A very blessed Christmas

I wish all of you a blessed Christmas season :D....Puer natus est nobis :)

Thought of the day

Often times through good intentions, the things we say, the things we do make life miserable for others. Perhaps we should not contribute to other's crosses.

Thought of the day

Joy is a state of being, not necessarily an emotional super high

Thought of the day

You know something, the backhanded insults from the Holy Father are not really encouraging...but I will say, they make for a great stand-up routine...now be good little Self-Absorbed Promethean Neo-Pelagians and go say your recited prayers :D

Thought of the day

Any problems that we have are not a result of the Church being mean, but rather our own weakness. We should not strive to make the teachings of the Church weaker as to alleviate our own weaknesses.

Evangelii Gaudium thoughts

With upcoming final exams, and my upcoming vacation...I realize that I'm not going to have the time to analyze every paragraph as I'd like, or perhaps I'll get back to it at a later date....but I'll summarize my thoughts in my own "exhortation form" ...modeled, but not the same as Christi Gaudium

Disclaimers:
1) Any resemblance to the real thing is merely a coincidence
2) It is not my fault that the real thing was too long.

NON-APOSTOLIC EXORTATION

GAUDIUM VERITATIS

OF A TEACHER ON EVANGELIZATION IN TODAY'S WORLD

The joy of Truth fills the hearts and minds of all who accept the Gospel, receive the Sacrament of Baptism and are bonded intimately to the Holy Church of God, the Mystical Body of Christ, the Holy Catholic Church. 

The conditions of society are always in flux, but the mission of the Church is simple "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all that I have commanded of you" (cf Matt 28, 19-20)

The Gospel is to be preached to everyone, those that are in false religions (Islam, Judaism, etc), those who do not know religion (atheism, agnostics, etc). Everyone has a right to hear and know the Truth of the Catholic Church, absolutely no one is to be excluded. 

A decentralized Church can't work unless the Bishops', the Pope included teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, un-edited, without fear of offending people, or follow the Liturgical and Canonical laws of the Church. The Bishops' can't support specific policies on prudential judgement, and expect that the faithful listen to them when it counts on actual matters of Faith and morals. Since the Bishops' misuse what little authority they already have, the Holy See will not in any way delegate to local Bishops' conferences power on doctrine. Christ established Peter as the head of the Church (cf Matt 16, 18) ...and while how this headship has been exercised has varied over the centuries, It is Peter who is to confirm the faith of his brethren and take charge of matters in the Church (cf Jn 17)...Jesus did not give the other apostles' the keys and the successors of Peter have no power to change the words of Christ. 

Any ministry must faithfully transmit the Catholic Faith, in its entirety, must firstly begin in the Worship of Almighty God, through the Church's Liturgy. The Liturgical Laws are to be strictly obeyed as to make the personality of the person disappear, and Christ truly present. The Liturgy is to be mysterious and covey heaven on earth. All banal songs are forbidden from Liturgy. In the Roman Church Gregorian chant is to be executed at all Masses. No longer will there be low Masses on Sundays, and Solemnities....God by the virtue of Justice is due supreme Worship, and so we will give unto Him what is rightly due. We will copy from our Eastern brethren the concept of singing the entire Liturgy. Going to Mass is meritorious in of itself, but our Love for God, needs to correspond to the love of neighbor. 

The little traditions that we do to help us to remind us of Christ should be maintained, and fully explained as for future generations to deeply appreciate the fullness of the Catholic Faith. 

The Church as founded by Christ Jesus is the Fullness of Truth, and is not merely one amongst many. As the Church founded by God himself, she has a right to proclaim the Truths of the Gospel, and call everyone to live out these Truths in daily society. She however loses credibility when she comes out in support of specific policy measures where the laity have more expertise than the pastors of these souls. 

The responsibility of the hierarchy is to lead all souls to heaven. This can't be done when the Truths of the Church are half-preached, or ignored in their entirety. People will leave to go where the Truth is being taught because the Truth in of itself is attractive. This failure to preach the Truth of Christ wounds Christ as He desires everyone to be in union with His Bride the Catholic Church. 

All of the problems in the world are due to the weakness of us not living our Faith to the fullness that we should. Whether it's abortion, sodomite marriage, or unemployment and hunger, all of these are due to the fact that Catholics do not live out their Faith correctly and to the fullest potential. Some points to consider in an economic situation

1) Any economic system requires moral people to run the system. Otherwise it will tend towards corruption because of original sin (or loss of grace)

2) It is a work of mercy to feed the poor. Christ does not say how this is best to be accomplished. If you figure a way that works, great.

3) Problems are best solved at the local level.

4) Abortion, sodomy can never be supported for any reason, period. 

5) Everything that we have is a gift from God, and it is our duty out of our own free will to share this with others without coercion.

6) One can't give to others what one has rightfully earned. 

With this in mind, the Church with Joy calls everyone unto herself through the sanctifying waters Baptism to participate in the Life of Grace with assistance through the gifts of the Holy Spirit...to teach the Truth to the ends of the earth, for all eternity Amen. 

Thought of the day

I sometimes think that people are afraid to have children...people should trust in God that He will provide for those that He blesses children with. This compensation does not need to be material or financial though. Trust in God, and let Him do the work :)

Seriously....

You knows something zero, if you're looking for a new gal, being married and doing so in front of your wife isn't a good idea, just saying...But you know, as classless and decorumless as this act is, part of me says not bad if you're considering upgrading, and part of me wishes the Danish PM takes you away for good....Bad form zero, bad form

The How to pray the chyotki

Rumor has it that the author of this blog has his own chyotki (It is transliterated this way better the Russian spelling is чётки )...For those of you that have zero idea what a chyotki is...here's a picture

A chyotki is a prayer rope that dates back to the early centuries when the illiterate monks couldn't rad and so they'd use this to help them count their prayers...most often it is used like this:

On the big bead, you say O Holy Theotokos save us...

