Monday, December 17, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
I wonder, is this time for this to happen again? We can all do this without waiting for the Church to make it official.
In fact, the Prayer to St. Michael below, can be recited every day by ourselves or in community!
Time to Bring Back St. Michael’s Prayer
In his 2008 Inaugural Address, President Obama praised the tremendous sacrifices of our Founding Fathers and our hard won freedoms saying, “Our Founding Fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, they drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.” However, in moving forward aggressively with the HHS Mandate, it has become clear we are witnessing a U.S. President eroding those very freedoms he initially spoke so highly of. In short, under the HHS mandate, the faithful must either follow the letter of the law in violation of their religious beliefs or face crippling financial consequences that could force them to close down or dramatically decrease their operations.
Under the mandate, Catholic institutions, along with countless faithful private employers and non-profits, will be required to offer employee health plans that include free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortifacients regardless of religious objections. Not only is the mandate a direct assault on our cherished First Amendment Rights, it is also in direct opposition to Catholic teachings which uphold the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Sadly, instead of a mobilized vote in favor of religious freedom this past November – Obama again won the Catholic majority. Faced with an additional four years under a President determined to gain nationwide HHS Mandate compliance, it is imperative that we, as Catholics, use every means at our disposal to defend our religious freedoms.
As the Church faces this unprecedented barrage of intolerance on American soil, I found a recent letter from the Reverend Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Illinois particularly emboldening. In a letter to all parishioners in his diocese, Bishop Jenky asked that the powerful St. Michael’s prayer be included in all General Intercessions during each Sunday Mass. In his letter he writes, “The HHS Mandate is a bigoted and blatant attack on the First Amendment rights of every believing Catholic. I ask that every parish, school, hospital, Newman Center, and religious house in this Diocese insert the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel into the Sunday General Intercessions just before their concluding prayer. It is God’s invincible Archangel who commands the heavenly hosts, and it is the enemies of God who will ultimately be defeated. This prayer should be announced as: A Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel for the Freedom of the Catholic Church in America.”
This got me thinking. What if we reinstated this powerful prayer in every Catholic parish across America for this specific intention? To what great effect might it have if prayed fervently at every Mass? If we are truly going to step up and fight for religious freedom, then we must step up our prayer!
While the St. Michael’s prayer has been maintained in some US Catholic churches, it was widely discontinued in late 1960’s. Yet, one only has to read the headlines to see that Satan certainly did not stop his doings in the 60’s!
The Saint Michael’s prayer, originally composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1884, was in response to a vision the Pope had in which he was shown an image of evil spirits trying to fulfill Satan’s boast of destroying our Lord’s Church within a certain century as they waged an attack against it. Amid the tribulation, there appeared in the vision Saint Michael the Archangel, who cast Satan and all the evil spirits back into hell. The Pope was so horrified by what he had seen, he felt compelled to help defend our faith in this world by composing the prayer to Saint Michael. Pope Leo saw to it that the Saint Michael’s prayer was recited after every low Mass throughout the world. In 1994, Blessed Pope John Paul II again urged the faithful to continue reciting the prayer specifically for the Church when he said, “although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world.”
It is my hope that Bishops across America will prayerfully consider joining Bishop Jenky in reinstating this short but powerful prayer to St. Michael in each of their diocese. As the Catholic Church faces attacks on our religious freedoms, would it not be wise and particularly efficacious to restore, on a national level, this mighty clarion call to the Prince of Heavenly Hosts to defend us in battle?
Surely, as the assigned defender of Christians, he will not fail to come to the aid of Holy Church as he has done in the past. While we also know that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church, for Christ promised to be with her until the end of time, we are still required to do our part in defending the faith. Religious liberty is one of our most precious gifts. Therefore, let us again widely call upon Saint Michael and ask for his powerful help in defending it.
Prior to the 1900’s, Swiss Cardinal Gaspard Mermillod was quoted as saying, “when the very foundation of society is shaken in consequence of having denied the rights of God, we must revive the veneration of St. Michael and with him raise the victorious cry: ‘Who is like unto God?’” Similarly, Saint Francis de Sales wrote, “Veneration of St. Michael is the greatest remedy against despising the rights of God, against insubordination, skepticism, and infidelity” – vices which are perhaps more prevalent now than in any previous period of history. St. Michael proved his great strength and prowess when he won the heavenly battle against the devil, showing his profound loyalty to God. As the assigned Guardian of the Church, would he do any less for us?
Time and again throughout history, this princely seraph and mighty spiritual warrior has provided powerful aid during wars and persecutions which threatened to destroy Christianity. Therefore, may we earnestly seek to implore Saint Michael in all of our churches and in our own hearts to put an end to all that is currently assailing the church, not only here in America, but across the world.
PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL
THE ARCHANGEL
THE ARCHANGEL
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
By Judy Keane
Judy Keane is a public relations/marketing professional and freelance writer who resides in Phoenix, Arizona. She holds an MBA in International Business and is working on her first book.
