Christ's Birth

BENEDICT XVI

GENERAL AUDIENCE

Paul VI Audience Hall

Wednesday, 19 December 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,In this Advent season, the Church invites us to reflect on Christ’s birth and to prepare ourselves, in watchfulness and prayer, for his second coming. Advent is thus a time of joyful expectation that our hope, and indeed the hopes of all humanity, will find fulfillment in the peace and salvation which only God can give. “Waiting in joyful hope” for the Lord’s coming also means preparing his way, and welcoming him as the incarnate Son of God, the Truth which gives meaning to every human life.

How important it is, then, to proclaim this mystery in all its saving power: the Son of Mary, born in Bethlehem, is the Light which illumines our life, the Way that leads to human fulfillment. The Good News of our salvation in Christ must be made known to a world which longs for this message of reconciliation, solidarity and hope.

May this Christmas be for everyone a celebration of peace and joy: joy at the birth of the Prince of Peace. Together with Mary and Joseph, let us contemplate the new-born Child lying in the manger. Through the prayers of the Virgin Mother, may we grow in the knowledge and love of Christ the Saviour. A happy Christmas to you and your families!

Website for Spring Papal Visit!

The new website is up and running, so make sure to check it out over the next few months:
http://uspapalvisit.org/

Wonderful Story about Adoption

Adopted son finds birth mom at his workplace
December 18, 2007 14:06PM

GRAND RAPIDS -- For years, Steve Flaig, a delivery truck driver at the Lowe's store on Plainfield Avenue, had searched for his birth mother.
He found her working the cash register at the front of the store.
For several months, he and Christine Tallady had known each other casually as co-workers. Last Friday they met for the first time as mother and son.
"I have a complete family now, all my kids," said Tallady, who has two younger children. "It's a perfect time of year. It's the best Christmas present ever."
For Flaig, it was the reunion he had dreamed of for much of his 22 years. He had always known he was adopted, and his parents, Pat and Lois Flaig, who raised him since his birth, supported his decision to search for his birth mother.

It was a tough decision for Tallady, unmarried at the time, to give him up when he was born on Oct. 5, 1985, but "I wasn't ready to be a mother," she said.
She left the adoption record open, figuring he might want to contact her someday, and she often thought of him, particularly on his birthday. But life went on. She got married, had two more kids.

Four years ago, when Flaig turned 18, he asked DA Blodgett for Children, the agency that arranged his adoption, for his background information. A couple of months later, it came, including his birth mother's name.

He searched the Internet for her address and came up empty. In October, around the time of his 22nd birthday, he took out the paperwork from DA Blodgett and realized he had been spelling his mother's surname wrong as "Talladay." He typed "Tallady" into a search engine and came up with an address on West River Drive less than a mile from the Lowe's store.
He mentioned it to his boss, and she said, "You mean Chris Tallady, who works here?" He was stunned.

"I was like, there's no possible way," he said. "It's just such a bizarre situation."
He had been working at Lowe's for two years. She was hired in April as head cashier.
Over the past two months, "I would walk by her, look at her from a distance, not knowing how to approach her," Flaig said. "You don't come stocked with information on how to deal with this."
It would seem tactless to walk up and say, "Hi, I'm Steve, your son." What if she rejected him?
Last Wednesday, on his day off, Flaig happened to be driving past the DA Blodgett offices. He decided to stop in and tell them of his find. An employee there volunteered to call Tallady for him.

Tallady, 45, was surprised to get the call at Lowe's. How did the DA Blodgett people know where she worked?

"The first thing that crossed my mind is something was wrong with him," she said. Was he sick? Did he need a blood transfusion?

"And then she said, 'Christine, he works with you,'" Tallady recalled. "It was a shock. I started crying. I figured he would call me sometime, but not like this."
She sobbed a lot that day, tears of joy. Flaig called her later that day, and last Friday the two, who until then had occasionally said "hi" as coworkers do, met at the Cheers Good Time Saloon near the store. They hugged, sat and talked for 2 1/2 hours.

On Tuesday, they hugged again in the store where both were working the day shift. They know their paths must have crossed many times. Both graduated from Northview schools. Both attended St. Jude's Catholic Church.

"We both hate olives, both love roller coasters," Tallady said.
Flaig hasn't decided whether to search now for his birth father. He's anxious to meet Tallady's other two children, Brandon, 10, and Alexandra, 12. Her husband, Dale, out of town on business, wants to be there when they meet, maybe this weekend.

"My husband is wonderful," Tallady said. "He wants it to be a whole family thing

The Pontiff is Coming...the Pontiff is coming!

Nov. 12, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) will visit the US in April 2008, stopping in Washington and New York, the apostolic nuncio to the US has confirmed.

Speaking on November 12 to the US bishops, who are gathered in Baltimore this week for their annual meeting, Archbishop Pietro Sambi discussed plans for a papal visit on April 15- 20.
"He will not travel much, but will address himself to the whole people of the United States," the nuncio said. The Pope will visit the White House and speak at Catholic University during his stay in Washington.

The highlight of the papal visit is expected to be an address to the United Nations on April 18. He will also visit Ground Zero-- the site of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001-- and celebrate Mass at St. Patrick's cathedral.
During his trip the Pope is scheduled to preside at two outdoor Masses, held at baseball stadiums in New York and Washington.

The tentative schedule for the papal trip does not include visits to Boston or Philadelphia, two other cities that had lobbied for inclusion on the papal itinerary. (Earlier plans for the papal tour had included a stop in Boston, according to informed officials.)

Although the Vatican has not yet announced official plans for the trip, and Church spokesmen say that details could be altered, the public statement by Archbishop Sambi, the Pope's official representative in Washington, indicates that the plans are well established.

But if you can't wait until April to discuss all things Benedict....then come to:

Beer Brats and Benedict 5

Friday December 14th

7:00PM

St. Alfred's (Taylor)Bishop Francis Reiss

Bishop Reiss will speak about Pope Benedict's vision on economic justice. As usual, there will be brats, beer, soda, and other snacks. The event is free, but if you will be drinking alcohol you must bring a valid ID. St. Alfred's is located at 9500 Bann in Taylor, MI 48180.

Chad Henne eats it after Michigan State Game

As a long suffering Spartan alumnus, this is all I have to laugh at from last weekend.

Water for Life - Malawi

Found this interesting video on youtube that deals with CRS work in Malawi. It is very informative and reminds us how we can easily take things like water for granted.

Official Bella Trailer

Bella!

Right To Life—LIFESPAN is hosting a screening of the wonderful Pro-Life film “Bella”, on October 26th @ 7:30 p.m. at the Livonia AMC 20. “Bella” has won top awards at the Toronto Film Festival and is projected to win an Oscar. It stars Latin superstar Eduardo Verastegui and Emmy award winning actress Tammy Blanchard in this heart-warming movie about the power of true love. To pre-order your ticket, please call Melanie Bruss at 586-596-9477 or 734-422-6230. Tickets are $9 each. Checks to be received by Wed. October 24 to secure tickets. Checks made payable and send to:RTL-LIFESPAN Educational Fund29200 Vassar, Suite 545Livonia, Mi 48152 (Please include names of people you are reserving tickets for.) http://bellathemovie.com/

Returning Thanks

Readings:
2 Kings 5:14-17
Psalm 98:1-4
2 Timothy 2:8-13
Luke 17:11-19

A foreign leper is cleansed and in thanksgiving returns to offer homage to the God of Israel. We hear this same story in both the First Reading and Gospel today. There were many lepers in Israel in Elisha's time, but only Naaman the Syrian trusted in God's Word and was cleansed (see Luke 5:12-14).

