Posted on 04/30/2013 at 18:36:26  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  0

I have been paying and searching for a spiritual director for a while now to no avail. A friend gave me a couple recommendations for good confessors, so I called them to set up a time for Reconciliation. After leaving one message for one priest and two for another without a returned call, I gave up (at least for a while). Part of me thinks I should go to one of the priests' parishes in person, but then again, i don't want to be a nuisance.

Who here has a SD? And how did you go about getting one?

Thanks.

Posted on 04/18/2013 at 14:10:52  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  0

What does everyone here think of the Navarre translations and the Haydock Douay-Rheims?

The reason I ask is that I am getting a new study Bible today and was planning to start with the Haydock D-R, but all the stores near me are out of stock. I believe I will start with the Navarre Pentateuch instead, but I have recently become fascinated with the Johannine Gospel (specifically dealing with the Real Presence) and want to get a good aid for it soon. Would the Navarre N.T. or the D-R be better for that? Or do you have any other suggestions?

Note: I have a copy of the NAB, but I do not like it for studies outside of Mass... both it and the RSV seem a little too "Protestant" for me. I usually use the D-R online (because the KJV was always my preferred translation before and during my conversion, and it was a nice transition).

Posted on 01/23/2013 at 15:48:07  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEMnyiDKUJI&feature=player_embedded

Posted on 01/23/2013 at 15:32:35  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  0

Europe's baby hatches: Saving newborns or violating a child's rights?

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1300283.htm

Posted on 01/14/2013 at 10:28:19  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  2

I'm excited and just wanted to share some good news: Both my mother (Church of Christ) and my girlfriend (Baptist) are starting RCIA tomorrow. My priest said they can make up the first part next year. They understand that it is past the inquiry period and are more than ready for Easter.

Posted on 12/12/2012 at 22:24:13  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  0

I haven't used Twitter in forever, but I had to sign in and follow him. It's sad seeing all the ignorant responses to his tweets.

Posted on 12/10/2012 at 10:40:01  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  1

I have decided to take up making Rosaries as a hobby. I'm about to give it a try, and if it goes well, I'm going to give a few as Christmas gifts.

For my first project, I bought some wooden beads and hemp twine. I figured this type would appeal more to younger people. There is a site online that tells how to make rose-scented beads, so I'm going to try that, too.

Pretty excited about it. Has anyone here ever done this?

Posted on 12/06/2012 at 16:01:19  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  1

I was searching for quotes in preparation for my blog post on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and these 2 in particular touched me. Does anyone else have any suggestions? I took two of my Protestant friends to Mass last Sunday, and they are both excited about this Saturday, when we celebrate the feast. It is a delicate subject, so I would like to be able to explain it in a way that my friends will not think I'm nuts (I explained it to one, and she is pretty understanding, but I think the other thinks the Immaculate Conception refers to Christ).

"It is a sweet and pious belief that the infusion of Mary’s soul was effected without original sin; so that in the very infusion of her soul she was also purified from original sin and adorned with God’s gifts, receiving a pure soul infused by God; thus from the first moment she began to live she was free from all sin." - Martin Luther

"Just suppose that you could have pre-existed your own mother, in much the same way that an artist pre-exists his painting. Furthermore, suppose that you had an infinite power to make your mother anything that you pleased, just as a great artist like Raphael has the power of realizing his artistic ideals. Suppose you had this double power, what kind of mother would you have made for yourself? Would you have made her of such a type that would make you blush because of her unwomanly and unmotherlike actions? Would you have in any way stained and soiled her with the selfishness that would make her unattractive not only to you, but to your fellow-man? Would you have made her exteriorly and interiorly of such a character as to make you ashamed of her, or would you have made her, so far as human beauty goes, the most beautiful woman in the world; and so far as beauty of the soul goes, one who would radiate every virtue, every manner of kindness and charity and loveliness; one who by the purity of her life and her mind and her heart would be an inspiration not only to you, but even to your fellow-men, so that all would look up to her as the very incarnation of what is best in motherhood?

Now if you who are an imperfect being and who have not the most delicate conception of all that is fine in life would have wished for the loveliest of mothers, do you think that our Blessed Lord, who not only pre-existed His own mother but who had an infinite power to make her just what He chose, would in virtue of all the infinite delicacy of His spirit make her any less pure and loving and beautiful than you would have made your own mother? If you who hate selfishness would have made her selfless and you who hate ugliness would have made her beautiful, do you not think that the Son of God, who hates sin, would have made His own mother sinless and He who hates moral ugliness would have made her immaculately beautiful?" -Bishop Fulton Sheen

Posted on 11/28/2012 at 18:09:16  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  0

I am working on a term paper for my World Civilizations class on the teachings of Jesus Christ (a Calvinist classmate be
at me to the topic of the Reformation, so my Catholic professor chose this topic for me).

I am not worried about my grade, but being loyal to Truth does concern me. I wanted to try to talk about His teachings apart from any religious teachings, but I don't see how this can be done. Any advice?

Posted on 11/28/2012 at 17:02:33  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  1

1. It is unbiblical.

Show me where it is mentioned, either explicitly or implicitly, anywhere in the Scriptures. I do not need two verses. Just one will do.

2. It is often used as a psychological tactic of manipulation.

The way some evangelicals say things along the lines of, "I know someone here is hurting and needs Jesus..." resembles the emceeing of a "pet psychic" on television (speaking of television, that deep voice from The Price is Right comes to mind... "Come on down!")

3. None of the early Christians did altar calls (besides the calling from Jesus to partake of His Body and Blood at a real altar).

Nobody did altar calls until the 1800's (nor were they "slain in the spirit").

4. We do not need to publicly profess our belief in Christ with words in front of a bunch of people in order for it to be valid.

The best type of communication lacks the necessity of words. We publicly profess our belief in Jesus Christ with our actions. We show you our faith by our works, not our words.

James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

5. It gives false assurance to one's salvation.

I was told that all I had to do to inherit eternal life was "believe in Jesus." That is true. However, believing in Jesus is not restricted to merely believing that Jesus is the Son of God who died to take away our sins. Yes, that is part of it. But truly believing in Jesus means believing in everything He said and did.

Come to Jesus, and be born again.