Learning to be Quick to Listen

Mass this weekend focuses on the Holy Family. Although we annually celebrate this feast at this time, it is particularly significant this year because of recent events in the news. The death of eleven year old Sarah Foxwell in Maryland and the announcement that a five year old who was missing had been found in Phoenix mirrors the pain and anguish that Mary and Joseph felt when they discovered their son, Jesus, was missing. In Luke’s Gospel, we learn that “Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of...

The holidays are a joyful time but can also bring apprehension and anxiety. We are excited about visiting with our family but we very often are anticipating discord. Frequently this time of the year involves going “home” to our parent’s house for the Christmas celebration. The anxiety level is often raised on both sides. The parents want everything to be perfect and for all of the existing problems to be put aside, at least for the day. The “children” (who are now adults very often with children of their own) are anticipating the judgment they will have to endure from their parents. A lot of people feel like their parents want to change them so the holiday celebration becomes one of avoidance and allusion instead of a day of enjoyment. St. Paul offers some good advice for times such as these. In Ephesians 6:4, St. Paul tells parents to not irritate or provoke their children to anger but instead to rear them in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord. Paul...

The scripture today comes from Mark 1:12-13, “At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.” It is short and concise. The story is expanded in the other gospels, but the message is important when we look to how we should arm ourselves to deal with the temptation of the devil. We must be prepared to go to war with the devil each day. The temptations we faced are just as real as the ones that Jesus encountered over 2000 years ago. What sort of armor do you have? Are you accessing all of the weapons available to you to deal with Satan? We know from Ephesians 6:11 that the devil employs schemes against us using the forces of darkness. We are urged to take on the full armor of God and to stand firm against this dark force. Jesus was able to employ the help of angels and so are we. Many people have discovered the great aid offered by St. Michael the Archangel. He is...

My wife and I taught religious education (CCD) for many years and enjoyed it immensely. It is an important part of the Catholic Church’s mission as there are many folks who cannot afford Catholic schools. One of the questions that we always got each year from our students and sometimes from parents was “what does catechism mean?” It is an interesting word. On the surface, we probably think of catechism for what it represents. It is school or class and we are taken to catechism by our parents once a week to learn about God and His Church. But the Church defines catechism much more deeply. After all, the definitive source for all things Catholic is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Last updated in 1992, the Catechism was created by the Church in response to her mission to guard the deposit of faith which the Lord entrusted to His Church. It is the reference text that is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the A...

There is controversy today about a poster that is being used to promote the upcoming U.S. Census. You can view it here but it essentially depicts the Holy Family making their way back to Bethlehem for the census. As we all know, when they arrived there was no room at the inn so they were allowed to stay in the barn and Jesus was born there. Some folks are saying that the poster is sacrilegious. I do not think it is and in fact, brings focus to Jesus just when many folks lose sight of what Christmas is all about. Maybe my logic is simplistic but I think that it depicts the truth about the birth of Jesus. It also sends the message that we should try to be more like Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The art work is not derogatory, as is often the case, and in fact is similar to what you would find on a Christmas card. I was alerted to the controversy by an article in a national newspaper. The comments on the poster are mainly about the census itself. It seems that people are very concerned that the...

Did you know that Pope Benedict has had the name Yahweh removed from all things Catholic? I discovered this yesterday, on the third Sunday of Advent, called Gaudete (Latin for "rejoice") Sunday. The choir was warming up and I heard the director tell everyone to change the word Yahweh to Lord in the song "I Lift Up My Soul." Of course the director merely offered that the pastor had made the change without an explanation. I went to the Catholic News Service (CNS) and discovered that this change was made last year in deference to the Jewish people. It really is an interesting story. The name of God has been declared unpronounceable in the Jewish tradition and it is related mostly to honoring God. The Jewish people used the four letters YHWH to represent God. I guess over the years that came to be pronounced as Yahweh. At the end of the day, I am fine with this change. What I found to be disturbing is the abruptness of the change. Little did I know that the instruction ...

