Object or Action… The Verb and the Noun

 

The other day I attended an meeting at my Church, they have decided it was time to make some much needed changed to the religious education of the middle school youth program. It was time to re-evaluate how they approached the faith formation of youth, what books to use, if any, what grades will be changed and how do we change it… All questions that need answers, along with a million others.

The process of change is hard, as everyone knows, no one likes change, and God knows the Catholic Church does not come to change easily, this is true for the local parish as much as for the Vatican. Change with in the Church is a slow moving process, and for the most part I thing that is a good thing. The Church is not an institution that should change with every new fad in faith. Her traditions and teachings must remain constant, the stability of the Church is one of her strong points. But sometimes even the most simplest of changes take time. Lets face it, the Church moves slow.

Well, back the the meeting, my parish has decided that change is needed, that we must approach the youth is a format and fashion that appeals to them, and I’m sorry, most of what is currently offered as “religious formation” is nothing but memorization of religious facts. Really, facts = faith? Knowing the prayers of the faith is important, memorizing bible passages is important, but does that make one faithful?

Lets look at it in a different light…

Learning math, 2+2=4, does not make me a mathematician, it makes me able to add, subtract and do the simple math needed to navigate life. It also introduces me to math, allowing me to explore it more deeply, if I choose, and maybe I will become a mathematician latter in life. If not no harm, I now know how to add 2+2.

So, as a math teacher (I am not one) my job would not be to create mathematicians but rather to foster the desire to become one. I teach the basics and leave the rest up to the individual.

Much is the same with most things taught, The object of teaching is to pass on the knowledge, not to create new experts.

The exception to the rule…

Once a path has been chosen, such as Doctor, than the object become creating a new expert. So far I would assume that most would agree with me, education, in is simplest form is to pass on needed information, not to create new experts.

Object or Action

I look at it like this, The object of Faith Formation is not to create new Theologians or Priest, but rather to foster the desire to grow more deeply in the faith. Another way to look at it, Are we creating Theologians or Catholics?

Theologian is an object, a noun

Catholic is an action, a verb

The point of faith formation is not to create nouns but to foster verbs.

I would rather see the youth excited about the faith than to see them recite a prayer, yet have no attachment to the faith. With the basics of the faith instilled in them in a new and exciting way we will be creating a new generation of dynamic Catholics, Catholics that are on fire for knowledge, and some will become the new Theologians and Priest and others will be the new laity, the laity that is involved in parish life, that look at the parish as part of, not separated from, the family dynamics.

What will happen at my local parish, will we see the change that needs to come, or will continue to look at faith formation in the same old way? Only time will tell, but with the grace of God and the working of the Holy Sprit we just may…

God Bless

Paul Sposite

Guided Insight Life Coach

 

My Detroit

Augustus Woodward’s plan following the 1805 fire for Detroit’s baroque styled radial avenues and Grand Circus. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m a Detroiter, I was born in the city, and I love the city. I no longer live in Detroit, I now live about 30 minutes outside of the city, but still consider myself a Detroiter. It pains me to hear negative news stories of Detroit, but it seems that’s all we ever hear. Murder, Rape, miss use of Government powers, Kids killing Kids, Drugs and other horrid actions. It saddens me when I do venture to the City to see all the majestic buildings and homes is shambles to see the empty lots filled with trash and the parks and streets empty of life.

Detroit is a shell of its former self, many do not know the true Detroit, they only know the current Detroit. The one that is on a path to self destruction, the one that fills the national news with murder and deception. Detroit is more than that, Detroit has 300 years of history, of pride and accomplishments. No, not just Cars and Motown, but Art and Architecture, Culture and Innovation. Detroit is a city of many first, The first expressway, phone book and more. Detroit is not what you think she is, she is a diamond in the ruff.

Detroit…

• is home to the Motown sound founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in 1957

• is home to the first Van Gogh painting in a public collection in the U.S. at the Detroit Institute of Arts, "Self Portrait," Vincent Van Gogh, 1887

• installed the first mile of paved concrete road, just north of the Model T plant, on Woodward Avenue between McNichols and 7 Mile Roads in 1909

• built the nation’s first urban freeway, the Davison, in 1942

• is home to the oldest state fair in the nation — the Michigan State Fair, first held in 1849

• is the potato chip capital of the world, based on consumption

• has country’s largest island park within a city — Belle Isle Park

• is home to the world’s only floating post office, the J.W. Westcott II, can be found on the Detroit River

• is north of Canada

• is second in the nation in fishing rod sales

• shares the world’s first auto traffic tunnel between two nations – the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel

• is home to the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere – the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, at 727 feet/73 stories

• the nation’s first soda — Vernors — created in Detroit by pharmacist James Vernor in 1862. Detroit is also home to Sanders hot fudge, Better Made Potato Chips, Faygo soda pop, Stroh’s Ice Cream

• has the most registered bowlers in the United States

• was the first city in the nation to assign individual telephone numbers in 1879

History of Detroit

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ste. Anne de Détroit, founded in 1701 is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States. The present Gothic Revival cathedral styled church was completed in 1887 and serves a largely Hispanic community.^[1][2]

The city of Detroit, Michigan, developed from a French fort and missionary outpost founded in 1701 to one of the largest American cities by the early 20th century. As reflected by the emblems on its flag, Detroit has been governed by three world powers: France, Great Britain, and the United States. The city, settled in 1701, is one of the oldest cities in the Midwest. Detroit experienced a large scale fire in 1805 which nearly destroyed the city. After the fire, Justice Augustus B. Woodward devised a plan similar to Pierre Charles L’Enfant‘s design for Washington, D.C. Detroit‘s monumental avenues and traffic circles fan out in a baroque styled radial fashion from Grand Circus Park in the heart of the city’s theater district, which facilitates traffic patterns along the city’s tree-lined boulevards and parks.^[3] Main thoroughfares radiate outward from the city center like spokes in a wheel.

