have to admonish him not to present himself for Communion.”

That same year, speaking to St. Louis Catholics, Burke said they would be committing a mortal sin if they voted for a candidate who supports abortion rights. He later clarified his statements by saying a person would have to be voting for an abortion rights candidate because of his or her stance on abortion in order for the sin to be grave.

The following year, Burke declared excommunicated six board members of St. Stanislaus Kostka church and a Polish priest they had hired after a two year battle over control.

These people committed a public act of schism. They fashioned for themselves, their own church.

In each instance, the archbishop explained his position as consistent with church teaching about scandal. For Burke, each of these moments was an opportunity for him to rise to the pastoral occasion and explain why he had to do what he did.

But that’s not to say his point of view is always shared by other Catholic leaders.

Catholic leaders? Where are these Catholic leaders of which he speaks? Share their names with us, please.

“It’s clear that a small group of bishops — and Archbishop Burke is one of a very small group — take a ... belligerent, attitude toward the culture,” McGreevy said. “The vast majority of Catholics may support embryonic stem cell research, but (Burke) doesn’t want anyone who supports that position to get any sort of recognition. It’s a very aggressive counter-cultural position.”

Catholics must be "counter-cultural" since we live in a "culture of death." And the mere fact that there is a largel group of bishops who are unwilling to act courageously in upholding the teachings of the Church does not, in any way, indicate the this small group of bishops are wrong. This is obvious to anyone who watches the bishops' meetings.

Not all bishops are as stringent as Burke on the issue of scandal. At a fundraiser last month, San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer helped honor the late California Lt. Governor Leo McCarthy, whose views on homosexuality were more nuanced than his church’s, while raising $2 million for Catholic Charities.

Some might question whether Niederauer is, in fact, still Catholic.

Actor Mike Farrell, well-known for his television role as Capt. B.J. Hunnicut on “M*A*S*H,” has not been a practicing Catholic for some years. Farrell is an activist, and his views on abortion rights and gay marriage are contrary to church teaching.

And yet, Farrell has been honored in the past by Catholic organizations, including a “lifetime achievement” award given by the Catholics In Media Association in 2000. A photograph on CIMA’s website shows Farrell and his wife, Shelley Fabares, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles.

And again, some might legitimately question whether Mahony is, indeed, still Catholic.

In an e-mail message, Farrell said he was “never asked about my relationship with the church,” before being honored by Catholic organizations with ties to the church in the past.

The church’s catechism says scandal “is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others.” Education is at the heart of Burke’s constant drumbeat about scandal, and there are recent indications his approach is working.

Sen. Claire McCaskill’s invitation to speak at her daughter’s graduation from St. Joseph’s Academy was rescinded last month after complaints that her support of abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research were counter to the church’s teaching.

St. Joseph’s president, Sr. Michaela Zahner, said she was told by the archdiocese’s education office that by inviting McCaskill to speak she was violating archdiocesan policy and was “strongly urged to reconsider.” Zahner said she’d “rather not” repeat what she was told would happen if she refused the archdiocese’s request.

Hmmm...she would “rather not” repeat what would happen if she refused the archdiocese’s request? Sounds pretty serious...Could it be The rack? Thumbscrews? Boiling Alive?

Though a McCaskill aide blamed Burke directly, the archdiocese said he did not give the order to revoke the invitation. Zahner said the archdiocese called after receiving phone calls from St. Joseph’s parents, students and other area Catholics, complaining about McCaskill’s invitation.

Zahner said she didn’t believe McCaskill’s appearance at St. Joseph’s would have been scandalous, “but I was threatened with demonstrations and heckling,” she said. “I was not going to turn a private ceremony into public confrontation and that’s why I backed down. We teach our students dialogue, not confrontation.”

Zahner doesn't believe McCaskill's appearance would be scandalous? How is it possible, then, that she is qualified to be president of the school? Maybe someone should send her the Catechism and perhaps she should take a remedial education course on the Church's teachings.

Source

Bush: "I will veto any" Pro-Abortion Legislation

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "I believe it is the most basic duty of Government to guard the innocent. With that in mind, I will veto any legislation that weakens current Federal policies and laws on abortion, or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage." So said President Bush yesterday in identical letters sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.).

In his letters, the President wrote, "I am concerned that this year the Congress may consider legislation that could substantially change Federal policies and laws on abortion, and allow taxpayer dollars to be used for the destruction of human life. I am writing to make sure that there is no misunderstanding of my views on these important issues." (See a copy of the President's letter to Nancy Pelosi here: http://lifesite.net/ldn/2007_docs/BushToPelosionProLifeVetoe... PDF file)

Outlaw Protestant Group Renounces Violence in N. Ireland

DUBLIN, Ireland — The Ulster Volunteer Force, an underground Protestant army that terrorized Roman Catholics for decades and committed the bloodiest attack of the Northern Ireland conflict, renounced violence Thursday.
. . .
"This is a real end for the Ulster Volunteer Force," said Gusty Spence, the founding father of the group, who read the statement to a Belfast press conference. "The steps outlined today in this statement, I truly believe, will bring us closer to the peaceful, democratic, prosperous future that all our people deserve."

UVF members killed more than 400 Catholic civilians from 1966 to 1994...

This is not "Hate Speech"

“We will bury you!”
Homosexual advocate demeans, threatens California pro-family group

A board member of the homosexual-rights group Equality California has sent an email to a Sacramento-based pro-family organization calling it “bigoted and divisive” and threatening, “If you continue your efforts, we will BURY you."

Capitol Resource Institute made the email public after receiving it from Equality California board member Ben Patrick Johnson following a five-minute debate on the Fox News Channel between the Institute’s Karen England and Seth Kilbourn, Equality California’s political director, over a bill pending in the California legislature that would prohibit the use of any materials in the public schools that reflect negatively on the homosexual lifestyle.
. . .
According to CRI, Johnson’s own statements reveal “the true agenda behind such legislation as SB 777. The radical homosexual agenda intends on sweeping the nation. California is merely the first step in the campaign to stifle free speech and stamp out opposition to ‘alternative lifestyles.’”

The text of Johnson's message can be read at California Catholic Daily here and a video of the debate on SB 777 which caused Johnson to lose his cool can be viewed here.

Gospel for Saturday, 4th Week of Easter

From: John 14:7-14

Jesus Reveals the Father

(Jesus said to Thomas,) [7] "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; henceforth you know Him and have seen Him.

[8] Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." [9] Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father?' [10] Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. [11] Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the words themselves.

[12] "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. [13] Whatever you ask in my name I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; [14] if you ask anything in my name, I will do it."
______________________

Commentary:

8-11. The Apostles still find our Lord's words very mysterious, because they cannot understand the oneness of the Father and the Son. Hence Philip's persistence. Then Jesus "upbraids the Apostle for not yet knowing Him, even though His works are proper to God--walking on the water, controlling the wind, forgiving sins, raising the dead. This is why He reproves him: for not recognizing His divine condition through His human nature" (St. Augustine, "De Trinitate", Book 7).

