Catholic News

Feb. 14th Statement from Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted on Revisions to HHS Mandate

2012-02-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

It appears that the revisions continue to lack clear protections for those with religious objections. Consequently, those deemed not "religious enough" by the government would be forced to cooperate in this grave evil. We cannot let this serious moral concern go unchecked.

read entire statement at Diocese of Phoenix

The Laity, the Council and the New Apostalate - Article From May 6, 1961

2012-02-14T11:04:00.001-07:00

The lay apostolate exists only to energize the strength of the Mystical Body, not to reorganize the constitution of the Church. Those who enter upon this new-style vocation will need more, not less, love and knowledge of the Church; they will need more, not less, loyalty and devotion to the Holy Father and their bishops. The clergy, for their part, will learn how to exercise better their unique and irreplaceable prerogatives of preaching and sanctification. The end-product will be a mighty union of hearts in the Christian community. The zeal of the first Christians brought Christ's gospel only to the limits of the Roman Empire. It may be this age's privilege to extend that Kingdom, in a great leap forward, to the ends of the earth..

read entire article at America Magazine

Missing Rungs on the Economic Ladder

2012-02-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

What the principle of the universal destination of goods does mean, however, is that the poor must have access to the basic goods to which God has gifted us all. The principle requires that upward mobility is possible; that the poor can achieve the dignity rightfully theirs. More and more, however, a child born into poverty stays there.

read article at NCRegister

A Lost Generation?

2012-02-13T15:08:00.002-07:00

More than a third of the women entering religious life today are over 40, whereas fewer than a quarter of the men are that old. Millennial Catholic women are less likely than their male counterparts to say they have ever even considered a religious vocation.

read article at America Magazine

Steelers' Brett Keisel Shaves Off NFL's Best Beard

2012-02-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

The greatest beard in football is now just a memory. Steelers defensive star Brett Keisel parted ways with his trademark Grizzly Adams facial hair in a ceremony for charity that drew a crowd of hundreds.

How legendary was Keisel's beard? The "Brett Keisel's Beard" page has attracted almost 38,000 likes on Facebook.

KDKA reports a packed crowd witnessed celebrity barbers -- including Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and teammates James Harrison and Aaron Smith -- take turns clipping away at Keisel's facial hair.

The "Shear The Beard" fundraiser helped support cancer programs at Children's Hospital. Last year, a similar event helped raised more than $40,000, and KDKA reports this year's version is expected to top that figure.

So what's it like to go from bearded wonder to clean shaven?

"Even now, looking in the mirror, it’s strange because I've had the beard for so long, but it was a great night down here," Keisel told KDKA. "Pittsburgh, of course, showed up. That's what makes Pittsburgh special, though, is they have grasped onto this idea and really made it what it is today. If the fans didn’t respond the way they did to it, I wouldn't do it."

Odds are high that Keisel's wife, Sarah, is pretty happy as well.

A nine-year veteran out of BYU, Keisel has 20.5 sacks and 201 tackles during a career which included a Super Bowl championship in 2009.

Yahoo Sports Post Game

God Wants Us to Be Whole

2012-02-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Today’s Gospel breaks into our darkness and fear with the good news that Jesus comes out to the deserted places in our world and in our lives and offers us the healing that we can barely bring ourselves to request. He doesn’t wait for us to be perfect, he doesn’t wait for us to be healthy and strong. He meets us in our weakness and takes on our deepest fears. He knows where we’ve gone astray and he gently leads us back.

read complete reflection at American Catholic

U.S. Bishops to White House: 'Rescission of Mandate Only Solution'

2012-02-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

The president “has decided to retain HHS’s nationwide mandate of insurance coverage of sterilization and contraception. “We cannot fail to reiterate this.”

