Domus Dei

Barack Hussein Obama says he doesn’t want his daughters “punished with a baby” as a result of a “mistake”…

So what’s his solution? Kill the baby.

If this guy becomes president we’re in trouble. Many Americans have been brainwashed by this fool. I can’t believe the Democratic Party has let guy rise to such high stature within their party. We haven’t seen this kind of frenzy in support of a political leader since Hitler.

Gloria.TV:

If Barack Obama is elected I believe it will be God’s judgment on the United States for our sins. Our sins of allowing untold millions of babies, made in his image to be murdered by abortion and birth control devices and for allowing sexual deviants free reign. Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. This is what we will be in for if God chooses us pay for our sins.

Part I:

Part II:

[Homily, Sun., 03/23/2008]

The resurrection of Jesus is a reality beyond doubt. The liturgical season of Easter fills us with immense joy and profound hope. However, each time we contemplate the gospel passages detailing the resurrection of Jesus we are faced with a sense of strangeness. The barriers of time and space no longer apply to him. The Lord appears and disappears with shocking suddenness. He continually demonstrates his physical reality. The Apostles and the disciples see him, hear him, and eat with him. Thomas is told to touch his wounds. The stone rolled away from the entrance, and the carefully folded burial cloths direct our gaze to the physical. He has truly risen.

The disbelief and uncertainty evidenced by those who saw him testify to an apparent strangeness in the appearance of the newly risen Christ. Slowly they came to recognize him, but they still struggled with doubt. Their response shows us that although the risen Jesus is the same Jesus that died on Calvary, his physical reality is now different than before. The body of the risen Lord is indeed his physical body, but he now moves about with a glorified body.

Repeatedly the gospels stress that something extraordinary has occurred. The Lord is tangible, but he has been transformed. His life is different from what it once was. His glorified body transcends the limitations of time and space. For this reason, he can pass through the closed door of the Upper Room, and appear and disappear as he desires. At times his disciples cannot recognize him precisely because their physical reality moves within time and space, and the Lord’s physical reality is no longer subject to time and space, although he exists within time and space.

The clarity of the physical reality of the risen Jesus provides us with the certainty of the existence of the Lord and the veracity of everything that he has taught us. The empty tomb and the neatly folded burial cloths illustrate that redemption is not only for the soul, but for the body as well.

Applied to our practical daily living, the reality of the Risen Jesus fills us with profound peace. There is no need to worry or to fear. He is truly with us. With Jesus, we know that we are journeying, not to the sunset, but to the sunrise. We enter into a new relationship with God when we really believe that God is as Jesus told us that he is. We become absolutely sure of his love. We become absolutely convinced that he is above all else a redeeming God. The fear of suffering and death vanishes, for suffering and death means going to the one God who is the awesome God of love. In reality, our life long journey is a journey to the eternal Easter in Heaven.

When we truly believe, we enter into a new relationship with life itself. When we make Jesus our way of life, life becomes new. Life is clad with a new loveliness, a new light and a new strength. When we embrace Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when we develop a personal relationship with him, we realize that life does not end, it changes and it goes from incompletion to completion, from imperfection to perfection, from time to eternity.

When we truly believe in Jesus, we are resurrected in this life because we are freed from the fear and worry that are characteristic of a godless life; we are freed from the unhappiness of a life filled with sin; we are freed from the loneliness of a life without meaning. When we walk with Jesus and follow his way, life becomes so powerful that it cannot die but must find in death the transition to a higher life.

The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead makes our entire journey to eternal life tangible, real, certain, and credible. Because Jesus is physically alive, his Church is visible. Because Jesus is corporeal, the sacraments are visible aqueducts of his divine life. Because Jesus physically transcends time and space, he remains with us in the Eucharist as the “medicine of immortality” (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1405). Because Jesus has truly risen from the dead and ascended to the Father, we await with joyful hope his return in glory.

Nevertheless, despite the victory of Jesus over death, the attack of evil continues.

The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is unique. His death on Calvary completes and surpasses all the other sacrifices of the Old Testament. Nevertheless, Christ’s reign is to be fulfilled with his Second Coming in glory. Until that day occurs, Satan continues his attack even though he has been already conquered definitively by Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary (cf. CCC 671).

In our own times, it is not hard to notice an ever-increasing presence of evil powers in the world. The battle continues and it seems as if humanity is out of control. The perversions of a world that has rejected the Savior of the world continues to carry much of humanity down the blind road of self-destruction. The crisis of our age is rooted in the presumption that we can decide for ourselves what is good and evil without reference to God.

