Category Archives: personal

Mysterious Ways

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The Lord works in mysterious ways. I have long suffered with frequent anxiety attacks brought on by fear of death. That fear has been a severe stumbling block to my faith. When I accepted Christ in my life again and went through RCIA, it wasn’t because I’d beaten my fears and doubts. It was because I learned that I could fight with doubt every day of my life and still be faithful. Faith is not giving up in the face of fear and doubt.

Recently I learned that my sister suffers from the same problem. She sometimes calls me because she needs to talk to someone who understands and shares her pain. It’s bitter-sweet for me when she calls. I’m glad she comes to me for help since we haven’t always gotten along. On the other hand, I’m also sad and scared because I have to walk through hell to pull her out.

I was watching a movie tonight when another anxiety attack hit. It wasn’t severe, but I knew getting to sleep would be difficult. I decided to do some blogging. As I was finishing up, my cell phone rang. It was my sister. She was having an anxiety attack, too.

I wanted so badly to help her. I told her that I wish I knew some good Protestant chants to soothe her and that if she were Catholic, I’d suggest that she pray the Rosary. She was bothered by my hesitancy and told me that she doesn’t feel bound by denominational boundaries and, while certainly not Catholic, she isn’t opposed to all things Catholic.

My heart skipped a beat and I nervously asked if I could teach her the Rosary. She said yes and for the next twenty minutes I taught her the Joyful Mysteries. I was so happy and nervous that I nearly broke down in tears as I read from my prayer book (I don’t pray it often myself – still lingering Protestant bias I guess). We were interrupted because her husband, who’s in the National Guard, called from Iraq. I’m sure she’ll sleep well after hearing from him. I’m glad I could comfort her until his call, though. She probably won’t remember all the prayers I taught her or necessarily even say them, but she listened and it helped her feel better.

I had expected to go to bed tonight feeling scared, helpless, and full of doubt. Instead, I may cry myself to sleep with tears of joy because my Protestant sister let me teach her the Rosary. The Lord certainly works in mysterious ways.

Perspective on Blogging

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I think we all gotta watch out for the addiction that blogging
can be. The people who pay the biggest price for our extra hour or two a day of
blogging are our families. If other people keep reading while we step aside awhile
I think that is great. – from 21st Century Reformation’s Warnie acceptance speech

Amen. I need to spend less time blogging and more time with my wife. I’m working on ways I can reduce the time I spend each day blogging. I’m probably going to take a “weekly wrap-up” approach to frivolous stuff and news that isn’t “breaking”. I’m also going to try to focus on just one or two essay-length posts each day.

Some people appear on the blogging scene and, like Athena popping out of Zeus’ head fully formed and armed, seem to have their style and goals thoroughly worked out and sharpened. Others, such as myself, develop their styles and reevaluate their goals slowly. Take a trip through my archives (you’ll find the link in the side bar) and you’ll see that this blog has changed a lot from what it started out as. I’m still refining it and probably will continue to do so for as long as I keep it going.

Anyhow, please bear with me as I rearrange my priorities. Hopefully, by Lent I’ll be in a groove.

Bonus article:

For Some, The Blogging Never Stops
By KATIE HAFNER; TIM GNATEK CONTRIBUTED REPORTING FOR THIS ARTICLE.

TO celebrate four years of marriage, Richard Wiggins and his wife, Judy Matthews, recently spent a week in Key West, Fla. Early on the morning of their anniversary, Ms. Matthews heard her husband get up and go into the bathroom. He stayed there for a long time. ‘”I didn’t hear any water running, so I wondered what was going on”,’ Ms. Matthews said. When she knocked on the door, she found him seated with his laptop balanced on his knees, typing into his Web log, a collection of observations about the technical world, over a wireless link.

The Glass is Half Full

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Philadelphia EaglesI had hoped that we'd see a Turnpike Bowl this year, but alas and alack, the Steelers crumbled under the pressure. At least I'll get to see the Eagles in the Superbowl. The last time they made it I was only 3 years old!

It's going to be a tough game. The Steelers would have been an easier team to beat. The Patriots look really good. The Eagles better come out with their 'A' game and pull out all the stops. Anything less will send them home without rings.

Go Eagles!

An Evangelical Catholic?

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From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Participation in Christ’s prophetic office

904 “Christ . . . fulfills this prophetic office, not only by the hierarchy . . . but also by the laity. He accordingly both establishes them as witnesses and provides them with the sense of the faith [sensus fidei] and the grace of the word”438

To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer.439

905 Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, “that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.” For lay people, “this evangelization . . . acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world.”440

This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful.441

906 Lay people who are capable and trained may also collaborate in catechetical formation, in teaching the sacred sciences, and in use of the communications media.442

907 “In accord with the knowledge, competence, and preeminence which they possess, [lay people] have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons.”443

438 LG 35.
439 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh. III,71,4 ad 3.
440 LG 35 � 1, � 2.
441 AA 6 � 3; cf. AG 15.
442 Cf. CIC, cann. 229; 774; 776; 780; 823 � 1.
443 CIC, can. 212 � 3.

I suppose, as a faithful Catholic Christian who blogs, the above could serve as my misson statement.

It is my intention to “teach in order to lead others to faith” by being always “on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful” through the “use of the communications media”. I also act knowing that I “have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors [my] opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and [I] have a right to make [my] opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward [my and their] pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons.”

In some sense, then, my mission makes me an evangelical. That’s the only way I can justify my presence in the Church Directory, an Evangelical blogroll.

“As the blogosphere matures it�s influence will continue to expand. It will continue to shape ideas, set political agendas, and shape culture. Christians who believe that a Biblical worldview has something important to add to the conversation cannot afford to ignore this medium. But that is what much of the church will likely do � at least until the blogosphere begins to have the same impact on society as the universities or the film industry. Then we will be rolling out the trebuchets for another cultural war siege.”

“But evangelicals are already within the walls. By simply coordinating our efforts we can soon become a force that won�t be easily ignored. To do so, however, we must set aside both envy and false piety. We must set aside petty jealousy when someone else�s blog has more links or gets more traffic. And we must also reject the simplistic notion that we should not strive to gain recognition for our blogging efforts. Our work should be pursued with godly ambition, helping others as we form a genuine community.”

“To be successful in this effort will require that we band together and help others whether their blogs are more popular or completely unknown. We need to link to and visit each other�s blogs, provide encouragement, and praise excellence and quality wherever it is found. Evangelicals can have a profound impact on society and culture. But first we must ‘buy a ticket [out of the Evangelical ghetto].'”

I am honored to have made the list and I hope that through it I can be help to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the blogosphere.