I want to thank The Ironic Catholic for this quote from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.
“There are not over 100 people that hate the Catholic Church, there are millions however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church – which is of course, quite a different thing.”
See original post at: www.ironiccatholic.com
One of the things that has amazed me since ordination is how much more frequently people approach me and speak of their faith or lack thereof. These are people who often have no idea that I am a deacon, or that I believe. Perhaps some of my brother deacons can shed some light on this.
I recall my initial screening interview with the Diaconate Advisory Committee, and one of the questions put to me was how my secular occupation (clinical social work) would change after ordination. I was stumped for a moment, not having given that much thought, but I recall my response, “I will probably continue to treat my patients in the same way I have always tried to treat them, but there will be something different about me after ordination that I hope will be evident to them.”
I think they approved of that answer, even though it was unrehearsed, and spoken in the moment.
I think I was right in my prediction.
The change is grace, and its effects upon those with whom I come in contact. God has got a hold on me in a new way, and he works through me now in a way different from before, in spite of my shortcomings. Somehow, old obstacles are removed; his grace is at work.
I saw it today in the face of an elderly man who told me he recognized that God had unexpectedly sent me into his life. All I did was bless him and give him the Eucharist. (By the way, this was after my day job. I was serving him as a recognized deacon of his parish.)
I saw it yesterday in the story of a patient who spontaneously talked about her struggle with faith even though she only knew me as her therapist, nothing more.
I saw it in the face of an agitated man unable to speak or open his eyes because of a stroke, and who was probably near-deaf. All I did was give him a tiny bit of the Eucharist, touch his arm, and gave him a blessing. He calmed down. He didn’t seem afraid for a few minutes.
This is God stuff. This is the grace of Holy Orders, Baptism and the Eucharist at work. My job is to get out of the way, and make myself available…… disposed.
As of the moment, I am in third place in the 2010 Cannon Ball Awards for Catholic bloggers in the category of “Best Under Appreciated Catholic Blog.”
I appreciate your support. This is a fun competition meant, I believe, to be light-hearted and to raise awareness of good Catholic blogs that are out there.
Polls are open for another couple of days only. PLEASE VOTE for this blog. I will need another 100 votes in just a couple of days…… get your family and friends to look at this blog and to vote.
Log on to: http://www.thecrescat.blogspot.com and click on the 2010 Cannon Ball Awards icon on the upper right. Scroll down to the category “Best Underappreciated Blog” and click on the bullet next to Catholic Faith and Reflections. Then click “vote” at the bottom of that category.
Blessings on all of you!
The following is a paraphrase of a central comment made last night to our confirmation candidates by Bishop John Quinn of Winona, Minnesota during his homily. It is a good one for all of us to remember.
“The world likes to throw you bad pitches to get you to swing at them. If you do, you will only strike out. Don’t swing. God will throw you good pitches. Swing at them.”
I’d like to hear what is on the minds of the readers of this weblog. Leave a comment as to what you might find of importance in our faith lives and Church. Perhaps we can start a conversation.
“Once abolish the God, and the government becomes the God.” — G. K. Chesterton, 1933
If you are a priest who is discouraged by the crisis in the Church regarding the abuse children and the Church’s response to this inexcusable crime, take a look at what Archbishop John R. Quinn, retired bishop of San Francisco said at the National Federation of Priests Councils in Houston, Texas on April 13.
www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=12258
I think married deacons are in a prophetic position in regard to all of this. We potentially can act as agents of healing here, and understanding. On one hand, we are clergy and we have direct experience with our brothers in Holy Orders that the laity simply do not have. We have the ability to have compassion for them. But almost all of us are also fathers to children. We deeply understand that our children come first. Within the ranks of clergy, we are better situated than others in most situations to have instinctual, raw compassion for child victims and a natural sense to protect. We can advocate for all children from a vantage point that out celebate brothers cannot.
Compassion for priests and bishops is sorely needed. Compassion for our children is obligatory, primal, and cannot be compromised under any circumstances. Those who are complicit in exposing our children to sexual trauma deserve our forgiveness but our children deserve justice.
Log on to: www.ninedaysthatchangedtheworld.com
It is a trailer for an upcoming movie on June 2-10, 1979, the nine days when Pope John Paul II went back to his native Poland, and the beginning of the end of the Iron Curtain and communist reign in Poland.
Very well done.
“These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.” — G.K. Chesterton, 1928
I have been nominated for the Cannon Ball Catholic Blog Awards for the Best Under Appreciated Blog. This annual competiton is sponsored by the blog, The Crescat.
As they say in Chicago, “Vote early and vote often.”
To view nominations and to vote eventually, log on to The Crescat .
I will be counting on your votes!
“The Christian faith has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” — G.K. Chesterton, Chapter 5, What’s Wrong With The World, 1910
Being rather computer ignorant (whereas my son is not) I hope I use the correct terminology when speaking “computerese.”
