FOCUS stands for Fellowship of Catholic University Students. FOCUS missionaries exists to build relationships with college students and introduce them to Jesus Christ and His Church, empowering them to do the same for others. Focus missionaries reach out to students by leading Bible studies, mentoring students one-on-one, and much more. These missionaries need your prayers but they also need finacial assistance. My cousin Joe is a FOCUS missionary. Please join me in supporting Joe and all the FOCUS missionaries through prayer and financial assistance. To make a tax deductible donation to FOCUS, click on their website HERE. Know that no donation is too small and your support of FOCUS is greatly appreciated by everyone at FOCUS. I am not a member of FOCUS, but I support their work. FOCUS makes the Church stronger and brings more people to the truth of Jesus Christ. We should all be doing the same.
FOCUS
God bless!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thought For the Day: Do Not Be Afraid
Do not be afraid. Believe in the almighty power and mercy of God, and you will have nothing to fear. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord today and everyday.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Live Life Joyfully
Be thankful for the good things in your life; don't dwell on the bad things. Do not simply ignore evil, but out of love confront it as best you can and let God take care of the rest. Answer negativity, despair, and hate with positivity, hope and love. This approach to life will bring you happiness and joy and it will spread to others.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Catholic Colleges Are Undermining the Bishops
Below is a message from former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum. Please consider supporting the Cardinal Newman Society. God bless!
---
To: Faithful Catholics
From: Hon. Rick Santorum
Former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
Subject: Catholic Colleges Are Undermining the Bishops
As someone who treasures our Catholic Faith, I write with great concern.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo recently said that Catholics who lobbied for the health care reform law—ignoring the Bishops' warnings about abortion funding and weak conscience protections—had caused "confusion and a wound to Catholic unity."
And to make matters worse, among those working against the Church on pro-life health care were educators at our Catholic colleges.
And then there is this: President Obama's latest addition to the powerful Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a same-sex marriage advocate whose concept of "sexual liberty" would trump our religious liberty.
And what were the credentials by which she was selected for this honor? Since 1991, she has been a celebrated professor at Georgetown Law Center—at a Jesuit Catholic university.
When Catholic colleges help advance the secular assault on morality and religious liberty, faithful Catholics need to stand up in defense of the Faith!
We cannot ignore the fact that certain Catholic colleges are employing and honoring dissenters who actively undermine the Church on abortion, marriage, healthcare and conscience protections.
And that is why I hope that you will click here immediately to join The Cardinal Newman Society's urgent efforts to fight for our religious liberty and demand genuine Catholic identity.
Because the stakes are high!
Chai Feldblum, the recent Georgetown law professor who is now at the EEOC, helped author the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act " (ENDA) which is before Congress. This bill could cripple Catholic schools, hospitals and other charities by forcing them to provide benefits to same-sex couples.
Feldblum joins the EEOC just as it considers an appeal by Belmont Abbey College, a faithful Catholic college in North Carolina which has been charged with discrimination for refusing to cover birth control pills in its employee health plan.
If the appeal is rejected, Belmont Abbey and other faithful Catholic colleges could be forced to close their doors rather than compromise their Catholic identity!
The Cardinal Newman Society is determined to not let that happen. It has publicly defended Belmont Abbey and enlisted leading legal and insurance experts to advise Catholic colleges on protecting their Catholic identity.
But the irony here is that the celebrated professor of a Catholic university is now a threat to faithful Catholic colleges!
That is why The Cardinal Newman Society and its more than 20,000 members have been so courageous in speaking out when the Faith is undermined by our own Catholic educators!
I urge you immediately to join and assist The Cardinal Newman Society's efforts to defend religious liberty and restore Catholic identity.
Because you need The Cardinal Newman Society's reports to keep informed about what is going on right beneath our noses! There are many others like Feldblum.
Consider the damage that liberal Catholics caused during the last days of the healthcare debate, when they undermined the Bishops' demands for pro-life and conscience provisions.
For instance, an influential group of 25 leading "theologians"—11 of them citing Catholic college credentials—lobbied Congress to reject concerns about the bill. That gave legislators cover to vote for the bill with a "clear conscience."
