Additional information:

In light of Speaker Pelosi's erroneous remarks regarding the Church's teaching on abortion, the Bishops have posted an excellent document at www.usccb.org entitled, Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church's Constant Teaching. It's a two page document that states the church's position on abortion for the past two centuries.

Recently Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, said on a morning news program that Saints like Thomas Aquinas and Augustine debated the beginning of human life. This prompted a parishioner to ask the following (which I am posting here and inviting your comments:

I know that the Catholic church says that she is wrong. But what does the Catholic church say about her use of St. Augustine’s comment on the time when life begins? She uses this (amongst other reasons) for supporting abortion.

 

I responded this way:

you probably have read the reaction from Abp. Chaput and other bishops accross the nation who have reacted very negatively to her statements. as i hear what they say, they explain that St. Augustine and St. Thomas were working from very inadequate ideas of biology which have since been corrected. i think that they said that ensoulment did not take place until 'quickening' which i think is when a mother feels a kick. shouldn't it be called 'kickening' then? just wondering...

 

but, frankly, they are kind of embarrasing explanations from great thinkers of the church. they were basing their teaching on what they knew. we obviously know more about embryology, etc than they did. all i can say is that we are responsible for what we know as they are responsible for what they knew.

Religious orders practice what is called 'fraternal correction' in which the members gather together and each one is held accountable to the others for their behavior. (Most likely taken from this Gospel passage.) I really don't know if they do that any more or not. It easily led to abuse. People can be pretty petty and will twist things around. They will call someone's disagreement with them a fault whereas it is really a difference of opinions. Still, it would be useful if we were open to admitting our own faults and willing to listen to others note our faults. (please do not do this to me! I meant it for other people.) We are blind to our shortcomings. Jesus seems to think that we should help people overcome their faults. I suppose it is an issue of humility and insecurity that prevents us from hearing others. What do you think?

Below is a link to this Sunday's readings. You are invited to post your comments about the Gospel or any of the other readings.

http://www.usccb.org/nab/090708.shtml

Edited by author 08-25-2008 10:16 PM
Please keep the family of Jim & Rose Bezdek in your prayers on the loss of their daughter, Elaine Groshen who passed away at 4:25 PM today (Sunday, 08/24/08).

Visitation will be on Wednesday evening, August 27th, from 7 to 9 PM with the Knights of Columbus rosary recited at 8 PM, at Mulkey Mason Jack Schmitz & Son Funeral Home, 705 North Locust Street in Denton. A funeral service will held on Thursday morning, August 28th, at 10:00 PM, at Saint Mark Catholic Church at 2800 Pennsylvania Ave, in Denton.

Memorials may be made to the American Institute for Cancer Research,
1759 R. Street NW, P.O. Box 97167, Washington DC, 20090-7167

May her soul and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

Dear Fr Tim,
We have been away quite a bit these last 3 months. My father, Mel Becker, who is on our prayer list, underwent mitral valve repair surgery in May, and is nearly fully recovered and better than ever! Thanks for all your prayers. The surgery was very "touch and go"... He is a "young" 82 yrs. old.

Several months back we had a wonderful open forum on the New Church property and our assistance to the ICC community. Are the minutes from that meeting posted? Was there a follow up session since then, and have any decisions been made concerning either of these issues.

Yours in Christ,
Jack Becker

Jayegr, I like your input regarding the Sunday reading. Hurt feelings can keep us from following through when things get tough. Your comment about our willingness to be challenged in our faith is also a good point. I'm usually the person who is overly sensitive to change. Your perspective provides an interesting insight to this reading.
Thanks.

I’m sure the woman felt rejected and had hurt feelings. She could have justifiably given up and walked away. The love for her daughter, however, was more important to her than her own feelings.

Yes, maybe not responding was Jesus’ way of toughening up her faith; if she had been too sensitive thinking only of her feelings instead of what she really needed, her daughter might have died. Likewise, if we become too sensitive, our feelings can become more important to us than our soul. For example, we might get offended at church and vow to never come back, which would mean we are putting our feelings above our soul. So perhaps we should be willing to be more challenged in our faith and less soft with ourselves.

It's an unusual reading, with Jesus seemingly being 'rude' to the woman - at least from our perspective. He won't talk to her, he brushes her off, telling her he wasn't sent to help non-Israelites. But commentators say that this is, in effect, a ruse: he is not responding so that she will respond in faith more deeply. Still seems a bit harsh. Are we too soft in our spirituality? Should we be more challenging?

