Disrupting the Narrative of the New Left, its allies in Academia, Hollywood and the Establishment Media, and examining with honesty the goals of cultural Marxism and the dangers of reactionary and abusive political correctness.
THE NARRATIVE AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
“Threats to freedom of speech, writing and action, though often trivial in isolation, are cumulative in their effect and, unless checked, lead to a general disrespect for the rights of the citizen.”-George Orwell
A young Iowa atheist recently asked Marco Rubio about why he's talking about his faith on the campaign trail.
Marco's response was moving to believers and non-believers alike.
As conservatives across the country shared Marco's answer, it's become a sensation.
It's a showcase for Rubio's particular political talent. He
refuses to let this guy, who's civil but deliberately provocative, to bait him
into antagonism towards atheists. Us-against-them cultural shtick is
Cruz's game, per "New York values." Teddy is the divider while Marco is
the uniter.
The most effective part is the last 45 seconds where Rubio makes the case that even atheists should hope that he's influenced in office
by his Christian faith. As a scripted response, it would be sharp. Off
the cuff, in reply to a loaded question, it's superb. His
skill and tone here are why people like him even if they don't share his
beliefs. It's exactly what a principled conservative needs to have in order to win a general election.
This isn't the first time that he's thrilled Christians
with a defense of his faith either. In Iowa last November he went for 10
full minutes on the subject to a roomful of pastors, leaving CBN
contributor David Brody praising his answer as a "thing of beauty."
Instead, Rubio did something remarkable and did it in a very civil
way. He shared the gospel and the impact it has had in Marco's own
life. It was calm, civil, respectful, and powerful.
Rubio's presentation of his beliefs - beliefs that I share - was
winsome, compassionate, and - above all - true. American democracy,
featuring so many direct, personal encounters between voters and
candidates, can yield its profound moments. This was one.
"I think it's the first time I ever heard a candidate present his
faith as deeply and extensively as he did," said the 64-year-old [Deb
Berstler], noting Rubio answered the atheist's question respectfully.
"That's going to set him apart."
Marco Rubio believes in religious liberty but also the right of Americans to not have any religious faith at all. As for Marco himself, he will never hide his faith, and it will continue to guide every aspect of his life.
"Christianity should enjoy a worldwide boom in the coming decades, but the vast majority of believers will be neither white nor European, nor Euro-American," writes scholar Philip Jenkins of Baylor University, author of The Next Christendom.
A few examples: Christianity grew from 40 million African members in 1900 to 100 million in 2000, and hasn't stopped; India has five times as many Catholics as Ireland, and China will be the country with the largest number of Christians in the world by the year 2050.
Secular scholars see this: Books like God's Century by Monica Duffy Toft of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and God Is Back by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge of The Economist are trying to figure out what that will mean. British geneticist Steve Jones sees sceptics dying out and religious people on the rise.
2. Believing Christians are Replacing Nominal Christians.
Meanwhile, in America, research showing Christian numbers in decline is a little misleading. Ed Stetzer points out that the data shows a decline in "cultural Christians" and "congregational Christians" but a rise in "convictional Christians."
In other words: The total number of people claiming they are Christians is dropping; the total number of people saying they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is growing.
3. Catholics are rediscovering Confession and Mass.
Meanwhile, among Catholics, there is a rise in interest in the sacraments. Many parishes that rarely offered confession have returned to regular schedules and the Church has gone through a long process of renewing the Mass.
In 2005, RealPresence.org's president, Mike Mortimer, estimated that there were 715 perpetual adoration chapels in America. The Vatican now estimates that there are 1,100 perpetual adoration chapels in America. More people are spending more time with the Lord than they have for years.
I don't remember encountering Eucharistic Adoration ever as a child or teen in the faith; now it is part of every youth activity my children attend from a variety of different groups.
5. Catholic youth movements are huge…
A movement's future is only as strong as its next generation, and so for Catholicism to have a future it has to have a youth movement. Catholicism does. Our most recent World Youth Day attracted 3.7 million - one of the 30-year event's largest gatherings ever.
At home, we see a pro-life force largely led by young American Catholics, which dwarfs almost every other activist movement.
