Pope Francis, The Joy of Love, and the pastoring of souls

*UPDATE: Cardinal Schönborn Gives Clarification on Communion (hopefully, this will put all the anti-Francis nastiness to rest.)

I am not going to lie. I am exhausted. I have been discussing the Pope's latest exhortation on my Facebook page for two days now, in several different posts and threads, and it's taken its toll. But, I have to blog it, and I hope to be coherent.

Pope Francis' post-synodal exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (AL), “The Joy of Love” is a 255-page, nine chapter document about Love and the Family. It's deep, thorough, beautiful, and wonderfully practical. It clearly and unequivocally restates Church teaching that abortion, contraception, and gay "marriage" are objectively, intrinsically immoral. It stresses the right of a child to have a mother and a father, the right of parents to educate their children, and the rights of conscience for health care workers and others.

I've heard almost no one talk about those facts or what else is in the document (and there is so much!). I've only heard people talk about what is not actually in the document, but what they believe is implied in a footnote, and they are upset.

Keep in mind: AL is not a doctrinal document, it is a pastoral one meant to accompany us messy, wounded souls on our journey to the heart of the Trinity. The exhortation is not magisterial in nature and does not intend to change magisterial teaching.

However, the ferocity and malice from some of the "faithful" is appalling. Listen well, please: I am not appalled by those who simply feel confused about some of the language used in the document -- specifically, that one footnote in this vast work, which the pope could not even immediately recall when asked about it on the plane ride on April 16. But on that plane ride, he did express great frustration with the fact that the media was focused on something they considered most important (the question of Holy Communion for the divorced and remarried), not what he considered most important:

"When I convoked the first synod, the great concern of the majority of the media was communion for the divorced and remarried, and, since I am not a saint, this bothered me, and then made me sad. Because...do you not realize that that is not the important problem? Don’t you realize that instead the family throughout the world is in crisis? Don’t we realize that the falling birth rate in Europe is enough to make one cry? And the family is the basis of society. Do you not realize that the youth don’t want to marry? ... Don’t you realize that the lack of work or the little work (available) means that a mother has to get two jobs and the children grow up alone? These are the big problems."

I share the Holy Father's frustration! It is troubling to me that the firestorm of discussion on social media is about something that, frankly, isn't even there. It troubles me that vast numbers of critics have not even read the document.

If nothing else, I urge all those concerned about the exhortation to read the "controversial" chapter, which is Chapter 8. I read it, and I found it true, and good, and beautiful. I kept shaking my head as I read it, wondering on what basis folks were upset? I kept thinking, "But there is nothing new here! I have know all of this for 21 years, since my reversion. It's nothing new!"

I am guessing that this type of passage, below, is what bothers some people, but can someone explain why? These are the same principles the Church has always used when discerning and pastoring individual souls and culpability:


301. For an adequate understanding of the possibility and need of special discernment in certain “irregular” situations, one thing must always be taken into account, lest anyone think that the demands of the Gospel are in any way being compromised. The Church possesses a solid body of reflection concerning mitigating factors and situations. Hence it is can no longer simply be said that all those in any “irregular” situation are living in a state of mortal sin and are deprived of sanctifying grace. More is involved here than mere ignorance of the rule. A subject may know full well the rule, yet have great difficulty in understanding “its inherent values”, or be in a concrete situation which does not allow him or her to act differently and decide otherwise without further sin. As the Synod Fathers put it, “factors may exist which limit the ability to make a decision”.

302. The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly mentions these factors: “imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors”. In another paragraph, the Catechism refers once again to circumstances which mitigate moral responsibility, and mentions at length “affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability”. For this reason, a negative judgment about an objective situation does not imply a judgment about the imputability or culpability of the person.

(I urge you to read the entire chapter so that even this perfectly sound passage is put in the context of the whole.)

The Pope exhorts pastors to walk with, to "accompany", the wounded on their journeys to Christ and sanctity. It's what we do, it's what Christ does, it's what mercy and love require. In no way (and the pope says this time and again) does this change the moral law or the teaching of the Church or the requirements of the Gospel. But it acknowledges that in countless cases, due to the messed up cultures we all live in now, and the lack of formed consciences, we find ourselves in some real fixes! Some from which we cannot easily be extricated.

I use merely one example here, and it's a common one (I taught RCIA for five years, I can tell you many more):

A pastor encounters a secular and/or Protestant woman who (civilly) married a divorced man 20 years ago. She is currently moved to become a Catholic, but her beloved husband is not. Her secular husband wants no part of an annulment proceeding for his first marriage (let's say it was a Protestant wedding and assumed sacramental), and he certainly will not agree to live without sex for the rest of his life so that his wife can become Catholic and receive Communion. There are four children in the home, and that happy, stable home will be put at risk and likely be broken apart for those innocent children if the woman suddenly cuts the man off sexually. The Catholic Church recognizes the difficult situation and does not (now or previously) advise breaking apart the family.

