St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Youth

The Dew Drop

2012-03-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

As the sun rose, a dew drop became aware of its surroundings. There it sat on a leaf, catching the sunlight and throwing it back out. Proud of its simple beauty, it was very content. Around it were other dew drops, some on the same leaf and some on other leaves round about. The dew drop was sure that it was the best, the most special dew drop of them all.

Ah, it was good to be a dew drop.

The wind rose and the plant began to shake, tipping the leaf. Terror gripped the dew drop as gravity pulled it towards the edge of the leaf, towards the unknown. Why? Why was this happening? Things were comfortable. Things were safe. Why did they have to change? Why? Why?

The dew drop reached the edge of the leaf. It was terrified, certain that it would be smashed into a thousand pieces below, sure that this was the end. The day had only just begun and the end had come so quickly. It seemed so unfair. It seemed so meaningless. It tried desperately to do whatever it could to cling to the leaf, but it was no use.

Finally, it let go, surrendering to the pull of gravity. Down, down it fell. Below there seemed to be a mirror. A reflection of itself seemed to be coming up to meet the dew drop. Closer and closer they came together until finally...

And then the fear transformed into deep joy as the tiny dew drop merged with the vastness that was the lake. Now the dew drop was no more, but It had become one with the whole.

Mass & Bible Study Tonight

2012-03-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Lord be with you! This Sunday's readings are:
READING 1: GENESIS 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing-
all this because you obeyed my command."

READING 2: ROMANS 8:31B-34
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us, who will condemn?
Christ Jesus it is who died-or, rather, was raised-
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.

GOSPEL: MARK 9:2-10
Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.

REFLECTION
God reveals truths for the present.

"God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, "Abraham!"

"Here I am!" he replied." (Genesis 22:1)

I was recently asked to not speak in absolutes, which when told to me I had to chuckle. If it were not for behaving and speaking in absolutes I would not be alive today.

The Call to follow God is absolute. But, while his call is absolute, the God of Abraham is different from the gods of contemporary pagan religions, in that this God rejects and prohibits the ritual sacrifice of children.

Abraham discovers a painful truth in today's Genesis reading (22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18). Our disturbing narrative only makes sense against the background of the eighth-century BC child sacrifice practiced in the northern part of the Holy Land.

During that period, the author of Genesis not only attacks the pagan fertility cults which demand such sacrifices, but also tries to defuse the accusation that Israelites -- who don't sacrifice their children -- are less dedicated to Yahweh than their pagan neighbors -- who engage in such rituals -- are dedicated to their gods.

The passages in II Kings condemning those Israelite kings who forced their children to "pass through the fire," confirm that some of Yahweh's people also engaged in these disgusting practices.

Abraham and Sarah are the first Jews. Because of their relationship with Yahweh, they feel called to take faith in a new direction. They gradually discover the God they follow doesn't demand people take a life in order to guarantee life. They concentrate on the harm of child sacrifice instead of its benefits.

Our sacred author assures us that Abraham and Sarah are willing to sacrifice their only child if Yahweh actually demands it. But an animal substitute provides the same benefits as a first-born son's death.

Through the centuries we Christians have developed practices which today seem just as un-Christian as child sacrifice. Can we forget the church's 200-year Crusade experiment? To avoid such aberrations, we must listen to today's other two readings.

Paul reminds the Romans (8:31-34) of one of our faith's fundamental truths: "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but handed Him over for us all, how will He not also give us everything else along with Him?" There's no reason to think Jesus ever wants us to take another's life, or inflict meaningless physical or psychological pain on ourselves.

Have you ever been on a retreat? In a lot of ways this Sundays Gospel could describe a retreat. Jesus takes three of his disciples away to be “apart by themselves” in a beautiful place. There, they have an experience that will change their life forever. Think back this week on the times that you went to another place, maybe Confirmation retreat, and experienced something that changed your life forever. Maybe a vacation? Maybe a hike in the woods? Who were you with? What happened? How did the experience change you? Did you experience or notice things in different ways because you were away from your normal life?

Consider doing something “extra” to take yourself away from your normal life and open you up to pray this Lenten season. You might go to Youth Bible Study on Thursday night, pray the Stations of the Cross or just sing praises to our risen Lord in the car.

Note the two people appearing with the transfigured Jesus: Elijah and Moses. By positioning Jesus between Moses, the lawgiver, and Elijah, the prophet, Mark (9:2-10) tells us that Jesus represents all of Scripture. That seems to be why he mentions that, after the transfiguration, Jesus' disciples "no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them."

Be alone with Jesus and let him change your life forever! Join us Thursday for Mass at 7pm, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Godly Men

2012-02-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

"Find a guy who loves your heart more than your looks. Who guides you when you stray from God. Who will lay under the stars worshipping with you or will stay awake just to pray for you. Wait for the guy who pursues you, who values your thoughts, who wants to show the world the joys he is blessed with. Who isn’t ashamed of the truth. Who is most attracted to you when you’re on fire for the Lord and insists that He can hold you tighter than he can. The one who constantly reminds you of Whose you are and how blessed he is to share relationship with you. The one who turns to God and says “thank you so much for her." ~Brian Beesley

Vote Catholic

2012-02-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Do you consider yourself politically literate? Politically active? Distinctively Catholic?

2012 marks a year of presidential election, pivotal Congressional races, and likely votes over same-sex marriage and for a new governor in the state of Washington. Plenty of other issues will be debated and positions contested in the coming months. These things matter. They shape our society.

Recently, someone helped me discover a great Catholic website for being an informed voter. If you want to know what the Church says on key issues and candidates, here's a great place to start: http://www.catholicadvocate.com/category/2012-election/. Read it. Research it. Pray it. Be informed.

Does this sound like anyone you know?

2012-02-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Does this sound like anyone you know?

A young man resistant to the Catholic faith. He doesn’t ever seem to get it. What’s the point?

His devout mother pushing for Baptism and Confirmation, praying unceasingly for her fallen-away son. A sensible father who wants a great education for his son, even if it comes at the expense of his son’s faith upbringing. The priority, his dad says, is to give the boy every chance at wealth and influence.

The young man grows up studying science, learning about the vastness of the universe, and growing to understand himself as a sexual being.

College comes. He goes away to study philosophy and be enlightened. What little faith he has diminishes further as he discovers the many ways reason trumps the existence of God. Religion, he comes to believe, is a useless relic that serves to pollute minds, start wars, and divide people.

As a young adult, he finds himself a woman he thinks he loves. He moves in with her. They have a son. It is a civil marriage if not a sacramental one. They live together but don’t share much other than physical intimacy. The relationship eventually ends. Not long after he starts a new romance. Same pattern. Same result.

He jokes often with friends that his prayer to God is this: “Grant me chastity, but not yet.”

The true love of his life is his career. An articulate, powerful speaker, he uses his rhetorical abilities to quickly rise up the professional ladder. He is an excellent student and after undergraduate studies are complete, he earns a PhD within a few years. Armed with a number of fine mentors, the man is discussed as a possible candidate for political office if his career arc continues.

In fact, he rises to a top academic position by his mid-thirties. But he is unfulfilled. His mother’s pleas take root. Anguish over his lifestyle sets in. He swears off women. He is confused. He doesn’t know what he believes anymore. It is a full-blown mid-life crisis.

And in the depths of his struggle, St. Augustine of Hippo finds God. He finds what he is missing in the Bible, in the Church, in the sacraments. He is finally baptized, much to his mother’s delight, after she has been praying for this his entire life. He leaves his career, pledges a life of chastity, and is ordained a priest four years after his conversion. He writes some of the most influential works in Church history. He serves as a bishop for over 40 years. He speaks about his struggles with a chaste life while still having a strong sex drive, but he remains faithful. He becomes a living model for teachers of the faith, lost causes, sons for whom mothers pray endlessly, and seemingly hopeless individuals.

He is an ordinary man who discovered an extraordinary love for God only after battling with his inner thoughts and reeling and stepping back from his life to ask the fundamental questions of human existence. We need God, he realized. And that led him to pen his most famous line: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord.” Only a man who struggled so deeply could say it so profoundly.

Does this sound like anyone you know? Maybe there’s a bit of St. Augustine in each one of us.

Be Satisfied First

2012-02-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone,
To have a deep soul relationship with another,
To be loved thoroughly and exclusively.
But to a Christian, God says, “No, not until you are satisfied,
Fulfilled and content with being loved by me alone,
With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me.
With having an intensely personal and unique relationship with me alone.
Discovering that only in me is your satisfaction to be found,
Will you be capable of the perfect human relationship,
That I have planned for you.
You will never be united to another
Until you are united with me.

Exclusive of anyone or anything else.
Exclusive of any other desires or longings.
I want you to stop planning, to stop wishing, and allow me to give you
The most thrilling plan existing . . . one you cannot imagine.
I want you to have the best. Please allow me to bring it to you.
You just keep watching me, expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am.
Keep listening and learning the things that I tell you.
Just wait, that’s all. Don’t be anxious, don’t worry
Don’t look around at things others have gotten
Or that I have given them
Don’t look around at the things you think you want,
Just keep looking off and away up to me,
Or you’ll miss what I want to show you.

And then, when you’re ready, I’ll surprise you with a love
Far more wonderful than you could dream of.
You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready,
I am working even at this moment
To have both of you ready at the same time.
Until you are both satisfied exclusively with me
And the life I’ve prepared for you,
You won’t be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me.
And this is perfect love.

And, dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love.
I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me.
And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union
Of beauty, perfection and love that I offer you with Myself.
Know that I love you utterly.
For I am God. Believe it and be satisfied.
~ St. Anthony of Padua

What are you giving up for Lent?

2012-02-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

Do you need ideas for what to give up this Lent? Here are a couple articles from Life Teen to get you started:

http://lifeteen.com/weird-lent-ideas-that-will-make-you-holier/

http://lifeteen.com/what-to-give-up-25-creative-ideas-for-lent/

Whatever you give up, make it a challenging and worthy sacrifice. Giving up small luxuries reminds that God provides all we need and then some. We are dependent on the source of all life. Choose something that reminds you every day of that reality. May the Lord give you peace on your Lenten journey!

Ashes

2012-02-22T07:53:00.002-08:00

The best advice for how to receive ashes today as we begin Lent.

Ash Wednesday and Lent in Two Minutes

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer for Today

2012-02-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

Dear God,
On this day I ask You to grant this request…
May I know who I am and what I am,
Every moment of every day.
May I be a catalyst for light and love,
And bring inspiration to those whose eyes I meet.
May I have the strength to stand tall in the face of conflict,
And the courage to speak my voice, even when I’m scared.
May I have the humility to follow my heart,
And the passion to live my soul’s desires.
May I seek to know the highest truth
And dismiss the gravitational pull of my lower self.
May I embrace and love the totality of myself…
My darkness as well as my light.
May I be brave enough to hear my heart…
To let it soften so that I may gracefully
Choose faith over fear.
Today is my day to surrender anything that stands
Between the sacredness of my humanity and my divinity.
May I be drenched in my Holiness
And engulfed by Your love.
May all else melt away.
And so it is.

Wear Your Seatbelt

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2012-02-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You! The readings for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

READING 1: Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24B-25
Thus says the LORD:
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
The people I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob,
for you grew weary of me, O Israel.
You burdened me with your sins,
and wearied me with your crimes.
It is I, I, who wipe out,
for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more.

READING 2: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Brothers and sisters:
As God is faithful,
our word to you is not "yes" and "no."
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was proclaimed to you by us, Silvanus and Timothy and me,
was not "yes" and "no, " but "yes" has been in him.
For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him;
therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory.
But the one who gives us security with you in Christ
and who anointed us is God;
he has also put his seal upon us
and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

GOSPEL: Mark 2:1-12
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind
what they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk?'
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
-he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

Reflection
Read through the Gospel a few times for this Sunday. First, read through it and put yourself in the position of the paralyzed man’s friends. What would it be like to carry a paralyzed man on a mat through the town? How do you think they felt when they saw how crowded it was? How did they get the courage to climb up onto the roof? How do you think they felt when they watched their friend get up and walk?

