Here in Southern New Jersey, we?ve been experiencing some great ?Spring-like? weather over the past few days. After having a snowstorm earlier in the week, temperatures in the mid-50?s feel like summer. This morning I was awakened by the sound of a bird singing outside and immediately thought of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, in which Peter, James and John were given a glimpse of Jesus in His Heavenly glory. But what does a bird have to do with the Transfiguration?

The bird singing through the open bedroom window gave me a foretaste of the warm weather that we?ll be experiencing in a few months. Even though we are still in the season of winter, I saw a glimpse of the ?hope? of warmer weather. In a few days, it will probably be cold again, but I know that Spring is on the way. In the Transfiguration, after telling the Apostles about the suffering that is a necessary part of His salvific mission, Jesus allows them to see a foretaste of what awaits them in Heaven.

Life is difficult and Jesus makes it very clear that suffering is an essential part of the Christian life (Lk 9:23). However, if we hold out and ?finish the race?, we have the possibility of eternal life in Heaven. That?s why it?s sometimes important to contemplate the Heavenly promise. It helps us to stay on the right path and avoid sin in the hope of spending eternity in perfect happiness with God.

Even though I didn?t know it at the time, the gospel from today?s Mass was about ?the Transfiguration (Mk 9:2-10). I love it when things like this happen?don?t you? Thank you, Lord, for giving me a little glimpse of what awaits me if I follow your commandments. I?ll use the remainder of Lent to look for ways to follow you closer!

In case there?s any doubt about my feelings, let me be very clear; Barack Obama, the man who is hailed as a civil rights champion and the ?fulfillment of Martin Luther King?s dream?, clearly believes that some human lives are worth more than others. The man who somehow convinced 54% of Catholic voters to vote for him based upon a vague ?social justice? program is set the repeal the Bush administration?s ban on embryonic stem cell research on Monday. That clearly indicates that the lives of the Michael J. Fox?s, Christopher Reeve?s, Ronald Reagan?s and other people afflicted with various ailments mean more to him then the human lives that will be sacrificed in the unproven process known as embryonic stem cell research.

Despite his admission of not knowing when life begins (?it?s above my pay grade?), he has no reservations about murdering the embryos anyway. Why? Because those lives mean less to this man than others. It?s plain to see that those embryos do not have civil rights in the eyes of Barack Obama. He and all the other people can tap dance all they want about embryos and fetuses not being human, but modern science directly contradicts that claim. Also remember that one of the reasons that Adolph Hitler was able to justify murdering 6 million Jews was that he considered them to be sub-human. In case you haven?t noticed, that?s one of the main arguments used to justify abortion and stem cell research.

I am not surprised by any of Obama?s actions, but I believe that some people who voted for the man (especially Catholics) will feel betrayed over the course of the next four years. I could say ?we told you so?, but instead I?d like to suggest that you begin to pray and get involved in the pro-life movement. We also need to pray for Obama and all pro abortion politicians to be converted to a position that respects all lives.

Obama is just getting started and what we?ve seen so far is not pretty. That?s why it?s more important than ever to pray and get involved. The lives of millions of helpless, unborn children are at stake. They need us to get involved and peacefully fight for them. There is no doubt in my mind that God is on our side and we will be victorious one day. We must never quit until the lives of all of our brothers and sisters are protected ?from womb to tomb?!

And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, “The LORD’S way is not fair!” (Ez 18:24-25)

?It?s not fair that the Catholic Church teaches that artificial birth control is wrong. Don?t they know that we?re struggling to make ends meet??

?How can the Catholic Church deny Holy Communion to those people who got divorced and remarried outside of the Church??

?How come women can?t be priests? The Church isn?t being fair to women!?

?Why do we have to go to church every Sunday? Can?t I worship God at home??

?I don?t believe in everything the Catholic Church teaches. Didn?t God give me a brain to decide what?s right and what?s wrong??

?It?s not fair when the bishops tell pro-abortion Catholic politicians that they shouldn?t receive the Eucharist until they accept the Church’s teaching that abortion is murder. Who are they to deny Jesus to someone??

?I don?t believe in not eating meat on the Fridays of Lent. I think it?s silly.?

“We don’t understand why we can’t live together without being married… everyone does it! The Church has to change with the times.”

?Why can?t I do whatever I want, even if the Catholic Church tells me it?s a sin? They?re out of touch!?

Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. And yet the house of Israel says, “The LORD’S way is not fair!” Is it my way that is not fair, house of Israel, or rather, is it not that your ways are not fair? (Ez 18:25-29)

How can we explain Jesus saying ?Ask and it will be given to you? (Mt 7:7) when we know that we don?t receive everything for which we ask? Taking this verse out of context can create a lot of confusion and cause us much unnecessary anguish. If we continue reading we see that Jesus also says, ?Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him.? (Mt 7:9-11). These added words provide important clarification for the original statement.

When we pray, we always get what we need?not necessarily what we want. Sometimes we will get what we are asking for. Other times we?ll get what we request, but we may have to wait. As all of us have experienced, there are times we get something we didn?t ask for. The key to not driving ourselves crazy is to trust that God always knows what we really need.

The words of Our Lord assure us that all prayers get answered?that?s comforting, isn?t it? As we make our way through Lent, let?s try harder to accept God?s answers?

Even if we don?t like them!

Did you ever wonder what it would have been like to live in the Holy Land while Jesus was alive? Can you imagine watching Him heal the sick and miraculously feed the multitudes? Can you picture being able to actually touch Him? As Catholic Christians, we believe that Jesus still makes His Body and Blood available to us in Holy Communion. We can still encounter His healing touch in the sacrament of Confession and The Sacrament of the Sick. Did you ever stop to think that none of this would be possible without the priesthood?

