GONE FISHING

Priests will not save the world. Well, they won't influence the guy you work with, or your friend at school, or your pen pal, or your Aunt Matilda into a deeper relationship with God or more active in church mostly because they don't see these people. I always find it amazing also that people are actully afraid of me because I am a priest. (Nobody was afraid of me in high school.) But that is why the new evangelization is so heavily reliant on relationships - the relationships you have with famiy and friends to bring them into the practice of faith. If you don't do it who will?

Here is a six minute video on why people do not share their faith.

We could aslo add #9: Because Miss Manners said it was impolite, though Monsignor Manners says it is perfectly alright.

Today we have a guest blogger. A young person yet she had many spiritual children. No longer afraid to bring up topics of faith she has brought people closer to Christ. And many of the people are those others might think too hard of a case to even try. I asked her to guest blog and tell about us about it.

Do you think you are one of the few who really WANT God? You know that YOU want to serve Him, but your best friend or that guy at the office…hmmm, not so much. When I was younger I believed what I saw on TV: people are callous, cool, beautiful, having a good time, and have no interest in God. It has taken me a lifetime to figure out that in the real world everyone is hungry for God. These are just a few stories of unlikely “seekers” I have met in my past.

I once went bowling with a bunch of friends that included a guy who was a hard core drug user. He flung his bowling ball into the wrong lane, still actually hit a pin or two, turned around, looked at us bug-eyed, stroked his hair back firmly with his fingers and growled, “I love this gaaaame!” I heard years later that he became a rather passionate Christian of some form, is currently clean….and is convinced he’s going to hell. Arrrrrg! I wish could tell him about confession.

I have a friend who scoffs at the faith but, by worldly standards, appears to have it all. I told him I was making a novena of masses leading up to Christmas. He humbly said, “Oh, good girl! Pray for me. I need it.” He can’t understand why he has everything, but still isn’t happy.

I dated a guy with a troubled past who never saw the inside of a church in his life. He told me that, even though I don’t believe in sex outside of marriage, if I think lust is wrong, I shouldn’t even be doing ‘X, Y, and Z’. He was right! Where did HE get an insight like THAT? I’ve heard through the grapevine of his hunger for faith. He’s an Augustine or an Aquinas waiting to happen.

I hung out with a band that I did a song with blasphemous lyrics. I told them I didn’t like the song for that reason, fully expecting they would tell me to buzz off because the song was really popular. They immediately agreed to stop doing it! I was good friends with their drummer, and once when he and I were alone at a bar, he started asking me about God. I barely discussed the subject because I thought he would think I was weird. Besides, it would put a damper on the ‘X, Y, & Z’ later that night. Oh, how I regret it!

I once told a friend that I pray for him every night, thinking he could care less. He stopped me, very seriously one night and said that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him.

I had a friend who was a creepy, womanizing alcoholic. One night he revealed to me that he always wanted to become Catholic so he could “do that thing that they do” – the sign of the cross!

I had a college friend whose life was full of chaos and who was hostile to the faith. I wanted to give him the “God talk”, but it always seemed like such a downer when we were having a good time. After years of separation, he made a surprise visit and I got my second chance to talk. He was enraptured! Turns out he married a very Christian girl and is surprised at how much fun he has with her very Christian family. I know he once thought that if he were with me, he could share my peace. Maybe now he will find his own.

I am always surprised at the reactions I get when I give away a scapular. I gave one to a delinquent teen and she put it on right away, OVER her shirt, without a shred of embarrassment. I gave one to a young man covered in tattoos and piercings, and he received it with such joy that he exclaimed, “Oh, I’m going to put it on right now!” My mentor at work lived a rather debauched life, but shortly before he died I gave him a scapular (we were at odds at the time personally) and he took it with the most angelic smile, wanting to know the details of how to wear it. A friend who claims he has abandoned the faith revealed to me that he carries one in his wallet. When my niece was little she told me, “If I had one of those, I would wear it all the time!” but I didn’t want her to get snide comments from her peers (like I had), so I didn’t give it to her. I hope I am making it up to her now.

