Jul
17
The “Catholic Double-Life”
July 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I came across this article of a “Theology on Tap” talk given yesterday by Archbishop Chaput of Denver at World Youth Day 2008. The talk was exactly on point in discussing the double-life we are expected to lead as Catholics and the inherent dangers faced by our soul, our Church, and our society if we so choose [...]
Jul
16
The Brown Scapular
July 16, 2008 | 3 Comments
Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, the patron saint of the Carmelites - St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Theresa de Lisieux (the “Little Flower”), St. Edith Stein, St. Simon Stock.
One of the great devotions handed down to us from the Carmelites is the Brown Scapular.
Don’t know anything [...]
Jul
15
Men & Abortion
July 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
What always intrigues me about the abortion debate is how men are relegated to the sidelines.
We are told that a father has no rights unless he is married to the mother and that those rights only kick in after his child is born. It is entirely up to the mother as to whether she even wants to tell the [...]
Jul
13
Another Lost Laborer
July 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I find two gospel passages especially meaningful for how I want to live my life.
One is Matthew 9, where Christ proclaims -
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
The other is today’s gospel from Matthew 13, where Christ preaches the parable of [...]
Jul
7
Parenting Mistakes
July 7, 2008 | 1 Comment
Msn. com has an article on the ten biggest mistakes we can make as parents -
Spoiling kids
Inadequate discipline
Failing to get involved in school
Praising mediocrity
Not giving kids enough responsibility
Not being a good spouse
Setting unreal expectations
Not teaching kids to fend for themselves
Pushing trends on kids
Not following through
I think I’ve been guilty of all ten at one point [...]
Jul
6
Sunday Morning Marriage Counseling
July 6, 2008 | 1 Comment
Ah, so this explains my wife’s and my marital bliss -
“Churchgoing married couples happier, study says - Catholic News Agency
“Charlottesville, VA, Jul 5, 2008 / 08:03 pm (CNA).- A new analysis of three major national surveys claims that married couples who attend church together tend to be happier than couples who rarely or never attend [...]
Jul
5
Novena Prayer for Voters
July 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Our parish has started saying a novena prayer for the November elections. As elections matter and the government is involved in every aspect of our lives, it’s probably a good idea for us to call upon God and the intercession of Mary, America’s patron saint, to ensure we pick the best leaders.
Here’s the prayer, which [...]
Jul
4
It’s, Independence Day!
July 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment
In my very humble opinion, I believe it is the duty of every American to read the Declaration of Independence on Independence Day. Not only is it the founding document of our nation, it sets forth the birthright of every member of the human race, every child of God, no matter where they are born in the world.
And we [...]
Jul
3
Counter-Culture to Culture
July 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I love history, especially trying to learn how we got to where we are at from where we were. One thing that puzzles me is how we got to our current culture, especially considering that it was considered the counter-culture forty years ago.
So, how did the counter-culture become the culture? And what should we do about [...]
Jul
2
“Jesus, please leave?”
July 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Today’s gospel (Matthew 8) has the townfolk asking Christ to leave their town. What was his offense? He cast the demons out of two men, redirected them into a herd of pigs, and then the pigs ran into the sea.
The people of the town were afraid at what they witnessed. They couldn’t [...]