During the 19th century, Detroit grew into a thriving hub of commerce and industry, the city spread along Jefferson Avenue, with multiple manufacturing firms taking advantage of the transportation resources afforded by the river and a parallel rail line. Beginning in the late 19th and early 20th century, many of the city’s Gilded Age mansions and buildings arose. Detroit was referred to as the Paris of the West for its architecture, and for Washington Boulevard, recently electrified by Thomas Edison.^[1]

Following World War II, the Detroit area emerged as a global business center with the metropolitan area becoming one of the largest in the United States. The Detroit area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area linking the Great Lakes system. Immigrants and migrants have contributed significantly to Detroit’s economy and culture. In the 1990s and the new millennium, the city has experienced increased revitalization. Many areas of the city are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and include National Historic Landmarks.

Beginnings

The first recorded mention of what became Detroit was in 1670, when the French Sulpician missionaries François Dollier de Casson and René Bréhant de Galinée stopped at the site on their way to the mission at Sault Ste. Marie.^[4] Galínee’s journal notes that near the site of present-day Detroit, they found a stone idol venerated by the Indians and destroyed the idol with an axe and dropped the pieces into the river. Early French settlers planted twelve missionary pear trees "named for the twelve Apostles" on the grounds of what is now Waterworks Park.^[5]

Statue of French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac commemorating his 1701 landing along the Detroit River.

Siege of Fort Detroit during Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763.

The British surrender, following the American Siege of Detroit during the War of 1812.

The city name comes from the Detroit River (French: le détroit du Lac Érie), meaning the strait of Lake Erie, linking Lake Huron and Lake Erie; in the historical context, the strait included Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.^[6] Traveling up the Detroit River on the ship Le Griffon (owned by La Salle), Father Louis Hennepin noted the north bank of the river as an ideal location for a settlement. There, in 1701, the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, along with fifty-one additional French-Canadians, founded a settlement called Fort Ponchartrain du Détroit, naming it after the comte de Pontchartrain, Minister of Marine under Louis XIV. Ste. Anne de Détroit, founded July 26, 1701, is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States and the church was the first building erected at Fort Ponchartrain du Détroit.^[1][2][7][8]

France offered free land to attract families to Detroit, which grew to 800 people in 1765, the largest city between Montreal and New Orleans.^[9] Francois Marie Picoté, sieur de Belestre (Montreal 1719–1793) was the last French military commander at Fort Detroit (1758–1760), surrendering the fort on November 29, 1760 to British Major Robert Rogers (of Rogers’ Rangers fame and sponsor of the Jonathan Carver expedition to St. Anthony Falls). The British gained control of the area in 1760 and were thwarted by an Indian attack three years later during Pontiac’s Rebellion. The region’s fur trade was an important economic activity. Detroit’s city flag reflects this French heritage. (See Flag of Detroit).^[1]

The City of Detroit (from Canada Shore), 1872, by A. C. Warren

During the French and Indian War (1760), British troops gained control and shortened the name to Detroit. Several tribes led by Chief Pontiac, an Ottawa leader, launched Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763), including a siege of Fort Detroit. Partially in response to this, the British Royal Proclamation of 1763 included restrictions on white settlement in unceded Indian territories. Detroit passed to the United States under the Jay Treaty (1796). In 1805, fire destroyed most of the settlement. A river warehouse and brick chimneys of the wooden homes were the sole structures to survive.^[10]

Father Gabriel Richard arrived at Ste. Anne’s in 1796. While the local priest, he helped start the school which evolved into the University of Michigan, started primary schools for white boys and girls as well as for Indians, as a territorial representative to U.S. Congress helped establish a road-building project that connected Detroit and Chicago, and brought the first printing press to Michigan which printed the first Michigan newspaper. After his death in 1832, Richard was interred under the altar of Ste. Anne’s.^[1][2]

Detroit was the goal of various American campaigns during the American Revolution, but logistical difficulties in the North American frontier and American Indian allies of Great Britain would keep any armed rebel force from reaching the Detroit area. In the Treaty of Paris (1783), Great Britain ceded territory that included Detroit to the newly recognized United States, though in reality it remained under British control. Great Britain continued to trade with and defend her native allies in the area, and supplied local nations with weapons to harass American settlers and soldiers.

In 1794, a Native American alliance, that had received some support and encouragement from the British, was decisively defeated by General Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Wayne negotiated the Treaty of Greenville (1795) with many of these nations, in which tribes ceded the area of Fort Detroit to the United States. Detroit passed to the United States under the Jay Treaty (1796). Great Britain agreed to evacuate forts held in the United States’ Northwest Territory. In 1805, a fire destroyed most of the settlement. A river warehouse and brick chimneys of the wooden homes were the sole remains of the structures.^[10] Detroit’s motto and seal (as on the Flag) reflect this fire.

