"Do we grow more in our faith when times are tough or when times are good?"

By Wally Arida

Here's someting we want you to reflect on. We go through peaks and valleys in our lives. That's just the way life is.

There are those of you who found God when you hit rock bottom. Just when you thought no one was around to help, you realize God was the only one who was with you all the time - helping you along the rough trail. And you come back to the Church. You begin attending Mass every Sunday, looking to God for personal strength.

And there are those of you who are very fortunate in life. You have a nice job, good health, a loving family. You feel your life is blessed. You turn to God all the time with your strong faith. You thank God and praise Him as the reason for your good fortune. You're devout in your faith.

We have all hit rock bottom and we have all been well blessed at some point in our lives.

Now reflect on this question, "Do we grow more in our faith when times are tough or when times are good?" Think about it and how this has applied to your life. Were you stronger in your belief in God when all hope seems lost? Or were you stronger in your belief when all is moving extremely well.

Share you stories with us. Bless us with your stories of survival and with your stories of thanksgiving. And tell us when you think your faith was stronger.

What is Church teaching on chain letters?

I have a question regarding chain letters. What is the official stand of the Catholic Church on this? Although the content may be good and worth sharing, I just don't like the way its being propagated. Meaning, if I/you don't send it something bad might happen to you or your loved ones. I don't think Mama Mary, God or Jesus works that way. Do this or do that or else attitude.

Again as I said most if not of the content of chain letters such as this is worth sharing I just don't like the pressure or the " or else " attitude towards it.

Your comments is highly appreciated.

Octave Cantos

Our finger is on the Catholic pulse

I began subscribing to ParishWorld this past year and look forward to its arrival every week. You always seem to have your finger on the pulse of what Catholics need to think and talk about.

Regards,

Frank Tobin
Frank Tobin Public Relations
Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA)

Coming Late at Mass

I would like to have this go out to the parishoners that are constantly late to mass. They seem to be the same people every time. Please know that you are disturbing the people that make the effort to get there on time. The ushers try to hold these people back until the readings are done. However one usher told us that it doesn't do any good. People will just go ahead and disturb everyone else in the aisles to get at a seat. I'm sure you take the time to get to a family function on time. Try and respect the mass to get to God on time !
~ Anonymous parish member

Reader wants to post pictures

Just a thought that it may be a nice idea to have a section on the webiste for folks to submit pictures of events going on around the parish, such at the 50th anniversary celebration, or the carnival.
~ Dave Molloy

Border fence is not the answer

Fence at the border between the U.S. and Mexico is not the solution to the problem. So says the Rev. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities of America. The Reverend requests that we enact fair and comprehensive immigration reform.

The reveredn is right, the fence is not the answer.

The reverend is also wrong, legislation is not the answer. We have laws in this country concerning immigration and concerning the steps to take to prevent and to rectify the illegal act of entering the country. The problem is not with the criminals who are crossing The border. It is with the criminals who do not apply and enforce the laws that they are elected to uphold concerning these matters, and plenty of others.

It is criminally immoral to take an oath to uphold the laws of a country which bills itself as a democracy of the people, by the people and for the people, and then ignore those laws, and indeed even aid and abet the behavior of the very perpetrators of illegal acts.

I therefore ask the reverend, "what makes you think that the abdication and dereliction of duty of the present politicians will not continue despite whatever other legislation might replace the laws that we presently have? I have absolutely no hope. Their vices are altogether too deeply engrained.

Welcome to ParishWorld, Fr. Mena !!

Father, I want to say AMEN! AMEN! y AMEN! I am happy that you are on tv, radio, and now the internet... There are a lot of people who dont go to church, now with you on the Radio, TV, and the Internet, they will hear the word of the lord... Gracias Padre.
- Paul from Our Lady of Victory.

What is difference between Pity and Mercy?

In this weeks gospel Bartimaeus, the blind man crys out to Jesus, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." The question posed to me was what is the difference between pity and mercy. Your comments are appreciated.
~ Debbie Aguilera, St. Catherine of Siena in Rialto, CA

Thanks for the question, Debbie. We asked our ParishWorld Theology editor to answer your question and this is what he said:

Pity: The Spanish translation uses the word "compasion". Pity is a feeling of sadness that we get when we consider a limiting situation in another person. It can be physical, spiritual, intellectual or emotional. It is not a driving force that makes us rectify the limiting factors in the person that they afflict because they don't come from us or from any other source over which we have any discretion, authority or power. Whatever good we do for the afflicted person will more than likely not restore the person to a non-afflicted state of normalcy.

