Why Do We Eat So Much on Thanksgiving?

BY DAVID O’BRIEN

Have you ever noticed that we spend much of our lives pursuing some sort of goal or dream?

When we are younger, we long to be like our older brother or sister, or the older kids in school. We can’t wait until we make it to 8th grade, senior year or make the varsity team.

Later we hope to get into college, land that first job, prove ourselves at work, get our first new car, apartment, house, find that special guy or girl, and finally get married and have children.

As the years go by, our dreams shift. We work to give our kids the best we can, help them succeed and set them up for a better life than we had.

For ourselves, we strive to do well in our careers, maybe find that dream home, be respected by our peers, set ourselves up for retirement and stay relatively healthy.

Some of these goals are realized, some are not.

But even when we achieve them, as great as they are, there seems to be a certain hollowness to them. We ask: "Is that it? Is there nothing more?"

We may spend years pursuing a goal but once we achieve it, we want more. We don’t just plop down on our Lazyboy in the living room and spend the rest of lives reveling in that moment when we made the honor roll in 11th grade.

It is as if we are a bag of walking desires. We are never satisfied.

In all of creation we are unique in this way. I’m never met a dog that wanted to be a cow or a tree that longed to be a butterfly.

But every person I’ve ever known, including myself, wants to be more, know more, do more and have more. What is happening here? Is there flaw in the design of humanity?

Think about what happens every year at Thanksgiving. We load up our plates as if we are creating a model of Mt. Everest . Then we proceed to shovel the equivalent of four full meals down our gullet. The clothes we dressed in that morning begin to constrict around our waists but we still go back for that last piece of turkey and just a little more dressing, please.

Finally, at the brink of a gastronomical catastrophe, we waddle away from the table uttering a solemn oath: "I will never eat again."

But somehow, just one football game and a nap later, we are back in the refrigerator looking for that piece of pie.

We are never permanently satisfied. We always want more.

The marketers on Madison Avenue realize this about us and gear all their advertising to prey upon our unremitting sense of dissatisfaction-try this, buy that, upgrade, you deserve it, isn’t it time, act now.

So we buy, upgrade and indulge but those things don’t satisfy either. What is our problem?

Many preachers, spiritual writers and church people see this unrelenting human desire for more as the source of much of our sin. They direct us to suppress our desires and reign in that urge for more.

St. Augustine disagrees. He says that God places within us this insatiable desire so that eventually we will find our way to Him. In other words, when we get tired of seeking satisfaction and placing our hopes in finite, passing things, eventually we will turn to the Lord, who alone can totally fill our hunger for more and who never is used up.

With God, there is always more and it is always better.

We are made to long for more than this world can ever offer because we are built for eternity. Our souls are hardwired for the infinite goodness that is God. How could anything-any goal, any accomplishment, any success, any material possession, any relationship- ever satisfy a heart that yearns for communion with the creator of all that is? No wonder we are never fulfilled in this life.

So don’t kill that recklessness within you. Don’t squelch that desire for the best, the most, the ultimate that burns in your gut. That is God’s Spirit driving you to Him, the only one who can really meet our every need and satisfy our every desire.

About David O’Brien David O’Brien is the Associate Director of Religious Education for Lay Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile. His column, Everyday Faith, appears regularly in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Week. Email David at dobrien@mobilearchdiocese.org.

Baltimore MOSJ chapter leader and wife volunteer time to aid Philippines

Doug and Cita Brown volunteer in the Philippines

[Note: Doug Brown is a leader of the Men of St. Joseph chapter at St. Ursula, in Baltimore. Reprinted from Catholic Review, official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.]

BY LISA HARLOW 

While Cita Brown calls the United States home, she has not forgotten the poorest of the poor in her native country, the Philippines. The parishioner of St. Ursula, Parkville, Maryland and her husband, Douglas, are actively involved with FAPI, the Foundation for Aid to the Philippines Inc. 

FAPI aims to reduce poverty and promote self-sufficiency in the Philippines.

Founded in 1997 and based in Cockeysville, FAPI has provided grants for medical care, livelihood and nutrition projects, housing and education. Medical missions to the Philippines are vital, as proper medical care is often unavailable to the poor due to the country’s healthcare system, which requires patients to pay for their own medicine and medical supplies.

