Thought for the day: The challenge of imitating the saints.

Love isn't easy, certainly not as easy as hate. Someone injures us and we want justice; someone slanders us and we want revenge; someone lies about us and we want to take them down. Isn't that true? 

Don't we want to give back the blows we get from others and add a kick as well? Forgiving those who don't ask for forgiveness or even acknowledge the wrong they did is especially hard. When I read about a mother who forgives the person who murdered her child, I'm amazed, more than amazed, shocked. How do you do that? The martyrs did it, of course, but it's easier to pay lip service to our Christian beliefs than to act on them.

Accused Priests? Many Are Not Guilty!

I've been reflecting for the past few days on the accusations against the rector of the diocesan cathedral, Fr. Patrick Posey. An accuser has come forth claiming abuse over thirty years ago. I don't know Fr. Posey personally, but his reputation from friends who do know him is praiseworthy. So here we have someone come forth with thirty-year-old accusations. No matter how this resolves, Fr. Posey will always be under a cloud. How do you disprove something that supposedly happened thirty years ago, especially in an era of the lie?  And what's the quote about a lie traveling around the world before the truth gets out of bed?

Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

 

I've been receiving a number of comments from "unknown" who says he's a Muslim and claiming this:

Our religion commands us to love those who hate us and to do good to our enemies, but how do you want people to treat Muslims because of the 'truth' you tell about Islam? Do you even see Muslims as individual souls, the way God sees them, or as a monolith you fear even though as I pointed out in my comment you didn't publish, Jesus tells us constantly not to be afraid. He is with us always and He thirsts for souls. It's one thing to try to get the speck out of your brother's eye when you have a log in your own (and I'm sure I have one in mine or you would publish my comments), but what happens when you don't even think of the other person as a person you would even try to help but just take your big log and bash them to death?

Love Does Not Keep a Record of Wrongs

I often read St. Paul's description of love from 1 Corinthians 13 and ask the question, "How 
am I doing, Lord?" Sometimes well; too often not so well:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The Truth and the Lie: Where Do We Stand?

Has anything changed in the decade since Cardinal Caffarra gave the address below? The truth and the lie are in constant confrontation. If we are people of the truth, where do we stand in this battle? Truth is not relative; it’s a rock! The lie is shifting sand. When we evaluate the things around us, we need to discern where truth stands like a rock. And then we need to chain ourselves to that rock so we can withstand the tsunami of lies constantly washing over us to separate us from the truth.

Living in a tilted land

My husband and I spent the past few days in Lancaster, PA with my sister enjoying all the pleasures of the Amish countryside and each other’s company. As I sat drinking my morning coffee I noticed a tilted picture on the wall in the breakfast room. It wasn’t very tilted but I’m a little OCD when it comes to things being straight and balanced. It got me thinking about how out of balance life is these days on planet earth. 

Do you ever feel like you are walking on a tilted plane? Every step is a challenge with the likelihood of falling. If you sit down on a tilted bench, you feel like you are falling off. Eating is a challenge because all the dishes want to slide off the table. What would it be like to never have a moment's rest, but to always need to be vigilant so we don't fall, including falling out of bed.

The Mental Health Trap

Do you think everyone needs counseling? Some people do -- especially counselors. After all, that's their bread and butter. So it's refreshing to see a professional psychiatrist, Dr. Roger McFillin, say this:

Why Focusing on Your "Mental Health" Is Harmful

Why I Will Never Go "No Contact"

I recently read a shocking statistic. Thirty-eight percent of Americans went "no-contact" with a friend or family member in the past year. That's about one in four individuals. And many remain estranged indefinitely. That's a pretty significant number of people cutting ties with family and friends. 

Why is this happening? Lots of reasons, but I found this particularly sad:

What’s worth noting here is that avoidance has become the default response to relationship friction. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73 percent) said they feel inclined to distance themselves from a friend or loved one during difficult moments, rather than communicate openly to solve the problem. [source]

Do the Bishops Understand Islam? Will they ever learn?

I wrote the article below on Islam back in 2016. Here we are a decade later and what is our relationship with Islam today? Places in the United States (as well as many other Western nations) have no-go zones and rule by Sharia Law. Violence against non-Muslims is on the rise especially in the Middle East and Africa. The recent fraud in Minnesota robbing the state of billions of dollars was primarily the work of Muslims from Somalia. Not only that, but some of that money went to fund the Somali terror group al-Shabob [source]. 

And So the Easter Season Ends

The Easter season ended with the feast of Pentecost last Sunday. Looking back we see how the Passion began -- with the betrayal of Judas with a kiss. We have spent Lent and Eastertide thinking about Jesus, offering prayers and sacrifices and giving alms. Then we spent 50 days rejoicing at our salvation proved by Christ rising from the dead.

Will we now return to "ordinary time" by once again betraying Him? Have we changed at all in the 40 days of Lent and the 50 days of Easter?
The author of the excerpt below is Fr. Frederick William Faber, a convert from Anglicanism to Catholicism and a follower of John Henry Newman. What zeal he had for the "Faith of Our Fathers," which he articulated when he wrote the well-known hymn. Think of how many in the Church overlook and coddle heresy today. How many Judases betray Christ with a kiss. Read Fr. Faber's meditation and weep. Let us take it to heart and pray for a Catholic awakening, especially among the clergy!