Catholic Fire

In Deliberately Insulting the Most Deeply Felt Sensibilities of Other Human Beings , Jimmy Akin responds to a question on his call-in radio show "Catholic Answers Live" about Prof. P. Z. Myers, the Minnesota professor who has threatened to desecrate the Eucharist and post the results on YouTube. He shares an mp3 of the exchange. Diane at Te deum laudamos shares a wonderful post with lots of links and photos on Pope Benedict XVI and Don Bosco's Dream... At Daily Donna-Marie, she shares the amazing Stations of the Cross from World Youth Day through her commentary and a YouTube video. Jay Anderson shares a rewarding experience when he takes a day off from work to see the Vatican Splendors Exhibition at the museum of The Western Reserve Historical Society in his post Yesterday I saw the Vatican Splendors.

By Judie Brown It has been a source of ongoing sadness to read of the difficulties Lauren Richardson’s father has had over the course of the past several months. For those of you who are not familiar with her case , Lauren overdosed on heroin on August 28, 2006. She suffered oxygen deprivation and, as a result of the overdose, is now in a coma and unable to speak out for herself. At the time of the overdose, Lauren was expecting a baby. Her parents honored what they knew would have been her wish and did all they could to keep her healthy and comfortable until the child was born. Today, though Lauren may not be aware of it, she is the mother of Ember Grace, who was born in February 2007 . Since the birth of her daughter, Lauren remains unable to speak of her concerns, but she has a loving father who is doing all he can to protect her from suffering the same fate as Terri Schiavo. However, Lauren’s mother, who has been named her legal guardian, is sadly not of the same opinion and is wo...

“Work is not just another object, but rather the expression and condition of spiritual and social development of man. When we forget about this primary relationship of work with man’s dignity, it loses its cultural richness and moral value...When we take seriously the importance of work in the life of man, we cannot help but affirm that it is morally unjust and culturally poor for a society not to react in response to the scourge of unemployment and poverty or for it to accept inhumane conditions or take advantage of the employment of minors. To teach people to work is a sign of a wise society." ~ Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Buenos Aires, on the feast of St. Joseph, the Worker

The ultimate foundation of the value and the dignity of man, of the meaning of his life, is the fact that he is God's image and likeness! ~ Pope John Paul II

Almighty God, this nation has always rejoiced in its welcome to the "tired, the poor, the rejected, and the huddled masses." The handicapped, the powerless, and the stranger have mightily enriched this land. Strengthen us to be faithful to our heritage. Renew in us a deep reverence for each precious human life. Inspire us to care for the weakest and the most vulnerable among us so that we may truly show to others the love you have shown to us. Bless those with troubled pregnancies; inspire them to chose life. Help us to care for and not destroy the aged and the handicapped. Grant the grace of conversion to those who are caught in the culture of death. Make us again a people and a nation dedicated to the truths that "all people are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights," the chief of which is the right to life. Amen.

I just finished reading this amazing article from the March edition of Homiletic and Pastoral Review ... Social Justice in Catholic Parishes , by Dr. Robert F. Gotcher and just had to share it with you. Here's a preview: There is a trend in dioceses today to develop specialty parishes. One type is the traditional parish with statues, standard organ hymns and Latin in the Mass, another is the “community-building” parish in the suburbs, and many in the inner-city are the “social justice” parishes. Sometimes the inner city parishes seem to be compelled to make a choice between being a “traditional” parish that caters to the disenfranchised traditional minded who flee from the “communitarian” suburban parish and being a “social justice” parish. [Read the rest here .] H/T to Insight Scoop.