These are just a few stories; I could tell dozens more. In hindsight, I have learned some very specific things about God and human beings. This is what I know:
1) EVERYONE is hungry for God.
2) Ignorance, not hostility, keeps most people away from Him.
3) Intelligence - faith = insanity
4) The world is crawling with wanna-be priests.
5) Poor catechesis “inoculates” Catholics against the faith.
6) People who have had no religion at all in their lives gratefully devour the faith (now I know why Jesus preferred thieves and prostitutes)
7) Truth does its own work – people are attracted to it even if the messenger is lousy
8) If I were a nun I think I would walk past public schools wearing a sandwich board saying “If you are hungry for God, follow me”. Filling the Catholic churches would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
9) Same goes for juvenile detention centers for girls. With a little catechesis, you could paint a new sign over the center that reads “Sisters of the Holy Eucharist”.
10) The most inspiring words are just seeds on rocky ground if you don’t stay involved in friends’ spiritual lives. Talk to them. Give them books. Invite them to mass or confession with you. Encourage them to watch EWTN. Make sure they know that no problem is so awful that you won’t listen and help if you can.
11) The greatest deterrents to holiness are discouragement and exaggerated anxiety. (I lifted that quote from St. Faustina’s diary). This is the only thought that keeps me brave against the world.

I let a lot of people down in my past because I was too cowardly to talk about my faith. About two years ago I had my breakthrough moment when I ignored my fears and spoke openly about my faith when asked. Life has been “interesting” ever since. I am writing this just after a party hosted by the girlfriend who unwittingly unleashed the missionary in me, and who is soon to be my goddaughter. I was surprised at the end of the party when Jeff said not to forget him during all the good-bye hugs. He’s a drummer in a rock band, covered with scary tattoos, and has that low, droning voice that says, “Dude, I smoke LOTS of weed.” I’ve been told, to my surprise, that he’s been on a desperate search for God in recent years. At one point he was willing to give the devil a chance, if meant he would get some peace. Last I heard, he was a Jehovah’s Witness. You never know who’s hungry. I’m still watching for my opportunity to get my meat hooks in his soul. Say a prayer for me and my spiritual babies, guys!

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP XXXI

Greg happily announces that episode 8 of That Catholic Show is finished!






IN OTHER NEWS:



Kay sent in this site for some great reading on the Beatitudes.

Jay reports that Catholic Carnival 136 is up and running!


The Diocese of Cleveland E-Newsletter recommends this article on defense of life written by Bishop Lennon.

Kaz from the great state of NY sent this in. I loved it and thought I'd share it with you.

SYMBOLIC SATURDAY - THE FAB FOUR

“Their faces were like this: each of the four had the face of a man, but on the right side was the face of a lion, and on the left side the face of an ox, and finally each had the face of an eagle.” Ezekiel 1:10.

These creatures that were being described by Ezekiel were the cherubim around God’s throne, but the faces attributed to them are considered a prediction of the four evangelists.

The four writers of the Gospels are often represented by these four fantastic creatures. St. John is often seen with or is represented by the eagle, Saint Luke the bull or ox, Saint Matthew the young man, and Saint Mark the lion. All four creatures should appear winged as reported in Ezekiel making the ox and the lion absolutely distinguishable in art. The young man and the eagle will need other contextual clues to assist you in interpreting them. All four most often appear with halos.

Saint John’s theology/Christology is often said to be “high,” his lofty thoughts soaring as high as the heavens. For this reason he is associated with the eagle that boldly, strongly, and with keen eyesight soars our skies.

Saint Luke’s Gospel tends to focus on the sacrificial aspect of Jesus’ life. As the ox was often an animal chosen to be sacrificially offered up to God it became associated with this Gospel writer.

At the beginning of Saint Matthew’s Gospel we have Jesus’ genealogy, which firmly plants the man Jesus among us. As he tends to highlight the humanity of the man/God, this Gospel writer is often represented by the symbol of the winged young man.

Much of our symbolism comes from ancient mythology. Though we know many of the stories to be largely fanciful, they did help the ancients understand the world around them and have to some extent played a valuable role in the symbolic language of the Church.