And according to the Associated Press, the University of Notre Dame's president emeritus Father Theodore Hesburgh helped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi convince a pro-life congressman to switch his vote in support of the health care bill.
Soon after the health care law was signed, Georgetown welcomed "special guest" Nancy Pelosi to a university celebration despite her firm opposition to any pro-life compromise in the law.
The Cardinal Newman Society needs your help to defend the Faith—even on Catholic campuses!
Several leading Catholic colleges and universities have long been a source of disunity in the Church by employing dissident theologians, honoring pro-abortion politicians and hosting performances of the obscene play, The Vagina Monologues.
For 17 years, The Cardinal Newman Society has worked for genuine Catholic identity at America's great Catholic colleges and universities. I have seen this organization do some amazing work:
After years of exposing pro-abortion and otherwise scandalous commencement speakers on Catholic campuses, the number has declined from 24 in 2006 to just eleven this year!
The Cardinal Newman Society has introduced tens of thousands of Catholic families to faithfully Catholic institutions with The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.
Last year the Society stood tall against Notre Dame's commencement honors for President Barack Obama, gathering more than 367,000 signatures in opposition!
It is this sort of leadership that is so greatly needed today. The Cardinal Newman Society has been fighting for Catholic identity and freedom for 17 years—and winning!
You should be a part of this exciting and urgent effort by supporting The Cardinal Newman Society today.
Your support will be especially helpful as The Cardinal Newman Society faces new, serious challenges this summer.
The federal takeover of student loans—so that money is loaned directly from the U.S. government—is raising new concerns about protecting Catholic colleges from government intrusion.
And the EEOC is expected to rule on Belmont Abbey College, potentially setting up a court battle that could have devastating consequences for the religious freedom of Catholics!
To address these and other threats to authentic Catholic identity, The Cardinal Newman Society needs your help now!
If we want to restore a Culture of Life to America… if we want to protect the institution of marriage… if we want to hand on the Faith to future generations… then we must ensure faithful Catholic education, and we must oppose dissent and disunity.
We have all had enough of scandal.
That is why I firmly believe in the great importance of The Cardinal Newman Society's work to fight for our religious liberty and demand genuine Catholic identity.
I am asking you today to join more than 20,000 Catholics who have already supported The Cardinal Newman Society.
Please be a part of the solution, and click here to support and receive updates on The Cardinal Newman Society's important work.
And may God bless you for all that will be accomplished with your support!
---
To: Faithful Catholics
From: Hon. Rick Santorum
Former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
Subject: Catholic Colleges Are Undermining the Bishops
As someone who treasures our Catholic Faith, I write with great concern.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo recently said that Catholics who lobbied for the health care reform law—ignoring the Bishops' warnings about abortion funding and weak conscience protections—had caused "confusion and a wound to Catholic unity."
And to make matters worse, among those working against the Church on pro-life health care were educators at our Catholic colleges.
And then there is this: President Obama's latest addition to the powerful Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a same-sex marriage advocate whose concept of "sexual liberty" would trump our religious liberty.
And what were the credentials by which she was selected for this honor? Since 1991, she has been a celebrated professor at Georgetown Law Center—at a Jesuit Catholic university.
When Catholic colleges help advance the secular assault on morality and religious liberty, faithful Catholics need to stand up in defense of the Faith!
We cannot ignore the fact that certain Catholic colleges are employing and honoring dissenters who actively undermine the Church on abortion, marriage, healthcare and conscience protections.
And that is why I hope that you will click here immediately to join The Cardinal Newman Society's urgent efforts to fight for our religious liberty and demand genuine Catholic identity.
Because the stakes are high!
Chai Feldblum, the recent Georgetown law professor who is now at the EEOC, helped author the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act " (ENDA) which is before Congress. This bill could cripple Catholic schools, hospitals and other charities by forcing them to provide benefits to same-sex couples.
Feldblum joins the EEOC just as it considers an appeal by Belmont Abbey College, a faithful Catholic college in North Carolina which has been charged with discrimination for refusing to cover birth control pills in its employee health plan.
