First let me say that my comments that follow are about something VERY REAL for one family.

More importantly PRAY for a family that the social services department in another state is trying their best to dismantle. Pray in particular that the TRUTH be brought to light.

The items in quotes are reputed to be from Social Services.

I have been one of the confirmation teachers at a parish for three years now. We are usually paired up as man / woman wherever possible. It is important that the young adults learn that spirituality is not just a "girl/woman" thing. There are always too few men involved as teachers.

One of the areas stressed in the second year of the two year program is the gifts of the spirit. They are told that the action of the gifts are seldom immediately evident. I am emphatic with my students that the gifts are REAL. I tell them that they will see them "In the fullness of time" for them. They are marked by the spirit and the graces are given to them.

A while back I ran into one of last years students at a restaurant. He shared that he had only been to mass about three times since being Confirmed. I told him that there are graces within him that will lead him back when he is ready to listen to the voice of the spirit inside him. I remember that I did challenge him to try. He shared that he had been challenging one of his teachers at the local Catholic High School about her views. He had asked why she believed that it was wrong to send people to war while she never talked about it being wrong to kill unborn persons. That got him sent out of the classroom. And Yes, I do continue to pray for the students.

Suicide has long been against the law. Likewise, assisting someone in the act of suicide has long been illegal. Now, because of this opinion, those who kill themselves and the Doctors who help them, are protected, at least in Oregon. As a former prosecutor, the supplying of a substance intended to cause death used to render one an accomplice, now, it makes one wealthy, at least in Oregon, if the accomplice wears a white coats and holds what is now – understandably- called a terminal degree. Given the trajectory unleashed by this opinion, the delivery of the new hemlock will probably be covered by “health� insurance.

I pray often for the "radiation" of God's fatherhood. If you have not read the play "Radiation of Fatherhood" by Karol Wojtyla, then I highly recommend it. I have read the whole Theology of the Body and all of the encyclicals, but my favorite is "Radiation."

I had not heard of this work, but, after Lisa's endorsement, I'm going to try to fit it in over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Fraternal correction is a work of mercy. None of us can see himself well, see his shortcomings well. So it is an act of love, to be a complement to one another, to help each other see one another better, and to correct each other. I think that one of the functions of collegiality is to help one another, also in the sense of the previous imperative, to know the shortcomings which we ourselves do not wish to see -- "ab occultis meis munda me," says the psalm -- to help each other so that we may become open and can see these things.

Of course, this great work of mercy, helping each other so that each one can really find his or her own integrity, and functionality as an instrument of God, demands great humility and love. Only if this comes from a humble heart, from someone who does not place himself above another, who does not consider himself better than the other, but only a humble instrument to mutually help each other. Only if one feels this deep and true humility, if one feels that these words come from common love, from the collegial affection in which we wish to serve God together, can we in this way help each other with a great act of love.

Also here, the Greek text adds some nuances; the Greek work is "paracaleisthe"; it is the same root from which the following word comes from "Paracletos, paraclesis," consoling. Not only correcting, but also consoling, sharing the sufferings of others, helping them in difficulty. And this also seems to me to be a great act of true collegial affection.�

It is significant that reverent awe, a sentiment in which respect and love are mingled, is not born from punishment but from forgiveness. Rather than sparking his anger, God's generous and disarming magnanimity must kindle in us a holy reverence. Indeed, God is not an inexorable sovereign who condemns the guilty but a loving father whom we must love, not for fear of punishment, but for his kindness, quick to forgive.

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Ach [ch as in chair. -ed.]
Ach who?
Bless you!

And we have another fun word game: start with some phrase, say, "screen door." What's the smartest kind of door? A keen door. What's the skinniest kind of door? A lean door. What do you call an angry door? A mean door. What do you call the door to the bathroom? A pee'en door. What kind of door does royalty use? A queen door. What kind of door will you kids have in your bedrooms in a few years? A teen door. &c. Loads of fun!

To quote our local DRE, who doesn't let her pre-teen girls sleep over with friends, "You never know what goes on behind that pretty white picket fence."

Considering the ubiquity of internet porn nowadays, everyone is suspect. If your kids are going to be alone with a person (adult or child), take some time first to consider everything you know and sense about that person, and remember:

• you can't trust The System to protect your children for you;
• if you don't know the person, don't trust him; and
• children can be even more vicious molesters than adults.