Today's Gospel likewise implies that most of the 10 lepers healed by Jesus were Israelites - but only a foreigner, the Samaritan, returned.In a dramatic way, we're being shown today how faith has been made the way to salvation, the road by which all nations will join themselves to the Lord, becoming His servants, gathered with the Israelites into one chosen people of God, the Church (see Isaiah 56:3-8).

Today's Psalm also looks forward to the day when all peoples will see what Naaman sees - that there is no God in all the earth except the God of Israel. We see this day arriving in today's Gospel. The Samaritan leper is the only person in the New Testament who personally thanks Jesus. The Greek word used to describe his "giving thanks" is the word we translate as "Eucharist."And these lepers today reveal to us the inner dimensions of the Eucharist and sacramental life.

We, too have been healed by our faith in Jesus. As Naaman's flesh is made again like that of a little child, our souls have been cleansed of sin in the waters of Baptism. We experience this cleansing again and again in the Sacrament of Penance - as we repent our sins, beg and receive mercy from our Master, Jesus. We return to glorify God in each Mass, to offer ourselves in sacrifice - falling on our knees before our Lord, giving thanks for our salvation. In this Eucharist, we remember "Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David," Israel's covenant king. And we pray, as Paul does in today's Epistle, to persevere in this faith - that we too may live and reign with Him in eternal glory.

(posted w/ permission from © 2003 The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. All rights reserved) http://www.salvationhistory.com

Catholic-owned soccer team meets Pope

Vatican, Oct. 11, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) met with members of the AC Ancona soccer team after his general audience on Wednesday, October 10. Reports on the meeting indicated accurately that the Pontiff had given the team his blessing-- and thereby added to the confusion caused by earlier reports that the Vatican had bought a controlling interest in the team.

AC Ancona, which plays in the 3rd division of Italy's professional league, was bought earlier this month by the Centro Sportivo Italiano, an organization of lay Catholics. The new owners immediately announced plans to make the team a model for ethical competition in soccer.
Numerous reports circulating in Italy had conveyed the inaccurate impression that the Vatican, or the Italian hierarchy had purchased the team-- prompting the Vatican press office to issue a clarification that while the Pope and the Italian bishops applaud such lay initiatives, they "have nothing to do with this project." The players' presence at a papal audience was arranged separately from the purchase of the team.

At the October 10 papal audience, members of AC Ancona presented Pope Benedict with a team jersey, carrying the number 16. They also gave the Pope a soccer ball signed by each team member.

Giovanni Langella, the captain of the squad, said that the meeting was "a great thrill." Questioned about the suggestion that players who are penalized with a red card should be asked to do social work, Langella replied, "I'll do it even if I'm not red-carded."

Farewell to Luciana Frassati

Luciana Frassati Gawronska

After a long and accomplished life of 105 years, Luciana Frassati, the sister of Blessed Pier Giorgio, died at her home in Pollone, Italy on Sunday, October 7, 2007, at about 7 a.m. The funeral was held in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin on Tuesday morning. Luciana was the main driving force behind her brother's cause for sainthood. Through her many books, the world has come to know and admire the wonderful example set by Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Let us all remember her in our prayers. (Her obituary can be found, in Italian, at: http://www.repubblica.it/2007/10/sezioni/cronaca/luciana-frassati/luciana-frassati/luciana-frassati.html)

O Gentlest heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatoryhave mercy on the soul of Thy departed servant, Luciana Frassati. Be not severe in Thy judgment but let some drops of Thy Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames, and do Thou O merciful Saviour send the angels to conduct her to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, And let perpetual Light shine upon her.May her soulAnd the souls of all the faithful departed Through the mercy of God Rest in peace. Amen.

Survey: More Americans know Big Mac ingredients than Ten Commandments

(From Mark Pattison of Catholic News Service)

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Quick. Name each of the Ten Commandments. OK. Now name the ingredients in a Big Mac hamburger sold at McDonald's.

According to a new survey, the Big Mac wins the memory contest.

In truth, the Big Mac has advantages. There are only seven ingredients to remember, and they have a catchy jingle behind them. McDonald's Corp. has poured enough money into commercials that the decades-old jingle remains familiar today.

The survey of 1,000 Americans, by Kelton Research, was undertaken to help promote the new animated movie "The Ten Commandments," which will open on 700 screens nationwide Oct. 19. Voice talents featured in the movie include Ben Kingsley as the narrator, Christian Slater as Moses, Alfred Molina as Ramses and Elliott Gould as the voice of God.

The vast majority of those surveyed could easily name the primary ingredients in a Big Mac: two all-beef patties (80 percent), lettuce (76 percent), sesame-seed bun (75 percent), special sauce (66 percent), pickles (62 percent) and cheese (60 percent).

By comparison, "You shall not kill" was known to fewer than six in 10 respondents. Less than half (45 percent) could recall the commandment to "Honor your father and mother."

Even those who said they go to church at least once a week had trouble naming all of the commandments. Seventy percent recalled "You shall not kill" and 69 percent remembered "You shall not steal" but the Big Mac's all-beef patties and lettuce got more recognition from the survey group (79 and 76 percent, respectively).

Survey participants also had an easier time remembering the names of the kids from the old TV series "The Brady Bunch." The least remembered of that sextet, Bobby and Peter, had a 43 percent recognition rate, better than the two least-remembered commandments to keep holy the Sabbath (34 percent) and to not have any gods besides God (29 percent).

During an Oct. 2 conference call to promote the movie, Paul Lauer of Motive Marketing said survey respondents were asked to write down the commandments they remembered, so even though Catholic and Protestant formulations of the Ten Commandments differ slightly, responses from either faith group would have been declared correct.

Here's a quick review of the Ten Commandments, as found in Chapter 20 of Exodus in the 1970 edition of the New American Bible:

-- "I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me."

-- "You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain."

-- "Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day."

-- "Honor your father and your mother."

-- "You shall not kill."

-- "You shall not commit adultery."

-- "You shall not steal."

-- "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

-- "You shall not covet your neighbor's house."

-- "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, or anything else that belongs to him."

The screenwriter of the "Ten Commandments" film, Ed Naha, a Catholic whose previous credits include "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," said he hopes the movie "will appeal to people who don't know the Bible."

Cindy Bond, president and chief operating officer of Promenade Pictures, said, "'The Ten Commandments' was the movie he (Naha) was being called to write." Bond added that it is the first in a series of 12 planned animated "Epic Stories of the Bible."

"Noah's Ark: The New Beginning" is halfway through production, she said. "David and Goliath" has just started production. "We're looking at 'The Battle of Jericho' as the fourth" in the series, Bond added.

Other Bible stories still in the discussion stages may include Daniel in the lions' den, Samson and Delilah, the Book of Genesis, and stories from the New Testament.

END

Inside of the Pollone Cemetery

This is an amateur video of Pollone Cemetary where the Frassati tomb is located.

