David Ancell / Wednesday, April 14, 2004 / Comments(0)
Steve Kellmeyer posts an excellent article on reaching adults for adult education through the parish school. After his hard-hitting articles about the need for the majority of parish resources to go to adult education, he brings forth ideas on how to do it.
I think it’s time for us all to get serious about evangelization. My experience with “parish life” is that too much time is spent on sports and social events and not enough on our real purpose. I’d love to see some pastor get up and say that we had better start learning the faith if we want our social activities. He may be risking shutting down the parish, but even this is just an opportunity to trim the dead wood.
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David Ancell / Wednesday, April 14, 2004 / Comments(0)
I have officially joined the Society for a Moratorium on the Music of Marty Haugen and David Haas. The link comes courtesy of Jeff Miller who provided it courtesy of Fr. Bryce Sibley. If you want to know what garbage is being foisted on us, this post on Spiritual Pyromania sums it up pretty well.
In my parish, the music ministers had the audacity to replace the Memorial Acclamation (after the Consecration) with the chorus from We Remember. Excuse me, but where in the Roman Missal is that? Stick to the book!!
We occasionally have to put up with the self-congratulatory Gather Us In. The sappy We Remember sometimes also comes up, but it isn’t that bad compared to other songs of his (but it still doesn’t belong at the Memorial Acclamation). As many others have said, I am also in favor of banning City of God and They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love, and especially the heretical Ashes (which is such an awful song that even removing the heresy wouldn’t save it). I have never had the misfortune of being forced to sing songs about “Dogmas that obscure your plan,” but they really need to be banned.
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David Ancell / Saturday, April 10, 2004 / Comments(0)
Time Magazine posted some responses to the question “What does the death of Jesus mean today?” (as though it can change throughout time). We have responses ranging from understanding to sad misinformation. This goes to show us that the work of evangelization is not done.
The meaning of the crucifixion is not a matter of opinion or of some people’s “religious beliefs”. We know this because of the resurrection that follows. This is an event that either happened or did not. It is impossible that Jesus rose from the dead but did not rise from the dead at the same time. The evidence is well-known from the testimony of the Gospel writers to the testimony of those who allowed themselves to be executed because they believed in him. While we have had some suicide cults today, none have died long after their leader had physically left them, nor were they executed by the state.
Our God was so intent on restoring the relationship between us and himself that he came down and took on human flesh, which he still has. He allowed himself to be beaten, mocked, tortured, and crucified by his own. In so doing, he payed the debt that our sins have created. He bridged the gap between us and him that is caused by sin. He made the atonement that we sinful creatures are incapable of making. This is what the death of Our Lord means, yesterday, today, and forever.
Some of the statements on the linked-to page suggest that focus on Jesus Christ blinds us to things happening now. However, all things now happening will ultimately end. I am all for helping the poor and needy, but no matter what we do for them, they will not live forever. We must also bring them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which has eternal significance. His Kingdom will last forever.
In the question that is posed, it asks how this relates to all the world’s religions, as though they were all equal. I know full well that at least part of the truth is in most, if not all, religions. However, if God the Son took on flesh and died for our sins, he is not just another option. He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Indeed, though some who do not believe in him may be saved, all who are saved are saved only through him and through his Church.
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David Ancell / Saturday, April 10, 2004 / Comments(0)
A coworker of mine sent me this. A church in Pennsylvania came up with an idea for an Easter show where the Easter bunny was whipped and crucified. Meanwhile, performers yelled out that “There is no Easter Bunny.” Easter eggs were broken all over the place as well.
It’s amazing to me that someone had the audacity to say afterward that their was no intention to be offensive. Come on!! Did you really think that no one would be offended by displaying this in front of children? If so, please find another line of work. My coworker just couldn’t imagine a group of people getting together and deciding that this was a good idea. I can’t either.
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David Ancell / Saturday, April 10, 2004 / Comments(0)
I’ve heard the question asking why Jesus didn’t come down from the cross and teach those Pharisees and Romans a lesson. Presumably, this would have been a great miracle that would have made believers out of them. After all, that’s what they said he ought to do if he was truly the Son of God.
However, I propose that the fact that he stayed on the cross was a greater miracle. The leaders involved in his crucifixion had seen the miracles that he performed. They knew well that he could come down from the cross. However, he stayed and endured the tremendous pain despite having the ability to come down and heal himself at any time.
