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 of Santa Fe 

 

 

Quiz

1. In what three countries is there the greatest difference between  the rich and the poor?

2.  Who was the first native American to be declared “Blessed”?

 3.  When people wanted to obtain favorable weather, including rain to end a drought, whom did they pray to?

 News Flashes

Holy Jocks!

 Sister James Dolores, 73, of Sister Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, posed on a surfboard, to promote the 15^th annual Nun’s Beach Surf International on 9/11, The proceeds will go to maintain their Villa Maria by the Sea in Stone Harbor, N.J.

 Bishop Thomas Paprocki will run in the October 17 Denver marathon, raising money for the recent restoration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, IL.

 Auxiliary Bishop of Denver James Conley, Fr. Jim Crisman and two St. John Vianney seminarians will also participate in the Denver event to increase support and awareness of vocations.

Misc.

The August 28th  Economist reports that Florida State University has conducted a study on infidelity. They are puzzled why they found that couples who attend religious services are more likely to be satisfied with their marriages than those who do not. (comment: These fellows in academia sometimes don’t have much to do.)

Real estate developer Shariff El-Gama, backer of the Islamic center near Ground Zero, is a true religious cur.  He is a New-York-City-born Muslim with an Egyptian father, a Catholic mother, married to a Christian and  now is converting to the Jewish faith.

         An article in The Catholic Standard points out the problem that many young people have who want to dedicate their lives to the Church are hindered by debt. Elise Maloney wants to become a Little Sister of the Poor but must first pay back $75,000 in student loans.  This splendid Order is trying to help her by conducting bake sales. (comment: any of you joyful Catholic who want to contribute, get in touch with me.)

 Facit Short Story 

Reality       

God, the Father, is;

God, the Son, is;

God, the Holy Spirit, is.

That is why

I am.

 

My favorite priest, layperson, breathing saint or organization

 Fr. F.  Richard Spencer has served for six years as a military chaplain in Iraq.  After one of the many occasions when he had to minister to the injured and dying, he wrote, “In the moment, you do your prayers; then move to the next situation, because it’s continuous chaos. You just offer prayers that they would see the face of God that very day and you trust and hope. We had both Iraqis and Americans die. I didn’t know who was Muslim or who was Christian – but they all got a prayer.”

          On September 8 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., Fr. Spencer was installed as the next auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese for U. S. Military Services.  He now is the first man in this position who will be able to enter war zones and have unprecedented access to military personnel serving in most difficult circumstances.

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

joyfulcatholic@comcast.net 

Interesting sayings

No one created the first cause, precisely because it is the first. And  there is no real reason why we should establish limits to it, for it has no limits, no borders.  Since it was not made, it has no beginning: that is, it has always been and there is no reaon why it should cease to exist at any given time. And this means it is eternal. This cause is God.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, the Polish Conventual Franciscan who was martyred in Auschwitz. 

 I’ve learned that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

Andy Rooney

I do not know what God wants to do with me. I am always more content. Everyone is suffering, and I ,who should do rigorous penances, experience such continual profound joys that I have trouble keeping them under control.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (1691)

 

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

 

There are two things I like about politicians.  They never are bothered with facts and they are the best people on earth that money can buy.

A cab driver in Washington, D..C.

 

Chuckle time

The scene when God let St. Francis, St. Benedict and St. Ignatius of Loyola be present at the birth ot Christ:

St. Francis and St. Benedict dropped to their knees and prayed quietly. St. Ignatius took Joseph aside and said, “Have you thought about the boy’s education?”

 

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

Linwood “Skip” Williams, 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, Bob Earll, Camilus Musselman, Bob Kehlhofer, Ed Cole, Bishop Thomas Olmsted, Jay Parker, the flood victims in Pakistan, the trapped miners in Chile.

 

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.)

Regarding fasting for Lent

This, rather, is the fasting that I seek;

Releasing those bound unjustly…

Sharing your bread with the hungry…

 Clothing the naked when you see them.

                                Isaiah 58:6-7

A man who fasts for his sins, and then goes and commits them again—who will hear his prayer, and what has he gained by his mortification?

                                    Sirach 34:26-

Suggested Assignment for Lent

In attempting to personalize your religion during this special season of Lent, you may want to try what I’m going to do.  Believe me; it’s harder than merely giving up something I enjoy. It is writing the answer to these four questions. 

