The Lost Parish...of Frisco

"The Lost Parish" (SFGate.com) the first of a 3-part article tell the closing of St. Brigid Church in San Fransisco.

Father Cyril O'Sullivan of St. Brigid's has a short podcast on this: HERE

Along with the bankruptcy of the San Diego Diocese, the continued bashing of the Catholic Church in the media (numerous documentaries I've come across), times are hard in California.

Yet I can't help be feel a definite strength in our Church. I've noticed our youth group growing at our parish. They seem to have a scene of resolve...maybe a better word is TRUST. Trust in the Holy Spirit to guide the bride of Christ (His Church). I must say it's inspiring. They are certainly unafraid to go against the tide of society.

They are like the new green leave on the tree of Spring.

Europe...into the Twilight...

Just read an interesting news post at CWN (Europe headed into twilight of history, Pope warns).

It appears, the Holy Father said, "that the European continent is losing confidence in its future." As a result, he said, the European Union "seems to be on a path that might lead to its twilight in history."

What made this a bit more interesting to me as the theory that the U.S. should be more like Europe. In it's government style, health care, justice system (U.S. Judges seem to be sighting more and more statutes of European court rulings).

It's been reported that the church attendence across the pond is growing smaller and smaller. It seem a little weird knowing that once upon a time the Catholic Church was the way of life in Europe. Not just on Sunday's but an everyday way of life.

Pope Benedict stated flatly that "it is unthinkable that we can build an authentic common European house by disregarding the identities of the peoples of this continent of ours. It is an historical, cultural and moral identity even before it is a geographic, economic or political reality. It is an identity built on a set of universal values in which Christianity played a role in molding them, which gives it a role that is not only historical but also foundational vis-à-vis Europe."

Here in the U.S. we see a simular pattern of those points B16 notes. It may seem we don't have much control to stem this trend...however I believe we have more control than we are willing to admit.

It all begins with our family and our children. How we as parents shape them in their growing years. Passing our faith on to them, most importantly. Teaching them through example about marriage and family

Sip of Coffee and a good morning read....

Hmmm, that coffee taste good this morning. Thought I'd share my Friday morning reading run-down as I start my morning here on the West Coast...

Ignatius Insight has the morning highlights:
- Hey Jude...ussss
- Faith in the Triune God, And Peace in the World...by B16
- The Tale of Trent

Just got my March copy of Homiletic & Pastoral review in the mail but the online version has some great articles:
- The Danger of Criticizing Bishops and Priests
- Is Christianity a Comfortable Religion?
- Party Politics and the Priesthood
- NFP: A Defense and an Explanation (Sean Hannity should read this one)

Catholic World News has the top stories
- The "Hannitization" of faith
- Ave Maria retains Father Fessio in new capacity
- Censured Jesuit author explains resistance to Vatican

From the News Room:
- Iran seizes 15 British Navy personnel (I'm watching this one closely)
- Millionaire Gives Mansions to Homeless (cool..)

Enjoy...

WCC +<><

Another Cardinal Martini Moment...

To think that Cardinal Martini of Milan was a leading contender in the last Papal Elections sends shivers down my spine. Thank God for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Retired Cardinal Martini again has voiced his dissent against Church teaching by placing his support behind a proposal for legal recognition of same-sex unions in Italy.

“The Church does not give orders,” Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini told a large congregation of Italian visitors to Bethlehem on March 15. The Italian cardinal’s remarks were generally perceived as a criticism of efforts by other Italian Church leaders to defeat a proposal for legal recognition of same-sex unions."(CWN)

The retired Cardinal uses the same ploy that many individuals use to implant their ideas of changing Church teachings on such issues as abortion, Gay rights, birth control and condom use, women priest, and the list goes on. These individuals and groups claim that the Church isn't open to dialogue or discussion.

Kind of reminds me when my kids were quite young, and they would hound me, oh lets say, to see a movie with their friends that wasn't' appropriate or a TV show that was popular with the kids at school but again wasn't in the best interest of the spiritual well being. Sometimes you have to be a parent whether it appeases the children or not.

Same thing with the Church. She is our guide, the our guardian of our souls. Some non-catholics would call that "following blindly, what the church says". Within the church dissenters follow the "... we are the church and we know better", claim.

This example from Cardinal Martini:
In his homily the retired cardinal said that the Church should engage in open dialogue with non-believers, and attempt to make Catholic teachings persuasive to a secular audience. “It is necessary to listen to others, and when speaking to use terms that they understand,” he said.

