Thursday, October 31, 2002
Humor...
Q. How many Catholics does it take to change a lightbulb?
A. None. They always use candles.
Q. Why did God create man before woman?
A. He didn't want any advice.
Q. What do you get if you cross a Jehovah's Witness with a Unitarian.
A. Someone who goes around knocking on doors for no apparent reason.
Christian Pick-up Lines
(to use on the ladies)"Excuse me, but I think that rib belongs to me."
"What do you think Paul meant when he said, 'Greet everyone with a holy kiss'?"
"You have the body of Amy Grant and the soul of Mother Teresa."
"Just looking at you makes me feel all ecumenical."
"I know why Soloman had 600 wives, because he never found you."
"You know Jesus? Hey, me too!"
"God told me to come talk to you."
"I know a church where we could go and talk."
"Do you need help carrying your bible? It looks heavy."
"Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?"
"What are your plans for tonight? Feel like a bible study?"
"The word says 'Give drink to those who are thirsty, and feed the hungry'; how about dinner?"
"Is it a sin that you stole my heart?"
Q. How many Catholics does it take to change a lightbulb?
A. None. They always use candles.
Q. Why did God create man before woman?
A. He didn't want any advice.
Q. What do you get if you cross a Jehovah's Witness with a Unitarian.
A. Someone who goes around knocking on doors for no apparent reason.
Christian Pick-up Lines
(to use on the ladies)"Excuse me, but I think that rib belongs to me."
"What do you think Paul meant when he said, 'Greet everyone with a holy kiss'?"
"You have the body of Amy Grant and the soul of Mother Teresa."
"Just looking at you makes me feel all ecumenical."
"I know why Soloman had 600 wives, because he never found you."
"You know Jesus? Hey, me too!"
"God told me to come talk to you."
"I know a church where we could go and talk."
"Do you need help carrying your bible? It looks heavy."
"Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?"
"What are your plans for tonight? Feel like a bible study?"
"The word says 'Give drink to those who are thirsty, and feed the hungry'; how about dinner?"
"Is it a sin that you stole my heart?"
Wednesday, October 30, 2002
Got the following in an e-mail...
Where God Wants Me at any particular place in time.....
After Sept. 11...I happened to call a man on business who I didn't know and have not nor will ever talk to again. But this day, he felt like talking.
He was head of security of a company that had invited the remaining members of a company who had been decimated by the attack on the Twin Towers to share their office space.
With his voice full of awe he told me stories of why these people were alive and their counterparts were dead and all the stories were just little things.
You might know, the head of the company got in late that day because his son started kindergarten. Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts. There were other stories that I hope and pray will someday be gathered and put in a book. The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive.
Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone...all the little things that annoy me...I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment.
May God continue to bless you with all those annoying things.
Where God Wants Me at any particular place in time.....
After Sept. 11...I happened to call a man on business who I didn't know and have not nor will ever talk to again. But this day, he felt like talking.
He was head of security of a company that had invited the remaining members of a company who had been decimated by the attack on the Twin Towers to share their office space.
With his voice full of awe he told me stories of why these people were alive and their counterparts were dead and all the stories were just little things.
You might know, the head of the company got in late that day because his son started kindergarten. Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts. There were other stories that I hope and pray will someday be gathered and put in a book. The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive.
Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone...all the little things that annoy me...I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment.
May God continue to bless you with all those annoying things.
Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Corporal Works of Mercy
* To feed the hungry;
* To give drink to the thirsty;
* To clothe the naked;
* To harbour the harbourless;
* To visit the sick;
* To ransom the captive;
* To bury the dead.
Spiritual Works of Mercy
* To instruct the ignorant;
* To counsel the doubtful;
* To admonish sinners;
* To bear wrongs patiently;
* To forgive offences willingly;
* To comfort the afflicted;
* To pray for the living and the dead.
* To feed the hungry;
* To give drink to the thirsty;
* To clothe the naked;
* To harbour the harbourless;
* To visit the sick;
* To ransom the captive;
* To bury the dead.
