I have been looking around the Xanga lately and stumbled across the following video and was very disturbed by it.  The reason I bring your attention to this video and to its content is for no reason other than to show you what some people would make the mass to be.  I have read of reformer groups that have recreated the liturgy and believe that the church should fall in line with their liberal vision of what I call a “Your way, right away” church.

 

We already have a “Drive-Through Jesus Value Menu” for those who care to little to come to the Mass on time and care even less to stay through the end of the liturgy.  How many people would walk in late to a dinner party, approach the host, take food from their plate, and then excuse himself or herself for the evening with no explanation or consideration for the host?  Well; we are committing a far greater offence to our Lord every time we receive the gift of Christ everlasting in the Eucharist and treat it as a chore or even a burden.

Here is the video from a Call to Action convention where they turn the Divine Liturgy into a Tony Award winning production.

* I in no way shape or form support the theatrics, wording, or change of format of the Divine Liturgy as shown in the above video. *

I have a hole in my chest, and and surgical scar. The following is a description of what was done to me.

"Creation of a pericardial window is used to drain fluid from the pericardial sac around the heart. The approach may be below the sternum through a subxiphoid incision, or alternately between the ribs of the left chest. The indication for surgery is a pericardial effusion (fluid buildup).

Pericardial effusion has a variety of causes, including viral infection, cancer, renal disease, heart failure, hypothyroidism, and post cardiac surgery. A pericardial window is used both to provide a diagnosis and to improve heart function. Depending on the underlying disease process, patients usually go home in two days."

When the surgeon spoke to my parents he told them that as he cut the sack around my heart that water gushed out under pressure like a faucet.  He also said that they drained a whole liter of water from around my heart. I was told that the pressure was so severe that I was in the beginning stages of congestive heart failure, and that my heart could not beat properly.

So I spent a week in the hospital and have been off work going on three seeks now. I am staying with my parents to recover my strength and get back on my feet. This Thursday I go to see the doctor to have my stitches removed and hopefully to find out what caused this all to happen.

I entered the ER around 10:00pm on February 14, and was released on February 22 in the afternoon.  My friends gave me a get well card with a picture of a chihuahua dog in a hospital gown with its backside exposed. The caption in the card says "I hope your insurance has better coverage!"   What good friends, and thanks be to God it really does.

So please, keep me in your prayers as I go to find out what caused all of this.  I also ask that you call on the intercession of any saints that you feel appropriate as well.  Thanks to you all!

It has been a great deal of time since I last updated, but I do have good news.

I will be updating more consistently in the future, most likely once a month on the long end of things, sometimes more.

 

I have a lot of things to catch you all up on. Lets get the sad things out of the way first so that we can move forward and give thanks to God for the good.

 

About three months ago my wife and I separated and are preparing to be divorced.  We still care for each other, and always will.  There where issues that I rather not go into at this time, or place, that caused our separation and we have accepted the permanence of this choice.  We will be seeking an annulment so that we can be released of any sacramental bond. 

 

This has been a very hard time for me and is the most painful thing I have ever endured.  But, over the last three months I have more deeply pursued my relationship with the Lord.  I have committed myself to prayer, the study of scripture, and faithful attendance of the mass.

 

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This post has been pieced together over the last month and a half, since I wrote everything above here a lot has happened.  So I will pick up from here.

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As a Baptist I felt the call of God to ministry and during my conversion struggled between the call to marriage and the call to a life of dedicated service.  I now feel this calling more than ever and believe that God may be calling me to the priesthood.

 

Now, before anybody gets worked up and wants to rebuke me for putting the cart before the horse, let me say this.  I have given this a lot of thought, my feelings have not changed over the last four months, and I also realize that it will take two whole years before I can even consider going into the seminary.  I know that I must wait a year after the divorce to get an annulment and that it will take almost a year to go through that process.  I am ok with that, and in the mean time I am dedicating myself to paying off all of the debts that my wife and I made, and also going back to school to finish my degree.

 

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I went to confession for the first time in 2 ½ years this week. It was an absolutely amazing experience, and considering I have only done this one other time and was not serious about it; I can freely say that I received my first REAL confession.

 

I finally am free of guilt and shame, I am finally free from sin and can receive the Blessed Sacrament with no concern for mortal sin looming over me.  I truly have come to love the sacrament that I feared and dreaded the most.

 

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Over the last few weeks I have been corresponding with Sister Kimberly and dear friend of mine who is the vocation director for the sister of Saint Scholastica Monastery in my hometown of Fort Smith, AR.  She helped to put me in contact with Brother Francis, the vocation director for the brothers and priests of Subiaco Abbey.  They both have given me information, support, their prayers, and a lot of stuff to read. 

 

I have read most everything I have about vocations, including stuff I had from before I got married, and have even began requesting information from a few communities that have really interested me.  I have been looking with a great deal of interest at the Paulist Fathers, a community of priests focused of the mission of North American. Again, just looking.

 

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So, the point of all this is, I have begun to give control of my life back over to the Lord.  I have begun to pray, read scripture, attend mass, study the faith, and grow ever closer to the God I hope, one day, to dedicate every waking minute of my life to.  But, in the time between now and then, all I can do is pray and serve him in the present as he leads me.

 

And yes, for all who are still waiting to rebuke me, I will wait for God and his time according to his will.

 

Pray for me!  Pray for Me!!  Pray for Me!!!