Now read through the Gospel again, this time imagine yourself in the position of the paralyzed man. What would it feel like to have your friends carry you through town on a mat to bring you to Jesus? What do you think the paralyzed man expected to happen? Did it matter? Was he just along for the ride? There wasn’t much he could do about anything was there? When you think about it, it didn’t really matter what he thought or believed did it? If that was the case imagine how he felt when he stood up and walked!

Now read through the Gospel one more time, this time as it pertains to you, as you are today. What do you hear? What does it mean to you? How does it call you to change your life? Does it?

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Puns for Educated Minds

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian .

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. Atheism is a nonprophet organization.

12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: "You stay here; I'll go on a head."

13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: "Keep off the Grass."

15. The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

16. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

17. A backward poet writes inverse.

18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine .

21. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."

22. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says, "Dam!"

23. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One said, "I've lost my electron." The other said "Are you sure?" The first replied, "Yes, I'm positive."

25. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

Love Is

2012-02-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

This poem is by Laura, one of our own youth, and reminds us the power love has in our lives, especially on this special day meant to celebrate love itself.

Love is the purest, perfect light,
Love is kindness, gleaming white.
Love is the joy that we can see,
Love is the source, it is the key.

Love is the butterfly's gentle wing,
Love is the crown that crowns the king.
Love is the sunshine that shines on the creek,
Love is the courage that braves the weak.

Love is the child's very first smile,
Love is the laugh that's been left out a while.
Love is the puppy's strongest bark,
Love is the artist's stunning art.

Love is the rain that comes pelting down,
Love is the snow that covers the ground.
Love is the sun that shines for the day,
Love is the light that shows us the way.

Love is our food, it is our drink,
Love is the way we move, live and think.
Love is our souls, it is like perfect art,
Love lives in our minds, our thoughts and our hearts.

People Watch You

2012-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

The Lord be with you!

I have been thinking lately about how the consequences of my actions effect others when I evangelize my faith and the Church. Then the Holy Spirit revealed this story to me.

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it,it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet..'

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change .'

The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town?'

'Yes' he replied.

'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.'

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself ‘Christian. ‘Watch your thoughts ; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits..Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

World Youth Day Logo Unveiled

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Who wants to go to Rio in 2013 for World Youth Day?

The Flesh

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

"The problem with our sex-saturated culture, then, is not that is overvalues the body and sex. The problem is that it has failed to see just how valuable to body and sex really are. Christianity does not reject the body! In a virtual ode to the flesh, the Catechism proclaims: "'The flesh is the hinge of salvation.' We believe in God who is creator of the flesh; we believe in the Word made flesh in order to redeem the flesh; we believe in the resurrection of the flesh, the fulfillment of both the creation and the redemption of the flesh."
~Theology of the Body for Beginners, Christopher West

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2012-02-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You! Here are the readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time:

READING 1: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
"If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch
which appears to be the sore of leprosy,
he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest,
or to one of the priests among his descendants.
If the man is leprous and unclean,
the priest shall declare him unclean
by reason of the sore on his head.
"The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!'
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp."

READING 2 1 COR 10:31-11:1
Brothers and sisters,
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God.
Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or
the church of God,
just as I try to please everyone in every way,
not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,
that they may be saved.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

GOSPEL MK 1:40-45
A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

Reflection
As we reflect on the readings for this Sunday let’s remember if you are a leper or if you come in contact with one, you're not "looking good" enough to do your ritual duties. The issue is not contagion as a threat to physical health. (The condition here called leprosy wasn't contagious; leprosy as we know it didn't enter the Middle East until later.) It's that you have to be fit to come before the holy God, fit even on the outside.

Then with Paul writing to the Christians in Corinth, questions came up that, from our distant vantage point, seem bizarre. One such question was, "Is it OK for us to eat foods that have been previously used in pagan worship rituals?" Apparently the thrifty pagans sold or took home what the gods did not consume; a Christian could find himself shopping in a market or invited to a home where such goods were offered. In prior verses Paul has told them of course they cannot participate in pagan worship, but of course they can later buy or eat such food "without raising any question of conscience." But if someone objects "That food has been offered to idols," the Christian is to refrain, not because the idols mean anything, but in order not to scandalize the other person.

As we enter into the sacred teaching of John Paul II through The theology Of The Body in upcoming weeks, let's reflect on imitating Christ in respect to what we were created to do and be. God works from within. That is why we are called to participate in the divine nature of God, not from outside of God. Putting people “outside” our culture instead of “inside” is contradictory.

We Christians are 2,000 years old. How much older do we have to be before we're old enough to turn the outs in this world into the ins Jesus intends them to be?

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Catholic Post Its

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Former Soccer Star Training For Priesthood

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

This story comes from thepostgame.com and is written by Martin Rogers. See it in its original form here.

Phil Mulryne used to share a locker room with David Beckham, had a reality TV star girlfriend, and enjoyed all the trappings of being a Manchester United soccer star.

Yet just three years after seeing his career cut short by injuries, the 34-year-old has embarked upon a remarkable career that has taken him far away from the bright lights, big crowds and celebrity lifestyle of a modern soccer player.

Mulryne, who grew up in Northern Ireland and spent his playing career in England, recently moved to Rome -- not to transfer to one of the Italian capital’s famous soccer clubs, but to undergo training to become a Catholic priest.

His extraordinary story was revealed by former teammate Paul McVeigh, who played with Mulryne after he moved from United to Norwich City, and is now a popular media pundit.

"Unfortunately Phil struggled with injuries towards the end of his career," McVeigh said. "(He) decided to stop playing and move back to Belfast and try and decide what he'd do with the rest of his days. To my amazement, and most likely to the rest of the footballing fraternity, Phil decided to train to become a Catholic priest.

Continue reading...

Age to Age

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I like this one. The simplicity speaks to me. Almost an Indie quality to it, which is very different for Hillsong.

Saints Alive!

2012-02-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of Saints Alive! will be Friday, Feb. 17, when Fr. Jim Northrop from St. Brendan Parish in Bothell will join us as we discuss Discernment. Bring your questions and spend your Friday evening talking with Fr. Jim! We meet at Holy Family Parish in Kirkland from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Holy Family Room of the Youth Center (the northernmost building on the block), 7355 120th Ave. NE, Kirkland. Saints Alive! Eastside is a regional group for high school teens in grades 9-12 (ages 14-18) who wish to delve more deeply into our Catholic faith through the saints, prayer, Scripture, and discussion of interesting faith-related topics. A priest is present at each meeting to give a teaching and facilitate the conversation. Come join us and meet other teens who want to discuss their Catholic faith! For more information contact Julie Linde at ejlinde@earthlink.net or 425-488-8538. We are now on Facebook, too!

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2012-02-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You!

This Sunday is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

READING 1 JB 7:1-4, 6-7
Job spoke, saying:
Is not man's life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?"
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.

READING 2 1 COR 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.

GOSPEL MK 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you."
He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come."
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

Reflection
"If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!" I Corinthians 9: 16

Mark hands us today's topic on a silver platter. It jumps out at us as we proclaim the last paragraph of Sunday's Gospel reading.

The first Evangelist begins his Gospel by describing Jesus' initial days of public ministry (Mark 1:29-39). Jesus starts by announcing God's kingdom is at hand, calls his first four disciples, goes into the Capernaum synagogue where he exorcizes a demoniac, then ends up at Simon's house in time to cure his mother-in-law, and eventually sticks around through the evening when he "cured many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons...."

What a beginning! Did you notice this time he made sure not to let the demons speak so as to reveal him, “not permitting them to speak because they knew him”?

No doubt at this point his followers have press conferences set up and TV interviews scheduled. But as we hear at the end of our liturgical passage, Jesus has other plans. "Rising very early before dawn, He left and went off to a deserted place where He prayed."

Jesus Unscripted
It's important to note that throughout his Gospel Mark only has Jesus pray when He's under "messianic stress" - when He's trying to figure out what kind of Messiah He should be.

We can surmise from Mark's Gospel that the historical Jesus wasn't handed a divine script for the next 30 years. Like Job, Paul and all of us, He was expected to work out His own destiny.

Jesus faces a huge temptation that morning. He can go back to Capernaum where "everyone is looking for you," or leave town and preach in "the nearby villages."

If He decides to do the former, He'll probably live a full, rewarding life, dying in bed peacefully with His admiring family and friends gathered round.

If He opts for the latter, He runs the risk of going "one village too far," a village like Jerusalem where He'll stay alive only five days after He enters its gates.

Marcan scholars often remind us that the Greek vocabulary he employs in this passage is only found in one other place in his Gospel: the agony in the garden. The Evangelist implies Jesus had more than one "agony." This is His agony "in the deserted place."

Like all of us, Jesus reaches a point in His life in which He can continue doing "God's work" in a secure, sustaining environment. Yet He agrees to respond to a call to go beyond that peaceful existence. God is calling us as well to this "beyond."

Going Beyond
We especially see some of this beyond in today's I Corinthians passage (9:16-19, 22-23). Paul not only responds to God's call to "preach the gospel," he goes beyond: "When I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel."

He doesn't ever want anyone to accuse him of "being in it for the money." He deliberately makes himself "weak to win over the weak." Paul's convinced that some will never have the opportunity to be saved if he doesn't go beyond what he's expected to do.

On the other hand, if we do only what's expected of us and no more, we run the risk of identifying with Job (in 7:1-4, 6-7), asking, "Is not our life on earth a drudgery?...If in bed I say, 'When shall I arise?' the night drags on."

We presume both Jesus and Paul discovered that when they chose to go beyond, life was never as secure as it was before, but it certainly wasn't boring.

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Do you hear me Father?

2012-02-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

This poem is by one of our own teens from EAS. It was published on the website TeenInk.com. Read it in its original form here.

Do you hear me Father?
When I question my every belief
From the world we walk, to the air we breathe,
are you listening?
What is this hesitation in the search of your grace
to fulfill Penance, Sacraments and healing,
our devotion to see your face

I question the question
The masses of people ask
when they fill the pews
to attend the Mass
of your word.
But none of your teachings
can seem to be heard, through
empty voices too loud, too weak,
to hold our prayers
We are too proud to strip down our layers
for you

And when the priest delivers words of well wishing,
We wish to ask what it means to be Christian,
Coins of hope, dropped in a well of indecision,
are we too blind, or are we searching for vision?
Is our minds too numb to believe
we stand up from our seats and turn to the door
and with it we leave,
your lessons left on the floor

It might be that I’m to slow to ask “What could’ve . . “
Before I begin to ponder
What are we afraid of?
the castle in the sky?
Why are you walking away?
from this inviting place.
Is it our very own faith?
that has us walking away.
God can’t be replaced
in his heart we are safe
And yet we cannot understand,
we don’t want to know

Tonight, you say to yourself,
“I’m not going to pray”
Every night, every day
The same thing you say,
Why are you pushing him away?
But you don’t
Because in that morning, that feeling is betrayed
as your thoughts are displayed
to him

It’s now, the mists of my confusion, clear
your voice is sent ringing through my ears,
my trust found you in a rush of waves
and my barriers shifted,
they cracked,
and they caved

When Sunday rolls around, you walk into the pew
You’re kneeling, knees on the ground praying.
Remember, just like Jesus prayed for you
with knees on the cross, to free us from sin
His love is within, for
Love is God, and my love is in him

Do you hear that Father?
I am listening.

Health Benefits of Prayer

2012-01-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

As we head into Catholic School Week, I think it is especially timely to give thanks for our privilege of being able to pray in school. Have you ever wondered if prayer can really affect your health? That is exactly the question that led Adele M. Gill, RN, author of "7 Pathways to Hope" to study the dynamic, close correlation between health, optimism and prayer. In fact, Gill believes that optimal mental and physical health are dependent on the healing power of hope, the precursor to faith. That is, if one can hope, they can avoid the turmoil of despair and look forward to better health, which in turn, changes the chemical make-up of the mind-body connection. Studies have revealed that hope is vitally important to overall wellness.

