Praying and Running

Hitler was an evil man and you know that from the fruit of his work, the mass annihilation of ethnic groups. He was pure evil. He killed people simply for their Israelite heritage. That being the case, it's only natural in the modern American political landscape that from time to time you see various politicians likened to Hitler by their detractors. After his comments on general immigration and specifically Muslim immigrants and visitors, Donald Trump is the latest target of the "Hitler Attack"and his supporters are likened to Hitler's supporters. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Trump supporter. I think the guy is a joke and frankly, I wish he would sit down and shut up. However, to compare him to Hitler; that's wrong. It is as wrong to the Jewish people, the cripples, the infirm, and the rest of the "useless" people who suffered under the Nazi regime as it is to Trump himself. If you really feel the need to compare someone or something in Am...

St Jerome said "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." I can identify with St Jerome on a few different points, today this one is really jumping out at me. One of the best things I have done to make God more a part of my daily life is reading the Bible. Frankly, most times as I sit there reading, I don't feel any different than when I am reading a training manual, technical document, or anything else. I am just reading. But I was reminded today that God is still working and still present in that time. This morning, Last night I learned that someone I care deeply about is in a funk. She has worked hard toward a couple of goals and made significant progress but she is just having a hard time right now. I didn't really know what to say to her. This morning, on waking I had a verse from the Gospel of John running through my head. I didn't immediately make the connection but as I was out running this morning it dawned on me. She is in a funk and thinks she...

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Indiana’s RFRA that passed last week. The main subject of controversy is being beat to death and I think most people have made up their minds so I won't try to convince you one way or the other except to say that for myself after reading the bill’s synopsis and listening to the people who have actually read the bill it doesn't sound like it legalizes discrimination. Instead it attempts to protect small business owners from being forced into participating in something they find objectionable on the grounds of their faith. That being said, I’m not a lawyer or politician and I won’t speak from the perspective of an expert. I’ll say this, I don’t believe that there are more than a small handful of people in the entire state, let alone the elected government, that would actually like to see discrimination legalized so I don’t believe that there is a statehouse full of these evil little people who would advocate treating anyone in ...

I spent most of today, like every other day, ignoring the abortion problem and today I also ignored the march for life. I couldn't be bothered. then I saw the number 1,322,371,875 innocents slaughtered since the evil that is referred to as "Roe vs Wade." Abortion is the most profound evil and honestly, it shouldn't take a number of that magnitude to get and hold my attention. But like most of America I have fallen into a stupor. Today, enough is enough! America immolates its infants not to Moloch but to the American, or the Western World's, god of convenience and comfort. Why does nobody care enough for them to put a stop to it? We are ripping human beings apart, literally limb from limb or bathing them in a chemical fire because they don't fit our "life plan", because we are "scared", Because we don't like how they were conceived or because we can't "afford" them. You see infants in a mother's womb are silent, the...

The Feast of the Annunciation. More properly the "Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord."  This is a real and tangible event. Not some vague feeling or thought or word. Not some story that could have no real impact but an actual historical event. In other words, God did something for us to show that he meant business, that he would provide a real means for our reconciliation and salvation that we may once again be untied with Him. He gave us freedom, He gave us laws and commandments, He gave us covenant after covenant. It wasn't enough to salvage the wreck we had made. Finally, He gave us Himself and today we celebrate that particular moment in time when He became human in flesh and blood; that real moment in history when God became man. Think about that. That He would come down and become like us that we may go up and become like Him. Praise you God for giving us your Son and thank you Mother Mary for you unconditional Yes The angel Gabriel was sent from God to ...

All of the talk lately about evolution/creation and the framing of the debate as either faith or reason once again makes me glad to be Catholic where these debates have long ago been put to rest. Science in general is not the domain of the atheist. In fact paragraph 159 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it plain that there is no reason for the Christian to ever fear science. (Emphasis mine) 159 Faith and science: "Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth." "Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God . The...

On my run this morning I was nearly overwhelmed as I began to reflect on the Advent season and the coming celebration of Christmas. In these last days of Advent I cannot help that my patient waiting and quiet preparation begins to turn more and more to joy. I know what is coming, I know what we are about to celebrate. It's not presents but presence and no ordinary presence but the presence of God Himself among us, as us. Think about how truly awesome it is that the Lord, who created all things, so badly wanted to be reconciled to us that He Himself took pity on us and took on our human form and gave humanity the best gift we could hope for. A gift that was beyond all expectations, Himself, and when you realize the "us" includes "you" how can you not be bursting at the seams with true and complete joy. O come, o come Emmanuel!

