Republican Congressman's Epic 1 Minute Obama Critique On House Floor - J...

Ashamed of the Gospel?

Robert George Speaks at National Prayer Breakfast

From time to time we run across something that impresses us and naturally we want to share it. This is such a case. The video is 33 minutes but well worth the time. The text can be found here.

and when he gets to Heaven

New Book by Scott Hahn - Sounds Great

Angels and Saints: A Biblical Guide to Friendship with God's Holy Ones

I just read an excerpt from Scott Hahn's new book and it sounds great. Please go here to read the excerpt.

And here is the link to the Amazon page.

After reading the excerpt, I think you are going to be as enthused about it as I am.

A Tribute to Mothers - A Maintenance Manual

One of my Deacons often posts a great article in my parish's bulletin. Here is another::

A Tribute to Mothers... 

Today is Mother's Day and a friend of mine reminded me that many of us take better care of our cars then we do our mothers and yet we only expect our cars to last 5 or 6 years but we expect our mothers to last for a lifetime. Maybe we need maintenance manual for mothers so we would know how to take care of them at least as well as we do our automobiles.

Here are some items that might be included in such a manual.

Engine: A mother's engine is one of the most dependable kinds you can find. She can reach top speed from a prone position at a single cry from a sleeping child. But regular breaks are needed to keep up that peak performance. Mothers need a hot bath and a nap every 100 miles, a baby-sitter and a night out every 1,000 miles, and a live in baby-sitter .with a one week vacation every 10,000 miles.

Battery: Mother's batteries should be recharged regularly. Handmade items, notes, unexpected hugs and kisses, and frequent "I love you"-s will do very well for a recharge.

Carburetor: When a mother's carburetor floods it should be treated immediately with Kleenex and a soft shoulder.

Brakes: See that she uses her brakes to slow down often and come to a full stop occasionally. (A squeaking sound indicates a need for a rest).

Fuel: Most mothers can run indefinitely on coffee, leftovers and salads, but an occasional dinner for two at a nice restaurant will really add to her efficiency.

Chassis: Mother when their bodies are properly maintained. Regular exercise should be encouraged and provided for as necessary. A change in hairdo or makeup in spring and fall are also helpful. If you notice the chassis begins to sag, immediately start a program of walking, jogging, swimming, or bike riding. These are most effective when done with fathers.

Tune-ups: Mother need regular tune-ups. Compliments are both the cheapest and most effective way to keep a mother purring contentedly.

If these instructions are followed consistently, this fantastic creation and gift from God, that we call MOTHER should last a lifetime and give good service and constant love to those who need her most.

Happy Mother's Day and Blessings to all Mothers!

Easter Season, Easter People

Some of my Franciscan family, my faith community and friends know that when Easter season comes I encourage everyone to jump up and down with joy and shout “Alleluia.” Who cares if people think you’re crazy; we are an Easter people, we recognize that Jesus’ resurrection is the event that will gift us with everlasting happiness. So it is most fitting we rejoice. And not only during the Easter season, but year round.

People should ask, “What bring that person so much joy?” Be sure to tell them the secret.

In the 4/27/14 issue of Our Sunday Visitor, Gretchen Crowe reminds me of some things we should be doing during these eight weeks of Easter. Here they are:

Be joyful.
Increase quality family time.
Pick up a spiritual book.
Maintain spiritual devotions.
Follow the Faith.
Give.
Celebrate.
Turn to the Holy Spirit.
Befriend a saint.

See her article here.

Happy Easter!

Saint John Paul the Great and Canonization Aeriel Photo

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 provoked 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 heart 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 ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.

- - St. John Paul II

Saints John XXII and JP II canonization.

You have enemies?

Sounds a lot like one of my life mottoes:

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
-- Edward Everett Hale

40 Ways We Fail

Once again one of my Deacons put a great reflection in last Sunday’s bulletin. I thought I would share it with you. Reflect on each. If you see yourself, if you’re like me, we have some work to do.

40 WAYS WE FAIL...

During these 40 days of Lent, oftentimes we should look at ways we fail and take steps to correct them during Lent. I've come across a list of 40 ways we often fail; see how many you are guilty of and make an effort to correct them before Easter.

