Pope Francis' Catholic Truth

I think students, teachers, and school officials from Charlotte Catholic High School need to see this.

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions For April 2014

Vatican City, 31 March 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for April is: "That governments may foster the protection of creation and the just distribution of natural resources".

His intention for evangelisation is: "That the Risen Lord may fill with hope the hearts of those who are being tested by pain and sickness".

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

New web site encourages Catholics toward frequent Confession : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• The evangelical group Catholics Come Home has launched a new web site, GoodConfession.com, encouraging more frequent use of sacrament of Reconciliation.

Read more by clicking below:
New web site encourages Catholics toward frequent Confession : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Theological Virtue of Hope in Hardship | 2nd Sunday in Lent | The Call of Abraham | Transfiguration on Mount Tabor -Welcome to The Crossroads Initiative

The following excerpts are from Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio's "The Crossroads Initiative":

• Imagine: you are ten years past customary retirement age.  It’s time finally to kick back and relax.  You live in a great city where everything is at your fingertips – shopping opportunities, cultural events, all your relatives and lifelong friends.  Suddenly God appears and tells you to pack up, uproot your life, and march into an uncivilized wilderness.
• This is what happens to Abram in Genesis 12.  He lives in Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization.  He’s 75 and he and the wife are not getting any younger.  He does not even know the name of the God who calls him.

Read more by clicking below:
Theological Virtue of Hope in Hardship | 2nd Sunday in Lent | The Call of Abraham | Transfiguration on Mount Tabor -Welcome to The Crossroads Initiative

From The Dignitatis Humanae Institute: Nigeria's Islamic militants: a cancer that risks metastasising (and the world turns away)

Note:The following is a press release from The Dignitatis Humanae Institute

Rome, 26 February 2014

As the Christian community of Nigeria suffers two large-scale terror attacks in the course of a week, Luca Volontè, Chairman of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, spoke of his outrage at the disregard displayed by Western governments:

"For four years, Boko Haram has conducted a campaign of mass slaughter and wanton destruction. Like a cancer, their reach and influence has been allowed to spread unchecked, the number of innocents dead now ranges in the thousands, the extent of property and communities destroyed incalculable. While European officials rush to Kiev to take undeserved credit for the hard-won liberty of Ukraine's people, they seemingly ignore the suffering of those in Nigeria.

As has repeatedly been made clear by Nigerian officials, the domestic security and military services lack the expertise to conduct an effective counter-insurgency campaign. As it was in Mali, it is our duty to give our full support to the besieged communities and make available any means that they so require."

Last week saw Boko Haram (which means "Western education is a sin") conduct two attacks on predominantly Christian towns - Bama and Igze - the latter of which had only been attacked three weeks previously. With the use of sophisticated military hardware, the Islamist attackers destroyed public buildings, burned Churches and killed over one hundred people in each attack. The savagery and scale of the raids further demonstrates the inability of Nigeria's security forces to prevent the murderous campaign of Boko Haram, despite a State of Emergency already being in place.

In a statement unlikely to give much solace to the besieged population of Nigeria, US Ambassador James Entwistle pointed the finger to underlying social causes for the rise of Islamist terrorism, including the 'lack of employment opportunity' and 'the education system.' Luca Volontè retorted:

"Given their expressed desire to enforce an Islamic state upon all, ruled by Sharia Law in its entirety; I doubt that tinkering with the nations' employment opportunities or the education system is likely to convince Boko Haram to give up its weapons. Rather than blaming a suffering society for the intent of their attackers, it is imperative that all unequivocally reject the agenda of Boko Haram. As we have seen in Sri Lanka, with the right conviction and the necessary means, terror groups can be suppressed and the rule of law restored."

The Dignitatis Humanae Instituteaims to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man is born in the image and likeness of God and therefore has an innate human dignity of infinite worth to be upheld. The Institute promotes this understanding by supporting Christians in public life, assisting them to present effective and coherent responses to increasing efforts to silence the Christian voice in the public square.

I Need A Prayer Umbrella

Are you familiar with the old saying, "when it rains it pours"?

Well, it has definitely been pouring for me. Again

About a week ago this past Friday, I noticed a small bump on the inside of my upper right leg, when my pants rubbing against it brought it to my attention. It began growing larger by the hour (or so it seemed), and then the next day there was also one high on the back of my left leg.

