Catholic Relief Services: Please Write Your Congressperson!

Please write your member of Congress on a number of hot topics.

Check current action alerts at: http://tinyurl.com/crs-action-center

This request comes from Catholic Relief Services in coordination with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Many items of upcoming legislation have moral dimensions, e.g. arms control, global poverty, immigration reform.

The website of CRS is sooooo easy to use -- will only take you 5 minutes to send your own representatives an email. If you are unfamiliar with an issue, all the policy statements and summaries are right there so you can understand WHY the Bishops' have a particular position.

The Bishops always apply Catholic doctrine to current issues -- they are not partisan. Their faith is informing their politics, not the other way around!

I just sent an email to my Congressperson regarding international nuclear arms control and global poverty.

Catholic Social Teaching: Solidarity or I Am My Brother's Keeper

Why should we walk for life? Give the gift of English language skills? Give microloans to invest in tiny businesses in developing countries?

To live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To act out our faith. To live our discipleship.

Actions of charity and justice have a deep spiritual dimension.

Matthew 25 is very compelling: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40, New American Bible)

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops summarize the Catholic Social Teaching of Solidarity like this:

"We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that “if you want peace, work for justice.” The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict."

-- from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website at http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml

Help Others to Speak English: Volunteer as an English Tutor!

Now here is a New Year's Resolution you can make that will make a lasting improvement in someone's life: Give the gift of English language skills to an adult in your community!

Think how important it is for an adult in 21st century America to have good English skills: talking to their children's teachers, navigating the Department of Motor Vehicles, having better job opportunities. Good English skills can be the ticket to lift a family up and out of poverty!

In my parish, we are joining with a longstanding, successful program at the local public library. The only skill we need to qualify as tutors is to speak English. We do not need to be bilingual. The students are already in English as a Second Language classes taught by professional educators -- what they need from us is practice, practice, practice!

My local program is through the Livermore Public Library in the city of Livermore, California: http://www.ci.livermore.ca.us/library/literacy.html

To find a program near you, try the following website:

ProLiteracy (champions the power of literacy to improve the lives of adults and their families, communities, and societies): http://www.proliteracy.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=298

6th Annual Walk for Life, January 23, 2010, San Francisco

Mark your calendars!

Make a New Year's Resolution!

Make a stand against abortion -- and take a walk!

The West Coast Walk for Life in San Francisco is January 23, 2010. Learn more at: http://www.walkforlifewc.com/

On the east coast, join the March for Life in Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2010. Learn more at:
http://www.marchforlife.org/content/view/13/26/

Last year, I joined two busloads of people from my parish of St. Michael. The rally at the start was incredible -- so many stories of women who bitterly regretted their abortions, men who regretted their lost fatherhood, and heartwarming stories of women who kept their babies and were so happy they had done so! I found the walk quite relaxing -- just strolling along the San Francisco waterfront with 32,000 of my best friends -- praying the Rosary, chatting, looking at the bystanders looking at us. There were only a handful of counter-protesters.

The walk is strenuous because you end up on your feet for several hours -- from the rally to the walk to the rally at the other end. If you cannot join the walk, please pray for the Walk and the March.

“Among Women” Celebrates the beauty and grace of Catholic Faith and Life among women

I just listened to an episode of the relatively new podcast, "Among Women", and found it very informative, enriching and worthwhile.

Here is a description from the Among Women website (http://www.patgohn.com/patgohn/AmongWomenPodcast.com.html):

Goal and Mission: “Among Women” celebrates the beauty and grace that women experience in their Catholic Faith and Life. They hope this “faith-sharing” program will be "faith building" . . . inspiring women in their call to holiness by drawing closer to Christ and the Catholic Church, by living lives of prayer and loving service.

Pat Gohn hosts this program featuring two segments: (1) “Blessed Are They”, a reflection focusing on faithful women who have gone before us . . . those saints and sages who bring inspiration for Christian life. (2) “Among Women,” features conversations with contemporary women from all walks of life.

Catholicism & Science are Friends: "The Catholic Laboratory" Podcast is Great!

I have been listening to a relatively new podcast called, "The Catholic Laboratory", which explores the friendship between Roman Catholicism and science. It is very orthodox, and is also very good science. The podcaster is a devout Catholic and a physicist.

Google "The Catholic Laboratory podcast" or go to http://www.catholiclab.net/TheCatholicLaboratory/Podcast/Podcast.html

The podcast includes short biographies of Catholic scientists and their contributions over the centuries, explorations of physics, cosmology and evolution from the perspective of Catholic theology, and a joke of the week!