Obviously the sight of the Father which Jesus refers to in this passage is a vision through faith, for no one has ever seen God as He is (cf. John 1:18; 6:46). All manifestations of God, or "theophanies", have been through some medium; they are only a reflection of God's greatness. The highest _expression which we have of God our Father is in Christ Jesus, the Son of God sent among men. "He did this by the total fact of His presence and self-manifestation--by words and works, signs and miracles, but above all by His death and glorious resurrection from the dead, and finally by sending the Spirit of truth. He revealed that God was with us, to deliver us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to eternal life" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 4).

12-14. Before leaving this world, the Lord promises His Apostles to make them sharers in His power so that God's salvation may be manifested through them. These "works" are the miracles they will work in the name of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 3:1-10; 5:15-16; etc.), and especially the conversion of people to the Christian faith and their sanctification by preaching and the ministry of the sacraments. They can be considered greater works than Jesus' own insofar as, by the Apostles' ministry, the Gospel was not only preached in Palestine but was spread to the ends of the earth; but this extraordinary power of apostolic preaching proceeds from Christ, who has ascended to the Father: after undergoing the humiliation of the cross Jesus has been glorified and from Heaven He manifests His power by acting through His Apostles.

The Apostles' power, therefore, derives from Christ glorified. Christ our Lord says as much: "Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it". "It is not that he who believes in Me will be greater than Me, but that only that I shall then do greater works than now; greater, by him who believes in Me, than I now do by myself without Him" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 72, 1).

Jesus Christ is our intercessor in Heaven; therefore, He promises us that everything we ask for in His name, He will do. Asking in His name (cf. 15:7, 16; 16:23-24) means appealing to the power of the risen Christ, believing that He is all-powerful and merciful because He is true God; and it also means asking for what is conducive to our salvation, for Jesus is our Savior. Thus, by "whatever you ask" we must understand what is for the good of the asker. When our Lord does not give what we ask for, the reason is that it would not make for our salvation. In this way we can see that He is our Savior both when He refuses us what we ask and when He grants it.
___________________________
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.

The Priest at Prayer, May 5

The Priest and the Eternal Truths
Venial Sin

First Meditation

The Nature of Venial Sin

I. The catechism speaks of venial sins as an offense which is lightly committed and easily pardoned, but prepares the way for mortal sin. Theologians define it as "a free act of the will adhering to something forbidden by the Law of God, but without breaking with God our Last End". It is an attachment to something which, while not severing us from Life's appointed destiny, is not conducive to it and cannot be squared with it.

There are two kinds of venial sin:

1. Venial by reason of an imperfect act, through lack of knowledge or consent in the person committing it; such as negligence in prompdy rejecting a grave temptation to sensuality, or assent to an evil suggestion in a state of semi-consciousness.

2. Venial by reason of the object which in itself is of lesser moment and which therefore does not seriously impair one's love for God or for the neighbor; as, for example, the stealing of a small sum of money, or a jocose lie.

II. Venial sin suffers slight comparison with mortal sin: it does not infringe the essence of the moral order, that is, the primary purpose intended by the Divine Law­ giver; it does not wreathe the creature's brow sacri­legiously with God's own incommunicable Attribute of being our Last End; it does not take the soul out of the path of salvation, although there is undue diversion and a slowing down of progress; it leaves the spirit intrinsically alive to grace and endowed with the beauty and splendour essential to a child of God; no, it does not extinguish the vital principle of the supernatural life, grace; and therefore venial sin is a wound in a living body, and, as such, is curable, amenable to the healing force of grace; it is, as the catechism says: easy to remedy and pardon - veniabilis. The aforementioned contrast should in the first place make us detest and flee from mortal sin.

III. If the effects of venial sin, as outlined above, should persuade me that it is of slight importance, I have made a bad mistake; the only thing they prove is, that such is the enormity of mortal sin that all other evils hardly deserve the name; moreover, they provide me with a criterion for judging the terrible menace of venial sin, being as it is a disposition and road leading straight into the dark abyss of mortal sin.

In the case of venial sin ex imperfectione actus, the conclusion is legitimate, because a will that defends itself from grave temptation remissly, or half consents to it, is not far from entire surrender, should the assault intensify.

And as regards venial sin ex parvitate materiae, the momentum of its thrust will drive me to mortal sin, unless I re-establish the only barrier against it: complete submission of my will to the Will of God. But alas! I have got into a rebellious frame of mind concerning small things; my free-will has revelled in the furtive delight of by-passing the Laws. Will not a habit like this eventually drag me down to disobedience in things of greater moment?

"Little things despise, and little by little thou shalt come to ruin." (Eclus. xix,1)

Resolution
I shall meditate on the dangers of my lesser defects which I deal with so indulgently. I shall reflect on the process of my past and all-too-frequent falls from God's grace, in order to understand with meridional clarity what without reflection I have already perceived in a dark manner; namely, that when I plunged into mortal sin I had for several days been slipping and sliding towards the abyss down the gentle slope of puny attach­ments and of petty illicit actions that were, after all, but a mask for my love of the forbidden fruit of deadly poison.
_________________________
Adapted from The Priest at Prayer
by Fr. Eugenio Escribano, C.M. (© 1954)
Translated by B.T. Buckley, C.M.

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

Missouri SC Upholds Law Barring Minors from Abortions without Parental Consent

Both sides find victory in Mo. abortion decision

JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Supreme Court upheld a law Tuesday that makes it more difficult for teens to obtain an abortion without parental consent, but it did so in a way that at least partly pleased abortion rights advocates.

The author of the anti-abortion measure applauded the ruling, even as Planned Parenthood heralded the decision as a victory to those who provide advice to pregnant teens.

The ruling appears to have cleared the way for a Granite City clinic to resume offering abortions to Missouri minors who lack parental permission.

Msgr. Michael Schmitz on Catholic Answers Live Today

Email forwarded to me for last minute posting:

Msgr. Michael Schmitz to be interviewed on Catholic Answers Live radio

On Friday, May 4th, 2005, at 6:00 pm ET (22:00 GMT) Msgr. R. Michael Schmitz, Vicar General of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest and its Provincial Superior for the United States, will be interviewed on “Catholic Answers Live.”

Hosted by Jerry Usher, the program is broadcast on more than 80 AM and FM radio stations across the United States , as well as over the internet on EWTN Radio (www.ewtn.com).

The theme of the interview will be the “Growing Popularity of the Classical Roman Rite.” There will be opportunity for live questions from the listening audience.

Locally, this can be heard on AM1080, AM1460 or FM 95.9 at 5:00PM St. Louis time.