1. In your own words, describe God, the Father.  For the past two thousand years, brilliant theologians have pondered this and written their views. But, as a simple layman, responsible for my own being, what do I visualize when I say, ‘God the Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth?”
2. Just as Jesus said to his apostles, “But what do you say I am?”   In your own words, record who you think Jesus is, in his role as the second party of the Holy Trinity. Elaborate on why you think he became man. How have his teachings affected your life?  Do you picture Jesus as the portrayed handsome young Mediterranean with the silky brown beard?
3. Then, defining the Holy Spirit may require much thought. In conversation with a non-believer, without using staple expressions such as “Giver of Life”, etc., how would you describe the Holy Spirit?

Think of examples when you think the Holy Spirit has been an important factor is your life.

1. Lastly, in your own words, answer: “Why the Cross?”  One time, an elderly Spaniard who had been an active Catholic throughout his life, confessed to me that, for the first time, he questioned why Jesus died on the Cross.  He felt lost in trying to find an answer. On this subject, record only your thoughts.

 

(And let me know your suggestions in making the best of Lent.)

joyfulcatholic@comcast.net

Interesting sayings

How am I working to build a more just world—starting in my own home, workplace, parish and neighborhood? With whom am I sharing my “bread”—whether that bread is food, money, time, talents or attention?  Who am I helping to free from bondage—the bondage of addiction, ignorance, poverty, sickness, loneliness, poor self-esteem?

                                                            Sister. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

 

 

Thus never delay inner purification for a single moment, as soon as you are conscious of something wrong in you.

                                                            Father Lorenzo Scupoli (died 1610)

 

 

The good Physician comes himself to heal me, but always find me engaged in acts that prevent his remedies from rendering their healing power.  O Lord, enlighten and sober me. Cure me and I will be cured!

                                                            Saint Ephrem the Syrian (died  373)

(And what are a few of our favorite sayings?)

joyfulcatholic@comcast.net

News flashes

Karl Rabeder, the 47-year-old Austrian millionaire is giving away his 5 million dollar fortune to be poor and spend his life in a wooden hut in the mountains. He said, “I was just listening to the voice in my heart and head.”

 

Citizens Against Government Waste published the Senate’s biggest porkers of the month. They are (all Republicans) Thad Cochran (MS) Susan Collins (ME), Richard Shelby (AL).

NBC’s poll on the question of whether to keep “In God We Trust” on our currency and 86% voted “yes”.

Historians (who sometimes have little to do) in Egypt declared that King Tut had a club foot and died of pneumonia. And an Italian scientist maintains that the reason Mona Lisa is smiling is because da Vinci was gay and this is a self-portrait with him cross-dressed.

 

 

Contributions

This week I sent donations to:

Population Research Institute, which seem to be taking a practical approach to the Pro Life cause.

The Catholic League, which is our B-nai B-rith organization, monitoring and defending our Catholic image in the massive communication world.

 

Other recommended Catholic Blogs

Adams Ale  

Man With Black Hat  

 

Communiqués received

Many thanks for your thoughts about the “Blessed are the poor” Beatitude which has puzzled me for years.

          “Poor in spirit” Ames Woodward, Sacramento, CA

I think you are taking too much liberty in your interpretation of this first Beatitude. Jesus said what he meant!

                                                Inez Goodall, West Point, ME

My favorite religious priest, layperson or organization

Father Stephen Huffstetter, S.C.J.. (submitted by Mary Wiley, Richardson, TX)

“Father Steve is a wonderful person, a man of faith who practices Jesus’ admonitions about the “little children” and the “least among us” every day of his life as director of St. Joseph’ Indian School on a Sioux reservation.

            Two other facts, please add Father Steve to our Special Intentions List as he has cancer. Also, his school is desperate for donations for their winter fuel bill! (saintjosephs@stjo.org.)  

Nearly 200 Native American children call St. Joseph’s Indian School home (another 100 are on our waiting list).

Your tax-deductible online donation provides Native American children in need with a stable home and an education. Thank you for your generosity!

Please let me know about your favorite Catholic priest, layperson or organization that is making a difference.  Share this with our many Joyful Catholic members.

joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

Quiz

 The winner of a gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics, who clocked in at 1:32PM on February 18 is Gretchen Williams in Meridian, MS.

