Association Of Catholic Bloggers

  We experience much division and disagreement in society today. The resulting intolerance is the work of the devil. He relishes in sowing division, because through this division, we collapse as a society. And Satan’s goal is to destroy us all. We see the intolerance in the political, religious, and racial arguments on the internet, television, and in the public square. Everyone chooses a camp and settles in, disregarding anything stated by anyone from the other camp. Here is my problem: I am a pro-life Democrat who believes in racial equality, as well as marriage between a man and a woman. So, I do not fit into any single political camp! I could say, I am divided within myself! Why? Because I espouse following God’s moral laws. No political camp, regardless of the issue, aligns totally with God’s moral laws. Even some religious camps do not always see things as God sees them. Why? Because we are all sinners. Intolerance is Intolerable I go back 30+ years to the Rodney King quote, ...

  Have you heard the idiom “Ignorance is not an excuse?” Well, there is some truth to that when it comes to understanding the depths of one’s sins. In the Catholic faith, we even have a specific name for it: Vincible Ignorance. We define Vincible Ignorance as the “lack of knowledge regarding some aspect of the moral law because of a failure of due diligence on our part.”  1  Vincible Ignorance applies when we fail to seek the necessary knowledge and understanding to grasp the consequences of our actions and the negative impact said actions will have on ourselves and others. We are still culpable, but to a lesser extent for lack of knowledge. Let’s take an example and apply it to the concept of Vincible Ignorance: As a bank auditor (in my past life), I audited several different departments of the bank. On this hypothetical assignment, I had to hit the ground running, with no time to learn the business. As I progressed through my work, I saw something that looked odd to me....

In today’s Gospel from Mark we hear Jesus teach about the sinfulness of man coming from what is in the heart, not from what he eats. In accordance with Jewish law, certain foods had always been considered off limits and deemed “unclean.” Therefore, if a Jewish person ate an unclean food, then that person committed a sin. Yet, in this teaching, Jesus declares all foods clean. This is because it is not the food that we eat that separates us from God. Through Jesus’ teaching they gained an understanding of the causation of sin. For, it is our sin of words (our malicious speech, hatred, etc.) that make us move away from God. Jesus could understand why the Jewish people needed to hear this message. It directly contradicted what they practiced. However, once alone with the Disciples, Jesus noticed that they continued to question Him about this teaching. Jesus responded with a question: “ Are even you likewise without understanding? ” (Mark 7:18) Such a question makes you think that Jes...

Are you like me, always wondering if you are doing God’s Will, rather than your own? I want to do God’s Will.  However, I sometimes wonder how much of a spin I place on any given task by inserting my own thoughts and feelings into the situation. When I’m not sure, but feel a sense of unease, I seek understanding. Seek Understanding How do I know, for sure, that what I do comports with God’s Will? I pray about it. I ask God for insight. He has this way of answering me through others, as well as through His Word in Scripture. Understanding, as a virtue, can be defined as the desire to know God better, as well as His revelation of Truth. When you know someone, and come to love that someone, then you want to act in a way that pleases that someone, in this case, God. We have the capacity for understanding God and His workings, as well as the ability to apply that comprehension to our daily lives. It’s just a matter of tapping into it. Read more...

In today’s Gospel from Mark, (Mark 5:1-20), I pondered why Jesus asked the demon, “What is your name?” (Mark 5:9). Why would Jesus ask such a question, when Jesus, as God, knows everything? And the demons know Jesus’ true identity! Well, what Jesus is really doing here, by asking the demon for his name, is turning the tables on the demon, “thus gaining power over the demon possessing the man.” 1   The demon must respond to Jesus’ inquiry, because He must respond to God. By doing so, the demon reveals his name. Jesus doesn’t need to do the same in return, because He is God. Thus, Jesus exerts His power over the demon. This encounter from today’s Gospel reminds me of an incident that occurred to me, several years ago. At one Saturday evening Mass, I watched people as they received Communion. I saw a man place the consecrated host in his pocket and start walking for the door. As a trained Eucharistic minister, I knew what he did was wrong, because we are expected to consume the ...

In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus tell the parable of the sower. Jesus knew that the Apostles did not completely understand what He tried to convey. He responded to them by asking, “ Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables ” (Mark 4:13)? Understanding God’s Word requires some interpretation. As you read Scripture, do you confidently think you truly understand what God conveys in the passages that you read? Odds are the answer is no, and if you answered no, then you are in good company. Some passages are easy to discern. Then there are others that have multiple meanings, or multiple layers to discern. How, then, are we to discern the true meaning of God’s Word? The Magisterium Aids Us in Understanding God’s Word In many other Christian faiths, the faithful discern God’s Word on their own, as they do not have an authoritative source to rely upon. Yet, when Jesus instituted His Church, He knew from the very beginning, as is evident fro...

The Holy Gospel according to John: 15: 12-17 This is my commandment:  love one another, as I have loved you .  A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends, if you do what I command you.  I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know his master's business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.  You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last;  and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.  What I command you is to love one another . Source: The Jerusalem Bible How should we love one another? At this morning's daily Mass, our parish priest, Fr. Walter Tabios, preached about the quality of love that God asks of his friends.  He cited four types of love, all of which are anything but egotistical or self-se...