We Are Catholic.

Value in summer

      (published about two months late...)


       For all of the sweat, work, and tears that go into the work of a teacher during the year, summertime comes as a welcome respite. As my summer is just beginning, I wanted to take some time to write about leisure both for my own benefit as I begin a season of leisure of sorts as well as for you as some food for thought.
      It seems to me that for most, leisure is kicking back and flipping through the channels to see what's on, or perhaps clicking through friends' facebook profiles looking to see what they have been up to, or maybe even browsing through catalogs or stores looking for the next thing to buy in order to satisfy the restlessness of a heart not at work. Do these count as leisure or as true relaxation?
      As my time off from teaching begins I have realized that I want to spend my time well, even during the summertime. Rather than sit for hours watching television, movies, or surfing the net I want to use my time to grow as a person by developing my talents or discovering new ones. Almost every house in America you enter, the central point of the family room and perhaps bedroom, living room, and kitchen is a television. How many hours a month, week or day do we spend on such useless, mind-numbing pursuits as this? This summer I hope to spend my time, being open to adventures, developing my intellect, and pursuing dreams and goals. If we simply spent our free time on more fulfilling things such as music, reading, writing, hiking, or exploring, these things would not simply be 'pastimes'. Our time would be filled with satisfying some of the desires of our heart and opening us to more fully experiencing the world around us. Indeed, I think through leisure we can begin to live life as we're meant to live it... life to the fullest. Cheers!

Beer Blessing

Just heard this for the first time last night...

V: Our help is in the name of the Lord!
R: Who made heaven and earth!
V: The Lord be with you!
R: And with your spirit!

Let us pray,

Bless O Lord, this creature beer, which thou hast deigned to produce from the fat of grain: that it may be a salutary remedy to the human race, and grant through the invocation of thy holy name; that, whoever shall drink it, may gain health in body and peace in soul.
Through Christ our Lord.

R: Amen

"There and back again"

Whenever we encounter a turn in the road, a change in life, there is always a good bye... the sun sets on what has been but around the bend the sun rises on new shores and new opportunity. As I dig back into childhood memories I can remember so many summer nights, playing outside until the last streaks of rosy light finally faded from the sky and the sadness that came with the fading light. Not only do I remember a certain twinge of sadness, but also a sense of joy at truly living life to the fullest, or as fully as a six or seven year old can live. There was satisfaction at having used all of the day that God had given; a satisfaction knowing that there was not a wasted minute in my day and that in a few short hours the sun would rise again. This summer has been full of sunsets and twists and turns on the road of life leading me to places where a matter of months or weeks ago I never could have imagined.

Reflections of a year...

       When we stop to think, I think we realize that time is a most interesting phenomenon. When we look back we cannot believe how quickly time has passed and because of this, events just a few days or a couple weeks previous seem like ancient history. At the same time, while in the midst of a day or struggling through a specific moment, time feels like it is passing slower than molasses... these are reflections I often entertain for I find time to be so fascinating. It is because of these reflections that I turn to the last year of my life that has passed both slowly and with great swiftness. I cannot believe about a whole year has passed since graduating from college but at the same time graduation begins to feel like a distant memory. There have been many times since graduation when I have pined for the days of college while in the midst of teaching or living as a missionary for Totus Tuus. At the same time it has been a journey in trust and humility growing into life after college.

       Navigating the waters of bills and finances, travel, loneliness, dreams, success, setbacks, and exhaustion has been an experience unlike any I have had thus far. It has been a time of excitement and potentiality, a time of struggle and anxiety. I think I have really begun to see how necessary it is to keep one's life centered on those things that are unchanging, that are truly dependable. In reality, to keep one's life centered on the center, Jesus Christ. Whenever there is a distraction, a trial, or anything that causes us to take our gaze off of Christ and turn it toward ourselves, we begin to struggle through, we begin to lose focus, and indeed lose sight of our goal because of a willful choice not to look at the goal or center. Of course, this is the opposite of what a Christian strives for in his life, and of course it is simply silly. 

       As I look over the past year, the times in which I was continuously dedicating myself to our Lord, whether or not the circumstances were favorable or if life was 'going well', there was a definite peace. This is the result of centering oneself on the unchanging, for as the world around changes, you can in a sense remain unaffected at least in the most important ways. It is when we begin to trust in our own strength, or to take life for granted, we begin to really struggle with a certain uneasiness. This uneasiness then brings about a certain level of worry because we begin to wonder what it is that is making us feel uneasy, when the answer is very simply, ourselves. 

      The most important lesson I have learned in the past year is the necessity of continuously turning to our Lord in prayer, faithfully, with an ardent act of faith whether or not it is supported by pious feeling. Every action of our lives ought to be pointed toward our heavenly Father, ought to be done with love, but without prayer, one quickly begins to fail in making every act an act of love. We do not contain within ourselves the strength to love as we ought, that strength must come from elsewhere. For when the wind blows strong or the ground feels unsteady beneath our feet, there is an assurance in the peace of Christ, knowing that you are living for Him and striving to make every act an act of love.