If the appeal is rejected, Belmont Abbey and other faithful Catholic colleges could be forced to close their doors rather than compromise their Catholic identity!
The Cardinal Newman Society is determined to not let that happen. It has publicly defended Belmont Abbey and enlisted leading legal and insurance experts to advise Catholic colleges on protecting their Catholic identity.
But the irony here is that the celebrated professor of a Catholic university is now a threat to faithful Catholic colleges!
That is why The Cardinal Newman Society and its more than 20,000 members have been so courageous in speaking out when the Faith is undermined by our own Catholic educators!
I urge you immediately to join and assist The Cardinal Newman Society's efforts to defend religious liberty and restore Catholic identity.
Because you need The Cardinal Newman Society's reports to keep informed about what is going on right beneath our noses! There are many others like Feldblum.
Consider the damage that liberal Catholics caused during the last days of the healthcare debate, when they undermined the Bishops' demands for pro-life and conscience provisions.
For instance, an influential group of 25 leading "theologians"—11 of them citing Catholic college credentials—lobbied Congress to reject concerns about the bill. That gave legislators cover to vote for the bill with a "clear conscience."
And according to the Associated Press, the University of Notre Dame's president emeritus Father Theodore Hesburgh helped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi convince a pro-life congressman to switch his vote in support of the health care bill.
Soon after the health care law was signed, Georgetown welcomed "special guest" Nancy Pelosi to a university celebration despite her firm opposition to any pro-life compromise in the law.
The Cardinal Newman Society needs your help to defend the Faith—even on Catholic campuses!
Several leading Catholic colleges and universities have long been a source of disunity in the Church by employing dissident theologians, honoring pro-abortion politicians and hosting performances of the obscene play, The Vagina Monologues.
For 17 years, The Cardinal Newman Society has worked for genuine Catholic identity at America's great Catholic colleges and universities. I have seen this organization do some amazing work:
After years of exposing pro-abortion and otherwise scandalous commencement speakers on Catholic campuses, the number has declined from 24 in 2006 to just eleven this year!
The Cardinal Newman Society has introduced tens of thousands of Catholic families to faithfully Catholic institutions with The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.
Last year the Society stood tall against Notre Dame's commencement honors for President Barack Obama, gathering more than 367,000 signatures in opposition!
It is this sort of leadership that is so greatly needed today. The Cardinal Newman Society has been fighting for Catholic identity and freedom for 17 years—and winning!
You should be a part of this exciting and urgent effort by supporting The Cardinal Newman Society today.
Your support will be especially helpful as The Cardinal Newman Society faces new, serious challenges this summer.
The federal takeover of student loans—so that money is loaned directly from the U.S. government—is raising new concerns about protecting Catholic colleges from government intrusion.
And the EEOC is expected to rule on Belmont Abbey College, potentially setting up a court battle that could have devastating consequences for the religious freedom of Catholics!
To address these and other threats to authentic Catholic identity, The Cardinal Newman Society needs your help now!
If we want to restore a Culture of Life to America… if we want to protect the institution of marriage… if we want to hand on the Faith to future generations… then we must ensure faithful Catholic education, and we must oppose dissent and disunity.
We have all had enough of scandal.
That is why I firmly believe in the great importance of The Cardinal Newman Society's work to fight for our religious liberty and demand genuine Catholic identity.
I am asking you today to join more than 20,000 Catholics who have already supported The Cardinal Newman Society.
Please be a part of the solution, and click here to support and receive updates on The Cardinal Newman Society's important work.
And may God bless you for all that will be accomplished with your support!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Catholic Blog Directory
My blog is now listed on the Catholic Blog Directory. It is a list of over 2000 Catholic Blogs. It is an honor be included on this list. To see the list, visit the Catholic Blog Directory.
Thanks for visiting my blog and God bless!
Thanks for visiting my blog and God bless!
Church on the Ball
The World Cup in South Africa is just a few short days away. In preparation for the biggest sporting event in the world (maybe not for most Americans, but for most everybody else),this video talks about the work the church is doing in South Africa.