Cita, a registered nurse who works in the operating room at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, went on her first FAPI medical mission to the Philippines in 2009. Douglas accompanied her on her second mission there, in late January.

She was among a team of approximately 40 medical professionals, which included eight or nine surgeons. It took the group two days to travel to Leyte, a rural area about an hour’s flight from Manila.

FAPI purchased all of its supplies – vitamins, antibiotics and surgical equipment – totaling 50 boxes. Board member and surgeon Alberto del Corro, and his wife, FAPI secretary Karen del Corro, a registered nurse, packed and shipped the supplies to the public hospital in Leyte.

In five days, the FAPI team saw more than 3,000 patients in the hospital’s outpatient clinic.

“The townspeople knew about the mission months in advance,” Douglas said. “They traveled for days to get to town – some even traveled for a week, by foot and by boat. When we arrived, we had 500 people signed up and pre-screened for surgery. Over five days, they handled 75 major surgeries.”

The surgeons also worked on approximately 200 minor cases, involving cleft lips and palettes, hernias, tumors and OB/GYN issues.

Because Douglas is a career consultant and not a medical professional, he handled non-medical tasks.

While the hospital staff was friendly and helpful, the conditions of the building were not acceptable by American standards.

“It was hot and unsanitary,” Douglas said. “Patients with major problems had to wait in the hallways for days. There was an orthopedic patient, his foot had been crushed. It’s really a sad situation. They can’t get medical care. If you don’t have the money, you just can’t get treated there.”

According to FAPI, more than 60 percent of the 80 million Filipinos live below the poverty level. In the metropolitan Manila area alone, unemployment is more than 30 percent.

Cita recalls another late-arriving patient.

“We were packed up and ready to go,” she said. “There was a lady who needed a C-section. The lady had been having contractions since the previous day, but she had no money to buy the IV medicines or supplies to do the surgery.

“We got to that lady just in time. She needed a blood transfusion. Her blood pressure had dropped tremendously. The baby was OK. I was praying in the OR for God to please save them. It was a real humbling experience.”

Leftover medicines, instruments and medical supplies were donated to the public hospital.

“This was my first trip with FAPI and my second missionary trip,” Douglass said. “On both trips I truly felt that I received more than I gave. The people we served were so humble in the midst of extreme, desperate circumstances.”

FAPI is already planning for its next medical mission, in November 2012.

“It takes time to raise money,” Cita said. “Most of the volunteers pay their own way, and many supplies have to be purchased. The government of the Philippines has to approve everything, and there are certain requirements for the people going on the trip. They go to a different area every time, finding the neediest towns.

“This is a real grassroots effort.”

For more information about FAPI, visit fapi.org.

Why Latin?: Part 4 - Conclusion to John Martignoni's response to a question about the return of Latin to the Liturgy

By JOHN MARTIGNONI

Why Latin: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 

Question:
I have been attending a Catholic Church in the diocese in which the priest and congregation sing some of the parts in Latin.  I am curious as to why the Catholic Church is bringing this back and in some parishes even saying the mass entirely in Latin.  It appears that the Church is going back to traditionalism.  How does this (Latin) entice new people to the Catholic faith?  If I were looking for a Christian faith to join and visited a parish with Latin, I would take Catholicism off my list.  I, myself, have considered looking elsewhere for a new faith because of this.  Shouldn’t the church be looking forward and seeking out modern ways to entice newcomers?  To many outsiders, the Catholic Mass is already very dry and boring with all of its prayers through Mass, let alone adding in Latin.  Please advise and help me understand the Latin importance in this modern age.    

Answer:
You are not the only person that I have seen or heard getting angry when it comes to Latin and to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).  But, what you need to understand, is that when the Novus Ordo Mass was introduced, and the TLM was abandoned virtually overnight, it created some deep wounds...wounds within the Body of Christ...that needed to be healed.  A lot of people felt like they had had their heart ripped out.  Many tried to adapt and adjust, but then they were almost immediately faced with a certain amount of "creativity" in the liturgy that only wounded them more deeply.