The pro-life Nelson-Hatch amendment (the Senate version of the Stupak ban on public funding of abortion) has been rejected in the Senate by a 54–45 vote. The opposition of Senator Reid and his colleagues to the Hatch-Nelson amendment illustrates clearly that this bill is not about health-care accessibility or affordability. It is largely a vehicle to sneak in the wolf of federally-funded elective abortion under disguise of health-care-reform clothing. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Chair of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said: “Congress needs to separate facts and truth from political rhetoric on abortion funding. Even our opponents claim they do not support federal funding for elective abortions and they want current restrictions to apply. The way to settle this often misleading debate is simply, clearly and explicitly to apply Hyde restrictions to all the federal funds in the legislation. That is what the House did and what the final bill must do. The Senate should not appr...

The response to the seven question survey has been terrific. I have found inspiration in the responses from the participants and I hope they are helping you on your spiritual journey as well. Today I am adding the thoughts from Monsignor Charles B. King, who serves as Pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1894, Immaculate Conception is the older of the two Catholic parishes in Denton. They described themselves as a welcoming and friendly parish family; a community that is both multi-cultural and multi-ethnic, with more than twenty-five hundred registered families. I hope you enjoy Monsignor King’s thoughtful reflections. If you would like to respond to the seven questions yourself, please do so and send them to me at fellmananthony@gmail.com. Merry Christmas! 1. What is the biggest challenge to your faith that you have faced so far? The biggest challenge to my faith has been the temptation to put material things and satisfactions ahead of my commitment ...

I just finished a great book by Edward Rowell called Emma's Journal . I found myself crying at the end. Not becasue it was sad but because it was simply a beautiful story. The premise is based on the life of Emma Estes who was in an abusive relationship for most of her life. Once her husband dies and her grown children have left, she makes a life altering decision to turn everything over to God. Her journey is mainly guided by the scripture in Luke 1:80 which describes Jesus' life between His childhood and when He begins His ministry. Emma decides to live a life of purpose and to make a difference in the world around her. This is not a literary masterpiece but a simple book that brings hope. Rowell gives us a nice blueprint for improving our life each day with small steps that get us to change our bad habits into good. It is easy to read and would be appropriate for children as well (ages 10 and up). What this book did for me was two-fold. It was reassuring in the fact that peo...

One of the most beautiful modern Christmas songs that has emerged recently is Mary Did You Know? I have heard a number of folks sing it and the impact is always the same. The song makes you stop and think about Mary and what she experienced when she was asked to carry Jesus. Isn't that what a good song is supposed to do? Not only entertain you but take you to another place. It always makes me think of the time before Jesus' birth when Mary was in Bethlehem. Her relationship with Joseph was already established but we know that this certainly caused him to reconsider the prospects of marriage with this young woman, that is until God sent his angel to intervene. Since I am not a woman and cannot ever experience the miracle of child birth personally, it is almost impossible for me to know on a biological level what Mary felt as this baby grew inside of her. But I can, as a parent, empathize with her feelings of doubt, concern, and wonder. How was this child going to change her lif...

Anticipation and preparation are the keywords for the Advent Season. How are you preparing to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Is the anticipation you are feeling merely the pressure created by shopping, parties, and other commercial hassles? It is very difficult to slow down at this time of the year and really think about the meaning of December 25. But is it incumbent upon you to find the time to focus on the meaning of Christmas as a Christian. Not only are we celebrating the birth of Jesus but anticipating His second coming. The manifestation of Jesus to the world in His human form provides us the perfect opportunity to realize that we are not alone. A good example of the anticipation comes from Mary's cousin Elizabeth and appears in the Gospel of Luke 1:41-45, "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, 'Most blessed are you among women...

Just back from a vacation with the family and it brought some issues to the surface. Anytime you spend 5-6 days with adult children in close quarters, I think there will be times when tempers will flare. Many times it is because people are tired. Anyway, I encountered a scenario that I want to share with the other fathers (parents). One of my daughters, who has been designated the family’s complainer, had a trying set of days. Our schedule for the trip was very heavy and she was looking for some time to relax. Unfortunately there were few breaks and the pace took its toll on her. Eventually, as it always does, it bubbled to the top and her temper let loose. She said something that was extremely hurtful to me. It was a flippant statement and in hindsight, she did not intend for it to be so hurtful but it was. My reacion was not what I wanted it to be as I was also tired. The entire scenario changes when parent and child become two adults. As a parent, you always have expectations. When ...

