This Week in Catholic Dadma:

Alas, Pipe Dreams is going to be off line for the weekend, but don't fret! We shall return in triumphant Glory next week! until then, for you reading pleasure, please review this week in Catholic Dadma;


Jesus did in fact found a CHURCH on earth. 
Thursday, January 12, 2012

It's okay to be a kid at heart... Some of the time. 
Thursday, January 12, 2012

If it was good enough for Mary and Jesus, it's good enough.  
Wednesday, January 11, 2012

There is more to our wonderful religion then just Christmas and Easter.
Sunday, January 8, 2012

Always show respect for the faithful departed.
Saturday, January 7, 2012



Exercise fraternal charity in the union of the whole Church.
Thursday, January 5, 2012

To be 'Jesus Yes, Church No' Shows Your Lack of Faith in Christ.

"And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy." (Col 1:18 DRV)

You CAN NOT be anti-church/ (anti religious institution) and still love Christ. Christianity is belief in Christ and as such belief in Christ is a religion. So unless you just believe that Jesus was a cool dude and said some cool stuff but isn’t the son of god then, you are religious. You may not be pious but you are religious none the less. Religion is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary  as “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.” How does one say that they love Christ but dislike the Church when it was Jesus himself that created The Church “And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18 DRV). The same Christ that you profess was the son of god just told you that there is a church and therefore a religion. The religion is that of following Christ, also commonly known as Christianity.”Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. ” (John 14:6 DRV) The ‘Jesus yes, Christianity no’ crowd is absurd within the context of Christ’s mission that was himself. By taking Jesus away from Church one is making there own brand of Jesus to fit the individual. This is creating a false god (see first commandment).

The Idea of ‘Jesus Yes and Church No’ is simply a way that the person can still feel like they are a religious person but they don’t feel like they need to follow any sort of moral code. What they feel is right and what they think is wrong is wrong. Never mind what Christ actually said about that subject because that person is living here and now and obviously knows better then GOD about such things.

The lack of responsibility and lack of acknowledgement in an authority that can govern moral issues is one of the greatest downfalls of the last half of the 20th century, and it continues today. This comes from the idea that no man is in charge of me, and I will make my own rules. This is a self defeating proposition. Because of this you see the raise of co-habitation, lack of meaningful marriages, increase in divorces, acceptance of gay marriage and other ideas that are today permeated as “okay” when in fact they are simply wrong and go against the very core of what the bible, and therefore God himself has to say. So again we come to the question of who knows better, you or God?

There is no Christ without his Church, the Church, guided by and through the Holy Spirit, is the Bride of Christ. It was instituted by Christ, for the followers of Christ. To deny this is to deny a very act of God. For this is not a mere human institution, but a Divine one. For as Christ said to Saul; “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (ACTS 22:7 DRV). Why would Christ say this when Saul was persecuting the Church not Jesus? Jesus was already at the right hand of the Father when he appeared before Saul.

May you come to understand Christ by following Him in everything that He said, not just in what you want to hear. Being a Christian is not an easy thing, it was never meant to be easy. To pick up your crosses and follow him is a hard life to live, but in the end eternal life is better than what awaits us if we choose our own way. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 2:6-10 DRV).

Blake Quick

Just a Simple Catholic

And the paps that gave thee suck!

I wanted to address what seems to be a "Hot Button" issue as of late, that is breastfeeding. My dearly Beloved has been lucky in the fact that she has received tremendous support from myself and other close relations and acquaintances in regards to her decision to nurse both of our sons. That's not to say that it hasn't been a struggle from time to time, (for her, me, and our children) sure there has been the occasional snide remark, lude comment, dirty look and general ignorance, but she has a special style of grace and passion that allows her to be modest, enlightening, nurturing, and informative towards others who harbor such disgust and ignorance towards something she sees both as part of her vocation as a wife and mother and part of God's natural design. 


Through loads of personal research, and countless hours logged in forums, mothering communities, facebook groups, pouring over articles, stories, and news sources, we have discovered that other women aren't so lucky. Almost every other day it seems (in the U.S. alone) that some poor mother is being harassed or discriminated against, in spite of state laws, by medical professionals, in restaurants and stores, by friends and family, and even celebrities and public officials. 

