pacislander4life's Xanga

Can we attend the Weddings of Catholics which are not Catholic Ceremonies?

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:34:29 GMT

Can we attend the Weddings of Catholics which are not Catholic Ceremonies?

I was asked a more complex question relating to this, and I think the question above summarizes the points I wanted to make. First of all, I told the inquirer that she should ask a solid orthodox priest this question. Only he could give some advice which is certainly more authoritative than what I would say.

But briefly, contrasting how I think two orthodox priests I know would respond, I would say the following.

1) Attending this ceremony is not advisable. At least one of them is Catholic, and they should know better. In this case, they are cohabitating before marriage, and presumably engaging in not so moral activities before marriage. So, attendance would give approval to such behaviors. Secondly, in this case, it is a non-denominational ceremony, which is also not advisable to attend, because it gives approval to their religion’s legitimacy. This too would extend to the reception. This does not mean the marriage is not valid. It may very well be.

2) You may attend this ceremony out of respect and love for the two people. However, do not participate in any, if present, religious activities or rites.

Personally, I favor the first response. I do not believe ecumenism consists in sharing in religious ceremonies and even in prayer. I recognize the popes have done it, and even John Paul II did the utterly scandalous act of praying with pagans for peace, as if their false gods existed, let alone answered prayers for peace.

Laurence Gonzaga

What is true religion?

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:32:08 GMT

What is true religion?

A compilation of direct and paraphrased quotes from theology manuals

Laurence Gonzaga

The reason why I researched this particular doctrine is due to my presentation on John Calvin and the modern exposition of “classical reformed theology”. I presented the principles of reformed thought according to Dr. R.C. Sproul, in his book, What is Reformed Theology: Understanding the Basics. In the first chapter he contrasts what he believes is true Christianity, one that is theocentric (God-centered), with what other denominations teach, namely the Roman Catholic religion, which could be described by some as anthropocentric (man-centered). The distinction is simple, the reformed theologians claim that they give primacy in their theology to God, and so the doctrine of God, namely His Sovereignty, is paramount. And so, all other doctrines must flow from this reality. For example, on the question of man's freedom, it would seem that if man's freedom must be preserved, over and above God's freedom to do as he wills, this limits God, and so they would see the doctrine of man's freedom as erroneous. Another example is the question of the atonement. Did Christ die for man to show forth the dignity of fallen man, or the glory of God? Depending on how you answer that, may make you a true Christian, or a heretic in their eyes. In any case, Sproul further contrasts theology with religion. He claims that theology is the study of God, whereas religion is the study of man's behaviors in response to God. For reformed theologians, God is the focal point, and so they would reject the use of the term religion, and favor theology. At first glance, this understanding of what theology is and what religion is was attractive to me. But, as it turned out, I myself did not understand what religion really is from the perspective of Catholic theology. Having surveyed some older sources, it became clear to me that religion is more than just one of many systems of worship of God, gods, godesses, etc. It is man's response to his duty to the Almighty and Everliving God. I tried to select passages from these sources which did not just repeat what the other sources stated.

AMDG.

Laurence Gonzaga

Religion may come from the word relegere, which means to gather together. It may also come from re-eligere, which means to choose again. But most likely it comes from religare, which means to bind fast. It is the whole order or arrangement whereby man is subject to God. Objectively, it is the collection of truths and services where man orders his entire life toward God, which includes three essentials: (1) intellect – doctrines and dogmas about God, about man, and about the way to God; (2) will – the rule of precepts; and (3) worship, whereby man professes by his actions the Supreme Lordship of God. Subjectively, it is man's voluntary ordering of his life toward God by accepting moral truths and undertaking obligations of worship. The special acts of religion are: faith, adoration, thanksgiving, petition, and penance for sins. Religion can be natural, derived from pure reason alone and reflecting upon the natural world. Religion is supernatural when it is derived from revealed truth from Revelation. This religion is Primeval when it pertains to Adam and the patriarchs, Mosaic when it pertains to religion promulgated by Moses, and Christian when it relates to religion preached by Christ (Manual of Dogmatic Theology, Vol. 1, p. 11-12).

“Religion consists in a knowledge of God and a life corresponding to the will of God. Religion is not a matter of feeling; it is a matter of the will and of action, and consists in following out the principles that God has laid down... Man becomes like to God when all his thought and action resemble the divine thought and action. The commandments of God are a mirror, in which we recognize whether our actions are like or unlike those of God” (The Catechism Explained, p. 75). “But a mere knowledge of the truths of religion is not sufficient; they must also be practiced” (p. 80).