Becoming the person you want to be is not an easy job. Being of the world rather than in the world leads us to make many choices that do not assist our spiritual journey. The message is very fuzzy at best when you are operating in the humanistic realm. Should we collect worldly goods? Is my car and house good enough? Why is that person making more money than me? God's message is clear on the other hand. We are to love and honor God. We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus even gave us beatitudes to give us something to do while on earth. So as we choose our path to become who we want to be, these choices are the very things that turn us into the person we become. That is why it is so important to make our decisions carefully. I suggest you make them in consultation with God. He is here to help us on our journey. I know it is very easy to ignore the Godly path. We are offered so much in our world, especially in the U.S. but not here alone. How often have you found y...

The pelicans are back in Baton Rouge. Passing the City Park Lake this morning was a stunning experience. The gleaming white of the pelicans contrasted against the greenish water of the lake and made for a beautiful start to the day that the Lord has blessed us with. I had to stop and thank our Father God for creating such incredible creatures. Their long golden beaks pecking in the water for nourishment created ripples that made the entire lake come alive. It reminded me that the Church uses the pelican as a symbol and I have seen it used in many churches around the U.S. The pelican is a iconic symbol of the atonement and the Redeemer. Many years ago, people began to realize that the pelican would wound itself in order to feed its young with its blood and to bring to life those who were dead. "Pelican in her piety" in iconic and symbolical art, is a representation of a pelican in the act of wounding her breast in order to nourish her young with her blood, a practice fabulousl...

The Washington D.C. City Council inched closer to allowing same sex "marriages" in the District of Columbia last Tuesday when they voted the legislation out of the Committee on Public Safety and Judiciary. The panel refused to include protections for religious organizations, putting at risk the numerous churches in the region that provide goods and services to the needy. It places a horrifying burden on the religious organizations who would have to decide between their faith or compliance with the district’s demands. One of the largest area provider of relief services, the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, took a stand last Wednesday, just as their counterparts in Massachusetts' had done in that state, and refused to back down to the D.C. Council's bullying tactics. The Catholic Church provides a wide range of direct services for those in need in our nation's capitol, including physical and mental health care, legal care, immigration, employment services, counse...

Father Bill Osborn is pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish in Redfield, South Dakota. He graciously took the time to answer the seven questions and I am thrilled to post his responses below. If you would like to answer the brief survey, simply cut and paste the questions followed by your responses and email them to fellmananthony@gmail.com. I promise to post them. Now get ready for some straight to the point wisdom from Father Bill. 1. What is the biggest challenge to your faith that you have faced so far? People leaving the church. 2. What scripture do you find yourself turning to most often? John 6:53 (“Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”) 3. How do you think God is revealing his presence to us in the world today? In so many ways through others. 4. Do you have a book that you would recommend to people trying to develop their spirituality? The Bible 5. Why do you thin...

Have you ever felt like a doormat? Jesus tells us that we are supposed to forgive but does that mean we lose ourselves in the process? Are we okay with not being right all the time? Sometimes we think we are just as right as the other person but we are probably just as wrong. I find that taking some time away from the situation helps tremendously. We try so hard to convince the other person that our point of view is right that we forget about God in the process. Sometimes stepping back and letting God work is the best solution. Sometimes God works on us as well. Understanding that what is driving us often is mind garbage. The devil spends a lot of time placing this mind garbage in our brains. The best time to do this is when we are creating the list of bad habits, traits, and quirks of the person that is disagreeing with us. We focus very often so intently on the negative things that we fail to see the positive things. Mind garbage can infiltrate our lives and make us become very negat...

The reading for today was Mark 7:7-9, "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." He went on to say, "How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!" Doesn't this look like it was written today? Doesn't this apply to the humanists of today who put aside all things Godly and want to focus on the world? You have to put aside the commandment of the Lord to allow the murder of innocent babies and have the audacity to call it abortion. You have to put aside the Lord's commandment when you describe the United States as a non-Christian nation. You have to put aside the commandments of the Lord when you force additional financial burdens on a people who are already hurting so badly that they are losing hope. As we move towards the Advent season, it is a good time to reflect on where we are in our spiritual journey. Are we worshiping Go...