Higher Grounds Coffee

For those who have asked, the fair trade coffee we use at our monthly Holy Hour and Coffee House can be purchased at: http://www.javaforjustice.com/

I really enjoy the different blends that they offer. They also make great Christmas gifts!

Chris Padgett and Jesse Manibusan dance off

Don't Forget Tim in Kenya

http://timinkenya.blogspot.com/

(I have a feeling this lion could play better defense than our own Detroit Lions!)

20th Anniversary of JPII's Trip to Detroit

For more extensive info on JPII's 1987 pilgrimage to the USA, go to: http://www.aodonline.org/AODOnline/News+++Publications+2203/Papal+Visit+15734/Remembering.htm

Archbishop Collins Lectio Divina - Youth Rally 2007 - Part 2

Here is part 2 from the Archbishop of Toronto. Good stuff!

I Like Our Quarterback

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna was one of the NFL's most thankful players Monday.

"I've never felt anything like that, and for it to clear up and go right back to as normal as I can be, is nothing short of a miracle," Kitna said Monday. "I just definitely feel the hand of God. That's all it was. You can't explain it.

"I have no headaches, no symptoms, no lingering effects. But that was the worst my head has ever felt, and the worse my memory was in the second quarter. Yet, after halftime there was nothing."

Kitna said it was the third concussion of his NFL career, and the first since 2001.
After saying he knew who he was during the game, a reporter asked Kitna if he knew where he was. "Barely," he said.

He was knocked out of the game in the second quarter and appeared to be out for the rest of the day, standing on the sideline without a helmet. But the team cleared him to play in the third quarter and he came back in the fourth.
Kitna passed a follow-up examination Monday morning.

"He's fine," coach Rod Marinelli said. "He didn't have any symptoms, no headaches."
Kitna ran the ball twice on the final possession, leading a game-winning drive when Detroit trailed or was tied for the third straight game, including a win last season at Dallas.
"It was a courageous effort," offensive tackle George Foster said. said
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Archbishop Collins Lectio Divina - Youth Rally 2007 - Part 1

Very cool talk by Bishop Collins of Toronto. If you like.....make sure to check out part two!

Heather and JT Hernandez!

Congrats on your wedding!

Evangelical Catholicism

Reform rollback or emerging ‘sane modernity’ – Evangelical Catholicism triumphant, Vatican watcher states

By John L. Allen Jr. 8/28/2007
National Catholic Reporter -- (www.ncronline.org )

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (National Catholic Reporter) – History always cuts deeper than headlines, a point that clearly applies to recent Vatican moves to dust off the old Latin Mass and to declare Catholicism the one true church. Beneath the upheaval triggered by those decisions lies a profound shift in the church’s geological plates, and perhaps the best way of describing the resulting earthquake is as the triumph of evangelical Catholicism.......

Interesting and important article by John Allen. You can read the rest at: http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=25181

I Find This Truly Alarming!

British researchers to proceed with "hybrid" embryos?

London, Sep. 4, 2007 (CWNews.com) - A British regulatory body will apparently give approval to the creation of "hybrid" embryos including human and animal material.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has concluded a 3-month study of the issue, issuing a report that says most members of the public are "at ease" with the prospects of research that would combine human genetic material and animal eggs.

In May, under pressure from research scientists, the British government backed away from a preliminary plan to outlaw the creation of hybrid embryos. Calling for "an evaluation of a number of different viewpoints," health minister Caroline Flint sought more opinions on the question.

In June, the Royal Academy of Medical Sciences gave its backing to the hybrid-embryo research, provided that scientists guarantee that any embryos created by this technique are harvested for their stem-cells, so that no such embryos can survive until birth.
During the May 2007 debate on the research, Bishop Elio Sgreccia, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, pointed out that the policies of the European Union forbid the creation of any human-animal genetic material.

Catholic Music

Here is a sample of the Catholic music I mentioned last week. Enjoy!

Catholic Music CD's Coming Soon!

Spirit Wing Records announces two brand new projects, Catholic Music 2008 and Catholic Christmas!

CONNEAUT, OH - AUGUST 26, 2007 - On the heels of the overwhelming success of their Catholic Music 2007 project, Spirit Wing Records proudly announces the upcoming release of two new projects, Catholic Music 2008 and Catholic Christmas. Catholic music 2008 features 34 Catholic recording artists, giving music fans a rich sampling of the diverse styles in Catholic music today, from Opera to Rock and Roll. Catholic Christmas features 17 Catholic recording artists offering heartwarming music celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Catholic Music 2008 and Catholic Christmas, are expected to be released on October 1, 2007, however pre-sales have already begun on the Spirit Wing Records web site.
The creators of Catholic Music 2008 and Catholic Christmas, Gary Gersin of Cleveland, Ohio and Mike Beloud of Los Angeles, California hope to continue to bring awareness to the variety of Catholic music ministries that exist today.

Gersin, of 1360AM WWOW radio in Conneaut Ohio, said, “I am constantly trying to think of new ways to introduce people to all of this great music that exists within the Church today. Catholic Music 2007 was very well received, so we wanted to continue to use these projects to introduce people to Catholic music ministries they may have never heard of before. It’s all about sharing our Faith and serving God through His gift of music”

“Gary and I really took a leap of faith when we “volunteered” to spearhead the Catholic Music 2007 compilation project. We had no idea that the response was going to be so overwhelming; it has been a very fun and exciting ride to be able to share this wonderful music with people everywhere. It has also been an absolute joy to work with these artists, their hearts are really in the right place” said Beloud, member of the Catholic-rock group Rise. “I am very happy with the music featured on the Catholic Music 2008 and Catholic Christmas projects.”

“Praise” is first of the two CDs on the Catholic Music 2008 compilation, which features modern upbeat music, while Disc 2 “Worship” is more traditional/prayerful music. Catholic Christmas is a heartwarming and spirited Christmas compilation from 17 of today’s talented Catholic Artists.

The 34 artists featured on the Catholic Music 2008 CD project are: Nick Alexander, Angelina, Susan Bailey, Gerry Brown, Ceili Rain, Kitty Cleveland, Sean Clive, Critical Mass, Chris D’Alfonso, Dan Duet, Deacon Anthony Siino and Sherry Ottoson, Trish Foti Genco, Paul Harrigan, Gretchen Harris, Lorraine Hartsook, Father David Hemann Annie Karto, Last Day, Donna Lee, Mike Mangione, News at Eleven, Rise, Nancy Scimone, Servant Song, Simonetta , Margo B. Smith, Teresa Smith, Joel Stein, Ned Tonner, Amanda Vernon, David Vogel, Valerie Von Fange, Xaltar, and Celeste Zepponi.

The 17 artists featured on the Catholic Christmas project are Angelina, Renee Bondi, Kitty Cleveland, Sean Clive, Trish Foti Genco, Lynn Geyer, Gretchen Harris, Father David Hemann, The Interior Castle, Nancy Krebs, The Love Movement, Father Charles and Laurie Mangano, Remember Rome, Elizabeth Schmeidler, Chuck Stevens, Amanda Vernon, and Celeste Zepponi.

Copies of Catholic Music 2008 and Catholic Christmas can be pre-ordered by visiting the Spirit Wing Records website at www.spiritwingrecords.com.
For a limited time, all pre-orders will receive free shipping.

For more information, contact Mike Beloud at Mike@SpiritWingRecords.com or Gary Gersin at Gary@SpiritWingRecords.com.