I’d like to draw your attention to the “RSS” subscribe option now available on this webpage. If you would like posts I make to this blog sent directly to your email account, sign up. It may be a quicker way for you to update yourselves as to what is going on here at “Catholic Faith and Reflections.”
Also, just a FYI, my web address may be changing in the future. If that in fact becomes an inevitability, I will apprise you all in advanced.
Blessings to you all, especially to all the parishioners of Holy Cross and Crucifixion parishes!
Deacon Bob
“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” — G.K. Chesterton
Deacon Gordon sent me a quote that I would like highlight. Please read the first comment on yesterday’s “Quote of the Day”, or read on below.
“Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or lofty ideas, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” (Deacon Gordon attributes this quote to Benedict XVI in his book on Jesus, so I assume the book is entitled, Jesus of Nazareth.)
This so nicely sums up what I was trying to say a few posts ago about “once meeting Jesus, I dare not turn my back on him.” An encounter with Jesus and his resurrection is decisive. It completely reorients one’s life.
Now I strongly suspect Pope Benedict does not agree with much of what Fr. Josef Fuchs S.J. taught in his moral theology, but Benedict’s thoughts, quoted above, do express one thing Fuchs was so clear about: That the encounter with God in baptism is so radically transformative that it orients one to a new “horizon”.
Being Christian is fundamentally about being in relationship with Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and oriented toward the Father who calls us to himself. All of this happens in the context of the Church, his body, of which we all share.
Thanks, Gordon!
“Committees have never changed the world. Individuals do.” — Fr. Dwight Longenecker
Pope Pius XII said on August 24, 1939, at the beginning of the Second World War, “Nothing is lost with peace, everything may be with war.”
Gaudium et Spes, one of the documents of Vatican II said, “Men in so far as they are sinners are, and will always be, under the threat of war until the coming of Christ; but in so far as they succeed, united in love, in defeating sin, they will also defeat violence.” (GS 78,6)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that nations have the right to legitimate self-defense including warfare as a last resort after all other means have been exhausted to prevent death and destruction of the nation’s populace, and as long as the means used in war are proportional to the aggression shown by the enemy. Civilians must be given every possible protection from the effects of war. Wanton destruction of persons or property is not permissible.
The Catechism is clear also, as was the late Holy Father, John Paul II, that in this day and age, war is rarely morally justifiable. He told us clearly that the war in Iraq was not a just war.
I have said to several people in recent years that I am only inches away from being opposed to all war. I see no sense in it. Nothing noble. Nothing of good, only evil.
I say I am inches away from the pacifist position because in all honesty, I think I would resort to lethal violence if someone in fact were to threatened the lives of my family….. I suspect I would pull the trigger if someone were about to kill my wife or other family members. I do not say this proudly, only admitting what I suspect my response would be.
I do not judge anyone who has fought in war. I know combat veterans. I have treated combat veterans from WWII, Korean Conflict, Vietnam and the Gulf Wars. These are men who were put in situations we cannot imagine, (unless you too have been in the front lines or in the jungles/deserts). I have only respect for them and their service.
Recently, a good acquaintance of mine, a police officer, had to shoot a man point blank. Knowing this good officer, I have only respect for him. I cannot say I would have done any differently if put in that situation.
I just have a very difficult time believing Jesus would pick up arms to kill someone or be a participant in war or be one who would resort to lethal violence to solve any problem.
I think Pius XII ultimately is right – nothing is lost with peace, everything may be with war. The Vatican Council was right – war is the consequence of sin which only the saving presence of Jesus can heal.
God help us. Make us instruments of your peace!
The fire has been lighted.
Exultet was sung. Not badly done either, even if I say so myself.
Five received into the Church.
The people sprinkled heavily with Easter water.
The Scriptures read at length.
Jesus was received.
Praise was given.
Our Lord is risen!
Thanks be to God.
“As you carry out your vital responsibilities, be assured that I remain close to you and I offer you the support of my prayers.” — Pope Benedict XVI
To all readers of this weblog:
As we enter this Holy Week, may we draw near to the Merciful Heart of Jesus, accompanying him in his ascent to Jerusalem, and his Passion, Death and Resurrection. My prayer is each of you approach him closely enough to feel his breath, touch his sacred wounds, and stand at the foot of the Cross on which he died.
May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Spirit, be upon you now and always. Amen.
Deacon Bob
Today is the birthday of the late Robert Frost, a great American poet, of whose poetry we all in my generation needed to read in high school and in undergraduate American Literature courses.
He was born in San Francisco on March 26, 1874 and died on January 29, 1963. He was a master of the American rural life and the colloquialisms of American English.
I find this simple poem a poignant description of the street children of our time.
IN NEGLECT
by Robert Frost
They leave us so to the way we took,
As two in whom them were proved mistaken,
That we sit sometimes in the wayside nook,
With mischievous, vagrant. seraphic look,
And try if we cannot feel forsaken.