Yet the focused medical studies in this book reveal another powerful element that has the ability to completely change health outcomes. That element is prayer. When prayer is added to the mind-body mix, something she calls the "Mind-Body-Faith Phenomenon," great things can happen.

Though not clearly understood, some medical studies have shown that the chemical changes experienced through hope and prayer help patients physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Gill believes that prayer, a direct manifestation of hope and faith in God, is a highly effective accelerant for the power of optimism. In as much as most would agree that hope helps patients heal, adding prayer is, at the very least, helpful to the promotion of overall, optimal health- in body, mind and spirit. Certainly much has been written in recent years about the mind-body connection. We understand well that the mind and body work together and are, in a sense, dynamically synchronized. The mind and body both share a certain chemistry; and poor physical health may result from untreated, anxiety and depression, which put extra wear and tear on the central nervous system, the immune system, and the cardiac system, among other things, while prayer has the opposite effect. For more information and studies check www.catholic.org.

And With Your Spirit

2012-01-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2012-01-26T13:02:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You!

This Sunday will be the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time and here are the readings:

READING 1: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Moses spoke to all the people, saying: "A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin; to him you shall listen. This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.' And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'"

READING 2: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction.

GOSPEL: Mark 1:21-28
Then they came to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are? the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Fighting evil Christ's way
"Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties." 1 Corinthians 7:32

When asked, "What was Jesus' first miracle?" most of us respond, "Changing water into wine at Cana in Galilee." That's correct if we're dealing with John's Gospel; but wrong if we're talking about the other three.

Since those who originally read the Gospels already believed in Jesus' divinity, evangelists employ miracles not to prove Jesus is God, but to show what kind of God he is. The first miracle sets the theme for the rest of the Gospel.

Just as it's significant for John's Jesus to replace the water of Judaism with the wine of Christianity, so it's significant for Mark's Jesus to begin his ministry by curing a demoniac (Mark 1:21-28).

During Jesus' earthly ministry, demons were thought of as agents of evil. But unlike our day and age, demons reached far beyond just perpetrating moral evil. When something bad or painful happened, demons were behind it. Two thousand years ago, evil and demons were synonymous.

Confronting Evil
That's why it's essential to Mark's theology that Jesus' first miracle is an exorcism. If we're to be like Jesus, then we are to eradicate evil wherever we find it. When today's Capernaum demon asks, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?" the Christian response is an emphatic, "Yes!"

If we accept the call to imitate Jesus, then there should be less evil in the world when we go to bed at night than there was when woke up that morning.

No doubt this passion to eradicate evil is also behind Paul's suggestion to the unmarried in Corinth to remain unmarried (the only passage in the Christian Scriptures which addresses celibacy).

The Apostle begins this section of his letter (I Corinthians 7:32-35) by stating, "I have no commandment from the Lord," on this issue. Everything he writes on the topic is "my opinion."

His instruction is based on two premises. First, as we heard last week, "time is running out." Jesus' Parousia is just around the corner and may disrupt marriage plans. Second, unmarried people are better able to carry out Jesus' plan to destroy evil than those who are committed to a spouse.

Marriage Okay
Since we're hearing Paul's words 2,000 years after they were first written, it's clear he was wrong about his first premise. He probably never would have encouraged anyone to live an entire natural life unmarried.

Regarding Paul's second premise, if you've seen the movie Amazing Grace you remember how William Wilberforce's wife Barbara was the major force and support behind his struggle against slavery in the British Empire during the early l9th century. He would never have succeeded in eradicating that horrific evil had he remained single.

But no matter what we think about marriage or celibacy, we must never forget Paul's disclaimer: "I tell you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you . . ."

Our Deuteronomy author hits the evil-eradicating nail on the head (Deut. 18:15-20) when he reminds his people that Yahweh will always supply us with prophets: people who cut through culture, security and even organized religion, to point out what evils should be on our eradication list.

Those who refuse to recognize or try to silence the prophets among us usually believe our culture and religion have disposed of all the evil God wants eradicated. Without prophets we have no list.

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Reminder for Moms and Dads

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you are a parent reading this blog or a teen looking for something to show your parents, here are a couple videos that remind us to teach our young people the important lessons of life. Thanks for being fathers and mothers of faith and love. Your work often goes unheralded, but it is not unappreciated.

99 Balloons

2012-01-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

This is the third time I've posted this video, but it's reminds me still of God's providence in everything we do. During a pro-life month in January, new beginnings surround us. Our world needs healing. Stories like this offer hope for how that can take place.

Happy Birthday, Susie!

2012-01-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

Our own Mama Susie turned 50 years young yesterday. Doesn't look or act it, does she? We love you, Susie. Happy birthday!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

It is Jesus that you seek

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”

~Blessed John Paul II, World Youth Day, Rome 2000

A Social Network Christmas

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Being that it feels like a White Christmas, here's a fun, modern take on the birth of Jesus.

Why I Love Religion, And Love Jesus

2012-01-19T17:06:00.001-08:00

My favorite response so far to "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." Anyone else get chills?

The Resume of Jesus

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

J E S U S C H R I S T

Address: Ephesians 1:20

Phone: Romans 10:13

OBJECTIVE
My name is Jesus -The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.

QUALIFICATIONS
I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19)
I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7)
I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7)
I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13)
The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me, (See Galatians 3:14)

OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUND
I've only had one employer, (See Luke 2:49 ).
I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful.
My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me, (See Matthew 3:15 -17)

SKILLS & WORK EXPERIENCE
Some of my skills and work experiences include: empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised, (See Luke 4:18).
I am a Wonderful Counselor, (See Isaiah 9:6). People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil, (See Proverbs 1:33 ).
Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse you of your sins, (See I John 1:7-9)

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
I encompass the entire breadth and length of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, (See Proverbs 2:6).
In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (See Colossians 2:3).
My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path, (See Psalms 119:105).
I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart, (See Psalms 44:21).

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times, (See Genesis 1:26 ).
I laid down my life so that you may live, (See II Corinthians 5:15 ).
I defeated the arch enemy of God and mankind and made a show of them openly, (See Colossians 2:15 ).
I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!
There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here.
You can read them on my website, which is located at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my website.

REFERENCES
Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healing, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance.

IN SUMMATION

Now that you've read my resume, I'm confident that I'm the only candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your heart. In summation, I will properly direct your paths, (See Proverbs 3:5-6), and lead you into everlasting life, (See John 6:47 ). When can I start? Time is of the essence, (See Hebrews 3:15 ).

Be Yourself

2012-01-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

"God calls each of us to live an authentic life. He has designed this life to perfectly integrate our legitimate needs, our deepest desires, and our unique talents. The more intimately and harmoniously these three are related, the more you become truly yourself. God doesn't call you to live an authentic life in order to stifle or control you. He invites you to live an authentic life so that, from an infinite number of possibilities, you can become the best-version-of-yourself. In a very beautiful way God wants you to be yourself. But not the self your ego wants you to be, and not the self the world wants you to be. Rather, the self God had in mind when he created you. By calling you to live an authentic life, God is saying, 'Be all I create you to be.'" ~Matthew Kelly, Rediscover Catholicism

He Knows, He Understands

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Jesus has been there. He experienced "all the pain, all the testing." Jesus was angry enough to purge the temple, hungry enough to eat raw grain, distraught enough to weep in public, fun loving enough to be called a drunkard, winsome enough to attract kids, weary enough to sleep in a storm-bounced boat, poor enough to sleep on dirt and borrow a coin for a sermon illustration, radical enough to get kicked out of town, responsible enough to care for his mother, tempted enough to know the smell of Satan, and fearful enough to sweat blood.

But why? Why would heaven's finest Son endure earth's toughest pain? So you would know that "he is able...to run to the cry of...those who are being tempted and tested and tried."

Whatever you are facing, he knows how you feel.

-Max Lucado, Next Door Savior

In Response to "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

2012-01-16T16:48:00.000-08:00

With twelve-and-a-half-million hits since Jan. 10, we can safely say the YouTube video below has gone "viral." A Seattle-Tacoma area man made "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" in a captivating, spoken-word style. His intentions were good. He loves Jesus. That's a great a foundation. But I would argue that a relationship without religion misses some vital elements of what Jesus taught.
Let's start by watching the video below. I may not fully agree, but I would say it's poetic and very well done. No wonder so many people have watched it. Just promise me that you’ll keep reading if you watch it…

What he says may seem to make sense. Religion has, after all, been invoked in many wars and painful experiences for individuals and even entire countries. There are humongous, expensive cathedrals for worshiping God, yet the hungry, sick, poor, and naked still ache in all places. Jesus criticized the hypocritical religious leaders of His day, so isn’t religion guilty by association?

These thoughts are leading, meaning you are guided to a conclusion just by listening. They make false assumptions and pit two things (for instance, church buildings versus charity) in competition when they aren’t opposed. Although I don’t want to get into a line-by-line breakdown of the video, some points should be expressed.

Wars are started for political or individual gain, not religious motivation. Typically people cite the Crusades as an exception, but the Church initiated the Crusades because Christians and Jews were oppressed in the Holy Land.
The Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world (by far!), feeding, clothing, housing, and caring for more people every day than any other organization could dream of doing. And its beautiful church doors are open to all.
Jesus did criticize hypocritical leaders of his day, but he also established the Church, gave the keys to Simon Peter (Matthew 16), and continued to build it in the Acts of the Apostles.
Plus, when we say “religion,” that’s an impossibly undefined and broad grouping. Generalizing and demonizing “religion,” the “religious,” and anything associated seems uncharitable and irresponsible. It’s like saying we shouldn’t listen to music because it hurts our long-term hearing.

When I get to thinking, I wonder why the author chose to make this video. Was it to teach? To critique other denominations? To be countercultural? To show why he doesn’t like large church organizations? What is his motivation?

The conclusion I reach is that the downfall doesn’t have to do with intention. The author wants to be close to Jesus and sees a man in his savior who broke societal norms and religious conventions. This is true.

Life Teen’s Bible Geek Mark Hart helped me realize the video fails in its execution. It’s shortsighted, dismissing the many, many millions of people who have been trying to get this religion thing right ever since Jesus died. Isn’t there value in the institution that compiled the Bible, taught it to the people, established the school and health care systems, and brought Jesus to the people in bread and wine, among other things? All this is forgotten in the video.

Certainly the Catholic Church has flaws. Popes aren’t perfect. Priests aren’t incorruptible. The people in the pews may not live as vibrantly as we should. That doesn’t negate the value of the Church, and like Mark Hart says, “Religion is the lived expression of the Church’s beliefs.”

Christ worked to fulfill the Old Covenant and make it into the New. It wasn’t just that he died. “If all that is necessary for our redemption was for Christ to die, He could have been slaughtered for our sins in Bethlehem as a child,” Hart says. Further, he says, why have a three-year public mission? Why give the keys to the Kingdom to Peter (Matthew 16, Isaiah 22)? Why train, bestow the ability to forgive sins (John 20:21-23), and commission the Apostles? Why send the Holy Spirit to be with the people in the Acts of the Apostles?

The Catholic Church came about from the life and teachings of Jesus. The Church has taught and safeguarded the Truth for 2,000 years. The Church continues to be the house where God comes to meet us in the Eucharist and Sacraments. The Bible comes from the Church, not churches from the Bible. The roots of every Christian denomination come from the Church. Our faith and everything we share comes from the Church. When lived fully, the religion our Church teaches teaches us how to be more like Christ. That’s why I need religion with my Jesus.

I don’t love religion; I love the Lord, and the Lord directs me to the religion taught by the Catholic Church, which was founded by Jesus and is preserved by the Holy Spirit, and which I need to guide me.

What do you think? This video ignited conversation. Good. Now where do we go? What do we learn? As well-made and searchingly thoughtful as some viral videos can be, there is a difference between a person’s opinion and time-tested, Holy-Spirit-inspired Truth. I hope we can continue that Truth with the help of religion. Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

Here are couple more responses to read and ponder:

http://catholicyouthministry.com/watching-youtube-religiously/

http://jimmyakin.com/2012/01/why-i-hate-people-hating-on-religion.html

Tim Tebow Motivates, Challenges Catholics

2012-01-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

'Polarizing' quarterback has no qualms about expressing himself prayerfully on or off the field.

