Practical Catholic Blog

Catholic Parishes in the Oklahoma City Metro

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:16:00 +0000

Practical Catholic has published a list of Catholic churches in Oklahoma City and surrounding areas. Please let us know if we missed a parish or if the information list for an Oklahoma City area Catholic Church is incorrect.

Catholic Churches in the Oklahoma City Metro Area

For the Vatican it's Clear - Pro-Abortion Politicians 'Must' be Denied Communion

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:38:00 +0000

From LifeSiteNews.com:

By John-Henry Westen

November 27, 2009 - With the Patrick Kennedy Communion flap and the recent action of the Bishops of Spain having opened up the issue of denying communion to pro-abortion politicians, it is worthwhile to review the position of the Vatican on the matter.
Since the controversy came to a head in 2004, the stance from the Vatican on the matter has been clear and consistent. For the Pope and top Curial Cardinals in charge of the matter there is no question about the responsibility to deny Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who obstinately support abortion. In fact, the issue was closed as early as 2004 with a letter from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI.
The then-head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith intervened into a debate among the US Bishops on the issue. Simply put, Cardinal Ratzinger said in his letter titled 'Worthiness to receive Holy Communion,' that a Catholic politician who would vote for 'permissive abortion and euthanasia laws' after being duly instructed and warned, 'must' be denied Communion." read entire article...

"Renaissance Priest"

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:44:00 +0000

An Oklahoma priest made the news today. Now, many of you may be cringing...it seems that whenever a priest is in the news lately it involves SCANDAL. But Doug Warner of Oklahoma City's News Channel 9 KWTV found a "Renaissance Priest", Fr. Shane Tharp, currently the rector of the National Shrine of the Infant Jesus in Prague, Oklahoma.

Fr. Tharp, a young priest in his thirties, is in touch with modern society. He is Internet savvy, blogging as the "Catholic Ragemonkey" and active on the social networking site Facebook. He does a weekly spot Friday mornings on Relevant Radio discussing contemporary culture and issues in the news. He is a fan of science fiction, promising his flock Star Trek, Star Wars and Dr. Who sermons once a year. Yes, he is not your "father's Oldsmobile"....errrrr...I mean "priest". He uses modern means to spread the millenia old Gospel message.

This, in and of itself, is not the reason that Fr. Tharp is in the news. He made the news because of a recent rebirth of sorts. Fr. Tharp, just a couple of years ago, weighed over 370 pounds, but has lost over 150 pounds through Weight Watchers and exercise, including training in the ancient Chinese martial art, Kung Fu San Soo in south Oklahoma City.

Read more about this amazing priest's story on KWTV News 9 online (video of the story as aired is available at the site).

Way to go, Fr. Tharp! Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration to all!

This Shouldn't Surprise Anyone...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 09:30:00 +0000

Obama to sign stem cells order on Monday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, who opposes limits on federal funding of stem cell research, will sign an executive order about stem cells on Monday, an administration official said on Friday.
The official could not confirm the details of what Obama would sign, but advisers had previously said he favored lifting the eight-year limitation on funding of human embryonic stem cell research imposed by his predecessor, President George W. Bush.
The issue is controversial because some people believe the destruction of any human embryo is wrong. read more...

This is just the beginning, folks...he hasn't even been in office two months yet. Give him time and we should more executive orders.

Pro-Life Oklahoma Senator and OB/GYN Speaks Out On Abortion

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Sen. Coburn says pro-life docs would prefer jail to violating consciences

Washington D.C., Mar 2, 2009 / 09:08 pm (CNA).- Obstetrician and gynecologist Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) has said that pro-life medical practitioners will “go to jail” rather than violate their conscience if the Obama administration reverses federal conscience protection rules.
In an interview with CNSNews.com on Friday in Washington, D.C., Sen. Coburn was asked what he thought would happen if the administration reverses the policy.
“I think a lot of us will go to jail,” he said. “Let’s see them prosecute the first one of us for not doing that.”

I wonder how many will really be willing to make that sacrifice...

Catholics Speak Out Against DHHS Nominee

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:55:00 +0000

HLI president slams Catholics United support for Sebelius nomination

Front Royal, Va., Mar 3, 2009 / 07:56 pm (CNA).- Joining other pro-life leaders, Fr. Thomas Euteneuer is speaking out against a group of Catholic scholars and leaders who are supporting President Obama’s choice of Kathleen Sebelius for HHS Secretary.
Citing Sebelius’ vetoes of restrictions on late-term abortions and her relationship with the abortionist George Tiller as "troubling," the president of Human Life International says that "faithful Catholics everywhere are scandalized both by Sebelius's repeated and disingenuous invocation of her faith as justifying her pro-abortion record."