1. Focus on all the reasons why it won't work.
2. Don't bother praying.
3. Intend to begin, but don't start.
4. Stop proceeding at the first speed bump.
5. Facing backwards, tried to re-create the past.
6. Whine and complain often.
7. Fear making an investment.
8. Put in only what is required.
9. Be a self-centered person.
10. Find someone to blame.
11. List a dozen good excuses, and use them all.
12. Absorb and reflect negativity.
13. Ignore wise counsel.
14. Hoard.
15. Manipulate people for personal gain.
16. Belittle yourself and others.
17. Fail to write down your goals and dreams.
18. Major on the minors and minor on the majors.
19. Don't prioritize your use of time.
20. Don't budget your money.
21. Live humorlessly.
22. Overreact when someone disappoints you.
23. Carry grudges and bear resentments.
24. Fail to plan ahead.
25. Never learn from mistakes.
26. Make mountains out of mole hills.
27. Maintain an overinflated opinion of yourself.
28. Strive to win every argument.
29. Refuse to grow.
30. Shrink back from committing yourself, saying "no" to everything.
31. Overcommit yourself saying "yes" to everything.
32. Be a fault finder and gossip.
33. Be less than truthful.
34. Expect to fail.
35. Keep waiting for your ship to come in.
36. Disregard integrity and morality.
37. Always play it safe.
38. Throw temper tantrums.
39. Don't finish the work.
40. Forget to say “thank you.”

Yes, it's an extensive list and hopefully, you don't have many to correct, but we still have time to work on it. Happy Lent.

Pope Francis' Message to the Pontifical Academy for Life

"A society is truly open to life when it recognizes that life is precious even in the elderly population, in the disabled, and even in those who are gravely ill or in the process of dying."

Twenty years ago John Paul II instituted the Pontifical Academy for Life. Following is an excerpt from Pope Francis’ message to them in commemoration of the anniversary. [Bold highlights are mine.]

“….The work undertaken takes as its theme “Aging and Disability”. It is a topic that is extremely relevant to our own day, and something likewise always very close to the Church’s heart. Indeed, in our society one encounters the tyrannical dominion forced upon us by a logic of economics that discounts, excludes and at times evens kills our elderly––and today so many fall victim to this. “We have created a ‘throw away’ culture which is now spreading. It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression, but something new. Exclusion ultimately has to do with what it means to be a part of the society in which we live; those excluded are no longer society’s underside or its fringes or its disenfranchised––they are no longer even a part of it. The excluded are not the ‘exploited’ but the outcast, the ‘leftovers’ (Evangelii Gaudium (EG), 53).” The social-demographic predicament of the aged is a stark reminder of this exclusion of the elderly person, and especially when he or she is ill, disabled or for any other reason rendered vulnerable. One easily forgets that the relations among human beings are always relations of reciprocal dependence, which manifest themselves according to different degrees throughout the life of a person and become indispensable in situations of old age, illness, disability and indeed suffering in general. This requires of all of us our offers of necessary help through interpersonal as well as community relationships, in an attempt to answer the present need of these persons in their respective situations.

At the root of any discrimination and exclusion there is, however, an anthropological question: how much is man worth and upon what does one base this value of his? Health is certainly an important value, yet it does not determine a person’s value. Furthermore, health is not in and of itself a guarantee of happiness––this is verified even in the event of unstable health. The fullness toward which all human life is oriented is not in contradiction with any condition of illness and suffering. Hence, the lack of health or the fact of one’s disability are never valid reasons for exclusion or, and what is worse, the elimination of persons. The gravest deprivation experienced by the aged is not the weakening of one’s physical body, nor the disability that may result from this. Rather, it is the abandonment, exclusion and deprivation of love.

The family is the mistress, one might say, of acceptance and warm welcome as well as of solidarity. It is in the very womb of the family that education draws in a substantial manner from relations of solidarity. In the family, one learns that the loss of health can never be a reason for discriminating against any human life. The family teaches about not falling into an individualism that weighs oneself against the others. And it is here, in the family, that “taking care of you” constitutes one of the fundaments of human existence and a moral attitude that must be promoted, and again through values, conscience effort and solidarity. The testimony offered by the family becomes crucial in the sight of every facet of society in its consistent affirmation of the importance of the aged person as he or she is a subject of the community, who has a mission to fulfill, and about whom it is always false to say he or she receives without offering anything in return. “Whenever we attempt to read the signs of the times it is helpful to listen to young people and the elderly. Both represent a source of hope for every people. The elderly bring with them memory and the wisdom of experience, which warns us not to foolishly repeat our past mistakes” (EG, 108).

A society is truly open to life when it recognizes that life is precious even in the elderly population, in the disabled, and even in those who are gravely ill or in the process of dying. When society affirms that the call to the realization of one’s humanity does not exclude suffering, and instead teaches how to see sick and suffering persons as gifts for the entire community, whose presence calls everyone to solidarity and responsibility, only then may this society call itself open to life. This is the Gospel of life that, by your scientific and professional endeavors and sustained by Grace, you are each called to spread….”