An Election Year Prayer from Cardinal Burke

An Election Year Prayer

for the Faithful Witness of

Catholics in the United States

O Lord Jesus Christ,
You alone are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
In Your Church You show us the Way,
You teach us the Truth, and You give us Your Life.
Grant, we humbly beg You,
that, always and in all things, we may
be faithful to You in Your Holy Church,
and to Your Vicar on Earth, the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI.
Grant also, we beg You,
that, in these times of decision,
all who profess to be Catholic
and who are entrusted with the sacred duty to participate in public life, may, by the strength of Your grace, unwaveringly follow Your Way and faithfully adhere to Your Truth, living in You with all their mind and heart, for Your greater glory, the salvation of souls, and the good of our nation.  Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, Pray for us.
Saint Thomas More, Patron of Religious Freedom, Pray for us.

-- By His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

60 Second Catholic Videos: "Faith Matters" -- from our bishops!

Faith Matters - a sixty-second reflection about faith, family and the issues that Catholics care about. These short messages, recorded by the bishops of California, air on Catholic radio stations around the state.

http://www.cacatholic.org/index.php/take-action/faithful-citizenship/faith-matters

Spiritual reflections from JustFaith Ministries

This image is called "Be Still" from Just Faith Ministries program: STILLPOINT...In the Eye of the Storm.

The website provides reflections carefully crafted to accompany you in your practice of 'engaged presence,' as you draw the world of crying need and awesome complexity into your heart and center.

STILLPOINT in the Eye of the Storm comes in weekly installments each Thursday as reflections, resources and reminders for engaging spirituality in times like these.

Find the blog at:

http://stillinthestorm.wordpress.com/

Video on Living in Poverty from US Bishops

Tour Poverty USA Video from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Catholic Campaign for Human Development: What's life like at the poverty line? It's one impossible choice after another—between food and medicine, getting to work or paying the heating bill. But there are ways out.

Watch the video, join the discussion, learn more at this link: 

http://vimeo.com/35903896#

Catholic Social Teaching on Human Dignity

Catholic Social Teaching: Human Dignity.  “Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for society.  The principle of human dignity is grounded in the idea that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the clearest reflection of God among us. We are required to honor the human person, to give priority to the person.”  -- Catholic Charities Office for Social Justice, http://www.osjspm.org

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.  --Psalm 10:17

Register to Vote! Deadline Oct 22nd!

Read more at: Register to Vote Online: Deadline October 22, 2012!

"Responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation."  -- Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 

Register to vote online: www.vote411.org

Video of Sr. Helen Prejean on Why Catholics Should Be Against Death Penalty

Sr. Helen Prejean, well-known as the author of Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents, told the remarkable story of her spiritual journey accompanying those who have been condemned to death. During her reflection, she recounted stories of faith that lead her to advocate against the death penalty. She spoke of her conversations with Blessed John Paul II who strongly opposed state-sponsored killing. She challenged Catholics who belong to a Pro-life Church to protect the lives of those who are guilty of terrible crimes as well as the lives of the innocent. She asked the assembly, at this historic time, to work for an end to the Death Penalty in California by supporting Proposition 34 on the November 6 ballot. October 7 was designated as Respect Life Sunday by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Why Catholics Should Vote Yes on Prop 34

The California Catholic Bishops are strongly in support of Prop 34 to end the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment with no possibility of parole.  

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops continue their Campaign Against the Death Penalty.  

Why?  

Learn more at this video: 

http://www.safecalifornia.org/news/videos/join-tyt?track=ema_20121013tyt&tag=ema_20121013tyt&utm_source=ema_20121013tyt&utm_medium=ema_&utm_campaign=tytThe

California Bishops Say Prop 34 is Pro-Life

"Pope John Paul II wrote “The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life: who will proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life in every situation.  A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.”  Archbishop Jose Gomez and the Catholic Bishops of California have decided to promote passing Proposition 34 that will replace the death penalty in California with life in prison without the possibility of parole.  Please join them in passing this important pro-life proposition."  