1.      The least Catholic area of the United States is the north-central part of my native state of Mississippi, which is part of the Diocese of Jackson (2.4% Catholic).

2.      The last word spoken by Mary in the Bible was at the Feast of Cana, when she said, “Do whatever he tells you.”

3.      The seven sacraments of the Church are Baptism, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders and the Anointing of the Sick.

 

Chuckle time

An Irishman goes into the confessional box after years of being away from the Church. Inside, there’s a fully equipped bar with Guinness on tap. On the other wall is a dazzling array of the chocolates and tasty snacks. Then the priest comes in.

            “Father, forgive me, for it’s been a very long time since I’ve been to confession, but I admit the confessional box is more inviting that it used to be.”

            The priest replied, “Get out. You’re on my side.”

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, Eileen Grotsky, Roseanne Somlock, Nicholas Gallagher, Tom Lewis, Donald Whitcomb, Violeta Zepeda, Rev. Joseph Healy, John Aylor, Rev. Joseph Marini, Enrique Portillo, Sharon McPike, Tom Ryan, Joseph Normile, Jim Quimby, Russell Edwards, Mary Darwish, Msg. Louis Quinn, Rev. Lawrence Boedt, Gertrude Goldstein,

Rev. Stephen Huffstetter.

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

The Perplexing Beatitude

This is of value in our sorrow for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

God does nothing without cause and truth. But, believe me, a person cannot completely grasp the meaning of God’s locutions and deeds, nor can he determine this by appearances without extreme error and bewilderment. Since the duration of these causes is uncertain, the fulfillment of the promise is too. One should seek assurance, therefore, not in understanding but in faith.

    Saint John of the Cross, written 1585

 The Perplexing Beatitude 

Aaron Weiss, the popular mod singer, composer and head of the MeWithoutYou Band, has it tattooed on his wrist.  I have read many writing which were unsuccessful in convincing me of its meaning.  Then the light finally came by something said by a man who is in no way a theologian.

 

In the Southern town where I grew up, when you spoke of someone who was greatly distressed and burden down with worries, you would say, “Poor soul, he sure is poor in spirit.”  And when you asked this person how he was feeling, he might say, “Mighty poorly.”

          For that reason, I have long been disturbed by the first of Jesus’ beatitudes, when he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”  It didn’t make sense to consider yourself blessed if you were a mealy-mouth person, all down and out. 

          One evening when Donald Trump had again hit the skids and was head-over-head in debt, he and his current wife were walking down a street in New York.  When they passed a street person with his hand out, Trump said in truth, “See that fellow? He is richer than I.”

         

     Since that moment of revelation, I have accepted “poor in spirit” as meaning one who acknowledges the tremendous debt he owes to the Supreme Being who continuously allows the debt to increase each day. God is like a banker, who out of compassion rather than good business sense, keeps extended one’s line of credit. He knows that only in a minute way can the creditor repay what he has been given freely.

         

     The value of something is what you would let it go for. So, the gift of my eyes, ears and other senses would have a price tag of over a million. Each family member and friend would each be worth a staggering sum. In appreciation, if I valued $1 for each bodily cell which performs so perfectly, I’d add a billion to my debt.  For example, how could I establish a value for my Catholicism?  My life would have less meaning if I were ignorant of the fact that God became Man with of His message of love. When I put a total price tag on God’s gifts to me, the 000s go out the window. 

         

     May I tattoo on my memory slate each morning, “Please bless me, one of the poorest of the poor!”

(And give me your thoughts about this Beatitude,  joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

 

Interesting sayings

 In order to desire to be saved, we must know we are lost.

          Servant of God Madeleine Delbrel   1958

 

Surprising God, keep my mind and heart open to the unexpected ways you manifest in my life.         

          Sister Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

 

(And what are a few of your favorite sayings?)  joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

 

 

 

 

News flashes

-        In the 2/5 Wall Street Journal, Sarah Pulliam Bailey wrote an interesting article, jabbing sports reporters for not giving attention to the faith of the sports champion about whom they write. Her examples included Tim Tebow, Kurt Warner, and Joe Gibbs.