Today in the "O" antiphon we pray to be taught the virtue of prudence. The antiphon for today is today in the traditional Latin is "O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodidisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae. "* One English translation of that is "O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come, and teach us the way of prudence."* So today in our preparations for Christmas we pray to develop the virtue of prudence. But what exactly is prudence, what does the Church mean by this prayer. Prudence is defined in paragraph 1806 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as "Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going." "Keep sane an...

Good and Evil are real and objective. I don't think this can be said enough because as fallen and broken humans we are constantly trying to justiy our faults. Instead of admitting our failures to lead the holy life we were created for we present our evil as good. Our conscince, our moral compass, is broken. So instead of following the straight and narrow path we wonder around every which way depending on how we "feel." The Good News is that our God saw us in our wonderings and came down to lead us. He said that the gate was narrow and the path hard to find Mathew 7:14. He also said, "I AM the way, the Truth and the Life" John 14:6. He never said, Whatever road you chose willl lead to the same place. In fact going back to Matthew 7 He said that the road to damnation was wide and easy to chose. Stilll here we are. Always picking back up that broken compass and relying on it to lead us to Him. But he already came and indeed stays with us until the end. He is r...

Last night my daughter's confirmation sponsor invited her to Mass this morning and then breakfast after. When my daughter told me this I realized that I was on vacation, not doing a darn thing and the idea of attending a weekday Mass hadn't even dawned on me.With that I decided that I would go to Mass this morning too. When I woke up this morning the reality of the "Real Presence" was on my mind. This is a Catholic doctirine that states that the Eucharist becomes truly and fully, not symbolically or partially, the body and blood of Jesus Christ. As I was sitting and waiting to leave for Mass I was moved to compose this facebook check-in for when I arrived at the Church. I had hoped at the time that this would make a difference to someone else. That maybe it would inspire some soul to become more fervent about what happens at Mass. What I think it really did was to cement the importance for me in what I have come to take for granted. It actually served to ins...

 Sometimes it is good to sit back and evaluate your life, where you are and where you want to be and when you get there will it really be all that you thought it would be?. We seem to spend an awful lot of time chasing happiness. What makes you happy? What is it that will finally satisfy you? Do you know? I can remember just out of high school thinking if I could just find a job where I made $300.00 a week I wouldn't ever need any more than that. I got that job and I remember thinking if I could just get that full time job that paid $12.00 an hour and offered health insurance I would be set. I got that job and began searching for a way to just make $40,000 a year. The pattern continues through out my life. I reach what I thought was the goal and a new goal appears. I could recite a similar pattern with things. If I only had this car or that phone or this television life would be grand! It feels like it is never-ending because it is never-ending. Money and things never bring conte...

"Blessed is the one whose fault is removed, whose sin is forgiven. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no deceit. Because I kept silent, my bones wasted away; I groaned all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength withered as in dry summer heat. Then I declared my sin to you; my guilt I did not hide. I said, “I confess my transgression to the LORD,” and you took away the guilt of my sin." Psalm 32:1-5 One week of Lent remains. This is a great time to rediscover the Sacrament of Reconciliation or as it is commonly called confession. Most parishes will be offering extended and extra time for parishioners to receive the sacrament. I know it can be daunting if you haven't been in a long time. You don't remember the formula and you're nervous about telling someone else what you did and what that will make them think of you. To help you the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop...

It's sad to think that people put God aside and miss out on a life of faith because ultimately they feel they are unworthy. None of us can ever be worthy! And thank God we don't have to be. Psalm 6 and a very good reflection . Enjoy.

