tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22694506572050216422024-02-23T01:45:01.161-05:00From the Back of the ChurchTHE DISPARITY BETWEEN WHAT WE BELIEVE AND WHAT WE DOPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-7866655476171315432019-03-06T11:14:00.000-05:002019-03-06T11:14:44.308-05:00Not Welcoming the ForeignerLast summer I posted an article on social media about the Blekic family that was going to be deported with an update that the deportation occurred. I did so because I identified a lot with Medina, one of the children. I wrote: "This girl is from my hometown. I was in the JROTC like she was... Yet she can't be an American like me. She was deported today."
I also Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-65670565564859796512019-03-04T22:39:00.000-05:002019-03-06T11:41:13.781-05:00Abortion as the Demonic Parody of the EucharistPeople who have read my blog in the past know that I have always been pro-life. That being said, I have something small to confess. Last January, I felt defeated with opposing abortion. The March for Life seemed pointless- even if Roe vs Wade were actually overturned, there are still other laws that permit abortion. I thought that people who want legalized abortion were Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-87862946366535785742019-03-02T12:00:00.001-05:002019-03-04T22:35:16.975-05:00Unpacking Suicide and Mortal SinYou may have heard the outrage over a homily given by Detroit priest Fr. Don LaCuesta at the funeral of a teenager who had committed suicide. The family took their criticisms to the media, launching a small firestorm for the priest and the archdiocese. The firestorm eventually ended when the archdiocese released the homily to the media, leaving most people confused on what the family was soPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-6790719957467163772015-11-28T22:38:00.000-05:002015-11-29T22:28:09.871-05:00Deacons and the PriesthoodA co-worker said to me recently: "You're studying to be a deacon, and a deacon is closer to the priesthood." Her statement made sense to me at first, but after some thought I realized that depending on what she meant by priesthood, that's actually not true at all.
Allow me to explain- this topic is actually one of the first things I had to wrap my head around when I entered the deacon Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-18414975113858358092015-07-14T22:10:00.001-04:002015-07-21T11:13:49.781-04:00Brought to a Grinding Halt by MiscarriageSo where's this guy been? If I have any blog followers left, that's probably what they're thinking. I apologize that I've neglected the blog, but you'll see why in these next few lines. I last wrote in April, so I'll start there.
In mid April I received a letter from the diocese- I was accepted into the deacon formation program. My coursework started in May, and we pausedPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-26796036280020100272015-03-31T20:30:00.001-04:002015-03-31T22:39:22.734-04:00April Fool's Day is a Catholic Thing
Okay, so it isn't really Catholic thing per se, but the origin of April Fool's Day is actually found in the Church. A lot of people don't know this, so here's how the story goes.On February 24, 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued the papal bull Inter Gravissimas which established the Gregorian calendar (which gets it's name from this pope) as the official calendar for the Christian world.Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-16618327660617763222014-08-21T23:30:00.000-04:002014-08-23T08:48:01.486-04:00Why the ALS Association's Ice Bucket Challenge is So Cool (Yes, the pun was intended.)
By
now you have to have seen one if not hundreds of people participating
in the ALS Association's Ice Bucket Challenge. In case
you haven't, the challenge has people dumping buckets of ice water on
themselves while on video, then posting it on social media and
encouraging others to do the same. The purpose is to raise awareness
for Amyotrophic Lateral Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-55546272470093834412014-08-10T23:39:00.000-04:002014-09-03T17:58:19.763-04:00Helping the Christians of IraqIn case you haven't been following or you think religious persecution and martyrdom are things of the distance past, there's a lot of it going on with the Christians in Iraq.
In July, the members of the extremist Sunni Muslim faction told the Christians living in Mosul to either convert to Islam, pay an extra tax for being Christian called jizya, or flee for their lives. Since thenPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-79794899303420453552014-05-21T23:20:00.000-04:002014-05-27T15:53:38.112-04:00What Marriage Really Is NotOn May 20, a US district judge ruled that Pennsylvania's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The way the media reported it, you would have thought that there wasn't anyone who would have thought otherwise. By the record numbers of same-sex couples that applied for marriage licenses that same day, I wondered if there were any heterosexual couples still getting married.
I'mPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-39800477944226807072014-01-25T16:56:00.000-05:002014-03-25T22:54:45.056-04:00Since When Is Birth Control a Medication?Those who have read this blog know that I'm very opposed to the HHS Mandate. I've talked about here: Why I Hate the HHS Mandate and here: Our Sacred Duty and the HHS Mandate. With the latest news about the Supreme Court granting a temporary injunction for religious organizations that conscientiously object to the contraceptive coverage, I wanted to renew my detest for the mandate with a thought IPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-11007110128591094662013-12-15T20:22:00.000-05:002013-12-17T22:49:07.741-05:00"In those days" and Other Lectionary Incipits"In those days" is one of my favorite phrases in Scripture. You should know though that most of the time when it's heard during Mass, it's actually not a part of text from the Bible.
Wait, what? Yep, it's true. Here's the explanation.
The readings in the Lectionary are snippets from the Sacred Scripture. These lections are grouped by themes, and therefore not read in Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-53065042182663847722013-11-10T17:24:00.000-05:002013-11-11T21:44:38.607-05:00Not Giving Money to the Church
Money is a sensitive issue, especially in the Catholic Church. It's been said before that if a priest talks about money even once, he's talked about it too much. After writing this, I'm sure some of my readers are about to tell me I've talked about it too much, and I'm not even a priest.
There's plenty of reasons (or excuses) not to give money to your parish church, some of them are betterPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-71217899735333740462013-07-03T22:15:00.000-04:002013-11-10T14:02:23.070-05:00Sharing a Wrist Band with the PopePope Francis and I now have a little more in common!
