Archive for October, 2013

Pope Francis: ‘Dark Future’ If Children & Elderly Abandoned
3

Pope Francis: ‘Dark Future’ If Children & Elderly Abandoned

by

by on Oct 26, 2013 in Contraception & Abortion, Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide, Featured, Those in Need
Print This Article

The family founded on marriage is the “natural center of human life” and protecting children and elderly people is a “choice of civilization,” Pope Francis said in an address Friday morning. Speaking to the 21 plenary meeting of the Pontifical Council for the Family, the pope said, “Children and the elderly represent the two poles […]

Parent Guides to Human Sexuality
0

Parent Guides to Human Sexuality

by

by on Oct 26, 2013 in Catechesis, Featured, Parenting
Print This Article

The Archdiocese of New York has published three handy booklets for parents, providing suggestions and examples on how to talk to their kids about the gift and responsibility of human sexuality. Each booklet focuses on a particular age group: primary grades, middle schoolers and teens. Fathers for Good spoke to Kimberly Quatela, chastity education coordinator […]

Let Us be Close to all Families, Especially Those In Difficulty
1

Let Us be Close to all Families, Especially Those In Difficulty

by

by on Oct 25, 2013 in Featured, The Shepherd's Voice
Print This Article

“The family is a community of life with its own consistency. It is not the sum of the persons by whom it is constituted, but rather a ‘community of persons’”, said Pope Francis, quoting Blessed John Paul II’s encyclical “Familiaris consortio,” in an address to participants in the twenty-first plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council […]

Ideology and Idolatry
2

Ideology and Idolatry

by

by on Oct 25, 2013 in Featured, Live in Christ
Print This Article

A recurring theme of my writing and speaking these past few years has been the need for Catholics to overcome allegiances to political movements, parties, and ideologies. We are called to shape our culture, or at least be a prophetic voice that is unattached to purely temporal causes. My assumption, based on my own journey, […]

Caring for Life Near the End of Life
0

Caring for Life Near the End of Life

by

by on Oct 25, 2013 in Disability, Sickness & Suffering, Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide, Featured
Print This Article

My wife, LaRee, and I were asked to address a conference about critical life issues sponsored by the Diocese of Metuchen in New Jersey. They wanted us to speak about a Christian perspective on suffering, disability and end of life care. It is a timely topic because New Jersey is considering a law to allow […]

Poem: "In Adoration"
0

Poem: “In Adoration”

by

by on Oct 25, 2013 in Poetry
Print This Article

In Adoration There from behind the flowered hill Rising ever higher, Bursts forth the sun from darkest night A Monstrance spun of fire. While rosy clouds, like angels’ wings At the Tabernacle’s door, Gather in the pale blue skies As a thousand springs before. In Adoration wake the hills The sleeping bear, the rose For […]

The Ways of God for Fathers - Consistent Love
0

The Ways of God for Fathers – Consistent Love

by

by on Oct 25, 2013 in Featured, Parenting
Print This Article

In every family there are there are three primary relationships for the father. In descending order of importance: the first is the father with God; the second is the father with the mother; the third is the father with his children. Constancy in love: Dad must pray every day-on his own and with his family. […]

CL24 - hbratton notxt
0

People are What They Do with Silence

by

by on Oct 24, 2013 in Featured, Live in Christ
Print This Article

No matter how hard we seem to try, we cannot avoid silence altogether.  We are obliged, for example, to deal with the natural silence that comes with sleep, sickness, death, and sorrow.  We also find ourselves dealing with moments of everyday silence that come right after waking up, during the morning commute, on a lunch […]

The Trainwreck: Obamacare System Down
0

The Trainwreck: HealthCare.gov Meets The Mythical Man-Month

by

by on Oct 24, 2013 in Columnists, Featured, Government & Politics, Leadership, Tips, Tools, Tech
Print This Article

Why do software projects go awry?

LGBT Activists Ask UN: When Will Our Love Story Begin?
14

LGBT Activists Ask UN: When Will Our Love Story Begin?

by

by on Oct 24, 2013 in Featured, The Homosexual Agenda
Print This Article

Homosexual activists and UN officials gathered to take stock of their failures at the United Nations on Wednesday. Panelists from UN agencies and homosexual groups spoke of the obstacles to getting homosexuality recognized despite a big push for social inclusion in UN policy. The event “LGBT Rights and the UN: When Will the Love Story […]

Taking the Bible Seriously
0

Taking the Bible Seriously

by

by on Oct 24, 2013 in Apologetics, Catechesis, Featured, MyChurchParish.com
Print This Article

I remember during my dating days wanting to start a Bible study with a girl I was dating.  She liked the idea, but asked “which commentary are we going to use in studying the Bible?”  Puzzled, I said we wouldn’t be.  We would just talk over the phone/in person about various Bible verses, what they […]

The Play-by-Plays of Divine Providence
0

The Play-by-Plays of Divine Providence

by

by on Oct 24, 2013 in Columnists, Featured, Live in Christ
Print This Article

Last week, I was asked to run commentary for the live stream of the Opening Ceremonies of the Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt’s Jubilee Year held in Vallendar, Germany but broadcast worldwide through the EWTN Studios in Birmingham, Alabama. Because the need had come up suddenly, there was little time to prepare. I had to shift […]

Mary: Model of the Church that Leads to Jesus
0

Mary: Model of the Church that Leads to Jesus

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Featured, The Shepherd's Voice
Print This Article

Mary as a model of the Church “in the order of faith, charity and the perfect union with Christ”, according to the definition offered by the Vatican Council II, was the theme of Pope Francis’ catechesis during this Wednesday’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square, attended by over ninety thousand people. Mary is a model […]

Record Closings of Abortion Clinics Portend Darker Days Ahead?
0

Record Closings of Abortion Clinics Portend Darker Days Ahead?