We owe our being and existence to our Absolute Lord, and because we are so dependent on God, we owe him due reverence, more than we owe towards our parents. “We are obliged to submit to him. We are obliged to observe the “Ten Commandments” which he himself proclaims to us through our conscience; these commandments are built into our very nature: every human being, in fact every child who has reached the age of reason, knows them even without revelation. This attitude towards God is religion. By the word religion we mean a relationship of reverent submission and subjection of man towards God. It is man's fundamental attitude and relationship towards God... religion takes possession of the whole man: understanding, will, and feeling... Without religion, man sinks to the level of the beast... religion is the strongest tie which binds men together... Religion is an absolute necessity for the existence of human society... A religion which has its roots in God as Lord and Master is also the best protection for our personal liberty.” Even the pagan philosophers like Aristotle, Plato and Cicero, unaided by divine revelation, but relying only on pure reason articulated the importance of religion in society. (Dogmatic Theology for the Laity, p. 17-19).

Religion is a living union of man with God. It is also the homage paid by man to God. “We speak of true religion, and of false religions. The true religion is that which pays to the true God that homage sanctioned by Himself or dictated by reason. Those religions are false in which either a false god is worshiped or a false worship is paid to the true God. This idolatry is false, because it worships false gods; Mohammedanism is false, because it offers to the true God a false worship. The true religion alone deserves to bear the name of religion, because it puts man in proper relation to God”. Justice cannot exist without religion. Those who attempt to undermine religion bring ruin upon society and are therefore enemies of their country. “Religion is not only the expression of fear, but of joy and gratitude as well.” Natural religion is those truths which can be gathered from what God has revealed in nature, and can be arrived at by the light of unaided human reason. The science of religion is the queen of all sciences. The subject of religion is God and those things relating to God (Handbook of the Christian Religion, p. 1-5).

“No man can be good without religion... Religion is a form of JUSTICE. This means that it is concerned with what is right , and not merely with what is pleasant, useful, fashionable, or consoling... Many people look upon religion as a source of pleasure for themselves; they even derive gentle entertainment from it. For them it is little more than a pastime, a hobby or a luxury. When they feel like it, they practice it; when they do not, they neglect it... But their motive is the obtaining of pleasure for themselves. This is a perversion... These people are not interested in doing their duty to God; they want Him to serve them. For them the center of their universe is self, not God... Nowadays, religion has become identified with the service, not of God, but of man. Man is the god of the universe. Philanthropy has come to be regarded as better than prayer; it is now often thought that it is better to build homes for men than temples for God... Duty to God the Creator is more important than duty to man the creature. But duty to God implies duty to man. In fact, duty to man will only be properly fulfilled by those who are faithful to their higher duties to God... Multitudes of men today are indifferent to the practice of religion. They boast that they are Christians... But how do they differ from the pagans? To the personal practice of religion they are quite indifferent. In other words they are quite indifferent to God... Religion matters more than anything else in life. It is the one supremely important thing. It must occupy the most important place in every person's life--and actually in the life of every nation as well” (This is the Faith, p. 15-22)

“'Religion' whereby we pay our debt to God” (ST, Ia IIae q. 60 a. 3). “But Divine worship is the act of a virtue, viz. religion, which, as Tully says (De Invent. ii) 'offers worship and ceremony to the Godhead'” (ST, Ia IIae q. 99 a. 3, obj 2). “Justice alone, of all the virtues, implies the notion of duty. Consequently moral matters are determinable by law in so far as they belong to justice: of which virtue religion is a part, as Tully says (De Invent. ii). Wherefore the legal just cannot be anything foreign to the ceremonial and judicial precepts” (ST, Ia IIae q. 99 a. 5). “Augustine says that moderation should be observed, lest good conduct should become a burden to the faithful. For he says in reply to the queries of Januarius (Ep. lv) that, 'whereas God in His mercy wished religion to be a free service rendered by the public solemnization of a small number of most manifest sacraments, certain persons make it a slave’s burden; so much so that the state of the Jews who were subject to the sacraments of the Law, and not to the presumptuous devices of man, was more tolerable.'” (ST, Ia IIae q. 107 a. 4). “The sum total of the Christian religion consists in mercy, as regards external works: but the inward love of charity, whereby we are united to God preponderates over both love and mercy for our neighbor” (ST, IIa IIae q. 30 a. 4). “...in so far as it is directed to placate God, it has the character of a sacrifice, and thus it is commanded by religion” (ST, IIa IIae q. 32 a. 1). “The first is when a man changes his state of life, for instance, by entering religion, for then he gives away all his possessions for Christ’s sake, and does the deed of perfection by transferring himself to another state” (ST, IIa IIae q. 32 a. 6). “In this respect “religion” is annexed to justice since, according to Tully (De invent. ii, 53), it consists in offering service and ceremonial rites or worship to “some superior nature that men call divine” (ST, IIa IIae q. 80 a. 1). “Εὐσέβεια [piety] means “good worship” and consequently is the same as religion, wherefore he says that it is the science of “the service of God” (he speaks after the manner of Socrates who said that ‘all the virtues are sciences’)‡: and “holiness” comes to the same, as we shall state further on (q. 81, a. 8)” (ST, IIa IIae q. 80 a. 1). (p. 1413-1418).

