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 and forgotten everyday, especially in the U.S. The Catholic Church has been involved in the health care industry for a long time. If they are saying that the health care reform legislation being offered by Congress and the President is misguided, we should probably give them a listen and take a harder look at the plan. I know that the Catholic Church made a prayerful decision, something I am not so sure about with an administration that has been openly hostile to Christianity as a whole.

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 lonely or sad is certainly grace. Feeling the real presence of Jesus Christ when you receive Holy Communion is certainly grace. I am not suggesting that grace has to be religious in nature but I am merely giving you my thoughts on where my thought-process was moving. The freedom to make decisions is certainly God's grace. The redemptive grace offered to us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is another powerful form that is available to us. As always, I had to turn to the Bible to hear what God has to say about grace. I found a few interesting themes. St. Paul continuously offers grace to the people as he begins his letters to them. In Romans 1:5 we learn that God gave Jesus grace and we are saved because of it. That is very deep. Jesus, we know, was perfect in every way, yet he was a human. I always assumed that Jesus did not need grace but God gave it to him. And God gives us grace. God gives us the same gift that he gave his earthly son. That is very powerful. In 2 Timothy 1:9 we also learn that God gave us grace because he wanted to. We didn't even have to do anything for it. That set me to wondering what I did to deserve this grace. Do I thank God for my grace? Do I protect my grace by modeling Jesus Christ? Am I worthy of God's grace? The answer to the final question is yes. God created us so that we could have a deep, loving relationship with him. He is so good to us yet we very often take Him for granted. Living in God's grace is a powerful feeling. It straightens my spine and makes me walk taller, confident in the fact that I am supported in all things by God's grace.

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 just smiled but I will tell you that this is true. I have spoken to so many people that have been shaped by this experience. It has allowed so many to deepen their faith and increase their prayer life. I have written before that God replaces the bad with the good. It may also be the answer to one of my seven questions, specifically "Why do bad things happen to good people?" That is exactly what happened here and not just in the end. Throughout the journey, God was calling people to respond and they did. My friend's happiness is so infectious. The benefits will continue to multiply because my friend can now minister to others who are facing the same situation. He is in a unique position to tell them with conviction that God is here for us. Even in the dark times. Even when we think it is hopeless. Each time I see him, I will be reminded of our miraculous God and so will many others. Every time I talk to a prayer warrior who accepted the daily challenge to prayerfully ask God to remove the cancer, I can see the tremendous effect this has had on them. Tremendous good came from this difficult and trying journey. Miracles are still occurring. Don't let anyone tell you they are not. By the way, my friend gets to see his son celebrate the sacrament of marriage this Saturday. God is good all the time and all the time, God is good.

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 those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.” If you have not listened to Josh Wilson's beautiful song Savior, Please you must do so. I have found such comfort in the words. I find myself praying this song during the day. It really has touched my heart. One line that brings me great comfort is, "I can't do this alone, God I need you to hold on to me." I hope it blesses you too.

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 world today?
Sunrise and Sunsets. A thing to remember, God holds all things together in himself. If he for one second did not, we’d vanish in a nano-second.

4. Do you have a book that you would recommend to people trying to develop their spirituality?
Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwan or Experience of God, Pray the Scriptures with Lectio Divina

5. Why do you think bad things happen to good people?
Bad or Evil is the absence of good. I have no idea. We all have to get back to God somehow, some way. We all are subject to the laws of nature and chance. I do think the experience can lead us to a stronger version of ourselves.

6. What have you found is the most effective way to introduce the word of God to a nonbeliever?
Your actions. They speak louder than words. Non-believers are as close to believing as we are to non-believing.

7. Do you have a favorite saint and if so, why?
St. Peter – He’s my patron saint. We have lots in common. We have our moments of glory as well as moments of blunder.

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 the scholars quoted in the story are saying, I think this has good potential. There are a number of people who are better at learning using visual stimulus and this might be the book that brings them to God. Crumb describes himself as agnostic and admits he just does not understand God but that he is a spiritual person. I would suggest he find a spiritual adviser and quick. He might also read The Shack as it would seem to appeal to someone that is creative. What the reporter failed to ask Crumb was how reading the Bible impacted him. It is very seldom that someone picks up the Bible and begins to read it and does not feel a connection with God. That He speaks to us through this book is undeniable. Here is hoping that Crumb’s book brings many folks to the wonder and glory of our Lord and Savior. God has used stranger people to accomplish His goals before and will do so again.