I ran a fever on the Sunday night following, and had to call out of work the next day. I called my doctor, and had an appointment on Wednesday. It turned out that I had 2 boils.

The one on the right leg was about the size of a golf ball, and had started to drain. The other is still there, and has not changed yet.

The doctor did a swab of the drainage, and it turns out that I have a staph infection. Lovely.

And to make it even more lovely, this staph infection is what is known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which in layman's terms, means that it is resistant to certain antibiotics, which include the penicillins and the cephalosporins.

My doctor prescribed 2 antibiotics, one is Doxicycline Hyclate, and the other is Cephalexin.

So, after 2 doctor visits (with a third coming up Friday), missing 8 days of work, and several antibiotic doses later, I would once again appreciate your prayers.

I will tell you this. As much as these boils have hurt, if I had been the Pharaoh, and I had been afflicted with boils, that would have been enough for me to let Moses and the Hebrew people go.

I wouldn't wish these things on my worst enemy!

Thank you all for your prayers.

May God Bless you all!

New poll underlines divisions among Catholics : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from CWN:

• A new survey of Catholics, conducted by the Spanish-language Univision network, has shown sharp differences among self-identified Catholics, and widespread dissent from Church teachings.
• The poll showed that Catholics in developing countries were more likely than their European and American counterparts to accept Church teachings on controversial issues such as homosexuality and contraception. The poll found, for example, that 99% of African respondents oppose same-sex marriage, while in the US only 40% do. Only 30% of the Catholics in Europe accept the Church teaching that women cannot be ordained to the priesthood, while in Africa 80% accept it.

Read more by clicking below:

New poll underlines divisions among Catholics : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Please Read This

Read this post "Urgent Prayer Request For My Good Friend Wanda". After you read it, please pray, and share it with your family, friends, relatives, priests, religious, and anyone that you can think of

Thanks!

We must stand up for Middle East's persecuted Christians | Fox News

The following excerpts are from the Opinion section of FoxNews.com:

• Christianity began in the East, not the West, yet today Christians in the East are enduring an all-out-assault by Islamic terrorists, while Christians in the West live their lives largely oblivious to it all. This has to change.
• This is no imaginary persecution; in Syria alone there have been reports of kidnappings, Christian communities intentionally displaced by militants and, worst of all, shootings and beheadings of Christians who refused to convert to Islam. 
• In Egypt radicals have recently destroyed dozens of churches, and the once vibrant Christian population in Iraq has been decimated.
• Christians in the West should stand up for those in the East out of regard for all they have given us over these thousands of years, if for no other reason.

Read more by clicking below:

We must stand up for Middle East's persecuted Christians | Fox News

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions For February 2014

The Pope's universal prayer intention for February 2014 is"That the Church and society may respect the wisdom and experience of older people".



His prayer intention for evangelization is "That priests, religious, and lay people may work together with generosity for evangelization".

Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer

Former sedevacantist nuns form new religious community in California : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic World News Headlines:

• A new women’s religious community, the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa, has taken root in northern California with the approval of Bishop Robert Vasa.
• The community, led by a formerly sedevacantist nun, emphasizes fidelity to the papacy, Eucharistic adoration, Marian devotion, and liturgical worship in both the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Roman liturgy. The sisters’ apostolate includes Catholic education and catechesis.

Read more by clicking below:
Former sedevacantist nuns form new religious community in California : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Thank You!

I want to thank all of you who prayed for me, and who were so generous with your donations!

I was able to get my power bill paid, and I am greatly relieved to say the least!

God is good, and I ask His blessings for all of you!

Thank you again, so very much!

A True Personal Story

My mom, from a photo taken in 1993

This is just a personal story that I would like to share with all of you.

My mother, passed away in November of 1995, after a long 4 year battle with rectal/colon cancer. She was first diagnosed with this terrible disease in 1991. After what seemed like success against this disease, it reappeared in the spring of 1995, and became worse day by day. When my mother was told that there was nothing else the doctors could do, she asked that we get in touch with Howard Shockley, a Presbyterian minister whom we came to know during my dad's illness due to a malignant brain tumor. Howard himself had been diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was in his late teens, and he had promised God, that if He would heal him, he would go into the ministry. God heard his prayers, and Howard was healed.

