Catholics, Conscience, and Catholic Healthcare

1777 Moral conscience, (Rom. 2:14-16) present at the heart of the person, enjoins him at the appropriate moment to do good and to avoid evil. It also judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil.(Rom. 1:32) It bears witness to the authority of truth in reference to the supreme Good to which the human person is drawn, and it welcomes the commandments. When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking. (CCC Part Three, Life in Christ: Article 6: Moral Conscience: I: The Judgement of Conscience)

I remember when I was younger, becoming aware of my conscience. It told me when I did something wrong, such as lying. My parents brought me up to know what was good and what was bad. (Evil was a concept I would learn about later in life.) However, I realized eventually how important our consciences were in the vast scheme of societal cohesion. When you have a society that understands it is wrong to lie, cheat, steal, and murder (all condemned by God), then you have a society that is rewarded with peace and security.

But things have changed.

Over time, there has been a systematic attack on morality. Everything from featuring more sex and violence in movies to the insidious statements from the "open-minded," who say, "What is true for you is not true for me." All of this has shifted morality into a gray, muddled area where clarity is nothing more than a distant memory, if even that.

When I was younger, it was clear what was right and what was wrong. My parents taught it, the schools enforced it, and the entertainment industry supported it. Today, most of that is gone. Instead we have confused parents, cowardly schools, and corrupt entertainment. Is it any wonder we now have young people who do what they think is right in their own eyes, not realizing they have no standard to guide them?

I am reminded of these verses (emphasis mine):

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (1 Tim. 4: 1,2 NIV)

Our consciences can be "seared" or calloused from a lack of awareness and a devotion to God and His precepts. If we allow the world to dictate our morals (or lack thereof), then we are doomed to a life of emptiness and despair. There is no gray area when it comes to God's directives for our lives. His Word brings truth, light, and life. Straying from Him only leads to darkness.

And that's where we are, right now. Darkness.

To think that our sitting President of the United States would tell the Catholic Church to violate their conscience in order to comply with questionable legislation regarding healthcare is stunning. But his administration has done just that.

I am ashamed that Kathleen Sebelius, the current Secretary of Human and Health Services, is a Catholic from Cincinnati, Ohio. She has brought shame on Cincinnati, Summit Country Day School, Ohio, and the rest of our country for promoting what is truly a violation of conscience for American Catholics. The fact that she identifies herself as a Catholic only adds more pain.

From the Catholic Herald U.K. (emphasis from article):

Obama’s health secretary has now issued a ruling: that under his administration’s Health Care Act not only must any provider of health care be prepared to supply artificial contraception (including drugs which, though labelled contraceptive, are in fact abortifacient) but that that definitely includes Catholics (for the CNS story, see here):

(CNSNews.com) – Cardinal Donald Wuerl, head of the Catholic archdiocese of Washington, DC, issued a warning last week against the implementation of an Obamacare regulation that would place many Catholic employers in an “untenable position” by requiring all health care plans to cover sterilization and abortion-inducing contraceptives, in violation of religious liberty and particularly Catholic moral teaching.

His warning coincided with a full-page ad by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which said the regulation, set to start on Aug. 1, 2012, could “severely curtail” Catholic health care providers.

Catholic institutions account for 12.7 percent of the nation’s hospitals, according to the 2009 American Hospital Association Annual Survey, with more than 5.6 million patients admitted to Catholic hospitals in a one-year period. An additional 1,400 long-term care and other Catholic health facilities are present in all 50 states, according to the Catholic Health Association of the United States. Also, there are about 70 million Catholics in the United States.

It makes me wonder what the 54% of Catholics who voted for Obama are now thinking.

Do they have a conscience that has not been seared? Is there still a chance the Holy Spirit will revive their consciences and give them a tender heart toward the things of God? Is there any hope that they will turn away from the world, their allegiance to a political party that is clearly (at this point) anti-Catholic and rise together in union with other Catholics who rightfully condemn this act?

It is my deepest hope that yes, they will do this. Now is not the time to quibble about partisan differences. Now is the time not only for Catholics to come together as one, but for all Christians in our great country to rise up and make their voices heard.

As Chuck Colson astutely observed in his profound article, "First It Was the Catholics" (emphasis mine):

Folks, I’ve been warning for more than a year now that the Administration is constricting religious liberty bit by bit. It has abandoned any defense of traditional marriage. It is promoting gay rights abroad at the expense of religious rights. And I’ve documented that the Administration, beginning with Secretary of State Clinton, has intentionally used the phrase “freedom of worship” instead of “freedom of religion,” implying that one’s faith is a private matter — and that exercising that faith in public is not a protected right.

Well, if the Administration’s latest move isn’t proof of that, I don’t know what will be.

Now, to all my evangelical brethren who may be wondering why I’m making so much of this — after all, the vast majority of evangelicals don’t have a problem with contraception — I will say this: Which of our religious convictions will we be forced to abandon one day? Will our religiously affiliated groups be forced to hire people who oppose our faith? Will the government force a curriculum upon our schools and homeschoolers? Just a few years ago these possibilities seemed crazy. Now, they seem very real.

We must stand and fight against such a blatant attack on our freedom of religion in our country. Refusal would not only put our freedom in jeopardy, but prepare society for even more darkness to descend upon it.

Let's be the light and remind our country that yes, conscience still matters, as well as our freedom.

Why I Love Religion and Love Jesus: A Response to Jefferson Bethke

I first saw this video, "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus," a few days ago. It has since gone viral, with many of the "I'm-spiritual-not-religious" crowd cheering its ascent. It reminded me of the many posts I've written about my departure from the non-denominational church. It also reminded me of how often I rejoice in the Catholic Church, the sacraments, and liturgy.

I can't blame Jefferson Bethke for his views. At one time, I also was a twentysomething who delighted myself with the hip "spiritual" crowd of a non-denominational church, bent on reaching the "unchurched" with our cool, un-demanding church services. If you've not seen the video yet, here it is:

If you're unfamiliar with "spoken word," it's a style of poetry where the person stands up to recite a poem entirely from memory, with the cadence of a rapper and some dramatic gestures thrown in. I like spoken word and someday would like to try it. I may even create my own spoken word response to this one. We'll see.

But the point of this post is to once again challenge the notion that religion and love of Jesus are somehow incompatible or diametrically opposed from one another. From my church "world tour," I can now see the fallacy of such an argument.

Other Catholic writers have done a fantastic job in challenging this young man's points. Marc from the blog "Bad Catholic" hammered Bethke for the outrageous claim that Jesus Christ came to abolish religion. Just because a few hard-headed and hard-hearted Pharisees questioned Jesus' claims (and Jesus' responses to them), doesn't mean Jesus wished to kick Judaism to the curb.

