Christian Forums - One Bread, One Body - Catholic http://www.christianforums.com A forum open to Christians to discuss various Catholic beliefs and issues. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:50:53 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.christianforums.com/style/misc/rss.jpg Christian Forums - One Bread, One Body - Catholic http://www.christianforums.com Russian Orthodox Priest Killed in Church http://www.christianforums.com/t7419199/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:43:13 GMT MOSCOW — The Rev. Daniil Sysoyev, a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/r/russian_orthodox_church/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier) who was known for promoting missionary work among Muslims, was shot and killed in his parish church... MOSCOW — The Rev. Daniil Sysoyev, a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church who was known for promoting missionary work among Muslims, was shot and killed in his parish church late Thursday night, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Father Sysoyev, 35, died at a Moscow hospital of gunshot wounds to the head and chest, RIA Novosti said. The Web site of the Moscow patriarchate confirmed his death. The parish’s choir director was wounded in the shootings at the Church of St. Thomas by the unidentified assailant.
A Moscow Patriarchate official called Father Sysoyev a “talented missionary” whose work among Muslims, including Tatars, might have been the motive for the shooting.
“I don’t exclude that the murder is connected to the fact that he preached among and baptized those who belong to Muslim culture,” the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with the news media, said in a telephone interview.

The New York Times > Log In ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic IgnatiusOfAntioch http://www.christianforums.com/t7419199/ Bosnian Cardinal denies claims of Vatican commission for Medjugorje http://www.christianforums.com/t7419169/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:08:15 GMT *Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nov 20, 2009 / 11:45 am (**CNA* (http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/)*).-* ---Quote--- Cardinal Vinko Puljic, Archbishop of Sarajevo and President of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina denied press reports yesterday which claim that the Vatican... Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nov 20, 2009 / 11:45 am (CNA).-

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Cardinal Vinko Puljic, Archbishop of Sarajevo and President of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina denied press reports yesterday which claim that the Vatican is creating a commission to investigate the alleged apparitions of Medjugorje.

The cardinal, who is visiting Rome to attend the plenary session of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, of which he is a member, said that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is neither preparing a document nor establishing a special commission to study the Medjugorje apparitions.
Continued- http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17777 ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419169/ Home Sweet Shelter: Pro-Life Profile http://www.christianforums.com/t7419165/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:47:01 GMT
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The pregnant teenager had been awarded a coveted “pass” to spend the weekend with her family. On Friday, her folks picked her up; on Sunday, they were supposed to return her to Mary’s Shelter. But Saturday afternoon the girl phoned the office. It was Super Bowl weekend, and her parents didn’t want her underfoot at the party they had planned for game day.

“Can somebody come get me and bring me home?” she asked.

“Just the fact that she used the word ‘home’ let me know she knew she was loved,” recalls Barbara Nelson, the shelter’s executive director.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, Mary’s Shelter got its start in Orange County, Calif., when members of a prayer group at nearby St. Cecilia Catholic Church pooled their resources to buy a small property. Over the years, the original three-bedroom home — which could house six pregnant girls — was remodeled and a second one was constructed.

Today Mary’s Shelter has the capacity for 18 teen mothers and 12 babies.

Mary’s Shelter residents come from all sectors of society. Many are recovering from physical, emotional or sexual abuse; some have been abandoned by their families. Many come to Mary’s Shelter from social-services programs, while others find their way here: Mary’s Shelter is the only maternity home in California that serves pregnant minors who are not in the social-services system.
Continued- http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/home_sweet_shelter ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419165/ John Paul’s Multimedia Time Capsule http://www.christianforums.com/t7419163/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:43:51 GMT *Exhibit Traces Pope’s Affection for Jewish People* ---Quote--- Pope John Paul II changed the course of Catholic-Jewish relations on April 6, 1993, when, on the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, he uttered, “As Christians and Jews, following the example of the faith of Abraham, we... Exhibit Traces Pope’s Affection for Jewish People

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Pope John Paul II changed the course of Catholic-Jewish relations on April 6, 1993, when, on the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, he uttered, “As Christians and Jews, following the example of the faith of Abraham, we are called to be a blessing to the world.

