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Notre Dame student groups reject Obama invitation, launch Red Letter campaign
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Ronald_E
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The illusion of power in place of a reliance on God.Good for the Notre Dame student groups!
~~ the phoenix
CCC Christian Prayer
IV 2742 “Pray constantly…always and for everything giving thanks in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”…For “we have not been commanded to work, to keep watch and to fast constantly, but it has been laid down that we are to pray without ceasing.” This tireless fervor can come only from love. Against our dullness and laziness, the battle of prayer is that of humble, trusting, and persevering love. This love opens our hearts to three enlightening and life-giving facts of faith about prayer.
2744 Prayer is a vital necessity. Proof from the contrary is no less convincing: if we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the slavery of sin. How can the Holy Spirit be our life if our heart is far from him?
Code:
"Nothing is equal to prayer; for what is impossible it makes possible, what is difficult,
easy...For it is impossible, utterly impossible, for the man who prays eagerly and
invokes God ceaselessly ever to sin."--St. John Chrysostom
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cargau
Guest
Hi Ronald.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus referred to two traits that bear mentioning. The first has to with being meek.
The best biblical account of "meekness comes from Psalm 37.
"Fret yourself not because of evildoers; be not envious of wrong doers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb (verses 1-2).
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness (verse 3).
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart (verse 4).
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act (verse 5).
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him (verse 6).
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it only tends to evil (verse 8).
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more…but the meek will inherit the earth and delight themselves in abundant peace (verses 10-11).
Wait on the Lord and keep his way, and will exalt you to inherit the land (verse 34).
Here it may seem that meekness means walking away from a fight and letting God solve the problem. But, if we look deeper, I think being meek really means knowing when to say “No”. It’s standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Remember, Jesus was righteously angry when he threw out the the vendors in the temple.
The other passage from Matthew Ch 5 is for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Sorry, to have to take sides here, Ronald, but those folks who have been responding to your posts seem like they are Hungry and thisty for what’s Godly.
I think God gave us a brain and a heart for a reason. We human beings have the capacity to discern good from evil. Since goodness comes from God, It’s reasonable to think that God would favor those who stand up for good, especially when the evil involves the destruction of His littlest creatures.
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Ronald_E
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I hear nor read any peace in their hearts. That will be projected to those we want to convert. I agree they are hungry and thirsty for what is Godly just as I am. I am discerning good from evil. I can discern a heart that is angry. My whole life has been centered on discerning what is love and what is not love. Jesus was dealing with the venders in His Jewish faith.
If we go to anyone with anything less than a vulnerable heart we will cause them to sin. Now we can let the President know how much we suffer for those mothers who carry the unborn child that they will eventually abort and we can ask him to pray with us to help all come together in the unity of one body in Christ Who loves all and desires life and love for all.
However, I haven’t heard that proposed. I haven’t seen a strategy anywhere that calls for students, faculty and alumni to publicly write this letter to the president as an opportunity to create a mutual love and respect for all involved.
I was hoping that someone who wants to stand up with humility might propose something like this but I guess it will not happen
Humility means being vulnerable just as the women and their unborn children are vulnerable and relating to the Christ that is in everyone of His creations to ask for his compassion and understanding with a pure heart with pure intention for conversion.
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elts1956
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Sorry if you missed my point. If, after my writing all I wrote, you didn’t understand, then there is no point.
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elts1956
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The feelings of anger a person experiences is in most cases caused by Fear. Fear is usually the basis of all instinctive actions. It is a natural instinct to run/fight when one feels threatened. This instinct probably saved the lives of many a caveman. In juxtaposition to this kind of anger is Rightious anger, that anger one feels because of an unjust action being done to another. That is the anger I feel. I cannot in all honesty say there isn’t also an element of fear in my feelings. I fear for the future of our children and their children’s children. I fear for our way of life that has been taken hostage by immoral people. If you think that is relativism in regard to my faith, that is your fallible judgement, not God’s. Are you doing all you can to fight this atrocity, or are you leaving out half of the equation by not actively defending our Faith? That is your decision and judgement to make about yourself. But do not come to a thread spouting words to elevate your spiritualism and mysticism. This thread was started to let people know of a call to action to defend our beliefs. It will be a peaceful action. You won’t see pictures of pro life people getting in the faces of abortionists and shouting venomous accusations. You will see candlelight services, and rosaries being said. You will hear of/see sacrifices being made, people standing in bitter cold and intense heat outside abortion clinics to bear witness to our Creator. Pro Life people stand in quiet certainty about the justice of their beliefs, quiet witnesses to their faith and love of humanity.