For me, this falls under the category of just one more thing that society has perverted and corrupted to the point of mass stupidity. As Catholic men, we need to be prepared, educated, compassionate and supportive of the women in our lives, especially when it comes to nursing. First so we show them that we are there to learn and grow too. Second, so that we are prepared to defend the honor and God given right and duty of these women (and children) when the waiter asks them to "feed their child in the bathroom," gross! You eat in the bathroom, and to have the appropriate response when the on-call physician tells her that she will ultimately "suffocate your child."  


I have said this in a previous post and I will probably repeat it again but, someday each and every one of us will have to give account to God for the souls he has entrusted to our care, As men of faith, that should include our spouses. My decision to support my wife on this subject boils down to two things;


1. Mutual respect: I wouldn't be where I am today without her efforts, it is my obligation to help her navigate as well.


2. Faith. this is the big one, and we try to (admittedly failing from time to time) govern and dictate all of our life's decisions on Faith, Tradition and Church teaching.


As my wife so often affirms, "If it was good enough for Mary and Jesus, it is good enough for me and my children." I know that is overly simplified, however it did the trick for me and ultimately garnered my support. Of course Mary would have nursed Jesus, they didn't have similac 2000+ years ago! Even he world's oldest-known image of Mary depicts her nursing the Infant Jesus, in the Catacomb of Priscilla, in Rome. Also she often likes to reflect on the fact that God, being outside time, could have picked anywhere, or any-when He wanted to be the bet time and place for His son to be made flesh and he picked a time and place where according to Jewish Law (to my understanding)  that breastfeeding is halachically encouraged, especially for the first two years of life. Up to the age of two, if a child has ceased nursing, he may resume breastfeeding even if he has only nursed for a few months or has never nursed. Above the age of two and until the child's fourth birthday (or if the child particularly needs it, the fifth birthday), nursing may be continued (but not initiated); however, anytime a healthy child above the age of two does not wish to nurse for 72 hours, breastfeeding may not be resumed. Expressed breastmilk is kosher even for older children or adults.


Pope Pius XII urged Catholic mothers, if at all possible, to nourish their children themselves "And so you will make it your special care in the treatment of your child to observe the prescriptions of a perfect hygiene, so that when it comes to the use of reason its bodily organs and faculties will be healthy and robust and free from distorted tendencies. This is the reason why, except where it is quite impossible, it is most desirable that the mother should feed her child at her own breast. Who shall say what mysterious influences are exerted upon the growth of that little creature by the mother upon whom it depends entirely for its development!"
And in another encyclical stated "It is a sorrow and a shame to have to mention and confess that even among Catholics, false doctrines on the dignity of woman, on marriage and the family, on conjugal fidelity and divorce, even on life and death, have stealthily infiltrated souls, and like gnawing worms have attacked the roots of the Christian family and of the Christian ideals of womanhood."


In ~Pope John Paul the II Address On Breastfeeding he says, “…[Breastfeeding]  benefits the child and helps to create the closeness and maternal bonding so necessary for healthy child development.  So human and natural is this bond that the Psalms use the image of the infant at its mother’s breast as a picture of God’s care for man…therefore the theme is of interest to the Church, called as she is to concern herself with the sanctity of life and of the family."


There are dozens of reference to nursing in scripture, here are a couple of passages;


"That you may suck, and be filled with the breasts of her consolations: that you may milk out, and flow with delights, from the abundance of her glory. For thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring upon her as it were a river of peace... which you shall suck; you shall be carried at the breasts, end upon the knees they shall caress you."
~Isaias 66:11-12 DRV


"And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck."
~Luke 11:27 DRV




"As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation: If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet."
~1Peter 2:2-3


Further the Family is the "Domestic Church" From the beginning, the Church was formed from believers "and their whole household." New believers wanted their family to be saved (Acts 18:8 DRV).
In our modern world (often hostile to religion), religious families are extremely important centers of living faith. They are "domestic churches" in which the parents are the first heralds of faith. In the home, father, mother, and children exercise their baptismal priesthood in a privileged way. The home is the first school of the Christian life where all learn love, repeated forgiveness, and prayerful worship. In the Domestic Church, the Father, as head of the family, represents the Head of the Church, which is Jesus. As such, it is my responsibility to be their support and guidance and to help shepherd them spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The Mother represents the Church Herself, the Bride of Christ, and as such it is her responsibility to provide us with nourishment and strength, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. As a Husband and Father I want my family to learn and practice this wholeheartedly, and what better way to do so than by encouraging, and supporting what Our Blessed Mother knew what was good enough for her child, what Popes and Tradition support, and what Sacred Scripture affirms is part of God the Creator's plan for all men, women and children, and applying this plan applies to every area of our lives? God's plan includes conception, childbirth and the nurturing of babies.

