Ryan-ism: What is Catholic Social Teaching?

[youtube=http://youtu.be/Kce_BZvjfX4] This morning this video caught my eye on Facebook, and it does a great job of very simply explaining in five minutes the core of Catholic social teaching.

This video is produced by SolidarityWithSalisbury.com and comes with a downloadable one-page summary of the video.  I haven't had time to read many of the articles, but the about page of the website says it is dedicated to "collecting, distilling and communicating the truth of Catholic Social teaching as it applies to the business world", which is an exciting endeavor.

**You might also be interested in Fr. Robert Barron's comments on Paul Ryan and Catholic social teaching, found here and here.

+JMJ

Deacon Ralph Poyo [Video Interview]

In honor of Support a Catholic Speaker Month 2012, I had the pleasure of sitting down (virtually) with national Catholic speaker Deacon Ralph Poyo to talk about his speaking ministry, New Evangelization Ministries, and his distant Shire relations.  This happens to be my first video interview and it was a ton of fun.

**Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom and comment to enter the Catholic Book Giveaway to help spread the word about Deacon Ralph's speaking ministry!**

Organized by Brandon Vogt, Support a Catholic Speaker month is designed to help raise awareness and support for Catholic speakers.  Over 11,000 people cast more than 82,000 votes to come up with the a list of the top 100 Catholic speakers.  Bloggers were then invited to interview and/or write about one of the speakers.

Deacon Ralph Poyo is one of these top 100 Catholic speakers, and for good reason.  A national catholic speaker and founder of New Evangelization Ministries, Deacon Ralph has 30+ years of ministry experience in almost every imaginable capacity - youth minister, youth conference speaker, Deacon/Priest conference speaker, retreat leader, chastity speaker, author of discipleship resource "Pick Up your cross and follow me", and more recently, as a parish consultant.

"His thirty plus years of experience in Youth Ministry has helped Dcn. Ralph develop a preaching/teaching style that is capable of captivating youth and penetrating adults with the truth of the Gospel."

The first thing you will notice about Deacon Ralph is how entertaining he is to hear speak.  He's telling jokes, in wheel barrels, hopping down into the audience, or locking himself in chains.  But once he's won you over, he does not fail to deliver a passionate and convicting presentation of the truth of Jesus Christ.  During the interview Deacon Ralph explains "when my girls hear me speak, they say 'Dad you're angry!' But I just tell them that I am angry at the lies of the devil."

Deacon Ralph desires deeply to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit in all he does and to be used by God to win souls for Christ.  This passionate man's ministry is truly a gift to the Church.

Watch the Video Interview Below:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOaqzzFj2bE]

Topics Discussed:

1:32 - Deacon Ralph's background 3:42 - How youth ministry helped develop his speaking ministry 5:23 - What fuels your passion? 6:41 - What is New Evangelization Ministries? 11:51 - What is the biggest barrier stopping American Catholics from being "all in"? 13:30 - Are you related to anyone from the Shire?

Stay in Touch with Deacon Ralph:

DeaconRalphPoyo.com NewEvangelizationMinistries.org Twitter: @HobbitDeacon

Here are a few examples of Deacon Ralph in action...

(This first one is the talk referenced by me during the interview. One of my all time favorites.) [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/2755101 w=400&h=300]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1nq9hJ92E?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jzCTrnpjz4?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Catholic Book Giveaway to Support Deacon Ralph!

I really believe Deacon Ralph is a top notch Catholic speaker, and in honor of Support a Catholic Speaker Month I want to do all I can to spread the word about Deacon Ralph and his speaking ministry, as well as build support for him.

So...I'm starting a Book Giveaway!

Tweet this article, share it on Facebook, or say a prayer for Deacon Ralph.  Then leave a comment saying which one you did.  You'll be entered for a chance for me to send one of you a hardback copy of Crossing The Threshold of Hope by Pope John Paul II, free of charge.  Contest ends Oct. 1st, when I'll pick and announce one random winner and send them the book free of charge.

About the Book:

The writings of Pope John Paul II in Crossing the Threshold of Hope were originally intended to be broadcasted as a live television interview with an Italian journalist.  When John Paul II had to cancel the interview at the last minute, he still wanted to answer Messori’s questions.  The Pope sent written answers to the journalist with permission to publish them as he saw fit, writing on the outside cover the title suggestion "Crossing the Threshold of Hope."