You may choose to fight the inhumanity of man toward man by praying and hoping you are in touch with God, by meditating upon the goodness of God and God’s love and patience for all. Pro life people also do all this, but we do not stand idly by, God has given us a directive to fight injustices and if we seem overly concerned, or provocotive in our words, then pray for us, but don’t condescend to us through your preaching.
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Nordar
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the_phoenix
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Thank you for reminding me.
There is an excellent thread in the Prayer Intentions section of CAF. It’s called “Notre Dame University 2009 Faithful Catholic Graduates ask for prayers.” Here’s the link. Please feel welcome to join us in prayer.
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=324918
And, like I said before, Good for the Notre Dame student groups!
~~ the phoenix
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cargau
Guest
It is one thing to discern good from evil. It is quite another to stand down while innocent lives are being destroyed in the name of choice. BO is one of the great champions of this horrible evil. Jesus called us to love our enemies and indeed, we must. But, that is not the same thing as tolerating and even rewarding evil. I pray for BO. I hope that he will have a change of heart. Until then, however, he must be called out for who he is and what he stands for.
It is a spiritual work of mercy to correct the ignorant and admonish sinners. In the spirit of love, we should let the gospel be a light to whole world. Making a statement that refuses BO center stage at a Catholic university seems a reasonable response. Allowing him that spotlight on the other hand lends credence to his disdain for Catholic moral teaching.
I don’t believe you will see it be proposed. I will say, the faithful must be careful in the manner in which the message is presented. It should, however, be clear and honest. There should be no possibility that the message is misunderstood.
Welcome back to the faith, Ronald. You are a thoughtful and faith filled man. The gospel message is very difficult to live up to and you are clearly on your way. I believe that you have a good and holy heart. While I disagree with you on the procedural details, your thought provoking posts have caused me to pause and think and I thank you for that…
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Ronald_E
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Thank you Cargau for considering my thoughts with respect. I think others considered what I was saying as being passive and I know it is far from being passive.
I am ready to give up everything and go on that walking/running Rosary pilgrimage across the U.S. and raise money and support for the unborn if I would receive any support from any catholic radio personality in the form of them joining with me to go. They can orgainize the whole thing and do their shows on the road and use all their technology and influence with producers and all the political and entertainment personalities to make this something that cannot be ignored.
The response I get is that it is not practical, or they will pray about it, or it is a great idea, etc. Then there is nothing.
I read Mother Angelica’s story by Arroyo last summer and in the last chapter she stated that her dream was to build a facility for mothers and their children that would provide every need for their well-being. She said that she is sad that that has not happened. She also said that she has this mobile broadcasting vehicle that could be used to do shows from the road.
What better use than to go on the road and make a documentary of the Rosary and doing every EWTN show from the road until abortion stops. Why not have every apostolate be represented in this endeavor and join those mothers and their unborn children in the void of no love and create love that cannot be ignored.
Our Faith is not practical. It is mystical and we must start living in a mystical way. Holding signs and having slogans is from the '60’s.
What prevents ND students from going to the White House right now with a letter to the president that will be published in the Washington Post for his consideration. Why not get creative in this process instead of standing up and doing the same old thing.
I am ready to give up everything and go on that walking/running Rosary pilgrimage across the U.S. and raise money and support for the unborn if I would receive any support from any catholic radio personality in the form of them joining with me to go. They can orgainize the whole thing and do their shows on the road and use all their technology and influence with producers and all the political and entertainment personalities to make this something that cannot be ignored.
The response I get is that it is not practical, or they will pray about it, or it is a great idea, etc. Then there is nothing.
I read Mother Angelica’s story by Arroyo last summer and in the last chapter she stated that her dream was to build a facility for mothers and their children that would provide every need for their well-being. She said that she is sad that that has not happened. She also said that she has this mobile broadcasting vehicle that could be used to do shows from the road.
What better use than to go on the road and make a documentary of the Rosary and doing every EWTN show from the road until abortion stops. Why not have every apostolate be represented in this endeavor and join those mothers and their unborn children in the void of no love and create love that cannot be ignored.
Our Faith is not practical. It is mystical and we must start living in a mystical way. Holding signs and having slogans is from the '60’s.