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Contraception & Abortion, Featured
Print This Article

According to Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue there have been 44 abortion clinic closings this year. That would drive the total number of clinic closings since 1992 close to 75% of that year’s total. That is a monumental achievement for the pro-life movement, the fruit of decades of hard work by thousands. For as monumental […]

The Pain of Loneliness
0

The Pain of Loneliness

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Disability, Sickness & Suffering, Featured, Health & Fitness, Those in Need
Print This Article

There can be a fine line between loneliness and solitude. In solitude, there is a quiet joy — time spent by yourself in nature or at eucharistic adoration, an opportunity for contemplation and prayer and just basking in a peaceful presence. I love solitude. Like so many, however, I dread loneliness. And unfortunately, I have […]

EU Defeats Bill for Abortion/Homosexuality/Pedophilia
0

EU Defeats Bill for Abortion/Homosexuality/Pedophilia

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Contraception & Abortion, Featured, The Homosexual Agenda
Print This Article

In a rather tumultuous session yesterday morning, the plenary of the European Parliament decided by 351 to 319 votes with 18 abstentions to refer the controversial “Estrela-Report” (named after its author, the extreme left-wing MEP Edite Estrela from Portugal), back to the parliamentary committee it originated from. This is a resounding victory for the pro-life cause, given […]

Is Peter the Rock?
0

Is Peter the Rock?

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Apologetics, Featured
Print This Article

One of the most hotly-contested passages in Catholic-Protestant dialogues is the “Upon This Rock” passage in Matthew 16:18. After the Apostle Simon confesses faith in Jesus as the Messiah (the Christ), Jesus says to him “And I tell you, you are Peter, [Petros] and on this rock [petra] I will build my church, and the powers of death [Hades] shall not prevail […]

John B. Tabb - Priest-Poet
0

Tabb’s Poetry XL

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Featured, Poetry
Print This Article

Five poems by John B. Tabb.

Reflections for Sunday, October 27, 2013
0

Reflections for Sunday, October 27, 2013

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Catechesis, Featured, Sunday Reflections
Print This Article

Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Sirach 35:12-14,16-18; Psalm 34:2-3,17-19,23; 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Luke 18:9-14)  Living a Life Grounded in Godly Humility The one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:14) Self-confidence is a virtue in business, in our families, and in our parishes. Think about St. Paul. He was very confident […]

The Winds of Change
1

The Winds of Change

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Featured, Government & Politics
Print This Article

In the flurry of post-government-shutdown analysis, the talking heads are speculating about the demise of the Tea Party. According to the New York Times, “In the aftermath of the U.S. government shutdown and a close call with default, there is a political consensus among Democrats, many Republicans, establishment conservatives, business leaders and the inside-the-Beltway commentariat: […]

Saints, Sung and Unsung: Unique Art Exhibit
2

Saints, Sung and Unsung: Unique Art Exhibit

by

by on Oct 23, 2013 in Art & Architecture, Featured
Print This Article

What does a saint look like? We have our preconceptions:   Saints are serene, eyes cast downward, hands folded in prayer. Saints flash joyful smiles while reaching out to help the poor and needy. Saints stand bravely against the enemies of the Gospel, praying as the bullets or the machete or the poison claims their bodies, […]

Egyptian Muslim questions Christianity. A Catholic replies.
14

Egyptian Muslim questions Christianity. A Catholic replies.

by

by on Oct 22, 2013 in Apologetics, Featured, International Issues
Print This Article

The following interview/discussion took place between Abdallah and me from October 6-8, 2013.  Abdallah is my Facebook friend from Cairo, Egypt. He is a software engineer and a supporter of the restoration of President Morsi.  We met via the chat feature of an online chess program.  (Published with Abdallah’s approval). Abdallah:  Many times I keep […]

<i>Young in the Spirit: Spiritual Strengthening for Seniors and Caregivers</i>
1

Young in the Spirit: Spiritual Strengthening for Seniors and Caregivers

by

by on Oct 22, 2013 in Featured, Health & Fitness, On Books, Those in Need
Print This Article

According to Statistics Canada, the years between 2010 and 2031 will see an accelerated rate in the aging population since this is the period when all baby boomers will have turned sixty-five. By the year 2036, between twenty-three per cent and twenty-five percent of the population will comprise of seniors aged sixty-five and over. The […]

The Need to Pray
0

The Need to Pray

by

by on Oct 21, 2013 in Featured, The Shepherd's Voice
Print This Article

At midday on Sunday the Pope appeared at the window of his study to recite the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square and, before the Marian prayer, he commented on today’s Gospel reading in which Jesus tells a parable on the need to pray, always and incessantly. “The protagonist is a widow […]