100 Questions Jesus Asked and You Ought to Answer

2012-02-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

Read the list slowly, perhaps over days or weeks, often taking just one question at a time. Ponder each question. Answer each question prayerfully and reflectively.

read at Archdiocese of Washington

Bishops Studying Initial White House Movement on Religious Liberty

2012-02-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

“Today’s decision to revise how individuals obtain services that are morally objectionable to religious entities and people of faith is a first step in the right direction,” Cardinal-designate Dolan said. “We hope to work with the Administration to guarantee that Americans’ consciences and our religious freedom are not harmed by these regulations.”

read at USCCB

Preparing for Lent: Learning to Pray, Love, and Live Our Lives in Communion with God

2012-02-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

Through prayer we recover the capacity for a communion of love with the living God and learn how to plunge ourselves into its embrace. Through prayer we cry out with Jesus, "Abba Father." No longer alienated from God, we participate in the inner life of God. God dwells in us and we dwell in Him through His Spirit. This is prayer. It is not so much about doing or getting but rather about being, receiving, giving, and loving.

read article at Catholic Online

Pope Reminds Catholics to Grow in Charity This Lent

2012-02-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

“This is a favorable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.”

read article at NCRegister

Catholic Quarterback Philip Rivers Passes on the Faith

2012-02-08T20:51:00.003-07:00

Avoiding idolatry helps you to have the right perspective on life, which in turn helps you to live more effectively. Faith comes first, then family, then football.

read article at NCRegister

Quarterback’s ups and downs ring true for teen

2012-02-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

After seeing photos of his favorite player praying, the youngster said, “I want to do that.” And there, in his room at Children’s Hospital, Joey knelt down near his chemo pole, and his dad took a picture of him. Later, as the two were walking to their car, wondering what to call Joey’s gesture, his dad suggested, “Tebowing while Chemoing.”

read article at Catholic Review

The ‘Why’ of Suffering

2012-02-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

To follow Christ with complete abandon requires that we surrender to Him and His love, and be content to accept wherever that may take us. In as much as we do this, we can discover a marvelous and heartrending irony: It is only in surrender that we can discover spiritual freedom and liberty in Christ. It is more important that we understand than be understood.

read article at Catholic Lane

Fr. Barron comments on the HHS Contraception Mandate

2012-01-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Conscience Protection

2012-01-27T16:48:00.003-07:00

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of the USCCB, sharply criticized the decision by the Obama administration in which it "ordered almost every employer and insurer in the country to provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans....Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights." He urged Catholics and the public at large to speak out in protest.

Visit links below ▼

Bishops Vow to Fight Coercive HHS Mandate

Bishop Olmsted's Letter

The Contagious Bonds of Faith and Friendship

2012-01-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

Friendship with Christ is dynamic. It is sweet communion with God and others; it challenges every believer to be more than just receivers of his gifts, but givers too. And Jesus empowers friends to serve others with a share of his very own love and grace.

read article at Patheos

Recalling Arizona's struggle for MLK holiday

2012-01-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

The fight was about ideology and symbolism, a day to celebrate a man who, they believed, had lived and died for justice. They wanted to live out King's dream, as articulated in his famous 1963 speech, in their home state. The vision: racial, social, political and economic equality for all.

read article at the Arizona Republic

Texas priest cheers for Ravens and auctions playoff ticket

2012-01-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

When the Ravens take on the Houston Texans in the AFC Division playoff game Jan. 15 at M&T Bank Stadium, Father DeBoe will be cheering on his favorite team. Who will be sitting next to him is still up for grabs, however, as the season-ticket holder plans to auction off the spot to help buy a bus for his Texas church.

read article at The Catholic Review

National Migration Week 2012: January 8-14

2012-01-09T10:11:00.002-07:00

Just as on the road to Emmaus, Christ's disciples met him in the guise of a stranger, this year's theme helps remind us that Christ makes himself present to each of us in the lonesome traveler, the newcomer, and the migrant. We are called to open our hearts and provide hospitality to those in need. It is our duty to create a space of welcome and acceptance to the migrant who finds himself or herself far away from home and in a vulnerable situation.

continue reading at USCCB

Being about 'my Father’s business'

2012-01-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Holy Family is our model. And we are all sons and daughters of God our Father. Every single one of God’s children (that’s all of us) has unique gifts bestowed by God and a unique mission here on earth.