Christmas Shopping Tip: Recycle Plastic Bags & Use Reusable Canvas Bags

California spends $25 million annually to landfill discarded plastic bags. You can help!

As you do your Christmas shopping, the California Integrated Waste Management Board recommends that we:

(1) Use reusable canvas or cloth bags.

(2) Say "No thank you." Not all items require a bag.

(3) Recycle! California requires large supermarkets or pharmacies to offer free recycling of plastic bags. How about your state or community?

(4) Reuse them. They make great waste basket liners and bags to take to the local farmers' market. What are your ideas?

(5) Tell a friend about the importance of recycling.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board has great holiday waste reduction tips anyone around the USA or around the world can use: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/PublicEd/Holidays/default.htm

Catholic Social Teaching: Caring for God’s Creation. Caring for the earth is a duty of our Catholic faith. We all are called to be careful stewards of God’s creation and to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for vulnerable human beings now and in the future.

Microlending Really Helps People Climb Up Out of Poverty

Microlending means providing hard working people in developing countries and the USA a few hundred dollars to help them start or improve a tiny business. Their own hard work can bring them and their whole community up and out of poverty, with dignity and self esteem.

All microloans are administered on the ground by charities who also provide money management training, literacy classes, and so on. Your microloan is not a "hand out"; you go into business with the person.

Yes, the economy is bad, but you can start with just $25. And you get it back (that's why it's called micro-LENDING).

An excellent agency is Kiva: http://www.kiva.org/

You can check out my investments at the links below. At the webpage, click on "loans" to see the loans made to groups around the globe.

"Debbie's Family" are my loans in lieu of Christmas presents -- my family wanted to get away from the materialism of Christmas shopping last year.

http://www.kiva.org/lender/debbie7735

JustFaith2 are the investments of my JustFaith group; in the JustFaith program, I first learned how very effective microlending can be. Catholic Relief Services highly recommends it.

http://www.kiva.org/team/st_charles_borromeo_just_faith_ii

About the photo: Kahooza John Bosco is the leader of his lending group in Ibanda. He is a very hardworking and friendly man. He is 38 years old and married with 2 children, both of whom are in primary school; he also takes care of 2 dependants. He has had a retail shop in the Nyarukika trading centre for 15 years, where he is able to make 120,000 as profits a week. This is mostly attributed to the use of the loans that enabled him to have a variety of items in the shop. In the future, John Bosco would want to sell wholesale so that he could sell more and consequently have a happy and united family. He is seeking for a loan to be able buy more products for his shop so as to avoid shortages.

Waste Prevention in Gift Wrapping: 10 Simple Ideas

Here are ideas from the California Integrated Waste Management Board at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/PublicEd/Holidays/

(1) Design your own gift-wrap by using a paper grocery or department store bag; have the kids add decorations.

(2) Spruce up brown paper wrapping with pretty bows (and save them for next year).

(3) Purchase sturdier gift bags and reuse them each year.

(4) For large, hard to wrap gifts, just add a large fancy bow.

(5) Or hide large, unwieldy gifts and give the person a card with a clue to lead them to the present.

(6) Fold up gift boxes and use them again.

(7) Christmas stockings are great for little gifts.

(8) Some gifts come in decorated gift boxes. Just add a bow and a gift tag (made from last year’s Christmas cards).

(9) Wrap gifts in the funny pages or old posters.

(10) If you do use store-bought wrapping paper, buy the kind with recycled content (the more postconsumer, the better).

You and your family can live the Catholic Social Teaching of "Caring for God's Creation" by reducing the amount of paper and ribbon going into landfills. And have a lot of fun doing it!

Fundacion Caminante: Ministry to Help Migrant Workers

Francisco Herrera and and his wife Maria Christina, have a foundation called Fundacion Caminante that helps migrant workers and also the very poor in the US and in Mexico .

Here’s the mission and a brief bio from the web site: http://caminantecultural.com/

OUR MISSION/NUESTRA MISSION

Contribute, as a social justice organization, to the defense of the rights and dignity of all human beings, from our identity as migrant people who in one way or another give witness to love, justice and peace in all social realities.

“Francisco Herrera directs CAMINANTE Cultural Work, dedicated to strengthening working people through retreats, workshops, conferences and concerts. Music provides the venue by which folks can bring their communities together to have a good time, listen to very soulful music and look at their community, deciding what it is we need to change. When people get organized leaders tremble and behave. Francisco's interpretation of original and traditional songs helps us believe in each other.”

