I have a habit - assumed or drummed into me by some often frightening but hopefully spiritually directed nuns - I take the time and tend to look to see which individual is being recognized for their saintly nature on any particular day - There's a Saint identified for each day! - i.e. That Person's Day of Recognition and Example!  My crowd, Roman Catholics, have extablished a post death series of criterial, most of which are not know by most of we who are RC's - but even those who stand at a distance or may not belong, seem to see positive values in the identified heavenly resident's although dead person. Im additionally lucky that my parish's administrator/pastor does a daily FB thing in which he informs any one of the name of he individual for which the Church is calling attention on that particular day. Many of the other responding FB'er merely join in with a "PRAY FOR US!" Sadly I think that the "Pray for us" folks are just sucking up to our Parish's Monsignor without being aware of any spiritual benefits/activities for which the recognized individual is credited! It like a knee-jerk suck up! Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that their "Pray for us" statements maybe as spiritual as those of us who offer an uncaring "God Bless" each time we hear a sneeze - Sounds Good but without any inherent religious/spiritual thoughs or hopes! Anyhow today is identified for Mother Cabrini, I'm not about to besmerch the lady, her concerns or her work (as I know them through Reading or hear say!) But her remains (most of her uncorrupted body) lies under the altar in a Cathlic Church near Columbia Univ. Hospital - and IS viewable through a sheet of glass, placed for viewing on the front of the altar which faces the attendees!  BEEN THERE - SAW IT!  To be honest, I'm not completely in the "No Corruption of her Body" Crowd " - But I was S T R U C K and SURPRISED and have thought about the experience occasionally! Mother, let God know that I do LOVE him but I'm a little shaky on a lot of the Faith Things!

For some reason I wandered away from this blog - Hey! I heard that "Thank God"! And I have to confess the "give and receive" method on FB aka FACEBOOK, seems to allow for a quicker ergo more comfortable method of drinking morning coffee, reading trash while cleaning out some thoughts jammed into my few remaining brain cells. Some - "Holy CRAP! - TONS OF YOU" have suggested that I get off the back side of my Conestoga Wagon with PULPIT,  and pull it over to this BLOG! OK, here's my offer -  I'll do until I again realize or suspect that I am only talking to my self! Don't get me wrong - I have allways had a place in my heart and attention span for a good and entertaining speaker/writer - but trying to be both is like telling the punch line before you say the joke - You know where it's going! With your permission ........

This Morning found a site which appears reliable and frankly demonstrated the Deep Divide in thei country "trust in news media"-     http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/PPP_Release_National_130

i have suspected tht the extremes are being attractive myopically to the "INFORMERS" who support their point of view - but that was only a suspicion - An't a SUSPICION any more -  The Crazies - Left and Right - are hugging their Polar/Opposite Positions and get external support for they internal pre-concieved beliefs ans opinion - I think that this is a challenge to our Nation, Our system of Government, and the need for Education to 'Step up and Teach - THINKING", "QUESTING", "REASON" and security in the belief - That all of us can be wrong - now and then! Historically the last time the nation was so intellectually divided -Abe Lincoln became our president and a war commenced killing more Americans (North+South) than any other conflict including WWII . 

Exploring the Faith of Catholic Men

5/14/ 2015 –National Catholic Reporter (on-line)                                 Matthew James Christoff has highlighted a crisis of faith for Catholic men. 

1st) Somewhere between 11 and 15 million men who were raised Catholic but have left the church.  2nd) Only about one third of Catholic men attend Mass weekly.  3^rd) 4 out of 10 Catholic men do not believe that the Catholic Church contains any more truth than any other religion.

Christoff also notes that 60 percent of Catholic men are what he calls “Casual Catholics”. In other words, they don’t ‘really know their faith’ and don’t practice it appropriately but id asked they would own-u! Only 10 percent of Catholic men are what he calls “committed Catholics.” These are Catholics who are regular communicants, go to confession frequently, and are active participants in various Catholic groups and activities. Perhaps most telling, according to Christoff, only 18 percent of current 18 to 29 year-old Catholics say they are sure they will remain Catholic in the future. Clearly Christoff has put his finger on the pulse of a serious challenge which needs to be honestly confronted with real concern for the church today. His suggestion for correcting the problem, however, is problematic to many as well.

Christoff points to men from Evangelical churches that are more passionate about their faith, which would suggest that something is missing from our Catholic faith experience. Yet his answer appears to be only too familiar. If we simply explained our faith better, and encouraged men to frequent the sacraments and pray more - we could solve this problem! You know, a return to the Catholicism of the 1940s and 50s – Hat for Men and Veils for the Ladies but is it a cure or does it seems to have “NO REAL EFFECT” and will only to perpetuate the causes of the present lukewarm male response to the faith.

Maybe we need to look at why there is so much passion among evangelicals today and consider how we can capture some of that. In one of his earlier lectures, speaking about Evangelical Christianity,

Fr. Raymond Brown commented that he had spoken to many Catholics who had converted to evangelicalism. These former Catholics would make such telling statements as, “I found Jesus, and I love him.”

Perhaps we need to encourage a more personal (and Honest) relationship with Jesus. We need to encounter Jesus not just in the sacraments or only on Sunday but with the Scriptures, inquiringly- asking questions and researching + Open Discussions with each other, and with the world around us. It could be precisely the emphasis on performing certain tasks, rituals, or devotions that are seen as repetitive, routine and non-inspiring or spiritually exciting or thought provoking and which without such efforts, have fails to reach adult men emotionally and rationally.

