Saturday, February 27, 2016
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Biggest and Best List of Confirmation Saints
By Rachel Penate, LifeTeen.com
Ever since I was 14, St. Thérèse had been a “saint-buddy” of mine, but it was in a simple moment while reading Story of a Soul (Thérèse’s autobiography) that her journey to sainthood became real to me. Her sassy, stubborn-headed, emotional self had truly spoke to me in such a real and personal way. She spoke to me like a sister.
The saints, our teachers
What an incredible gift we have in the communion of saints. The saints are like us! They are our ancestors, our teachers, our friends, our siblings. They are real, truly human. They are sinners, they are repentant children of God.
The saints lived on this earth and experienced suffering, joy, pain, broken promises, peace, frustration, war, injury, heart-break… they know our hearts. But mostly, they know what it takes to be united with God here on this messy earth. They know what it takes to live well for Him.
Why a saint for Confirmation?
We choose a Confirmation saint (like we choose a Confirmation sponsor) not out of due diligence to the “rule,” but rather because we realize how unfortunate it would be to travel alone. We recognize how important it is to know your Confirmation saint not only by name, but also by story. The saints have so much to teach us about this journey.
The following list is for you to use as a starting point in your journey to decide whom your “Confirmation saint-buddy” will be. Pick a saint who speaks to you somehow. Know their story. But, mostly know the power of their prayer. Ask for their intercession like you would ask for the prayers of your friends. Saying “yes” to a Confirmation saint is like saying “yes, you may always pray for my poor and weary soul.”
How fantastic is that!? I pray that in this process you don’t just find a Confirmation saint, but instead an incredible friend.
So, here it rolls… the list to top all lists. Happy picking!
Click here to see the lists.
NBA Coach Monty Williams Boldly Preaches Jesus at Funeral for His Wife
“Let’s not lose sight of what’s important,” NBA coach Monty Williams said recently at the funeral for his wife. “God is important. What Christ did on the cross is important.”
Williams’ wife was killed in a car accident when another driver crossed the center line and hit her car head-on. They had five children. A Christian funeral was held in Oklahoma, and Williams decided to address the crowd with a message of faith and hope.
“This is hard for my family, but this will work out,” Williams told the crowd at the funeral. “And my wife would punch me if I were to sit up here and whine about what’s going on.
“That doesn’t take away the pain. But it will work out, because God causes all things to work out.”
He was very explicit about his faith in Jesus: “What we need is the Lord. And that’s what my wife tried to exhibit every single day.”
He also called for prayers for the family of the driver: “Let us not forget there were two people in this situation, and that family needs prayer as well.”
And he said he forgives the person who killed his wife: “We have no ill will toward that family.”
“We cannot serve the Lord if we don’t have a heart of forgiveness. That family didn’t wake up wanting to hurt my wife. […] We… should be praying for that family, because they grieve as well.”
“God will work this out. My wife is in heaven. God loves us. God is love.”
Williams’ wife was killed in a car accident when another driver crossed the center line and hit her car head-on. They had five children. A Christian funeral was held in Oklahoma, and Williams decided to address the crowd with a message of faith and hope.
“This is hard for my family, but this will work out,” Williams told the crowd at the funeral. “And my wife would punch me if I were to sit up here and whine about what’s going on.
“That doesn’t take away the pain. But it will work out, because God causes all things to work out.”
He was very explicit about his faith in Jesus: “What we need is the Lord. And that’s what my wife tried to exhibit every single day.”
He also called for prayers for the family of the driver: “Let us not forget there were two people in this situation, and that family needs prayer as well.”
And he said he forgives the person who killed his wife: “We have no ill will toward that family.”
“We cannot serve the Lord if we don’t have a heart of forgiveness. That family didn’t wake up wanting to hurt my wife. […] We… should be praying for that family, because they grieve as well.”
“God will work this out. My wife is in heaven. God loves us. God is love.”
