Feast of St. Ephrem Deacon and Doctor

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

St. Ephrem died in 373. His feast day is today. This excerpt is from one of his sermons:

Lord, shed upon our darkened souls the brilliant light of your wisdom so that we may be enlightened and serve you with renewed purity. Sunrise marks the hour for men to begin their toil, but in our souls, Lord, prepare a dwelling for the day that will never end. Grant that we may come to know the risen life and that nothing may distract us from the delights you offer. Through our unremitting zeal for you, Lord, set upon us the sign of your day that is not measured by the sun.

In your sacrament we daily embrace you and receive you into our bodies; make us worthy to experience the resurrection for which we hope. We have had your treasure hidden within us ever since we received baptismal grace; it grows ever richer at your sacramental table. Teach us to find our joy in your favor! Lord, we have within us your memorial, received at your spiritual table; let us possess it in its full reality when all things shall be made new.

We glimpse the beauty that is laid up for us when we gaze upon the spiritual beauty your immortal will now creates within our mortal selves. Savior, your crucifixion marked the end of your mortal life; teach us to crucify ourselves and make way for our life in the Spirit. May your resurrection, Jesus, bring true greatness to our spiritual self and may your sacraments be the mirror wherein we may know that self. Savior, your divine plan for the world is a mirror for the spiritual world; teach us to walk in that: world as spiritual men.

Lord, do not deprive our souls of the spiritual vision of you nor our bodies of your warmth and sweetness. The mortality lurking in our bodies spreads corruption through us; may the spiritual waters of your love cleanse the effects of mortality from our hearts Grant, Lord, that we may hasten to our true city and, like Moses on the mountaintop, possess it now in vision.

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In one Corner…..

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

The right to life is the most basic of human rights.. This is because all humans are made in the image and likeness of God. All human life is sacred and unrepeatable. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of the social teaching of the Church.

Unfortunately, too often, Catholics divide into two opposing camps pro life vs. social justice. It is a false divide based on political orientation:  liberal vs. conservative. It is a false division because faithful Catholics should be rooted in the Social Justice doctrines of the Church and not ideology.

A few years ago I was working in the Church as the Director of Faith formation. (Not my current parish).  The Pastor asked me to meet with the Social Justice committee, with the intention of better representing the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching. The intention was to have each of the themes represented by someone on the committee. This would have resulted in combining the Pro Life committee with the Peace and Justice committee.

Well I began the meeting with a Hail Mary, which was not well received. It went downhill from there.  I don’t know how the Pro life team would have reacted, but it would not have surprised me if it was just as negative.

The reason: it was a very divided Parish. In one corner were the Pro-life Orthodox parishioners, and in the other were the Peace and Justice Progressive Catholics. Both camps were very misguided. And they were at war.

For Catholics, however, it should never be one or the other. To be pro life includes all of the Social Teachings of the Church. We are called to take care of the least amongst us.

At the same time we do have to remember that the life issues are foundational to all of the other human issues. We cannot have peace and justice unless the sanctity of human life is defended.

It is not a liberal versus conservative issue. It is not an orthodox versus progressive issue. It is about Jesus Christ and what is true, and good and beautiful.

Posted in Abortion, Catholic, Culture of Death, Social Justice, Social Teachings | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Eating Our Young

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

It seems that we are winning the race, but it is not one Christians should want to win:

The head of the World Health Organization signaled Wednesday the United States — not Canada — was on the right track over the question of supporting access to abortion services amid an international bid to improve child and maternal health.

Dr. Margaret Chan tipped her hand just minutes after sitting next to International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda at a news conference at the United Nations, where the two women and other dignitaries joined UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in announcing the launch of the world body’s new push to reduce maternal childbirth and pregnancy deaths.

Chan described abortion as a “very complex, difficult and sensitive” issue, but went on to praise U.S. President Barack Obama for his position that women have a legal right to the procedure.

Read more

The US has one of the most liberal abortion laws in the Western world.  Lord Jesus have mercy on us.  A moving video:

Posted in Abortion, Catholic, Christianity, Culture of Death | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Words to Blog By

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

As I talked with brother bishops in preparation for this presentation, there was consistent agreement that one aspect that is most alarming to us about media is when it becomes unchristian and hurtful to individuals. For example, we are particularly concerned about blogs that engage in attacks and hurtful, judgmental language. We are very troubled by blogs and other elements of media that assume the role of Magisterium and judge others in the Church. Such actions shatter the communion of the Church that we hold so precious.

Bishop Gabino Zavala, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Communications Committee

H/T Deacon Greg at  The Deacons Bench

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Beatification of a Martyr

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

The mother of Father Jerzy Popieliszko, Marianna, center, prays at her son's grave in front of the St. Stanislaw Kostka church in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, June 5, 2010, ahead of the Sunday beatification of Jerzy Popieluszko. Popieluszko, the Solidarity chaplain, was tortured and murdered by the communist secret police in 1984. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Wow. This picture really got to me.  I can only imagine, as a Mother, what it would be like to be present when your martyred child is on his way to being declared a Saint.  Words fail. Get the scoop here . H/T Deacon Greg Kandra

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Welcome Home Mary Matalin

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

Deacon Kandra has the scoop:

The Republican strategist, editor and talk show host (and wife of Democratic loud mouth, James Carville) spoke to the Catholic Media Convention last weekend. At one point, she mentioned that she was raised Methodist, but joined the Catholic Church this past Easter, through RCIA.