If you have ever been to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. you may have seen the Hall of American Saints. They recently installed a new statue, that of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Everyone knows the story of the saint from Albania who spent her life working with the poor and ill in India. She received a Nobel Peace Prize and many other awards which meant nothing to her. If you read her books, you will know that she was focused on being the hands and feet of God on earth. She was also very hard on herself and never felt as if she was worthy of the praise and adulation she received. Mother Teresa was clearly focused on receiving her reward in Heaven where she joined our Lord upon her death. I have noticed that there are already a number of Catholic schools and churches named for this diminutive nun who cast such a large shadow. She visited Baton Rouge and established a local chapter of her order at St. Agnes Parish in the downtown area. She also formed a...

Do you know someone that has allowed the past to capture them in a jail cell? I am not talking about a literal cell but the kind that creates isolation and depression in their lives. It might even be you. Learning to lead a life that is filled with forgiveness is a very freeing experience. Living for the present rather than in the past allows us to fully experience our Father God's love, grace, and providence. Allowing strife to keep you captured by the events of the past brings delight to the devil. But when you focus on becoming someone who is quick to forgive, the grace of God is allowed to flourish in your life. I have just begun to become acquainted with the writings of Henri de Lubac. He is considered to be one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. During the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII appointed de Lubac as theological expert to the Council. He later was appointed a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II. de Lubac co-wrote a series known as the Christia...

One of my favorite things to do is attend a wedding. This past Friday, I was able to witness the joining of two young people in holy matrimony. Both of these young adults have been through a dark journey lately. The difference is that the journeys turned out very differently for each of them. The bride recently lost her mother to cancer. To lose your mother at any time is devastating but to lose her to an aggressive and destructive disease when you are planning for one of the happiest days of your life is particularly trying. The good news is that the pair was able to spend the last days of the mother's life planning every aspect of the wedding. It allowed the mother and daughter to focus on the future rather than the present. The influence of the mother was evident in every aspect of the sacramental wedding. I fully expected the bride to be excessively weepy because of her recent loss but she was radiant and beautiful. I think that she was infused by her mother's spirit. The g...

The last acceptable prejudice has reared its ugly head again. I am talking about anti-Catholicism in the United States. Take a look at the editorial entitled Foul Ball . I have spoken of this terrible occurrence before and reminded everyone that the Devil loves when Christians fight amongst themselves. This article also points out the difference in treatment between Catholics and Jews. Again, score one for the Fallen One. Some of our very own, Patrick Kennedy namely, have chosen to go public with anti-Catholic remarks recently. This after his departed father was treated with respect and dignity even though the late Ted Kennedy did not stand up for his faith illustrated most clearly by his votes for abortion/legalized murder. I do not know what is in Patrick Kennedy's heart but I am praying that he take some time to explore his apparent dislike for the very Church that has nurtured and sustained his family for over 200 years. The Catholic Church provides health care to the indigent ...

A co-worker approached me to talk about a preacher she heard this weekend. The topic was grace. The kind of grace that only God can give us. She said that she knew what grace was or thought she knew but the more the preacher spoke, the less convinced she became about her current interpretation of grace. It made me think about grace and what that really means. I guess that I immediately think of a special blessing that God gives us when we accept Him into our lives. But doesn't that make it seem like pixie dust or something? I then thought about grace being all of the things that God allows us to enjoy like cherries, chocolate-covered doughnuts, beautiful music, or a wonderful movie. I decided that this was a very limited way of viewing God's grace. The more I thought and prayed, the more I realized that grace is about life itself. Living in grace is about being in a loving relationship with our Father God. Having the Holy Spirit whisper in your ear when you are confused or lone...

