We do indeed need to show joy as Catholics. My motto,“Be happily and uncomplicatedly Catholic.”

Michael J. Sheehan Archbishop of Santa  Fe

This is our 100th Edition!!

News Flashes

The Italian government is trying seven seismologists for manslaughter because they didn’t predict an earthquake in 2009 that killed over 300  people.Bishop Robert W. Finn and the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph have been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of failure to report suspected child abuse by a priest. The Vatican has established a new commission to tackle the problem of ugly churches and lousy music. (Comment: it’s about time!) 

( The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.)

“I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish.
It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, ‘Merry Christmas’ to me. I don’t think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.”

 Today’s Martyrs

(Lest we forget)

In Spain, only 80 years ago during their three-year-long Civil War, 10,000 Spanish Catholics died for their faith at the hands of the anti-Catholic Popular Front (which we American supported with our Abraham Lincoln Brigade .)

 

My favorite priest, layperson, breathing saint or organization

 

(Please tell me about your favorite Catholic priest, layperson or organization that is making a difference aljagoe@comcast.net)

 Fr. Robert Aufieri (New York, NY)

Fr. John M. Bauer (Minneapolis, MN)

 Fr. Edward Gorman, O.P. (Providence, RI)

Fr. Andrew Gries (Washington, DC)

Msgr. Edward Filardi (Bethesda, MD)

Fr. Raymond Kemp (Washington, DC)

Bishop Joseph N. Latino (Jackson, MS)

NEW! Archbishop Jerome Listecki (Milwaukee, MN)

 Bishop Dennis Madden (Baltimore, MD)

Fr. Joseph Marini (San Mateo, CA) 

Msgr. Joseph Mayo (Salt Lake City, UT) 

Fr. John Mericantante (Pahokee, FL)

Msgr. Thomas Modugno (New York,NY)

Fr. Kevin Nelson, Lantana, FL

Fr. John O’Donoghue (San Antonio,TX)

Fr. Antony Pulikal (Lntana, FL)

Fr. James R. Purfield (Denver,CO) 

Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi (Mobile, AL)

 Msg. Paul L. Rohling (Birmingham, AL 

Fr. David Ross (Lima. OH) 

 Fr. Matthew Ruhl, S.J. (KansasCity, KS)

Fr. Michael Scanlon (Steubenville, OH) 

 Fr. Walter J. Szezesny (Buffalo, NY) NEW!

Fr. Richard Trout (Sanford, FL)

Fr. Hayden Vaverek (New York, NY)

Fr. Malcolm Sylvester Willoughby, O.P. (Washington, DC)

Canon Stuart Wilson (London, UK)

Interesting Sayings

By the Incarnation, all joys and hopes, sufferings and tragedies are brought, purified, and transformed into intimacy with God’s own life. Through Christ we know God not as some remote first cause of the universe, but as the God of love.

Fr. Robert P. Imbelli, Archdiocese of New York

 

When we, earnest people for whom God really matters, look into our hearts, do we not find that our basic question is: “What can I do for God? What can I give to God?” There is only one answer—God’s answer: “Nothing, beloved. Only receive with glad heart what I give, and this is myself.”

Sister Ruth Burrows, O.C.D., a Carmelite nun in Norfolk, England.

 

At the foot o’ Jesus

Sorrow like a sea

Lordy, let yo’ mercy

Come dristin’ down on me

 

At the feet o’Jesus

At yo’ feet I stand.

O, ma little Jesus,

Please reach out yo’ hand.

Langston Hughes

 Show me a sane man, and I will cure him for you.- Carl Jung

 

Hey, you Catholic apostate,

don’t you dare wait

‘til it’s too late

and you reach that Golden Gate.

            Regimra

 

Communiqués

I recently gave a copy of your Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics to a friend in the hospital. She later told me, with a chuckle, that it got her home two days earlier than predicted.

Richard Belose, Boston

I am happy to be one of your readers. I am a Roman Catholic priest, faithful to the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

Fr. George Mabura in Kenya

 

 (Regarding the blog “Why I Will Never Leave the Church”)

Good honest heartfelt stuff, keep it coming. Forgiveness, faith that things can improve, and optimism that they will are all very good. Blind belief in infallibility — at least where humans are involved as middlemen– is not always so good. Here’s a toast to the spirit of loving questioning and constant re-examination with which you live your faith. “The unexamined life is not worth living” said Socrates, and one could say the same for religious faith, long term relationships amongst people we love, etc. Great writing, keep it coming.