On the little beads you say: Lord Jesus, Son of David, (breathe) have mercy on me (us)...(often called prayer of the heart, or the Jesus' prayer)

It's that simple...Mine is blue, in honour of Our Lady (and it being my favorite color)...according to some, at the parish I attend, they say that Bishops' often have theirs blue...(God help us if that refers anything vocation wise)...I have 33 knots on mine in honour of the life of Our Lord...but there are several different sizes one can get. It is worn on the left arm...It is the eastern form of the rosary....and I rather like this prayer, so I thought I'd share it with you fellow readers.

The Holy Father wears one like this:

So thus I don't wish for anyone to say here at this blog that I hate the Holy Father....alright? We pray for him daily at this blog.

Pax Vobis

Thought of the day

At one point, there will come a time where excuses can't be created, and things need to be called out for what they are. The sooner, the better.

Thought of the day

We need more HDO's...A LOT more....rewarding lazy isn't a good thing....

Thought of the day

The Church's theology is not limited to Aquainas, the Church also has Fathers from the East who are just as venerable. Both traditions should be used freely.

Thought of the day

Well, St Nicholas did smack a heretic...hmmm....ideas....St Nicholas loved our Lord, and so should you :D

Thought of the day

Be Not Nobody...

The Joy of the Gospel, paragraphs 11-14

A renewal of preaching can offer believers, as well as the lukewarm and the non-practising, new joy in the faith and fruitfulness in the work of evangelization (The translation makes me cry...Here's the Spanish: Un anuncio renovado ofrece a los creyentes, también a los tibios o no practicantes, una nueva alegría en la fe y una fecundidad evangelizadora. En realidad, su centro y esencia es siempre el mismo: el Dios que manifestó su amor inmenso en Cristo muerto y resucitado. Él hace a sus fieles siempre nuevos; aunque sean ancianos...A slightly more literal translation: A renewed announcement offers to the believers, also to the lukewarm or non practicing a new joy in the faith and a fecundity evangelizing. In reality, its center and essence are always the same: The God who manifests His love immense in Christ dead and risen. His make to His faithful always new, even if they are elderly...Perhaps this is true, perhaps this isn't. To the lukewarm a new announcement would hopefully re-awaken their Faith, but the sense of joy is permanent and takes time to form). The heart of its message will always be the same: the God who revealed his immense love in the crucified and risen Christ. God constantly renews his faithful whatever their age: “They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint” (Is 40:31). Christ is the “eternal Gospel” (Rev 14:6); he “is the same
5 Ibid.
6 pAul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 80: AAS 68 (1976), 75.
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yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8), yet his riches and beauty are inexhaustible. He is for ever young and a constant source of newness. The Church never fails to be amazed at “the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God” (Rom 11:33). Saint John of the Cross says that “the thicket of God’s wisdom and knowledge is so deep and so broad that the soul, however much it has come to know of it, can always penetrate deeper within it”.7 Or as Saint Irenaeus writes: “By his coming, Christ brought with him all newness”.8 With this newness he is always able to renew our lives and our communities, and even if the Christian message has known periods of darkness and ecclesial weakness (like now?), it will never grow old. Jesus can also break through the dull categories with which we would enclose him and he constantly amazes us by his divine creativity (That is unless we refuse to cooperate with His grace, God does not impose, He proposes). Whenever we make the effort to return to the source and to recover the original freshness of the Gospel (the Gospel doesn't lose anything), new avenues arise, new paths of creativity open up, with different forms of expression (God help us from this, let's try actually expressing something first), more eloquent signs and words with new meaning for today’s world (Liturgical minimalism will NOT help). Every form of authentic evangelization is always “new”. 

Though it is true that this mission demands great generosity on our part, it would be wrong to see it as a heroic individual undertaking, for it

7. 7  Spiritual Canticle, 36, 10.
   
8. 8  Adversus Haereses, IV, c. 34, n. 1: PG 7, pars prior, 1083:
   

“Omnem novitatem attulit, semetipsum afferens”.

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is first and foremost the Lord’s work, surpassing anything which we can see and understand. Jesus is “the first and greatest evangelizer”.9 In every activity of evangelization, the primacy always belongs to God, who has called us to cooperate with him and who leads us on by by the power of his Spirit. The real newness is the newness which God himself mysteriously brings about and inspires, provokes, guides and accompanies in a thousand ways. The life of the Church should always reveal clearly that God takes the initiative, that “he has loved us first” (1 Jn 4:19) and that He (capitalization fail again) alone “gives the growth” (1 Cor 3:7). This conviction enables us to maintain a spirit of joy in the midst of a task so demanding and challenging that it engages our entire life. God asks everything of us, yet at the same time he offers everything to us. (Allow me to place the Spanish here again: Esta convicción nos permite conservar la alegría en medio de una tarea tan exigente y desafiante que toma nuestra vida por entero. Nos pide todo, pero al mismo tiempo nos ofrece todo....Which can be translated better: This conviction permits us to retain the joy in the middle of a challenging and demanding task which takes our lives for entire. We asked all, but at the same time we offer all. ...What's being communicated here really doesn't make much sense as written, I think the Holy Father could have better said "estamos pide dar todo, pero El ofrece todo" to make his point more clear.....but of course, he didn't. This time it's an actual problem in the text which doesn't make the point clear...The idea of conviction as a literal word translation means without overcoming from the latin con-...vincere-to overcome...The question becomes what are we overcoming?...)

Nor should we see the newness of this mission as entailing a kind of displacement or for- getfulness of the living history which surrounds us and carries us forward. Memory is a dimension of our faith which we might call “deuteronomic”, not unlike the memory of Israel itself. Jesus leaves us the Eucharist as the Church’s daily remembrance of, and deeper sharing in, the event of his Passover (cf. Lk 22:19). The joy of evangelizing always arises from grateful remembrance: it is a grace which we constantly need to
9 pAul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 7: AAS 68 (1976), 9.
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implore. The apostles never forgot the moment when Jesus touched their hearts: “It was about four o’clock in the afternoon” (Jn 1:39). Together with Jesus, this remembrance makes present to us “a great cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1), some of whom, as believers, we recall with great joy: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God”(Heb13:7). Some of them were ordinary people who were close to us and introduced us to the life of faith: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice” (2 Tim 1:5). The believer is essentially “one who remembers”.  (Not quite what the Spanish says: El creyente es fundamentalmente (The believer is fundamentally...)...An aside, the greek word means to make past present....something to consider.)


Attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who helps us together to read the signs of the times, the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops gathered from 7-28 Oc- tober 2012 to discuss the theme: The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. The Synod reaffirmed that the new evangelization is a summons addressed to all and that it is carried out in three principal settings.v(when did the old evangelization stop?) 10 

In first place, we can mention the area of ordinary pastoral ministry, which is “animated by
10 Cf.Propositio7.

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the fire of the Spirit, so as to inflame the hearts of the faithful who regularly take part in community worship and gather on the Lord’s day to be nourished by his word and by the bread of eternal life”.11 In this category we can also include those members of faithful who preserve a deep and sincere faith, expressing it in different ways, but seldom taking part in worship. Ordinary pastoral ministry seeks to help believers to grow spiritually so that they can respond to God’s love ever more fully in their lives.
A second area is that of “the baptized whose lives do not reflect the demands of Baptism”,12 who lack a meaningful relationship to the Church and no longer experience the consolation born of faith. The Church, in her maternal concern, tries to help them experience a conversion which will re- store the joy of faith to their hearts and inspire a commitment to the Gospel.
Lastly, we cannot forget that evangelization is first and foremost about preaching the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him. Many of them are quietly seeking God, led by a yearning to see his face, even in countries of ancient Christian tradition. All of them have a right to receive the Gospel. Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding anyone. Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as
11 benedIcTXVI,HomilyatMassfortheConclusionof the Synod of Bishops (28 October 2012): AAS 104 (2102), 890.
12 Ibid. 14

people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet. It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but “by attraction”.13
John Paul II asked us to recognize that “there must be no lessening of the impetus to preach the Gospel” to those who are far from Christ, “because this is the first task of the Church”.14 Indeed, “today missionary activity still represents the greatest challenge for the Church”15 and“the missionary task must remain foremost”.16 What would happen if we were to take these words seriously? We would realize that missionary outreach is paradigmatic for all the Church’s activity. Along these lines the Latin American bish- ops stated that we “cannot passively and calmly wait in our church buildings”;17 we need to move “from a pastoral ministry of mere conservation to a decidedly missionary pastoral ministry”.18 This task continues to be a source of immense joy for the Church: “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7). 

Enough analyzing the preview...onto chapter 1. 

Listening...or so it's called

Some people have made a point of telling  (as well intended as they may be) me that God has something special planned for me. And in the context in these statements would be that somehow there are those that still consider me to have a vocation to the priesthood. (Apparently it must be something in how I act or something like that, I'm only giving to God what is due unto Him, it's really no big deal...seriously, it's not that big of a deal, and I think nothing of it)

And some have mentioned to me that I should consider a vocation in the Byzantine church (in a rather implicit way), that I'd make a good priest or what not.

In my own typical shyness, I brush things off, having walked down that road before, which of course the details of such are kept out of the public eye.

God most certainly provides the grace to get through any situation, provided we cooperate with it, and as I've often mentioned, I'm quite broken, and I don't just speak from my last experiences in living religious life, I speak of all my personal experiences and weaknesses (there are plenty)...I know that people really try to point out the good, but the reality is that I have plenty of weaknesses and blocks towards such a "vocation." I don't kid when I say I'm not the next coming of any of my favorite Saints.

I'm quite stubborn and refuse to bow to anyone other than God, (which works both for a good and bad thing)...I don't do the Gospel of political correctness (if you're offended, too darn bad)...I'm not a fan of the USCCB as a collective whole (although there are plenty of fine good individual Bishops), and I will call them out on their stupidity...(you know, supporting amnesty, Obamacare until there was abortion in it, etc.)....In my shyness, I'm quite a strong personality, I know these are my weaknesses...and they must change if I was to pursue a vocation to the priesthood again...

Yes, I am also very docile at times, sometimes too much so. Yes, I'm a firm believer if you're going to do something, then one must do so well. Surely I do sing the epistle at Divine Liturgy, but I do love God and so out of justice these things happen.

I definitely did think that if I was to become a priest, I would be bi-ritual doing both the Byzantine Liturgy and the Roman Liturgy. I've had a love for both forms of the Liturgy for quite a while now.

If it's in God's will that I become a priest it will happen, but for now, my life although not perfect by any means, I'm at peace with whatever God's will is. As always I do ask for your prayers, and thank you sincerely for compliments given...

Pax Vobis

Thought of the day

Better to be safe, anticipate something and it not happen, than to be screwed...

The Joy of the Gospel Paragraph's 6-10

Paragraph's 4 and 5 are pretty much Scripture quotes, so I'll not comment on those paragraph's, I'll move on to paragraph 6


There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter (Let's see what the Spanish says here "Hay cristianos cuya opción parece ser la de 
una Cuaresma sin Pascua. Pero reconozco que la 
alegría no se vive del mismo modo en todas las 
etapas y circunstancias de la vida" The Spanish more literally says something like: There are Christians whose option seems to be a Lent without Easter. But I recognize that they joy would not live the same mode in all the stages and circumstances of the life....There are some people that are called to live their lives as penance for whatever reason, and we should not demean them for this...I think seem is trying to undercut the point that's being made in this part of the text)...The thing about joy is that it is not an emotional super high where everything's all perfect all the time...Joy is a state of being, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but it doesn't mean emotional super high...That is to say, someone can seem down, and yet at the same time be joyous...Introverted personalities can probably understand where I'm coming from better)   . I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty. Joy adapts and changes (I wouldn't say joy adapts or changes as God does not change, and if Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, it's an aspect of God in us..rather, I'd say our joy is constant, but our expressions always change), but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved. I understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering (Some of us really endure it for His sake), yet slowly but surely we all have to let the joy of faith slow- ly revive as a quiet yet firm trust (Joy is constant, the expression, not so much), even amid the greatest distress: “My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is... But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies nev- er come to an end; they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness... It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam 3:17, 21-23, 26). (Happiness is temporary, Joy is permanent)

