Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Sand in my eyes
Looking around on certain Facebook groups I've noticed something. Because we are all stuck on social media sites like Facebook and twitter, we think we've escaped wanting real life. The truth is, these sites (or the people on these sites) are attempting to find ways to interact as though we are actually in the room with them. I continue to see these pictures (which I admit to liking some) that say "like in 2 seconds if you like this hairstyle" or "like in 1 second if you did this as a kid." Even more telling are the pictures that have become as bad a chain emails. Ones like, "like this if you love your mom, keep scrolling if you don't." Some if these scare tactic posts even involve if you truly love God, but something tells me He is beyond Facebook likes.
Why are we not satisfied with simply speaking to our friends through comments, statuses, and chat?
I think we miss the interaction of actually going out and simply hanging out with people. There is never a purpose of hanging out, you simply sit and talk.
There is nothing wrong with interacting on social media, but it's becoming obvious that, for some people, they use it as a replacement for actual social interaction. We think that we are more connected now than ever because of the Internet, but I think it also separates us a great deal.
As an introvert, it's very tempting to simply "stay home." If you stay home, you don't have to worry about interacting. You can login and logout as you choose. Wrong. Today, we are so fixated on our "internet friends," that we barely take the time to login to the real world.
We constantly check for notifications or retweets and we are never truly free. How many if us turn off our computer at night, only to climb in bed and check Facebook one more time on our mobile devices. It's like we have a constant devotion to our new friend the Internet itself.
Maybe we should all take some time to unplug for a while. Read a book. Go outside. Talk to people. You'll be glad you did.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Those crazy Catholics
As Catholics, we are notorious for not knowing the Bible as well as other Christian denominations. It's almost become a bit of a joke for me and some friends. If someone tries to quote a Bible passage and fails, we joke saying, "Oh, we're Catholics. We aren't supposed to know the Bible anyway."
But, how bad has it gotten when we don't truly appreciate what our faith is?
With so much debate surrounding the HHS Mandate, I've seen constant posts on Facebook. While many of these are opposing the mandate, there are a few that are taking this opportunity to point out the fact that many Catholics use contraceptives anyway. I'm not going to get into this point so much, but I would wonder if this argument would change if we changed the sin to murder. "Well, the pope should allow Catholics to murder because they're just going to murder without his permission anyway."
This may seem like I'm taking it to the extreme, but how can you justify something as alright, when our Church clearly teaches it to be wrong. Just because many Catholics fall into this trap, doesn't mean it's right. Many Catholics seem to have forgotten how horrible abortion is as well (or at least are indifferent to it) and it's still wrong. That's a debate for another time...
What's bothering me a lot right now is how some Catholics are questioning their faith. Now, they won't see it as that exactly. They think they are questioning the "hierarchy" of the Church. They see the pope and anyone up there as the old guys who make the rules. If these Catholics would take a look at their faith, however, they would realize that these guys DO NOT make the rules...God does. In other words, if you have an issue with how the Church is set up...you're going to have to take it up with God. He's your Father, talk to Him. He's always waiting for you to stop in for a visit.
Have we forgotten who the true Author of the Church is? Have we forgotten that the pope is not making the decisions for the Church, but God is working through him?
Have we forgotten?: http://www.catholicscomehome.org/answers-papacy.php
(My blog won't let me connect links for some reason, so you just have to select and go to the websites yourself.)
This thought is as horrifying as the poll results that showed that many Catholics didn't realize that the Church believes that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.
"The Eucharist. The Real Presence. Transubstantiation...it's first grade, Spongebob!"
What is happening? Why are we forgetting our faith?
A surprising secular article: http://www.businessinsider.com/time-to-admit-it-the-church-has-always-been-right-on-birth-control-2012-2
"Here's the thing, though: the Catholic Church is the world's biggest and oldest organization. It has buried all of the greatest empires known to man, from the Romans to the Soviets. It has establishments literally all over the world, touching every area of human endeavor. It's given us some of the world's greatest thinkers, from Saint Augustine on down to René Girard. When it does things, it usually has a good reason. Everyone has a right to disagree, but it's not that they're a bunch of crazy old white dudes who are stuck in the Middle Ages."
Don't tell us our faith is outdated when the world is just too worldly to handle the Truth.
