Spiritual Life>

The word of God, marriage and the family
From Pope Benedict's Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on sacred scripture, Verbum Domini, Word of the Lord, September 30, 2010. 

Archbishop Timothy Dolan Tribute to Dorothy Day
NEW YORK, November 9, 2010 -- "Dorothy Day is one of the most significant women in the life of the Church in the United States." That's how Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York began a moving and inspiring talk about the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement on the anniversary of her birthday Nov. 9 at St. Joseph's Church in Greenwich Village. The video clip below is worth watching to the end. Archbishop Dolan labeled six "insights" we can take from Dorothy Day.

Witnessing our Faith
In at a time when people are trying to exclude our faith from public life, let's respond by bringing our faith, bringing Jesus , to the streets. See video.

A Ratzinger from Four Centuries Ago. In Beijing
Critical to the the mission of evangelization (and evangelization of culture) is to learn the language of the culture and speak in terms people can understand. Great examples of this are the appearance of Our Lady of Guadaulpe in central Mexico and the approach used by Matteo Ricci in the evangelization of China. What can we learn from these examples? Interestingly, Italian journalist, Sandro Magister has observed what he calls, "the remarkable resemblance between the missionary method of Matteo Ricci in seventeenth-century China and the dialogue between Christianity and cultures proposed today by Benedict XVI"

Relativism - The New Face of Intolerance
"Today relativism predominates. It seems that whoever is not a relativist is someone who is intolerant. To think that one can understand the essential truth is already seen as something intolerant."

Important Papal Address--Faith and Politics
LONDON, September 17, 2010-- Pope Benedict XVI delevered a key note address at Westminstier Hall discussing the marginailation of religion, especially Christianity, in discussion of public policy, morality and ethics. He focuses on the critical intercection of faith and reason.

Pope Benedict XVI: The Future of Marriage Depends on Personal Culture
VATICAN, September 13, 2010 -- Pope Benedict said that the "success of marriages depends upon us all and on the personal culture of each individual citizen," in a meeting today with Germany's new ambassador to the Holy See on Monday.He was referencing Pope John Paul II's notion of the "culture of the person" as critical to the future of marriage and the family.

Bishop not a mere governor or bureaucrat - Pope Benedict
VATICAN CITY, September 13, 2010 -- Pope Benedict 120 recently appointed bishop gathered from around the world for an annual congress sponsored by the Congregation for Bishops, "The ministry of the bishop -- who is not a mere governor or bureaucrat, or a simple moderator or organizer of diocesan life -- is part of a profound perspective that is not simply human, administrative or sociological, but a perspective of faith. It is paternity and fraternity in Christ that enable the bishop to create a climate of trust, acceptance and affection, but also of frankness and justice."

Prayer for the Prop 8 marriage trial
Closing arguments, June 16, 2010
Federal District Court, San Francisco

On Judging Others
Excerpts from Introduyction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

Achieving Solidarity with Victims Through Christ
Christ Saves Us from the Mechanism of Violence
VATICAN, April 2, 2010 -- How easy is it for us to focus on certain groups of people for the problems of the culture. How easy is it for us to attack them. Ironically, it can feel good. It leads to a sense of exhaltation, a sense of rightiousness, but it drains grace and obstructs love. It leads to violence -- if not physical, then certainly a violation of the dignity of the other.

Pope's Profound Reflection for Holy Week 2010
The true goal is communion with Him.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 1, 2010 -- The reason that marriage and the family are susceptible to being redefined is because of a lost sense of the reality of who we are, how we are made, and what we are made for. In his Palm Sunday homily, the Holy Father, himself currently under attack, provided us with an important reflection. He said, "Following Christ demands as a first step the reawakening of the nostalgia for being authentically human and thus the reawakening for God." Then he added that through the Church, we must become like a group of mountain climbers, roped together endeavoring to reach the "true height of our calling."

Laity Called to Step Up for New Evangelization
Pastoral Letter of Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO, TX, February 15, 2010 -- On the fifth anniversary of his installation as archbishop, the Most Rev.José Gomez released a pastoral letter reminding the laity of their privilege and obligation to serve Christ and His Church in a very unique secular role.

Celebrate Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12
Star of the New Evangelization
Patroness Special to CCG and Marriage Advocates
On the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II gave the Americas a new patroness for the evangelization of culture, Our Lady of Guadalupe, whom he identified as the "Star of the New Evangelization". During Proposition 8, we placed the volunteers and the entire campaign to restore marriage under her protection. Since then, we have come to recognize that she is playing a critical role in the life of this apostolate. She is not only our mother and intercessor, but our model and guide.

Novena and Help Needed for
Critical Marriage Vote in Maine
Polls Show Toss Up
SAN FRANCISCO, Friday, October 23, 2009 -- On November 3 the voters of Maine have one last chance to restore the definition of marriage and block the teaching of same-sex "marriage" in schools by passing Question 1 (similar to Prop 8 in California). StandforMarriageMaine.com campaign is being swamped by massive TV advertising expenditures, and imported paid staff and volunteers by the other side. Being outspent by a margin of two to one and polls showing a tie, prayers are desperately needed.