Catholic Answers also makes the shows available to download via MP3 audio a day or so later at http://www.catholic.com/radio/calendar.php

HT to Marc P for the update!

Your Assignment is...

Many have seen this little exercise before, but as it came across my email today, I wondered how the same "evolutionary process" impacted religious education/catechesis...Maybe someone could could up with a version for "Religious Education" and share it?
========================
Evolution of Math Education - 1950-2006

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tr ied to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried.

Why do I tell you this?

Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

1. Teaching Math In 1950
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5
of the price. What is his profit?

2. Teaching Math In 1960
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5
of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math In 1970
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80.
Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20.
Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living?

Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers.)

6. Teaching Math In 2006
Un hachero vende una carretada de madera para $100. El costo de la produccion es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

###
Have a nice weekend!

The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptized

The full text of this document by International Theological Commission can be read at CatholicCulture here.

Jeff Mirus, President of Trinity Communications, reminds us that

"The conclusion is the same as that expressed in the Catechism [on the Necessity of Baptism], but the ITC report provides a much more thorough theological exploration of the problem.

"I hasten to add that a study by the International Theological Commission is not a magisterial act. Nonetheless, it is well worth reading."

Parish Collections Will Go Directly to Cardinal Glennon Hospital

The annual Glennon Sunday collection in parishes to benefit Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center will continue, according to Archbishop Raymond L. Burke...[noting] that the Glennon Sunday collection, to be held the weekend of June 2 and 3, "will go directly to the medical center and not the foundation, as it had in the past."

...the archbishop again reiterated the archdiocese’s commitment to the medical center, which was founded in 1956 with the support of the archdiocese.

The archbishop noted that the Glennon Sunday collection will continue to be sent directly to the medical center until the foundation refrains from featuring at its benefit "performers or anyone else who is advocating moral evils or advocating positions contrary to the teaching of the Catholic Church."

Source: St Louis Review.

Sacred Heart Shrine Is for Everyone

...says Father Thomas G. Keller, archdiocesan promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

"This shrine will be a representation of God’s enduring love for us, Jesus’ enduring love for his Church. It’s an invitation for everyone, not just the people of the Cathedral Basilica Parish, but the whole archdiocese and even people who visit the cathedral from around the world," said Father Keller.

The key, he said, is that the shrine is "an invitation to come to a deeper love for our Lord."
* * *
...Archbishop Raymond Burke intends to consecrate the archdiocese to the Sacred Heart when the image is installed. The enthronement and consecration will be at a 5 p.m. Mass June 17, the Sunday after the June 15 Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As noted earlier, here are some great pics.

Donations marked for the shrine’s construction may be sent to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, 4431 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. For information call (314) 373-8200.

Source: St Louis Review.

Bishop Braxton to Revise Statement on Priests Removed from Ministry

BELLEVILLE --A busy Bishop Edward K. Braxton has not gotten around to preparing a revised statement concerning the official fate of Belleville Diocese priests removed from active ministry after being accused of sexually abusing minors, a diocesan spokesman said Thursday.

The Rev. John McEvilly, vicar general, said while Braxton intends to issue the statement eventually...

A single paragraph in the [recent] Vonnahmen statement issued by Braxton on April 23 was confusing, McEvilly has said. It involved references to other priests, who are among 15 priests and a deacon prohibited from ministering to parishioners.

I suppose that SNAP and others are upset that the Bishop is not following their timetables.

May 19-Womyn Led Prayer at St Cronan's

As posted at the "Catholic" Action Network web site:

Women Led-Prayer
...an opportunity for Catholic women (especially those called to ordination) to lead prayer

Our next liturgy will be May 19th at 9:00 am at St. Cronan's Parish

An epitome of inconsistency, a Catholic parish is again hosting a "liturgy" (which is normally understood by Catholic as the 'public prayer' of the Church) for women who feel 'called' by the 'spirit' to ordination, a call which we know with certitude cannot be of the Holy Spirit.

You can check out the April 21 "Liturgy" here.

While the pretense is given that this operates under the banner "Justice for Women in the Catholic Church", it is actually quite the opposite - it promotes an injustice toward women by encouraging rebellion and disobedience against the Church , and assumes that the various "calls to ordination" are legitimate, as if God could deceive the Church which Jesus established, in some sort of schizophrenic delusion. Perhaps all could make use that same rationale for misdeeds - "Well, I was called by the spirit to do this or that..."

So the "liturgy" begins:

Chairs are gathered in a circle. The center space is set with a barren tree upon which hangs a single red egg. An icon of Mary Magadalen holding her egg and the Easter candle stand beside it. Other red eggs lie beneath the tree on a cloth.

Powerful symbolism - so powerful, in fact, it's beyond my comprehension...As a matter of fact, I don't want to understand it...

The Fathers of the Church in Installments (Chiesa)

The Fathers of the Church in Installments, Every Wednesday from the Vatican
It is the new series of weekly catecheses from Benedict XVI, dedicated to the great personalities of the ancient Church. Here are the first seven: on Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen
by Sandro Magister

More here.

Gospel for Friday, 4th Week of Easter

From: John 14:1-6

Jesus Reveals the Father

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [1] "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? [3] And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. [4] And you know the way where I am going." [5] Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going; how can we know the way?" [6] Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me."
_____________________

Commentary:

1-3. Apparently this prediction of Peter's denial has saddened the disciples. Jesus cheers them up by telling them that He is going away to prepare a place for them in Heaven, for Heaven they will eventually attain, despite their shortcomings and dragging their feet. The return which Jesus refers to includes His Second Coming (Parousia) at the end of the world (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:5; 11:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 John 2:28) and His meeting with each soul after death: Christ has prepared a Heavenly dwelling-place through His work of redemption. Therefore, His words can be regarded as being addressed not only to the Twelve but also to everyone who believes in Him over the course of the centuries. The Lord will bring with Him into glory all those who have believed in Him and have stayed faithful to Him.

4-7. The Apostles did not really understand what Jesus was telling them: hence Thomas' question. The Lord explains that He is the way to the Father. "It was necessary for Him to say `I am the Way' to show them that they really knew what they thought they were ignorant of, because they knew Him" (St. Augustine, "In. Ioann. Evang.", 66, 2).

Jesus is the way to the Father--through what He teaches, for by keeping to His teaching we will reach Heaven; through faith, which He inspires, because He came to this world so "that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life" (John 3:15); through His example, since no one can go to the Father without imitating the Son; through His merits, which make it possible for us to enter our Heavenly home; and above all He is the way because He reveals the Father, with whom He is one because of His divine nature.

"Just as children by listening to their mothers, and prattling with them, learn to speak their language, so we, by keeping close to the Savior in meditation, and observing His words, His actions, and His affections, shall learn, with the help of His grace, to speak, to act, and to will like Him.