Contact: Spirit Wing Recordshttp://www.SpiritWingRecords.com OH, USGary Gersin - Owner, 440 - 669-7081

St. Monica

St. Monica was married by arrangement to a pagan official in North Africa, who was much older than she, and although generous, was also violent tempered. His mother lived with them and was equally difficult, which proved a constant challenge to St. Monica. She had three children; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Through her patience and prayers, she was able to convert her husband and his mother to the Catholic faith in 370· He died a year later. Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious Life. St. Augustine was much more difficult, as she had to pray for him for 17 years, begging the prayers of priests who, for a while, tried to avoid her because of her persistence at this seemingly hopeless endeavor. One priest did console her by saying, "it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish." This thought, coupled with a vision that she had received strengthened her. St. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose in 387. St. Monica died later that same year, on the way back to Africa from Rome in the Italian town of Ostia.

By the way, she is the patroness of: abuse victims; alcoholics; alcoholism; difficult marriages; disappointing children; homemakers; housewives; Mabini, Bohol, Philippines; married women; mothers; victims of adultery; victims of unfaithfulness; victims of verbal abuse; widows; wives

A Tribute to John Paul II on YouTube

See! The internet isn't all bad!

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!!!

Follow the link for a great article on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02006b.htm

Interesting Article from Detroit Free Press

(Thanks Raquel for the Link!)

Act of defiance to Nazis still reverberates today
Austrian a hero to antiwar movement
August 8, 2007
BY DAVID CRUMM

FREE PRESS RELIGION WRITER
The name of an obscure Austrian peasant, whose friends warned him that he was throwing his life away in 1943 in a worthless effort to defy the Nazis, will echo in the streets of Detroit on Thursday as a patron saint of the contemporary antiwar movement.

Franz Jägerstätter isn't officially recognized as a saint by the Vatican yet, though he is scheduled for beatification by Pope Benedict XVI in October. That is one step away from canonization.
AdvertisementThousands of peace activists around the world aren't waiting on the pope. They already regard him as a saint for his heroic refusal to fight in the German army during World War II, a decision that led to his beheading by the Nazis in Berlin.

"Thursday is the day of his martyrdom on Aug. 9, 1943, so we're holding this prayer service in his memory in the street outside the Archdiocese of Detroit chancery building," said the Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellermann, a Detroit United Methodist pastor and author who is nationally known as a peace activist.

"He pointed out to all of us what the gospel really says about our moral responsibility in the face of war, and we're remembering him because we're trying to encourage people to resist the current war," Wylie-Kellermann said.

Michael Hovey, now an archdiocesan spokesman on Catholic social teaching, worked for many years with sociologist Gordon Zahn, the scholar who launched an effort in 1964 to pull Jägerstätter's story from the shadows of World War II history.

Born in 1907 in the tiny Austrian village of St. Radegund, Jägerstätter lived the typical life of a farmer, but his Catholic faith led him to refuse induction to the German army. Despite pleas from friends and neighbors to reconsider his defiance, he calmly refused to budge. He was imprisoned, tried in Berlin and beheaded.

"Gordon's biography of him, 'In Solitary Witness,' influenced a lot of people after the book came out in 1964," Hovey said. "It's true that this was one of the books Daniel Ellsberg was reading that influenced him to release the Pentagon Papers in 1971."

Wylie-Kellermann said he thinks that's the most powerful part of the story: This link between a seemingly insignificant act of defiance by a peasant and Ellsberg's fateful decision to expose U.S. Defense Department documents about American failures in Vietnam.

"It's a great lesson: an Austrian peasant dies in complete obscurity -- a story that literally should have been a dead end in history -- but his story is retold and winds up helping to end the war in Vietnam," Wylie-Kellermann said. "Zahn's book tells the story so well, because he was able to interview directly many of the people who knew Jägerstätter."

In the 1980s, Hovey worked with Zahn on global peace and disarmament campaigns. He accompanied Zahn on trips back to St. Radegund to meet with Jägerstätter's widow, Franziska, and raise awareness of the story.

In October, Hovey will travel back to Austria and participate in the beatification ceremony. He hopes to visit Franziska Jägerstätter, who still lives in the village near Salzburg.
The campaign to promote Jägerstätter's story included an hour-long documentary about his life on Austrian television in the late 1980s that was followed by 500 local discussion groups held across the country.

"After all these years of work to bring his story to more people, when we heard in June that the Vatican would beatify him, I just felt numb," Hovey said. "I was so glad to hear it. He's the kind of example we need today of a good Catholic who was courageous enough to say no to war."
Contact DAVID CRUMM at 313-223-4526 or crumm@freepress.com.

August 6, 1945

I found this brief article by Catholic Answers president Karl Keating about the use of nuclear weapons by the USA at the end of World War II. He wrote this article a few years back, but I think his points are spot on. I think it is worth a look.

Karl Keating on Nagasaki and Hiroshima

"[C]annot be squared with Catholic moral principles:"

Many justify the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima by saying the abrupt end to the war saved as many as a million American lives that would have been lost had Japan been invaded. I don't know where the figure of one million came from. My understanding is that the War Department estimated a maximum of 46,000 casualties in an invasion. That was a worst-case scenario, meaning the likely number of casualties would have been far lower.

Some commentators have argued that no invasion was needed at all, since Japan no longer had an air force or navy and had no domestic source of oil for its industries. A blockade would have resulted in the Japanese war machine and economy grinding to a halt. The war thus could have ended without an invasion, though the end probably would have come long after the summer of 1945.

Be that as it may, what concerns me is the attitude, so prevalent among political conservatives (most of whom are religious conservatives), that there are no limits in defensive warfare: If the other guys started the fight, they deserve whatever they get. In a defensive war it is not a matter of "My country right or wrong" but of "My country can do no wrong," which is an odd thing coming from conservatives who, on domestic matters, can be highly critical of their government's moral failings (as regards abortion or homosexuality, say).

Catholic moral principles are easy to apply to other people, difficult to apply to ourselves. This is as true in public life as in private life. During World War II our enemies did atrocious things on the battlefield, to conquered nations, and even to their own people. Many of these evils we knew about during the war; others came to light only after the cessation of hostilities.

Even those evils we knew about during the war were so prevalent and so gross that, to many, it seemed permissible, for the duration, to lay aside a principle that we insisted be followed by our enemies: The end does not justify the means.

Rephrase that in Catholic terms: To achieve a good, you may not perform a sin. To provide your family financial security, you may not rob a bank. To protect your wife's health, you may not abort the child she is carrying. And to defeat an enemy in war, you may not violate just war principles. But we did--and more than once, sad to say.

The atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, like the fire bombings of Dresden and other German cities, cannot be squared with Catholic moral principles because the bombings deliberately targeted non-combatants. The evil done by our enemies did not exonerate us from the moral law. Their evils did not provide us justification for evils of our own. Being a Christian in peacetime is difficult; it is more difficult, but even more necessary, in wartime.

Fat Man exploded directly above the Catholic cathedral in Nagasaki. The city was the historical center of Catholicism in Japan and contained about a tenth of the entire Catholic population. The cathedral was filled with worshipers who had gathered to pray for a speedy and just end to the war. It is said their prayers included a petition to offer themselves, if God so willed it, in reparation for the evils perpetrated by their country.