Mercy on the other hand is an emotion that arises for some of the same reasons as pity except mercy makes us do something to alleviate the elements of distress that afflict the person in which they exist. We take mercy on someone when we forgive an insult, for instance. Mercy is granted to criminals when the judge either shortens or commutes the sentence. Mercy is offered to persons who have called the affliction down upon themselves and are now suffering the consequences of their own behavior.

Bartimaeous asks Jesus to take pity on him because his blindness is a consequence of a natural condition and not the result of sinful actions on his part. If he wanted to draw attention to himself as a sinner at least partially deserving to be punished through blindness, he would ask Jesus to have mercy on him, not pity.

Detroit Tigers manager and his priest brother

Re: Tigers manager and his priest brother both shepherd winning 'teams'

I wanted to tell the story of the time that Jesus went to a baseball game. He sat there and never cheered for one team or the other. When a rabid fan asked Him why, Jesus replied, "I'm enjoying the skill of these intense young men. Who wins or loses will not take away the skill with which they have been gifted." I was reminded of that when Father Leyland, Jim's brother said that he doesn't pray for one team or the other but just that the players retain their health. Good job, Father.

Thank you, Bishop Rutilio

Thank you, Wally, for the good service you provide God's people.
~ Most. Rev. Bishop Rutilio del Riego, Diocese of San Bernardino

"We must be as open as a child"

Shared by Jocelyn of Bonne Lake, WA

This picture was published in a New Orleans newspaper on Sept. 11, 2002. The following is the caption that accompanied the photo:

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Amy and Andrew J. DiMaggio Jr. of LaPlace don't have to be told that their 1-year old daughter Anna Maria is special. They get a glimpse of it every day when the toddler walks out to the front yard of her house and begins an animated conversation with the Blessed Mother. "Whenever she is with us in the front yard, she will always stop playing at some point and walk up to our statue of Mary," the DiMaggio said. "In this photo, she was holding her hands up and talking to Mary in her own babble language. We hope that this picture will inspire your readers to remember the words of Jesus who said that to enter the kingdom of heaven we must be as open as a child."
-----------

We thought we should share this with our ParishWorld.net readers. Now ask yourselves this question: "What would you tell the Blesss Virgin Mary if she appeared in front of you and spoke with you?"

Is First Friday Mass an obligation?

I am just a regular parishioner who goes to church every Sunday and to other holiday obligations. But it is very rare that I attend the mass on first Friday. My question is, is it an obligation to go to this special mass, and what is the significance of it?

By the way, this magazine is wonderful. Very inspirational to everyone and has lots of good and interesting stories to share. God bless the people who made it possible. Keep up the great work.

-- Chino Hills resident

Dear Chino Hiils resident,
We asked Paul Dion, STL - ParishWorld blogger and Theology Editor - to answer your question and this is what he said. We know many like yourself will be enlightened and blessed by this reponse.
~Editor


Dear Reader:

No one who is a regular reader of Parish World is “just a regular parishioner.” So, here we go.
The First Friday Mass is part of a very special popular devotion that has been around since about the 1920’s. Being a popular devotion, it is not imposed on all Catholics and the First Friday devotional Mass is therefore not obligatory.

The devotion that it supports is to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the late 19th century a French nun by the name of Margaret Mary had visions of Jesus with his heart visible through His chest. These visions took place at the convent where she was staying at Paray-le-Monial in France. The nun was a very holy person and in fact was canonized early in the 20th century.

Along the course of the visions, the Sacred Heart made a promise that found its way into the hearts of His people around the world. Essentially is this: Anyone who attends the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and participates in the sacred banquet of holy communion for nine consecutive first Fridays will not die outside the loving kindness and presence of the Sacred Heart in the form of the sacraments of Penance, Sacrament of Healing (Anointing of the sick) and the Viaticum.

This devotion, along with its promise, received unprecedented, and very rare support from the Pope who canonized Saint Margaret Mary when he mentioned the promise of the First Fridays in his Bull (letter) announcing his intention to canonize Margaret Mary. As you can imagine, this devotion “took off” and is one of the cornerstone devotions of our Catholic prayer life to this very day.

