News flashes

         On May 8, vandals committed hate-crime acts against the Holy Cross Church in Monterey, CA damaging the baptismal font brought to Californiaby Bl. Junipeo Serra in 1791 and causing damage to the church and Mission Santa Cruz.

Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby founded by sisters, said, “I am stunned” after being criticized by the Vatican for focusing their work too much on poverty and economic injustice while keeping “silent” on abortion and same-sex marriage. (comment: those fellows in the Vatican don’t have much to do.)

-         While attending a funeral at a Methodist Church, I picked up a brochure in the pew “Looking for a Church Home? Please Join Us! Our Hearts ,our Minds and our Doors are Always Open.”

(comment: have you ever seen such a welcome mat in a Catholic church?)

 

 Today’s Martyrs

(Lest we forget)

 Let us purify ourselves through the martyrs, or rather, through him through whom they too were purified in blood and truth.

St. Gregory Nazianzen (died 390)

My favorite priest, layperson, breathing saint or organization

Bishop Andrew Francis of Multanis calling upon the Church to declare to declare Shahbaz Bhatti a martyr. He was the only Catholic in the Pakistan cabinet and was assassinated for his opposition to the nation’s blasphemy law. In his last conversation, he said, “I know I will die assassinated, but I lay down my life for Christ and for inter-religious dialogue.” 

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

 

Interesting sayings

(Regarding the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith’s recent censuring of our women religious) Their action is certain to be a pastoral disaster, another instance of the hierarchy acting in an imprudent and counterproductive fashion. All Catholic should support the effort of the bishops to preserve and pass on the fundamentals of the faith, and correcting doctrinal error is part of that process. But wouldn’t the bishops be more effective in that task if they did not confuse disagreement about public policy with doctrinal dissent—and if the experience and judgment of women were given an honored place and a decisive role in the church’s governance?

                        Editors in the May 18 issue of Commonweal

 

 My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would quit dying.

Rodney Dangerfield

 

If the Lord had been born to high rank and amidst luxury, unbelievers would have said the world has been transferred by wealth. If he had chosen as his birthplace the great city of Rome, they would have thought the transformation had been brought about by civil power. Suppose he had been the son of an emperor. They would have said: “How useful it is to be powerful.” Imagine him the son of a senator. It would have been: “Look what can be accomplished by legislation!”

          But in fact, what did he do? He chose surroundings that were poor and simple, so ordinary as to be almost unnoticed, so that people would know it was the Godhead alone that had changed the world. This was his reason for choosing his Mother from among the poor of a very poor country, and for becoming poor himself.

Theodotus of Ancyra, (died 446 AD)

 

 Communiqués

(Regarding Catherine Grant’s submission, “Thank You”, and her replies)

-   I want to thank you for making this available to me. I have pasted it on   my refrigerator door to remind me every morning how blessed I am.

Gertrude Owens (Boston,MA)

Dear Gertrude, It is a wonderful reminder. I, too, keep my copy within eyesight for daily viewing. I would like to suggest another reading that you will enjoy called “Desiderata”, which is available at your bookstore. 

-         It might help some people, but I’ve got enough problem of my own   without having to worry about those millions of poor souls who might be worse off than me.

Jonathan Willsby (Liverpool,UK)

Dear Jonathan, Thanks for you response. We all have problems in our lives, but there is always room for a small prayer for the less fortunate. If it is possible, try to get a copy of “Desiderata” from your bookstore; it will give you a new outlook on life. 

-         In addition to reminding me how fortunate I am, this encourages me to pray each day for the millions who are in need of my prayers.

Wiley Kincaid (San Diego,CA)

Dear Wiley, Thanks for your prayers, and may you continue to be blessed.

-         Having gone through two divorces, I want to add to your list those lucky women who are happily married, and to warn single women that over half of the marriages in America end up in the pond.

Maggie O’Brien (New York,NY)

Dear Maggie, Sorry for your misfortune. Your suggestion to add the happily married to the list is appreciate. Now we must pray for those who are contemplating marriage and hope that they will take a hard look at the vows they will be taking. Marriage is not always easy. It is a job that requires love, trust, honesty and understanding between two individuals.

Chuckle Time

Seated beside a priest on the subway, there was a very drunk and unkempt man with lipstick smeared on his cheek. He was annoying the other passengers as heread aloud his newspaper. Turning to the priest, he said, “Tell me, Father, what causes arthritis?” The priest said, “Too much alcohol, bad living conditions, and too much freedom with women.”

The man listened intently and nodded.  A few minutes later, the priest felt a pang of pity and asked the drunk how long he had had arthritis.

“I never had arthritis,” he said, “but I read that the Pope has it.”

Why They’re Leaving The Church

_______________________________________________

We do indeed need to show joy as Catholics.  

My motto…
“Be happily and uncomplicatedly
Catholic”

Michael J. Sheehan, Archbishop
of Santa Fe

____________________________________________________________

Why they’re leaving the Church- (Part 1 of 4)

(Let’s be aware of these problems and consider how we Joyful Catholics can help in the solution)

 This has been a rough time for me because some people who are special in my life have given up on Catholicism. A relative, who for her 40-plus years on this planet has been an active and happy Catholic, has now joined the Episcopal Church. Her comment was, “I suddenly realized how lonesome I was as a woman in the Catholic Church. Also, I wanted to quit a lifetime of playing a minor role – a second-rate citizen in a male dominated organization.”

I have empathy for her because I appreciate the splendid accomplishment and acceptance of women in the past seven decades. In the 1950s when I worked for the Hartford Insurance Company (then the largest USA insurer), it was company policy that women could only be typists and secretaries. The excuse for this  restriction was because “Our agents would not feel at ease talking with a  female underwriter.”  Twenty years later, I had a battle to get the bank board on which I was serving to add a woman director. They finally resented and the next year my woman board member was so popular they made her chairman of the important audit committee. Today, 15 of the Fortune 500 companies have women CEOs, and this number is increasing.

A Christian Brother friend, who counsels those who are shaky in their faith, told me that most women agree that at some point we should return to being a church of the
people, but few of them believe it will be anytime soon. They understand that  the aged bachelors who are calling the shots in the Vatican
move with a speed that would make a snail pace seem like an Olympic racer.