Spiritual Works of Mercy
* To instruct the ignorant;
* To counsel the doubtful;
* To admonish sinners;
* To bear wrongs patiently;
* To forgive offences willingly;
* To comfort the afflicted;
* To pray for the living and the dead.
Feeding the Poor at a Sacrifice
by: Peter Maurin
1. In the first centuries
of Christianity
the hungry were fed
at a personal sacrifice,
the naked were clothed
at a personal sacrifice,
the homeless were sheltered
at personal sacrifice.
2. And because the poor
were fed, clothed and sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
the pagans used to say
about the Christians
"See how they love each other."
3. In our own day
the poor are no longer
fed, clothed, sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
but at the expense
of the taxpayers.
4. And because the poor
are no longer
fed, clothed and sheltered
the pagans say about the Christians
"See how they pass the buck."
by: Peter Maurin
1. In the first centuries
of Christianity
the hungry were fed
at a personal sacrifice,
the naked were clothed
at a personal sacrifice,
the homeless were sheltered
at personal sacrifice.
2. And because the poor
were fed, clothed and sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
the pagans used to say
about the Christians
"See how they love each other."
3. In our own day
the poor are no longer
fed, clothed, sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
but at the expense
of the taxpayers.
4. And because the poor
are no longer
fed, clothed and sheltered
the pagans say about the Christians
"See how they pass the buck."
Friday, October 25, 2002
Thursday, October 24, 2002
Plug and Prop
My latest "plug and prop" goes to Father Larry Richards, of CatholiCity dot com fame. He is a Catholic priest in Erie, Pennsylvania, and his talks on Confession have moved me to view this sacrament in an entirely new (and positive) light. A few years back, I had the pleasure of seeing him in person at the Oklahoma Catholic Men's Conference, and his talk was inspirational, motivational, spiritual. I suggest that you go to CatholiCity and get his tapes and go to his website and read his homilies. You'll thank me for it. :)
My latest "plug and prop" goes to Father Larry Richards, of CatholiCity dot com fame. He is a Catholic priest in Erie, Pennsylvania, and his talks on Confession have moved me to view this sacrament in an entirely new (and positive) light. A few years back, I had the pleasure of seeing him in person at the Oklahoma Catholic Men's Conference, and his talk was inspirational, motivational, spiritual. I suggest that you go to CatholiCity and get his tapes and go to his website and read his homilies. You'll thank me for it. :)
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
How NOT to wage a Catholic protest...
What were they thinking?
Come on Sisters, checking your brain in at the nunnery door is no way to practice your faith.
What were they thinking?
Come on Sisters, checking your brain in at the nunnery door is no way to practice your faith.
I was thinking...
... yah, it was one of those occasions, about starting up a Knights of Columbus blog (maybe entitled Vivat Jesus!) that a number of Knights could collaborate on. The utility of such a blog? To let people know that the Knights of Columbus are always active, always seeking more devout Catholics to help out, and always willing to support the Church anyway possible.
Anyone interested?
... yah, it was one of those occasions, about starting up a Knights of Columbus blog (maybe entitled Vivat Jesus!) that a number of Knights could collaborate on. The utility of such a blog? To let people know that the Knights of Columbus are always active, always seeking more devout Catholics to help out, and always willing to support the Church anyway possible.
Anyone interested?
Mmmmmm, yummy!
And just in time for Halloween too!
Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup dark molasses
3 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. each ginger and cinnamon
Mix shortening and sugar until creamy. Add egg and molasses; beat well. Sift together flour, salt, soda and spices. Blend with other mixture and chill at least 30 minutes. Form into small balls, roll in sugar and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Makes 9-10 dozen
And just in time for Halloween too!
Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup dark molasses
3 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. each ginger and cinnamon
Mix shortening and sugar until creamy. Add egg and molasses; beat well. Sift together flour, salt, soda and spices. Blend with other mixture and chill at least 30 minutes. Form into small balls, roll in sugar and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Makes 9-10 dozen
Dare We Hope?
I've been reading a book by Hans Urs Von Balthasar, one of Pope John Paul II's favorite theologians by the way, one whom JPII quotes in his own book Crossing the Threshold of Hope, entitled : Dare We Hope : That All Men Be Saved?.
