Good Religion

Waking The Sleeping Giant That Is The Catholic Church

2012-02-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

The Catholic League has issued a call to action over President Obama's mandate that Catholic Hospitals must act against their faith in connection with providing birth control options to patients. Will this work? Is this the age of martyrs some are predicting? It just may be.

It has been said that there was no "Evangelical Right Wing" voting block in this country until Roe V. Wade was handed down by the Supreme Court 39 years ago. That woke up a sleeping giant and they have been a voting force ever since. If the U.S. Catholics voted as one block we could accomplish amazing things for the entire world.

I read recently the claim that "98% of Catholics use birth control." I don't believe that. Most Catholics probably have used various birth control methods forbidden by the Church at one point in their lives. I did, and I regret it. I confessed it, was forgiven by God's infinite mercy' and I moved on. Sad that enemies of the Church are now picking apart our religion and making new rules for us because not enough of us are good Catholics....according to our enemies.

The support for Obama among Catholics in 2008 was shocking to me. I recoiled from him when he claimed that he went to this high profile church for 22 years but didn't know what they preached. Today Hugh Hewitt called Obama's the most anti-Catholic administration since the Blaine Amendment era. It's hard to be a good Catholic, but it's easy to refrain from voting for Barack Obama. We can all do at least that. It doesn't mean you have to vote for a Republican. Vote for someone who will at least not work against the Church. It's not a sin to ignore the major candidates and write in someone who shares your values. However, according to Archbishop Cardinal Raymond Burke, one can not "in good conscience" vote for Obama if one knows his positions on life issues. Now you know them.

The sleeping giant might truly be awakening. Recently, major Catholic Obama supporter and Ambassador to Malta Doug Kmiec announced he's rethinking his fantasy that the most pro-abortion senator could morph into a president that would protect religious liberties. I knew this would never work, you knew it. Why didn't they? I'll admit that if you offer me an Ambassadorship to Malta, I would be tempted. So let's give this guy the benefit of the doubt and welcome him to the Catholic Army that is poised to be the deciding factor in picking the next president.

As Father Ed Broom, OMV says, "Martyrdom? No better way to go."

The Catholic Podcast You've Been Waiting For

2012-01-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

The Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality podcast is not for Cafeteria Catholics, or anyone looking for a shortcut to Heaven. However, any Christian could benefit from them. You don't have to be Catholic to get something out of St. Ignatius and his Spiritual Exercises. It always amazes me how far people will go to seek out some kind of exotic spirituality to sate their inner desire for answers. In Hollywood it's very popular (and unoriginal) to seek this out in Buddhism, or Kabbala, or anything that is more "hip" than the bible.

I've got news for the Russel Brands of the world. You're over thinkking it. You don't need to find the coolest "yogi" in the Far East to get what you are looking for. The Catholics have it. Why wouldn't they? We're talking over two thousand years of refinement. Do you think Pope John Paul The Great, or his brilliant successor Benedict XVI are pretenders? What do these master theologians and learned scholars know that you don't know? Wouldn't you want to find out?

You may have heard me interview Father Edward Broom, OMV on EWTN Radio's St. Joseph Radio Presents. He's always the most popular guest I have, and he is on fire over at Radio Guadalupe as well. If you can make it to Hawaiian Gardens, California for his valuable and popular Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Program, you are very blessed. This important program teaches you Catholic meditation through St. Ignatius' inspired materials from the 16th century. The Beatles, Richard Geer, Madonna, and others have traveled far and wide in a search for spiritual answers. As is often true about many questions, the answers were right at home all the time. You just have to be humble enough to accept that this may be true.

For those that can't make it to the Exercises in a formal setting, at least you can learn serious Catholic doctrine in line with the official magisterium of Rome right here in these podcasts. Suggested reading to accompany these talks would include The Autobiography Of St. Ignatius and Meditation and Contemplation by Timothy Gallagher.

Viva Cristo Rey: Back For 1 Day By Popular Demand

2011-11-21T21:39:00.001-08:00

We saw this and it was very moving. Every Catholic, every Mexican, every American should see it. You all have one last chance. Don't blow it.

2011-11-14T10:48:00.001-08:00

This is a great commercial highlighting why it's important to take the Catholic church seriously. If you haven't been attending mass, you can surely find something in here that can inspire you to get back and help carry on the good works of this holy organization. Do you have something more noble to do with your short life here on earth?

Soylent Pepsi Is People?

2011-05-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

Several pro-life groups have called for a boycott of all Pepsico products in light of the company's refusal to follow Cambell Soup's lead and sever ties with Senomix, a San Diego based company that allegedly uses aborted fetal tissue to develop flavor enhancers used by Pepsi in an attempt to make their soda taste as good as Coke, I'm assuming.

Pepsico makes so many products that it would be pretty hard (for me anyway) to sustain a full boycott of all their stuff, but everyone could at least write a letter and ask them to consider other techniques for flavor enhancing that don't rely on aborted fetuses. If they don't use aborted fetuses, maybe they could clear up the controversy by saying so, and denouncing such practices. It's just gross. I thought these things were going to be used to fight diseases?
Last time I checked, suffering through a bowl of less than perfect Captain Crunch was not a disease. Let them know what you think:

Jamie Caulfield, Sr. VP
PepsiCo, Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 253-2000
Email form.