As a sign of the times, last month 300 Austrian priests have signed a “Call to Disobedience”, which calls for a parish to have an individual leader – whither man or woman, and for admission of women to the priesthood.

In her book There Is a Season, Joan Chittister, O.S.B., writes about the need for spiritual re-builders—those who take what other people only talk about and make it the next generation’s reality. She is right in that we should join together in our effort to make sense of relationships within our Church. We have made improvement in that the conservative priests who refused to let little girls serve on the altar are now in their dotage or have passed on to the next life. And although most of us can’t wait until 2111 when I predict the Vatican  will accept female deacons, we should now take positive steps to profess our admiration and appreciation for our woman church members. Mother Teresa said, “Holiness is not a luxury for the few; it is not for some people. It is meant for you and me, for all of us. It is a simple duty because if we learn to love, we learn to be holy.”

How do you think this can be done? (aljagoe@comcast.net)

 

 Other recommended Catholic blogs

Catholic Cuisine

The Shrine of the Holy Whapping

Testosterhome

 

Recommended
readings

“The Church and the Eucharist” in June/July Homiletic
& Pastoral Review

“It Doesn’t Sing” in July 13, Commonweal.

 “My Water, His Wine” in July-August Touchstone.

 

Roster
of Joyful Catholic Priests

The media loves to publicize bad priests, and we should give recognition to our Joyful Catholic Priests. Send me your recommendation for ones you think merit membership in this splendid group. (aljagoe@comcast.net)

Rev. Robert
Aufieri (NYC)

Rev. Edward
Gorman, O.P. (DE)

Fr. Andrew
Gries (DC)

Msgr. Edward
Filardi (MD)

Archbishop
Jerome Listecki, (MN)

Bishop Dennis
Madden (MD)

Fr. Joseph
Marini (CA)

Fr. John Mericantante (FL)

Msgr. Thomas
Modugno (NYC

Rev. John
O’Donoghue (TX)

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

Fr. Michael
Scanlon (OH)

Rev. Richard
Trout (FL)

Rev. Hayden
Vaverek (NYC)

Rev. Malcolm
Sylvester Willoughby, O.P. (DC)

Canon Stuart
Wilson (London, UK) 

We do indeed need to show joy as Catholics.

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

Michael J. Sheehan, Archbishop ofSanta Fe

 

-         The Joyful Catholic has been added to the select list of Catholic Blogs.

-         The British government is planning to end the current ban on religious ceremonies for same-sex marriages, but churches would not be required to perform such ceremonies.

-         Regarding where your charity dollars go, Catholic Charities and Salvation Army have the smallest administrative expenses. Those who eat up most of your charitable dollars before they reach recipients are: UNICEF ($1,200,000 for CEO Careel Stern); American Red Cross ($652,000 salary for President Marsha Evans), The United Way ($375,000 for President Brian Gallagher).

-         The World Bank reported that surging food prices have pushed 44million people worldwide into extreme poverty. This increases the number of undernourished people to 1 billion.

-         In his Easter message, Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, endorsed (though not specifically) us Joyful Catholics when he said, “We are officially told it is good to be happy. Politicians have started talking about happiness rather than prosperity and there is even a research programme on the subject… Let a thousand street parties blossom!”

 

                                                      Today’s Martyrs

Qamar David, a Catholic businessman inPakistan, who was imprisoned for life for blasphemy against the Koran, was tortured and murdered in jail on March 15.

                                 

My favorite priest, layperson, breathing saint or organization

 Tom Crowe recommends Father Michael Scanlan at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. “In 1974 when he took charge of the failing college, Father Scanlon re-invigorated it with the person of Jesus Christ, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, trying in every way to make the person of Christ the center of College activities. In getting to know the students, to solve the major problem of loneliness he launched the faith household system in which, today, 60 % of the student body participate. Under his guidance, the school grew from a few hundred students to over 2,400.

          “He initiated summer youth conferences which last year had 35,000 teens participating in 18 locations across the U. S.and Canada. On the local level, he was a champion of civil rights and personally integrated the local public swimming pool.

          “Father Mike, though his devotion to the Holy Spirit and his dedication to education has done as much as any single person in this country over the past 50 years to rebuild this Church. He is moving on to the next phase of his life. We are all better, much better, for his work at the tiny college in this post-industrial rust belt town, because from it emanates a spirit, an energy that can set the world on fire.

(Now, tell me about your favorite Catholic priest, layperson or organization that is making a difference.)

aljagoe@comcast.net

 Interesting sayings

 As I sit here, the beating of my heart, the ebb and flow of my breathing, the movements of my mind are all signs of God’s ongoing creation of me. I pause for a moment and become aware of the presence of God within me.

Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2009

 

Ilia Delio on the cover of America, the Catholic

If the secular, scientific culture behaves like a rabbit, leaping across vast areas of discovery and invention, the Catholic Church too often behaves like a turtle, crawling up from behind, hesitant to accept new scientific discoveries.

Ilia Delio, O.S.F.

 

In Eugene O’Neill’s play, Lazarus Laughed, a witness standing by the tomb, half dead with fright, tells how Jesus and Lazarus looked at each other for a long time. Then Jesus smiles and Lazarus begins to laugh and cries out, “There is no death! There’s only life!”

Patricia Livingston

 

                                   Communiqués 

-         I congratulate your for your blog which fecundates our Catholicism.

Roger Wentworth,Cambridge,MA 

-         Your continuing to report on today’s Christians martyrs puts a dampener on the concept of respect for other religions.

Rezar Johnson, New York, NY 

-         How can I suggest a topic for one of your future blogs?

Helen Ellis, Miami, FL

(Please be my guest and send your suggestions to me at aljagoe@comcast.net)

 

Chuckle time

The bishop went into the church office and handed several pieces of paper to a young volunteer standing next to the shredder, “Please help me,” he said. “I don’t know how to work these different machines.”

          After the volunteer inserted the papers and pressed the button, the bishop said, “This is tomorrow’s homily I have been working on for two weeks. I only want one copy.”

