Musings of a Catholic Convert

Here's hoping for a short week.  Normally, Mondays are the days in which most of my work get's piled on, or when I sort through the pile of work given to me on Friday.  Needless to say, I hate Mondays.  

Had a great time this weekend, spending good time with friends.  The kids and I even had a decent Saturday while the wife was out on business.  Father Parham had a TOTALLY AWESOME homily on Sunday, which made Sunday's Mass that much more amazing.  Small group was excellent, and I'm not just saying that because we grilled burgers.  Things are really clicking along there and I'm glad for it.

But today is not small group.  Today is Monday.  The good news is that it's also payday.  Maybe I'll buy a CD today?  There are a couple that I have my eye on.  One is new and the other is not.  How's that for a vague hint.  Ha!  

Almost time to start work for the day.  Hope you all have a great week, and I hope you all get Friday off!

81

25

75% Geek

39

Let me tell you something, brother. 

Friday was a great night of fellowship with my brother papists.  Anytime a bunch of Catholic guys can get together for carnivorous eating, card playing, and general "guy talk" it's gonna be a fun night.  But throw in the fact that we are all hardcore papists and you get a totally awesome night.  I feel so blessed to have friends who are not just Catholic in name, but who really live the Faith with gusto.  It is so natural to be talking about the Saint Louis Cardinals one minute, and His Eminence Christoph Cardinal Schönborn the next. 

Let me tell you something else.  We are a bunch of healthy carnivores too.  Big D grilled up some fabulous food for us.  Delish!   

Luke, are you reading this?

My buddy, Luke, is a UCLA grad living in California.  I'm in Tennessee.  Although I'm not an alumnus of University of Tennessee (I graduated from a private university elsewhere in the state), I did grow up in Knoxville and remain a lifelong Tennessee Volunteer fan.  In fact, I used to sell hot dogs at UT as a roaming vendor when I was a kid.  It was my way to get into every home game free.  But anyway, the game between the Bruins and Vols has been rescheduled.  I'm still hoping to find a way to get out there to watch the game with my friend.  Below is a writeup from UT Athletic Department because, quite frankly, keywords and content help my blog.  See, I'm not ashamed.

————————————— 

Tennessee’s penchant for national marquee football games is being rewarded.

The Vols and UCLA Bruins, in conjunction with ESPN, have agreed to turn their anticipated September matchup into a Monday night football extravaganza. The intersectional contest now is set for Labor Day evening Sept. 1 – five days earlier than previously scheduled – and kicks off at 5 p.m. Pacific time (8 p.m. Eastern) from the historic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

ESPN will televise the game.

“The opportunity to play unopposed on national television against such a quality opponent as UCLA was something we couldn’t pass up,” UT athletics director Mike Hamilton said. “It’s a great time slot for a national game of interest like this one.”

Tennessee was scheduled to begin its 2008 season Aug. 30 at home against UAB. The Neyland Stadium opener still features the Blazers from Conference USA, but that game shifts to Sept. 13 with a 7 p.m. start. Sept. 13 previously was an open date for the Vols.

The Sept. 6 slot on the calendar that had featured Tennessee’s trip to UCLA now becomes an off weekend to allow recovery time after the Monday night contest on the West Coast.

The remainder of UT’s schedule, beginning with Florida’s visit to Neyland Stadium on Sept. 20, is unchanged.

“I am very excited about the chance to play in the Monday night national spotlight against an outstanding opponent like UCLA,” head coach Phillip Fulmer said. “I think it will be a great kickoff to the season and our players and coaches are thrilled with the opportunity.”

College football’s opening weekend now culminates squarely on Tennessee’s 14th all-time meeting against UCLA. The Vols lead the Bruins 7-4-2, having won four of the last five dating to 1989. Two of those wins were in Pasadena, including a 30-24 victory behind senior QB Peyton Manning in 1997’s most recent matchup.

Adding to the game’s attraction, a pair of newly-hired coaches in Tennessee offensive coordinator Dave Clawson and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel surely will receive plenty of notoriety leading into the showdown.

Hamilton added that Tuesday’s announcement is exactly why he strives to maintain Tennessee’s interesting slate of non-conference opponents. After a return visit to Knoxville by UCLA in 2009, the Vols host Oregon in 2010, travel to North Carolina in 2011, host the Tar Heels in 2012, travel to Oregon in 2013, visit Oklahoma in 2014, host the Sooners in 2015, travel to Nebraska in 2016, host the Cornhuskers in 2017, and then play at home against Ohio State in 2018 before traveling to Columbus in 2019.

