5 simple Summery things to do!

As the summer vacation season begins, many people make a big mistake.  They take a vacation from Jesus!

Let's have a different type of summer this year.  Let's realize that this is a great time to grow in our faith and to share it. 

Here are five simple Summery things you can do:

1. Feed your faith first.  Discover a nearby summer parish while on vacation and worship there on Sundays with your new vacation community.  After all, we are called "catholic" (which means "universal" in Greek) because we are everywhere. In particular, pray for the poor and those who will never have a vacation from their labor. Use your vacation to "give back" a bit - volunteer, or give a summer offering to Catholic Relief Services or Catholic Charities, for example.

2. Sign up for tweets from Pope Francis @pontifex.  Read what he has to say each day on your smartphone. Retweet him now and again.  Also, check out his daily homilies at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/cotidie/2013/index_en.htm  They are short and to the point.  Please let your family and friends know about these tidbits of papal wisdom.

3. Use your summer vacation to write little notes to your children and grandchildren about how much you love them!  Include a few sentences about how much you pray for them (you do, right?).  Let them know why your Catholic Faith has been so important to you through the years. And don't forget to always begin your writings (emails too!) with JMJ - Jesus, Mary and Joseph - or AMDG - Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam - for the greater glory of God - or some other phrase showing that God is first in your life.

4. Are you "connected" to the internet on vacation?  if so, maybe "disconnect" for a few days.  Chances are good that you will feel more peaceful and more attuned to the beauty around you.  Tell your internet friends the results when you "reconnect."  Give God online credit for these gifts when you reconnect.  After all, God is the maker of all good things - it is His peace and beauty you are rediscovering on vacation! 

5. Show your faith.  Wear your beautiful cross necklace.  Pray the rosary in your Adirondack chair.  Get that religious tattoo you've thought about for years - a cross, the Holy Face of Jesus, Our Lady of Guadalupe, etc. (assuming you're over 18!). Read the Bible in your cottage.  Make a summer commitment to daily morning (lauds) or evening (vespers) prayer with the Church. Read at least one religious book. When people ask you about these things, mention how much your faith means to you.  Be willing to follow up with them or refer them to someone who can answer their questions.


In a previous blog post we gave a great prayer  to say often during summer - (the Benedicite from the Book of Daniel).

Have a truly blessed summer!

Action Alert S.5881 Gov. Cuomo abortion expansion

UPDATE!!!  Good News....
http://www.nyscatholic.org/2013/06/statement-on-abortion-expansion-act/



Tell Your Senator to Reject Abortion Expansion!

Governor Cuomo has now broken apart his "Women's Equality Agenda" into 10 separate parts. The abortion expansion part is S.5881 sponsored by Senator Diane Savino. Tell your Senator to reject S.5881. There is no need to further expand abortion in the abortion capital of the nation. You can send a message simply by clicking on this link. Thank you!

Political sleight of hand NYS Abortion Expansion 2013

The New York State Catholic Conference issued the following statement on June 13, 2013.  Bishop Malone has asked that you please share this important message.  Thank you.

 

Playing the Partial Birth Abortion Card

 

Abortion industry lobbyists today announced that Gov. Cuomo’s abortion bill would be modified to include language related to partial-birth abortion. We believe such a change is intended to divert legislators’ attention from the real issues related to this bill, namely that it would expand late-term abortion for virtually any reason and would clear the way for the Department of Health to permit non-doctors to perform abortions.

The forthcoming amendment is likely to say something to the effect that nothing in the language of the bill conflicts with the federal partial-birth abortion ban, although it will most assuredly not enshrine such a ban in state law, which is ironic since the stated purpose of the abortion bill is to enshrine federal abortion policy into state law.

