Need a quick primer on why we have 7 more books than the Protestants??

Then please have a quick look at this.  It should help to set you straight and answer those thorny questions that come up about the validity of the Canon of Scripture.

The Dolan Factor

Here is a wonderful post with our great friend, Cardinal Timothy Dolan being interviewed by Bill O'Reilly on The O'Reilly Factor in the No Spin Zone!  Check it out and spend 5 minutes listening to our USCCB President!  Please!  It is well worth your time.

Penance, Is it Biblical?

Just for fun, as the Penance Service approaches next Wednesday evening April 4 of HOLY WEEK, I thought you might like a little Biblical Perspective.

And now the Protestant side....women's ordination

Just to follow up, here is the post from Fr. Longenecker on Why Women Can Be Protestant Ministers.

For Greater Glory

A must see movie!  I cannot think of a better time for this movie to come out!  Please click here to view the trailer!  Here is what the movie is about:

Description:

A chronicle of the Cristeros War (1926-1929), which was touched off by a rebellion against the Mexican government's  attempt to secularize the country.

SOUND FAMILIAR ANYONE????

I am trying not to get too paranoid, but when I looked at this trailer my first thought was that not only is our government actively trying to remove our freedom to practice our faith, it is also working very hard to remove our rights to keep and bear arms!  A very scary prospect indeed.  This happened in Mexico, a CATHOLIC country a mere 87 years ago, in this century!

Why Women Cannot Be Catholic Priests

Ever wondered about or been asked that one?  Well here is as good an answer to that one as I have seen in a long time.

Daily Courage

Hee is a link with some concrete ideas about how we can manifest our Catholic Life in the workplace.  Good points to keep in mind as we go through our work day.

Confession Help

Let's face it, we all need a little help when it comes to a good examination of conscience!  We do not like to do it, we do not want to do it, we often use the excuse that we do not know how to do it.  Here is a really good series of questions for us to ponder as we prepare of our next confession!

Two good ones from Msgr. Pope

Here are 2 links to our old friend Msgr. Pope that you might find to be worthwhile:

What is Our Most Serious Problem?

What is Sloth?

USCCB Blog link

Here is a link to the introducton of the USCCB Blog site that has been established with the express purpose of assisting us in properly forming our Catholic consciences (while we are still allowed to have one! my editorial content) during this critical election year cycle.  I have placed this on the link section as well so that it can be accessed with ease.
Here is link to the March 15 post on the USCCB Blog.

Sunday March 25

Mass Readings:
Jeremiah 31:  31-34
Hebrews 5:  7-9
John 12:  20-33

Fr. Barron's reflection on the Mass readings.

See you on Sunday!

Church History Reading List

For those interested in doing a little reading up on Church History, here is a suggested reading list by Dr. Pat McNamara, Professor of Church History at St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie.   These are recommended for the general reader, and are available through Amazon.com.  Enjoy!

Cerberus, the 3 Headed Dog

Here is another great post by Msgr. Pope on the factors that are leading to the decline of our culture.
Please have a look.

Please say it isn't so.....

Read 'em and weep....

Starbuck's goes Brokeback

A bit old (January this year), but seriously....

Now that you KNOW, what are you going to do about it?

8 Objections to the HHS Mandate....can you Answer them?

Objection #1: Why is there the continuing concern? President Obama has already modified the HHS Mandate to alleviate the concerns expressed by the Catholic Church.
Objection #2: The opposition of the Catholic Church to the HHS Mandate is just another example of the Church promoting discrimination against women.
Objection #3: The Catholic Church, in opposing the HHS Mandate, is attempting to impose its morality on people who disagree with its beliefs.
Objection #4: There are instances when such drugs and procedures mandated by HHS are necessary to treat health issues unrelated contraception.
Objection #5: The Catholic Church should keep out of my bedroom and not tell me what I can and cannot do.
Objection #6: The Church’s teaching against contraception doesn’t matter; after all, one survey indicates that 98% of Catholic women have used contraception within the 3 months preceding the survey.
Objection #7: The government is not infringing on your First Amendment Freedom of Worship with the HHS Mandate. Why does the Church insist that this is a constitutional issue?