Catholic apologist Jimmy Akin also weighed in and wisely pointed out that you cannot separate the Church from Jesus Christ, and you can't separate religion from Christ and the Church. I think both posts are well worth a read.

And my additional thoughts are this: Religion is for adults. As St. Paul says, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways." (1 Cor. 13:11) Just as in the natural world, there is an evolution from being a child to becoming an adult; so it is in the spiritual world.

When we are young, we are naturally self-absorbed. We look for our own needs to be met and if we don't have adult supervision that reminds us the world does not revolve around us, we can easily become spoiled and carry that view into adulthood. As children, we don't want to do anything if we don't "feel like it." We want to choose the best slice of pie instead of giving it to our little brother. We think it's vastly unfair that our parents interrupt our fun by telling us it's time to go to bed. Every time a wise parent says "no" to our demands, we twist inside, angry and resentful while realizing deep down that it just might be for our own good.

When a person suddenly becomes serious about their relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, there is a beautiful elated period that many call "the honeymoon." Everything is sunshine and roses. The person can't help but tell others of this amazing thing that just happened to them. They often try wrong-headed but good-hearted approaches to get others on board. They splash around the Bible, delighting in deeper study because now the Holy Spirit is showing them the many beautiful facets of truth.

And then reality sets in.

Reality is suddenly realizing that there is suffering involved. Sacrifice. Prayer that often feels dry. Meeting people in church that you really don't like. Tackling church politics and responding to false accusations with love, truth, and grace; followed by more prayer for those who want to destroy you.

What is the foundation that will help a Christian withstand such challenges while maturing them in their faith? Is it what I now call the "entertainment centers" where the biggest draw to a church service is a rocking worship band? Is it the squishy doctrine of the "Emerging Church" where they claim they're unsure what the Bible says about homosexuality? The Emerging Church also wants to find common ground with Islam, which is another topic altogether regarding polytheism but serves as a reminder that gnosticism is alive and well.

Perhaps the reason religion gets such a bad rap is because it expects something from us. There is a specific doctrine that requires obedience. This doesn't sit well with those who wish to believe whatever they believe because it's "true for them." Rationalization is often an attempt to justify doing whatever we want, whenever and wherever. Much like the child who argues with a parent that if they stay up past their bedtime to watch a movie, they'll still be able to get up early the next morning.

Bethke says in the video regarding religion (He says 'see' quite often. But I don't think he does.):

"See, one is the work of God, the other is a man-made invention. See, one is the cure, but the other is the infection. See, because religion says 'do,' and Jesus says 'done.' Religion says 'slave,' Jesus says 'son.' Religion puts you in bondage while Jesus sets you free. Religion makes you blind, but Jesus makes you see. And that's why religion and Jesus, are two different clans. Religion is man searching for God, Christianity is God searching for man.

... So for religion? No, I hate it. In fact, I literally resent it. Because when Jesus said 'It is finished,' I believe He meant it."

Hoo boy.

So religion is an infection? A man-made invention? How does one square those views with the fact that God gave to Israel the Ten Commandments? And Levitical law? And Deuteronomy? (Which interestingly enough, the Hebrew word for Deuteronomy is Devarim, which means 'spoken words.')

And the "do" and "done" doesn't make sense. Yes, Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross paid for our sin, but that doesn't mean we as believers in Christ have nothing left to do. St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil. 2:12)

The Greek word for "work out" is katergazomai, and it means "to perform, to accomplish, to achieve." Yes, Jesus paid the price, but it is I who am dependent upon the mercy and grace of God to live my life by doing the will of my heavenly Father.

And how does this doing come about? Is it from attending an entertainment center? Or is it from an intentional inquiry into doctrine to which I am held accountable? Does the doing come about because I float from one experience to the other? Or does it come from acknowledging there are rules to obey because they bring life and not death?

I made a joke when I first returned to Catholicism that I wanted to create tee-shirts which said, "I'm Religious, Not Spiritual." I find great value in religion and view it as bringing good into this world. I believe religion offers a high standard to which we all should aspire. I do not believe this conflicts with Jesus' mission to the world and certainly don't believe that Jesus came to "abolish religion." If anything, Jesus' mission boosted religion's purpose. No longer was obedience to religious tenets a tedious and difficult affair as man fought with his flesh in fulfilling the Law. With the grace of God extended to man through the propitiation of Jesus Christ's death; religion was now a joyful adventure as man was strengthened by the Holy Spirit to live a life obedient to God. Jesus Christ abolishing religion? Far from it (emphasis mine):

Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:17-20)

It doesn't sound as though Jesus is hatin' on the scribes and Pharisees in these verses. In fact, He is intentionally extolling them as role models. In Jesus' day, the Pharisees were the religious sect that represented the common people. It was the Sadducees who were comprised of elite and aristocratic Jews. The Sadducees were also sticklers for the written word while the Pharisees were into the oral tradition. They might of liked Bethke's performance but have been mystified by his points.

In summary, Scripture does not support Bethke's assertions.

Religion has done far more good than bad in this world. It has served as a strong foundation for building up the faith of many Christians. It has challenged Christians throughout history to serve God, no matter how high the cost and to bring the gospel to the lost. It has given Christians a clearly defined path toward becoming holy. It has drawn believers closer to God.

This is why I love religion. When Jesus Christ said He would not leave us orphans, He meant He would not leave us without the proper care and instruction a parent would give to His child. How else is this care and instruction provided except through the structure of religion? Who else can give this care and instruction except the apostles of Jesus Christ, who are our priests and bishops? And who else can lead the distribution of the care and instruction so it is consistent and accurately available to all, except our Pope?

St. Ignatius of Antioch said this in 107 A.D.: "Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

There is truth to be had in St. Ignatius' words. I am hoping the Jefferson Bethkes of the world will hear them.

My Still Life From Long Ago

Hilary Jane at Orwell's Picnic reminded me of my own artistic creations, long ago. This was a still life I did in 1992 when I took some art classes from a wonderfully eccentric older single woman who lived in a mansion. (Her living quarters were on the ground floor and she rented rooms on the second floor. Her class studio was on the second floor.)

She would take various objects and throw them together on a table, with a white sheet draped behind it and that would be my "lesson." She was great in urging me to be stronger with my pencil, instead of lightly sketching everything. The dark shadows are the result.

Prayer Request (Edited) Good news!

This will be quick. In a few minutes, we'll be going to the hospital where my husband will be having his colonoscopy. It's been almost one year since last year's cancer scare. His tumor was removed and no other cancer cells were found in his body. By God's grace, we pray that today he'll receive a clean bill of health.

We're both a bit nervous, so prayers for him, first and then for me. :-) I know God has everything under control. I ask that we both would be given God's grace to accept whatever is His will. Thank you so much and God bless you for your prayers.