Lucky You! Exceptional Catholic Theology, Now Available On Youtube

2011-05-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

I've often prayed that the whole world could get a taste of the great talks we are always getting at St. Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens, CA. Now you can. Fr. Edward Broom, OMV has just started a Youtube Channel you should subscribe to right away.
What's it like to go to belong to a parish with 5 extremely holy priests at your service? With confessions during every mass? (When I say every mass, I mean during the 6 daily masses and 9 sunday masses.) With thousands of parishioners who have been formed in the Spritual Excercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola? With classes almost every day going on somewhere on the campus?
If you watch Fr. Broom, and keep with him as he navigates through the technical world of video making and uploading (something extremely foreign to him until now), you will find out what it's like, and the blessings in your life will increase exponentially. This is the real deal, Catholics. It's not whitewashed, it's not modern. It's 2000 year old theology, as it was meant to be disseminated.

Vocations Night At St. Peter Chanel In Hawaiian Gardens May 4!

2011-05-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here's something I received today and I want to pass it on. Vocations are important and joining an order like the Oblates would be amazing for anyone thinking of the priesthood.

Dear Friends,
I know this is late notice but Father Jeremy Paulin OMV in visiting St. Peter Chanel.
Father Jeremy was ordained here on November 4, 2006 by Bishop Alex Salazar.
He is now vocation director for the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. Here is the message he sent today:

Calling all men 16 - 40. Oblate (OMV) Vocation Night. May 4, 2011 this Wednesday in the Old Church at St. Peter Chanel. Call the parish office (562) 924-7591 to register. Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm. Is God calling you but you haven't answered or picked up the phone? Come and be surprised what God has in store for you!!! Has God been nudging through your friends, family or a stranger? Be there. 12001 E. 214th Street (By Juan Ave) in Hawaiian Gardens.

God bless and thanks!

Fr Jeremy OMV

Why Does Being Catholic Matter? What's The Point?

2011-03-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

This guy may seem rather clinical but he's really hitting the important points about why it is such a blessing to be an active member of the Catholic Church. This video was described by one of my fellow parishioners as a good "mini Principle and Foundation" referring to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. I've been through the exercises twice, contact me if you want to go through them in So Cal. Watch this video twice. Everything Michael Vorris says is 100% true. If you follow the Catholic Faith, as strictly as possible, you will have a better life, IN THIS LIFE, and in the next.

Happiness is love, love is not feeling good, it is detachment. When you make progress in the Ignatian principle of holy detachment, you gain happiness. It's automatic. I like being happy. My wife like's it too. Give it a try!

Cuss Words In Popular Music

2011-03-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Dennis Prager just pointed out that 3 of the top 10 songs in America right now have the F-word in the chorus. Have we really run out of ideas to that extent? His take was that everyone has a soul, and just like dirty water and dirty air pollute the physical body, the exposure to dirty words pollute the soul. I agree.

If you can't make an impact lyrically w/o punctuating it with cuss words, you have failed. My band has failed many times. I'm not proud of it. Failure is something to work against.
What do ou think?

New Catholic Meditation Classes Starting Up (Ignatian) In December

2010-11-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

If you want to learn how Catholic's meditate, this is a rare opportunity. A thorough course of 10 classes in The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola is about to begin at St. Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens, CA. I've taken the course twice and also the follow up course explaining the Spiritual Discernment Books by Father Timothy Gallagher taught by my Sister Dr. Terri Escalante. It is indeed life changing and I highly recommend it if you are looking to learn more about your Catholic faith than you normally do by just attending Sunday (or even daily) mass.

Here's a link to some audio from one of the more advanced Ignatian classes that take place every other Sunday at 7:00 AM at St. Peter Chanel. This is taught by Father Edward Broom, OMV. He is the Director of the program at SPC. This particular talk was on the letter of St. Paul to Philemon.
2010 – 2011 WINTER SESSION

Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
Ten Week Course Registration
NAME _________________________________________________________________
STREET ADDRESS _____________________________________________________
CITY, STATE, AND ZIP _________________________________________________
PHONE NUMBER HOME ________________________________________________
PHONE NUMBER CELL _________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS ________________________________________
Please choose ONE class day and time you prefer to attend each week
Saturday 11:00 AM ___ Sunday 1:30 PM ___ Thursday 9:15 AM ___
Next series of classes begins – Choose ONE:
Saturday, December 4, OR Sunday, December 5, OR Thursday, December 9

There is no charge for the program and all materials are provided. Donations are accepted. Each meeting lasts 2 to 2.5 hours.

For more information please contact Fr. Ed Broom, OMV at St. Peter Chanel or Jim and Mary Martorana at 562 924 5193. Please turn in or mail this registration to Father Ed or to Jim and Mary as soon as possible.

Spiritual Exercises

Attn: Jim Martorana

St. Peter Chanel

12001 E. 214th St.

Hawaiian Gardens, Ca. 90716

The Final Solution For Cell Phones Ringing During Holy Mass

2010-10-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Trust me church lady. It's not him on the line.

It happened to me only once. It was the day I got my first iPhone and I didn't understand how to turn it on vibrator yet. I was mortified in the small chapel filled with daily communicants in Orange County. The priest kindly said, "That better be God calling."