In this book, Fr. Balthasar outlines the Catholic teaching on salvation which does not deny God's saving grace to any man. As Catholics, we are to view each person as capable of being redeemed and therefore saved, and we should continually pray for the salvation of each and every man. To stress this point Fr. Balthasar shows numerous instances where the Church as a whole prays for all men and asks God to save them. Such prayers can be found in the Tridentine Mass, the writings of St. Therese of Avila (a Doctor of the Church) and many other Catholic prayers (in addition to which a person can obtain indulgences upon their recitation).
One such example is the Fatima Ejaculation, often said when reciting the rosary:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
It is also interesting to note that the Catholic Church has never clarified the final resting state of Judas Iscariot, possibly the one person in this world who most Christians would consign to hell outright. Pope John Paul II in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope makes it quite clear that the Church has no way of knowing Judas' final state and therefore will never make a judgement one way or another. Therefore, if the Catholic Church has no knowledge, is it wrong to hope that Judas could have been saved nano-seconds before his death?
I think the answer is, not only should Catholics hope that this was the case, but also pray that this was the case. To pray for ones enemies is possibly one of the single greatest acts of charity we can ever endeavor to undertake. This allows us to better emulate Christ and in turn make us more open to His word and thereby act as better apologists, disciples and evangelists.
Daily Prayer for the Dying
O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I beseech Thee, by the agony of Thy Most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, wash clean in Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony and who are to die this day. Amen.
V. Heart of Jesus, who didst suffer death's agony.
R. Have mercy on the dying.
Indulgence of 300 days; plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions, if this prayer is said with devotion thrice daily at three distinct times. (671).
Amazon.com : Dare We Hope?
I've been reading a book by Hans Urs Von Balthasar, one of Pope John Paul II's favorite theologians by the way, one whom JPII quotes in his own book Crossing the Threshold of Hope, entitled : Dare We Hope : That All Men Be Saved?.
In this book, Fr. Balthasar outlines the Catholic teaching on salvation which does not deny God's saving grace to any man. As Catholics, we are to view each person as capable of being redeemed and therefore saved, and we should continually pray for the salvation of each and every man. To stress this point Fr. Balthasar shows numerous instances where the Church as a whole prays for all men and asks God to save them. Such prayers can be found in the Tridentine Mass, the writings of St. Therese of Avila (a Doctor of the Church) and many other Catholic prayers (in addition to which a person can obtain indulgences upon their recitation).
One such example is the Fatima Ejaculation, often said when reciting the rosary:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
It is also interesting to note that the Catholic Church has never clarified the final resting state of Judas Iscariot, possibly the one person in this world who most Christians would consign to hell outright. Pope John Paul II in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope makes it quite clear that the Church has no way of knowing Judas' final state and therefore will never make a judgement one way or another. Therefore, if the Catholic Church has no knowledge, is it wrong to hope that Judas could have been saved nano-seconds before his death?
I think the answer is, not only should Catholics hope that this was the case, but also pray that this was the case. To pray for ones enemies is possibly one of the single greatest acts of charity we can ever endeavor to undertake. This allows us to better emulate Christ and in turn make us more open to His word and thereby act as better apologists, disciples and evangelists.
Daily Prayer for the Dying
O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I beseech Thee, by the agony of Thy Most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, wash clean in Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony and who are to die this day. Amen.
V. Heart of Jesus, who didst suffer death's agony.
R. Have mercy on the dying.
Indulgence of 300 days; plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions, if this prayer is said with devotion thrice daily at three distinct times. (671).
Amazon.com : Dare We Hope?
Thursday, October 17, 2002
Blog Additions
You may have noticed that I added a tiny bit of extra "personal" information here. I've added a "pastoral" links section, linking me to my Archdiocese and parish along with a "what i'm reading" section... for those of you who are curious or bored. :)
You may have noticed that I added a tiny bit of extra "personal" information here. I've added a "pastoral" links section, linking me to my Archdiocese and parish along with a "what i'm reading" section... for those of you who are curious or bored. :)
Wednesday, October 16, 2002
Whoa!
