Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Father Stan Fortuna, CFR
Had the pleasure of catching two of Fr. Stan Fortuna's concerts at World Youth Day. For those who do not know Fr. Stan, he is also known as the "Rappin' Monk of the Bronx". He preaches the Gospel undiluted, full of vigor and to the point. He calls it "Keeping It Real" and in those two sessions he most certainly kept it real. Not all of his music is rap, actually most of his stuff has a blues/jazz flavor to it, and he is a brilliant musician. He is an even better motivational speaker, and to say that he clicked with the kids at WYD would be an understatement. In short, the man is a marvelous priest. I'm hoping to bring him to the attention to the planners of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Men's Conference, it'd be awesome to have him here.
Anyways, he has a website (He'll be listed in my Plug's and Prop's section) so you should go check it out: Francesco Productions.
Had the pleasure of catching two of Fr. Stan Fortuna's concerts at World Youth Day. For those who do not know Fr. Stan, he is also known as the "Rappin' Monk of the Bronx". He preaches the Gospel undiluted, full of vigor and to the point. He calls it "Keeping It Real" and in those two sessions he most certainly kept it real. Not all of his music is rap, actually most of his stuff has a blues/jazz flavor to it, and he is a brilliant musician. He is an even better motivational speaker, and to say that he clicked with the kids at WYD would be an understatement. In short, the man is a marvelous priest. I'm hoping to bring him to the attention to the planners of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Men's Conference, it'd be awesome to have him here.
Anyways, he has a website (He'll be listed in my Plug's and Prop's section) so you should go check it out: Francesco Productions.
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Nice to see that some things have not changed around here. *sigh*
Nice to see that some things have not changed around here. *sigh*
I'm baaacccck!
I'm back from World Youth Day. Had a great time, and picked up a lot of information to blog about. For those of you who have left (I told you I'd be back), it's your loss. For those of you who have returned, you will not be disappointed. I hope to have the 100+ pictures of WYD downloaded tonight and arranged in some sort of logical pattern for viewing (with captions). Stay tuned!
I'm back from World Youth Day. Had a great time, and picked up a lot of information to blog about. For those of you who have left (I told you I'd be back), it's your loss. For those of you who have returned, you will not be disappointed. I hope to have the 100+ pictures of WYD downloaded tonight and arranged in some sort of logical pattern for viewing (with captions). Stay tuned!
Saturday, July 20, 2002
Ok folks...
This may be my last blog until probably tuesday of not this upcoming week, but the next week (July 30th). I'll be in Toronto (if you hadn't guessed that by now), attending World Youth Day. It's not really a day, more like a week. I plan on bringing back lots of pictures so I'll share them with everyone when I get back. Until then, thank you for visiting my blog (and my website *nudge nudge*) and may God bless you and your families.
Deo iuvante,
Thomas Joseph
This may be my last blog until probably tuesday of not this upcoming week, but the next week (July 30th). I'll be in Toronto (if you hadn't guessed that by now), attending World Youth Day. It's not really a day, more like a week. I plan on bringing back lots of pictures so I'll share them with everyone when I get back. Until then, thank you for visiting my blog (and my website *nudge nudge*) and may God bless you and your families.
Deo iuvante,
Thomas Joseph
To Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, make intercession for Holy Church, protect the Sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke thee in their necessities, and since thou are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from thy most holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, burning charity and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.
Our Lady, please protect the Pope as he travels to World Youth Day.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, make intercession for Holy Church, protect the Sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke thee in their necessities, and since thou are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from thy most holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, burning charity and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.
Our Lady, please protect the Pope as he travels to World Youth Day.
Tracts for World Youth Day 2002
Here is one of the tracts I am printing up for distribution at World Youth Day in Toronto.
Myth #4 - Faith Alone
This is probably the one single issue that separates Catholics and Orthodox Christians from their Protestant Christian counterparts.
The “doctrine” of “faith alone” began with Martin Luther in the 16th century when he added the words “alone” and “only” after the word “faith” in the Epistle to the Romans on three separate occassions as he was making his German translation of the Bible. When told about this translational error, Martin Luther replied: Tell them that Dr. Martin Luther will have it so!
Before this insistence on “faith alone”, no Christian had ever advocated such a theological position. However, it has now grown to be the dividing line between Catholics and their Protestant brothers and sisters.