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David Ancell / Sunday, April 04, 2004 / Comments(0)
I found this nutritional information on bottled water. Isn’t it very informative?
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David Ancell / Saturday, April 03, 2004 / Comments(0)
Kudos to those individuals in the Ohio State Legistlature who are proposing a bill making it illegal to fire a pharmacist for refusing to dispense abortifacient medications. I hope this bill passes. I hope it is also upheld by the courts.
However, I have to wonder what people are smoking when they say things like this line (that I heard in pharmacy school and residency):
“We don’t object to individuals exercising their beliefs, as long as it doesn’t affect a woman’s access,” Kellie Copeland, Executive Director of the Ohio branch of the pro-abortion group NARAL told the newspaper.
“These pharmacies do have an obligation to provide this legal medical care,” Copeland said.
Says who? Where does this obligation come from? I remember being told by a professor that “your professional obligation comes before your personal obligation.” Just what is the source of this professional obligation that supposedly supercedes the laws of God? I think I’d rather shirk my “professional obligation” that spend eternity burning in Hell.
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David Ancell / Saturday, April 03, 2004 / Comments(0)
They had me going on this one, and I’m still not sure it’s a joke.
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David Ancell / Saturday, April 03, 2004 / Comments(0)
The New York Times continues to not get it. No matter what anyone says, John Kerry is NOT Catholic. One cannot be pro-abort and be Catholic, regardless of his/her position on “other” issues.
I remember talking about the liturgical norms of the Church. Someone interrupted me saying ” . . . . but they are not enforced.” Others may mention to me that few have enforced their statements against Kerry’s support for abortion rights. However, keep in mind that laws banning child sexual abuse were not enforced by some bishops either. Does this mean that they were not important?
Statements have come from the Vatican and the U.S. Bishops that clearly state that “Catholic” politicians who support abortion rights are endangering their salvation. However, some “Catholic Official” said this about Archbishop Burke’s decision to deny Communion to Kerry “Notice the resounding silence. I think many people would not consider that a pastoral way to approach somebody.”
So, is letting someone endanger their salvation and desecrate the Body of Christ “pastoral”? Is scandalizing the faithful by allowing such public nose-thumbing at Church teaching “pastoral”? Let’s not forget that by being “pastoral,” not only are they standing by and letting Kerry endanger their salvation, but the bishops are also endangering their own salvation and the salvation of many of their faithful. They can cry all they want about a “backlash,” but it will be nothing compared to the backlash they will see when they stand in judgement before Almighty God. They had better take heed.
Further, let’s look at the Kerry side of the issue:
“Senator Kerry is a person of faith, he’s a practicing Catholic, and his religion is an important part of his life and of Teresa Heinz Kerry’s life,” Mr. Wade said. “And they’ve always recognized that separation between the public and the private.”
It sounds as though “religion” is some activity that we do on the side. It is not something that should be taken seriously in daily life. Sorry, but this isn’t “practicing” the faith. Unfortunately, these politicians are not the only people who “practice” the faith in this manner.
I’ve wondered why the media seems to think that the Catholic Church is the only organization that is not allowed to have requirements for her members. They would have no problem with a politician who said he supported the Ku Klux Klan getting thrown out of the NAACP. However, for some reason, the Catholic Church is required to be “tolerant” of every kind of “viewpoint.” If people disagree with their notion, they are not faithful Catholics but mere “conservatives.”
This scandal has to stop, and it has to stop now. Kerry is endangering his eternal salvation. The Body of Christ is being desecrated. The faithful are being scandalized into thinking that “religion” is something that can be separated from “public life” when the fear of being perceived as “intolerant” is present. The faithful are also being scandalized into forgetting that there is a God before whom we will stand in judgement one day. There will be a backlash when and if our bishops do decide to take action, but it will be nothing compared to the alternative when judgement day arrives.
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David Ancell / Thursday, April 01, 2004 / Comments(0)
If you ever had trouble with the idea that non-Christians can have at least some knowledge of truth, check out this article by Donald DeMarco on the virtue of temperance. Ghandi had written some things on contraception that were right on the mark. It appears that he even met with Margaret Sanger.
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