Christianity

Independence Day Reflection: Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness

Life Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness by F. K. Bartels –
Man’s natural desire for happiness is of “divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it” (CCC 1718). …

In June of 1776 Thomas Jefferson, seated in the second-floor parlor of a bricklayer’s house in Philadelphia, brilliantly composed the first drafts of the Declaration of Independence. After some revision, the bulk of the document was approved by Congress on 4 July, 1776. While the Declaration would soon become one of the world’s most significant documents, its second sentence is perhaps most famous:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” [Read more…]

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What is the Meaning of Life?

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)

by Hieromonk Job Gumerov –
Man has given thought to the meaning and purpose of life since antiquity. The Greeks had the myth of Sisyphus, king of Ephyra (Corinth). As punishment for his deceitfulness, in the underworld he had to roll an enormous rock up a mountain for eternity. But as soon as he reached the peak, an invisible force propelled the rock back down to the bottom – and then the same pointless labor began all over again. This is a striking illustration of the meaninglessness of life.

In the twentieth century, the writer and philosopher Albert Camus applied this image to modern man, judging the central feature of his existence to be absurdity:

“At that subtle moment when man glances backward over his life, Sisyphus returning toward his rock, in that slight pivoting he contemplates that series of unrelated actions which become his fate, created by him, combined under his memory’s eye and soon sealed by his death. Thus, convinced of the wholly human origin of all that is human, a blind man eager to see who knows that the night has no end, he is still on the go. The rock is still rolling.” [Read more…]

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Homosexuality, Marriage, Family, and the Truth: What Would Love Really Do?

What Would Love Really Do - Christ God by Jennifer Hartline –
Just how the heck am I supposed to love someone who demands something I cannot give? How do you love the person who requires you to celebrate their sin or be punished? How do you love the neighbor you must engage in the battle for our culture? How do you love the person whose lifestyle you must actively oppose for the sake of protecting what’s right? What does love have to do with all of this? Everything. Just not what you might think.

There’s such a thing as objective truth and it comes from a perfect and unchanging God. Love tells the objective truth. It does so as patiently and gently as possible, but it does so without flinching. Love does not apologize for the truth. Love will not amend the truth in order to spare someone’s feelings. … [Read more…]

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The Virtue of Faith, Good in Both Worlds

St. John Chrysostom virtue of faith by John Stonestreet –
John Chrysostom, the archbishop of Constantinople in the fourth century, was an eloquent and fierce critic of the opulent life of the court. Unable to be muzzled, this dynamic advocate for social justice was finally brought before Emperor Arcadius, who demanded that he stop his bold preaching.

The exchange between these representatives of worldly and heavenly power is classic, recalling the dialogue between Pontius Pilate and Christ, who told the Roman procurator, “You would have no authority over me if it were not given to you from above.”

In the showdown between Chrysostom and the emperor, worldly power was put in its place once again. It’s an outstanding demonstration of the power of faith, one of the seven virtues which we’ve been celebrating here on BreakPoint. We’ve already looked at the four cardinal virtues—prudence, temperance, courage, and justice—critical for the people of God to possess at this key moment of history. [Read more…]

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Daddy’s Little Girl – Happy Father’s Day 2012

Father and daughter hold hands by Grace Harley –
Fathers, what are you planting in the hearts and minds of your own little daughter? You have a most sacred calling and we honor your dedication to the task.

This week is the two-year anniversary of the passing from this world of my adored father. The pain is still so excruciating that at times I cannot speak or move. If I had to tell you about my father in one word, it would be “majestic”. It is a word seldom used and mostly reserved for the sacred and the royal. Thus, it is the exact word fit for the man that I call “Daddy”.