 

~Joshua

Ever since I began the journey to Catholicism I have struggled with the question of what will my ministry be.  Ever since I was in upper grade school I knew that I was going to be a preacher, this was my goal and dream in life.  I later came to believe that this was my calling and I even went so far as to surrender to the call of ministry on my life and with the support of my church became a licensed minister of the gospel.  Through much struggle, pain, excitement, revelation, and amazement I have let God guide me to a much deeper and more fulfilling faith.  The heart of that faith is in the Catholic Church.  I have received the most Holy Eucharist and have received absolution of my sins. I have been filled with the Holy Spirit and been sealed with the oils of anointing.  I have embraced my spiritual Mother and found a deeper understanding of my Brother. I have been sealed in the sacrament of marriage to my beautiful wife and have made plans to start a family. I have come home!

 The only struggle I have continued to deal with and the one that has caused me to stumble in other areas is the question of my ministry based on my previous calling. Yes my future as a Father will be one of the greatest callings of my life, and my calling as a Husband has been my greatest reward, but I know that God is calling me to do something more than just this.  I know that I can not be a priest, nor am I of an age where I can be a deacon.  I am a Knight of Columbus, but that is not the answer either.

 I funded life beyond bread and water throughout high school and college by doing graphic and website design. I also did print and publication media and even dabbled in 3d animation and AV media.  I have also always had an overwhelming passion to work with Youth and help strengthen their faith as most of my pre-Catholic ministry work was either with youth, music, or youth music.

  My dream for many years has been to take these gifts and passion and to combine them into a ministry. Not a flashy “WoW-NoW” youth brainwashing social acceptance packaged media kit for Youth ministers, not even a “Hip and Cool” etc. etc., but I want it to be a place where youth can get what they need. A place to get information, content, materials, training, and most important of all, answers to their questions.  I want to create a resource not designed to dazzle them with “bumpin” music and techno light effects, but a place to find tools that fulfill the needs of our questioning Catholic Youth raised in a Cafeteria Catholic society.

 How do I answer tough questions? How do I share my faith? How do I know that I am going to heaven? How can I learn more about Jesus? Why do we honor Mary?

 Here is the outline:

1. Teach the Catechism – This is not an experiment, this is their faith!
2. Answer tough Questions – They don’t know, so who does?
3. Provide tools – Show them how, don’t do it for them.
4. Build Confidence – Encourage the spirit of the new evangelization!
5. Support the Cause – Everyone gets down, but we have to stand back up!

 Teach the Catechism

 Not all Youth get fundamental Catholic teaching at home, or in their own parish. To many times catechism is either not taught or not taught well. We have to overcome these shortfalls before we can build to the next level.

 Here we will cover the basics of the faith by following the outline of the Catechism that the Church has given us.

 
Answer tough Questions

 Now we help students to take what they have learned from the catechism and apply it to the practical life.  If we can connect the concept with the events of the world then the faith goes from being an idea to a reality.

 
Provide Tools

By teaching youth how to seek out answers in scripture study and in our tradition then they can continue to build their understanding, deepen their faith, and create something that is truly their own.  We want to give them resources that allow them to not feel helpless when they get asked hard questions, or have to face a difficult situation or choice.

 
Build Confidence

 All of the above help to build confidence! Youth that know what they believe, and believe in something not because they where told to but because they have tested it by fire; they are very powerful.  They can be a witness and build up those who have fallen from their faith, and they can give hope to those who have none.  They do all these things simply by applying what they have learned to the way that they live their lives.

 They can truly be a witness to the world simply by understanding, accepting, experiencing, deepening, and embracing their faith!

 
Support the Cause

 We all loose sight of hope, and get seemingly crushed by the weights of this world and the people in it, but Galatians 6:2 says “Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the Law of Christ.  We must encourage, and uplift those who feel hurt.  Pray, pray, pray, and pray more.  Spend time with the Blessed Sacrament; seek intersession from our Mother and the Saints, sit and listen. All of these things can be done with the intent of uplifting a fellow Christian or even those who are struggling with faith.

 

I truly believe that this is what I am being called to do. I have been dreaming about, and praying about this for some time.  I believe that now is the time for me to take the first few steps toward these goals.

 Would you like to know more, have input, criticize, encourage, or in some way be a part of this? Please e-mail me at: jminden@gmail.com

This is not a me thing, but a Him thing!

All Praise be to God!

It has been one year since I became a Roman Catholic and a member of the church Christ established through Peter to carry on his message until his return.

I bow and receive the body and blood of my savior in my mouth.  His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity fill me inside and out with his presence.  As my community move in a steady flow to one by one receive the same gift, the eternal gift of our savior.

It has been over a year and I still can not keep myself from crying.  As a mater of fact, I don't think I have cried as much as I did on this Easter any other time other than Vigil last year.

As I was walking down the isle I was thinking about how I have not been as appreciative of the gift of conversion that God gave me as I should be.  But, once I received the Eucharist I felt a flood of emotion come over me, as if God had hugged me and told me that it was all ok. "I still Love You, and My body is proof of My forgiveness", I felt him say to me. 

You may not believe that the Catholic Church is the "One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church." You may not believe that Peter was "The Rock" that Jesus made the leader of his church. But I pray that you will research, study, pray, and believe that the Eucharist is the true and whole Body of Christ. Not just in spirit but in flesh and blood.

If you truly believe this, it will change your life forever!

To God be the Glory,
Amen and Amen