God Bless

Paul Sposite

Guided Insight Life Coach

 

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How Folding PJ’s Changes my life

Sometimes it is hard to even start to write this blog, sometimes my mind just goes blank. Call it writers block, or what ever you want, all I know is that it is very frustrating to me. My goal is to try to write something each and everyday, I want to improve my writing, my relaying of information, and the only way to do that is to practice, and the only way to practice writing, is to write and read. The reading thing I got down, I read everyday, even if it is just a few news stories online. However the writing thing, well that’s a different story, I try to write everyday, I launch my editor everyday, I even sometimes start to type, but more often than not I delete what I have written and don’t post.

I understand that it is not an earth shattering event if I don’t post to my blog, that my readers will make it through the day, and there lives will continue, but for me it is a disappointment. I have difficulties remaining committed to tasks I set for myself. I, like a lot of people, start out strong, but seem to fizzle out shortly after the start.  I don’t give up, completely, I just fizzle…

Lets look at a few tasks that turned into Fizzles:

TASK: Eating Healthy

GOAL: Weight Loss and over all Health

At the start, I was all for it, I cleaned my cupboards and frig, tossed out what was unhealthy, tossed my snack foods and when shopping for healthy alternatives, I are carrots and other healthy stuff.  I did good for about 4 weeks, basically until I had to go shopping again. Even then it want to bad, I mostly purchased healthy stuff, but the next trip, all was lost. I was back to my old self, more or less. I did change some of my eating habits, I now go meatless two days a week, eating fish at least one day per week. I try to eat more heatlyish meals, I add more veggies to my plate and try to keep my portion size down. But my gusto for the over all healthy food didn’t take, only part of it did.

TASK: Write a Book

GOAL: Get Published

This task is somewhat different that most tasks I have, it is a task that is, in some ways completed, but in others not. I have written several manuals, for he faith formation program I, along with a partner, created. We self published the material and used it with in our parish. We did attempt to market the program, but to no success. So in one way I have already been published. But this goal is more about creating a book, not a manual, but a book for the public. I have started several “drafts” if you can call them that. I have had several ideas for a book, even began the work on them, but never get to far into it. Here i s my problem, I have research, and to write a book, you need to do research. So I always get stuck right after I lay out the concept, the ideas of what this book should look like, should be about. Once I have to do the research, I abandon the task. So I need to learn how to get over that, or I will never get published. Learn to love research or learn to pay for it, those are my two choices.

TASK: Blog Daily

Goal: Improve writing skills

This task has had several starts and stops. I started off strong on a blog called STATIC Youth, I posted daily, sometimes 2 times a day for month, never missing a day, unless I was just unable to get to the net. I even started a second blog, You Can Be new, and posted to it daily. I decided that posting to 2 blogs was just to hard, so I started to just repost the same article to both blogs, eventually I merged them into one, and renamed the STATIC blog to View Point: Paul, that blog was than merged into this blog here, An American Point of view, all the articles from both blogs were migrated to this new blog and on I went. But my postings have become less and less, my daily habit drifted away and I am finding it harder to post. This, I feel is due to the same reason that I never write my book. I made a resolution that I would do more research in to my blogs, provide more links and facts, rather than just my opinion. Because I hate research, I post less, but this may be changing, I may decide to post with or with out the back ground research, just my view-point.

So as you can see, I have issues with commitment to my own tasks, I am striving to improve, and I have, over the past few years, but I have a long way to go. I will get my book written one day, and published, I will continue to improve my eating habits and I will blog more and more. It’s all connected, this I have discovered.

Not every task I start ends up as a fizzle, for example, I decided that I would keep a tidier home. My house was never “dirty” but at times it can become untidy. So I decided to start with one task, as silly as they may sound, folding my PJ’s at night before I put them away at night. This one task has lead to many other life style changes, simple and silly as that may seem. Not sure why, but I think it was just an over all mind change. For 46 years I never concerned myself with folding PJ’s, I just stuck them in a drawer to be pulled out the next night, but now, my PJ’s a re folded, my shoes are but away each night, I polish and shine them more often (I never bothered before) and my over all bedroom remains tidy. All because I decided to fold my PJ’s.

So I know that the other tasks will happen one day, once I find there PJ’s that I need to fold. The one little task that will become the life style change I need, what ever it is.

Life is full of PJ’s, that one thing that triggers the rest to fall in to place. You know what I mean, you will walk up to that life long smoker and notice they quit. You ask them what happen and they say, Just decided it was time. They may have decided it was time hundreds of times before, but for some reason this time it was time. What changed? What made this time the right time?

The goal in life is to find your PJ’s, that one life changing event that will alter your course and set you on the path to greatness. Not greatness in the worlds eyes, but greatness in your own, greatness in the only way it matters, greatness of character and being.

That task that we place before ourselves are all created to achieve the same end, to become all we are made to be, to become the greatness we know we are to be. Each “failure” is just a lesson needed to be learned, and opportunity to fold your PJ’s yet again, in hopes that this will be your time, your moment to greatness.