Read more here

I must confess that I always found it fascinating how James and Mary make their   marriage work. Their political ideologies are polar opposites. It is to their credit that they have been able to stay married. They found common ground.

Welcome Mary. May God bless you on your journey of continual conversion.

We have never had a politician in our RCIA. Lawyers are the closest. One was a Federal Prosecutor. Does that count? Heh.

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Myths, Lies and Distortions: Agora

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

From the Big Yawn department.  It is always the evil Christians!  Fr. Barron has the scoop:

Here we go again. I just saw the new film “Agora,” which is a re-telling of the story of Hypatia, the brilliant woman philosopher from Alexandria, who was killed, supposedly by a mob of “Christians,” in the year 415. Along with the tales of Galileo and Giordano Bruno, the legend of Hypatia is a favorite of anti-religious ideologues. I first heard the story from Carl Sagan, the popular scientist whose multi-part program “Cosmos” was widely watched back in the 1970’s.

Read the whole article here

David B. Hart over at First Things has more.

Update:  (H/T Mark Shea ) for an Atheists take down on the movie go here

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Sacraments: The Ordinary Way to Encounter Jesus Christ

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

Yesterday we celebrated The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).  Corpus Christi celebrates the institution of the Eucharist, by Christ, on Holy Thursday. If you are interested in the history go here: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04390b.htm.

Many parishes celebrate by having a Corpus Christi procession. Here is one from Ireland:

The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the Sacraments. (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1113)

Now we are getting into the heart of Catholicism. Catholics are a Sacramental people. This is a difficult concept for our separated brothers and sisters to understand.  Sacraments are one of the great mysteries of faith. Mysteries are to be contemplated and not solved. It takes a lifetime of prayer, study, and immersion in the liturgical life of the Church to—in the words of St. Paul see indistinctly as in a mirror… Our goal is to grow in holiness so that we can see in the glass less darkly.

Peter Kreeft who is a Professor of Philosophy at Boston College (Catholic) says that the biggest shock to him when he became a Catholic was the idea of Sacraments. He thought them scandalous. Jesus—fully human and fully God—is really present in what looks like a wafer (a rather absurd one at that) and in really bad tasting wine. That is shocking!!  If we Catholics did not take it for granted we would be shocked too. Sunday Mass would be standing room only.

Sacraments are messy. They were born in the barnyard, in blood and muck and smells. Jesus entered into human history by being born in a stable. His crib was a feeding trough.

Sacraments are not just nice rituals that make us feel good. They are the ordinary way that Jesus Christ enters into a relationship with us. In the sacraments, Jesus is made truly present. It is through the Sacraments that Jesus invites is to participate in the very life of God.

It is the ordinary way that we receive God; Sacraments are the ordinary way that God touches us so that we can know him and enter into union—communion—with him.

Sacraments as Liturgy

Liturgy means a public work or a service on behalf of the people. In the Catholic Christian tradition it means the participation of the People of God in the work of God. (CCC 1070)

Since liturgy is an encounter between Christ and the Church, it is a foretaste of heaven.  Liturgy recalls God’s saving intervention throughout human history, and makes them present.  God’s saving works in the Old Testament were a “prelude to the work of Christ by the Paschal Mystery of his passion, death, resurrection, and Ascension into glory.

For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth ‘the wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.'”3 For this reason, the Church celebrates in the liturgy above all the Paschal mystery by which Christ accomplished the work of our salvation. (CCC 1067).

In the Vatican II document on the Sacred Liturgy, we learn that in the Liturgy of the Church, Christ act as the High Priest. It is through Liturgy—especially Sacraments—that we are made holy. It is the way that God has chosen to confer sanctifying grace.  Every Liturgical celebration is an action of Christ the High Priest (and his Body the Church). Therefore, no other actions can be more sacred or more effective in bringing us closer to God.

Posted in Apologetics, Body of Christ, Catholic, Christianity, Echarist, Mass, Sacraments | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coalition For Clarity

Posted on June 5, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

Saturday is the day off for deacon and his wife. Well in theory any way. But I do want to  draw attention to the Coalition for Clarity blog . I am a member because, I think that if you accept the argument that it is OK to torture if you save lives, then you can not argue that abortion is always wrong no matter what the out come.  The ends –even if good–can never justify the means. Period.

I have a  link,to  the Coalition for Clarity Web site on the right tool bar. Erin Manning, the author of CFC  is awesome.  Check her out at her other blog And sometimes Tea.

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Just Keep Swimming

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Susan Kehoe

Yesterday was one of those days when I wanted to hide in a cave. Or retreat to a hermitage.  While I love people, I hate politics. And people are, by nature, political. Even in the Church. Even in our wonderful parish.

Jesus I really am trying. I don’t eat barbed wire for breakfast anymore. I may not be holy,but my tongue certainly is. From biting it all the time.  Lord have mercy!

Boy do I ever relate to St. Teresa of Avila.  When she complained to God, because people were gossiping about her, God said,

“Teresa, that’s how I treat my friends”.

She replied,

No wonder you have so few friends.

You just have to love a Saint that is sarcastic with God.  There may be some hope for me. Well I did have to give up sarcasm for lent one year.

It is so easy to get discouraged.  When you are swimming for shore, but never seem to reach it, it is tempting to give in to fatigue and give up.

But I think that The Anchoress has it right. Just keep Swimming.  She found just the right video (hey Deacon Hubby this one is for you too; it is not easy to be a Deacon):

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