7. Sometimes we are tempted to find excuses and complain, acting as if we could only be happy if a thousand conditions were met (Well, again, happiness is temporary, joy is permanent). To some extent this is because our “technological society has succeeded in multiplying occasions of pleasure (or some would call this hedonism), yet has found it very difficult to engender joy (Well of course, because things of this world do not bring joy in the strict sense) ”.2 I can say that the most beautiful and natural expressions of joy which I have seen in my life were in poor people who had little to hold on to (They are not bound to the gods of materialism). I also think of the real joy shown by others who, even amid pressing professional obligations, were able to preserve, in detachment and simplicity, a heart full of faith. In their own way, all these instances of joy flow from the infinite love of God, who has revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. I never tire of repeating those words of Benedict XVI which take us to the very heart of the Gospel: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” (Amen).3

8. Thanks solely to this encounter or renewed encounter – with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self-absorption (You can bet the temptations are there). We become fully human when we become more than human (Grace transforms us unto like Him, something that we can't do by ourselves), when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being. Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization. For if we have received the love which restores mean-

2. 2  Ibid. 8: AAS 67 (1975), 292.
   
3. 3  Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005),
   

1: AAS 98 (2006), 217.
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ing to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others? (Well, by our own selfishness wanting things for ourselves...Something that extroverts do not seem to get about those of us that are introverted, our natural tendency is to keep things interior...If people want to know something, by all means let them ask, but we're not going to go out and proclaim "I'm happier than you, nah nah nah, etc." )

II. The delightful And comforting joy of evangelizing

9. Goodness always tends to spread. Every authentic experience of truth and goodness seeks by its very nature to grow within us, and any per- son who has experienced a profound liberation becomes more sensitive to the needs of others (Epic translation fail: Here's the Spanish: El bien siempre tiende a comunicarse. Toda 
experiencia auténtica de verdad y de belleza busca 
por sí misma su expansión, y cualquier persona 
que viva una profunda liberación adquiere mayor 
sensibilidad ante las necesidades de los demás... My translation: The good always tends to communicate itself. All experience authentic of truth and of beauty searches by itself its expansion and that any person that lives a profound liberation aquires greater sensibility before the necesities of the others....This is very much true, in the words of our dear Emeritus Pope "The Truth itself is attractive." We don't need to dress the Truth up in a fancy package,  as all people sincerely desire the Truth...The 2nd half of the statement, that a person aquires greater sensibility before the necesitities of others...that is to say Love of God, should transform to love of neighbor, but serving God in of itself is good thing, though we should be attentive towards others). As it expands, goodness takes root and develops. If we wish to lead a dignified and fulfilling life, we have to reach out to others and seek their good (The Spanish text at this point says: Por eso, quien quiera vivir con dignidad y plenitud no tiene otro camino más que reconocer al otro y buscar su bien. My translation: Therefore, who wants to live with dignity and plentitud does not have other way more than to recognize the other and look for your good...To say though that good is dependent on recognition kind of to me seems a bit trivial....What if the other does not wish to be recognized? What if the other is happy where they are? Well, this most certainly doesn't mean we don't try to evangelize and teach them the Truth of the Faith, but..there are those that desire to be hidden...and for good reason...;). In this regard, several sayings of Saint Paul will not surprise us: “The love of Christ urges us on” (2 Cor 5:14); “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16).

10. The Gospel offers us the chance to live life on a higher plane, but with no less intensity: (Another translation fail sponsored by the Vatican: The Spanish says: La propuesta es vivir en un nivel superior, pero no con menor intensidad, which is of course translated: The proposal is to live in a level superior, but not with less intensity...Honestly, who's translating this? Sigh, but I'll be perfectly honest, I have zero clue what's going on with this sentence...less intensity? Is there any place where the Gospel is being intensely lived? (I speak generally)...really?):
  “Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort. Indeed, those who enjoy life most are those who leave security on the shore and become excited by the mission of communicating life to others...(The Spanish text says: La vida se acrecienta dándola y se debilita en el aislamiento y la comodidad. De hecho, los que más disfrutan de la vida son los que dejan la seguridad de la orilla y se apasionan en la misión de comunicar vida a los demás...I'd translate it slightly differently...The giving life grows and is debilitated in isolation and the comfort, Of fact, they enjoy life more be those who leave the security of the shore and know passion in the mission of to communicate life to the others....But again, there are those that thrive in isolation...most introverts qualify under this...While certainly there are times of lonliness being in isolation, in general, those of us that look inward in our understanding of the universe...wouldn't agree with this statement...I barely get excited about speaking, let alone get excited about anything....)
 ”.4 When the Church summons Christians to take up the task of evangelization, she is simply pointing to the source of authentic personal fulfilment. For “here we discover a profound law of reality: that
4 fIfTh generAl conference of The lATIn AmerIcAn And cArIbbeAn bIshops, Aparecida Document, 29 June 2007, 360.

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life is attained and matures in the measure that it is offered up in order to give life to others. This is certainly what mission means (Well, literally mission means sent from the Latin...you might recognize Ite missa est :p)...doesn't necessarily giving life to others...per se)”.5 Consequently, an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral! (But what if they actually did come back from a funeral and given the opportunity to evangelize...often the funeral Liturgy is a chance to evangelize lapsed Catholics)....LEt us look at the Spanish text again, and re-translate...Por consiguiente, un evangelizador no debería tener permanentemente cara de funeral....A better translation: For consequence, an evangelizer should not have permanently face of a funeral...Now this translation makes more sense...to say someone shouldn't have a face of a funeral, this is true, it would be difficult (not impossible) to reach someone with a depressed face)
  Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm, that “delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow... And may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervour, who have first received the joy of Christ”.6  (More translation issues: Recobremos y acrecentemos el fervor, «la dulce y confortadora alegría de evangelizar, incluso cuando hay que sembrar entre lágrimas [...] Y ojalá el mundo actual —que busca a veces con angustia, a ve- ces con esperanza— pueda así recibir la Buena Nueva, no a través de evangelizadores tristes y desalentados, impacientes o ansiosos, sino a través de ministros del Evangelio, cuya vida irradia el fervor de quienes han recibido, ante todo en sí mismos, la alegría de Cristo ».6...Better translated: We recover and create the fervor..The sweet and comforting of to evangelize, including when there which to sow enter tears. And actually, the world actual, which looks to sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, can receive also the Good News not through evangelizers sad and desolate, or impatient, but through ministers of the Gospel, whose lives radiate the fervor who have received before all in themselves, the joy of Christ...The literal translation of these words tends to make me a bit more sense. That is to say, sure we should be joys and our lives should radiate such joy....but again, Joy is permanent, and not something that is expressed in an emotional super high...For sure there are cultural differences as to expressions, but the Roman way tends to be a bit more solemn and serious. The Byzantine way tends to be ornate with beauty....each must find their comfort zone....and work from it...While we're sometimes called to go outside of our comfort zones, God equips us with the grace to do what is necessary. )