“This is the common task awaiting us. It is therefore necessary for us, Christians and Jews, to be first a blessing to one another.”

“A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People,” a multimedia exhibit that began in 2005 at Xavier University in Cincinnati, has drawn tens of thousands as it moved to the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, as well as other major cities. Now at the Holocaust Museum in Houston, through Jan. 3, “A Blessing to One Another” transports visitors back to John Paul’s hometown of Wadowice, Poland, then carries them through four major periods in his life. Each focuses on his friendship and relationship with the Jewish people, including his historic visit to the Holy Land in 2000, and how it has shaped Catholic-Jewish relations.
Continued- http://www.ncregister.com/site/artic...a_time_capsule
]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419163/ New Exhibit Shows How Faith Shaped Europe’s History http://www.christianforums.com/t7419161/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:38:12 GMT *‘Power and Grace’* ---Quote--- Many Italians were angered Nov. 3 when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that crucifixes should not be hung on the walls of Italy’s public schools. But the ruling was just the latest in an incremental process of radical secularism in Europe that is... ‘Power and Grace’

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Many Italians were angered Nov. 3 when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that crucifixes should not be hung on the walls of Italy’s public schools.

But the ruling was just the latest in an incremental process of radical secularism in Europe that is increasingly eroding the Continent’s Christian identity. More urgently than ever, it seems, Europe needs to be reminded of its Christian roots and heritage, as Pope Benedict XVI and John Paul II have consistently argued.

All of which makes an exhibition in Rome particularly timely.

“Power and Grace — the Holy Patrons of Europe,” featuring 120 priceless works of art, takes the visitor on a journey through the history of the ups and downs of the church-state relationship in Europe. It will end Jan. 31, 2010.
Continued- http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/power_and_grace
]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419161/ Friar Pluck http://www.christianforums.com/t7419159/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:28:39 GMT ---Quote--- *Father Benedict Groeschel has spent a lifetime evangelizing, preaching, teaching, writing books and reforming religious life. * *Recently celebrating 50 years as a priest, the Franciscan Friar of the Renewal shows little sign of slowing down, in spite of a serious car accident...
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Father Benedict Groeschel has spent a lifetime evangelizing, preaching, teaching, writing books and reforming religious life.

Recently celebrating 50 years as a priest, the Franciscan Friar of the Renewal shows little sign of slowing down, in spite of a serious car accident several years ago and a minor stroke earlier this year. He still appears live on EWTN each Sunday evening and is getting ready to release yet another book.

In a wide-ranging interview with Register correspondent Celeste Behe Oct. 25, Father Benedict, 76, discussed growing up, discovering his vocation and the highlights of his many years in religious life.


You celebrated your first Mass at your home parish of St. Aloysius in Caldwell, N.J. Today, 50 years later, you returned to St. Aloysius to celebrate Mass once again. What were your thoughts upon entering the church?

I went to live at St. Aloysius in 1933 with my family; I’m the oldest of six children. In that church, most of my brothers and sisters were baptized. We all made our confirmation there; I was ordained and said my first Mass there; my parents and my brother were buried from that church. It’s so beautiful to have one’s family united in a parish.
Continued- http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/friar_pluck ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419159/ Abortion Site-Escort Nun Chided http://www.christianforums.com/t7419156/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:10:52 GMT HINSDALE, Ill. —
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Sister Donna Quinn referred to herself as a “peacekeeper” when she escorted women into a Chicago-area abortion business to shield them from pro-life advocates.

But leaders of her Sinsinawa Dominican community, saying they fully support Church teaching on abortion, have told her that her actions violated her profession as a religious sister.

Now, Sister Donna may be facing further discipline as the bishops of Madison, Wis., and Joliet, Ill., and the archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, consider whether she formally cooperated with abortions by volunteering at the business. Under canon law, the penalty for formal cooperation with abortion is automatic excommunication. Three jurisdictions are involved because the Sinsinawa Dominicans are based in the Madison Diocese, Sister Donna resides in the Chicago Archdiocese, and the business is in the Joliet Diocese.