Edited to add: Great news! They found just one little polyp and removed it. The doctor said he didn't need to see Mickey for another colonoscopy for 3 years. This is such wonderful news! Mickey was very concerned, as you might imagine, and of course, so was I. I am deeply thankful for your prayers. I felt the peace of God in the waiting area and knew I felt answered prayer. God bless you guys!

Are Catholics Returning to the Church More Traditional?

I ask this question because I've been noticing an interesting trend over the past few years. Most of the emails I've received from other Catholics who have returned to the Church have definitely been more traditional. I don't know if this is a result of growing older (and wiser) or if they, like me, had enough of the "non-traditional" style of church.

I think it's interesting. I know that when I came back to the Catholic Church, I wasn't coming back for women's ordination, "social justice," or anything having to do with social issues. I came back for the Sacraments. I came back for the liturgy. I came back because the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass reminds me more than anything else of how far God went to forgive our sins and expresses His desire to make us into saints.

I view the non-denominational churches with compassion, for the most part. I know they're trying their best. My brother now attends one. But what they are unable to give are the Sacraments. If one were brutally honest with the history of the Church, they would understand that there has been an unbroken line of authority that started with the Apostle Peter and continued to our current Pope.

Spiritual authority was pursued diligently by the last non-denominational church I attended. There were teachings, books, CD's, mailing lists, newsletters, and magazines that were devoted to obtaining spiritual authority. Aside from deep Biblical study, the consensus was that in order to receive spiritual authority, one had to be chosen by God ("anointed"), and the requirement for that was having a humble heart.

I've devoted many years to serving the non-Catholic, non-denominational church. Throughout those years, I studied the Bible, prayed, and meditated. I met people who I would say did indeed have spiritual authority. But now that I have returned to the Catholic Church, I will say they can not compare to the Catholic holy men and women I've met since, who have something that seems much more authentic.

In my city, we are blessed to have some amazing priests. Some have just been ordained and are especially inspirational. I realize what a great sacrifice it is to become a priest. And I wonder if it is sacrifice that is truly the "secret ingredient" to spiritual authority?

Jesus Christ sacrificed a great deal during His life in order to bring men and women back to God. His ultimate sacrifice occurred on the Cross. However, without the sacrifice of the Cross, Jesus Christ could not have defeated death. By loving His Father so much and placing obedience to His Father's Word above His own preference, Jesus was glorified. ("And Jesus answered them, 'The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.'" - John 12:23)

This to me, is the crux of spiritual authority. We are called to live our lives through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to set aside our will so as to embrace God's will. Within the Catholic Church, we have an abundance of saints who did just that. They sacrificed all so that they were able to glorify God.

Sacrifice is a tough word. I learned about it when I was a small girl, within the Catholic Church. Somehow, amidst all the guitar-strumming and the "kumbayas," I was able to grasp that there was something greater required of us as believers in Christ. It wasn't about my needs being met or attempting to right all the wrongs in society; but it about laying aside my preference and seeking God's purpose.

Which brings me back to my original question.

The traditional Catholics I've met understand sacrifice. There is a beautiful humility about them. They're not running around, insisting that their Diocese recognize social issues or demanding that women become priests. They're not complaining when a parish decides to no longer use altar girls. They're not outraged when a parish decides to ban a "gay pride" Mass.

Traditional Catholics are focused on one thing only: becoming holy. It is by this deliberate intention that the rest of society will be affected. Do those who involve themselves with social issues not remember the early Catholic martyrs? Do they really believe that those martyrs were killed because they were protesting the injustice of Rome? Or maybe they think the martyrs were killed because they demanded a redistribution of wealth. Who knows? But I do know the reason the martyrs were killed was because even though it was illegal to be a Christian, they would not deny Christ. And they went to their deaths singing hymns of praise.

Our world is on fire. Those of us with eyes to see and ears to hear realize that now is not the time for insisting the Church try to make everyone happy. Instead, now is the time for us to gird our loins and prepare for spiritual battle.

Because when greater persecution comes, what will give us strength and hope? Certainly not the knowledge that our local parish decided to support some liberal political candidate who is pro-choice. No. What will keep us strong will be our faith in Jesus Christ, our obedience to God, our trust in the Pope and the Magisterium, and our devotion to our Mother Mary and the saints.

I think that is why many have returned to the Catholic Church. And I believe more will come.

The Catholic Church: Sabbath, and The Lord's Day

Before retiring on Saturday night, I decided to pick up my copy of the Catechism to see what it had to say about observing the Sabbath. I knew it was one of the Ten Commandments, but realized I hadn't studied the Catechism to learn what it had to say about this particular commandment.

Section Two of the Catechism lists each commandment and how it relates to our Catholic faith. The article "The Third Commandment" was in the first section titled, "You Shall Love the Lord Your God With All Your Heart, and With All Your Soul, and With All Your Mind."

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work. 90

The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath. 91

(90: Ex 20:8-10; cf. Deut 5:12-15, 91: Mk 2:27-28)

Within the Catholic Church, Sunday is called "The Lord's Day." However, within it is still the core purpose of what the Sabbath was created to do -- mainly, to allow God's creation, man and woman, a day of rest from their labors.

Within Mosaic Law, there were strict regulations of what Jews could and could not do on the Sabbath. Today there are still strict rules and rabbinical debates, discussions, and consultations over what is permissible on the Sabbath and what is not.

However, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17 RSV) As Christians, we are no longer under the Law, as St. Paul said in his letter to the Romans (emphasis mine):

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:19-26)

The Catholic Church considers Sunday attendance at Mass as a fulfillment of the Sabbath. I knew we were were obligated to attend Mass every Sunday, but for whatever reason, I never associated it with the Sabbath. I just thought the Church wanted to make sure we didn't go astray because once you start skipping Mass, it's all too easy to allow sin to enter into your life without even realizing it. (And to be certain, the Church does want to make sure that doesn't happen.)

But I was surprised to find this (II The Lord's Day):

Sunday - fulfillment of the sabbath

2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ: 107

Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death. 108

2176 The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all."109 Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.

(107: Cf. 1 Cor 10:11, 108: St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Magn. 9, 1: SCh 10, 88)

So attending Mass is to "render to God and outward, visible, public, and regular worship" as a sign of God's goodness, kindness, and love toward all mankind. In other words, it is a powerful reminder to the world that God exists and loves mankind.

From another perspective, honoring the Lord's Day is a way to preach the Good News to the world that God is worthy of honor and worship. It is a sign that although everyone is busy the other six days of the week, believers in God and His Son take one day a week to pause and remember the goodness of God, reflecting His action and inaction when He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.

The Catechism continues to instruct us on how to treat the Lord's Day:

2184 Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,"121 human life has a rhythm of work and rest. the institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.122

2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.123 Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. the faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.