The below is what Bobby said in 2009.
I wonder how Bobby reconciles what he said in 2009 (highlighted in yellow below) with his proclamation of yesterday regarding his obvious change of heart about the church and her teaching on contraception. Especially in light of his comment on Jesus being the "Truth."
If Jesus is the Truth, and he founded the Catholic Church, then the Church is Truth because he is God and He cannot have founded a lie.
I wonder which is it for Bobby? He, obviously, needs our prayers for him to remain faithful to his Catholic faith and not have bought into what the wolrld (Republican Party) is offering!
Bobby Jindal, Catholic Church disagree on birth control issue
A spokesperson for New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond said Friday the Archdiocese disagrees with Gov. Bobby Jindal's support for over-the-counter oral contraception (Photo by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archive)
Catholic church leadership in Louisiana disagree with Gov. Bobby Jindal's support Gov. Bobby Jindal's support of over-the-counter oral contraception, the Archdiocese of New Orleans said Friday.
"We disagree with the governor's opinion because, as the Catholic Church teaches, contraception is always wrong," Archdiocese Communications Director Sarah Comiskey McDonald said.
Jindal, a Catholic, came out in support of access to the pill without a prescription in a Thursday night op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.
In the op-ed, the self-described "unapologetic pro-life Republican" governor of Louisiana said over-the-counter access would lower health-care costs, prevent government intrusion into citizens' lives and fight the influence of big pharmaceutical companies.
Jindal, who is in opposition to over-the-counter access to the morning after pill, said since Plan B is available in most areas, then birth control should also be.
In the op-ed, Jindal cited a December committee opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists which came out in favor of over-the-counter access to the pill "to improve contraceptive access and use and possibly decrease unintended pregnancy rates."
"We disagree with the governor's opinion because, as the Catholic Church teaches, contraception is always wrong," Archdiocese Communications Director Sarah Comiskey McDonald said.
Jindal, a Catholic, came out in support of access to the pill without a prescription in a Thursday night op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.
In the op-ed, the self-described "unapologetic pro-life Republican" governor of Louisiana said over-the-counter access would lower health-care costs, prevent government intrusion into citizens' lives and fight the influence of big pharmaceutical companies.
Jindal, who is in opposition to over-the-counter access to the morning after pill, said since Plan B is available in most areas, then birth control should also be.
In the op-ed, Jindal cited a December committee opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists which came out in favor of over-the-counter access to the pill "to improve contraceptive access and use and possibly decrease unintended pregnancy rates."
Jindal's Conversion
BY TOM MCFEELY Wednesday, February 25, 2009 11:33 AM Comments (0)
Many Americans had their first chance to get acquainted with Bobby Jindal on national television last evening, when he delivered the Republican Party’s response to President Barack Obama’s address to Congress.
But they didn’t have any opportunity to learn about the youthful Louisiana governor’s deep Catholic faith, as he didn’t touch on that in his speech.
Jindal’s conversion to Catholicism from the ancestral Hindu faith of his parents was not a simple journey, nor one without a price. Jindal discussed the motivations for his conversion in this excerpt from an article first printed in America magazine in 1993.
“The motivation behind my conversion, however, was my belief in one, objectively true faith,” Jindal wrote. “If Christianity is merely one of many equally valid religions, then the sacrifices I made, including the loss of my family’s peace, were senseless. I was comfortable in my Hindu faith and enjoyed an active prayer life; I only gradually felt a void and stubbornly resisted God’s call from within the church. It was Truth and Love that finally forced me to accept Christ as Lord. ‘Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life: No one comes to the Father except through me”’ (In. 14:6). Christ’s redemptive sacrifice proved that God loved me and was lifting me up to Him.”
Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/tom-mcfeely/jindals_conversion#ixzz2F9zIA2PI
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Abdicating the Rule of Law — Crisis Magazine
I mentioned this in my homily this past Sunday. It appears our Government is at it again
along with the Governors and Attorneys General of a few states.
Abdicating the Rule of Law — Crisis Magazine
along with the Governors and Attorneys General of a few states.
Abdicating the Rule of Law — Crisis Magazine
Monday, March 12, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
For those of you who have visited this blog before and now notice something different it's because I have reverted back to my original 2010 Deacon.
After much prayer and thought, I have decided that 2010 Deacon is still the most appropriate title as that was the year of my ordination.
The url of the blogspot will continue to be "deacon2be" as that is more reflective of the journey I have been on since formation began and the journey I will continue to be on until I die, a deacon2be.
After much prayer and thought, I have decided that 2010 Deacon is still the most appropriate title as that was the year of my ordination.
The url of the blogspot will continue to be "deacon2be" as that is more reflective of the journey I have been on since formation began and the journey I will continue to be on until I die, a deacon2be.
Homily - 3rd Sunday of Lent_11 March 2012
This is the homily I gave at 3 Masses yesterday and today (10 & 11 March 2012 ).
“I, the Lord, am your God...you shall not have other Gods besides me.”(1) There is only one God.