 

-         In the February issue of U.S. Catholic, Phyllis Zagano wrote “The case for Deacon Pam” encouraging us having women deacons.  I’ve got bad news for you, Phyllis, because I don’t think the first woman deacon has yet been born. Last month with pressure from the Vatican, Bishop Joseph Grech (not “Grench”!) in Australia stopped a parish church from lending its facility to an Anglican church that is under repair. The reason—the fellow Christians were going to have an ordination service for seven deacons, four of them women. The Bishop said that the ordination of women would be a potential source of confusion and conflict. (What do you think about this. joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

 

-   A good economical sign! The editorial board of America magazine selected Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury for its 2009 Campaign Award Recipient. “Gifted with a creative mind and poetic spirit, Archbishop Williams writes eloquently about many things: theology, prayer, church history, icons, religion and literature. His body of work nourishes the mind and the spirit.”

 

Joyful experiences

  –   With the snow storms of the century in the Washington, DC, area, the community has responded with admirable help and compassion for those in need. Everyone with whom I have talked has an account of being either the benefactor or recipient of sincere caring.  It’s interesting that it sometimes takes a catastrophe to bring out the best in us. But, it’s there!

(And what joyful experience do you want to share?)

      joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)  

 

 Examples from martyrs

As a young man who’s wife was expecting their second child, Blessed Luis Magana Servin told the Mexican judge during the anti-Catholic persecution, ”If you accuse me of being a Christian, yes, I am, and if I must be executed for that reason, I welcome it.”

          The next day, February 14, 1928, when he was being shot in the vestibule of his parish church, he told his executioners, “I want to tell you that from this moment I pardon you, and I promise that on arrival in the presence of God you are the first ones for whom I will intercede.”    Wow! 

 

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 is the least Catholic area of the United States?

 

2.     In the Bible, what were the last words spoken by Mary?

 

3.     What are the seven sacraments of the Church?

 

Recommended reading:

 

 Conversing with God in Lent by Stephen J. Binz

 

Communiqués received

 Many thanks for telling about your Prayer Group. I intend to give it a try with four of my friends.

                                                Rebecca Robbins, Birmingham, AL

 

 I find it hard to believe that you fellows in your Prayer Group have been meeting so long. I discussed this with my priest who wants to start a group in our parish, using your guidelines.

                                                          Erick Tims, Erie, NY

                            

(Let me hear from you via joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

 

Other recommended Catholic Blogs

         www. Zenith.com (daily news from the Vatican

        Rumor has it that after seeing the wide approval of our Joyful Catholic blog, the Pope is encouraging priest to start their own blogs in order to communicate better with their congregations. I am glad the Pope didn’t ask me to relinquish the title of this blog. If he had, since he is younger than I, I would have given in.

 

Chuckle time

 (Via Bob Kehlhofer in Atlantis, FL

If you also have a favorite chuckler, send it to me.    joyfulcatholic@comcast.net

 

A nun in a Catholic hospital was quizzing a penniless man without insurance about who would pay his bill and she asked if there were concerned relatives. When he said he had only a spinster sister who was a nun, the inquiring nun shot back, “A nun is not a spinster, because she is married to God!’

          The old man said, “Well then, send the bill to my brother-in-law.”

 

 

My favorite religious priest, layperson or organization

The fifth grade students in the school at St. Anthony’s Parish in Columbus, NE, recommended Father Del Lape by listing 14 (!) things they like about him. A few of these are:

“Father Del is a great priest and teacher, a person who tries to teach about God and has a fun time when he’s doing it/ he eats lunch with the kids and makes them laugh/ he is trustful and kind/ he is the best preacher ever/ he is always ready to hear our thoughts. Father Del, you are terrific and the best priest ever!”

And let me know about your favorite Catholic priest, layperson or organization that is making a difference.  Share this with our many Joyful Catholic members.

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, Eileen Grotsky,

 Roseanne Somlock, Nicholas Gallagher, Tom Lewis, Donald Whitcomb,

Violeta Zepeda, Rev. Joseph Healy, John Aylor, Rev. Joseph Marini, Enrique Portillo, Sharon McPike, Tom Ryan, Joseph Normile, Jim Quimby, Russell Edwards, Mary Darwish, Msg. Louis Quinn, Rev. Lawrence Boedt, Gertrude Goldstein.

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

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.

