Public disapproves of Obama on abortion

Posted on by Fr. Peter
A new poll by Gallup finds that of the many actions President Obama took during his first days in office, the least popular is his decision to lift a ban on the use of federal funds for organizations that provide information about abortion overseas. According to Gallup, 58 percent of the public disapproves of the step to revoke the so-called Mexico City Policy, also known as the global gag rule, while 35 percent approve. By contrast, a majority of the public supports most of the other early moves by Obama. From Gallup:

“Obama’s decision to reverse the prohibition on funding for overseas family-planning providers may be the least popular thing he has done so far. This was an executive order that forbade federal government money from going to overseas family-planning groups that provide abortions or offer abortion counseling. Fifty-eight percent of Americans disapprove of Obama’s decision to lift this ban, while only 35% approve of it. The ban on federal funds to these groups was put in place by Ronald Reagan, but lifted by Bill Clinton. George W. Bush re-instituted the ban after taking office in 2001, but Obama has once again lifted it. The abortion and Guantanamo Bay prison decisions are especially unpopular among Republicans; only 8% approve of the former and 11% of the latter. But these are also the least popular decisions among independents and Democrats as well, though a majority of Democrats still approve of both.”

The Rest of the Story

US bishops slam Holocaust denial

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I wonder if my previous post had anything to do with this.

In the most pointed statement yet from a high-ranking Catholic official, Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, today is sharply criticizing the Holocaust denial by a traditionalist bishop whose excommunication was lifted last month by Pope Benedict XVI. George (above), clearly alarmed by the brewing controversy and the damage to Catholic-Jewish relations, called the statements by Bishop Richard Williamson “deeply offensive and utterly false” and called the outrage from Jews and Catholics “understandable.”

Signficantly, George also asserts that full reconciliation between the Vatican and the four un-excommunicated bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X, including Williamson, will require “their assent to all that the Church professes, including the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.” That is important because the Second Vatican Council resulted in the church’s renunciation of anti-Semitism and led to a historic warming of relations between Catholics and Jews.

The Rest of the Story

2 February ~ The Presentation

Posted on by Fr. Peter
When the most pure Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary’s forty days of purification had been fulfilled, she took her first-born Son to Jerusalem on this, the fortieth day after His birth, that she might present Him in the temple according to the Law of Moses, which teaches that every first-born male child be dedicated to God, and also that she might offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons, as required by the Law (Luke 2:22-24; Exod. 13:2; Lev. 12:6-8). On this same day, a just and devout man, the greatly aged Symeon, was also present in the temple, being guided by the Holy Spirit. For a long time, this man had been awaiting the salvation of God, and he had been informed by divine revelation that he would not die until he beheld the Lord’s Christ. Thus, when he beheld Him at that time and took Him up into his aged arms, he gave glory to God, singing: “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master. . .” And he confessed that he would close his eyes joyfully, since he had seen the Light of revelation for the nations and the Glory of Israel (Luke 2:25-32). From ancient times, the Holy Church has retained this tradition of the churching of the mother and new-born child on the fortieth day and of the reading of prayers of purification.

The Apodosis of the Feast of the Meeting in the Temple is usually on the 9th of February. This, however, may vary if the Feast falls within the period of the Triodion. Should this occur, the Typicon should be consulted for specific information concerning the Apodosis of the Feast.

From www.goarch.org

February 1 ~ St. Bridgit of Kildare

Posted on by Fr. Peter

ABBESS, AND PATRONESS OF IRELAND

She was born at Fochard, in Ulster, soon after Ireland had been blessed with the light of faith. She received the religious veil in her youth. from the hands of St. Mel, nephew and disciple of St. Patrick. She built herself a cell under a large oak, thence called Kill-dara, or cell of the oak; living, as her name implies, the bright shining light of that country by her virtues. Being joined soon after by several of her own sex, they formed themselves into a religious community, which branched out into several other nunneries throughout Ireland; all which acknowledged her for their mother and foundress, as in effect she was of all in that kingdom. But a full account of her virtues has not been transmitted down to us, together with the veneration of her name. Her five modern lives mention little else but wonderful miracles. She flourished in the beginning of the sixth century, and is named in the Martyrology of Bede, and in all others since that age. Several churches in England and Scotland are dedicated to God under her name, as, among others, that of St. Bride in Fleet- street; several also in Germany, and some in France. Her name occurs in most copies of the Martyrology which bears the name of St. Jerome, especially in those of Esternach and Corbie, which are most ancient. She is commemorated in the divine office in most churches of Germany, and in that of Paris, till the year 1607, and in many others in France. One of the Hebrides, or western islands which belong to Scotland, near that of Ila, was called, from a famous monastery built there in her honor, Brigidiani. A church of St. Brigit, in the province of Athol, was reputed famous for miracles, and a portion of her relics was kept with great veneration in a monastery of regular canons at Aburnethi, once capital of the kingdom of the Picts, and a bishopric, as Major mentions. Her body was found with those of SS. Patrick and Columba, in a triple vault in Down-Patrick, in 1185, as Giraldus Cambrensis informs us: they were all three translated to the cathedral of the same city; but their monument was destroyed in the reign of king Henry VIII. the head of St. Bride is now kept in the church of the Jesuits at Lisbon.

New Bishops

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I do not often comment on the inner workings of other Churches but I feel compelled to do so now. This past week, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of several bishops that belong to a splinter groups of Catholics known as the Society of St. Pius X. Now this is a good thing because it is not good for Christians to be separated and this is the first step in a movement towards reconciliation. There are many sites that list the history of all of this so I will not go into it here.