This article is by Justin Bell of the National Catholic Register. Read it in its original form here.

The Denver Broncos trailed the Chicago Bears 10-0 deep into the fourth quarter in their Dec. 11 home game. Not surprisingly, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow said a prayer on the sideline.
But this time, a microphone picked up his petition.

“Dear Jesus, I need you. Please come through for me. No matter what, win or lose, Lord, give me the strength to honor you,” said Tebow in a 10-minute feature from NFL Films that gave an up-close look of the quarterback that game day.

The successful football trail of Tebow, 24, twinned with his outspoken Christian witness, has captured the attention of the nation this fall, also making an impact with Catholics in a range of areas.

The themes of his sideline prayer were met: a dramatic overtime victory against the Bears (13-10), followed by two losses. Now, to make the playoffs, the Broncos must win on Sunday against Kansas City or hope for an Oakland loss.

Broncos fans and Tebow observers nationwide will be looking to see how he handles the biggest game of his professional career.

“With Tebow, you just feel like every play he’s going to do whatever he can possibly do to try to make it happen,” said Kate Faughnan, a married mother of three in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“It just makes for a very unpredictable and exciting game every time.”

The catchword for Tebow news stories this fall is “polarizing,” as he is frequently described as the most polarizing player in the NFL or in sports.

Tebow generates excitement for his running, physical style of quarterbacking and admiration for his Christian witness. His critics take issue with both areas: questioning whether he should be a quarterback at all and if the football sphere is an appropriate place for religious witness.

However, the proportion of fans to critics and the degree of their opinions is unknown.

“To say he’s the most polarizing influence or individual in the NFL, I think is overstating it by a long shot,” said Curtis Martin, the president and founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (Focus).

But Martin, a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, called attention to other NFL players’ past brushes with the law and other questionable behavior and suggested such actions were “quite a bit more polarizing than a guy who is standing up for his Christian faith.”

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Happiness

2012-01-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

"I believe God wants us to be happy. I believe God gave us this yearning for happiness that constantly preoccupies our hearts. It seems he has placed this yearning within each human heart as a spiritual navigational instrument designed to lead us to our destiny. God himself is the author of our desire for happiness. The philosophy of Christ is the ultimate philosophy of human happiness. It isn't just a way of life; it is the way of life. At the same time, the philosophy of Christ is one of self-donation. This is the great paradox of God's teaching. In our midguided adventures, we may catch glimpses of happiness as we live outside of the philosophy of Christ. You may even taste happiness for a moment living a life contrary to the philosophy of Christ, but these are stolen moments. They may seem real, but they are just shadows of something infinitely greater." -Matthew Kelly, Rediscover Catholicism

Opening Prayer for Epiphany of the Lord

2012-01-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

Pay particular attention to the opening prayer in today's liturgy celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord. It's of striking beauty and depth.

"Father of Light, unchanging God, today you reveal to all peoples the resplendent fact of the Word Made Flesh. Your light is strong. Your love is near. Draw us beyond the limits this world imposes to the life where your Spirit makes all life complete."

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2012-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You!

This Sunday we celebrate The Epiphany (the revealing of Jesus as the Christ to the Gentiles) of the Lord. Our readings are:

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

I love this time of year, you know why? It’s not because of the holidays – too stressful. It’s not because my birthday is coming up – hint, hint.

Give up?

FOOTBALL.

35 collage Bowl games ending with the national championship. NFL postseason ending with the Super Bowl.

You're probably saying to yourself, great, but what does football have to do with my Catholic faith?

EVERYTHING.

Let me ask you this: Do you know of any other sport that has a play called, HAIL MARY? I have never met a priest that wasn’t familiar with Notre Dame, especially the Irish. There are so many similarities and references to our Catholic faith its overwhelming.

The reason I bring it up is because I was watching the Orange Bowl last night -- West Virginia (70) verses Clemson (30). 70-30???

That’s a basketball score, not a football game score. It was 49-20 at the HALF! Could you imagine what it what like in the locker room at halftime?

Well if your Clemson you know what it’s like to be a Jew in our first reading today. Isaiah is the coach and he is trying to encourage and give his people hope. They were doing the same thing then that the players last night were doing, navel-gazing, beating themselves up, being nostalgic and wanting to back in time. The football field was their barren wasteland and they just wanted to go home and hide under the covers.

Just like the coach, Isaiah and Paul tries to explain to their people that we need to do something different, maybe something unorthodox? Maybe just like the game, we need to look at this relationship with God through a new set of glasses and change our “game plan”.

Paul’s approach reminds me of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Where we were not made known, but now through the revealing of the Holy Spirit have been made known.

Once the Holy Spirit has revealed to us that Jesus is the Christ for everybody, we are able to understand why the Magi were “overjoyed at seeing the star and entering the house”.

This calls us to be evangelic not nostalgic. Be evangelic with us tonight!

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Busted Halo: Not My Will But Thine…But I Do Have This One Request

2012-01-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Another day, another blog from Busted Halo. This one by Anne Lindley speaks to the purpose of prayer. Read on.

When we speak to God are we affecting His plans? Are we influencing the future? And if not, why do we persist in asking God to listen to our wishes? The most thoughtful people I know can’t help wondering.

Jesus taught his disciples to ask in prayer for specific blessings: for our daily bread; to forgive our transgressions; to help us in some way against temptation; and to deliver us from evil. But it feels less appropriate to turn our prayers into a wish list of our own desires, or a memo to God on improving his management style. Asking God to bring about something specific for me — a new job, acceptance to a school, approval for a mortgage – seems downright cheesy.

Even asking for good things to happen for other people still has that faint whiff of greed, as if we’re treating God as a cosmic dispenser of goodies and if we deposit enough pennies of prayer eventually we’ll get the toy ring along with our gum ball.

C.S. Lewis’s literary demon Screwtape has something insightful to say, as he often does. He tells his nephew that humans rarely pray for the thing God wants them to pray for: just enough grace to see them through this moment, through this time of trouble.

Instead, we conjure up a vision of the future we want and appeal for that outcome. We persist in wrapping our anxious hands around life’s steering wheel as if it’s going to work this time if only we clutch it more tightly. The most difficult prayer for us to voice is, “Not my will, but Thine, be done.”

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Busted Halo: Seeing Christ in bin Laden

2012-01-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Catholic websites, BustedHalo.com, made a list of the best blog posts and stories from 2011. The one below is a reflection by Helen Lee about the death of Osama bin Laden. Check out more of their articles about Lady Gaga, Thomas Merton, and others here.

When I learned of Osama bin Laden’s death, my immediate reaction was indifference. I didn’t share the jubilant response that seemed to be sweeping the nation, and I didn’t feel much of a sense of relief, either. Then, for a very superficial reason, I realized I was called to more than indifference: I looked at a picture of bin Laden and for a split second I thought, “Jesus Christ probably looked a little bit like that.” It doesn’t seem very spiritually meaningful, but this moment made me think about what it truly means to see Christ in everyone.

Jesus Christ suffered and died for everyone. He freely offers salvation for all who accept it. He shares in our joys and sufferings, and provides a channel for us to participate with God. Most relevantly, since Jesus’ purpose is to reconcile God and man, His sacrifice is made most profound by the presence of those most separated from God. Literally seeing the face of Christ in the face of Osama bin Laden forced me to accept that he too is entitled to the promise of reconciliation with God. Regardless of what bin Laden chose to do with what was given to him, I’m called to see Christ in him, and even working through him.

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Must-read for Musicians

2012-01-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

If you are a musician, read this. It's a keynote from the Life Teen Training Convention by Fr. Robert Schreiner on the role of music in the liturgy. Particularly with the evolving nature of music in the Mass, his insights primarily point us back to the simple truth that music should direct us to worship. It's not a short read, but it's a worthy one.

Prayer for After Communion by St. Padre Pio

2012-01-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for you are my light, and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always be in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I wish it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgement, eternity approaches.

It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need you. It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but, the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for. Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.

Amen.

The Christmas Story

2011-12-25T08:00:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas! The Lord Jesus has come to be with us. He loves you so much.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from your EAS Youth Ministers. The Lord is with you!

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Scripture Reflection for Christmas Sunday

2011-12-24T08:00:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and The Lord Be With You!

Christmas Day readings are:

Isaiah 52:7-10
Hebrews 1:1-6
JOHN 1:1-18

Since today’s gospel is pure poetry, take a few minutes to meditate on it. Read it through for a second time, slowly. Circle any words that stand out, then focus on how your heart feels as you think about each word.
John teaches that Jesus pre-existed as God long before He existed as a human being. Semites believe our words reveal who we are. So when John refers to Jesus being God’s word from “the beginning,” he’s assuring us that no one can, or has revealed God’s personality better than Jesus.

This means real Christians never begin their understanding of God with a dictionary or catechism definition. We begin and end our quest with an experience of the risen Jesus among us. To experience Jesus is to experience God.

Not only did we old-timers stand reverently and listen (in Latin) to this last Gospel, we were expected to genuflect along with the priest when he proclaimed the verse, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (Some scholars translate the last phrase, “He pitched his tent among us.”) God’s word completely became one with us.

Along with zeroing in on the terrific things John says about Jesus, we must also hear the terrific things he says about us who follow Jesus. “Any who did accept him he empowered to become children of God....Of His fullness we have all had a share — love following upon love.” All who imitate Jesus become one with Jesus. We now relate to His Father as He does, and we share in the same love He came to share with others.

Centerpiece

The author of Hebrews couldn’t agree more (Hebrews 1:1-6). He refers to Jesus as “the reflection of the Father’s glory, the exact representation of the Father’s being....” But he also makes Jesus’ arrival the centerpiece of salvation history.

“In times past, God spoke in fragmentary and varied ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in this, the final age, he has spoken to us through his Son, whom he has made heir of all things and through whom he first created the universe.”

Though Isaiah is thinking about the Israelites’ return from exile when he proclaims the words of today’s first reading (Isaiah 52:7-10), all people of faith, at any point in salvation history, can identify with his sentiments. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation....”

Perhaps we can best get into the spirit of our three readings by thanking God for the good news being proclaimed in our midst — not just the good news of Jesus’ birth, but also the good news of the risen Jesus continuing to reveal God’s self.

Since Jesus makes us God’s children, can we presume God’s also revealing God’s self through us? If that’s true, we have a responsibility as children to listen to that revelation.

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

As You Wish

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

My youth minister told me recently about a priest in Minnesota who gave incredible homilies and posted them online. It took me a few weeks to buy in, but I'm grateful I did. One homily in particular spoke to me -- and to my friends -- about the need for obedience. Obedience is a forgotten attribute. Today, who do you know that talks about being obedient? It's a lost art. Fr. Mike Schmitz helped me rediscover the need for obedience in the Catholic lifestyle. Not my will, but God's will. Like Westley in The Princess Bride, I am learning to say, "As you wish." Give it a listen.

All of Fr. Mike Schmitz's homilies are available online here. He works at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Fr. Mike, if you ever read this, thank you for your witness to God's love. It's making a difference.

The Single Life

2011-12-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought of single life as a vocation? The same way Holy Orders and Marriage are callings, the single life can allow individuals to do things and commit to God in ways other paths cannot. Recently, I posted an article from a faithful Catholic young man who also happens to have same-sex attraction. His writings have found their way around the Catholic blogosphere, and I saw this one on a Newman Center website while searching for something else. The single life -- give it some thought. Read it in its original form here.

After the desert: A faithful Catholic's reflection on same-sex attraction

By Steve Gershom

What would I know about vocation? I'm 28, a faithful Catholic and gay.

A little explanation of that last part: It would be more accurate to say that I have same-sex attraction than that I'm gay. My attraction to men is deep and, as far as I can tell, permanent, but I'm celibate. I sometimes use the word "gay" as a convenient shorthand, but it carries a lot of political and even theological baggage, and doesn't really apply to me, because of my celibacy and for other reasons that I'll try to make clear below.

