Unearned Luck

Merry Christmas! Christmas.  The celebration of God becoming Man by the action of the Holy Spirit within the womb of the Virgin Mary.  While we celebrate today, it seems from Sacred Scripture that not everyone was in a celebratory mood in the months leading up to Christmas nor on the day itself.  In St. Matthew, the angel tells Joseph, "...do not fear...."  In St. Luke, the angel Gabriel says to Mary, "Do not be afraid...," and later in St. Luke, the angel says to the shepherds, "Be not afraid..."  It is an awesome thing for God to come so close that He becomes a man.  Yet this is what happened and many of us are still afraid. The Sacred Scriptures continue, "...I bring you good news of a great joy.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son ...

I have been involved in the pro-life movement in a very intimate way for the past fourteen years and it has been through this involvement that I've come to the perspective on the movement that I detail below.  I share the goal of the pro-life movement, namely, to end abortions, but I differ in how that is to be accomplished and what that means in a fallen and sinful world.  I have only respect for those who have been involved in the movement from its inception and for those who started only today.  I am not looking to argue with anyone, but to work with others in the movement to find a more effective way of reaching our goal, a solution that addresses the real issues underlying abortions, while bringing people true healing and deliverance.  I come to this issue as a Catholic and write from this perspective. Recently, it was reported that the number of abortions is at an all-time low.  The reasons for this record low and an explanation of what people are doing...

Brett Jordan on Unsplash It was when my oldest showed me his new cell phone with some pride earlier this year that I discovered he had gotten a cell phone through his mother's machinations.  I had been opposed to this and still am. When she had mentioned that he needed a cell phone as a 7th grader, I stated as my position that he had no reason to have one at this stage in his life and by "this stage in his life," I did mean until he was gainfully employed and living on his own.  She countered with, "All of his friends have one," to which I said, "So," a game changing response in any debate.  When she mentioned that he may need to call one of us, when out with his friends, I said he could use one of his friends' phones, since they all have one. Despite or in spite of my opposition, with her father's help, she got my oldest a cell phone this year. And not just a cell phone. She got him a smart phone with apps that I have no idea how to use.  H...

This past Thursday, August 16, 2012, my youngest son, Joshua, who is now 4 years old, was diagnosed with Type 1 or Juvenile diabetes.  We spent from Thursday afternoon to this afternoon in the Riley Hospital for Children, while the medical team worked out his treatment and educated his mother and me in his care at home.  Juvenile diabetes is an autoimmune deficiency in which Joshua's immune system has attacked and destroyed the Islets of Langerhans inside his pancreas.  As a result, he no longer will produce insulin, the hormone his body needs to open the cells to the sugar his body has produced from the food he's eaten.  Apparently, an existing genetic predisposition was activated by an environmental trigger and set all of this into motion.  Based on his A1C of 10.9%, the doctors stated that they believe that he's been living with it for about a month. I first noticed something about three weeks ago.  Joshua looked to have lost a lot of weight very quick...

This site is an incredibly great resource for individual catechesis and inspiration on the journey of faith.  Please check it out:   Audio Sancto .

Why do you call me "Lord, Lord," and not do what I tell you?     -St. Luke 6:46 Not every one who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?"  And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you evil doers."  -St. Matthew 7:21-23 The manner in which Our Lord ends his statement is chilling or should be.  Here Christ is telling us that even the doing of great works in His Name does not warrant eternal life with Him.  It's more than that, too.  People who consider themselves to be His faithful followers and who are performing great works in His Name, Our Lord is calling evil doers. I cast out demons in your name.  I never knew you, evil doer. I prophesy in your name.  I never knew you,...

On May 30, 2012, Mr. Roger Ebert posted a review  of the movie " For Greater Glory ," a post that is less a review of the movie and more a view into Mr. Ebert's own prejudices.  In the review, Mr. Ebert confesses knowing nothing about the Cristeros War  fought in Mexico from 1926 to 1929.  Asking a "close Mexican-American friend, well-informed in Mexican history," but who was totally ignorant of the Cristeros War, was the extent of Mr. Ebert's background research.  Perhaps, Mr. Ebert could not find his Wikipedia bookmark.  Mr. Ebert's ignorance of the history of the Cristeros War, the history of the Catholic Church in Mexico and of Catholicism and his prejudice against the Catholic Church makes an intelligent review of the movie impossible, yet he soldiered on. Mr. Ebert begins his review of the movie by misrepresenting the history he doesn't know in the very first sentence.  The Cristeros War was not a war that "Mexico fought over the freedom...