More commentary tomorrow or within the coming days...this is a huge document which I'm trying to understand paragraph by paragraph, and as you can see, some of the nuances are lost in translation....seriously, the Vatican needs a better Spanish to English translator...I offer my services for much less than necessary (as long as I can get private Masses with the Emeritus daily :p))

The Joy of the Gospel Pargaphs 1-3

The Holy Father has a new exortation....here it is: I'm going to analyze it chapter by chapter. Apparently, the Vatican has no idea how to translate Spanish correctly, so I'm going to go ahead and translate the Spanish where necessary, my comments are in red

1. The joy of The gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus (Bear in mind that joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, but that does not mean that all is an emotional super high either). Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness (Salvation is the final act, when we die..., indeed we are set free, but this doesn't mean that there won't be temptations of this sort). With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy (oh boy), while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come (Let's give him a chance).

I. A joy ever new, A joy whIch Is shared

2. The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience (Indeed so). Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor (Well, I don't know if I fully agree with that statement, perhaps it could be better to say that our priorities are screwed when we put ourselves first, we should be last...God, others, ourselves). God’s voice is no longer heard (maybe God's voice is ignored might be better, I wouldn't necessarily say that God's voice isn't heard...), the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades (Possibly, in some cases because people wish to boost their own egos, they'll try to do more good, this is of course a wrong attitude as to why to do good things, we do good things for our Love of God, and love of neighbor ). This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ. 

3. I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ ( There can be a danger in basing one's relationship with God based upon an emotional encounter. That is to say to encounter God, does not necessarily mean that there will be an emotion of consolation attached to it...We are certainly called to a deep intimacy with God, but this again doesn't mean there will be emotions to console or confirm this...traditional Catholic theology has avoided this term in the past as to not confuse or to equate emotions in a relationship with God...this mixing of emotions and relationship is commonly called phenomenology) , or at least an openness to letting Him (capitalization fail) encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”.1 The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk (Of course, but we as humans are weak, hence why our relationships should not be based upon the fragile thing known as emotion); whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that He is already there (I don't know about that part), waiting for us with open arms (God is a loving Father always waiting to embrace us when we return to Him). Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again , Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”. How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! (The prayer says something slightly different: here is the spanish: Señor, me he dejado engañar, de mil 
maneras escapé de tu amor, pero aquí estoy otra 
vez para renovar mi alianza contigo. Te necesito. 
Rescátame de nuevo, Señor, acéptame una vez 
más entre tus brazos redentores: The translation that concerns me here is Rescatame de neuvo...is translated as save me once again...it'd be better to translate this as redeem me once again...strictly speaking Salvation is considered our final act whether we're in heaven or in hell...for our time on earth, redemption would be a better word to apply here...Protestants often speak of "being saved." One can't be "saved" unless one is dead ;)...) Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy (How true this is, how hard is it to go to Confession where Christ forgives us through the person of the priest? It's embarrassing, difficult, painful...I don't know about you, but I often struggle to go to the box, even though I make myself go) . Christ, who told us to forgive one another “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) has given us his example: he has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders (Christ never stops forgiving us, as long as we keep trying, we need to persevere until the end of the race). No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew. Let us not flee from the
1 pAul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete in Domino (9 May 1975), 22: AAS 67 (1975), 297.

resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will. May nothing inspire more than his life, which impels us onwards! 

Paragraphs 4-7 will come later on :)...There's a lot to digest here, so be patient, Pax Vobis

Because you need a little dose of cute in your lives...more of my Tatyana Thérèse

Thought of the day

It is so easy to thank God for when things go well. Do we thank Him for our crosses as well? Our crosses are His way to perfect us. A blessed Thanksgiving to all of you!

Thought of the day

Society has been backwards for quite a while...and at the rate of walking backwards we're going it won't be long before we're off the cliff and not seeing where we are falling.

Prayer request

I am going to be placing my name in for the FT Position at my current job, I appreciate it :)

My answers to the Vatican Survey

Don't let me find a survey, I will finish it...in this case, the Vatican has a survey: My answers in RED

III. Questions

The following series of questions allows the particular Churches to participate actively in the preparation of the Extraordinary Synod, whose purpose is to proclaim the Gospel in the context of the pastoral challenges facing the family today.

1. The Diffusion of the Teachings on the Family in Sacred Scripture and the Church’s Magisterium

a) Describe how the Catholic Church’s teachings on the value of the family contained in the Bible, Gaudium et spes, Familiaris consortio and other documents of the post-conciliar Magisterium is understood by people today? What formation is given to our people on the Church’s teaching on family life?

There is absolutely no understanding by the vast majority of the Faithful of the Church's teaching. In many places there is open rebellion to the Church's teachings on the family. Those that do have an understanding of the Church's teachings, have a minimal grasp on the subject. Much formation is given to something that isn't even official Church teaching (NFP)...

b) In those cases where the Church's teaching is known, is it accepted fully or are there difficulties in putting it into practice? If so, what are they?