I'm afraid that our open forum has died, but here is a try to revive it. Below is a link to this sunday's readings (it is forbidden to copy them to the website, so you'll have to go there yourself.) I'd like to try again sharing on the sunday readings. Any comments?

http://www.usccb.org/nab/081708.shtml

It is an old accusation that the Vatican is rich and should give its money away to help the poor (Judas was the first to make such a statement, 'why was this perfume not sold and the money given to the poor?! he indignantly said.) Below is an email from the Vatican that reports summarily its financial status for the year. Here it is (by the way, this email is free to all through the Vatican Information Services:)

SUMMARY:

 

- Holy See Financial Statements for 2007

 

___________________________________________________________

 

HOLY SEE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR 2007

 

VATICAN CITY, 10 JUL 2008 (VIS) - The Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Problems of the Holy See held its 42nd meeting in the Vatican on 3 and 4 July, under the presidency of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.

 

  A communique published yesterday afternoon explains that the consolidated financial statements of the Holy See in 2007 - presented to the assembled cardinals by Archbishop Velasio De Paolis C.S., president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See - showed a deficit of nine million euro: the difference between an income of 236,737,207 euro and outgoings of 245,805,167. This follows a three year period (2004, 2005 and 2006) that had showed a total surplus of 15,206,587 euro.

 

  As regards the institutional activity of the Holy See (Secretariat of State, congregations, councils, tribunals, the Synod of Bishops and various other offices), the communique recalls that this produces no revenue.

 

  The sector of financial activities (seven consolidated administrations, the most important of which is the Extraordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, APSA) showed a surplus of 1.4 million euro, as compared with the 2006 surplus of 13.7 million euro. This decrease of about 12 million euro, the note explains, "is due above all to a sudden very strong reversal of trend in fluctuations of the rate of exchange, especially of the US dollar."

 

  The real estate sector closed with a net gain of 36.3 million euro, higher than that of 2006 which stood at around 32.3 million.

 

  The activity of the five media institutions connected with the Holy See (Vatican Radio, the Vatican Printing Office, the Osservatore Romano newspaper, the Vatican Publishing House and the Vatican Television Centre), closed with a deficit of 14.6 million euro, "substantially due to the deficit of Vatican Radio and the publication costs of the 'Osservatore Romano'". Nonetheless, the Vatican Printing Office and the Vatican Television Centre closed with a surplus of 1 million euro and 458,754 euro respectively. The Vatican Publishing House also closed the year with a surplus of 1.6 million euro.

 

  The Roman Curia employs a totals of 2,748 people (44 more than in 2006), of whom 778 are clergy, 333 religious and 1,637 lay people (including 425 women). Pensioners number 929.

 

  The communique goes on to announce that the consolidated financial statements of the Governorate of Vatican City State in 2007 closed with a surplus of 6.7 million euro, a drop with respect to last year's surplus of 21.8 million. "There has been", says the note, "a considerable and sustained economic and financial commitment to the protection, maintenance and restoration of the artistic patrimony of the Holy See (restoration of the Pauline Chapel, interventions on the basilicas of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls and St. Mary Major), as well as elevated costs for the internal security of Vatican City State".

 

  "For the financial year 2007, the Governorate of Vatican City State undertook to support the costs of Vatican Radio, contributing to covering half its deficit (12.2 million euro)", says the communique.

 

  Offers from the faithful to Peter's Pence, the fund which goes to the Holy Father's works of evangelical solidarity, fell considerably with respect to the preceding year. In 2006 they stood at 74.6 million euro, while in 2007 they only reached 50.8 million. The communique mentions a single individual "who has chosen to remain anonymous" who made an offer of 9.09 million euro to the Holy See.

 

  Finally, contributions from dioceses in accordance with canon 1271 of the Code of Canon Law, reached the sum of 18.7 million euro in 2007.

OP/FINANCES HOLY SEE/DE PAOLIS VIS 080710 (620)
   
  
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We had a lot of fun at the Supper Club. Cade Ware is a happy baby and loved to look around, as you can see!

The supper club theme was Hawaiian, the food delicious, and the company great!

Two blessings with Fr. Tim at our recent Supper Club meeting.

The America Magazine article is enlightening. The statement the author’s husband made, “being pro-life is being pro-other-people’s-life; everyone is pro-their-own-life”, is so true, and I can see why it was a catalyst for her conversion.
Our cultural understanding of sexual relations is upside down partly because people are spoiled and would rather have more material things than more babies. All the rationalizations/excuses used for having less children and for advocating abortions are simply justifications of a spoiled, selfish society. I’m amazed today at how many young women really don’t want to have a family (I mean one’s that aren’t aspiring to a religious life).
Yes, Children are a blessing and shouldn’t be viewed as a burden any more than the elderly should. Maybe one day things will turn around, and those who are using so much energy for pro-choice, will channel that energy into exploring better ways to raise today’s children.

I think the “Loser Letter” works as author, Mary Eberstadt, plays the devil’s advocate to expose an atheists’ position on abortion. It was interesting to find out that some atheists used to be pro-life, but now usually they aren’t, because it makes them appear religious. Also, it’s a shame that today’s children (and us) have to live in a disposable world, which seems to require an explanation as to, “why am I here”.