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 yet people still try to come against God’s church. I wonder if Silverman has ever contributed to a St. Vincent DePaul ministry. I wonder if she has ever served at a soup kitchen. I wonder if she has ever visited an inner city school where Catholics are brining hope and education to the poor and neglected, often free of charge. I remember my Grandfather talking about the hate-filled speech that was launched against President John F. Kennedy as he ran for office. I realize that we are the largest Christian church in the world and that brings a huge responsibility which we have accepted. But I also wonder when some of our fellow Christians will step up to defend the Catholic Church as well. Again I say, when we as Christians are not standing together, we are doing the Devil’s work for him. My last entry is well suited for what Silverman has done. Her tongue is uttering bombast. She is talking about things that she knows nothing about and perhaps we should ignore her. I would rather pray for her and I urge you to do the same. Let us pray for her conversion that she realizes the folly in her idol worship. Money will not serve her in the afterlife.

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 control our tongue. All of this "rock star" adulation makes me miss Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II and Bishop Stanley Joseph Ott more every day. I have been praying about President Obama being award the Nobel Peace Prize. What I have come to understand is that it is unfortunate but a reality in a world that has its priorities confused. How can someone even be considered a peacemaker if they are an abortionist? Many would say he does not perform abortions but I disagree. He is the conduit for abortions being performed not only in the U.S. but around the world. He provided the authorization for funding for abortions. He supports abortions. He does not understand that abortion is murder. As the Bible says In Matthew 5:21-28, "Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The parallel must be true for other forms of sin. In this instance, it is abortion which is murder and disobeys the fifth commandment.

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 at once. Instead, it’s been a gradual thing that often seems not to be quite taking hold. I might take several steps forward, then suddenly I’m not moving, then I’m several steps back. The key, for me, is knowing that God’s mercy awaits me in the sacrament of reconciliation, that God loves me too much to want me to stay separated from him, and that true happiness comes only in fulfilling God’s will.

2. What scripture do you find yourself turning to most often?
As a father, I often find myself meditating on Malachi 4:6, “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” The verse is invoked in Luke 1:17 in reference to John the Baptist as an indication of the Messianic age. And then there’s that terrible phrase at the end.

Among New Testament verses, I return again and again to Hebrews 5:8, “Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” How can I hope to bring my will into accord with his will without suffering, if even Christ himself had to suffer to learn obedience? In a perverse way, it almost makes me desire suffering, that I might learn to obey God.

As Christians, we place a special emphasis on the Gospels. Interestingly, my favorite Gospel passages all involve Peter: his call in Luke 5:1-11, in which Peter, after recognizing the miracle that has occurred with the catch of fish, falls to his knees and says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord;” his denial in Luke 22:54-62, where, after the third denial, the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and his rehabilitation in John 21, where three times the Lord asks him if he loves him, and directs him to feed his sheep. Peter failed greatly, and yet he repented and received mercy and love. There is, therefore, hope for even me.

3. How do you think God is revealing his presence to us in the world today?
Creation itself continues to point to God’s presence, as it always has. Just today, I read about how the science of astrophysics increasingly points to a singularity that has no explanation outside of God. Miracles continue to occur, and I don’t mean natural things like the birth of a child. I mean things that have no natural explanation, which the Church herself examines with skepticism. The Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano, Italy has been with us for twelve hundred years. It was subjected to scientific examination in the 1970s. It’s real, it’s permanent, it’s empirical, and it reinforces Catholic doctrine regarding the Blessed Sacrament. And yet, for some people, it’s not enough.

Miracles, however, are rare. I believe that God’s normal mode of acting in the world (other than through the liturgy) is through people. When we receive Christ at mass, we become tabernacles of His presence. It is up to us to carry Him into the world. If people are starving, we need to show them God’s love by feeding them. It might be a cliché, but it is no less true that ours are the hands and feet and arms of God. It’s up to us, as followers of Christ, to show the love of God to the world.