Read the following article and all I could think was:
What if people donated just 10% of that to the poor?
Think about it? If one did a "tithe" of the money they spent on Christmas gifts and then gave that money to the poor, or a charity where a majority of the money went to helping the poor (rather than being tied up in administration costs) think about how much could be achieved!
Or how about this as a Christmas gift idea? Instead of buying dad another tie for Christmas, donate that money to the local Catholic Worker house or your parishes St. Vincent de Paul Society in his name, and then write him up a gift card letting him know what you did for him that Christmas.
Read the following article and all I could think was:
What if people donated just 10% of that to the poor?
Think about it? If one did a "tithe" of the money they spent on Christmas gifts and then gave that money to the poor, or a charity where a majority of the money went to helping the poor (rather than being tied up in administration costs) think about how much could be achieved!
Or how about this as a Christmas gift idea? Instead of buying dad another tie for Christmas, donate that money to the local Catholic Worker house or your parishes St. Vincent de Paul Society in his name, and then write him up a gift card letting him know what you did for him that Christmas.
Tuesday, October 15, 2002
I've been slain
I haven't mentioned my divorce much, partly because I don't know what to write, partly because I'd rather not think about it. Truth be told, I've tried to put it as far away from my mind as possible, trying to get my life back on track, get my work done, get my degree and get the hell out of Dodge... or Oklahoma City as it were.
There are however, circumstances where the subject gets brought up. One such instance was last week when I met one of my friends from my parish for lunch. He had the week off, I hadn't seen him since the divorce and he asked me to grab some lunch downtown. I accepted and so we went for burgers on Friday. The food was alright, nothing to write home about (or a blog entry on) and we made small talk for most of the 45 minutes that we ate. Neither one of us brought up the "subject". I sure as heck wasn't going to bring it up. Eventually we left, I needed to get back to work, he needed to get home. That's when he brought the subject up.
I won't bore people with the details, mostly because it was a private conversation and partly because it isn't anyone's business.
So why the blog entry "I've been slain."? Well turns out that people in my parish have accused me of having an affair, an affair which led me to my divorce. Of course, I have only one word to say to answer this accusation...
Bullshit.
It seems as if some people took my absence from the parish as a sign of my guilt. Whatever the heck that means. Truth be told, the reason why I left my parish, to attend one which was much closer to my new place of residence, was because I thought it might be easier on my ex-wife. I figured if she constantly saw me at church she would stop going to church, and I had feared might give up the Church altogether. I didn't want that to happen so I figured that it would be best if I severed ties, if for only the time being, to give her space to function.
Never in my 30 years of life, would I figure that friends I made in church would turn on me so quickly, so ruthlessly, so completely utterly, without even asking me for clarification.
1 Timothy 6:3-5:
If any one teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
I haven't mentioned my divorce much, partly because I don't know what to write, partly because I'd rather not think about it. Truth be told, I've tried to put it as far away from my mind as possible, trying to get my life back on track, get my work done, get my degree and get the hell out of Dodge... or Oklahoma City as it were.
There are however, circumstances where the subject gets brought up. One such instance was last week when I met one of my friends from my parish for lunch. He had the week off, I hadn't seen him since the divorce and he asked me to grab some lunch downtown. I accepted and so we went for burgers on Friday. The food was alright, nothing to write home about (or a blog entry on) and we made small talk for most of the 45 minutes that we ate. Neither one of us brought up the "subject". I sure as heck wasn't going to bring it up. Eventually we left, I needed to get back to work, he needed to get home. That's when he brought the subject up.
I won't bore people with the details, mostly because it was a private conversation and partly because it isn't anyone's business.
So why the blog entry "I've been slain."? Well turns out that people in my parish have accused me of having an affair, an affair which led me to my divorce. Of course, I have only one word to say to answer this accusation...
Bullshit.
It seems as if some people took my absence from the parish as a sign of my guilt. Whatever the heck that means. Truth be told, the reason why I left my parish, to attend one which was much closer to my new place of residence, was because I thought it might be easier on my ex-wife. I figured if she constantly saw me at church she would stop going to church, and I had feared might give up the Church altogether. I didn't want that to happen so I figured that it would be best if I severed ties, if for only the time being, to give her space to function.