The bad part of this is that one of the bishops, Richard Williamson has gone on record saying that the Nazi’s did not use gas chambers to execute Jews during the Second World War. Now I find this totally unacceptable for anyone to hold these views, unless of course your are a Nazi, and I find find it even more unacceptable for a bishop of the church to hold these views! To his credit Cardinal Sean O’Malley was very critical of this bishops views but supports the lifting of the excommunication. I would agree with His Eminence on the importance of lifting this ban

I close friend of mine has been nominated to be the next Episcopal bishop of Long Island New York. He tells me the process that he has gone through has been like trying to get through airport security. The vetting process has been very full and complete, looking for every slip of paper that he might have written something down on to see if he would bring scandal to the Church. I would think that the RC Church would be just as careful and complete.

Okay now to move on to another new bishop in the RC Church. The other day Pope Benedict XVI elevated Rev. Gerhard Wagner to be Auxiliary Bishop of Linz, Austria. This priest has gone on record as saying that Hurricane Katrina was “Divine Retribution” for New Orleans’ tolerance of homosexuality and laid-back sexual attitudes. I am not sure what God he prays to or theologian he studies but this is way off course. He is quoted in his parish newsletter from 2005 saying that the Hurricane wiped out brothels and abortion clinics. Well Gerhard, it also took out many churches, most of them Catholic by the way, and lost of other stuff. I am sure you are one of these guys that say it is just collateral damage.

One of the things I always admired about the Catholic church was it’s process in selecting bishops. Well I think the Pope has let the side down. Most of this will go unnoticed, but we need to start paying attention to who is moving up.

Just some thoughts on this Sunday

Orthodox glad to claim Polamalu as one of their own

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Of course, Mr. Polamalu is the safety of the team.

Most NFL fans are familiar with the sight of Steelers safety Troy Polamalu crossing himself during games, but one subset of fans is gleefully aware that he crosses himself from right to left, rather than left to right.

“Each time there is an important play, he makes his cross the Orthodox way. Nobody else does this, and it is a beautiful thing,” said Metropolitan Maximos, of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, who officiated at the wedding of Troy and Theodora Polamalu four years ago.

Mr. Polamalu, an ethnic Samoan, long has had a strong Christian faith, but was non-denominational until he joined his wife’s Greek Orthodox church. The metropolitan is quick to note that Orthodox enthusiasm for Mr. Polamalu isn’t intended to denigrate any other branch of Christianity.

“I’m very proud of him. But, to be honest, I don’t care if his background is Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox or any of the Protestant communities, as long as the guy is a faithful person. And Polamalu is that, and his wife is as well,” he said.

When football doesn’t allow the Polamalus to worship together on Sundays, they make weekday visits to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Saxonburg. Their infant son was baptized there. But the nuns won’t be watching him play in the Super Bowl, Metropolitan Maximos said, because they don’t watch anything on television that isn’t religious.

The Rest of the Story

Regular Church Attendance May Lower Suicide Risk

Posted on by Fr. Peter
FRIDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) — People who regularly attend religious services may be less likely to attempt suicide than others, a Canadian study suggests.

University of Manitoba researchers analyzed data from almost 37,000 people who took part in the Canadian Community Health Survey to study the relationship between spirituality, religious worship and suicidal behavior.

“The main finding of this study is that religious worship attendance is associated with a decreased risk of suicide attempts,” study author Daniel Rasic said in a university news release. The researchers didn’t examine why religious worship may reduce the risk of suicide attempts.

Rasic and colleagues noted a distinction between people who say they’re spiritual and those who regularly attend worship services. People who said they’re spiritual didn’t have a lower risk of attempted suicide. This suggests that something about attending religious services plays a role in reducing suicide risk.

“Further study into the relationship between active spiritual practice and suicidal behavior is needed,” Rasic said.

The study was published in the current issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.
More information

Mental Health America has more about suicide.

SOURCE: University of Manitoba, news release, Jan. 14, 2009

Community Meal

Posted on by Fr. Peter
UPDATE: It seems I left the time off of this announcement. Sorry about that. We will be serving from 4:30 – 6:30 at the church hall on Romanian Ave.

If you are in the Southbridge area tonight stop on by the church. We are having our first Community Meal.

The idea behind this meal is to bring together people of all types for some food and fellowship. If you are alone, or cannot afford a meal, or just want to get out of the house come on by and share some food with us.

Menu for tonight:

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Salad
Rolls
Beverages
Desert

Pop on in and say hello, it’s FREE

Orthodoxy and Justification

Posted on by Fr. Peter
In Orthodoxy, we are Justified by grace through faith in good works. The prepositions are vitally important! ‘Imputed Righteousness’ means that the only holiness of which we are capable is that given to us by God himself. Although this emphasizes (biblically) the work of grace, it can be pushed too far. Unless we are careful, repentance and faith will count for little since nothing that we could do under this scheme would make one jot of difference to what God was (prepared) to do in us… with or without our consent.

In the Orthodox Church, holiness is always both our work and God’s work. Against this, imputed righteousness is a dangerous half-truth. Additionally, we need to recognize that the Scriptures presume the existence of faith… We will not be judged on our faith but on our works, done in faith. Take note of what we are “judged for” in Revelation 20:11-15, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

New Blog

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I have begun a new blog about Local Worcester Sports. The blog is the start of what looks like a new radio program that I will start sometime in the near future. The show will air on local station WESO 970am and will deal with local sports. We are currently in talks with the Athletics Department at Nichols College to cover their sports events to include Ice Hockey, Baseball, and Football. We are also in discussions with the folks at Southbridge High School to carry their Football program. More on this as time goes on. So for the time being check out the New Blog.
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