Questions and topics covered in the book include: “How does the Pope Pray?” “Does God Really Exist?” “If God Exists, Why is He Hiding?” “Why Is There So Much Evil in the World?” “Why So Many Religions?” “Buddha?” “Muhammad?” “Judaism?” “What Is the New Evangelization?” “Is There Really Hope in the Young?” “The Reaction of the World,” “Does Eternal Life Exist?” “Human Rights,” “The Mother of God,” and “Be Not Afraid.”

So make sure you comment below for your chance to win the book, and show some support for Deacon Ralph while you are at it!

+JMJ

How to Use a Catechism

Every Catholic needs a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  And every good Catholic should be very familiar with their catechism.  Be a real Catholic, refute heretics, know what the Church truly teaches, prove you speak orthodoxy, learn about your faith, defend your faith, hold religious educators accountable, be a Catholic in the fullest sense.  But once you have a Catechism, how do you use it?

What is the Catechism?

When I was in college and would tell people I was majoring in catechetics, most people reacted by saying "So you're going to be a Priest?"  With that in mind, before we talk about the Catechism of the Catholic Church and how to use it, I think it's a good idea to start with the big word right there in the title that might trip us up.

Some definitions...

The word catechesis comes from the Greek word κατηχισμός from kata meaning "down" and echein meaning "to sound" or "to echo" - literally meaning "to sound/echo down".

Blessed Pope John Paul II wrote a Church document on catechesis titled "On Catechesis in Our Time".  In it he defines catechesis as:

"...the whole of the efforts within the Church to make disciples, to help people to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, so that believing they might have life in His name, and to educate and instruct them in this life and thus build up the Body of Christ. 
(On Catechesis in Our Time, Paragraph 1)

So catechesis is the "echoing down" of the Deposit of Faith done by the Church to every generation throughout history.  It is the Church's way of handing on to God's people the Deposit of Faith given to Her by Jesus Christ Himself.  A catechism is a systematic summary of fundamental contents of the faith, written with the purpose of echoing down this faith to the faithful.

Cat- words... Catechesis: education in the faith of children, young people, and adults, especially the teaching of Christian doctrine with the goal of initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life (cf. CCC 5) Catechism:  a systematic and organic presentation of the fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church's Tradition (cf. CCC 11) Catechist: a person who does catechesis Catechetics:  the study of catechesis Catapocalypse:  the feline destruction of life as we know it; spay and neuter your cats

This doesn't mean catechesis is only for kids.  In the encyclical "On Catechesis in Our Time", Blessed John Paul II goes on to say:

"...the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity." Paragraph #5

So if you are listening, reading, or seeing something or someone that brings you to a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith and therefore a greater intimacy with Jesus Christ, then you are being catechized.  You don't "grow out of" catechesis just like you don't "grow out of" falling deeper in love with your wife.

What is the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the first edition promulgated in 1992, is the first systematic presentation of the whole Catholic faith since the Council of Trent in 1566.  Some readers will be familiar with past catechisms such as the Roman Catechism from Trent or the Baltimore Catechism.  Catechisms have been produced by the Church both universally and locally by Bishops throughout history.

What makes this catechism so important is that it is the first catechism in over 570 years to be written and guided by promptings of the Pope with the purpose of being used universally throughout the world by the Church.

There is no longer a question about whether or not the Church has "changed its beliefs" since the Council of Trent in order to make the faith more modern, as some heretics within the church have been known to say to support teachings contrary to the Catholic faith.

Thanks to Blessed Pope John Paul II, we can now definitively point to the Catechism as a sure rule and guide in our time of everything the Catholic Church teaches and believes.

Blessed Pope John Paul II first asked in 1985 for a Catechism or compendium of all Catholic doctrine regarding faith and morals to be written by the Church.  The first edition was published in French and then translated into other languages such as English.  After the Latin official text was finished, the translations were revised by the Latin standard, and so we have the second edition, translated into most languages.

How to Use the Catechism

Contents - The Four Pillars The Catechism is an "organic presentation of the Catholic faith in its entirety".  This means that all of the faith relates back to Christ and is interconnected as a unified whole.  We can see this in thoughtful structure of the catechism based around four traditional "pillars":

Profession of Faith (Creed or Profession of Faith ) Par. #'s 26-1065 The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Sacraments or Celebration of Faith) Par. #'s 1066-1690 Life in Christ (Morality or Life of Faith) Par. #'s 1691-2557 Christian Prayer (Prayer of the Believer) Par. #'s 2558-2865

All four sections are centered and unified in Jesus Christ and our faith in Him.  This is called "christocentricity".  Throughout Church history the Creed, Sacraments, Ten Commandments, and Our Father have been taught as the four pillars of the faith.  Likewise the catechism uses these pillars for its structure and outline of each section.