read article at The Tidings

A new year and the time of our lives

2012-01-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

At the start of this new year, let’s pray for the grace to make our friendship with Jesus Christ the purpose and passion of our lives. Let’s ask for courage to carry out the mission he entrusts to us, the mission of the new evangelization, with joy and love.

read article at The Tidings

Vatican Releases 'Year of Faith' Guidelines

2012-01-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

In local parishes, the Vatican would like to see a focus on the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, since in it the mystery of faith and source of the New Evangelization, the faith of the Church is proclaimed, celebrated and strengthened.

read article at NCRegister

Economic Justice for All: 25th Anniversary, Wisdom for Today

2012-01-02T20:05:00.002-07:00

The pastoral letter of the U.S. bishops, Economic Justice for All, published in November 1986, still offers insight, challenge and hope. Although some parts of the letter are dated (“globalization” was not yet a popular term), the scriptural foundations and key ethical themes remain essential for addressing today’s tough economic times.

read article at American Catholic

Pope urges world to seek Christ's peace in 2012

2012-01-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

God is love, he is just and peaceable, and anyone wishing to honor him must first of all act like a child following his father’s example.

read article at CNA

A Commitment to Courage and Love in the New Year

2011-12-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, personal commitment and courage we can alter the course of our life journey and make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others.

read article at Integrated Catholic Life

12 Really Stupid Things I Never Want To Do Again

2011-12-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

If you ever get discouraged about your rate of change, just think about trees -- yes, trees. In the summer they're green. In the fall they're red. And no one sees them change.

read article at Huffington Post

“God’s igloo”: Germans build Catholic church made of ice

2011-12-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

A church built entirely of ice and snow has opened in Bavaria - a century after villagers first built a snow church in an act of protest.

read article at The Deacon's Bench

The Need for Peace and Liberty

2011-12-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

Man must move beyond the relativistic horizon and come to know the truth about himself and the truth about good and evil. Deep within his conscience, man discovers a law that he did not lay upon himself, but which he must obey. Its voice calls him to love and to do what is good, to avoid evil and to take responsibility for the good he does and the evil he commits.

read article at NCRegister

How Can I Become a Better Catholic Husband and Father to my Family?

2011-12-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

You, as father of your family and head of your household, need only to bring your children to Christ, help them meet Him, get to know Him at the baptismal font, at the Eucharistic feast, in the sacrament of reconciliation. Then God, who works from within each child’s soul, will continue that relationship in a way that far surpasses your hopes and dreams. He will do the rest. On that we can depend.

read article at Integrated Catholic Life

A few days left to help those in need with your charitable donation

2011-12-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

If you haven’t donated to a charitable organization that supports the working poor and plan to, you have a few days left. The deadline is Dec. 31.

read article at Blog TCS

Sometimes prayer is so frustrating I just give up… what can I do?

2011-12-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

Many voices will vie for our attention: our own inner voice, the voice of the world, the voice of the Tempter, and the voice of God. To sift out God’s voice in this cacophony of voices we need to be determined in our resolutions for good.

read article at Catholic Spiritual Direction

Unwrap a Post-Christmas Silence

2011-12-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

The mystery, the wonder, the gladness; it has not ended. Each day in the Octave of Christmas the words are cast again upon the air, resonating like ripples out into the world and reclaiming time from its insistent march away, always away, from what is before us.

read at Patheos

Kateri Tekakwitha

2011-12-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Her example continues to inspire the generations who have come after her and motivates us all to pass on the faith to the next generation. She will continue to guide us. She will continue to walk with us, and our relationship with God will continue to get deeper because of her.

read at NCRegister

7 reasons why “Merry Christmas” will always beat “Season’s Greetings”

2011-12-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Christmas, the celebration of the moment in which the all-powerful creator of the Universe took on human flesh and entered human history, sends powerful, if unspoken, messages. Here are seven which are implicitly conveyed when we wish friends a “Merry Christmas”.

read article at Mercator

Tebowing Inspires People Around the World to Kneel Before God

2011-12-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Global Language Monitor reports that the term “Tebowing” has become an officially recognized English word. The rapid rise of the word has seldom been equaled.