Canon law also provides for dismissal from a religious community for a sister who has been an accomplice to an abortion or has given “grave scandal arising from culpable behavior,” according to canon lawyer Edward Peters, writing on his blog, In the Light of the Law.
Continued- http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/abortion_site-escort_nun_chided ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419156/ St Maximus the Confessor Shows Us Why We Cannot Rely Upon the Church Fathers Alone http://www.christianforums.com/t7419155/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:06:44 GMT ---Quote--- I really like St Maximus; he is one of my favorite saints and one of my favorite patristic writers. There is much within his works that inspire me and my own theological development. Yet, he was a man of his time (the 7th century). And in this time, their understanding of human...
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I really like St Maximus; he is one of my favorite saints and one of my favorite patristic writers. There is much within his works that inspire me and my own theological development. Yet, he was a man of his time (the 7th century). And in this time, their understanding of human biology was woeful at best. Perhaps the best way to show this is to explore a quote of St Maximus on abortion:
Question 28 (III, 7): What is the meaning of the passage about the woman who is struck and ‘has an abortion,’ and ‘if the child comes out perfectly formed’ the law declares that the one who struck [her] must give ‘life for life.’ But if the child falls out unformed, [why] is it only an accident?

Literally, we understand the passage in this way: since the murder is of the body — for a soul, being immortal, is never murdered – for this reason ‘being not perfectly formed’ into the human form does not entail to danger but only mild damage. But if the human image is fully developed, it is reasonable to see such a person as committing the murder of a perfect human being [1].
Continued- http://vox-nova.com/2009/11/20/st-maximus-the-confessor-shows-us-why-we-cannot-rely-upon-the-church-fathers-alone/
]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419155/ Diocesan Statement on 2009 CCHD Collection http://www.christianforums.com/t7419154/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:54:38 GMT ---Quote--- Kansas City – St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn has sent the following statement to pastors concerning the 2009 collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development:*Concerning the 2009 Collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, * In recent weeks, much has been...
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Kansas City – St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn has sent the following statement to pastors concerning the 2009 collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development:
Concerning the 2009 Collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development,

In recent weeks, much has been written about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. While it is true that CCHD funded community organizing groups such as ACORN in the past, the Campaign ended its relationship with ACORN two years ago and has not renewed it.

At the present time, CCHD is examining all funding groups. They have affirmed that they cannot fund any group involved in partisan politics or groups that promote causes contrary to Church teaching.
Continued- http://catholickey.blogspot.com/2009/11/diocesan-statement-on-2009-cchd.html ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419154/ This Thanksgiving, Peggy Noonan reminds us to be thankful for the little things. http://www.christianforums.com/t7419153/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:50:33 GMT
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Last Thanksgiving, it looked as if a hard year was coming, and it was and it did. The holiday was shadowed by a sense of economic foreboding—Wall Street failing, companies falling and layoffs coming. It isn't over—no one thinks it's over. But the mood of this Thanksgiving looks to be different.

An unofficial poll of a dozen friends yields two themes: "We're still here," and, "I am so grateful." Almost all experienced business reverses, some of which were deep, and some had personal misfortunes of one kind or another: "I am thankful that my mother's death was fast and that she did not have to suffer," wrote a beloved friend. But something tells me that a number of Thanksgiving dinners will be marked this year by a new or refreshed sense of gratitude: We're still here. I am so grateful.
Continued- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704204304574546093616349588.html ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419153/ 101 ways to get ready for Thanksgiving http://www.christianforums.com/t7419151/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:46:51 GMT
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It's Friday, and less than a week from Thanksgiving, so what better time to post 101 easy dishes you can make in advance of the holiday?

This recipe compendium comes from Mark Bittman, a man sure to go down in culinary history. His columns and blog in the New York Times are full of fail-proof recipes and helpful information. (The latest edition of his How to Cook Everything is my new go-to-cookbook for... well... everything.)