 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 aljagoe@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, Jill Todd, David Abbey, Linwood “Skip” Williams, 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,  

Rev. Stephen Huffstetter, Hugh Cannon, Eric Moore, Joan Barrett,

8-year-old Michael Fotta and his parents, Lolita Alvarez,

Camilus Musselman, Ed Block, Isobel Milligan, Peter Bartkiewiez and his family, Joe Toles, Camilus Musselman,   Ed Cole, Bishop Thomas Olmsted,

Jay Parker, William Stephenson, Roger Stoven, Bob Abbott, Denny Kline, Lois Pinkin, Larry Mannino, Cheryl DeSantis, Lenore Sommers

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Laura Marsh, Marie Lyons, John Vaughey,

Christian martyrs in the Middle East, those in refugee camps throughout the world, the Japanese victims of their recent calamity.

Lightning Bug Catholics

 

We do indeed need to show joy as Catholics.

My motto… “Be happily and uncomplicatedly Catholic.”
Michael J. Sheehan
Archbishop of Santa Fe

Lightning Bug Catholics

Recently, my wife and I enjoyed an evening cookout in the park. At dusk as we sat looking over a grassy area towards the woods, we had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Suddenly the area became alive with hundreds of lightning bugs. They put on a show like quiet fireworks on the 4th of July. One of the little fellows landed on the top of my hand and stayed long enough for me to observe his orange head. Then he lighted up his lower abdomen and took off.
Return home, still tingling from the awe of having witnessed this phenomena of nature, I did some research. I learned that “the bug’s light production (bioluminescence) is caused by enzyme luciferase acting on luciferin in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen to produce light with wavelengths from 510 to 70 nanometers.” Wow!
During the week I realized that we Joyful Catholics are the lightning bugs in the Church. Those other staid, conservative and me-only Catholics are the non-lightning bugs who go about doing their own thing, unnoticed and unnoticing. By contrast, we Joyful Catholics brighten the world around us by demonstrating our concern and love for others—perhaps with a warm smile for a stranger, a call to the lonely, an act of kindness or a note of thanks and appreciation.
As I have said before, a complacent Catholic is third rate. What great joy there is in being a Joyful Catholic!

Recommended readings

- “No Third Reading” in Homiletic & Pastoral Review
- “Saint Teresa of Avila: Prayer-Centered Reformer” in Spiritual Life
- “A Reckoning- the Price Tag for America’s Wars” in Commonweal 7/16
- “The Jesus Controversy” in America 8/2-9 (Comment: I get annoyed at us Catholics who enjoy debating “the historical Jesus”. Why can’t we just accept that he was God-Made-Man, and ponder that forever.)

Don’t Fight With a Duck!

Favorite Quote

The Church involves a tension between the human and the divine. It does so because it stems from the Incarnation, which is the primary tension involving the fully divine in the person of Jesus
Rev. William P. Clark, O.M.I.  

Don’t Fight With a Duck! 

When I returned home from a week’s stay in my place in Florida, I wanted to tell friends my torn-up left hand was from a fight with an alligator.  But the embarrassing truth is that I had a losing round with a duck. (“A what!?” is the response I get when I tell of this event.)

 The last day of my visit, I went over to meet a new neighbor who had recently moved in next door. As I was walking on the lawn, I was shocked to realize something had grabbed hold of the back of my left leg and wouldn’t let go. I turned around and found that a large Muscovy* duck had attacked me.

 As I tried to kick it off, I slowly fell on the ground. At age 72 (At 80 I started counting backward and will be 71 next year), my balance ain’t what it used to be. The man-eating duck keep biting me, and when I got up, I grabbed it by the neck and it became limp.  I started taking the critter down to dump in the lake when it suddenly became a violent flapping volcano. In a flash, it reached up with its webbed foot and took off the top of my left hand. I released it and the damned duck waddled off, claiming victory.

  Mary, the new neighbor, heard the commotion and came to my rescue. Inside her house, she used her entire supply of band aides to stop the bleeding.  She is a 6’2” blonde with a heart in proportion to her size.  After her first aid treatment, she came back with me to meet my wife and began our new lifetime friendship.

  That night before getting to sleep, as a joyful Catholic, I used my “thank You!” mantra to recount this event and its aftermath. First was receiving the treasure of our new friend Mary. If the duck had attacked my wife instead of me, we would be looking forward to a Christmas meal of roasted duck instead of turkey.  At the medical clinic I met many splendid young and dedicated people, especially the efficient doctor, who looked like he had just finished high school.  While he was stitching up my hand and I was lying, saying it didn’t hurt, I thought of what real pain must be like. I remembered that, as I was doing, Christ had stretched out His hand, but He did this to get a spike pounded through His wrist.  And He did this for you and me — Wow! Thank You, Christ.

 Another benefit is that it has made an amusing story for the wonderful people I visit in the nursing homes I visit. All-in-all, I’m glad it happened because it woke me up to the wonders and benefit of being a joyful Catholic. Amen!

*Muscovites are a South American duck species which reach over 20 pounds and can take two people to restrain. Their feet have strong sharp claws. (You betta believe it!)

 Admired saying

 The Christian faith is this: encounter with Christ, the living Person who gives life a new horizon and thereby a definitive direction.

                                Jeff Ziegler, in The Catholic World Report

 

News flashes

– (Church in crisis) Detroit archdiocese is losing $42,000 a day and laying off 1/3 of staff.  The Catholic World Report

–(for Catholics who have nothing better to do) Michelle Obama is criticized for having worn a black veil when she met Pope Benedict XVI. U.S.Catholic, Org. 

– Be aware of the dissenters, calling themselves “the American Catholic Council” who are trying “to create a new Church”. The Catholic World Report

 Haiku time

(Submitted by Susan Keller in Omaha, Nebraska) 

Rejoice!

When God became Man

This renewed all creation.

Yes, God became man! 

(send me yours: joyfulcatholic@comcast.net 

Recommended reading

-         “More ‘Access’ Means Less Care” in November issue of

The Catholic World Report  www.catholicworldreport.org  

-         http://www.zenit.com/  (daily news from the Vatican)         

Last Week’s Quiz Results

The first winner of a gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics, who clocked in at 3:32 PM on November 26, is Jim Beckingham in Tucson, AZ.

 1.     What were the names of the two future disciples whom Jesus found casting their nets into the sea, and he told them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”?