Ask any priest. Cell phones going off during services is one of the worst things they face today. We are talking about a sacred rite where bread and wine are actually transforming into the real body and blood of Christ. It is a miracle and should be experienced solemnly without worrying about hi tech intrusions.

Perpetrators are often the least tech-savy so they don't know how to turn off their ringers quickly, compounding the distractioin. But what is the solution? A K of C greeter out front reminding you to turn off your phones? Lame. Check in your phones to an usher? That will just encourage disobedience and scandal.

I propose the following:

The crying baby ringtone. If we compel all Catholics to use this ringtone then even when they forget to turn off their ringers, it will not disturb the Mass. The priest will not miss a beat. Few will even take note. "Oh, another darling soldier for Christ is crying. Bless that child, and bless it's mother for bringing it to church."

This conversation will take place internally, perhaps even subconsciously, giving the perp cover to quietly turn the ringer off without incident so we can all continue enjoying the greatest prayer there is, the Holy Mass.

If you disagree with me, you're probably a pagan who regularly does live sound for a Norwegian death metal band. If you have a better solution, let's hear it. That's what the comment section is for.

St. Faustina Kowalska of Poland

2010-10-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we honor St. Faustina Kowalska. She lived an extremely mystical life full of supernatural experiences in Poland during the turbulent 1st half of the 20th century.

Vilnius Image

Her diary is a masterpiece of mystical writing that many say is 2nd only to the Holy Bible in quality. What is so shocking about all this, and part of the proof of the divine origin of her writings is that she had only a 4th grade education but wrote in specifics that rivaled the masters of theology and Doctors of the Church. The fruits of her visions include the Image of the Divine Mercy (placed in every Catholic Church) and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

My wife and I are going to Poland later this month to see the holy places associated with Faustina, Max Kolbe, and John Paul II. We'll post some photos.

To get a great background on her influence on the Catholic Church check out this preview of a new movie being made about her life. She's one of the reasons why you are lucky to be Catholic and have this rich support of Saints who continue to lead mystical lives and re-tell their supernatural experiences to let us know what is the right path.

Do Anglican's Have Pictures Of Henry VIII In Their Homes?

2010-09-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some links to interesting commentaries regarding Benedict XVI's recent visit to the United Kingdom. I often wonder how Anglicans deal with the fact that their religion was started by a monster like Henry VIII. I don't see any monsters like that in the Anglican or Episcopal church today but I still wonder. Please comment if you have any thoughts on this.

The theme of this blog is that if you knew what I knew, you'd want to be Catholic. I don't know a lot, but one episode of The Tudors would send me fleeing from Episcopalia. They've seen A Man For All Seasons, right? You can have it delivered to your home from Netflix! I don't get it, but as Bill Murray said in "Stripes," I'm willing to Learn - so please enlighten me.

Shock At The Vatican

The Cheeky Pope

Father Robert Spitzer Corrects Steven Hawking Tonight On Larry King

2010-09-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Father Robert Spitzer, author of New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy, will be on Larry King tonight on CNN correcting some weird stuff Steven Hawking has been saying lately about the lack of "necessity" for God. For a good insight into why I'm part of the Shi'ite wing of the Catholic Church, check out Fr. Spitzer's intellect. I have the privilege of regularly attending his masses in Orange County. Here's some music to get you pumped for the event. files.me.com/chicom/pfmo0f.mp3

The Devil Speaks About Mel Gibson, sort of.

2010-07-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

As Catholics we believe in the real existence of the devil in a big way. If I was the devil, I would make it a priority to attack Mel Gibson until he disintegrated in such a way that he could no longer do the extremely effective work that he's been doing for the Church recently.

Why wouldn't I just attack the Pope you ask? Well, as the devil, I only have so many resources and the Pope is a pain in the neck to tempt due to his formation. It takes decades to do what I can do to Mel in just a few months. The Pope doesn't even have a wife that I can get him to beat, or appear to beat. Believe me, I'm working on him with my sexual scandal thing, but as I said, it's a process. However, now that my work with Mel is almost complete, you may see some more results from my peeps in that arena....

Daily Mass Is Most Likely The Answer

2010-06-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

Recently a lapsed Catholic friend of mine told me about how rotten everything was going in her life. She was in debt, underemployed, her husband’s ex-wife was suing them, others were suing them. It was affecting her husband’s health Pretty badly. She seemed at the end of her rope.

Luckily she was confirmed as a Catholic so it was easy to give her advice. I told her that if she organized her life to a place where she could attend Holy Mass every day, I could guarantee things would improve dramatically. So dramatically, that whatever she did to get to that point where she would have time to attend mass everyday, it would be worth it.

She said, “where do I go? I didn’t like the church in my area last time I went.” There were lots of excuses but these are the excuses people always make when they know the road the must follow will be difficult.

If you have problems with your marriage, your job, your kids, your health, etc. this will work for you too. It’s guaranteed. You don’t need to know right away where the good church is, you just start looking for masses that you can fit in EVERYDAY in your area. It doesn't have to be the same time everyday, or in the same parish. Eventually you will figure out that some places are a bit holier than others and you will meet the right people and gravitate to those places.

Here’s a hint: If they only devote 90 minutes to Confession once a week, keep looking. Confession everyday? You may have found the right place. Do they make spiritual directors available for their parishioners? Jackpot!