Unfortunately, the converse is also true. Our lack of charity becomes a scandal that prevents others from discovering God.

4. Do you have a book that you would recommend to people trying to develop their spirituality?
My intellectual journey was strongly influenced by works of apologetics. Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating and Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid both helped me early on to accept the authority of the Church. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and The Everlasting Man (also by Chesterton) are among the greatest works proposing the truth of Christianity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, with all of its cross-references, is a testament to the organic unity of the faith. Naturally, the Bible, and especially the Gospels, is a bottomless well of living water. Theology and Sanity by Frank Sheed gives the best explanation of the Trinity that I’ve ever read. True Devotion, by St. Louis de Montfort is the best source of Marian spirituality.

5. Why do you think bad things happen to good people?
Sometimes bad things happen to people as the result of free will. Some people make poor decisions that they later regret, other people choose to perform evil actions. At other times, bad things apparently at random, and we call it an act of God. We might never know why God allows, or directs, these apparently random acts. What we do know, is that God somehow draws forth a greater good. Suffering certainly is not pleasant, but it need not be fruitless. Ultimately, all things work for the good, even if we don’t understand how.

6. What have you found is the most effective way to introduce the word of God to a nonbeliever?
St. Francis is said to have preached the Gospel, and used words when necessary. Likewise, I try to let my life be a testament. I firmly believe that acts of love are the greatest tools of evangelization, and so I try to let love be my guide. I don’t usually do a very good job at it. I don’t try to hide the fact that I’m Catholic, and I don’t shy away from it or make excuses for it in conversation. At the same time, I take seriously the counsel of 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” I live and work in an area that is majority Catholic. I rarely meet anyone who is unchurched.

7. Do you have a favorite saint and if so, why?
I like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, for the way in which they incorporated Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy into explaining Christian theology. I like Padre Pio, though I’m not exactly sure why. I like St. Therese of Lisieux for her Little Way, which says that I don’t need to be great, I can excel in holiness by being a little flower if that is what God has called me to be. As a husband and a father, I have a special devotion to St. Joseph as the head of the Holy Family, the Guardian of the Redeemer, the Patron of the Church, and the most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of course, I honor Mary, and ask that she wrap me in her mantle to make me presentable to her Son, to whom she is always pointing.

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 us to merely stand by the side and ignore the wrong? Does it allow us to live in a sheltered bubble and not try to make a difference? I think not. Paul is challenging us to work without tiring. He wants us to be examples of what is and can be right. Avoid the crooked and perverse for sure, but do it as an innocent child. Do it because it is right and not for any other reward. What kind of world would be have if we focused on coming up with Godly solutions to our biggest problems? I for one would enjoy our world so much more without the grumbling and finger-pointing that is going on now. Take it a step further as well. Be like St. Paul and labor for God. Let you labor count for the salvation of others. Work for the Lord without grumbling or complaining. I accept this challenge today and pray that I will not labor in vain.

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 unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." While not specifically about the afterlife, it does speak directly to maintaining our faith while still having doubts. The opposite of faith is not doubt but unbelief and there is a big difference. Jesus addresses this matter in Mark 9:22-24 when he encounters a man who has faith and doubt. Jesus does not condemn or turn away from the man but instead removes a demon from the son of the man. It is a human condition to have doubt but we must work to overcome it. We should seek to identify the root of doubt and that usually involves getting to know who God is and exploring our understanding of what being a Christian really means. Christianity is certainly not a blanket of protection that will ward off all bad things but instead a confidence in knowing that we should turn to God in all things. He will lead us down the right path. In addition, we should not keep our doubt to ourselves but seek guidance from God and others who can help. Speak to your priest, spiritual advisor, family or Christian friend. The apostles turned to Jesus for guidance when they had doubts. There is our example.

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 from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, wanting to be teachers of the law, but without understanding either what they are saying or what they assert with such assurance. We know that the law is good, provided that one uses it as law, with the understanding that law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and unruly, the godless and sinful, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, the unchaste, sodomites, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted." I encourage you to spend some time with this epistle as it certainly brought me comfort in the wake of Blasphemy Day.