So, my brothers and I contacted Howard, and being the good Christian man that he is, he came to visit my mother, and continued to do so on a regular basis, sometimes coming by as many as 5 days a week. On his first visit, he had decided that he was going to give my mother a Bible verse to memorize, and that he would give her a new one to memorize each week. That first, and as it turned out, only Bible verse, was from Philippians 4:13- "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me."

You would not believe the amount of faith my mother placed in that one verse. It became her all purpose verse, if one can claim such a thing for any one Bible verse. She placed so much faith in it, that Howard later said that it became a blessing for him, and he decided there was no need to bring her any others to learn.

One of the last times that she was in the hospital, she was having a very difficult time being helped in and out of bed. She had weakened to the point, that she did not have the strength to get up without help, and she experienced a good bit of pain from being gotten up, and then helped back into bed. She would be literally exhausted afterward. I was in her room, spending the day there with her, and she knew she they would soon be coming to help her out of the chair, and back into bed. She was dreading it, because she knew how tired it made her, and how much it hurt. She looked at me, and she said, "Steve, pray for me. Pray for God to help me. Ask Him to help me, so that it doesn't hurt, and so that I won't be worn out". So, I prayed, and as I prayed, my mother's eyes were closed, her hands stretched over her face, as she repeated over and over again, "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me". Just as we finished our prayer, they came to get her out of the chair, and into bed. They put a strap around her waist, to enable them to help her up. When the time to make the attempt came, she came up out of that chair as if it was nothing at all, and got into that bed with no pain or trouble at all. None! One of her nurses made a comment about how that time it had been so easy, and mom told the nurse, "it was because we prayed".

Just 3 weeks later, my mom had gone into a coma at home, and my two younger brothers, Mike and Randy, were staying at home with us. We would be taking mom to the Solace Center at Mountain Area Hospice the next day, and none of us was looking forward to it as you can imagine, because we all knew mom would be leaving home for the last time.

We had been sitting up talking, sitting up late, in fact. I guess we thought we could ward that time off , keep it from coming too quickly, if we stayed awake rather than sleep. Mike decided he wanted something to read, and he found a book, called “The Bible In My Everyday Life”. It had not been taken down off the bookshelf in many years.

Now, that old book had belonged to an aunt who had died at a very young age. It was written in 1932. She had used it somewhat like a Family Bible, recording births, deaths, and other events in it. Mike handed it to me to show me something that was written in it. After looking at what he wanted me to see, I noticed that in the back of the book, it listed every day of the year, and that it gave a Bible verse for each day. I looked at the Bible verse for each of our family's birthdays, and then decided to look at the verse for the next day, which was November 7. Do you know what that verse was? "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me".

Now, I was a little bit surprised to say the least. I showed it to Mike, and he had a total look of shock on his face as well. I now know, I should not have been surprised. I know that Mike being led to choose this book was no accident, even though some narrow minded people might think it purely coincidence, I know it was purely a blessing. For when we were at a point, when we were sure that all was lost, that it was just us alone, facing this hard time, God was telling us, "I am here. I have not forsaken you. I will be with you, and I will be with your mother".

So, no matter what happens to you, to your loved ones, or to anyone else that you know, remember, God is with us always in everything, and in every way. And remember this verse, "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me". I know He strengthened us.

Ex-Catholics....

Did They Ever Know The Faith?

Being a person who works in retail with the public, you meet all kinds of people. Some, who are regular customers even become good friends/ Some are just people you see every day.

Inevitably, among the people you meet, something or another will lead to a talk about faith, and I am not shy about telling folks I am a convert to Catholicism. Some see all Christians as brothers in Christ, and some see Catholics and Protestants in a state of constant opposition as to what is the truth. (To those I say, Jesus Christ is the Truth, and that is all the Truth any of us should be concerning ourselves with.)

Some Protestants are taken aback, when I suggest that they visit a Catholic Church, and find out for themselves if what they have been told by their pastors, neighbors or friends about the Catholic Church is factual. Many, if not most, act as if I had suggested they walk barefoot across a bed of hot coals.

I have heard several ideas of what Catholics believe, where I have had to restrain myself from smirking, if not laughing out loud. For instance, one man, in all seriousness and with sincerity, asked me if I belonged to the branch of Catholics that believes in Jesus Christ, or to the branch of Catholics that doesn't.