But, how bad has it gotten when we don't truly appreciate what our faith is?
With so much debate surrounding the HHS Mandate, I've seen constant posts on Facebook. While many of these are opposing the mandate, there are a few that are taking this opportunity to point out the fact that many Catholics use contraceptives anyway. I'm not going to get into this point so much, but I would wonder if this argument would change if we changed the sin to murder. "Well, the pope should allow Catholics to murder because they're just going to murder without his permission anyway."
This may seem like I'm taking it to the extreme, but how can you justify something as alright, when our Church clearly teaches it to be wrong. Just because many Catholics fall into this trap, doesn't mean it's right. Many Catholics seem to have forgotten how horrible abortion is as well (or at least are indifferent to it) and it's still wrong. That's a debate for another time...
What's bothering me a lot right now is how some Catholics are questioning their faith. Now, they won't see it as that exactly. They think they are questioning the "hierarchy" of the Church. They see the pope and anyone up there as the old guys who make the rules. If these Catholics would take a look at their faith, however, they would realize that these guys DO NOT make the rules...God does. In other words, if you have an issue with how the Church is set up...you're going to have to take it up with God. He's your Father, talk to Him. He's always waiting for you to stop in for a visit.
Have we forgotten who the true Author of the Church is? Have we forgotten that the pope is not making the decisions for the Church, but God is working through him?
Have we forgotten?: http://www.catholicscomehome.org/answers-papacy.php
(My blog won't let me connect links for some reason, so you just have to select and go to the websites yourself.)
This thought is as horrifying as the poll results that showed that many Catholics didn't realize that the Church believes that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.
"The Eucharist. The Real Presence. Transubstantiation...it's first grade, Spongebob!"
What is happening? Why are we forgetting our faith?
A surprising secular article: http://www.businessinsider.com/time-to-admit-it-the-church-has-always-been-right-on-birth-control-2012-2
"Here's the thing, though: the Catholic Church is the world's biggest and oldest organization. It has buried all of the greatest empires known to man, from the Romans to the Soviets. It has establishments literally all over the world, touching every area of human endeavor. It's given us some of the world's greatest thinkers, from Saint Augustine on down to René Girard. When it does things, it usually has a good reason. Everyone has a right to disagree, but it's not that they're a bunch of crazy old white dudes who are stuck in the Middle Ages."
Don't tell us our faith is outdated when the world is just too worldly to handle the Truth.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
"God saw you were getting tired
And it was not meant to be,
So He put His arms around you
And whispered,''come to me''.
With tearful eyes we watched you
And saw you pass away,
Although we loved you dearly
We could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating
Hard working hands at rest
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best."
And it was not meant to be,
So He put His arms around you
And whispered,''come to me''.
With tearful eyes we watched you
And saw you pass away,
Although we loved you dearly
We could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating
Hard working hands at rest
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best."
Friday, November 25, 2011
A secular discovery
Stumble upon this on your own did ya?:
Secular views on couples living together before marriage
"But it wasn’t because Kristin wasn’t serious about the guy (they’d end up getting engaged a year later), and it wasn’t for religious reasons, either." Of course we can't agree with those crazy religious people lol.
I don't agree with everything in this article, but I do think it's funny they are trying to put a "fresh spin" on it so they don't sound like some religious person. See, there are reasons for these things outside of the faith aspect. God knows what He's doing!
Secular views on couples living together before marriage
"But it wasn’t because Kristin wasn’t serious about the guy (they’d end up getting engaged a year later), and it wasn’t for religious reasons, either." Of course we can't agree with those crazy religious people lol.
I don't agree with everything in this article, but I do think it's funny they are trying to put a "fresh spin" on it so they don't sound like some religious person. See, there are reasons for these things outside of the faith aspect. God knows what He's doing!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Ten years later...
Ten years ago today I walked back into our 8th grade classroom and noticed the TV was on. It wasn't unusual for Mrs. H to have it turned on but the fact that she hadn't greeted us or given us any instructions seemed odd. Eventually I began to take in the scene of the Twin Towers and the chaos that surrounded.
I honestly did not understand the seriousness of the matter. They kept referring to the World Trade Center, but I had never known the Twin Towers by that name. And, the only reason I would remember the Twin Towers was because of a Nickelodeon movie about their mascot Stick Stickly and his twin brother who had met each other there.