The reality of the risen Jesus fills us with peace and consolation because he is truly with us. His resurrection assures us of his final victory over evil. The genuineness of Easter keeps us from worry, fear, and discouragement. It sustains us in times of trial and it opens the heart to the expectation of eternal life. However, this Easter should inspire us to be apostles of life because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

“We are the people of life because God, in his unconditional love, has given us the Gospel of life and by this same Gospel we have been transformed and saved. We have been ransomed by the ‘Author of life’ at the price of his precious blood. Through the waters of Baptism we have been made a part of him, as branches which draw nourishment and fruitfulness from the one tree. Interiorly renewed by grace of the Spirit, who is the Lord and giver of life, we have become a people for life and we are called to act accordingly” (Evangelium Vitae, John Paul II, #79.1)

The culture of death makes itself manifest in numerous ways throughout our modern world. Abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and continuous wars are a concern to us all. However, of all of these terrible manifestations of the culture of death, abortion is the worse of them all. If we can destroy innocent human life inside of the womb of a mother, and this no longer shocks us or concerns us, then nothing else will ever shock us or gain our concern. If a society can justify the killing of an innocent unborn child, then there is no limit as to what else a society can justify regarding any other person. This is why if we really desire to have respect for the sick, the elderly and the dying; if we really want to curb the use of capital punishment; and if we truly desire lasting peace throughout the world, the first thing that we must assure is the right to life of the unborn child. As long as abortion remains an unchecked course of action, violence and injustice will continue to submerge the world in a continual spiral of chaos.

The Church must not, and cannot remain silent. The issue of abortion becomes obscured when it is lumped together on an equal basis with every other social issue that concerns us. Wisdom allows us to make objective distinctions and carefully understand the causes and effects of sinful human behavior on society. Ideologies only polarize the Church and obscures the efficacy of its mission here on earth.

As we joyfully celebrate the bodily resurrection of the Risen Lord, let us renew our commitment to the cause of life and the building up of a new culture of life.

—
Father James Farfaglia is a contributor to Domus Dei and the Pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. Originally from Ridgefield, CT. Father has founded and developed apostolates for the Catholic Church in Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United States. He may be reached by e-mail at fjficthus@gmail.com. You can visit Father’s personal web site here: Our Lady of Guadalupe e-Parish

From Foxnews:

VATICAN CITY —  Pope Benedict XVI rejoiced over conversions to Christianity a day after he baptized a prominent Muslim, marking Easter Sunday in a rain-drenched appearance he used to renew calls for peace in Iraq, the Holy Land and Tibet.

A white canopy on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica protected the 80-year-old pontiff from a downpour while thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans braved thunder and wind-whipped rain to attend Easter Mass in the square.

On Easter, Christians celebrate their belief in the resurrection of Jesus two days after he was crucified. Thanks to the apostles’ preaching about the resurrection, "thousands and thousands of persons converted to Christianity," Benedict said.

"And this is a miracle which renews itself even today," the pope said, hours after a Saturday night Easter vigil service in which he baptized seven adults. The converts included Magdi Allam, a prominent journalist and commentator in Italy who has received death threats for his denunciations of Islamic fanaticism.

Allam, 55, deputy editor of Corriere della Sera newspaper, was born a Muslim in Egypt, but was educated by Catholics and says he has never been a practicing Muslim.

He wrote in a front-page letter published Sunday in Corriere that he was now taking on the middle name Cristiano — Christian in Italian.

[Full Story]

The Church has opened a new parish in the Muslim country of Qatar in the middle east. The first Mass was celebrated with 15,000 people. It was, however, not without tension amid threats of attacks from militant Muslims…

First Catholic church opens in Qatar Doha, Mar. 17, 2008 (CWNews.com) - An estimated 15,000 people attended the first Mass held at a Catholic parish church in Doha, Qatar, on March 15, the AsiaNews service reports. Cardinal Ivan Dias, the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of peoples, presided at the Mass on Saturday, a day after having consecrated the church of Our Lady of the Rosary– the first Catholic church in the Gulf state. The church has neither a bell tower nor a cross prominently displayed, to avoid offending the Muslims who constitute the majority in Qatar. The church was built in the capital city on land donated by Emir Amir Hamad bin Al Thani.

Did you know…

• St. Patrick’s Day this year was moved to Friday March 14th, in order to keep the solemnity of Holy week. (Yep, I screwed up, this post should’ve been on Friday).   Of course, secular society pays no heed to the Church and thus you will see many secular parades and celebrations.   Like many other Holy Days: Easter, Christmas, Valentine’s Day - St. Patrick’s Day has suffered much from secular influence. 
• The Shamrock is a Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity. The Shamrock became popular because St. Patrick used it to describe the Holy Trinity to pre-Christian Ireland.  He used the 3 leaves to represent Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, united by the one stem — thus an analogy to the three persons in one God.  Today, his feast day is associated with the shamrock and it is also a symbol of Ireland but many forget why and how it came about.  

  Francis J. Sheed, in his book, Theology and Sanity said that the Shamrock analogy really tells us nothing about the Trinity it merely helps us to "swallow" the doctrine.  (page 36)

• St. Patrick’s Blue, not green, was the color long-associated with St. Patrick.  Green, the color most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick’s Day in modern times, may have gained its prominence through the phrase "the wearing of the green" meaning to wear a shamrock on one’s clothing.
• St. Patrick’s Day only became a public Holiday in Ireland in 1903, before this time it was strictly a religious holiday.
• St. Palladius was the first Bishop of Ireland, sent by Pope Celestine to Ireland (431).
• March 17, popularly known as St. Patrick’s Day, is believed to be St. Patrick’s death date and is the date celebrated as his feast day.

H/T to Jeff Ostrowski from whom I learned of this video.

The auxiliary bishop of Karaganda in Kazakhstan has spoken with Gloria.TV about his new book "Dominus est" in which he sharply criticises the practice of communion in the hand.