Book Review: The Reign of Christ the King - Michael Davies

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:24:51 GMT

Book Review:

The Reign of Christ the King
By: Michael Davies

The Reign of Christ the King. Proves that Christ, being God, has an absolute right to reign in our social and political lives, as well as in our personal lives. This book is easy to read and important for our times, in which secularism and pluralism reign supreme. Provocative on every page!

$2.00

Order from TAN Books

Dear All:

This is an eye-opening booklet. I never did understand what the Church’s position was on Church and State relations. I had always heard Catholics uphold the democratic maxim of separation of Church and State. I never knew, until reading this book, and another of Davies’ books on Religious Liberty, that Leo XIII actually said that the separation of Church and State was a “pernicious error” in Vehementor Nos. This booklet argues that if we look at all the political trials that we are facing with the State today, namely the issues of homosexual “marriage” and abortion, that we have to understand that it is all rooted in one thing: the rejection of modern Catholics, whether traditional, conservative, moderate, or liberal, of the doctrine of the Social Kingship of Christ as explained in the powerful encyclical of Pius XII, Quas Primas.

Thus the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men. To use the words of Our immortal predecessor, Pope Leo XIII: "His empire includes not only Catholic nations, not only baptized persons who, though of right belonging to the Church, have been led astray by error, or have been cut off from her by schism, but also all those who are outside the Christian faith; so that truly the whole of mankind is subject to the power of Jesus Christ." Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society. "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved." He is the author of happiness and true prosperity for every man and for every nation. "For a nation is happy when its citizens are happy. What else is a nation but a number of men living in concord?" If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ. What We said at the beginning of Our Pontificate concerning the decline of public authority, and the lack of respect for the same, is equally true at the present day. "With God and Jesus Christ," we said, "excluded from political life, with authority derived not from God but from man, the very basis of that authority has been taken away, because the chief reason of the distinction between ruler and subject has been eliminated. The result is that human society is tottering to its fall, because it has no longer a secure and solid foundation."

AMDG.

Laurence Gonzaga

Book Review: Saint Advice (Barnes & Noble)

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:22:04 GMT

Book Review:
Saintly Advice: A Prayer for Every Problem
by Staff of The Philip Lief Group, Inc. (Produced by), Judith Capodanno (Editor)

Product Details

ISBN: 0760757895

ISBN-13: 9780760757895

Format: Hardcover, 192pp

Publisher: Barnes & Noble

Pub. Date: April 2004

12/29/08

This is a good little book going through the Saints which corresponds with particular problems or issues one may be afflicted, or blessed with, depending on how you look at it. Most of the Saints have some sort of depiction of the Saint, their feast day, a short bio of their life, as well as a short prayer asking for the Saint’s intercession for the problem that one may be facing. It can certainly be used as a reference book, but I read through it as if it were a book or encyclopedia of the Saints. It was interesting to discover new Saints, and to find out what they are known to intercede for, as strange as some may be.

AMDG.

Laurence Gonzaga

Book Review: Preparation for Confirmation

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:19:29 GMT

Book Review:

*Preparation For Confirmation* $5.00
Compiled by Angelus Press
STK# 3081

Product Description: An excellent way to prepare for, appreciate, and follow the rite of the sacrament of Confirmation. Divided into three sections:
Quiz yourself in Part 1 with regards to the minimum knowledge necessary to receive the Sacrament.
Part 2: Q&A catechism on the sacrament of Confirmation, explaining its 4 principal effects, the 7 gifts and the 12 fruits of the Holy Ghost.
Part 3 explains the rite of Confirmation.