My bereavement is a pain that I wish every child to one day know for it indicates the depth of great love known, great character witnessed, and great teaching imparted. This is the grief and the glory known by all females who are called “Daddy’s Little Girl.” Fathers everywhere take heed of what you say, what you do, who you are, and whose you are. Your own little daughter is watching and learning. This is not a conscious or deliberate effort on our part; it is instilled in our hearts by Creator God. Fathers, you are the “picture of God” to that little one who calls you Daddy. Will she learn from watching you just what God looks like? Is your face to her tender heart actually the very face of God? [Read more…]

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Defending Marriage and Family is Defending the Common Good

Defend Marriage Orthodox wedding by Deacon Keith Fournier –
True marriage is the preeminent and the most fundamental of all human social institutions. It is a relationship defined by nature itself and protected by the natural law that binds all men and women. It finds its foundation in the order of creation. Civil institutions do not create marriage nor can they create a “right” to marry for those who are incapable of marriage. …

It seems that almost weekly there is another assault on true marriage. The unrelenting efforts of an activist wing of the homosexual community have nearly succeeded in reframing the issues of the debate. They aim to enforce a Cultural Revolution. They have been joined by eager collaborators in the Judiciary and elected officials who believe they are some kind of new “liberators”. [Read more…]

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The Church’s Worst Enemies

Worst Enemies of the Church by James V. Schall, S.J. –
When asked why he entered the Church, Chesterton, in a famous passage, replied: “To get rid of my sins.” The New Testament also makes it clear that this riddance of sins is the central purpose of redemption. Christ did not come so much to define what sins were – we have to be pretty obtuse not to have an inkling of what they are – but to forgive them.

He claimed this power, which was indeed a divine power. That claim scandalized the Jewish leaders who heard Him. But He was firm in His purpose. He proceeded to give His apostles in the Church power to continue this central purpose, but only in His name.

Christ’s coming, then, is a relief that we finally have some authentic way to get rid of our sins. The presumption is that we want to do so because we know the burden they impose on each of us. The “thou shalt not’s” of the commandments are pretty basic. [Read more…]

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Uncertain Times and Prayer

St Issac of Syria by Fr. Johannes Jacobse –
We live in very uncertain times. I don’t think I have ever seen such a widespread uncertainty in my lifetime. My parents saw it since they lived through WWII and the wrenching hardship that placed on them, but many of us only knew the prosperity of the post-war boom that lasted through most of our lifetime.

Some of this trouble is of our own making. We have left off God to a degree, thinking that the security and certainty we had was a kind of birthright instead of recognizing that progress and liberty is hard-won, and must be nurtured and preserved from generation to generation. We tend to forget that “every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Lights…” as we say at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy (a verse taken from James 1:17).

When we forget God, morality breaks down, and when morality breaks down then the society we build for ourselves begins to fray and may even unravel. [Read more…]

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A New Generation of Apologists Needed to Defend the Faith

Christian Martyrs Defend Faithby Deacon Keith Fournier –
On the Memorial Feast of Justin, Martyr, we need to implore the Lord to raise up new apologists, defenders of the faith, who are unafraid to contend in the marketplace of ideas for the heart and soul of the people of our age. We live in a new missionary age. The Third Millennium of the Christian Church calls us, in the midst of a Western Culture which resembles a new Rome, to defend the faith like Justin did. May the Holy Spirit inspire men and women who, like Justin and his companions, possess the heroic courage this mission will require. …

On June 1 in the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar we commemorate the Memorial of a great defender of the Christian faith, Justin, Martyr. He was born of pagan parents in Samaria at the beginning of the second century. Like many young men, he spent his early years searching for the meaning of life. [Read more…]

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The Bishops are Being Played Like Cheap Fiddles

Bishops Not Defending Sheep by Ann Barnhardt –
I do not understand how it is that this isn’t glaringly, beat-you-over-the-head obvious, but whatever. I’ll explain it. Listen up. Especially if you have a hat shaped like the blade of a posthole digger in your wardrobe, and people actually call you “Excellency.”

Withdrawing health insurance (like Franciscan University at Steubenville, Ohio), shutting down schools, closing adoption agencies, soup kitchens or anything else in “protest” of ObamaCare and the HHS “mandates” is EXACTLY, PRECISELY, TOTALLY and COMPLETELY what the Obama regime wants.

Further, the reason why the “press” has been given the order to keep all of this quiet and to not report in any way on the lawsuits filed by the dozens of various Catholic organizations this week against the Obama regime – the largest religious legal action ever taken against the U.S. government by a long shot – is obvious.

The Obama regime is sitting back and watching all of you cowardly fools fold your own tents. [Read more…]

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