In spite of the words of Vatican II, individual priests began to tinker with the liturgy to make it more in line with their own personal opinions of what the Mass should be and with their own private vision of the "spirit of Vatican II."  Some priests would often change the wording of prayers - adding words here, taking them out there - or they would ignore the rubrics and other such liturgical abuses. Such abuses, among other things, led to a schism here and a schism there and to many people simply leaving the Church altogether.  The Body of Christ was wounded.  There were also many who did not go into schism, but were deeply wounded by these abuses, nonetheless.  And, as Scripture tells us, what affects one part of the Body affects all parts of the Body.  

The liturgy of the Church - any authentic liturgy of the Church - whether in English or in Latin, should not be a source of pain, nor a source of anger and bitterness, for anyone who calls themself a Catholic.  That is why Pope Benedict has taken steps to, in essence, reevaluate the liturgical reforms of the 60’s and 70’s in light of the Church’s ancient liturgical tradition.  And the first step in this reevaluation is to go back – back to the point where the wounds were inflicted, back to the point of rupture between the old and the new – and try to restore the connection between the two forms of liturgy.  This, he hopes, will heal wounds, promote harmony, and create an atmosphere where an authentic renewal of the liturgy may flourish.  

In a letter to the Bishops that accompanied his Motu Proprio, “Summorum Pontificum” (a document from the Pope making the Traditional Latin Mass more available to all), Pope Benedict said, “I now come to the positive reason which motivated my decision to issue this Motu Proprio…It is a matter of coming to an interior reconciliation in the heart of the Church.”

In making the TLM more available, the Pope is helping this reconciliation to occur by allowing each of us to rediscover our liturgical heritage and to participate in this liturgical “treasure,” as he has called it.  And it seems our Pope knows his business, because his actions have already led to some healing in the Body of Christ, as we have seen right here in our own diocese.  And they have led to discussions that may result in even greater healing in the Body in the future.

As I have stated previously, Latin is not necessarily my cup of tea, so I can somewhat understand where you’re coming from.  But, instead of reacting with anger and bitterness, we need to be a bit more open-minded and try to understand what the Church is doing and why.  And, we need to do our part to help promote the healing, the reconciliation, and the authentic liturgical renewal that our Pope is trying to engender.  If that means that we have to come out of our comfort zones a bit, well then, so be it.  Just look at the Cross and ask yourself if He would do any less for you.  As Archbishop Fulton Sheen used to say, “Jesus came to comfort the afflicted, and to afflict the comfortable.”  

About John Martignoni John Martignoni is the Director of the Office of Evangelization for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama and also the President of the Bible Christian Society. John's column, Apologetics 101, appears regularly in the diocesan newspaper, the One Voice.  If you have a question about the Catholic Faith, please send an email to: jmartignoni@bhmdiocese.org.  And check out John's free audio and written apologetics materials at: www.biblechristiansociety.com.

Why Latin: Part 3

BY JOHN MARTIGNONI

Question:
I have been attending a Catholic Church in the diocese in which the priest and congregation sing some of the parts in Latin. I am curious as to why the Catholic Church is bringing this back and in some parishes even saying the mass entirely in Latin. It appears that the Church is going back to traditionalism. How does this (Latin) entice new people to the Catholic faith? If I were looking for a Christian faith to join and visited a parish with Latin, I would take Catholicism off my list. I, myself, have considered looking elsewhere for a new faith because of this. Shouldn’t the church be looking forward and seeking out modern ways to entice newcomers? To many outsiders, the Catholic Mass is already very dry and boring with all of its prayers through Mass, let alone adding in Latin. Please advise and help me understand the Latin importance in this modern age.

Why Latin: Part 1, Part 2

Answer:
Having discussed in my last article the reason for the increased use of Latin in the Novus Ordo (the new Mass), I want to now address the question of the resurrection of the “traditional Latin Mass” (TLM), also known as the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Why is the Church bringing back the TLM, or “going back to traditionalism” as you put it?