They could be summed up as the profession of faith, celebration of faith, life of faith, and prayer of the believer - Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer. (CCC 13)

Reference (Paragraph) Numbers Best Use: For navigating the Catechism, referencing to other sections of the Catechism, and for recognizing what pillar of the catechism you are in. These are the bold numbers next to the chunks of text.  This is the meat of the Catechism. Short hand references to paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church are often written CCC 5 or CCC #5 (like in this article, for example) meaning Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph number 5.

When people reference to the Catechism they don't use page numbers, because different translations or publications could have differing page numbers.  Therefore any references to a section of the Catechism is done using the paragraph number.  The table of contents, however, lists page numbers, not reference numbers. (Confusing, I know.)

[NOTE:  The Catechism is broken down into the four parts, which are divided into sections, which are divided into chapters, which are divided into articles, which are subdivided into roman numerals and/or paragraphs.  Don't let that overwhelm you, this is just to be sure that you aren't confused.  When people say "Catechism paragraph 25" they generally mean reference (bold) number 25. ]

Cross References Best Use: Finding how a particular topic is discussed in other pillars of the Catechism and following a theme throughout the Catechism. These numbers appear in the margins and tell you what other sections of the Catechism are related to the idea in the sentence or paragraph you are reading, often bringing you to other pillars of the Catechism.  For example, when reading paragraphs 1330 on the Eucharist, the cross references will bring you to 1341, 614, and 2643. 

In Brief Best Use: To sum up and review a lengthy section you have read.  Also good for memorization. At the end of each major article in the Catechism is the "In Brief" section, which summarizes the entire article's topic in a few short paragraphs.

Index Best Use: Finding information on a specific topic or question in mind. This is an alphabetical index of general subjects and where the subjects are referenced throughout the entire catechism.  Each subject or term has subheadings to get more specific about what exactly you are trying to find.

For instance, say you want to read what the Church teaches about Jesus' presence in the Eucharist.  Turn to the index, find the bold word "Eucharist", and under it you will find "presence of Christ in the Eucharist" and further subheadings of different topics concerning the presence of Christ in the Eucharist with the paragraph numbers following.

Glossary Best Use: Finding a quick definition of a term and the important Catechism passage on that term. Here you will find short definitions of important terms with references to key paragraph numbers.  For example, if you wanted to know what adoration is, a good place to start is looking it up here.  You will find a short definition in the glossary which summarizes the articles found in the catechism.  It will then give the main paragraph numbers for this term in parenthesis.

Index of Citations Best Use: Finding how a particular Bible passage or verse is referenced throughout the Catechism - how the Church interprets the verse. This is an amazing and powerful feature of the Catechism.  You can look up Documents of the Church, Liturgical Rites, important authors from the tradition of the Church, and even the Bible to see how these sources are used throughout the Catechism.

One of the coolest ways to use this index is to look up how a certain passage in the Bible is cited in the catechism.  For example, today's Gospel Reading was from Matthew 11:25-27.  I can turn to the index of citations and find that Matthew 11:25 is referenced in the catechism paragraphs 153, 544, and 2785.  If there is an asterisk, this means the passage was paraphrased in the paragraph.

This is a great way to read the Catechism while reading through the Bible to see how the Church applies a particular passage.

Where You Should Start

• Start at the beginning and read to the glorious end (highly recommended)
• Bring it to Adoration and pray with a few sections at a time (highly recommended)
• Look up something you are interested in or know nothing about
• Think of a question someone has asked you that you didn't know the answer to
• Look up the daily readings in the Index of Citations

Other Catechisms to Check Out

The Catechism Online - The USCCB put the entire Catechism online. YouCat - A catechism put out by the Church and written for the youth of the Church Adult Catechism - A catechism put out by the USCCB and written for adults Compendium to the Catechism - The "mini-catechism" of 200 short pages in question-answer format.  A good supplement, but don't wimp out and never read the full catechism.  You'll miss out.

_________________________________________________________________________

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.  2 Timothy 4:1-5

******* Who to send this article to: Your mom, recently initiated RCIA candidates, recent converts, atheists you gave a Catechism to, your young adult friends or children, high school religion teachers who need to read the catechism, people you love.

Faith and Reason: An Initiative of FUS

Franciscan University recently launched "Faith and Reason", an online Catholic resource with the mission of engaging the wider culture with the message of Christ.  Its name is inspired by Blessed John Paul II's Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio(Faith and Reason), and  Franciscan University hopes the website will help bring people to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and equip Catholics with a deeper understanding of how relevant and reasonable the Catholic faith is even in our post-modern culture.  From the site:

"From emerging issues in business and bioethics to questions of politics, art, music, and more, Faith & Reason will deepen your understanding of the world in which you live and give you the tools you need to engage the culture with truth and love."