read article at LifeSite

Benedict XVI Reminds Prisoners That God Loves Them

2011-12-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Wherever there is someone who is hungry, a stranger, sick or incarcerated, there is Christ himself, who awaits our visit and our help.

read at NCRegister

Catholic couples recall Christmas memories

2011-12-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

It's the anticipation of the birth of Jesus and it's wondering what new things you will experience in the coming year through his divine grace.

read article at CNA

Nina Shea on Religious Freedom

2011-12-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

Threats to religious liberty are hitting close to home as a number of states and the federal government impose ideological mandates that restrict the free exercise of religion.

read article at NCRegister

The Angels of Advent

2011-12-18T21:50:00.002-07:00

Angels are God’s messengers, and there are four particular angel encounters that can inspire and enlighten our Advent.

read article at NCRegister

A Christmas Story – The Angel Tree

2011-12-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

Advent and Christmas is a time of storytelling. After all, Christmas is the greatest story ever told. God sent his only son to be born in a manager only to ultimately die on the cross for our sins so that we could all be saved.

continue reading at The Integrated Catholic Life

What are Ember Days?

2011-12-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the purpose of Ember Days, “besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.”

read at Aquinas and more

Teaching young about human dignity promotes peace, justice, pope says

2011-12-16T12:06:00.002-07:00

When young people recognize the dignity and beauty of every human life, including their own, and are supported in their natural desire to make the world a better place, they become agents of justice and peace in the world, Pope Benedict XVI said.

continue reading at CNS

Las Posadas: A Mexican Christmas Tradition

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Beginning on December 16 and ending nine days later, on December 24, Las Posadas commemorates the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy.

read about Las Posadas at American Catholic

Bible Timeline: Teen testimony

2011-12-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

This event was more than a lesson, it was a glory story and a prayer. God’s love really is unconditional, and I have a role in salvation history.

Who Would Appear on 'Catholic Idol'?

2011-12-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

If the Catholic Church had its own version of “American Idol,” who might be the contestants?

find out at NCRegister

Pope celebrates Guadalupe feast, confirms he'll travel to Mexico, Cuba

2011-12-12T15:49:00.002-07:00

During his homily at the Mass Dec. 12 in St. Peter's Basilica, the pope prayed that God would guide the decisions of the Latin American people, so they could progress in "building a society based on the development of good, the triumph of love and the expansion of justice."

read article at CNS

Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Guide for the New Millennium

2011-12-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

As Eve had been the mother of the first humanity, Mary of Nazareth had been the mother of the new humanity which started with the Incarnation of the Son in her womb. Now Mary of Tepeyac would be the mother of the ultimate humanity which started not with the conquest but with the Incarnation of Christ in America.

read article at American Catholic

A new meaning for the manger

2011-12-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Each time I pass the crèche I see the bed of straw, ready for the baby to be placed inside on Christmas Eve. I have always seen it as a crib or bassinet, that happiest of beds, made up with the highest of hopes.

Now I see it as a sickbed, that place from which we hope, and long, to rise. The one who lies in a sickbed must relinquish power and privacy and will. The one who lies in a sickbed must accept the care of others.

read at National Catholic Reporter

Saint Juan Diego: New World Apostle

2011-12-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Understanding His Struggles: To appreciate the virtues and struggles of Juan Diego, we must situate him in his times. In 1521, Cortez defeated Mexico’s Aztec people, signaling the enslavement and subjugation of all native peoples.

read at American Catholic

New Evangelization? Look to Fulton Sheen

2011-12-11T13:06:00.002-07:00

Archbishop Fulton Sheen is a beacon within the Church that reminds the faithful not only to take advantage of new media resources, but to also utilize them with virtue and vigor.

read at NCRegister

The Immaculate Conception and the Nightingale's Song

2011-12-08T10:12:00.002-07:00

In the poetic imagery of the song, the lamb, Mary, begets another Lamb, Christ, who is the King of Kings—the Lord God. In his birth, the Lord makes himself “small," meaning that he comes into the world as a child and in doing so effects what should be impossible—the infinite becoming finite, God becomes a man!

