Link - Make a Joyful Noise

Link – Make a Joyful Noise

 

Below is the link to an interesting article about the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, and their amazing run atop the music charts.

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/2591/make_a_joyful_noise_unto_the_lord_all_ye_sisters.aspx#.Ukrck-Tn_IU

CD - Our Lady of Good Success

CD – Our Lady of Good Success

 

The latest offering from Lighthouse Catholic Media’s CD of the Month Club is Matthew Arnold’s presentation on Our Lady of Good Success.  Although devotion to Our Lady of Good Success has a long history in South America, it is only becoming widely known now, though it is fully approved by the Church.

In 1594, Mary appeared to a Conception sister, Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres, in Quito, Ecuador under the title of Our Lady of Good Success.  The title can be a little misleading, as if it is a Catholic version of the “health and wealth gospel,” which it is not.  It refers to the promise of a happy ending, or a joyful outcome, which is one of the reasons people originally asked for Our Lady’s intercession under this title when they were expecting a child.

Mary appeared to Mother Mariana over the period of a number of years with requests, prophecies and miracles.  One of the incredible things about these apparitions is that many of the events they foretold refer to our times.

Mary requested that a statue be fashioned of her, holding the Infant Jesus in her left arm and in her right, a crosier and the keys to the convent.  She desired people to come to her, “for I shall lead them to Him.”

Construction of the statue began in 1610.  When the sculptor went to Spain to get the paint he needed to finish, however, Mother Marianne had a vision of archangels finishing the work.  When the sculptor returned and saw the statue finished, he declared that, “no human hand has done this.” 

Pilgrims may notice that the quality of the statue of Jesus is less than that of Mary.  The reason is that one of the sisters hid the original Infant statue when the convent was at risk of being destroyed by government soldiers and died before she revealed where it was hidden, so Mary now holds a replacement.

Numerous miracles surround the devotion.  In 1941 when Ecuador was at war with Peru, the bishop asked for people to come make a novena for peace.  On the fifth day of the novena, the statue moved.  It looked down at the people praying and then up to Heaven.  The miracle, completely documented at the time, continued into the night, and the war ended that very day.

Another time, the sisters were told by the government that soldiers were coming to close and confiscate the convent.  On the prescribed day, no one came – the government was overthrown in a coup.

The many prophecies Our Lady made to Mother Mariana catch many people’s attention.  Many had to do with Ecuador – the revolution, and the Catholic presidency of Don Gabriel Garcia Moreno and his martyrdom.  She also prophesied many of the details of the pontificate of Pius IX.

But her most stunning prophecies were those of our day, particularly beginning in the second half of the 20^th century.  She prophesied a great crisis of faith, and the loss of innocence in children.  Marriage would be attacked, she said, and evil laws would make it easy for people to live in sin.  Many children would be born out of wedlock and denied baptism.  Vocations would plummet and there would be scandals among the clergy that would try the strength of faithful priests.  Last Rites would be widely ignored, the Eucharist would be profaned, and there would be many sacrilegious Communions.

“Wealthy and powerful Catholics won’t do a thing about it,” she said.  They would fail to use their wealth or influence to stop the slide.  Mother Mariana, when she had a vision of these days, said that without a special grace, she would have died of shock.

These prophecies, made 400 years ago, have all come true, all but one.  When it seems that evil has triumphed, Our Lady said, that is when satan will be dethroned and trampled underfoot.  Ultimately Our Lady of Good Success is about hope.  She foretold a great restoration of the Church.  Mother Mariana, in fact, offered herself as a victim soul for our times.

The promised restoration is coming.  The devotion, prophesied not to become widely known until the end of the 20^th century, is spreading, and it should bring us hope. 

Matthew Arnold, a brilliant storyteller of all things Catholic and historical, does a wonderful job in this CD of giving detailed information about Our Lady of Good Success and documenting reasons for hope.  To order the CD, please go to lighthousecatholicmedia.org, or the online store in the sidebar.

