USCCB Unanimously Adopts ‘United For Religious Freedom’ Statement

At its recent General Assembly, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reaffirmed by a unanimous voice vote a recent statement of the USCCB Administrative Committee regarding the HHS mandate.

At the end of their hour-long discussion of religious freedom in the United States, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of USCCB, asked the body of bishops if it would be willing to declare its approval of “United for Religious Freedom,” the unanimous statement of the Administrative Committee issued on 14 March. Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, California seconded Cardinal Dolan's motion, which was put to the body by a voice vote and unanimously affirmed.

“United for Religious Freedom” describes the bishops as “strongly unified and intensely focused in . . . opposition to the various threats to religious freedom in our day,” and explains that the HHS mandate “demands our immediate attention.” The document identifies three basic problems with the mandate: “an unwarranted government definition of religion,” “a mandate to act against our teachings,” and “a violation of personal civil rights.”

To access a copy of the complete statement, please visit:

USCCB: Statement on Religious Freedom and HHS Mandate

Reflection Starter from Henry Ward Beecher

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you.  Never excuse yourself.” – Henry Ward Beecher

CommunityMatters Launches New National Partnership

A recently-formed partnership, CommunityMatters, is striving to equip cities, towns, and all community members to strengthen their places and inspire change. This collaboration of eight organizations is planning to focus on projects and advocate for a new paradigm that takes a systemic approach to community building and planning.

Background information:

CommunityMatters

Participating organizations include:

Orton Family Foundation

Deliberative Democracy Consortium

Grassroots Grantmakers

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

New America Foundation

Project for Public Spaces

Strong Towns

How to Choose a Contractor for Your Home

“Hiring a contractor to work on your home is never an easy thing to do and can often be a stressful undertaking in and of itself. However, what is even more difficult and stressful is hiring the wrong contractor. Hiring the wrong contactor can be disastrous, lead to more money spent than what should have been spent in the first place, and more than likely lead to a second contractor search to fix the mistakes of the first contractor. Never fear. Here is a helpful checklist of things you should do and not do when looking for someone to professionally work on your home.”

ExpertBeacon recently, in collaboration with one Tom Lopatosky, Jr. of Lopco Contracting, offered a presentation of tips on how to choose a contractor for one’s home.

To access this presentation, please visit:

ExpertBeacon: How to choose a contractor for your home

(Well done, T.J.!)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for those who words of encouragement You inspire us to give us or that You send our way.

Msgr. Pope on the Feast of the Sacred Heart

Last Friday the Church celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For that day, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) offered a reflection on how the feast celebrated a love that conquers evil by the sheer acts of love and mercy.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: Love Conquers All – A Short Meditation on the Feast of the Sacred Heart (14 JUN 12)

Reflection Starter from Saint Francis de Sales

“When he created things God commanded plants to bring forth their fruits, each one according to its kind. In like manner he commands Christians, the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one according to his position and vocation.” – Saint Francis de Sales

Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week

This week, the week of 17-23 June, is being observed as Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week. This year’s theme is “Rules YOU can LIVE by.” International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week is a joint initiative of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Volunteer Fire Council. The event is coordinated by the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section and the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program; it is supported by national and international fire and emergency service organizations as well as health and safety-related organizations and agencies.

Fire departments throughout the U.S. are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activity during Safety Week and to focus entirely on survival training and education until all shifts and personnel have participated.

The 2012 International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week marks the unification of the IAFC’s Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week with the NVFC’s National Firefighter Health Week. The goal of both organizations is to reduce the number of preventable injury and death in the fire and emergency services. Safety and Health Week focuses on the critical importance of responders taking care of themselves both on and off the emergency incident scene. The week is designed to increase awareness and action so that safety and health become a priority in all fire departments.

For additional information related to Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week, please visit:

Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week

IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section

NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program

International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week: Safety Resources

International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week: Survival Resources

International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week: Health Resources

Background information:

International Association of Fire Chiefs

National Volunteer Fire Council

Michael W. Smith: “Agnus Dei”:

As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer Michael W. Smith singing “Agnus Dei”:

“What Fathers Can't Do”

In a recent post, the blog, Mommy Life, offered a YouTube Father’s day salute to dads.

To access this post, please visit:

Mommy Life: What Fathers Can't Do (16 JUN 12)

Lumen Gentium: The Mystery of the Church (12, continued)

Chapter II of Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is entitled “On the People of God.” It continues as follows:

“12. . . . It is not only through the sacraments and the ministries of the Church that the Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the people of God and enriches it with virtues, but, "allotting his gifts to everyone according as He wills,(114) He distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the Church, according to the words of the Apostle: "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit".(115) These charisms, whether they be the more outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church. Extraordinary gifts are not to be sought after, nor are the fruits of apostolic labor to be presumptuously expected from their use; but judgment as to their genuinity and proper use belongs to those who are appointed leaders in the Church, to whose special competence it belongs, not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to that which is good.(116)”

(114) 1 Corinthians 12:11.

(115) Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 19-21.

(116) Cf. John 11:52.

 

To access the complete document, please visit:

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Ezekiel 17:22-24, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, and Mark 4:26-34. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 92 (Psalm 92:2-3, 13-16).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Psalm 92: Lord, It Is Good (Guimont setting)

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Jesus said to the crowds: "This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."

He said, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."

With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (June 17, 2012)

Msgr. Charles Pope: If you can use anything Lord, You can use me. A Meditation on the Readings for the 11th Sunday of the Year (16 JUN 12)

The Deacon's Bench: Homily for June 17, 2012, 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (16 JUN 12)

The Quiet Corner: Christ was a genuine martyr, a true witness (14 JUN 12)

Dr. Scott Hahn: Tree of Righteousness (June 17th 2012 - Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time)

The Lectionary: We will flourish in the court of our God (11th Sunday in Ordinary Time B) (14 JUN 12)

The Sacred Page: “Now Seeds, START GROWING!!” Trusting God for Growth: Readings for the 11th Week of Ordinary Time (15 JUN 12)

The Word Encountered: Imperceptible Life (Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary: Peter Chrysologus