(121: Gen 2:2, 122: Cf. GS 67 # 3, 123: Cf. CIC, can. 120.)

Although Catholics do not have the strict guidelines of Jewish people, we are still expected to treat Sunday differently, refraining from work or activity that hinders the worship owed to God. It would seem there is latitude given to us as Catholics regarding what work or activities would "hinder" this worship. Personally, I know that after spending some time in thought and prayer, I realized I had been mowing through Sunday as though it was Saturday -- which caused me to question how was I honoring the Sabbath? Was I taking the time to properly honor God on this day? Or was I only giving Him a cursory nod of recognition for one hour during a Sunday Mass before heading off to do what I normally do the rest of the week?

Whatever you do, consider prayerfully what you do. I know for me, I am taking time to unplug from the Internet and spend the day reading and reconnecting with family and friends. I also prepared my home so that on Sunday, my time isn't taken up with laundry, cleaning, and cooking. For me, this ensures that I gain the benefits of fully resting, and yes, it has made a difference. I believe God knew how crazy our lives would become with all the obligations we would have, the responsibilities, and the demands on our time. Giving us one day to rest is a gift to us, helping us not only to recharge our batteries to but to re-invigorate our relationship with Him.

This section in the Catechism is well-worth reading and studying. I know there have been so many times in my life when I have felt fragmented; pulled in so many directions that I didn't know which end was up. And tired? When I push myself to do more and more and more, my natural bodily defenses wear down and lo and behold, I get sick. Or miss important events. Or forget important things. The list could go on.

My intention in writing about the Sabbath was not to claim that Christians were to honor the Sabbath in exactly the same way as Jewish communities (who are, for instance, forbidden to drive on the Sabbath), but to revisit this commandment and ask: what does it mean for me? How can I as a Catholic live out this commandment in a way that fulfills what God has intended?

There are many ways to honor the Sabbath, or the Lord's Day. I think what is important is simply that we take the time to inquire what that may entail.

Falling In Love With The Sabbath

We do not use the Sabbath merely as a "breather" to gather strength for our coming labors. We work during the week for the sake of creating our Sabbath rest.

The difference between the work we do the rest of the week and the rest we do on the Sabbath lies in the object toward which each is directed. With our labor during the week, we seek to change and improve the world. With our rest, we seek to change and improve ourselves and to renew our relationship with God, family, and community and truly feel how much we have to be grateful for. - Senator Joe Lieberman, The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath

I am really loving the Sabbath right now.

At the moment, my window is open to the night sounds. The soft chirping of the crickets rise above the occasional sound of a car. My work is done for the day and I've prepared my home for the Sabbath.

I can't quite explain how good it feels to be so intentional about all of this. I know my life will have ups and downs and at times I won't have an entire day to rest because of various reasons. But I know that I will try to protect this day in a way I never have before. Like a newly discovered treasure, I wish to keep it sacred and precious; not wanting to toss it aside. I may dally with meaningless diversions at other times, but the Sabbath has now become the meat of the week, the delicious, flavorful Prime Rib that makes the other days of Ground Chuck bearable.

Since "confessions" has been an ongoing theme, I'll share yet another. I don't spend enough time with God. As much as I love and honor Him, I don't yet spend much time in prayer. It wasn't always like this. I used to be involved in deep Scripture study and prayer when I was involved in the non-denominational churches and even after returning to the Catholic Church, faithfully prayed the Rosary and started to discover various prayers, which I loved. (The Sacred Heart of Jesus is one.)

I'm not sure if there was any one main reason, but over the past year, I became busy with other projects and started to decrease my time in prayer. If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you've seen me start several projects and then stop. There have been a few I've continued, but often I have a multitude of ideas but then lose interest after launching them. I've heard this is a weakness for creative folks.

But honoring the Sabbath is starting to turn me around. I have been looking forward to tomorrow all week. It's Wednesday, only three more days and then the Sabbath!

I have tasted the serene fruit of the Sabbath and now want more. I want to connect with my heavenly Father, focus on what is truly important, reconnect with my husband and allow my mind to take a break from all the concerns and worries from the week. I want to give one day to God to thank Him for everything He has done for me. I want to return to work on Mondays without dread or a feeling of weariness. It's quite amazing to me that taking the steps to make sure I don't do physical work on Sunday and setting aside my computer would make such a huge difference in my life, but it has.

I hope to discover more things tomorrow. I know that tonight I was ready to complain to my husband about something work-related and then stopped myself. I thought, "Tomorrow is the Sabbath. Jewish people take a break from even thinking about their jobs. I think I'm going to follow their lead." So I even started my "Sabbath thinking" early and decided to not even mention work and certainly won't tomorrow. In fact, if I think of it at all, it will be in gratitude to God for giving me a good job.

I'll be interested in anyone else's experience with honoring the Sabbath. It's becoming a bit of an obsession now with me and it would be interesting to see if anyone else has experienced a difference in their life such as becoming more peaceful or gaining a spiritual insight they didn't have before.

I'll keep you posted. :-)

The Surprising Benefits of Honoring the Sabbath

"Say to the people of Israel, 'You shall keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; every one who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout their generations, as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign for ever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.'" And he gave to Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. - Exodus 31:13-18 (RSV)

And Moses summoned all Israel, and said to them, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your hearing this day, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day. The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain.

He said: "'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "'You shall have no other gods before me.

"'You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

"'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

"'Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your manservant, or your maidservant, or your ox, or your ass, or any of your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day. - Deuteronomy 5:1-15 (RSV)

I remember as a small girl that Sunday was different from the rest of the week because we 1) attended Mass and 2) my father insisted that this was a "day of rest" and because of that, did not do any physical labor. Saturdays were usually a busy day around our house. My father would often be out in the yard, pruning bushes, tending a garden when we had one, or mowing the lawn. Or perhaps he'd be downstairs at his workbench trying to find a solution to something that wasn't working right. My mother and I would be in the house dusting, cleaning, and organizing when needed. Sundays were a welcome day of general inactivity although I do remember my mother often spending time in the kitchen, cooking the evening meal.

I discovered the book by Senator Joseph Lieberman called The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath. A few of my friends and family were surprised I'd read a book by Senator Lieberman because my politics are quite different than his; however, I have always had the utmost respect for him because he truly is a man of faith. The book validates this by Senator Lieberman's beautiful explanation of the traditions associated with Judaism as it relates to honoring the Shabbat, or as we Gentiles know it, the Sabbath.

Those close to me know that I have "a thing" for Israel and Jewish tradition. In fact, when I lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, I attended a Messianic Congregation for awhile, loving their service on Friday night, filled with these same traditions. I loved how a woman with a veil on her head murmured a prayer at the front of the room, two candles lit as she motioned with her hands a welcoming gesture, inviting the Sabbath to visit us once again. I remember the lovely peace and unity I felt as I looked around the room, noticing men with a kippa on their head, reverently bowing as they said their prayers. These were men and women who were raised as Jews and had accepted Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah) as their Lord and Savior.

