What Every Catholic Knew…

I have heard it said that if Fulton J. Sheen were with us today, abortion would no longer be legal in the United States.  Why?  Because he was what we lack today: strong Bishops not afraid of proclaiming the Truth for all to hear.  Yes, we have a few, but none have managed to command the national airwaves the way he did.

(The following is an excerpt from the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation newsletter, which can be found online at: http://www.archbishopsheencause.org/downloads/August2009Newsletter.pdf )

To mark the 30th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God, Fulton J. Sheen, the Archbishop Sheen Foundation is embarking on a worldwide project that would bring Catholics together, united in prayer for our beloved Archbishop.
The highlight of the anniversary celebration will be a Mass on De-cember 9 celebrated in New York City at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the very Cathedral where Fulton Sheen preached so many powerful ser-mons and where he is laid to rest. (See related article about the NYC Mass)
But the New York Mass is only one of what we hope to be hundreds of Masses celebrated on December 9 around the country and around the world in memory of the death of Fulton Sheen and to pray for his cause for beatification.
What better way to unite us all in prayer than the Holy Mass?

Currently, Masses will be offered on December 9, 2009, in:
Australia, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, India, Lebanon, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina.
We also have Masses scheduled in the US in New York, New Jersey, Mary-land, Minnesota, Louisiana, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Colorado.
However, in order to have as many Masses as possible, we need YOUR HELP! We are asking you, our friends, to have a Mass celebrated in your home parish in honor of Archbishop Sheen on December 9th. And if you are traveling or know someone abroad, please ask to have a Mass celebrated there.
And most important, please tell us if you are having a Mass celebrated so that we can share it with others. Once the plans are made, please contact Sara Worrell at sworrell@cdop.org or 309-671-1550 and tell her the time and place of the Mass. We will update the Foundation website to highlight this worldwide spiritual project. Go to:ArchbishopSheenCause.org

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew:  They can be part of the canonization of a Saint!

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do:  Donate to this cause, pray for his beatification, and arrange for your local parish to have Mass said for this special intention on the 9th of December.

O Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, who merited to be called “just” by the Holy Ghost, I urgently recommend to thee the soul of (Name), which Jesus redeemed at the price of His Precious Blood.

Thou knowest how deplorable is the state and how unhappy the life of those who have banished this loving Saviour from their hearts, and how greatly they are exposed to the danger of losing Him eternally.  Permit not, I beseech Thee, that a soul so dear to me should continue any longer in its evil ways; preserve it from the danger that threatens it; touch the heart of this prodigal child and conduct him back to the bosom of the fondest of fathers.  Abandon him not, I implore Thee, till thou hast opened to him the gates of the heavenly city, where he will praise and bless thee throughout eternity for the happiness which he will owe to thy powerful intercession.  Amen.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew:  St. Joseph is a most powerful intercessor in all areas of need.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do:  Stop worrying about those who have left the Church and start praying for them.

Today is the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe, patron of the pro-life movement, prisoners, addicts and families.   Born in Poland in 1894, Maximilian was a troublesome child.  His mother asked him once “what is going to become of you?”  Raymond, as he was named, was concerned about his mother’s question.  He knelt before a statue of the Blessed Mother and asked her.  The Blessed Mother appeared and spoke to him.  She offered him two crowns; one of purity and one of martyrdom, asking him which he’d choose.  Raymond choose both.  He became a Franciscan Friar, taking the name Maximilian Mary.

Maximilian founded the “Militia Immaculata”, dedicated to spreading devotion to the Immaculate Virgin Mary and consecrating souls to her.  The Militia printed the “Knight of the Immaculata” magazine, which distributed millions of copies despite political tensions at the time.  His militia quickly grew to over 800 men., the largest in the world.

Maximilian left for Japan and India to establish new cities of the Immaculata and spread devotion to her in the far east.  His choice of location in Nagasaki saved the friary when the city was destroyed by an atomic bomb.

In 1936 he returned home due to ill health (he had had tuberculosis previously). When the Nazi’s invaded in 1939, he was arrested, but soon released.  He refused to stop printing the “Knight”, and was also hiding thousands of Jewish people within the friary.   In 1941, he was arrested once again.  This time, he was sent to the concentration camp of Auschwitz.

On July 31, a prisoner in the camp had escaped.  As punishment, ten other prisoners were to be randomly selected and sentenced to death by starvation.  One of the ten chosen cried out, pleading for mercy as he had a wife and young children.  Fr. Kolbe stepped forward, volunteering to take the man’s place.  It was allowed.  (It is well-known that the Reich held Catholic religious with great contempt, especially priests).