George in Geneva

Your statement of faith has been an inspiration for me. Also, it has clarified my thoughts when I talk about the Church with doubters.

Rebecca Thomas, San Antonio

I resent your referring to our magnificent Church as a rusty and battered old chest.

Amos Radcliffe, Chicago

 

Chuckle Time

(My Favorite Christmas Story)

When Christ was born, if there had been three Jewish women instead of the Three Wise Men:

(1)  they would have arrived on time, because they would have asked  directions;

(2)  they would have brought practical gifts, like food, blankets and baby clothing;

(3)  they would have cleaned up the stables, gotten rid of the animals and  helped deliver the baby.

When they left, their comments would have been:

(1)  did you notice those sandals that Mary was wearing?

(2)  their donkey has seen better days;

AND, the baby doesn’t look like Joseph

 

We do indeed need to show joy as Catholics

  

 

My motto 

 “Be happily and uncomplicatedly Catholic.”

Michael J. Sheehan

Archbishop of Santa Fe

 

My favorite priest, layperson, breathing saint or organization

In 2003, Catherine Meloy resigned as Senior Vice President of Clear Channel Communications, ending 20 years as a prominent media executive to become the President and CEO of Goodwill of Greater Washington (DC). Although she had little experience in the field of rehabilitation and marketing, she welcomed the challenge.

          During the past seven years she has restructured the overall mission of Goodwill, and established national records in training and job placement of handicapped persons.  She has completely redesigned end expanded the Goodwill stores to make them attractive and profitable locations.

          Cathy’s deep religious faith and zest for life makes her a model for all of us Joyful Catholics.

Interesting sayings 

The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 29:19

 The way the Israelis are acting, you can understand why Jesus, a Jew, decided to become the first Christian.

                  Armiger Jagoe 

The love of man increases in the same proportion as the love of God increases, and it lessens by the same cause and in the same proportion.  O you then, Author of this miracle, sacred tie of the visible and invisible, inexhaustible source of our present happiness and our future beatitude, of our perfection begun and our perfection to come!

       

   Father Henri-Dominique Lacordaire, O.P., who died in 1861, was a splendid Dominican who founded the Order of Preachers in France after the French Revolution.

 Sometimes when I look at my children, I say to myself, “Lillian, you should have remained a virgin.”

Lillian Carter, mother of Jimmy Carter

Communiqués

Regarding Carol Keehan, I hope this is not the sister who favours abortion and fellow traveler of Obama.  

                             Kalapurra C. Thomas

(reply: Yes it is, and I am one of her friends and admirers.)

 

For my weekly visits to a Catholic Retirement Home, I take copies of your Joyful Catholic blog, and the residents love them.  Keep it up!

                             Rebecca Armstrong

How can I be a Joyful Catholic with all the problems the Church has today?

                             Bill Whitmore

(reply: Bill, climb to a new height to overlook current Church problems and marvel at the joyful treasures you have because of your Catholicism.) 

Chuckle Time

When Jesus was confronting the men threatening to stone the woman for her sins, he said, “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.”

          Just then as a stone flew past his head, he turned and said, “Damn-it, Mother!”

 

Special Intentions List

 As you pray with a broad brush, please include these loved ones, who have been submitted by our readers. You, too, are invited to send me names of your special persons who are in need of prayer.  My address is joyfulcatholic@comcast.net. They will be on the list for 60 days. At the end of that time, if prayers are still needed, you merely have to renew the name.

Juanita Caldwell, Isola Todd, David Abbey, Amie Ellis,

Linwood “Skip” Williams, Gerry Paradiso, Tom Medved, Eileen Grotsky, Roseanne Somlock, Nicholas Gallagher, Tom Lewis, Donald Whitcomb, Violeta Zepeda, John Aylor, Rev. Joseph Marini, Enrique Portillo,

 Sharon McPike, Tom Ryan, Joseph Normile, Jim Quimby, Russell Edwards,

Gertrude Goldstein, Rev. Stephen Huffstetter, Hugh Cannon, Eric Moore, Joan Barrett, 8-year-old Michael Fotta and his parents, Lolita Alvarez, Camilus Musselman, Jack Conner, Ed Block, Isobel Milligan,

Peter Bartkiewiez and his family, Joe Toles, Grace Toomey,

Camilus Musselman, Bob Kehlhofer, Ed Cole

Bishop Thomas Olmsted, Rev. David Granfield, Rev. Patrick Granfield,

Mort Barron

As you note, because of miraculous healings, several names have been deleted and added to our Deo Gratias list.