[from Catholic Answers: Karl's E-Letter of August 3, 2004]

Catholic Bible Poll

What Bible translation do you prefer?
	New American Bible
	Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition
	New Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition
	Jerusalem Bible
	New Jerusalem Bible
	Douay-Rheims
	New International Version
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

Asked and Answered (Reflections on the Sunday Readings)

Readings:
Genesis 18:20-32
Psalm 138:1-3, 6-8
Colossians 2:12-14
Luke 11:1-13

Though we be "but dust and ashes," we can presume to draw near and speak boldly to our Lord, as Abraham dares in today's First Reading. But even Abraham - the friend of God (see Isaiah 41:8), our father in the faith (see Romans 4:12) - did not know the intimacy that we know as children of Abraham, heirs of the blessings promised to his descendants (see Galatians 3:7,29).

The mystery of prayer, as Jesus reveals to His disciples in today's Gospel, is the living relationship of beloved sons and daughters with their heavenly Father. Our prayer is pure gift, made possible by the "good gift" of the Father - the Holy Spirit of His Son. It is the fruit of the New Covenant by which we are made children of God in Christ Jesus (see Galatians 4:6-7; Romans 8:15-16).Through the Spirit given to us in Baptism, we can cry to Him as our Father - knowing that when we call He will answer. Jesus teaches His disciples to persist in their prayer, as Abraham persisted in begging God's mercy for the innocent of Sodom and Gomorrah. For the sake of the one just Man, Jesus, God spared the city of man from destruction (see Jeremiah 5:1; Isaiah 53), "obliterating the bond against us," as Paul says in today's Epistle.

On the Cross, Jesus bore the guilt of us all, canceled the debt we owed to God, the death we deserved to die for our transgressions.We pray as ones who have been spared, visited in our affliction, saved from our enemies.We pray always a prayer of thanksgiving, which is the literal meaning of Eucharist. We have realized the promise of today's Psalm: We worship in His holy temple, in the presence of angels, hallowing His name. In confidence we ask, knowing that we will receive, that He will bring to completion what He has done for us - raising us from the dead, bringing us to everlasting life along with Him.

'Holy' is His Name

In the Liturgy for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches His disciples to acknowledge God's name as "hallowed" - that is, holy or sanctified. "Holy" is God's name - that is, His essential identity. The name of God is His own covenant identity - His personal identity. It's what proves our personal relationship with Him.

When we call upon that name - "Our Father!" - God responds as a Father, and we receive His help. We also bring on His judgment, but that judgment is a blessing to those who avail themselves of His help. The Virgin Mary said, "Holy is His name" (see Luke 1:49). Holy is His name for all eternity, for we invoke Him with the proper name "Holy Spirit." As God's family on earth, we share in His holiness because we are called by His name and are children of His covenant, which we invoke whenever we say, "Our Father."

When we call upon the name of the Lord, we are reminding God of the special relationship that He has with us. The Lord has revealed His name so that we might call upon His power and draw closer to Him in communion.

- Adapted from Understanding 'Our Father': Biblical Reflections on the Lord's Prayer, by Dr. Scott Hahn (© 2003 The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology)

The Cool Pontiff

A Cool You-Tube Video featuring John Michael Talbot

The "Timidity" of the Holy Father

(By Russell Shaw, from www.catholicexchange.com)
Pope Benedict XVI's critics say he's timid, overly cautious, slow to make decisions. Against that background, and without suggesting the criticism has no basis in fact, it's enlightening to observe that in recent days, Benedict has taken the following steps: reversed important policy decisions of two of his predecessors, taken a big gamble aimed at healing a dangerous schism, reminded the world's bishops that he's boss, risked offending ecumenical dialogue partners — and then headed off cheerfully on vacation.

If this is timidity, one might reasonably ask, what must boldness look like?
The matters involved in these recent papal moves are well known. First, on June 26, the Vatican released a document from Benedict that makes a potentially crucial change in the procedure for electing a pope.

Back in 1996, in a departure from long tradition, Pope John Paul II decreed that after a conclave had spent 13 days trying unsuccessfully to elect someone by a two-thirds majority vote, the cardinals could switch to election by a simple majority if they wished. Many people felt this was a bad idea, since potentially it allowed a determined group composed of just half the electors plus one to stand pat on its candidate and resist compromise until the time arrived when it could get what it wanted. That's no way to choose a pope, it was privately said.

Evidently, one of those who shared that view was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — now, Pope Benedict XVI. His new rule for the conclave insists that, come what may, a pope must have the votes of two-thirds of the cardinals. That also involves potential difficulties, but at least it guarantees that whoever gets is elected will be a true consensus choice.

Benedict followed up on July 7 with a second document, in effect restoring the old form of the Mass to a position of virtual parity with the new form. In doing so, he was, for practical purposes, reversing Pope Paul VI's decision back in 1970 which virtually banned celebration of Mass in the old form.

Not only that — Paul VI had allowed for continued celebration of Mass the old way by elderly priests, but only if they got special permission. John Paul II expanded authorization of the old form in 1984 and 1988, while also insisting on the local bishop's permission. Not any more. Under Benedict XVI's regulations, starting September 14 any priest who wants to celebrate Mass in the old form can do so, with no further permission required.

Pope Benedict's intention is clear. "Internal reconciliation" in the Church, he calls it — in other words, reconciliation with traditionalists who yearn for Mass in the old form and, especially, with the 600,000 members of the Society of St. Pius X, the schismatic group of followers of the late, breakaway Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Will it work? Hard to say. Unhappiness with the new form of Mass isn't the Lefebvrists' only complaint. They also have problems with things like ecumenism and religious liberty. Significantly, the Vatican, on July 10, issued a statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, reaffirming the salvific uniqueness of the Catholic Church — a principle traditionalists believe has been obscured by ecumenical excesses.

The point isn't that Pope Benedict has suddenly found the key to resolving all these difficulties. But — patient, methodical, fond of consultation as he is — he has the moxie to try. The critics need to let this man be pope his own way. He's going to do that anyway, after all, whether they like it or not.

Simpsons: Protestant Vs. Catholic Heaven

With the Simpsons Movie coming out this month, I can't help but post this funny clip.

New Vatican document affirms centrality of Catholic Church

Vatican, Jul. 10, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican has issued a new doctrinal statement confirming the essential role of the Catholic Church in God's plan for salvation.

The short document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), presented in question-and-answer format, addresses questions about the teaching of the Second Vatican Council that the Church founded by Jesus Christ "subsists" in the Catholic Church.

The CDF affirms that while other Christian bodies can play a role in bringing people to salvation, it is in the Catholic Church that "the Church of Christ is concretely found on this earth." The Vatican document makes a further distinction between Orthodox churches that have preserved valid sacraments, and should be recognized as "sister churches," and Protestant groups that have not preserved the Eucharistic presence.

The document, entitled "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church," is approved by Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) and signed by Cardinal William Levada and Archbishop Angelo Amato, the prefect and secretary, respectively, of the CDF. The document is available on the Vatican's website.

Questions #2 and #3 address the teaching of the conciliar document Lumen Gentium (doc) (#8) that the Church of Christ "subsists" in the Catholic Church. The CDF document explains: "It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them." Nevertheless, only the Catholic Church is characterized by identifying marks of Christ's Church: being one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

The Christian communities separated from the Catholic Church, the CDF continues, "though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation." These communities can act as instruments of salvation, because of their partial participation in "that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church."