"We must pause here...; we can reach God the Father by no other route...; the Divinity could not be well contemplated by us in this world below if it were not united to the sacred humanity of the Savior, whose life and death are the most appropriate, sweet, delicious and profitable subjects which we can choose for our ordinary meditations" (St. Francis de Sales, "Introduction to the Devout Life", Part II, Chapter 1, 2).

"I am the way": He is the only path linking Heaven and Earth. "He is speaking to all men, but in a special way He is thinking of people who, like you and me, are determined to take our Christian vocation seriously: He wants God to be forever in our thoughts, on our lips and in everything we do, including our most ordinary and routine actions.

"Jesus is the way. Behind Him on this Earth of ours He has left the clear outlines of His footprints. They are indelible signs which neither the erosion of time nor the treachery of the Evil One have been able to erase" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 127).

Jesus' words do much more than provide an answer to Thomas' question; He tells us: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life". Being the Truth and the Life is something proper to the Son of God become man, who St. John says in the prologue of his Gospel is "full of grace and truth" (1:14). He is the Truth because by coming to this world He shows that God is faithful to His promises, and because He teaches the truth about who God is and tells us that true worship must be "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23). He is Life because from all eternity He has divine life with His Father (cf. John 1:4), and because He makes us, through grace, sharers in that divine life. This is why the Gospel says: "This is eternal life, that they know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent" (John 17:3).

By His reply Jesus is, "as it were, saying, By which route do you want to go? I am the Way. To where do you want to go? I am the Truth. Where do you want to remain? I am the Life. Every man can attain an understanding of the Truth and the Life; but not all find the Way. The wise of this world realize that God is eternal life and knowable truth; but the Word of God, who is Truth and Life joined to the Father, has become the Way by taking a human nature. Make your way contemplating His humility and you will reach God" (St. Augustine, "De Verbis Domini Sermones", 54).
___________________________
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.

The Priest at Prayer, May 4

The Priest and the Eternal Truths
Mortal Sin in the Priest

Seventh Meditation

Punishment of the Scandalous Priest

I. A day of dread and horror, the day when Christ, the Prince of Pastors, the Great Shepherd, will come to judge His bad ministers, wolves in shepherd's clothing! His Wrath Will be the equal of His overflowing love that made Him give life and blood to the task of redeeming souls and snatching them from the wolves of hell.

"The day will surely come, and is not far off, when the Shepherd of shepherds will reveal Himself to the whole world and will reveal the works of each one; and He who now chastises the sins of others through His priests will on that day Himself condemn the evil wrought by His priests, and condemn with unmatched rigor." (Hom. 17 on Luke - St. Gregory, Pope)

How Christ will say to the scandalous priest, with lips tremulous with indignation, what Moses said to Aaron:

"What grudge hadst thou against this people, that thou hast involved them in such guilt?" (Ex. xxxii, 21)

II. Woe to him. . . he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better. . .­(Matt. xviii, 7)

Note the similarity, almost the identity of this threat with that which Jesus pronounces against the traitor Apostle: Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed: it were better. . . (Matt. xxvi, 24); which implies that he who puts souls to the sword of bad example is as hateful to Christ as Judas who sold Him to the torments of the cross; as criminal and as deserving of punishment.

If such woe upon him who shall hurt the conscience of one single soul, what will be, in the sight of God, the unworthy priest who by his perverse inspiration and example can root up morality and perhaps the faith of a whole parish, of a whole district, and for several generations? Such is our bad example's force of expansion!

III. Describing the good shepherd as one who gives his life for his sheep, our Divine Lord compares him with the hireling who

sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees . . . because he is a hireling, and he has no care for the sheep; and because the shepherd flees, the wolf catches and scatters the sheep. (John x, 11-13)

Sheep without a shepherd are sheep without guardian and guide, lost and wandering, a flock dispersed, an easy prey to the ravening wolves. And all because the shepherd fled!

Now, what would happen if the shepherd did not flee, but actually turned into a ravening wolf and shut him­self up within the fold? What sheep would escape from his clutches? Who would defend them? It is Pope St. Gregory who makes this sad reflection. (Hom. 17 on Luke)

If Christ will so severely punish the hireling, what of the shepherd turned wolf?

IV. What sort of punishments does the Good Shepherd allot to the scandalous priest?

The Gospels do not mention them by name, but how they underline the terrific severity of them!

It would be horrible torture to a priest to have a millstone tied round the neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea; and yet, according to Jesus Christ, this would be kindness itself in comparison with the punishment in store. It were better. . .

And if we are not moved by the threats of the eternal punishment infallibly coming down upon our scandals, let us hear at least those other punishments mentioned by the prophet Malachias:

"That path you have forsaken; through your ill­-teaching, how many a foothold lost! . . . What wonder if I have made you a laughing-stock, a thing contemptible in all men's sight, priests that so ill kept my command. . . . -(ii, 8,9)

When we consider the utter contempt with which some people, even seemingly devout Catholics, treat their priests in certain countries, can we assign any other cause but that which God gives us in the foregoing text?

Resolution
I will atone until my last breath by an exemplary and fervent priestly life for the damage that my years of dissipation may have done in the Church of God. I will uproot the tares and sow wheat more plentifully.
_________________________
Adapted from The Priest at Prayer
by Fr. Eugenio Escribano, C.M. (© 1954)
Translated by B.T. Buckley, C.M.

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

Man Fleeces Vincentians

William Davidson, 51, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, bank fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. Davidson admitted misappropriating money from the Midwest Province of the Congregation of the Mission, commonly known as the Vincentians, who serve Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Kansas and Kenya.

Davidson was earning $150 an hour working as a consultant for the order. . . he admitted taking thousands of dollars in payoffs from at least three contractors and subcontractors working on the Lazarist Residence, a housing development for members of the Vincentian order in south St. Louis County.

Altar Furnishings and Decorations, Part 1

This is a continuation from Chapter 3, The Sanctuary.

Bear in mind that this was composed in 1939, well before the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and some rubrics and requirements may have been modified...Other changes will be noted accordingly. Nevertheless, some may find the history fascinating.
__________________
Questions answered in this chapter:

Why should no elements of purely personal taste appear in the decorations of the altar? Why are cheap, gaudy ornaments out of place? Where do we find a list of the essential furnishings of the. altar? What furnishings are necessary for the celebration of the Mass?

Of what material must the altar cloths be made? Why are three cloths used? What are the rules regarding them? What do the linen cloths symbol­ize? What is the vesper cloth and how does it get its name?

What is the frontal or antipendium? How is the color for each day de­termined? What two exceptions must be observed? When may the frontal be dispensed with? How may it be ornamented? Why is the sacred fish an appropriate emblem? How did the frontal originate?

What is the principal ornament of the altar and how is it placed? In what ways did the early Christians disguise the cross? Why did they hide it under symbols?

What is a crucifix? Where is it placed on the altar? Of what is its presence a reminder? Under what circumstances may the crucifix be dispensed with?