It seems that the news is bring forth more and more claims of decent in the Church although I personally don't think that it's all that unusual. The Church has had many dissenters throughout it's 2000 years, both from within and outside.

Let's continue to pray for the Church and the Holy Father and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Another Cardinal Martini Moment...

To think that Cardinal Martini of Milan was a leading contender in the last Papal Elections sends shivers down my spine. Thank God for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Retired Cardinal Martini again has voiced his dissent against Church teaching by placing his support behind a proposal for legal recognition of same-sex unions in Italy.

“The Church does not give orders,” Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini told a large congregation of Italian visitors to Bethlehem on March 15. The Italian cardinal’s remarks were generally perceived as a criticism of efforts by other Italian Church leaders to defeat a proposal for legal recognition of same-sex unions."(CWN)

The retired Cardinal uses the same ploy that many individuals use to implant their ideas of changing Church teachings on such issues as abortion, Gay rights, birth control and condom use, women priest, and the list goes on. These individuals and groups claim that the Church isn't open to dialogue or discussion.

Kind of reminds me when my kids were quite young, and they would hound me, oh lets say, to see a movie with their friends that wasn't' appropriate or a TV show that was popular with the kids at school but again wasn't in the best interest of the spiritual well being. Sometimes you have to be a parent whether it appeases the children or not.

Same thing with the Church. She is our guide, the our guardian of our souls. Some non-catholics would call that "following blindly, what the church says". Within the church dissenters follow the "... we are the church and we know better", claim.

This example from Cardinal Martini:
In his homily the retired cardinal said that the Church should engage in open dialogue with non-believers, and attempt to make Catholic teachings persuasive to a secular audience. “It is necessary to listen to others, and when speaking to use terms that they understand,” he said.

It seems that the news is bring forth more and more claims of decent in the Church although I personally don't think that it's all that unusual. The Church has had many dissenters throughout it's 2000 years, both from within and outside.

Let's continue to pray for the Church and the Holy Father and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Into Great Silence - Review

Wow, just saw the movie on Saturday at a theater on Santa Monica Blvd. This was one of those old movie theaters that has a single screen with a curtain that draws back as the movie begins.

What kind of scared me was when I purchased my ticket, the first thing I noticed was that it listed the movie as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".

I thought to myself, "..well, I'm a little under dressed for the event."

For those familiar with the movie, it's not one that you would ( or at least shouldn't) pack the house with attending Catholics. Evidently, they have a showing of the rocky horror show every weekend evening at midnight. I planned to be well out of the area before then.

I was surprised to see how well attended the showing was; it was a packed house!

The movie was as advertised, no narrative voice over or music score except for the Gregorian chant that was heard in a few chapel scenes.

I don't think I could "give away the plot" because it wasn't that kind of movie. It was something I hadn't previously experienced before. It truly lived up to the title...Into the Great Silence... and I mean that in the best way possible.

The simple life of these monks, the beautiful environment of the French Alps, the giving of ALL for God just left me with a scene of wanting to share in that silence. It did take about 45 minutes or a little more to really leave behind the worldly distractions I brought with me to the movie, but I slowly began to appreciate this unique experience.

This is a must see so don't miss it. Check for a showing near you. Oh.. don't bring young children as they could get restless.......... and definitely bring your Teens. They (as we all) could learn from the lives of these simple monks.

For more see my previous post...

Eucharistic Miracles

I found this link with some interesting information about Eucharistic Miracles.

There are a number of PDF's which tell about the miracles in numerous countries.

There's also a bunch of articles about the Real Presence.

The Holy Eucharist

I've been following an online debate, discussion, between a Catholic and a non-catholic. The topic is centered mostly on 'Authority'. Who has the authority to interpret the Bible. Who's right and who's wrong if both come up with different interperetations and both claim to be guided by the Holy Spirit?

This interpretation issue has focused on the John 6 interpretation of the Holy Eucharist. This being the essential core of the Catholic faith and this being the Lenten season, I thought this would be a topic worth of more than a few post.

I was on my way home from work the other day and since I'm blessed with being able to listen to EWTN on my Sat-Radio (I have a 2hour commute, each way), I was able to listen to Father Mitch Pacwa and Father O'Connor talk about this subject. This show was followed by a Lenten Mission given by Very Reverend Casey, C.P.M., Superior General of the Fathers of Mercy. Again the topic was the Holy Eurcharist.