See the video here

More on Communion in the hand:

• Rethinking Communion in the hand  (Catholic Pages)
• Vatican official: Church should reconsider Communion in the hand  (Catholic News Service)
• Communion in the hand and the threat of death  (WDTPRS)

From Catholic Answers:

Mormonism - A Catholic Perspective

Think the Mormons are just a group of nice folks who uphold family values, clean living, and American patriotism?
Think again.

Think the Mormons are just a strange offshoot of Protestant Christianity?
Think again.

Think Mormons are actually Christian?
Think again!

 

More Info

The Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, Iraq who was kidnapped on Feb. 29th was found dead today.  Catholics in Iraq have faced a difficult situation since the U.S. invasion.  Viewed by  Islamic insurgents as natural allies of the American and European "crusaders,"  Catholics have been subjected to threats, church bombings, kidnappings, and killings since the early days of the war.   The Catholic population of Iraq has dropped from 800,000 before the war to 350,000 today.   Chaldean Catholics are some of the earliest converts to the Christian faith — they trace their roots all the way back to the time of the Apostles.  Chaldean is a form of Aramaic, the language of Jesus.

The violence in Iraq threatens one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, dating back 2,000 years. The population includes Chaldean Assyrian Catholics, Syrian Catholics; and Armenian Catholics.

From CNN:

Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho’s body was found near the town of Mosul, where he and three companions were ambushed by gunmen on February 29.

The archbishop’s driver and two security guards were killed in the ambush. Investigators believe the archbishop may have been shot at that time, the Nineveh deputy governor said.

Nineveh Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran, in Mosul, told CNN that the kidnappers had been in touch with the church and the relatives and wanted to be paid a ransom for the archbishop’s release. The contacts ended a few days ago.

If you keep up with the latest news there’s no doubt you’ve already seen the media doing what they do best — maliciously distorting Catholic teaching.   We’ve seen it time and time again and it is not just innocent ignorance since it would’ve taken all of 3 minutes to get the real story.  This is simply bad journalism and dishonesty — a fine example of anti-Catholics in the media picking up the first stone they can find and throwing it a the Church.  

Here is just a sampling of the idiotic headlines:

Catholic Church revises seven deadly sin list  (ABC Online)
Vatican’s new seven deadly sins     (Hindustan Times)
Vatican updates its "thou shalt not" list  (Foxnews)
New Sins for Catholics   (KNX 1070 News)
Vatican lists new sinful behavior    (San Francisco Chronicle) 

These idiots fail to understand that an Archbishop giving an interview is *not* the Catholic Church defining any new doctrine.   The Church does not define dogmas or doctrines by interviews, you fools!  This is a childish way of thinking.

Besides this, none of what the Archbishop said constitutes a "new sin".  What was a sin yesterday, is a sin today, and will be a sin tomorrow.   What the Archbishop said was that there are "new forms of social sin" in our era.  That is to say that there exists today practices that did not exist in the past which are violations of God’s law.   Take a couple examples: the birth control pill — it did not exist in its present form 70 years ago and yet it is a new form of an old sin.   Destructive human embryo research, which the Archbishop mentioned, did not exist 25 years ago and yet it is a new way in which one can violate the law of God.   So thus a new sin?   Not in the way the media wants you to believe.   They want you to believe the Church is just arbitrarily making up new violations and adding to the law of as it sees fit.  Not so, the law is static and its not the law that is changing as they will have you believe but our new practices/behavior/culture.   And so one has to ask:  Does this new "thing" violate the law of God?   What the Church is doing is addressing this question in reference to the new forms of sin that have arisen.  

This is the reason that Jesus Christ established a Church to protect his truth and be the pillar and foundation of the truth.   This is why he gave that Church the power to bind and loose — not every sin is listed in some table of contents in the Bible. 

The Bible speaks of the law of God.   What the Church determines for us, with divine authority, if any new situations/practices violate that law.  

The Church is the authority in the world with the voice of Christ and the protection of the Holy Spirit that guide us in the changing world with the unchanging law of God.   So when a new situation, atrocity, practice, or way of life arises it can be judged authoritatively against the law of God.   It is not that sin changes, but our practices as a people change and these practices must be held up to the law of God. 

We have a standard — God’s standard and the Church by the authority of God will judge any new practice that arises (i.e. the pill, embryonic stemcell research, new fashions which may be immoral, etc) against the standard of God.

So what of the claim that the Church somehow revised or replaced the seven deadly sins?   Preposterous.

Here is what CWN has to say about that:

As usual, a British newspaper leapt to the forefront with the most sensational and misleading coverage. The Daily Telegraph made the preposterous claim that Archbishop Girotti’s list replaced the traditional Catholic understanding of the seven deadly sins:

It replaces the list originally drawn up by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th Century, which included envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and pride.

Could we have a reality check, please?

When a second-tier Vatican official gives a newspaper interview, he is not proclaiming new Church doctrines. Archbishop Girotti was obviously trying to offer a new, provocative perspective on some enduring truths. The effort backfired– but in a very revealing way.

An ordinary reader, basing his opinion only on the inane Telegraph coverage, might conclude that a "sin," in the Catholic understanding, is nothing more than a violation of rules set down by a group of men in Rome. If these rules are entirely arbitrary, then Vatican officials can change them at will; some sins will cease to exist and other "new sins" will replace them. But that notion of sin is ludicrous.