It would be comforting to hear a guy say,”You know, I just read that…! Or “I never knew or thought about that before?” “Where did you hear or read that? How about you and I discussing that….?

If only +/- 10 percent of Catholic men are finding what they need for spiritual growth in Catholicism, the idea of doubling down and doing more of the “same” or adding  a big handful of GUILT doesn’t seem to be sufficient or probably the solution. We need to explore the realities and riches of the Christian tradition, not just Catholicism, and find new ways for bringing men as well as women into a deeper faith and understanding for and with a stronger commitment to the Lord Jesus, the Christ, His Church and all people

(Ever read the biblical Book of Amos? Yeah, I had never done so either! Actully I don’t think that I was even sure that it was a Book of Amos in the BIBLE – He seem like the guy who wrote some of “Jesus’ scripts and statements” Like what I like - a caring, present day Liberal Politician - Stressing our participatory function and need as well as God’s way and support to feel for and with the less fortunate, the marginalized as Pope Francis sees and calls them and to act in their behalf! Read Amos – if you want to! )

 The TNT Academy, An Atlanta-area private school, held its graduation ceremony on a recent past Friday. The school's founder, Nancy Gordeuk, prematurely announced the end of the ceremony before the class valedictorian had spoken. In an attempt to try to get everyone to return to their seats, Gordeuk became upset that some were not following her instructions and leaving. When she exclaimed,
 "Look who's leaving—

All the black people!" 

This was video taped by a guy who stood near the elegant lady, and who she called a “goober” and a “coward”. Maybe? But HE HAD THE GOODS ON VIDEO TAPE! Her remarks provoked heavy booing, general pandemonium, and frank disbelief. (Gordeuk is a white Georgian!)  In an attempted to explain her statement, she, being an educator,  pointed to a real believable option namely that “the Devil was in the house and came out from my mouth"!  No, probably not, it's the same stuff that came out of her other end – The Racist Twit!  As a past fellow educator, I’m embarrassed and frighten that education in the hands of such inadequate losers! Is anyone else worried - Bueler - Anyone?

A new poll concluded/suggested that Atheism is on the rise in the US, while those who consider themselves religious has decreased! I brought this up at an Emmaus meeting and the “Distrust in the figures flew, joined by Can't Believe it" reigned!” Much like a shockled patients receiving a negative pathology report from a cancer clininc. It ain't so! There was “That’s not TRUE” to “Who really knows?” There weren’t any – “REALLY?” or HOW COME's? and MOST IMPORTANT! WHY! Or What could be the causes? Researchers recently conducting a WIN-Gallup International poll about religion surveyed people from 57 countries. The poll suggests that in the US, since 2005 (10 years ago) the number of people who consider themselves religious has dropped from 73% to 60% and those who declare themselves atheists have risen from 1% to 5%. Why? What's behind the changing numbers? I wonder if Institutional religion has failed to “Grow-Up”? Is it still using the “Guilt Stick” without any insightful teaching or education or inquiring discussion? "SIN" - over - "Psychology"! Have churches chased/adopted modern trends at the expense of core beliefs? Are those who have been ambivalent about religion now less likely to identify as Christian and more willing to be open and discuss their real/actual feelings and opinions about GOD, CHURCH, BELIEFS? I would like to know your thoughts – Not your gut reaction to the “truthfulness of the polls”  or off the cuff opinions or “God said….!  "THOUGHTS!", Things that you have THOUGHT about HONESTLY and PERSONALLY when it comes to this shift in institutional and organizational faith in your life?

I received an e-mail some weeks ago in responce to my positing of some horrible and hatred-filled Racist Opinionated Signs - Expressions against Black people as I saw it ( THEY WERE CLEARLY EXAMPLES OF THAT!) When a good guy + distant relative, responded that since the photos were in Black and White and not in Technique-color - They were out of date and implied that basically RACISM was like-wise - No longer in existence! What was I trying to say! Well, I being a frustrated and a committed and card carrying "BIG MOUTH", I could'nt and didn't end it there…. however!     For Mother Day, I was trolling the internet for something that was relevant and humorous, and came upon a cartoon of apparently a son ( me ) offering Mother Day Wishes to his Mom but getting flack in return - You know MOM-STUFF! "Did'ya…, Couldya…You should'da…" Well the gentleman, who had the "in-sight to dismiss present-day RACISM" was able to note that the cartoonist of the Mother in my posting had a noticable SNAZOLLA! And then raised the question if the Mom was "A GOLDBERG"?  Don't react to quickly - No need to get a rope or look for a tall tree, but it is interesting that we have a deep seated, unconscienceable stereotypical views of others which we learned somewhere, so deeply ingrained in (all?) us and/or by this culture or our friens or family (me too), that we, all of us, unthinkingly say or think or belch discretiable things and don't even consider or recognize that they are UGLY or we are saying it! Yeah, I know some of my best friends are……. How do we get rid of, I was going to say "BLEACH-OUT" but is that RACIST? OK, Lets go  POSITIVE and HONEST! I hold opinions that are NARROWER than they should BE or that I want others to KNOW THAT I HAVE but they are there - H E L P - Any Suggestion - NO! Not any of that - SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE…..!