The reason why you, and many others, wonder if attendance at Mass on First Friday is obligatory is that you hear people saying all the time, “It’s First Friday tomorrow, I have to go to Mass.”

It’s because so many people do not do the novena, that they then forget about it. But many keep doing it most of their lives. How do I know that? I am one of those “habitués.”

Here is a link that you may enjoy.

Paul Dion, STL

"It's not about Jesus, its' about who Jesus is!"

Dear Editor:

You know what? I hate to say this, but Father Cantalamessa's sermon about "Who do you say that I am?" is the same old stuff that you hear in the Catholic Church all the time. It all comes from the left, logical lobe and frankly, is beginning to annoy me.

I never thought that I would catch myself saying that, but it is true. When I saw this on the front page of the magazine to which I am related, I was plugged in and rattled.

We Catholics never hear a true testimony of personal faith from the pulpit. This part of the Gospel should have been the trigger for personal witness to the relationship between the spiritual leader of the flock and Jesus.

Instead what we got, and not just from Father Cantalamessa, but from the rest of the clergy, was a bunch of direction from what appears to be the intellectual leader of the Sunday School Assembly.

I am not so sure that any of these preachers know Jesus. I am quite convinced that they can talk about Jesus all day. After all, that's what they studied in school for all those years of seminary. But it's getting more and more evident to me that none of them ever shook His hand, looked Him in the eye, and said what Peter said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God" and I am very glad to know you.

The pulpit leaders of the Catholic Church rarely reach into their own hearts to throw spiritual love out over the congregation. Catholics themselves imitate this and never talk about their personal relationship with Jesus. We know that if we do, we will be ridiculed by our hearers and more than likely be accused of boasting about our intimate relationship with "the Lord."

Why are we ashamed of being emotional about our relationship with Jesus? We hold hands with our children. We hold hands with our wives. We are not even shy about wrapping our arms around one another and even slipping a hand into our loved one's back pocket in public. I want to know what is so shameful about patting Jesus on the back(side!) in public?

I think that after I finish with this diatribe, I'm going to polish off my rusty Italian and give a piece of the right side of my brain to Father Cantalamessa. When I get done with him, he won't cry at my funeral. As they say in Italy, "Finalmente, non c'è più!"

~Paul Dion, STL

She wants to get a copy of the GIRM

I read your article "Gestures At Mass". I found this article informative and interesting. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) was used as reference. Please, where can I purchase this book?

I really enjoy receiving "Parish World" by email. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Tricia Coscione

(I suggest you check out the US catholic Conference of Bishops and get the information you need from there. Click here for the link. ~Editor)

Looking for a parish in San Diego

I have recently moved to Carmel Valley in San Diego and haven't been able to find a parish in the area. Can you help me please?
~ Anonymous

(There are several Catholic parishes in your area. Check out the Diocese of San Diego web site by clicking here. ~ Editor )

Their family is in a financial bind

My family is in financial need and I wanted to know if you know of any organizations that can help us. As of right now we are 3 months behind with our mortgage and I am fearing that we will lose our house. Can you please guide me in the direction where we can get help. Thank you.
~ Julie D.

(Have you tried Catholic Charities? Or maybe your local parish? We really have no ready information to give you. We pray you survive this crisis. And please know that God is with you every step of the way. If anyone would like to help Julie's family, please contact us at editor@parishwprld.net and we will get you hooked up with her. - Editor)

He doesn't believe in Catholicism but wants his son in Catholic school

By Wally Arida, Publisher of ParishWorld.net

We ran across this article dated Sept. 9, 2006 in the Toronto Star. Columnist Ken Gallinger responded to it. We thought it would be interesting to share it with you and ask you what your thoughts are about it.

Here is the article in its entirety:

----------------------------
Q.: I'm Roman Catholic and my partner is Protestant. We never got married because of all the hoops my church wanted us to jump through. I haven't gone to church since.

We have a 4-year-old and want to start him in a Catholic school next fall; they have a nicer building than the public school, and it's right down the street. But now the church is setting up more hoops.