Never in my 30 years of life, would I figure that friends I made in church would turn on me so quickly, so ruthlessly, so completely utterly, without even asking me for clarification.
1 Timothy 6:3-5:
If any one teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
Saturday, October 12, 2002
Yay!
I sort of fixed my archives. I hard-coded them into my blog. They are now listed by month. It's an ugly fix, but it's a fix.
For now...
I sort of fixed my archives. I hard-coded them into my blog. They are now listed by month. It's an ugly fix, but it's a fix.
For now...
Friday, October 11, 2002
Go OU!
Beat Texas!
PS: I'm predicting OU 21 / UT 10
Beat Texas!
PS: I'm predicting OU 21 / UT 10
Thursday, October 10, 2002
Yes...
My archives are broken once again.
No...
I don't know how to fix them.
My archives are broken once again.
No...
I don't know how to fix them.
I'm awfully busy...
I know, I know... I should not read trash, but sometimes I cannot help myself. One thing that trash is good for though is that every so often, when it is read, it gives you good material to comment on. Take this case in point. Upon reading The Scoop I came across the following:
Now, I think "psychic powers" is a whole lot of hooey. I don't buy into it one bit. It is, simply put, a bunch of crap. Faker than fake, as it were. But that last comment, underlined stressed by me, is sort of... well, stupid if you ask me.
"I'm awfully busy," states Ms. Stallone, "too busy to help catch a mass murderer."
Gee, thanks for your concern for mankind Ms. Stallone.
I know, I know... I should not read trash, but sometimes I cannot help myself. One thing that trash is good for though is that every so often, when it is read, it gives you good material to comment on. Take this case in point. Upon reading The Scoop I came across the following:
Jacqueline Stallone, Sly’s psychic mom, was alarmed when she heard about the Maryland sniper leaving the death tarot card. “When that card was found I thought, omigosh, this is terrible,” she told The Scoop. She believes that the shooter is “a light-haired person, in his twenties or thirties, from a good family, though he’s not that close to them.” Will they catch him soon? “Not for a while,” Jacqueline Stallone predicts. Would she consider using her psychic abilities to help catch the shooter? “I’m awfully busy lately,” she says. “But I’d consider it.”
Now, I think "psychic powers" is a whole lot of hooey. I don't buy into it one bit. It is, simply put, a bunch of crap. Faker than fake, as it were. But that last comment, underlined stressed by me, is sort of... well, stupid if you ask me.
"I'm awfully busy," states Ms. Stallone, "too busy to help catch a mass murderer."
Gee, thanks for your concern for mankind Ms. Stallone.
Saturday, October 05, 2002
Why do ducks have webbed feet?
To stamp out fires.
Why do elephants have flat feet?
To stamp out burning ducks.
That joke, by the way, is the funniest joke in Belgium.
Hrm? How do I know that?
I visited LaughLab which did a study on the funniest joke in the world.
Personally, I think the second place joke was way funnier.
To stamp out fires.
Why do elephants have flat feet?
To stamp out burning ducks.
That joke, by the way, is the funniest joke in Belgium.
Hrm? How do I know that?
I visited LaughLab which did a study on the funniest joke in the world.
Personally, I think the second place joke was way funnier.
Friday, October 04, 2002
Father McGivney,
Thank you for hearing my pleas and presenting them to God the Most High. Please continue to pray for me.
Deo iuvante,
One of your Knights
Thank you for hearing my pleas and presenting them to God the Most High. Please continue to pray for me.