The very question itself displays the reason why. Blessed John Paul II, along with Pope Benedict, both of whom were participants in Vatican Council II, recognized that the changes in the Mass, in the liturgy, that occurred after Vatican II, went beyond what the Fathers of that Council intended. The Council Fathers wanted a reform of the liturgy or, I think it is more proper to say, they wanted an authentic renewal of the liturgy, but somehow things went a bit too far. It is apparent from reading the documents of Vatican II, that the Council Fathers wanted a renewal of the liturgy that built upon the old and which reflected continuity between the old and the new. Instead, the baby was tossed out with the bath water, so to speak.

The fact that you, as well as many others, are asking questions like this, speaks to the point – we Catholics are generally ignorant of our liturgical patrimony, our liturgical heritage. This is because the liturgical reforms of the 60’s and 70’s, which were supposed to make Catholics more aware of what is going on at the Mass, to draw Catholics into a deeper participation in the Mass and a deeper understanding of the Mass have, for the most part, failed in their purpose and intent. Ignorance of our liturgical heritage, of which the TLM is a significant part, has led to us being generally even more ignorant of the liturgy than we were before. Why do we do what we do at Mass? What is the meaning of the Mass? What are the meanings of the words, the prayers, the actions of the priest and the congregation? What is the purpose of the Mass? In large measure, Catholics generally have little to no understanding of the underlying purpose and meaning of the Mass, nor of its connection to the Old and New Testaments and to the Sacred Tradition of the Church.

I would argue that a liturgical rupture of sorts, occurred between the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo, and that rupture has led to Catholics being less knowledgeable about the Mass and less engaged in the Mass than would have been the case if there had been greater continuity between the old and the new. If the actual words of Vatican II had been followed, I believe we would have seen a much smoother transition between the two forms of the Mass.

As I mentioned in my last article, if one actually reads the documents of Vatican II, they would see that nowhere does the Council call for the wholesale abandonment of Latin in the liturgy. In fact, it is just the opposite (Sacrosanctum Concilium, #36). Nowhere does the Council call for Gregorian chant to be abandoned. In fact, it is just the opposite: “Gregorian chant, as proper to the Roman liturgy, should be given pride of place,” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, #50). Nowhere does the Council call for individual “tinkering” with the Mass. In fact, it is just the opposite: “Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority,” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, #22). Nowhere does the Council call for, and I know this is a hot button issue with a lot of folks, but nowhere does the Council call for the priest to turn around and face the people rather than face God.

To quote then Cardinal Ratzinger on this, “To the ordinary churchgoer, the two most obvious effects of the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council seem to be the disappearance of Latin and the turning of the altars towards the people. Those who read the relevant texts will be astonished to learn that neither is in fact found in the decrees of the Council.”

Abandoning, almost overnight, the more than thousand year heritage of the Traditional Latin Mass has led to an even greater liturgical ignorance among Catholics than otherwise would have been the case and has resulted in many, such as yourself, having what seems to be a visceral reaction to that heritage and anything associated with it, and it has also left some open wounds – wounds that need to be healed. And, it has led to some liturgical “creativity” which I’m sure the Council Fathers never intended.

Next week: Healing the wounds.

About John Martignoni John Martignoni is the Director of the Office of Evangelization for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama and also the President of the Bible Christian Society. John's column, Apologetics 101, appears regularly in the diocesan newspaper, the One Voice.  If you have a question about the Catholic Faith, please send an email to: jmartignoni@bhmdiocese.org.  And check out John's free audio and written apologetics materials at: www.biblechristiansociety.com.

A Humble Man Cannot Be Humiliated

BY DAVID O’BRIEN

Humility is a desirable virtue. It confronts our egos, reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously and curtails our tendency to overvalue our opinions. Nothing is more obnoxious than a person who thinks their way is the only way, their truth is the Truth. That kind of arrogance is hard to be around.

A person who exudes humility, on the other hand, is everyone’s friend. He recognizes and affirms the giftedness of others. He is quick to forgive when offended because he knows he has hurt many along the way through his stupidity and sin.

Humbleness avoids the temptation to over assert one’s rights-- "How dare she talk to me like that!" "Don’t they know who I am?" or "He can’t treat me like that."

Humility accepts inconvenience for the good of others.

I want God to teach me to be humble, meek and poor in spirit (Mt 5:3, 5). But, ugh, I hate it when He answers that prayer.