Simon and his brother Andrew

2.     Who was the saint, born in Assisi in 1193, who established an order of women devoted to the poor?

Saint Claire

3.     The Vatican Library originated in which time?

(a)  13^th Century

(b)  <15^th Century>

(c)   17^th  Century

Chuckle time

 Internal Revenue Agent: Father Kincaid, is it true that your parishioner, John Jones donated $10,000 to your church last year?”

  Father Kincaid: He will.

My favorite priest

(Submit your favorite priest to joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

          As there is no current recommendation (shame on you!), I submit a very special person: Brian Burnie, an English self-made millionaire who sold his 16 million pound country hotel and gave the proceeds to cancer charities. He said, “We live in a me, me, me society, and it has always been important for me to think of others. My ambition is to die penniless.  We came into the world with nothing and we should leave with nothing.”     

London Telegraph  5/20/2009

 

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, David Abbey, Amie Ellis, Linwood “Skip” Williams, Gerry Paradiso, Nick DeCarlo, Tom Medved, Bob Haines, Eileen Grotsky,

Rebecca Matthews, Roseanne Somlock, Nicholas Gallagher, Tom Lewis,

Violeta Zepeda, Rev. Joseph Healy, John Aylor,

Rev. Joseph Marini, Enrique Portillo, Sharon McPike, Joe Berger, Tom Ryan.

Note that Susan McGahee has now entered Eternal Paradise. We still keep her in our prayers.

 

The Cana Happening

A Favorite Quote

For if true friendship is exchanged between God and us, between human
beings and angels, between human beings and human beings, true friendship is love. Blessed Simon Fidati of Cascia
An Augustinian friar 1348

 

The Cana Happening

It is understandable that, in 2002, when Church Fathers added the five additional Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary they included the Cana Wedding Party.  This was an event of spiritual importance.  For me, it provokes many thoughts.

          First, I think it important to know that Mary and Jesus were invited as guests to this prominent social event in their town.  They accepted, and I bet Mary was one of the most liked persons there. Like Mary, my own mother was popular at parties merely because, forgetful of self, she was genuinely interested in others and made them feel they were of value. At a cocktail party, I usually couldn’t see her because she was surrounded by other guests.

 I am also certain that Jesus was having a good time taking part in the joyful event. When Mary wanted to get his attention, I picture him across the room, laughing at jokes with his friends.  What great company he must have been!

It is interesting that Mary noticed the wine had run out. At that moment, she could have called Jesus and said, “The party is winding down, so let’s go home.”

Although others must also have known of the wine problem, Mary was the one who acted out of compassion for the parents of the wedding pair and for their guests.  This thought sparks my daily reminder that I should be aware of the concerns of others.   

I am fascinated by what Mary did next. She merely made Jesus aware of the problem.  With faith, she knew he would know how to solve it. She didn’t tell him what to do and how to do it. With my weak faith, when I make a prayer request, I make known the goal with a suggested blueprint of how to get there.

By inviting Jesus to perform a miracle that would keep the wine flowing, Mary was doing much more than saving a social event. She was catapulting Jesus into his ministry — of removing his Man mask to expose his Divine Nature. From that moment on, he would be acknowledged not merely as a village carpenter but a miracle worker with divine power.

As joyful Catholics, we should always enjoy the Cana Happening.  Like Mary, let us be aware of the needs of others.  And let us invite Jesus to work within us in demonstrating our concern and love for others.  

Admired saying

In other words, given what’s actually on offer in today’s religious market place, Catholicism often seems a balanced, moderate, and sophisticated option. For the record, this is how most people on the planet right now actually see the Catholic Church, in light of what else they see around them. That realization ought to have consequences not only for our missionary and pastoral strategies, but also for our own attitudes about the church.

          John Allen in National Catholic Reports (www.catholicreport.org) 

Hurrah for Bishop Michael Sheehan of Santa Fe for criticizing his fellow bishops who objected to President Obama’s commencement address at Notre Dame last May. He also said that withholding Holy Communion from pro-abortion politicians is a hysterical reaction.

 I have long been an admirer of this outstanding Church leader, who’s motto is “Be happily and uncomplicatedly Catholics!”

 

 Haiku time

(Submitted by Eric Thompson, Cleveland, OH) 

Like a weaning babe

In my Mother Mary’s lap

I bask in her love.

 

(send me yours: joyfulcatholic@comcast.net 

Recommended reading

 www.zenit.com (daily news from the Vatican)

In the November 16 issue of America, Maryann Cusimano Love has her splendid article, “A Surge in Clarity”, about our losing war in Afghanistan.

 

 

Quiz

(The first to send the right answers to joyfulcatholic@comcast.net will receive a gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics) 

1.     What were the names of the two future disciples whom Jesus found casting their nets into the sea, and he told them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”?

2.     Who was the saint, born in Assisi in 1193, who established an order of women devoted to the poor?

3.     The Vatican Library originated in which time?

(a)  13^th Century

(b)  15^th Century

(c)   17^th  Century

Chuckle Time

Parishioner: Father Smyth, I will better enjoy your homilies because I am wearing a new expensive hearing device, and I can hear like a teenager.

Father Smyth: Your new hearing aid — what kind is it?Parishioner (looking at his wrist): It’s two-thirty. 

 

My favorite priest

(Submit your favorite priest to joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)      

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, David Abbey, Amie Ellis, Linwood “Skip” Williams, Gerry Paradiso, Nick DeCarlo, Tom Medved, Bob Haines, Eileen Grotsky, 

Rebecca Matthews, Roseanne Somlock, Nicholas Gallagher, Tom Lewis, 

Susan McGahee, Violeta Zepeda, Rev. Joseph Healy, John Aylor,

Rev. Joseph Marini, Enrique Portillo, Sharon McPike, Joe Berger, Tom Ryan.

Hurrah for Bishop Nickless !

Once more will he fill your mouth with laughter and you lips with rejoicing.  

                                                          Job 8;21

Hurrah for Bishop Nickless !

For years I have protested the post Vatican II degrading of the spiritual value of the Eucharist during a busy Mass. Every Catholic bishop and many priests have been exposed to Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics with my chapters, “Communion, ho-hum” and “The New Mass, a la Show Biz.”  My response from Catholic leaders was as effective as a whisper to the deaf. Seven Episcopal ministers sent praise and not a peep from these Catholic leaders. I assume they either think I’m a fool or they just don’t give a damn. I fear the latter is true.