When I first attended a Messianic Congregation service, I remember feeling as though I had been walking with one leg and then suddenly, the other leg was attached. I felt balance in this service, for I had realized long ago that Jesus Christ was a Jew who came first for the salvation of the Jewish people, and then for the Gentiles. I have always looked to the Jewish people as my brothers and sisters in the faith, even though some have rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah. I like that the Catholic Church continues to pray for unity to happen.

The Sabbath, as honored by the Jewish people, is a beautiful time of rest and reflection upon God's goodness. Although I grew up with the knowledge that Sunday was somehow "different," I eventually lapsed into treating it almost no differently than Saturday. As I read Senator Lieberman's book, I became convicted, realizing I was not honoring the Sabbath well and I wanted to change that.

So, I used Saturday to prepare and barely made it to midnight before my activities were done! (This was my fault for dawdling and not getting some things done earlier.) I usually do my laundry on Saturdays but especially made sure it was done. I wrapped up the dishwasher detail, making sure our everything was already cleaned and put away. I used the time to prepare our home as though a guest was visiting us because indeed, the Sabbath is a "guest" that appears only once a week.

I looked at various recipes, finally deciding on a Crock Pot chicken recipe that was simple. I boiled the noodles Saturday night, cut up the vegetables for the salad, and even boiled the water for my French Press and made coffee, pouring the fragrant liquid into an insulated carafe and tightly securing it before I retired for the evening. I was trying to avoid using the stove on Sunday. The only thing I did Sunday morning at 7 AM was put three ingredients into the Crock Pot and turned it to the low setting so it would be ready by dinner.

I also decided to stay off the computer. All day.

In case you didn't read that right, I meant to say ALL DAY. As in no checking email. No playing around with my digital photography or digital scrapbooking program. No surfing. No checking political websites.

I was 99.9% successful.

At one point, I was going to check a blog a friend had suggested. And this is where God exhibited a wonderful moment of chiding toward me. I opened my laptop, did a search for the blog, and found it. Suddenly, my husband appeared to ask me a question and then gently teased me by saying, "I knew you couldn't stay off the computer!" I was annoyed with myself for being weak and quickly shut the laptop's cover, saying, "Well, I was doing pretty good until you showed up!"

Ha. Good thing we both have a sense of humor. :-)

So other than that lapse of discipline, I did indeed stay off the computer for the whole day.

I realized something else: a great amount of my time is spent on the computer. Not only do I use it for communication with friends, family, and colleagues; I also use my computer for creativity and for accomplishing work (both my day job and side business.) What on earth was I to do without it?

After my husband left, I took the laptop off my desk and placed it elsewhere. I took the Bible and Senator Lieberman's book, and unearthed my journal, which I hadn't written in for (gulp..) six years. Yes, I actually used to write in a journal for many years before getting a computer.

So I read and meditated on the portion of Scripture that was included in the Sunday Mass' readings for the day. I had enjoyed Mass and spent a good amount of time catching up with friends at our "coffee and doughnuts" time afterward. I determined that I was not going to stop at a grocery store to pick up items needed for lunch or dinner, having already made the trip on Saturday. Earlier in the morning, I enjoyed a cup of coffee that was still hot from the carafe I had prepared the night before.

So during the day, I spent time reconnecting with my dear husband, taking a nap, and using the rest of the day for Bible study, personal reading, and even delving into a personal development workbook that I've had for years but never completed.

At 5:00, our dinner was ready. I emptied the cold noodles into the Crock Pot to warm them and quickly put together the salad with everything already cut and sliced. My husband and I tucked into our meal and enjoyed watching a movie together.

All in all, it was one of the most relaxing and refreshing Sundays I've had in quite awhile.

Throughout the day, I enjoyed silence. I noticed I was restless at first, but soon calmed down. I drove to Mass without the radio, which I usually do anyway, but this time I was mindful of the silence and used it intentionally for prayer.

By the time Sunday evening came, I felt like I was Jell-O. Soft. Pliant. Relaxed.

And here's the best part. That feeling stayed with me throughout my workday on Monday.

I haven't usually experienced the dreaded "Monday Blues" because my job has been fairly enjoyable. But lately, my boss has been stressed which has filtered to the rest of the company. For about six months, I've started to not look forward to Mondays, mainly because they've started to become full of frantic meetings with methodology upon methodology being hyper-designed. (Can I go to the bathroom? I'm not sure. Is there a methodology for that?...)

So on Monday morning, when a co-worker came into my office to start the day complaining (as she usually does), I actually didn't get irritated. In fact, I listened, said a few encouraging words, and then returned to work.

As she yapped on and on, I felt as though I was inside a warm, protective cocoon. I thought, This is what grace feels like. Thank You, Lord. Really. Thank You.

I truly believe that if I had not spent the previous day in rest, I would not have had that response. In fact, when another co-worker asked how my weekend went, I told him that I celebrated the Sabbath in a very special way and truly rested. I said, "I still feel like I'm in "Sabbath-land!" He smiled politely but I realized he didn't fully understand what I meant. But then again, he is the father of a toddler and just had a new baby. I think "quiet" and solitude are not common guests in his home at the moment.

What about you? How do you spend the Sabbath? Do you feel that you wish you could be more "still" before the Lord on this day? What's holding you back?

All I know is that it did take some extra planning to create the "day of rest" but my goodness, was it ever worth it. I am already looking forward to my next Sabbath Sunday, thinking about what I'll make for dinner and make sure we have fresh fruit available for breakfast and cold cuts for lunch.

Sabbath is indeed God's gift to us. But I didn't expect the graces of honoring Him to extend into the rest of the week. God, You are indeed so good!

Prayer Request (Edited) Good news!

My friend Kimberly has need for prayers for her little girl, Abigail, who recently visited an eye doctor, where some abnormalities were discovered in the nerves. She was referred to a neurologist and will likely have an appointment soon.

My friend is a home-schooling mother who has had many challenges to her own health last year. Little Abigail is nine, and I know that no mother wants to see their child go through anything like this.

Would you join me in prayer for Abigail's healing, and for peace and comfort for the family? I always ask for God's will to be done, but still, we are encouraged to ask our heavenly Father for help in time of need.

Bless you for doing so and I'll keep you posted.

---

UPDATE: Abigail is going to be alright! From her mother:

After 4 hours with a pediatric ophthamologist we have a diagnosis: Optic Nerve Drusen, astigmatism, farsightedness and intermittent esotropia.