New Catholic website protests Gov. Sebelius’ Cabinet nomination

Washington D.C., Mar 3, 2009 / 01:52 pm (CNA).- Catholic opponents of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ nomination to become Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have launched a new website which decries her “extremist support for abortion” and solicits petition signatures protesting her nomination.
The site http://www.catholicsagainstsebelius.org/ characterizes Gov. Sebelius, a Democrat and self-described Catholic, as “an avid supporter of the most radical abortion politics.”

I know that there were MILLIONS of Catholics that voted for Obama KNOWING that his pro-abortion agenda would lead to nominations like this. SHAME on ANY Catholic who voted for Obama.

Not Accepting Vatican II...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:42:00 +0000

Traditionalist Order Not Ready to Accept Vatican II, Superior Says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The head of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X said his order is not ready to accept the Second Vatican Council, which the Vatican has set as a condition for full reintegration in the church.
Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Swiss-based society, said Vatican II has brought "only losses" among Catholic priests and the faithful. He made the remarks in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Le Courrier published Feb. 26. read more...

I didn't know that we had the option to accept Vatican II...

Catholic governor criticized by archbishop nominated as HHS secretary

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Catholic Governor Criticized by Archbishop Nominated as HHS Secretary

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A Catholic governor whose archbishop has told her not to receive Communion until she changes her stand on abortion is President Barack Obama's latest choice for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The nomination of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as HHS secretary was announced March 2 at a White House news conference. The 60-year-old Sebelius has been governor of Kansas since 2003.
read more...

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is pushing for the ratification of this treaty.

According to the article the treaty "creates 'the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion' and outlaws the 'arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy,' intrudes on the family and strips parents of the power to raise their children without government interference."

If anybody can think of ANYTHING positive to say about this treaty, leave a comment and I will be sure to set you straight.

Abortion is SUPER FUN!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:43:00 +0000

I think that I have seen Steven Crowder's comedy before, I can't remember for sure, but watching this video on abortion made me a big fan...I will surely be watching more of his videos.

Oklahoma City police officer pulls man over for anti-Obama sign on vehicle

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:32:00 +0000

This in from The Daily Oklahoman:

The police officers who stopped Oklahoma City motorist Chip Harrison and confiscated a sign from his car told him he has a right to his beliefs, but the Secret Service "could construe this as a threat against President Obama," according to the incident report released this morning.

The sign, which read "Abort Obama Not the Unborn," was returned to Harrison later that day, the report said.

Read More...

I say that the officer who pull over the driver must have equated the word "abort" with "kill"!

Lent and Dieting - Let's Be Practical

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:21:00 +0000

In just a few days it will be Ash Wednesday, a special time for penitence begins in preparation for the Easter season when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I see an interesting similarity between the way many people (including myself) observe Lent and the way that most people try to lose weight.

Dieting and exercise for weight loss is all the rage, multi-billion dollar industries; people are looking for the fastest way to lose pounds, preferably with little to no inconvenience or discomfort.

Most people start on whatever diet or exercise program they choose with a goal in mind, whether it be the loss of a certain number of pounds or few inches around the waist so they can fit into smaller pants. Most folks adhere to their diet or workout routine for a little while and even see some results, but then conclude that it is too hard, inconvenient, expensive, or whatever and give up. Some people actually achieve their goals or get "close enough", then the diet/exercise program, having served its purpose, is abandoned.

Of course, once they are off their program a vast majority of people quickly put on weight again, often times gaining MORE weight than they lost originally.

What people fail to realize is that there is diet and dieting...and they are not the same. Dieting carries the connotation of being temporary, a means to an end. But a person's diet is a much more permanent thing. Ask anyone who has lost a substantial amount of weight AND kept it off for a long time and they will tell you that they made permanent changes in the way that they eat. The same holds true for exercise programs, if they are made part of someones day to day life permanently they are very effective, if they are just temporary, merely a means to an end, they may return some fleeting benefit, but once they are discontinued that benefit quickly disappears.

If one really wants to lose weight, I recommend making small changes to their diet and small increases in their level of activity. When I say small, I don't mean negligible, but I caution against making BIG changes that will be hard to maintain over time. Granted, this is NOT the fastest way to drop pounds, but it will be steady progress. Once these small changes have become good habits if you haven't reached your target weight, make some more MINOR changes. This steady progress will eventually get you where you want to be.

How does all this relate to Lent? Well, the season of Lent is a prescribed time of penitence. We are told for 40 days to examine our conscience, seek reconciliation, fast and abstain; all this to prepare ourselves for Easter. If we follow this prescription, we will reap spiritual benefits. During the season of Lent, we have two days of fasting and we must abstain from meat on Fridays, these are common acts of penance that have been part of our Faith from the early days fo the Church. But what about AFTER Lent, when we are no longer as mindful of our sins, offenses and failings? Are we like the dieter, who having lost the 15 pounds reverts to his old habits and puts on another 20?

