Fool Me Once...Shame On Me.

On Tuesday, January 20, 2009 I watched the 44^th President of the USA take his office.  I remember where I was (in my friend Danny’s basement) and how proud I was to be an American that morning.  I was watching the first African American take the highest office of our county.  I have two unfortunate confessions to make here: first, I did not vote for the President that year and two, if I had voted it would have been for Barak Obama. 

At the time I was pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-helping the poor, and anti-anything republican.  All I needed was a tie dye shirt, bandana, and some illegal drugs to complete my hippie persona.  To complete this horrible picture I have painted for all my good Catholic readers out there I was against the Church on almost everything yet still called myself “Catholic.”

Some may be asking now “how did you get in the seminary?” “do you still believe in these things?” Please allow me to explain.  I went to the seminary because I felt God was calling me to priesthood (and I still do).  It was in the seminary when the TRUTH was FINALLY taught to me!  I learned why the Church is against abortion and the notion of “pro-choice”, I learned the reasons behind Church teaching that marriage is only for one man and one woman, I learned the TRUTH!  So do I still believe today all the evil things I believed in 2009?  Not the evil ones (such as abortion & gay marriage) but I still believe in my good ones (end all unjust wars, help our immigrants, help the poor, affordable health care, etc).  

Now the ultimate question: will I vote this year and for who?

I will be voting this year but NOT for Barak Obama.  NO CATHOLIC IN GOOD CONSCIENCE CAN VOTE FOR PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA!  I say this for three HUGE reasons. 

1.  Barak Obama is taking away “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty.”  With President Obama in office we will lose our religious freedom.  You don’t even have to be Catholic to, in good conscience, agree with this point…you just have to be religious. 
   
2. Barak Obama is Pro-Death!  By giving away (and forcing others against their conscience to give away) free birth control and giving more funding to Planned Parenthood to assist women in abortions Barak Obama is advocating a pro-death country.
   
3. Barak Obama supports gay marriage.  As Catholics we believe that God created Man and Woman so that together they can co-create out of love with God.  Two men and two women cannot co-create with God.  Catholics cannot be pro-gay marriage. 

These are three reasons why no Catholic can, in good conscience, vote for Barak Obama.  We will lose our religious freedom, millions of people will die, and families will be destroyed. 
 

While Romney is pro-life, pro-natural marriage, and pro-religious freedom he isn’t perfect either.  Romney is not very charitable in his immigration policies along with some other things, however, he is on the side of the Catholic Church on the above three points.  

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) tells us “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” (Faithful Citizenship)  However, it is possible for a Catholic not to vote for anyone if they feel they can’t in good conscience. 

I am not sure who I will be voting for yet, if I feel I can vote at all, but I do know this…I will NOT be voting for Barak Obama.  

Please bring this important decision we will all have to make in November to prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your conscience so that you will be able to vote for the right candidate.  All Catholics, as disciples of the Lord, are called to protect Holy Mother Church.  Let us keep that call in mind as we make these important decisions.  

A tribute to my friend.

On August 12 my best friend, James Weging, lost his six year battle with Leukemia.  His family asked me to give the eulogy at his funeral mass.  I wish to share it now on here.

James was amazing and gifted at many things from athletics to the arts.  But one thing James was never good at was answering his phone.  Most of the time I would just text or call Sara because I knew she would answer. I'm mentioning this because for those of us who would call James are all to familiar with his voice mail message: "You have reached the one and only James W. Weging."  He really was the one and only.  

James was a very unique individual who was created in the image and likeness of God.  There was nothing normal or average about him.  Everything he did was unique including: his sense of fashion.  Only James could pull off wearing a bright yellow jacket with a top hat to parties.  His dance skills were also very unique.  For those of us who attended school dances or even out at the clubs James would regularly bust out his famous dance move...the bus driver.  Of course James was also unique in his music.  James did more than just play the piano...he brought life to his music.  James put his whole heart, body, and soul into his music and made it come alive in a way that I can't properly describe to you.  James took classical music, which is not very popular today, and made it exciting to listen to.  James was ready to change the world through his music. Another unique quality of James was his ability to make people laugh.  Last night as I was swopping stories and memories of James with friends and family there was not one story that didn't end in laughter.  James knew when it was time to be serious but he always knew there was time to laugh.  And the last, and most important, piece of James that is unique was his ability to love.   