It wasn't until later that day that I realized how serious the matter was. I believe I was returning from my band lesson and as I walked back into the front doors of the school, I remembered the principal locking the front doors. She was speaking to another teacher saying something like, "If something happens here, I don't want them to wonder why we had not locked the doors. It was that moment when I think I began to understand that this wasn't just some far off threat, it could happen in our home too.
Another moment of understanding came at some point that day when a student wanted to call his Dad, an airline pilot, to make sure he was alright.
I remember talking to my brother that night (who was away at college). I asked him "how he was" or something of that nature and he replied, "Well, the World Trade Center fell over."
These are my strongest memories from that day. Of course more information was released in the following days, months, and years. It wasn't until later that I fully grasped how many lives were lost or were changed that day.
I still pray for the victims of 9/11 and for their families. I pray for those that did this and for those that applaud their efforts. Prayer can do amazing things, maybe even change enemies into friends. We need to look at that Mass readings from this week and learn to forgive. I know I would probably have a more difficult time if I was closer to the tragedy, but that does not devalue the message of Jesus Christ.
Pope Benedict 16th:
"The tragedy of that day is compounded by the perpetrators' claim to be acting in God's name," Pope Benedict said. "Once again, it must be unequivocally stated that no circumstances can ever justify acts of terrorism."
"Every human life is precious in God's sight and no effort should be spared in the attempt to promote throughout the world a genuine respect for the inalienable rights and dignity of individuals and peoples everywhere."
I honestly did not understand the seriousness of the matter. They kept referring to the World Trade Center, but I had never known the Twin Towers by that name. And, the only reason I would remember the Twin Towers was because of a Nickelodeon movie about their mascot Stick Stickly and his twin brother who had met each other there.
It wasn't until later that day that I realized how serious the matter was. I believe I was returning from my band lesson and as I walked back into the front doors of the school, I remembered the principal locking the front doors. She was speaking to another teacher saying something like, "If something happens here, I don't want them to wonder why we had not locked the doors. It was that moment when I think I began to understand that this wasn't just some far off threat, it could happen in our home too.
Another moment of understanding came at some point that day when a student wanted to call his Dad, an airline pilot, to make sure he was alright.
I remember talking to my brother that night (who was away at college). I asked him "how he was" or something of that nature and he replied, "Well, the World Trade Center fell over."
These are my strongest memories from that day. Of course more information was released in the following days, months, and years. It wasn't until later that I fully grasped how many lives were lost or were changed that day.
I still pray for the victims of 9/11 and for their families. I pray for those that did this and for those that applaud their efforts. Prayer can do amazing things, maybe even change enemies into friends. We need to look at that Mass readings from this week and learn to forgive. I know I would probably have a more difficult time if I was closer to the tragedy, but that does not devalue the message of Jesus Christ.
Pope Benedict 16th:
"The tragedy of that day is compounded by the perpetrators' claim to be acting in God's name," Pope Benedict said. "Once again, it must be unequivocally stated that no circumstances can ever justify acts of terrorism."
"Every human life is precious in God's sight and no effort should be spared in the attempt to promote throughout the world a genuine respect for the inalienable rights and dignity of individuals and peoples everywhere."
Friday, July 08, 2011
It is so easy for us to give into the world. The world constantly tells us that our faith is "outdated," "ignorant," or even "hateful."
The problem with society is that it believes that if you are going against the majority, something about your way of thinking must be wrong. We are trained to be so tolerant of others, while being told that our ways are too archaic.
We can easily become numb to what goes on in the world in terms of premarital sex, homosexual acts, or even abortion, that we begin to act as though nothing is wrong.
An example of this appeared on Oprah today. I know I probably should avoid watching the show, but I was looking for something interesting. She was hosting a reunion of some popular soap opera and introduced on of the major stars. She and the actress proceeding to talk about the major impact that this character had on culture including the promotion of homosexual relationships and even the "first legal abortion" on a tv show. They discussed these things as though they were accomplishments.
This is what we face today. Society tells us that these people are heroes because they stand up for those that cannot defend themselves. How are relationships such as the one on the show considered accomplishments? Why is the institutionalized murder of a living, breathing child something to be proud about?
