Fr. John Riccardo :- Abuse Scandal

I am sure that many of you are aware of the abuse scandal that has been circulating over media lately.  Honestly, I have been pretty much out of the loop on these stories, and I have only recently started to give them some attention.  Child abuse is a horrible sin, and those who have committed those sins should be brought to justice and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

You all know how big of a fan I am of Fr. John Riccardo.  He is articulate, funny and just an all around great pastor.  Earlier this month, he held a Catholicism for Cradle Catholics talk devoted to the topic of the abuse scandal.  In it, like many of his talks, he invites the audience to come and ask their questions and then after they have been asked, he spends time on each, answering them to the best of his ability and also interjecting personal experiences and perspectives on the matter.  He addresses how the Catholic Church reacts to abuse allegations at a Diocesean level, as well as the popular allegation that the reason why abuse is committed by priests is due to their vow of celibacy.

If you are interested in listening to this talk, you can find it here:

Catholicism for Cradle Catholics :- Abuse Scandal

If you are interested in the other talks from Fr. John Riccardo, you can find them here:

Fr. John Riccardo Talks


Thanks and God bless...

Jesus has Risen from the Dead...

Happy Easter Everyone....

Chrism Mass :- WOW!!!!

This past week, I was fortunate enough to have a ticket to attend the Chrism Mass at the Catehedral. For those of you who don't know what the Chrism Mass is, it is when the oils that are used for many of the sacraments - including Baptism, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick, Confirmation - are blessed by the Bishop in the Diocese. These oils are then transported to every parish within the Diocese. It was easily the most amazing Mass that I have ever been to - second only to the Easter Vigil where I was welcomed into the Church.

It wasn't the humongous choir and orchestra that made it so amazing for me, although that was awesome. It wasn't the pounds of incense that was used, although I love incense during Mass. It wasn't the fact that we had readings in both Spanish, Vietnamese and English, although that was amazing (I mean what else would you expect from the Universal Church that encompasses all languages and nationalities).

During this Mass, I was most taken back by another realization of a different facet of my Church. My parish is but one of the parishes in Grand Rapids, MI. My parish is not the Church, it is but a part of it. Every priest from all of the different parishes were in attendance and during the procession, all of those priests and deacons processed in. It was the most beautiful sight. My parish is united with all of these other parishes under one Bishop. I know that this is Catholicism 101, but when you see it live, it really takes you back. We are truly One, Holy, Catholic Church.

Bishop Hurley stressed that every parish's altar is but an extension of the altar of the Cathedral. The Cathedral is the Parish where the Bishop resides. Since the Bishop is in control of the Diocese and we are not separate individual institutions, we are all united under the Bishop and our altar's are truly extensions of the Bishop altar.

Now let's take it to the next level. There are many Dioceses around the world. Every inch of soil on this earth falls under the jurisdiction of a Bishop. There is one Cathedral in each Diocese. Each of the parishes in their respective Diocese are but an extension of the Cathedral. Each Cathedral is but an extension of the Church in Rome. We are truly One Church united under the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.

When I came back home to tell my wife about the Mass, and even as I reflect on these things now, all I can say is...

"My Church is sweet!!!!!"

God bless...

P.S. If you want to see the Chrism Mass Homily, click here

Peter Kreeft Event :- Favorite Quote

So, shame on me. One of my heroes in theology came to Grand Rapids to speak, and I have not found the time to share one iota of knowledge that I gained. Well, in light of that, I thought that I at least have enough time to share with you my favorite quote of his that night.

"I am an Evangelical Catholic....I evangelize Catholics and catholicize Evangelicals"

That was great, and it got a great laugh from the audience.

If you are interested in hearing Peter Kreefts entire talk that night, it is now available on Immaculate Heart of Mary's website.

Wisdom of Jesus - Part 1
Wisdom of Jesus - Part 2
Wisdom of Jesus - Part 3
Wisdom of Jesus - Part 4
Wisdom of Jesus - Q/A

If you are interested in more podcasts from Immaculate Heart of Mary, consider becoming a subscriber to the Podcast Site (also available on iTunes).

Thanks and God bless....

Protestant Myth Busters :- They believe in Sacred Tradition

I am making a huge assertion with the title of this post, I know, but I sincerely believe it to be true.  I believe that Non-Catholics, Protestants, and Anglicans (hehehe) all believe in Sacred Tradition.  Before continuing, let us define what Sacred Tradition is:

The teachings of Tradition are not written down, but are lived and are handed on by the lives of those who lived according to its teachings, according to the example of Christ and the Apostles (1 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:15). This perpetual handing on of the teachings of Tradition is called a living Tradition; it is the transmission of the teachings of Tradition from one generation to the next. [1]

In other words, Non-Catholics do not really believe in Sola Scriptura, or Scripture Alone.  They can't.  It is completely impossible for them to believe that.  I am sure by now you are wondering how I came to this conclusion, so let me tell you...

All Non-Catholic believers say that their authority is in Scripture and in Scripture Alone.  They all believe that the Bible is the inerrant inspired Word of God.  If they really believe that....then someone must have told them.  As far as I know, there is not one infant born into this world that inherently knows that the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God and the Book of Mormon is not.  No.  Instead, they have had an encounter with someone that they know and trust, and that someone had to tell them that Scripture was the inspired Word of God.  Someone had to "instruct" them that the Bible was the inerrant, God breathed Word of God.  Isn't that instruction the same as Sacred Tradition?  Doesn't that instruction make up part of the Sacred Tradition that has been passed on down through the centuries (about 20 to be exact)?  How is that really any different than Sacred Tradition?  My assertion is that it is not.

Therefore, Non-Catholics do in fact believe in Sacred Tradition and not in Scripture Alone.  What do you think?  Am I on to something, or am I completely off base?  Is my logic sound or no?

God bless...

[1] - Wikipedia :- Sacred Tradition

Am I my brother's keeper?

Ezekiel 33:7-9
Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.

YES, I AM!!!!

Peter Kreeft coming to Grand Rapids

It is with great pleasure that I share with you that Peter Kreeft, one of my favorite theologians / philosophers, is coming to Grand Rapids Michigan on January 28th 7:30p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary. His talk titled Wisdom of Jesus, is sure to inspire and challenge us all. To learn more about his talk and this event, please visit our website.

I was first introduced to Peter Kreeft by way of C.S. Lewis. After looking online for more information on C.S. Lewis, I happened upon a couple of Peter Kreeft's talks where he comments on many of C.S. Lewis writings. While looking through all of the talks that are available on the Featured Audio section of his website, I noticed a talk on ecumenism. Since ecumenism is one of my passions, I listened to his talk Ecumenism without Compromise, and I have been hooked ever since.

Here is a couple of other talks of his that I have enjoyed:

• A Refutation of Moral Relativism
• Making Sense out of Suffering
• Mere Christianity
• Prayer for Beginners
• Seven Reasons to be a Catholic

Needless to say, I am very excited to see him live, and I hope that I get an opportunity to meet him face to face.

God bless you all...