Here is Francisco’s web site and you can listen to some of his music:

http://www.myspace.com/franciscoherrera

A friend from my parish loves the songs Atrevete a Sonar and La Tierra.

Bible Study Made Easy for Catholics!

http://greatadventureonline.com/

Don't have time to attend a Bible study? Find the Bible confusing and hard to read on your own? I recommend that you buy a CD set from Great Adventures and listen to it in your car or iPod.

I bought the Bible study on First Corinthians, and it was terrific! The speaker made the Bible come alive, providing the cultural context of the people in Corinth that St. Paul was writing to -- understanding the intended audience is absolutely crucial to understanding 1st Corinthians -- it's so easy to understand once you have the whole context.

Catholicism 101: Great Website for the Basics of Our Faith

http://catholicism.about.com/od/beliefsteachings/tp/Catholicism_101.htm

I just discovered this terrific website with a wealth of information on the basics of the Roman Catholic faith. I did a spot check on a variety of topics (Baptism, Confirmation, Cardinal Virtues) and this site appears to be absolutely orthodox. The explanations of the doctrines of our Roman Catholic faith are easy to understand. What a great resource!

The About.com: Catholicism website is written by Scott P. Richert. I checked his credentials, and he has an impressive knowledge of the Catholic faith, both eastern and western rite. Good job, Scott!

Xt3 -- Millions are using this Catholic social network

Xt3 - more than a social network.
So good even the Pope uses it!

http://www.xt3.com

From Xt3 homepage: "We've got discussions, profile pages, global and friends' prayer walls, podcasts, diocesan homepages, events and projects. You can even ask a priest all those burning questions you have... so why not join now?"

Father Roderick of SQPN is excited about this website -- I understand that it is the largest Catholic networking site in the world. It was founded out of the Pope's World Youth Day in Sidney a couple of years ago. Looks like a lot of fun!

Book Review: "Catholic and Christian" by Alan Schreck

Catholic and Christian: An Explanation of Commonly Misunderstood Catholic Beliefs
by Alan Schreck
ISBN 0-86716-599-5
Copyright 2004
Servant Books (St. Anthony Messenger Press)
www.AmericanCatholic.org

This book is recommended by Scott Hahn for Catholics in order to understand their own faith better, and to be equipped to explain common misunderstandings about the Roman Catholic faith to their Protestant Christian friends.

The explanation of the Saints was very good. I'm going to order copies for myself, my RCIA team, and two friends who are returning Catholics.

Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable.

While the common good embraces all, those who are in greatest need deserve preferential concern. A moral test for society is how we treat the weakest among us – the unborn, those dealing with disabilities or terminal illness, the poor and marginalized. -- from the “Catholic Update” June 2008 Issue

“Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.” --Proverbs 16:8

Christmas Gifts with a Conscience: The Green Gift Guide

“Live responsibly, shop sustainably” is the motto of the Green Gift Guide website (http://www.greengiftguide.com/). You can act on the Catholic Social Doctrine of caring for God’s creation as you Christmas shop.

This website has ideas for buying gifts made of recycled materials, ways to trim your tree and wrap your gifts that do not lead more junk in our landfills -- plan ahead now and have a wonderful, meaningful and socially responsible holiday season!

“He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.” --Psalm 146:7

New Catholic Podcasts -- Learn and Have Fun!

Catholic Vitamins (http://www.catholicvitamins.com/): Faith life a little down? Wondering where God is? That’s okay -- it happens to the best of us. This podcast is dedicated to helping you find the right nutrients that can add a lift and just the right amount of ‘zest’ to your faith practice.

The Catholic Foodie (http://catholicfoodie.com/): The Catholic Foodie brings much more to the table than merely recipes and reviews. The show highlights how food - good food - can be a sign to us of God’s love and care for each of us and our families. "Where food meets faith".

Among Women (http://www.patgohn.com/patgohn/AmongWomenPodcast.com.html): “Among Women” celebrates the beauty and grace that women experience in their Catholic Faith and Life.

In Between Sundays (http://inbetweensundays.com/): Gives you the essentials to live in the world outside of church. Being people of faith requires more than just one hour on Sunday...