Sin is an objective wrong: a violation of God’s law. What is sinful today will be sinful tomorrow, and a deadly sin will remain deadly, whether or not Telegraph editors recognize the moral danger. The traditional list of deadly sins remains intact; nothing has replaced it. Greed, gluttony, and lust are as wrong today as they were a day or a year or a century ago. If Archbishop Girotti referred to "new" sins, it is because some of the offenses he named (such as genetic manipulation) were impossible in the past, and others (such as international drug trafficking) are much more prevalent today, in a global society. Insofar as people could have engaged in these activities a century ago, they would have been sinful then as well.

A sin is not a sin because simply an archbishop proclaims it so. Sin, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, "is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience…" The precepts of "reason, truth, and right conscience" do not shift in response to political trends, nor do they change at the whim of Vatican officials.

The fundamental point of the L’Osservatore Romano interview was that Catholics need to recover a sense of sin, make use of the sacrament of Confession, and receive absolution for their offenses. Sin, the archbishop insisted, is a reality that man cannot escape.

Archbishop Girotti said that the modern world does not understand the nature of sin. With their coverage of the interview, the mass media unintentionally underlined the prelate’s point.

[Homily, Sun., 03/09/2008]

Holy week is only one week away. It is important that we not only persevere in the Lenten proposals that we made on Ash Wednesday, we should also begin to intensify our spiritual practices so that the change that we are seeking will really take place. This Sunday’s liturgy provides profound spirituality and motivation that will help us deepen our efforts.

Because of the climate of the Holy Land, burial followed death as quickly as possible. By the time Jesus walked the earth, the Jewish funeral rite had become corrupted. The funeral had become exceedingly costly. The finest spices and ointments were used to anoint the body. The body was clothed in the most magnificent robes and all kinds of valuables were buried in the tomb along with the body. Naturally, no one wished to be outdone by his neighbor. A funeral had become an intolerable burden that no one wanted to change, until the famous Rabbi Gamaliel, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, ordered that he was to be buried in the simplest possible linen robe and thus broke the extravagance of funeral customs.

As many as possible attended a funeral. Everyone joined in the procession. At the tomb, memorial speeches were sometimes made. Everyone was expected to express their deepest sympathy.

In the house of mourning there were set customs. So long as the body was in the house it was forbidden to eat meat or to drink wine, to wear phylacteries, or to engage in any kind of study. Moreover, no food was to be prepared in the house, and when food was eaten, it was to be eaten in the presence of the dead person.

On the return from the tomb, a meal was served which friends of the family had prepared. The meal consisted of bread, hard-boiled eggs and lentil beans. Deep mourning lasted for seven days, of which the first three were days of weeping. During these seven days, it was forbidden to work, wash and even put on shoes. The week of deep mourning was followed by thirty days of lighter mourning.

Within all of these ancient Jewish customs enters Jesus.

Martha and Mary are different from all of the other Jews that accompanied them for the funeral of Lazarus. Martha, Mary and Lazarus were friends of Jesus. When Martha met Jesus, her heart spoke through her lips. She spoke partly with reproach and partly with a faith that nothing could shake. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died, but even now I know that God will grant whatever you ask of him” (John 11: 21-22). After Jesus reassures her, Martha makes her remarkable and profound act of faith: “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world” (John 11: 27).

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, we find ourselves on our journey towards Easter Sunday. Each of us is faced with many struggles and challenges. The same Jesus who spoke to Martha, who was so afflicted by the death of her brother, speaks to each of us today: “I am the resurrection”. “Do you believe this?”

Do you believe that God is always with you? Do you believe that he is the solution for every problem? Do you believe in his saving power? Do you believe that he speaks to you through his Word? Do you believe that he is truly present in the Eucharist? Do you believe in eternity? Do you believe in his final victory?

“I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11: 25-26).

With Jesus, we know that we are journeying, not to the sunset, but to the sunrise. We enter into a new relationship with God when we really believe that God is as Jesus told us that he is. We become absolutely sure of his love. We become absolutely convinced that he is above all else a redeeming God. The fear of suffering and death vanishes, for suffering and death means going to the one God who is the awesome God of love. In reality, our life long journey is a journey to the eternal Easter in Heaven.

When we truly believe, we enter into a new relationship with life itself. When we make Jesus our way of life, life becomes new. Life is clad with a new loveliness, a new light and a new strength. When we embrace Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when we develop a personal relationship with him, we realize that life does not end, it changes and it goes from incompletion to completion, from imperfection to perfection, from time to eternity.

When we truly believe in Jesus, we are resurrected in this life because we are freed from the fear that is characteristic of a godless life; we are freed from the unhappiness of a life filled with sin; we are freed from the loneliness of a life without meaning. When we walk with Jesus and follow his way, life becomes so powerful that it cannot die but must find in death the transition to a higher life.

This is why we must never fear failure. At the beginning of every day, Jesus gives us a blank piece of paper to write out the history of another day. Nevertheless, we must always keep in mind that this life was never meant to be easy. Jesus gives meaning to our suffering and gives us the ability to carry our difficulties with patience, love, and joy. When we think that Jesus is far from us, it is then that he is always the closest. Let us recall that because of his deep love, the Lord wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Every time we suffer, he is able to understand our suffering and console us with his loving presence.