Opportunities present themselves constantly, the next pair of PJ’s are always out there before us, if we choose to see them and to fold them. All we have to do is look.

God Bless

Paul Sposite

Guided Insight Life Coach

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American Catholic Council hits Detroit and Archbishop Allen Vigneron hits back

This past weekend was an exciting time in Detroit for Catholics. The city was host to the American Catholic Council (Read here). Now let me be clear, this is a dissident group, they are Catholic only by name, and I do not support them and anyway. So, you may be asking yourself, why than, was it an exciting weekend.

Well, because of Detroit is not backing down…. He is standing up for the One True Faith…. Not something we see a lot of in todays Church. (See here) (and here)

To see what the American Catholic Council as all about look here (Web Link). The whole idea is to make the Catholic Church a democracy, allowing votes and majority rules. To create a more “inclusive” church.

Really…

Did Jesus hold a vote with the 12, did God hold a vote? Nope… Religion is not democratic by nature, and it should not be. But what the American Catholic Council is looking for is a faith that is, a faith that will allow you the “freedom” to choose what you like and dislike….

• Abortion, well that up to you and your personal relationship with God
• The true presence of Jesus, you can believe it if you want, I don’t want to force my ideas on you
• Confession, just go to the forest and hug a tree and all will be good
• Woman priest, sure why not, it will make them happy
• Traditions, they are silly, unless we like them of course

The list of “what if’s” could go on and on, but basically you are taking the Rites and Traditions of the Church and tossing them out the window in the name of progress… You are creating a faith that has no grounding and one that has no shape.

Yes, I believe in a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior, but I can have one and still have my Church and all her blessing. I don not have toss out the old to the sake of the new.  Is the Church perfect, no, not the parts that man has messed up, does she need to change, sure some things, but not the parts that God has created.

In the Catholic faith there is Traditions and traditions, Traditions with a capital “T” should not be messed with, they are the oral Traditions from the beginning of our faith, much like the bible is sacred scripture, Traditions are sacred Traditions. Little “t” traditions, well they are more like family traditions, they can vary from country to country or Church to Church. There is more wiggle room there for change.

Question: Why is it that liberals, be they political or religious” fell that “progress” always involve removal of all that is “old”? Why do they feel that for an institution to be “relevant” it must “keep up with the times” at all coast? To hell with traditions and heritage, the new and latest fad is the way to go. We see it in our liberal politicians, the United Stated has worked just fine, thank you very much, for the past 200 plus years, but that means nothing to them. To them the new, the shiny and the “bold” is the way to go. Dump it all out and start fresh with the liberal agenda. That is not progress, that is regress! They would be fine with tossing out al the lessons learned and starting with nothing. What a messed up concept.

Liberal Catholics are the same. I once volunteered at a very liberal parish.  So liberal that it would not allow any Latin singing or devotion to Our Lady. If that’s the case, and that’s how you feel than just become protestant (no offence to any protestants reading this) and be done with it. Or start your own church and move on.

But no, they can’t…

And here is why… I am sure for  most of them it is nothing but a power thing. They want to want the power of the protest, they need to descent and be the “outsider” to fit in. They need to be different so they take the liberal point of view, claiming to be open. But more often than not, they are not open, they are as closed to ideas as they claim Conservatives are. Case and point:

If a liberal church is open to ideas and believe that each person needs to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and they believe that we each have our own path to this relationship and that “different strokes for different folks” is the mantra. Than what would be the harm in allowing the bells to be rung at consecration? Or what is the harm of a little Latin in the Mass? To me that is an open-minded thing to do. But nope, that’s not how they see it. No Latin and no bells, that “old school” and no good for you.

It always come down to that, “It’s no good for you” or “Its for your own good” or “We are looking out for you”, that is the liberals standard line when they are dictating their open-mindedness to you. When they are forcing you to follow their plans for a free society or church. When they are dictating to you how you should think…. How to be open-minded like they are.

“All are welcome” is a formal battle cry for liberal Catholics. It sounds good, and hell, who can disagree with that, I don’t. But I also know that that’s not really what they mean by that saying. All are welcome is the politically correct way of saying “All are welcome who think as we thing, act as we act and do as we say, but that was way to long for a banner, so they shortened it to just All are welcome. And besides it’s much more misleading so they like it better.

It’s the old bait and switch routine, get them in the door to purchase one thing, and switch it to another. We advertise openness, we sell you closed mindedness, but call it openness. And millions of Catholics are willing to buy it. Why you may ask, why would they buy it if it’s not what it states it is. Because we, Conservatives stink at marketing, because we don’t hype up the truth, we feel the truth on its own is good enough. We don’t need to bait and switch to get you in, we just need to tell the truth. So how is that working out for us… The Catholic Church is growing in the United States… So over all I would say good…

The times, they are a changing… The tide is coming in… The Church is going through a revolution, one that will restore Her pack to Her Conservative roots… We just need to keep speaking the truth. In the end, the Truth always wins.