I have been stunned every time the Holy Father has spoken. Usually it is because he has a way of communicating the truths and nuances of our faith in a way that always resonates with me. The faith, as Pope Benedict XVI conveys it, always seems so simple, beautiful and undeniably true. However, today I am stunned by his resignation. As much as I am stunned, I am saddened. I have great admiration and respect for the Pope and as I stated above he has always spoken in a way that really "speaks to me", so to speak. I believe Pope Benedict XVI was exactly the right Pope for where we are, both the Church and humanity as a whole, at this point in history not only because he spoke, taught, and lived the truth of our faith unapologetically, but also because he was very effective at being able to communicate that truth. Even though I am saddened that we will be losing this Pope, I have always believed in the supernatural guidance of the Church and therefore I must look with Hope and J...

I have some friends who are struggling with difficult situations in life right now and I have been thinking a lot about them lately. While thinking and praying about and for these friends I realized that I have been going through a blessed time with nothing weighing heavily on me. For the most part my life has been happy and carefree for the last several months and I am grateful for that while still knowing that it won't last forever but confident that God will guide me through whatever situation I find myself in in the future if I let him. To my friends who are struggling and find themselves in times of trouble remember this verse “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” MT 11:28-30 Our Lord is still with us and we can truly follow His invi...

In the Gospel reading for Mass today, LK 5:12-16 we read Now there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” LK 5:12 The weather this morning forced me into the gym and onto the treadmill. So as I was runningandpraying on the treadmill I kept coming back to this first verse of today's Gospel. This verse I think addresses 2 profound yet prevalent misconceptions about Christianity. On one hand, there is a notion that Christians believe they are perfect and don't sin and don't need to be made clean. But that is just not true. We are all like this leper, full of sin that is eating away our life. That doesn't mean we cannot approach our Lord. Rather, it means that we must approach Him because He is the one who can make us clean. On the other hand, a lot of people have the idea that Christians think they merely need to say "Jesus i...

Advent starts tomorrow December 2, 2012. This year I hope that I can refrain from getting so caught up in the secular aspects of the "holiday" season that I miss the opportunity to truly prepare for Christ mas and the coming of our Lord. I have been wanting to do a blog post on the season and what it means. I couldn't quite get it formed in my mind though. Thank God for Cardinal Dolan. Below is an excerpt from an article by him on Advent and below that is a link to the full article. It is not long but very good and well worth the few minutes it will take to read it. ...Jesus waits for us to open up to His grace and mercy; ...Jesus waits for us to admit that, as a matter of fact, we do need a Savior! ...Jesus waits for us to admit that He is the answer to the questions our lives of searching pose. ...Jesus waits for our ultimate return to Him, for He “has gone to prepare a place for us.” Read the whole post here . It's not long but I believe well worth it!

Each person enumerating the things they are thankful for; It's a tradition around many Thanksgiving day tables. We do it in our family too. The responses always range from humorous, to the cliche, to the heartfelt. All fine and good. It is part of Thanksgiving dinner after all. As I began thinking about it this year, a line that we sing in the Gloria at Mass kept coming back to me. "We give thanks for your great Glory." What is this "great Glory" we give thanks for? I started allowing this question to run around in my mind and I remembered somewhere reading or hearing that God's Glory is His Creation. You know existence, the world, the universe, "all things visible and invisible", you and I incuded. To help answer this question and expand on the idea of being thankful for God's "great Glory" I turned to the story of creation in the Bible and to the section in the Catechism on creation for further study. The bible points out tha...

This prayer came to me a few weeks ago, has been running around in my head quite a bit and I find it helpful when I realize that I am practicing religious habits out of habit rather than out of love, devotion, and adoration of God. Lord, I don't want to be a whitewashed tomb. (Matthew 23:27) Breath life into these dry bones (Ezekiel 37:5) that may worship you in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Amen Posted with Blogsy

I ran this race for the first time last year at the suggestion of a coworker and I was hooked. This is a small town race with about 450 or 500 runners and walkers participating in a 5k walk, 5k run, or the race I run the 10k. The people who put this on really know how to do it to. The cost is a mere $18.00 for the 10k run + shirt + a ridiculously large 5 lbs goody bag packed full of things like moon pies and granola and everything in between. The best part is the supreme breakfast buffet that is served up after the race. Biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, sausage, yogurt, fresh fruit and a host of other breakfast foods. This breakfast smorgasbord is included in the race entry as well. I'm telling you, the people of Burnettsville know how to put on a race and I just don't think you could find a nicer group of people than the swarm of worker bees that volunteer their Saturday morning to put this race on. I was very excited for this race because my oldest da...