Our Youth

I submitted the following for our state Knights of Columbus newsletter:

How many of us have gotten excited because we've got tickets to the big game? Our favorite NBA team, NFL team, college is playing and we can't wait to be there in person. We are excited about sports. We don't personally know any of the players, but we know all about them because we've followed the news of our favorite teams. Tickets to the big game are a real highlight. The teams use the proceeds from the sale of our tickets to pay big money to the players and to build huge, expensive edifices to honor their teams and major donors.

How many of us, other than parents of the players, get that excited about our local sports teams? We often think a $5.00 ticket is expensive. Some of us might argue that we don't know any of the players, but the question might have to be asked "Why don't we know the players?" They are the children of our neighbors. We live in the same town and in some cases our kids attend the same schools. We should have a closer connection to these kids than we have with any professional or college team.

We read in the Gospel of Matthew:

The disciples approached Jesus and said,“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

As Knights of Columbus, we make it part of our mission to reach out to the youth of our communities. I ask the question, are we doing our part as individuals? Are we supporting the efforts of our schools to assist these young men and women to excel, not only at athletic events, but school plays, concerts and other activities. The presence of carrying people, such as the Knights of Columbus, can have a great impact on our youth.

Until next month, God bless each of you

Fr. Leo

Committee on Divine Worship Introduces Roman Missal Formation Website

This speaks for itself:

WASHINGTON—A new Website from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will educate Catholics about the forthcoming English translation of the new Roman Missal.

The site, www.usccb.org/romanmissal, launched August 21, includes background material on the process of development of liturgical texts, sample texts from the Missal, a glossary of terms and answers to frequently asked questions. Content will be added regularly over the next several moths. The bishop’s Committee on Divine Worship hopes the site will be a central resource for those preparing to implement the new text.

“In the years since Vatican II we have learned a lot about the use of the vernacular in the liturgy and the new texts reflect this new understanding,” said Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson, NJ, in a welcome-to-the-site video.

“The new texts are understandable, dignified and accurate,” said Bishop Serratelli, who chairs the Committee on Divine Worship. “They not only strive to make the meaning of the text accessible for the listener, but they also strive to unearth the biblical and theological richness of the Latin text.”

After more than five years of consultation, study and reflection, the bishops are expected to conclude their review and approval of the final portion of the translated texts at the end of this year. Final approval (recognitio) of the text from the Holy See for the complete translation will be the last step before the publication of the texts for use in the liturgy.

Bishop Serratelli sees this time of waiting as an opportunity to learn and prepare.

“We have a great opportunity during this period not only to learn about the changes, not only to learn about the revised texts, but also to deepen our own understanding of the Liturgy itself,” he said. “We encourage priests, deacons, religious, liturgical ministers, all the faithful to avail themselves of the information that we are making available.”

In May 2002, the Vatican published the Latin text of the Third Edition on the Missale Romanum. Since 2003, the bishops of the English-speaking world have been working to prepare an English translation of the Roman Missal.

For information visit www.usccb.org/romanmissal.

Health Care

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been pretty busy trying to get things figured out in my new parish.

I did want to share the following from LifeNews.com. We at least know where this Congresswoman stands on the issue.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- While abortion advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL, with help from their friends in the mainstream media, have attempted to explain away how the government-run health care plans would pay for abortions, one of their own finally admitted that to be the case.

During a Monday town hall event, pro-abortion Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, acknowledged that the Congressional bills include abortion funding.

"Abortion will be covered as a benefit by one or more of the healthcare plans available to Americans, and I think it should be," she said.

In a video provided to LifeNews.com by pro-life advocate David Schmidt, local pro-life advocate Ignacio Reyes asks Lofgren about the health care plan.

He says he wants to know if the plan would be "covering abortion, which we know that 90 percent of abortions are purely elective, not medically necessary. Why is this being covered when abortion is clearly not health care."

After applause from the audience for the question, Lofgren said the Congressional proposal was "a basic benefit plan developed by health professionals" and then added that she felt abortion should be covered under the legislation.

That the health care plans will lead to abortion funding has been one of primary reasons Americans are increasingly opposed to the bills.

The Associated Press had issued a news story claiming that abortion funding and insurance mandates would not be included, but released a story last week flip-flopping after LifeNews.com put pressure on the news agency in an expose'.

Last week, LifeNews.com exposed how CBS News is covering up the abortion funding tucked away in the government-run health care plan.

Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee says an amendment the House plan includes would pave the way for abortion funding.

"In reality, under the Capps Amendment, the federal government would run a nationwide insurance plan that would cover abortion on demand," he explained. "Abortionists would perform elective abortions on government-insured clients, send the bill to the government plan, and get checks from the government to pay for the abortions."