Those that are accepting of the Church's teaching encounter a culture which resists the Church's openess to life. There are various economic phenomena that make putting the Church's teachings into practice a bit difficult. 

c) How widespread is the Church's teaching in pastoral programmes at the national, diocesan and parish levels? What catechesis is done on the family?

Non-existent...

d ) To what extent — and what aspects in particular — is this teaching actually known, accepted, rejected and/or criticized in areas outside the Church? What are the cultural factors which hinder the full reception of the Church’s teaching on the family?

There is criticism for a lack of openness to contraception. We have a culture that enjoys murdering innocent babies, there is absolutely no respect for life at the most fundamental level. 

2. Marriage according to the Natural Law

a) What place does the idea of the natural law have in the cultural areas of society: in institutions, education, academic circles and among the people at large? What anthropological ideas underlie the discussion on the natural basis of the family?

Natural Law is unheard of or ignored in the academic situations that I am familiar with. 

b) Is the idea of the natural law in the union between a man and a woman commonly accepted as such by the baptized in general?

No, but the union between man and woman acceptance is decreasing even further. 

c) How is the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and woman challenged in light of the formation of a family? How is it proposed and developed in civil and Church institutions?

No proposition of such situations. 

d) In cases where non-practicing Catholics or declared non-believers request the celebration of marriage, describe how this pastoral challenge is dealt with?

The non-Catholic parties are advised of the Catholic duties, and usually sign an agreement to raise the kids Catholic. 

3. The Pastoral Care of the Family in Evangelization

a) What experiences have emerged in recent decades regarding marriage preparation? What efforts are there to stimulate the task of evangelization of the couple and of the family? How can an awareness of the family as the "domestic Church" be promoted?

Marriage preparation consists of much on NFP, and not enough on the Sacramental meaning of Marriage. The Domestic church can be promoted with a return to the fidelity in the Liturgy and connecting private prayer to Liturgical prayer. 

b) How successful have you been in proposing a manner of praying within the family which can withstand life’s complexities and today’s culture?

Unscucessfull

c) In the current generational crisis, how have Christian families been able to fulfill their vocation of transmitting the faith?

They haven't, the family has not received the Faith in full.

d) In what way have the local Churches and movements on family spirituality been able to create ways of acting which are exemplary?

The showing of examples of young couples enjoying their marriage has been a positive influence.

e) What specific contribution can couples and families make to spreading a credible and holistic idea of the couple and the Christian family today?

Couples can show the integration of the Liturgical life of the Church into their daily lives. 

f) What pastoral care has the Church provided in supporting couples in formation and couples in crisis situations?

The Church offers counsel to those who have ears. There are many marriage enrichment classes and retreats that are offered in the local parishes and churches. 

4. Pastoral Care in Certain Difficult Marital Situations

a) Is cohabitation ad experimentum a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage?

I'd probably say around 70%

b) Do unions which are not recognized either religiously or civilly exist? Are reliable statistics available?

I don't have statistics, but they do exist. 

c) Are separated couples and those divorced and remarried a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage? How do you deal with this situation in appropriate pastoral programmes?

People aren't informed of the dispensation to live apart from the Bishop to strengthen their marriage. 

d) In all the above cases, how do the baptized live in this irregular situation? Are they aware of it? Are they simply indifferent? Do they feel marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving the sacraments?

Most are indifferent, and do not feel marginalized. 

e) What questions do divorced and remarried people pose to the Church concerning the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Reconciliation? Among those persons who find themselves in these situations, how many ask for these sacraments?

A few

f ) Could a simplification of canonical practice in recognizing a declaration of nullity of the marriage bond provide a positive contribution to solving the problems of the persons involved? If yes, what form would it take?

NO!

g) Does a ministry exist to attend to these cases? Describe this pastoral ministry? Do such programmes exist on the national and diocesan levels? How is God’s mercy proclaimed to separated couples and those divorced and remarried and how does the Church put into practice her support for them in their journey of faith?

No.

5. On Unions of Persons of the Same Sex

a) Is there a law in your country recognizing civil unions for people of the same-sex and equating it in some way to marriage?

Yes, these laws exist and it is equated to marriage.

b) What is the attitude of the local and particular Churches towards both the State as the promoter of civil unions between persons of the same sex and the people involved in this type of union?

Some of the local dioceses have been quiet on the issue, others have been very vocal.  All have been against the State promotion of this. 

c) What pastoral attention can be given to people who have chosen to live in these types of union?

Repent, and believe in the Gospel.

d) In the case of unions of persons of the same sex who have adopted children, what can be done pastorally in light of transmitting the faith?

The Truths of the Faith need to be told without fear of political correctness. 

6. The Education of Children in Irregular Marriages

a) What is the estimated proportion of children and adolescents in these cases, as regards children who are born and raised in regularly constituted families?

I'd say around 70-80%

b) How do parents in these situations approach the Church? What do they ask? Do they request the sacraments only or do they also want catechesis and the general teaching of religion?

Many seek the Sacraments of Initiation, but not the teaching of religion.

c) How do the particular Churches attempt to meet the needs of the parents of these children to provide them with a Christian education?

Many have a program in which catechesis comes along with the Sacraments. 

d) What is the sacramental practice in these cases: preparation, administration of the sacrament and the accompaniment?

The Sacraments are given after a catechesis period. 

7. The Openness of the Married Couple to Life

a) What knowledge do Christians have today of the teachings of Humanae vitae on responsible parenthood? Are they aware of how morally to evaluate the different methods of family planning? Could any insights be suggested in this regard pastorally?

Many people do not know of any other methods than NFP. But this NFP is an extra-ordinary situation. The majority of people do not know about the Church's teaching on life in marriage. My suggestion is to emphasize that God's grace can get them through financial difficulties. 

b) Is this moral teaching accepted? What aspects pose the most difficulties in a large majority of couple’s accepting this teaching?

Contraception is not used as much in marriage than without. 

c) What natural methods are promoted by the particular Churches to help spouses put into practice the teachings of Humanae vitae?

NFP

d) What is your experience on this subject in the practice of the Sacrament of Penance and participation at the Eucharist?