Once it was thought that lion cubs were born dead and three days later the lion that sired them would come and give them a mighty roar, which would bring them to life. This becomes a ready sign of the Resurrection upon which Saint Mark focuses his Gospel. Hence the winged lion is associated with Saint Mark.

These creatures may either appear on their own or with the evangelist that they symbolize. When they appear together the evangelists usually have a witting utensil and either a book, scroll, or paper upon which they write their Gospel.

Next week we will start on ecclesial heraldry.

A PROPOSAL FOR A CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT - PART 4 OF 4

This is the final in the series of the four strategic areas of concern for Catholics. For a clearer understanding of this please read Monday’s post.

VOCATIONS

Of course everyone thinks of priestly and religious vocations when one mentions vocations, but the idea is much broader than that here. There is not one person reading this blog that does not have a vocation. Our vocation is the way we choose to live life that gives glory to God, promotes the kingdom, and provides a means by which we become holy.

The single life is most definitely a chosen vocation. Being single has certain expectation and ways of living that are expected that provides opportunities for being a disciple of Christ in ways that are unique to the single state.

Marriage is a vocation and we as Church run into problems when we fail to recognize that and think that vocations are something reserved for priests, deacons, brothers and sisters. When “vocation” and “marriage” are separated, vocations become odd or quirky. It is something that “those people” do. The lives of those with a “vocation” can seem exotic.

A young lady from this parish left us recently to join the Sisters of Life in New York. She had to move away to be with the people with whom she would be living and working and took vows to be with them. She donned a full habit and is living by certain rules with lifestyle expectations from those both within and outside the community. It is the means by which she serves God and her fellow man and works out her own salvation.

But we should not fail to see marriage in the same light. When a person enters into marriage by his or her own free will, they become subject to divinely made laws and essential properties of marriage. The spouse moves away to be with the one with whom he will be living and working and takes vows to that effect. Married person put on their own type of habit, a wedding ring which announces loudly that they are tied to another and that their vows assume a certain type of behavior with lifestyle expectations from those both within and outside the family unit. It is a means by which that person serves God and his fellow man and works out his own salvation.

I tell couples at their wedding mass often that they are not just getting married, but they are marrying as Catholics in a sacred vocation in the Church. Be good at it. Your wedding is more than just for you, it is for me, for those whom you gathered here at your wedding mass, and for all those with whom you will come in contact throughout your married life because this world so desperately needs an example of what true love is. You are disciples of God’s love to the world.

Priests, vowed life, single, married, all have essential roles in the life of the Church, all with unique opportunities and responsibilities, all called to be disciples. All are vocations that need our prayerful support for the success of the mission of His Church on earth.

A PROPOSAL FOR A CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT - PART 3 OF 4

This is a continuation of the series on the four issues of concern for Catholics as denoted by the USCCB and the Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. For more information see Monday’s post.

3) RESPECT OF LIFE

Looking out from the window of his room at the cathedral in the heart of the city the bishop reports seeing the poor trying to find a warm place to sleep on the steam grates that dot the pavement. Seeing such people as persons of dignity deserving our respect and concern is at the core of respecting life.

Respect and dignity are not afforded to persons because they can afford it, or that they earn it, or that they can directly add to the conversation, or fight for it, or even care to live it. It comes from only one source and that is that each person is made in the image and likeness of God.

It is said that the Church can only be truly renewed when the people of God first renew themselves. The same can be said here. It is only when we realize our own true dignity and worth that we can come to understand another’s.

We were lost in sin. In fact, it is still impossible for us to live without sin for any extended period of time. God’s forgiveness, love, and salvation are pure gift and the strongest, richest man in the world is just as (if not more so) in need of God’s mercy than the poorest and most defenseless. There is only one thing going to heaven with you, your choice to love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul and your neighbor as yourself. We will stand naked before the judgment seat of God with only this in our hands.

Yet, even though we rejected Him, He chooses us. And He not only chooses us, but He pursues us despite our wanderings. That is what drives up the worth of earthy goods: demand! And that is exactly what gives us worth in heaven: the Almighty’s high demand, desire, and untiring pursuit of us! It’s like Christmas time in the 1980’s and we are a bunch of Cabbage Patch Kids and God is a Yuletide shopper. He’ll take whomever He can get at any price and give us good homes.