read at Word on Fire

Climate Change: A Life Issue

2011-12-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Our imperiled planet needs the distinctive paschal witness that the Catholic community can offer. At this time of ecological and economic crisis, Pope Benedict stated in a 2009 Easter address, "it is urgent to rediscover grounds for hope....Christ is looking for men and women who will help him to affirm his victory using his own weapons: the weapons of justice and truth, mercy, forgiveness and love."

read at America Magazine

How to cultivate a spirit of evangelization

2011-12-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

Even activities that might not seem to lend themselves to evangelization are still ripe for sharing the Gospel, for any activity in which people interact is a garden for planting seeds of faith.

read OSV

How should I pray when someone asks for my prayers?

2011-12-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

When someone asks me to pray for them I am not sure how to follow through on my answer which is always “yes, of course, I will keep you in my prayers.” May I ask, what do you do, Sister, when people ask you to pray for them?

read at NCRegister

Are you dating a Pharisee?

2011-12-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Dating couples need to work at making the other feel relaxed and themselves so that authentic love has a chance to develop and blossom. They should be quick to see the best in the other, and assume the fault with themselves, rather than thinking the worst in the other and always making themselves the victim.

read at CNA

Military bishop to spend Advent, Christmas in Afghanistan

2011-12-07T11:49:00.002-07:00

“It is a very humbling experience for me to join these brave military and State Department personnel during this holy season of Advent as they engage in an international effort to reduce outbreaks of terrorism that threaten both the people of Afghanistan and the people of good will everywhere,” Bishop Spencer said.

read at CNA

A holy 'fear of the Lord

2011-12-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

Because Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, we have the privilege of celebrating four full weeks of Advent, an occurrence that happens only once every seven years. We all know how very quickly the season of Advent passes, so having these few extra days to prepare for Christmas is a great blessing.

contune reading at Archdiocese of Denver

Eric Porteous Running a Marathon to Support Life Teen

2011-12-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

A marathon is 26.2 miles long, and in order to raise some funds for Life Teen, I will be offering up one mile of my race for anyone who is willing to donate $50 to Life Teen. For this opportunity, only 20 spots will be available as God will get mile 1 and mile 26.2, Alissa (my wife) will get mile 2, my unborn son/daughter will get mile 3, the rest of my family will get mile 4, and the Life Teen movement will get mile 5. Miles 6-25 are wide open.

learn more at Life Teen

Tim Tebow and the New Roman Missal

2011-12-05T13:21:00.001-07:00

What do a NFL quarterback and the new translation of the Roman Missal have in common? Word on Fire's Robert Mixa contends it's more than meets the eye black. Read how both tackle secular assumptions of where faith ought to remain.

Word on Fire

Saving lives, one homeboy at a time

2011-12-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

The great Fr. Greg Boyle is about to become the first religious figure inducted in the California Hall of Fame. What Fr. Greg has been able to with Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles is nothing less than astounding.

read at the Deacon's Bench

How to welcome faithful back into fold

2011-12-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

As any fisherman will tell you, when you decide to go fishing, you have no idea beforehand how much you are going to catch, nor can you guarantee which fish will end up in your catch. The same is true when following Christ’s call to be a “fisher of men:” one cannot predict who will respond to God’s call and when that will occur.

read at Our Sunday Visitor

Dancers honor the Virgin

2011-12-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

Mary also has the title of 'morning star. It's the star that appears before the rising sun. Our Lady of Guadalupe always comes before to point us to Christ. For her to appear in Advent, pregnant, is very significant.

read at Houston Chronicle

Bishop Lori: Religious Liberty: 'The Pre-Eminent Social Justice Issue' of Our Time

2011-11-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Church, “an expert in humanity,” must strive to transform the culture. In this sense, the defense of religious liberty is very much a part of the New Evangelization, which is very much a theme of this pontificate. In proclaiming the Gospel afresh and in bearing witness to the Gospel with renewed conviction, we must seek, in God’s grace, to heal the rift between the Gospel and an aggressively secular culture.

