Reclaiming Culture

I awoke today with the internet and everything being abuzz with headlines like "Pope welcomes gay community to Church.", or "Pope's words on gay people have Catholics talking." When doing a little more looking into things I noticed that the quote, while healing and nothing less than what I've come to expect from our Pope, it's a bit of a funny bit -- seems the population and explicitly the media was truly unaware of the Church's stand on gay priests or the population at large. What they "really" received was a lesson from Pope Francis straight out of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Do You Love Me?

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,  “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”  He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”  He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”  He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep.     Amen, amen, I say to you,  when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
-- John 21:15-18

Father Larry -- http://www.thereasonforourhope.org/meet_father/listen.php?id=839

In Mass a couple of Sundays past, we heard the above Gospel read. In my parish, like many the homely centered around the reading (NOTE: the reading was John 21:1-19; I focused on the final couple of verses). I was very moved by Father Healy (http://www.robertbellarmine.org/Staff/Staff.htm), and wanted to post a little something on this. My initial want was solidified by listening to Father Larry, also addressing the reading in his homely.

How much do we love Him? Do we honestly and sincerely give it all to him or do we keep things from him. That little sin, that time where we declare "US" time? How on earth do we expect our heavenly Father to treat us anywhere differently than any extremely disobedient or arrant child? Reminds me of my favorite Brad Paisley song. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyEnFtPDx-g)

I'm as guilty as the rest of us. As long as it isn't broken we tend to not pay attention. Not just our relationship with Him but our other ones as well. So the next time you have a minute, thank your heavenly Father that things are going so well that you nearly forget to say thanks. That simple act will make those times of hardship easier to get through as well as talk through.

Don't be a stranger, talk to your Father.

Banana!

Recently my family and I took a trip to Omaha for my company's summer family party. It was a simple couple hour drive from Kansas City, to the hotel. All the way, at least while the kids stayed awake, we played banana. It's a nice little game where you look for yellow cars, and after seeing one, elbow the person beside you as you say Banana! At least until the sibling whining starts.

It's similar to slug-bug but not as common and there are other rules (no penske trucks, etc.). After the weekend trip I was so trained for looking for yellow vehicles that I kept on looking. Just this time without the pain of someone (read: wife) elbowing me.

Then it dawned on me. There was a much better thing to do when it's just me calling out Banana! like a fruit fetish Turrets patient.

My initial thoughts on Pope Francis

I still think of myself outside of the Catechumen. Technically, I am since my annulment isn't final but is continuing to progress. I'm sure you'll hear more of this later.

Courtesy Guardian UK

I did want to give my thoughts of our new Holy Father Francis. Genuine. I seriously believe that this man not only believes but more importantly LIVES the Faith or more directly practices what he preaches. It's nice to see Peggy Noonan has similar thoughts in her article as well.

I want to believe so voraciously that Our Holy Father is a man of the people. He does seem to be genuine and doesn't care who get's snubbed as his absence from a recent concert seems to indicate.

That said I'm a newly converted Catholic. Not only have I brought with me a litany of incorrect, misunderstood, and just plain wrong dogma, but I've also brought a cynical nature that simply won't let me believe even when my heart tells me otherwise. My wife was nearly in tears when Pope Francis was elected. I know as a new Catholic I have a ton of expectations from this Holy Father. I needed him to be exactly what he seems to be so far -- an actual Vicar of Christ.

I'm hopeful, prayerful, and beginning to become optimistic that Pope Francis is exactly the right man, at the right time for me and the world at large. I'm a very lucky newbie Catholic.

My Uncle was like Roger

Recently, a famous critic and extremely smart man, Robert Ebert passed. For whatever the reason, he reminded me physically and mentally of my late Uncle Allen.

The two of them, seemed always to have their intelligence dwarfed only because they had difficulty vocalizing it for the rest of us. It wasn't until I read an old article from 2009, that I realized just how similar that they were. What will you leave to display your faith?