          Now, like a white knight on a magnificent stallion, Bishop R. Walker Nickless, Bishop of Sioux City, has come to the rescue of our Church in crisis. His “Pastoral Letter on the Future of the Church in the Diocese of Sioux City” should be spoon fed to every Church leader in America. It will be appreciated and acknowledged as one of the most effective Church writings of this century. The following are excerpts from this magnificent document 

          We need serious reflection and evaluation on the current state and direction, challenges and opportunities for faith and ministry in our Lord Jesus Christ in our Diocese.

          (After Vatican II) sometimes we set out to convert the world, but we were converted by it. We have sometimes lost sight of who we are and what we believe, and therefore have little to offer the world that so desperately needs the Gospel.

          “The ‘hermeneutic of discontinuity’…has wrecked havoc on the Church, systematically dismantling the Catholic Faith to please the world, watering down what is distinctively Catholic, and ironically becoming completely irrelevant and impotent for the mission of the Church in the world.  The Church that seeks simply what works or is “useful” in the end become useless.

          We must renew our reverence, love, admiration and devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament

          It is imperative that we recover this wonder, awe, reverence and love for the liturgy and the Eucharist.

          The Council’s goal in reforming liturgy was, of course, to facilitate the “fully active and conscious participation” of the faithful…Yet active participation does not preclude the active passivity of silence, stillness and listening: indeed, it demands it.

          Conscious participation calls for the entire community to be properly instructed in the mysteries of the liturgy, lest the experience of workshop degenerate into a form of ritualism.

          I exhort all communities of the diocese to explore ways of making the Eucharist more central in our lives through periods of Exposition, Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and Eucharist Processions.

          Devotion to the Blessed Mother, such an important part of our tradition and spirituality, also leads to a deeper appreciation and love of the Blessed Sacrament.

          The first two pastoral priorities, renewal in Eucharistic Spirituality and Catechesis will foster faithful family that is the foundation of the Church ad the society.

Thank you, God, for this splendid Church leader!

Current news

Early this fall, Father Timothy Keeney introduced his unique “Bluegrass Mass” at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Bristol, VA.  He wrote Bluegrass songs for the congregation to sing for the entrance, including the Gloria, Sanctus, alleluia, Memorial Acclamation, the Amen, and especial singing during communion. He said, “You really need to do this. The people here need something Catholic that is part of the experience that goes on in our town. Everyone seemed to have big smiles on their faces as they left church.”

          A reporter stated that during the service, the congregation tapped feet in time with the music. And a jolly time was had by all.

 Recommended Reading

“An Emmaus Walk with Teresian Wisdom” by Sr. Mary C. Carroll, SSSF, in the fall issue of Spiritual Life.  Sister May Carroll is Associate Director of Pastoral Formation at Sacred Heart School of Theology, Hales Corner, Wisconsin. 

Joyful Catholic Quiz

(The first to send the right answers will receive a gift copy of

Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics) 

1.    How did Saint Luke die? 

2.    At the Vatican, Saint Peter’s Basilica:

(a)             was built soon after Saint Peter’s death,

(b)            was order to be built by Emperor Constantine

in 324 A.D.,

(c)             was built in the 16thCentury as a replacement of the original structure.

 3.    Who was the saint who was married, had seven children, established the order of Visitation nuns and established eighty-five monasteries before her death in 1641? 

Chuckle Time

Instead of wearing a religious metal around his neck saying, “I am a Catholic. In case of an accident, call a priest”, a priest has one made saying, “I am a Catholic priest. In case of an accident, call a doctor.”

Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian no more than standing in a garage makes you a car. 

Answer by five-year-old Gregory: “I only know names of two angels. Hark and Harold.”

My Favorite Priest

Brother Edward Adams, FSC, MA, ML

There is a joyful Catholic named Brother Ed Adams. He is always engaging people with joy in every environment he enters. He greets people with joy at church, in the library, at the malls, at the post office, at the car service center—in short, wherever he goes.

 People often ask him, “Why are you so joyful?”

  His reply is, “I’m so glad you asked. I am joyful because Jesus is in my heart, and I see him in every person I meet.”

  (Submitted by John Ceccotti, Bethesda, MD)

Brother Ed is a De La Salle Christian Brother, who was a high school teacher and administrator for 23 years. With a past of distinguished service in many branches of Catholic Faith, he is now Director of Inter-faith Activities at the Dennis and Phillip Ratner Museum and a board director of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, DC

How Long, Oh, Lord, How Long?

How Long, Oh, Lord, How Long?

Joyful quote-   “No matter what activity you are engaged in, perform it with awareness and joy”

I realize the Church moves slowly and cautiously, but how long it is going to take it to correct some of the goofs of Vatican II?  Two generations have passed and the Church has its head in the sand regarding very serious problems created by Vatican II. 

          Through the centuries, the Mass was developed as a fitting vehicle for the deserved reverence and awe of the holy sacrament of the Eucharist.  The guts of Catholicism can be summed up in three words:  God became Man  The Mass service in which the reenactment of this event and of parishioners physically  receiving Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, was one of deep reverence with a sense of awe at what was taking place.  The Eucharist and the act of Communion have limitless spiritual depth — an ocean in which man with his limited human mind can only wade.  But wade he should!.

During Vatican II, the key players used six Protestant leaders to advise them on means of modernizing and popularizing the Mass.  Unfortunately, they heeded their suggestions, and the baby went out with the wash. It was decided that superimposed music should be the most prominent factor in a busy Mass. Parishioners would be requested to sing more than a dozen times during an hour-long service, when every minute would be filled with sound or activity.  Silence and meditation were eliminated. Music would be written for the “Our Father” and the Gloria would be modified into a zippy song.  One music director suggested re-writing the Apostle’s Creed into folk music. To water down the awesome fact that the Church members were to receive the Body of Christ, they were asked to sing before and after receiving Communion, without a moment to realize the awesomeness of what was taking place.  The solemnity and mystique of the Mass were to be a thing of the past as the Church Fathers attempted to bring the Mass to the people rather than bringing the people to the Mass.  This misguided act was like painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa.

As a awake-up call, every clergyman (from bishops on down) should sit in

the back of a church and observe what now takes place during a busy Mass. 