Maybe this Lent we should commit ourselves to being mindful of our sins and penitent not just for 40 days but as a lifestyle. Now I am not recommending a new wardrobe of nothing but sackcloth...what I am recommending is making small changes.

Remembering that all Fridays are days of penance, even outside of Lent, an easy change may be to continue to practice abstinence (or perform some other act of penance) each and every Friday.

We are required to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, how hard would it be to attend one weekday Mass each month? How about weekly?

Would it be difficult to fast a couple of extra days a year?

In the "old days" Advent (the season leading up to Christmas) also was a penitential season. Would it be hard to live the four weeks before Christmas by the same rules we abide by during Lent?

I think that I am going to implement some of this in my life. Don't ask me what part(s), that is between God and me...I won't ask you about it either, but if you have a comment and want to leave it, fine by me!

The Pope and Pelosi (Pt 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:18:00 +0000

OK, so according Speaker of the House Pelosi the meeting between her and Pope Benedict consisted of little more than her showing the Pope pictures of her family and praising "the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming."

Nancy Pelosi tries to spin meeting with Pope Benedict

No mention of his Holiness saying, "Nancy if you continue to support abortion you can't be as good a Catholic as you profess."

The Pope and Pelosi

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

I am sure she was hoping to get a nice picture of her and the Holy Father, instead she got a lecture on the sanctity of life.

Pope Benedict Strongly Rebukes Pelosi Over Abortion

I can't wait until her people start to spin this...

Evolution Contrary to God?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:40:00 +0000

In a well written piece, "Darwin Day" Is For Dummies, Tommy De Seno clearly explains the why the anti-religious who believe that evolution somehow disproves God are way off base.

The Gift of Black Folk: The Negroes in the Making of America

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:11:00 +0000

Groundbreaking Civil Rights Book Republished

The Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic lay organization, is reissuing their own edition of W.E.B. DuBois's 1924 book, The Gift of Black Folk: The Negroes in the Making of America, documenting the integral part that black people have played in the history of the United States.

So Simple That A Twelve-year Old Understands...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Gee, this young lady makes things so clear.

I am really impressed with her eloquence and grasp of the facts!

Science is the Atheist's Religion

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCall) — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 09:21:00 +0000

Most often in the modern world we think of "faith" as something restricted to the realm of religion and spirituality. The two are so wholly married, in the minds of many, that to refer to an atheist's acceptance of science as faith will often result in as heated an argument as if it had been claimed that science was his religion. While it is true that faith can be used as a synonym for religion, the word has various definitions according to the American Heritage Dictionary:

Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief, trust.
Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.
often Faith Christianity: The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
The body of dogma of a religion: the Muslim faith.
A set of principles or beliefs.

The average atheist today often focuses on the second and fifth definitions, even though the first definition is by far the more common understanding of the word (thus its placement in the list). He does so mainly in an effort to cast those of a religious faith as ignorant or stupid for maintaining a belief that, to the atheist, has not been proven.
Focusing on this definition also seems to him to justify denying his faith in science on the grounds that science is provable by the large body of "evidence" that supports it. Of course most rational individuals can see that the first definition clearly shows that their confident belief in the scientific principles they hold so dear constitutes faith, and the sixth definition seems to accurately define science: a set of principles (scientific laws) or beliefs (scientific hypotheses and theories).

If in doubt as to how seriously the atheist will defend his faith in science, simply cast aspersions on science, question its veracity in any way or ask him to prove any of the scientific principles in which he believes and the atheist's faithfulness (def. 3) to science immediately comes to light and he gets angry, confrontational, and often resorts to personal attacks because he has no rational way to defend his beliefs. In other words, he acts exactly as atheists claim that the religious faithful act.

So the best argument that the atheist has that science is not his faith is based on the second definition, since there IS a large body of evidence in support of most science. There is ample evidence of numerous scientific principles, so much evidence that they are almost universally accepted as fact. Yet does this really disprove that the average atheist has faith (belief without proof 2nd Def.) in science? Most assuredly not, since that body of evidence was compiled by others, namely scientists, the atheist has little, if any, personal proof, he is only believing what he has been taught or read in a book. Without personal proof of a particular scientific principle (i.e. personally performing an experiment to verify it), the atheist is expressing faith in science AND the scientist. So his best argument that science is not his faith begins to unravel. If one further considers the scientific ideas in which the atheist believes which have only scant, little or no evidence in their support (ex. the theory of evolution) but are based on large leaps of faith, we see that, even by the standards of the definition most often used by the atheists, their faith in science is proven beyond a doubt to anyone with an open mind.