Great Christian Music -- It Ain't All Hymns & Chants

The iPadre Catholic Podcast always starts with great Christian music that is really, really good -- not sappy or "churchy".

iPadre Catholic Podcast:

iTunes Name: "iPadre Catholic Podcasting >> iPadre Podcast"

URL: http://www.ipadre.net/

Here are some good tunes and Christian Rock groups:

“Do You Dare” by Bree Noble
Link to song

”My Everything” by Jonathan Roberts
Link to song

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” by Karmen Tyler
Link to song

“Jesus Is The Way” by John Polce
Link to artist

“Everyday Eternity” by Take No Glory
Link to song

“Power of One” by Arthur Pope
Link to song

Live Holiness -- Great New Blog by a Young Priest

"Live Holiness" http://liveholiness.com/

Fr. Michael Najim says:

"I love being a priest and I feel a particular call to help people grow in their friendship with the Lord. This is the main reason I began LiveHoliness.com: to encourage and inspire others to be holy which is our ultimate calling."

Care for God’s Creation by Reducing Holiday Waste

As the holiday season approaches, plan ahead to reduce your waste. Be creative and do not add to our landfills. By some very simple methods, you can act on at least two Catholic Social Doctrines: caring for God's creation and living in solidarity with others who must share the world's resources ("living more simply so that others can simply live")

The bad news: An estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year in the United States, enough to fill a football field 10 stories high. 38,000 miles of ribbon is thrown out each year--enough to tie a bow around the Earth.

The good news: The California Integrated Waste Management Board has a great website with many practical ideas to help you care for God’s creation this holiday season by reducing your own waste: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/PublicEd/Holidays/ .

For example,

1. Buy rechargeable batteries,
2. Wrap jewelry in a scarf,
3. Wrap a kitchen gift in a new dish towel,
4. Use gift bags and save them for next year,
5. Give movie tickets, ball game tickets or other non-material gifts,
6. Give homemade cookies,
7. Use the Sunday comics as wrapping paper,
8. Make gift tags from last year’s Christmas cards, and
9. Always reuse packing peanuts.

For years, my mother-in-law has wrapped our gifts in the comics or old maps or old scraps of wall paper. For the last few years, my sister and I have put our gifts into those reusable gift sacks loosely wrapped in tissue paper. We easily reuse the bags and the tissue paper.

Socially Just Christmas Shopping Ideas

You can act on the Catholic Social Doctrine of solidarity with people around the planet by making purchases direct from farmers and artisans, ensuring that they receive a living wage from the sale of their products. Fair Trade programs also help farmers with sustainable farming methods, so you are also contributing to the Catholic Social Doctrine of caring for God's creation, too! And the Catholic Social Doctrines of the workers' rights and support of families also apply. You are really following in the footsteps of Jesus with your purchases. For the past two years, I have bought all gifts for out of state relatives from fair trade agencies -- the quality is very good. The "Divine" chocolate brand is superb.

Equal Exchange (http://www.equalexchange.coop/) offers fairly traded coffee, tea, chocolate and snacks, supporting small farmer co-ops using sustainable farming methods.

Oxfam America Unwrapped (www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com) makes it easy to give a donation in someone’s name; let’s face it, our adult relatives don’t need another fruitcake and this way we do not generate a lot of wrapping paper for landfills.

Ten Thousand Villages (www.tenthousandvillages.com) offers delightful, handcrafted products from artisans around the world (jewelry, journals, soaps, toys).

Alter Eco Fair Trade (www.altereco-usa.com) offers fair trade and organic foods (coffee, grains, teas, olive oils, chocolate) while supporting small farmers who are preserving local agricultural biodiversity.

-- Courtesy of the Diocese of Oakland, Social Justice Resources webpage

Malaria No More: Together We Can Beat Malaria

Looking for a way to make a difference in the world? How about buying a mosquito net? They cost about $10 each, and they protect children, especially in Africa. What a great "stocking stuffer" to give for Christmas!

For more information, visit: http://www.malarianomore.org/

Helping our brothers and sisters around the world is a way to express the Catholic Social Teaching of "Solidarity". We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that “if you want peace, work for justice.”1 The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict. -- from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml

Wondering if God is Calling You?!?

Catholic Vocations Podcast
http://www.vocationscast.com/

"Just listen to that little voice inside of your heart, telling you what God wants you to do. Because that is your vocation."

This is a really fun podcast for any young man who thinks maybe, just maybe, God is calling him to the priesthood. Find out what it is like to be a priest, to discern a call to the priesthood. Hey -- it's a podcast -- it's private and just between you and God.

More Catholic Apps for iPhone!

View this excellent 1 minute video on YouTube to see many Catholic Apps for iPhones: http://tiny.cc/iPhoneCathApps

iConfess: A handbook to help you make a good Confession!

iViaCrucis: The Way of the Cross -- meditate upon our crucified Savior any Friday (it's not just for Lent)

iCatechism: Look up a question about your faith! What are angels? What is Confirmation exactly? What does the Vatican say about "just war"? It's all in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Catholic Reflections: a daily scripture passage, followed by a saintly reflection and a prayer in the form of a Mobile Widget.

