Prayer of Reparation

Prayer of Reparation

          Sunday, January 22 was the 39^th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on demand for the entire nine months of pregnancy across our country.  Monday, January 23 is a Day of Reparation.

Prayer for Changing the Culture
by Fr. Frank Pavone, M.E.V.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come into your presence in His name.

We have heard the voice of your Son,
And therefore we can make our voices heard.

We have been justified in the blood of your Son,
And therefore we can oppose every form of injustice.

We have repented of our sins,
And therefore we can lead the sinner to repentance.

We have done battle with the power of evil,
And therefore we can have compassion on those still within its grip.

We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness,
And therefore we can bear witness to your Kingdom of Light.

Lord, as we come before you today, we repent, we resolve, and we rejoice.

We repent of every instance in which fear has made us silent when we should have spoken.
We repent of the ongoing bloodshed in our land,
And for ever daring to think that we can deprive the unborn of protection but keep it for ourselves.

We resolve that we will work more generously to advance your Kingdom.
We resolve that we will advance the cause of righteous candidates for public office,
And that we will be more afraid of offending you by our silence
Than of offending the IRS by our speech.

We resolve that we will declare boldly to our people that no public official who fails to respect the life of a little baby
can be trusted to respect our lives.

Father, today we rejoice, because we are not simply working for victory - we are working from victory.
The victory of life, truth, and grace has been won by your Son's death and Resurrection.
Today we hear his voice again.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I hold the keys of death and of hell.
Behold, I make all things new."

Father, we rejoice that we have been made new,
And as we work to renew our culture
We look forward to the great day of his coming,
When every eye will see him, even of those who pierced him,
And every knee shall bend, and every tongue confess, to the glory of God the Father,
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

In his Blessed Name we pray. Amen!

Link - Remembering Uncle Martin

Link – Remembering Uncle Martin

This past Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Many people have spoken about how to keep his legacy alive.  Perhaps the person most qualified to speak about that is his niece, Alveda King.  At the link below she discusses “Remembering Uncle Martin.” 

http://www.priestsforlife.org/africanamerican/blog/index.php/remembering-uncle-martin-2

Movie Review - Courageous (Re-Post)

Movie Review – Courageous
(re-post)

On July 17 the movie Courageous was released on DVD and Blu-Ray.  I reviewed it when it was in the theaters, so I’m re-posting the review for anyone who missed it in October.

In 2008 members of the Sherwood Baptist church in Albany, Georgia released the movie Fireproof, which explored our current marriage crisis by following fireman Caleb Holt as he tries to save his marriage after his wife has demanded a divorce.  His conversion to Christ gives life to his efforts.

          The makers of Fireproof have just released their newest film, Courageous, which opened September 30.  Courageous takes a similar approach, this time exploring fatherhood, and our duties as Christian fathers.

          Near the beginning of the film we are hit with the sociological reality that the vast majority of our prison inmates, drug addicts and troubled youths grew up without involved fathers.  The main characters this time are police officers and as the film progresses they are confronted with their frailties as fathers and inspired to take public vows affirming their commitment to being Godly fathers.

          It has been said that our age is in a crisis of men, that many of us are allergic to commitment and want to cling to our adolescence, refusing the responsibility of becoming an adult.  There is a lot of truth to that.  It is refreshing to see a movie confront this crisis head on and call on men to step up and be men.

          The movie is enjoyable.  Unlike 2006’s Bella, which starred Eduardo Verastegui, and was an effective evangelistic tool to address the issue of abortion, Courageous does not boast professional actors.  It is somewhat apparent at times, but the acting really isn’t bad.  Some parts seem a little forced but others are done superbly.  At one point it delivers a poignant and extremely believable portrayal of a Christian family’s struggle through unexpected tragedy.

          It is refreshing to go the theater and see a film in which the characters speak openly of Jesus in a reverent manner, women are dressed modestly and the language is inoffensive.  This from a film that deals often with issues of crime, such as drug abuse and violence.  It is a good model for other Hollywood producers.  Courageous also has its share of action, suspense and even humor.  It is a film worth seeing.

          One can only hope films like Courageous, Fireproof and Bella are only the beginning of a movement of Christian filmmakers bringing their faith to the big screen.  Movies can be a powerful tool of evangelization and a means of bringing God back into the conversation of the issues of our day.

          One word of caution, if taking young people to the film, the previews and pre-movie entertainment were not at all fitting for a Christian film.  I suppose that would all depend on where you see it, but you’d think the theaters would anticipate the audience.  I heard a number of other people grumbling about it as well.

