People who claim Christians are being persecuted by the media and by government officials are often laughed at as out of touch of reality. “It is the Church that is intolerant!” is the response of most people. A recent study has proved that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world. Seven out of ten Christians suffer persecution throughout the world.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tTVdiS7o8U
What is a Cardinal? What are his responsibilities? How does a Cardinal dress? We’ll talk about Cardinals. We will also talk about spiritual directors and teaching Religious Education.
– Music: “I AM, I am Yours” by Sarah Bauer
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Raymond Leo Burke was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin,[1] the youngest of the six children of Thomas (d. July 21, 1956) and Marie (d. February 29, 1996) Burke. Baptized on the following July 11, he received his first Communion on May 13, 1956. The family later moved to Stratford, where Burke was confirmed by Bishop John P. Treacy on April 5, 1962. From 1962 to 1968 he attended the Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse, Wisconsin. From 1968 to 1971 Burke studied at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.as a Basselin scholar and received the degrees Bachelor of Arts (1970) and Master of Arts (1971), both in Philosophy. He is now a member of the Board of Trustees of that university. He then completed his studies for the priesthood at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome from 1971 to 1975, where he received the degrees Bachelor of Sacred Theology (1974) and Master of Arts (1975).[1]Pope Paul VI ordained Burke to the priesthood on June 29, 1975, at Saint Peter’s Basilica.[1] It was announced on 20 October 2010 that Pope Benedict XVI would elevate the Archbishop to a Cardinal at the consistory to be held 20 November 2010. (taken from Widipedia)
Archbishop Burke has been a long time hero of mine. I had the pleasure of meeting the Archbishop during a vacation to Italy with my parents in September of 2008. We had gone to dinner at a great restaurant close to the Vatican. I went over to the Archbishop to introduce myself and was touched by his humility and kindness.
My prayers and congratulations go out to Raymond Cardinal Burke – ad multos annos your Eminence!
This weeks news was yesterdays movie. Have you ever seen “Total Recall” staring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie released in 1990 is set in 2084. Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a mild-mannered construction worker on Earth who dreams of exploring the human colonies of Mars.
In one scene, Quaid is running through a security check point. Twenty years ago we would never have imagined human scanners. But low and behold, the future is now!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWIHv7a6luY
Many people are upset about the human scanners, for reasons of privacy and health concerns. What will they do next to “protect” us from the “terrorists”? Will yesterday’s fantasy be tomorrow’s lead news story? It may not be a big red orb.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o3W4YTsp3g
Don’t be fooled by the size of the big red orb. When my dog was chipped, it was so small, it went in through small painless injection. We have no choice with the human scanners. Who knows, maybe they’ll do it all without our knowing through a pandemic prevention injection!
In this episode, we talk about Purgatory and prayer for the Holy Souls.
– Music: “Waiting For You” by Al Lewis
– WRBC The Blaze with Dan Smorkowski
– Mickey & Me at the Christmas Bazaar
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“OMNIUM URBIS ET ORBIS ECCLESIARUM MATER ET CAPUT” This is the inscription over the faced of the Basilica of St. John the Lateran in Rome. “Mother and Head of All Churches in the Holy City and throughout the World”.
The first thought that comes to mind for most people when they think of the Pope is St. Peter’s Basilica. They believe this is the Popes church. Of course, St. Peter’s is an important church for the Holy Father and for Catholicism, but St. John the Lateran is really more important. St. John’s is the Cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.
The Basilica is know by the names – St. John the Lateran, The Basilica of the Holy Savior and St. John the Baptist. It is also the most important of the Roman stational churches. The major feasts of the Church – Easter, 1st Sunday of Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday – were celebrated here. It is in this church where most baptisms were performed. The basilica was constructed by the Emperor Constantine on the spot where he was baptized by Pope Sylvester. It is believed that Constantine may have even helped build the basilica with his own hands.
The Feast of the Dedication of St. John the Lateran is not just about the construction of a beautiful basilica in Rome. Symbolism for the Feast of dedication is rich in meaning. The building itself is a symbol of the heavenly Jerusalem that we all long for. During the sacred Liturgy, heaven descends and we are in the presence of Almighty God. As the Holy Sacrifice of Mass is celebrated and we are made one with our Lord in Holy Communion, we are given “a pledge of future glory”.
The Basilica, the Cathedral and the little country church are not just a gathering place for the people of God. Any church or chapel where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered is the meeting place between God and His people. The heavens are opened and God’s holy throne descends upon earth. Jesus reminds us of the holiness of the temple as He cries out in anguish, “My house shall be a house of prayer”. Yet today, our churches are treated like mere meeting halls where we gather in the Lord’s name.