Divine Office and iBreviary: Pray the Divine Office (aka Liturgy of the Hours)! Give it a go in Latin!

iMissal: Follow along during the Mass! Read the daily readings. Uses the official texts approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops with an entire liturgical year’s worth of sacred scripture.

Prayer: Has the Common Prayers from the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church available in English as well as several other languages.

10 Catholic Commandments: Use this app to pray over the 10 commandments that also offers the option of accompanying music.

Divine Mercy: This app provides different images for each of the Our Father beads, helps you keep track of the day of the Novena you are on, and more.
Hail Mary: Pray the rosary with this app that lets you select the color of your beads, provides scripture readings and images, and is available in several languages.

Catholic Calendar: Liturgical calendar for every year from 1970 to 2300 and beyond.

Social Justice Ministry of the Diocese of Oakland

My diocese has great resources for social justice topics.

Social Justice News is the monthly e-newsletter from John Watkins, Social Justice Coordinator, Diocese of Oakland. Email John and request to be put on the distribution list (jwatkins@oakdiocese.org)

Social Justice Resources (http://www.oakdiocese.org/pastoral/SocialJustice) is a website which has a wealth of information on social justice issues, including educational materials and recommendations for action.

The newsletter and website contain news that goes way beyond the San Francisco East Bay; you can find issues affecting California State, America and the planet.

Catholic Hero on DVD! Soon to Be Canonized

"Molokai: The Story Of Father Damien"

Molokai is the story of a priest, Father Damien, who chose to spend his life serving in a leper colony. The movie is a heroic story of great compassion and persistence in the face of physical hardship and isolation. Filmed on location on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai, the scenery is gorgeous, and it touches on the history and culture of Hawaii.

The Vatican recently announced that Blessed Father Damien de Veuster will be canonized this October.

The movie is available on Amazon, at Christian booksellers and Netflix.

Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate), Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI

"Charity in Truth" is a very readable document especially for those interested in economics, justice, and human development.

You can download and print the document from the Vatican website: <http://capwiz.com/cacatholic/utr/1/NKSYKVONIB/IYJOKVPZVA/3631167291> .

The letter has a great many subtleties and nuances than cannot be appreciated with a few selected quotes. With that caution, here are a few highlights to consider:

*"If we love others with charity, then first of all we are just toward them." (6)

*"A society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized." (15)

*"Profit is useful if it serves as a means towards an end...Once profit becomes the exclusive goal...without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty." (21)

*"Openness to life is at the center of true development." (28)

*"Solidarity is first and foremost a sense of responsibility on the part of everyone with regard to everyone, and it cannot therefore be merely delegated to the State." (38)

*"Many people today would claim that they owe nothing to anyone, except to themselves. They are concerned only with their rights, and they often have great difficulty in taking responsibility for their own and other people's integral development. Hence it is important to call for a renewed reflection on how rights presuppose duties, if they are not to become mere license." (43)

*"The exclusion of religion from the public square - and, at the other extreme, religious fundamentalism - hinders an encounter between persons and their collaboration for the progress of humanity. Public life is sapped of its motivation and politics takes on a domineering and aggressive character." (56)

What They Play: The Family Guide to Video Games

http://www.whattheyplay.com

This family website lists current video games by title and platform, and provides ratings and descriptions so that parents and responsible teens can be informed consumers of entertainment software.

"What They Play" uses the rating system by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB); ratings are: EC (Early Childhood), E (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone Above 10 Years Old), T (Teen), M (Mature), AO (Adults Only), RP (Rating Pending). The ratings are given from the perspective of caring parents, and are based on types of violence, use of alcohol/tobacco, and other potentially objectionable content.

Know what your kids are playing! Be aware of what you yourself are playing!

"Fast" from Carbon Use and Lower Your Contribution to Pollution

Fasting: Not Just for Lent! Consider spending a month fasting from pollution, taking responsibility for your own contribution to pollution. Here are specific ideas. Consider chosing one and commit to it with your family, friends, neighbors or coworkers:

1. Start or increase recycling of cans, plastic, glass, and/or paper.

2. To reduce junk mail, write to DirectMail.com, National Do Not Mail Registry, Prince Fredrick, MD, 20678. Request that they remove your name from all 3rd class mailing lists. You can make your request at no charge via the internet at www.DirectMail.com/Junk_Mail.