I love the startled reaction of Nancy Keenan of NARAL when she stopped at Union Station in Washington, D.C., during the March for Life. She saw the young pro-life protesters and said, "There are so many, and they are so young..."
I encourage you to follow the link and read the rest of the list!
PJTV viewer Digging4Information asks Bill Whittle & Andrew Klavan about the relationship between science, faith and religion. Are science and religion at war with each other, or perfectly compatible? Klavan argues that faith has never been at war with religion, and that religious people like Isaac Newton were often great scientists. Hear more.
In a packed St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis officially declared former pontiffs John Paul II and John XXIII as Saints.
"For the honor of the Blessed Trinity, the exaltation of the Catholic faith and the increase of the Christian life, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and having sought the council of many of our brother Bishops, we declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II be Saints," Pope Francis exclaimed April 27 as the crowds cheered.
"We enroll them among the Saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Cheers and applause rang out across St. Peter's Square after the historic double papal canonization as many in the crowd fixed their gaze on huge tapestries of the two popes on the facade of the basilica behind Pope Francis. The Vatican said more than 500,000 people filled the basilica area while another 300,000 watched the event on large television screens in nearby piazzas.
Pope Emeritus Benedict did not join the procession of bishops at the start of Mass, but arrived half an hour earlier, wearing white vestments and a bishop's miter and walking with a cane; he sat in a section of the square designated for cardinals. Pope Francis greeted his predecessor with an embrace at the start of the Mass, drawing applause from the crowd, and approached him again at the end.
During the canonization ceremony, which took place at the beginning of the Mass, devotees carried up relics of the new saints in matching silver reliquaries, which Pope Francis kissed before they were placed on a small table for veneration by the congregation.
St. John's relic was a piece of the late pope's skin, removed when his body was transferred to its present tomb in the main sanctuary of St. Peter's Basilica.
Floribeth Mora Diaz, a Costa Rican woman whose recovery from a brain aneurysm was recognized by the church as a miracle attributable to the intercession of St. John Paul, brought up a silver reliquary containing some of the saint's blood, taken from him for medical testing shortly before his death in 2005.
In his Easter "urbi et orbi" Easter message "to the city and the world," Pope Francis focused on the victory of love brought about through Christ’s death and resurrection.
The Holy Father emphasized the power of God's "unconditional and faithful love" for every human situation, praying for the many areas of the world suffering from violence or conflicts, and urging Christians to seek paths of peace and reconciliation. He then issued his blessing to those gathered in St. Peter's Square and those throughout the world listening and watching by various types of media.
The dark hall inside Christianity's holiest shrine was illuminated with the flames from thousands of candles on Saturday as worshipers participated in the holy fire ceremony, a momentous spiritual event in Orthodox Easter rites.
Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected at the site where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher now stands in the Old City of Jerusalem. While the source of the holy fire is a closely guarded secret, believers say the flame appears spontaneously from his tomb on the day before Easter to show Jesus has not forgotten his followers.
The ritual dates back at least 1,200 years.
Thousands of Christians waited outside the church for it to open Saturday morning. Custody of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is shared by a number of denominations that jealously guard their responsibilities under a fragile network of agreements hammered out over the last millennia. In accordance with tradition, the church's doors were unlocked by a member of a Muslim family, who for centuries has been the keeper of the ancient key that is passed on within the family from generation to generation.
Once inside, clergymen from the various Orthodox denominations in robes and hoods jostled for space with local worshipers and pilgrims from around the world.
Top Orthodox clergymen descended into the small chamber marking the site of Jesus' tomb as worshipers eagerly waited in the dim church clutching bundles of unlit candles and torches.
After a while, candles emerged lit with "holy fire" — said to have been lit by a miracle as a message to the faithful from heaven.
Bells rang as worshipers rushed to use the flames to ignite their own candles.
In mere seconds, the bursts of light spread throughout the cavernous church as flames jumped from one candle to another. Clouds of smoke wafted through the crammed hall as flashes from cameras and mobile phones documented what is for many, the spiritual event of a lifetime.
Following his celebration of the liturgy commemorating the Lord's Passion, Pope Francis led pilgrims in the traditional prayer of the Stations of the Cross, which was held inside of the Coliseum in Rome.
