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AMERICA Magazine
A balanced Catholic weekly magazine published by the jesuits of the United States for an intelligent Catholic readership. Go online to subscribe.

Liturgy
This link will keep 'parishioners-at-large' in touch with current creative liturgy sources and resources that respect a variety of 'traditions' within the Church.

Voice of the Faithful
A 'movement' of lay Catholics 'inspired' by the abuse scandal calling for greater accountability of bishops to 'Catholics in the Pew.'

Survivos' Network for those Abused by Priests or Religious
A National Network of self-help support groups for people abused by clergy or religious.

Bishop Accountability
Vital information about the disclosure of sexual abuse and related issues affecting Catholics in the pew and the manner in which Bishops continue to exempt themselves from accountability

National Catholic Reporter
A national Catholic lay newspaper covering events not usually covered or presented with a clerical bias in the local diocesan press or but of concern and interest to Catholics.

COMMONWEAL Magazine
A 'lay' Catholic weekly publication with an accent on an intelligent analysis and commentary on curent issues, trends and concerns of interest to Catholics.

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Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

We are to be consecrated in truth.

Readings: Acts 20:28-38 Psalm 88:29-30, 33-36 John 17:11b-19

Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they may also be consecrated in truth. [John 17:18-19]

Read the Gospel very slowly and if possible, out loud and if necessary, three times! Although John’s literary style is quite complex, the farewell prayer of Jesus is as powerful as is Paul’s farewell message in Acts.

It is not likely that these passages are the actual words of Paul and Jesus. They are compositions that Luke and John or whoever wrote in their name and are based on the oral tradition of the sayings of Jesus and the preaching of Paul. They were written in the style of farewell addresses of prominent leaders of their times in order to win the attention of early believers to whom the message of truth was entrusted.

The ‘truth’ that is being proclaimed is not from a catechism nor is it a defined doctrine or dogma. It is the core truth about the God who spoke through the prophets and then through Jesus about the universality of God’s love.

During this time of immediate preparation for Pentecost, we are invited to think about our own responsibility to pass on the ‘truth’ of God’s goodness entrusted to us in Christ and how we are to live that truth in our daily lives, each in our own unique way. No one of us can do this alone and so we much join hands literally and figuratively within the community of believers everywhere.

To live the ‘truth’ is to live in the Spirit of Jesus Christ the fruits of which are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, moderation, self-control, reverence, etc. I’m sure you memorized these ‘fruits of the Holy Spirit.’

These are the true ‘marks’ of our authenticity as believers.

+ Commemoration of All Souls

Tuesday November 1, 2011

Let’s keep in touch.

Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9 Psalm 23:1-6 I Corinthians 15:51-57 John 6:37-40

And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. [John 6:38]

I think of them every day and speak with them often about the joys and challenges of the day. I’m referring to my mom and dad and a host of others who have had a positive impact on my life. The list is long. Oh, yes, mindful of that axiom, “send bouquets to the living,” I experience just a tinge of guilt about not having done enough for them while they were living—acts of appreciation and gratitude, acknowledgments of what they meant to me and so on.

Folks in the ‘Catholic world’ will record the names of their loved ones who have passed on in the ‘book of memories’ that has been placed in or near the sanctuary so that they can be remembered at the daily celebration of the Eucharist during this, the month of All Souls.

Why do we observe this practice? Most do so because they want to be sure that their loved ones are not forgotten. Others, I suppose because they want to make sure that their loved ones have been or will soon be in the eternal embrace of God.

Between you and me, I believe that the time and space between death and the welcome into the loving embrace of the eternal God is very brief. I’m uncomfortable with the notion that we need to pass through ‘fire’ or any place of torture before we encounter God’s embrace. Purgatory is a more a metaphor, I suppose, for the cleansing of the spirit – a sort of hand-washing before taking our place at the eternal banquet table. What person—saint or sinner—in the face of infinite beauty and love and goodness and compassion is not ‘transformed,’ indeed, absorbed into the very heart of and soul of eternal love?

So, keep in touch today with all your loved ones—even those who didn’t always see things your way. Entrust them to the loving God who loved them into being and who we believe has now loved them into eternity.

But remember to send a bouquet of kindness and appreciation to the living.