26 pp. softcover

Dear All,

This is a pretty good book to have if you are helping prepare and are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is based off of the questions found in the Baltimore Catechism. It also contains the rite of Confirmation, in its English translation, of course. I read it in less than an hour and it was very easy to understand. Based on the questions asked, it presents a challenge to those preparing teens for Confirmation in the new rite. I wish I had this book when I was a Confirmation Catechist.

AMDG,

Laurence

Book Review: Liturgical Shipwreck - Michael Davies

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:15:42 GMT

Book Review:

Liturgical Shipwreck
28 Years of the New Mass
By: Michael Davies

The world's foremost author on the liturgical changes documents the disaster to faith and Mass attendance caused by the Novus Ordo. Written with utmost respect, he says, nonetheless, "Facts cannot be loyal or disloyal, and the facts concerning the collapse of Mass attendance are, alas, only too true." Firm in its conclusion we must return to the traditional Mass. A must for all!

Price: $2.00

“The liturgical reform, welcomed with so much idealism and hope by so many priests and lay people alike, has turned out to be a liturgical destruction of startling proportions—a debacle worsening with each passing year. Instead of the hoped-for renewal of the Church and of Catholic life, we are now witnessing a dismantling of the traditional values and piety on which our faith rests. Instead of the fruitful renewal of the liturgy, what we see is a destruction of the forms of the Mass which had developed organically during the course of many centuries.”
~ Msgr. Klaus Gamber, The Reform of the Roman Liturgy (1993), p. 5,

quoted in Liturgical Shipwreck, p. 30

What a shocking indictment of the “development” of the Novus Ordo Missae. This is the strongest language I have read yet on the liturgical crisis that the Church has endured for the last 40 years. While maintaining that the Novus Ordo liturgy is a valid Mass, in which Jesus Christ is present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, Davies makes a case for the utter “shipwreck” the liturgical reform has suffered. Calling upon his right and duty according to Canon 212 (CIC, 1983), to bring to the attention of his pastors his opinions for the good of the Church, he makes a succinct and powerful case for the abrogation of the Novus Ordo Missae, and the restoration and primacy of the traditional Roman form of liturgy. I will hold off on my personal opinion on this matter. But I found his presentation of numerous liturgical scholars and theologians critiquing the form of the New Mass, and why it is dangerous, to be very compelling. I have my reservations with some of his defense of the Society of St. Pius X, however. I have more study to do with regard to Canon law on this matter.

AMDG.

Laurence Gonzaga

Book Review : For the Visitor At Mass - Fr. Richard Ginder

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:10:24 GMT

Book Review:

*For the Visitor at Mass* $2.95
Fr. Richard Ginder
STK# 8266

Intended primarily for new-comers (Catholic or not) to the Tridentine Mass. Forty-seven striking color photos accompany the explanations of every major part of the Mass.

Sections include:

• What is the Mass?

• Mass of the Catechumens

• The Introit

• The Gloria

• The Epistle

• The Gospel

• Sermon

• The Creed

• Mass of the Faithful

• Offertory

• The Preface

• The Canon

• The Consecration

• The Our Father

• Holy Communion

• Final Blessing and the Last Gospel

• Prayers after Mass

The photographs are mini-meditations in themselves, clearly evoking the nature of the liturgical actions taking place. The explanations are rich in concise spiritual, doctrinal, liturgical and historical insights.

Can be read before the Mass as a preparation or read at Mass as you follow along. Priced inexpensively so that they can be freely given to anyone new to this form of the Mass.

Most importantly, you will learn to unite yourself to the Sacrifice of the Altar. This is a form of active participation that is little understood today...consequently, this book will deepen the faith of all Catholics.

48pp, softcover

Dear All,

I picked up this book when I was on my trip to Little Rock, AR. It was provided for use in the back of the parish where there is a Fraternity of St. Peter Apostolate. The book is very well done, with beautiful photos and easy to understand explanation of the Sacred actions at Holy Mass. I have ordered 25 of these at my last order, and will be providing them for $3.00. I will also be offering them at the Una Voce San Bernardino table after the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass at San Secondo D’Asti, while supplies last.

AMDG.

Laurence Gonzaga

Book Review: A Short History of the Roman Mass - Michael Davies

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:02:48 GMT

Book Review:

A Short History of the Roman Mass
By: Michael Davies

A Short History of the Roman Mass. A short, authoritative, enthralling history of the Roman Mass from the Last Supper to the "Tridentine Mass" as said today. Covers Low Mass, Sacramentaries, other Western Rites, etc. Highlights the reforms of Popes St. Gregory the Great (590-604) and St. Pius V (1566-1572). Says neither "reform" produced a "new" liturgy.