The Channels section of the site features videos in all sorts of interesting categories: from Christ in the Marketplace, Media and You, Apologetics 101, Witnesses for the New Evangelizationand more. Be sure to check it out and pass it on to your friends.  It is important now more than ever for us to be equipped as Catholics with the reasons for our faith, because our Catholic faith is the MOST reasonable of them all and the most fulfilling! (Dare I say fun too?) As Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said:

"There are not more than 100 people in the world who truly hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they perceive to be the Catholic Church."

+JMJ

"Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope." 1 Peter 3:15

*****If you want to help spread the New Evangelization and the Catholic Faith, post the link to the Faith and Reason website on your friend, relative, distant relations, and long time nemesis' facebook, twitter, and email.

Then comment below how many people you sent it to!

Here's the Link: http://www.faithandreason.com/ Or to send them to this article which points them to the website: http://catholicyouthminister.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/faith-and-reason-fus/ 

I challenge you to really branch out to people you might not normally send stuff like this to. Be an Evangelist!

Zombies vs. Jesus

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y2BrmcVf6c&w=640&h=360] I'm back from a glorious Texas vacation visiting my wife's family and a few friends from college.  And just in time for Spirit Juice Studios to release Zombies vs. Jesus, a short film about... well... just watch it.

What do you think?

Memento Mori!

***Stay tuned for my longest post yet, "We Need More Death", to be posted today or tomorrow.

The First Steps Out the Door

Welcome to the results of a favorite past time of mine: productive procrastination.

In college I was not the type to drop studying for a 10 hour video game binge. But I would get sidetracked from my homework for hours at a time to read a spiritual classic, learn about roughness, attempt to make graham crackers, or teach myself graphic design.

This list of recreation might sound dreary but to me (and many in my generation), learning first became one of my favorite avenues for the vice of procrastination - and then a passion.

The term paper can wait - I have got to read Dawson! Quiz tomorrow? I wonder how St. Patrick would do youth ministry...? Project due? Benjamin Zander would make a great Catholic... Final coming up, better finish Henri de Lubac. Spanish? (Okay, so I liked Spanish.) Me gusta!

Over the years this has evolved from vice to hobby to discipline.

I constantly keep a notebook on me to catch my thoughts, questions, and ideas. I often think of how unproductive it is to keep these matters private. Maybe they are the most foolish of ideas and thoughts, but if they could at least be a small benefit to one other then it would be worth sharing.

For the past year I have been sitting on this blog debating and praying about whether to make it public. I have come to the conclusion to suspend judgement and dive headlong into the wild of blogging and judge this tree by its fruits. (Luke 6:44) I think the saying should go: "If its worth doing, its worth doing badly the first time."

A lofty goal would be to hope that something I write would bring you closer to Christ; and I very seriously do. But if you would be entertained in the least I would count it as a gain.

This blog is a step out of the comforts of my house. Thanks for indulging me.

"Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." --Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

+JMJ

Moneyball, Ministry, and Success in the Spiritual Life

I am guilty of being a fan of Brad Pit. It's true. I genuinely think he is a great actor. Fr. Robert Barron mines some spiritual gold out of a recent favorite movie of mine, Moneyball.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ih21RkUwp1Q]

Fr. Barron mines some spiritual gold out of a movie I really enjoyed.

Summary:

The most important thing in a leader is clarity of vision. (Proverbs 29:18) Second is willingness to do what it takes to achieve that end. President Lincoln's one goal was to preserve the union. In every decision he was focused on that goal. "What do you want?" Jesus asks in John 1:37 of the disciples following Him. "Clarity in the spiritual life is indispensable in success in the spiritual life." What do you want? To become a saint, eternal life, salvation, heavenly reward, etc. What is required to achieve this end? We can get off track by being distracted and pulled in too many directions, or by giving up when criticized. We must see clearly what we want, and then have the courage and the willpower to stay on it. How many dioceses or Bishops could answer the question "What do you want [for your Diocese]?" decisively and unambiguously? What is your primary goal for your own personal spiritual life?

In Ministry:

What do you want for your ministry, in one sentence? Or, what has God revealed as the goal for youth ministry in your specific situation and parish? If parents/parish staff/pastoral counsel asked you why your ministry exists (what is it you want?), would you be able to answer quickly, succinctly, and in a way that inspires? In one sentence?