"I know Jesus guides us from the Cross to the resurrection," Pope Francis said during his brief comments at the end of the meditations, adding that he "teaches us that evil does not have the final word, but love, mercy."
"Oh Christ, help us to exclaim anew: 'Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am resurrected with him; yesterday I was dead with Christ, today I am alive with him; yesterday I was buried with him, today I am resurrected with him,'" the Pope reflected.
"All together, we remember the sick," the pontiff exhorted the crowd in his concluding remarks, "we remember all those abandoned," and "we find in the trial of the Cross, a force of hope, of the hope of the resurrection and of the love of God."
Each year, the Pope chooses a different person or group of people to write the series of prayers and reflections that are read aloud for each of the 14 stations, which commemorate Christ's condemnation, his carrying the cross to Golgotha, his crucifixion and his burial.
This year the Pope picked Italian Archbishop Giancarlo Maria Bregantini of Campobasso-Boiano -- a former factory worker, longtime prison chaplain, champion of the unemployed and fiercely outspoken critic of the Italian mafia.
Everyone is capable of betraying Jesus as Judas did, but no one should make the mistake of doubting God's mercy and willingness to forgive, the papal preacher said.
Though Jesus knows well what is "unfolding in his disciple's heart, he doesn't expose it, he wants to give him the possibility, until the very end, of backing out" and repenting, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa said during the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion.
Pope Francis presided at the April 18 service in St. Peter's Basilica commemorating Christ's death on the cross.
The pope began the rite after a silent procession down the central nave. Then he lay prostrate on the floor before the main altar in silent prayer, a sign of adoration and penance.
Later, the pope and thousands of faithful stood as three deacons and the Sistine Chapel Choir chanted the account of the Passion from the Gospel of St. John.
Following tradition, the homily was delivered by Father Cantalamessa, the preacher of the papal household.
Focusing on the role of Judas, the Capuchin priest said the narrative of a person doing evil for "30 pieces of silver" keeps repeating itself throughout history.
As Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters ... You cannot serve God and mammon," the false deity of wealth, the preacher said.
Father Cantalamessa is a Franciscan Capuchin Catholic Priest who was appointed as preacher of the Papal Household by Blessed John Paul II in 1980, and who therefore gives a weekly sermon during Advent and Lent in the presence of the Pope, the cardinals, bishops an prelates of the Roman Curia and the general superiors of religious orders. Also read: A Cross-Section of Our Hearts on Fifth: Good Friday at St. Patrick's Cathedral
In his Palm Sunday homily, Pope Francis urged the congregation to consider how their actions and attitudes reflected the various characters in the story of Jesus' passion and death.
"We have heard the (gospel reading of the) passion of the Lord. Only, it does us good to ask a question: who am I? Who am I before my Lord? Who am I before Jesus who enters festively into Jerusalem?" the Pope said on April 13.
"This week moves towards the mystery of the death of Jesus and of his resurrection," noted the pontiff. "Where is my heart and which of these persons am I most like? It is this question that accompanies us throughout the week."
The crowds filled a sunny St. Peter's square to attend the papal liturgy, clutching olive branches and woven palms as they listened to Pope Francis reflect on the different persons in the gospel.
Departing entirely from his prepared remarks, the Holy Father considered each figure in the story, followed by questions about their relation to Jesus.
"I had been going back and forth inside my head about where and how to propose to Joanna," he recalled. Everything from dinner at a pricey restaurant to a sunset walk on the beach to fireworks ran through Philip's head. "Ultimately though, I felt drawn to propose in the context of the sacraments," he concluded.
There was still uncertainty about how the proposal would all unfold. Philip bought the ring and secured the blessing of Joanna's father. The previous evening, he and Joanna had enjoyed a great time at Catholic Underground in Los Angeles. There was adoration, confession and live music by Catholic artists. When they left the event, each spoke aloud about how sure they felt about their future together. It all emboldened to Philip to propose after Sunday evening Mass.
"I probably checked my pocket 50 times to make sure the box hadn't somehow disappeared," Philip said regarding the Mass. Afterwards, he suggested to Joanna that they pray together in a side chapel with the tabernacle. "This wasn’t an unusual practice for us, so she was entirely unsuspecting."
