New Year's Resolutions for Absolutely Everyone - by Fr. James Martin s.j.
1.) Be Kind. That means...
2.) Always give everyone the benefit of the doubt. After all, why not? Everyone is carrying around some sort of burden. Usually one that you don't even know about. So give them a break. Even if they're being unreasonable....
3.) Especially when you're talking about them with someone else. Honor the absent, as the saying goes. Spiritually speaking, it's essential. It's part of charity. Practically speaking, it makes sense too. Why? First, because you'll feel crummy about yourself afterwards. Second, because the person you're complaining to will probably see you as negative. Finally, it will inevitably get back to them. More to the point, it's mean.
4.) Don't be a jerk. There is simply no need to be. At all. Zero. Just because you're having a rotten day doesn't mean you have to pass it along your misery to someone else. It's important to share your struggles with friends. Essential. But being in a bad mood is no excuse to be a jerk. If you feel your moving into that territory, ask yourself a simple question, "Am I being a jerk?" If you're somehow unable to discern that, the look on other people's faces will tell you.
5.) Give a call, pay a visit, or send a note who you know is sick, lonely, struggling. It will cost you nothing, but will mean everything to them. Think of how you feel when someone reaches out.
6.) Release yourself from that grudge. In other words, forgive. It's ridiculous to hold onto things for so long. It eats away at you like a cancer, and it poisons the other person's life. It also, most likely, serves to turn them against you even more. You think you are justified in being mad? You probably are. People can be jerks. But there are probably people justified in holding a grudge against you, too. So just let it go.
7.) Stop being so sarcastic. A little of that goes too far. You may think you're being Oscar Wilde, but you're often just being mean. Sarcasm can be an effective antidote to pomposity, but sometimes it's just cruel.
8.) Listen patiently to someone who is long-winded, or boring, or, especially. complaining. They're usually insecure, lonely or in pain. Your listening is a gift to them. It may mean that you're the only person they have to talk to. Yes, it's hard. But God sees what you're doing. And, after all, people have to listen to you.
9.) Help someone who is really needy. A homeless person. A poor person. A refugee. A sick person. A grieving person. It's not hard to figure out how to do it. And if you don't know anyone like that, write a check. That's not so hard either. Helping doesn't require an advanced degree.
10.) Be kind. Did I mention that? It bears repeating, because if you are kind, then you'll make a lot of people happy in the New Year. Yourself too. And God.
+Mark Hagemoen was a year ahead of me in the Seminary. He was an upstanding person then; clearly he continues to be one as a bishop. His explanation as to why it would be good for the Holy Father to apologize again for the abuses suffered by Aboriginal students in the residential schools is the only one that makes sense to me. Framing the issue as he has, I can say that I hope and pray that it is indeed possible for Pope Francis to offer such an apology at a time and place agreeable to Canada's first nations peoples.
N.W.T. Catholic Bishop Mark Hagemoen on the Pope and the apology - North - CBC News
Indeed, it is all too common! This is why I've always refused to have anything to do with handling the collections or making financial decisions in any parish where I've served. The only way to guarantee that money is correctly handled is to establish a system of transparency and accountability with multiple lay people handling the financial affairs. It should be this way in every parish.
After all, a priest is only in a parish for a limited period of time but the laity will live there for most of their lives - at least, that's the case in this corner of the Catholic world. So why should the priest get to make decisions in lieu of the people who are going to have to live with the consequences in the long term?
Financial misconduct in parishes is all too common | Crux
Michael O'Brien from Barry's Bay, Ontario is without a doubt the greatest Canadian Catholic novelist and writer of his time. I have read every one of his books and can honestly say that there isn't a dud in the bunch. In fact, his 'Father Elijah' is the book I power-read at the start of every annual retreat I make up in the woods of northern Quebec. The themes in that book set the agenda of a healthy priestly retreat without fail.
This article is an account of his adult life. I am not at all surprised to discover that it is as inspirational as are his books and paintings. Hopefully, you will find it so as well.
An artist for God despite the hardship: the truly inspiring story of Michael O’Brien | News | LifeSite
Mr. Amos: As a parish priest in your riding (Chapeau/St. Joseph's/Sheenboro) I am puzzled and offended by the Prime Minister's recent statement that he would be asking Pope Francis to apologize for the Catholic Church's involvement in the residential schools. Perhaps he is unaware that Pope Benedict XVI issued a formal apology in 2009? Or could it be that he does know this but just couldn't pass up an opportunity to cast the Catholic Church in as poor a light as possible? That is one of the trumpeted 'Quebec values' the preached about during the election, isn't it? The denigration of the Catholic Church and all institutions of faith? Right up there with the killing infants in the womb and old people in the beds? Fear not though sir. I will do my utmost to ensure that as many people as possible in our area are made aware of the fact that either our Prime Minister's staff lacks the competence to appreciate that they are asking for something they have already received, or they are more concerned with insulting the Church to which we all belong and practice in.
In case you doubt that the Pope actually did apologize in 2009, I am including a link at the bottom of this message to a CTV news story of the event.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/pope-apologizes-for-abuse-at-native-schools-1.393911
Fr. Tim Moyle, p.p.
c.c. justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
During last month’s Advanced Institute in Jerusalem, “God, Politics, and the Future of Europe,” Tikvah hosted a conversation on “Modernity, Religion and Morality” to discuss the decline of Western Civilization and to probe some of the reasons behind it. What happens when faith in the God of the Bible deteriorates? How does that affect faith in reason and are the values of liberalism enough to sustain a society?