My friend asked me what she should do about finding the right Cathechism. I don’t have any kids but I still knew the easy answer to this question. Just make sure they are using Scott Hahn’s textbook.

If you've left the Church, there's no use going back to a wishy washy version of what you already rejected once. If you are coming back, go for it. Find a parish that really obeys the Magisterium of Rome with vigor. Don't blow it this time.

After a steady period of daily mass and regular confession (once every 2 to 6 weeks), and with the proper spiritual reading, things will start to fall into place. You will start to realize that the meaning of life is not centered around how much money you can make or how much status you can achieve. It centers around how successful you are in your chosen vocation (marriage, priesthood, religious life, etc.), and what you are doing to glorify God and help save other souls, especially those of your family.

If what we are talking about (God) is real. And why are we having this conversation if we don't believe it's real? Why would you be worried about anything other than doing God’s will and saving your soul, and the souls of others for eternity? Well, after a while, with the method I described above, you won’t worry about anything else, and this is the key to solving all these horrible problems many of us experience. Life is hard. It’s supposed to be. What is God's will? Study your faith and you will figure that out.

What spiritual reading?

I think this is key so I will mention a few good books to start with and if others could post their suggestions I would appreciate it.

Start with George Weigel’s “Witness To Hope.” Pope John Paul II This is the definitive biography of Pope John Paul II.

This will inspire you to become a dedicated Catholic because when you see the path of this brilliant man, you may ask yourself, “do I think I’m smarter than this guy? Can I hope to discover a better path to learn life’s answers? Is it budhism? Kabala? New Age?' Forget that stuff. When you know as much as JPII did, then start digging around outside your 2000 year old religion. Until then it’s a waste of time. All your answers are here for you, and more, in the Catholic Church, the Church started by Jesus Christ, and virtually the same Holy Mass for 2000 years, as documented by St. Justin Martyr in the year 150 A.D.

Go to the Vatican's web site and read as many writings of the Popes as you can. Start with the encyclicals of our current magnificent Pope Benedict XVI. This is the bread and butter of today's Catholic doctrine. Most Popes are great writers and before I started attending daily mass, I really didn't know they wrote much at all.

This book by C. Bernard Ruffin (a Protestant) about Padre Pio is also a great one. He’s a modern saint, an extreme mystic, and his story explains a couple things. One is the value of suffering. The other is that we have no clue what the depths of the supernatural elements of our religion are. They can’t be understood by us. God can do anything, and all we need to know will be revealed later, not now to you and me, so perservere and above all strive to imitate the Saints.

What saints? There are so many and reverence to them is one of the key differences between the Catholic faith and the 40,000 Protestant denominations that came out of the Reformation. During the reformation, great men and women worked to reform the Church rather than leave it. The great Saints that stayed with the Church to reform it are great ones to start learning about and imitating. The most important among these has to be St. Ignatius of Loyola.

If you learn a lot about St. Ignatius, you will eventually learn how to meditate the Catholic way. Meditation? Isn't that for Hollywood celebrities like Richard Geere and David Lynch? No. It exists right here in the Catholic Church. Study Ignatius’ spiritual exercises and if you can get formal training in them, do it. This kind of meditation is often called a “Holy Hour.” It pays great dividends if practiced everyday.

If you know a place that teaches the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, please post that here too. Thanks.

I could go on all day but I just want to give you a list of Saints that will get you on your way. Imitate them and you are golden. You cannot fail by doing this.

St. Theresa Of Avila,

St. Faustina (Poland),

The Cure of Ars,

St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

ST. Francis Xavier

St. Augustine

St. Thomas Aquinas

St. John Boscoe

St. Damian of Molokai

St. Catherine of Sienna

St. Phillip Neri.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri

Blessed Miguel Pro

And read everything you can about the Virgin Mary's appearances at Fatima, Lourdes, and Mexico City.

Are you worried about yourself? Are you too quick to fall into sin? What I've laid out above will also keep you on the straight and narrow if that is your concern, and if you pray the rosary everyday, you will seldom go astray!

While I’m at it, I’m going to recommend some great iPhone apps as well.

iRosary. (I use it every day, now I can do it in Latin from memory. Yay!)

iPieta. The miracle here is how they fit so much of our religion in one tiny app. It’s a must have.

Finally, figure out where EWTN is on your cable or satellite guide. Anybody speaking on that channel is speaking the Truth and they wont steer you wrong. It's super high quality stuff.

Please tell me what you think about this by leaving a comment. Are you going to try it? Do you have more suggestions for readings? Saints? Great parishes? I know there's a lot of stuff here but it's just the tip of the iceberg for someone trying to turn things around in their life.

God Bless.

The Catholic Church has an answer for everything, even Abby Sunderland

2010-06-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Catholic Church has an answer for every one of life's difficult questions. After proper discernment, the only remaining question is whether we have the courage to accept the truth. Often, I'm terrible at accepting the truth, but I'm grateful to know where it is when I do get the courage.

The whole world is debating whether it was morally right for Abby Sunderland's parents to allow her to go on such a dangerous journey to achieve her goal of being the youngest person to sail around the world solo. I went back and forth myself on this issue and wondered what I would say on the subject if I was asked to fill in at KFI again last night.