Evangelizing on the Grid Iron

Evangelizing on the Grid Iron

          Tim Tebow’s unlikely NFL season came to an end last Saturday night.  Tebow, of course, is the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, who were eliminated from the playoffs by the New England Patriots 45-10.  However, Tebow has been the main story of this season and has also been an unlikely lightning rod for controversy.

           There are many things unorthodox about Tebow’s play on the football field.  And some in the sports world have taken offense (particularly after being defeated by the Broncos).  The fact that fans were calling for Tebow to start in place of Kyle Orton riled up those who insisted that he didn’t have the skill set to be successful in the NFL.  His use of a college-style offense in the pros has unquestionably offended the pride of others, especially since he’s been winning with it.

          Without question, Tebow’s passing accuracy will need to improve.  But given an entire off season, I expect that it will.  We have already seen him make great strides in his decision making and throwing mechanics in a period of just a few months.  And even many of his strongest doubters have acknowledged that his “intangibles” – will, leadership, guts – have made him an effective and exciting player.

          So where’s the real controversy?  Tim Tebow is, brace yourselves…a Christian!  But not just a Christian (most players in the NFL are), he acknowledges Jesus by Name at the start of every interview.  He is known to be pro-life, unashamed of his chastity, and he prays regularly…on the field!

          To some people, this can not be tolerated.  There are those who actually claim to hate Tim Tebow.  There have been NFL players who have committed crimes from drug abuse to sexual assault to battery, and they are not considered controversial.  But a man who loves Jesus and isn’t afraid to wear his faith on his sleeve is somehow a menace to society.  Many of the comments aimed at him have been so hateful and so disgusting I can’t bring myself to quote them.

          But through it all, Tim Tebow has responded brilliantly.  When people have said he should keep his faith quiet, he has refused.  As a matter of fact, when he was no longer allowed to wear “John 3:16” on his eye black, he responded by passing for 316 yards in his first playoff game (which garnered a fourth quarter rating of 31.6).  Perhaps that was God’s commentary.  Whether he plays brilliantly and the Broncos win or he plays terribly and the Broncos lose, he carries himself with the same dignity, respect and optimism.  Media personalities in the sports world have said to a man that he is genuine, that what he shows us is who he is, and that’s he’s a great person.

          Most of all, Tim Tebow himself has kept things in perspective.  He has said that he sees his opportunity to play in the NFL as a platform to evangelize.  He doesn’t proselytize, he evangelizes – by who he is, how he carries himself, and by acknowledging publicly the most important thing in his life – his relationship with Jesus Christ.

          Now I may have some disagreements with Mr. Tebow about some of the theological details of justification or Church governance (he’s an evangelical Protestant), but I admire him greatly.  What he does is what we all should do.  We are all evangelists.  Most of us don’t have the national stage that Tim Tebow does, but we have all been planted somewhere, with a message and an opportunity to share that message.

          I have never met Tim Tebow, but I’m relatively sure he cares very little what the Bill Mahers of the world say about him.  He is far more concerned with what Jesus will say about him – “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” 

A Few Changes

A Few Changes

          You may notice a few minor changes to this blog in the coming weeks.  First, I have decided to add occasional polls, just for fun.  Some will be about issues specific to the Catholic Faith and some (as this week’s demonstrates) will not.  I am also discerning experimenting with Google’s AdSense.  I will not be adding it now, but I may try it in the future to see what kind of control I have over what is advertised.  I personally recommend all the products I have currently linked.  Obviously that will not be the case with AdSense, but I want to be sure nothing I consider inappropriate will appear.  Also, I do not want to promote companies that financially support Planned Parenthood or other endeavors that oppose the Catholic Faith or morality.  Of course I do not know all the actions of every company, but some of that information is made available by Life Decisions International.

          Finally, although this blog is currently not set up to feature comments, if you would like to comment on anything that has appeared, please email me (servantofcharity@yahoo.com).  Please indicate in the email, however, if you would not like me to publish your comments.   

Welcoming the New Translation part 2

Welcoming the New Translation Part Two

                Last week I suggested that the new translation of the Roman Missal offers us a wonderful opportunity to craft a New Year’s resolution to more deeply experience the Mass.  In this series of posts I am attempting to reflect on some of the new translations, drawing from personal reflection (which I attempt to align with the intentions of the bishops) and the work of Dr. Edward Sri.  In this article I want to look at some of the changes that give more precise theological attention to the nature of Christ and the Trinity, particularly in the Gloria and the Creed.  (I have previously reflected on the Trinity in the post The Beauty of Mystery.)