Even Pope Benedict is heading the march on reminding us of the sacredness of this prescious gift with his new post-synod document on the Eucharist, which will be released on March 13.

So first, a collection of Early Church Father quotes on the Eucharist:

Transubstantiation

"For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour,having been made flesh and blood for our salvation,so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word,and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished,is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh."Justin Martyr,First Apology,66(A.D. 110-165),in ANF,I:185

"He acknowledged the cup (which is a part of the creation) as his own blood,from which he bedews our blood; and the bread (also a part of creation) he affirmed to be his own body,from which he gives increase to our bodies."Irenaeus,Against Heresies,V:2,2(c.A.D. 200),in NE,119

"Then, having taken the bread and given it to His disciples, He made it His own body, by saying, 'This is my body,' that is, the figure of my body. A figure, however, there could not have been, unless there were first a veritable body. An empty thing, or phantom, is incapable of a figure. If, however, (as Marcion might say,) He pretended the bread was His body, because He lacked the truth of bodily substance, it follows that He must have given bread for us. It would contribute very well to the support of Marcion's theory of a phantom body, that bread should have been crucified! But why call His body bread, and not rather (some other edible thing, say) a melon, which Marcion must have had in lieu of a heart! He did not understand how ancient was this figure of the body of Christ, who said Himself by Jeremiah: 'I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter, and I knew not that they devised a device against me, saying, Let us cast the tree upon His bread,' which means, of course, the cross upon His body. And thus, casting light, as He always did, upon the ancient prophecies, He declared plainly enough what He meant by the bread, when He called the bread His own body. He likewise, when mentioning the cup and making the new testament to be sealed 'in His blood,' affirms the reality of His body. For no blood can belong to a body which is not a body of flesh. If any sort of body were presented to our view, which is not one of flesh, not being fleshly, it would not possess blood. Thus, from the evidence of the flesh, we get a proof of the body, and a proof of the flesh from the evidence of the blood. In order, however, that you may discover how anciently wine is used as a figure for blood, turn to Isaiah, who asks, 'Who is this that cometh from Edom, from Bosor with garments dyed in red, so glorious in His apparel, in the greatness of his might? Why are thy garments red, and thy raiment as his who cometh from the treading of the full winepress?' The prophetic Spirit contemplates the Lord as if He were already on His way to His passion, clad in His fleshly nature; and as He was to suffer therein, He represents the bleeding condition of His flesh under the metaphor of garments dyed in red, as if reddened in the treading and crushing process of the wine-press, from which the labourers descend reddened with the wine-juice, like men stained in blood. Much more clearly still does the book of Genesis foretell this, when (in the blessing of Judah, out of whose tribe Christ was to come according to the flesh) it even then delineated Christ in the person of that patriarch, saying, 'He washed His garments in wine, and His clothes in the blood of grapes'--in His garments and clothes the prophecy pointed out his flesh, and His blood in the wine. Thus did He now consecrate His blood in wine, who then (by the patriarch) used the figure of wine to describe His blood."Tertullian,Against Marcion,40(A.D. 212),in ANF,III:418-419

MORE>>

"I'm Fine.."

The first words out of the mouth of a woman who was in a coma for 6 years.

(Christy Lilly-kttv.com)

"Every morning," said Smith (her mom), "I always check on her when I wake up, before I go to the bathroom. I always say, ‘Hi baby, how are you doing?’ She said, ‘I'm fine’ and that's when I knew she was awake." A two-word answer that changed everything.

Christy Lilly suffered from a heart attack, then a stroke. I love the how Minnie Smith, her daughter and care giver, put her thoughts.

"The good Lord let me know she's alright, he brings her back to visit every so often and I'm thankful for that,"

What a wonderful attitude, to care for someone for 6 years and trust in the Lord. The sad part is that Christy has resently slipped back into a coma.

In the meantime, Minnie will continue caring for Christa: doing what a mother does best.

"I never gave up on my daughter and I never will," she said.

And she hopes and prays this time next year, Christa will be back for good.

Reminds me of the tragic Shivo story.

Into Great Silence

Thank you Jimmy (Jimmy Akin) for bringing this to my attention.

Nestled deep in the postcard-perfect French Alps, the Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the world's most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Gröning, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks' quarters for six months—filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one—it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. Official Web Site

Here's where you can watch this limited showing: HERE

I'm marking my calendar

More Bone to Pick...

More information debunking the "Titanic Hoax" as I call it.