When I asked myself what dedicated Catholic parents, living the Magisterium, would say to a kid in this scenario, the answer came instantly. They would hand her a prayer card with the Litany of Humility on it. Problem solved:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…
Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930),
Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

Harm may or may not come to her from the dangers of the sea, but surely she would benefit immeasurably from meditating on the Litany and re-evaluating her priorities. Why be first? Why be youngest? If she was sent on a solo trip to Calcutta to work with the Missionaries Of Charity it would be dangerous, but for more justifiable reasons. She wouldn't be the first or the youngest, or the most honored, but she would be the greatest, while proclaiming she was the least. If Indian bed pans aren't exactly her calling, she could still be a great sailor, without being the most exalted.
Once again, if we have the courage to follow the Catholic faith, the answers are always there.

Father Michael Manning Wordnet Television

2010-06-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

I will appear on this week's episode of the Father Manning Show on TBN. It's a Catholic show on a Protestant network. He's a great man. I was especially thrilled to see his letter from Bishop Fulton Sheen in his studio commending him on his important ministry.

Father Fernando Cuenca, OMV Today on EWTN Radio

2010-05-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

I will interview Fr. Fernando Cuenca, OMV from the Parish of St. Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens, CA today at 10 AM PST on St. Joseph Radio heard on the EWTN Radio Network, including Sirius XM. It will also repeat later in the day. We will be discussing total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Catholic Meditation and Attacks on Benedict XVI

2010-04-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Everybody thinks meditation is cool but if you would like to learn real Catholic meditation, the kind practiced by saints, Catholic mystics, Popes, and lay people alike, the best way is to take go through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. These exercises are rarely taught to lay people because of the shortage of experts but classes are beginning April 1 7, 2010 at St. Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens, California. They are open to all Christians, and they are free.
You will not only learn meditation, you will learn a lot about the Bible, Church history, and what it takes to become a saint. Anyone can become a saint. You will also learn that.
It's a 10 week course. There are Saturday, Sunday, and Thursday classes. If you are interested, email me at joe@indie1031.com and I will get you the info. Or you can contact the parish directly. I've taken the course twice and one of the follow up courses and it has improved my life tremendously, especially my marriage.
On another note:
Today is a good day to pray for the Holy Father. He is under attack by an international lynch mob who want to drag down the moral leader to make themselves feel better about they way they live their lives. There are many problems with this but one obvious problem is that these people don't know that Benedict XVI is the exact Pope we need at this time to prevent further harm coming to children from within the Church. His attackers know nothing about him. They don't want to know anything. They just want to tear him down. Many want to tear down our entire institution.
If they took the slightest time to familiarize themselves with his writings, they would discover what a brilliant mind they are lynching. This would ruin everything for them so they don't want to know this. They just want to act outraged and point fingers. If they drive this Pope out, they have no idea who the next Pope will be and if he will be better to clean up areas of the Church that need cleaning. Any effort to identify Benedict XVI with permissive forces in the Church that are harmful to children is counterproductive and could actually bring harm to children. This is the Pope for the job, people. If you care about kids, let him do his work. Lynch mob's went out with Frankenstein. Don't be a part of one. Find out more about the guy you are attacking if you are sincere about helping children.
For a more alarming assessment about what's going on, check out this article someone just tweeted to me. It''s powerful stuff. Stay strong. We're under attack.

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Dr. Terri Escalante-Oi

2010-02-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Today's guest on St. Joseph Radio Presents will be my sister Terri. She's got an impressive resume when it comes to medical bio-ethics so we'll be talking about secular vs. Judeo-Christian perspectives on health care. She will be discussing the book "The Culture of Death." By Wesley J. Smith.

I apologize for this picture. It's the only one I have of her. I realize she's not 9 years old dining at the Coconut Grove any more, but it was better than nothing. She looks the same anyway.

The show will be broadcast live at 10 am pst, and again at 11pm pst. To find it, go to 160 on Sirius/XM or www.stjosephradio.com or ewtn.com

FATHER CALLOWAY

2010-02-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I AM A REVOLVING HOST OF A NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO SHOW CALLED ST. JOSEPH RADIO PRESENTS HEARD ON EWTN RADIO 160 AND OTHER STATIONS. MY GUESTS INCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY, AS WELL AS LAY PEOPLE , HELPING LISTENERS LIVE THEIR LIVES ACCORDING TO THE MAGISTERIUM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

THE PROGRAM AIRS ON SATURDAYS FOR ONE HOUR AT 10 AM PACIFIC TIME AND AGAIN AT 11 PM PACIFIC ON SATURDAY NIGHT IT’S HARD TO FIND ON THE AIR IN SOME AREAS LIKE LOS ANGELES BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS GET IT ON SIRIUS XM SATELLITE CHANNEL 160 AND ONLINE FROM THE LINKS ABOVE.

THE BEST WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHEN I’M GOING TO BE HOSTING IS TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE I ANNOUNCE MY APPEARANCES WITH SOME CONSISTENCY.

My next appearance is Saturday Feb. 20, 2010. I will interview Father Calloway who has a fascinating conversion story going from Surfer / druggie / punk rock guy to a devoted priest and author of very important books. He has an inspiring devotion to Mary, and to the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

High Matters And God's Hidden Judgments

2010-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

My good friend Stewart Teggart died last week of a sudden heart attack at age 43. The sadness was compounded by how far he had come from his troubled youth. He carved out an honest living in the music business through hard work and perseverance which is a rare accomplishment.