This list from his Minimalist column provides a lot of ideas. I'll leave you with a few simple soups. Don't forget: salt to taste.
Continued- http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=101-ways-to-get-ready-for-Thanksgiving.html&Itemid=127 ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419151/ If you thought fetal cells for cosmetics was bad..... http://www.christianforums.com/t7419149/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:40:41 GMT Gang 'killed victims to extract their fat' | World news | The Guardian

Gang 'killed victims to extract their fat'

Peruvian police arrest suspects who allegedly drained their victims and sold liquid as an anti-wrinkle treatment


How sick is this? These were living adult people who were killed just to obtain their body fat. Lord have mercy. ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Veritas http://www.christianforums.com/t7419149/ Too Much Mary? http://www.christianforums.com/t7419145/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:25:59 GMT ---Quote--- The Nobel Prize-winning writer Octavio Paz once quipped that the Mexican people, after five centuries of experimentation, have come to believe only in two things: the Virgin of Guadalupe and the National Lottery. Having been raised by Mexican immigrants in this country, I cannot...
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The Nobel Prize-winning writer Octavio Paz once quipped that the Mexican people, after five centuries of experimentation, have come to believe only in two things: the Virgin of Guadalupe and the National Lottery. Having been raised by Mexican immigrants in this country, I cannot testify to my ancestral nation's enthusiasm for games of chance with hopeless odds. However, I can definitely attest to the devotion -- sometimes superficial, sometimes deep -- that most people of Mexican heritage have toward the Virgen Morena (the Dark Virgin).

My grandmothers have always had at least ten images in the house of just the Virgin of Guadalupe, not counting all of the other crucifixes, statues of Saints Joseph and Jude, and countless other articles of religious kitsch. Even at the folksiest of Spanish Masses, there are songs to the Virgin of Guadalupe that serve as the religious soundtrack for any childhood in the Mexican barrio. I have even known evangelical Protestants who long ago rejected the Faith of their ancestors, only to still carry pictures of la Guadalupana in their wallets -- perhaps as a "good luck charm," or perhaps as a reminder of the home they left long ago in pursuit of a better life.

So when some in the Church criticize certain Catholic societies for being too "hung up on Mary" ....
Continued- http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7249&Itemid=48 ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419145/ Catholic Mothers to their Children: Come Home for Christmas http://www.christianforums.com/t7419008/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:10:33 GMT Zenit News Agency (www.zenit.org)

Bishops' of England and Wales launch campaign uniting mothers everywhere who pray for their children to come back to the Church for Christmas




(Monica and Augustine) St. Monica is the patron saint of resting Catholics.She was a faithful wife and mother who prayed for years for her son to embrace the Christian faith

LONDON, (Zenit.org) -
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The bishops' conference of England and Wales is sponsoring a campaign uniting mothers everywhere who pray for their children to come back to the Church for Christmas.

This initiative is part of the larger annual "Come Home For Christmas" campaign started in 2007 as an outreach to lapsed Catholics who no longer attend Mass. It is being resourced by the conference's Catholic Agency to Support Evangelization.

The campaign has seen great success since it began, and this year a special role is being given to Catholic mothers.
Continued- http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=34889 ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419008/ Ave Maria University Receives Four Million Dollar Gift and Uncharitable Criticism http://www.christianforums.com/t7419001/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:51:53 GMT *Permission to post full text* *By Deacon Keith Fournier 11/19/2009* *Catholic Online (www.catholic.org (http://www.catholic.org/))* *Charity calls us to be charitable, beginning with one another. It calls us to love all men and women as the Lord does.* Image:... *Permission to post full text*

By Deacon Keith Fournier
11/19/2009
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Charity calls us to be charitable, beginning with one another. It calls us to love all men and women as the Lord does.



Ave Maria is one of several dynamically faithful Catholic Colleges preparing future Catholic leaders. I have great respect for the courage shown by the University founder, the leadership of its President and the scholarship and dedication of those who are gathering together to build this new University dedicated to Our Lady.


CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) –
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I was recently delighted to learn that Ave Maria University was the recipient of a Four Million dollar ($4,000,000.) gift from a man named Tom Golisano. The first words which came into my heart upon reading the news were from St. Paul, “Rejoice with those who rejoice…” (Romans 12:15)

I am convinced that the most important work being done in this new missionary age is the preparation of the next generation of faithful, well educated young Catholic men and women, prepared to respond to the call to every Christian vocation and to participate in the mission of the Church. It is these men and women, now being prepared at places like Ave Maria, who will carry on the work of the Church well into the Third Millennium making it into a new missionary age of the Church.

Our work as Catholics called to rebuild the Church and transform the culture will take a long time given the devastation of the last one hundred years. We need “living stones”, young women and men in love with the Lord and the Church and truly educated in the Truth which alone sets us free to take up the charge. They will carry on the New Evangelization through their work and their witness of life. Ave Maria is one of several dynamically faithful Catholic Colleges preparing future Catholic leaders. I have great respect for the courage shown by the University founder, the leadership of its President and the scholarship and dedication of those who are gathering together to build this new University dedicated to Our Lady.

My next response was to find out more about the donor and how this gift would be used. I discovered that B. Thomas Golisano is the founder and Chairman of Paychex, Inc. I used Paychex in my work in starting organizations in the past but never knew who founded it. I also discovered that he owns the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, so I was not surprised to read that the funds will be used to build an athletic facility. Mr. Golisano told the Press, "I am pleased to contribute to this exciting new endeavor at Ave Maria University….The new field house will be an integral part of the University's future growth and vitality. Athletic programs, sport teams, wellness activities and clubs help to round out the college experience for students and their families and more importantly, keep young minds engaged and healthy."

I have spent the last few months getting back into shape and rediscovering the essential importance of living an integrated and healthy lifestyle. This was necessary after years of pursuing a graduate degree during which I simply fell apart physically. One of the things I admire most about Ave Maria is their commitment to helping those who study there and live in the community of faith on campus to develop good habits of both body and soul. Their focus on virtue and holiness is as inspiring as it is practical. Finally, I discovered the impressive philanthropy of Mr. Golisano, much of which is done through the “Golisano Foundation” which assists people with learning disabilities. Clearly this is a man who through his giving, his charity, has helped many of the “poor” and is to be commended for that work.

However, it was what I discovered next online which prompted this article. I found petty, vicious attacks against Ave Maria for accepting the gift published in certain segments of the Catholic blogosphere. It appears that Mr. Golisano, like most of us reading this article, is a work in progress. His long life reveals that he held some positions in the past which do not comport with those which he holds today. Some within certain segments of the Catholic blogging community were only too eager to point out those positions of the past. However, they took another step; they attacked the man’s motives and attacked Ave Maria for accepting his charity so as to help fund their work of forming young men and women in Charity. First, I became angry, and then I grew sad.

I immediately wrote to their President, Nick Healy, to congratulate him and to encourage him. I was sure he had seen these negative attacks. I share an excerpt from my E-Mail in order to then express some thoughts for us to consider together:

******

“…You have heard the expression about water rolling off the backs of ducks...that is how you and the founder of the University, Tom Monaghan, should approach the ever annoying peanut gallery of whining negative critics in some of our own circles. Let it roll off your back and rejoice in the Lord who has blessed you with so many gifts. CONGRATULATIONS!

Securing this gift from Tom Golisano is wonderful news for the thousands of faithful young Catholics and others who will grow in their ability to serve the Church - called into the the world - while living and studying there through his generosity! It is also a great example of a Catholic vision of evangelization and mission. What are we supposed to do - not allow people whom we are seeking to bring to the fullness of the truth to be generous and assist the Lord's work with their goods?

I remember when I was Dean of Students (centuries ago it seems) at the beginning of the miracle turn around at Steubenville. I was one of the first Catholics invited to attend the Coalition of Christian Colleges. The then Dean of an Evangelical Protestant School who invited me surprised me when he called me up to the dais to tell the Steubenville story during what was to be his plenary address. I simply shared what the Lord had done through the courage and fidelity to the vision of Fr. Michael Scanlan and the role of real, persevering prayer. Of course, many present at that meeting were amazed, some because they did not even believe that Catholics were Christians (those were very different days you recall), others by the story itself. I explained that like the Psalmist said, the Lord did indeed build that house!