James loved with his whole heart.  I say this is the most important because St. Paul tells us "the greatest gift is love."  Without love, St. Paul tells us, we are nothing.  James was certainly something.  It was James ability to love that made him such an amazing guy.  I know that every single person in this Church was touched in at least one positive way by James.  I know my life changed for the better because of him.  James truly modeled his life after Jesus Christ and remained strong in his faith his whole life.  This past Christmas when James was in the hospital I asked what he wanted me to get him for Christmas.  He told me he wanted the Eucharist.  James understood that it was Christ alone that could save him and he relied on Christ to comfort him.  James knew that the message of the Gospel is to love and James loved every single one of us each and every day.   

James is not with us here on earth any more and we will all miss him and his sense of humor very much.  But I know that St. James is watching from that heavenly kingdom and I will be praying for his intercession and that I can live my life as he did and love as he loved. Yes James W. Weging, you are the one and only.  A unique, special, talented, trustworthy, loving individual who was created in God's image and likeness.  I saw God every time I saw and spoke to James and I know that St. James will continue to strengthen my relationship with God.  Let us all pray for James to intercede for us and continue to make us laugh as we recall the wacky and fun memories he has made possible.  

 Requiescat in pace.

Chicken Anyone?

It was a few weeks ago while I was on Facebook that I became aware of the most recent Chick-fil-A debate. I was confused at first as to what was going on because of certain meme's I saw (such as the one posted below). After I researched what was going on I thought it was funny the few people that were making, what I thought at the time to be, a big deal out of something very small. Boy was I wrong! The days following put this event at the top of the media charts! Government officials threatening to ban the restaurants from expanding, boycotts, and overwhelming support both for and against the fast food chain. I couldn't believe what came from this one mans personal opinion.

One of the government officials that came out swinging against Chick-fil-A was Chicago's own mayor who threatened to end the companies business in Chicago saying "their values are not 'Chicago values'." Our beloved Archbishop Cardinal George addressed the mayors comments in a blog post that also made the local news (to which of course the mayor did not respond). Cardinal George asked the simple question "since when does the government get to decide my value system?"

What still confuses me is why we are all fighting over who to blame for this controversy. Do we blame Mr. Cathy (CEO of Chick-fil-A)? Do we blame the entire Chick-fil-A corporation? Or do we blame our government? Why do we need to blame anyone? What is there to assign blame for? All a man did was speak his mind. Why is there a need to feel like protesting and boycotting and even celebrating the fact that a man had the courage to share his opinion?! What that says to me is we live in a society where people are afraid to speak their mind.

I have always been a "loud mouth" and my father is always quick to remind me. I always speak my mind and share my opinions. But seeing how the country has reacted to this recent announcement has caused me to think that speaking your mind isn't normal. I say this because of the debates and arguments that have come from Mr. Cathy taking a public stance on the definition of marriage. The names he has been called, the attacks on his business, the support of his business, and the political questioning are just mind boggling to me. Mr. Cathy probably had no idea how much his words would impact the nation and his company.

Personally, I applaud Mr. Cathy! Not just for his stance on the definition of marriage but for his courage to speak his mind and stand strong in his beliefs! All of the Saints, especially martyrs, we're not afraid to speak their mind and they shared Christ's Gospel to all the people's that they met! We are called to be Saints! We are called to be Christ like to all those we come in contact with. I pray that we may all have the courage of the Saints and of Mr. Cathy to stand strong in our beliefs so that we, as Catholics, can better the world we live in.