3. Buy cloth bags and use them instead of plastic or paper bags when shopping.

4. Buy and install a low flow showerhead, and take showers instead of baths. (Baths use twice as much hot water.)

5. Reduce time in the shower to 5 minutes.

“Beyond simply appreciating natural beauty, there is the active stewardship of ecological concern. Ecological stewardship means cultivating a heightened sense of human interdependence and solidarity.” -- from Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” -- Matthew 25:40

The goals of the Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty:

1. Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty

2. Achieve universal primary education

3. Promote gender equality and empower women

4. Reduce child mortality

5. Improve maternal health

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

7. Ensure environmental sustainability

8. Develop a global partnership for development

Learn more about the Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty, sponsored by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops & Catholic Relief Services, at: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/globalpoverty/

Free Online Bible Studies from Nationally Recognized Catholic Theologians

Schedule too crazy to attend a group Bible study at your parish?

Here's your answer!

Free, online Bible studies from the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

You may have heard of Scott Hahn, an outstanding theologian and author who converted to the Roman Catholic Church from Protestant Christianity. He understands and expresses Catholic beliefs very clearly, and knows the Bible forwards and backwards.

A number of FREE Bible studies are available at: http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online

Topics include:
Covenant Love: Introducing the Biblical Worldview

Genesis to Jesus: A Journey Through Scripture

The Lamb's Supper: The Bible and the Mass

"He Must Reign: The Kingdom of God in Scripture

Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God

Reading the Old Testament in the New: The Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel According to Saint Paul

Catholic Apps on iPhone!

View this excellent 1 minute video on YouTube to see many Catholic Apps for iPhones!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5KftViTzRM&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsqpn.com%2Fcategory%2Ftalk-and-interview%2Fdaily-breakfast%2F&feature=player_embedded


Locate a church when you're on the road!

Find your patron saint!

Pray the Divine Office (aka Liturgy of the Hours)!

Give it a go in Latin!

Absolutely easy to use.

Science and Religion, Not Science Versus Religion

NOVA Science Now podcast has an excellent discussion of science and religion that is respectful of both areas of human research into our understanding of our place in the Universe.

These NOVA Science Now episodes do an excellent job in clarifying how science and religion cover separate spheres of rationale inquiry. Science explores the physical world using human reason, and cannot answer questions such as "why are we here?" or "what is our purpose?". Religion explores the transcendent, that which is beyond the physical world; religion uses human reason paired with faith, and its job is to explore questions such as "why are we here?" and "what is our purpose?" and to probe the nature of God. There is no inherent conflict between the two, no battle that need be fought.

As an example of the harmony between science and religion, I have observed that well over half of the scientists and engineers that I work with at a high tech R&D lab are active in their church, synagogue or temple.

The question is not Science vs. Religion. The question is whether any one person accepts the gift of faith, or rejects it. If they reject faith, then they tend to use human knowledge to support that position. If they accept faith, then they delight in any scientific discovery as glorifying God. "The heavens are telling the glory of God," is a favorite Bible quote for one astronomer who is also a Christian.

NOVA Science Podcast from PBS
Link to the various podcasts from NOVA: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/rss/podcasting.html
Link to the RSS feed itself: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/rss/nsn-podcast-pb.xml

Episodes:
Defining Science: The Power of Science
Defining Science: Science is Not Dogmatic
Defining Science: Science vs. Religion
Defining Science: Only a Theory?
Judging Intelligent Design

Sorry that I could not put in links to the individual episodes, but if you subscribe with iTunes or Juice or other podcatching software, you can see the list of episodes and listen to these. They are about 17 episodes back from today.

Free Online Bible Study of Gospel of John

The podcast, "Into the Deep", tackles theology and discipleship today. This podcast is a great resource if you want to delve more deeply into your Roman Catholic faith. The podcast is part of the SQPN Catholic New Media consortium.

Among the many great episodes of "Into the Deep" is a 7 part Bible study on the Gospel of John. This Bible study is very faithful to Vatican II (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum). If you haven't attended a Catholic Bible study lately, this is a great place to start. If you are an old hand, you will also get some meat and potatoes to think about.

The website for "Into the Deep" is: http://deepcast.blogspot.com/

The podcast feed is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/deepcast/UnHm

The 7 episodes in the Bible study for the Gospel of John are:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/deepcast/John_exegesis_talk_1_final.mp3
http://media.libsyn.com/media/deepcast/John_exegesis_talk_2_final.mp3
http://media.libsyn.com/media/deepcast/John_exegesis_talk_3_final.mp3
http://media.libsyn.com/media/deepcast/John_exegesis_talk_4_final.mp3
http://media.libsyn.com/media/deepcast/John_exegesis_talk_5_final.mp3
http://media.libsyn.com/media/deepcast/John_exegesis_talk_6_final.mp3
http://media.libsyn.com/media/deepcast/John_exegesis_talk_7_final.mp3

Lectio divina - a way to pray that will astonish you!

