When: Friday, August 29, 2008 12:00 AM to Saturday, August 30, 2008 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
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Words written in red; Words of Jesus
"I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. You must go on living in my love. If you keep my commandments you will live in my love just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and live in his love. I have told you this so that you can share my joy, and that your happiness may be complete. This is my commandment: that you love each other as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this – that a man should lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I tell you to do. I shall not call you servants any longer, for a servant does not share his master’s confidence. No, I call you friends, now, because I have told you everything that I have heard from the Father.
John15:9-15
The Martydom of St. John the Baptist
For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero’di-as, his brother Philip’s wife; because he had married her. For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife." And Hero’di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. For when Hero’di-as’ daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it." And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer." And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
Mark 6: 17 – 29
These days, faithful Catholics lose elections; in his day, they lost their lives.
"By the age of fifty-five, as a lawyer, officer of the realm, husband, father, popular citizen, speaker, and writer, he had achieved as much fame, wealth, professional success, and genuine affection as any person could desire."
Barack Obama?
Joe Biden?
"Nevertheless, for what most called a foolish scruple of conscience, he threw all that away and died three years later — alone — in broken health. His closest political colleagues abandoned him; he was condemned as a traitor, beheaded, and his head placed on a spike on a bridge."
These days, faithful Catholics lose elections; in Thomas More’s day, they lost their lives.
Thomas More knew that. He knew that the lustful Henry VIII might kill him for his fidelity to the Church. . . . which is why More constantly asked, "How much evil can I tolerate?
Where must I take my stand?" Those were dangerous questions in a dangerous time, yet as a politician — a Catholic politician —fear never caused Thomas More to waver:
"In a storm," he said, "you don’t abandon ship just because you can’t control the wind."
Henry VIII was also once a Mass-going Catholic . . . a politician with faith so strong he wrote A Defense of the Seven Sacraments, one of the most successful works of Catholic apologetics that had yet been produced. Indeed, Pope Leo X personally bestowed on Henry the title, Defender of the Faith, never guessing that a short decade later, Henry would be the mortal enemy of the Faith he had just so ably defended.
You know, Thomas More was a Catholic, not a partisan. With the ax that would kill him hovering near, his last words saluted the very politician who had condemned him to death: "I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first."
What about you? As politicians in both Parties embrace ever more positions that attack central teachings of our Church, can you stay silent . . . or even vote for them? And if you do, will you, at the end of the day, be able to face God and say, "I die my Party’s good servant, but God’s first"?
"In a storm," Thomas More said, "don’t abandon ship just because you can’t control the wind." You and I can’t control the anti-Catholic winds blowing through the major political parties today, but, we can learn what, as Catholics, we can do — nay, must do — if, as did St. Thomas More, we are to stay engaged in politics and faithful to God and His Church.
David Carlin’s ‘Can a Catholic Be a Democrat?’ can help:
• Clarify your understanding of the issues in this election, and help you see just what is (and is not) at stake;
• Show you which political positions you as a Catholic can live with, and which require you, like Thomas More, finally to take a stand;
• Help you explain even non-negotiable Catholic positions to your friends, relatives, and fellow party members;
• Equip you to make your own party less hostile to your Catholic Faith;
• And, as you vote in November, ensure that the choices you make there will leave you able finally to say, "I was my Party’s good servant, but God’s first."
Surely nothing is too much for Him when there is a question of sanctifying a soul. He hands over the body and soul to weakness in order to purify them in contempt of earthly things and in the love of His Majesty. Let us accept these appearances of evil in order to have the real goods they produce, and we will be happy both in this life and in the next
— St. Vincent de Paul
Abba, Father, Lord God, thankful, humble I know only You through Jesus in the Spirit can move my heart to act as Jesus would. These days at least at this time in this Country we may not have to die for our faith, but we sure will have to die to ourselves for our faith. For as Jesus said we cannot serve two masters; so we cannot serve others and ourselves, we must always be willing and able to die to ourselves, our pride, our selfishness, our very thought that causes us to hesitate or pause in serving others even, especially when we know we may, will or are being taken advantage of. As hard as it is we must seek Jesus so in the Spirit and He will move us ‘not to resist an evil person; but to turn the other cheek to him also, and let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.‘ For to us that seek Him, we can never be satisfied under the sun, by anything from under the sun. For if we seek we belong to Him, and we die to ourselves to be with Him, over and over; this I know, this is what I seek to do. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
1 In thee, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! 2 In thy righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline thy ear to me, and save me!
3 Be thou to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. 5 For thou, O Lord, art my hope, my trust, O LORD,
Mark 6:17-29
Mark 6:17-29
Audio books I am listening to and other books or readings I am reading:
When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances (Unabridged) By: Carol Kent Sometimes we make sacrifices to help us get ahead, to allow us more time with family, or because we believe in the cause. And then there are sacrifices in which we have no say, "Isaac experiences" as in Genesis 22, thrust upon us without warning or survival instructions. This audio book outlines eight transformational power principles that Gene and Carol Kent learned in the process of facing the news that forever changed their lives.
Becoming a Person of Influence By: John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan "You can immediately [sense a] spark when you hear John Maxwell and Jim Dornan talk about leadership. Their understanding of influence is like mine for guitars; it’s woven into the fabric of their being." – (Bob Taylor, President, Taylor Guitars). With influence, you can achieve success at home, work, and in every other area of life.
One Walk 
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