Our Catholic friends have told us he can't go to a Catholic school unless he has a baptism certificate. We never had him baptized, and don't want to as we believe the Church's positions on marriage, birth control and abortion are outdated and offensive.

Still I've been a separate school taxpayer all my life and it's not fair that our child is kept out of a publicly funded system because of a Church rule.

A.: Your Catholic friends were likely asked to show their children's baptismal certificates when they registered their kids. That's normal practice at Roman Catholic schools and establishes that the kids are Catholic. But the policy of the Toronto Catholic District School Board is that, as long as one parent can "prove their Catholicity," their kids can attend the school, even if the kids themselves are not Catholic. Proving you are Catholic usually means producing a baptism certificate or letter from the parish where you were baptized. So as long as you have your baptismal certificate stored away somewhere, presumably with other documents you consider outdated, you should be okay.

Please don't have your son baptized. There are promises and commitments associated with that sacrament, and they are clearly not commitments you want or intend to honour. If your local principal insists, refer him to Catholic school board for clarification.

You raised the word "fair" so let me ask you this: if you find the Catholic Church's positions on marriage and family life so troublesome, why enrol your child in a school where those positions are going to be taught and reinforced? Catholic education is a package designed to reflect the values and ethical standards of the Roman Catholic Church. If those standards offend you, are you really being fair — either to the system or to your son?

-------------------------------

Well, now what do you think? Share your comments with us. You can sign it anonymous if you so wish.

Will you help undocumented people even if it means breaking the law?

This post was placed in one of the local ParishWorld blogs for St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Rialto, CA. The sentiment of this anonymous writer seemed so genuine, it prompted us to place it as a question that we would like all of you to reflect upon.

Here is the original post:

I have a concern that tugs at my heart. Am I willing to go to jail for helping an undocumented person by giving them food, clothing or spiritual nurishment? As a Catholic I know it is what I am called to do, but will I accept the consequences if this pending legislation goes into effect?
- Anonymous

Here is our question to you:

As Catholics, you know what you are called to do. But if this pending legislation becomes law, will you still help all our undocumented brothers and sisters? Are you willing to accept the consequences of such actions?

Let us know what you think. You can sign your comment anonymous if you so wish.

God bless.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

Great Idea!

Thanks for all you are doing for Wordnet on ParishWorld. Great idea! I am happy that you keep me on the list! Gratefully,
--Pat Phillips, sHCJChair, Wordnet Board of Directors

She says "WOW!" from Germany

WOW!! My husband and I came to Loerrach, Germany, from Australia to plant an English speaking Church for non Christians. We have been here 6 months and are just beginning the process. May your youth be excited about being followers of Jesus. If you want a good read "Just walk across the room" by Bill Hybels. Released this year. Practical way of doing evangelism - and we can ALL do it. Advancing the Invisible,
--Gaynor

He loves our Blogs!

I LOVE YOUR BLOGS! What a great idea and a terrific place to pick up nice thoughts and exchange ideas. And your selection of topics is just great. Keep up the good work.
-- Matt Khan in Cleveland, OH

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

Fr. likes Generation Connexion!

I like this week topic because it is very updated with the situation of youth in the church. How to dress reflects a lot how you live.
-- Fr. Roberto Mena, ST

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

On WordNet TV and FR. Mike Manning

Great shows! How can we get others to watch? Happy that Fr. Mike is on the blog! Way to go....
-- Anonymous

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

A Burning Question Fan

That burning question thing is interesting. I answered quickly without that much thought and then I was thinking about the question the rest of the day. After several hours later, I felt like changing my answer a bit. If this is typical with blogging, it will be good for ParishWorld.
-- Alex

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

Keep up the good fight!

I enjoy reading your articles.Fight the good fight of faith...
-- Efren from Manila, Philippines

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

She will begin spreading the word about us!

