BIG C CATHOLICS

This is a humorous video showing how even children know the unborn child is a living breathing human being and not merely a blob of cells.

Fr. Rene Butler Jesus says we cannot be his disciples unless we “hate” our father, mother, sister, brother. This is an excellent illustration of how different our culture today is from that of the ancient Middle East. It is hard enough for us to understand the Middle East today. One of my cousins is married to a woman of Lebanese descent. She dislikes funerals the way they are celebrated in our culture. She told me, “When my husband dies, I’ll be wailing and screaming and throwing myself on the coffin.” It’s the only way of grieving that makes sense to her. “What makes sense, what is obvious and natural,” is an important distinctive element of every culture. Now go back 2000 years. No wonder the Bible is so hard for us to understand at times. It reflects a different world, a different time, a different culture. The French have no word that means “home” in the complete sense, with all the emotional components the English word implies. Some words are truly untranslatable in any exac

Seeking Spiritual Stability in the Lord. Philippians 4:1-7 The Apostle Paul was a great ambassador for the Christian faith. Paul’s desire was never to elevate himself, but only to encourage others to seek and know the Lord Jesus Christ in their daily lives. In Philippians 4:1-7 Paul encouraged 4 attitudes that would lead to spiritual stability in the Lord. They are: 1. Unity in the Lord 4:1-3 2. Joyfulness in the Lord 4:4 3. Gentleness in the Lord 4:5 4. Prayerfulness in the Lord 4:6-7 The means by which we can stand fast in the Lord is being united, joyful, gentle, and prayerful. May God challenge each of us in these areas today. Finding Contentment in the Lord. Philippians 4:10-23 Have any of you ever heard of Fanny Crosby? She was a great writer of gospel songs who was blinded when only 6 week old by a country doctor who thought he was treating her with eye drops. Yet her indomitable, unyielding attitude soon manifested itself. At age 8 she wrote this poem: “Oh what a h

For those interested in answering charges that the Catholic Church did little or nothing in response to child sex abuse scandals involving priests, Pope Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis by Gregory Erlandson and Matthew Bunson, is essential reading. Erlandson and Bunson take an unbiased look at the problem and objectively portray the Church's efforts to reform and to heal during the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI. The book makes seven essential points: The Church has always been confronted by the problem of sexual sin and failings among its clergy, and while the number of abusers has never been large, the Church has labored over the centuries to curb such abuses. Although modern Church leaders have made grievous mistakes, and the criminal acts of certain clergy have been overlooked or unaddressed in the past in too many dioceses, the Church is dedicated to redressing these wrongs and making sure that every safeguard is in place to protect children and families. Cardina

Rome, Italy, Jun 6, 2010 / 06:35 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Italian singer Andrea Bocelli has told the story of his mother’s pregnancy, during which doctors suggested that she abort him because he would be born with a disability. In a new video he praises his mother for making “the right choice,” saying other mothers should take encouragement from the story.

Interesting trivia: From a heart for god: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) He (Jesus) must increase; I must decrease. (John 3:30) Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:20) Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Rejoice always. (1 Thessalonians 5:16) Jesus wept. (John 11:35)

3. The Blessed Virgin Mary: As the mother of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary has a central role in the life of the Catholic Church. The Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin has grown over time both in importance and manifestation. Popes have encouraged this veneration but from time to time have also taken steps to reform it. Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a woman. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honor as Mother of God. From the Council of Ephesus in 431, which dogmatized this belief, to Vatican II and Pope John Paul II's Redemptoris Mater encyclical the Virgin Mary has come to be seen, not only as the Mother of God but also as the Mother of the Church.