Following two weeks of starvation, all of the ten men sentenced had died, save Fr. Kolbe.  He was then given a lethal injection and died.

St. Maximilian Kolbe was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew:  The story of this great Saint.  I highly recommend the book “A Man for Others” by Patricia Treece.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do:  Imitate the virtues of this incredible man.  His charity, his love of the Immaculata, his fervor in spreading the Faith.

When this book came up for review, I excitedly selected it as quickly as I could.  A Catholic book from Ignatius Press about Europe (especially eastern Europe) leading up to WWII – I could not resist.

The story begins with an elderly man, Max, who knows his death is soon approaching.  When his favorite student arrives for violin lessons, he shares with and trusts her with a “mission” near and dear to his heart.  He asks her to pull a postcard out of his dresser drawer.  On the postcard is a list of names, birthdays, locations, dates of death.  He explains to her that these people were very special to him, and as much as he desired to, he never got around to telling their stories.  He would like her to do just that.  Discover who these people were, and what their lives entailed.  And so the story begins…

Max is a young school boy, tutored at home.  Tragedies strike, sending his to a well-know school to continue his learning. The story follows him and his friends as they grow up.  This may sound mundane, but it is anything but.  The boys struggle with their beliefs (or lack thereof) and what is happening around them in Germany, as well as back in their own hometowns.  The atmosphere is tense and unpredictable as they watch Germany deteriorate around them.

The variety of areas of study covered in this book is astounding.  And if the bits of information are correct (I am not learned enough to know), then the author is exceptionally intelligent.   Philosophical arguments, the use of different languages, the atmosphere within several different countries following World War I and leading up to World War II, different philosophies of government found in the different countries…the amount of information is astounding, but not at all difficult to follow.  I learned as much in this novel as nearly any of my college-level history courses.

The author’s ability to write well is also certainly not lacking.   Her use of words and descriptions easily allow the reader to place himself in the surroundings of the characters.  This is a book one can truly get lost in.

Unpredictable this book was as well.  The characters’ unexpected choices, and surprising (and sometimes tragic) situations keep this story anything but dull.   The only difficulty I had with the story is a couple of situations dealing with a character’s sexuality and choices regarding his behavior.  It was uncomfortable for me to read.  I also knew, however, that Ignatius Press would not let me down, so when these parts of the book (there are two) presented themselves,  I read all the more quickly to get past them, knowing they would have to end, and they did.  I am not so sure that they really needed to be part of the story, but life is life and it is certainly not always pretty.  I suppose I just grew so attached to the main character that it was painful to see him go down the wrong path.

Overall, this book was wonderful.  Novels are not always my preference, but this one was  a very enjoyable read.  Ignatius Press has been producing several movies recently, and they would do very well to add this one to its production line.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew:  It is possible to enjoy fictional work without compromising your faith.  There are many Catholic works of fiction out there.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do:  Make a point next time you are looking for a good read to look for something Catholic.  Genuinely Catholic.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Postcard from the Volcano.

I usually avoid personal notes, but in case you are wondering if I fell off the face of the earth…

I am dealing with the pleasantries of early pregnancy (cannot read books or look at a computer screen for very long are included among the effects), I was on vacation for three weeks, and I am a bout a month behind on my current theology course.  As soon as I am feeling well and my course work is complete, I will return to my blog.

My apologies to St. Maria Goretti for missing her feast day.  I was hoping to at least get something posted on her, but…

Unborn Baby, 22 Weeks

And now a word from Fr. Frank Pavone, MEV:

Forcing a Pro-Choice Crisis: What About Third Trimester Abortions?

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

What do LeRoy Carhart, Warren Hern, and George Tiller have in common? They are among an unknown number who perform abortions in the third trimester of pregnancy (the third trimester being the seventh, eighth, and ninth month!)

For two decades I have been proclaiming from the pulpits of America that abortions happen in the third trimester. Many Americans find it hard to believe. Now, in the aftermath of the death of George Tiller, this fact is getting a bit more attention.

The Associated Press reported on June 2 in an article by Eric Olson that physician LeRoy Carhart of Nebraska wants to continue performing abortions at this late stage, but he, as well as Warren Hern, also want to make sure enough physicians are trained in how to do so.

How many are we talking about? The AP story reported, “Carhart said 75 to 100 of the “several thousand” abortions he performs annually are in the third trimester.”

Stanley K. Henshaw, a senior fellow at the Guttmacher Institute, the research division of Planned Parenthood, and the best source of these statistics, is quoted in a June 5 Washington Post article as saying, “The information just isn’t available…This is an area that we just don’t know much about.”