Miracles are happening still today. I know this because I have seen a miracle happen. I wrote on this blog earlier about a good friend of mine who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Many of you know the survival rate for this terrible cancer because of the high profile case of Patrick Swayze who recently passed. Most doctors are reporting a five-percent survival rate for patients who contract this type of cancer. We began to pray mightily for my friend that he be healed of this terrible affliction and that all evil forces that could come against him be blocked by the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our great and powerful Lord has answered our prayers and my friend is cancer free. Praise God! This miracle is a testament to God's immense empathy and might. During this terrible ordeal, I would talk with my friend and he never strayed from his strong belief that God would intervene for him. I told him that he was bringing more people to Christ everyday by his strong convictions and he j...

I find it very interesting that most of the national holidays celebrated in the United States have their origins in Catholic Christian history. Even the modern day Halloween celebration is tied to the Catholic Church. In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Even or “holy evening.” Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. On November 2, the Church celebrates All Souls Day. The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died, whether they are officially recognized by the Church as saints or not. It is a celebration of the “communion of saints,” which reminds us that the Church is not bound by space or time. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that through the communion of saints “a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and thos...

We have another first for the Listen Quickly blog. Deacon Alfred Ardon becomes the first deacon to respond to my seven questions. Deacon Al is in his second year of formation to become a Roman Catholic Deacon. He lives in Kingston, Washington and records his thoughts on his blog A Cascade Catholic . If you would like to participate, please respond to the seven questions and email them to me at fellmananthony@gmail.com. In the meantime, enjoy Deacon Al's responses. 1. What is the biggest challenge to your faith that you have faced so far? The biggest challenge to my faith has been the way things are heading in our country. It’s hard to believe sometimes. People and attitudes bring you down. I have to remind myself no matter how bad it gets, God is still in control. 2. What scripture do you find yourself turning to most often? Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” 3. How do you think God is revealing his presence to us in the ...

Do any of you remember the Keep on Truckin t-shirts from the seventies? Well the artist who drew that and other bizarre cartoons has just released a new book that might shock some of you. Robert Crumb’s new book is called The Book of Genesis Illustrated and is exactly what it sounds like. Crumb says that he used a King James version of the Bible along with a 2004 translation called The Five Books of Moses by scholar Robert Alter. It is 224 pages that graphically depict the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah and The Flood, Abraham and Sarah, as well as Joseph and his brothers. Biblical scholars say they are pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Apparently Crumb merely drew what he read and did not add a comical slant or infuse his work with comments or opinion. I am anxious to take a closer look at this work (disclaimer: I have not read it and am not making a recommendation yet). You can find more information about the book in a story by USA Today . If it is as true to the original text as ...

Just how far are people willing to go in this society to get a laugh or provoke a response? The dialogue about politics has become increasingly uncivil and ratcheted up a level from Clinton to Bush and Obama. But the current prize may go to Sarah Silverman who happens to be Jewish. She unleashed a diatribe against the Catholic Church capped by a suggestion that Pope Benedict sell the Vatican to feed the poor. The Vatican sensibly did not offer comment but several Catholic organizations did come forward to explain the error in Silverman’s thinking. I can’t help but think how outraged our Jewish sisters and brothers would be if their leader(s) were lampooned like Pope Benedict. Her misstep will hopefully not set off a backlash against the Jewish people similar to what happened after the terrorist attacks of September 11 did against the Muslim population. I think that we as Catholics have become all too familiar with this type of insult. The Catholic Church has served so many for so long ...

The scripture that emerged today for me is from the epistle of St. Jude 1:16, "These people are complainers, disgruntled ones who live by their desires; their mouths utter bombast as they fawn over people to gain advantage." I have fallen prey to this many times in the past but have been working to expunge this desire from my heart. I was never one to chase after people for autographs. It never made sense to me and I have urged my children as well as students I have taught in religious education to avoid this urge as well. We are all children of God on the same journey. Why does our society choose to place some above others and generally because they are attractive (actors) or good at running, catching and throwing (athletes)? It is absurd and a cancer that continues to plague us as a people. I especially enjoyed the part in the scripture that describes the mouths uttering bombast. That of course reminded me of my favorite parts of the Epistle of St. James that urge us to con...