Michael Barber of "Singing In The Reign" has a good analysis. He has a 7 point break down and number one Is:

1. They found no bones of Jesus. Everyone looks over that--in fact, when I first posted on this I was even under the impression that Cameron was talking about finding "bones" of Jesus. Even if this was the tomb of the founder of Christianity, there is still no body in it. Of course, it isn't Jesus' tomb anyway as we will explain, I just thought I ought to point that out.

Carl Olson of "Insight Scoop" also has some detailed thoughts of Evangelical biblical scholar Ben Witherinton III

Remember the tale of the Titanic? How it was supposed to be impregnable, and nothing could poke holes in it? How it would never be sunk? Well all I can say is that human hubris knows no bounds, and that hasn’t changed in the last century. On April 15th 1912 the supposedly leak proof Titanic rammed into an iceberg and sank—sank like a giant stone. Sank quickly, with great loss of life.

"Why do I bring this up? Because in one of the interesting ironies in recent memory, James Cameron the movie director who made the enormously successful film “Titanic”, on the night after the Oscars, will give an Oscar winning performance at a news conference along with Simcha Jacobovici who have now produced a Discovery Channel special on the discovery of Jesus’ tomb, ossuary, bones, and that of his mother, brothers, wife, and his child Jude as well! Who knew! The show will air on March 4th. In addition we are now regaled with a book by Simcha and Charles Pellegrino entitled The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History just released today by Harper-Collins timed to co-ordinate with their news conference and the Discovery Channel special. Why should we be skeptical about this entire enterprise?"

Jimmy Akin (jimmyakin.org) promises his input on the subject soon.

I love to read and these fellows are a lot smarter than I. So I offer their links as a good source to learn more on the subject.

The Stars and The Scientology Tent

Father Jonathan over at Fox News as a three part-er on Scientology and it's popularity with the Hollywood scene.

Part I: Scientology and the Modern Depiction of the Divine
Part II: Understanding Scientology
Part III: Responses and Reactions To Last Week's Articles

He gives a brief breakdown on what this sect (...well I wouldn't call it a religion) is all about plus the third installment is on email responses to his piece.

... a good read with the second cup of coffee...it's still early here on the West Coast (7:35am)

WCC +<><

Sign of the Cross...for Protestants

I read this article at Christianity Today's website (The Shape of Faith) and I was pleasantly surprised.

First I'v got to give Carl Olson's website Insight Scoop a plug since it was his blog that brought this to my attention. It's a great sight and is a daily visit on my 'coffee-in-the-morning' list.

Anyway, do you find yourself sheepishly making the sign of the cross as you say grace in a restaurant? While saying the rosary in the car, do you sign yourself and notice the person in the car next to you giving you an odd look.

You could almost read his/her thoughts, "Oh... a Catholic"

Well this article was kind of inspirational to me. The article is, if you haven't already guessed, on signing one self or making the sign of the cross.

"In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross," wrote Tertullian at the turn of the third century, A.D. In the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom (apparently anticipating an American Express slogan) wrote, "never leave home without making the sign of the cross."

...More importantly, the sign of the cross is a lesson in discipleship. As Andreopoulos, from an Eastern Orthodox perspective, and Ghezzi, from a Roman Catholic perspective, both show, making sign of the cross is a powerful act of daily prayer, dedication, and remembrance. Ghezzi writes that at its heart, the sign of the cross is "a simple gesture and … a simple prayer."

Wow, I usually don't get a positive response making the sign of the cross. The article has a little history lesson on the origin of the sign of the cross and it ends with a pleasant thought.

"... this previously ignorant Protestant, for one, has decided to introduce the sign of the cross into his daily prayer, as a link with the early church, a sign of God's claim on me, and a reminder of the mystery of the Trinity."

... and a wake up call to us Catholics.

"Whether we practice it or not, the sign of the cross is one manifestation of how physical—how embodied—worship really is. It can be as simple as raising our hands during a praise song, sitting up straight when the first few chords of a hymn are struck, or closing our eyes and folding our hands to pray. All of these motions have become ingrained in our body language of worship. Like the sign of the cross, they contain great potential for physical demonstration and remembrance of a deeper meaning—and also great potential for becoming so routine that eventually we do them out of mere habit—or worse, for show.

From centuries ago, Chrysostom admonishes us to mean what we do. "You should not just trace the cross with your finger," he wrote, "but you should do it in faith."

No more sheepish signing. Sign yourself boldly...in faith.