He would find that during this sing-a-long service, only one out of twenty parishioners is singing. So, the hymns are a distracting solo performance. After forty years of trying to get Catholic to blast out hymns like the Protestants do, accept the fact that it ain’t going to happen. 

While sitting in the rear of the church, the clergy-person would also observe the ho-hum attitude of the parishioners going up to received Communion.  Monkey see and monkey do. With rare exception, each follows another in a disciplined manner to proceed to the front of the church to accept the wafer. Why not?  It’s a free entitlement and is included in the package of attending Mass.

          It would be an eye-opener if the observing clergy-person would ask parishioners what is to take place when they receive Communion. A minute number would reply, “I am going to take part in one of the most important acts of my life. Christ, who is both God and Man, has become the bread and wine. When I receive Communion, God is actually becoming one with me.”  Instead, because of the current watered-down concept of Communion, 92% of parishioners could reply that receiving Communion is like swallowing a spiritual vitamin pill. Why not take it — it can’t hurt and it might help.

        

  With these findings, the observing clergy-person might ask himself, “Could Vatican II changes in the Mass have caused the fact that today one out of ten Americans are now former Catholics?  Is it possible that the modernized Mass is a factor for the Church now being in crisis?” Only by first acknowledging facts with self-scrutiny can our religious leaders consider and take corrective action.

Pray that they do!

 

Current News

Big deal! The Liberty Counsel, a conservative Christian group, has told its members that it is OK for them to pray for President Obama. Personally, I think it is the obligation for every American to pray each day for our President of the United States. For eight long, long, long years, each morning I even prayed for George W. Bush. 

Recommended Reading

For an inspiring account of a modern day saint, read “A Life Freely Given” on page 22 in the October 5^th issue of America 

Quiz Time

 

The winner is Inez Thomson, Bronx, NY, who chimed in at 8:41AM on October 18.

 

1.       The states with the highest number of church goers are Georgia and Mississippi. (Being a Southerner, I’m proud of this!)

And the states with the smallest number of church goers are New Hampshire and Vermont.

2.       The European political leader who didn’t follow his grandmother’s advice of “Do whatever you want, but don’t marry a Catholic” is

Tony Blair.

3.       There are over 10,000 saints, with 1,500 in the waiting room (and that doesn’t, but should, include 72% of you Joyful Catholic blog readers)

Chuckle Time

One morning, Father O’Reilly, an Irish priest recently assigned to the parish is a small Texas town, called the sheriff’s office to report there was a dead donkey on the church lawn. When he answered, the sheriff chuckled and said, “Well, you Catholics should know what to do. Just give the poor critter the last rite.”

“That I have done,” Father O’Reilly said, “and my second chore is to notify the next of kin.”

 

My favorite priest

For this issue, as there has been no submission for one’s favorite priest, I want to present one of my favorite Catholic laypersons.  He is Joe Difato, publisher of The Word Among Us, which for a decade has been one of my morning readings, and I strongly recommend this monthly publication.

         After many years of observing business and non-profit organizations, I found that greatness doesn’t seep upward.  Every outstanding operation has an outstanding person at the head. Joe Difato proves this is true. Being one who has had his faith tested by personal tragedy, he is an admirable Catholic. Today, he and his splendid editorial staff are making a strong impact on the future of our Church. In addition to their many subscribers who benefit from The Word Among Us, his organization makes this publication available each month to 48,000 prisoners and 15,500 military persons. You can contribute to help finance this splendid action via joe@wau.org.

          Thank you, Joe, for being such an outstanding example of a joyful Catholic!

Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist priest and author

Love without Provisos

I’m worn out by worries, night and day. Stop. Everything is secondary to God. Give in to reason. God didn’t make me in vain. I am turning my back upon this song. Now when the beloved mind has sung for me these things, I headed home, now laughing at this self-estrangement.

                        Saint Gregory Nazianzen (died 390)

 

Love without provisos

     Love is love and it comes in many flavors. As joyful Catholics, we know that this broad expanse includes the love of humans for fellow humans, for pets, possessions, geographic location, nationality, religion, etc.  “Love” is the only verb Jesus used in his advice to us — to love one another as He loves us, and to love God.  He didn’t add a “however” for those whom some might consider not qualified.  What instruction could be clearer?

With the Church in crisis, I’m getting tired of the flurry about same sex marriage.  Why should we spend so much time fighting pro-and-con about this?  I can name five other national problems of extreme importance that better merit our concern.  Is there a need for national dispute about legalizing a lifetime loving relationship between two people of the same sex? 

     No one is protesting the deteriorating importance of marriage between a woman and a man, yet 50% of marriages today end in divorce. If we want to raise a rumpus about social behavior, let’s do something about our annual record of 30,000 abused children and even greater number of battered spouses.

     Love in any form should be encouraged.  This includes love of husband and wife, parents and offspring, young and old, rich and poor, resident and alien, those of different religions and the intimate relationship between persons of the same sex. If one loves a person of the same sex, it is understandable for one to want legal and financial protection for the person he or she loves.  The hurdle they face in achieving these goals is the word “marriage.”

     We can solve the problem by changing our laws to have “Confirmed Relationship” be given the same legal rights as “Marriage.”  Then, by means of this innovative law, lovers of the same sex could have their relationship legalized and each receive the same social and legal benefits as if they were “married.” After executing a legal Confirmed Relationship document, same-sex couples could celebrate their togetherness with a Confirmed Relationship celebration. Let’s restrict “marriage” for a male and a female, and “confirmed relationship” for two of the same sex. And hopefully we’ll all live peacefully from then on.

(And what are your thoughts?) 

Admired saying

  Hans Urs van Balthasar, the Swiss theologian writes,    “Christianity is a joyful message. Its essential note must therefore incontestably be joy.  Christian joy retains such a particular burning, devouring element.”

 

 

Recommended reading

Via the New Advent blog and YouTube, enjoy Father Barron’s  talk on “The danger of turning religion into a toy.”  He’s an effective spokesman for our Church.  I like him.

 

 

Joyful Catholic Quiz

(The first to send the right answers will receive a gift copy of

Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics)

 

1.  In a 2006 Gallup survey, which states had the highest and the lowest number of church goers?

 2.  Who the European political leader who didn’t follow his grandmother’s advice of “Do whatever you want, but don’t marry a Catholic”?          