$2.50

Order from TAN Books

Dear All,

It certainly is amazing that Michal Davies can give us a presentation on the development of the Roman Rite for 1900 years in such a small little booklet of less than a hundred pages. It was very informative and answered many of my questions about the differences between the old and new liturgies. I never understood why the old Mass did not have what we have today, like Sacramentaries, and Lectionaries, and such. What I took from this piece is the fact that the Mass of John XXIII (1962), which is simply a revision of the Mass of Pius V (1570), took 1500 years of gradual and organic development to be codified finally by papal Bull, Quo Primum Tempore. This is in contrast with what the Concilium gave us with the New Mass (Mass of Paul VI, 1969), a Mass which was pieced together, with some retention of the Old Mass, lots of suppressions, and certainly with novelties which do not proceed from the prescriptions of Vatican II itself, as a careful reading of Sacrosanctum Concilium (Vatican II document on Sacred Liturgy) will prove. All that said, this is a wonderful little book.

AMDG.

Laurence Gonzaga

Book Review: Theological Reflection: Connecting Faith and Life

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:35:52 GMT

Theological Reflection: Connecting Faith and Life (Catholic Basics) (Paperback)

by Joye Gros

List Price:

$7.95

Paperback: 80 pages

Publisher: Loyola Press (July 2001)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0829417249

ISBN-13: 978-0829417241

Review By: Laurence Gonzaga

I had my suspicions about this book. Some of it was confirmed, but I was glad to see some very interesting methods and ideas in here. My major problem with it is that it encouraged relativism, perhaps not intentionally, but it puts forth the notion that we should avoid clarity and certainty in "theological reflection". I think I can perhaps understand this in a way which would not place the concept in the anathema due to relativism. However, if there is a qualification, I must have missed it.

The basic teaching is this: Theological reflection is not an exercise in certainty and factual truth. It is an exercise of relative meaning-making in the life of the Christian. There are in effect, three sources from which we can gather meaning in theological reflection. The first is experience, where we reflect upon what has happened to us, what is happening to us, and what our hopes are for the future. Second, we reflect upon the messages we have interpreted from the culture, with respect to the issue with which we are trying to find meaning. And thirdly, we look to our Tradition, which consists of the doctrines, dogmas, Scripture, and teachings of the Church. In theological reflection, we synthesize the insights we have gathered from those three sources and the composite of those sources, is the fruit of theological reflection. So, naturally, it has to be relative.

The method is also a three step process: First we Attend, that is, we pay attention to the salient features of the issue. Second, we Assert, that is, we make clear what we believe about the issue. And thirdly, Decision-making, there is a "call to action", to resolve the issue.

Then the book describes the context which these principles can be practiced in community, such as RCIA, faith sharing groups, catechetical formation, etc. Then it discusses the role of a facilitator in these various contexts. The author also discusses possible sources of further material that can be used.

I do not like the inherent relativism involved, but I think the methods can be useful. It can be tweaked to avoid relativism, I think, by fostering more introspection, rather than an over-emphasis in sharing mere experience.

I read the book in 2 hours, so it is not that challenging.

AMDG.

Laurence Gonzaga

Good Teacher, What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?... Come Follow Me

Sat, 23 May 2009 20:35:03 GMT

Good Teacher, What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?... Come Follow Me

Laurence Gonzaga

“At this moment, however, I wish to speak to you about the particular meaning of the words which Christ said to the young man. And I do this in the conviction that Christ addresses them in the Church to some of his young questioners in every generation. In ours too. His words therefore signify a particular vocation in the community of the People of God. The Church finds Christ's "Follow me" at the beginning of every call to service in the ministerial priesthood, which simultaneously in the Catholic Church of the Latin Rite is linked to the conscious and free choice of celibacy. The Church finds the same "follow me" of Christ at the beginning of the religious vocation, whereby, through the profession of the evangelical counsels (chastity, poverty and obedience), a man or woman recognizes as his or her own the programme of life which Christ himself lived on earth, for the sake of the Kingdom of God. By professing religious vows, such individuals commit themselves to bearing a particular witness to the love of God above all things, and likewise to that call to union with God in eternity which is directed to everyone. But there is a need for some to bear an exceptional witness to this before other people.”