The people believe that they are accomplishing major goals for mankind, but they are truly tearing humanity apart at its core.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
15
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.
16
Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."
We need to pray for these people and society. In an age where God is not welcomed into the home, school, or office, we need to remind these people that God is always waiting for them to come home. We cannot even comprehend God's mercy.
"Let nothing upset you;
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything is changing;
God alone is changeless.
Patience attains the goal.
Who has God lacks nothing;
God alone fills every need."
The problem with society is that it believes that if you are going against the majority, something about your way of thinking must be wrong. We are trained to be so tolerant of others, while being told that our ways are too archaic.
We can easily become numb to what goes on in the world in terms of premarital sex, homosexual acts, or even abortion, that we begin to act as though nothing is wrong.
An example of this appeared on Oprah today. I know I probably should avoid watching the show, but I was looking for something interesting. She was hosting a reunion of some popular soap opera and introduced on of the major stars. She and the actress proceeding to talk about the major impact that this character had on culture including the promotion of homosexual relationships and even the "first legal abortion" on a tv show. They discussed these things as though they were accomplishments.
This is what we face today. Society tells us that these people are heroes because they stand up for those that cannot defend themselves. How are relationships such as the one on the show considered accomplishments? Why is the institutionalized murder of a living, breathing child something to be proud about?
The people believe that they are accomplishing major goals for mankind, but they are truly tearing humanity apart at its core.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
15
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.
16
Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."
We need to pray for these people and society. In an age where God is not welcomed into the home, school, or office, we need to remind these people that God is always waiting for them to come home. We cannot even comprehend God's mercy.
"Let nothing upset you;
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything is changing;
God alone is changeless.
Patience attains the goal.
Who has God lacks nothing;
God alone fills every need."
Sunday, May 01, 2011
JP2
When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society.
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Monday, April 18, 2011
Holy...Monday
This Holy Week, I begin to think about the state of Christianity in the world today. Everywhere I turn, there is hatred for the Christian lifestyle. The media claims that we are a Church of hate because of the way we live. Because we stand up for the sanctity of marriage and the sacredness of every human life, we are considered too traditional or even intolerant of others.
“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
The world believes that it is freer than ever because of so much “tolerance.” The truth is, we are not free of materialism and selfishness, it consumes us. We want everything in excess, whether it is money, items, or even some sort of fake love. Society believes that all of this will make people happy, but when you continue to hoard items on your boat, you’re bound to sink.
True Christianity goes against all of that. We are to follow the perfect example of Christ. Not only did God create all of us and everything we need, but, when we failed, He sent His only Son to save us. And, not only that, our Lord, Jesus Christ took on human flesh to do this. He gave the ultimate sacrifice in the most…sacrificial way. If I was suffering so much and I knew that I had a way out, I probably would take that way out, wouldn’t you? He didn’t. He did all of this for you and me, even though we fail over and over.
P4MAIP4U
“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
The world believes that it is freer than ever because of so much “tolerance.” The truth is, we are not free of materialism and selfishness, it consumes us. We want everything in excess, whether it is money, items, or even some sort of fake love. Society believes that all of this will make people happy, but when you continue to hoard items on your boat, you’re bound to sink.
True Christianity goes against all of that. We are to follow the perfect example of Christ. Not only did God create all of us and everything we need, but, when we failed, He sent His only Son to save us. And, not only that, our Lord, Jesus Christ took on human flesh to do this. He gave the ultimate sacrifice in the most…sacrificial way. If I was suffering so much and I knew that I had a way out, I probably would take that way out, wouldn’t you? He didn’t. He did all of this for you and me, even though we fail over and over.
P4MAIP4U
Friday, March 11, 2011
Please pray
Please pray for the people of Japan and other victims of the recent natural disasters.
These images are truly heartbreaking and these people need our prayers.
Sorry about the ad before the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKh-QaeT6rc
Can you imagine your loved ones and everything you own being swept away by water right after a major earthquake?
These images are truly heartbreaking and these people need our prayers.
Sorry about the ad before the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKh-QaeT6rc
Can you imagine your loved ones and everything you own being swept away by water right after a major earthquake?