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
10 Reasons Catholics Don't Evangelize (But Should)
This article originally appeared on Fr. Dwight Longenecker’s blog “Standing on My Head,” and is reprinted with permission. Visit his website, browse his books, and be in touch at dwightlongenecker.com.
At a priest’s conference not long ago the speaker quoted some statistics. Christians of different traditions were asked percentage wise how important evangelization was to their understanding of the Christian faith.
Mainline Protestants answered 60%. Evangelical Christians answered 85%. Catholics said 3%.
We Catholics skate around this one muttering catch phrases like “The New Evangelization” and we trumpet the few evangelization enterprises that are going on, and we self righteously quote St Francis (who never actually said it) “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”
There are some very clear reasons why Catholics don’t evangelize, and they are difficulties that run right to the foundation of our understanding and practice of the faith.
There may be more reason than these, but here are ten I can think of.
PS: I’ve saved the biggest and the worst for last….
1) Cultural Catholicism
A lot of American Catholics regard their religion like Jews do. It’s something you’re born into.
They scratch their head at the idea that someone would convert to Catholicism. “What, you mean you chose to be Catholic?” This is because they’re Polish or Irish or Italian or Lebanese or French. They’re Catholic in their bloodstream. It’s something you are, not something you do so much.
I remember encountering a French woman in South Carolina who wanted her baby baptized. I asked her what parish she went to. She looked at me with bewilderment. “But I aim Frensh! It is different in France! Nobody goes to church, but we are very Catholic!” Cultural Catholics never imagine that they should evangelize. “So I’m supposed to make you an Italian?” You see what I mean.
2) Over Sacramentalization
That’s just a long word way of saying that Catholics put sooo much emphasis on the sacraments that it is difficult for many of them to see that in and through and below the sacramental system is a genuine encounter of the person with Jesus Christ, risen ascended and glorified.
Because you have to be a Catholic to receive the sacraments of Holy Communion and confession, and because for so many Catholics that is the only way to practice their faith, the sacraments actually keep them from evangelizing. “I can’t bring my Baptist neighbor to Mass. She wouldn’t know what was going on and besides, she can’t come forward for communion anyway.” This is a good point. If you invite a neighbor of family member to Mass then tell them they can’t receive the Lord the whole exercise is likely to collapse into them feeling excluded.
3) RCIA
What is that? An company that used to make electronics?
The whole RCIA system is often cumbersome and user-unfriendly. If you have someone who is interested in becoming a Catholic you have to tell them about RCIA which starts in the fall (so what do you do when they come in April?) and goes through for months until Easter.
Meanwhile Pastor Bob at the local Protestant church says, “Come to church. Sign up. You’re in.” Proper catechesis is necessary, but a more creative and flexible approach would help.
4) Church or Jesus?
Too many Catholics confuse evangelization with getting people to join the Catholic Church.
The primary task of evangelization is meeting people where they are are introducing them to Jesus Christ. It is possible to do this without bringing in the Catholic Church with its whole devotional and sacramental system. It is possible to talk to someone in need and say, “You need to get right with God. You need to say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me a sinner!’ That’s the first step.”
After they make that decision they can start to attend church and learn about the sacramental system and how to continue their relationship with Christ as a Catholic. The reason so many Catholics have a problem with this is because they are unsure whether they themselves have ever had that fundamental, rock bottom, first step conversion transaction.
Click here to continue reading.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Inspiring: Justice Scalia’s Son Preaches Powerful Christ-Centered Homily at Funeral
Fr. Paul Scalia, one of the nine children of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, delivered a powerful Christocentric homily at his father’s funeral at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. on Saturday.
“We are gathered here because of one man,” Fr. Scalia began after a few acknowledgements, letting you believe he was speaking of his father. “A man known personally to many of us, known only by reputation to even more; a man loved by many, scorned by others; a man known for great controversy and for great compassion.”
“That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth.”
Fr. Scalia continued: “It is he who we proclaim: Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, buried, risen, seated at the right hand of the Father. It is because of him, because of his life, death, and resurrection, that we do not mourn as those who have no hope, but in confidence we commend Antonin Scalia to the mercy of God.”