          There are many subtle changes in the Gloria.  Indeed it has been one of the most difficult for me to memorize.  One change that can be easily overlooked, but is important, is the reference to Jesus as the only Begotten Son of God.  The inclusion of the word “begotten” is useful for theological precision. 

          Certainly we are all sons and daughters of God.  By virtue of our Baptism we were incorporated into the Family of God and the Body of Christ.  We are God’s children by Grace, but Jesus is His Son by nature.  A man begets his son because the son comes from him, contains something of him, of his nature.  It is true we have been created by God in His Image and Likeness, but we become partakers of the Divine Nature through Grace, by virtue of our baptism.  Jesus, by contrast, was begotten by God.  He has existed from all eternity as the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.  He shares the very same Divine Nature as the Father.  They are distinct as Persons, but one God by nature.  This, of course, is something we can  not say, though we be sons and daughters of God.

          The Nicene Creed brings out the same reality in its use of the term “consubstantial.”  We say Jesus is, “God from God; Light from Light; True God from True God; Begotten, not made; consubstantial with the Father.”  Consubstantial means, quite literally, of the same substance.  These subtle changes give us important instruction as to how Jesus, the Son of God, is truly God, from all eternity.

          Another subtle change in the Creed highlights Jesus’s divinity as well as His humanity.  Rather than saying Jesus was “born of the Virgin Mary,” we now say He was “incarnate of the Virgin Mary.”  What’s the difference?  Well, both certainly are true, but the new translation gives important precision.  By saying Jesus was incarnate, we acknowledge two important truths.  First, that Jesus has existed from all eternity as God, but took on our human nature in time approximately two thousand years ago.  Unlike ourselves, who existed nine months before our birth, Christ is eternal and only “became enfleshed” in time. 

          The phrase “was incarnate” is also an important refutation of a heresy that has popped up from time to time stating that Jesus didn’t really become man, but only appeared as a man.  This of course, is not true.  Jesus is fully God and fully human.  By saying He was incarnate we are acknowledging very clearly that Jesus truly did become human.

          On a side note, but related, we will notice some changes to the Apostle’s Creed, as well, which we sometimes say at Mass.  There’s one that I think is important to mention.  We have been saying that after His death, Jesus descended to the dead.  Now we will say He descended into hell.  The Apostle’s Creed, of course, goes back to the Apostles.  One of the great things about the Catholic Church is that it reaches all the way back to Christ and the ancient world.  That means the Church can assist us in our understanding, even when language changes somewhat.

          To understand this phrase in the Creed we have to understand the ancient Jewish notion of hell, or sheol.  It referred to the entire realm of the dead, not just the damned.  When we say in the Creed that Jesus descended into hell, we are not talking about the abode of the damned.  We are speaking of what we might call Abraham’s Bosom or the Limbo of the Fathers.  This is where the righteous dead from before Jesus’s Death and Resurrection dwelt.  They were saved souls who were awaiting the opening of Heaven’s Gate – souls like Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist and St. Joseph.

          It’s also important to understand the ancient Jewish use of the term heaven.  In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he speaks of someone being caught up to the “third heaven” (2Cor 12:2).  What does this mean?  The Mormon church has built a doctrine around this passage stating that there are three separate heavens.  But this is not true.  To an ancient Jew, the term heaven was divided into three.  The first heaven is the firmament of the sky where birds flew and clouds hung.  The second heaven is “the heavens” – outer space – the sun, moon, stars, planets, etc.  The third heaven was what we would call Heaven, where God is.  So St. Paul was making clear that this person was caught up to Heaven, in the presence of God.

          Nuances of language can be very important.  How blessed we are to belong to a Church that has been there through all the linguistic developments of Christian history.  It can provide us a deeper understanding that allows us to enter more deeply into worship, or even evangelize our Mormon brethren.

Links - A Closer Look at Culture and the Economy

Links – A Clearer Look at Culture and

the Economy

          As the primary election season moves forward, the media are trying to set economic issues and social issues against each other, implying that the economy is important and should drives people’s votes, while social issues like abortion should not.  As Catholics we know that basic human rights issues like abortion always weigh more than economic theory, but what we often forget is that social and economic issues are intimately related.  The two links below lead to wonderful articles highlighting this point.  They are must-reads for anyone wanting to develop a more thorough understanding of the challenges of poverty and the economy, and seeking to cast an informed vote.

http://catholicexchange.com/2012/01/09/140597/

http://catholicexchange.com/2012/01/11/140777/