It was through prayer, that Philip put his proposal into words. After giving thanks to the Lord for His Presence in the Eucharist, he added "And I pray you help me to make a gift of myself to Joanna, especially as we prepare for the sacrament of matrimony, if she'll have me." At this point, Joanna opened her eyes and saw the ring. She knew the prayer was a proposal and said yes...
Lent is meant to wake up Christians and help them see that God can give them the strength to change their lives and their surroundings, Pope Francis said.
Before receiving and distributing ashes at an evening Mass March 5, Ash Wednesday, Pope Francis gave a homily focused on a line from the prophet Joel: "Rend your hearts, not your garments."
The prophet, he said at the Mass at Rome's Basilica of Santa Sabina, "reminds us that conversion can't be reduced to exterior forms or vague resolutions, but involves and transforms one's entire existence, starting with the center of the person, the conscience."
The Mass began after a penitential procession from the nearby monastery of St. Anselm. To a chanted litany of saints, the pope walked behind Benedictines from St. Anselm, Dominicans from Santa Sabina and cardinals who work in the Vatican.
The pope received ashes from Slovakian Cardinal Jozef Tomko, the cardinal-priest of Santa Sabina.
Conversion starts with recognizing that "we are creatures, that we are not God," the pope said in his homily at Mass. Too many people today, he said, think they have power and "play at being God the creator."
During Lent, he said, Christians are called to use the three elements the Gospel recommends for spiritual growth: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Jason Calvi of EWTN News Nightly pays a visit to the Catholic school founded in 1828 by Mother Mary Lange to serve the educational and spiritual needs of Baltimore's antebellum black community in a time when merely teaching a black person to read was a dangerous act of civil disobedience.
Celebrating Mass with the newest members of the College of the Cardinals one day after their elevation, Pope Francis urged them to regard their new role not as one of worldly honor but of humble service and sacrifice.
"A cardinal enters the church of Rome, not a royal court," the pope said in his homily Feb. 23, during morning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. "May all of us avoid, and help others to avoid, habits and ways of acting typical of a court: intrigue, gossip, cliques, favoritism and preferences."
"May our language be that of the Gospel: 'yes when we mean yes; no when we mean no,'" he said. "May our attitudes be those of the beatitudes and our way be that of holiness."
Pope Francis celebrated the Mass with 18 of the 19 men he had raised to the rank of cardinal the previous day in the same basilica. Cardinal Loris Capovilla, who at age 98 is now the oldest member of the college, was absent on both occasions for reasons of health.
The list of new cardinals was announced by Pope Francis last month and they represent 12 different countries from around the world. Eight of them are from Europe; seven from the Americas; and two each from Africa and Asia. No new cardinals were named from the United States.
Besides some expected names, such as Archbishops Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State; Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, Gerhard Mueller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, the list includes several men from the far reaches of the globe.
Archbishop of Ouagadougou, Philippe Nakellentuba Ouedraogo, will join the College of Cardinals from Burkina Faso in west Africa, as will Bishop Chibly Langlois of Les Cayes, Haiti: both will be the only Cardinals from their countries.
Fr. Federico Lombardi of the Holy See's Press Office noted that the Pope's choice of these two men especially "shows concern for people struck by poverty."
Three new Cardinals from Pope Francis' own South America are on the list, including the current Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Mario Aurelio Poli, who replaced the then- Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio when he was elected Pope last spring.
The Pontiff also named Cistercian Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who hosted Pope Francis for his first World Youth Day in July of 2013. When Archbishop Tempesta's name was read, Pope Francis looked up to acknowledge the cheers coming from St. Peter's Square. "There are a lot of Brazilians here, eh?" he said.
Three of the 19 men named are over the age of 80 and will be therefore ineligible to vote in the next papal election: Archbishop Loris Francesco Capovilla, Archbishop Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, and Archbishop Kelvin Edward Felix.
Archbishop Capovilla served as the secretary of Pope John XXIII, who will be canonized in April.
I would strongly recommend finding time to watch the entire Mass. But if not, then skip to 50:00 and start from there.
