Monthly Archives: February 2009

A Big Tent Church

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Deacon Bob

I find it amazing that so many speak of the Catholic Church as narrow-minded or restrictive in its beliefs and practices.  My experience of the Church is so much the opposite.  Catholicism is a Big Tent Church. I have had direct … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecclesiology | 2 Comments

Quote For the Day

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Deacon Bob

“Love is a mutual self-giving that ends in self-recovery.  You recover God and He recovers you.” –Fulton J. Sheen

Posted in Prayer and Meditation | 1 Comment

Psalm of the Day

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Deacon Bob

I can’t help but post on Psalm 144 which we prayed tonight at Vespers.  I pray in Italian, which I find to be such a beautiful language of prayer, that I am afraid my English translation below really doesn’t do … Continue reading →

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Qoheleth and the Works of God

Posted on February 24, 2009 by Deacon Bob

Today’s Office of Readings again is from Qoheleth.  Qoheleth says: “I thought again that whatever God does is immutable; there is nothing to add, nothing to take away.  God works like this so we may have a sense of awe and … Continue reading →

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Quote for the Day — Gaudium et Spes

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Deacon Bob

“Fortiora enim sunt ea quibus uniuntur fideles quam ea quibus dividuntur: sit in necessariis unitas,  in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas.” Gaudium et Spes (GS) 92 For us who don’t read Latin well, here is the English for our meditation: … Continue reading →

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Prayer and Fasting

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Deacon Bob

“Jesus, after having fasted for forty days and forty nights, was hungry”–Mt. 4:2 Fasting is one of those things I have never really learned to do well. Always seems painful.  Seems too often to be self-centered, in the sense that … Continue reading →

Posted in Spirituality | 1 Comment

Catholics Coming Home to Faith

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Deacon Bob

There is a saying, “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.” No matter how long one may have been away from the practice of the Catholic faith, there will always that tug to come home, to the faith practice of Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Posted in General Interest | 1 Comment

St. Augustine and the Desire of the Heart

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Deacon Bob

In today’s Office of Readings,  St. Augustine comments on the first Letter of John.  He speaks of our task as Christians to desire the vision of our future likeness with the Risen Jesus. My translation from the Italian: “And since … Continue reading →

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Pelosi and the Pope

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Deacon Bob

I posted yesterday a segment of the Vatican’s statement regarding the meeting of the Pope with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  Today, the Catholic News Service (CNS) is reporting that a statement was distributed by Pelosi’s staff regarding her visit with … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality, Politics, Popes | 1 Comment

Nancy Pelosi Meets the Holy Father

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Deacon Bob

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and a Catholic, met with the Holy Father today at the Vatican.  Their conversation is not reported verbatim.  But the Sala Stampa, the Vatican’s news office reports today the following regarding … Continue reading →

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Quote for the Day

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Deacon Bob

“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity!  Place your soul in the brilliance of glory!” — St. Clare of Assissi

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Papa Luciani and the Restoration of a Church

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Deacon Bob

Pope John Paul I, on September 28, 1978, the last day of his life, sent a letter to Msgr. Hugh Aufderbeck marking the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the building of the church of St. Serverus. It had recently … Continue reading →

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A Bit of Marital Wisdom

Posted on February 15, 2009 by Deacon Bob

Men happily married for more than 10 years seem to come to a mutual conclusion:   “We need to quit trying to understand our wives!” Now, before I get a backlash from the politically correct among you, let me explain. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sacraments, Spirituality | 1 Comment

The Shoah and the Church

Posted on February 14, 2009 by Deacon Bob

From the address of Benedict XVI to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, given on February 12 this year: “The two-thousand-year history of the relationship between Judaism and the Church has passed through many different phases, some … Continue reading →

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Human Dignity

Posted on February 13, 2009 by Deacon Bob

St. Leo the Great had this to say about human dignity (translated from the Italian): “…Sinful humanity has found again innocence, the old man caught in sin has reacquired new life; the outcast has received adoption and the stranger has … Continue reading →

Posted in Popes, Spirituality | 1 Comment