The upshot is that I'm unmarried and likely to remain that way. I'm not discerning a vocation to the priesthood or the religious life, either. I've been there, done that, and I've let the Lord know he can do whatever he wants with me – up to and including sending me to Calcutta or the Bronx – but that if he wants me to be a priest or a monk, he'll have to do something drastic. I've spent a long time checking my internal compasses, and none of them point in that direction.

So what then? I know what not to do: Don't believe the gay activists, don't water down the faith, don't pretend homosexual actions aren't sinful. Don't have a boyfriend; don't get married. Don't, don't, don't. But nobody ever had a vocation that consisted in not doing something. Marriage, the priesthood, the religious life – these involve definite actions, definite commitments.

Parched, Despondent

I'd like to give a road map to people like me – I mean not only other men and women with SSA, but everyone called to the single life – but it's difficult to make a map when you're still on the ground. At least I'm not lost in the desert any more, parched and exhausted like I was through my teens and early 20s. I'm heading toward civilization now, or better yet toward Zion, but there's a lot of rugged landscape between here and there. The best I can do is to tell you where I've been and what I've learned.

It's good to start on the edge of the desert. I'll pick age 14, because that's when I first started thinking of myself as gay. At the time, I understood exactly two things by the word. The first was that I was totally, irrevocably different from other boys. The second was that being gay and Catholic meant a long, dreary life of self-repression. So I believed at the time.

That was the beginning of my vocation as a professional sufferer, a position I held until somewhere in my early 20s. The darkness gathered around me, and I let it in, and was even proud of it. My suffering meant I was deep, sensitive and tragic. I don't mean to downplay the experience; when I call it a desert, I'm being poetic but I'm not exaggerating. This was Death Valley in July, except when it was Antarctica. But in more literal terms, the darkness consisted of these things: intense self-consciousness; near-constant feelings of isolation; pervasive regret at what I considered a wasted past; an absolute inability to live in the present; and terror at the prospect of the long, lonely future.

The technical name for the condition is despondency. I call it despondency, rather than depression, because depression is a state of the mind, the emotions, and even the body; whereas despondency is a state of the will. It comprises a particular response to depression. Depression doesn't necessarily constitute a roadblock to one's vocation. Despondency does, because we are judged on the basis of what we do rather than what we feel.

What I was doing was precisely nothing, because that was all I believed I could do. That's what despondency is. I thought I was doing something, namely living through the suffering that I believed was my vocation, that I even believed God wanted for me. And maybe I was justified in believing these things, given the premises I had accepted. It's just that my premises were very, very wrong.

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Local miracle could mean Kateri Tekakwitha headed for canonization

2011-12-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

This article comes from NPR. Read it in its original form here. What makes it an especially cool story is that it's local, right here in Seattle. I even know Fr. Paul Pluth pretty well from our time at St. Anne Church in Seattle. Read on.

In February 2006, 5-year-old Jake Finkbonner fell and hit his head while playing basketball at his school in Ferndale, Wash. Soon, he developed a fever and his head swelled. His mother, Elsa, rushed him to Seattle Children's Hospital, where the doctors realized Jake was battling a flesh-eating bacterium called Strep A.

"It traveled all around his face, his scalp, his neck, his chest," she recalls, "and why it didn't travel to his brain or his eyeballs or his heart? He was protected."

Jake was protected, she says, by Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk Indian who lived 350 years ago. She had converted to Catholicism and was considered holy enough by the Vatican to be elevated to "blessed" — one step before sainthood — in 1980. The Finkbonners are Lummi Indian, and their family and friends prayed that Kateri would intercede with God for Jake.

But the doctors' efforts to get ahead of the infection were unsuccessful, and Jake was given his last rites. Then, suddenly, the infection stopped, stunning the doctors. The Rev. Paul Pluth, of the Archdiocese of Seattle, says that was the day an acquaintance placed a "relic" of Kateri — in this case, a small pendant — on Jake's pillow. Pluth believes the timing was not coincidental.

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Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2011-12-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

The Lord IS With You!

This Sunday is the 4th Sunday of Advent and our readings are:

2 SM 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16
ROM 16:25-27
LK 1:26-38

God asks David "Should you be the one to build me a house? Come now, boy king. You're too big for your britches. You want to make a house? I will tell you about making a house." God, not David, is in charge.

Saint Paul summarizes and concludes his letter to the Romans. He emphasizes that God's plans were only incompletely revealed until now. Several phrases make this passage right for the climax of Advent. It's not about the birth of the infant Jesus, but about the unveiling of God's plan for human salvation.

Prophets revealed it first, but only to the Jews and only incompletely. Now it is revealed to all the Gentiles as they hear the gospel. For this is God to be glorified. This is joyful, but not sentimental. This is Christocentric, but not "Christmassy."

Saint Luke wrote for an audience quite different from those of Mark and Matthew, different, too, from the Thessalonians and many other recipients of Paul's letters. Luke's readers lived a generation or more later than the apostles, after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E., and outside the Holy Land. They had never been Jews. They were cosmopolitan, middle-class and Gentile, living in a skeptical society, yet attracted to a religion with long historic Jewish roots. But that new religion only came to its fulfillment by reaching out to all humankind. To tell that story, to ground his audience in their adopted religious heritage, and to keep them focused on the religion's mission, Luke needed to tell the story of Jesus anew in this gospel, and needed a second book, the Acts of the Apostles.

I know that doing good things for God is important, but at times it’s just as valid to sit back and reflect on what good things God has done for us, even before we started doing good things for God. Today’s three readings zero in on that theology.

Reflect on these three examples of what God’s work in the life of these ordinary people accomplished! Mary shows us HOW to be believers in God and allow him to work in our lives.

How is the Lord with you this season?
How is the Lord with your family?

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

The Christmas "W"

2011-12-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience.

I had cut back on non-essential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment --songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The audience of first through sixth graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

The more days the merrier: Celebrating the 12 days of Christmas

2011-12-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

This article is by Nick Wager of UScatholic.org. Read it in its original form here.

This year, hand on heart, I saw Christmas decorations for sale on October 1. When I was little, we didn't even start thinking about Christmas until after Thanksgiving.

My family would spend most of Advent getting ready. We'd shop for a tree, pull decorations down out of the attic, stock up on wrapping paper, and make lists for Santa. Most years the grownups would gather for a Christmas Eve party, and we kids would struggle to stay awake late into the night.

At the end of the evening, we'd bundle up against the cold and drive over to the church for Midnight Mass. Early the next morning my brothers and I would clatter down the stairs to the living room to tear into our presents. And then Christmas was over. For the next week or so, we played with our new toys and waited for school to begin again.

In the church calendar, however, Christmas does not end on Christmas Day. It is only the beginning. In an earlier time Christmas lasted for 12 days-a tradition from which we get the famous Christmas song.

The customs of the larger society have clearly shifted, and there is no way we are ever going to restore the ancient balance of having our Christmas merry-making take place during the 12 days after December 25. Still, there are many ways we can mark the Christmas season (the one that starts with Christmas), and deepen our Catholic identity. Here are 12 suggestions.

1. Wait for it.

In our grandparents' day the Christmas tree wasn't decorated until Christmas Eve. For most of us, it might not be practical to wait until then, no matter what our grandparents might have done. Still there are some things we can do to keep the traditional Christmas cycle.

Go ahead and put up the tree whenever you like, but save placing the star on top until the night of December 24. Plan to leave the tree up until the Christmas season ends on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, usually the second Sunday in January.

Also consider waiting until December 24 to complete the crèche. Many Latino families put the crèche out early in Advent, but they leave the manger empty until after Midnight Mass. Whenever you put the crèche out, place the Magi statues a good distance from the manger. Each day of Christmas, until Epiphany, move the Wise Men a little closer to the crèche.

This might seem like a no-brainer, but I've heard more than a few families say they like going to the Christmas "Eve" 4 p.m. children's liturgy to "get it out of the way" before Christmas.

If you are raising children, keep in mind you are creating lifelong memories for them. I still remember the smell of incense and the sounds of carols at the Midnight Masses I went to as a child. If midnight really is too late for you, at least consider worshiping on Christmas Day itself instead of the afternoon before so the children learn to place Jesus at the center of the season.

2. Pay it forward.

December 26 is the feast of St. Stephen, the church's first martyr. He was also one of the first deacons, whose job it was to care for the poor.

A good way to celebrate St. Stephen's Day is to follow his example. Spend 20 minutes online, either alone or as a household, researching poverty issues in your area. Make a commitment to volunteer or donate more during the coming year to serve the poor as Stephen did. Perhaps spend an hour on this day going through your closets and drawers to find clothing you seldom wear, and donate it to a shelter.

3. Pick a card.

Another great way to keep the Christmas season alive is to gather up all the Christmas cards you've received and choose one at random each evening to read at dinnertime. If you live with family or a roommate, share some memories about the person who sent you the card. If you live alone, recall how you met the person and resolve to send an e-mail or make a phone call to reconnect in the coming week.

4. Make time for family.

The Sunday after Christmas-this year, December 27-is the feast of the Holy Family. Plan to spend the entire day with family-including extended family if possible. If you like to cook, plan for a festive brunch after Mass. Or make reservations and let your favorite restaurant do all the work. During the meal, share stories of your favorite times together.

If you live alone or if you don't live in a traditional household, be creative about gathering today with those who are family to you. Invite some friends for dinner, or phone someone who you haven't talked to in a long time.

Continue reading here.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

2011-12-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm a couple days late posting this, but it's still Our Lady of Guadalupe week, right? Find out more about this miraculous and beautiful mystery of our faith below.

Sin

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

A physical reminder of how the whole sin things works.

Emergency Numbers

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Post these in a prominent place for when emergencies arrive:
When in sorrow…..call John 14
When people fail you…..call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful…..call John 15
When you have sinned…..call Psalm 51
When you worry…..call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger…..call Psalm 91
When God seems far away…..call Pslam 139
When your faith needs stirring…..call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful…..call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical…..call I Corinthians 13
For Paul’s secret to happiness…..call Colossians 3:12-17
For understanding of Christianity…..call II Corinthians 5:5-19
When you feel down and out.....call Romans 8:31
When you want peace and rest…..call Matthew 1:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God…..call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance…..call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labor or travel…..call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish…..call Psalm 67
For a great invention/opportunity…..call Isaiah 55
When you want courage for a task….call Joshua 1
When you need to get along with others…..call Romans 12
When you think of investments and returns…..call Mark 10
If you are depressed…..call Psalm 27
If your pocket book is empty…..call Psalm 37
If you are losing confidence in people…..call I Corinthians 13
If people seem unkind…..call John 15
If discouraged about your work…..call Psalm 126
If you find the world growing small and yourself great…..call Psalm 19
For dealing with fear…..call Psalm 34:7
For security…..Psalm 121:3
For assurance…..Mark 8:35

Mass and Bible Study Thursday

2011-12-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You,

This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent – Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. Rose color

Our readings are:
Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

As most of you already know I am a huge music fan. I love music, all kinds. My iPod carries 6300 songs. From Bach to Beatles, Kanye West to Beethoven, Leadbelly to the Clash. Not just western music, but from all over the world and all genres. Some of the music I listen to inspire me, as if prophetic. After reading our scripture readings for this week I am reminded of a song written and recorded by one of the greatest harmonic duos of my generation – Simon & Garfunkel. If you ever get a chance to listen to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” you will be amazed. Anyway, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel wrote a song called, “The Sound Of Silence” and one of the lines says, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement(a run-down apartment building) halls".

In other words, “the message” from God will come from the ones we least expect. Nobody wants to listen to them. Why?

Because they take us back to the TRUTH, and TRUTH requires work and responsibility. We have dismissed and minimized their calling to fit our agenda.

Because no real prophet can profit from prophesying. In most cases everything we are exposed to today is FOR profit. The TRUTH rarely reaches us.

Because not only can’t real prophets make a living plying their trade, they always suffer for conveying God’s word. That doesn’t sound like fun.

Because if we carry out the prophetic vision we too will suffer. No one gets a free pass. That REEEAAALLY doesn’t sound like fun.