What trend of devotion is shown by the eady treatment of the crucifix? How is Christ represented? Why did the early Christians refrain from de­picting Christ as dying on the cross? Beginning with the twelfth century, what devotion was emphasized? What changes were made? What may be said in regard to the return to the earlier style?

How were candlesticks used in the early Church? What did Durandus say about their symbolism? What is the purpose of the Sanctus Candle?

====================

The dignity of the altar and the sublime purpose to which it is dedicated require that its furnishings follow strict liturgical canons. Its decorations ought not only to be free from every element of purely personal taste, but should also be churchly and embody the highest ideals of Christian art. Cheap, gaudy ornaments, while they may express the devotion of individuals, are entirely out of place on the altar, where, as St. Augustine says: "Everything should speak of God."

ESSENTIAL FURNISHINGS: Before discussing the subject of altar furnishings, the following notation from the twentieth chapter of the General Rubrics of the Missal will acquaint us with the things which the Church lists as the essentials:

"The altar should be covered with three cloths, or clean cover­ings, blessed by a bishop or some other person having the authority, the upper being at least long enough to reach the ground at the ends, the other two shorter, or consisting of one cloth folded double. The altar, moreover, should be adorned with a frontlet of that color suitable to the feast or office, if this is possible.

"On the altar should be placed a crucifix, in the center, and at least two candlesticks containing candles on either side. At the foot of the cross should be placed the Mass card; on the Epistle corner, the cushion necessary for the support of the Missal, and at the same Epistle side the wax candle (Sanctus Candle) to be lighted for the elevation of the Sacrament. A small bell, small glass cruets for water and wine, together with a small laver and clean towel should be ready on the same side, in a small orifice or on a table. Absolutely nothing should be placed upon the altar which does not pertain to its own adornment or to the sacrifice of the Mass."

ALTAR CLOTHS: The three altar cloths which the rubrics prescribe, must be of pure, white linen. Although linen was always used in the service of the altar, during early Christian times altar cloths were sometimes made of gold or silver cloth and ornamented with precious stones. The custom of using three cloths began about the ninth century, but later their use became a strict obligation for the reason that if any of the precious blood should accidentally be spilt, it would be absorbed by the triple cloths before it reached the altar stone.

It is not necessary that the lower cloths be two pieces; one cloth may be folded so as to cover the whole top of the altar. The upper cloth must be single and long enough to reach the floor at either end.

The altar cloths are a reminder of the winding sheet which enshrouded the body of Christ while it re­posed in the tomb. They also signify the purity and devotion of the faithful.

The colored cloth which is used to protect the altar linens from dust when Mass is not being celebrated, is called a vesper cloth, so named because sometimes it is not removed during Vespers. Red and green seem to be the preferred colors. This cloth is not blessed.

THE FRONTAL: The frontal or antipendium is a rectangular panel or drapery which is hung before the entire front or base of the altar. It is usually made of silk, but this material is not prescribed. The frontal varies in color according to the office of the day. There are, however, two exceptions to this rule:

(1) When Mass is celebrated at an altar on which the Blessed Sacrament is solemnly exposed, the frontal must be white.

(2) When a Requiem Mass is celebrated at an altar in the tabernacle of which the Blessed Sacrament is re­served, the frontal must be violet, not black.

The frontal need not be blessed. Liturgists agree that the frontal may be dispensed with when the altar is con­structed in the form of a tomb or when the front is ornamented with paint­ing, carving, or rich mosaic.

Great liberty is permitted in regard to the decoration of the frontal, but bands of gold braid or embroidery, and emblems which refer to the Blessed Sacrament, such as the lamb and the Ichthys, or sacred fish, alone or with the basket and loaves, are, perhaps the most appropriate forms of ornamentation. The Ichthys is the figure under which Christ is often represented in the catacomb paintings.

The frontal originated with the curtains which formerly hung in front of the "confessio" type of altar as a protection for the relics and bodies of the saints which were deposited within.

THE CRUCIFIX: The crucifix, which is the principal ornament of the altar, is today elevated in plain view of the celebrant and the people. In the early centuries of the Christian era it was necessary to disguise it in some artistic or symbolic manner for fear of subjecting it to the ridicule and insults of the pagans.

One of the oldest of these symbols was the anchor, represent­ing hope, but interpreted by the faithful to mean hope based on the cross of Christ. The similarity of the anchor and the cross made the former an ideal Christian symbol.

Other favorite allegorical representations of the crucifixion were that of the lamb lying at the foot of the anchor and a dolphin twined about a trident, a three-pronged fish spear. Since the dolphin is a symbol of Christ, a more expressive emblem of the crucifixion can hardly be imagined.

LITURGICAL PRESCRIPTIONS: The rubrics of the Roman Missal pre­scribe that the crucifix - a cross bearing the image of Christ - be placed in the center of the altar. It should be large enough to be seen by the priest and the people during the celebration of the Mass. Its presence is a reminder that the Victim offered on the altar is the same as that which was offered on the cross.

If there is a large piece of statuary representing the crucifixion on the altar, or if there is a painting or mosaic depicting the scene, placed immediately back of the altar, the crucifix itself is not necessary. A stained glass window repre­senting the crucifixion would not suffice.

ARTISTIC TREATMENT: The artistic treatment of the crucifix may be divided into two distinct periods, representing two equally distinct trends of devotion. The first period, which begins with the sixth century, contemplates
not only our Lord's passion but also His resurrection and ascension - His whole plan of redemption. He is, therefore, represented as being alive and triumphant, as a King ruling from the cross. He is clothed in a long, embroidered tunic, His head is erect, and He wears a royal crown. The early Christians had a natural repugnance toward representing Christ as dying in dishonor, which is easily accounted for when it is understood that, according to Roman law, death by crucifixion was inflicted only on thieves and malefactors or upon slaves who were guilty of highway robbery or piracy.

Beginning with the twelfth century the devotion of the people was more especially directed towards Christ's passion. The cross became a gibbet of Roman cruelty from which our Lord hung dead. His sacred head is crowned with thorns, blood flows from all His wounds, and His body is twisted in agony. The living King has become the dead Redeemer. Up until a quarter of a century ago this type of crucifix was the only one seen on our altars.

Today, however, there is a gradual trend toward the earlier con­ception of the crucifix, which as Father Bussard so aptly says: " . . . is the symbol of the spirit moving over the people of God, bringing them from the periphery of piety to its very heart and center." [Note 1]

CANDLESTICKS: The same rubric which prescribes that a crucifix be placed on the altar, provides that it be elevated between two candlesticks containing wax candles.

Before the tenth century, writers make no mention of candlesticks on the altar. Previous to that time, the candelabra were usually of great size and frequently made of precious metal. They were carried by acolytes and placed on the floor of the sanctuary near the corners of the altar. Durandus says "that at both corners of the altar a candlestick is placed to signify the joy of two peoples who rejoiced at the birth of Christ."

