Book Review: "A Priest is Not His Own"

I just completed A Priest is Not His Own , and it is a wonderful book...as always Archbishop Sheen is insightful and quite deep. I reccomend this book for any young man who may be discerning a vocation to the religious life and also to any Priest who is looking to deepen his spiritual life! Two Thumbs Up!

12 Myths about Catholicism

From Crisis Magazine:

Here are 12 myths every Catholic should be able to expose. How many can you
answer?

1. Christianity is no better than any other faith. All religions lead to God.

2. Why should I believe the Bible? The Old and New Testaments contradict each other countless times.

3. I don’t need to confess my sins to a priest. I can go straight to God.

4. People’s memories of their past lives prove that reincarnation is true...and that the Christian view of Heaven and Hell is not.

5. Properly interpreted, theBible does not condemn homosexuality.

6. If the Church truly followed Jesus, they’d sell their lavish art, property, and architecture, and give the money to the poor.

7. Catholics should follow their conscience in all things...whether it’s abortion, birth control, or women’s ordination.

8. Dissent is actually a good thing, since we should all keep our minds open to new
ideas.

9. There’s no such thing as absolute truth. What’s true for you may not be true for me.

10. I don’t need to go to Church. As long as I’m a good person, that’s all that really matters.

11. Natural Family Planning is just the Catholic version of birth control.

12. Someone can be pro-choice and Catholic at the same time.

Discernment

To whomever may read this...please pray for me as I discern my vocation.

Lent 2006

Sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog! I hope everyone is having a wonderful beginning of Lent. I know that there are many people looking for pennences this season and that many people are returning to their faith. Just yesterday I sat in the local Catholic Student center with a friend and watched a young man wander in and abrubtly ask..."who can I talk to about converting to Catholicism?" In light of this wonderful season I would like to list some ideas I had for this special season so that we all might be able to deepen our Lenten experience:

1.) Read Deus Caritas Est and spend a Holy Hour Meditating on its meaning.

2.) Attend Daily Mass

3.) Weekly Confession

4.) Say the Rosary daily

5.) Read one of the spiritual classics (Confessions/Spiritual Exercises, Interior Castle, Dark Night of the Soul)

6.) Visit those in Hospitals/Prisons

7.) Join a Catholic Forum and learn apologetics.

8.) Take a friend to Mass (non-Catholic or fallen away Catholic)

9.) Pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

10.) Make an effort to learn some Latin.

Bible Belt Catholicism

I compleatly agree with this article...quite an intresting thought, huh?

From: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=4710

Atlanta, Aug. 24, 2005 (CNA) -
A recent report in the London Times showed that many states in the strongly Protestant Bible Belt are seeing a recent surge of Catholic growth, a trend which they say, is throwing a whole new face on southern stereotypes. Times correspondent Dwight Longenecker reported that “A ‘New Catholicism’ is emerging that is likely to influence the whole US Church. These young Catholics tend to be faithful to the Church’s teachings while being educated and media-savvy.” The report noted several Catholic strongholds and institutions whose influences stretch around the globe. Catholic media giant EWTN, for example, located in Irondale, Alabama, reaches 105 million homes in 110 countries and 16 territories around the world making it the largest religious media network in the world. Founded 24 years ago by Poor Clare nun, Mother Angelica, Eternal Word Television Network calls themselves completely faithful to the Gospel and the Church. Likewise, Ave Maria University, founded by Domino’s Pizza tycoon Tom Monaghan, is building an ambitious new campus and town in Naples, Florida, which will likely make the area a new bastion of faithful Catholicism. The University’s reputation reaches all the way to the Vatican and has been visited by Austrian Cardinal Christ of Schönborn and Nigeria’s Cardinal Francis Arinze. The Times report stated that the “New Catholicism is young and optimistic, but it is unlikely to tolerate the open dissent that went with the 1970s and the ‘cultural Catholicism’ of generations past.” “That form of Catholicism”, it said, “is dying, and its death is symbolized by the northern US parishes with plummeting congregations, a shortage of priests and huge debts as they pay off child-abuse scandals. It seems that in the parishes where ‘anything goes‘, everybody went.” Indeed, Father Jay Scott Newman, who is pastor of St Mary’s parish in Greenville, South Carolina told the Times that, “Here you are not Catholic because your parents came from Italy or Slovakia. It’s because you believe what the Church teaches you is absolutely true.” In general, Catholics account for about 12 percent of the population in the south, but in certain areas like Atlanta, Greenville, and Charlotte, North Carolina, that number has jumped to some 20 percent--up by a third from the 1990‘s. There is no sign of a slowdown in growth either, as CNA reported last month, The Diocese of Nashville, which now runs 22 Catholic schools within its 38-county borders, has seen an influx of just under 1,000 new students in the past seven years. Reports say that the combination of northerners coming down to be part of the southern tech boom combined with many Latin American families migrating north, account for much of the growth. In fact, in Charlotte, nearly half of the Catholic population is Hispanic, perhaps making that area a good example of the overall changing face of Catholicism in the U.S.