This little light of mine
Light a virtual candle and say a prayer:
http://www.lightingacandle.org/Candles/
http://www.lightingacandle.org/Candles/
Word Made Flesh
An archive of some cool quotes about the Blessed Sacrament and you know how much I love quotes!
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/tes/quotes11.html
Some of my favorites:
"Who is Jesus to me? Jesus is the Word made Flesh. Jesus is the Bread of Life. Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the cross. Jesus is the sacrifice offered at holy Mass for the sins of the world and for mine. Jesus is the Word - to be spoken. Jesus is the Truth - to be told. Jesus is the Way - to be walked. Jesus is the Light - to be lit. Jesus is the Life - to be lived. Jesus is the Love - to be loved,"
- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
"Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament....There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth, and more than that: death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste (or foretaste) of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, that every man's heart desires,"
- J.R.R. Tolkien
"By a beautiful paradox of Divine love, God makes His Cross the very means of our salvation and our life. We have slain Him; we have nailed Him there and crucified Him; but the Love in His eternal heart could not be extinguished. He willed to give us the very life we slew; to give us the very Food we destroyed; to nourish us with the very Bread we buried, and the very Blood we poured forth. He made our very crime into a happy fault; He turned a Crucifixion into a Redemption; a Consecration into a Communion; a death into Life Everlasting,"
- from Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's This is the Mass
And a cool video of a sort of mobile Adoration through the streets of NYC:
Watch
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/tes/quotes11.html
Some of my favorites:
"Who is Jesus to me? Jesus is the Word made Flesh. Jesus is the Bread of Life. Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the cross. Jesus is the sacrifice offered at holy Mass for the sins of the world and for mine. Jesus is the Word - to be spoken. Jesus is the Truth - to be told. Jesus is the Way - to be walked. Jesus is the Light - to be lit. Jesus is the Life - to be lived. Jesus is the Love - to be loved,"
- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
"Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament....There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth, and more than that: death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste (or foretaste) of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, that every man's heart desires,"
- J.R.R. Tolkien
"By a beautiful paradox of Divine love, God makes His Cross the very means of our salvation and our life. We have slain Him; we have nailed Him there and crucified Him; but the Love in His eternal heart could not be extinguished. He willed to give us the very life we slew; to give us the very Food we destroyed; to nourish us with the very Bread we buried, and the very Blood we poured forth. He made our very crime into a happy fault; He turned a Crucifixion into a Redemption; a Consecration into a Communion; a death into Life Everlasting,"
- from Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's This is the Mass
And a cool video of a sort of mobile Adoration through the streets of NYC:
Watch
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
New and Improved
Like the new layout?
I feel like it's less obnoxious :)
Happy Ash Wednesday by the way! Today is the day that we can actually recognize other practicing Catholics.
One reason I love Ash Wednesday is because of it's counter-culture-ness. In modern times, religion seems to be in hiding. Secularists would rather see God-fearing folk in their churches and not causing scenes. Too bad because here comes trouble :)
Interesting article about ashes:
Wearing the Poppy, Wearing the Ashes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rFrWGjKTcU
I feel like it's less obnoxious :)
Happy Ash Wednesday by the way! Today is the day that we can actually recognize other practicing Catholics.
One reason I love Ash Wednesday is because of it's counter-culture-ness. In modern times, religion seems to be in hiding. Secularists would rather see God-fearing folk in their churches and not causing scenes. Too bad because here comes trouble :)
Interesting article about ashes:
Wearing the Poppy, Wearing the Ashes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rFrWGjKTcU
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Does anybody see what I see?
Stuff like this bugs me:
http://news.yahoo.com/video/miamicbs4-15750840/teacher-criticized-for-how-she-sent-a-note-home-24445195
Sure, maybe the kid was embarrassed. Did the Mom ever stop to think that maybe his humiliation would stop him from acting out in class?
This may not have been the best way to deal with the situation, but I am so tired of kids acting out and no real discipline as a result.
Amy Chua has some interesting points about this:
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/11/132833376/tiger-mothers-raising-children-the-chinese-way
This is why people are sooo messed up today. As children, they were taught that they could do no wrong. Now as adults, they can't understand why they aren't receiving gold medals for waking up in the morning.
Commitment people!
