This week: The latest issue of New Evangelists Monthly is ready and calling you. Crushing the Little Sisters of the Poor is an Obama administration priority. Outside da Box has a new video on holy water. An excellent homily on the power of the Holy Name of Jesus. Revelation of the Trinity in the Old Testament. ObamaCare “deconstructed.” So God made…

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Issue #13, January 2014, of New Evangelists Monthly is ready for your enjoyment! Scores of faithful Catholic bloggers have contributed their very best pieces from December. This month brought these great topics: face of Jesus, King of Kings, the veil, looking back, why I write, lights, mother’s love, listen at her, Salvation Army, Thomas Merton, patron Saint, life untidy, Advent single, learning love, gratitude, Christ’s job, epiclesis, child is born, pulling over, spiritual life, reviewing 2013, first Rosary, stripped, not ashamed, inner brat, Fr. Michael, joy and sorrow, reading plan, failing kids, this mess, saved?, perspective, anchored, socio-political, why?, Santa, Simbang Gabi, entrusted, comfort, unqualified yes, imperfect, His presence, passed today, time left, Christmas tide, holiness, funny Francis, yearly, gift exchange, sad Jackson, book review, via fiction, forgiveness, lost identity, Christmas tree, doctrine, prophecy, Eve and Mary, time travel, Duck Dynasty, gay marriage, precious womb, nuggets, Snapchat, without God, resolutions, Msgr. Knox, children, St. Stephen, believin’, 3 Francis, the unexpected, praying, veiling?, preaching, hedge-priests, 2 queens, confusion, God’s love, life witness, Emanuel, woman, our guide, patron saint, for children?, looking back, countdown, the elderly, dark night, anticipation, Protestantism, running, our fiat and broken stuff.

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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Crushing the Little Sisters of the Poor is a priority for the Obama administration. Not just these saintly nuns, but hundreds of other religious organizations who oppose Obama’s radically pro-abortion positions. Catholics who voted for this man should be deeply ashamed.

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Outside da Box explains why we bless ourselves with holy water. It’s OK, but not their best work.

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An excellent homily on the power of the Holy Name of Jesus:

(While I really like this, I do have two quibbles. First, marriage is a covenant not a contract. There is a difference and it is ironic to use the wrong word in a homily on the power of words. Second, – somewhat of a lesser quibble – is the implication of a specific moment of consecration of the Eucharist.)

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So where do we learn of the Trinity? In the New Testament, of course.

Not so fast! There is a strong case for revelation of the Trinity in the Old Testament as presented by an apologist known only as InspiringPhilosophy:

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This video entitled “ObamaCare Deconstructed” is a good study of the promises and reality of Obamacare.

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So God made…

The country great:

…then not so much:

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: a Christmas video wrap-up. A touching gift for a widowed husband. The Random Altruist strikes! Gifts for the homeless. A Christmas meal in Las Vegas. Pope Francis visits sick children on Christmas. Teen, glued to phone, doing what? A better way to use “smart” phones on Christmas (off).

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Star 102.5, a radio station in Des Moines, along with local merchants, grants a Christmas wish each year. This is the wish they granted this Christmas:

I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and every living creature — every mortal being — so that the waters will never again become a flood to destroy every mortal being.

Genesis 9:13-15

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The Random Altruist strikes! This is probably a promotion for Google, but I still like it. N.B. the video was captured by some dude wearing (not yet released) Google Glass.

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Actually, these YouTube videos are almost an Internet meme – but a good one. Here is another sample (pay special attention at the 1:45 mark):

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Helping the homeless everyday are organizations like Catholic Charities. Here is what they did in Las Vegas on Christmas:

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Pope Francis spent three hours visiting children at a children’s hospital in Rome:

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Apple had an ad showing that it is possible, or at least conceivable, that someone glued to their phone might be actually participating in the world around them. It could happen – in theory.

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I like CatholicVote‘s take better. On Christmas, some enjoyed a much better version of Facetime^®.

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: Thomas Aquinas College students organize a Christmas flash mob. Remembering an English Eucharistic flash mob. Belgium will soon euthanize children. Fr. Barron on some obscure magazine’s “person of the year.” The human carnage left in the wake of one abortionist. Successful, positive health care reform is possible (not ObamaCare, of course). Joe Biden humor: “a war on Christmas.”

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Students at Thomas Aquinas College (motto: Truth Matters) staged this Christmas flash mob 2 weeks ago:

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A Catholic Eucharistic flash mob formed 2 years ago for Ascension Thursday (in Preston, Lancashire, England). The organizer was Brother Paul, a Capuchin (Franciscan) friar. It is a wonderful remembrance for this Advent too.

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Belgium is a world leader against life. Not only in the womb, but really anytime. They embrace euthanasia for those over 18…   if they are “sound mind” (widely ignored). Now that is being expanded to born CHILDREN as well. Belgium, a national face of evil where no life is sacrosanct. LifeSiteNews has the story.