Anyone who has been interviewed or intends to ever be interviewed by the media (MSM which includes "Public Radio") needs to be VERY AWARE of the process called editing. Context will NOT be maintained. Your intent will not come through but sections of your words will. Period. Paragraph. Stop and consider this.

In Broadcast there is the very real limit of time. In Print the concern is space. Journalists learn to write in a fashion that allows major sections to be removed and the coherence (that they intended) will still remain intact.

Note that I say "that they intended". Reporters, editors and the organizations that they work for DO have observable biases.

Some of us were taught in American History about the period of "Yellow Journalism" in the History of the United States. It was a very strong political bias, editorial bias, public statement of opinion by the print media of the late 19th and early 20th century. There are still biases present in today's media. (generic examples do follow)

In most cases an effort is made to act (or at least appear to act) in an unbiased fashion. Quite simply, I do not believe that an unbiased opinion is possible from the media.

We all think and speak from our individual biases. At times these biases are subtle. Remember from Genesis that "The Serpent was the most subtle of creatures."

My wife refuses to be interviewed for anything other than background unless she is allowed to pre-approve any quotes. This demand includes any sound bites.

I live in the diocese of Manchester NH. I work for the Public Radio station for New Hampshire. I am not a journalist, nor do I wish to play one. I am a Broadcast engineer by training and career. Any observations are personal and practical and NOT intended to be cynical. To follow the usual disclaimer from work ... "these remarks do not reflect the opinion of my employer, underwriters, or any other member/donor of ... "

When I posted the simplified Theology of the Body comments, I began to be nudged by a concern that the very simplicity would be taken to mean that the subject is not worth pondering.

It may be simple but it is far from shallow.

A few examples of simple concepts include: "God loves me", "I love my wife", "Christ died for our sins." All of them have a great depth to them.

When I say "I love my wife" it means that I must be willing to get on the cross for her. I must be willing to recognize our love in all its aspects as sacred. God's love is reflected through me. It is through my incarnate nature - my body.

We are truly blessed by this teaching of the late Pope john Paul II.

Everything God made is good.
Our bodies are good.
God's plan for us is written in/on them.
We share in this lifegiving love through our bodies.

Slightly longer:

God made me therefore I am.
God made me with body & soul, soul and body.
I cannot ignore one for the other, or exault one over the other.

Everything God made is good.
Our bodies are good.
God's plan for us is written in/on our bodies.

God's gift to us is his lifegiving love.
We share in this lifegiving love through our bodies.
Our sharing in his plan is through our vocation.
Those in the Vocation of Marriage share in this plan through the Marital Embrace.
In that embrace there are two aspects, unitive and procreative.
In that embrace we must be open to God's gifts.
We must be as open to the procreative as we are to the unitive.

This was triggered for me when Alicia returned from the ACNM conference in Washington DC. She was talking about long evenings of religious discussions with her roommates. Four of them were sharing a room. All were Christian. Alicia and one others are Catholic. During our discussion on the drive home, I stated the four sentence summary of TOB at the top of this post. "Write that down!" she said.

I am no "expert" on TOB. But I have begun to study it. I started several months ago with Christopher West's 10 CD set. What an intense and thoughtful lecture he gave on TOB. Recommended listening! If you have a long drive it is worthwhile. I was lucky enough to have a period of 8 weeks where I had nearly 2 hours of driving to do on a Saturday morning going to/from Cursillo weekend team preparation meetings.

The EWTN series on TOB was not quite as deep. But it had the distraction of having to be "visual" at the same time.

As I was writing the slightly expanded version above, I was thinking of Descartes and his "I think, therefore I am." I was led to remember that God made us before we could even think, conceptualize or intellectualize ourselves. The gift of life does not require that we "recognize" or "acknowledge" our existence.

I just realized that Descartes famous comment could be an infamous idolatrous statement. Just focus on the phrase "I AM" from his statement. Nothing exists until I recognize it. To use the phrase "I think, therefore I am" is to make oneself God. We should all know "I AM" as the name that God gave for himself when he was asked by Moses. I do not know if that was the intent of Descartes. I do know that in our times and self centered world, that is often how it is read & believed. That is how I heard it at St. Mary's College 30+ years ago.

This concept may have been discussed elsewhere. I don't remember having read it before. It did set me back to recognize it.

All that I am, All that I have is God's.
God made me, therefore I pray. Glory be to ...