 

God Bless

Paul

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Some people are just stupid, and other thoughts

Just some thoughts on a few things for today’s posting:

The other day I was at Great lakes Crossings, Michigan’s largest Outlet Mall. I must have dropped my cell phone in the parking lot, and yes someone found it. But they did not turn it in. So how do I know someone found it, a friend of mine called me, and the person who found it picked it up and even told my friend were they found it. She asked him to be nice and turn it in to the mall security, yet they did not. So I have to ask, why wouldn’t they? What good are all my phone numbers to them? What good is a phone that has been deactivated?  I just don’t get people. I would have turned it in, knowing that the person who lost it most likely needs it. What if I had a sick child at home, or a dying parent? Some people are just stupid and selfish.

Well the young man who lives with me, you know the one I write about under the title of Drama Part…. Well he is off probation, as of the November 30^th, this is great news, and December 25^th the courts will grant me full and legal guardianship over him. Yet his so-called mother still refuses to talk to him. Once again some people are just stupid and selfish. He did talk to his younger brother, who still lives with his mother. He asked him for his Christmas list, he got a few items, like two, out of him but that was it. His mother did call to ask him why he was “bothering” him younger brother. He said to get his Christmas list, her response, He (the younger brother) don’t want anything for Christmas…. Hmm, not what we have heard…. She just needs help; she needs to be put in to a mental hospital and the key tossed out with the trash. Like I said, some people are just stupid and selfish.

So, my ex-friend I have talked about in other post, the man hater, she must be in heaven now. The parish priest where she works at has been relived of his duties. It has nothing to do with little boys at all, it seems he was, well lets just say very interested in a lady from a previous parish, and she did not want his interest. I am sure he is “guilty” as charged in the eyes of my ex-friend, for he is a man. The funny thing is (well not really funny) a parishioner is being charged with embezzlement, she is accused of taking over $10,000 from her mother. This same ex-friend, who in the past could not stand this parishioner, feels this must be a misunderstanding. Could this be because she is a woman and not a man? Hmmm, makes you wonder.  

Speaking of my ex-friend, I do wish that we were not ex-friends. Yes I know she has issues, but we all do. We did have a decent friendship for over 4 years, and lots of good discussions. But it seems that we will never be able to have that again. You see, I am a man, and I am the cause of all the worlds’ problems, in her eyes. So we will remain ex-friends… I wish her only the best…

That’s it for me today.. I am sure I will have more soon..

God Bless

Paul

 

Look at thy self

I just spent the last thirty minutes or so reading a blog site that I use to read daily. It’s a site that a former friend of mine writes. And after spending time reading her latest post, I know remember why we are former friends. The self absorbedness of her blogs is dripping in self sorrow and well, just a me, me, me attitude. Now that is not to say all her postings are, some are purely scripture based, yet even they seem to have a little “its all about me” in them.

This could just be my take on it all, this could be just my own reading of her postings, but I don’t think so. I think they are exactly what I say they are, postings of self sorrow and selfishness. The EGO (edging God out) is a very strong feeling I get when I read them. Once again, it may just be me, it may be me placing on them, or better yet, reading in to them, the feeling I hold towards her. Like I did say, reading them did remind me why we are no-longer friends.

But they also reminded me that I must true to myself and to my God, and as of late I have not been. I have been living a life of lies and sin, and I need to make a correction, and soon. Over the past few months I have not attend Mass, I just haven’t “felt” it. I don’t know why, but I just haven’t. In fact I haven’t even read any spiritual books and the weekly Catholic newspaper I get, and truly enjoys mostly goes unread. I am in a dark place when it comes to my faith, and I have known it for sometime, yet I choose to do nothing. Now I could blame the Church, the Priest or even my former friend for my despair and darkness. But I know they have no control over me, unless I allow them to.

• How can I blame the Church, well look at Her, she is currently a mess, the sex scandals, the miss use of power and the over all liberal take on the Holy Mass. Yet I know in my heart of hearts that all that is not the Church, that is just mans miss handling of the Church hear on earth.
• The Priest, well my last parish the priest was liberal and basically “retired”. He allowed the office manager take total control of the parish, and that resulted in her assuming power over all, and miss using that power to benefit her own agenda, not the agenda of the parish. She was one of the main reasons I left that parish and ended my ministry. But once again, I understand that the Priest is not the Church nor is the office manager, that Christ is the head and we all are parts of the body that makes up the visible Church hear on earth.
• My former friend, well it was her ability to make everything about her, the demands that were placed on me and the false friendship she offered me. She was my “boss” at the parish I ministered at, she was the religious Education Director, and so I thought my friend. But as I found out, she was a self serving liberal who wanted the church to change for her, and not her to change for the Church. She wanted me to be he savior, her everything, yet truly give nothing back in return. But once again I know that she is not the Church, nor does she have control over me.

Nope none of the above “reasons” and “reasons” to abandon the Church, to miss Mass or anything else. They are, at best, excuses. Yes, they all can affect how I choose to react, but in the end it is of my choosing, not theirs. So why have I chosen to abandon my faith, not that I stopped believing God, or even the Catholic Church, because I do, with all my heart and soul. Yet I choose to not partake in the Holy Mass, to partake in the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of my savior. Why?

