Fr. Bob's Corner

Turkey has a new President, Abdullah Gul, and many fear that he will allow Islam to role back the hands of time and create another Islamic state in the Middle East. “The selection of Mr. Gul,” says the New York Times, “ended four months of political standoff that began when Turkey’s secular establishment and military, vehemently opposed to his candidacy, blocked it in May, forcing a national election last month.”

It would appear that most ordinary people have no voice in Turkey’s day to day governance, and from the vantage point of fairness his victory in the Turkinsh Parliament is a just one. However, with the rise of fundamental radical Islam, most of the world is rather anxious.What will this mean? Where will it lead?

At the offical level the American ambassador to Turkey, Ross Wilson, welcomed Mr. Gul’s election, but behind the scenes there has got to be much wariness stemming from the mess in Iraq, the beligerance of Iran, the war with Taliban in Afghanistan, the general turbulence throughout the mid-east, and the rise and threat of Islamic theocracy.

(more…)

You require only 4 correct answers to achieve a passing grade. It is that easy!!!

1. How long did the 100 year war last?

2. Which country makes Panama hats?

3. From which animal do we get catgut?

4. In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5. What is a camel’s hair brush made of?

6. The Canary Islands are named after what animal?

7. What was King George VI’s first name?

(more…)

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will publish a revised Lectionary for Sundays and Solemnities. This is the book of readings used in the public worship of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada.

The revised lectionary is expected to be available next spring in order to be used for the beginning of the following liturgical season – Year B – starting 30 November 2008. Visit CCCB for more details.

Doubleday has just released a book containing Mother Teresa private letters to her confessors and superiors. Astonishingly, we discover that the ‘Saint of the Gutters of Calcutta’, could not feel or sense God’s presence in her heart for most of her ministry in Calcutta. Prior to beginning her work she had been a visionary and even shared a conversation she had with Jesus as he hung on the cross.

With unflinching determination she continued her work with the poor and dying while her heart anguished over the Lord’s distance. Her writings, never meant for publication, portray a woman that is lonely and desperate for the ‘feeling of God’ in her life, work, and heart.

(more…)

Pretty hard to be hopeful when there is so much dis-trust, fear, and and narrow mindedness on our small little planet. Can we not let our light shine in this world, and let the power of God’s Spirit do the rest. It appears that many would say NO-No-No!

Sydney, Aug. 16, 2007 (CWNews.com) – Islamic leaders in Australia may encourage participation in the 2008 World Youth Day celebration, in exchange for a promise from Catholic leaders that there will be no effort to convert young people of other faiths, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Organizers of World Youth Day in Sydney had issued an invitation for other religious groups to join in the planning and participate in the celebration. The Islamic group responded positively, saying that the event could help “break down barriers” in Australia. (Muslim organizations have offered their halls and facilities to help house participants in WYD.)

Here are some Individual Catholic Reactions from the USA:

(more…)

When I arrived back from vacation at the beginning of August, I sadly learned that Deacon Ernest Bellefeuille had died, and I found myself answering a question many silently wonder. “Did I make a difference?” If you were asking this question Ernie, I would like to answer it. “Yes Ernie, you did, a big, big difference!”

I became friends with Deacon Ernie while I served at St. Columban’s Parish in the early 90′s. Ernie was a pharmacist (graduated from the University of Toronto’s School of Pharmacy in 1953), and founded the Medical Arts Pharmacy in Cornwall in 1956. He and his wife Shannon (MacDonald) raised five wonderful children. In the late 70′s Ernie, a deeply religious man, heard God’s call to the Diaconate, and in 1982 he was ordained at Nativity Co-Cathedral. For 25 years he ministered at St. Columban’s Parish along with his wife Shannon. I’ll always fondly remember our Pastoral staff meetings every Tuesday morning in the living room of St. Columban’s rectory. While working full time and long shifts at his pharmacy, he always arrived early to happily help plan the pastoral programs of the parish. Giving generously of his time and talents, Deacon Ernie preached at a daily Mass, served as Deacon at the Sunday Eucharist, preached at all six masses once a month, and along with his wife Shannon coordinated the Marriage Preparation Program, the RCIA, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, along with numerous other pastoral duties. Ernie never asked for anything in return. He was indeed a good and generous man, and an inspiration to all of us, as he quietly gave of himself in God’s service. And, as I and many others discovered, Ernie was always available as a kind and supportive friend and listener. Thank you Deacon Ernie, may the Lord reward and bless you with eternal joy and peace. Let us all remember Deacon Ernie, his wife Shannon, his children, and his grand-children in our prayers.

CBS is about to launch a new reality TV show called, ‘Kid’s Nation’. When I read in the New York Times what these children endured and the medical services they required after their 40 day ordeal I was shocked-outraged…. It would appear that even our children have become a commodity to be marketed and sold. If you would like to read this article click this link to the New York Times. (You will need to set up a free account to read (email and password only), but once you do there is free access to many of their news items.)

Gospel – Luke 12:32-48We can call ourselves Christian because we were baptized as babies, but unless God becomes real to us, and is part of our life’s journey, we are Christian in name only.
God implanted in the human heart the need to search for God on our personal life’s journey. God constantly seeks us, and wants us to sincerely seek God, truth, and God’s ways until the day we die. And of course, if we honestly do this, the God that dwells within us will be revealed, and make a big difference in how we live our lives.

Presently there is a great search and hunger for God in China (formerly an atheist nation by government decree), and it is thought by some that China will become one of the largest Christian nations in the not too distant future. (Proof to me that God never gives us up, and of who we are as human beings.) At the same time we find that citizens of many Christian nations are turning away from their faith, and dismissing their need for God. Partly, is it because we have mistaken our Christian identity and religion itself for God and God’s ways?

Most of us were baptized Christian and Catholic as babies, and it is easy for us to take God forgranted and forget that faith is an active personal relationship with God, other believers, and all we meet. It is not just a name or religion that we call ourselves, and it is far more than dogma, community, clergy, rituals, and buildings (albeit important). God wants me and you to know him in our hearts and to be very much a part of our lives.

TORONTO, Canada (The Catholic Register) – Ontario’s bishops have offered Catholics a different way to engage politics with their latest redrafting of “Taking Stock: An Examination of Conscience.”“Taking Stock” casts a wide net, identifying 12 areas of concern for voters. With references to the 1997 Catechism of the Catholic Church, papal encyclicals and the Gospels, the bishops point to ways faith can help a voter decide how to cast a ballot. The 12 policy areas covered in “Taking Stock” are listed in alphabetical order. They are: the criminal justice system; the economy; education; employment; the environment; life ethic; the family; health care; housing; labor relations; the poor; and taxation. (Read full Article)