Let us be clear: Abortion expansion in New York is not about partial-birth abortion. Partial-birth abortion, or D&X, is one method of abortion used in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, in which a baby is partially delivered before being killed via a surgical scissors to the base of the skull. It is currently banned under federal law. An amendment to the governor’s bill saying that the federal ban would not be affected is legally redundant and pointless, and would not affect the most common and prevailing method of late-term abortion, known as D&E, which is equally brutal and inhumane. In that method, a baby is killed and dismembered while still in her mother’s womb, before being vacuumed out.

The Catholic Bishops and the pro-life community object in the strongest terms to any expansion of late-term abortion, regardless of the procedure used. It cannot be said enough that New York is the abortion capital of the country, with one in three pregnancies ending in abortion. We do not need more abortion here.

No legislator should be fooled by further attempts to obfuscate this issue in an effort to pass a bill desperately sought by the abortion industry for its own ideological and financial gain.

The Catholic Conference represents New York State’s Bishops in matters of public policy.

http://www.nyscatholic.org/2013/06/playing-the-partial-birth-abortion-card/

 

Gov. Cuomo - expanding abortion in NYS

June 8-9, 2013

My dear diocesan family,

            In New York State, where one in every three pregnancies ends in abortion, it’s clear that we, as a state, have lost sight of these most vulnerable babies.

 

            Governor Andrew Cuomo has introduced a Women’s Rights Bill.  The Catholic Church supports nine out of ten points in this bill. However, one of the points contains  language that would ease restrictions in state law on late-term abortion and runs the risk of broadly expanding abortion access at all stages of pregnancy,  including any child who is not “viable “as viability is defined by the abortionist. It also allows the State Health Department to decide who may perform abortions, which does not limit it to health care professionals.

            This legislation would add a broad and undefined “health” exception for late-term abortion.  It would repeal the portion of the penal law that governs abortion policy such as the criminal prosecution of a person who tries to directly cause the death of an unborn child, as found in cases of domestic violence against pregnant women. This lack of clarity also means that medical and non- medical institutions, such as Catholic Schools and charities, could be compelled by state regulators to counsel or refer people for abortion, or risk losing state contracts and licenses that are necessary for them to continue to operate.  

 

            The position of the Catholic Church through every age is clear:  Life is sacred. Our focus is to enhance and promote the life and dignity of all human beings from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.

 

            Please join me and all the bishops of New York in fully opposing this radical measure. Let’s stand together with the leaders in Albany who share our conviction that we have no need for such a bill to become law.  We must defeat this serious attempt to expand abortion. We need to respect women and protect the child in the womb.

 

            New Yorkers need to stand together with the leadership in Albany who share our conviction.  We cannot stand idle.  We must protect our children.  We must act now!

 

            Please contact the Governor and your state legislators today, and tell them not to expand abortion in New York.  You can send your message through the Catholic Action Network website:  N Y S Catholic dot org

 

            Thank you.

                                                                                    Yours sincerely in Christ,

                                                                                                 

                                                                                    Most Reverend Richard J. Malone 

                                                                                    Bishop of Buffalo                             

RJM:mh                                                                              

 

 

   

Boy Scouts of America - Bishop Malone statement

Statement of Bishop Richard J. Malone [regarding Boy Scouts of America]

June 1, 2013

The recent decision by the Boy Scouts of America to remove a national restriction to allow gay youths as members for the first time in the organization’s history will not impact the Diocese of Buffalo’s support of Boy Scout units. Catholic churches, Catholic schools and Knights of Columbus, Knights of St. John and Holy Name Society chapters proudly support Boy Scout units in Western New York.
 
Through these affiliations, nearly 3,000 young people are guided by 1,250 adults in activities that develop self-confidence, leadership skills and moral fiber. Strength of character is a quality celebrated by the Church, which does not support unjust discrimination.
 
In light of the removal of this national restriction, it is our expectation that Boy Scouts units supported by Catholic organizations will allow individuals with same-sex orientations to participate as members in the packs and troops.