That is my sin, that is my dilemma, so reading her blog has reminded me that I must look at myself, not others, to find the bark places in my soul that allow me to sin. It is no ones fault but mine. I am the one who is choosing to miss Mass, to sin in my life, choosing to stop feeling my soul. It is I who chooses to pick up a political magazine over the Catholic Newspaper, It is I who chooses to sit and drink coffee on Sunday mornings and not attend Mass. But why? What has changed in me that I choose this path over the others that I could walk?

I can not answer any of these question at this moment, but I do know that I need to receive the blessings of reconciliation, and I need to do a lot of soul searching. I know that God has the answers for me, I just need to learn to listen. So yes, reading her self loathing blogs did do me some good, they directed me back to my self, they reminded me that I am in control of my life, no one else, and that I must look at my own self before I look at others. So it was a well spent thirty minutes.

God Bless

 

I am no Superman

As many of you know I have taken in a young man from Cameroon Africa, he has live with me for the past 3 1/2 years or so. And recently I have added to my family a second young man from Africa. He has been with us for a few months. Now it’s not that I go looking for people to live with me, they seem to find me, and the current two are not unique, I have had several people who have found their way to my home. I have had a family consisting of a mother her son and two daughters live here for one year, a young man from the youth group I was minister to lived with me for 5 years and a few nephews and others…

It seems my home is a magnet for people in need, mostly young men who need a chance to grow up. And I am more than happy to offer them a place to just that. But by no means am I superman or a saint or any other greatness one may want to bestow on me. I ask for nothing, no government money, no praise nor any help from others. I just do what I feel I am suppose to do, I do what I feel all of humanity is created to do, I offer what little help I can.

The first young man to truly live with me, Jonathan, was 15 when he moved in, prior to that, he visited a lot, and one day he just never went home. It seems to be the way it works around here, they visit and never leave… But Jonathan was a good young man, smart as can be, but troubles. Drugs and sex was his life, and school or any other activity took a back seat to them. But I saw in him what others did not, I saw a creation of God, a good young man that just needed a little love and a little push. I provided both, and in return I gained a lot of love back.

But with that little push from me came shoves from others towards me. The meanness and hatred and basic jealousy of others shown through from places I did not expect. The Church, his family and my friends. The charges of serving only my self, looking for praise and using him for my own needs were hurdled at me on almost a daily basis. The accusations surprised and shocked me, because I never once asked for nor expected anyone to thing any different of me, I was just doing what I thought was the right thing to do, what God would want me to do. But to them I must have had a motive, a need that only he, Jonathan could fill.

How silly and down-right wrong…

I treated Jonathan like my own, required respect from him and returned to him the respected he deserved. I allowed him to make mistakes and to learn and grow from them and I allowed him to be what he was, a child who needed love and understanding, not condemnation and demands.

After five years of caring for him, we, sadly, had a falling out, and are now not in much contact. But I do love him and wish him only the best in life. He is still mine and I hope I am still his. Who knows, maybe one day we can fix what is broken.

From Jonathan we move on to a few others who lived here of f and on, over the summer during school breaks or in transitional states with in there lives. But each and everyone of them holds a special place with in my heart and home.

From the transitional few to my Africans…

Luciano also came to me from the Church, and he also was in the youth group. And like Jonathan he visited me until one day he never returned home. But that is were the similarities stop. Luciano had no drug issues and as far as I know he is not having sex with anything that walks. HIs issues are from his father (using the term loosely). His father was what I would describe as a “slave owner” and Luciano was his slave, and I represented his freedom. And once again the ugliness’ of jealousy showed up. And once again from the same places as before, the Church (a different parish than before) his father and my friends.

Is it human nature to think the worst of our fellow man? Is it part of our make up not to trust the actions and deeds of others? Once again I was just doing what I feel we, as Catholic/Christians are called to do, to help our fellow man  out in times of need. For no other reason do I open my home to others, and I ask for nothing in return. Yet it seems that society does.

I have a friend who lives in Mexico city, he is a co-worker of mine, we both work for the same division with in the company. So periodically he has to travel to the states, and when ever he does I make it a point to invite him in to my home, be it for dinner of just to watch a DVD. So he has had the opportunity to get to know me, and I him, along with Luciano.  He is a quiet and introspective young man who is on a quest to define his life in the eyes of God. His heart is big and his concern for others is just as big. Yet he insists on telling me how great I am, what a special person I am for doing what I do.  Yet he too offers himself to the youth of Mexico City, mentoring and befriending them. Offering hope and friendship to them. Yet he canonizes me.

I tell him, when ever he offers his praise, “Many thanks, but you too offer yourself, no more nor no less than I do."  Are we not just living out the Gospel, are we not just trying to be as God has created us to be? I see no greatness in what I do, I only see opportunities to love.

I am no Superman, I am only me. Flawed and sinful, cut from the same pattern as you, I do nothing extraordinary and expect nothing in return.

Jonathan, the young man who lived with me who was on drugs is now drug free. He once thanked me for what I had done for him, but I had to remind him that I did nothing but stand behind him, he did all the work on his own. And I was proud to say that, I was proud to see the young man he turned into, and I am thankful that he allowed me to be a small part of his life, hi growth and his change. The same for Luciano and I hope and pray that it will be the same for my new child as well.

God Bless

Paul

 

The shame of it all

Image by Tony the Misfit via Flickr

Over the weekend I went camping, as my previous post stated, I was not to excited about it. But I did come to a realization, one that I am sure I have known for sometime, but was not willing or able to state. But now I am.