While Catholics in the United States were the primary audience of my most recent post, Work and Pray , please know that it is directed against neither non-Catholic Christians nor non-Christians.  In a way, Work and Pray  may be directed more at non-Catholic and non-Christian audiences, because whatever liberties you may enjoy and cherish will disappear quickly upon the elimination of the Catholic Church from the public square.  While some of you may not want the Church's religious beliefs within 500 yards of "your" constitution, it is necessary to understand to what extent the Church guards the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.  Because the Church is over two thousand years old and is universal, the Church understands how dangerous an unchecked, tyrannically-inclined government can be to everyone's rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, rights that do include religious freedom.  The Church, therefore, has been diligent ov...

As he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress."...And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed ."  And the servant was healed at that very moment.     -St. Matthew 8:5-13 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David."  When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"  They said to him, "Yes, Lord."  Then he touched their eyes, saying, " According to your faith be it done to you."  And their eyes were opened.     -St. Matthew 9:27-30 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.    -St. Matthew 13:58 This weekend I saw two movies, "For Greater Glory" and "The Perfect Game," that have set me to thinking mo...

A friend asked to hear the story of how I came to Jesus.  I replied briefly in an e-mail and I think I messed up a story I told.  I should never do more than one thing at a time. I don't know that my story is a matter of coming to Jesus.  I've always known that Jesus has been with me.  We used to have long conversations, when I was growing up about how things were and nothing ever changed.  I went to a Catholic grade school and had a fairly typical experience there.  We were a small class with the usual cliques and issues that exist among a small group of very different children who are together for three-fourths of every year for eight straight years. Our pastor for those eight years, Fr. Noll, was an eccentric man given to distraction and preoccupation, but he was a very good man and priest.  One of my classmates and I had similar builds, but very different names.  For eight straight years, though, Fr. Noll called me, "Alex" and called Alex,...

I can't remember now how long after my separation this conversation occurred, but it was within the first year.  A dear friend and I were talking one evening about all that was happening with me, when he stated he had no idea how I was doing it.  I asked him what he meant and he said, "I would have been an alcoholic or a drug addict or I would have committed suicide by now.  I don't know how you're going through all of this the way you are."  At the time, I didn't know either and I did not have a good answer for him then. This past Saturday, another dear friend of mine and I were talking about what has been going on in our lives since the last time we spoke.  We are both facing what seem to be insurmountable obstacles and a quantity and type of suffering that only seems to worsen.  We have issues with our children, employment, betrayals, lies, isolation, struggles with the enormous weight of our own weaknesses and sins.  When each of us had given onl...

I'm in the middle of writing a book on evangelization or it might end up being a tri-fold brochure.  I don't know.  In talking with and observing people, it's fairly clear that evangelization is not very well understood and, maybe, defining some terms might help.  Please remember that I am and have been a Catholic in Indianapolis, IN my entire life and, being all I know, I speak from this perspective. Apologetics is answering questions, clearing up misconceptions and countering objections.  It's focus is ensuring that the Catholic faith is accurately represented in the dialogue taking place within our society.  Contrary to some of what I have seen, apologetics is not a sledge hammer.  It is an act of love and should be conducted lovingly.  That is with the heart: sympathy, empathy, understanding, patience.  You know, 1 Corinthians 13. Catechesis is educating those who want to know.  Most people associate this with the Rite of Christian In...

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I saw "The Avengers" with my four older sons last night.   Steven Greydanus  was right in saying the movie "gets practically everything right and very little wrong."  It was 142 minutes of incredible fun and seeing it with my sons made the evening the best movie experience I've had in a long, long time.  If you haven't seen it yet, do.  If you're going again, call me.  I may join you. Part of the fun of the movie was the many ways it underscored how futile it is for any person to set up himself as a god.   Joss Whedon , it seems, is an atheist, and it may be that the point he was trying to make was that God is only ourselves dressed up to accommodate our own needs and desires.  I wouldn't disagree with him that this is our tendency and has been from the time of the Fall.  In one scene, for example, Loki is protesting the Hulk's treatment of him by declaring himself a god.  Before Loki can finish, though,  the Hulk grabs Loki and b...