I think it is fair to say everyone has heard of the recent HHS mandate concerning the rejection of Catholic’s, indeed, other peoples of faith, religious liberties.
In our first reading today we hear of the giving of the 10 Commandments. Those rules have been a bedrock of Judeo-Christian belief for centuries.
They have been discarded. In fact, our government just took away our guaranteed 1st Amendment rights under our Constitution. Our government has just substituted human law for Divine law.
The first commandment says: “… You shall not have other gods besides me.” Our government says it is a god. It amends Divine Law to make itself the god who dispenses law.
God says keep holy the Lord’s day. The government says you can’t practice religion as you choose.
God says honor your father and mother. Government says you don’t need a father and a mother. Remember the Defense of Marriage Act, the law of the land that defends marriage as between a man and a woman. Remember, the Attorney General of the United States came on TV (23 Feb 2011) (2) and all of the media and said the government would not defend lawsuits against that act: the law of the land would not be defended by the officers of the government that had sworn they would defend the laws of the land. They, the government, acting as god, said they were changing that law by attrition.
God says you shall not kill. Government says you can kill your unborn baby anytime you want. There are some “intellectuals” that are now advocating there is right to kill a baby just born (3). In some states and countries you have a legal right to kill yourself. (4) Once again, the government substituting human law for Divine Law.
God says no adultery. Government says we can do anything we want, with anyone we want, married or unmarried, and we’ll mandate employers, or insurance carriers (you pick which definition you would like to use), to provide the means to make sure there are no consequences for your act. Shoot, we won’t defend the marriage act so basically, we say, there is no morality. And, oh!, if you get pregnant we’ll just abort the baby, no harm, no foul.
God says don’t steal. The government says we’ll steal your tax dollars to give to irresponsible banks, irresponsible companies and individuals.
God says don’t lie. The government gives us lies and says it’s the truth because I say so.
God says don’t covet. The government encourages coveting in the form of class warfare. If you have it, I’ll take it and give it to someone who wants it.
So, the government has set itself up as god and now tells us - don’t listen to your conscience or your bishops (our rightful teachers and direct descendants of the Apostles) - listen to me. I’ll tell you what to think and do.
Our government has just abolished our 1st Amendment right to religious liberty. Our founders left countries to come here and found this one because of their former country taking their religious liberties. Our government has just said we’ll tell you what your religion will consist of. We’ll tell you what commandments this religion will consist of - not God. If your conscience won’t let you, as an individual with God given rights, do what we dictate - too bad. We’ll fine you or imprison you or both.
If our government can abolish our God given right to religious liberty, what will they decide we need or don’t need next? After all, they have declared themselves to be a god.
Let’s look at what they have done recently: taken our money as I mentioned earlier, then they took our ability to choose our own medical care, now they have taken away our religious liberty. Notice a pattern here: our government has declared the 10 commandments null and void. In the place of Divine Law we get mere human law.
This is not about contraception, as many TV outlets, newspapers, TV pundits, internet sources would have you believe. This is about our religious liberty, guaranteed by our Constitution and God himself. This is about our ability to worship our God as he has commanded us to, and not what the government dictates to us.
What do we do?
Cardinal Dolan has asked us all to get involved in the political process. We need to inject our catholicity into the public square. We still have a representative government. Write or call your elected officials and let them know what you think. This is an election year and they’ll be more sensitive to our thoughts and desires.
Speaking of elections, we have a monumental national election coming up in November and a local election coming in two weeks. We must be informed voters. Elections are not popularity contests or about who has the best hair, who is the best looking candidate or the whitest teeth.
Elections mean things, elections have consequences and we have a duty to be informed voters. Pope Benedict has stated “It is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States comes to realize the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness.” (5) Another quote from our Pope: “threats to freedom of conscience, religion and worship need to be addressed urgently so that all men and women of faith, and the institutions they inspire, can act in accordance with their deepest moral convictions.” (6) There are numerous avenues of information available to us: internet, TV, newspapers, magazines, radio talk shows. All of these are windows of opportunity to find out where candidates stand on the issues.
We can’t fall for the touchy, feely slogans. We have to ask what do they mean, now and in the future.
In WWII, when the Nazi party set itself up as a god for the German people and the German intellectuals said nothing as groups of people and institutions were targeted purged, group after group (and we are targeted, as the Amish are free and clear under this mandate (7)), Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller coined this:
First they came for the communists and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.(8)
(1) Exodus 20:3
(3) Francesca Minerva, from Melbourne University and sometime of our very own Oxford, and her colleague Alberto Giubilini, argue in the British Medical Journal that 'after-birth abortion' should be permissable in all cases that abortion is. As 'potential persons', newborn babies share the same moral status as foetuses, which are not 'actual persons', in that they have no sense of their own existence.
(5) Columbia, front cover
(6) http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1200971.htm - 0420, 11Mar2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Stars and the Excess of Clarity
Stars and the Excess of Clarity - this is worth reading, especially the link to Deacon Greg Kendra's homily!
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