The Dean asked if I would take questions and I assented. One of the questions was "Do you allow non-Christians to attend the College?" "Of course we do" I answered, "if they respect our way of life and commitments and agree to live by them." "Well, what do you do with them once they get there?"- came the response. I responded---"We love them in the Lord and hope they come to find Him as we have and become Christians with us."

We are called to Evangelize, to give away this treasure we have received, our Catholic faith, to all whom we encounter as we live our lives redemptively in this world. That means reaching out to all and allowing people to be generous with us - and through their acts of charity find the very Source of all Charity, Jesus Christ!

What is wrong with these folks who are attacking this gift, the giver of this and the recipient? Are they so caught in their own negative world view that they are always suspect of their fellow Catholics? That is the attitude which seems to be behind this controversy. What do they think? Do they presume that Ave Maria will compromise the truth in order to obtain a monetary gift? Of course not, she is a servant of that Truth, named after the woman whose "yes" opened the door for Truth to be enfleshed!

Mr. Golisano will now be associated even more with that Truth who is SOMEONE, Jesus Christ, who will also change his life. This gift of his to that University was a part of a loving Plan in his own life and you were all were a part of it! His act of charity will lead him to the source of CHARITY, the God who is Love and who has a human face, the face of Jesus the Lord.

I HAD to congratulate you and the founder of that University. I am inspired by your prayer, your persistence and your understanding of what it means to be Catholic - and your willingness to act upon it. You show all of us how we are all called to continue to "love the world" as the Lord does.

St. John wrote “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16) God still loves the world, and He still sends His Son, through you and me. We are called into the world to transform it from within without fear and to invite all men and women to find the source of all Charity, the One who fully reveals the Father and, in the words of the Council, “fully reveals man to himself in his most high calling.” You have my full support and solidarity.”

******

Some of the negative response came from Mr. Golisano’s growing understanding of the truth concerning the dignity of every human life, including the lives of our youngest neighbors in the womb. From what the President of Ave Maria has told me, Mr. Golisano is now truly Pro-Life. I am not surprised. The reality of the Truth about the dignity of every human life is often progressive in its impact and it leads the one who begins to perceive it to a genuine conversion. Years ago, I had the privilege of getting to know Steve Forbes and to later assist him in his campaign for the Presidency. He had come to understand the truth about the life. I knew he had become genuinely Pro-Life. However, I remember the cynicism that came from some within the Catholic community concerning his change on that vital issue. I knew Steve's change was sincere and I was very glad to help him along the way.

Maybe I have missed something but are we only supposed to associate with one another? Much like my story of accepting students at Steubenville who did not yet embrace the faith, isn’t it our mission to invite - and then to help - all men and women come to find the Truth within the fullness of Christianity found within the Catholic Church? Should we not allow them, along the way, to give to furthering the work of that Church? The very act of charity is itself an occasion of grace for them and for us.

We need to examine ourselves as a virtual global Catholic community. We are joined together in the Body of Christ through our Baptism. All of us are called to continually grow in Charity, particularly in our behavior toward one another. We should support one another as Catholics online in the manner in which we report good news such as this gift to Ave Maria University. I suggest that a good place to start is by always presuming the good about one another. St. Paul reminded the Galatian Christians, “So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith.” (Gal. 6:10) We need to heed this advice in the way that we treat other Catholics.

Charity calls us to be charitable, beginning with one another. It also calls us to love all men and women as the Lord does and to remember who we are, who we were, and who we are becoming. This virtual community we share together online is a resource and an invitation. It brings with it an obligation to practice what we preach with one another and with others who are on the road.

I invite all of our readers to join me in congratulating Ave Maria University, honoring Tom Golasano for his act of Charity and thanking the Lord for this wonderful news.


http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=34886 ]]> One Bread, One Body - Catholic Michie http://www.christianforums.com/t7419001/