read article at NCRegister

Cloistered nun and former actress to tell story of Hollywood and faith

2011-11-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Before Mother Dolores became a nun, she acted for the stage and screen. She starred in the 1960 teen classic “Where the Boys Are” and played St. Clare in the 1961 film “Francis of Assisi.” She also played the lead role in the movie “The Inspector.”

read article at CNA

The Trouble With Church Preservation

2011-11-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Old churches are beloved landmarks, whether people worship there or not. Churches are key to a city’s architectural character and its social and religious history, preservationists say.

read at Atlantic Cities

Patience with new translation expected to pay dividends

2011-11-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Many priests, he said, were trying to take the learning process “with a good sense of humor,” while encouraging parishioners to deepen their understanding and appreciation of worship through the newly-rendered prayers.

read at CNA

Back from Beige: Welcome to the Liturgy

2011-11-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Liturgy challenges us to see the world as the place where God's kingdom is unfolding right now. We must awake from our slumber to help make it happen.

read article at Patheos

Most Catholics Happy With New Missal

2011-11-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Our present Pope, Benedict, likes to say that beauty isn’t just decoration added but is, rather, an overflow of the liturgy. Some people who wouldn’t come to the Church through a statement of the truth will come through beauty.

read article at NCRegister

An important point people keep getting wrong about the new Mass

2011-11-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

The fact is: the Mass belongs to everyone. We pray it together. We offer it together. It is an act of the community. While the people’s verbal responses aren’t radically different, what the priest says on our behalf matters. He offers this great sacrifice with us and for us. We need to be attentive, engaged, invested in what is taking place.

read article at the Deacon's Bench

Creation is not man's property, Pope teaches as Advent begins

2011-11-28T11:04:00.002-07:00

Each person must be alert toward eternity, because he is "endowed with freedom and responsibility," and will "be called to account for how he has lived, how he used his abilities: if he kept them to themselves or put them to use for the benefit of his brothers and sisters."

read article at CNA

12-Step Pride-Elimination Plan

2011-11-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Not all pride is deadly. There is a sense in which pride is fully justified. A parent has this good pride when his children attain some standard of excellence. Likewise, a coach can be proud of his players for comporting themselves with good sportsmanship. Good pride conforms to a good standard; bad pride does not.

read article at NCRegister

Advent: A Season of Surprises

2011-11-26T16:52:00.002-07:00

Our Advent yearning is not for Christ to come: He already has come in history. We long for our world to be saturated with the Gospel, permeated with Christ’s presence, and for our hearts to become more compassionate. His unpredictability then directs us to embrace events that may disrupt our routines.

read article at NCRegister

The high cost of lost integrity

2011-11-22T20:28:00.002-07:00

"We watch the few who persist in standing against it being marginalized or pushed out altogether; their whole lives can be taken apart. Many, both young and lifelong churchgoers, can no longer accept it and are walking away. Meanwhile those who slip into capitulating to it progressively deform their spiritual integrity.

read article at NCR Online

In praise of gazing

2011-11-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

We come with an attitude of openness and receptivity. We slow down, pause. This way of looking with soft eyes and non-judgment moves us to a quiet place of respect and awe. We can gawk at a person, a bird or a flowering bush and miss the inherent beauty, but when we change our looking into gazing that beauty comes home to our soul. It moves us toward a wordless knowing. The reality of the oneness we discover in gazing both humbles and exalts us.

read article at NCR Online

Betty Smith's Brooklyn

2011-11-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

A parish's story involves more than just a building. It's about all the people who built and sustained it. It's about the hardships they endured to build a faith community, how they preserved that faith and handed it on to a new generation. Today, a new generation of immigrants does the same in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And trees still grow there.

read article at Patheos

Prayer for Government

2011-11-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Archbishop John Carroll was the cousin of Charles Carroll, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. In 1789, Pope Pius VI named him the first bishop of the United States.