We may infer that these two peoples are the Jews and the Gentiles, the saints of the Old and New Laws. The practice of retaining six large candlesticks upon the high altar seems to date from the sixteenth century. It is strictly forbidden to veil the candlesticks in violet or black coverings at any time.

The Sanctus Candle is kept on the side table or credence or, in some in­stances, on the step of the altar where the server kneels. As the rubric is only directive in this regard, the custom of lighting a third candle at the Sanctus, while of considerable antiquity, is not universally practiced. The light is ex­tinguished after the celebrant has received Communion. If the celebrant is a bishop, two candles are used. A bracket may serve for this candlestick.

[Note 1] Bussard, "The Crucifix Ten and Now," Orate Fratres, Vol XII, No. 9 Page 400
_________________________
Adapted from Altar and Sanctuary, An Exposition of the Externals of the Mass
by Angela A. Glendenin (© 1939)
Published by the Catholic Action Committee
The Catholic Action Series of Discussion Club Textbooks

Special Flicks for a "Special" Church Movie Club?

In the April Newsletter (Page 12) from St Stanislaus Ex-Catholic Church (The breakaway parish in the St Louis Archdiocese) we see the following:

Movie Club
The “Movie Club” meets every other Wednesday at 6:30pm in the small room of the Polish Heritage Center. All movie lovers are invited to join us for interesting movies and free popcorn and soda.
Our future presentations:
April 11-“In Desert and Wilderness”
April 25 - “The King and I”
May 2 - “The Brokeback Mountain”
May 16 - “Kinsey”

Great movies for a so-called 'Catholic' Church "Movie Club", eh?...What kind of 'pastor' would permit such movies on parish property?

HT to Patrick for the tip...

Where's the Cardinal?

Hillary Clinton to headline fundraiser for Catholic institution

Pro-abortion senator and presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton reportedly will be the featured guest at a lunch benefit for the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, "a Catholic institution ... committed to raising public awareness of the plight of all of society's hurting youth in order to encourage support of programs that would enable them to begin healing."

The benefit will take place in Chicago on May 7, 2007

Maybe a "Catholic" Institution should invite her to St Louis? But really, what could possibly be in the minds of those who would even think about asking Clinton to a fundraiser...Maybe they consulted with the Cardinal Glennon Children's Foundation board for pointers and advice?

..Courtesy of Matt Abbott

*** Updated by LRS ***
LifeSiteNews has additional information here:

According to the Pro-Life Action League, Fr. Donahue was apparently not aware Sen. Clinton had been asked to speak at the event until he was informed of her scheduled appearance by the League. [Fr. Scott Donahue is the current president of the organization.]

However, Mercy Home spokesman Mark Schmeltzer told LifeSiteNews.com that Fr. Donohue was approached by Chicago Cardinal Francis George about the upcoming Clinton fundraiser. "The Cardinal had some very understandable misgivings but he just wanted to be assured this was not a political stop," Schmeltzer told LifeSiteNews.com.

As a Catholic, I find this to be more than "having misgivings" - it is offensive and truly scandalous that this agent of death was even considered to be worthy of having a platform in a Catholic institution to spew her poison.

The USCCB document, "Catholics in Political Life" states:

The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.

Is Clinton not being given a platform, regardless of her topic of conversation?

It's rather disconcerting, to say the least, that many bishops do not seem to have the will, courage, or fortitude of others, [such as Archbishop Burke], to act as the shepherd rather than the hired hand, to do all that they can to keep the wolves from the sheep, despite the disguises the wolves use to gain access...

As noted in the most recent Meditation-The Priest at Prayer (here):
Our Lord describes the hireling who

sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees . . . because he is a hireling, and he has no care for the sheep; and because the shepherd flees, the wolf catches and scatters the sheep. (John 10:11-13)

And this:

Christ's Wrath will be the equal of His overflowing love that made Him give life and blood to the task of redeeming souls and snatching them from the wolves of hell.

"The day will surely come, and is not far off, when the Shepherd of shepherds will reveal Himself to the whole world and will reveal the works of each one; and He who now chastises the sins of others through His priests will on that day Himself condemn the evil wrought by His priests, and condemn with unmatched rigor." (Hom. 17 on Luke - St. Gregory, Pope)

There are some bishops and priests who understand this. Sadly there are too many who do not.

Updates on Pope Benedict in Brazil via American Papist

In one week's time (from May 9th-14th) Pope Benedict will visit the most populous Catholic nation on earth: Brazil.

It will be his most distant Apostolic journey by far, as is very evident from this map of the countries he has visited so far as Pontiff. AmericanPapist will be trying to give you the very best coverage St. Blogs has to offer. To help me do that, please feel free to email me links (especially to video and multimedia content...

It might be well worth bookmarking the page above at AmericanPapist...

President Promises Veto of Homosexual "Hate Crime" Bill if Passed

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Executive Office of the President has issued a statement promising to veto "hate crimes" bill H.R. 1592 should it be approved in Congress today. Concerned Women for America, one of the leading groups fighting the legislation praised the President's move. "We thank President Bush for honoring our nation's constitutional tradition of equal protection under the law," said Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues at Concerned Women for America.

"...The Administration notes that the bill would leave other classes (such as the elderly, members of the military, police officers, and victims of prior crimes) without similar special status. The Administration believes that all violent crimes are unacceptable, regardless of the victims, and should be punished firmly."

Aren't the fringe leftists, socialists, and communists in Congress committing "hate crimes" against the country and the people? Are not some guilty of sedition and treason? And what of those who encourage and promote every kind of abortion - is that not a crime against humanity, the hatred of life and an acceptance of a selective form of genocide?

SNAP: Archdicocese hid sex crimes

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Although a priest signed a written confession in 1978 admitting to sexual abuse of boys, the Archdiocese of St. Louis allowed him to continue serving parishes for more than a decade after that, a victims' rights group said today.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, planned an afternoon news conference to announce the settlement of a suit against the Rev. Donald "Duck" Straub over abuse that happened in 1973 and 1974. At the time, Straub was a seminary student working at Resurrection Parish in St. Louis. The victim was 13 when the abuse began.

SNAP officials said that in 1978, parents of other children at the parish had come forward alleging sexual abuse, prompting a confession signed by Straub and witnessed by Bishop John Wurm, since deceased.
* * *
SNAP director David Clohessy called the 1978 document "by far the oldest and clearest evidence that the archdiocese knew about a predator and kept silent for this long."

Catholic Bishops To Discuss Anti-Semitism

ROME (EJP)---The world’s top bishops have made a discussion of the issue of anti-Semitism one of their top priorities in advance of an international Roman Catholic conference to be held in Italy next year.