...I really like your site and so happy I found it.... I have been reading a lot of stories on your site and they are wonderful. What you have done is really good. I will began today spreading the word about you. Thank you so much
--Judy Harkness

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

Catholic Singles Group

I would like to know if there are any type of gatherings for Adult Cathloic singles. I am very interested, I've been widowed for four years now and would like to meet a practicing Catholic single. Thank you.
-- Norma M., Moreno Valley
(Singles for Christ may be a good group for you. It is a very active group with members in many parishes all over the world. I know there is a chapter at St. Catherine in Temecula and another at St. Catherine in Riverside. You may like to check them out. They also have Couples for Christ and Youth for Christ as part of their ministry. Good luck. - Editor)


(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

Internet can be a blessing

Excellent. It is so evident that the Internet can be a blessing to help people grow spiritually.
-- Sister Rose, FCP

Re: Medjugorje

Re: Top Story - Stop Medjugorje Marian apparition claims, bishop tells visionaries (07/14/2006) All of the skeptics at Fatima were proven false.....too bad the Bishop that included Medjugorje has a closed mind. And the "good" bishop will be proven wrong also. Millions of people who have visited Medjugorje have come away convinced that Our Lady is appearing.
-- Al Powers

Many are called.....

It must give you so much satisfaction and joy to be of service to your parish and community. I am sincerely very happy for you that you heard your true calling from the Lord. Many of us are called upon but are so busy doing other things to even hear it. Keep up the good work. Your community is very blessed to have you among them.
-- Victoria

His heart beams with joy

Congratulations! The magazine is well done! Keep up the wonderful work... Whenever Filipinos rise to the occasion to become proactive leaders in parishes, my heart beams with joy. It suggests that we have something meaningful to share in our Churches and not only spectators. Again, my congratulations to you...
-- Fr. Romy, MS

The Lord is good!

Hi Wally, I'm happy to know that you are doing something for the Lord now. It's excellent work that you have done. As you said, nothing to lose and everything to gain! My wife and I joined Couples For Christ, a catholic based community serving the Lord in all levels of society. It's now a worldwide community serving our Lord. We hooked up with the CFC group here in Long Island, New York. The Lord is truly good when we serve Him. He really takes care of all of us. So, keep up the good work. Take care, and God Bless.
-- RMV

Thoroughly impressed

Awesome job, I visited every section and am thoroughly impressed. I hope people take advantage of all that this offers. Thanks!
-- Tim M.

Will endorse it to all her friends

I like the look of your new magazine. Quite impressive. I've read some of your articles and they are written well. I haven't have the chance to forward yet to my friends. However I will forward it to them and endorse it for reading. Keep it up.
-- Jocelyn

Awesome!!

You are awesome!! And the rest of the magazine is wonderful. You have a good variety of articles to read from. It makes me want to see more. I am trying to think of more articles or ideas for your magazine. Thanks for such a great idea.
-- Joan

A great site!

What a great site you have constructed and filled with stories. It is very easy to get around. Thank you so much for all of your hard work. I enjoyed it.
-- Susan Frasca

Never had a better read or a more wonderful time!

As I awoke ( for who knows what reason) at 3 am this morning, I decided to really give ParishWorld Magazine a real hard look and read. It is now 5:30 AM and I have never had a better read or a more delightful time! What a wonderful magazine. It is my hope that our parish family will make use of this very special gift from you and your staff to really get to know the inner workings of parish life and be encouraged and catechized by the information available to us. The many changes the Church has experienced over these past years have not always ( and sometimes never) really been explained to us. As a cradle Catholic of 73 years, I find each day a new learning experience in my faith. Our new mag. has given me much food for thought and I look forward to future issues. Bless you for paying attention to that whisper from the Lord and undertaking this project utilizing your Godgiven talent and gifts.
-- Peggy Powers

Many will benefit from it

Thanks, Wally. It's wonderful and you did an excellent job. It is so professional that I know many will read it and benefit greatly from it. God Bless You.
-- Msgr. Tom

Phenomenal!

This is a phenomenal web-publication for the parish and community. Something of this quality requires a tremendous amount of work and dedication. It shows.
-- Warren Henderson

Spreading the faith

God bless you in your ministry of spreading the faith!
-- Fr. Ed

WOW-WOW

OK - found a computer and got in - WOW - WOW - great job to you - lots of work -
easy to manuever - love it!!!
-- Kirsten

Cover to cover?

Looks good...I read it from "cover to cover."
-- Maria

As an internet magazine we don't quite have cover pages, but we know what you mean. :-) Thanks for the support. -- Editor

Looking for a LIFE TEEN parish

Congrats on the excellence of ParishWorld. It's really looking good... I've been trying to find a life teen church out in San Diego but I don't know where to look. Any thoughts?
-- Kevin

You can check out www.lifeteen.com and see all the San Diego parishes with Life Teen programs. Thanks. -- Editor

Very colorful

Very colorful and relatively easy to navigate through. Kudos to you!.. Looking forward to the next issue....
-- Maria

Really impressive!