I've been to many punk rock funerals, this one had the present surprise of being Catholic. Why did God take Stewart? He was doing so well and had a loving wife to care for.

No one can know of course, and I was reminded of this mystery when I was reading 3.58 of Thomas a' Kempis' "Imitation of Christ" this morning which is truly a masterpiece.

"My CHILD, beware of discussing high matters and God's hidden judgments--why this person is so forsaken and that one is favored with so great a grace, or why one man is so afflicted and another so highly exalted. Such things are beyond all human understanding and no reason or disputation can fathom the judgments of God. "

This makes sense to me, but as I sat in Our Lady Queen Of Angels for the beautiful service I sensed what most of the punk rock crowd was thinking. "Why are we here? Stewart would have none of this pomp and ritual." I would almost have agreed but everything was too peaceful for me to think that this would be against Stewart's wishes, but I have to admit, I forgot, or maybe I didn't even know he was a Catholic.

When Father Dave dropped the bomb that Stewart not only went to mass but he and Judi went to 7AM mass, there were some gasps. I don't know why Stewart was taken but right then I felt that many in the packed large church thought to themselves "wow, Stewart the tough guy went to mass at 7 AM....maybe I should go to mass. Stewart, my friend, would obviously approve."

Was Stewart's passing for the reason of saving souls? I firmly believe that one of the consequences of Stewart's exemplary life and untimely death was that lapsed Catholics and others were trapped in their pews and forced to not only find out that someone they deeply respected attended mass, but to also sit through an actual mass and find nothing but beauty in it.

Nothing could be more important than saving souls so what a champ Stewart turned out to be. He was quietly pursuing sainthood under his rough exterior and no one even knew it. I hope I'm not going too far in my discussion of God's hidden judgments but it filled me with consolation during a tough time so I thought I'd share it.

The Pearl Of Great Price

2009-12-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

When Jesus tells you your blog needs updating you'd better listen. This time it was Jesus from the Jesus Christ Show so I'm not shivering but I am resolving to write more often, so here is what I'm up to right now.

I'm reading the book Sacred Then And Sacred Now by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. and it's a clear and coherent explanation of the Latin Mass. Woods gives great insight as to why it virtually disappeared after Vatican II in the early 60s, and why it came out of its limbo to be re-discovered by Catholics like me who were too young to experience what is now called the "1962 Missal" thanks to Benedict XVI's papal document Motu Propio Summorum Pontificum of July 7, 2007.

The long and short of Woods' and Benedict's point is that the mass was great, is great, it went away, it's back, no hard feelings, no finger pointing, just enjoy it if you can get it.

I feel for the the faithful that had this beautiful ancient ritual yanked out from under them. It was offered at my parish for a while when it was unceremoniously yanked from us as well. There wasn't a big uproar from this well disciplined congregation who calmly accepted the explanation that it wasn't in the charism of the Oblates Of The Virgin Mary that run our parish but I for one was sad about it and I still am.

Growing up in the 60s and 70s I faithfully attended Sunday mass at St. Hedwig in Los Alamitos, CA but I have to admit, I was never really "impressed" with the Catholic Church itself. Only after reading George Weigel's biography of John Paul II did I become sufficiently impressed. I thought, "If he's in, I'm in... who thinks they're smarter than this guy?" (My conversion is of course more complicated than this, but this is a blog, not a book.)

But I think it was the fact that I grew up in the Church right after they yanked their beautiful ancient ritual with all it's majesty, solemnity, and secret language that kept me from feeling the reverence for the mass that it deserved. During that time Vatican bureaucrats where busy trying to put together a mass in the vernacular that would "relate" to the people. Remember this is the 70s. Yuck. Don't even get me started on how "un-groovy" my and future confirmations were from that point on. The ancient pomp of one Latin mass would have hooked me in a way that all the guitar masses and charismatic retreats tried but failed. What a tremendous grace that I stuck around this long.

I have a couple iPhone apps called iPieta and iRosary. Through those I've been able to memorize the rosary and a few other prayers in Latin. This has done amazing things for my prayer life. I picked up a primer of Ecclesiastical Latin to get a few tips and pronunciation and I was off to the races. What a mistake to remove this "pearl of great price" as Woods calls it from our lives, but no hard feelings; obedience is key, it has been restored.

I recommend getting Woods' book which contains an excellent step by step guide to the Latin Mass and finding one to go to and/or urging your parish to offer one. According to Woods, Benedict XVI made it mandatory for each diocese to offer one if there's sufficient demand. My parish is run by missionaries and I wouldn't trade it for the world but if you are in a diocesan parish, you have some flexibility there.

If you know any good Latin / Tridentine mass celebrations please post them in the comments so others can find them. Thanks and God bless.

Charity And Truth

2009-09-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Now, that which seems to be charity is oftentimes really sensuality, for man's own inclination, his own will; his hope of reward and his self-interest are motives seldom absent.

From “Imitation of Christ, Book 1” by Thomas a’Kempis

As part of my work in Hollywood, I long ago accepted that rational beliefs will be mocked if they do not prove popular with the in-crowd. They will not be considered as an alternative belief. They will just be mocked.