The "Little Way" through Suffering

Today I was fortunate enough to be an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist at a nursing home near my parish. These are people who are only about to attend Mass once a month but through a wonderful ministry in my parish they are able to receive the Eucharist and pray as a community once a week. I was surprised to find out that I had prepared the wrong readings for our prayer service we had so I had to think of a brand new reflection on the spot, however, the Holy Spirit was with me and guided all of us through a great discussion that I wish to share here. The readings we read were for this coming Sunday (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time) where St. Paul asks God to help him overcome the thorns in his side coming from the devil, to which God replies "You have all the graces you need." In the Gospel Jesus is confronted by many people who do not have any faith in who he is and because of their lack of faith Christ is not able to help them. As I was reading these out loud I couldn't help but think of the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux. St. Therese left us many gifts, including her Little Way. St. Therese offers us, within her Little Way, a practical formula for coping with pain and suffering. Rather than allow herself to be overwhelmed by her pain, she focused only on the moment at hand, praying for the patience and strength to move through it.

"If I did not simple suffer from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient; but I look only at the present moment [and] forget the past; and I take good care not to forestall the future." Therese wisely points out that we tent to magnify our suffering when we project it into the unknown future, or dwell on suffering from the past. Instead, Therese was able to draw strength from her confidence that God would provide the grace she needed at any given moment.

"God gives me courage in proportion to my sufferings. I feel at this moment I couldn't suffer any more, but I'm not afraid, since if they increase, He will increase my courage at the same time." We, too, can have confidence knowing that while a cure or instant relief for our pain or suffering may not be at hand, we can turn to God for the courage we feel is lacking. And when the strength to do more fails us, we can simply offer our suffering to God, as Therese did. And just as the Lord told St. Paul "You have all the graces you need." God always provides us with the graces and tools needed to deal with temptation, weakness, suffering, etc. We just have to have faith, unlike those Jesus encountered in the Gospel and could not help, and God will provide us with the graces and tools we need. It is my continued prayer, through the intercession of St. Therese, that we always remember to have faith in God and seek his graces and blessings at all times.

Fortnight for Freedom (Solemnity of St's. Peter and Paul)

Ever since Thursday, June 21, we have been involved in the Fortnight for Freedom. This is a religious campaign meant to educate, pray, and fast for religious freedom in our country. I have been asked by my Pastor to schedule a series of events during the Fortnight and this evening we held Solemn Vespers (St's. Peter and Paul) for religious freedom. My Pastor also asked me this evening to give a reflection on religious freedom. I wish to share my reflection on here as well:

Pope Benedict XVI recently referred to us, meaning all of us Catholics here on earth, as the Church Militant. The use of this phrase by the Holy Father has been controversial but he couldn't be more correct in using it...especially at this point in the history of our world. The Church Militant (Ecclesia Militans for our Latin scholars) comprises christians on earth who are living...also known as the christian militia, who struggle against sin, the devil, and, as St. Paul says "the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12) Two of the greatest leaders the Church Militant has ever had are being celebrated this day. Saints Peter and Paul. They were two heroic and courageous leaders of the Church Militant and they both tragically, and gloriously, lost their lives fighting to preserve the truth of Jesus Christ! Pope Pius XII said: "We belong to the church militant and she is militant because on earth the powers of darkness are ever restless to encompass her destruction." In our recent struggle for religious liberty in this country I think we are at a point now more than ever to stand together and fight for our rights! That is the whole purpose of this Fortnight for Freedom. Our Bishops have asked us to stand together and pray as a community of faith for our religious liberty to be protected. Now more than ever we need to be united in our Church, faith, and unite around our Bishops. They are the Shepherds who guide us to Christ and it is through our Bishops that we are able to meet Christ. Some of you may be sitting in the pew wondering why uniting around our Bishops is so important? You may be asking yourself what more can we do? Yes, there are plenty of political actions we can make such as writing to our congressmen, signing petitions, rallying in the streets, and refusing to pay taxes and fines. Doing those things are a great way to make our voices heard! We should take advantage of our rights to do those things before the government takes those away from us next! But it is equally important to stand behind our Bishops because of who they represent and the power their office holds. Our Bishops represent the Apostles living on earth. Through their Apostolic succession they ARE the closest men to Christ! It is through the Bishop that we are able to receive Christ and his Sacraments! Our Bishops are our Shepherds and we are their sheep. We must follow them and obey them. Our government wants to make divisions in the Church! Our government wants us to stop listening to our Bishops! The government loves the fact that most catholics disagree with the Church teaching on contraception and homosexual marriage. The government loves when religious orders protest decisions made by the Bishops. The government wants one thing and that is for the government to be the only voice Americans will listen to and obey. The Bishops of the Church were chosen by the Holy Spirit to bring Christ's Gospel to the world and proclaim it loud for all people to hear. We must listen to that Gospel and rally around our Bishops, not against them, and help them proclaim Christ's message to the world, and especially our great nation. The Bishops know the truth and they want to share it with all of us. We must be courageous in following their example, listen to their truth, and help them proclaim and share it. We are the Church Militant and our Bishops the leaders of our militia. Pope Benedict XVI said: "We see how evil wishes to dominate the world and that it is necessary to enter into battle with evil. Evil is seen in many forms of violence masked with goodness and precisely this way destroying the moral foundations of society." Our Holy Father, THE VICOR OF CHRIST ON EARTH, said these words just weeks before the HHS mandate was made public. The Holy Spirit was preparing us for the battle yet to come. It is our duty now to stand up with our Bishops and fight against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. Is the Devil behind this mandate? I don't know. And I like it that way. But I do know this. If we don't stand as one Body of Christ behind the authority of our Bishops, and with the Communion of Saints, we don't stand a chance. We are in a spiritual warfare. Let us pray that it never becomes physical.