So, what is the woman in the scenario to do? How does a pastor advise this particular soul in her particular situation? It's extremely complex (remember, truths and principles are simple, but people and circumstances are complicated), and aside from judicial issues, there are pastoral issues involved for this infinitely valuable soul and the souls of her family. That is exactly the kind of thing, that complexity, that question of levels of culpability, that Pope Francis was addressing in Chapter 8, and there is nothing new there.

The pope is addressing pastors who are dealing with these excruciating situations where individual human beings may not be fully culpable when they find themselves in a type of no-man's land with no easy solution.

We can work to gather people in, or we can push them away.

The hand-wringing, the complaints, the anger, the vitriol, the despairing by otherwise "faithful" Catholics is hard to watch. There is true hatred for this pope, and it's sad and ugly! (And I'm saying this as someone who admittedly prefers the "style" and doctrinal clarity of a Benedict or a St. John Paul II.)

I used to get annoyed when people would focus on the sins of the "older brother" in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, (because I so sympathized with that older brother) but now I see why he is the most miserable of the characters in the story. When we have everything, when all that the Father has is ours, why are we (as I was) so afraid at the idea that someone else might "get away with something"? I also think about the Parable of the Laborers, and those who came late and got the same wage as those of us who worked all day. Have we been treated unjustly? No, we haven't! Our wage is just! Are we envious because God is generous and extends mercy to those who haven't been laboring as long as we have -- or can't just "get it right"?

I reiterate: I am not speaking to those who simply wish to have clarification about the document and those who are sincerely confused. But there is something unholy about the whole-sale ignoring of a 255-page document by the Vicar of Christ on the crisis of marriage and family, when it's a message this world so desperately needs to hear.





Related article:  Amoris Laetitia and the Progressive Pope Myth

You think that'll cow us, Mr. Dawkins?

Tonight, as I waited in line for Confession, I sat mere feet from the Lord of the Universe. The One Who not only made little ole me, but made the galaxies as well. Tis true, every word of it, as surely as I live and breathe. 


It still blows my mind.


The Alpha and Omega humbled Himself to be a man, first appearing as a vulnerable baby in the womb, then offering Himself as a lamb to the slaughter on the Cross. And now, every day, in every Catholic Church in every land, He humbles Himself again, becoming vulnerable and offering Himself to each one of us, under the appearance of bread and wine. And we can go to Him and sit at His feet in adoration, or we can take Him into our bodies, consummating a one flesh union in which we not so much consume Him, but in which He consumes us.


The Eucharist -- Christ truly, substantially present among us -- is the very "source and summit of the Christian life". 

Really ponder that: 

The Eucharist is the source of the Christian life. 
The Eucharist is the summit of the Christian life. 

The Eucharist is everything to us. The Eucharist is Christ. 

"I am the Bread of Life"

So I had to laugh at the folly of Richard Dawkins, atheist of note, who recently told a crowd of his fellow non-believers to "mock and ridicule" Christians, singling out our belief in the Eucharist:

“Do you really believe that when a priest blesses a wafer, it turns into the body of Christ?” he said, ridiculing Catholics. “Are you seriously telling me you believe that?  Are you seriously saying that wine turns into blood?”

Why, yes indeed, Mr. Dawkins, we really are saying that, and we really do believe that. And we always have. And we always will. And I'm pretty sure that the Roman emperors were scarier than you and your piddly little words of derision. The early Christian martyrs went to their deaths rather than deny the Eucharist -- as do modern Christian martyrs, come to think of it -- and you think we can be cowed by your silly adolescent outbursts?

Clearly, you don't know anything about faithful Catholics.
Clearly, you don't know your history.
(And clearly, you've never seen The Mission!)

Bring it!

Government mandates that we commit mortal sin, public calls by atheist rock stars to ridicule and mock us…. Man, I am giddy to be a Catholic this Lent! Aren't you?

"I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!" -- Jesus Christ (Luke 12:49)

"If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire!" -- St. Catherine of Siena

PS: Say a prayer for Mr. Dawkins and his followers the next time you approach the Eucharist. There but for the grace of God go all of us.

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What I Never Learned, Part VI: Jesus, the Mass, and the Eucharist

Years ago, I sent out some "catechesis emails" to interested friends and family. They, like me, never really learned much in Catholic religious education and CCD classes (I was catechized in the 1970s and '80s). What I wrote was pretty basic stuff, and I thought some of the Bubble readers might like the overview. 

Part I: The Fall

Part II: After the Fall

Part III: The Trinity

Part IV: Why it had to be Jesus, and Why He Had to Die
Part V: Jesus as the "Lamb of God"

Last time, we talked about Jesus as the sacrificial lamb (“Behold, the Lamb of God!” said John the Baptist about Jesus, pointing ahead to Jesus' sacrificial death).