And God is so great and so encompassing that for Him to love someone else as overly abundantly as He does you does not in anyway lessen His love. He is too great and too greedy for us. He is greedy for the guy sleeping on the street, for the woman addicted to crack and in jail, to those other oriented, to those in the womb, to our enemies, to those who can no longer directly add to our benefit. And whereas some may need to be deprived of certain liberties for their safety and/or the safety of those around them, they are of no less dignity than anyone else.
Every time anyone is thought “less than” and are treated as such, all of humanity suffers in some way. Every time there is a sanctioned killing everyone moves one place closer to being included in that number. The further away you are from the cutoff line, the harder that is to see. The closer you are, the scarier that it is.

Of course, the exact opposite is true also. Every time we uphold the dignity of another human being we all benefit from that lifting up. Every time we see a spark of the divine in another and attempt to build up that spark, the world becomes a safer, holier place. That is what the call to witnessing to the quality of life is all about. To even love in the teeth of hatred, that’s heroics, that’s going a lot further to fixing society’s problems than, except in the most extreme cases, eliminating enemies or those who inconvenience us from the face of the earth.

We as Catholics are called to find some way to engender a general respect and sense of dignity for others. It will not always be met with gratitude or cooperation, but that is not why we do it. We do it because we are undeserving of that love from God yet receive it none-the-less, and so as persons unworthy to withhold it from others, love even the difficult to love.

A PROPOSAL FOR A CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT - (PART 2 OF 4)

This is a continuation from Monday's discussion about the four focus point adopted for Catholics by the USCCB, and by Bishop Lennon for the Diocese of Cleveland and passed along to the clergy and people of the diocese to implement.

2. DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE

Your local parish is not the primary place where the faith is handed on, it is the domestic church, or more specifically, your house. The family, the way it has been understood by the Church these 2,000 some odd years is the primary building block of the Church. We are only as healthy as a Church as we are healthy in our homes.

The bishop made it very clear that marriage and family life are still very much under attack and things will only get worse. There are some who want the Church to stay out of the fray. If we don’t agree to marriages outside of the traditional definition then don’t perform them or recognize them in a religious sense, but what we do as a nation cannot be dictated by a religion.

Be aware however that there is more than just a broadening of the definition of marriage here. It is being redefined. John Paul II reminds us in his Theology of the Body that how we interpret sex and relationships determines our understanding of man, of society, and of right and wrong.

And there is more than just faith at work here. Our laws are based on precedence. There was one courthouse in which a display of the Ten Commandments were challenged by the courts to be taken down but they were ruled constitutional because they were part of a larger display of the history of law which depicted law developing and building as time goes by.

As the Catholic Church, because of Scripture and Tradition, it is beyond our power to change our definition of marriage, which specifically forbids marriage outside of one man and one woman. For the state to change its law would be a similar departure. At that point there would be a radical unmooring from historical precedent and of the understanding of the structure of society. Where that starts to cause a problem is not so much with that first change of law, but with subsequent changes of law.

With absolutely no reference to precedence, the rule of law becomes dependant upon he who has the most power and influence. There is already a long line of causes lining up to take advantage of the marriage law once same-sex marriage is approved. How can we say no? How can we say, “We will make this exception, but certainly it will go no further”? You can’t. It is impossible. So as the definition of marriage continues to broaden, as marriage begins to mean all things to all people, it stops meaning anything at all.

A close friend became a minister in a very "open" church. For a while we would exchange theological letters. A proposal would be stated and we would comment on it. Many times I would spend time following his response to its logical conclusion. Many of them would concern sexual matters. Followed to their logical conclusion eventually led to any kind of sexual union of which the only regulation was that one participant must be a human being. The response was usually, "Then I guess that's where it leads."

And as family is the building blocks of faith, it is also of society the way we know it. There is more at stake here than will effect some Catholics hiding in their churches. This has universal significance. Those who are crying, “We must be fare!” must also look to the logical conclusion of their arguments and take responsibility not just for the immediate change in law, but for its broader consequence.