Last week, my family attended a children’s event at a museum. I arrived ahead of my wife and kids and I found an open parking spot for them. Rachel asked me to save it for her as she would arrive in less than one minute.

As I hung up the cell, a Honda Civic going the wrong way down a one way street raced up to the parking spot. I stood in the space and watched the driver begin to back towards me.

Holding my hands up, I directed the person to stop. The guy behind the wheel abruptly jumped out of the car and aggressively confronted me. His wife, children and motherin- law watched from the car as he struck his best Alpha male pose.

Shocked and somewhat unnerved, I explained that I was saving the spot for my wife. I pointed to our minivan and said: "She is right there."

"My car is right here," he countered.

"But I’m standing in this spot," I noted, trying to remain calm.

"Fine," he rebutted as he turned back to his car. "Keep standing there while I run you over."

Not quite sure I had heard the guy right, I watched as he re-engaged his car and backed up directly towards me.

I quickly stepped aside and thought, "what a jerk!"

As I walked around the corner to my wife’s new parking spot, I told myself, "I should’ve videotaped him with my phone and then sued him for hitting me."

My wife was equally offended when I told her what happened. "Here, you carry the baby so he will feel bad when he sees that we have a newborn."

"Yeah," I thought. "Too bad my wife isn’t nine months pregnant."

We bumped into a handicapped friend on the way into the museum. Now, I couldn’t wait to see that guy again inside. An infant and a person in a wheelchair. When he sees us, he might just burst into tears and confess to me how much of a loser he is.

These thoughts dominated my mind for nearly an hour. Realizing I was obsessing, I prayed to let go of my anger and desire for revenge. I thought I had put it behind me but when I returned to my car I had to fi ght the urge to slash the guy’s tires.

Now, I don’t know what you call these thoughts and desires, but they don’t fall under the category of humility.

Instead of enjoying my children, I spent my energy hating, being offended and acting as if my whole world was collapsing. Over what? A parking spot.

Admittedly, this guy’s behavior was inappropriate. But what exactly was Christ-like about my response? How did my attitude mirror that of Jesus who had railroad spikes hammered into him and then forgave the guys who did it?

I am not proud of myself for how I reacted. Still, I am grateful to God because He has shown me how far I still need to go.

Even my 4 year old son seems more humble than me. When he later encountered the guy in the museum, he said: "Isn’t that the man who was mean to Daddy?"

My wife answered "yes", adding: "And what do we do to people who treat us badly?"

Without thinking twice my son offered, "we treat them with kindness." Now that takes humility.

About David O’Brien David O’Brien is the Associate Director of Religious Education for Lay Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile. His column, Everyday Faith, appears regularly in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Week. Email David at dobrien@mobilearchdiocese.org.

Hope from a Roman Prison

BY ALLEN HUNT

Today I am working on a Bible study tentatively called "The Good Life." How do you have the good life? That's a great question when times are tough and all the news seems bad, huh?

If you know me, you know that I look for hope in a Roman prison. Ancient Roman prisons were dark, dank and desperate. Full of death. Often all you could hear outside the prison was the wailing and moaning of prisoners. Prisoners were usually held in a cave beneath the ground and often were not fed unless they had friends who brought food. Most prisoners died there in custody from starvation and deprivation. You get the picture - ancient prisons were hellish places.

And that is where the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians. Easily the most joyful text in the Bible. The words "joy" or "rejoice" appear 16 times in this little letter written from the most desperate of places, a prison. An average of 4 times per chapter. Joy in the darkest of places.

Perhaps the greatest line comes toward the end of the letter when Paul writes Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

There is a great lesson here. Believers possess a deep joy. That joy saturates their lives, even when they are suffering, desperate, or in prison. That joy cures anxiety and leads to peace. They are not defined by what they own or how much they have. Believers know they belong to God. Their citizenship is in heaven. And that God will never abandon them. Ever. That allowed the apostle Paul to write more powerful words from the most desperate place ... I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

How do you have the good life? Very simply, by remembering that faith overcomes fear.

About Allen Hunt Allen Hunt is a former Senior Pastor of an evangelical mega-church. He became Catholic in 2008 and now partners with Matthew Kelly to serve as the Vice-President for Strategy and Content at the Dynamic Catholic Institute. Allen is a speaker, writer, and radio host on News Talk WSB in Atlanta. He is the author of Confessions of a Mega-Church Pastor: How I Discovered the Hidden Treasures of the Catholic Church.