“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer. I knew that you hear me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’ When He had said this, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” (John 11: 38 - 44).

Are you in a tomb? What is your tomb? There are many different types of tombs.

There is the tomb of spiritual death, the type of death caused by mortal sin. Are you in the tomb of spiritual death? When you go to Confession, Jesus will stand before your tomb. He will call your name and cry out “Come out”!

Are you in the tomb filled with negative feelings such as worry, fear, resentment, hatred, and guilt? If you are in that tomb, let Jesus stand before you and cry out “Come out”!

Are you in the tomb of selfishness? Are you so self-absorbed that you are dead to the needs of others? Are you ambitious, trying to get ahead at any cost? Are you the king of your own island? If you are in that tomb, let Jesus stand before you and cry out “Come out”!

“O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people” (Ezekiel 37: 12-13).

—
Father James Farfaglia is a contributor to Domus Dei and the Pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. Originally from Ridgefield, CT. Father has founded and developed apostolates for the Catholic Church in Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United States. He may be reached by e-mail at fjficthus@gmail.com. You can visit Father’s personal web site here: Our Lady of Guadalupe e-Parish

[Homily, Sun., 03/02/2008]

This Sunday’s gospel narrative allows us to examine closely the intense and ever increasing tension developing between the Pharisees who can see physically, but are spiritually blind, and a simple, humble man who is physically blind, but who eventually is able to see who Jesus really is.

The Pharisees deny that which is evident: Jesus healed the man born blind. They refuse to accept that which is obvious. Is not this the situation of our contemporary world?

For example, it is obvious and evident that life begins at the moment of conception, and yet in the face of scientific proof, many continue to promote abortion. If human life did not begin at the moment of conception, why would an abortion be necessary in the first place?

Furthermore, a blind humanity continues to advance destructive practices such as embryonic stem-cell research, homosexual marriages, euthanasia, and human cloning. Many refuse to see the consequences of godless behavior on human society. How much more destruction must take place before people begin to see the truth?

Unfortunately, our own country has become profoundly divided between two opposing forces. On the one hand, the radical left decries any appearance of traditional values in the name of individual rights. When Americans speak out in support of family values, they respond by questioning the substance of these values.

On the other hand, the radical right can be just as polarizing as their counterparts on the left. They decry the immorality of our times, but they are usually void of any Christian charity.
Similarly, this ideological battlefield has caused a profound division in the Catholic Church in America. During a past ad limina visit, Chicago’s Cardinal George addressed these words to Pope John Paul II:
“The Church’s mission is threatened internally by divisions which paralyze her ability to act forcefully and decisively. On the left, the Church’s teachings on sexual morality and the nature of ordained priesthood and of the Church herself are publicly opposed, as are the Bishops who preach and defend these teachings. On the right, the Church’s teachings might be accepted, but Bishops who do not govern exactly and to the last detail in the way expected are publicly opposed.

The Church is an arena of ideological warfare rather than a way of discipleship shepherded by Bishops. The freedom of the Church is now threatened by movements within the Church and by government and groups outside the Church. The Church’s ability to evangelize is diminished.”

Darkness abides in the deep recesses of opinions and ideologies. We must move beyond the illusory images that only appear to be reality. We must have the openness to question and not accept blindly everything that is presented to us by modern culture. We must understand that relativism is bankrupt and that true freedom can only be found in objective truth.

Pope John Paul II once wrote; “It is urgent to rediscover and to set forth once more the authentic reality of the Christian faith, which is not simply a set of propositions to be accepted with intellectual assent. Rather, faith is a lived knowledge of Christ, a living remembrance of his commandments, and a truth to be lived out. A word, in any event, is not truly received until it is put into practice. Faith is a decision involving one’s whole existence. It is an encounter, a dialogue, a communion of love and of life between the believer and Jesus Christ, the way, and the truth, and the life. It entails an act of trusting abandonment to Christ, which enables us to live as he lived, in profound love of God and of our brothers and sisters” (Veritatis Splendor, 88).

Those who think that they have all of the answers are no longer reachable. Pride is the root of spiritual blindness. The man born blind in this Sunday’s gospel passage exemplifies the humility that is needed in order to see and to grasp the truth.

How can we move from erroneous opinion to the acquisition of objective truth? We need to be open. We need to ask God to show us the truth. In our quest for truth we should be on our knees and cry out to the Lord: Lord, show me the truth. Then we must read. Read objective sources. It is better not to read someone’s opinion about a particular topic. The Magisterium of the Catholic Church contains an amazing wealth of teaching.

Because he was open and humble, the man born blind asks the most fundamental question that needs to be asked by everyone: “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” (John 9: 36). His question was answered; “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you” (John 9: 37).

When we are humble, open, and thirsty for the truth, Jesus will flood our souls with his Holy Spirit. The cobwebs of twisted thinking will vanish, light will shine through our entire being, our eyes will be open, and we shall see.

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe’; and he worshipped him” (John 9: 35-38).