Paul Kemp Jr. 

Devoted Husband, Loving Father,Hockey Fanatic, Passionate Catholic.

Theophany Road Less Traveled

So as we look back on the epiphany of the lord this year it reminds me of the road that we travel and must Continue to do so. For as the kings followed a star to an unknown place, so to is it for the person seeking the truth. Whether you are a practicing Catholic, a lapsed Catholic or a convert to the faith, we must (like the three kings of old) give up everything to follow the light that is Christ.

And while we may not have gold or frankincense to offer, we all have ourselves to offer to the Lord. That is what He wants, not that we so much offer material things although we do; but  that we sacrifice for Him and and in return God will give us crosses. Crosses that we must pick up and carry daily.

I think that is very important especially with the Christmas season. We must continue all year, every day, every hour and every minute... to remember that we must all bear our crosses. There is more to our wonderful religion then just Christmas and Easter.

For Eastern Catholics this feast is known as the Theophany or the Revelation of God to man. I think that we can take that to heart. With the Christmas season winding down and all the ornaments put up till next year, a sense of calm may start to permeate, and as the season wanes so does our excitement. We must not let this happen! For Christ has come to the world! Rejoice in that fact and as a Catholic rejoice that you may actually see the Lord face to face!

So as the three kings traveled to see our Lord and offer what they had, I implore you to do the same. Get in your car or walk, but take the couple minutes to go see our Blessed Lord in adoration and offer to Him everything you are. For when you do this, you are holy. May God bless you all.

Blake Quick ~ Catholicdadma.blogspot.com

The Martyered Crown

A Facebook acquaintance of mine posted this link along with the following statement,
"Isn't it nice to see the martyred saints are so comfy while people in all parts of the world suffer?" which i find inappropriate and offensive. Have some respect for the faithful departed.

First I want to point out that the 17th century wasn't exactly the easiest of times, and for people to have this much love, respect and reverence for the departed in the face of such suffering (I personally think) shows the Christlike compassion He expects us to have towards one another.

Second, this statement acknowledges that they are MARTYRED saints, which would imply (at least history has shown) that they SUFFERED fairly horrifying deaths which most likely weren't very "Comfy"

Third, Christians didn't exactly start the trend of caring for the dead, this has been done in one shape or form in every culture and faith, it is human nature to want to see our deceased loved ones in a state of comfort, rest, and peace.

Further, I have heard people all over the place (especially on social networking sites) complaining about the sad state of the poor and suffering, yet when was the last time you actually did anything to comfort the afflicted? When was the last time you did any of the corporal works of mercy; To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To harbour the harbourless; To visit the sick; To ransom the captive; To bury the DEAD? It seems to me (and Holy Mother Church thinks so too, as she is the largest charitable organization in the world, providing relief services, schooling, clothing, food, medicine and shelter to the suffering all over the world) that the world would be a much more "comfy" place if more of us showed more actual tangible compassion towards our fellow man. You may not be able to take care of "people in all parts of the world" but I would venture to guess that there is a shelter, nursing home, jail, soup kitchen, or hospital in your community. 

This Divine command is set forth in the most stringent terms by Christ, and the failure to comply with it is visited with the supreme penalty of eternal damnation (Matthew 25:41): "Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, in everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you covered me not; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me", etc. Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, ‎"Not always but sometimes criticism is the outcome of an incapacity to produce, or a defense against one's own inferiority. The habit of criticism is the best indication of an incomplete life." So log off of twitter and facebook and do something other than criticize and complain, be superior, be complete, be charitable, be a Saint.

Paul Kemp Jr.
Devoted Husband, Loving Father, Hockey Fanatic, Passionate Catholic.

Jewelled Skeletons, 1600s

 ‘Taken from the catacombs of Rome in the 17th century, the relics of twelve martyred saints were then attired in the regalia of the period before being interred in a remote church on the German/Czech border.’

 St. Alexander

St. Deodatus

St. Gratian

 St. Maximinus

 St. Maximus

 St. Theodosius

St. Victorius

St. Vitalian

 

All ye holy men and women, saint of God, Make intercession for us.

Be merciful, Spare us O Lord.

Be merciful, Graciously hear us O Lord.

From all evil, O Lord deliver us.

From all sin, O Lord deliver us.

From thy wrath, O Lord deliver us.

