"A Humble Servant's Catholic Blog"

I noticed it this past Ash Wednesday, as the local news channel was covering "drive-thru ashes" for Christians who wanted to get their Wednesday ashes but didn't have time to stop into a formal service or Mass. Various denominations had set up stops in various places for people to stop by for a quick dusting upon their foreheads, grab a donut and coffee, and then go about their busy day. I'm sure the intention was genuine: meet people where they are in their lives and attempt to bring bits of the faith to them. It's a good sentiment. But that's about all it is, and I believe it delivers a message that completely contradicts the whole point of "Ash Wednesday" from the very start. Here's the message: "We know you are busy and don't have time to 'make time' for things of the faith, so we'll make it more convenient for you so that your faith life doesn't get in the way of your 'other' life". But isn...

The post read, "If you break the law to get here, you will break the law while here.  Period." Then there was a link to a story about an illegal immigrant who had committed a horrible murder. My comment: "That's not true. You should talk to my Mexican family member. She has really opened my eyes. She was brought here illegally as a teenager, snuck in. It's a nice, warm, fuzzy idea that good people who want to come here in search of a better life should just put their name on a nice little list, and eventually it'll happen, but that's not how it works. If you lived in squallor with your children in a totally different world than anything we've ever dreamed of, you'd risk your life to change their future too. My family member was married to an American man for nine years. (Former Navy, by the way) who had never even been to Mexico. And she still couldn't get legal status. She worked hard for her family, AND paid taxes, even while she was ille...

A news story was released recently about a group of San Francisco Catholics petitioning to have Archbishop Cordileone ousted for creating “ an atmosphere of division and intolerance ”. You can read one of the covers of that story HERE for details. What I want to focus on are some of the complaints against the Archbishop. He is accused of setting “ a pastoral tone that is closer to persecution than evangelization ”. Evidence cited to support this is a morality clause that defines extra-marital sex and homosexual acts as “ gravely evil ”. The problem with the complaint, though, is that the Church has ALWAYS taught about grave evils, their dangers, the need to warn and rebuke our brothers about them, and that these specific acts are such (cff. 1Jn 1:19, 5:16; James 5:13-16, 19; Lev 19:17; Mt 7:5, 18:15-17; 1Cor 5:1-13; Gal 6:1-2; Lev 20:13; Rom 1:27; 1Cor 6:9-10; MT 5:28 ; etc.). Is it “ persecution ” to warn people about the gravity of certain sins? No. It’s an act of mercy to...

It's a pretty safe bet that most of us do things without thinking. We have our habits and our routines, our particular personalities that shine through in our words and actions, and our core beliefs which shape how we respond to things and direct us in our actions. We also have past experiences which have shaped the way we see things, affect who we are and can influence the way we live our lives. But how many of us take time to think about the message we are sending to others by our choices, actions, behaviors, responses, etc...? I'll go out on a limb here and say that most of us don't think about it, and I'll be that first to raise my hand in shame. We all do things unconsciously that send a negative message to others that we don't intend to send. Worse yet, sometimes we do things intentionally to send a particular message, yet we don't realize it's a negative or wrong one, or don't realize what that message really says about us. For examp...

Not too rarely, depending on where you attend Mass on any given day, you may see Catholic women with their heads covered, or even fellow Catholics kneeling for Communion while receiving on the tongue rather than while standing and in the hand. Two questions: Why do they do that, and is this even allowed anymore? Let’s look at the second question first. The covering of a woman’s head while assisting at/participating in the Mass was once required in the Church. The 1917 Canon Law, 1262§2, stated that women "… shall have a covered head …". However, in 1983 the Church released a new Canon which abrogated that law. So, head coverings are no longer required, though some churches ask that women cover as a sign of reverence (such as when you visit the Vatican, or when you attend the ancient form, or Traditional Latin Mass). Some women also choose to cover their heads when they enter ANY church, which they are free to do. You certainly won’t see anything saying they should not d...