So, I try to explain things, and hopefully help them to better understand.

Then on occasion, I come across, someone who will boldly proclaim to me (as well as to others whom I know) that they are an "ex-Catholic" who found a church that believes in the Bible, and where they also found Jesus Christ as their "personal Lord and Savior" at some denomination or another, and then proceed to tell me what is "wrong" with the Catholic Church.

Every time one of the ex-Catholics starts telling me what is "wrong" with the Church, I consistently find that there is not something "wrong" with the Church, but there is something wrong with their understanding of what the Church is, and what she teaches.

One of these is, that they don't “need to confess my sins to a man” but that they confess to Jesus through prayer, and receive forgiveness from Him.

I tell them that Catholics also ask for forgiveness in prayer, and that when we go to confession, we are confessing to Jesus through the priest who is physically before us in Christ's place. Christ hears our confession through the priest, and when the priest gives us absolution, he is following the teaching of Christ from Holy Scripture: "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." -- John 20,23.

They will usually follow this with, we just don't need to confess to men. I then tell them that since their church follows the Bible so closely, then they confess their sins to each other? I'll get a strange look usually and I quote James 5,16:"Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much."

The worst one I have ever heard though, was where a self described ex-Catholic told a friend of mine that he stopped being Catholic because “Catholics believe that the Pope is Jesus Christ on earth”. I couldn't keep quiet, and told him no, he had it wrong. Catholics believe that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, he is the visible head of Christ's Church on earth, who acts for and in the place of Christ.

Any way, the thing I keep seeing again and again, seems to answer my question, i.e., “did they ever know the faith?” It is all too apparent that these people were just nominal Catholic's and never understood, nor ever bothered to try to learn about the Church and it's teaching.

I don't want to sound as all knowing, or as “another knows it all convert”, but I am thinking, shouldn't catechesis be a continual, ongoing part of our faith? Not just in the parish, where this should be happening, but, also ideally in the home, and within the community of the faithful as well.

Teaching the faith is like growing a garden. We don't plant the seeds, and then think the job is finished, complete. We plant the seeds, and then we water, fertilize, hoe, weed, and prune, so that we have a garden that grows, becomes stronger, and is fruitful.

After all, we are all called to share the faith, and we all can learn something new as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit as we mature in our faith, and help others to mature in theirs.

From The Dignitatis Humanae Institute: "When Doctors Get it Wrong: The Tragedy of Aborting Healthy Babies"

Note:The following is a press release from The Dignitatis Humanae Institute

Rome, 9 December 2013

Shocking revelations from Britain of a mother giving birth to a perfectly healthy girl - after being advised by doctors to abort what they wrongly diagnosed to be a brain damaged baby, has called into question the quality and competence of medical counselling offered to pregnant mothers.

Speaking from his office in Rome, veteran Italian politician Luca Volontè, Honorary President of the European People's Party in the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly and Dignitatis Humanae Institute Chairman, stated:

"This situation is tragic but sadly not surprising. In what must be a time of terrible anguish for the parents, all efforts must be made to offer extensive information and a variety of opinions - such neutral advice does not exist in Britain, nor in many other European countries. Companies such as Marie Stopes International are referred to for counselling directly by the NHS, while other genuinely independent organisations such as disability groups - those without a financial interest in selling abortions - are prevented from doing so.

"This particular case also demonstrates the subjective reasoning being made by medical staff on what constitutes 'life worthy of living' - a value judgement that many patients will often believe to be infallible , but as this case shows, patients should not be afraid to assert their autonomy on the best course of action."

Liane and Ian Stooke from Bristol were told by doctors their baby would suffer from severe brain damage and have little to no ability of recognition, communication or movement. Liane was already 30 weeks pregnant - beyond the normal limit for abortion - when doctors pushed for termination, stating her baby would not enjoy a meaningful life. "The doctor said it wasn't too late if we wanted to abort the baby - he made it sound almost as if there was no other option," said Mrs Stooke. Thankfully for baby Miley, Ian and Liane chose to defy such encouragements and proceed with the pregnancy, only to discover their daughter was perfectly healthy and suffered from none of the afflictions predicted by doctors.