From a sudden and unprovided death, O Lord deliver us.

From the deceits of the devil, O Lord deliver us.

From anger, hatred and all ill-will, O Lord deliver us.

That Thou wouldst humble the enemies of Thy holy Church, We beseech Thee, hear us.

That Thou wouldst give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, We beseech Thee, hear us.

That Thou wouldst grant peace and unity to all Christian people, We beseech Thee, hear us.

That Thou wouldst bring back to the unity of the Church all those who have strayed from the truth, and lead to the light of the Gospel all unbelievers, We beseech Thee, hear us.

Epiphany Prayer

On this day of Holy Epiphany, we celebrate and Praise thee O God for drawing the Magi towards thyself. Let it be that many men and women would see thy Light and be drawn to thee. We bring no gifts unto thee but our heart, that thou mayest use it with certainty and purpose. To Refine it better than Gold, sweeter than Frankincense, bolder than Myrrh. 

There is no wondering at thy Star, for this same Jesus who was born and taken up shall appear before all men, those will weep whom have pierced thee, and those shall rejoice for whom their sins were pierced and forgiven. Blessed be this tie that binds, henceforth, now and evermore. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped

It seems my petition to Saint Expeditus worked as several topics fell into my lap since last night, and I also asked a couple of friends of mine who share similar dispositions towards faith and family if they would like to assist me by writing for the blog. Also since last night we have seen a definite increase in activity on the Catholic Dadma Facebook page.

This is a good opportunity to share with my family (especially the children) about the Communion of Saints, what it is, what the Church teaches about it, how and why we should petition the saints in everyday situations and some of my personal favorites and experiences with them.

The Holy See Catechism of the Catholic Church on
THE COMMUNION OF THE CHURCH OF HEAVEN AND EARTH:
 
954 The three states of the Church. "When the Lord comes in glory, and all his angels with him, death will be no more and all things will be subject to him. But at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in glory, contemplating 'in full light, God himself triune and one, exactly as he is"':⁴⁹²

All of us, however, in varying degrees and in different ways share in the same charity towards God and our neighbors, and we all sing the one hymn of glory to our God. All, indeed, who are of Christ and who have his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together.⁴⁹³

955 "So it is that the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods."⁴⁹⁴
956 The intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. . . . They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus . . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."⁴⁹⁵

Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.⁴⁹⁶ I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.⁴⁹⁷

957 Communion with the saints. "It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself"⁴⁹⁸:

We worship Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples!⁴⁹⁹

958 Communion with the dead. "In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and 'because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins' she offers her suffrages for them."⁵⁰⁰ Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.
959 In the one family of God. "For if we continue to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity - all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ - we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church."⁵⁰¹
 
IN BRIEF
960 The Church is a "communion of saints": this expression refers first to the "holy things" (sancta), above all the Eucharist, by which "the unity of believers, who form one body in Christ, is both represented and brought about" (LG 3).
961 The term "communion of saints" refers also to the communion of "holy persons" (sancti) in Christ who "died for all," so that what each one does or suffers in and for Christ bears fruit for all.
962 "We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers"

Along our journey, my wife and I have found this one of the riches, most beautiful and useful aspects of the Catholic Faith. . . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped. We have found a considerable amount of strength in this tradition over the last few years, not only in times of need, doubt, morning and despair, but also in times of joy, thankfulness, celebration and blessings. Often times, not only will we call upon the intercession of some of our fondest Saints and protectors, but we will intentionally seek out a Canonized Saint (as I did last night with St. Expeditus) both for the sake of gaining further knowledge and growing closer to of our fraternal brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the sake of strengthening our resolve.

They help us when we have lost, when we have gained, when we wish to gain, they intercede when there is danger or peril. They report when we are charitable or virtuous. They comfort and listen when we need a shoulder or an ear. St. Benedict was there during our ordeal (a trial of sorts) during our conversion. The Blessed Virgin has been there for us on may occasions, as well as her most chaste spouse Saint Joseph (a personal comforter of mine). St. Gerard Was there when we were told we couldn't have children. SS Anne and Dymphna have helped my wife through some tough times. SS Anthony and Francis have brought my wayward spaniel home on several occasions. St Raphael and Michael have been there when myself or my son have called upon them. The list goes on, and we are thankful for and to each and every one of them. And it should be our aim to one day be forever at their side, interceding for others.

Paul Kemp Jr.
Devoted Husband, Loving Father, Hockey Fanatic, Passionate Catholic.