Archbishop Carroll wrote this prayer November 10, 1791, to be recited in parishes throughout his diocese. It is a good prayer to pray as a family or as a parish on national holidays, such as Independence Day and Thanksgiving.

read the Prayer for Government here

Richard Rohr

2011-11-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

"I love to define mystery as not that which is unknowable, but that which is endlessly knowable. So you never get to the point where I know it all. And wouldn’t we assume that would be the nature of God? That God will always by definition be mystery. More knowability, more knowability, deeper experience, deeper surrender. So that’s the meaning of faith, and why faith has such power, not just to transform people but to keep them on an ongoing path of transformation and growth." -- Richard Rohr

View video/read text at PBS Religion and Ethics

Colorado Catholic retreat center seriously damaged in fire

2011-11-14T16:44:00.002-07:00

“This is a very, very tragic loss, because many emblematic elements of the Church in Colorado were here at St. Malo, and most of them have been lost to the fire,” said Jose Ambrozic, director of the Saint Malo Catholic Retreat, Conference, and Spiritual Center.

read article at CNA

Pope set to light world's largest Christmas tree using iPad

2011-11-14T16:42:00.002-07:00

With a tap on an iPad, Pope Benedict XVI will light the world's largest electronic Christmas tree in the Italian town of Gubbio without having to leave his home in Vatican City. The City of Gubbio and the Diocese of Gubbio announced at a news conference Nov. 12 that the pope would light the tree via a video link set up by the Vatican Television Center. The tree-lighting ceremony takes place on the evening of Dec. 7, the eve of the Immaculate Conception. From his apartment in Vatican City, the pope will turn on the tree using an application on the iPad 2. Before lighting the tree, the pope will send a video message to the citizens of Gubbio thanking the volunteers on the committee who organized the event and who have been responsible for setting up the tree for decades. The electronic tree extends more than 2,000 feet upon the face of Mount Igino near Gubbio, and uses more than 25,000 feet of electrical cable. Built in 1981, it was recognized in 1991 by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest Christmas tree and stays lit until the Epiphany.

CNS

Canine Ministers of Healing

2011-11-09T21:04:00.002-07:00

The one thing that makes ‘dog ministry’ different from animal-assisted therapy is the fact that the goal in our interactions with individuals or a group is the spiritual and pastoral care of the patient or group members.

read article at Busted Halo

Pope: Psalm 119 shows depth of man's relationship with God

2011-11-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

When Christians pray this psalm, they see Mary as the model of the same “loving docility to God’s will, and in Jesus the fulfilment of the Law,” said the Pope.

This is a dynamic relationship, he explained, where the Word of God is “listened to with obedience but not servility, with filial trust and awareness,” which brings about a “personal encounter with the Lord of life.”

read article at CNA

New Mass norms do not discourage communion under both kinds

2011-11-05T18:13:00.001-07:00

In recent weeks, there have been questions regarding current liturgical law for the United States in offering Holy Communion under both kinds to the faithful during Mass. In light of these questions it is hoped clarifications will prove helpful.

read article here

Desert beauty

2011-11-05T09:26:00.002-07:00

The desert is the dryness of a spiritual life without consolation but also it’s the place of solitude, away from the world, where holy men and women went to seek God.

read article at CNA

Can a Catholic Have a Personal Relationship with Jesus?

2011-11-03T16:43:00.002-07:00

The encounter with Jesus Christ requires listening, requires a response in prayer and in putting into practice what he tells us. By getting to know Christ, we come to know God, and it is only by starting from God that we understand man and the world, a world that would otherwise remain a nonsensical question.

read at NCRegister

Foolish and Wise Bridesmaids - Reflection on the Mass readings for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

2011-11-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Our role is not to calculate the day, but rather prepare for the day. If we live always ready, with extra oil for our lamps, never so absorbed that we are not at least watching out for Him with our peripheral vision, we’ll never be caught off guard. We can still enjoy this life while using it as a springboard into the next.

read article at Integrated Catholic Life

Scripture 4.0

2011-10-31T14:32:00.002-07:00

Although there is a rich body of Catholic writing on the Bible from the fathers, doctors, councils, popes, bishops and saints, there has never been a strong piece of software that allows Catholics to search and study Scripture from within our own tradition.