Almost everyone, Christian or not, is familiar with the words of the Lord as delivered to Moses, ?You shall love your neighbor as yourself? (Lv 19:18). This is a message echoed by Jesus when to name the greatest commandment:

?You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself?. (Mt 22:37-39)

In the above passage, Jesus clearly associates loving one?s neighbor to loving God. While most of us don?t have any difficulty loving God, loving our neighbor often presents a challenge. As humans, we can all be difficult to love at times. I don?t know of anyone who has never been grouchy, annoying or even nasty at one time or another. However, Our Lord doesn?t qualify the command to love your neighbor with, ??unless it?s too difficult?.

We often think of love as a feeling, but it is really an act of the will. A parent getting up in the middle of the night to comfort a sick child isn?t doing it because it ?feels good?. They?re doing it out of love. A child visiting an elderly parent with Alzheimer?s disease isn?t doing it ?for fun?, but rather because of love. Being nice to someone who is nasty isn?t easy, but it should be done ?why? That?s right?because of love.

Today, why not look for opportunities to love our neighbor (child, parent, spouse, coworker, etc.), especially when it?s not easy. Then we can be sure that we?re also loving God. As Jesus tells us:

?Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.? (Mt 25:40)

The March 2009 issue of The Catholic Truth email newsletter is now available. Please visit our website (www.thecatholictruth.info) to subscribe. There is no cost and signing up is simple (just provide your email address). This month’s features include a discussion of reuirements for worthy reception of the Eucharist, the meaning behind abstaining from meat during Lent, review of a new book from Scott Hahn, some facts about St. Joseph, and more.

It?s almost impossible to be unaware of the problems that are going on between Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and the Catholic Church. Their support of abortion rights is not compatible with the teaching of the Church and they should not receiving Holy Communion. It?s really that simple and shouldn?t be open to a public debate. Before I go on, I want to be perfectly clear that I agree with this position. What troubles me is a trend that I see among some Catholic conservatives. It involves telling our bishops how to do their job.

A Catholic website (I am not mentioning their name, as I don?t want to give them publicity) is collecting signatures from individuals who feel that prominent Catholics who dissent from Church teaching should be denied Holy Communion. As I mentioned earlier, I agree with this stance but I don?t think that this is the right way to go about it. Many of our bishops are starting to speak out about this. On February 27, Bishop Joseph Martino of the Scranton diocese clearly told all ministers of Holy Communion (ordinary and extraordinary) that they should deny the Eucharist to those individuals whose unworthiness to receive Communion is publicly known. Read the article here.

This came on the same day that Bishop Martino publicly rebuked Senator Robert Casey for his vote against the Mexico City policy, which supports federal funding for abortion and family planning. The message being sent to Casey is pretty obvious, and I commend Bishop Martino for being a good shepherd of his flock. I also commend the other bishops who have spoken out publicly about this matter. They are doing their job as successors to the Apostles.

I realize that there are some Catholics who will disagree with on this, and I accept that. To be perfectly clear, I am also outraged that these Catholic politicians are making a mockery out of the Church that I love. However, my love for the Church causes me to love and respect the office of the episcopate (The Bishops) and those who fulfill the role of modern day Apostles. The Church is not and never was a democracy and I have no right to criticize a bishop for doing his job. I?ll leave that to the Holy Father and the other bishops. Instead, I should be doing what I can to educate my fellow Catholics on the teachings of the Church. I also need to pray for the Bishops and those Catholic politicians who don?t understand what the Church teaches.

I?m sure that we will see more and more of our Catholic bishops stand up and criticize those ?sheep? that stray from the flock. That convinces me all the more that the Catholic Church is functioning just the way Jesus intended and that the Apostles are still alive today!

Today I?d like to write about myself. Throughout the course of my life I?ve tried to become closer to God. I?ve had many conversion experiences and I truly believe that I?ve gotten to know Jesus better over the years. Each day, I devote some time to prayer and reading. During Lent I give up sweets, which sounds simple but is very difficult for me. If the past few sentences sound rather egotistical, you?ll be surprised to hear that I?m using them to point out how often I fail to be holy! I?ve lost count of how many times I ?mess up?, despite keeping up all of my external devotions.

The readings from today?s Mass (Is 58:1-9a, Mt 9:14-15) caution about fasting externally, but not internally. When we are keeping up our external practices of piety, we need to be careful about what?s going on inside. If we?re going to give up sweets for Lent, but are nasty to everyone we meet ? maybe we need to either give up something else or think about what fasting really means. If we are going to become angry that our children interrupt our prayers (I?m guilty of this a lot!), then perhaps we need to get up a little earlier to pray (or stay up later). If we get mad at Church when someone asks us to move in so they can get into our pew, maybe an examination of conscience is in order… Do we really love our neighbor? Sometimes we get so caught up in our external devotions that we forget the reason for them. A friend of mine fell away from the Catholic Faith for many years, but he still didn?t eat meat on the Fridays of Lent. He didn?t go to Church or practice his faith, but he maintained the Lenten fast. If this sounds unusual, it really isn?t. We are all guilty of doing things like this at times.

One of the great things about the Lenten season is that it gives us a chance to analyze our lives and find areas that need improvement. We are all human and are prone to sin. Sometimes we do things that we shouldn?t (sins of commission) and sometimes we don?t do things that we should (sins of omission). Today let?s all take a look at our external devotions and make sure that our hearts are in the right place. Then we can be sure that The Lord will be pleased with our sacrifice.