Fr. Scalia was referencing the fact that Catholic funeral masses are offered for the repose of the soul of the faithful departed, rather than being simply memorial services.
“In the past week, many have recounted what Dad did for them. But here, today, we recount what God did for Dad, how he blessed him. We give thanks, first of all, for the atoning death and life giving resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
“Our Lord died and rose not only for all of us, but also for each of us. And at this time we look to… his death and resurrection, and we give thanks that he died and rose for Dad.”
Fr. Scalia went on to list other reasons for gratitude: that Justice Scalia received the Sacraments, that he was married for 55 years, had a deep Catholic faith, and loved his country.
He recounted the Church’s teaching on purgatory, and called for people to pray for his father. “We are here, then, as he would want, to pray for God’s inexplicable mercy to a sinner; to this sinner, Antonin Scalia. Let us not show him a false love and allow our admiration to deprive him of our prayers. We continue to show affection for him and do good for him by praying for him, that all stain of sin be washed away, that all wounds be healed, that he be purified of all that is not Christ, that he rest in peace.”
And he offered an exhortation for all listening to consider their own eternal destiny. “Finally, we look to Jesus, forever, into eternity. Or better, we consider our own place in eternity and whether it will be with the Lord. Even as we pray with Dad to enter swiftly into eternal glory, we should be mindful of ourselves.”
“Every funeral reminds us of just how thin the veil is between this world and the next, between time and eternity, between the opportunity for conversion and the moment of judgement. So we cannot depart here unchanged.”
“It makes no sense to celebrate God’s goodness and mercy to Dad if we are not attentive and responsive to those realities in our own lives. We must allow this encounter with eternity to change us, to turn us from sin and towards the Lord.”
“We are gathered here because of one man,” Fr. Scalia began after a few acknowledgements, letting you believe he was speaking of his father. “A man known personally to many of us, known only by reputation to even more; a man loved by many, scorned by others; a man known for great controversy and for great compassion.”
“That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth.”
Fr. Scalia continued: “It is he who we proclaim: Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, buried, risen, seated at the right hand of the Father. It is because of him, because of his life, death, and resurrection, that we do not mourn as those who have no hope, but in confidence we commend Antonin Scalia to the mercy of God.”
Fr. Scalia was referencing the fact that Catholic funeral masses are offered for the repose of the soul of the faithful departed, rather than being simply memorial services.
“In the past week, many have recounted what Dad did for them. But here, today, we recount what God did for Dad, how he blessed him. We give thanks, first of all, for the atoning death and life giving resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
“Our Lord died and rose not only for all of us, but also for each of us. And at this time we look to… his death and resurrection, and we give thanks that he died and rose for Dad.”
Fr. Scalia went on to list other reasons for gratitude: that Justice Scalia received the Sacraments, that he was married for 55 years, had a deep Catholic faith, and loved his country.
He recounted the Church’s teaching on purgatory, and called for people to pray for his father. “We are here, then, as he would want, to pray for God’s inexplicable mercy to a sinner; to this sinner, Antonin Scalia. Let us not show him a false love and allow our admiration to deprive him of our prayers. We continue to show affection for him and do good for him by praying for him, that all stain of sin be washed away, that all wounds be healed, that he be purified of all that is not Christ, that he rest in peace.”
And he offered an exhortation for all listening to consider their own eternal destiny. “Finally, we look to Jesus, forever, into eternity. Or better, we consider our own place in eternity and whether it will be with the Lord. Even as we pray with Dad to enter swiftly into eternal glory, we should be mindful of ourselves.”
“Every funeral reminds us of just how thin the veil is between this world and the next, between time and eternity, between the opportunity for conversion and the moment of judgement. So we cannot depart here unchanged.”
“It makes no sense to celebrate God’s goodness and mercy to Dad if we are not attentive and responsive to those realities in our own lives. We must allow this encounter with eternity to change us, to turn us from sin and towards the Lord.”
Friday, February 19, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Monday, February 8, 2016
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
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