From today’s second reading in the office of the readings, which for today is a sermon on Christ conquering death …
… (Jesus) did away with the everlasting character of death so as to make death a thing of time, not of eternity.
- St. Leo the Great, pope
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers is the founder of Aurem Cordis.
The world tells us that freedom is doing what we want … while true freedom is rooted in the obedience of faith.
This is the crux of the battle that we face in the world every day … of everything that the culture is saying to our wives, kids, and ourselves every day.
He then went through a hilarious, pointed series of Q & As with members of the audience.
Here’s the lie underneath all this – everything that the world says will make you happy, peaceful, and fulfilled in reality will only enslave you.
The key to battling this is the sacrament of reconciliation.
He used a good example of a violin string to illustrate the difference between the culture’s idea of freedom and true freedom.
Satan goes after women first because they are the heart of love, because God chose women to play a particular role in the creation of new life.
Imagine what this world would be like if we thought of, and treated every woman the same as the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Oops … I forgot to keep entering this post … this was good!
The best gift we can give to our kids is to love our wives.
The heart of male spirituality comes from the cross … we need to live our lives, our fatherhood, our marriages, from the cross.
Posted in events
Fr. Larry Richards started the Reason for Our Hope Foundation,
He started the talk with a “Bible check”. What a great reminder of the daily essential – time in the word of God.
Today he’s going to focus on our need for the sacrament of reconciliation.
The reason why we don’t go to confession is because of pride.
It’s God’s world, he made the rules.
“Obey the rules, live; disobey the rules, die” – Jesus.
The story of the fall (Genesis 3) is a type of our role in the family. We’re called to be the priest in our family – we offer sacrifice, our very lives for our family. Satan has to go through us before he touches our wife or kids.
Sin has great consequences in our lives.
If our only motivation for loving Jesus Christ is to not go to hell, then worship is the ultimate act of selfishness.
However, to be a follower of Jesus Christ is much more. We must die to ourselves, and then we will live in Jesus Christ. Then the real Christian life begins.
Everyone today needs to go to confession. Note that he has a good examination of c conscience on Youtube.
Sins of Commission
The theme song in hell is “I Did It My Way”.
First Commandment – Is God first in your life?
Second Commandment – You shall not use the Lord’s name in vain.
Third Commandment – You shall worship God (attend Mass) every Sunday.
Fourth Commandment – Honor your father and mother.
Fifth Commandment – You shall not kill (this includes anger).
Sixth Commandment – Sins of the flesh
… and so forth.
Sins of Omission
These are the worst sins.
We must tell the people that we love them (1 John 9:15)
Out of time – great talk!
Posted in events
Bishop Hermann is kicking off today’s 2009 St. Louis Catholic Men’s Conference … great turnout, looks like it’s up at least 30% or so from last year (the first). We didn’t know if there’d be 20 people, and 1,000 showed up.
Awesome.
Well we outgrew last year’s venue, and it’s looking like standing room only.
Speakers on tap include Deacon Harold Burke-Stivers, Jesse Romero, Fr. Larry Richards, and Richard Lane. These are real men, really faithful, with strong, powerful messages for men in the world today.
I plan on live-blogging throughout the day, God permitting.
Bishop Hermann will celebrate the closing Mass at 3:30.
Pedro Moreno, Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, is making some remarks during the opening praise and worship session.
Pumped to see what God has in store as the day unfolds!
Posted in events
Jesse Romero is a real kick … great choice for the opening speaker.
Telling about his years of kick-boxing competition.
Falling Christ is not for sissies.
The Church is here to bring together the scattered family of Adam and Eve.
David and Goliath
Riffing on 1 Samuel 17 – story of David and Goliath … better than any pay-per-view fight, the truly ultimate cage match.
Notice that once David was anointed (in 1 Samuel 16, King Saul was being harassed by a demo, and the only relief was when David would praise God with singing and lyre.
St. Thomas Aquinas “Fear is the enemy of faith”. When Goliath issued his challenge to the men of Israel, all the men of Israel were afraid.