In a preparatory document for the October 2008 conference released last week, a whole section was dedicated to the relationship between the Church and the world Jewish community.
* * *

But some are concerned about removing restrictions of the Tridentine Mass with its prayer for the conversion of the Jews:

The traditional Latin Mass was outlawed in 1965 but some Catholics have called for a revival.

It reads: "Let us pray also for the Jews, that the Lord our God may take the veil from their hearts and that they also may acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ."

No , the "Latin Mass" was not "outlawed" but then, consider the source, and consider the sources of the reporter(s)...

As far as the prayer, we should pray for the conversion of the Jews and for the conversion of all, including ourselves...

Rabbi David Rosen president of the International Jewish Committee for Inter-religious Consultations said ..."We are alerting the Vatican that elements of the prayer provide implications for Catholic and Jewish relations"...

100 Years Ago - 1907

The year is 1907. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes!

Here are some stats for the Year 1907:
************************************
The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in 1907 was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !
# # #

Imagine what the world may be like 100 years from now...Hopefully our Lord will have returned by then!

Thank God for the experts (Required Reading)

Where would we be, without the counsel provided by experts, such as those wise students of human nature who kept telling bishops that Father X was ready to return to parish work, and could be trusted around the altar boys?

Things have changed in the last few years, of course, and the experts are now busy devising child-saftey programs. Early in April, Catholic educators had the privilege of hearing about their latest work. . .

Continued here...

11 Countries on "Religious Freedom" Watch List

USCIRF Names 11 Countries of Particular Concern, Puts Iraq on Watch List

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today announced its 2007 recommendations to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on “countries of particular concern,” or CPCs. The 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) requires that the United States designate as CPCs those countries whose governments have engaged in or tolerated systematic and egregious violations of the universal right to freedom of religion or belief.

“The issue of religious freedom is now understood to have a profound impact on our own political and national security interests as well as on political stability throughout the world,” said Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer.

The Commission’s recommendations for CPC designation for 2007 are: Burma, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Source.

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for May

VATICAN CITY, MAY 1, 2007 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for May is: "That, following the example of the Virgin Mary, all Christians should allow themselves to be guided by the Word of God and always remain attentive to the signs of the Lord in their own lives."

His mission intention is: "That in mission territories there may be no lack of good and enlightened teachers in the major seminaries and in the institutes of consecrated life."

Amen!

Source.

Gospel for May 3, Feast: Sts. Philip and James, Apostles

From: John 14:6-14

Jesus Reveals the Father (Continuation)

(Jesus said to Thomas), [6] "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me." [7] "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; henceforth you know Him and have seen Him.

[8] Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." [9] Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father?' [10] Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. [11] Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the words themselves.

[12] "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. [13] Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; [14] if you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
_______________________

Commentary:

4-7. The Apostles did not really understand what Jesus was telling them: hence Thomas' question. The Lord explains that He is the way to the Father. "It was necessary for Him to say `I am the Way' to show them that they really knew what they thought they were ignorant of, because they knew Him" (St. Augustine, "In. Ioann. Evang.", 66, 2).

Jesus is the way to the Father--through what He teaches, for by keeping to His teaching we will reach Heaven; through faith, which He inspires, because He came to this world so "that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life" (John 3:15); through His example, since no one can go to the Father without imitating the Son; through His merits, which make it possible for us to enter our Heavenly home; and above all He is the way because He reveals the Father, with whom He is one because of His divine nature.

"Just as children by listening to their mothers, and prattling with them, learn to speak their language, so we, by keeping close to the Savior in meditation, and observing His words, His actions, and His affections, shall learn, with the help of His grace, to speak, to act, and to will like Him.

"We must pause here...; we can reach God the Father by no other route...; the Divinity could not be well contemplated by us in this world below if it were not united to the sacred humanity of the Savior, whose life and death are the most appropriate, sweet, delicious and profitable subjects which we can choose for our ordinary meditations" (St. Francis de Sales, "Introduction to the Devout Life", Part II, Chapter 1, 2).

"I am the way": He is the only path linking Heaven and Earth. "He is speaking to all men, but in a special way He is thinking of people who, like you and me, are determined to take our Christian vocation seriously: He wants God to be forever in our thoughts, on our lips and in everything we do, including our most ordinary and routine actions.

"Jesus is the way. Behind Him on this Earth of ours He has left the clear outlines of His footprints. They are indelible signs which neither the erosion of time nor the treachery of the Evil One have been able to erase" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 127).

Jesus' words do much more than provide an answer to Thomas' question; He tells us: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life". Being the Truth and the Life is something proper to the Son of God become man, who St. John says in the prologue of his Gospel is "full of grace and truth" (1:14). He is the Truth because by coming to this world He shows that God is faithful to His promises, and because He teaches the truth about who God is and tells us that true worship must be "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23). He is Life because from all eternity He has divine life with His Father (cf. John 1:4), and because He makes us, through grace, sharers in that divine life. This is why the Gospel says: "This is eternal life, that they know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent" (John 17:3).

By His reply Jesus is, "as it were, saying, By which route do you want to go? I am the Way. To where do you want to go? I am the Truth. Where do you want to remain? I am the Life. Every man can attain an understanding of the Truth and the Life; but not all find the Way. The wise of this world realize that God is eternal life and knowable truth; but the Word of God, who is Truth and Life joined to the Father, has become the Way by taking a human nature. Make your way contemplating His humility and you will reach God" (St. Augustine, "De Verbis Domini Sermones", 54).

8-11. The Apostles still find our Lord's words very mysterious, because they cannot understand the oneness of the Father and the Son. Hence Philip's persistence. Then Jesus "upbraids the Apostle for not yet knowing Him, even though His works are proper to God--walking on the water, controlling the wind, forgiving sins, raising the dead. This is why He reproves him: for not recognizing His divine condition through His human nature" (St. Augustine, "De Trinitate", Book 7).

Obviously the sight of the Father which Jesus refers to in this passage is a vision through faith, for no one has ever seen God as He is (cf. John 1:18; 6:46). All manifestations of God, or "theophanies", have been through some medium; they are only a reflection of God's greatness. The highest _expression which we have of God our Father is in Christ Jesus, the Son of God sent among men. "He did this by the total fact of His presence and self-manifestation--by words and works, signs and miracles, but above all by His death and glorious resurrection from the dead, and finally by sending the Spirit of truth. He revealed that God was with us, to deliver us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to eternal life" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 4).

12-14. Before leaving this world, the Lord promises His Apostles to make them sharers in His power so that God's salvation may be manifested through them. These "works" are the miracles they will work in the name of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 3:1-10; 5:15-16; etc.), and especially the conversion of people to the Christian faith and their sanctification by preaching and the ministry of the sacraments. They can be considered greater works than Jesus' own insofar as, by the Apostles' ministry, the Gospel was not only preached in Palestine but was spread to the ends of the earth; but this extraordinary power of apostolic preaching proceeds from Christ, who has ascended to the Father: after undergoing the humiliation of the cross Jesus has been glorified and from Heaven He manifests His power by acting through His Apostles.