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Many of us are surprised at Time magazine’s “person of the year.” Not their selection of Pope Francis, an extremely obvious choice. The surprise is in the fact that they are still published and anyone notices or cares what they say. I have not read them in decades and will not now. Fr. Barron has read at least this piece and offers some observations:

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Abortion: safe, legal and rare. They don’t even claim that any more. It is only legal and far from safe or rare. It is (almost) always fatal for the child. The mother is not guaranteed a trouble-free outcome either. She will have long-term issues. Some don’t make it to the long-term:

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Catholic social justice is based upon the concepts of solidarity and subsidiarity. Basically, that is helping each other at the most local level possible. The socialized healthcare track we are on attempts to address only the first (and will fail at that). It is just the opposite of achieving the second. Here is one alternate solution:

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Humor: a Joe Biden (“war on”) Christmas…

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: The December issue of New Evangelists Monthly is ready and calling you. Why does God let us suffer? The Sacraments of Initiation explained like never before. Is evil rational? Fr. Barron describes his call to the priesthood. A close look at the “pro-life” exceptions for rape and incest. Obama: “whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation.”

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Issue #12, December 2013, of New Evangelists Monthly is ready for your enjoyment! Scores of faithful Catholic bloggers have contributed their very best pieces from November. This month brought these great topics: aspiration, saved, O antiphons, armor, time, roof surfing, mom vocation, transformation, purgatory, forward, Advent, Thanksgiving, JFK+50, sinner, aborted cells, JPII Genesis, ridiculous, shine upon, decorating, Santa, labyrinth, golf, your mother, visiting, serving, emotions, resources, rosary kids, beauty, 1-in-3, my hero, old law, “Xmas,” Wojtyla, tears, lamb, blood, the lapsed, planning, worm, thankful, creed, own worse, communing, Kevin Lee, prays together, one child, Heaven, Lewis, scenery, water and wine, cemetery, worldly, furthering, shared cup, beginning, truth, experience, bring Christ, saints, life addiction, household, selective memory, eternal, Catholicity, kingdom, loss, babababa ma, radio, 3 men, math/truth, women, Zacchaeus, marriage, we crooks, in us, monsters, beauty, examination, “ordinary,” free will, future me, Geisha, interpreting, relating, dryness, Notre Dame, Christmas, mercy, authentic, good reads, know/love/serve and kiotsuke.

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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Why does God let us suffer? Christopher Stefanick explores this topic:

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Outside da Box explains the Sacraments of Initiation like you have never heard them explained before (trust me on this)!

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Is evil rational? Dennis Prager takes a very rational look at it:

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A “bell going off” is how Fr. Barron describes his initial call to the priesthood:

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The only basis for the pro-life argument is the taking of an innocent human life is an intrinsic evil. Intrinsic evil is never justified. To compromise on this, believing the end justifies the means, does nothing less than strengthen the pro-abort position. Make no mistake about it, it is stepping away from truth (God). Such is the “rape and incest” abortion exception.

In this video, victims of rape and children born of rape discuss this issue. Listen to them.

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Sometimes we forget who we are. Much of America has forgotten. In the case of President Obama, it is apparently a complete memory loss. To remember he need only take a short stroll around his (temporary) home.

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: Welcome to Advent 2013! Support stores who do not sanitize Christ from Christmas. The context of every Church teaching. The love story of one preemie. 2 miracles in 1 birth. A look at Pope Francis’ statements. Some videos on the power of the traditional Mass.

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Welcome to Advent! ‘Tis the season…   of what?

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This year, will we be rewarding stores who take Christ out of Christmas?

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Christopher Stefanick has a many wonderful videos on the faith. Here, he talks about the context of every Church teaching:

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Ben Miller’s son was born premature. This video is the love story between baby Ward and his mom and dad.

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A woman’s swelling below her ribs is not the happy circumstance of a pregnancy, she has blocked that with IUD contraception. It is instead a cancerous tumor which would be removed in 12 weeks (this is the UK). Prior to her surgery, a new scan shows: miracle #1 – she is now 7 weeks pregnant and miracle #2 – pregnancy hormones had caused the tumor to disappear. The story is here.

Interestingly, the mom seems to have no idea how such a thing could happen. The story ends by her naming her newborn Superman.

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As we can all see, our Holy Father speaks from his heart. Language issues, mistranslations, poor reporting and especially – the agenda driven mainstream media aside…   he shakes things up. Pope Francis forces us to look freshly at the Gospel message, ourselves and our path.

His background and experiences differs from ours here in the US and can make some of his comments — well, inapplicable. For example, when he earlier spoke of the Church focusing too much on abortion and homosexuality – it was a “head scratcher” for faithful Catholic Americans. These topics are rarely raised in homilies (much to our disappointment). Last week the same sort of problem pops up in Evangelii Gaudium where Pope Francis speaks of the dangers of unhampered, absolutely autonomous markets. We simply don’t know where anything close to that exists. Not that it should, just that it doesn’t.

The Acton Institute focuses on social justice in economic issues. Fr. Robert Sirico comments:

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This is a powerful promotional type video for the traditional Mass.

See also part 2 and part 3 .

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!