John Paul 2′s first words as pope were “Do not be afraid”.
David was probably only 12 or 13 at the time of this conflict, but he was fighting with the strength of God.We have to approach our marriages, our jobs, our lives, with the same attitude.
“Go and the Lord be with you” … the same words that King Saul told David as he sent him to battle, are the very words that we hear at the end of each Mass. These are battle words.
When we receive Communion, we appear to be “lions breathing fire” to the enemy – St. John Chysostum, 4th Century.
When we receive Holy Communion, we receive blood transfusions from the Son of God.
The Rosary are the “beads for the battle”.
God does not answer email, he answers “knee mail”.]
Notice that Goliath, who refused to worship God, or even acknowledge his existence, did end up face down before God – a common prayer position for Jews at that time – when he was killed by David.
So like it says in Philippians 2:5-10, “every knee shall bend …”.
Parting Thoughts
This was very cool. Jesse used the battle of David and Goliath as a type of the very spiritual battles in which we all find ourselves, each and every day.
Encouraging indeed.
Posted in events
Well it’s time for round 123,034,234,342 of “the Catholic Church is evil, blah blah blah”.
In The Davinci Code, Dan Brown showed just how low the bar was for factual accuracy in movies that attempt to malign the Catholic Church.
Miss dates by a thousand years? No problem. Make up “ancient documents”. Easy. Create evil monks for organizations that have no monks whatsoever? Already done.
Now he’s back with the same team (Tom Hanks et al) in Angels & Demons, scheduled to open on May 15. Bill Donohue of The Catholic League issued a fascinating little release today.
Here are some highlights:
“John Calley, co-producer with Brian Grazer of both ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and ‘Angels & Demons,’ told the New York Times that the former movie was ‘conservatively anti-Catholic.’ According to the Times, Grazer wants ‘Angels & Demons’ to be ‘less reverential’ than ‘The Da Vinci Code.’
“Less reverential”? Come on, that doesn’t even pass the giggle test.
But what about Brown? The release continues:
Author Dan Brown says of his latest film, ‘It’s certainly not anti-Catholic.’
Anyone want to wager on that one?
Well no surprises so far, but there’s more … Donohue then passes along this interesting story:
… (Father Bernard) O’Connor hung out with the film crew last summer for two days when they were filming in Rome; he was dressed casually, so no one knew he was a priest.
A person self-described as a ‘production official,’ told the Canadian priest that Brown spoke for the majority of those working on the movie when he said, ‘Like most of us, he [Brown] often says that he would do anything to demolish that detestable institution, the Catholic Church.’ He credited the media for the ‘demise’ of the Church. This same person opined that the Catholic Church ‘is humanity’s chief enemy,’ adding that this sentiment is reflective of those in Hollywood.
In a way I doubt that too many people will be surprised. Still, this “self-described ‘production official’” is refreshing in their candor, even if it is under the cloak of anonymity.
Well, it is season of Lent, so I guess we all know what we need to do …
Posted in in the world
Yes, yes … I know that despite all reason last week I committed to some practical tips on selecting your threefold Lenten observance – penance, prayer, almsgiving – but this is not that post … sigh.
From the mid fifth century comes this excellent Lenten instruction:
Initially men are made new by the rebirth of baptism. Yet there is still required a daily renewal to repair the shortcomings of our moral nature, and whatever degree of progress has been made there is no one who should not be more advanced. All must therefore strive to ensure that on the day of redemption no one may be found in the sin of his former life.
This comes from St. Leo the Great, pope at time of tremendous growth in the church.
While it is true that Lent began nearly a week ago on Ash Wednesday, every day – including today – is a great time for closer examining our Lenten practices more closely, and if necessary dialing them up.
While it may seem like a real struggle sometimes, it is precisely in this struggle that we make progress, and the struggle itself which has real value.
So let’s try that again … hopefully more soon, very soon.
Posted in Lent
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