3.     Which is correct?  Our number of saints are:

(a)   over 1,000

(b)  over 5,000

(c)  over 10,000 

Chuckle time

Nine-year-old Michael wrote about angels:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It’s not easy to become an angel. First, you die. Then you go to Heaven, and then there’s flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes.

 

My Favorite Priest

 

(Submit your recommendation for your favorite priest by clicking here)

Busy Work!

Just because I am God’s own, totally unique, God’s very own possession, what else can I do but sing of God’s goodness. My whole being sings
Sr. Charleen Hug, S.N.D
(She teaches theology at Notre Dame Academy in Toledo, OH)

Busy Work 

With the Church in crisis, I was puzzled by our bishops devoting so much time and effort to change words in the Mass.  They remind me of two of my women relatives.  The first was my Mississippi great-grand-mother who raised prize chickens.  Back in the early 1900s, house parties were popular social events in the South. One would invite four or five couple to come for a several day visit, when they would be constantly entertained with fancy dinners, parties, dances, picnics and games.  My mother told me that the few days before she had a house party, the place was in constant turmoil with the family and servants preparing food, getting the house in order and planning for every hour of the event.  During this time, her grandmother would devote her time to cleaning out her chicken house.

          The other person was my splendid Spanish mother-in-law.  Whenever she observed someone doing something which she thought was not of importance, she would say, “Ah, they must not have much to do.”

          One aspect of the bishops’ changes puzzles me. At the beginning of the Mass, the priest faces the congregation and offers his blessing: “The Lord be with you.” When he says “you”, I assume he is blessing each body and spirit. We used to answer, “And also with you.”

          But now, in reply, we are to say only “And with your spirit.” What gives?  Why shouldn’t we also want a blessing on the priest’s physical being?

          One reason they made this change might have been because of an event which happened one day at the beginning of a Mass when the priest was having trouble with his microphone. At the start of the service he was fumbling with his mike speaker attached to his robe, and the sound came on just as the priest said to the deacon, “There is something wrong with this mike,” and the congregation said with one voice, “And also with you.”

 

Admired sayings

“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.”

                             Henry James 

 

 

Shame on me

(A letter to me from Rita S., in Portland, Oregon)

“Armiger, I read your book, Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics, and if I were the Pope, I would excommunicate you!”

 

Returned serve

(I wrote back)

“Dear Rita, I thank you for your frank comment about my book, and I thank God that you aren’t the Pope.”

 Current news

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum is considering a run for the presidency in 2012. (God, please save America)

 

 

Recommended reading

If have an interest in teenagers, don’t miss the article, “Faulty Guidance”, by Father William J. O’Malley, S.J. in the September 14-21 issue of America magazine. It’s an excellent no-holds-barred article.

 

Also, check out the “Pray” article by Zev Chafets in the magazine section of the Sunday New York Times on September 20.  In discussing how we Catholic pray, there is an interesting interview with Sister Janet Ruffing, director of Fordham’s program on spiritual direction. 

 Joyful Catholic Quiz

 (Answers to last week’s quiz)

The winner of the gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics is Jacob Rodriguez in Chicago in New Orleans who logged in at 8:27 AM on September 23.

 

1.     Because of the stain on her garment, St. Veronica is the saint patroness of laundresses

 

2.     Papal Elections take place in the Sistine Chapel.

 

3.     The first USA bishop was John Carroll, Archbishop of Baltimore, consecrated on August 25, 1790.

 

Chuckle time

  From the book, How to Become a Bishop without Being Religious, by Charles Merrill Smith

“Two requirements to be a bishop: gray hair and hemorrhoids to give you that sorrowful look.” 

My Favorite Priest 

Rev. Andrew Gries, O.C.S.O.

While visiting at Carroll Manor, a nursing home in Washington, DC, I met Father Andrew Griest, a wonderful Trappist monk whose life has been dedicated to prayer and silence. While confined in this facility for the rest of his life, he continues his priestly mission by attending daily Mass in the chapel and sharing his time with fellow Trappist patients, Father Edmund and Brother James. He welcomes, listens and counsels both Catholics and non-Catholics who come to him for advice. He is a true priest—a good representative of God. I look forward to each visit with him and always leave peaceful and happy.

Submitted by Margaret Headley in Washington, DC 

                   (Click here to submit your recommendation for your favorite priest)

Self-Blindfolded in Paradise

Just because I am God’s own, totally unique, God’s very own possession, what else can I do but sing of God’s goodness. My whole being sings.

                                                              Sr. Charleen Hug, S.N.D.

(She teaches theology at Notre Dame Academy in Toleodo, OH)

Self-Blindfolded in Paradise

 

Last week when I was in Florida, I took an early morning walk.  The morning sun felt good on my face.  I shook hands with a giant benjamina ficus tree by firmly grasping one of its root stalks, and I sensed the power and strength of this masterpiece of Nature.  Further along, I stopped to listen to a mocking bird in a large hibiscus tree with yellow bell-shaped flowers. For my benefit, the bird sang every song it has ever heard — non stop.

          When I passed a six-foot gardenia bush covered with white flowers that perfumed the area, I snapped off a flower to put in my buttonhole.  In all directions, there was lush green vegetation and shrubbery with bright red and orange flowers.  I thought that the word which best described the place was “paradise.”
          Then I saw a man walking forward me, with a dog on a leash and a cell phone held against his ear.  As we passed, he didn’t see me.  I startled him when I said, “Good morning!”

          He gave me a quick nod and pressed the phone closer to his face.

          “Communication’s a great thing,” I said.

          “You betcha,” he muttered as he passed on his way.

          As have millions of his compatriots, the poor fellow walking the dog is a victim of the Age of Distraction, which has been successfully nurtured by mobile technology.  iPods, Walkmans, cell phones and the yet-to-be-invented audio-communication tools entice us to be blind to that which is within our field of vision.  It is difficult to be a joyful Catholic when you are not aware of nearby people and things in which you should have interest.

          It is good to test ourselves occasionally to be sure we haven’t let modern hearing and speaking devices prevent us from quiet time. As Father Thomas Massard, S. J., wrote in a recent American magazine, “If technology is rendering this sort of deliberate oblivion more likely, then let’s unplug and make a choice for immediacy.”