1. What you belive and what you preach/teach must be the same message
2. People will find out if you are “faking it” to fit in
3. Liberal Catholics are a cancer to the Church

There are more I am sure, but the top three will work for now. Lets look at each one, starting with number 1.

What you belive and what you preach/teach must be the same message

I have worked (volunteered) in two parished over the last 20 years, and both are liberal, one overtly and the other, behind the sense. I prefer the overt to the hidden. The first parish was the overt parish, they were openly and proudly liberal. They celebrated it in every aspect of the parish life. I must say it was a lively and active parish, one that I enjoyed working at. I was not always happy with the Mass or homilies, and towards the end the educational programs started to fall of the liberal cliff, but over all I would say my years there were rewarding.

I left that parish for the second parish, the hidden liberal parish, to help establish a new and innovative youth ministry program for the middle school youth.

I had been attending the parish with my parents and sister prior to making the switch. Over all the Mass was well presented and it seemed, on the surface to be a moderately conservative parish. Maybe a tad liberal, but you really had to look for it. When I entered in to the “inner sanctuary” of the parish office I was shocked to hear and see the overtly liberal view points. They where well hidden in the Church, but the office, when know one was around was an out in the open liberal party.

From the Priest who once had a pro-abortion bumper sticker on his car to the REP director who truly believed she alone understood the faith better than any man who ever served in the faith. A closet “priest” want-to-be. She was my first contact with in the parish sanctuary. She was my boss. Now having come from an overtly liberal parish I was sure I could handle anything, so upon discovering that she did not belive most of what the Church stated was no big concern to me. I figured I cold roll with it, develop a program that was true to the Church and maybe even convert a few hearts along the way.

On the outside she presented herself as a conservative Catholic woman who dedicated herself to the betterment of human kind. But the inner truth was she was a frustrated woman who wanted the power and prestige of the priest. It made for some very interesting conversations and moments.

We did become friends, and even had a few laughs over our differing views, mine the conservative and hers the liberal. But like all things built upon sand, sooner or latter the waves of time will wash the sand away, and that is just what happened to our friendship. But that is not for this posting, so back to the point.

As time went on our conflicting points become more and more and the issues that started out as minor details become major teachings. I refused to teach anything that was not solid Catholic teaching. And to her credit, she to would not teach anything that was not solid Catholic teaching, but she also would not teaching anything that was not of her belief system. So teaching that gay sex is a sin, nope she would not cover that one, for fear of hurting their feelings (to hell with their soul as long as they felt good about themselves). Male only priesthood, she would teaching, with a twist of the unfairness of it all. and so it would go, sleeping together before mirage, good to go, RCIA candidate, as long as your breathing and attend, I will ask nothing of you.

Once again I thought I could deal with this all, but I was wrong. In the end I was unable to continue on.

The homilies never overtly stated liberal points of view, the priest used the same basic tactic, I don’t agree with the Church, so I will just skip over it.

A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, as Mary Poppins would say. Well in thus case it wasn’t medicine that was covered in sugar, it was the Catholic Church and Her teachings. If the message was difficult and challenging, than they would either skip it or make it “politically correct”. Make it all nice and friendly. Because we all know jesus never challenged us to carry our own cross….

The hidden liberal is much more dangerous, they deceive and well basically lie, make you feel safe and comfortable before the make the pass on you. they work like con-men and spinsters, spinning the web of warm and fuzzy feelings all to suck you into the liberal trap of “if it feels good, it must be ok” or the trap of “There are many truth, it’s all relative”.

The second trap was the main trap of choice for the this particular parish REP office. The whole your truth is not my truth argument. As if to say that the bible and God had many truths, and the truth were floating and drifting, allowing you to pick and choose the truths that you wanted at that particular time.

It’s an alluring thought, relativism. Allow me, a fallen man, to choose what is right and wrong for me. I must admit I was attracted to the whole idea, and even drank a few glasses of the whole liberal kool-aid over the past 20 years or so. And sure at the time it tasted good,even gave me a rush of energy, but like all sugar products, the rush ends all to soon and the crash is hard.

With the first parish I knew what I was getting into, with the second parish, the kool-aid was dressed up to look like the blood of Christ, it was deceiving.

I left that parish and am now in a new parish, a conservative parish…

People will find out if you are “faking it” to fit in

The problem with the second parish was when I started to see the deceptions, I would hear a homily or a teaching and know that what they were saying was not what they believed. It took a toll on me, it made me question my faith and my Church. How can the true Church of Christ have liars in it? But I knew that Jesus would always protect His Church from herself, and that Jesus chose Judas, so there was hope.

The truth always comes out, and the liar is always found out. And for me, the day I truly accepted the fact that the liberal line was nothing but a liberal lie, I left that parish and have not looked back. But it has harmed my ability to look forward.

Liberal Catholics are a cancer to the Church

The cancer of the liberal Catholic is still in me, it is blocking my ability to grow in the faith. Yes I changed parishes, yes the new parish is conservative, but the lingering question of “are the wolf in sheep clothing” sits heavy upon my mind.

