Learning to be Quick to Listen

The Catholic Church's position on capital punishment has evolved considerably over the centuries. And as a result, "it is not a message that is immediately understood -- that there is no room for supporting the death penalty in today's world," said a Vatican's expert on capital punishment and arms control. Because the church has only in the past few decades begun closing the window -- if not shutting it completely -- on the permissibility of the death penalty, people who give just a partial reading of the church's teachings may still think the death penalty is acceptable today, said Tommaso Di Ruzza, desk officer at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. St. Thomas Aquinas equated a dangerous criminal to an infected limb thereby making it "praiseworthy and healthful" to kill the criminal in order to spare the spread of infection and safeguard the common good. However, over the centuries, justice has evolved from being the smiting arm of reveng...

Do you know the seven gifts that we receive from the Holy Spirit? I know that sounds like a conformation question or even worse, Baltimore Catechism. But it is something that we as Catholics should know. So the answer is the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude (or courage), knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Although looking it up in the Bible wouldn't hurt you either. In fact, that is how I came upon it in First letter to the Corinthians in chapter 12. The Bible tells us that "to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit." We know that the Holy Spirit is our advocate. We know that we are a temple for the Holy Spirit. Realizing that the Holy Spirit brings us gifts is something that we often forget. The Bible is also clear about the fact that we don't usually receive all of these gifts. That is something that many parents seem to forget very often. Each child comes with a TAG (talents, abilit...

Psalms 103: 8-12 tells us," Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger, abounding in mercy. He will not always accuse, and nurses no lasting anger; He has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our wrongs deserve. For as the heavens tower over the earth, so his mercy towers over those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us." I was drawn to this passage because I was listening to the Casting Crowns song East to West this morning. It is a beautiful song filled with longing and pain. But it also has a redeeming tone. The scripture passage is filled with comforting reassurances that our Lord is just and merciful. Knowing that God forgives our sins and then moves them away from as as far as the "east if from the west." brings comfort. Thinking in the broad context of how far the east is from the west is what the writer is trying to evoke here. The east and the west never meet. They are polar opposi...

St. Francis of Assisi appeals to believers and nonbelievers alike because they long for a world where people see each other as brothers and sisters and where they recognize and respect creation as a gift to all, said the superior of the Franciscan convent in Assisi. Conventual Franciscan Father Giuseppe Piemontese, custodian of the Sacred Convent of St. Francis, was one of eight religious leaders who spoke about "The Spirit of Assisi" during an interreligious meeting September 11-13 in Munich. The meeting was sponsored by the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Rome-based lay movement. To mark the 25th anniversary of Blessed John Paul II's gathering with religious leaders in Assisi, Pope Benedict XVI has convoked a new gathering in the Italian town October 27. Father Piemontese said the encounter will underline how important Blessed John Paul's gathering was for promoting dialogue and collaboration among religions, but it also will be a "reminder of what still remain...

A poll released today found 77 percent of voters believe prayers can help someone heal from an injury or illness. That is a very comforting statement. We hear so much negativity about religion today but it appears that most of us realize the value of having a relationship with God. Talking with our Father through prayer is one of the most basic things that we can do as Christians. It is something that most of us learn very early through the example of our parents. It is usually an immediate reaction when something bad happens. As we approach the 10th anniversary of the terror attack of September 11th, I am reminded of how people came together in prayer. It was a reflex to help us deal with the unknown. It was part of who we are as a people and we lean on our prayer life in times of distress. What I have been trying to do lately is to make it more of my regular life. Being in a loving relationship with God is very important to me. One of the ways we maintain our relationships is through...

Stay away from the darkness. It is a line in a song I heard one morning about two weeks ago and it has stayed with me. When you begin to look at how people slide into a life filled with sin, there is usually a tipping point. Something sets in motion this turn to the darkness. Very often it is a decision made in a moment without a lot of thought. Rarely, if ever, is there prayer involved and if there is, it is usually something superficial or fleeting. If you have ever been involved in a support group of any kind, you know this is true. We talk about how we got to the darkness and it typically involves making decisions without our God. Why do we do that when He offers us the complete support we seek? He knows what it is we need, yet we still make these decisions that can have a terrible effect on our lives. Some people never recover. Staying away from the darkness sounds like a great plan. How we do it is another thing entirely. Become critically reflective in everything you do. Figure ...