The challenge for us is to stand up for the keeping of the historical laws while not accepting the label that we are being hateful or unfair (that is not the goal or the reason). When one makes hard decisions one does so because it is seen as the most loving thing even if it hurts another’s feelings. This is a challenge not just for Catholics, but is an issue for all people who have concerns about the future. The defense of marriage and family life is more than a religious issue. Do not be silenced by such accusations. That is a ruse to avoid discussing the deeper issues that must be brought out into the open. It is much more complicated than what the surface issues appear to be. This is why it is one of our four points of focus.

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK XXX

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: “Dogma wasn’t a dirty word – it was the ground. ‘Dogma was conceived not as an external shackle but as the loving source that made knowledge of truth possible in the first place.’” Russell Shorto – NY Times Magazine on Pope Benedict.

QUOTE II: “The great enemy of the virtue of obedience is grumbling. Grumbling is the compensation self-love resorts to in its powerlessness in the face of authority.” – Blessed Columba Marmion

IN OTHER NEWS:

Here are a couple of activities to help feed your hunger for a Culture of Life sent in by Steven.

The movie Bella: Staring Eduardo Verástegui (the Leonardo De Caprio of Central America), it is a true story about a woman who gets pregnant and has to face the consequences of her choice. It is blatantly pro-life and beautifully filmed. The winner of the Toronto Film Festival Award (one of the world’s largest film festivals), it already has rave reviews and through speak sneak previews. Trew sends news that it will appear in Cleveland (Tower City) on September 25th but reservations are needed. You must call by September 11th. Sorry for the late notice! I didn’t realize it was coming up so quickly! Go here to reserve tickets and see a trailer.

40 Days for Life (40daysforlife.com): Successfully implemented in a few communities, this will be a nationwide movement of communities coming together doing day-night prayer vigils for 40 days all over America.

An activity of another sort comes to us from the twin cities. P.S. reports about the Rosary for Truth that meets in a different church every Sunday at the mid-morning mass to pray the rosary silently for their arch-bishop, for the parish, and for the people of God. Might not be a bad activity to start elsewhere.

Habemus Papem and I are finishing up plans to go to Australia for World Youth Day and have a couple spaces left. Anyone interested? (18 and under must be accompanied by a parent.)

A PROPOSAL FOR A CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT - PART 1 OF 4

We Valencheck men were sometimes referred to as “Jacks of all trades, masters of none,” meaning that we could do just about anything but the trade off was that that we did not do anything particularly well. Bishop Lennon of the great Diocese of Cleveland called his priests together this past week and said that although we as Church would like to do everything and be all things to all people, we then end up being jacks of all trades, doing everything but not doing anything really well. So he proposed a vision for the diocese. It is a vision that the bishops of the United States have stated for the Church in the U.S., and what he has asked the priests to initiate in the parish, and what we as the Body of Christ should try to enact in our own loves.

The vision has four main points and the key is to understand exactly what he means by them. They are 1) Catechesis, 2) Marriage and Family Life, 3) Vocations, 4) Respect of Life. Today and Wednesday through Friday we will take a brief look into each of these areas in which we are asked to focus our attention, talents, and treasure.

CATECHESIS

Thoughts turn quickly to teaching young folk about the faith and that is certainly part of it. There are some major problems we are facing in this area. Catholic grade school education is in grave danger in this nation. The rising cost of benefits, technology, and state mandated services are crushing our schools. The solution is to raise tuition. But once you raise tuition you lose students. When you lose students you lose your money base so you raise tuition and the vicious cycle goes on. As less parishioners are involved in the school there sometimes develops a certain resentment by parishioners that so much of the collection goes to subsidize the school. Solving this problem will be a big hurdle.

On the heals of this is the shoring up of our CCD/PSR programs. They may soon be the primary way in which our students are catechized on the parish level and so we must work hard to make sure that we are making our best effort here.