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin."                                                                                                             - St. John 8:34 Recently, some man, a self-proclaimed activist named Daniel Savage, recently attacked the Bible as "bullshit" in front of an audience of high school students.  Then, Daniel savaged those students who left in a courageous exercise of the same constitutional rights for which he claims to be an activist.  The sweet irony in the story is that Daniel Savage, this administration's choice to lead the campaign against bullying, bullied Christian students in an address designed to highlight the e...

"The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world."    - St. John 1:9 (RSV-CE) "Erat lux vera, quae illuminat omnem hominem, veniens in mundum."    - St. John 1:9 (New Vulgate) The Word, the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus enlightens every man. This is the reason we Christians must evangelize without ceasing. This is why we Christians must work at reconciling our broken relationships with those who are closest to us without ceasing, even if our attempts are limited to praying for the other person in the quiet of our rooms. This is why we Christians must ask for and grant forgiveness without ceasing. Jesus, the true light, enlightens every man. Wow.

The following was related to me by a friend.  His story made me think very seriously about what an ass I have been in very similar situations. "If we say we have fellowship with him, while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth...If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us....If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us."    -1 John 1:6a, 8, 10 At dinner the other night a friend of mine told me about a date he had had a while back with a very intelligent, very successful woman.  He said that they had had a few, very good conversations before the time they actually went out.  Everything prior to the date seemed to suggest that they would have a very good time together. Their date finally arrived.  Both of them confessed to nervousness and excitement.  She had brought a bottle of wine for them to share, since they had some time to kill before heading to the...

The names of those involved have been changed to protect the discerning.  The following is based on an actual case. It was the Friday before St. Patrick's Day and the work day was about over.  I had been asking co-workers who were clearly not Irish what they're plans were for celebrating St. Patrick's Day.  I am a bit ornery.  A woman who works in the front office and dresses according to "The Standards" of the Apostolic Pentecostal church was passing by my fork truck, so I stopped and asked her what her plans were for the next day. Joan:  "I've never celebrated St. Patricks's Day.  I'm Irish, though, so you would think that I would have." Me:  "You're Irish?" Joan:  "Yes, I am." Me:  "Then you're going to be Catholic before you die." J:  "No, I don't think so."  She chuckled. M:  "Sure you will.  With all of those Irish ancestors praying for you, you certainly will be....

There are six things which the L ORD hates, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers . - Proverbs 6:16-19 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me.  For he that is not against us is for us." - St. Mark 9:38-40 It is already so easy for the average Catholic in the pew to feel isolated.  Most parishioners relate through the parish school and the extra-curricular activities surrounding the school.  Catholics without children in the parish school are out of luck.  Most Catholics are so harried and exhausted that they pass...

"Speaking Through an Ass," comes from an anecdote Rich Mullins related at a concert he gave in Lufkin, TX. When Rich was in bible college, his favorite professor said to them one day, "Class, you will forget almost everything I will teach you in here, so please remember this.  God spoke to Balaam through his ass and He's been speaking through asses ever since.  So, if God should choose to speak through you, you need not think too highly of yourself.  And, if on meeting someone, you recognize right away what they are, listen to them anyway."

I've wasted so much of my life running away from God. It's not that I don't love Him.  I do so, so much. But see, when I was very young, we'd go to church and on those Sundays when we would get there before Mass had started, we would kneel down to pray and prepare ourselves for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, this most beautiful re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross from which flows all of God's grace and mercy.  I never knew what to say, so I would pray, "Dear God, let me serve  you."  I prayed that for the longest time before each Mass I ever attended. I wasn't really aware of what I was asking until He started taking me up on my petition.  In so many ways and at so many different times, God has asked me to do something for Him and I'm pretty sure that I've declined every offer. Except it wasn't an offer.  God wasn't asking me to do something like wash the car or take out the trash.  Those kinds of things I d...