Lectio divina is a slow, contemplative way to pray the Scriptures. I learned how to do this from my diocesan coordinator for Small Christian Communities, and I have used it with wonderful results in RCIA, my Small Christian Community group, and various ministry committee meetings at my parish. This can be done alone, but the spiritual insights are astounding when done with a small group. Try it!

Gather in a quiet spot at a time set aside for contemplation and prayer. Allow 20 minutes. Describe the process so that people know what to expect, and guide people firmly through the process.

Select a short, stand-alone passage from the Scriptures. Part of the previous Sunday's Gospel is usually excellent.

1. Read the Gospel. Everyone spends a minute or so in silent reflection.

2. Read the Gospel. Go around the circle, with everyone sharing a single word, short phrase, or image that stands out to them. DO NOT DISCUSS. Be brief. You may need to restate the ground rules.

3. Read the Gospel. Go around the circle, with everyone sharing just a sentence or two about what INSPIRES or CHALLENGES them. Again, do not discuss. Be brief.

4. Read the Gospel. Go around the circle, with everyone giving a short prayer. When all are done, the leader concludes this reflection time with a prayer.

OK -- now you are done with the Lectio divina. Now you can talk freely, discuss, debate, look up references and commentaries, or otherwise go on with your meeting.

Yes! You really read the Scripture passage through FOUR TIMES. Trust me -- try it! The profound insights that have come out of a group of committed Christians all listening to their hearts is beautiful -- and usually everyone has a different and important insight. Lectio divina is a direct encounter with the Living Word of God. No previous experience is necessary! But please follow the directions given above -- it is a time for each person to share whatever comes to their hearts -- it is not a time for Bible study per sec.

Here are some websites that talk about it more:

Written description Fr. Luke Dysinger: http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/Catholic/2000/08/How-To-Practice-Lectio-Divina.aspx

YouTube video by Fr. Jim Martin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DxaGZqprrs&feature=related

"Dr. Italy" is a Great Speaker on Catholic Faith!

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio is a fantastic speaker -- a really down-to-earth Italian Catholic who is also a theologian. He really knows how to talk about our faith. His website has great information and links.

At my parish, we showed his DVD program, "Feast of Faith", and everyone loved it! One group got a copy and formed a small discussion group around it. Feast of Faith is all about the meaning of the Mass, how to prepare ourselves for it, what Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is all about, etc. Many parishioners were astounded by how little they understood the profound richness of the Eucharist: have you studied your faith lately? How about since your own Confirmation? Think about it.

I highly recommend Dr. Ambrosio's columns, audio cassettes and DVDs.

http://www.dritaly.com

http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/index.html

The JustFaith Program: Growing in Faith by Working for Justice

"What does the LORD require of you but to act justly and love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8

http://www.justfaith.org/

Do you feel the challenge to act on issues of poverty and injustice, but don't know how? The JustFaith program is an educational and spiritual program for lay people at the parish level. Parishioners meet weekly from September through May, and have outstanding experiences that include spiritual conversion.

JustFaith Ministries works in conjunction with Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. This program is endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Learn to become agents of God’s compassion and healing in a wounded world. Answer the challenge of the Good News of Christ and work to address the needs of our most desperate sisters and brothers. JustFaith Ministries helps to fill the world with humble, faith-filled people who act with courageous justice and love with profound tenderness.

Your diocesan office of Social Justice will be able to direct you to parishes in your diocese who are holding the JustFaith program, and can help you start JustFaith at your parish.

Learn All About Saints Online! Our Friends and Role Models

Here are the best online resources that I have found to learn about the Saints, our friends and role models in heaven. Saints lead us to Jesus Christ. We can ask Saints to pray for us, just as we would ask our living friends and relatives to do so.

Saint of the Day website from the Franciscans is excellent. You can listen about the Saint of the Day via podcast or read via the webpage or RSS feed. http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saintofDay/

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: This online encyclopedia is an excellent all around resource, and is certainly a great reference for the Saints, with detailed articles on their lives. You can read online, and I see they have Twitter, RSS feed, and Facebook links. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/s.htm

Saints Website at SQPN has Saints and more Saints - find your patron saints, learn about their holy lives, find prayers: http://saints.sqpn.com/

Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. -- from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml

The idea here is that we must stand up for the most vulnerable in our society; we must be the voice for those without voices. This means the very poor, the unborn, the elderly, minorities, the homeless -- Jesus is found in the faces of these poor. I really recommend you do spend time with Matthew 25:31-46 -- notice how the judgment is based on our actions towards the poor, and not based on how pious we appear to be. Think about it.