PSR/CCD is to be only the most formal aspect of children’s formation. The primary place is in the home by the parents. In the baptismal rite it states that parents are “the first” (and I add the most effective) “teachers of their children in the practice of the faith. May they also be the best of teachers by what they say and do.” Home is where they learn their prayers, ask about God, witness parents praying and going to the sacraments, reading Bible stories, and having the symbols of our faith around. Without that, CCD/PSR is not very effective.

In addition the bishop challenged the priests in adult catechesis in such areas as when couples plan to marry, when they present their children for baptism, and when they face end of life issues. He also challenges us to take seriously our obligation in continuing education. It is our moral obligation to grow so that we might in turn nourish those who come to us thirsting for truth.

In that same vein all Catholic, Christian, disciples of Christ must challenge themselves. There is so much out there to be taken advantage of. There are the Scriptures to be read, books and magazines to be devoured, classes to be enjoyed, the Internet to explore, videos to be watched, CDs to be listened to, and programs to be experienced. We all must cultivate this desire, which to some extent you must have already or you would not have read this far.

Catechesis is the way the faith grows and is passed on from one generation to the next. There is no substitute for it. Find some aspect of the faith you enjoy (or really need) and start searching it out! Who knows how you (or who else) will be blessed by it?

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP XXX

Welcome to Sunday Video On Tap XXX! For 30 weeks Adam's Ale has been sharing short videos found about the internet neighborhood with you in the hope that you are inspired or challenged, or just plain entertained. Why XXX seems such an auspicious anniversary I don't know, but to mark it here are three videos, one for each decade of weeks, for you viewing pleasure. The first has appeared on Adam's Ale before, but on this special occassion it is offered again. The other two are new to this site. I hope you enjoy.








IN OTHER NEWS:

Catholic Carnival 135 is up and running!

The Diocese of Cleveland E-Newsletter asks if you knew that The Catholic Distance University was established in 1983 to respond to the need for life-long spiritual formation and a deeper knowledge of Church Teaching? CDU's mission calls for transmitting faithfully and systematically the teachings of Sacred Scripture, the living Tradition of the Church and the authentic Magisterium, as well as the spiritual heritage of the Fathers, Doctors and Saints.

Don't forget the Pro-Life Ralley in Philedelphia aimed at helping college students how to defend life effectively Thanksgiving weekend! Contact Andrew at neopoko9@yahoo.com for more information.

SYMBOLIC SATURDAY - FOOT NOTES

Saint’s feet are not quite as interesting as their hands but they still play an important role in the symbolic language. There are some similarities. Once again there may be evidence of the stigmata or of the resurrection on them. It can also be interesting to see on what the feet are standing. Are they firmly panted on the ground? Here is a saint confident in the faith. Are they floating on clouds? It may be a vision or the Assumption or the Ascension, or maybe an angel. Are they “head over heals”? Perhaps this is a moment of defeat of some agent of evil or a moment of conversion (such as Paul getting knocked off his high horse.)

But most telling are articles found under the feat of a saint. These are signs of things or evils overcome in life. Thus is Saint George seen thrusting a sword into a dragon over which he stands. The dragon symbolizes the evil he conquered. Saint Michael likewise is seen thrusting though a dragon which he crushes under his feet.

Notice statues of Mary that depict her as the woman in Revelation 14. She is standing on a snake which represents the Devil whom she overcame in her own life by the merits of her Son who would destroy the power of the Enemy forever.

In addition to the wounds of the crucifixion seen on his feet, statues of the risen Christ often have implements of his crucifixion placed beneath His feet. There might be the nails, the crown of thorns, or even the instrument used to pull the nails out of His body that they might take Him off of the cross.

So that concludes a general overview of depictions of holy personages from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet. Next week we will take a look at some specific people.

YOU ARE A PRINCE FROM THE DAY OF YOUR BIRTH

You are smart, good looking and you have lots of cool things. You have sway among your peers and can do so much with what God gave you. And most importantly people look up to you and think you are cool.

Unfortunately none of that matters much. You are important in a much deeper and lasting way. If your self-esteem is built on these sandy beeches your castle will eventually fall for they will all fail you. They are air that inflates the balloon that ever so slowly (or in some cases quickly) escapes out into the atmosphere and dissipates.