Church on the Ball from CatholicStudio on Vimeo.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Reflections on C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity: Book 1 Chapter 4
What Lies Behind the Law
In chapter 4 of book 1, C.S. Lewis examines what the Law of Human Nature tells us about the universe. Since the start of their existence humans have wondered about what the world really is and how it came about. According to C.S. Lewis there are 2 central views.
1) Materialistic View
a. In the materialistic view, people believe that matter and space just happen to exist and always have, but nobody really knows why, and it just so happened to produce creatures like ourselves who are able to think.
2) Religious View
a. In the religious view, people believe that what lies behind the universe is a greater power that we cannot ever fully comprehend, nor can we ever fully understand why God created the universe how he did. However, those who believe in this view believe that God has a purpose for everything he made, including ourselves.
Science cannot defend or refute either view since science works by experiments; it answers how things are but not why things are. C.S. Lewis stresses that this is not a statement against science for science has often proved to be very valuable to the progress of mankind, but it is simply a statement of fact. He also contends that the only thing in the universe that we can know more about than we can learn from external observation is the human person. We do not merely observe people, we are people. For example, the moral law that is written on each one of our hearts is not something someone could know simply by observance without having this inside knowledge of the human person.
I mentioned that C.S. believed that there are two central views about which people view how and why the earth is what it is and how it came about, however C.S. Lewis points out that there is in fact an in-between third view.
3) Creative Evolution View
a. In the creative evolution view, people believe that the small variation by which the life on this planet evolved from the lowest forms to man were not by chance but by the striving of a “life-force.”
If by life-force they mean something like a mind bringing life into existence and leading it to perfection than their view is actually in line with the religious view; this mind they speak of is God. However, if they believe that this life-force is something without a mind, their view is fatally flawed just as the materialistic view is flawed according to C.S. Lewis. When this third view is absent of God, it becomes eerily similar to a popular belief and threat to Christianity in our present time; moral relativism. Many people find creative evolution so attractive because it gives one the emotional comfort of believing in God with none of the less pleasant consequences. We will find out in chapter five why this creative evolution view is flawed.
God bless!
In chapter 4 of book 1, C.S. Lewis examines what the Law of Human Nature tells us about the universe. Since the start of their existence humans have wondered about what the world really is and how it came about. According to C.S. Lewis there are 2 central views.
1) Materialistic View
a. In the materialistic view, people believe that matter and space just happen to exist and always have, but nobody really knows why, and it just so happened to produce creatures like ourselves who are able to think.
2) Religious View
a. In the religious view, people believe that what lies behind the universe is a greater power that we cannot ever fully comprehend, nor can we ever fully understand why God created the universe how he did. However, those who believe in this view believe that God has a purpose for everything he made, including ourselves.
Science cannot defend or refute either view since science works by experiments; it answers how things are but not why things are. C.S. Lewis stresses that this is not a statement against science for science has often proved to be very valuable to the progress of mankind, but it is simply a statement of fact. He also contends that the only thing in the universe that we can know more about than we can learn from external observation is the human person. We do not merely observe people, we are people. For example, the moral law that is written on each one of our hearts is not something someone could know simply by observance without having this inside knowledge of the human person.
I mentioned that C.S. believed that there are two central views about which people view how and why the earth is what it is and how it came about, however C.S. Lewis points out that there is in fact an in-between third view.
3) Creative Evolution View
a. In the creative evolution view, people believe that the small variation by which the life on this planet evolved from the lowest forms to man were not by chance but by the striving of a “life-force.”
If by life-force they mean something like a mind bringing life into existence and leading it to perfection than their view is actually in line with the religious view; this mind they speak of is God. However, if they believe that this life-force is something without a mind, their view is fatally flawed just as the materialistic view is flawed according to C.S. Lewis. When this third view is absent of God, it becomes eerily similar to a popular belief and threat to Christianity in our present time; moral relativism. Many people find creative evolution so attractive because it gives one the emotional comfort of believing in God with none of the less pleasant consequences. We will find out in chapter five why this creative evolution view is flawed.
God bless!
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