The Parable of the Fish

Christians are something like fish who live and swim in the sea of God's reality. But today, there are other kinds of fish who call themselves Christians. There is the fish who lives in the desert. Not a desert of contemplation, but a desert of nothing but sand and heat. This fish longs for the water, but cannot hear or see it because he has been led too far away. There is another kind of fish who lives in the forest where there is nothing but trees. This fish can hear the water and has seen it fall from the sky but has never had a thought of what the sea looks like or what it would be like to swim in it. For him, the trees and too tall and too many and the journey to the sea too far. Then there is yet another kind of fish who flies high above the ground in the sky. But he too has never felt the sea or swam in it. He has seen the sea from a distance and thinks he understands what the water holds. However, the sea appeares very small to him because he is too high above it. And there is the fish who lives by the shore of the sea. He thinks he understands the sea because it appears so near to him. But being at the edge, the sea appears to vanish if he looks wrongly at it and moves away if the waves seem to large. And then there is the fish who lives upon the sea in a boat of his own making. This fish is the worst kind of fish. More than any other he believes he knows the sea because he is nearer to the water than anyone else. He can observe the sea from every direction. By this he has fooled himself to believe he can control the sea and understand its waves and where they are going. But in his boat, he does not yet know the depth of the water and when frightened or challenged quickly rows for the shore. But still there is the real fish who lives in the sea and swims in the water even when frightened by the uncertainty of the waves. For all the movement of the water and the apparent imperfection of the fish, the sea is his home and all that has been created in it. The sea was made for him and he for the sea and his needs are provided for. This was meant to be from the beginning because he who made sea and the fish made it that way.

Homosexuality and the preservation of the Liturgy

No one need be reminded of the earth shaking effects that sexual abuse has had upon the Catholic Church in the United States and around the world. Catholics everywhere now carry the stain of these events in recent and past Church history and they are not easily ovecome in the minds of non-Catholics who remember them. The effects of this profound human failing will not soon be forgotten by anyone. No one need be reminded that these sexual acts committed shamefully in the darkness of secrecy, virtually to a one, were committed by male priests against young adolescent males. These reprehensible acts were, we must acknowledge, motivated in a larger degree by same sex interest, which suggests that homosexuality among the offenders was a key factor in precipitating these crimes, despite what some others may say to the contrary.

Which is I why I must now suggest that the Litrugy, perhaps more than any other place and time in the Catholic experience must be preserved from not only from the stain of personal same sex attraction but from any silent approval of the same in the life of the Church. We must not either by our silence or indifference ever be seen giving the appearance of condoning the choice of some to live out that homosexual lifestyle publically in opposition to the teachings of the Catholic Church. That means specifically that even those who participate in the music of the Liturgy of the Mass, must be in good standing with the Church regarding Catholic teachings against same sex relationships which exist either secretly or publically. We owe it to Christ and to the Holy Sacrifice which takes place on the altar, the singular most important event that ever took place in human history, to preserve the Eucharist from the scandal of homosexuality and opposition to the Church.

An open letter: sex and the breakdown of the family

To the communities of northeastern New York:

How long shall we raise our children to become young adults who quickly become single parents of young children in unstable homes? This is not an accident and I am not one who is given to hapless moralizing. I am deeply concerned. Children are being raised in unstable homes and the people of this community are to blame. And this is not to blame these young individuals but ourselves entirely as a failed community. Evidently young people are not being given a proper example in the home. Our preachers and priests are apparently speaking nothing to these issues. I know that nothing has been said about abortion, teen pregnancy and the requirement of abstinance before marriage in the last 15 years in St Mary's Catholic Church. And what are they teaching our children in schools? Marriage is no longer commomplace. This is a sad fact but not an irreversible reality. And I do mean marriage between one man and one woman in the traditional sacramental manner that defined marriage from America's earliest days. I'm not on the other hand referring to the serial monogamy, aka, shacking up and living together that passes for marriage today. I am referring to men who ask women to marry them and witness to that fact before God, country and neighbor. I just read in this forum today a topic speculating as to the fatherhood of one young woman's child. Unfortunate that she is a mother so young and worse that such a young woman faced with this circumstance is made sport of by nameless ignorant individuals from the safety of their computer keyboards. Young mothers should be supported and comforted, despite the errors of their ways. I stated this earlier: Technology has robbed many people of their decency because it liberates them to do in the privacy of their cowardice what they would never do with conscience and consequence in public. This community is in a moral crisis and it has nothing to do with the price of gas or the lack of good paying jobs. It has everything to do with how we conceive and raise our children to become valued, respected and productive members of society. Time for a change and time for the leaders of this community to speak up and stop fearing whatever stigma might seem to be attached with doing and saying the right things. We need not fear or revile our own mistakes and sins and judge one another, but we can at least agree to what we should best strive to be. If we do not learn and act and teach properly and accordingly to these concerns this community will fail and fade into historical obscurity dying the death of gradual moral oblivion.