Because down deep we really know the TRUTH when we hear it and because we will suffer, we deny hearing it.

Because real prophets confuse us, taking us back to the beginning of our faith after so many others have “rationalized” how that doesn’t apply today makes us question it. We don’t know what or who to believe.

I have my own private list of prophets that I keep to myself. I seek their wisdom out. I don’t dare share who they are at the risk of being reprimanded.

Who is on your list?

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM for Mass-The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gen 3:9-15, 20, Eph 1:3-6, 11-12, Luke 1:26-38) then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Calling Santa

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Two-year-old Sarah and her 13-year-old sister had been fighting a lot, so Sarah's parents, trying to take advantage of her newfound interest in Santa Claus, reminded the 2-year-old that Santa was watching and doesn't like it when children fight. This had little impact.

"I'll just have to tell Santa about your misbehavior," her mother said as she picked up the phone and dialed. Sarah's eyes grew big as her mother asked "Mrs. Claus" (really Sarah's aunt; Santa's real line was busy) if she could put Santa on the line. Sarah's mouth dropped open as Mom described to Santa (Sarah's uncle) how the 2-year-old was acting. When Mom said Santa wanted to talk to her, she reluctantly took the phone.

Santa, in a deepened voice, explained to her how there would be no presents Christmas morning to children who fought with their sisters. He would be watching, and he expected things to be better from now on.

Sarah solemnly nodded to each of Santa's remarks and silently hung the phone up when he was done. Mom asked, "What did Santa say to you, Dear?"

Sarah sadly said, "Santa said he won't be bringing toys to my sister this year."

Missing the Guest of Honor

2011-12-06T10:05:00.001-08:00

By Dr. Michael A. Halleen

"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2)

There's a story that has become legend in a small Minnesota town. I can't vouch for its truth, only that people tell it as though it really happened. It seems that the retiring mayor was to be honored at a party as he left office. He had been responsible for a number of significant improvements to the town, so it seemed good to have the community pay tribute.

The party was held at the VFW hall, and all agreed it was a great celebration. The music was loud, the room crowded and noisy. The finger food was unusual in its quality and liquid refreshment flowed without restraint until late into the evening. Over coffee the next morning in the Main Street diner, someone wondered aloud if the mayor had enjoyed it, but no one knew. No one in the diner had talked to him or had even seen him there. Only later did they learn that the mayor had checked into a hospital the previous day and had missed the party in his honor. Apparently no one had noticed.

It sounds a lot like Christmas. People get together, the food is great, the music warms the heart — but has anyone seen the guest of honor? The season has become about us — our menus, our travel plans, our expenses. We've lost perspective. Our celebration will be more authentic if our hopes are not only for good sales figures but also for good will among mankind. Christ will be seen among us if our prayers are not only for peace in travel but also for peace on earth.

Our church set out its nativity scene the other day. Life-sized figures of all the familiar characters are in place, kneeling around the manger — all but one. Seems the baby Jesus is missing. We couldn't find him this year. Mary and Joseph and the Wise Men are gazing reverently at some wisps of straw.

Sign of the times. Hopefully the Christ child will be found by Christmas.

Sexual Healing

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you're a fan of slam poetry, watch this. If you're in need of hope for sexual redemption, watch this. If you've come today not knowing what to expect on this blog, watch this.

Catholic and Gay

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Homosexuality is one of the hot-button issues for the Church (and particularly for young people) today. Below is a great blog post from a young man courageously living Church teaching regarding his same-sex attraction. See what you think. The man goes by an online pseudonym Steve Gershom. Read the article in its entirety here or visit Steve's blog here.

When Leila asked me to write about gay marriage, the first thing I found out was how little I know about it. If I wanted to say anything coherent, I'd have to have definite beliefs about some deeper, thornier subjects first: the relationship between civil and moral law, just for starters. Even if I were sure enough of myself to talk about those things, I doubt I could do it in a blog-sized article.

So I'll have to do it in a more personal way. That might be better anyhow.

I have heard a lot about how mean the Church is, and how bigoted, because she opposes gay marriage. How badly she misunderstands gay people, and how hostile she is towards us. My gut reaction to such things is: Are you freaking kidding me? Are we even talking about the same church?

When I go to Confession, I sometimes mention the fact that I'm gay, to give the priest some context. (And to spare him some confusion: Did you say 'locker room'? What were you doing in the women's...oh.) I've always gotten one of two responses: either compassion, encouragement, and admiration, because the celibate life is difficult and profoundly counter-cultural; or nothing at all, not even a ripple, as if I had confessed eating too much on Thanksgiving.

Of the two responses, my ego prefers the first -- who doesn't like thinking of themselves as some kind of hero? -- but the second might make more sense. Being gay doesn't mean I'm special or extraordinary. It just means that my life is not always easy. (Surprise!) And as my friend J. said when I told him recently about my homosexuality, "I guess if it wasn't that, it would have been something else." Meaning that nobody lives without a burden of one kind or another. As Rabbi Abraham Heschel said: "The man who has not suffered, what can he possibly know, anyway?"

Where are all these bigoted Catholics I keep hearing about? When I told my family a year ago, not one of them responded with anything but love and understanding. Nobody acted like I had a disease. Nobody started treating me differently or looking at me funny. The same is true of every one of the Catholic friends that I've told. They love me for who I am.

Actually, the only time I get shock or disgust or disbelief, the only time I've noticed people treating me differently after I tell them, is when I tell someone who supports the gay lifestyle. Celibacy?? You must be some kind of freak.

To continue reading, click here.

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Brilliant. Watch this.

Adoration & Bible Study Thursday

2011-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You,

I hope you answered, “and also with you”. Remember, we only answer, “and with your Spirit” to the clergy, not laity. Trust me, I’m far from being clergy, ask Maureen.

So, how did you do last Sunday? Did you get all your lines right? If you didn’t don’t worry, something tells me you will have years, and years to practice. Thank God The Eucharist is still the same! As long as The Eucharist is still in English our people will hear God’s Word as it was originally intended to be heard. Amen? That means there is ALWAYS a chance for reform.

Speaking of reform, our scripture readings for Sunday are:
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
2 Peter 3:8-14
Mark 1:1-8

God’s biblical word shows God always calls us to look at our faith in new ways, always encourages us to walk down new paths. It also demonstrates some people of faith take a long time before they completely give themselves over to the power of that new word. But as long as they continue to listen to it, and not get distracted, they eventually do.

In Isaiah the sentry is shouting, “Here comes with power the Lord God”, but what does he see? A shepherd cradling his lambs. That could be distracting.

In 2 Peter everybody is distracted that the Parousia is being “delayed.” Very powerful images.

Jesus, help me pay attention when I start getting distracted! Amen.

When Jesus was ready to start teaching, John the Baptist reminded people to get ready, to show they were sorry for their sins by being baptized. "The one who's coming is much greater than I am," John said. "I don't even deserve to untie His shoes! And I'll just baptize you with water, but He can baptize with the Holy Spirit."

"Distractions" happen when you're in the middle of one thing, but thinking about something else: for example, your teacher catches you staring straight ahead, daydreaming about what you'd like for Christmas instead of listening. Your Christmas list might be more interesting than the homework being assigned, but you have to admit that you can't concentrate on both things at once. In this week's Gospel (Mark 1:1-8), even John the Baptist warns people not to get distracted!

It's easy to get distracted when something more interesting pops into your thoughts (or vision) than what you're supposed to be thinking about. Watch what happens when someone trips outside the window: Suddenly, every kid is watching that, not the teacher.

In John the Baptist's time, he was having trouble with distracted people, too. John was teaching about God and baptizing people himself, so they weren't paying much attention to his announcements that Jesus was coming and was the one they should really follow.

To get past a distraction, you might have to force your attention back to where it should be, even if it seems less interesting at the moment. That's what John did: When people tried to follow him, he just kept talking about how Jesus would be even better.

John knew it was easy to get distracted, so he pointed out cool stuff to keep people interested: Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit! Jesus would be so awesome, John wasn't good enough to untie His shoes! John was a person, but Jesus was the Son of God! Still, a lot of his followers continued to follow him instead of Jesus. Even AFTER Jesus’ death and resurrection there were followers of John the Baptist! Talk about distraction.

As we approach Christmas, let us reflect on the humble examples given by the prophet Isaiah, the author of 2 Peter, and John the Baptist to not be distracted. Think of a person you know and consider to be holy. No matter how wonderful and prayerful this person is they probably don’t take the credit for it but instead praise God. To whom do you attribute your own good actions or successes? How can you model yourself after John the Baptist this Advent season?

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Hollow Hearts, Waiting to be Filled!

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

An Advent Reflection by Bill Donaghy

Six hundred years before the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, Isaiah was dreaming. In a very modern sounding lament, he was yearning for a glimpse of the glory of the "old days" when God was more, shall we say, visible: "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old." (Isaiah 63) Isaiah yearns for God to be present in his time of exile and expectation. "For you have hidden your face from us..."

Isaiah longs, as we all still do, for the veil to be pulled back; for Divinity to reveal itself to humanity. Little could he dream that soon Divinity would actually conceal itself in humanity! If he only knew what God was about to do! The Author will enter His own Story, and the Potter Himself become clay!

Isaiah's classic image of God as the Potter and we the clay has a very incarnational feel to it. And a feel of mystery too. Imagining ourselves as clay means we cannot see, we can only feel. We feel the Master's touch, feel in our "earthen vessels" the movement of the Master's hands: the pinch that stings, the pressure that simplifies and smoothes out our lumps. If we yield to Him, we sense in our very being the delicate shaping and reshaping of His hands. Through life's experiences, it is the fine-tuning of Him making us His masterpiece.

Advent is the expectation of the great art our Father will make of us if we just let Him spin the potter's wheel, grafting spirit and flesh into Nature's finest creation. So let us let Him whirl us about in this workshop. This messy, dusty workshop of sanctity. And let's watch the excess of layered clay be stripped from us, and let's be emptied, made hollow for His purposes. Hollow vessels so designed to be filled with His Word, His love!

"No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait..." - Isaiah 64:3

Bill Donaghy

is a speaker and instructor with the Theology of the Body Institute. Bill holds an Associate's Degree in Visual Arts and received his Bachelors in Philosophy and a Masters in Systematic Theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He teaches theology at Malvern Preparatory School, as well as Immaculata University. He and his wife, Rebecca live outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with their two children.

Advent in Two Minutes

2011-11-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
That's right. Not Thanksgiving or Christmas. New Year's. We just began a brand spanking new year in the Church calendar on Sunday with the advent of the Advent Season. We prepare, we pray, we ready the place for our guest of honor, Jesus, to arrive on Christmas. To get more out of Advent this year, here are some tools from BustedHalo.com.

The lowdown on this time of year in two minutes. C'mon now, who doesn't have two minutes to watch?

Track the season as we continue in the month of December with Busted Halo's Advent Calendar.

New Words, Same Mass

2011-11-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

The New Roman Missal is filling our churches today. Ten years in the making, this translation unites all the English-speaking countries with the universal Church, causes us to reflect on the words and the Word, and offers new opportunities for engaging with the Holy Mass. Thousands of translators, bishops, priests, deacons, and lay people contributed. With renewed clarity, we can see Heaven come crashing into our lives through the miraculous Eucharistic celebration. Are you ready?

At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the Mass parts will change beginning tonight for the 5pm Sunday Mass. If you're a musical buff, looking to sing along, or just interested, check out the new parts at http://worship-songs-resources.worshiptogether.com/search?w=matt%20maher. One of our favorite musicians is the writer and artist: Matt Maher. Ike Ndolo also helped.

No matter where you are this Thanksgiving, make it to Mass today. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His love endures forever.

Busted Halo

2011-11-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

I just stumbled onto a really cool Catholic website. Great things to explore at www.bustedhalo.com. I had heard of it before but never visited. I'll be back.

Here's an article from Busted Halo by Julianne Wallace about the New Roman Missal. Read it in its original form here.

Top Five Mass Changes

The new translation of the Mass is coming to a parish near you. Here are the changes you need to know about.