To learn more about the CD of the Month Club, and to sign up to receive a new inspiring talk from a dynamic Catholic speaker every month, for yourself or as a gift, click here.  Also, see Mr. Arnold’s Web site, for more information on Our Lady of Good Success.

Get a Regular Shot of Faith!

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With Lighthouse Catholic Media’s CD of the Month Club, you will receive a talk every month from a dynamic Catholic speaker like Matthew Kelly, Scott Hahn, Father Robert Barron, Mother Teresa and more, delivered directly to your mailbox, or downloadable directly to your mobile device.  Click on one of the graphics below to sign up.  Please enter SJN Right to Life’s promo code 102554 if prompted.

Truth Be Told is an extraordinary opportunity to provide great Catholic speakers to youth and young adults.  Click the following graphic to give a monthly dose of Catholicism tailored specifically for youth (not for young children)

Finally, the Military Download of the Month Club provides nine months of free talks from Catholic speakers for military personnel or their families.  Free lifetime membership for parents, spouses and children of those killed in action.  Click below to sign up.

 

CD - Winning the Culture War

CD – Winning the Culture War

          The latest installment for members of Lighthouse Catholic Media’s CD of the Month Club is Peter Kreeft’s “Winning the Culture War.”  I’ve long been a fan of the theology, wit and down-to-earth common sense Professor Kreeft is known for in his books and presentations, and this CD is no exception.

          Professor Kreeft begins in the voice of Screwtape, C.S. Lewis’s fictional senior demon from The Screwtape Letters.  He is giving advice to the junior demon Wormwood as to how to destroy the Catholic Church, the last threat to their goal of the total corruption of society.

          Screwtape suggests that they turn as many Catholics as possible (bonus points for clergy and theologians) into “P.H.O.N.E.Y.S.,” an acronym that defines seven attitudes poisonous to the Church.

          Politicize the Faith – This should be easy, suggests Screwtape because “they have to absolutize politics since they have relativized religion.”  They should be made to believe that their faith should be based on political success.  And once they have found a pet issue, even if it truly is a virtuous one, the rest of their faith should be used as a means to advance their political goals.  Convince them to generically “love humanity instead of their neighbor.”  In the end, “It doesn’t matter if they worship the donkey or the elephant as long as they don’t worship God.”

          Happy Talk – This advice is to keep Catholics drunk on “happy talk.”  Convince them that the Faith has never been stronger; blind them to the crumbling of society, the lack of vocations, and the scarcity of authentic faith.  Keep them patting themselves on the back and celebrating how much they have accomplished.

          Organization – Teach Catholics to see the Church as an organization, not an organism.  They should see it as a business, not a mystery.  Teach them to fear failure, not sin.  And reverse Mother Teresa’s famous maxim that “God does not call us to be successful, but to be faithful.”

          Neo-Worship – The key here is the idea that “new is true.”  Teach Catholics to grasp on to novel ideas and dismiss their most powerful weapons for spiritual warfare by declaring them “pre-Vatican II.”  Don’t let them recognize that everything in Vatican II was based on things that were pre-Vatican II.  This should be easy because heretical theologians who have hijacked the teachings of Vatican II are far more popular reading than the actual documents of the Council.

          Egalitarianism – Catholics should be taught to worship equality, especially of the sexes.  Equality, of course, means sameness.  Do not let them see that men are superior at being men and inferior at being women, and vice versa.  Feed them the lies of the radical feminists (whose name is even a lie since “calling them feminists is like calling cannibals chefs.”)  Teach them to loathe femininity and convince them that those in awe of its beauty and power are actually sexists.

          Yuppie-dom – Turn them all into consumers.  Make them shoppers instead of saints.  Give them Christ without the Cross.  Make them expect an easy, comfortable life with little to no sacrifice.  Convince them all to be self-indulgent, self-centered and childless.

          Spirituality – Lead them on the road to gnosticism by making them “spiritual” instead of religious.  Teach them to value “niceness,” not holiness.  Convince them that the worst thing is not sin or damnation, but “fanaticism.”