CONGRATULATIONS! The magazine is really impressive! It is both informative and formative. "Well done, my good and faithful servant...."(Mt. 25:23)
-- Isabel

WOW !!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just spent a few minutes looking through parishWorld and boy am I impressed. Congradulations on a remarkably great job. Since I do our parish Knight of Columbus bulletin that goes out every two months I have a small idea of the effort you put into it. I definately plan to revisit the magazine and look forward to having a ParishWorld for my parish. I'm curious as to what sources of help did you have? Again. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-- Mark A. Ramirez

Dear Mark, Thanks for the multiple exclamation points. It does take a lot of effort and the resources required are gargantuan. But everything is well worth it. God bless. -- Editor

Keep the flame burning

CONGRATULATIONS! I AM VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY BUT THE SPIRIT OF THE COMMUNITY...KEEP THE FLAME BURNING! GOD BLESS!
-- Fr. Tony Abuan, MS, Apple Valley, CA

Telling all his friends

I believe that our parishioners are very slow in looking at new things on the Internet. Many of them do not have Internet service. Many of them too, are "workers on wheels." By that I mean they work a distance away from their homes and they don't have time to look at their E-Mail when they get home. Many of them only check their E-Mail on weekends. I have had a difficult time trying to get our ministry leaders to look at the Worship Commission link to the parish website. However, I keep trying. But I am enjoying the magazine and I am encouraging my children and my friends to take a look at it. Thank you for the work you are doing.
-- Morris

Kudos!

Very nice and informative. Keep up the good work.
-- FR. Jose Nacu, MS

Praying for priests

Just wanted to let you all know how great I think the magazine is. You are all doing a fantastic job and I thank God that we have such awesome caring priests and staff to support us on our journey of faith. I will remember you all in my daily prayers from now on. Sometimes we forget to pray for the priests because we feel they are so close to God and might not need our prayers. But I can see now, that is not the case. As you pray for us, I will pray for you. God Bless you.
-- A humble parishoner

A wonderful feeling

This is great! What a wonderful feeling to read the stories and comments of our wonderful parish life. Of course I'm particularly proud of our young children and youth here, they are such a blessing to our parish, and I'm for sure going to send this "magazine" off to other parishes and family and friends to share.Thank you for your gifts that make this possible!
-- Chris Robbins

Very accurate

This magazine will prove to be a great resource for those person who are too ill to take part in the daily masses. The magazine certainly can't replace the celebration itself. However, it will keep everyone up to date as to what church activities are taking place and even more so, your information is very accurate. Your articles will sincerely assist all Catholics deepen our faith and will prove to be a great source for evangelization. Now if we can only readers to "write a few articles." Good luck and keep it up!
-- Arlen Gaynor

A terrific job!

I just checked my email for the last time today, as I am leaving on vacation tomorrow morning.
What a wonderful way to finish up my computer time! You guys have done a terrific job!
CONGRATULATIONS!
- Joan

Receiving the blood of Christ

I have a rather curious question, concerning the receiving the blood of Christ. I am from the old school, raised in catholic schools in Beirut, Lebanon. For a long period of time I was not involved much in the church until the last couple of years. I am proud to say that I brought Jesus Christ back into my heart and soul.

I seem to have trouble drinking the wine after receiving the Holy Eucharist. Even though the Eucharistic Ministers wipe the cup after someone had drunk from it, should that person have some kind of illness, the germs still exists and basically is passed on from one person to another. Why can't we just dip the Holy bread instead of drinking from the cup?

Personally, I simply don't receive it and for some reason, I don't feel fulfilled. Back in the old days, 35 years ago or so, the priest would dip the wafer and give it to the communicants. Please advise me. Thank you.
-- Theresa

Theresa, we asked ParishWorld blogger Paul Dion, STL to answer your question since he is more educated about the subject matter than we are and the following is what he said. -- Editor

"You bring up some very good points about receiving the Sacred Blood from the same cup. I too have some reservations about the practice and in many cases I too just pass. Sometimes though, when the Sacred Host and the Sacred Blood distribution centers are not very far apart, I take the Host in my hand and slide over to the Cup and dip the Host and therefore have satisfied myself. I have been to some Eastern Churches and have seen that they distribute Communion with unleavened bread and use a small golden spoon for the purpose. That leaves me with the same reservations as I have for sipping from the same cup.