          I think it’s important to be available and receptive to hear the Voice which needs no device to reach our ears.

 

(And what are your thoughts?)

         

 

Joyful Catholic Quiz

(The first to send the right answers will receive a gift copy of

Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics)

 

1.   Who were the women who discovered the empty tomb of Christ on Easter morning?

 

2 When a new Pope is elected, what is the color of the smoke that arises from the Vatican chimney?

 

3.  Who was St. Monica’s famous son?

 

 

 

Chuckle time

 (Church Bulletin) Now that we have a second baptism fount at the North Entrance of the church, babies can now be baptized at both ends.

 

My favorite priest

Don’t forget to submit your recommendation for your favorite priest above.

American Catholics, Don’t be Proud!

At first glance, it doesn’t look too bad.  I read that, in the period 2004-7, we rated 9^th among other nations with our number of 309,000 adult baptisms. Then when I gave this further thought, I was ashamed of our poor rating.

 For example, ahead of us in 7^th place was Peru with 425,000 baptisms.

Since their population is less than one-tenth of that in America, relating our miserly achievement to theirs is comparing Buffalo, NY, to Los Angeles.

  In 6^th place is Mexico with 445,000 baptisms.  As their population is one third that of the USA, comparing our number of new Catholics to those in Mexico is relating Corpus Christi to San Antonio.

Why do we have such a poor record of attracting others to our faith?  Could it be that we are too smug and secure with our self-satisfaction, too free of fear of deprivation, etc.?

  What are your thoughts?

Why?

You will discharge your labor well if you perform with gaiety, quietly, courageously, constantly.
Bishop Joseph Fenwick (1846)

For us joyful Catholics, the first chapter of my book Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics presents a problem that raises its ugly head every time I go to Mass. The chapter is “Why Do We Catholics Behave the Way We do?” And, so far, no one has given me a plausible answer.
Canon Stuart Wilson, a priest in London, told of his secretary commenting about a picture in obituary section of the London Times. “Why,” she exclaimed, “I recognize that man. He has been going to daily Mass for twenty years, and we never knew who he was.”
Now at the end of each Mass, Canon Wilson tells the congregation , “Sit a bit longer and get to know a stranger sitting nearby.” When this happened to my wife and me when attending his Mass, we introduced ourselves to a young woman next to us. She told us she was from Australia, in England studying to be a nurse. We learned about her family, and we told her briefly about ourselves, Fifteen minutes later when we reluctantly said goodbye, it was with a loving hug. Wow! To think this happened in a Catholic Church.
For ten years I have been going to an early Sunday Mass, which is not overly crowded with most of the parishioners sit in the same pews. With my instilled Southern Hospitality, I disturb the tranquil waters by smiling at those around me. I usually get flash smiles in return. When I’m feeling brassy, I will occasionally say, “Good morning.” Half the time, I get a muffled reply. One old fellow was so shocked to hear my voice that he quickly looked down to be sure his pants were zipped up.
While inside a structure dedicated to a leader who instructed us to love our neighbor, why do we behave like cloistered souls?
(And what are your thoughts?)

 

Chuckle Time
Returning to the church for the Saturday 5PM Mass, the young priest was stopped on the sidewalk by an ancient parishioner who said, “Would you mind helping an old lady up the steps?” He gladly obliged and when they neared the church door, she asked if the monsignor was saying the Mass. When he smiled and said that he was doing the Mass, she said, “Would you mind helping an old lady down the steps?”

My favorite priest- Please submit your recommendation for your favorite priest -Just click on  the special tab above↑

Why this blog?

Consider the strong emphasis Paul places on joyful living.

He makes it clear that he himself valued joy as a desirable

and attainable human experience. By one count he employed

the words “joy” and “rejoice” sixteen times in his Letter to

the Philippians.

                                                    Msg. James Turro (2009)

 

The purpose of The Joyful Catholic is to remind us to enjoy our Faith and, by example, to invite others to the feast.

          During WWII when I was flying bombing missions in the Mediterranean area, every time I switched from one squadron to another, I made friends with Catholics, not knowing they were Catholic. This puzzled me.  Also Joe Marini, my co-pilot, who became as close as a brother, was Catholic. None of them every talked to me about their religion.  (Joe is now a retired priest in Oakland, CA)

          After the war, it was tough returning to bland civilian life. Working in downtown Washington, D.C., I frequently would retreat into St. Matthews Cathedral where it was dark and quiet.  If I happened to be there when a Mass took place, I tried to follow in the Missal by brushing up on my high school Latin.  Gradually, I realized that the Eucharist was the guts of Catholicism.  I wanted to receive the Sacred Host.

          After a 2AM revelation, I rammed my way into the Church and was baptized before noon, knowing only the Apostles Creed. Sixty years later I am still learning.

          When I revisit my conversion, I realize that doctrine and knowledge of the Church played a minor role. The magnet was the example of Catholic friends. 

          In my Next in Line Clubs, which encourage the writing of autobiographies, I emphasize the importance of “show, don’t tell.”

The same advice applies to each of us Catholics in our daily lives.  By what we say and do, we show to the world that we are blessed to be Catholic.  By exuding joy, we are attractive advertisements for the Church.  Each day, we should state with conviction, “I am a joyful Catholic,” and marvel at its effectiveness.  Let us work to develop a joyful Catholic Community. It can be done!

(And what are your thoughts?)

Chuckle time

The irate father grabbed his rambunctious kid during Mass and took him out of the church.  As they reached the door, the kid shouted back to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”

 

My favorite priest

For many years, by his kindness and devotion to the Mass, Monsignor W. Louis Quinn at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Bethesda, Maryland, has been a constant inspiration to me.  He radiates goodness!

                                                                   Armiger Jagoe

 

Why I wrote Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholic.

I wrote Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholic to to express a few things which concern me about Catholicism. The overall theme of the book is to remind us Catholics to enjoy our religion.  I have little admiration for my solemn fellow church-goers who have a “I’m holier than thou” look on their faces.    I worry about the lack of community within the Church.  For example, 94% of church attendees demonstrate they think each person is private islands with a “Keep Off!” sign on the beach.       I have special concern about the watering down of the value of the Eucharist Sacrament.  Once a very solemn and respected part of the Mass, it is now treated as a side dish, included at no cost in the Mass agenda.