          These seven attitudes, says Screwtape, if they can be imbibed by enough of the Church, should destroy it and pave the way for a complete take-over.

          At this point, Kreeft drops out of character and continues his presentation with seven ways we truly can win the culture war, build up the Church, and become more holy.

          This talk can be found for download or CD at Lighthouse’s online store, a link to which is on the sidebar of this blog.  To sign up for the CD of the Month Club and receive a new Catholic CD in the mail each month, click on the link below.

CD of the Month Club

CD of the Month Club

Lighthouse Catholic Media has launched the first Catholic CD of the Month Club.  In response to the pope’s call for a new evangelization, Lighthouse Catholic Media was created to bring education on topics relating to the Faith to the laity, mainly through the use of CDs featuring leading Catholic speakers.

The CDs are generally made available through parishes, and cover topics such as faith, morals, history, apologetics, pro-life, spirituality and prayer, conversion testimonies, and more.  Some notable speakers are Scott Hahn, Matthew Kelly, Mother Teresa, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Father Robert Barron, etc.

Now CDs are being delivered every month to people’s homes when they sign up for the CD of the Month Club.  (There is also a Download of the Month Club, for people who find that more convenient.)  One of the greatest challenges in our time is the lack of well-catechized Catholics.  The result is that many fall away, and many more struggle to apply their faith to their lives.  Many Catholics would like to learn more about the Faith, but feel they don’t have the time.  The beauty of the Lighthouse program is that people can listen and learn while they are working around the house, commuting to and from work, working out, whatever.

To sign up for the CD or Download of the Month Club, click on the image at the end of this post or at the sidebar.  Membership in the CD Club is $5 a month, and $3 for downloads.

I became involved with this ministry as part of a broad effort to increase the Catholic identity and spiritual resources by the Catholic school at which I teach.  If you are interested in bringing the program to your parish school, youth group, religious education program, etc., please email me (servantofcharity@yahoo.com) and I can put you in contact with a representative from your area.  I am also very interested in bringing good materials to Catholics on college campuses, so if you are in contact with a Newman Center, or have one’s contact information, I would love to make that connection.

One word of caution, especially if you choose to receive more than one copy each month to share: Most of the speakers are intellectual, orthodox Catholics.  Lighthouse tries to ensure an authentic presentation of the Faith.  However, occasionally a Scripture reference may be confusing, or a conversion story may include personal opinions or experiences, and may need to be put into context.  Be prepared to answer questions or give a reference for a good priest who can, especially if you share with friends or non-Catholics.  Adults should exercise caution before listening with children, as there are references to sexuality and abortion in some talks.  There are, by the way, a few CDs specifically for kids, and many in Spanish, as well.

Voting as a Catholic

Voting as a Catholic

          I started this blog back in October.  My goal was to touch on contemporary issues from a Catholic perspective.  Of course I don’t claim any personal authority, but the Faith is the lens through which I approach the topics on this blog.

          Starting a Catholic blog one year before a Presidential election, as the primary season was heating up, it was inevitable that often politics would be the topic of my posts.  Especially with the recent struggles over religious liberty, as well as the raging culture war, Catholics, by virtue of our baptism, are obligated to be involved. 

          This understanding, and the effort many of us make to transform the culture through our participation, faithful both to our country and God’s Church, it can be frustrating to see fellow Catholics who seem to work hard to keep their Faith out of their political lives.  Part of our duty to transform the culture is to address this problem.

          Before reading further, I invite you to click on the link and read, or listen to, Paul Kengor’s commentary, “None So Blind as Catholics who Refuse to See.”   

          Dr. Kengor’s commentary could apply to Republicans as well as Democrats, not to mention Libertarians, Greens, or anyone else.  The crux of the problem is when any of us place our allegiance to a political party above the allegiance to the values of our religion.

          Perhaps at one time we felt those two matched up, but maybe we have been blindly voting for a certain political party for years without reevaluating why we are doing it.  We are being challenged to be better Catholics, and better Americans, than that.