Have you seen that yellow silicone bracelet that Pope Francis has? Having worn it to various functions, it's caught media attention since silicone wrist bands are not the usual attire for the successor of St Peter.
It was given to the pope the day after his election by Wilfrid Cardinal Napier, OFM, the Archbishop of Durban Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-27641815273940997172013-06-16T17:27:00.000-04:002014-02-01T11:42:25.414-05:00Reject Bad Information About the Church!
Want to know what really pushes my ecclesial buttons?
It's spreading misinformation and misunderstanding, specifically about the Church.
I know we get a lot of it from the media. It was especially noticeable when Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy. Many journalists who had never said the word papal before pronounced it wrong, as if it rhymed with "apple" instead of "Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-57739185255858429472013-06-07T22:07:00.000-04:002013-06-07T22:49:56.835-04:00Needing a Little Courage with Being Pro-LifeIn case you're wondering if I'm pro-life, this is what I think:
Life is beautiful and sacred, even if it doesn't always seem that way.
Each person is unique, unrepeatable, and has something to offer.
Life doesn't begin at birth, but at the very beginning at conception.
You shouldn't kill people.
I believe this not just because the Catholic Church teaches this, but also on my own Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-46910092753114420982013-03-21T16:00:00.000-04:002013-03-26T15:39:03.489-04:00Official Vatican Photo of Pope Francis ReleasedThe Vatican News Service released this official photo of the new Holy Father with his signature. It's dated the day of his election. According to the news service: "In the crucifix is the image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, carrying the sheep on his shoulders, with the flock following him."
I think it's a great photo. Does it look like a Polaroid? Check out the Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-88590616177082904092013-03-20T21:43:00.000-04:002014-05-27T15:58:06.062-04:00Simony or Scam- Need a Rosary Blessed by the Pope?Have you looked on eBay since the papal election? If you haven't, go ahead and type "Pope Francis" into the search bar. When I did it, there were 2,433 related things for sale. You'll find all sorts of papal memorabilia, ranging from commemorative t-shirts to a large clock featuring the Holy Father's head. Sadly, the first listing that came up for me was a little Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-5281353525217513542013-03-13T23:07:00.000-04:002013-03-16T21:35:49.571-04:00Some Thoughts On The New PopeBefore talking about our new pope, can I point out how fascinated I am with the Church and modern technology?
Never before have billions of people been able to watch the chimney at the Sistine Chapel yet never step foot in St Peter's Square. Probably with only a few exceptions, the entire world found out about the new bishop of Rome within moments thanks to the news media and Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-79072928771828668282013-02-11T23:07:00.000-05:002013-02-12T21:57:07.659-05:00Did the Pope Really Resign???When the news broke out, I didn't believe it at first.
History was made today. The world's one billion Catholics learned that Pope Benedict XVI will resign from the papacy effective February 28, 2013 at 8pm (Rome time). Only a handful of the 265 successors to St Peter have done this, the last being Gregory XII in 1415.
Once the news settled, it actually didn't surprise me thatPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-39769801230329478342013-02-01T23:51:00.001-05:002014-08-24T17:54:25.124-04:00Enough Is Enough, Cardinal Mahony!I'm not one to
publicly criticize bishops. In fact, I usually detest it and encourage others
to not do so. Usually...but not this time; although it helps that Roger
Cardinal Mahony is retired.
In
case you're not familiar with what I'm eluding to, Archbishop Gomez of
Los Angeles has publicly announced that his predecessor Cardinal Mahony
will "no longer have any administrative Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-25406418710315025492013-01-14T17:40:00.000-05:002013-01-14T22:28:54.502-05:00Going High Tech for Holy MassThe term "hands free" will never enter your mind if you've got two small toddlers with you in church. If I'm not holding the squirmy one, I'm holding the other who's restless and ready to fall asleep. Because of this, being able to use a hymnal or a misalette during the liturgy can be a rare occurrence for me. This became especially evident when the changes in the MassPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-64709803751194339062013-01-05T18:28:00.000-05:002013-03-24T22:31:21.207-04:00The Epiphany Proclamation and Date of EasterOne of the neatest things about being Catholic is that there's always something new to experience, especially with internet access and social media making things so readily accessible. Thanks to technology, you can pretty much know what the pope is up to. If you have a Twitter account, His Holiness could also know what's going on with you!Thanks to television coverage of the Papal Mass on Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-57883141081188748422012-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:002012-12-25T12:57:09.974-05:00Christmas Begins TODAY!Depending on where you live (or more precisely where you shop), it's been Christmas since October. As soon as the trick-or-treating is over, the Halloween decorations come down and the Christmas stuff goes up. If you're slow, you might wait until Thanksgiving. I suppose this isn't all bad. All things considered, the world could use a little bit of the Christmas spirit throughoutPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-33511686020091691482012-11-18T22:41:00.001-05:002012-12-16T19:44:17.469-05:00The Ordo, Secret to the Liturgical CalendarSo how does the priest know what prayers to say at Mass, or which readings to use? This can seem like a little liturgical secret if you've never heard of it before. I'm talking about a little book called the Ordo, a short name for The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and the Celebration of the Eucharist.
So what's an ordo? An ordo is a calendar that provides direction for the Paul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269450657205021642.post-42487930660194896792012-11-03T15:19:00.000-04:002013-06-12T22:36:07.980-04:00We Need TRUTH, Not Hype!Three days ago, a Chicago Tribune reporter wrote an article: Bishop orders priests to read anti-Obama letter at Sunday sermons. The article starts by saying: "Joining the chorus of Roman Catholic clergy in Illinois criticizing President Barack Obama before next week's election..." Within minutes of it's online publishing, there were hundreds of comments. Plenty of them supportedPaul Limhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10117148616394494033noreply@blogger.com0