Brown Scapular

Today I was enrolled in the Brown Scapular by Father Miguel Marie. I am excited to start my life in this Carmelite devotion. I was enrolled using the long formula, I believe from the "Book of Blessings."

According to http://carmelnet.org/

The Carmelite Scapular is not:

-a magical charm to protect you

-an automatic guarantee of salvation an excuse for not living up to the demands of the Christian life

It is a sign:

-Which has been approved by the Church for over seven
centuries

-Which stands for the decision to follow Jesus like Mary:

-To be open to God and to his will be guided by faith, hope, and love

-To pray at all times to discover God present in all that happens around us.

I encourage you to find out more about the Carmelite Order and their unique spirituality. Their website can be found here. If you are intrested in being enrolled in the Brown Scapular then you should know that you must be enrolled by a Priest only once in your lifetime. If you'd like to purchase a Brown Scapular you can probably find them at your local Catholic Book Store. If you don't have a book store, look online, if you are financially destitute click here for a free Brown Scapular. I can't vouch for that link working as I haven't tested it. God Bless!

18 Questions for Fundamental Christians

The Following is a wonderful response to the widley circulated "18 Questions for 'Saved' Roman Catholics." The piece was written by Gary Hoge and he get's COMPLETE CREDIT for this piece. It can be found on www.catholicoutlook.com and specifically here:

18 Questions

My Fundamental Christian brothers believe they are presenting salvation and the Gospel “the Bible way,” so I’d like to ask them a few questions of my own to see if this is true. First of all, Fundamentalists (and many other Christians, too) claim that the Bible is the “only rule for faith and practice.” Anything outside of the Bible is merely human tradition. I’d like to direct my first set of questions to this doctrine, then ask some more general questions about the gospel, as it’s presented in the Bible:

1. Where in the Bible does it say what books belong in the Bible?

2. If the Bible doesn’t tell us what books belong in it, then is the Bible’s “table of contents” merely a human tradition? If not, why not?

3. If the list of Biblical books is not revealed in the Bible itself, what men drew up the list? Why do you trust these men?

4. Is their list infallible? On what authority?

5. If their list is infallible, isn’t this a “rule of faith and practice” outside of the Bible, thus disproving the idea that the Bible itself is the “only rule of faith and practice”?

6. If their list is not infallible, and is merely a human tradition, why do you
trust it? On what authority?

7. Where does the Bible say that it is the “only rule of faith and practice”?

8. If it doesn’t say that, but you accept it as a doctrine anyway, isn’t that an extra-biblical “rule of faith and practice”?

9. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, the Bible says, “Charge them that are rich in this world . . . that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” In the justification-by-faith-alone scheme, how does one “lay hold on eternal life” by being “rich in good works”?

10. In Galatians 5:19-20, the Bible says, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” If you live in the manner described above, will you inherit the Kingdom of God? If you live this way, are you sure you will be in heaven immediately after death?

11. In Romans 2:6-7, the Bible says that God “will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.” If good works play no part in our salvation, then why does the Bible say that we receive “eternal life” as a recompense for “patient continuance in well doing”?

12. How do Fundamental Christian churches, which have their own distinct theology, and often boast that they are “separated,” obey God’s command that Christians “all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10)?

13. Regarding the Church’s leaders, the Bible says, “Obey your leaders, and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account” (Heb. 13:17, NAS). Why were the Protestant Reformers exempt from the biblical command to obey and submit to the Church’s leaders?

14. If we are justified by faith alone, why does the Bible say, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (Jas. 2:24)?

15. If good works play no role in our ultimate salvation, then why did Jesus say, “[T]he hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28-29)?

16. If our behavior as Christians has no bearing on our receiving eternal life at the final judgment, then why does the Bible say, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Gal. 6:8)?

17. If baptism is merely an empty symbol, rather than the instrument by which God affects regeneration, then why does the Bible say, “baptism doth also now save us” (1 Pet. 3:21)?

18. If baptism is merely an empty symbol, rather than the instrument by which God forgives sins, then why does the Bible say, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38) and “Be baptized and wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:16)?