Last season, UT completed a two-game series against California with a season-opening trip to Berkeley. The home team was victorious in both contests, with Tennessee winning 35-18 in Knoxville to begin 2006 and Cal claiming a 45-31 decision last September.

2008 Tennessee Football Schedule
Sept. 1 at UCLA
Sept. 13 UAB
Sept. 20 Florida*
Sept. 27 at Auburn*
Oct. 4 Northern Illinois
Oct. 11 at Georgia*
Oct. 18 Mississippi State*
Oct. 25 Alabama*
Nov. 1 at South Carolina*
Nov. 8 Wyoming (HC)
Nov. 22 at Vanderbilt*
Nov. 29 Kentucky*
Dec. 6 SEC Championship (Atlanta)

* SEC Opponent; (HC) Homecoming

Washington DC, March 27 (CNA).-Supporters of all major party candidates for the United States presidency are angling to discover how to best appeal to Catholic voters, who could be a key swing vote in the November presidential election. According to Robert Reilly, a successful McCain campaign must win over Catholics to win the White House. 

Robert R. Reilly, who was President Ronald Reagan's liaison to Catholics between 1983 and 1985, wrote in an article published on Wednesday that Senator John McCain could not win the presidential election without the Catholic vote, which makes up about 25 percent of the electorate.  "The worst thing he could assume is that [the Catholic vote] is going to fall into his lap because Catholics will have nowhere else to go," he said.

Reilly argued that McCain could emulate Ronald Reagan's successful appeal to the Catholic vote during his 1984 presidential campaign.  Reagan's campaign ran advertisements in Catholic newspapers featuring a photo of Reagan and Pope John Paul II smiling together.  The photo, Reilly claimed, was effective because Reagan shared positions "completely congruent with those of the Catholic Church" on issues like the family, the sanctity of human life, pornography, and school prayer.

Senator McCain, Reilly said, "cannot simply claim that point of view; he needs to promote it."  Reilly noted that Reagan held a White House screening of Bernard Nathanson's film of an abortion, titled "The Silent Scream."  Reagan also published a noteworthy essay, "Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation," in the Human Life Review.  The essay helped convince Catholic pro-lifers of Reagan's sincerity, Reilly said.  

Reilly suggested McCain ask his Democratic opponent to watch "The Silent Scream" or an equivalent film with him.  He said McCain should write a pro-life essay similar to Reagan's for publication in a prominent Catholic-friendly journal.

Senator McCain could also make the upcoming U.S. visit of Pope Benedict XVI an opportunity to display his understanding of the Pope's thought on the family, the sanctity of human life, and the nature of radical Islam.

McCain needed to take risks to show his conviction in order to appeal to Catholics, Reilly claimed.

"If he throws as much conviction and energy into these issues as he did into his backing of the surge, Catholics and others will flock to his banner — and he can win. If he tries to coast on the moral issues, he will not," said Reilly.

The Democrats, too, are debating how to capture the Catholic vote in the presidential primary contest between Illinois Senator Barack Obama and New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Clinton campaign has argued that its strength among Catholics in the Democratic presidential primaries could mean their candidate would be stronger than Senator Barack Obama against Republican candidate Senator John McCain.

Clinton won 63 percent of the Democratic Catholic vote in Ohio and 65 percent in Texas.  Even in states where she lost to Obama, Clinton in some cases still won the Catholic vote in those states. 

Catholics are also poised to play a large role in the Democratic primaries since a recent survey of 19 states that have held presidential primaries this year shows  63 percent of Catholics identified themselves as Democrats, while 37 percent identified themselves as Republican.  In 2005, Edison/Mitofsky polls claimed that only 42 percent of Catholics identified themselves as Democrats.

———————————————————————————————————————

My 2 Cents:  I know for a fact that if McCain wanted to write a strong pro life article, CatholicDestination.com would publish it for him.  PLEASE spread the word. 

Mr. McCain, CatholicDestination.com is not a tax free non-profit.  They are not limited by the threat of losing their tax free status because they are not tax free.  This is a great freedom and platform if you choose to use it.  

Mr. McCain, if you are truly conservative, and truly pro-life, let's make it undeniably clear.  Don't alienate conservative voters and assume they will vote a party line.  They will vote elsewhere (or not vote at all) if they are not convinced you are the candidate whose ideals match their own.         

So who do you vote for this year?  I read an article about Pennsylvania "Catholic voters" that may vote for Clinton in the Democratic primaries.  You need to read this article provided to CatholicDestination.com by Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life.

Ten Easy Steps to Voting With a Clear Conscience

It still baffles me that Catholics would vote for abortion "rights".  Actually it baffles me that ANYONE would vote for this.  The right to choose to kill your baby?  Are you serious?  