Deo iuvante,
One of your Knights
Thursday, October 03, 2002
For All the Dying
Almighty and merciful God, who hast bestowed upon mankind saving remedies and the gift of everlasting life, look graciously upon us Thy servants and comfort the souls which Thou hast made, that in the hour of their passing, cleansed from all stain of sin, they may deserve to be presented to Thee, their Creator, by the hands of the holy angels. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and merciful God, who hast bestowed upon mankind saving remedies and the gift of everlasting life, look graciously upon us Thy servants and comfort the souls which Thou hast made, that in the hour of their passing, cleansed from all stain of sin, they may deserve to be presented to Thee, their Creator, by the hands of the holy angels. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Indulgence of 3 years; plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions, if this prayer is said devoutly every day. (647)
Daily Prayer for the Dying
O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I beseech Thee, by the agony of Thy Most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, wash clean in Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony and who are to die this day. Amen.
V. Heart of Jesus, who didst suffer death's agony.
R. Have mercy on the dying.
O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I beseech Thee, by the agony of Thy Most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, wash clean in Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony and who are to die this day. Amen.
V. Heart of Jesus, who didst suffer death's agony.
R. Have mercy on the dying.
Indulgence of 300 days; plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions, if this prayer is said with devotion thrice daily at three distinct times. (671).
Psalm 130
A song of ascents. Out of the depths I call to you, LORD; Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, LORD, mark our sins, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness and so you are revered. I wait with longing for the LORD, my soul waits for his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak. More than sentinels for daybreak, let Israel look for the LORD, For with the LORD is kindness, with him is full redemption, And God will redeem Israel from all their sins.
A song of ascents. Out of the depths I call to you, LORD; Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, LORD, mark our sins, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness and so you are revered. I wait with longing for the LORD, my soul waits for his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak. More than sentinels for daybreak, let Israel look for the LORD, For with the LORD is kindness, with him is full redemption, And God will redeem Israel from all their sins.
Wednesday, October 02, 2002
Anger - II
Ephesians 4: 26-27, 31-32 - Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4: 26-27, 31-32 - Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Anger
James 1: 19-20 Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
I can be a very angry person. Matter of fact, anger has been one of the most practiced traits of mine for the majority of my life. It pervades my daily life, and on the internet it can be quite obvious, in my posts on message boards, on my blog, in my dealings with others via e-mail or comment boxes throughout the internet. Given my penchant for a sharp tongue, if St. James had to pick a man for an apologetic mission, I would not be given the job, for according to James, the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God. Exactly how many people have I turned away from the Truth of the Catholic Church because of my biting sarcasm and sardonic comments? I pray it is none, because if it turns out that I've even turned away one soul, I may as well fasten a millstone around my neck and plunge myself into the sea.
Why am I angry? Heck if I know. Oh sure, I can blame it on the typical familial disfunction that absolutely everyone goes through in their lifetime but when it boils down to it, I am the one who is responsible for my own actions. I've had the option of either lashing out and reaching out and more often than not I've lashed. The blame rests on no one but myself... plain and simple.
Why continue down this road though? Another good question and one I think I can answer. I've noticed that as I've gotten older my anger has become more manifest. I have indulged it, in instances it has been encouraged, I have been empowered. Back in high school I don't recall being an overly angry person. Oh sure, there are things that get kids hot under the collar, but more often than not things were alright and I don't remember anger dominating my life like it had in later years. I think the tail-spin began in my college years, anger was a great motivator. Being an athlete, motivation is always the key. You can train and physically prepare for a competition but without motivation it's generally all for naught. I had team members who were phenomenal in practice but had no fire in their belly. These people would always be beaten in the final stretch (cross country and track), they would be out kicked, out run at the end, always finishing in second (2nd place is the first loser). Not me. I was a "winner", I was motivated, I wanted it, I got it. My motivation? Anger, pure and simple. Attack anyone and everyone, hate them. With that hate came energy, energy that allowed me to compete and win. This attitude was empowered by my coaches who would question my work ethic, my dedication to the team, my drive and desire all in an attempt to further rile me up. It worked more often than not. I could be a "Class A" prick.
So what happened? Well, eventually I graduated, but anger had so pervaded my life that I couldn't let it go after that. It cost me friends, it cost me my happiness for quite some time. I think to this day and age I still suffer the effects of this attitude I had. It has been a hard habit to break. Having felt I burned all my bridges in Buffalo, NY (where I got my BS and MS degrees) I moved half way across the country to Oklahoma City, OK more in an attempt to run away from my past than to garner new opportunities.