learn more at NCRegister

Top Ten Ways to Have a Catholic Halloween

2011-10-31T14:27:00.002-07:00

If you persevere in the love and grace of God, you too shall be a saint. The whole point of "All Hallows" is to remind us to be "hallowed" or "sanctified".

read at Canterbury Tales

Benedict XVI and John Paul II's Tips for New Evangelization

2011-10-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

To live as an authentic missionary disciple. Discipleship is a reality that cannot be lived in an isolated, individual way, but, rather, it must be lived in community. The Lord went about choosing and calling his disciples. Today, he calls each one of us as well and gives us a mission.

read article at NCRegister

What the Hallow is Going On?

2011-10-31T14:17:00.002-07:00

We are God’s billboards on earth. What and Whom we choose to revere makes a statement within this culture. We pray “hallowed be Thy Name.” The more we hallow God, the more hallowed (holy) this culture will become. It begins with those who know God. It begins with us.

read article at LifeTeen

A feminine perspective on the New Evangelization

2011-10-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

One of the main challenges is indifference. When speaking about Christianity, organizers say, sometimes younger and even older generations just shut down. Often, they don't even want to have a dialogue. The goal, organizers say, is to build a bridge. It's something, that women, as good listeners, can help with.

continue on to Rome Reports

Too Many People? Ignore the UNPFA and Welcome Baby 7 Billion

2011-10-31T13:31:00.000-07:00

Let us join together in celebrating the birth of Baby 7 Billion. He or she is a sign of our future, our hope and our prosperity. Happy birthday, baby.

read article at NCRegister

Send My Roots Rain

2011-10-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Our Catholic faith proves to be deep and beautiful beyond words. Through the practice of our faith, we actually, in a very simple and natural way, open our hearts to the healing that Christ wants to bring.

read article at NCRegister

On the Importance of Laughter

2011-10-29T10:11:00.002-07:00

Why do we laugh? Life can wear people down. When it becomes too heavy, we need to counteract gravity with levity. Laughter unlocks, though only momentarily, the chains of responsibility. It lifts us from the weightiness of life. “Man laughs because he has a soul,” wrote Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, “hence, the more spiritual a person is, the more enjoyment there is in [his] life. In this sense, humor is closely related to faith; it bids us not to take anything too seriously.”

read article at Integrated Catholic Life

At Assisi, the Peace Train Rides Again

2011-10-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Catholic Church will not let up in her fight against violence, in her commitment for peace in the world. We are animated by the common desire to be pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace.

read article at Whispers in the Loggia

Young adult ministry: Myths, challenges and opportunities

2011-10-29T09:27:00.002-07:00

It is our job to help these people develop into who they are feeling called to become, to help them realize what they have to offer, and to invite them into the life of our parish communities.

read article at The Tidings

Jesus of Nazareth, Stand-Up Comic?

2011-10-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

Think of it this way: the time from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion represent only about a week in Jesus’s life. Most of the rest of his ministry—which lasted from one to three years–was often spent doing joyful things: sharing meals with disciples, welcoming those on the margins of society, healing the sick and preaching the “Good News.” Along the way, he showed some good humor.

read article at the Wall Street Journal Speakeasy

Vatican council proposes a global financial authority

2011-10-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is calling for the creation of a new global authority which it hopes can make economic decisions based of the international common good rather than individual national interest.

continue reading at CNA

Survey: Religious identity slips among U.S. Catholics

2011-10-24T13:11:00.002-07:00

One in four Americans call themselves Catholic, but a survey released Monday finds this is more a cultural brand label for many than a religious identity.

continue reading at USA Today

Christ in the Desert Monastery's expanding beer enterprise taps tradition traced to 6th-century monks

2011-10-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

The challenge has always been to find businesses that the monks can participate in that are consistent with the Benedictine Catholic tradition, but also which can be leveraged to provide sufficient income to support the monastery and the charities of the monastery.

read article at the Sante Fe New Mexican