The Catholic Perspective on the Regulation of Birth

Awesome online resource:

http://parishbulletin.com/Organizations/3208/Documents/Contraception-Sexuality.htm

Are You A Practicing Catholic?

Remember, “practice makes perfect!”

To consider yourself a practicing Catholic, try out the “Precepts of the Church” for size! (cf. CCC # 2041-43)

1. Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation
2. Confession at least once a year
3. Receive Holy Communion during the Easter Season
4. Observe the days of fasting and abstinence
5. Provide for the needs of the Church
6. Marry according to Church regulations

If you attend Sunday Mass half the time, you’re a “50% practicing Catholic.”  And if 50% of Catholics are “50% practicing Catholics”, then the presence of Jesus Christ in the world has been diminished by 75%!

On the other hand, if only 10% of Catholics received Holy Communion daily and confessed their sins monthly, the presence of Jesus Christ would change the world.

Something to think about.

Rev. Francis J. Hoffman, JCD
Executive Director

Relevant Radio

It's Mary's Month!

Ave Maris Stella

Hail, O Star of the ocean,
God's own Mother blest,
ever sinless Virgin,
gate of heav'nly rest.

Taking that sweet Ave,
which from Gabriel came,
peace confirm within us,
changing Eve's name.

Break the sinners' fetters,
make our blindness day,
Chase all evils from us,
for all blessings pray.

Show thyself a Mother,
may the Word divine
born for us thine Infant
hear our prayers through thine.

Virgin all excelling,
mildest of the mild,
free from guilt preserve us
meek and undefiled.

Keep our life all spotless,
make our way secure
till we find in Jesus,
joy for evermore.

Praise to God the Father,
honor to the Son,
in the Holy Spirit,
be the glory one. Amen.

Lenten Suggestions

Suggestions for Lent: prayer, sacrifice and generous deeds.

1. Basic plan: “DPC”

D: Carry out the little duty of each moment, with faith (God sees and knows even our smallest acts) and love (because Love is the measure of all things).

“Do you really want to be a saint? Carry out the little duty of each moment: do what you ought and concentrate on what you are doing.” (St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, n. 815)

P: Patience! With yourself, with others, with things and traffic, with work and delays; early in the morning and late at night and in all the moments in between!

“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you.

All things pass. God never changes.

Patience wills all that it strives for.

He who has God finds that he lacks nothing.

God alone suffices!” (St. Teresa of Avila)

P: Pray better: concentrate on prayer. Pray your usual daily prayers but with greater attention and greater fervor. After all, prayer is talking to God! And listening to God! Pray more during Lent: add what you will and, in any case, make sure you try to pray well!

C: Do not complain: in the morning or in the afternoon or at night; to yourself or to others or about others; out loud or on the inside. One exception: you may complain to the Lord if you love him enough.

“You complain? And you tell me you have reason to complain: One pinprick after another!... But do you not realize that it is silly to be surprised at finding thorns among roses?

(St. Josemaria, Furrow 237)

“What a contrast between Our Lady's hope and our own impatience! So often we call upon God to reward us at once for any little good we have done. No sooner does the first difficulty appear than we start to complain. Often we are incapable of sustaining our efforts, of keeping our hope alive. Why? Because we lack faith.”

(St. Josemaria, Friends of God 286b)2.

2. More for Lent: MCM

M: Make a mortification at mealtimes. We all enjoy our meals and snacks in between. During Lent: make some sacrifice in terms of food and drink. Best to give up something throughout the weeks of Lent… and then give thanks to Our Lord for all the good things you eat and drink.

C: Charity. We should never leave Charity in the last place. It should take the first place. Love God with your whole being. Show love for the others God has placed around you. Love is creative; you will find the way.

