Archives for 2014

This week: The latest issue of New Evangelists Monthly is ready and calling you. Continuing my focus on confession with 4 videos: contrition / confession / satisfaction, why we confess to a priest, sacraments 101 / penance and the scriptural basis. Another look at the possibility of Hell – very remote or potentially common? Fr. Barron on the practices of Lent.

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Issue #16, April 2014, of New Evangelists Monthly is ready for your enjoyment! Scores of faithful Catholic bloggers have contributed their very best pieces from March. This month brought these great topics: Spring again, praying, union, accountability, seasons, converts, chastity, metaphysical, death penalty, not a diet, the well, all failures, uniqueness, prayer bell, Propers, faithfulness, book reviews, humility, purity, children, courage, LDS, great race, seeking, blindness, cleansing, wounds, busy, chaff, disguised, loving Lent, scandal, action sites, priests, World Vision, diabetes, Aquinas, female dotc, Lent sacrifice, holiness, saying no, faith and mood, spiritual-hood, Man of Sorrows, trust Him, a poem, hope, thankful, Mother Theresa, evangelism, appearances, on the tongue, coming home, Come Spirit, fidelity, NABRE, not vending, creation, qualities, Lenten grace, follow, fasting, spread light, trust, water jar, renewal, Medjugorje, posture, veiling, miracles, molding, no zombie, Fred Phelps, Tolkien, long retreat, Laetare, her tears, not reformed, maturity, impostors, watered, trusting Him, the culture, mission trip, choices and Saints.

This monthly “meta-magazine” showcases faithful Catholicism from theology to family life and “everything in between.” Enjoy it now at NewEvangelists.org.

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The days of Lent draw short, so if you have not already been…   go to confession. Marcel LeJeune (Aggie Catholics) has posted an excellent overview: 21 Reasons To Go To Confession & Why Catholics Confess Sins To Priests.

Along with his post, Marcel includes the following 4 videos:

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Father Barron explains why we confess our sins to a priest:

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Sacraments 101 – Penance:

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Tim Staples looks at the scriptural basis for confession:

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Is Hell a possibility? Of course. However, is it a slim, technical, remote possibility for only an extremely few, if any, maybe no one at all? Absolutely not and that kind of “positioning” of Hell is exceedingly dangerous. I wrote about this almost 2 years ago in Is Hell empty?. With all due respect, I emphatically disagree with Fr. Barron’s presentation of this one (but very important) point, as do many others including Michael Voris in this recent video:

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Other than on the “likeliness” of Hell, I remain a long-time fan of Fr. Barron. See for example, item #3 above and the following on the practices of Lent:

Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was started by Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary to address this blogging need. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Jen for hosting this project!

This week: Go to confession! Two great new sources of information are GoodConfession.com and The Light is ON. Get inspired, fire-up your motivation and do it. Archbishop Cordileone talks about receiving the Blessed Sacrament worthily. A loving mom and her special needs child. Lutheran Satire has some good insights, made in good humor. Reacting to sound and speech for the first time.

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The folks at Catholics Come Home (who do superb work, BTW) have a new project to promote the Sacrament of Reconciliation (a/k/a confession). it is GoodConfession.com. Visit the website, there is a much to be explored. If you do not go to confession regularly, remember to go at least during Lent (many parishes make it especially inviting with Penance Services).

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The Archdiocese of Washington has also launched a project to promote confession called The Light is ON. Here are some of their informative videos:

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Archbishop Cordileone is an excellent shepherd, not afraid to address “sensitive issues” with his flock. Here he speaks with LifeSiteNews.com on what it means to receive the Blessed Sacrament and proper disposition.

I have written about these topics a few times, including in The Body of Christ.

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This is interesting. It is a positive commercial on parenting a special needs child.

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The Monty-Python-esque guys over at Lutheran Satire take a not-so-honest look at church attendance. “Yes, an absolute dearth of those in the coveted 0 to 35 year old demographic I am afraid.” In their own, somewhat odd way, they make the same point that Pope Francis has been making.

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Last year, this same group (Lutheran Satire) brought us the following theology piece for St. Patrick’s day. Here simple, common, but quite poor analogies are given to explain the Holy Trinity:

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Nothing new, but simply an amazing reaction. Watch as emotions flood over this woman who hears for the first time in her 39 years:

Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was started by Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary to address this blogging need. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Jen for hosting this project!

This week: Another excellent video from Chris Stefanick, this time looking at The Separation of Church and State. Bishop Morlino (Madison) reflects on Pope Francis’ first year and reality vs. media twisted sound-bytes. Cardinal Burke explains that doctrine will not be changed (duh, but many are being led otherwise). If you are carrying a downs baby, thinking about his/her quality of life, and struggling with your “choice..”. watch this. Hospitals in the UK have a green solution for aborted and miscarried babies. A short documentary on St. Peter’s (Omaha) restoration. Stephen Colbert making inroads where few others have.

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Chris Stefanick continues his series of excellent videos. While it has been said many times before, the fact remains that many people (people YOU know and love) simply do not understand State vs. Church. They assume something that was never the understanding until very recent times, something that is very wrong, something whose fruits will be very poor.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino briefly reflects on Pope Francis’ first year. He does a great job explaining the substance of our Holy Father vs. the media’s agenda with out-of-context sound-bytes. Bishop Morlino is an excellent shepherd, here and in general.

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Changing doctrine is something no pope can do. Nor can they do it just in practice via word games, if not officially. Moreover, Pope Francis is a faithful Catholic so it simply will not happen. These facts do not slow liberals, even a stray bishop or two, from suggesting otherwise. Many have corrected the notion. Here is Cardinal Raymond Burke (Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura) on the topic:

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You are devastated, hearing your unborn child will have down syndrome. Doctors, friends and even relatives have advised you to “terminate” “it.” You are scared and don’t want your child to suffer. Dear Mom…

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The radical left is all about reducing man’s footprint on the planet, especially by reducing the existence of man. They too are all about green initiatives – again the primacy of what is good for the planet. News this week is about a new win/win on both counts. Step (1) abort babies in volume then step (2) use their bodies as fuel to heat hospitals.

The Telegraph reports that the remains of thousands of aborted and miscarried babies were used in this most inhuman plan. Words fail. Read about it in Aborted babies incinerated to heat UK hospitals. This is no joke.

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I previously covered the rebuilding and restoration of St. Peter’s in Omaha (here). It is a wonderful story. EWTN will soon broadcast a new half-hour special on their efforts, or you can watch it right here:

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Speaking regularly to, and apparently loved by, a young demographic – Stephen Colbert connects to people where they are. Often they are anti-religion, especially Catholicism, and receptive toward atheist and secular viewpoints.

Somehow he still reaches them while making a lot of good points. I can’t think of anyone else like him. Here he actually *mocks atheism*, they listen and love it!

Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was started by Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary to address this blogging need. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Jen for hosting this project!