The problem is though, that the phrase “faith alone” is only found once within the Bible and that is in the Epistle of James. That particular verse states:
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:24)
So how do Catholics view this theological stance? The Catholic Church states that faith must present itself in the form of works. St. Paul referred to this as “faith working by charity” (Gal 5:6).
In an ecumenical work between the Catholic and Lutheran Churches, the Catholic Church ellaborated on it’s position by stating:
Catholics stress, however, that the indwelling Holy Spirit brings about in believers not only assent and trust, but also a loving commitment that issues in good works.
Such an insistence on good works is evident throughout the Gospel and the New Testament Epistles. Probably the most well-known insistence of Jesus on good works can be found in Matthew, Chapter 25, verses 31-46.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans tells us:
For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life... (Romans 2:6-7)
In his letter to the Ephesians, he tells us:
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
Jesus Himself tells us, in the Gospel of Matthew:
If you would enter life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:17)
Here is one of the tracts I am printing up for distribution at World Youth Day in Toronto.
Myth #4 - Faith Alone
This is probably the one single issue that separates Catholics and Orthodox Christians from their Protestant Christian counterparts.
The “doctrine” of “faith alone” began with Martin Luther in the 16th century when he added the words “alone” and “only” after the word “faith” in the Epistle to the Romans on three separate occassions as he was making his German translation of the Bible. When told about this translational error, Martin Luther replied: Tell them that Dr. Martin Luther will have it so!
Before this insistence on “faith alone”, no Christian had ever advocated such a theological position. However, it has now grown to be the dividing line between Catholics and their Protestant brothers and sisters.
The problem is though, that the phrase “faith alone” is only found once within the Bible and that is in the Epistle of James. That particular verse states:
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:24)
So how do Catholics view this theological stance? The Catholic Church states that faith must present itself in the form of works. St. Paul referred to this as “faith working by charity” (Gal 5:6).
In an ecumenical work between the Catholic and Lutheran Churches, the Catholic Church ellaborated on it’s position by stating:
Catholics stress, however, that the indwelling Holy Spirit brings about in believers not only assent and trust, but also a loving commitment that issues in good works.
Such an insistence on good works is evident throughout the Gospel and the New Testament Epistles. Probably the most well-known insistence of Jesus on good works can be found in Matthew, Chapter 25, verses 31-46.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans tells us:
For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life... (Romans 2:6-7)
In his letter to the Ephesians, he tells us:
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
Jesus Himself tells us, in the Gospel of Matthew:
If you would enter life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:17)
Friday, July 19, 2002
Blogger is possessed.
I don't know what is wrong with Blogger, but it appears that one of my blog entries a few blogs down mysteriously loses it's first few lines of text. As I add to my blog, another entry loses it's first few lines while the one that had been missing the lines before gets them restored. In the blog editor everything looks just fine though. I'm at a loss as to what the glitch is, but I do not think I introduced it. Oh well... perhaps when I return from World Youth Day this mess will be fixed. Either that or Blogger.com will be dead and buried. Maybe I'll eventually pony up the money for Blogger PRO, but ONLY if they can guarantee that these sorts of things will not happen, and if they do they have the support system to immediately rectify these sorts of niggling little problems that drive people like me absolutely insane!
I don't know what is wrong with Blogger, but it appears that one of my blog entries a few blogs down mysteriously loses it's first few lines of text. As I add to my blog, another entry loses it's first few lines while the one that had been missing the lines before gets them restored. In the blog editor everything looks just fine though. I'm at a loss as to what the glitch is, but I do not think I introduced it. Oh well... perhaps when I return from World Youth Day this mess will be fixed. Either that or Blogger.com will be dead and buried. Maybe I'll eventually pony up the money for Blogger PRO, but ONLY if they can guarantee that these sorts of things will not happen, and if they do they have the support system to immediately rectify these sorts of niggling little problems that drive people like me absolutely insane!
Obedience is not arbitrary...
After calling me "haughty" and saying I had no business having an opinion on the "nine year old pregnant child having an abortion" because I didn't have children, I caught said hypocrite saying the following on an thread regarding baptism:
Christianity is all about OBEDIENCE.
Note: I did not put the word "obedience" in all caps, that emphasis was hers.
It's ironic because I had just gotten done, a day prior, telling her that the Church's ruling on abortion was unequivocal. There were no extenuating circumstances, that there were no "What if?" scenarios and that if we were to be considered good Catholics, we needed to be good, obedient Catholics. I was summarily brushed off.