       In this Easter season, it is appropriate that these are the sentiments or thoughts that have occupied my heart and my mind. Jesus Christ's most frequent greeting to persons after His resurrection is a simple, profound, and absolutely necessary proclamation, "Peace, be with you."

Ken Cuccinelli for Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia

March 22, 2012

Dear Fellow Virginians,

I wanted to let you know that today I formally announced my candidacy to be the next Governor of Virginia. Here is the entire announcement:

       This morning my campaign filed with the State Board of Elections to formally establish a campaign committee to seek the office of the Governor of Virginia. Serving as Attorney General of Virginia has been the most rewarding and fulfilling position I have ever held. As legal counsel to every state agency of government, the Office of the Attorney General gives you tremendous insight and perspective on the inner workings of state government that no other job can provide.
       I am running for Governor to continue the work I have undertaken during my tenure as Attorney General and as a State Senator. I will continue my work to strengthen our economy and preserve our liberty, and to promote the principles of smaller, more efficient state government, accountable to the people it serves. I look forward to sharing my vision for the Commonwealth following the November elections.
       During 2012, I will be pushing hard to retake Virginia for our GOP Presidential nominee, as I believe that this year's election is the most important that I will ever live through. And here in Virginia, we will also be part of the battle to retake the U.S. Senate—I intend to be aggressively engaged in that effort as well. And I hope I see all of you out there on the 2012 campaign trail!
       Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of waiting until 2013 to start running for Governor. So this year, I'll also be asking my fellow conservatives, Republicans and other Virginians to support me in this race... starting with you! If you're willing to commit to supporting my campaign for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2013, I'd really appreciate it if you would let us know by replying to this email and letting us know! Also, if you can do it, we could sure use your help to help us fund this effort by donating today! We'll need it!
       Finally, at the outset of this campaign, I'd like to ask each of you Compass readers to forward this Compass on to a few friends that you think might be interested in keeping up with my race. Or you can tell them that they can go to www.Cuccinelli.com and sign up for the Compass right on my website.

More to come, but please get on board today!

Sincerely,





Ken Cuccinelli, II

Attorney General of Virginia

98% of Catholic women use contraception? See the lie brought to light below.

98% of Obama Supporters Do Not Understand Statistics

The Lie: The Obama administration said, “…most women, including 98 percent of Catholic women, have used contraception.”

The Truth: According to their own study it can only legitimately claim: “at least 24 percent of Catholic women have used contraception”.

Ever since President Obama came out with his HHS Mandate “compromise” I’ve seen the “98% of Catholics use contraception” statistic everywhere. Here are some of my favorites:

“Nearly 99 percent of all women have relied on contraception at some point in their lives –- 99 percent.”  - President Obama (source)
“According to a study by the Guttmacher Institute, most women, including 98 percent of Catholic women, have used contraception.”- Cecilia Muñoz,  director of the White House Domestic Policy Council (source)
“In fact, 98 percent of Catholic women use birth control at some point in their lifetimes.” – NPR (source)

And this one from “ghoti” is very typical of what you will find in the comments section of Facebook, YouTube and random news articles:

“Who gives a rats %$$ what the church says. 98% of Catholics don’t… they use contraception. #@*% those child molesters. Their time has passed… irrelevant.” (source)

This lie has spread rapidly. It is a blatant misrepresentation of Catholic women.

Revelation #1

The study that the Obama administration is citing is from the Guttmacher Institute (source). The Guttmacher Institute was founded by Planned Parenthood, and takes it’s name from a former Planned Parenthood president (source). Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of contraception and abortion in this country. They have a vested interest in making the HHS Mandate come to fruition.
Using statistics from the Guttmacher Institute when trying to increase access to contraception, is like using statistics from the tobacco industry when trying to increase access to cigarettes.

Revelation #2

The term “Catholic” is loosely applied in the study. Only 30% of the Catholic women interviewed attended mass on a weekly basis. What is more revealing though, is that the study only includes:

• Women between the ages of 15 and 44
• Women who had sex within 3 months of the survey
• Women who did not want to get pregnant <–read that one again

So, the study which, according to the Obama administration, speaks for “all Catholic women” does not include:

• Women who were abstaining from sex until they were married
• Women who were married and wanted children
• Women who were pregnant or post-partum
• Women who were open to the possibility of getting pregnant

I think Lydia McGrew said it best: “A statistic based on a study that explicitly excluded those who have no use for contraception is obviously irrelevant to a question about the percentage of Catholic women who have a use for contraception.”

Nevertheless, the study is being used by The Obama administration as a study that represents all Catholic women.  In reality, less than 28% of Catholic women would actually qualify for this study to begin with(see the footnote data).

Revelation #3

The study doesn’t actually say 98%. That number was arrived at by subtracting the 2% of women who use Natural Family Planning, a method approved by the Church. The 98% number completely ignores the 11% of respondents who answered “no method of sterilization”. So, if we subtract the 2% and the 11%, it equals only 87% of the women studied actually used a form of contraception.
Finally, it comes down to simple math. 87 percent of the 28 percent of Catholic women this study actually applies to, equals only 24 percent of all Catholic women.