Objection #8: But the government is only seeking to make necessary preventative health services available to all women. Surely this is for the common good. How is that an infringement of anyone’s rights under the Constitution?

Have a look at these, give them some thought as to how you would answer them in a conversation, then go here to see one person's reasoned replies.

Angry with Our Bishops?

 Then please have a look at this for a little perspective and a Historical/Biblical review.

Statement of the USCCB on HHS Mandate

This may be a bit tough to read, so here is the link to this statement in PDF form.  Click there and it will pop up in a much larger format, and will be easy to print off should you so desire.

United for Religious Freedom

A Statement of the Administrative Committee Of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops March 14, 2012

The Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, gathered for its March 2012 meeting, is strongly unified and intensely focused in its opposition to the various threats to religious freedom in our day. In our role as Bishops, we approach this question prayerfully and as pastors—concerned not only with the protection of the Church’s own institutions, but with the care of the souls of the individual faithful, and with the common good.

To address the broader range of religious liberty issues, we look forward to the upcoming publication of “A Statement on Religious Liberty,” a document of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. This document reflects on the history of religious liberty in our great Nation; surveys the current range of threats to this foundational principle; and states clearly the resolve of the Bishops to act strongly, in concert with our fellow citizens, in its defense.

One particular religious freedom issue demands our immediate attention: the now- finalized rule of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that would force virtually all private health plans nationwide to provide coverage of sterilization and contraception—including abortifacient drugs—subject to an exemption for “religious employers” that is arbitrarily narrow, and to an unspecified and dubious future “accommodation” for other religious organizations that are denied the exemption.

We begin, first, with thanks to all who have stood firmly with us in our vigorous opposition to this unjust and illegal mandate: to our brother bishops; to our clergy andreligious; to our Catholic faithful; to the wonderful array of Catholic groups and institutions that enliven our civil society; to our ecumenical and interfaith allies; to women and men of all religions (or none at all); to legal scholars; and to civic leaders. It is your enthusiastic unity in defense of religious freedom that has made such a dramatic and positive impact in this historic public debate. With your continued help, we will not be divided, and we will continue forward as one.

Second, we wish to clarify what this debate is—and is not—about. This is not about access to contraception, which is ubiquitous and inexpensive, even when it is not provided by the Church’s hand and with the Church’s funds. This is not about the religious freedom of Catholics only, but also of those who recognize that their cherished beliefs may be next on the block. This is not about the Bishops’ somehow “banning contraception,” when the U.S. Supreme Court took that issue off the table two generations ago. Indeed, this is not about the Church wanting to force anybody to do anything; it is instead about the federal government forcing the Church—consisting of its faithful and all but a few of its institutions—to act against Church teachings. This is not a matter of opposition to universal health care, which has been a concern of the Bishops’ Conference since 1919, virtually at its founding. This is not a fight we want or asked for, but one forced upon us by government on its own timing. Finally, this is not a Republican or Democratic, a conservative or liberal issue; it is an American issue.

So what is it about?

An unwarranted government definition of religion. The mandate includes an extremely narrow definition of what HHS deems a “religious employer” deserving exemption—employers who, among other things, must hire and serve primarily those of

their own faith. We are deeply concerned about this new definition of who we are as people of faith and what constitutes our ministry. The introduction of this unprecedented defining of faith communities and their ministries has precipitated this struggle for religious freedom. Government has no place defining religion and religious ministry. HHS thus creates and enforces a new distinction—alien both to our Catholic tradition and to federal law—between our houses of worship and our great ministries of service to our neighbors, namely, the poor, the homeless, the sick, the students in our schools and universities, and others in need, of any faith community or none. Cf. Deus Caritas Est, Nos. 20-33. We are commanded both to love and to serve the Lord; laws that protect our freedom to comply with one of these commands but not the other are nothing to celebrate. Indeed, they must be rejected, for they create a “second class” of citizenship within our religious community. And if this definition is allowed to stand, it will spread throughout federal law, weakening its healthy tradition of generous respect for religious freedom and diversity. All—not just some—of our religious institutions share equally in the very same God-given, legally-recognized right not “to be forced to act in a manner contrary to [their] own beliefs.” Dignitatis Humanae, No. 2.

