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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.

Feast of Mary, Mother of God

Saturday December 31, 2011

She pondered these things in her heart.

The season comes and goes,
all too fast.
Insufficient time to ponder the event
that altered the calculation of time.
But wait,
Fox dared to quote the source
“It came to pass in the city of David…”
giving credence that the true meaning of the season
was not forgotten.
And did you the spontaneous concert:

Christmas “Flash Mob” at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach?

If we don’t sing about it,
the very stones will cry out.
But they sang from their hearts,
upstairs and downstairs,
and then they applauded
one another and the one who made it all happen:

Luke tells us that Mary “pondered in her heart” all that was happening.
There are many ways to ponder__

To ponder is to “think about,
contemplate, reflect on, dwell on
or turn over in one’s mind.”
In his homily at the Abbey,
Father Giles put it this way:
“To ponder is to think good thoughts.”
I find that the most meaningful definition of all.

It is the ability to live in the present moment without distraction
accepting life as it comes and goes
giving thanks for the good things that are happening
and striving to embrace the difficulties and stressors
that challenge our peace of mind.

On this New Years Day, we honor Mary whose ‘Fiat:’
“Let it be done to me according to your word,”
might well be adopted as an ‘article of faith,’
an expression of our conviction that nothing can happen this year
that God and we can’t handle together.

We are not only at the start of another New Year
but also at the doorway to what is called “opportune time”
Jesus came once in Bethlehem,
but he comes constantly at opportune moments in our lives,
and more often than not, unexpectedly.

The Feast of Mary, Mother of God is a Catholic feast, to be sure,
but New Years Day is for everyone__
Christians, Jews, Moslems;
Republicans and Democrats;
presidents, premiers and primates;
Americans, Africans, Arabs and Asians;
for all who claim God as their own__
Eloim, Jehovah, Allah.

This day of new beginnings
is about the acknowledgement of God as Creator,
father and mother of all humanity,
our common God__
who desires to be in communion with all humanity.

If as Catholics we would appreciate fully,
the reason for the season,
we might spend more time pondering the mystery
And searching for ways not to divide or discriminate
but to bring people in.
Were we to trust more in God’s wisdom than in human enterprise,
we might find more effective ways to make room at the table for everyone.

A blessed and healthy New Year to all.