While the scholars and theologians like George Weigel debate whether Benedict XVI's latest encyclical is a re-affirmation of John Paul II’s more anti-socialist views on world economics or if it is ushering in a more left leaning era, my tiny brain is only prepared to comprehend the broader themes discussed in CARITAS IN VERITATE. Its title could not be timelier as we watch the country divide itself in the name of both these virtues, charity and truth.

Charity without truth is the absence of charity altogether, and what is the absence of charity? In the case of the current healthcare debate, it maybe just another form of political corruption of the most self-serving and diabolical nature.

The basis of the President's healthcare agenda is 100% charity on its face. Once you inject truth into the debate, however, it is possible that it is also a government program likely to give millions better healthcare while punishing millions more with worse healthcare, more governmental intrusions, and a debt that if saddled on future generations of any social background would defy any notion of the word charity.

The truth is that we don't know how much this kind of spending will hurt vs. help future Americans. The truth is that an honest debate about this issue should be just that, an honest debate. The truth is that, as presently written, people (and especially Catholics that follow Rome’s magisterium) have a right to be concerned about the number of abortions that will occur if the President's agenda is carried out.

The number of abortions will increase, decrease, or stay the same and people have a right to speculate on that and follow their passions without being portrayed as monsters or buffoons by Hollywood elites, political operatives, or biased media.

It would help if supporters of Obama's agenda were truthful as to why they are supporting it. I'm hearing two types of proponents that I have difficulty reconciling. The honest ones want to change America into a more socialist society. That’s fair if they honestly want that to occur. The problem is that others are defending it to get a political win for their "guy" without any desire for honest debate as to what is the real meaning of charity for all people.

The worst example of this is how Whole Foods president John Mackey has been treated since going public with his eloquent alternative views on the subject.

He's proven himself a compassionate wealth producer, which evidently scares the people that favor a more socialist approach but all Americans (even socialists) should be proud of him and his willingness to take the heat for his beliefs.

Instead of trying to discern whether this guy's ideas may help the country, people are blindly vilifying him and defending their guy's plan in a win-at-any-cost mentality that has abandoned the truth to a large degree.

Mackey's solutions aim to improve our healthcare system while preserving our freedoms. As an attorney I am especially interested in his emphasis on tort reform. This one is simple. Healthcare costs can be reduced by preventing extreme awards in ruinous medical malpractice lawsuits that drive up the healthcare costs for ALL Americans.

If I lose a leg from malpractice do I deserve 3 million dollars, or 30 million? Who's to say? However, if 30 million dollar awards bankrupt the system and drive good doctors out of business, then 30 million is probably not the right number at this time.

Who's in favor of these large awards? Well, it's the Trial Lawyers Association (who enjoy 40% commissions these judgments) and the President and the members of congress who take money from these guys. They are paid by these lawyers to oppose tort reform that would benefit all Americans. This is corruption, not charity. Their argument for taking these bribes is that the less fortunate in our society need the threat of these large judgments to keep the big guys honest. Interesting, but I think John Mackey makes a fair argument for just saying no to this theory for right now. Even ardent Obama supporter Camille Paglia has figured this out in her recent Salon.com column.

I (and others) have been railing against this corrupt trade association for years on the radio and I'm glad they are feeling the heat. Recently they have had to change their name to fool yet another generation. They now call themselves the "American Association For Justice." That is so so sad. I'm embarrassed for them and anyone who takes their dirty money. Catholics and others of good conscience don't really need political party labels to when deciding which candidates deserve their support. One needs only to find out who is taking money from these guys and vote for someone else.

And why isn’t there a Gecko on TV everyday touting low rates on health insurance? The answer again has more to do with government corruption than anything else. Federal regulations prohibit insurance companies from offering services to customers in other states. John Mackey’s proposal calls for eliminating this regulation to increase competition to bring down prices for regular consumers. That’s worth a discussion, but his charitable enemies are instead doing things like starting Whole Foods boycott Facebook pages rather than weighing his comments by their merit.

They post things like “John Mackey opposes health care reform” and John Mackey says only the rich deserve health care.” I know these people are driven by charity, but without truth, where are they taking us? I’m just asking for a little truth…here and there… maybe. Is that too much to ask?

And if we give the government the kind of power that they will have under Obama's agenda, will this lead to the kind of socialism that his opponents fear and we hear about on talk radio? We don't really know, but considering what John Paul II went through to defeat the kind of socialism that oppressed, enslaved, and murdered millions of Catholics during the Century Of Martyrs, all Catholics should take this concern seriously.

The point here is that there is every reason to believe that reforming the healthcare system in the Whole Foods way could very well produce a system that would allow this compassionate nation to efficiently and charitably focus on the truly needy and achieve the goal of covering every American, without being a threat to any traditional American freedoms.

I know why millions of Catholics defied their Catechism and voted for our abortion friendly president. I know why they make the compromises they do in the practice of their faith to support his seemingly compassionate agenda on healthcare. I get it. They feel on balance his way is for the greater good.

What I'm asking is for Catholics to look seriously at the charity possible and truths inherent in Mackey’s and other alternatives to Obama's agenda that will not interrupt our mission to increase charitable works and eliminate abortions in the short time we have on this earth.