This reminds me of what I told my Catholic Social Teaching class last night.  We cannot address properly the moral problems of our age by merely treating symptoms.  We must go to the source - page one, if you will - and re-inform the consciences of entire generations of people.  Morality has never been the product of popular opinion, a book club, or even a democracy.  Morality has its root in the Divine Creator.  God is the source and standard of morality and He is unchanging.  Not only that, but God is alone worthy of our worship.  We must obey Him before all others.  People must unlearn all the garbage they have accumulated and internalize this truth.  Then they must internalize the Dignity of the Human Person and the love of neighbor as one's self.  If  we can love God as we ought and love our neighbors as God loves us and as we love ourselves, we can overcome sins like abortion and contraception.  From the basic principles of human existence as beings created in the image and likeness of God stem all our other beliefs, including the proper view of human sexuality.  

The answer is not condoms, it is not the pill, it is not abortion rights.  Go to page one.  What has God revealed about Himself and humankind?  How do they relate one to another?  How is humankind to relate to itself?

Looking for a good primer on the subject?  The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has a Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.  Every Catholic should read it.

I love good food.  I love grilled or roasted food.  I love good grilled food that is grilled good.  Mmmmm.  So last night we had dinner with the RCIA team, candidates, and all their respective families.  We gathered to look at the traditional Seder meal that our Jewish friends celebrate each year.  Now, our meal was not an actual Seder, but we did take time to look at the elements of the Seder and their significance both with regard to Passover, and with regard to the Christian life.  

I would very much like one of these days to be invited to a real live Seder.  It would be good to hear from the source what the Seder means and the role Passover plays in their life of faith.  Maybe one day this will happen. 

For now, this was our dinner.  And you know what?  I didn't spaz out.  My kids were their normal young selves, but I didn't get agitated with their antics.  I did not sit nervously waiting on it to be over so I could escort them to the car feeling embarrassed at their behavior.  I enjoyed my dinner, and I watched them enjoy theirs.  Did they stay in their seats the whole time?  Nope.  Did they attempt to throw food?  Oh, yes.  But I did good.  Hooray for Andy this time.  Not being nervous was HUGE!  I can control my temper almost always.  There are only a couple of people in this world who can push my buttons.  But I get nervous with my children in public.  Last night though, no nervous.  No, I was not high.  I was able to keep it together, and I'm pretty happy about that.  

Now, let's see if I can keep that streak going.  We're leaving for a brief vacation tonight.  Let the test begin. 

One more thing:  Murray, you are the GRILL MASTER!  Hats off to you, good man!!!!   !!!!!!!!

I don't understand why people are in such a hurry to get out of Mass on Sunday.  If your time is so valuable that you can't wait until the Recessional is over before you have to run out of the Church, why are you even coming to Mass?  What is another 5 minutes?  Do you love Jesus so little that you have to flee his Church immediately after communion?  Do you think that the communion you profess and receive is real?  I really don't understand.

I have never been able to understand how people can care so little about their relationship with the Lord, begrudgingly giving Him an hour on Sunday and somehow thinking they are doing Him a favor.  But heaven forbid the service last more than 60 minutes, because then the keys start rattling, you're gathering your things and ready to bolt for the door.  Really?  C'mon.  And you're not even leaving quietly, you're talking on the way out too.  Good grief, people.  Learn to at least respect the house of worship enough to keep your early leaving yap shut until you are outside.  At least pretend to care that this is Church.  

Think I'm being judgemental?  Think I'm being harsh?  I saw this same garbage when I was a Protestant pastor and I still see it at Mass.  And we as Catholics are supposed to be a sacramental people - a liturgical people - and I see this sort of behavior from people who should know better.  I bet nobody taught you to leave Mass early.  You probably learned it from someone else's bad example, just like all those people who are so adamant about holding hands during the Our Father.  Why also are so many people adamant about something that is not even a part of the liturgy (holding hands during  the Our Father) and yet do not even attempt to participate in the parts of the liturgy that are spelled out (making a profound bow during the words of the Incarnation, crossing yourself, etc.).  You have no excuse.

All the prescribed gestures play a role in putting our whole being in the pathway of God's free grace.  In other words, participation in the Mass disposes us to receive the grace He offers through it.  So why take it lightly?  Please don't.  Please give Him that hour of Mass with your whole heart, mind, soul, strength, participation, emotion, attention, and anything else you have.  And don't stop there.  Spend some time during the week praying, reading the Bible.  Did you know that the Church has ways for you to grow in your faith 7 days a week?  Give it a try.  You might find that you like it.