When the liturigical regulations first came out regarding the reception of Communion under both species, it was permitted to dip the host. After about a year or two, the regulations were changed and the dipping of the host was forbidden as a regular practice. That is why we now have what we have.

I frankly do not think that there is a satisfactory answer to this process. I have heard some rather challenging opinions about the situation. The strangest one being that "This is the Blood of Christ. You can't get sick from it." This is not a good reason to rely on. It is the Blood of Christ under the species of wine. The wine retains all its ingredients and all its material characteristics, so germs introduced into it by a common sipping would be just as dangerous to humans as if they had been ingested somewhere else. Notice that I haven't addressed the problem that I feel about the rim of the container being contaminated.

My greatest comfort comes from the knowledge that most people drink from common containers in their domestic lives and seem to be doing OK. That is what makes me approach the cup of the Sacred Blood if I am not too far down the line.

Finally, it is important to note that Holy Communion is whole and entire no matter how much of the consecrated species you ingest. Receiving under both species will always carry some negative aspects with it. Please do not feel left out or negative about your feelings concerning this part of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The real presence of Jesus is a powerful grace within us. Enjoy it and thank Him every day for the heavenly relationship that you maintain with Him.

You may receive further comments about this question and they may help you more than this one. "

Non-factual and Nonsense

I read the article in the Parish World and have some issues with it. My source of reference is the Cathechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, Revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul ll, August 15,1997.

Page 545
Legitimate Defense
paragraph 2263 to 2267.
pay particular attention to paragraph 2267.

There are times that the "death penalty" can be applied. I am not a scholar by any stretch of the imagination but it is apparent that the author of the article didn't read the cathechism, or chose to ignore it. The article was not factual and it is this kind of "nonsense" that sows discord and division, within the Church.
--Al Powers

Thanks for your comments, Al. There is definitely room for healthy discussion in the pages of ParishWorld. - Editor

Looking forward to the next issues

Thank you. I am always looking forward to the next issue. Always informative and very inspiring. Thanks again.
-- Max Arzu

Getting them to read without pushing

This is great! I usually get tons of good and mostly bad humor in my email. I don't forward stuff. Your funnies page will be my exception. It is a good way to introduce people we know to Parish World. Maybe get them to reading without "pushing."
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink!"
-- Guillermo

A DAUNTING PROJECT

Wally, Thanks for your inspirational thoughts - and for bringing me up to speed with the ParishWorld project. Sounds like you were called upon to do this ministry, and who better to take upon a project like this - you've always taken on daunting projects and have come out shining. That's great that you and Alex are working together. Take care and, yes, I'll keep you in my prayers.
-- Hope Bianchi Sjursen

Thank you

Thanks for the Santo Nino article at PARISHWORLD.net. It was so very complete and informational. We are surely blessed that you are here with us to lead the the Pastoral Council and the electronic PARISHWORLD magazine in St. Patrick's. I realize that it had expanded coverage by now. Congratulations ! I know that through the goodness of God, it will soon be nationwide ( probably worldwide).
- Robert de Leon of Moreno Valley, CA

Really impressed!

I really find the articles interesting and I don't want to miss an issue. I'm really impressed.
- Ruby from Vancouver, Canada

Attention Catholic Aviators!

Dear Friends of Catholic Aviation, The Society of Our Lady of the Skies [SOLOS] of California is a new statewide Catholic aviation ministry. The SOLOS is seeking pilots to help with a national recruiting booth. The SOLOS USA booth will be set-up at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association [AOPA.org] Convention Nov 9-11, 2006 in the Palm Springs Convention Center. FMI please share this information and visit www.soloscan.info call air mobile 813-784-4669.
- Neil Cosentino

TGIF Jokes

This is good! It was the first time I saw this section. It made me laugh. I can say it takes a lot to make me laugh, that's how I know this was very funny. They say laughter is the best medicine. Thank you for adding this section to Parish World.
- Dolores of La Puente, CA