The Guttmacher Institute does report in its official statistics, however, that some 13,310 abortions each year are at 21 weeks or more of pregnancy (that is, 1.1% of the 1.21 million abortions per year). Of the 40 states that reported in 2005 to the Centers for Disease Control, 32 states reported abortions of babies 21 weeks or older.

This means that every day, 37 babies the size of a large banana are dismembered and decapitated – and these include healthy babies of healthy mothers…and it’s happening legally.

These are babies that the mother can already feel moving. According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, these babies are storing fat on their bodies, their heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope, they can hear, they have eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails and toenails. Incidentally, MedlinePlus calls them “babies.” (See www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/article/002398.htm ).

Many people wonder how they can get some traction in the seemingly intractable abortion debate. How can they get people to listen, or make pro-choice people believe that pro-life people have good reason to be against abortion?

My suggestion: start by discussing the facts I just mentioned.

It’s morally legitimate to focus on late-term abortion; that doesn’t deny that all abortion is wrong; it’s simply a way to get the ball rolling, a pedagogical method of going from the most obvious to the less obvious, of starting with what people know and leading to what they don’t know.

When people are astonished by these facts, as they will be, they are forced to re-evaluate just how much priority “privacy” and “choice” have over life. If they are “pro-choice,” they are forced to figure out when in pregnancy the line is drawn – and why.

And now you’re talking.

The text and audio of this column can be found online at www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2009/09-06-15-pro-choice-crisis.htm

My apologies, but my very limited programming knowledge does not allow me the ability to imbed the following video.  I assure you, it is well worth your time to click on the link and watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KUBdrrbF6o

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew:  It is entirely inappropriate for the University of Notre Dame to honor a pro-abortion speaker and retain its Catholic identity.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do:  Sign the petitions, write the letters, and join those fighting on campus in prayer.

This question Christ asked of St. Margaret Mary, followed by “if you believe, you will see the power of my Heart in the magnificence of my love.”  He designated the First Friday of each month for devotion to His Sacred Heart.   We are to show our love for Him by assisting at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, receiving Holy Communion, and making reparation for sins against the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:

1. “I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.”
2. “I will establish peace in their homes.”
3. “I will comfort them in their afflictions.”
4. “I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death.”
5. “I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.”
6. “Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.”
7. “Tepid souls shall grow fervent.”
8. “Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.”
9. “I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored.”
10. “I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.”
11. “Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.”
12. “I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.”

To fulfill the Nine First Fridays Devotion:

1) Attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and receive Holy Communion (in the state of grace) on each First Friday of the month.

2) The nine months must be consecutive.

3) Holy Communion must be received in honor of and in reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew:  The value of devotion to Our Lord’s Sacred Heart

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do:  Learn about this devotion, and make every effort to practice the First Fridays devotion.

Recommended reading:

The Devotion to the Sacred heart of Jesus: How to Practice the Sacred Heart Devotion by Fr. John Croiset, S.J.

The Autobiography of Saint Margaret Mary

It takes a lot for a movie to make its way onto my “favorite movies ever” list.  Not only must the quality be there, but it must not offend my Catholic sensibilities either.  It also must be good enough for me to give up a couple of hours of would be sleep while my children are in bed.  Yes, its a bit to live up to, especially in the current condition of the media.  After watching Bella, however, a recent addition to my list was made.

This post is not about the movie itself, however.  It is about the book entitled Behind Bella: The Amazing Stories of Bella and the Lives it’s Changed.

I selected this book as my next product to review for two reasons.  I LOVE the movie, and I wanted to read something positive, something uplifting.   I certainly got it.  I started one night in bed, and stayed up until I finished it.  I have not done that with a book in quite awhile.

I do not want to give much detail about the first part of the book, suffice to say that one began to wonder how in the world this dvd ever made it into my living room.  The hurdles were large and many.  But it did not.  It did not make it through the powers and sources of the world.  It was by the power of God and those willing to “let go and let him” that brought this movie into being.   It reminds one of the story of The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson.  In the case of Bella, however, the big Hollywood names and easy to come by funding was not in the producer’s back pocket.  A former Mexican daytime soap star, fed up with the immorality within the mainstream media, was about all that was had.  And yet, by faith alone were connections made, finances acquired and the film finished.  Then they still had to get people to watch it.  A pro-life movie with no big name actors, no violence and no sex scenes.  It had to be by God’s grace alone.

The book details the story of how the movie continually overcame seemingly impossible obstacles.  More than once the reader thinks, “thats it.  Its over”, except that we know the eventual outcome.

I especially enjoyed the last parts of the book, which share the stories of those who lives were changed (and in some cases allow to even live) by the movie.  The actors were changed, the viewers were changed, and in some cases, children whose lives were going to be cut short were given a chance at life.  And that is bella.