~ Pope John Paul II (PJPII), Dilecti Amici (DA), Apostolic Letter to the Youth of the World, 1985

Brothers and Friends:

I am writing this article this morning, somewhat on a whim. Numerous topics of doctrine, dogma and liturgy were floating around in my head for this article in the last week or so. This morning, I read in the diocesan paper about the ordination of two men set for May 23. As has been the case for the last few months and indeed years, the question of my own vocation surfaced. It’s a thought that crosses a young persons mind often. I am writing this article in May, which is the month for priests, and we know that next year, our Holy Father has declared 2009 to be the “Year of the Priest”.

A few months ago, I went with a friend and brother knight of mine to a seminary in Nebraska. We were there for a five day visit. We didn’t really get much special treatment, as is appropriate. We attended the classes of our choice, six of them. We ate with them, three meals a day. We joined, in silence, their chanting of the Traditional Latin 1962 Divine Office, for Lauds, Sext, Vespers, and Compline. We assisted at the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. We even observed their practice of Grand Silence after Compline (6 PM-7:30AM). It was an amazing five days there, and I don’t think we wanted to leave. However, if for the sake of argument, I didn’t feel like I would “fit in” there, would that mean I am not called to the priesthood? Some might think so. I think many young people have certain ideals or aspirations about what kind of priest they want to be. They try it out, and if it doesn’t seem to fit, they give up on it. What if I was called to the Jesuits? Who know?

In my stay at the seminary, I spent a lot of time in their basement library, which held thousands of books. I found an article in a magazine there which spoke about “fostering a culture of vocations”. To my surprise, it did not speak about what I thought it would. In summary, it said this: we cannot “foster” a culture of vocations, because it simply does not exist… anymore! The community of the faithful is not supporting it, as it once did. When people speak of vocations, people normally assume it means religious life. No, not so.

Vocation comes from the Latin, vocare, which means to call. Everyone is “called” by God for a particular state in life, whether it is to priesthood, religious life, marriage, consecrated lay single, etc. Whatever that call is, it ought not to be resisted, because answering that call, is what will lead to true joy in this life, in preparation for the joys to come in the next. To borrow an image from the pagan Stoic philosophers: life is like a dog being led around on a chain. If you choose to cooperate, you will get from A to B and you will be comfortable and enjoy certain limited freedom along the way. Resist, and you will still get from A to B, but not only will you not be comfortable, you will not enjoy any freedom at all. It’s not a perfect analogy, so don’t over analyze it.

Before we can speak of vocations to a state in life like priesthood or marriage, we need to be sure that our young people know what it means to be called. They need to understand what it means to be attentive to the simple things that God is calling us to on a daily basis first. If they will not be docile to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost on the daily decisions they make, how can we expect them to be docile to the promptings of the same Holy Ghost in their lifelong vocation to a state in life?

One thing is for sure, according to Benedict XVI we are all called to the Christian vocation, and that is a call to holiness. That is, the universal vocation. The next question is, would you be willing to give up everything that makes you feel comfortable, to follow Christ wherever He is leading you, from the monumental to the mundane? The young man in the Gospel asks, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus says, “Come Follow Me…”

It is for this reason that I wish to say this to all of you young people, in this important phase of the development of your personality as a man or a woman: if such a call comes into your heart, do not silence it! Let it develop into the maturity of a vocation! Respond to it through prayer and fidelity to the commandments! For "the harvest is plentiful" and there is an enormous need for many to be reached by Christ's call "Follow me". There is an enormous need for priests according to the heart of God-and the Church and the world of today have an enormous need of the witness of a life given without reserve to God: the witness of that nuptial love of Christ himself which in a particular way will make the Kingdom of God present among people and bring it nearer to the world. (PJPII, DA)

pacislander4life's Xanga

Can we attend the Weddings of Catholics which are not Catholic Ceremonies?

What is true religion?

Book Review: The Reign of Christ the King - Michael Davies

Book Review: Saint Advice (Barnes & Noble)

Book Review:Saintly Advice: A Prayer for Every Problem by Staff of The Philip Lief Group, Inc. (Produced by), Judith Capodanno (Editor)

Product Details

Book Review: Preparation for Confirmation

Book Review: Liturgical Shipwreck - Michael Davies

Book Review : For the Visitor At Mass - Fr. Richard Ginder

Book Review: A Short History of the Roman Mass - Michael Davies

Book Review: Theological Reflection: Connecting Faith and Life

Theological Reflection: Connecting Faith and Life (Catholic Basics) (Paperback)

Good Teacher, What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?... Come Follow Me

Book Review:
Saintly Advice: A Prayer for Every Problem
by Staff of The Philip Lief Group, Inc. (Produced by), Judith Capodanno (Editor)