In the 4th and 5th questions that complete the document, the CDF draws a clear distinction between the Orthodox and Protestant denominations. The Eastern churches, the document notes, "have true sacraments and above all – because of the apostolic succession – the priesthood and the Eucharist." They are therefore sister churches, even if they fall short of universality because of their separation from the Holy See.

The Protestant communities, on the other hand, "do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders." Because these communities "have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery," the CDF writes, they "cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called "churches" in the proper sense.

Lets see how the American press reports this new document. I am sure they will focus on the last part of the document, relating to Protestants. Prepare for the outrage!

July 4th Feast of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
(April 6, 1901-July 4, 1925)

"O Father, you gave to the young Pier Giorgio Frassati the joy of meeting Christ and of living his faith in the service of the poor and the sick; through his intercession may we, too, walk the path of the beatitudes and follow the example of his generosity, spreading the spirit of the Gospel in society. Through Christ our Lord, Amen."

Decaf - Handmotions in Heaven

Pope Restores 2/3's Requirement for Papal Election

Vatican, Jun. 26, 2007 (CWNews.com) -

Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) has restored the rule requiring a two-thirds majority among the voting cardinals to elect a new Roman Pontiff.

The Vatican today made public a motu proprio in which Pope Benedict amends the rules that had been established by Pope John Paul II (bio - news) in 1996. With those rules Pope John Paul had allowed for the election of a Pope by a simple majority if a conclave was unable to produce a two-thirds majority after 33 ballots.

With a brief document, written in Latin and signed on June 11, Pope Benedict revived the older standard that had called for a two-thirds majority in every case. In the motu proprio the Pope reported that a number of cardinals had called for the amendment, reasoning that the requirement for a two-thirds majority could discourage cardinals from procedural maneuvers that might stall a conclave and force a simple-majority ballot.

The new norms set forth by Pope Benedict allow for a different means of preventing a deadlock. If the conclave has not produced a decision after 21 ballots, the top two vote-getters will be selected for a run-off ballot. However the requirement for two-thirds support still holds.
Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, observed that the motu proprio was an indication that Pope Benedict "wants to ensure that whoever is elected pope enjoys the greatest possible consensus."

Because You Wanted More.....

Actually, I should have entitled this entry: Nerd II. But hey, the song is pretty sweet!

The Vatican's 10 Commandments for Motorists

The Vatican took a break from strictly theological matters on Tuesday to issue its own rules of the road, a compendium of do's and don'ts on the moral aspects of driving and motoring. A 36-page document called "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road" contains 10 commandments covering everything from road rage, respecting pedestrians, keeping a car in good shape and avoiding rude gestures while behind the wheel. "Cars tend to bring out the 'primitive' side of human beings, thereby producing rather unpleasant results," the document said. It appealed to what it called the "noble tendencies" of the human spirit, urging responsibility and self-control to prevent the "psychological regression" often associated with driving. It urged readers not to behave in an "unsatisfactory and even barely human manner" when driving and to avoid what it called "unbalanced behavior ... impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, ..." Vatican City, the world's smallest sovereign state, doesn't have many of the problems listed in the document. It has about 1,000 cars, the speed limit is 19 mph and one Vatican official said the last accident inside Vatican City's walls was about 1.5 years ago, resulting in only minor damage. (Reuters)

For more info on the document go to: http://www.zenit.org/article-19915?l=english

Godzilla vs Contra

Hey, I know....I am a nerd. But this video contains two things I loved when growing up. So, if you can bring them together, how awesome is that?

I Need to Get Me One of Those!

Pope on Eucharistic Adoration

What? The Pope promotes Eucharistic Adoration, what is the world coming to? ;)

Says Silence Is Needed in Scattered World

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 10, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI recommends the practice of Eucharistic adoration, saying that the capacity for interior silence and recollection is ever more important in life that is often "noisy and scattered."The Pope said this today after praying the Angelus with crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square.

His address centered on the Eucharist, as many nations celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi today."Even after the celebration of the divine mysteries, the Lord Jesus remains living in the tabernacle; because of this he is praised, especially by Eucharistic adoration," the Holy Father said."

There is an intrinsic connection between celebration and adoration. The holy Mass, in fact, is in itself the Church's greatest act of adoration," he added. "Adoration outside holy Mass prolongs and intensifies what happened in the liturgical celebration and renders a true and profound reception of Christ possible."I would like to take the opportunity that today's solemnity offers me to strongly recommend to pastors and all the faithful the practice of Eucharistic adoration."

Benedict XVI noted that youth are showing great interest in adoration. "I invite priests to encourage youth groups in this, but also to accompany them to ensure that the forms of adoration are appropriate and dignified, with sufficient times for silence and listening to the word of God," the Pope said.

He continued: "In life today, which is often noisy and scattered, it is more important than ever to recover the capacity for interior silence and recollection: Eucharistic adoration permits one to do this not only within one's 'I' but rather in the company of that 'You' full of love who is Jesus Christ, 'the God who is near us.'"

May the Virgin Mary, Eucharistic Woman, lead us into the secret of true adoration. Her heart, humble and silent, was always recollected around the mystery of Jesus, in whom she worshipped the presence of God and his redemptive love."

Pope-Bush Meeting

by Mark Silva
VATICAN CITY – Greeted by the archbishop of the Pontifical Household and a line of Technicolor-suited Swiss Guard on the cobblestone – and on this cloudless and warm, sun-splashed day -- San Damaso courtyard of the Vatican, President Bush arrived for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

Inside today, the pope gave the visiting president a 17th Century lithograph of St. Peter's Square and a gold medallion, and the president gave the pope a walking stick that a former homeless artist in Dallas had inscribed with the Ten Commandments. The pope also was heard to inquire about the president's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which they had discussed a defensive missile shield for Europe.

"Sometimes I'm not poetic enough to describe what it's like to be in the presence of the Holy Father,'' Bush, who had visited Pope John Paul II during the president's re-election campaign in 2004, said during an interview with European press before departing for this weeklong tour of Europe.

"It is a moving experience. And I have not been in the presence of this particular Holy Father. Obviously, three visits with the last great man, and I'm looking forward to this,'' Bush said of Benedict XVI. "I'm looking forward to hearing him. He's a good thinker and a smart man. I'll be in a listening mode.''
Bush has been in a talking mode for much of an eight-day tour that started in Prague, continued in Germany for the three-day summit of the Group of Eight nations and carried him briefly through Poland – site of the missile battery that Bush proposes for a new European defense network -- before arriving in Rome.

(c/o http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/)

How to tell if a Catholic is driving too fast!

A Reflection on Pentecost

A Mighty Wind

Readings:

Acts 2:1-11

Psalm 104:1,24,29-31,341

Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13

John 20:19-23

The giving of the Spirit to the new people of God crowns the mighty acts of the Father in salvation history. The Jewish feast of Pentecost called all devout Jews to Jerusalem to celebrate their birth as God's chosen people, in the covenant Law given to Moses at Sinai (see Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-11).