There has been less people participating in the Sacrament of Penance and more at the Holy Eucharist without the understanding of mortal sin. 

e) What differences are seen in this regard between the Church’s teaching and civic education?

Civic education is completely opposed to the Church's vision of the Family.

f) How can a more open attitude towards having children be fostered? How can an increase in births be promoted?

Year of Conception?

8. The Relationship Between the Family and the Person

a) Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the human person. How can the family be a privileged place for this to happen?

More families should try to imitate the Holy Trinity

b) What critical situations in the family today can obstruct a person’s encounter with Christ?

Bad Liturgy...Marty Haugen, David Haas hits

c) To what extent do the many crises of faith which people can experience affect family life?

The Crisis of Faith has major effect on Family life. 

9. Other Challenges and Proposals

What other challenges or proposals related to the topics in the above questions do you consider urgent and useful to treat?

N/A

Thought of the day

No where in Newton's work does he imply anything about a rate of change of momentum, not in the Latin, definitely not in the English text..To impose one's own interpretation of what is blatantly clear is absolutely ridiculous.

Monday morning news...

a. Our prayers for our Holy Father are apparently working...but keep praying

Some articles, here, and here.

While we haven't seen a retraction of some of the confusing things that have come from Rome, there most certainly has been a change in tone lately, and hopefully this tone continues....and the actions match the tone that is spoken. I'm not going to be all giddy giddy, for a few good things do not necessarily mean that things have turned around. But it does seem that the Holy Father is getting the message about how he's speaking which I can't complain about because quite frankly, some of what has come has been atrocious.

As I've stated before, I believe that Francis should be able to stand on Francis' own words and not the words of Benedict XVI or anyone else, and if he can't stand on his own words, he needs to re-evaluate what is being said. I'm not sold on "Reading Francis through Benedict" (TM), but I'll say that it is encouraging to see explicit support from Pope Francis towards the mindset of his predecessor.

We of course must continue to pray for Our Holy Father, the enemies are out to get him, both from within and from outside of the Church. We need to pray that he does not flee from the wolves, and does something about them. :D

b. Sometimes, things are just better in Russian....Newton's Law page is an example...their page gives a much more orthodox explanation of Newton's Laws (though there are still a few pages to fix)...I'm presently working on doing the corrections to the English page.

c. I have recently began singing the epistle for St Cyril's. Your prayers would be awesome :)

Thought of the day

Are we forced down by our sinful ways? Or do we allow ourselves to be free by the merits of the Cross through the Sacrament of Confession?

Thought of the day

Books shouldn't be written for the educated, but the un-educated.

Thought of the day

Fight the good fight, finish the race, persevere until the end

Thought of the day

Why, why why?

Physics, clearer, better, uncut

Thought of the day

This idea that everyone needs to be equal is non-Biblical, non-Traditional, and doesn't make logical sense. There will always be those that have more than another. It doesn't make them any less dignified.

Anti-bullying...is it really about that, or about the sissification of children?

One way to find out I suppose...

Perhaps since all of this anti-bullying stuff seems to be a trend in modern culture...I should say the following:

In terms of what we'd now call "bullying" ...these things happened to me during school. I was picked on, had several things happen to me which I'd rather NOT discuss on the blog...I've received mean letters, people threaten to beat me up, been called several different names, mocked, etc. It most certainly wasn't pleasant, or desirable, but it happened.

This might be a harsh reality for some people to accept, but here it is: Children are harsh and typically don't have filters...You know they haven't learned exactly how to use said things yet...Children do ned to be taught.

Looking at this ought to help convey my thoughts better:

At what point do good intentions do more harm than good? In our attempt to protect kids, are we not doing more harm than good? Society isn't going to coddle them every time a problem comes up, and they will learn that people can be rather ruthless at times.

People will do anything to intimidate others in various situations, the things people will do to get a job, or take advantage of a system are endless...

The above said, this certainly doesn't mean that we shouldn't take steps to stop things that cross the line absolutely. No kid should have to worry about a death threat, or be in a situation where they have a substantial fear of something happening....But I will say this:

1) A person that places themselves out there, should not be surprised that people have reactions to what they are doing, or that a person has an opinion on it. So, thus if a person comes out as say a homosexual, people will react accordingly...It wouldn't have been a big deal, but once information is brought to the public arena, people will have a reaction one way or another. Certainly everyone should be treated with respect and dignity, but hey as the old saying goes, do not say anything one does no wish to have a reaction one way or another. (or rather, speak once, think twice)...and it works the same way when one says something such as "who am I to judge?" The words that are brought to the public square need to be carefully plotted....Yes, people do NOT need to say everything that's on their minds. No, people should NOT feel free to speak at will about everything....somethings are just none of our business :)

2) Anyone reading this who takes this as condoning the mistreatment of people is beside themselves. This is not the point, the point is while people do deserve respect and dignity...people do have to know when to speak, and when not to. It's not a matter of being afraid, it's a matter of knowing when to say and when not to say something. Some would call it prudence, I'd call it common sense. (Which is missing)

Surely, let us all promote a safe environment for kids to learn in, but let us also not sissify them in the process....and you bet I have some things to say about Common Core, but that is still in the works.

Pax Vobis

Has the Liturgy become subjective?

I hear often times in various circles that it doesn't matter how Mass is celebrated, all that matters is that Jesus is there. Stop worrying about the music, the rubrics, etc. And while I sympathize with much of this...it just can't be done. The commandments and the virtues do not allow us to be so indifferent towards things.

Justice as defined in the catechism is as follows: 1807 Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the "virtue of religion." Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. the just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. "You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor."⁶⁸ "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven."⁶⁹

That is to say that it is Justice to give back to God what we ought to. It is not necessarily that God per se, needs our gratitude, God is God, but it is proper for us to give back to Him who gave us life right worship, correctly and by the rubrics established by Holy Mother Church. 

The virtue of justice commands us to follow the rubrics of Holy Mother Church...everyone, the Pope included is not exempt from this. The virtue of justice means that we give to God the best e have, nothing banal, anthrocentric, devoid of beauty. It is justice that requires of us that we give to God the most solemn worship possible. 