If you’re headed to Mass during the upcoming Advent and Christmas seasons, you’re going to notice some changes. Starting November 27 the Roman Catholic Church will be using a new set of instructions for celebrating Mass — all part of the newly revised Roman Missal (the 3rd Edition, in fact!). This new translation contains revised prayers for both the priest and the assembly. Don’t worry, not all the prayers are changing, but there are some significant changes you should know about.

#1: “And with your Spirit!”
At the beginning of Mass, the priest makes the Sign of the Cross and greets the people by saying, “The Lord be with you.” In the new translation, the assembly will respond back to the priest, “And with your Spirit!” This response is a literal translation from the Latin phrase, “Et cum spiritu tuo.” Have you ever celebrated the Mass in another language? If so, then this change might not be a big deal because most languages already use a literal translation of the Latin phrase (for example, in Spanish the phrase is translated “Y con tu espiritu”). One reason for this textual revision is because this response is more than just a greeting. This response is also a spiritual exchange between the priest and the assembly, explains Joe Paprocki of Loyola Press. The priest extends a greeting of the Lord’s presence and the assembly grants a similar greeting inviting God to be with the presider as we worship together. Of all the liturgical changes, this one may be the easiest to remember, because we say it four times throughout the Mass: at the beginning of Mass, before the Gospel, before the Eucharistic Prayer, and at the end of Mass. For more information, visit Fr. Dylan James’ blog on the new translation.

#2: The Gloria
Liturgical composers have been hard at work revising their old Mass settings and composing new ones for use with the revised Missal. One big undertaking for composers was the Gloria, the prayer of praise we sing as part of the Gathering Rite. There are many minor textual changes to this prayer. Here are two: At the beginning of the prayer, we will now sing, “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace to people of good will!” (Luke 2:14). This particular revision is an example of how the new translation relies heavily on scripture. The second change occurs later in the Gloria when we sing together, “We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory!” This five-fold invocation of praise poetically expresses the majesty and glory of God.

#3: “We to I”
In the early Church, when people entered into the Body of Christ through the sacrament of Baptism, they made an expression of faith, a credo (which in English means I Believe). This expression of faith was a series of questions that the person seeking entrance into the Church had to answer, “I do.” Today, as we celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism, parents (of children) and adults (who enter through the process of RCIA) are asked that same set questions and they respond in the same way: “I do.” Every Easter, we, as the Body of Christ renew our Baptismal Promises by responding, “I do.” And finally, every Sunday, we make this same profession of faith but in a different way. Most often, we profess the Nicene Creed (although some communities choose to profess the Apostles’ Creed). Currently, we begin the Nicene Creed by saying, “We believe” (and we repeat the same phrase throughout the creed). In the new translation, we will proclaim, “I Believe.” As you can see, this small change harkens back to when the person entering the Church says, “I do” in the Credo formula. So the change from “we” to “I” is more consistent with how we have professed our faith throughout history.

#4: “Consubstantial”
“Consubstantial?” That sounds like a great Scrabble word! This new way of saying “one in being with the Father” in the Nicene Creed means that Jesus is really divine. Yes, that’s right; Jesus was actually, fully, and wholly divine. Thus, when we say “consubstantial” we are expressing one of the most beautiful mysteries of our faith, that Jesus is God. For those of us who have not had classes in philosophy or Christology, this new term may seem difficult to understand (and even to say!). However, just remember that “consubstantial” is a literal translation from the Latin “Consubstantialem,” which means Jesus is indeed, “one in being with the Father.” Want to impress your friends with your new philosophical language? Here’s a link to more history on the evolution of the term consubstantial.

#5: The centurion’s faith and our response
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” (Matthew 8:5-8, 10)

This is another great example of how the new translation uses scripture to enhance our liturgy. In this Gospel story, the centurion begs Jesus to cure his servant by only saying the “word.” We, as the People of God, are called to model his faith. As the priest calls us to communion he beckons us, “Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb,” and we respond, with words that are similar to the centurion’s words, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.” As we come to the Eucharistic table, may we approach with the humble faith of the centurion and carry this humility with us through our everyday life.

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You!

This Sundays readings are:
Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
1 Corinthians 15: 20-26,28
Matthew 25: 31-46

This Sunday, the solemnity of Christ the King, is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. At the end of the year, the readings focus on the end of time. In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus is dividing the sheep from the goats, or the good from the sinners. Dividing them from things they did or did not do for others, in times when they thought nobody else was looking.

We see this all the time on reality shows, don’t we? Somebody acts cruel or cheats, but then denies it later on to a judge or somebody else? It always seems dumb to me (this is why I can’t watch them too long) when these same people make their excuses, since we all know that everything they did was caught on camera!

In a way the same is true when we come before Jesus. There is no point in trying to hide or deny our sins. Jesus knows them, and so do we. What side do you think Christ the King would put you on if he came right now? What needs to change in your life for you to enter the Kingdom?

We are entering a brand new liturgical year, with a brand new Roman Missal. This is a perfect time to make a change!

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Archbishop Dolan: Love for Jesus and His Church must be the passion of our lives

2011-11-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

This is a homily from Archbishop Timothy Dolan to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Monday. Take a few minutes of your day to read it - you won't be disappointed. Click here for the homily in its original form.

My brother bishops: it is with that stunningly simple exhortation of Blessed Pope John II that I begin my remarks to you this morning.

"Love for Jesus and His Church must be the passion of our lives!"

You and I have as our sacred duty, arising from our intimate sacramental union with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to love, cherish, care for, protect, unite in truth, love, and faith . . . to shepherd . . . His Church.

You and I believe with all our heart and soul that Christ and His Church are one.

That truth has been passed on to us from our predecessors, the apostles, especially St. Paul, who learned that equation on the Road to Damascus, who teaches so tenderly that the Church is the bride of Christ, that the Church is the body of Christ, that Christ and His Church are one.

That truth has been defended by bishops before us, sometimes and yet even today, at the cost of "dungeon, fire, and sword."

That truth -- that He, Christ, and she, His Church, are one -- moistens our eyes and puts a lump in our throat as we whisper with De Lubac, "For what would I ever know of Him, without her?"
Each year we return to this premier see of John Carroll to gather as brothers in service to Him and to her. We do business, follow the agenda, vote on documents, renew priorities and hear information reports.

But, one thing we can't help but remember, one lesson we knew before we got off the plane, train, or car, something we hardly needed to come to this venerable archdiocese to learn, is that "love for Jesus and His Church must be the passion of our lives!"

Perhaps, brethren, our most pressing pastoral challenge today is to reclaim that truth, to restore the luster, the credibility, the beauty of the Church "ever ancient, ever new," renewing her as the face of Jesus, just as He is the face of God. Maybe our most urgent pastoral priority is to lead our people to see, meet, hear and embrace anew Jesus in and through His Church.

Because, as the chilling statistics we cannot ignore tell us, fewer and fewer of our beloved people -- to say nothing about those outside the household of the faith -- are convinced that Jesus and His Church are one. As Father Ronald Rolheiser wonders, we may be living in a post-ecclesial era, as people seem to prefer

"a King but not the kingdom,
a shepherd with no flock,
to believe without belonging,
a spiritual family with God as my father, as long as I'm
the only child,
"spirituality" without religion
faith without the faithful
Christ without His Church."

To continue reading, click here.

Handmotions in Heaven

2011-11-15T10:33:00.001-08:00

An old favorite for your enjoyment.

Radiant Holiday Issue

2011-11-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Radiant is a magazine for passionately Catholic young women. Look for inspiring stories, fashion tips and ideas, and fun pop-culture articles. We have hard copies at church, but you can also look at Radiant online. Read it here.

The New Roman Missal: Are you buying in?

2011-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Ready or not, in two weeks the New Roman Missal will change everything we English-speaking Catholics know about the Holy Mass. Are you buying in?

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2011-11-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Lord Be With You!

This Sunday’s readings to reflect on are:
Proverbs 3:10-13,19-20,30-31
I Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew 25:14-30

Lots of women today will have problems with our Proverbs author’s picture of the ideal wife, even after our “liturgical selectors” have doctored up the passage by omitting some of the more objectionable lines, e.g. “She is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms.” In our two-income, communication- based 2l’ century environment I don’t think many wives would focus on the same elements which our fifth century BC theologian emphasizes.

On the other hand, Matthew’s Jesus gives us an insight in today’s Gospel periscope which is good for all ages. Jesus is demonstrating what it’s like to have God present and working in our daily lives. Presuming all of us have been gifted by God with specific talents and abilities, he stresses that God is most at work in the community when everyone spends his or her life developing those talents and abilities. Those who return them undeveloped to God will have a steep price to pay. I presume God will be just as harsh with those who, because of race, gender or marital status, restrict others from developing and using their gifts for the community’s good.

Paul tells us in our I Thessalonians’ passage that it’s easy for even good-intentioned people to break their concentration on what Jesus believes is important. In this earliest of Christian writers, the distraction is Jesus’ Second Coming. Some in Thessalonica are spending so much time and effort calculating the exact time and place of Jesus’ arrival that they’re ignoring what’s essential to being other Christ’s.

On most college applications, there is a section in which you are asked to describe your hobbies and talents – those things that you are good at but aren’t part of your regular school curriculum. It can be stressful filling out this part of the application because you know the college is looking for students who are talented and unique and all your talents and accomplishments start to feel like they’re not enough. I have GOOD NEWS for you.

Your talents and abilities are ALWAYS good enough for God’s!

God endowed you with your unique talents and abilities to serve him and others. God does not care if you stand out and win first place. He won’t make you fill out an application with your talents and accomplishments in order to enter into his Kingdom. The thing that matters to God is that you use your talents in service of others. We were all made differently and so we need each other’s talents.

What talents do you perceive in yourself? How might you better use them in the service of God and others?

Here is a great example of what God wants you to hear about your talents:

Join us Thursday @ 7:00PM in Adoration of our risen Lord, then Bible Study following!

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Today is the Day

2011-11-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

A little inspiration for the soul. Do not say you are too young. Do not say you are too old. You are where you are meant to be.

Who started Christmas?

2011-11-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable. And after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd. She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry, we already crucified him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

-- Author Unknown

Rediscover Catholicism

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

There are 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. There are sixty-seven million Catholics in America - that's at least fifteen million more people than it takes to elect an American president. And every single day the Catholic Church feeds, houses, and clothes more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners, and educates more people than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to. Rediscover Catholicism.

-Matthew Kelly, Rediscover Catholicism

They Mean Business

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

A Jewish couple has a son who is a holy terror. When he gets to be of age, he's kicked out of every school they put him in. Finally desperate, the father goes to the Rabbi for advice and the Rabbi says put him in the Catholic school. Shocked, the father asks if the Rabbi sure. "Yes" is the reply, so the father takes him to the nuns and leaves.

An hour goes by, then two hours, lunch time and finally at three the son comes in says "Good afternoon Papa, good afternoon Mama," goes to the table and starts on his homework. The father is amazed and finally ask why he stayed in school all day and why he is behaving so well. His son looks up and says "Papa when you left, the Mother Superior told me that they did not allow rowdy boys, then she took me to my room. Papa they mean business! They've got a Jew nailed on a Cross in every room!"

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2011-11-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Lord Be With You!

This Sunday’s reading’s are:

Wisdom 6:12-16
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 25:1-13

A priest waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.

"Padre," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."

The priest chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."

There are two kinds of catholics, those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning." Which one are you?

Change that affects our daily routine is rarely easy to incorporate into our lives. Change that affects our faith is even harder. On Nov. 27 (three weeks from this Sunday) we will be experience a change in our faith. A new phase in our liturgy as English-speaking catholics. Some will say, “Good morning, Lord,” and embrace it, and others will who are not prepared will say, “Good Lord, its morning!” and will wonder what happened.

This is reflective of the Gospel reading today. What qualities divide the wise bridesmaids and the foolish bridesmaids in this parable? At first glance, it seems that the wise ones in this reading are the ones who are sensible and responsible, thinking about and preparing for the unexpected. Forgetting oil for the lamps would be like forgetting batteries for the flashlight. As we read on we see the bridesmaids are not just responsible, but self-giving as well. They are the bridegroom’s true friends, and they put his happiness on his wedding day ahead of everything else. They even put his happiness above that of their other friends when they refuse to share their oil so that they are sure to be ready. By faithful to God above all other things and people, we, too, can become wise.