          The USCCB has put out a document meant to help, “Faithful Citizenship.”  Some people have criticized the document for being too vague, but a thoughtful approach to it reveals that it really is not.  The Church will never endorse a political party or candidate, even if one would seem obvious.  However, if we put into practice the principles of faithful participation in the voting process, we can be confident that we have voted with a clear conscience.

          Lighthouse Catholic Media has put out a CD explaining the principles as put forth by the bishops entitled, “Voting Guidelines by the USCCB.”

          Again, it does not endorse any candidate or party (it is actually a few years old anyway), but it does help understand the principles we are to employ when we vote.

          First we are reminded that blind allegiance to any political party is not prudent and can be a cause of sin.  There are many issues on which people of Faith can have legitimate disagreements, for example, how to best get the economy working again, how to get government spending under control, what is the best way to achieve the goal of a successful health care system for all people, etc.

          However, there are some issues that are not negotiable because they are intrinsically evil, for example, abortion, embryonic stem cell research, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, etc.  We can not support a candidate who supports these things, even if we were to prefer his positions on the other, more debatable issues.  (The CD does address how to prudentially approach a situation in which both candidates are on the wrong side of at least one of these issues, as well.)

          Many people can’t understand this because they will argue that issues such as taxes have moral implications, like abortion does.  However, at what rate to tax people with incomes over $250,000 is a matter of prudence, and people can disagree on what would be best for the economy, or most just.  There is no intrinsic evil involved.  Abortion involves the killing of an innocent person, always morally wrong by its very nature.  Taxes can not legitimately be put on the same level as abortion.  Though we do not vote for a candidate based on one issue, we can and should eliminate a candidate from consideration based on any one of these non-negotiable issues.

          In our discussion with fellow Catholics we can sometimes be frustrated by their unwillingness to see this.  Let me share an experience I had shortly after the 2008 election.

          I was having this very disagreement with a professor of moral theology at a Catholic college.  The college isn’t known for its orthodoxy, but this is a good and learned man.  After a few emails back and forth, he finally conceded that his position was not defensible.  I did not get this concession by appealing to the bishops, but by this argument:

          I knew the professor was pro-life, but also an Obama supporter.  I posed this question to him: “Would you consider voting for a candidate who supported the return of racial segregation?”  Of course he would not, regardless of that person’s position on taxes, health care, welfare, or anything else.  Segregation is intrinsically evil and denies people their basic human dignity.  And yet, as evil as segregation is, it is not as bad as actually taking someone’s life.  None of our Catholic friends would vote for a candidate who supported segregation, based on that one issue alone; therefore, they should also be unable to vote for a candidate who is pro-abortion.

          I bring this story up for one reason.  I am nobody.  I have studied philosophy and theology, but I’m certainly not a doctor of either.  This was an intelligent, learned man (and, as it turned out, humble as well).  We need not be intimidated when talking with our Catholic friends about these issues.  We can speak the truth, logically, and plant a seed.  The Holy Spirit can do the rest.  The biggest challenge is to do this with charity, and without getting angry.

          Another thing we can do is to give people a copy of the CD already mentioned.  Perhaps the pastor at our parish will make them available, or ministry heads will want them for their groups.  This is an easy way to evangelize and affect the culture.  It is also non-threatening, because we will not be telling people who to vote for, just giving them things to think about before they vote, and respecting them to make a decision based on a well-formed conscience.

          To obtain copies of the CD, please click here.  And encourage friends to do the same.

CD Review - From Love, By Love, For Love

CD Review – From Love, By Love, For Love

          The most recent CD received by members of Lighthouse Catholic Media’s CD of the Month Club is called From Love, By Love, For Love, by Father Michael Schmitz.  I had never heard of Fr. Schmitz before, but he is an extraordinary speaker.

          This CD touches upon the timely topics of contraception and same-sex attraction, in the context of a Catholic understanding of authentic love.  The CD is not only excellent for its clear explanation of Catholic teaching, but also because of Fr. Schmitz’s energy, compassion and humor, which make the presentation so accessible to everyone.