From www.phatmass.com

The Lie:

The Obama administration said, “…most women, including 98 percent of Catholic women, have used contraception.”

The Truth:

According to their own study they can only legitimately claim: “at least 24 percent of Catholic women have used contraception”.

How we arrived at the “less than 28% of Catholic women would actually qualify”:

• According to the 2010 U.S. Census (source), only about 41% of females are between the ages of 15 and 44.
• Using the birth rate of the U.S. (source) we can assume that about 4% of women are pregnant at any one time.
• According to Indiana University’s  2010 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (source), about 27% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 did not have sex within that past year (this percentage would be much higher if we had data from only the last 3 months).

"Into your hands O Lord"

       Once again we are in the midst of the most solemn week of the year which precedes Easter Sunday. Every year the Church gives us this wonderful time of Lent for repentance, preparation, and renewal for receiving anew the marvelous gift of our salvation. I think one of the most profound moments is the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper and the time spent in prayer with Our Lord afterward. Before entering into a reflection on my personal thoughts of this time, I would like to turn to the part of the Gospel read on Palm Sunday, which began this Holy Week, recounting Christ's time in the Garden of Gethsemane with his Apostles.

Ave Maria - John Jerome Rooney

Lady thy soldier I would be
This day I choose thy shield
And go thrice-armored for the fight
Forth to the world's wide field.

The absurdity of the question: "Who is Jesus Christ to you?"

      What an absolutely absurd question. Does my opinion of you change who you are? Does my perception or interpretation of another's words or actions change the actuality of those words or actions? The plain answer is of course not! One's view or opinion of the world around him does not impinge itself on the object or person observed changing the fundamental essence of the observed. To say so would be to give an incredible and unbelievable power to humans. It would be to say that one's opinion has the power to change reality. Let's experiment.

Aridity and Anxiety

       Life is full of simple bits of wisdom and insights into the heart of God, but at the same time life is also peppered with times of strain, weariness, and aridity. As I finish the third quarter of this year as a high school religion teacher, I have been experiencing the latter. You see, from the moment a teacher sets foot out of the comfort and privacy of his vehicle, his life, his time, his heart, and his love, are no longer his own. Patience is perpetually tested, the mind is baffled, the heart is wounded, the body wearied... and yet still the teacher must persevere

HHS Mandate - Not about Contraception!!!

       "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution...
      The hot topic of the day is the continuous debate concerning the HHS mandate for employers of religiously affiliated institutions to supply their employees with insurance for contraceptives. I am absolutely disgusted, frustrated, and damnably mad at the way in which this debate is being framed... at times I consciously have to remove myself from such conversations because the stupidity, illogicality, and utter ignorance about the issue makes my blood boil; I'm trying to remain a somewhat charitable, practicing Christian. So please bear with me as I go on my tirade about the imbecility of the populace, the media outlets, and the pro-HHS mandate legislators. Most fundamentally this issue is an issue of Religious Freedom and the violation of the first amendment. Let me be very clear, "THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF CONTRACEPTION!"

The New Racism

     The presidential election of 2008 was perhaps one of the most disturbing manifestations of a racism that is still deeply rooted and widespread in the United States of America. I say this not because more people did not vote for the African American candidate, but rather because so many did. Now before consigning me to forever burn with the likes of the Ku Klux Klan, I ask that you  put aside that initial emotional response and read what I have to say. I hope that you come to understand and at least respect my point of view... which of course is the true understanding of the situation at hand.

Why I Hate People Hating on Religion

Why I Hate People Hating on Religion

Why I Love Jesus AND Religion

Why I Love Jesus AND Religion

A good response to the video... I think better than my own!

Why I don't hate religion... youtube's most watched video

       So I've seen this video floating around the internet posted by this young man who loves Jesus but hates religion but hadn't mustered the energy to waste my time watching it. Well, I watched it. Yes, I watched this video and was not surprised at what I heard, but also not impressed. It seems that the young man, Jefferson Bethke, is basically stating that he is spiritual and not religious and you should be too? Perhaps this is the case, but if you listen to this link, http://www.stmarysgvl.org/discipleship/audio-homilies?song=1100&homilyTitle=Third+Sunday+of+ that is shown to be nothing but nonsense. I actually think Mr. Bethke is touching on a much more cliched point than this, but whatever larger point Jefferson Bethke is attempting to make in this video he makes a host of statements that reveal themselves to be well, rather foolish and not very good although they seem to be popular.

State of the Dis-Union

       Political pundits and the news anchors on the various media outlets have been having a field day as the Republican Presidential candidates duke it out in the political ring, reaching for their party's nomination. All of the candidates have different backgrounds, a variety of experiences, and at times conflicting personalities yet they all agree that the direction in which the United States is headed is not favorable and needs to be stopped. While the plans of action to right the sinking ship vary from one candidate to another, they all basically agree that the national economy is in dire straits and the current administration's dealing with the outside world is frightening if not downright dangerous.
       It seems to me however, that all of these theories about what is wrong with our country and how it ought to be fixed are quite lacking.

Faith, Family, and Freedom

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1363933742001/rick-santorum-game-on/