Pray with a Broad Brush

Open letter to Bishop Thomas Tobin 

If you had been the priest instructing me during my conversion to the Church, which happened before you were born, I would still be a Protestant. At that time I learned that being a Catholic was committing oneself to Christ and his teachings. It meant devoting one’s life to love of God and love of all others. Joining the Church would entitle me to receive the Eucharist and benefit from the other Sacraments.

          In your letter to Congressman Patrick Kennedy, you imply that when one becomes a Catholic, this person relinquishes freedom of thought and action. As demanded by the four most prominent dictators of the last century, all must conform to the dictates of authority.  Back then, citizens who did not commit to ordered thinking, talking and acting were considered traitors. Your requirement for membership in the Church calls for mandated conscience. And in your opinion, Catholic laypeople should be like robots, which nod in unison when Church leaders press the button. I have never studied theology, but I doubt if that is what Christ had in mind when he initiated the Church.

          You would like for Catholics to act as do pawn Congresspersons who vote as instructed by their Party, regarding of what they think of the merits of pending legislature. Although this is effective in cramming through legislation, I don’t think it should have a role in our Catholic religion.

          I pray for you.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the whole group of   disciples joyfully began to praise God at the top of their voices for the miracles they had seen.

                                                                                      Luke 19:37 

 

Pray with a Broad Brush 

Never underestimate the effectiveness of your prayer.  In this world of unseen magical mystery, no one knows by what means one’s thoughts can affect another person.  But it can and often does. So, recognize this fact and put it to good use.  In my six-man prayer group which has been meeting for over a dozen years, we have had so many healings for those on our Special Intentions List that we refer to it as our Miracle List.

          One summer, I was at a “Salvador Dali Happening” in a town in the Costa Brava region of Spain. The event was staged in the large market center where a string of bed sheets had been strung from wires.  When the great maestro appeared with his perfected waxed moustache, he took hoses filled with different colored waters and playfully sprayed designs on the hanging sheets and also splattered some of us in the crowd. Then he laughed and shouted, “Now you can tell your grandchildren you were painted by Dali!”

          That day, rather than painting on a small canvas, this artist created large patterns on the sheets.  In the same way, I find it invigorating to expand a secret prayer for many people. It can be done anywhere.  Often when I am on a plane or bus, I will pray for all the passengers.  While waiting in a crowded bustling airport, I might pray for everyone there.  I can imagine an anxious soul seated at the other end of the building, suddenly getting a tingle of comfort from my prayer, never knowing where it came from. This makes me feel like a generous and anonymous billionaire.

          So throughout the day, test your power of prayer by using it generously for all within your area of being. Be aware of your prayer-power and don’t be stingy.  Also, realize that out-going prayers have a boomerang effect.

          In 1550, Blosius the Venerable, abbot of a Benediction abbey in Liessies, France, wrote, “Each man, without any exception whatever, must sincerely love as himself all others spiritually, desiring for them the grace of God and everlasting happiness. He should look upon all as bothers and sisters, called to the same happiness as himself.”

Admired sayings

“A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”

                                      Abigail “Dear Abby” Van Buren

Haiku time

          A joyful Catholic

          gives joy and love to all, so

          joyful Catholic be!

(Send me yours: joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

Current news

          In response to an atheist appealing to a Florida judge for an Atheist Holy Day, the judge told his attorney, “The calendar says April 1 is April Fools Day. Psalm 14.1 states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’ Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1 is his day. Court is adjourned!”

Joyful Catholic Quiz

The first winner of a gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics, who clocked in at 8:40AM on November 10^th, is Luella Margarita in Key West, FL.

1.     Saint Luke died by hanging in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the non-believers.

2.     At the Vatican, Saint Peter’s Basilica was built in the 16^th century as a replacement of the original structure.

3.     Saint Jane Frances de Chantal is the saint who was married, had seven children; she established the order of Visitation nuns and eight-five monasteries before her death in 1641.

Chuckle time

Elderly parishioner: Oh, Father Moran, you have had such an interesting life, you should write your autobiography.  

Father Moran: As a matter of fact, I have been recording my life story. But I am so busy, it probably will be published postmortem.

Elderly parishioner: Well, the sooner the better.

My favorite priest

 Father John Mericantante,

Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Pahokee, Florida.