What can we do? Well I don't think Whole Foods needs our help. This will probably help more than hurt them in the long run but as Catholics we can't forget to pray more and if you can make it to D.C. on September 13^th, there is strength in numbers.

Please let me know what you think.

Illa Zilla Baby Killa?

2009-06-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

After hearing that late term abortion specialist Dr. George Tiller was murdered recently I felt hurt by it because of both the obvious reasons (e.g., someone died a painful death) and because of the blame that would go around in an attempt to paint pro-life people as dangerous. If I wasn’t Catholic, I thought, I would sure want to be a fly on the wall at the next Catholic mass that addressed this incident to see what the Catholic Church, so dedicated for so long to ending the type of procedures for which this doctor was famous, had to say.

I will satisfy this curiosity for you because I was in mass the next day at St. Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens, CA, the most conservative church with the strictest adherence to the magisterium that I have ever attended. I was surprised when Father Sean brought up the subject of the killing because he is not known for introducing dark subjects.

I wasn’t writing it down but here’s the message I got: Father Sean pointed out that we don’t know if Dr. Tiller went to Heaven or not. He could have had a radical conversion recently. We don’t know. However, Father Sean also pointed out that those of us in the pews that day were, by virtue of the fact that we attend daily mass, arguably more ready to die than Dr. Tiller. He asked if any of us would have taken the bullets for him if we could that day if we thought we were more ready to die? The message I received is that we should have.

The shooter deprived the doctor of the possibility of radical conversion, or even a small one. That was a tragedy in and of itself. After the homily I think I whispered “brilliant” out loud. It was both simple and brilliant. What a great message and what a gifted messenger. That’s why if you knew what I knew, you’d want to be a Catholic.

Angels & Demons: The Hollywood Magisterium

2009-05-11T15:16:00.001-07:00

I didn’t get the permission to see Ron Howard’s Angels and Demons film from any one official but as a member of the media as well as the Catholic Church my gut feeling was that I should see it, but not pay for it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull that off because although the program I host on St. Joseph Radio is heard on EWTN, it’s really not on anyone in Hollywood’s radar, and my in-box at Indie 1031 has got Internet radio written all over it’s empty enclosure. Somehow I was invited to a screening at the ArcLight in Hollywood presented by Flemming’s Steakhouse. Perfect!

We could debate for a while whether A&D is really a movie at all or just a series of scenes with silly dialogue propelling an action filled scavenger hunt through Vatican City. Instead I will try to be as informative as I can about whether the movie is offensive, blasphemous, inaccurate, or just a joke; or all of those things like the Da Vinci Code.

Unexpected:
Angels and Demons is about a thousand times better than the Da Vinci Code as a film. Tom Hanks looks better and says less of those ridiculous revelatory lines at the end of every scene that make you want to punch him right in the character. It has its problems but it is not boring, doesn’t drag, and is a skillful mix of Indiana Jones type action set against a beautiful sacred backdrop.

Unexpected:
The Faithful depicted in the film were not ridiculed. The religion was not trivialized. Howard used the visual and ritual majesty of the Catholic Church to its fullest. Vatican City is an awe-inspiring place and the film did little to damage the notion that membership in the faith is a serious privilege. It’s one of those films that after seeing, if I wasn’t a Catholic, I would be very jealous of all we have.

Expected:
Trite myths about the Church are perpetuated of course. The blanket assertion that the Church has routinely suppressed science is nothing but myth. It’s laughable to people who know the truth. Even the case of Galileo, when fully studied, shows that the Church did more to advance the study of most sciences, especially astronomy, than any institution at the time. For some mind blowing elaboration on this fact, check out the summary of Dr. Thomas Wood Jr.’s “How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization.”

Expected:
Hollywood would not make a big film like this without a liberal message but even I couldn’t imagine they (combined with author Dan Brown) would go so far out of their minds to create this one. It’s amazing. The film starts with a Papal funeral celebrating the life of a “beloved progressive Pope.” The film then goes on to make the point that to avoid seeing the Church modernize, more traditional forces within the Church would torture and murder four Cardinals, kill about one million of the faithful, and destroy Vatican City.

That is the point of the story. The progressive Pope and the Godless Academic Robert Langdon are the heroes. The traditionalists (the enemies of change) are not just stubborn; they are murderous terrorists. It’s so outrageous it probably rises to the level of breaking both the first and second commandments. I don’t have the authority of absolution, but if I did. Howard’s penance would be to make a similar film dealing with “progressive” vs. “traditionalists” in the Muslim faith, and see how their modernizing is coming along when that film hits the streets.

Conclusion:
In Angels & Demons, Hollywood has embraced the beauty and reverence of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church but not the Magisterium itself. It has decided a new direction for the Church. It would like to make the Church into something acceptable to Hollywood, which is not surprising considering what Hollywood thinks about its role in shaping culture.

They are the wise. They will show us the way. If we listen, we can be Catholic AND popular in Hollywood. It’s the best of both worlds, right? Wrong. The well catechized know we must choose one or the other.

Solution:
If more films were made about the lives of the saints, heroic stories could be shared and everyone inside and outside the Church would be exposed to truths and virtues that would make this progressive vs. traditionalist divide a non-topic.