What prevents ND students from going to the White House right now with a letter to the president that will be published in the Washington Post for his consideration. Why not get creative in this process instead of standing up and doing the same old thing.
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Ronald_E
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cargau
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You’re quite welcome. I do believe that you are passionate, not passive.
I am ready to give up everything and go on that walking/running Rosary pilgrimage across the U.S. and raise money and support for the unborn if I would receive any support from any catholic radio personality in the form of them joining with me to go. They can orgainize the whole thing and do their shows on the road and use all their technology and influence with producers and all the political and entertainment personalities to make this something that cannot be ignored.
The response I get is that it is not practical, or they will pray about it, or it is a great idea, etc. Then there is nothing.
I read Mother Angelica’s story by Arroyo last summer and in the last chapter she stated that her dream was to build a facility for mothers and their children that would provide every need for their well-being. She said that she is sad that that has not happened. She also said that she has this mobile broadcasting vehicle that could be used to do shows from the road.
What better use than to go on the road and make a documentary of the Rosary and doing every EWTN show from the road until abortion stops. Why not have every apostolate be represented in this endeavor and join those mothers and their unborn children in the void of no love and create love that cannot be ignored.
While I agree some tactics are more or less convincing than others, we are really not talking about waving a banner. We are talking about the most powerful man in the world being honored by a Catholic institution who strongly favors abortion. Giving him the stage is confusing to the faithful and has all the marks of being scandalous.
Nothing. But what makes you think a liberal rag like the Washington Post will provide prominent coverage of a letter from a bunch of radical ant-choice fanatics?
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Ronald_E
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I do not see it as a scandal. If I interpret it as a scandal it sets up fear and anger about how others may see our faith and creates a defensive aggressive internal and external environment.
I do not see it as honoring him. I see it as bait. You meet him where he feels good about doing good and then you show him how he can do more good by helping him understand that his stance on the unborn is due to the unconscious pain he has from not having a father in his life and his mother suffering as a result of being abandoned. From that point then you show him how he wants to be a hero to women by freeing them from the burden of children just as he saw himself as a burden to his abandoned mother.
The Washington Post is no problem.
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Cracker_Mom
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And then you charge him for the pyscho analysis.Right…
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Ronald_E
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Yep. I am sure he has insurance coverage. Do you know that rolling one’s eyes is the universal language of contempt? Is that what you feel? If so, that is one of the most difficult dispositions to overcome.And then you charge him for the pyscho analysis.Right…
We must go to the pain in others that influences them to be hard and insensitive. When they are vulnerable they can then be more open to a change of heart. It is called state dependent learning. In other words, real change occurs only when we are in the same vulnerable feeling and chemistry in which we were hurt in the first place and then it is possible to learn something new.
I know I cannot convince you, but I wonder why you resist a compassionate understanding and would rather be outraged. Outrage is what hurts human beings in the first place and causes a loss of love and a loss of a value of being human which then results in an internal outrage and fear, etc., etc.
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Nordar
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Ronald, Ronald, Ronald, you have to stop with the character assisination of everyone who disagrees with you. That is going to get you nowhere especially when you hope to have this therapy session with Obama, it will not make him see the errors of his ways.
You are a much better Catholic than any of us.
Your Faith is much stronger than any of ours.
You are right and we are all wrong.
We are all angry because we dare disagree with you, and you are all loving and peacfull.
We are all lacking ( in whatever) because we fail to agree with you.
We are all dishonest with ourselves, because we fail to see that you are right.
You are compassionate, we on the other hand are outraged, again because we dare to disagree with you.
We are rationalizing our anger as righteous indignation and giving ourselves permission to act out this anger. Again with the anger! we have righteous indignation, because we differ from you!
Yada, Yada, Yada. You are not going to win friends and influence people with this, I am better than you stance. It really is not for you to decide that how some wish to demonstrate that the ND issue is an outrage and scandal is wrong! or that they are less than you.
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Cracker_Mom
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Who is outraged?
Analyzing folks may be a universal sign of wanting to have the upper hand.:
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Cracker_Mom
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I hear there’s an opening on Dr. Phil…
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Nordar
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Oh Good! DI hear there’s an opening on Dr. Phil…
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Nordar
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Ya think so!Who is outraged?
Analyzing folks may be a universal sign of wanting to have the upper hand.:
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