The panel featured prominent intellectuals, George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and Yoram Hazony, President of the Herzl Institute. The evening’s discussion was moderated by Daniel Johnson, founder and editor of Standpoint Magazine. Click on the link below to watch the presentation.VIDEO: Modernity, Religion and Morality: A Conversation with George Weigel and Yoram Hazony - Ethics & Public Policy Center
Here below are a few of the 'highlights' from the report of committee empaneled by the Ontario government in response to the Euthanasia issue.
It begins by stating up front that the government should make such a 'service' available to its citizens - a stand in keeping with the recent Supreme Court decision from February 2015 mandating its legalization in the spring of 2016. Primary among its recommendations is the removal of a physician's conscience rights not to participate in the process by requiring a doctor to refer a patient to another physician who will actually directly kill the patient.
"Doctors, the report recommends, should be able to object to helping someone die, but it would then be their responsibility to transfer the patient to a doctor willing to accommodate such a request."
They then get down to the business of determining who should be able to demand to be killed by their doctor. They suggest it be open to those who have:
"A very severe or serious illness, disease or disability that cannot be alleviated by any means acceptable to the patient." (emphasis added)
Essentially then, if you think that life is too burdensome to carry on, the State will put you out of your misery at the tax payers expense.
The committee was gracious enough to state that young minors should not have the right to demand to be euthanized of their own volition unless:
"A patient's capacity to make an informed decision should guide who qualifies. Young children, therefore, would be considered incapable of forming a competent decision, though it's possible a "mature minor" could." (emphasis added)
So I guess it wouldn't necessarily be a kids advantage to be thought of as being mature for their age if such a label opens them up to the possibility of being put down like the family pet or some farm animal or livestock before they can even get their own driver's license!
And I guess the Catholic Healthcare institutions in the province won't be able to count on any right to abstain from being counted as an abattoir of this death fetish either given that the report recommends:
"that publicly funded health institutions not issue a blanket objection to providing physician-assisted suicide."
Oh Canada... I don't think that even the most jaded amongst us ever thought we would so soon sink so deeply into the moral morass that passes as our legal system today when we started down this path of permitting personal autonomy to become the only lens through which we would determine what would be legal or illegal in the 1960's. Death used to be something we strove to push off as long as possible and our healthcare system worked to achieve that end. Soon the right to die will be our only surety guaranteed by the government and we will find ourselves having to fight just for the privilege to live. We've come a long way as a country. I just wish that it hadn't led us to as dark and dangerous a place as we find ourselves today.
Physician-assisted death should be based on decision-making capacity, not age: Ontario report - Toronto - CBC News
"For a while now, declining Church attendance, the rise of the nones, and an increasingly secular society have all seemed like the biggest threats to the future of Christianity in America.
But that is not where the existential danger comes from.
The future of Christianity in this country isn't threatened by shifting demographics.
The Christian faith in America is on life support because far too many of us have simply stopped living like Jesus."
Too true...
Are We Finally Witnessing The Death Of Christianity In America? | Zack Hunt
This activity would be illegal in Canada where the law prohibits the disrupting of a religious service. But it does point out that the assumptions of civility between and within churches seems to be wearing away these days, in the US at least. I hope it's not a trend that spreads north of the border any time soon.
Group Claiming to be Former Muslims Disrupts Masses Around Nevada | Aleteia.org
I guess it's true that everything old is new again. This news story was printed in 1915. It's remarkable that you could replace 'Catholic' with 'Muslim' and it sounds like something from the mouth of Donald Trump! Yet in either case, it's little more than bigoted hate speech then and now.
When the Religion They Hated Was Ours | Aleteia.org
People often ask me about the breed of my dogs and what they are like. I came across this drawing on Facebook earlier today which explains the breed perfectly.
"It also says holiday celebrations should not play games with religious themes such as Secret Santa, and the selection of decor and refreshments should be “general, not specific to any religion or culture.”
“Ensure your holiday party is not a Christmas party in disguise,” the memo says."
Seriously?
This is a difficult article to read - not the content but the way that long commentary into the original text - but it's an important issue to be addressed nonetheless. If priests can be sued for asking simple questions in the confessional, then we've really reached a point where some of us will end up going to jail or suffering other sanctions so that we can keep safe the seal of the confessional. IMHO, this case makes it all the more clear that confessions should ALWAYS be hear in a confessional or in a situation where there can be no question raised about inappropriate conduct on the part of either party to the confession. It's going to be the only type of protection priests can have in cases like this one... and even in this case where there is no allegation of inappropriate touching or contact, it was insufficient to protect the confessor from prosecution.
Click on the link below and read the article for yourself:
Confession Settlement that could halt the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’ Missionary of Mercy complains | ARISE! LET US BE GOING!
As someone who has sat on both sides of a therapist's desk, I found these saying to be very illuminating. Perhaps they'll be for you too.
14 Psychologists Were Asked: "What Is The Most Profound Thing A Patient Has Ever Said To You?"
Given that the definition of a 'mass shooting' is four individuals shot and/or killed by one assailant, I can't help but ask in the face of this statistic:
'How's that 2nd amendment right working out for you Americans these days?'
It looks decidedly like a mixed blessing from this side of the border.
1,052 mass shootings in 1,066 days: this is what America's gun crisis looks like | US news | The Guardian
I was honored to be a priest/chaplain at three Retrouvaille weekends and witnessed amazing things. For some, it was an experience that helped confirm their decision that their marriage was indeed beyond saving. For others, it provided the grace required to continue the fight to stay together. For a few more it was the launch pad into the union they had desired from the very beginning but somehow just couldn't achieve on their own. Before any Catholic/Christian couple makes the irrevocable decision to head to the divorce lawyers, I highly recommend searching for the closest Retrouvaille weekend they can find. After all, once they've reached that point in a marriage... what have they got to lose?
An Eye-Opening Weekend At Retrouvaille | Aleteia.org
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