Why Latin? Part Two

BY JOHN MARTIGNONI

Question:
I have been attending a Catholic Church in the diocese in which the priest and congregation sing some of the parts in Latin.  I am curious as to why the Catholic Church is bringing this back and in some parishes even saying the mass entirely in Latin.  It appears that the Church is going back to traditionalism.  How does this (Latin) entice new people to the Catholic faith?  If I were looking for a Christian faith to join and visited a parish with Latin, I would take Catholicism off my list.  I, myself, have considered looking elsewhere for a new faith because of this.  Shouldn’t the church be looking forward and seeking out modern ways to entice newcomers?  To many outsiders, the Catholic Mass is already very dry and boring with all of its prayers through Mass, let alone adding in Latin.  Please advise and help me understand the Latin importance in this modern age.    

Part II (See Part I: Is the use of Latin in the Liturgy a Turnoff?)

Answer:

Having discussed last week why being upset over an increased use of Latin in the liturgy is not a good reason to look “elsewhere for a new faith,” I want to now turn my attention to the use of Latin in the liturgy.  There are two distinct, yet related, issues here: first, the use of Latin in the Novus Ordo (the new Mass), which is the Mass we are all familiar with; second, the more frequent use of the Latin Mass itself, also known as the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and all of the recent commotion around it.

Okay, so why Latin?  Why are we seeing more parishes use Latin in parts of the Mass, the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), for example?  Well, the biggest reason I can think of is: because the Church tells us to.  At the Second Vatican Council, the Church said, “The use of the Latin language...is to be preserved in the Latin rites,” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, #36).  Yet, contrary to the very clear words and intent of the Council Fathers, the Latin language was quite often abandoned wholesale in the years immediately following Vatican II.  

Commenting on that situation, Bishop Slattery of Tulsa had this to say,  “...it was not a wise decision to do away with Latin in the Mass.  How that happened, I don’t know; but the fathers of the Council never intended us to drop Latin. They wanted us to hold on to it and, at the same time, to make room for the vernacular...”

But, why does the Church tell us to hang on to Latin in the liturgy?  Well, one reason is because Latin is the official language of the Church.  All Church documents are promulgated first and foremost in Latin.  The papal encyclicals - first done in Latin.  The Catechism - first done in Latin.  All documents, liturgical or otherwise - first done in Latin.  Truth be told, it is a bit of a misnomer to call the old Mass the “Latin” Mass, because the Novus Ordo, the new Mass, was first promulgated in Latin.  Which is why we are soon to get a new Mass translation, because the current English translation was not as faithful to the Latin as it could have been.  So, both the old and the new Mass can rightly be called “Latin” masses.

Another reason the Church tells us to hang on to Latin in the liturgy, is because it connects us to the past, to our traditions.  For over a thousand years our forefathers in the faith worshipped in Latin.  To banish Latin to the outer darkness is like banishing grandpa to the outer darkness because he only speaks Italian, or Polish, or whatever. The Latin language is a part of our story, a part of who we are, a part of our heritage, as Catholics.  

I mentioned last week that I am not a “big fan” of the Latin language.  That does not mean, however, that I do not respect the language.  I simply prefer English to Latin.  That is the result of an American nativistic bias more than anything else, though.  I suppose if Latin were used in some prayers on a regular basis, not just once in a blue moon, and if our missalettes had the Latin version of some of the prayers, I could grow more accustomed to the language.  You know, as Christians, I think to harbor bias that is based more on a lack of familiarity with someone or something, rather than anything else, is not really becoming of us.  I think we should try to be more tolerant and open-minded with regard to such things.

Next week...The Resurrection of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

About John Martignoni John Martignoni is the Director of the Office of Evangelization for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama and also the President of the Bible Christian Society. John's column, Apologetics 101, appears regularly in the diocesan newspaper, the One Voice.  If you have a question about the Catholic Faith, please send an email to: jmartignoni@bhmdiocese.org.  And check out John's free audio and written apologetics materials at: www.biblechristiansociety.com.