—
Father James Farfaglia is a contributor to Domus Dei and the Pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. Originally from Ridgefield, CT. Father has founded and developed apostolates for the Catholic Church in Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United States. He may be reached by e-mail at fjficthus@gmail.com. You can visit Father’s personal web site here: Our Lady of Guadalupe e-Parish

Former President Clinton loses his temper at a rally in Steubenville last night. He denies that the mothers that have abortions and the doctors that perform them are murders and claims that pro-life supporters won’t admit this because they won’t have political support. In other words, political support is more important to Clinton than human lives. Here is part of his response to a pro-lifer:

“I gave you the answer. We disagree with you,” Clinton said. “You wanna criminalize women and their doctors and we disagree. I reduced abortion. Tell the truth, tell the truth, If you were really pro-life, if you were really pro-life, you would want to put every doctor and every mother as an accessory to murder in prison…”

Ummm, former President Clinton, yes, I would want to see every single mother and doctor that is an accessory to abortion in prison. They are murderers. I don’t care about how it looks politically. It’s not about a political career as you see it Mr. Clinton, it’s about a human life.

Here’s the video of Mr. Clinton defending the act of murder:

[Homily, Sun., 02/17/2008]

A few years ago in another part of our country, a principal of a Catholic elementary school became very nervous about the financial situation of his school. He decided to ask the Federal Government for a grant and his request was well received.

A few days latter, an inspector came by to check over the school and to find out how the money would be used. He visited each classroom and then he sat down with the principal. “Your school looks great and we can help you out”, said the inspector. “There is only one problem”. The inspector pointed to a crucifix hanging on the wall of the principals’ office and said, “Those things have to come down”.

Unfortunately, the principal did not protest the decision, nor did the pastor of the parish. However, the parents of the school threw a fit. Some of the parents organized the rest of the parents and they had a meeting with the principal and the priest. They told them that they did not want to loose their identity as a Catholic school and they committed themselves to raise whatever money was needed to keep the school financially sound.

Today, the Catholic school continues to flourish.

This Sunday’s liturgy provides motivation and inspiration for us to continue our Lenten program. It is not easy to die to self. However, the gospel account of the transfiguration of Jesus tells us that our cross will always lead to the transformation of our lives.

There are three transfigurations or transformations that take place in our journey towards eternity.

The first change begins at Baptism. The immersion into the baptismal waters symbolizes death and rebirth. The sacrament of Baptism washes away original sin and we are re-created. We are transformed into new creatures. The old self dies, and the new person in Christ Jesus is born.

Our new life, which begins at Baptism, is carried out through our daily living of the Gospel. This of course, demands a continual dying to self. Through self-denial, the image of Christ is made visible in our lives. The more we die to self, the more sanctifying grace can transform our lives. “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it”. (Matthew 10: 39)

The second transformation takes place by our victory over the trials and tribulations of life. Every challenge, every difficulty, every moment of suffering, is an opportunity to grow. Transformation only takes place through suffering.

A young friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer when was nineteen years old. He died two years latter. Nevertheless, his acceptance of this challenge and the manner in which he embraced his daily suffering not only transformed his life, but it transformed the lives of those who were closest to him.

One day after he returned from a long week of treatments at the hospital, his dad suggested that before returning home, they stop by their parish and pray the Stations of the Cross together. The father told his son that contemplating how much Jesus had suffered for them would be important, particularly in their present trial. Both father and son had understood the transforming power of the Cross of Jesus.

The third transformation takes place at death. The suffering that the final moment brings upon us, makes way for an amazing transformation. Eternal life in heaven, perhaps after a period of further transformation in purgatory, is granted to those who have been found worthy. The last transformation or transfiguration takes place at the Second Coming when our body is reunited with our soul. What awaits us is beyond anything that we can imagine. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8: 18).

“Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, ‘new heavens and a new earth’. It will be the definitive realization of God’s plan to bring under a single head all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just, sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ”. (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1043, 1047)

When we consider the eschatological teachings of the Catholic Church, we can understand why the Easter liturgy cries out “O felix culpa”. “O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer” (Exsúlet – The Easter Proclamation from the Easter Vigil Liturgy).

The transfiguration of the Lord reminds us of the outcome of the cross. Suffering brings about transformation when we carry the cross like true disciples of Jesus.

Each of us has a cross to carry. We must all identify our crosses and carry them with patience, joy and love. Why complain about something which is our means to gain eternal life?

As Thomas a’ Kempis reminds us, “The cross, therefore, is always ready; it awaits you everywhere. No matter where you may go, you cannot escape it, for wherever you go you take yourself with you and shall always find yourself. Turn where you will — above, below, without, or within — you will find a cross in everything, and everywhere you must have patience if you would have peace within and merit an eternal crown.

If you carry the cross willingly, it will carry and lead you to the desired goal where indeed there shall be no more suffering, but here there shall be. If you carry it unwillingly, you create a burden for yourself and increase the load, though still you have to bear it. If you cast away one cross, you will find another and perhaps a heavier one” (The Imitation of Christ, Book II, chapter 12).

The transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor tells us that the glory of the resurrection will only take place through the sufferings of Good Friday. The transfiguration of Jesus teaches us that the Cross is necessary in order for Easter to take place. However, too many of our contemporaries are like those who stood at the foot of the Cross and cried out to Jesus that He should come down from the Cross. Many would like to have a Christianity without self-denial, discipline, and renunciation. However, Christianity without the Cross is not Christianity at all.