In the Christian East there is no such thing as "low Mass"...everything is sung. This the normative for the Roman Liturgy as well, the sung solemn Mass is the norm for the Roman Church, anything less is an exception to the norm and not the norm established by the Church. 

One might say, but what if Father has a horrible voice ala Justin Bieber? Well, as my mom used to say, God gave us a voice, we ought to use it. (She always complained that I never sung in church....of course with Haugen-Haas greatest hits, can you blame me for not singing? ;)...even though I was no perfect Catholic as a child, I knew horrible music when I heard it :p)...(of course now I'm always singing at church (see what happens when there's good music, I sing ;))...God cares that we try to give justice to Him...

The willful ignoring of the rubrics of Holy Mother Church leads to an elevation of the dictatorship of relativism which goes on in our culture. Our love for God should command us to justice to serve the rubrics of Holy Mother Church and not disobey them at arms command. 

One could very well argue with our Liturgically indifferent Pope at present that this is a contribution to the losing of the culture war. We can't transform the world if we don't have our relationship/worship with God correct. This isn't to say that from the Mass should flow certain things (Mass is meritorious in of itself regardless of the persons cooperation (or lack there of) with graces received)...but if we veil Jesus Christ at the Liturgy, how in the world do we bring Christ into the world? We don't, or we bring in a distorted version of Christ that is at the service of us, rather than us at the service of Him. 

For example, that Christ supports gov't program x, or that Christ would support so called gay marriage, is this the Christ that we're supposed to bring into the universe? I don't think so. 

Our understanding of Jesus primarily comes from the Liturgy, it is where He comes in His love for us Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist, it is He who we need to bring out to transform the world, but this can't be done at the expense of our Liturgy. 

Religion also follows under this justice. Religion, listening to our leaders (when they preach the orthodox Faith) comes under the virtue of justice. It is difficult, especially since the dis-enlightenment which wanted to define man as the centre of the world. This is especially true in American society which has its moments of independent mindset...We become selfish and we in a way become like the rich fool in the parable of the foolish rich man where we get concerned about ourselves and not about the 2 great commandments to Love God and to love neighbor. 

The Church and her Liturgy is not a subjective thing where our own opinions matter....no, no, we are but humble servants to the Liturgy and we follow her rubrics out of Love for our God, period. The rubrics emancipate us as to focus on Christ himself.

Pax Vobis

Thought of the day

The answer sometimes to our questions are quite obvious, but we worry so much that we miss the obvious.

Thought of the day

The things that we have zero control over, chances are it's a good thing that it's the case.

Thought of the day

Dear Disney....do not ruin what's perfect...

Thought of the day

Sometimes being on the outside looking in can be extremely depressing.

Thought of the day

To what extent are we helping our neighbor, are we ignoring them like the priest and the levite, or are we treating them with compassion such as the good samaritan?

Thought of the day

The constant seeking of public attention is a serious annoyance.

Thought of the day

Trust is something that is earned...of course it's a lot easier when one doesn't get let down by that particular person.

Thought of the day

While indeed there is a difference between memorization and understanding...memorization does make understanding easier.

I'd totally watch this

*a bit of language, but LOL

Thought of the day

This is very soothing...May our mouths be filled with Your Praise O Lord so that we may sing of your glory, for You have deemed us worthy to partake of Your Holy, divine immortal, pure and life creating mysteries. Keep us in Your holiness so that all the day long we may live according Your Truth. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia :)

How do we define what is "essential"?

I hear a lot lately of people focusing on the "essentials" of *insert x* whether it be Catholicism, problems in society, or whatever the so called issue of the day may be.

To which I respond: How do we define what is essential? Especially when it comes to our Faith.

In the secular world in particular in my fields of math and physics, this question is easy to solve. The essentials can be defined as those from which without them, you'd be completely lost...For exampe, fi one does not know algebra and trigonometry, calculus would be very difficult. (I don't say impossible, as I'll be teaching my future kids Calculus at age 1 ;)). Another example is in physics without understanding the laws of motion at non relativistic level, one can't extend that concept to the quantum level. There are so many situations by which one has to have a basis from which to begin.

But how can we do with with the Logos, the Word Himself? How do we define essential teachings? To devalue the teaching on the Eucharist causes damages to various other teachings in the Church Universal...This domino effect does not exist as much in the secular disciplines as it does in the teachings of the Church. That is to say one doesn't necessarily go into all of the details of various disciplines in the secular world (hence the idea of majors in university study)

The thing about the Church is that if we decide to de-emphasize something, there are severe consequences when we do that. For example, the Church teaches that the Mass is the unbloody re-presentation of the same Sacrifice on Calvary. (Christ is not re-crucified at Mass, Jesus died once and for all)...in many places the Mass is treated as a glorified social gathering....by doing this we give grave harm to the virtue of Justice in which we give to God what is due unto Him (proper worship, which falls under religion) in exchange for self-idolatry...(Something that Pope Benedict XVI severely warned us against)

The same effect happens for the "red letter" Bibles that place emphasis on the words that Jesus said. What? Is the rest of the Bible not God inspired or not as important? God inspired the whole Bible, not just the words of Christ, although He's the 2nd person of the Blessed Trinity...what are the 1st and the 3rd persons of the Trinity not important? You can see where I'm going with this can you not? That is to say that is to say in the Church, all of Her teachings are important. One can't simply discard them for the sake of an interview, or to be comfortable with someone. The Truth is the Truth, and we need not apologize for it.

Prudence is not the ability to be sissy about the Truth...it is not prudent to not teach the Truths of the Church. It may very well be a matter of respect that one acts according to the rules of the owner, but this is not prudence, it falls under a different category.

Enough with the capitulation of the Truth, we need to speak it whether people want to hear it or not. Whether they get offended, or praise us. The Truth is the Truth, we need to speak it with charity and clearness. Not to eliminate "non-essential things"...all of Her teachings are essential...ALL of them, not one, not two, ALL....just as ALL of Christ is important, not just his human nature, not just his Divine Nature, All of Christ.

Pax Vobis