Pahokee is a small agricultural community on the shores of Lake Okeechobee in central Florida.  The earth is rich and black, and from December to June it brings forth wonderful crops of vegetables and sugar cane. Later in the year an occasional September hurricane or a freeze in January/February can destroy those wonderful crops.  The people doing the back-breaking work to raise these crops are mostly poor migrants who came from Central and Latin America and are trying to eke out a meager living for themselves and their families.  The majority of them are Catholics. 

Father John was sent to St. Mary’s 10 years ago, without speaking Spanish, and he has submerged himself totally in their culture and needs, helping in every way possible.  For example, the water in Pahokee is very often not drinkable and he shares the clean water from the rectory’s filtering system with whoever needed it.  He has assisted in completing paperwork, obtaining housing etc. for his parishioners whenever asked. 

St. Mary’s Church is tiny and behind it there are two small wooden sheds, one for food and one for clothing and appliances.  People from other communities, members of the Knights of Columbus and unaffiliated private citizens bring the above-mentioned items to St. Mary’s.  Some are given away, some are sold at very low prices and any “profits” are then used to pay such things as electric bills for the needy.  When we bring a van full of items, Father helps unload the bags and boxes.  He has also arranged to have a clinic on the premises where doctors give their time without charge to give medical aid to the poor people in the area.  

He was recently offered a transfer to another parish but he chose to remain in Pahokee with the community that needs him so much.  In the midst of all this poverty a very special thing occurred last year: an anonymous donor gave $750,000 to St. Mary’s Church so that a new, larger Church can be built.  Hopefully, there will be a ground-breaking soon.  Fr. John is a very special person and a very special priest.

Submitted by Anita and Bob Kehlhofer in Atlantis, Florida

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

Special Intentions

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

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)

Communion, Juicy Fruit Flavor

You will discharge your labor well if you perform with gaiety,

quietly, courageously, constantly.

Bishop Joseph Fenwick (1846)

 Communion, Juicy Fruit Flavor At Mass last Sunday I had a thought provoking experience. Two rows in front and sitting alone slightly to the right was a neatly dressed young man. I estimate he was in his late twenties.  What attracted my attention was that he was obviously chewing gum.

He seemed attentive during the service while he constantly chewed in a slightly rotary movement. At the time for Communion, I followed him up the aisle and watched as he received the Sacred Host.  He chewed going and returning to his seat.  At the end of Mass when we walked out of the church, he was ahead of me, still enjoying his gum.

          Wild thoughts raced through my mind.  What action took place inside the young man’s mouth when he received the Host?  Had he stashed the chewing gum in the corner of his cheek so that he could quickly swallow the Host before he resumed chewing?  Or, God forbid, did he crush the Host into the gum?

          I have since wondered what action I should have taken.  Had he insulted my wife sitting beside me, there would have been a scene. Instead, his action implied lack of respect for the Son of God, and I was silent. My excuse for inaction was to put the blame on others.

The fellow was probably born fifteen years after Vatican II Conference.  Since then, the Church has successfully undervalued the Eucharist and Communion Sacraments in favor of a busy Mass which eliminated Mystery, silence and meditation.  As do too many Catholics, the gum-chewer probably considers the Host to be merely a spiritual vitamin pill, freely dispensed during the service as a doctor might give a sample placebo to his patients.

When I converted to Catholicism over fifty years ago, I was attracted by the spiritual reality of God having become man and the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the very Body and Blood of the risen Christ. But the young man, whose behavior upset me, probably has scant knowledge of the dogmas of Incarnation and Communion.  Who should have prevented his ignorance?

          My only consolation is the fact that this young man was at Mass. 

(And what are your thoughts?)

 Take The Joyful Catholic Quiz- Just Click Here!

The winner of the gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics is Adrienne, who logged in at 7:05 PM on August 13.. 

 

Chuckle Time

  One beautiful Sunday morning, a priest who wanted to play golf, asked his associate to cover for him at early Mass. Observing this from on high, this annoyed St. Peter, who asked God, “Are you going to let him get away with it?”  God told him to be patient.

          On the 4^th hole, the priest, playing alone, hit the most fabulous shot of his life — 420 feet straight towards the green. When he walked to the ball, the priest realized he had made a hole-in-one. This puzzled St. Peter who asked God, “What kind of punishment do you call that?”         

          God smiled and said, “Who’s he going to tell?”

 

My favorite priest

(Submit your recommendation for your favorite priest in the tab above)

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.