The argument that we need to just let them be is an argument to allow them to poison the minds and souls of unsuspecting Catholics and converts. Teaching them a polluted version of the faith. One not established by Jesus Christ, but one established by themselves. We can not just sit back and allow this, we must fight.

I was once an active member of the parish, I treasured the ability to offer my gifts to the parish, now I struggle with just attending Mass every Sunday. And I question what I may have done, what my part in corrupting souls of Catholics and others. I find it hard to trust and to get involved, and for me, being involved was how I celebrated my faith. So I no longer can celebrate the faith I love so dearly. I know I will work through this, and that I will once again celebrate my faith, it may be in new and exciting ways, or it may be in the same old exciting ways, but I will once again celebrate. I am just confused…

The cancer will be cured one day, I am sure, I pray for that day, I pray for the conversion of hearts, I pray for the liberal Catholic who truly believes what they spew and I pray for the ears that must be subjected to it.

God Bless

Paul

 

What I'm up to

Image by Storm Crypt via Flickr

Over the part few days I have been working on a presentation that I have to give in Chicago in August. I am giving a presentation on Communication skills. But unlike normal communication presentations, I am looking at it from the point of view of three prongs of the same fork:

Personality

Processing

Self Talk

Each aspect is unique in its defining of an individual, but each is interconnected to each other and each helps define our over all personality. The connections can be superficial and basically easily seen but the reality is that the connections between the three are deeply rooted to each other.

This presentation will be given at a conference being help at the Chicago Hilton on Michigan Ave. I love the city of Chicago, so I am excited about both the talk and the visit to Chicago. It will be a time for me to do what I love to do, give presentations on communication skills and see a little bit of Chicago. As much as I love giving talks on communication skills my first love is my faith. I love to teach about the Church and God and our relationship to them.

I have not had the opportunity in about a year to teach the faith, last year I resigned from my position as middle school youth minister at my previous parish and have not, as of yet, reestablished myself at my new parish. I am not sure what I am looking for. That’s just a nice way to say, I am not sure were God is calling me to. I am sure there is a plan for me, just not sure what it is yet.

The ability to present/teach is a gift that God has given me, what he failed to give me was the gift of spelling and grammar. But the gift of gab I received in abundance, and I try to use it always to glorify God. I fail often, but I try. My dream job would be to be able to make a living giving talks and presentations, teaching, about my faith. God willing I will one day experience that.

God Bless

Paul

Scriptural Roots of Catholic Teaching: How the Bible Proves the Truth of the Catholic Faith

Zechariah 14:9“The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

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A Good Book

This past Saturday I attended a men’s conference. This was a state wide Catholic men’s conference and the first one I have ever attended. The list of speakers was impressive, but the one I wanted to see was Mathew Kelly, an Australian now living in the States. Mathew is a dynamic speaker that has a natural knack to mix in humor and wisdom. It truly was an inspirational event, and I am glad I attended.

One of the main points through the day as learning or more acuratly, continues learning. Catholics are bad at this, Mr. Kelly stated a fact, that the average Catholic has read less than one book per year but the average protestant has read over 3 per year. That is a sad fact, and having once owned a Catholic gift shop that sold Catholic books, I basically knew this already. We sold more books and bibles to non-Catholics than Catholics.

Why do we have this lack of interest in discovering our faith, in growing our faith. Some of it has to do with the Catholic culture. We are not a faith that is out there and in your face, we are a more laid back faith, one that believes deeply but dose not like to show it. We are a shy faith. It also has to do with the way we are and were Catechized, how often does your local pries recommend a book from the pulped? How often is it required that the youth in religious formation classes are required to read Catholic novel, they do exist. We, as a faith do not promote our own faith even with in our faith.

I recently changed parishes for a variety of reasons, but one of the main reasons was I was not being fed at my last parish. I was hearing the same tired sermon from three years ago, it was time to leave. At my new parish the priest has recommended books from the pulpit on at least three occasions. I know I went out and purchased one of the books, but than again I read Catholic books all the time, but I am sure Amazon saw an uptick in the number of books sold for the titles this priest recommended. What a simple thing for him to do, recommend a book he is currently reading or has read, a book that he himself used to help formulate his thoughts and understanding. This same priest post a list of recommended books on the parish website. Once again an easy thing to do, but I am sure many people have downloaded it and ordered a few books off the list, or even shared the list with others.

Why don’t more priest do this, what is stopping them from doing it? Nothing is stopping them except themselves. Many priest in today’s society are not interested in educating us, they are just interested in doing the job at hand, saying mass and that’s it. Sad but true. Well maybe not many, but most definitely a good number of them. Some of them can’t recommend the books they read for fear that the congregation will discover there liberal leaning and others just don’t educate themselves so they have nothing to recommend. Once again what a sad situation we Catholics are in.

At the end of each posting, well most posting, depending on what computer I am on, I like to recommend books to read. Some I have read myself, others simple go along with the topic at hand. I have no idea if anyone has purchased a book off my site, but that’s not really the point. I am trying to offer new opportunities’ to you, new books to read you may have never thought of or heard of. So if you haven’t read a Catholic book, why not start today, and if you have, great, and make sure you recommend a good Catholic book to someone today.

God Bless

Paul

Why Do Catholics Do That?

2 Peter 3:9“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

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