This is wonderful news! It simply means that Abigail has a congenital eye disorder that could possibly cause problems later, but most likely will not. She has difficulty coordinating her eye movements and can't see things well up close. A very small cross to bear, considering the alternatives imagined by her very worried parents...

Thank you for praying! I can't imagine what it was like, wondering if the worst was ahead for this dear little girl. God is so good and merciful!

Take Heart: He Who Is In You Is Greater Than He Who Is In The World

Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. – 1 John 4:4-7

(Photo from Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog)

I just posted these verses on Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog to encourage him and a priest in need of prayer. I felt that perhaps someone reading my own blog may need to hear this.

We saw from the protests in Madrid regarding World Youth Day that the world is becoming more vocal regarding their hatred for the Church and anything having to do with God. The violence is escalating. No longer satisfied with hurling insults, some went so far as to physically attack these young pilgrims who came to Madrid to hear our Holy Father and partake of the Youth Day events.

I have a problem with violence but especially, violence against children and young people. The radical, fascist left, though -- has no problem attacking young people who are gathered together to celebrate their faith. Those of us who are Christian should not be surprised though, by the ugly vitriol that is coming at us with increased frequency. Although we are not outright condemning their sin, we are standing strong for Biblical truth. That in itself is cause for these types of attacks.

We stand for absolute truth in a world obsessed with moral relativism. We stand for purity in a world full of impurity and sexual recklessness. We stand for fidelity to God's commandments in a world hell-bent on destroying them. Because we stand, because we refuse to compromise on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, we are reviled.

So was Jesus Christ. So were the Apostles. So were all the saints. Folks, we're in good company! That God would choose us to be alive in this time so that we may glorify His name above ALL names is the highest honor He has given to our generation. We have been called out of the world in order to be a witness to it that God is in control, He reigns, and His mercy endures forever!

This world is a passing mist. What lies beyond our mortal coil is more beautiful and true than we could ever imagine.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:11-13

Above all, forgive. And love.

Phoenix Diocesan Cathedral: No Altar Girls (And the Liberals Go Wild)

Poor Fr. John Lankeit. He has quickly become persona non grata within his diocese after making the decidedly unpopular decision (with certain segments of the parish) to stop the practice of using young girls as altar servers.

It's a strange-looking equation, I know, but another priest has used it to justify his decision to ban girls from serving at Mass. Father John Lankeit, rector of the Phoenix diocesan cathedral, SS. Simon and Jude, argued, "The connection between serving at the altar and priesthood is historic. It is part of the differentiation between boys and girls, as Christ established the priesthood by choosing men. Serving at the altar is a specifically priestly act," according to the Arizona Republic. Girls will be allowed to be sacristans, preparing things for Mass like the altar societies of old.

Lankeit points out that not permitting girls to serve is part of the pastor's prerogative, but I wonder what would happen if he started restricting the ministry of lector to men, since that office, like the instituted ministry of acolyte, was also formerly part of preparation for priesthood. For that matter, "porter" was once the first step to holy orders, so by that logic hospitality ministers should all be men, too.

Those who took this practice too seriously for their own good are of course, going crazy (or as Fr. Zuhlsdorf likes to say, "throwing a nutty") over it. Before I respond, I always like to check the history of a situation. What has the Vatican said regarding altar girls to serving Mass? When did it happen? Why did it happen?

I found a few things. First, a helpful explanation on EWTN's website:

Many Catholics are perplexed by the authorization of girl altar servers by the Pope. They are uncertain about the pastoral wisdom of this decision given 1) the shortage of vocations to the priesthood, 2) the traditional place of altar boys as a source of vocations, 3) the tendency of some younger boys to not want to share activities with girls and 4) the natural religiosity of the female sex which results in their saturating non-ordained offices in the Church. Yet, it is a decision which has been made by the highest authority in the Church and to which Catholics must defer and make their peace.

See: [/library/curia/cdwcomm.htm]*

It is important to make some theological distinctions, too. This is not a matter of faith but of Church discipline. While having boys serve at the altar is a long-standing ecclesiastical tradition it is nonetheless a human institution, NOT divine, and therefore capable of change for sufficient reason. The judgment about what is sufficient rests with the Holy See.

What MIGHT have been those reasons? Since the Church had already opened other non-ordained offices to women (Reader, Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister, chancellor, marriage tribunal official and so on), all of which were previously excluded to women, and in some cases lay men also), the exclusion of girls from the unofficial office of "altar server" was something of an anomaly. In fact, it was on canonical grounds which the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts proposed ending this exclusion. For his part, the Pope may have been looking ahead to the publication only a few weeks later of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, his letter affirming the male only priesthood. The two decisions taken together amount to drawing precise theological lines between what is Church tradition and what is Apostolic Tradition, allowing women all offices in the Church not excluded by Divine Law (such as the priesthood).

* The letter to Catholic Dioceses from the Congregation for Divine Worship was released March 15, 1994.

Then I found on the Vatican's website, the Congregation for Divine Worship And The Discipline Of The Sacrament Instruction index, which included this section (Chapter II, The Participation of the Lay Christian Faithful In the Eucharistic Celebration, 2. The Ministries of the Lay Christian Faithful In the Celebration of the Holy Mass) Emphasis mine:

[47.] It is altogether laudable to maintain the noble custom by which boys or youths, customarily termed servers, provide service of the altar after the manner of acolytes, and receive catechesis regarding their function in accordance with their power of comprehension.[119] Nor should it be forgotten that a great number of sacred ministers over the course of the centuries have come from among boys such as these.[120] Associations for them, including also the participation and assistance of their parents, should be established or promoted, and in such a way greater pastoral care will be provided for the ministers. Whenever such associations are international in nature, it pertains to the competence of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to establish them or to approve and revise their statutes.[121] Girls or women may also be admitted to this service of the altar, at the discretion of the diocesan Bishop and in observance of the established norms.[122]

What I find interesting in section 47 is that the entire section speaks mostly of using boys or youth as servers because it bears the fruit of sacred ministers. This is the focus of Fr. Lankeit. In an age of dwindling vocations, he simply wants to create an environment in which a young boy has the opportunity to experience service at the altar, which may allow him more opportunities to discern a vocation to the priesthood or diaconate.

Here is where presumption entered: Many parishes looked at this new practice of using altar girls as a right, as though young girls were entitled to it; evidently under the guise of "fairness." But it was never to be received in that way from the very beginning. The Congregation for Divine Worship made it clear from the start that this practice was under the authority of the Bishop and he was to use discretion whether to make it available or not.

Furthermore, the practice was to be done in observance of the established norms. What are those "norms?" The Traditional Latin Mass is a good example. Just recently, the Vatican came out and said that female servers were not allowed to serve at the Extraordinary Mass.

Permission for female altar servers came with the Circular Letter of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments of 1994. However, the rubrics of the 1962 Missal did not allow for females on the sanctuary during Mass.