As these questions, and others you can think of, are discussed in detail, you will quickly see that Fundamentalism does not present salvation “the Bible way.” It presents a man-made gospel, formulated in the nineteenth century by men like B.B. Warfield, Charles Hodge, John Nelson Darby, and Cyrus I. Scofield. Ironically, it is the Catholic Church that continues to teach salvation “the Bible way,” as she has for almost two millenia. It is she who presents the gospel that was formulated by Jesus Christ, and popularized by men like the apostle Paul. And it is she who continues to warn the faithful, in the words of that great apostle, The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

***End Credited Piece***

Dream Vatican Document

I have a dream that one day...some day...there will be a document that comes out of the Vatican that reads *something* like this:

AN ABSOLUTLY FAKE MOTU PROPRIO BANNING THE USE OF 'FLAKEY' LANGUAGE IN HOMILIES

To my Venerable Brothers the Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Deacons and to all the People of God. Thirty years ago many of you began to use terribly insufficient and misleading language in your homilies. This language has done irreparable damage to the state of the souls entrusted to you. I now intend to explain the words and phrases that I have banned. In the interest of being a pastor I will provide you with some possible acceptable alternatives.

1. "Troubles" is banned--replace with Sin if you desire to go above and beyond delineate between Venial and Mortal.

2. "Spiritual Help" is banned--encourage people to seek Confession--not the nebulous 'spiritual help'.

3. "Worship Service" is banned--speak of the awesome Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

4. "Faith Community" is banned--speak of the reality of the Church

5. "Eucharistic Minister"* is banned (unless you are actually a Eucharistic Minister--Bishop or Priest)--there is no substitute for this. Also, immediately suspend the faculties of all of the "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion" who may be serving under your supervision.

6. "Supernatural Assistance" is banned--speak of God's Grace.

7. "In the Name of the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier" is banned--in this Church we don't identify People only by what they DO for US rather who they are--use of "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit*" is mandatory. *Holy Ghost also acceptable.

8. "American Church" is banned--you may speak of the Holy Catholic Church in America--you may not speak of an "American Church."

9. "Banquet of Love and Acceptance" is banned--use Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

10. "Mother Creator" is banned--Father Almighty is to be used.

11. "Spirit of Vatican II" is banned--if you ever have an intention of using the "Spirit" of the Council then you are required first to present yourself before the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and explain to the Congregation your view of the "spirit"--though in the intrest of time it is my reccomendation that you dispense with your views of the "spirit" of the council and just stick to quoting the documents.

Given on the dream date in the future on the first day of my dream Pontificate.

Book Review: "Mother Angelica"

As I just completed this book I feel compelled to share my thoughts on it so that you may make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase it. I decided when I heard that the book was being published that I would buy a copy-mostly because I am eternally greatful to EWTN for re-sparking my intrest in the Church. I knew some of the major events in Mother Angelica's life and I thought reading the book would give me a bit of an in-depth insight into her life--boy was I wrong. This book was a truly comprehensive, extreamly well researched, impressive compilation of Mother's life. The book spends a large portion on her pre-EWTN activities which gives the reader a unique perspective through which the reader can understand why EWTN and Mothers Poor Clares have evolved into what they are today. Another intresting point is that the book is not a white-wash of Mother's life. It documents her successes, her failures, her temper, and her triumph. Reading it will give you an appreciateion of Mother's unique personality and the personalities of other Church figures--to include: Deacon Steltemeier, Sister Mary David, Sister Mary Raphael, the Sister Servents, Bishop Foley, and yes even Cardinal Mahoney. This book will forever change the way that you "view" EWTN. I couldn't reccoment this book more. Kudos Raymond Arroyo for a job well done.

Now for what others have said:

"Raymond Arroyo invites the reader to join him on the wild ride of the Holy Spirit that transformed Rita Rizzo into Mother Angelica, one of the feistiest and most effective evangelists of our time. It is an invitation not to be declined."-Father Richard John Neuhaus, editor-in-chief of First Things Magazine

"Mother Angelica's personal words to me, her courageous example, and her constant prayers helped inspire my portrayal of Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ". No one could have captured the essence of this modern day saint better than Raymond Arroyo. His narrative gifts and understanding of Mother are clearly evident in this truthful and often candid depiction of one nun's struggle to bring God to the multitudes. Surely this book, and Mother's life will have an incredible enduring legacy." - Jim Caviezel, Actor

VOTF=H.E.R.E.S.Y.

Yes it is now time to look at modern dissent in the Church. Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), is probably the largest umbrella group for dissenters in the Church in the United States. I thought we'd look at VOTF's "Policies and Positions," compare them with VOTF's actions, and do a little analysis. Let's start!

Voice of the Faithful has not developed many policy positions to date, and those we have developed focus on the sexual abuse crisis.

That's quite impressive. An organization that is going on four years old has not developed many policy positions? Hmm...That sounds odd. Why support a group that stands for...nothing to date?

We have said that the Church has a responsibility to respond to survivors in a meaningful, healing way. We have said that bishops and laity in each diocese should engage in a serious and substantive dialogue.