The Apostles' power, therefore, derives from Christ glorified. Christ our Lord says as much: "Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it". "It is not that he who believes in Me will be greater than Me, but that only that I shall then do greater works than now; greater, by him who believes in Me, than I now do by myself without Him" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 72, 1).

Jesus Christ is our intercessor in Heaven; therefore, He promises us that everything we ask for in His name, He will do. Asking in His name (cf. 15:7, 16; 16:23-24) means appealing to the power of the risen Christ, believing that He is all-powerful and merciful because He is true God; and it also means asking for what is conducive to our salvation, for Jesus is our Savior. Thus, by "whatever you ask" we must understand what is for the good of the asker. When our Lord does not give what we ask for, the reason is that it would not make for our salvation. In this way we can see that He is our Savior both when He refuses us what we ask and when He grants it.
_________________________
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.

The Priest at Prayer, May 3

The Priest and the Eternal Truths
Mortal Sin in the Priest

Sixth Meditation

Harm done by the Scandalous Priest

I. Harm to individual souls

Our passions seek a support - pretexts, excuses, at least some glimpse of good - and never have they found a more solid one than the life of the bad priest. If the person appointed to defend morality with his conduct, his words and his ministry; if he whose name and garb seem a living reproach to evil; if he who commands God's grace and God's strength to tame the unruly impulses of the heart and of fallen human nature; if he sets an example of sin, what will the other mortals do who are supposed to look up to him as their guide, their master, and their model?

The best defense, an impregnable defense, of evil living is the bad priest; he is the unwholesome yeast that leavens and corrupts the entire mass of the faithful who know him.

II. Harm to the flock

There are thousands of communities whose history is befittingly epitomised in St. Paul's cutting reproach: Sine Deo in hoc mundo; whole towns and villages that have in actual fact apostatised; that have fled from Holy Church for all time; without the Sacraments even at the hour of death; where all the efforts of the most skillful and zealous pastor to bring them back to God meet with failure; from which the very radical capacity for conversion seems to have been torn away by some accursed power.

Don't you know, or haven't you heard, of these pitiful apostasies? How many parishes there are even in countries of Catholic tradition more difficult to convert than the heathen or the followers of Mohammed! A priest will spend all the energies of a lifetime of apostleship in a parish like this, and, when presented to the Divine Judge, he will be forced to say:

Master, we have laboured all through the night and have caught nothing.

Look for the primary cause of that obstinacy, and you will nearly always come across a scandalous priest. So terrible is the power for evil of the bad priest!

III. Harm to the whole Church

Try to find a heretic, a calumniator, or any opponent of the Church, who in his attacks and diatribes does not base his hostility on crimes committed by the Church's ministers: you will not find one.

The heresies of our times - if from a doctrinal point of view they deserve the name and not that of sheer apostasy - those social and political systems that have de-christianised the masses and severed from Jesus Christ and from the bosom of His Church the nations united to Him for many centuries, what new dogmas, what great sophisms, have they brought to their own defense? Ordinarily, just one: the dishonoring of the clergy, covering them in the mire of calumny, the bringing to light of our personal shortcomings; and by that expedient alone they have succeeded in persuading thousands upon thousands of souls to renounce Christ and consider Him no longer their Saviour and their God.

Have there not been in my priestly life, dear Lord, evil deeds that in the hands of Thy enemies have become thorns to Thy brow, spittle to Thy face, a tattered cloak of derision upon Thy shoulders, presenting Thee thus disfigured to the eyes of the gullible masses with the sarcastic Ecce Homo?

Resolution
I shall make an impartial study of my life to see whether there is anything - any sinful practice, any habit of doubtful morality, any friendship - open to suspicion - whereby I am a stumbling-block to my neighbor; or at least, any sin of omission: slackness in the fulfilment of my duties, want of circumspection in my speech, etc. For I am convinced that it is not necessary to be a great sinner to be the cause of scandal. It could happen that the only basic reason for my condemnation before Christ would be my having caused the downfall of the weak by my thoughtlessness.
_________________________
Adapted from The Priest at Prayer
by Fr. Eugenio Escribano, C.M. (© 1954)
Translated by B.T. Buckley, C.M.

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

From CFAM: Homosexual Hands Off Poland! Sign the petition...

Dear Colleague,

The power of the radical homosexual movement in Europe has just been shown. The European Parliament just voted to condemn Poland on what they term “homophobia.” What was Poland’s crime? The Polish Prime Minister said that Polish school children should not be subject to “homosexual propaganda.”

Polish authorities have also resisted demands from radical homosexuals that they be allowed to march in the streets. If you live in any major city you know these marches where leather boys and pedophiles march freely and disruptively through the streets.

The response of the European Parliament was to pass a resolution calling these sensible actions “hate speech” and asks competent legal authorities to take action against these officials and the government of Poland.

This is outrageous and all people of good will must stand with the Polish people against the radical homosexual movement in the European Union.

I ask you to go immediately to the petition “Homosexual Hands Off Poland” at www.c-fam.org/handsoffpoland.php.

The petitions will be delivered to the Polish authorities on Thursday, May 10. I will personally deliver them to Polish Members of the European Parliament and to members of the Polish government when I am in Warsaw for the World Congress of Families.

We only have a few days to get as many names as possible. I urge you to go to www.c-fam.org/handsoffpoland.php and sign the petition, then send this message to everyone you know. We need to deliver thousands of names of supporters from all over the world. I especially urge those in the EU countries to get this message to everyone you know. We must tell the radicals in the European Union to keep homosexual hands off of Poland!

Go to www.c-fam.org/handsoffpoland.php and sign the petition and send this email message to everyone in your address book.

Yours sincerely,
Austin Ruse
President
C-FAM

PS: Poland stands almost alone in the European Parliament against an enormous coalition of radicals. Poland needs our help right now. Please sign the petition at www.c-fam.org/handsoffpoland.php and help Poland fight back.

Perhaps if the Polish people had received this kind of "enlightened" education , they would be more open to the demands of tyrannical dictators, pagans and anarchists.

Former "Catholic" Governor Discerning True "Vocation"

...to follow in episcopagan Bishop Robinson's footsteps, it appears...

Former Gov. James E. McGreevey has started the process to become a priest in his newly adopted Episcopal faith and hopes to begin a three-year seminary program in the fall.

McGreevey, who often described himself as a devout Catholic while in public office, was officially received into the Episcopal religion on Sunday, at St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan, and is now part of the church's "discernment" phase that usually precedes any seminary work, said the Rev. Kevin Bean, vicar at St. Bartholomew.

Holy Week Pictures (from the FSSP)

An Album of pictures here.

A Good Deal for the Best Catholic News

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