(When I was contemplating a title for this post, I wanted something that conveyed the story of the movie.  I wanted something that described the stories that would result.  One word came to mind: beautiful.  It was only after I began typing my review that I remembered what bella is Italian for: beautiful.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew:  God is still working in our lives, if only we will open our eyes to see Him, and open our hearts to do His Will.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do:  Buy Bella.  Watch it. Watch it again.  Buy a copy for a pregnancy center, that lives may be changed.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Behind Bella – The Amazing Stories about the Making of Bella and the Lives It’s Changed.

I usually avoid simply posting about another’s post, however, every once in awhile I read something I wish every Catholic had read.  The following is one of those exceptions.

(Taken from   http://catholicknight.blogspot.com/2007/12/chapel-veil-campaign.html):

Returning to this tradition will serve to further reinforce the message that the Catholic Church is the same today as it was yesterday, and the time honored customs of the Church have not died out, but on the contrary, live and breath through a new generation of Catholic women.

Sacred Scripture presents several reasons for wearing the chapel veil. St. Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians (11:1-16) that Christian women must cover their heads because it is a Sacred Tradition commanded by our Lord Himself and entrusted to Paul: “The things I am writing to you are the Lord’s commandments” (1 Cor. 14:37). “That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels” wrote St. Paul (1 Cor. 11:10). The invisible hierarchy should be respected because the angels are present at all Christian assemblies during worship, offering the Holy Sacrifice with us according to the honor due to God.  St. John the Apostle wrote: “And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne.” (Rev. 8:3, see also Matt. 18:10). They are offended by a lack of reverence at mass. The women of Corinth, beset by modern sensibilities, started coming to church without their heads covered. When St. Paul heard of their neglect, he wrote and urged them to keep the veil. According to St. Jerome’s commentary Bible, he finally settled the matter by saying the head covering was a custom of the primitive communities of Judea, “the Churches of God” (1 Thess. 2-14, 2 Thess. 1-4) which had received this Tradition from early times (2 Thess., 2:15, 3:6).  The “veil” represented modesty in many religions and cultures, especially in Judaism which was the cradle of the early Christian Church.  A veil or head covering, is both a symbol and a mystical sacrifice that invites the woman wearing it to ascend the ladder of sanctity. When a woman covers her head in the Catholic Church it symbolizes her dignity and humility before God. It should not surprise us why so many modern women have so easily abandoned the tradition of the chapel veil (head covering) when the greatest meaning of the veil is modesty. It is purely an anti-Catholic culture that frowns on modesty. Do not be deceived, it was Secular feminism (a militantly anti-Catholic movement), that shunned Catholic women for wearing the chapel veil, telling them that a male dominated Church seeks to repress them. Such lunacy was nothing more than a lie straight from hell. If it were true, women would have been instructed to veil in the presence of men, but that is not the case at all.  Both Sacred Scripture and previous canon law instructed women to veil in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (not men), and particularly during the public prayer of the holy mass. The veil is a sign of modesty before our Eucharistic Lord. It is NOT a sign of male dominance.  You can learn more about the custom of the chapel veil and what it means here.

‘The Chapel Veil Campaign’ is accompanied by a survey poll which can be viewed at the top of this blog. ‘The Catholic Knight’ requests that all you Catholic ladies out there review this material and prayerfully consider it. Then cast your vote in the accompanying poll to express your support for The Chapel Veil Campaign. Your vote of support will help other Catholic women muster the courage to do the same. The idea is to encourage young Catholic women all over the English-speaking world to put away the rebellion of the 1970s “hippy” generation, and start wearing the chapel veil again.

In the United States, the new English translation of the liturgy is currently scheduled to go into effect in 2010. That’s because the US Catholic bishops no longer have permission from the Vatican to celebrate the “defective” English translation of the Novus Ordo mass we’ve been using since the 1970s. Since permission to celebrate it has been revoked, the US Catholic bishops will be unable to delay the transition anymore.
The return of the chapel veil, along with the liturgical renewal in the English translation of the mass, will send a clear and definite signal to the world that English-speaking Catholics have not lost the time-honored traditions of our sacred Catholic faith.

I also recommend the website www.modestyveils.com, both for information and for ordering beautiful, inexpensive veils.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew:  Women’s headcoverings were not done away with by Vatican II.  The tradition is beautiful and scriptural and should be continued.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do:  Prayerfully read over the information at the two above mentioned websites (and the many others that can be found).  If you are a woman, ask the Lord if He is calling you to veil.  If you are a man, gently encourage the Catholic women in your life to consider the same.