It was in vain though because you cannot outrun yourself.
James 1: 19-20 Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
I can be a very angry person. Matter of fact, anger has been one of the most practiced traits of mine for the majority of my life. It pervades my daily life, and on the internet it can be quite obvious, in my posts on message boards, on my blog, in my dealings with others via e-mail or comment boxes throughout the internet. Given my penchant for a sharp tongue, if St. James had to pick a man for an apologetic mission, I would not be given the job, for according to James, the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God. Exactly how many people have I turned away from the Truth of the Catholic Church because of my biting sarcasm and sardonic comments? I pray it is none, because if it turns out that I've even turned away one soul, I may as well fasten a millstone around my neck and plunge myself into the sea.
Why am I angry? Heck if I know. Oh sure, I can blame it on the typical familial disfunction that absolutely everyone goes through in their lifetime but when it boils down to it, I am the one who is responsible for my own actions. I've had the option of either lashing out and reaching out and more often than not I've lashed. The blame rests on no one but myself... plain and simple.
Why continue down this road though? Another good question and one I think I can answer. I've noticed that as I've gotten older my anger has become more manifest. I have indulged it, in instances it has been encouraged, I have been empowered. Back in high school I don't recall being an overly angry person. Oh sure, there are things that get kids hot under the collar, but more often than not things were alright and I don't remember anger dominating my life like it had in later years. I think the tail-spin began in my college years, anger was a great motivator. Being an athlete, motivation is always the key. You can train and physically prepare for a competition but without motivation it's generally all for naught. I had team members who were phenomenal in practice but had no fire in their belly. These people would always be beaten in the final stretch (cross country and track), they would be out kicked, out run at the end, always finishing in second (2nd place is the first loser). Not me. I was a "winner", I was motivated, I wanted it, I got it. My motivation? Anger, pure and simple. Attack anyone and everyone, hate them. With that hate came energy, energy that allowed me to compete and win. This attitude was empowered by my coaches who would question my work ethic, my dedication to the team, my drive and desire all in an attempt to further rile me up. It worked more often than not. I could be a "Class A" prick.
So what happened? Well, eventually I graduated, but anger had so pervaded my life that I couldn't let it go after that. It cost me friends, it cost me my happiness for quite some time. I think to this day and age I still suffer the effects of this attitude I had. It has been a hard habit to break. Having felt I burned all my bridges in Buffalo, NY (where I got my BS and MS degrees) I moved half way across the country to Oklahoma City, OK more in an attempt to run away from my past than to garner new opportunities.
It was in vain though because you cannot outrun yourself.
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
Haven't we all fallen short?
I'm currently engaged in an e-mail discussion with a particular person (I shall not reveal their name) over my defense of Gerard Serafin. I feel, simply enough, that what wass done has been done, it has elicited remorse and subsequently has been repented of. Since no legal jurisdictions felt the need to hang Gerard out to dry, I see no reason why any of us here at St. Blogs or elsewhere should do so now.
Obviously the person I am engaged in this discussion with does not agree with my point of view. I will not make the e-mail exchanges public, but there is one particular comment that I would like to comment on. In the last e-mail I received, the following comment was said:
This is, of course, the understatement of the day, if not the year. My response was simple...
Romans 3:23 - ...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
I'm currently engaged in an e-mail discussion with a particular person (I shall not reveal their name) over my defense of Gerard Serafin. I feel, simply enough, that what wass done has been done, it has elicited remorse and subsequently has been repented of. Since no legal jurisdictions felt the need to hang Gerard out to dry, I see no reason why any of us here at St. Blogs or elsewhere should do so now.
Obviously the person I am engaged in this discussion with does not agree with my point of view. I will not make the e-mail exchanges public, but there is one particular comment that I would like to comment on. In the last e-mail I received, the following comment was said:
I don't know the "full truth" about Gerard Serafin, but I know that he's guilty of a lot more than he's told everyone else.
This is, of course, the understatement of the day, if not the year. My response was simple...
I'm sure he is, as am I, as are you.
Romans 3:23 - ...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