Pope Goes High Tech on Pope2you Website!

Pope Benedict XVI is embracing technology and wants to make it easy to talk to us! See his "Pope2you" website at: http://www.pope2you.net/index.php

Applications from the Vatican include Facebook, Wikicath, iPhone and YouTube! How cool is that?!

"Angels & Demons" is full of errors, mistakes, misinformation, fabrication about the Church

The book and movie may be fun thrillers, but watch out! This is fiction! But the tricky thing is that the fiction is portrayed as fact, and some actual facts are mixed in, so a casual reader may come away thinking that the fictions about Holy Mother Church are actually fact.

The Roman Catholic Church is not anti-science.

The Roman Catholic Church does not go about murdering scientists, mathematicians or astronomers.

We Roman Catholics embrace science that is performed to learn the truth about how this elegant universe works. The very heavens tell the glory of God, and the wonderful complexities of the physical world give glory to Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

A great article about the misinformation in Dan Brown's book/movie is on the website of Crossroads Initiative: http://crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/1175/Angels_and_Demons_is_False___Steven_Greydanus.html

A review of the movie is on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website at: http://www.usccb.org/movies/a/angelsanddemons.shtml

Moving back to the Da Vinci Code and all of its errors, a great website is "Jesus Decoded" by our US Bishops: http://www.jesusdecoded.com/introduction.php

The key is to learn about your faith, to know your faith -- Dan Brown's attacks on the faith do not hold water for a minute, and are easy to refute with a few minutes at, say, Wikipedia or your Catechism.

Catholic Social Teaching: Rights and Responsibilities

The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.
-- from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml

As Catholics, we respect life from conception to natural death, and every step in between. Certainly, we want to do everything possible to support mothers and their babies. We also want to replace the Death Penalty with life imprisonment without parole, fight euthanasia and physician assisted suicide: all these need legislative advocacy -- writing letters to Congress and informing our parishes -- this is not "politics", it's morality. But we also must support the poor and vulnerable -- the mentally ill, the homeless and poor, those in other countries who are denied access to medical care and participation in their own government. Again, this is putting our faith into action, this is all part of discipleship -- as important as going to Mass, prayer, Bible study, and almsgiving.

Bring the Holy Bible with You on the Go! Bible Software for PDAs and iPhones and Smartphones and . . .

Don't have time to read the Bible? Think again!

Easy to use, inexpensive PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and cell phone versions of the Bible abound!

I am steadily working my way through the book of Sirach just standing in line at grocery store checkout lines, airport lines, etc. Psalms and Proverbs also are fun to ponder when I'm stuck somewhere like the dentist's waiting room. I did a quick Google search on "Bible PDA Catholic" and "Bible iPhone Catholic" and found several good sources. Here are a few:

Olive Tree: Bible Software for PDA, iPhone, iTouch, Smartphone, Palm, Pocket PC, Blackberry, HP iPaq, Nokia, just about everything: http://www.olivetree.com/ Search on "Catholic" to locate translations of the Bible that have the complete Old Testament and study notes from a Catholic perspective. Olive Tree has the New American Bible (NAB) that is currently proclaimed during Mass in the United States, the Catholic Youth Bible, notes from the Catholic Study Bible, and other translations with complete Old Testaments. (Remember, a few hundred years ago, Protestant leaders removed content from the Old Testament so be sure to get a Catholic Bible).

I have the Olive Tree version of the entire Holy Bible (both Old Testament and New Testament) on my HP iPaq in two translations with some commentary. http://www.olivetree.com/resources/cdpackages/catholic.php Works great. The search tools are extremely handy: I can jump to any verse in any book, and search for specific words -- I find this very useful when I lead RCIA Inquiry sessions and we want to look something up. I have the ENTIRE Holy Bible in TWO translations -- and it takes up a small fraction of the memory in my iPaq.

The New American Bible for iPhone http://www.iphonebible.org/#_home This page seems to be the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved New American Bible in iPhone format. (I don't have an iPhone myself, so cannot check).

Catholic Bible, Bookmarks, and Notes http://www.catholicpda.com/

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com I easily found Bible software on Amazon by searching for "Bible Catholic software"