It can happen in ANY argument. You and your friend/spouse/opponent/whatever are discussing or arguing a topic, and suddenly you find that the terms have been redefined, presumably so one of you doesn't have to admit to being wrong. Most people reading this may actually be guilty of this...I know I have in the past. Here's a recent example of what I'm talking about. In the Catholic Church (since 33 AD) we have been charged with the mission to "go and preach the Gospel to all nations [to all creation/creatures]..." (Mk 16:15-16). We see examples of this in the Epistles of the New Testament. How it looks in the NT, and how it has looked for 2,000 years, is the Church meeting people where they are and bringing them to Truth for the purpose of Christian unity. The Church has used the term "ecumenism" to describe this effort (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 816 and 821). "Ecumenism", as it has been explained in the Church an...

The Church teaches us that modesty is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit...one of the “perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory.” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , paragraph 1832) We also learn that “Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love . It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships ; it requires that the conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and woman to one another be fulfilled...It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet ." (CCC 2522, emphasis mine) Modesty is directly tied to purity, which “requires modesty” and is “ an integral part of temperance ”...“ refusing to unveil what should remain hidden .” (CCC 2521) Not to offend any of the ladies...BUT...why is it that MANY women I know or meet feel the need to show off their cleavage, thighs, shape-li-ness, etc...? OR maybe it's not so much they feel like the “need...

When New York legalized gay “marriage” back around June of 2011, it sparked a large celebration amongst homosexual activists, groups, and their various supporters. My comment was: “ What a sad testament to the downturn of our country as people celebrate the legalization of offenses to God and offenses to humanity. ” It was indeed sad because there was being celebrated and promoted a lifestyle that is directly opposed to the well-being of souls. I went on to point out the sanctity of Marriage, and the purpose for which God created male and female, etc… I don’t’ recall who I quoted, but it was worth quoting then, and is worth repeating now: " Gay marriage/homosexuality is a grave offense. It is not a question of respecting people's rights or their feelings...it is a matter of a grave sin against God that could lead to damnation of a soul. We owe it to our brothers and sisters who have homosexual tendencies to tell them the truth and help curb them away from sin. Other...

The question went like this: "How do you refute this argument?" It was followed by ( I'll address it in its entirety, point by point, so don't feel like you MUST read the initial argument...I provide it here for context in case you come across this arguement in real life ) : PREVENTION IS NOT ABORTION! If there is no conception, there is no fetus or life. Having contraception available to the adults prevents conception and therefore prevents abortion. Irresponsible pro-creation has put many people in misery even using their children to beg on the streets to survive when they could have been in school. We cannot stop people from having sex! So why not give them the tool to plan their family? It's their decision to have sex and when or how many children they can afford to raise. To see people living on the streets with many children is heartbreaking. But it's the kind of life many of them can't run away from because NO ONE CAN PREVENT PEOPLE FROM HAVING ...

Admonishing the Sinner is not “Judging”...it is an Act of Mercy. "…first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye ." (Mt 7:5) “…If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone…But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you…if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church…”(Mt 18:15-17) “You shall not hate your brother in your heart: You shall in any case rebuke your neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.” (Lev 19:17) “My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20) “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any sin, you who are spiritual should recall him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, ...

Someone once shared a quote after a bit of “fraternal correction” that was going on: “ The purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticize others. ” (Dalai Lama) True to a point…but is that ALL? In other words, is the Dalai Lama saying this to the extent that we should not correct sin? I doubt it. And even if he is, are his words TRUE? I believe he shares that same view that Christ and the Apostles taught (though I may be wrong), that somewhat deeper view; one by which we not only learn to control ourselves, but cooperate with God’s grace and grow in holiness and to help our brethren to do the same. I think there are some who might read these words of the Dalai Lama and misunderstand them for a rebuke against correcting one another. I don’t think this is that is his message, and more importantly, I think we should focus on what Christ had to say (He is God after all). Msgr. Charles Pope explains, “far from forbidding the correction of the sinner [Jesus, in Lk 6:36-38] ...