Abortion: a man's sin and a man's crime

As the 38th anniversary of Roe v Wade approaches, perhaps it is time to properly attribute an acount of blame for abortion once and for all upon it's principle enablers: men. Men are ultimately the perpetrators in the crime of abortion. Men are the initiators in human procreation and they alone in the end are the appointed safeguards and remaining failsafe against any child ever being conceived outside of the sacramental bond between one man and one woman. Men either through action or inaction precipitate the very events which lead women to seek out services for the purpose of killing their unborn children. Men who are upright, are properly the defenders of women and children, most especially the women with whom they would conceive a child in marriage. Many other men instead however are often the perpetrators of rape either violently and anonymously, or more often through what is known as date rape and even spousal rape. Men are the users who walk away after conception leaving women of all ages to raise children alone. Men are often the coercers as women are driven to the abortion clinic to have the precious contents of their wombs destroyed and killed. Men are the funding for abortion, paying to have the child of the woman thay have had intercourse with, who are their own child as well. Men are guilty both by inaction and indifference when they initiate conception through the sexual act and never show any interest and concern for the woman beyond the momentary desires of intercourse. Where there is an abortion there is a man who has failed a woman and his child. Some women without the father of their child choose life. Many more do not. 80% of women who have abortions are not married when they have the abortion. Nearly 60% have never been married. More than 50 million fathers have sat idly by while their children have been murdered in abortion mills across America. It is long past the time when all men need to stand up and take accountability for and speak on behalf of the actions and failures of their own kind and properly defend women and children. Abortion is a man's crime. The responsibility of men and their willingly contributed advocacy for the lives of the unborn is a much needed pro-life solution!

Catholic Bishops support illegal immigration

It seems that Satan has a strong foot in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops of late. Just recently Archbishop Timothy Dolan referred to God as "he", "she" or "whatever" without any apology at all and we now find the USCCB supporting illegal immigration through support of the DREAM ACT. The USCCB is supporting crimal illegal immigration into the United States of America and there is no way to rationalize this to any other effect. So much for Christ's mandate to respect legitimate authority and to render unto Caesar. You do not reward 12 million people for systematically breaking the law. People in the United States who are here illegally are criminals by any definition. Worse, in many instances they then become little more than indentured servants, slavery by another name; another practice roundly condemned by the Catholic Church. This amnesty that is being proposed is little other than mass absolution for people who are enaged in criminal activity by their very presense in a foreign nation. This does not include the law-breaking that is occurring after the fact apart from their mere presense. The Catholic Church should be ashamed of the USCCB for supporting the DREAM ACT and should immediately withdraw this support for this foolish and immoral legislation. By way of example, the Catholic Church doesn't recognize the "need" for abortion in America. Why should the Catholic Church recognize the "need" for illegal immigration? I'm sure that abortive women feel just as justified in their choice to kill the unborn child in the womb as illegals from foreign nations do when they choose to enter the United States illegally. Consistency and rational thought is required on these issues and concerns, not the sentimental platitudes of feel-good theology.

From the USCCB website:

U.S. Catholic Bishops to Congress: The Dream Act is the ‘Right Thing to Do’

If you follow the USCCB's line of reasoning the best thing for American Catholics to do if they disagree with abortion, our drug problem, unemployment, or the Obama administration, is to immigrate illegally to some foreign nation where they can get health benefits, work tax-free and eventually be granted amnesty and become citizens there. That's just wrong. Very wrong!

How do I love God with my body?

With the hands of my body that vote to defend with laws and statutes, the weak, the sick and the defenseless. With my eyes that look upon every man, woman and child created in the image and likeness of God and the beauty therein and without. With my voice that gives praise and speaks the truth always and sings in earnest worship. With my feet that steer me away from places of temptation and lead others from them to God and to justice. With my arms that do work and defend others impartially with dignity defrauding no one. With my ears to listen and discern between lies and truth and to hear the quiet voice of God. With my sexuality which honors my spouse with modesty and dignity in the covenant of marriage, open to life always and faithfully. With my back to stand strong against temptations and to weather every storm without complaint. With my knees to kneel in humble supplication before a loving and merciful God seeking forgiveness when all my other members have failed me.