A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!" His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means? The son replied, "I do know!" "Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?" "That's easy, Daddy..." the young boy replied excitedly," It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.'

If you want to be prepared and have your flasks filled with oil, join us tonight @ 7:00PM for Adoration and Bible Study following.

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Have you been to Confession lately?

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Don't Text and Drive

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Texting and driving makes us 23 times more likely to get in an accident. Don't think it's serious? Watch this.

Merry Hallowmas!

2011-11-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Today’s readings are:
Rev 7:2-4, 9-14
1 John 3: 1-3
Matthew 5:1-12a

You know how I am a BIG fan of the apostle John. No matter what I wrote it could never be better than this:

Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

Today is a holy day of obligation, see you at Mass!

Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

One Person

2011-11-01T14:36:00.001-07:00

You say to me, "I am only one person." This is true, but look at what other great men and women before you have done in the span of just one lifetime: Francis of Assisi, Paul, Thomas Aquinas, John the Baptist, Augustine, Teresa of Avila, Thomas More, Edmund Rice, Don Bosco, John Vianney, Dominic, Patrick, Rita, Mary, and of course, Jesus.

Look also at what others have done in our time: Mother Teresa, John Paul II.

They too could have used the excuse, "I am only one person." The difference is they didn't see themselves as one person, but rather as one part of one body. Then, dedicated to the gospel message of Jesus Christ they chose to serve, and to choose to serve is to choose to love.

Mustard Seeds from Dynamic Catholic

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Can you guess the company that produced this ad?

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

A timely Halloweenish commercial good for a few laughs. It seems scary, but I promise, it shouldn't give you nightmares.

Photos from the Edge: Dive Deep

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Monday night at the Edge we dove deep into prayers of praise. An indoor swimming pool, a great teaching from Jean, a dry game of sharks and minnows, some musical praise and worship, and tasty snacks. What a night!

Bible Study & Adoration Thursday

2011-10-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

The Lord Be With You,

This Sunday’s reading are:

Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10
1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13
Matthew 23:8-12

Since most of you are in High School I know that you have heard of the Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856-2 November 1950).

He is famous for a lot of thing, but mostly for his quotes. After reading this Sunday’s reading’s I couldn’t help but think of one:

“One can only be converted to what one already believes.”

Malachi (pen name, meaning “my messenger”, trying to conceal his real name in fear of retaliation) is trying to take his people back to the beginnings of their faith, to explore the roots of what they believe that somehow veered from its founders original plan.

Paul reminds us of a key element for that is in our “servant relationship” with God, “We were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well.”

Jesus is consistent in showing us what we already know. In the Gospel, he again is stressing the importance of humble service to God. Our efforts are to help each other and to honor God, not to help or honor ourselves. It’s not about us! It’s about God. Think about all the groups that you belong to: church, athletics, school, clubs and activities, work, family. How are you a servant in each of these situations? In what ways do you sometimes demand that others serve you? What needs to change for your actions to give the glory to God, and not center on yourself?

This reminds me of another quote from Shaw:

“Americans adore me and will go on adoring me until I say something nice about them”

The Greatest Will be Lowered.

See you at 7:00 on Thursday for Adoration then Bible Study afterword.

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.
Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

Finding Jesus: The Disney Saga

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Can't remember if this ever got posted to the blog, so I'm putting it up for your viewing pleasure. Film Festival is coming in April. Be thinking now about ideas for this year's event.

10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Life Teen

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it or just want to check it out again, here's our video from Sunday. Get the most out of Life Teen this year by watching and obeying. Yee haw!

Stabbing at Snohomish High School

2011-10-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Please be in prayer today for our neighbors from Snohomish High School. This morning two girls were stabbed and are now at nearby hospitals. The girl responsible for the stabbings needs our prayers too. More details are emerging about the story, but the most important thing is to offer this scary event to the Lord. May there be greater compassion and welcoming in the midst of what could be a tragedy. May God provide healing as only God can.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20111024/NEWS01/710249872#Stabbing-at-high-school

Miracles Happen

2011-10-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

This story comes from LifeTeen.com and is written by Katie Patrizio. See it in its original form here.

Sometimes I find myself itching for a good miracle story. And I know I can just open the Bible for one but sometimes I find myself asking, “Lord, how about a good modern day miracle story on the news tonight?” It’s kind of a bad attitude to have because after all, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29)

I’ve come to realize that God likes being anonymous. He is the Author of all of creation and yet He’s not a god who flaunts his power or shows off.

Throughout the Scriptures, Jesus performed miracles for people so that they might come to believe that he was God. Miracles defy the laws of nature and the only person that can defy the laws of nature is the Person who created those very laws: God. So when Jesus multiplies bread, walks on water or heals incurable diseases, he does this so that you and I (not just first century Jews) might realize that he is the Creator, that he is God.

Miracles like the kind we hear about in Scripture aren’t as common today. When Jesus does perform miracles though, it’s often through other people, typically the saints.

When I heard this miracle story it blew my mind! It’s about Pope Benedict’s role in the rescue of the Chilean miners, whose one-year anniversary we observed last Thursday. Check it out …

To continue reading, click here.

Videos on Relationships

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

The following videos all say something different and interesting about relationships. As our junior and senior group gets started this Sunday, relationships are the topic of the hour. What makes a good relationship (friendship or romantic)? How do you make it last? How do human relationships affect your relationship with God? How do you put God into your relationships? What are good boundaries when dating? What does it mean to be part of a community? Come on Sunday to Life Teen for the already Confirmed, 6:30-8:30pm in the youth room.

Bruce Almighty realizes free will changes things, sees his girlfriend praying for him, and ceases control to God.

Heath Ledger's character in The Patriot stays over at his girlfriend's house. Her parents make sure there isn't any hanky panky.

The beautiful first scene from UP.

The Dump Him List from Crystalina Evert.

Three Keys to Dating with Jason Evert

Adoration & Bible Study Tonight

2011-10-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Lord Be With you,

This week’s readings are:
Exodus 22: 20-26
1 Thessalonians 1: 5c-10
Matthew 22: 34-40

Think of how you would address a child who wants to do something foolish because, “all the other kids are doing it.” This is what the first reading is like for God. With all the rules and laws that God gave HIS people through Moses, in its time was revolutionary. God was trying to civilize HIS people. Later, through Christ, God shows ALL the people how to be civilized.

In the second reading Paul is congratulating the Christians of Thessalonia on the positive effect of their example. They received the gospel with ready faith, and withstood persecution with joy.

In the gospel, Jesus sums up the core of our beliefs. How do we prioritize the many rules and laws? We are to love God first, and also our neighbor. Is there a difference? Through Christ, isn’t God our neighbor? Our friend? The stranger in the hallway? On the street? One relationship feeds the other and together they both help strengthen our faith. Take time this week before you hear this gospel proclaimed on Sunday to think about how you love your neighbor. How you treat your family at home. How you treat everyone at school. How you treat everyone online. Remember that your closeness with God is strengthened when you show love for others in each of these relationships. Identify those situations in which you are failing to love your neighbor, and take action to do a better job this week.

Join us tonight @ 7:00 for praise and worship in Adoration to our risen Lord, then Bible Study following afterword.

Confirmation Questions of the Week

2011-10-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

When do you actually start to understand (in depth) about your faith and do adults still have questions?
This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but our faith is a profound mystery. We never understand it all. When we think of mysteries, most often we think of crime shows like CSI and Law & Order or fantastic conspiracies that need solving. Our faith isn’t the same kind of mystery. Profound mysteries need pondering, exploring, constant chewing and thoughtfulness, but they don’t need solving. The Catholic faith can be studied at length for an entire lifetime and still offer new and profound insights each day. Catholicism gives us strength for the journey. It does not solve all our problems, does not shield us from suffering, does not answer all our questions. It does, however, give us hope, give us purpose, and give us a reason for living. The questions will never end until we reach heaven’s doorstep and the Big Guy comes to the door with all the solutions.

What would I tell someone who asked me the difference between Catholic and Christian?
If someone asks if you are Catholic or Christian, tell them you are both. Christianity includes the Catholic Church. In fact, all of Christianity originally came from the Catholic Church. In the first hundred years after Jesus died and rose, the Catholic Church was the only Church. Then the Eastern Orthodox Church split in the 1100s. The Protestant Reformation occurred in the 1500s and 1600s, and ever since, Christianity is no longer a “big C” Church but a vast number of denominations who believe mostly the same stuff but have some fundamental differences.

Christians have a lot in common, whether Lutheran, non-denominational, Pentecostal, Methodist, or Catholic. We believe in a God who is Trinitarian, three in one and one in three. We believe that Jesus saved us from our sins. We believe that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit to be the living Word of God. We share many beliefs. But what makes us distinct as Catholics? Many things.

We honor (not worship!) holy people who are now in heaven as saints. We honor the mother of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, for her “yes” to God and her perfect example of how to follow her Son. We have seven sacraments that bind us to God throughout our lives – most churches have none or only a couple. We have 2000 years of Tradition to guide us. We have church services that use all the senses – seeing the candles, smelling the incense, hearing the Word proclaimed, tasting communion. But more than anything else, it’s the Eucharist that makes us unique. We believe that the bread and wine truly change to become the body and blood of Christ. At the Last Supper, Jesus commanded us to DO THIS in remembrance of him. And so we do. We eat His Body and drink His Blood to proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes again. We’re pretty distinct from our Protestant brothers and sisters that way.
So when someone asks whether you are Catholic or Christian, tell them you’re a Catholic Christian, and say it proudly. Use it to lead into a conversation about what you believe and why. Live your faith boldly with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Girls are like apples

2011-10-18T07:45:00.001-07:00

Abbey

2011-10-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey and Meredith with this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.
Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.
God

Couldn't resist

2011-10-13T23:14:00.001-07:00

I am usually not one to post cutesy pet pictures, but c'mon, this one's pretty stinking funny, yeah?

Whose shirt do YOU wear?

2011-10-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Lord Be With You!

This Sunday’s readings are:

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
Matthew 22:15-21

Did you guys hear about the series of violent incidents that acured at the Oakland Raiders vs. San Francisco 49er’s preseason game on August 20th this year? It was crazy! Shootings in the parking lot, multiple fights in the stands, even a bathroom beating that left a man unconscious. For what?
A shirt.
All of the violence was caused by a name on a shirt.
Whose name do you wear?
Are you willing to be beaten for it?
Maybe even die?
Take a minute this week and think of all the different teams, groups or clubs you are a part of. How do people know that you are a part of these groups? Do you ever wear T-shirts or sweatshirts that give the name of your school or tell that you belong to a certain group? Do you have a letter jacket with patches and pins denoting different affiliations and honors (still have mine, little tight around the belly)? Have you ever worn a uniform in public and have people look at you differently or comment on what you were wearing?

Now think about how you demonstrate to people that you belong to God, not just through apparel, but through your actions. Do you think that people can tell that you are a Catholic Christian? What gives it away?

Do you think that people respond differently to you because they can tell that you belong to God?

Join us on Thursday @ 7:00 for Adoration to our Lord and then Bible Study afterword.

THE DUDE ABIDES Jn 15:4
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible.
Jim Krieger
Lay Mystic

The Way

2011-10-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

A really cool movie is coming soon about a father-son journey along an ancient pilgrimage in Santiago de Compostella, Spain. Outspoken Catholic Martin Sheen acts, and his son Emilio Estevez directs. Anyone want to see it?

A Little Mistake

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

The appointment of the new pastor coincided with the church's appeal for aid
for victims of a hurricane.

Unfortunately, on his first Sunday in the parish, the center page of the
church bulletin was accidentally omitted. So members of the congregation
read from the bottom of the second page to the top of the last page:

"Welcome to our new pastor, Father Andrew Jensen ... the worst disaster to
hit the area in this century. The full extent of the tragedy is not yet known."