Living The Faith On A High Wire: January 2012

Actor Mark Wahlberg Walking in the Footsteps of St. Paul...

St. Paul the Apostle once wrote, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."

It is a contradiction in today's culture, that seems to be more interested in promoting and prolonging adolescence and immature behavior (especially in men), in the likes of The Hangover, than of growing up and taking responsibility.

Yet, it may explain the metamorphosis in the life of one time bad boy turned mega movie star, Mark Wahlberg.

Jan

The Fruit of Evil in a Loveless Heart; A Year Later...

A year ago today, two Miami-Dade police officers, Roger Castillo, a 41-year-old husband and father of three sons, and Amanda Haworth, a 44-year-old single mother of a teenage boy, were out serving an arrest warrant on a bright sunny morning.

It was a day like any other day in their illustrious twenty plus year careers. They went out with a specialized team of officers to arrest a wanted fugitive. They both loved their jobs.

Only this day wasn't like any other.

Jan

Despite the Loss, Tebow Keeps Eye on Big Picture...

It was bound to happen.

Despite an emotional and stirring locker room pep talk Saturday morning, where his teammates gave him a standing ovation, David could not defeat Goliath.

Tim Tebow and the overachieving Denver Broncos could not withstand the offensive barrage and defensive prowess of one of the best teams in pro football; the New England Patriots.

The lesser team was slaughtered by a 45 to 10 margin.

Jan

A Mormon Minister's Son's Journey Home...

A few nights ago, after putting my kids to bed, I went to the living room to watch one of my favorite television shows, The Journey Home, where men and women share their testimonies about how they unexpectedly, and sometimes reluctantly, found their way into the Catholic Church (I realize for many people, including my wife, it’s not must see TV, but I really enjoy conversion stories).

Jan

Tim Tebow "All He Does Is Win" Rap...

Tim Tebow continues to turn the football world (and professional sports for that matter), upside down, despite his many critics, many of whom, unfortunately, despise him not for what he has done or failed to do on the field but for what he represents.

He is a devout Christian, who not only lives the way he believes, but for the ACLU crowd, that wants to remove God from all aspects of society, he's the worse kind. He's vocal about it.

Jan

Glad Tidings for Archbishops Dolan and O'Brien…

New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, 61, and Archbishop Edwin O' Brien of Baltimore, 72, were selected as the newest U.S. members of the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict XVI yesterday.

The two men will be officially elevated during a ceremony in Rome next month.

As members of the College of Cardinals, the cardinal-designates can be called upon by the pope to serve as advisers on church affairs and they will be among those that elect the pope’s successor.

Jan

Hope Springs Eternal in the New Year...

A new year is a time to let go of the past and start fresh with confidence and hope (despite what the Mayan calendar and Santeria priests in Cuba might say), or as an old Spanish TV station slogan once stated, "Borron y Cuenta Nueva," which loosely translates to “wiping the slate clean and starting anew” (which proved to be wishful thinking).

It’s a great motto for a new year, especially for those who had a rough one in 2011.

Jan

An Inauspicious Ending to 2011...

Alright, so one of the drawbacks about having two wedding anniversaries each year (civil and Catholic) is that keeping track is not always easy (at least for me!).

In the midst of Advent, Christmas, my brother’s visit and New Year’s, I totally forgot my Fourth Catholic Wedding Anniversary (Dec. 29th).

Living The Faith On A High Wire

"If we don't live the way we believe, we eventually believe the way we live." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)