M: Me! I have to add something very personal to my Lenten sacrifices. Each of us should ask Our Lord, as St. Paul did: “What would you have me do, Lord?” (Acts 9:6)

Lent 2011

We are very blessed to have TWO parishes to attend during Lent

St. Andrew Parish - Ash Wednesday (2/22)
7:30 am; 11:30 am (School Mass); 7:30 pm
Way of the Cross - Fridays, 7:00 pm

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish - Ash Wednesday (2/22)
6:45 am; 8:00 am; 9:00 am (School Mass); 7:00 pm
Way of the Cross - Fridays, 7:30 pm (Confessions at 8:00 pm)

Supernatural Normalcy

by Fr. Dwight Longenecker, March 15, 2011

What does the devil hate? Supernatural normalcy. When considering conflict with Satan some people think it is all about crucifixes and holy water and exorcisms and putting on the spiritual armor of God and wading into battle like mortal versions of St Michael the Archangel. That's not for us. We best trample down the head of Satan through supernatural normalcy.

What do I mean by 'supernatural normalcy'? First you have to start by understanding Satan and all his works. Satan has nothing original in his toolkit. He can't create sin because sin is the absence of grace or the distortion of something good. God made everything and everything he made is good. Evil is therefore nothing positive in itself, but the perversion and destruction and distortion of all that is good. It follows therefore that Satan loves everything that is perverted, twisted, destroyed and diseased. He can't do anything good or create anything good. All he can do is twist or attempt to destroy that which is good.

What does Satan hate therefore? He hates all that is natural and free and good and wholesome and normal and fine and happy and whole. He hates good Catholic families. He hates ordinary Catholics who work hard, pray hard, laugh hard and who love God, love life, love one another and live life to the full. This ordinary, grace-filled natural life of faith is what he hates with a passion. I call it 'supernatural normalcy' because these are the saints that fill our pews. These are the people of God. These are the ones who live out their faith best they can in the ordinary ups and downs of life. They try hard. They make mistakes, they go to confession with open hearts. They try to love God and others. They are the blessed ones and the ones who give the blessing. They are truly the children of God. They do not seem to be extraordinary and stupendous. They do not seem to be saints even--but that is because they are humble and hidden. They naturally follow the 'Little Way' of St Therese.

This way of 'supernatural normalcy' is the way of the Blessed Virgin. She doesn't jump out from the pages of the New Testament as some sort of Superwoman or Heroic Saint. That's because she is ordinary. She if 'full of grace' and therefore she seems to be totally and utterly natural and real. She is all that she was created to be and therefore she does not seem to be extraordinary. She is as natural and beautiful as a morning in May. She is as natural and virginal as a virgin forest.

It therefore takes a discerning spirit and a finely tuned spiritual sense to find such souls. They are difficult to find not only because they are humble and hidden, but because they are 'normal'. If you told them they were holy and that you wanted to sit at their feet they would laugh and tell you they are not holy and that you have made a mistake. They don't seem extraordinary, and yet for those who have eyes to see they are very extraordinary indeed.

This is the way of 'supernatural normalcy', and if you really want to trample Satan's head--pray for the grace to be transformed in this way.

HHS Mandate

Hopefully you all heard from Archbishop Schnurr yesterday at Mass about the mandate from our federal government that requires employers to cover birth control in health insurance plans.

If not, here's the letter:

http://www.setonmilford.org/documents/ArchbishopHealthLtr_000.pdf

Please contact our representatives and let them know that this new mandate infringes on our rights to practice and live our Catholic faith:

http://www.setonmilford.org/documents/ConscienceContactInfo.pdf

I sent letters to all three of our representatives this morning and all but one (can you guess which one?) have responded positively. Let's fill their mailboxes so they know that as faithful Catholics we are not going to sit silently.

YOUCAT Course

If you don't have a copy of YOUCAT, you should get one. It's a great reference for our children and for us! It's available at the Catholic Shop in Madeira and at amazon.

There's a great course online from the Newman Connection Institute that goes through the entire YOUCAT with reading assignments, short videos and a quiz over each section. Excellent!

http://www.newmanconnection.com/institute

Click on "Exploring YOUCAT"

There are also other video courses that look wonderful.

Prayers for Kids (and Adults!)

Here's a link to prayers and Mass responses:

http://www.holyheroes.net/pdf/Prayer-booklet.pdf