Read more from our bishops at http://tinyurl.com/TopTenProLife

Make a Difference in Washington, D.C., with the Click of a Mouse

Catholic Charities USA keeps a close eye on legislation passing through Congress, and regularly asks Catholic voters to write to their Congresspersons on time urgent bills.  With a simple click of the mouse and the entry of a few fields of data about yourself, you can send an effective email to your Congressperson.  At the following website, click on “Advocacy” and then “Take Action”: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org

Bishops Call the Faithful to Form Consciences for November Election

Here are some things to think about as elections draw nearer.  As US Citizens, voters and Catholics, we need to bring Christian virtues to the public arena.

“The relative silence of candidates and their campaigns on the moral imperative to resist and overcome poverty is both ominous and disheartening … In this election year, Catholics should review and act on what the U.S. bishops said on economic issues in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: Economic decisions and institutions should be assessed according to whether they protect or undermine the dignity of the human person. Social and economic policies should foster the creation of jobs for all who can work with decent working conditions and just wages. Barriers to equal pay and employment for women and those facing unjust discrimination must be overcome. Catholic social teaching supports the right of workers to choose whether to organize, join a union, and bargain collectively, and to exercise these rights without reprisal. It also affirms economic freedom, initiative, and the right to private property. Workers, owners, employers, and unions should work together to create decent jobs, build a more just economy, and advance the common good.”  

 -- Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/WorkersEconomy

National Voter Registration Day, September 25,2012

Supported by Catholic Charities USA
Register to vote online: www.vote411.org

Why should I register to vote, and help friends and family to do so?  In 2008, 6 million Americans didn't vote because they missed a registration deadline or didn’t know how to register. Don’t let you or someone you know be left out!

What is National Voter Registration Day?  On September 25, 2012, volunteers, civic groups, and organizations from all over the country will "hit the streets" for National Voter Registration Day. This single day of coordinated ?eld, technology and media efforts will create pervasive awareness of voter registration opportunities.  Learn more at: http://nationalvoterregistrationday.org

If I have moved since the last election, or recently turned 18, do I need to register to vote?  Yes, you do! 

How can I register to vote? Pick up a voter registration form from the Livermore Public Library, the Livermore Post Office, or go online at: http://www.vote411.org

What is the deadline for registering by mail?  Your registration must be postmarked no later than October 22, 2012.

What do our Catholic bishops say about the ballot issues?  Plenty!  On their website for the California Catholic Conference (http://www.cacatholic.org), our bishops have prepared brief summaries of the text and the arguments of the proponents and opponents of the 11 propositions which will appear on California’s November 6, 2012 ballot.  Each contains summaries of the pro and con arguments, as well as relevant Catholic social teaching.  In addition, our bishops are specifically endorsing Prop 34 SAFE California Act to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment without possibility of parole.

"Responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation."
-- Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Catholic Word of the Day

Have you ever wondered what a narthex is? Or what it means to be a recidivist or what febronianism is? Our Catholic faith is RICH with it's own vocabulary, and if you want to work your way to be a grand Catholic word-nerd, check out the Catholic Word of the Day at Our Sunday Visitor's website.  You can look up a specific word, or hit the "surprise me" button for the random word of the day.

How fun would it be to use the word of the day for your small group as an ice-breaker?  Maybe a fun trivia contest at your next bible study?

Fair Trade Defeats Poverty

A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away. -- Proverbs 13:23

 

Our Bishops Promote Fair Trade.  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops promotes fair trade around the world through their global outreach agency, Catholic Relief Services.  Visit their website at: www.crsfairtrade.org

What is Fair Trade?  Fair Trade is about fair prices.  It’s about eliminating exploitative middlemen and sharing more of a product’s value with the people who made it.  Fair Trade is about being good stewards of the planet God gave us.   Catholic Relief Services’ Fair Trade program contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to marginalized producers and workers.  The CRS Fair Trade website helps you pray, learn, act, give (and receive!) in solidarity with artisans and farmers around the world.