          Father begins with a look at the Gospel story of the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar who died at the rich man’s door.  He asks how people of different world views would understand and react to Lazarus.  To a Christian, Lazarus, as a person, is a body and soul made in the Image and Likeness of God.  Because Man is both body and soul, what happens to our bodies matters.  When we suffer in our bodies, we suffer; when we sin in our bodies, we sin.

          He discusses the nature of Man and goes on to discuss the nature of sex, which is twofold: the unity of the spouses, and the procreation of children.  He stresses that the sexual embrace can be engaged in primarily for either purpose without violating the nature of sex, so long as the other purpose is not excluded.  Excluding openness to unity is rape; excluding openness to procreation is contraception.  Both violate the nature of sex and are sinful.

          He then goes on to talk about homosexuality and people who struggle with same-sex attraction.  He speaks with such emotional compassion it is clear that he has great love.  He notes that homosexual acts are a violation of the nature of sex but points out that the Church condemns all violations against the nature of sex, as shown by the inclusion of homosexuality in the Catechism with heterosexual sins.  However, the Church is also very adamant in its condemnation of unjust discrimination against homosexual persons.

          Fr. Schmitz also laments the labels people are constantly being defined by, especially when it comes to same-sex attraction.  (Same-sex attraction alone, of course, constitutes a temptation, not a sin.)  He says, echoing Pope John Paul II, “You are not defined by your sins, your weaknesses, or your failures, or your temptations, or your attractions.  You are defined by the fact that the Father loves you, by your capacity to receive the Father’s Love, and to be an image of Christ to this world.”

          He goes on to make the bold statement that, “there is no safer place for a man or woman with same-sex attraction than the Catholic Church [because] we will not stop saying that you have a dignity – that you are made in the Image and Likeness of God.”

          Father urges compassion for people who struggle with same-sex attraction, pointing out that for most it is a heavy cross, and reminding us that we all struggle with sexuality; each has his own particular struggle.  And even if we have failed at times in that struggle, no one’s sins are too big for God.

          If you are interested, you can get a copy of the CD at the “Online Store” on the sidebar of this blog.  You can also sign up to receive a new Catholic CD each month by clicking on the “CD of the Month Club” icon.  You can even sign up to receive more than one copy of the new CD each month to give extras to family and friends.  If you do, please listen to it first, as some have Scriptural references that people may have trouble interpreting in context.  Prepare yourself to answer questions of clarification or refer them to a priest who can.

          Listen below to an excerpt of From Love, By Love, For Love.

Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues - CD Review

Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues –

CD Review

          Father Robert Barron is well known for his Catholicism series, which ran on PBS and is now available as a DVD set.  He has also put up numerous You Tube videos about some aspect of the Faith or philosophy and has reached many people through that ministry as well as his Word on Fire organization.

          Father Barron has also made a number of CDs for St. Joseph Communications, which are distributed by Lighthouse Catholic Media.  In this article I am reviewing his CD Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues.  The CD, along with many others (and the Catholicism series), is available at the Lighthouse online store, a link to which is on the sidebar of this page.

          Hopefully this review (and others that will follow from time to time) will be informative and give people an opportunity to go deeper by purchasing the CDs if they desire.  The reviews are not meant to be a sales pitch, but will hopefully be a worthwhile encounter with a ministry in which I believe.

          In Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues, Father Barron follows Dante’s Divine Comedy through the seven deadly sins.  He explains each one in detail, and with wonderful examples.  Then he gives a counter-virtue that is an antidote for the sin, and some practical advice on what to do to overcome it.  Finally he gives a Marian example from Dante in which she beautifully models the virtue.

          Pride:  Father Barron starts with pride, which is at the base of Dante’s Mount Purgatory, and is the base of most all sin.  Father Barron gives St. Thomas Aquinas’s definition of pride – turning oneself into God, taking on the prerogatives of God to oneself.  This is the sin that made Lucifer say, “I will not serve,” and led Adam and Eve in the Garden to steal the prerogative of God and decide what is good and what is evil, according to their own authority.  The lively virtue that is the antidote for pride is humility, one of the most precious and difficult of all the virtues.  The practical advice Father gives is for us to find opportunities to purposely take the lowest place.  By allowing others to be ahead of ourselves we will develop humility and conquer that tendency to grab for ourselves that place to which we have no claim, God’s.