Luca Volontè concluded:

"Evidently the support structure in place for parents in this position is not fit for purpose. How many times has this occurred? Why aren't such figures even recorded? Sadly, in 2011, the British Parliament rejected proposals from Nadine Dorries MP to increase the range of opinion and expertise available to pregnant mothers for counselling. I can only offer sympathy to all would-be parents across the world, who having aborted their own child under similar advice, now have to live with the doubt of what might have been, the doubt that they entirely unnecessarily terminated their longed-for son or daughter."

The Dignitatis Humanae Instituteaims to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man is born in the image and likeness of God and therefore has an innate human dignity of infinite worth to be upheld. The Institute promotes this understanding by supporting Christians in public life, assisting them to present effective and coherent responses to increasing efforts to silence the Christian voice in the public square.

Largest massacre of Christians in Syrian conflict : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from CatholicCulture's Catholic World News:

• Rebel forces massacred 45 Christians in the west-central Syrian town of Sadad, according to Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh.
• Islamist rebels entered the town on October 21; a week later, it was captured by government forces.
• “What happened in Sadad is the most serious and biggest massacre of Christians in Syria in the past two years and a half,” said the prelate, according to the Fides news service. “45 innocent civilians were martyred for no reason, and among them several women and children, many thrown into mass graves. Other civilians were threatened and terrorized. 30 were wounded and 10 are still missing.”

Read more by clicking below:

Largest massacre of Christians in Syrian conflict : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions For November 2013

Vatican City, 31 October 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis' prayer intention for November is: “That priests who experience difficulties may find comfort in their suffering, support in their doubts, and confirmation in their fidelity”.


His mission intention is: “That as fruit of the continental mission, Latin American Churches may send missionaries to other Churches”.

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

Yes, Virginia, I Do Have A Blog Roll

Some long time readers and followers of "Faith of the Fathers Blogs" are probably familiar with the items in our sidebars. However, many who only read the blog posts with a feed/news reader or a mobile device (such as an iPhone) never see the sidebar items (which is why you should visit us with a computer occasionally) at all.

In particular, I want to call your attention to the sidebar item (on the right hand side bar) "MY FAVORITE BLOGS (LISTED BY MOST RECENT POST)". This is more or less a blog roll, where I link to some good, solid Catholic blogs and bloggers that you may not be aware of, and would find good reading (when your not here, that is) and good information as well.

The two newest additions are the Catholic apologist Tim Staples, and his blog, appropriately entitled, "Tim Staples", and Father Tim Finigan's blog, "The hermeneutic of continuity". Both are well worth the time to read, as are all the blogs listed there quite frankly..

There are also a lot of well known blogs and bloggers listed here as well as some well known Catholics whom you may not have been aware of as also having blogs.

These include Timothy Cardinal Dolan's "The Gospel In The Digital Age"; Father Robert Barron's "Word On Fire"; Father John Zuhlsdorf's "Fr. Z's Blog" (formerly called "What Does the Prayer Really Say?"); Priests for Life's "Father Frank Pavone's Blog"; Father Juan Velez's (author of "Passion For Truth: The Life of John Henry Newman) blog "Cardinal John Henry Newman"; Jimmy Akin's blog, “Jimmy Akin”; Sofia Guerra's “Always Catholic”; Lisa Graas' “Catholic Bandita”; Taylor Marshall's “Taylor Marshall”; and more than I have time to post about here.

As I said, all have great posts, not just the ones I mentioned here, but all of them that are in "MY FAVORITE BLOGS (LISTED BY MOST RECENT POST)" on the right hand sidebar. Give their stats a boost and visit them all. You won't regret it!

Assyrian Christian Leader Welcomes Chaldean Catholic Patriarch's Overture

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

• Mar Dinkha IV, the head of the Assyrian Church of the East since 1976, has responded positively to an ecumenical overture by Patriarch Louis Raphaël I Sako, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church since February.
• The Assyrian Church of the East, now headquartered in Illinois, ceased to be in full communion with the Holy See following the Council of Ephesus in 431. The Chaldean Catholic Church, headquartered in Baghdad, arose in the sixteenth century when some Assyrian bishops sought the restoration of full communion with the Roman Pontiff. Each Eastern church has approximately 400,000 members.

Read more by clicking below:
Assyrian Christian Leader Welcomes Chaldean Catholic Patriarch's Overture