My own personal journey with the Lord Jesus has shown me that all of this is true. As I look back on my life, every cross, every tribulation, every persecution, every moment of bodily pain has been a moment of growth, sanctification and transformation. We must die to self in order to live.

—
Father James Farfaglia is a contributor to Domus Dei and the Pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. Originally from Ridgefield, CT. Father has founded and developed apostolates for the Catholic Church in Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United States. He may be reached by e-mail at fjficthus@gmail.com. You can visit Father’s personal web site here: Our Lady of Guadalupe e-Parish

Since I am residing in the city of San Antonio — I saw this one coming before it hit the mainstream news and I was already anticipating what would come to pass:   St. Mary’s College has allowed Senator Hillary Clinton to hold a rally on its campus.

Archbishop Gomez was extremely upset at the decision of the college to let the pro-abortion politician to visit the campus saying, "I was neither advised nor consulted by the university before the decision was made to have Senator Clinton speak at the university".  

This is a slap in the face to all faithful Catholics and an arrogant move by a woman who knows her position goes against the most basic beliefs of Catholics.  Its as if she is rubbing this in the face of faithful Catholics by successfully pushing her agenda "in our house" so to speak.

Frankly, to me its like a KKK leader being allowed to speak at a Black College.   This type of blatant disrespect of Catholics should be all the more reason to oppose Senator Clinton more fiercely (as if we already don’t have enough reasons).

St. Mary’s president Charles Cotrell had this to say,

"As a Catholic tax-exempt university, St. Mary’s does not endorse political candidates or their positions on issues and acknowledges the fundamental differences between those of the presidential candidates and the Catholic Church."

Colleges such as these should be boycotted and a president such as Mr. Cotrell should be made to resign.   "…St. Mary’s does not endorse political candidates or their positions…", so he says in his excuse.   Does he take us for fools?   I’d like to know if he’d allow a candidate who supports the KKK to speak on his campus?   Or, er, would he deny him on moral grounds?

Send your comments about the Clinton event to:
St. Mary’s University, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, Texas 78228,
call (210) 436-3011
or send an email.

[Homily, Sun., 02/10/2008]

A Christian magazine once surveyed their subscribers regarding the areas of their greatest spiritual challenges. The results showed that their greatest temptation was materialism. After materialism, followed pride, self-centeredness, laziness, anger, lust, envy, gluttony, and finally lying.

The survey respondents noted temptations were frequent and more forceful when they had neglected their time with God and when they were physically tired. They stated that the ability to resist temptation was made easier by a strong spiritual life, avoiding compromising situations, and being accountable to someone.

Temptation will always be a part of our lives. No matter our age or the circumstances of our lives, temptation will be something that we have to deal with until the end of our journey here on earth.

Not every temptation is caused by Satan, so we need to look at the two causes of temptation.

Most temptations are caused by our fallen human nature. As we saw last Sunday, original sin has wounded our human nature. We simply do not have complete control over our mind, memory, imagination, will, passions and emotions. We will always struggle with something.

Sometimes we might be tempted to be lazy and sleep in, rather than go to work or to school. Sometimes we might be tempted to gossip. Sometimes we might be tempted to be impatient. Sometimes we might be tempted to be unchaste. Sometimes we might even be tempted to take something that does not belong to us.

“Because man is a composite being, spirit and body, there already exists a certain tension in him; a certain struggle of tendencies between spirit and flesh develops. But in fact, this struggle belongs to the heritage of sin. It is a consequence of sin and at the same time a confirmation of it. It is part of the daily experience of the spiritual battle” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2516).

Satan can also cause temptation. The greatest victory of Satan in the contemporary world is the fact that many Christians have bought into the lie that he does not exist. Nevertheless, Satan’s power and influence starts at the beginning of the history of humanity, in the Garden of Eden.

Many people become discouraged and nervous when they are tempted. Many people can be scrupulous. They think that they are sinning when in fact they have only been tempted. Sin is only a sin when there is full consent. Temptation is not a sin; therefore, there is no need to mention temptation within the sacrament of confession. Actually, when we say no to the temptation and affirm our fidelity to the Lord, we need to realize that we have been victorious.

The continual interior struggle to be faithful to God does have great personal benefits. The struggle is a workout, and every work out makes us stronger and allows us to go deeper.

During the California gold rush, two brothers sold all they had and went digging for gold. They discovered a vein, staked a claim. All went well at first, but then a strange thing happened. The vein of gold disappeared. The brothers continued to pick away, but without success. Finally, they gave up in disgust.

They sold their equipment and claim rights for a few hundred dollars, and took the train back home. Now the man who bought the claim hired an engineer to examine the mine. The engineer advised him to continue digging in the same spot where the former owners had left off. Three feet deeper, the new owner struck gold. A little more persistence and the two brothers would have been millionaires themselves.

Although it is true that we will always be tempted, we must also do all that we can to avoid temptation. Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ring-tailed monkey. For the men of the Zulu tribe it is quite simple.

The method the Zulus use comes from their knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. He cannot do this because his fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and tug, screech and fight the melon for hours. He cannot get free of the trap unless he gives up the seeds, which he refuses to do. Meanwhile, the Zulus sneak up and seize him.