In today's First Reading the mysteries prefigured in that feast are fulfilled in the pouring out of the Spirit on Mary and the Apostles (see Acts 1:14). The Spirit seals the new law and new covenant brought by Jesus, written not on stone tablets but on the hearts of believers, as the prophets promised (see 2 Corinthians 3:2-8; Romans 8:2). The Spirit is revealed as the life-giving breath of the Father, the Wisdom by which He made all things, as we sing in today's Psalm. In the beginning, the Spirit came as a "mighty wind" sweeping over the face of the earth (see Genesis 1:2). And in the new creation of Pentecost, the Spirit again comes as "a strong, driving wind" to renew the face of the earth.

As God fashioned the first man out of dust and filled him with His Spirit (see Genesis 2:7), in today's Gospel we see the New Adam become a life-giving Spirit, breathing new life into the Apostles (see 1 Corinthians 15:45,47). Like a river of living water, for all ages He will pour out His Spirit on His body, the Church, as we hear in today's Epistle (see also John 7:37-39). We receive that Spirit in the sacraments, being made a "new creation" in Baptism (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). Drinking of the one Spirit in the Eucharist (see 1 Corinthians 10:4), we are the first fruits of a new humanity - fashioned from out of every nation under heaven, with no distinctions of wealth or language or race, a people born of the Spirit.

(c/o: St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology: http://www.salvationhistory.com/)

A Real Tomb is Found!

Herod's Tomb Found

JERUSALEM - An Israeli archaeologist on Tuesday said he has found remnants of the tomb of King Herod, the legendary builder of ancient Jerusalem, on a flattened hilltop in the Judean Desert where the biblical monarch built a palace.Hebrew University archaeologist Ehud Netzer said the tomb was found at Herodium, a site where he has been exploring since the 1970s.Netzer said a team of researchers found pieces of a limestone sarcophagus believed to belong to the ancient king. Although there were no bones in the container, he said the sarcophagus' location and ornate appearance indicated it is Herod's.

Read the rest at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070508/ap_on_sc/israel_herod_s_tomb_15

This discovery is helpful because it reminds us that disciplines like archaeology are wonderful. There have been a number of great discoveries during the last 100 years that has helped us to understand the world of the Bible. Unfortunately, oftentimes the press reports on the most outlandish "discoveries" like the recent foolishness by James Cameron and the "Jesus Tomb." This however, should never cause us to avoid searching for a greater understanding of the biblical world.

Book Excerpt from Benedict's "Jesus of Nazareth"

Conflicting movements, hopes, and expectations shaped the religious and political climate around the time of Jesus’ birth. Judas the Galilean had called for an uprising, which was put down by the Romans with a great deal of bloodshed. Judas left behind a party, the Zealots, who were prepared to resort to terror and violence in order to restore Israel’s freedom. It is even possible that one or two of Jesus’ twelve Apostles—Simon the Zealot and perhaps Judas Iscariot as well—had been partisans of this movement. The Pharisees, whom we are constantly meeting in the Gospels, endeavored to live with the greatest possible exactness according to the instructions of the Torah. They also refused conformity to the hegemony of Hellenistic-Roman culture, which naturally imposed itself throughout the Roman Empire, and was now threatening to force Israel’s assimilation to the pagan peoples’ way of life. The Sadducees, most of whom belonged to the aristocracy and the priestly class, attempted to practice an enlightened Judaism, intellectually suited to the times, and so also to come to terms with Roman domination. The Sadducees disappeared after the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), whereas the pattern of life practiced by the Pharisees found an enduring form in the sort of Judaism shaped by the Mishnah and the Talmud. Although we observe sharp antagonism between Jesus and the Pharisees in the Gospels, and although his death on the Cross was the very antithesis of the Zealot program, we must not forget that people came to Christ from every kind of background and that the early Christian community included more than a few priests and former Pharisees.

An accidental discovery after the Second World War led to excavations at Qumran, which brought to light texts that some scholars have associated with yet another movement known until then only from literary references: the so-called Essenes. This group had turned its back on the Herodian temple and its worship to withdraw to the Judean desert. There it created monastic-style communities, but also a religiously motivated common life for families. It also established a productive literary center and instituted distinctive rituals, which included liturgical ablutions and common prayers. The earnest religiosity of the Qumran writings is moving; it appears that not only John the Baptist, but possibly Jesus and his family as well, were close to the Qumran community. At any rate, there are numerous points of contact with the Christian message in the Qumran writings. It is a reasonable hypothesis that John the Baptist lived for some time in this community and received part of his religious formation from it.
And yet the Baptist’s appearance on the scene was something completely new. The Baptism that he enjoined is different from the usual religious ablutions. It cannot be repeated, and it is meant to be the concrete enactment of a conversion that gives the whole of life a new direction forever. It is connected with an ardent call to a new way of thinking and acting, but above all with the proclamation of God’s judgment and with the announcement that one greater than John is to come. The Fourth Gospel tells us that the Baptist “did not know” (cf. Jn 1:30-33) this greater personage whose way he was to prepare. But he does know that his own role is to prepare a path for this mysterious Other, that his whole mission is directed toward him.
All four Gospels describe this mission using a passage from Isaiah: “A voice cries in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Is 40:3). Mark adds a compilation of Malachi 3:1 and Exodus 23:20, which recurs at another point in Matthew (Mt 11:10) and Luke (Lk 1:76, 7:27) as well: “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way” (Mk 1:2). All of these Old Testament texts envisage a saving intervention of God, who emerges from his hiddenness to judge and to save; it is for this God that the door is to be opened and the way made ready. These ancient words of hope were brought into the present with the Baptist’s preaching: Great things are about to unfold.

We can imagine the extraordinary impression that the figure and message of John the Baptist must have produced in the highly charged atmosphere of Jerusalem at that particular moment of history. At last there was a prophet again, and his life marked him out as such. God’s hand was at last plainly acting in history again. John baptizes with water, but one even greater, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, is already at the door. Given all this, there is absolutely no reason to suppose that Mark is exaggerating when he reports that “there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mk 1:5). John’s baptism includes the confession of sins. The Judaism of the day was familiar both with more generally formulaic confessions of sin and with a highly personalized confessional practice in which an enumeration of individual sinful deeds was expected (Gnilka, Matthäusevangelium I, p. 68). The goal is truly to leave behind the sinful life one has led until now and to start out on the path to a new, changed life.

(for more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18618066/site/newsweek/)

Review of "Jesus of Nazareth"

Review by John Allen:

Intellectually, the aim of Jesus of Nazareth is, in the first place, to defend the reliability of the gospel accounts; and secondly, to argue that that gospels present Christ as God Himself, not as a prophet or moral reformer. Over and over, the pope uses phrases such as "implicit Christology," "hidden Christology," and "indirect Christology," to argue that even where the gospel accounts don't draw out the theological consequences of stories and sayings of Jesus, their message is nonetheless discernible..........(to finish this long review, go to: http://ncrcafe.org/node/1056)

Those interested in being involved in a book study of this book, contact Tim at mccormickt@macomb.edu. "Jesus of Nazareth" will arrive in bookstores on May 15.