          Envy:  Next is envy, what Aquinas defines as sorrow at another’s good.  This sin Father Barron says is the nearest to pride, and its antidote is admiration.  If we can admire the good of another we can rejoice in it.  His advice is to go out of our way to praise someone, particularly someone whom we envy.  If we are in a group where envy leads to gossip about another person, make a point of finding the good in that person and praising it.

          Anger:  Next up Mount Purgatory is anger, which Aquinas defines as the unreasonable desire for vengeance.  Not surprisingly the antidote lively virtue is forgiveness.  Father’s practical advice: take a step today to heal a broken relationship.  Particularly if it has been festering, become a grudge, or led to not speaking to another, make some step to begin to heal the relationship, and quench the sinful anger.

          Sloth:  Midway up the mountain is the sin of sloth, the lack of energy for spiritual good.  It is a spiritual lethargy that may be very present in people who have much energy for the cares of the world.  The antidote virtue is zeal, and Father’s advice is to seriously discern our mission.  Take to prayer the question of what mission God would have us accomplish.  If we discern our mission, we will obtain that zeal that drives out sloth.  He also suggests we practice the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy: feed the hungry, visit the sick, instruct the ignorant, pray for the living and the dead, etc.  It’s not hard to see how these would be incompatible with sloth.

          Avarice:  Avarice is defined as the unreasonable or immoderate desire for wealth.  Father Barron passes on wonderful wisdom from the Saints and popes about the use of material goods, of the right to private property and the responsibility to use that property with the common good in mind.  The lively virtue is generosity, and Father Barron gives a host of practical advice.  First, he advises that we make a habit of giving things away on a regular basis.  We should often clean out our closet to the benefit of the poor.  He suggests when we make a purchase to buy a model item one step down from the one we want and give the difference to the poor.  His suggestions are difficult to follow, but certainly powerful for replacing avarice with generosity.

          The last two sins deal with sensual pleasure, which is good when used properly and seen as a foretaste of Heaven.  However, the devil is a master at distorting and corrupting the good things God has made.

          Gluttony:  Gluttony is the immoderate pleasure in food and drink.  Despite America being an overweight nation in a health craze, gluttony as a spiritual problem is not given much concern these days.  However, food and drink can become an addiction and over-indulgence in them can be used as an escape or even a substitute for God.  The lively counter-virtue is asceticism.  Father Barron notes the irony that the modern world considers asceticism some medieval, crazy idea, while at the same time rushing to the gym to spend hours on the Stairmaster.  The goal, he reminds us, is not puritanism, but to discipline our lower nature.  And his practical advice is fasting.  He offers the simple recommendation to occasionally skip a meal, spend the time in prayer, and give the money we would have spent on it to the poor.

          Lust:  At the top of Mount Purgatory is the deadly sin of lust, which is defined as treating another person as a means to one’s own pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure.  Father Barron reminds us of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative, that we must always treat the other as an end and not a means.  The virtue that does that, particularly with our sexuality, is chastity.  His advice will require us to examine our relationships.  First, he says, if we are using any form of pornography, stop.  If we have a problem with it, seek help.  Then, if we can recognize any relationship, perhaps even a marriage, in which we objectify another person, we have to reorient it.

          This CD is a wonderful example of why Father Barron is such a popular speaker.  It is informative, interesting, and leads to reflection.  From time to time I will review other CDs from various speakers.  This CD and many others can be found by clicking the Lighthouse online store icon on the sidebar of this blog.  There are specials for Lent and gift ideas as well.  If you would like this ministry brought to your parish, please email me (servantofcharity@yahoo.com) or contact Lighthouse directly.  Finally, if you know of another ministry faithful to the Church that I can promote on this blog, please email me with information about it.  I am happy to promote any program that will bring people to Christ.