Kurt Hilgefort, is a Catholic father of six who publishes his thoughts on his blog Shadows of Augustine . He responded to my seven question survey with the following answers. Kurt is the first layperson to respond to the seven question survey and I think that his experience is extremely relevant to me personally and I hope that you are inspired by his thoughts as well. If you would like to respond, please send an email to fellmananthony@gmail.com with your thoughts and I will be happy to publish them as well. 1. What is the biggest challenge to your faith that you have faced so far? The biggest challenge for me has been the whole dying to self thing. On an intellectual level, there are no barriers. It comes down to a matter of accepting the authority of the Church that Christ founded upon Peter. My challenge is not in the intellect, but rather in the will. The challenge for me has always been to continually seek conversion. I want to be transformed, but I want it to be over all ...

I listen to the news now and wonder how we came to replace our journalists with ideologues. There is no more impartial recounting of the day’s events. Everything has context. And to be honest, most of us choose our cable news by our politics more than anything else. “If the news is going to be bad, I might as well hear it from someone who thinks/talks/acts/looks like me” is the prevailing thought. I receive many emails each day that point out the short comings of the folks in charge of our nation, state and city. What I do not receive are emails offering solutions to any of these problems. Paul writes in Philippians 2:14-16, “Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Does this call for u...

Have you ever been approached by someone who asks you if you believe in the afterlife? How did you respond? I think that we have all heard the adage that it is better to believe and be wrong than not believe at all. The Bible talks about faith a lot and Jesus dealt with the faith issue head on in the post-resurrection incident recounted in John 20:24-29 which says, “Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be...

Did you hear about Blasphemy Day? I discovered this latest version of the Devil's work via a newspaper article describing that yesterday was apparently the time for the world to "promote freedom of speech and the freedom to challenge, criticize and satirize religion without fear of murder, litigation and reprisal." I mourned Blasphemy Day by praying that the Lord would come into the hearts of these misguided souls. When I turned to the scripture today, miraculously I landed on 1 Timothy. In Chapter 1, Timothy talks about the exact kind of folks that would find satirizing religion to be a form of entertainment. 1 Timothy 1:3-11 says, "I repeat the request I made of you when I was on my way to Macedonia, that you stay in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to teach false doctrines or to concern themselves with myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the plan of God that is to be received by faith. The aim of this instruction is love fro...

When I started writing this blog, God placed on my heart a desire to share how we are all walking a very similar path. I am not saying that we are all exactly alike but I often feel that my problems are unique and that is just not true. In addition, I find that fellow Catholics have experienced similar events. I was guided by the Holy Spirit to develop a list of seven questions and I have been sending them out all over the U.S. asking for a response. I admit it is an unusual method and probably has made some of the recipients nervous but I am happy to say that a second brave soul has responded to me. Rev. Michael Diochi of St. Bernadette’s Parish in Kansas City provided the following responses. I have listed each question before his response. To see the first response by Fr. Al Baca, refer back to the August 20 entry. If you would like to participate, simply respond to the following seven questions and forward your answers to fellmananthony@gmail.com. Enjoy! 1. What is the biggest ch...

What I find so fascinating about the Catholic faith is the rich history and depth. I am constantly learning new things about being a Catholic and more often than not, much of our religion is rooted in Biblical text. Which is confusing because often those that attempt to tear down the Church try to use the Bible to do so. That is a topic for an earlier day as I explained before when I wrote about doing the Devil's work for him. We as Christians should always look to commonalities rather than building walls to separate ourselves. What caused me to start this topic was the practice that many Catholics observe of having a Mass said for a deceased family member or friend. I learned today that that practice is rooted in 2 Maccabees 12:39-46. It makes sense of course if we simply think critically about our lives as humans. Are we ever in a perfect state like Jesus was when he died? We are striving for this perfection but know that ultimately our humanness will get in the way. So offering ...

In a recent conversation, I suggested that one of the missions of local Catholic high schools is to promote vocations, specifically to religious life but overall as well. Also participating in the conversation were several nuns who quickly admitted that their numbers were dwindling and there was not a succession plan in place to provide new sisters for the school. The conversation began to evolve and we talked about the recent success of the local Diocese in recruiting men for the priesthood. During the meeting, I noticed a lack of participation by the nuns at the table. After the meeting, I approached two of them separately to find out what they were thinking about this topic. Both expressed to me that they were excited about the topic and very grateful that I had brought it up. I mentioned their lack of input and they shared with me that they did not want to anger the parents who might accuse them of self-interests. Who is going to recruit for them if not themselves? I must say that ...