Unfortunate News Regarding Amnesty International

(c/o http://amywelborn.typepad.com/openbook/)

AI's move to changing its policy on abortion has been murmured about for a while now. While looking through the group's website, Anderson discovered that it's a done deal and that AI is prepared:

Karen Schneider, the chair of the Sexual and Reproductive Rights Working Group, posted a letter, “Updated April 20th, 2007,” and addressed to volunteer leaders. Before I reveal the beginning, here’s a bit of the ending:

It is very important to be aware of the following: This policy will not be made public at this time. As the IEC [Amnesty International’s International Executive Committee] has written to all sections, “There is to be no proactive external publication of the policy position or of the fact of its adoption issued. This means no section or structure is to issue a press release or public statement or external communication of any kind on the policy decision.” (emphasis original)

Anticipating that news might get out anyway, the website contains links to four other documents—a two-page overview of the new policy, a letter from the executive director explaining the change, and an already-written letter to the editor “that should be used only to respond to critical editorials or letters to the editor in local newspapers.” Members were encouraged to circulate these documents to the public but only in response to prior attacks on Amnesty’s new policy—they’d prefer not to generate any PR if possible, and do damage-control only if they have to. All the documents had the same tone a student takes who after being sent to the principal’s office is then forced to talk with the secretary while awaiting his appointment—defensive rationalizing at the service of cleansing the conscience.

The fourth document, a FAQ, could only “be used to respond to inquiries, but not distributed to the public.” Schneider ends by telling volunteers that they were not to “respond to any inquiries from the news media” but to direct reporters to the AI Communication Department.
Why the preemptive cover-up? Why the anticipatory responses? A letter to the editor already drafted in response to negative stories that haven’t even been written? An answer sheet to frequently asked questions before the new policy has even been announced and enough questions could be asked to generate frequency? Something’s up.

So, how did that letter begin? Schneider started with this: “Amnesty International’s International Executive Committee (IEC) has adopted a new position on Sexual and Reproductive Rights that includes support for abortion in very particular circumstances, in the context of our work to stop grave human rights abuses against women and girls.”

The new policy has three basic goals: (1) provide access to abortion in what they claim will only be “particular circumstances,” (2) ensure that women have access to medical care after botched—whether legal or illegal—abortions, and (3) eliminate all penalties against women seeking abortions and against abortion providers.

The various supporting documents all stress the legitimate concerns of female health and liberty and the good work Amnesty International has done in the past on these issues—but then argue for what will amount to an unlimited right to abortion.
snip

Amnesty International’s new abortion policy will strain—if not completely sever—the close ties it enjoys with many of the staunchest defenders of human rights: religious believers, in particular, the Roman Catholic Church. Though they hope to preempt such a conclusion—and gave their members just such a set of talking points—they are only kidding themselves.

"Yeah that's right....I'm the Pope!"

Frassati Soccer Teams!

Frassati Society will be fielding two teams in the Catholic Young Adult Soccer League, which will begin May 12.

Here are the rules and guidelines:

*The season will cost $10.00 per person.

*Games will be 7 vs. 7, on modified fields. (One of the 7 may be a goalie, but he/she cannot use their hands)

*We must have at least 2 people of opposite gender on field at all times.

*The season will run May 12 to the end of June, ending with an all day tournament.

*Two 30 minute halfs, with 10 minute break at half.

*Substitutions will be on the fly.

*Games will be on Saturdays in two locations beginning at 10AM.

*Each team will have a team Shirt.

*Soccer equipment (shin guards and shoes) is optional but encouraged

If you are interested, contact Tim - mccormickt@macomb.edu ASAP!

Now Thats A Birthday Cake!!!

New JRR Tolkien Book!

I am a big fan of the "Lord of the Rings" movies and books. I am planning, God willing, to read through the Middle Earth series of books this summer. So, I was happy to see that today "the Children of Hurin" was published. It is an unfinished book of Tolkien that his son Christopher has edited and compiled for the past 30 years or so, since JRR Tolkien's death in 1973. It is set 6500 years before the events of "The Lord of the Rings." So far, I have gotten through the first two chapters and have found it to be a wonderful read. I am looking forward to finishing it....either before or after my finals next week. JRR Tolkien is important since he was not only a genius writer, but also a devout Catholic. Even if you have only seen the movies, you can certainly see the various christological influences in "The Lord of the Rings."

One note: The book itself is beautifully put together, with gorgeous illustrations, an appendix, glossary of names, and a map. Also the type-setting is very readable.

Easter Commentary by NT Wright

I am a big fan of biblical scholar, and Anglican bishop, NT Wright. Below is an editorial he wrote about Easter. I find it to be quite insightful!

Face to Faith

Tom Wright Saturday April 7, 2007The Guardian
When Easter stops being a surprise, it stops being Easter. The trick Christians pull off year after year is to so immerse ourselves in Lent and Holy Week that we actually screen out what we know comes next.

We reflect on, and mourn, the ruin of the world and the folly of humankind. We look in the mirror and see our own shame and sin. And then we contemplate Jesus's suffering and death at the heart of the whole thing: the place where the arrogance of empire, the frenzy of religion and the betrayal of friends all rush together and do their worst. Faced with all that, it's not hard to bracket out Easter. After all, that's what most of the world does anyway.

"Wait without hope," wrote TS Eliot, "for hope would be hope for the wrong thing." If you frame Easter in the terms of the perceived problem, you belittle it. Whether you think in terms of pie in the sky (at best a thoroughly subChristian concept) or a better society, all you get is a happy ending after a sad or sinful story.

And whatever Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were doing in writing the final sections of their books, they were not telling the story of Jesus's resurrection as a happy ending. They were telling it as a startling new beginning. Easter morning isn't a slow, gentle waking up after the difficult operation. It's the electric shock that brings someone back to life in a whole new way.
That's why the Easter stories tumble out in bits and pieces, with breathless chasings to and fro and garbled reports - and then, stories like nothing else before or since. As the great New Testament scholar EP Sanders put it, the writers were trying to describe an experience that does not fit a known category. They knew all about ghosts and visions, and they knew it wasn't anything like that.

Equally, they knew the risen Jesus wasn't just a resuscitated corpse, still less someone who had almost died but managed to stagger on after all. They had the puzzled air of people saying, "I know this sounds wacky, but this is truly how it was." They were stumblingly describing the birth of new creation, starting with Jesus but intended for the whole world.

It sometimes seems that the church can hardly cope with this any more than the world can. Perhaps that's why, after 40 days of Lent, many churches celebrate Easter for a few hours and then return to normality. But nothing can be "normal" after Easter. New creation has begun, and we are summoned to get on board. We should at least have an eight-day party, or even a 40-day one.

And if Easter is all about the surprise of new creation, there is every reason to suppose that it will ripple out into the world in ways we would never imagine. Gangsters and drug-dealers get radically converted and set on fire with God's love, while pale churchmen drone their disbelief and warn against extremism.

Extremism? What can be more extreme than God raising Jesus from the dead after the world has done its worst to him? Supposing the power of that event were to be released into the world, into local communities, into ordinary lives, here and now? What might that look like?
We don't know, of course. That's the point. But I do know this. As our politicians go round the tracks this way and that, fudging and dodging and hedging their bets, and as our culture lurches through the sneers and the whims of postmodernity, it looks as though we all know we need new creation but nobody knows where to find it. Easter offers an answer so striking that most mock at it and even the churches often don't know what to do with it. Forget the eggs and the bunnies. Read the story again, say your prayers, and watch for surprises.

· The Rt Rev Dr Tom Wright is Bishop of Durham.