Abigail: Have you forgotten what you used to say to me, I haven't. Commitment, Abby, commitment. There are only two creatures of value on the face of this earth - those with a commitment and those who require the commitment of others. Do you remember John?
http://news.yahoo.com/video/miamicbs4-15750840/teacher-criticized-for-how-she-sent-a-note-home-24445195
Sure, maybe the kid was embarrassed. Did the Mom ever stop to think that maybe his humiliation would stop him from acting out in class?
This may not have been the best way to deal with the situation, but I am so tired of kids acting out and no real discipline as a result.
Amy Chua has some interesting points about this:
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/11/132833376/tiger-mothers-raising-children-the-chinese-way
This is why people are sooo messed up today. As children, they were taught that they could do no wrong. Now as adults, they can't understand why they aren't receiving gold medals for waking up in the morning.
Commitment people!
Abigail: Have you forgotten what you used to say to me, I haven't. Commitment, Abby, commitment. There are only two creatures of value on the face of this earth - those with a commitment and those who require the commitment of others. Do you remember John?
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Don't Text and Drive
Please watch this and pass it on:
TXT and Drive
Keep your phone in a safe place, and don't let it distract you.
TXT and Drive
Keep your phone in a safe place, and don't let it distract you.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Ichthys
Recently, I had an awkward conversation with one of my classmates. Not that the content was especially awkward,it was more that I wanted to leave but for some reason, we kept talking.
Somehow, we got to a point where we were talking about how she does not like to go home often. After a while, she explained that she is the daughter of two Presbyterian ministers. I explained that I didn't know much about the Presbyterian denomination, and she went on to explain that, because of this connection, all of the Presbyterians in her town judge her actions. She also went on to explain that her Dad and step-Mom did not care for her fiancé.
Somewhere in the conversation, I mentioned that I was Catholic.
In order to make more of a connection, I told her about how my brothers are both in the seminary. She didn't seem to understand that the statement meant that they both hoped to be Catholic priests someday.
At one point, she finally seem to understand because she said, "Oh, so they are going to become the Catholic priests that don't have kids."
So I answered, "Well, yeah. They don't get married."
She then said, "That must be hard to live alone..except for with just guys."
I then replied, "It's not hard, it's a sacrifice." Looking back, I probably should have said, "it may be difficult, but it is a sacrifice."
It's funny how, the world today, acts like a teenage child acting a certain way just to make it's Father angry.
Until that conversation, I had never seriously thought about how much I need to represent my brothers, and all religious for that matter. When people hear that someone is Catholic, they seem to immediately think of the scandals going on or maybe they think that no one is a "real" Catholic anymore (more the Nancy Pelosi types I guess).
When people ask me about my brothers, I feel like I need to defend them as well as all priests, seminarians, and religious that I know (or don't know).
When Michael first entered the seminary, I seemed to get all of these new uncles. I feel much more connected to the Church and its priests. Not that I wasn't connected before, I just feel more responsible in the representation of the Church. But, we should all feel that way, all the time.
Catholics should defend their priests in these trying times. They are walking through the lions den, and their parishioners should be right there with them. In a time when people only associate the Church with scandal, these priests and religious are true heroes.
Pray for your priests and be armed with information! When someone finds out you are a Catholic, show them your love for the Church and its servants.
When someone draws that Ichthys in the sand, don't ignore it. Profess your faith and finish drawing that fish!
Monday, January 24, 2011
March for Life
This video shows the biased nature of the media when it comes to the March for Life every year. The media constantly chooses to ignore the March despite the overwhelming numbers of marchers.
Media Malpractice at the March for Life
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Putting the humanity back into the human
Philadelphia doctor who performed abortions charged with murders
I wish stories like this would wake people up from their ignorant slumber.
Even if, for some reason, you support abortion excerpts like, "...a search of Dr. Gosnell’s clinic had turned up bags and bottles that contained aborted fetuses.
'Jars containing the severed feet of babies lined a shelf,' the statement said," should shake you to the core. You should begin to realize the evils of abortion.
"Gosnell 'induced labor, forced the live birth of viable babies in the sixth, seventh, eighth month of pregnancy and then killed those babies by cutting into the back of the neck with scissors and severing their spinal cord.'"
(http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/19/philadelphia-abortion-doctor-charged-counts-murder/)
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