Today is the feast day for St. Padre Pio. As I was growing up, I can remember my grandfather talking about this great man. He predicted, accurately, that Padre Pio would one day be named a saint. When my grandfather passed, I inherited some of his book collection. In it were several books on Padre Pio which I have spent some time studying. Padre Pio believed that the love of God was inseparable from suffering and that suffering all things for the sake of God was the way for the soul to reach God. Many say that he embraced this concept so well, he was blessed with the stigmata. He felt that his soul was lost in a chaotic maze, plunged into total desolation, as if he were in the deepest pit of hell. During his period of spiritual suffering, his followers believe that Padre Pio was attacked by the Devil, both physically and spiritually. He sincerely thought of himself as useless, unworthy of God's gifts, full of weakness and infirmity, and at the same time blessed with divine favors. ...

Have you ever been faced with an overwhelming feeling of doom? Have you ever felt like you were in the presence of the Devil? I had a recent conversation with a friend who said he truly felt that a certain person we both know is working for the Devil. He described this person as "evil incarnate." I asked him why and he said that God had placed this on his heart and he asked me to avoid this person at all costs. I must tell you that I was shaken as I had worked closely with this person for a while. I did notice a lack of willingness to embrace the Word of God but perhaps I was not being observant enough. It is nice to know that God sends guardian angels to warn us and I truly am thankful for this authentic friend. Today's reading is appropriately enough from Joel. The book itself is about a threatening catastrophe and the warning the people receive from the prophet to repent and turn to the Lord with fasting and weeping. The people did as they were told and the Lord answer...

While listening to a local Christian radio station yesterday, I had the privilege to hear an 11 year old call in for a contest they were running. The idea was that you had to sing or rap any part of a Toby mac song. This young fellow sang almost half of Mac's song City on Our Knees . It was very inspiring because he sang with such conviction and belief. It is why Jesus sought out the children during his time here on earth. Their spirituality can be truly inspiring. I saw on a fellow blogger's site that Fr. Simeon Gallagher had been in the Boston area recently. If you have a chance to hear him speak, do not miss it. He is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and in this Year of the Priest represents the best there is. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 St. Paul writes, "Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do." Is there nothing nicer than hearing a compliment. In the business world, good managers know that credit is free and should be spread aroun...

One of the easiest ways that Satan can enter your life is by using your ego. I find this particularly frustrating and taming my ego has become a routine exercise for me. Strife enters your life through little, insignificant incidents. It can be when someone ignores you or is short with you in conversation. Our ego then becomes bruised and decides that this person does not like us. Before long, we are having thoughts that this person is spreading gossip about us and we retaliate. Just as C. S. Lewis's characters Screwtape and Wormwood celebrated with glee, the Devil delights in creating this scenario over and over. He can quickly check us off his "to-do" list for that day and move on to others. We quickly become his servant and accomplish his task for him. Lewis gives us the perfect example of this in his book and as I have said before, if you have not read it, The Screwtape Letters should be on your must read list. Take a closer look at the world around you and see if yo...

No matter what you think of Whitney Houston, you have to agree that her voice has to be a gift from God. I really felt sorry for her last night as I watched an interview she was doing. I really felt her sincerity when she talked about staying with her self-destructive and abusive husband because she took her wedding vows seriously. She shared how she was brought up in a Christian house and that she had pledged her commitment before God in church and that meant she had to endure no matter what. I can remember the time when she sang the National Anthem before the Superbowl. Is there a more beautiful or heartfelt rendition out there? The voice is so pure. What about her remake of I Will Always Love You? God certainly gave her a gift. I hope that her return to God will prove to be permanent. I have missed her voice. The reading today is from Colossians. St. Paul is confronted with new Christians who are still confused about who Jesus is and their old cultic practices. Paul asks them, ...