Trends among Liturgists who see our churches simply as gathering places are misguided. The former Cardinal Ratzinger makes it clear the Christian Liturgy is not about the people or about the priest it is about God. In writing about Mass celebrated versus populum, he states that it becomes “a feast that the community gives itself, a festival of self-affirmation. Instead of being worship of God, it becomes a circle closed in on itself: eating, drinking and making merry. It is a kind of banal self-gratification … no longer concerned with God but with giving oneself a nice little alternative world, manufactured from one’s own resources.”
Liturgy and our church buildings are not about us, they are about worshiping the One, True, All Holy God! We can take example from Basilicas like St. John the Lateran and other early places of worship. They were built with one purpose in mind and that alone, to “give glory to God in the highest”. This was achieved with the best of materials with proper balance, beauty and order to reflect the heavenly Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God.
We can all do our part to change the current attitudes of people. A reverent genuflection, prayerful and silent reflection and an atmosphere of silence at all time foster a right attitude in God’s house.
We live in a world of compromise. How often have you be told, “You can’t be rigid!” Jesus said: “Let what you say be simply `Yes’ or `No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” In this episode, I’m going to share with you today’s homily. We’ll talk about the Muslim God , how do we know God’s will, a little clarification of a past episode and the seal of confession.
– Music: “You Are My Truth” by Exit 417
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Why is it that if someone says something about Muslims or Muhammad the press goes insane and everyone needs to apologize? Hear me loud and clear, I am not advocating insulting Muslims or Jews or anyone! My only question is, why does the media give people a pass to attack Christians and Jesus? Why can someone insult my Lord Jesus Christ and everyone think it alright? It’s time for the media to drop the double standard!
This video clip gives a classic example of hate speech against Christians and our Lord Jesus Christ. In an acceptance speech at the Emmys, Kathy Griffin make it clear the “Jesus” has nothing with her receiving the award and that her “award” is her “god”, not Jesus.
Kathy Griffin has a problem with people thanking Jesus for the success in their lives. Of course Jesus is not concerned with us winning awards, but we can be sure that He has given people some pretty spectacular talents that help them achieve these awards. Actors and actresses, singers and people in all forms of entertainment have always given thanks to God for their natural gifts
What a sad commentary of our time!
If you have any kids in the room, put on some headphones to watch this video!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgHxutPlxk8
I remember the days when if you needed something on Sunday, you went to the local variety store. They had the basics. If you needed a loaf of bread, a bottle of OJ or a can of peas, you were all set. Then, it was as if a wind swept through the country, all the malls, shopping centers, super markets and now even liquor stores were open on Sundays. Back in the day, I remember Sunday distinctly as the Lord’s Day. As an only child, my parents and I went to Mass together at the St. Anthony’s, the Italian parish in Woonsocket. The three of us would be dressed to kill. I had my little suit and my mother her long white gloves and hats, and of course my father to this day won’t go to Mass dressed down.
After Mass, we went to a bakery for fresh, hot, steaming rolls. I can still remember the long lines and the aroma of the fresh baked breads, it filled that neighborhood. My parents would purchase two dozen of those rolls, one dozen for me to eat on the way home and the other for our Sunday dinner. Every Sunday, dinner was a big deal. You could smell the pasta sauce throughout the house. On a few occasions, I remember the parish priests joining us for dinner. They were all close to our family, since my father grew up across the street from St. Anthony’s.
Sunday didn’t end with dinner. There wasn’t a Sunday that we didn’t visit with relatives or they didn’t visit with us. I can sill see all of us children running around in my grandparent’s yard and the adults gathered in the house. The men often played a game called Morra. It was really annoying, because everyone was screaming out the numbers, in hopes they would win. We would also visit my aunt and uncle on my father’s side of the family. All of these visits were filled with food, laughter, loud conversation, more food, fun and even more food.
Along with our ability to shop anywhere on Sunday, people haven’t just stopped going to church, they have stopped spending time together. In the past, life was much more simple, we were much more human, we were much more balanced. Sunday is about worshiping God above all things, but it’s also about spending time with those you love.
Sunday has become a time to do the things we don’t have time to do during the week when we work. It’s our free time to do the shopping, mow the lawn, paint the house. In fact, Sunday is so busy, that we need a day to rest from our Sunday activities. How unfortunate it is, we no longer celebrate the Lord’s Day on Sunday, but our day!