Prayer, daily Mass, filial devotion to our Lady, the reading of the Sacred Scriptures, Adoration, and the frequent reception of Confession are the proven remedies for temptation.

At the same time, it is essential that we avoid the occasions of sin that put us in the danger of not only being tempted, but also may cause us to sin. Young people who are preparing themselves for marriage need to be prudent about their relationship. Parents need to be vigilant about the use of the television, music, video games, and the Internet in their homes.

Parents that allow uncontrolled access to the Internet or have premium movie channels on their television system are not only placing themselves in the near occasion of sin, they are also causing a tremendous problem for their children.

The triple concupiscence of the world, the flesh and the devil are just as real today as they have been over the entire history of humanity. In this Sunday’s first reading from the Book of Genesis, the dark mystery of temptation and evil begins in the Garden of Eden.

Lent provides us with a special time of grace to examine our conscience and remove those things that are holding us back from a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ or may in fact be an obstacle to our eternal salvation.

—
Father James Farfaglia is a contributor to Domus Dei and the Pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. Originally from Ridgefield, CT. Father has founded and developed apostolates for the Catholic Church in Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United States. He may be reached by e-mail at fjficthus@gmail.com. You can visit Father’s personal web site here: Our Lady of Guadalupe e-Parish

The Tridentine Mass is making a strong return in the Philippines since Pope Benedict XVI issued Summorum Pontificum.  

There the Bishops and Priests, through their obedience to the Pope have risen to the occasion and are faithfully and obediently celebrating and expanding the Tridentine Mass.

The Picture you see to the left is Bishop Camilo Diaz Gregorio of Batanes.  Batanes is the smallest and northernmost province of the Philippines.   However, this Mass was celebrated at Our Lord of Divine Mercy Parish, Sikatuna, Q.C., at eight in the morning of January 28, 2008.

Filipinos have rallied around their clergy in the promotion of the Tridentine Mass as is evident by the Filipino Tridentine Blogs that are cropping up all over the internet.  

Here are just few that I have come across (I have linked them on the left column):

• Pro Deo Et Patri  
• Filipino Traditional Catholic
• Traditional Catholic Philippines
• The Postmodern Traditionalist

Here are a few pictures,  thank you very much to Pro Deo Et Patri from where I discovered these pictures.   And Postmodern Traditionalist from whom some of these pictures originated.   (If I’ve forgotten anyone, please add a comment to this post and I’ll be sure to add you!)

 

Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy, Sikatuna Village, Q.C.

 
Lord of the Divine Mercy Traditional Latin Mass community with Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo.

Lord of the Divine Mercy Traditional Latin Mass community with Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo.

Parish of the Espousal of our Lady in Mandurriao, Iloilo City

For more information on the Tridentine in the Philippines or to see more pictures please visit any of the blogs listed above in this post.

From the Associated Press:

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Rev. Marcial Maciel, a Mexican priest who founded the Legionaries of Christ religious order and was disciplined by Pope Benedict XVI after sex abuse allegations, has died in the United States, his order said Thursday. He was 87.

Maciel died Wednesday of natural causes, the conservative religious order said on its Web site. The statement, which called Maciel the "beloved founding father," did not say exactly where he died.

The Vatican has not said whether it determined the accusations by former seminarians that Maciel had sexually abused them were true. But in 2006, a year after Benedict’s election as pontiff, the Vatican said Maciel had been asked to conduct "a reserved life of prayer and penance, renouncing every public ministry," meaning he could not celebrate Mass in public.

The action effectively meant he was a priest in name only.

Maciel was the most prominent Roman Catholic Church official to be disciplined by the Vatican for alleged involvement in child sexual abuse.

He and the Legionaries denied the allegations. When he was disciplined, the order said he had accepted the Vatican’s decision with "tranquility of conscience."

The Vatican had been investigating allegations against Maciel since 1998.

Initially, nine former seminarians said Maciel had abused them when they were boys or teenagers in Catholic seminaries in Spain and Italy in the 1940s-1960s. Later, others came forward.

In 2006, the Vatican said it had decided against proceeding with a full-fledged church trial against Maciel because of his age and ill health.

The Legionaries of Christ, which Maciel founded in 1941 in Mexico City, is one of the fastest-growing Catholic religious orders with more than 600 priests and 2,500 seminarians in 20 countries in North and South America, Europe and Australia.

It was well-regarded by Pope John Paul II in particular because of its conservative views, loyalty to church teaching and because it has been so successful in recruiting.

The statement by the religious order said a private funeral service would be held in accordance with Maciel’s wishes.

Requiescat In Pace…

[This is admittedly a bit late piece of news — however, I believe its an important eye-opener and worth the post for those who may have not yet seen it. Thank you, very much to Rorate-Caeli for posting this news from which we first learned of it] The Tridentine Mass has taken off in German speaking countries as reported by Mrs. Monika Rhienschmitt, president of Una Voce Germany. The below chart demonstrates the growth of regularly scheduled diocesan Tridentine Masses in Germany, Austria, and German Switzerland.

The second column of 2007 is post-Motu Proprio. That is a growth of over 50% from 80 Masses before Summorum Pontificum to over 120 after its issuance.