1-15-08
Greetings!
Over Christmas, I had the opportunity to visit with a few of my former students, Andy. He related to me a recent encounter he had. An acquaintance, of the Baptist faith, wanted to dialog about religious issues with him—knowing that he was Catholic. Andy, always up for a conversation about the faith, readily agreed. When the day arrives, Andy shows up with a large binder full of notes, resources, articles, and other misc. facts concerning Catholicism. The Baptist was rather taken aback and hurriedly brought the encounter to a close(!) You see, he was not expecting a Catholic who actually knew the Bible or his faith well, and hence was not prepared himself.
I pointed out to Andy, two things to draw from that experience. One, how far he had come in his faith—that he could confidently explain it to others. (How often we Catholics are clueless when queried on the theology or reasons behind what we believe!) Two, what a great witness for this Baptist friend, to encounter an informed and confident Catholic. As Steve Ray, a former evangelical, now Catholic, said in a recent interview—he used to view Catholics as "easy pickings" because they were so poorly educated in their own faith. Andy, and so many of our other young Catholics are not likely to be described as "easy pickings" J
--"always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you" -1 Peter 3:15
Our pastor described this young girl during his homily on All Saints Day. What a remarkable story. Perhaps you saw the recent comment from a TV personality saying modern science has eliminated saints.."who were obviously suffering from mental problems, visions, and voices." Try explaining this one then:
6-Year-Old on Way to Sainthood
Pope Approves Decree of Heroic Virtue
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2007 (
Zenit.org).- A 6-year-old Italian girl who cheerfully endured the amputation of her leg and offered it in union with the sacrifices of Christ might someday become the youngest canonized non-martyr saint.
Benedict XVI approved Monday the decree recognizing the heroic virtue of Antonietta Meo, who died of bone cancer. Along with the recognition of Meo's virtue, the Pope approved six decrees recognizing miracles, and seven other decrees affirming lives of heroic virtue.
Born in 1930, Antonietta was diagnosed with bone cancer at age 5 after a fall caused by a knee injury would not heal.
The girl formed the habit of leaving a letter at the foot of a crucifix every night. At first, she dictated these notes to her mother; later she wrote them herself. The more than 100 letters and her diary reveal an intense mysticism and a surprising level of theological reflection, albeit hidden in simple phrases.
"Dear Jesus," one of the letters says, "I love you very much. I want to abandon myself in your hands [...] I want to abandon myself in your arms. Do with me what you want. [...] Help me with your grace. You help me, since without your grace, I can do nothing."
Her letters were written to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. In a letter to Mary from Sept. 18, 1936, she said, "Dear little Virgin, you who are very good, take my heart and bring it to Jesus."
Antonietta died July 3, 1937, five months before her 7th birthday.
In 1981, the Vatican Congregation for Saints' Causes removed the norm restricting "heroic virtue" only to those who had lived a "period of maturity." The change in the norm permitted the visionaries of Fatima, Jacinta and Francisco, to be beatified in 2000
The 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade is upon us next Tuesday. 4 bus loads of teenagers from the Diocese of LaCrosse are going—please keep these pilgrims in your prayers.
With the approach of that horrific anniversary, here's a timely set of statistics—based on the number of abortions since 1973:
Dr. Brian Clowes, HLI researcher, has examined the data from the 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States (most recent census data) and extrapolated the numbers of the various professions and categories of Americans who have been eliminated in the wake of nearly 49 million legalized abortions, one third of all Americans conceived since 1973. The following numbers are based on the actual government estimates of the professions represented in America. So then, who have we lost to abortion?
· 2 US Presidents
· 7 Supreme Court Justices
· 102 US Senators and 589 Congressmen
· 8,123 Federal, district and local court judges
· 31 Nobel Prize laureates
· 328 Olympic medalists including 123 Gold medalists
· 6,092 professional athletes
· 134,841 physicians and surgeons
· 392,500 registered nurses
· 70,669 priests, ministers, rabbis and imams including
· 6,852 priests and 11,010 nuns (vocations "shortage"?)
· 1,102,443 teachers (K-12)
· 553,821 truck drivers
· 224,518 maids and housekeepers
· 336,939 janitors
· 134,028 farmers and ranchers
· 109,984 police officers and sheriff's deputies
· 39,477 firefighters
· 17,221 barbers, and
· 24,450,000... women (the gender of roughly half of all children aborted).
Via.
Copyright 2007 - Human Life International Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International
With Catholic Schools Week approaching, something to consider and continually keep in mind in all we do as teachers:
Teachers Lauded as Key to Promoting Vocations
Considered Instrumental in Helping Youth Find Call to Priesthood
LONDON, DEC. 19, 2007 (
Zenit.org).- Teachers have a key role in helping youth discover a calling to the priesthood, but they need to first have a sense of their own mission as educators, concluded a group of vocations directors meeting in Spain.
The officials from England and Wales gathered last month at the annual conference of diocesan vocation directors from the United Kingdom at the Royal English College in Valladolid, Spain. One of the main conclusions of the conference was the need to "name and celebrate the 'vocation of teaching.'"
"The vocations directors recognized that teachers are often in a privileged position when it comes to helping young people to discern their future and to recognize the call of God in their lives," a summary statement reported. "To do this effectively, teachers need to recognize their own life-vocation as Christian educators."
Speaking on behalf of the vocation directors who attended the conference, Father Paul Embery from the National Office for Vocation said, "We need to place greater emphasis on naming and celebrating teaching as a vocation, so that teachers are affirmed in the great work they do in our schools. Only if they are positive about their own life-calling can they adequately convey a sense of vocation to those whom they educate."
The directors acknowledged the difficulty many schools have in finding teachers who are strong in their faith.
"They expressed a desire that those who train teachers would encourage their students to see the profession they are entering as a vocation and also as one that involves helping young people in their own vocational discernment," the statement said.
The directors expressed their satisfaction that more diocesan-level vocation discernment programs and initiatives are being implemented.
FORREST GUMP GOES TO HEAVEN
The day finally arrived. Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is at
the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the gates are
closed, and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper.
St. Peter said, "Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you. We have
heard a lot about you. I must tell you, though, that the place is
filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination
for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can
get into Heaven."
Forrest responds, "It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir. But
nobody ever told me about any entrance exam. I sure hope that the test
ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was."
St. Peter continued, "Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three
questions.
First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T?
Second: How many seconds are there in a year?
Third: What is God's first name?"
Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day and
sees St. Peter, who waves him up, and says, "Now that you have had a
chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers"
Forrest replied, "Well, the first one -- which two days in the week begins
with the letter "T"? Shucks, that one is easy. That would be Today and
Tomorrow." The Saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, "Forrest, that
is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not
specify, so I will give you credit for that answer. How about the next
one?" asked St. Peter.
"How many seconds in a year? Now that one is harder," replied Forrest, but
I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve."
Astounded, St. Peter said, "Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in Heaven's name
could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?"
Forrest replied, "Shucks, there's got to be twelve: January 2nd, February
2nd, March 2nd... "
"Hold it," interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you are going with this,
and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in mind....but
I will have to give you credit for that one, too. Let us go on with the
third and final question. Can you tell me God's first name"?
"Sure," Forrest replied, "it's Andy."
"Andy?" exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter. Ok, I can
understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions,
but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first
name of God?"
"Shucks, that was the easiest one of all," Forrest replied. "I learnt it
from the song,
"ANDY WALKS WITH ME,
ANDY TALKS WITH ME,
ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN."
St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: "Run Forrest, run."
God bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter's, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
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