A mandate to act against our teachings. The exemption is not merely a government foray into internal Church governance, where government has no legal competence or authority—disturbing though that may be. This error in theory has grave consequences in principle and practice. Those deemed by HHS not to be “religious employers” will be forced by government to violate their own teachings within their very own institutions. This is not only an injustice in itself, but it also undermines the effective proclamation of those teachings to the faithful and to the world. For decades, the Bishops

have led the fight against such government incursions on conscience, particularly in the area of health care. Far from making us waver in this longstanding commitment, the unprecedented magnitude of this latest threat has only strengthened our resolve to maintain that consistent view.

A violation of personal civil rights. The HHS mandate creates still a third class, those with no conscience protection at all: individuals who, in their daily lives, strive constantly to act in accordance with their faith and moral values. They, too, face a government mandate to aid in providing “services” contrary to those values—whether in their sponsoring of, and payment for, insurance as employers; their payment of insurance premiums as employees; or as insurers themselves—without even the semblance of an exemption. This, too, is unprecedented in federal law, which has long been generous in protecting the rights of individuals not to act against their religious beliefs or moral convictions. We have consistently supported these rights, particularly in the area of protecting the dignity of all human life, and we continue to do so.

Third, we want to indicate our next steps. We will continue our vigorous efforts at education and public advocacy on the principles of religious liberty and their application in this case (and others). We will continue to accept any invitation to dialogue with the Executive Branch to protect the religious freedom that is rightly ours. We will continue to pursue legislation to restore the same level of religious freedom we have enjoyed until just recently. And we will continue to explore our options for relief from the courts, under the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws that protect religious freedom. All of these efforts will proceed concurrently, and in a manner that is mutually reinforcing.

Most importantly of all, we call upon the Catholic faithful, and all people of faith, throughout our country to join us in prayer and penance for our leaders and for the complete protection of our First Freedom—religious liberty—which is not only protected in the laws and customs of our great nation, but rooted in the teachings of our great Tradition. Prayer is the ultimate source of our strength—for without God, we can do nothing; but with God, all things are possible.

Sunday March 18

Here are the scripture readings:

Chronicles 36:  14-16, 19-23
Ephesians 2:  4-10
John 3:  14-21

And here is Fr. Barron's reflection on the Mass readings.

Sunday March 11 Third Sunday of Lent

Here are the Mass readings:

Exodus 20: 1-17
Corinthians:  1:1 22-25
John 2:  13-25

Here is Fr. Barron's reflection on the readings.

See you on Sunday!

Protestant Bible Studies?

Here is an interesting blog post on a topic that all of us face up here on Lookout Mountain. What do we DO about going to Protestant Bible Studies?  How should we look at this?  Here is one perspective on that.  I would love to see some COMMENT on this, as I know that at least some of us (meaning ME!) have been know to participate in such studies.

Cardinal Dolan's Update

Here is a link to Cardinal Dolan's blog.  The update is from March 1.

Fr. Barron on Idolatry

Please take the time during Lent to reflect with Fr. Barron on the subject of idolatry.  Well worth the time!

A new series of things for you to contemplate....

We will start with a great video that puts the Obama HHS Mandate in perspective that showed up on The Deacon's Bench.  It puts the "spin" from those for the mandate in to perspective.  Not that that has not been done time and again before, but here is a well thought out, reasoned plea "not to be conned"!

Here is Russell Shaw on the same topic.

Here is an interesting little piece on the financial fallout if the mandate results in the closure of Catholic Health Care.

And finally Elizabeth Scalia weighs in and ends with the same video we started with.

PLEASE, if you do nothing else look at the video, talk about it and forward it!

March 4 Second Sunday of Lent

Although class is cancelled, I am putting up the link to Fr. Barron's sermon for this Sunday.
Please try to have a look at the Mass readings ahead of time (printed for you in last week's bulletin)
and listen to Fr. Barron.