My Dad is in a nursing home now. He is healthy as a horse. As a matter of fact he got into a fight with another gentleman recently. When the nursing home called they said, “If it is any consolation, your father took him down.” His problem is his memory. Or lack of it.

It is getting progressively worse. This past week he asked me if he had a son named John. I raised my hand. “You?” he asked with some surprise. “Yep.” “Is there another one?” he asked, “I could have sworn there was another one.” Ah well . . . two sons named John. That would be interesting.

So he has no memory anymore and can no longer figure out the simplest of tasks. Once far more fit than me or any of my friends he is now putting on weight and the effects of being on this earth for almost 90 years are showing on him. He has gone through most of his estate to pay for his care. His peers still drop by to see him but he barely remembers them and no longer is cock of the walk.

If we were to rate his dignity and worth by worldly standards I am afraid there would be people who would scratch their heads and say, “Why bother?” In fact they do. Actually persons who do not meet at least some of the above criteria are in general considered less than other human beings and quite often mistreated or ignored and too often just plane done way with.

Thus people who are very ill, or very old, or noticeably mentally or physically challenged, or who committed a crime, or who are very poor, or who are our enemy, or unwanted in the womb, or are from the latest ethnic background deemed unfashionable, being a bother and seemingly cumbersome are subtly eased out of lime light to drift blissfully into oblivion from our sense of those deserving absolute justice.

Fortunately these are not the criteria that give us dignity; that give us that worth upon which we should build our self-esteem. There is only one thing that makes you infinitely worthy of life, love, and respect, only one lasting thing that will never fade, one sure thing upon which we should anchor our self-esteem. And it is this: That the all-powerful God chose you to be His son or daughter. That He who does not need you chose you out of pure gift and love. From the womb before the dawn He begot you, yearns for you, waits for you. He was even willing to die for you and gives Himself to you fully still, everyday if you wish Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Of course if you have talent and abilities, use them. If God gave you looks and advantages employ them. If you have influence or resources don’t be ashamed of them. Use all these things for His glory. But though useful to us, to a great extent these are window dressings. There is nothing more important than taking worth in being a child of God.

And it will only be then that you realize the world is full of brothers and sisters (even if we don’t always get a long) and come to comprehend their great worth and dignity. For in the end we all go to the grave and power, looks, influence, and gold will all be left behind and we will stand before the throne and all that will matter is if we chose back our Father who chose us as His children. It is then that true worth and dignity will shine forth like the noonday sun. That is why my Dad is still worthy of care and love and respect. That is why you are.

SO I'M PRO-LIFE. NOW WHAT?

It’s one thing to be pro-life. It is another to understand what to do with that sentiment. What does being pro-life mean? Pray. Okay. Try to live and make choices for myself that are keeping with the Gospel of Life. Okay. Vote. Okay. Now what . . .?

Do you want to make a difference? Especially those of you now in college, do you want to be able to say to your family 50 years from now that you took part in the movement to bring to an end the mass destruction of your generation? Here is an opportunity to find out exactly how.

Operation Rescue XX will be a national pro-life rally (held in Philadelphia), a remembrance of twenty years of the work of Operation Rescue, and most importantly, a leadership training conference aimed at (but not limited to) college age students. It will be on Thanksgiving weekend, November 23-24 – (You’ll be home for Thanksgiving dinner guys!) Here you will receive the training necessary to enable you to defend the lives of the most vulnerable and innocent among us.

In preparation for this event, Randall Terry will be traveling the United States to promote the event and speak about being pro-life. If you would be interested in having come speak at your parish, college, or other institution while he is in your state, please contact Steve ASAP at neopoko@yahoo.com. Here is where Randall will be:

September

4 – 5 Atlanta, GA
6 – 10 Nashville TN
11 – 17 Cincinnati, OH
18 – 25 Steubenville, OH
26 – Oct. 5, Harrisburg, PA

October

6 – 7 Binghamton, NY
8 – 11 Rochester, NY
12 – 18 Boston, MA
19 – 26 New York, NY
27 - 31 Southern NJ, Philly, PA

November


1 - 6 Northern Virginia/ Wash., DC
7 - 9 Greensboro, NC
10 – HOME!