Please....Please someone tell me what this means. This is psycho-babble. What does "bishops and laity...should engage in a serious and substantive dialogue" mean??? Are bishops not "dialoguing" with their flock now?

We have said that the structures of decision-making that gave rise to this crisis - secrecy and deception - should be exposed to the healing power of sunlight and disclosure.

Ahh yes, the mystical healing power of "sunlight and disclosure." I frequently go to confession to experience the healing power of sunlight and disclosure.

These policies make sense. These policies respond to the crisis facing our Church. These policies address the real problems confronting parish priests, bishops, and laity.

What policies make sense? I'm sorry did I miss something? I thought at the begining VOTF already stated they were anti-policy? They said they had a few policies related to the abuse scandal but...all that ammounted to was psycho-babble.

To state more specifically what we do and do not stand for:

Thank you, I'm glad they're getting specific--that means I can get specific too.

Voice of the Faithful is focused on those actions necessary to respond to survivors, to support priests who are living their vows, and to effect structural change that helps ensure this type of abuse never occurs again in the Catholic Church.

Hmm...supporting priests is a good thing, but what do they mean by 'structural change'--oh yeah what they were trying to say is that they want "democracy" as stated in not so many words in their "Open Letter to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI."

We accept the teaching authority of the Catholic Church.

HA! Oh my, this is the funniest thing I've heard this morning. So I suppose challenging the Bishops authority, advocating contraception, demanding "equality in ordinations for women", slandering celibacy, and advocating homosexual priests are all well within the bonds of acceptable behavior while accepting the teaching authority of the Catholic Church.

We have taken no position on the many other issues that divide Catholics in 2002.

Oh but they have. VOTF may not state it on their webpage or in their pretty documents; however, it is blatently clear where the orginazition stands in it's support for heterodoxy. All one must do is search for news about them...(from the 'Daily Record)
describing a VOTF meeting:

"Among the proposed changes: a more open and inclusive church, including acceptance of women's ordination and the elimination of clergy's vows of celibacy and greater laity involvement."

We do not advocate the end of priestly celibacy, the exclusion of homosexuals from the priesthood, the ordination of women, or any of the other remedies that have been proposed across the spectrum of Catholic thought.

Very tricky...there's a double negative in there...did you catch it? Translation=We Want Gay Priests. The rest of the statement is false as they openly support the end of celibacy while supporting the ordination of women.

We do not endorse any organizations or interest groups.

Except Call to Action and all the other groups that along with VOTF have been banned from many dioceses. And odd---they don't endorse anyone yet they have an extensive "Links" page where readers can browse endlessly through hours of marginal Catholicism and outright heresy!

We do promote a full and open discussion about the root causes of the sexual abuse crisis and the remedies that are needed.

Ok...duh.

We do take the position that the bishops and the Vatican have failed to address the sexual abuse crisis and its consequences adequately.

Of course they would...and they use that to support inserting themselves into an "oversight role" of the Church which is only appropriate if one happens to be a Bishop.

We do take the position that bishops fail in their role as shepherds and teachers when they refuse to engage the laity in a meaningful and substantive discussion of the issues.

I honestly and truly don't know what shifty adgenda they are trying to hide by using the term "meaningful and substantive discussion" but if there is a member of VOTF reading this would you be so kind as to enlighten me?

We do take the position that Pope John Paul II rightly called clergy sexual abuse "crimes," and a "shame and scandal" for the Catholic Church.

Ok

We do believe that cleaning up this culture of deception and scandal is job #1 for the bishops.

What they forgot to mention is that they believe their #1 Job is oversight of the bishops--not just in their practical operation but in their theological teaching.

Voice of the Faithful will stay true to its mission and goals. We will support survivors of clergy sexual abuse. We will support priests in the faithful discharge of their vows. And we will work for structural changes that help ensure that clergy sexual abuse does not occur again in the Catholic Church. Ours will remain a philosophy of "centrism," of providing a voice for all people in the Catholic Church. In this way, we will "Keep the Faith and Change the Church."

Hmm..."Keep the Faith and Change the Church." Didn't that happen before by someone acting to "clean-up" the Church...oh yeah, his name was Martin Luther.

The other very disturbing thing about VOTF, besides being blatently heretical...is that I looked over their writings and I never saw Christ. Their website mentions Him maybe 3 or 4 times...maybe. For an organization which proports to be the voice of the faithful it seems to be much more of a loud voice and not faithful. Maybe they should rename themselves Voice of the Dissenters.

*As always share your thoughts, ask a question, make a comment, or give your suggestion for a topic by clicking the "Email a question or Comment" link on the right or just type the addres into the email yourself: josephjcheney@gmail.com (please include in your email whether or not you'd mind me posting parts of your conversation or if you'd like it to remain a private conversation...though I'd never use your name if I did post.)