My exact words were as follows (after quoting the Catechism's comments on abortion):
Now, a day later and I read the above, and I couldn't help but call her on it. So far, no response.
No, I don't expect one either.
After calling me "haughty" and saying I had no business having an opinion on the "nine year old pregnant child having an abortion" because I didn't have children, I caught said hypocrite saying the following on an thread regarding baptism:
Christianity is all about OBEDIENCE.
Note: I did not put the word "obedience" in all caps, that emphasis was hers.
It's ironic because I had just gotten done, a day prior, telling her that the Church's ruling on abortion was unequivocal. There were no extenuating circumstances, that there were no "What if?" scenarios and that if we were to be considered good Catholics, we needed to be good, obedient Catholics. I was summarily brushed off.
My exact words were as follows (after quoting the Catechism's comments on abortion):
Obedience, obedience and obedience. For a Catholic there can simply be no other way. The Church doesn't make these rulings to lord over us, they make these rulings because it is the Will of God and if the Church is to be a good shepherd, it must keep the flock from straying. To think abortion is okay in certain circumstances is straying.
Now, a day later and I read the above, and I couldn't help but call her on it. So far, no response.
No, I don't expect one either.
Back to Dr. Singer...
Came across the following article by Mr. John Mallon, editor of Inside the Vatican and blogger of Mallon's Media Watch fame.
The article is entitled Positively Beastly. It's a good read and goes a long way to explaining why the Catholic way is the best way... because anything else is simply uncivilized. Unless, of course, you consider sex with your pets as civilized.
Good job once again Mr. Mallon.
Came across the following article by Mr. John Mallon, editor of Inside the Vatican and blogger of Mallon's Media Watch fame.
The article is entitled Positively Beastly. It's a good read and goes a long way to explaining why the Catholic way is the best way... because anything else is simply uncivilized. Unless, of course, you consider sex with your pets as civilized.
Good job once again Mr. Mallon.
Culture of Death alive and well in England.
Yes, that was an intentional pun. However, the newslink is just as sickening.
Yes, that was an intentional pun. However, the newslink is just as sickening.
![](http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/07/19/shipman.victims/index.html">Culture of Death alive and well in England</a>
<br />
<br />Yes, that was an intentional pun. The newslink is just as sickening.<div style="clear:both; padding-bottom:0.25em"></div><br />
<div class="byline"><a href="http://thechristianconscience.blogspot.com/2002/07/culture-of-death-alive-and-well-in_19.html">#</a> posted by Tom @ 2:37 PM</div>
</div>
<h3>Thursday, July 18, 2002</h3>
<div class="blogPost">
<div style="clear:both;"></div><a href="http://msnbc.com/news/782151.asp">Get your college degree kiddies.</a><div style="clear:both; padding-bottom:0.25em"></div><br />
<div class="byline"><a href="http://thechristianconscience.blogspot.com/2002/07/get-your-college-degree-kiddies.html">#</a> posted by Tom @ 7:14 PM</div>
</div>
<div class="blogPost">
<div style="clear:both;"></div><center>
<br /><a href="http://brakpage.milkbag.net/quiz/peanuts.html">
<br /><img src="http://brakpage.milkbag.net/quiz/linus.gif" alt="I am linus" border="0"><br>
<br /><font size=2><b>Which Peanuts Character Are You Quiz</b></a></font>
<br /></center>
<br /><div style="clear:both; padding-bottom:0.25em"></div><br />
<div class="byline"><a href="http://thechristianconscience.blogspot.com/2002/07/which-peanuts-character-are-you-quiz.html">#</a> posted by Tom @ 11:17 AM</div>
</div>
<h3>Wednesday, July 17, 2002</h3>
<div class="blogPost">
<div style="clear:both;"></div><b>Priests For Life</b>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://priestsforlife.org">Priests For Life dot Org</a> is yet another site that has valuable information for those who are pro-life. Their <a href="http://www.priestsforlife.org/educationalresources.htm">Educational Resources</a> page is especially helpful.<div style="clear:both; padding-bottom:0.25em"></div><br />
<div class="byline"><a href="http://thechristianconscience.blogspot.com/2002/07/priests-for-life-priests-for-life-dot.html">#</a> posted by Tom @ 5:13 PM</div>
</div>
<div class="blogPost">
<div style="clear:both;"></div><b>E-mail problems...</b>
<br />
<br />What){kind=link}