With Liberty and Justice for ALL

Just a few months ago I heard Cardinal George speak at a dinner and the main point of his talk was on religious liberty. He said that if our government continues to act the way they currently are then in his lifetime (Cardinal George) he sees the Church going underground. At first I laughed at that! I thought there is no way that will ever happen in this country! However, due to recent laws and practices I am beginning to think that Cardinal George may not be so crazy.

This month the federal government issued a mandate that every employer is required to offer in their health plan to employees certain contraceptive, sterilization, and abortion drugs. This mandate goes into effect August of 2012 or as soon as the insurance is renewed (normally January 1). For religious institutions the government has been “generous” enough to allow us a suspension until August 2013. Thanks be to God that individual Churches and whole Diocese are exempt from this mandate but hospitals and universities are not. Besides the fact that this mandate is a HORRIBLE idea it is even worse that religious institutions are being forced to cooperate with it even though it goes completely against our moral conscience. This does not only effect Catholic institutions but a number of other religions such as the Jews and other Christian denominations. This is how the government is slowly taking away our religious liberty. First, our tax dollars are funding abortions, now our hospitals and universities have to give out immoral drugs to employees, what’s next? Are we going to be seen as a non-equal opportunity employer because woman can’t be priests and be forced to ordain them? Are we going to have to offer students in our schools and universities contraceptive drugs and condoms? Will the Church be forced to marry same sex couples? I have no idea what our government is going to try next but we are going to be in a lot of trouble when they do.

You may be asking yourself the same question I did a couple months ago: “What will it take to make the Church in the USA go underground?” Well, let’s say any of the above does happen. The Church cannot do any of those things because it goes directly against what the church teaches. Because we are going against the law we will lose our tax-exempt status and our Church leaders, the Bishops, will probably be arrested. After that who knows what could happen. Sunday mass could be seen as an illegal protest of some sort and be shut down, because all the Bishops are in jail and Diocese have lost their “business” status in the country actual Parishes will probably be shut down, and who knows what else could happen. It really is scary to think about. My brothers and I are particularly scared because we will have to be the ones with solutions to these problems. We will have to stand up for Mother Church and protect her against the wickedness of the men running our government.

So, how can we prevent this? I wish I had a good answer. One way to start is by electing officials that will stand up for religious liberties and protect them. We all have rights in this country! Just because we separate Church from State does not mean Church can’t have a voice in State decisions! We are all supposed to be equal in the country! So let’s vote in candidates that will stand up for religious liberties! Write to your senators and congressmen letting them know how important your religious liberties are to you! We also need to spread this news around to all our brothers and sisters! It is my fear that no one will realize these injustices until it is too late. We need to let everyone know what is at stake in this country right now. The last, and most important thing, we can do is pray. Pray that the Lord looks upon our government leaders and that the Holy Spirit may descend upon them to lead this country in a just way keeping in mind that all people have liberties and all are equal and should be treated with respect from conception to natural death! As always, pray for the intercession and protection of our Blessed Mother.