23 – 24 Operation Rescue 20, Philly PA !

Any Cleveland takers for the September 18th – 25th dates?

But more importantly, if you want to become part of the next generation of heroes to rise up and offer yourself to God for the sake of the unborn, please call (904) 461-0834 or check out operationrescue20.org (which doesn't seem to have the right information as of yet, but I am told it will) for more information.

When Steve (late of Cleveland) of Operation Rescue contacted me and asked if Adam’s Ale could help get the word he added, “And believe me, you don’t want to miss Randall . . he simply inspires.”

SPINNING WHEELS GAIN NO DISTANCE

Here is a picture of my new invention. It will revolutionize everything you do. It will work wonders for making your cars go, your wagons haul, and your skateboards glide. Oh, I know what you are thinking, “It’s a wheel. We have that already.” But I needed to experience and discover it for myself. That way it means something. You see it rolls thereby overcoming a lot of friction allowing you to save on work! This is exciting stuff!

This is how I felt yesterday sitting in a coffee house near a local University reading a publication on mind, body and soul; a guide to holistic enlightenment. There were such articles in it such as God is not really a male with a long beard but that image helps us to relate to Him. God can be found in all human beings. Even in painful situations we can find God working well in our lives if we pay attention. There was the realization, in so many words, that there is only one God. With each of these epiphanies there were what we would consider erroneous conclusions, but in their earnest search for God they rediscovered what has been around for centuries.

A couple of years ago I went to a seminar that was called something like the World Parliament of Religions on Peace in Barcelona. It was huge. There were leaders and people of religions from all over the world. Thousands and thousands of people and hundreds of religions. There were all kinds of events that took place. I sat in on all of the discussions I heard people around me being struck right and left with inspiration from the speakers. After a couple of lectures I shut my notebook, never to open it again. The person I was with asked me why I was no longer taking notes. I responded, “This is Catholic 101. Maybe even pre-Catholic 101.”

In a decent article in the paper not to long ago a communist made some suggestions to inner city churches to help the city. They suggested such things as having services during the week. Having opportunities to come into the church to pray. Having meeting rooms open for scouting and AA and other community events. Have educational opportunities. (I was waiting for the call to have BINGO, but it didn’t go that far.)

Is it that we as Catholics do not make our teachings accessible enough? Have we lost too much credibility? Perhaps we just don’t live it well. Whatever it is perhaps if we live our faith well society can stop reinventing the wheel and culture and civilization can move forward to a bright new day for humanity.

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK XXIX

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: Here are a few quotes from friends and associates:

“Even if you are a miracle worker you still have to get the paperwork in.” Fr. M. G.

“You only die once.” Fr. B. G.

“Make what is it right common, settle not for what is merely common seeming right.” Fr. J

“Buy well once cry once. By cheaply and cry a lifetime.” Fr. R. B.

“Atheism is a luxury.” Anon.

“Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks, ‘How can I destroy the Roman Rite?’” Fr. J. G. M.

IN OTHER NEWS:

New Advent is a wealth of Catholic news and information including the on-line Catholic Encyclopedia.

I don’t know if this is good or bad or “just is.” Give it a shot and see what it says to you. Thanks to Jeff.

You Have Not Been Ruined by American Culture

You're nothing like the typical American. In fact, you may not be American at all. You have a broad view of the world, and you're very well informed. And while you certainly have been influenced by American culture (who hasn't?), it's not your primary influence. You take a more global philosophy with your politics, taste, and life. And you're always expanding and revising what you believe.

Has American Culture Ruined You?

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy day off!

(Some of you.)

Thank you and God’s blessing to all that will be working today so that others may safely (and conveniently) have a day of recreation.

If there is not a lot going on at work today, here is some reading to while away the time. It is a short overview on “Rerum Novarum”, the groundbreaking Church document on human labor by Wikipedia.

And in the senseless entertainment department, here is Chad Vader (who understands your work day woes) for your viewing pleasure! Oooh. After viewing this again, maybe keep this only for those a little older. There are a couple of, shall we say, "words".