The letter, signed by Mgr Guido Pozzo, Secretary of Ecclesia Dei, said that "permitting female altar servers does not apply to the Extraordinary Form".

All I know is that the young boys at our local Traditional Latin Mass loathe putting on their long black cassocks and smelling perfume, obviously from when a girl wore them when serving the Ordinary Form Mass.

Do I blame them? Of course not. I can also say from observation the results of allowing young girls to serve at Mass are telling. Whenever I attend an OFM, and girls are serving, they are either the majority of the servers or the entirety of them. Boys at that age typically don't want to be involved if girls are doing it.

On the other hand, I observe my local EFM, where we have a large processional. In fact, there are usually no less than 14 boys and young men serving at the altar. We have boys as young as 6, high school boys, and a few in their late twenties and early thirties who serve. When the seminarians show up, it gets pretty crowded!

Does this exclude girls from contributing to the parish? No. There are other areas of service available but since they're not as prominent as serving at the altar, often they're overlooked or minimized. These services can be within the sacristy or outside of it within the many activities of a parish. It can be involvement with CCD or a ministry to the poor and invalid. We have a hurting world that is desperate need of the saving graces of our loving heavenly Father and there are a myriad of ways to respond. Serving the altar during Mass is just one part of it.

However, I will say this: our parish that celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass has produced more vocations than I've ever seen in my life from any other parish. These young men are responding to the more traditional expression of our Catholic faith and the proof is in the numbers.

I would love to learn how much the vocations have increased since 1994, in the parishes that have used altar girls. I'm suspecting -- not much. But such logic seems to fall upon deaf ears for those who insist upon "fairness" but have no understanding of the larger issue at stake; I'm sure such a statistic will never be shared.

Prayer Request

I just found out that the 38-year old son of a parishioner has died due to drowning. The parishioner and his wife are very active supporters and promoters of my parish's Traditional Latin Mass and a Solemn Requiem Mass will be offered for the funeral on Friday.

Prayers for the family would be very much appreciated.

Detoxificaton: Juice Fasting and Perhaps Fasting For The Mind?

One week ago, I sat in our hustling, bustling undercroft after Mass with my friend, Kimberly, as she excitedly shared her discovery of juicing, and in particular, juice fasting. She had watched the documentary, Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead; and was convicted. She found a juicer on Amazon reasonably priced, and ordered one.

She and her family live in a rural area, around farmers. So she already has a lovely garden bursting with fresh produce. (And yes, I'm envious!) But as she shared with me her story of experiencing what could be the beginning of rheumatoid arthritis, I realized she may have been on to something. Kimberly is younger than me but has undergone surgeries and various health issues during the past year. This is a busy mother with six children who homeschools. As you can imagine, she doesn't have time for such things! After doing a ten-day juice fast, Kimberly says she feels amazing and the aches around her joints have decreased considerably. She has lost 16 lbs. and feels that her health has significantly improved.

However, after talking with her, I was also convicted and because we're also Netflix customers and this documentary was in the "instant view" section, we were able to stream it to our TV and watch it. My husband and I were amazed by the story of Joe Cross, an Australian, and his journey toward health. Along the way, he traveled to the United States and started to talk to people about what they ate. When you hear one person say they'll eat whatever they want, it sounds normal. But when you hear one person after another talk about the junk food they eat, you get a clearer picture of how far we've fallen from enjoying the wonderful bounty of delicious food God has created for us.

I remembered that years ago, my grandmother (RIP, Grandma C), had given me a juicer. I didn't know what to do with it and couldn't imagine using it. But I thanked her for the very nice gift and put it away in one of my cabinets. This juicer has moved with me over the past 15 years, give or take a few. Seriously. I never thought to give it away and now am so glad I didn't. After watching the documentary, I found it and took a closer look. Sure enough, it's a centrifugal juicer and could do the job of juicing vegetables and fruits. Thanks, Grandma!

At the moment, I'm drinking a delicious fruit juice breakfast drink of strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and a banana. I juiced the first three and then placed the fresh juice in a blender with some ice and the banana. I add pineapple when I have it. (And I do have one in the fridge, I just haven't peeled it, yet.)

In one word: heavenly!

I've been doing an intermittent juice fast for six days. I juice for breakfast and lunch or breakfast and dinner, and then eat a healthy meal for my third meal. (2/3rds of the meal is vegetables and 1/3 meat.) I'm now going to enter a full fast (all three meals will be juiced vegetables and fruits) for 10 days to give my system a "re-boot" and detoxify it. I've already weaned myself off sugar, caffeine, and wheat products. So it's going to be interesting to see the effects of the full fast.

I've already seen results. I've lost six pounds, and gained more energy. I'm starting to sleep better, too. I used to have puffiness around my lower legs and ankles and I'm amazed to see that I no longer have that. And yesterday during the Latin Mass (where there is plenty of kneeling), I noticed my knees weren't aching as much. Very interesting!

I also got the book, Total Juicing: Over 125 Healthful and Delicious Ways to Use Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices and Pulp by Elaine LaLanne, widow of Jack LaLanne. I'm finding some recipes I can't wait to try. I think it's really interesting, mixing different vegetable and fruit juices together to make something delicious. (Note: some of these drinks can taste intense, though! Especially anything using kale.)

As I experience a fast, I'm thinking it may be good to fast from the gloom and doom news, too. Instead, I'll be listening to good music and praying more than I have been. I've been wanting to do this fast but was looking at it from a "lack" perspective, such as "I won't be eating food" and then I focused on all the ramifications of that. Now I'm looking at it with an abundance perspective, such as "I have more time to pray, to enjoy other things, to get things done." With the "fasting" of my mind from the negativity of the news, I think I'll also reap some benefits.

Who knows? Maybe it will jump-start some blogging topics! :-)

John Corapi and Why I'm More Anti-Super Hero Than Ever

I found this in my comment section:

As much as I would like to agree with you I can not. The situation with John Corapi is horrible, BUT the response of Fr. Corapi is wrong. He is choosing to not be obedient!He took a vow of obedience. Right, wrong or indifferent he abandoned his priestly life and has turned his back on the Church he proclaimed to love! - By bgualteros on "My Heart Is Saddened, But I Understand: Fr. Corapi Leaving Priesthood"

"bgualteros," I now stand with you.

At first, I (like many others), thought Fr. John Corapi was being deliberately targeted by those who were his fiercest critics. And in my eyes, those were the liberal Catholics who believe in things such as same-sex marriage, abortion, and the ordination of women as priests. When I returned to the Catholic Church, I was appalled by the level of worldly thought in it. Instead of preserving the truth that had been lovingly given to the Church, parts of her now seemed to be selling herself out to the highest bidder; which in the world, ends up being whomever has the power. And to me, the leftists have always been about power.

