A Champion Fighting the Good Fight

Afraid? Interesting that you would ask

Afraid of God or Fear of God?  What a great question that my dear friend Athos poised from something Ronald Knox wrote - read it in THIS post.  I am not sure my friend was tracking where this quote of Knox takes one - so I felt I had to post where reading the quote led me, and that was to A Little Guide for Your Last Days!

I don't know of too many people who do not struggle with what Knox writes: we are afraid of God, which is not at all what the Bible means by "fearing God".

There are of course many different angles to approach this notion of our being afraid however Athos, in this book, leads us through all the false premises - while not mincing words but with his pastoral spirit he opens our eyes to this mystery that is a part of each and every one's life.

Amazing that in a few pages Athos helps us to recognize just how our antennae has become rusty and fallen over and he comes with a tool kit showing us how to straighten out our antennae so as to be able to receive God's unconditional Love allowing us to humbly enter into a state of grace.  Reading this book made me realize the importance and our need of being in this state of grace at all times and not waiting to trip over it at death's doorstep.

Thank you Athos.

Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno

Last Lecture or First Homily

Seminarian Philip Johnson from Deacon Watkins on Vimeo.
From Father Z

In the past I have asked for prayers for, Philip Johnson, a seminarian with an inoperable brain tumor.

A reader alerted me to a video of a talk that he gave at Catholic High School called St. Thomas More Academy, in Raleigh, NC.

He covers four major points:

1. His conversion story. Not being a great Catholic in High School. Looked forward to fraternities and parties in college. Ultimately went to the Naval Academy. It was there that he went to Mass again and began feeling called to the priesthood. He explains this call and talks about time he spent in France, especially at Lourdes.

2. His vocation story which is ultimately intertwined with his cancer diagnosis and being released from the Navy.
3. Being diagnosed with a terminal and inoperable brain tumor and reacting to this news.
4. Embracing this cross and talking about the value of redemptive suffering.

See post by Philip Gerard Johnson  dated January 2013 at this blog In Caritate Non Ficta.

ευαγγέλιον - Lift High the Cross

Fr Barron on the power of the world - the Cross vs. the power of Our Lord's vindication - the Resurrection:

Nella's Story

Okay, gentle readers. Prepare yourself for a mother's story of her daughter's birth and the realization that her newborn daughter has Downs Syndrome:

Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me.

Munson - I'm Not Buying It

If you or any one you know is thinking of separation or divorce, slip him (or her) Laura Munson's superb Those Aren’t Fighting Words, Dear.

Revisited

I really love the band America and of course their version of "Lonely People" however D'artagnan's tip about Jars of Clay cover of this song led to a wonderful video version.

A Little Moment of Joy

Advent is a good time to think about remaining alert for just such graced opportunities.
Please do the world a favor and read our dear friend Gil Bailie's post HERE.

99 Balloons

Eliot was born with an undeveloped lung, a heart with a hole in it and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell of his body. However, that could not stop the living God from proclaiming Himself through this boy who never uttered a word.

The Meaning of the Family by Way of the Ark

From Evan Almighty

If someone prays for the family to be closer, do you think God actually wants them to just have warm and fuzzy feelings or does He give them opportunities to love each other? -- Al Mighty

"...lot of people didn't get the point of the (Flood) story, they think it is about God's wrath and anger...they love it when God gets angry..." Al Mighty

"What is the story about, the ark?" Mrs. Baxter

"I think it is a love story... about believing in each other. You know the animals showed up in pairs - they stood by each other... side by side, just like Noah and his family. Everybody in the ark were side by side. " Al Mighty

"But my husband says that God told him to do it. What do you do with that?" Mrs. Baxter

"Sounds like an opportunity. Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, do you think that God gives them patience or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If one prays for courage does God give them courage or the opportunity to be courageous? If someone prays for the family to be closer, do you think God actually wants them to just have warm and fuzzy feelings or does He give them opportunities to love each other?" -- Al Mighty

You may have laughed, and I hope you did, as I did; laugh with all in the movie, but we need to always be asking, what have we done today with the opportunities He has provided us to grow, nurture and support the family - our own, others and the institution? Isn't today a great time to take our place in, with and support of the family, to build it up as God calls us to do?