 

As always, Boy Scouts units affiliated with Catholic Church organizations are expected to be faithful to and uphold Catholic teaching. Inherent in that is chastity, to which all Catholics are called. Sexual expression outside of marriage is contrary to the virtue of chastity. Employees and volunteers representing Catholic organizations are expected to uphold that teaching, while carrying themselves with high ethical standards that promote a deep appreciation for service to others in their communities.

 

Eucharistic Adoration Invitation

BISHOP ENCOURAGES ALL TO PARTICIPATE IN EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
(CORPUS CHRISTI)             

Bishop Richard J. Malone has encouraged the faithful of the Diocese of Buffalo to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration sometime on Sunday, June 2, in solidarity with Pope Francis who has called for a world-wide hour of Adoration on that day.           

The Holy Father urged the faithful to pray in particular for:

● Those around the world who are victims of war, human trafficking, drug running and slave labor.
● For those who find themselves in economically precarious situations, and above all for the unemployed, the elderly, migrants, the homeless and prisoners.           

Bishop Malone noted that prayer before the exposed Eucharist—the real presence of the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus, is especially powerful and efficacious.            

Pope Francis actually asked Catholics around the world to join with him in prayer before the Eucharist between 5-6 P.M. Rome time, which would be between 11 A.M. and Noon Buffalo time.  Since most parishes have Sunday Mass at that time, it would not be appropriate for a separate devotion.  Therefore, Bishop Malone recommends that Catholics devote an hour of their choosing Sunday to prayer before the Eucharist in solidarity with the Pope.           

The Bishop also noted that the Diocese has a Eucharistic Adoration Society which is available to assist parishes in organizing regular times for adoration. Contact: Deacon Michael McKeating, Director of the Eucharistic Adoration Society at 847-5548

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

A word from Fr. Mock about the Solemnity we celebrate today:

In 1246, Bishop Robert de Thorete of the Belgina diocese of Liège, at the suggestion of St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon (also in Belgium), convened a synod and instituted the celebration of the feast. From Liège, the celebration began to spread, and, on September 8, 1264, Pope Urban IV issued the papal bull "Transiturus," which established the Feast of Corpus Christi as a universal feast of the Church, to be celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday which was last Sunday.

At the request of Pope Urban IV, St. Thomas Aquinas composed the office (the official prayers of the Church) for the feast. This office is widely considered one of the most beautiful in the traditional Roman Breviary (the official prayer book of the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours), and it is the source of the famous Eucharistic hymns "Pange Lingua Gloriosi" and "Tantum Ergo Sacramentum." The Prayers the priest prays from the Chair and the Preface were written by Saint Thomas.

For centuries after the celebration was extended to the universal Church, the feast was also celebrated with a Eucharistic procession, in which the Sacred Host was carried throughout the town, accompanied by hymns and litanies. The faithful would venerate the Body of Christ as the procession passed by. In recent years, this practice has almost disappeared, though some parishes still hold a brief procession around the outside of the parish church.

NYS Action Alert - abortion expansion

Act Now to Stop Abortion Expansion!

We are coming to the last four weeks of the legislative session and the head of the largest pro-abortion advocacy group, NARAL, has confirmed that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is very close to introducing his bill to expand abortion, especially late-term abortion in New York State.

While the governor has not yet allowed the public to see the language of his bill, if it is similar to a bill he endorsed in January, it would allow more late-term abortions and permit them at storefront clinics. It would also allow non-doctors to perform surgical abortions and would forbid any commonsense regulations, like parental notification for minors.

Now is the time to act. Even if you already have sent a message to your elected officials, please do so again immediately, and share the alert at the link below with your friends through email, Facebook and Twitter. Let the Governor and your state lawmakers know that, no matter how it is packaged, you oppose more abortions in New York, the abortion capital of the nation, where one out of every three pregnances is terminated.

Send a message to them now by clicking the link below and sending the pre-written, fully editable email. If you use social networking, please also take a moment to click the Facebook and Twitter links below and follow us there to get the very latest news.

Take Action Now!