But back to Fr. Corapi. When I first heard him, I was deeply touched. I thought, "Here's a man who is unapologetically Catholic, who speaks the truth without fear, who encourages Catholics everywhere that we have a purpose and a mission to become saints. And in order to do that, we need our priests to tell us the truth and exhort us to run the race faithfully." I really did think he was an amazing priest.

But then, as we all know, accusations started to fly. We also know that false accusations have been flung at good people ever since Adam committed original sin. The moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God was the moment mankind entered into blame-shifting and false accusations.

Many have compared Fr. Corapi's situation to Padre Pio or even Jesus. They have rightly reminded others that even though someone is falsely accused, the response -- if we are to pursue holiness -- is to accept it as God's will for a higher purpose.

Within a church, there is a hierarchy of leadership. Even the smallest rural church usually has a small board of trustees or group of elders who help the leader with church operations. The pastor is accountable to that group. When a leader falls, it offers an opportunity to that church to either restore him or reject him. Many usually show the pastor the door. But in the Roman Catholic Church, it is a bit more complicated.

When Fr. Corapi was accused, he had the opportunity to be restored within his community. This is how the Catholic Church works. They don't want to laicize a priest but instead, restore him so that he can spiritually, mentally, and emotionally return to the calling upon his life.

However, Fr. Corapi chose not to do that. And that is what made all the difference to many of his followers. I still don't know what is true regarding his circumstances. But I will say that how he has responded in the face of these criticisms has told me more than words ever could.

He opened a blog called "Black Sheep Dog." (Strange title. On one hand he wants to be seen as a shepherd but on the other, an outcast.) He has painted himself as a victim, which to me runs completely counter to his past teachings about suffering and spiritual warfare. Life is tough. It certainly isn't fair. But according to God's word, we are promised that God will judge and bring justice according to His purpose. We can take that to the bank and for me, that is what gives me hope to live out each day.

I think this is what disappointed many of his followers. Instead of embracing suffering, as he has taught in the past -- he rejected it. So in essence, his credibility shattered as his new message became, "When the going gets tough and I can see no way around it, I'm quitting. I'm not ready to lay down and die!"

This mindset troubles me greatly. I emphasized the "I" because it reveals how often we can go off track when we rely solely upon our own perspective of a situation. None of us goes through life alone, even though we may be alone much of the time. If you're a Christian, you're never alone. We have been told by Jesus that He would not leave us orphans and He hasn't. He has given us the Church and the Scripture. Together, they both nourish and strengthen the believer as he makes his journey from birth to death.

Priests and all those who have taken vows may not be married but they still have plenty of support to help them when they need it. Instead of returning to live within his religious community, Fr. Corapi chose to "go it alone." Black Sheep Dog? I'd say he's more of a Lone Wolf. And believe me, I've seen plenty of them within the non-denominational church. In fact, perhaps the reason I empathize with his predicament is because to a certain extent, I'm one, too.

It is easy in our busy lives to isolate ourselves. It takes extra effort to make time to meet with friends and family. However, it is vital we do so if for nothing else than to allow ourselves to be transparent with those who love us and receive counsel and direction.

Fr. Corapi's bewildering choice was the beginning of several disappointments I experienced with others I had admired. I love to be around people who are positive and it's no surprise I gravitate toward leaders who seem to emulate that. I like people who are big thinkers, who are risk-takers and reject naysayers who claim something can't be done. Those are the type of people who bring progress to the world and growth to human development.

But too often, such people start to believe their own hype. They begin to expect special treatment -- then demand it from their followers. Just recently, I learned of James Arthur Ray's conviction in a trial that held him responsible for three deaths in a sweat lodge ceremony. Ray, for those unfamiliar with him, was a popular self-help guru who made millions through speaking and selling his books. He was someone many looked up to but in the aftermath of the tragedy, ended up being another flim-flam artist who deliberately preyed on the wealthy, played upon their insecurities, and manipulated them. A woman who worked at his events for years finally became disillusioned enough to write a book about the tragedy in Sedona, Arizona although still tries to salvage her beliefs by claiming she still learned some things.

Well, I've learned some things, too. I've learned to stop focusing on those who seem to be "celebrities" and instead focus on God. I fear that for many, such personalities become an idol of sorts. Instead of looking to the Bible and our Church for guidance and instruction; they follow some charismatic leader, swallowing every word without question.

After my experience with the last non-denominational church I'd ever be involved with; I can say I was disillusioned on a major level. In fact, I was so disillusioned that it would be years before I felt comfortable in a church again. And when I found that comfort, of all places, I found it sitting in a pew attending Mass the day after we buried my mother.

I still admire people, but no longer am in awe of them. I thought I had given that up but yet again, recently, discovered another leader I admired in the business world also proved to be an opportunist. The "authenticity" I thought I was seeing seemed to be a facade. Guy Kawasaki, a venture capitalist, author, and Apple Fellow, was someone I admired because of his business moxie. He has written several books about start-ups and being an entrepreneur.

I followed him on Twitter. He even responded to a few of my tweets which of course, made me feel good. I thought it was amazing that a man who had so many "followers" was genuinely trying to engage people. Then came Google+ and I received an invite from a co-worker for the newest addition to social media. I started to look for familiar faces to follow and found Guy Kawasaki. I added him to my "circle" and soon my "stream" (a stream of posted updates from people you follow) was filled with Guy's endless promotions.

His recent promotion was to push his latest book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, And Actions. What an ironic title, given that his behavior was soon going to change my mind about him and not in a positive way.

One day, I saw an update from him that featured a cover of Newsweek Magazine with Sarah Palin on it, and under her photo, her quote "I Can Win." He said that the best caption for the cover would win a free copy of his book. Then added his own caption that said something like, "If you do, I'm moving to Canada." The rest of the comment/entries were 97% anti-Palin.

I quickly typed a comment: "I am sorry to see this. I was hoping Google+ would be a place where I'd see big ideas discussed and new opportunities discovered."

Kawasaki's comment? "Well then maybe you shouldn't follow me because with me, nothing is sacred."

Really? Nothing is sacred? At that point I was tempted to say, "Nothing is sacred to you, perhaps, but the almighty dollar." Here was a popular speaker and respected businessman, who just wrote a book about enchanting people; totally going against the concept by deliberately polarizing people, let alone offending those who like Sarah Palin. It was at that moment I realized Guy Kawasaki wasn't that different than any opportunist who takes his gold wherever he can find it.

When someone who claims to "enchant people" uses popular politics to advance their agenda, it's time to say goodbye.

So pray for John Corapi. Pray for those who follow him. In fact, I'd say pray more for those who followed him, that they may discover Who truly is the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, and Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Because no matter what the world does, Our precious Lord Jesus Christ is with us, and will never let us down.