We discussed how the Old Testament stories always point to the future, to fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Remember that when something in the Old Testament foreshadows, or points to, something in the New Testament, we call that a "prefigurement" or a "type". Typology (studying the prefigurements in the Bible) is the most exciting way to look at Scripture.
  
So let's go back to a famous Old Testament event, the Passover in Egypt, and discover how it prefigured both Christ’s sacrifice and the Eucharist.

Approximately 1,500 years before Christ, Moses was set to liberate the Hebrew people and lead them out of Egypt, where they had been oppressed and enslaved by Pharaoh. (If you are unfamiliar with the story, then you haven't watched Academy Award winner The Ten Commandments lately! Rent it!) Moses instructed each Hebrew family to select a young male goat or lamb without blemish. They were to sacrifice the animal and then smear its blood on the doorposts and lintel of the house in which they were eating. They had to eat the flesh of the sacrificed lamb or goat that night, along with unleavened bread (there would be no time for leavening). The Hebrews were given other instructions as well, but for our purposes, we will focus on the lamb’s blood, the eating of the lamb’s flesh and the unleavened bread (are you thinking Eucharist yet??).

God sent an angel of death over all the households of Egypt that night to punish the oppressors (the Egyptians), while those whose houses were marked with the blood of the sacrificed lamb would be saved. God said: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you.” (Exodus 12:13)

Now you know why it’s called Passover!

In a nutshell:

The Hebrew people were saved by the blood of the lamb, just as Christians are saved by the Blood of the Lamb.

The Hebrew people were required to eat the flesh of the sacrificed lamb, just as Christians must eat the Flesh of the Sacrificed Lamb.

Read the Gospel of John chapter 6 to hear Jesus’ own words on the subject, which are unambiguous and oft-repeated. (For those tempted to regard Jesus' words as mere symbol, recall that every New Testament fulfillment is always bigger, better and more miraculous by far than the Old Testament prefigurement that pointed to it.)

After that original Passover in Egypt, the Hebrew people were commanded to celebrate it annually, as a memorial. To this day, Jews celebrate a Passover (or seder) meal every year.

You may note that the Catholic Mass looks a lot like a Passover meal, and that's because it is the fulfillment of the Passover meal. It is no coincidence that Jesus instituted the Eucharist during a Passover meal on the night before He died. As the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper tell us, Jesus made some substitutions and revisions at that Holy Thursday Passover: From that night on, He Himself would be the sacrificed Lamb to be eaten under the appearance of unleavened bread, and it would be His Precious Blood that would liberate God’s people (not from the bondage of slavery, but from the much more terrible bondage of sin). The flesh to be consumed and the blood to save us would from now on be Jesus' own, offered for the life of the world.

"Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us."

Christ did not come to abolish the Old Testament, He came to fulfill it. You can see why it’s so important that we Catholics understand the Jewish roots of our Faith. From there, everything starts to come alive for us, and we begin to see the beauty of the whole tapestry of Truth, and how it all fits together.

There are many more Old Testament prefigurements of Christ, His Passion and His Crucifixion, and there are many more Old Testament prefigurements of the Mass and the Eucharist. I hope this whets your appetite for more.

See you next time for Part VII: Authority!



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Answer to Doctrinal Quiz Show: Marriage and the Eucharist!

Welcome back to Doctrinal Quiz Show, Marriage and Eucharist edition!

Let's recap the question:

In what ways are the Eucharist and Marriage related?


Okay, the answers you guys gave were incredible!! Very, very difficult to pick a winner from such in-depth, beautiful and creative responses (which is what I'd hoped for!). I truly want to be a liberal for a moment and give everyone a Bubble Award! Well, not Mary or Kaitlin, it's true, ha ha.

There were five or six contestants who were contenders for the big prize, but in the end I had to steel myself and pick only one. I picked the one who a) wrote things the most simply for my little mind, b) numbered them clearly for the sake of good parallels and visuals (remember that for next time, contestants!), and c) included the major points that I was looking for. I will announce her name at the end, but I will now use hers as the official answer (with ever-so-mild editing; so sue me, it's my blog):


The Eucharist and Marriage are related in the following ways:


1) Both are Sacraments

2) Both unite -- Eucharist unites man and God as well as the members of the Body of Christ within itself, and marriage unites man and woman.

3) Both are a "one flesh" union -- In the Eucharist Christ gives us His Flesh to consume (consummation), and in marriage man and woman become "one flesh" through the marital act (consummation).

4) Both involve a wedding of sorts. The Eucharist is the marriage feast as the Bridegroom gives Himself completely to His Bride (the Church) and she receives Him wholly. The same is true within a marriage -- the bridegroom gives himself wholly to his bride who receives him wholly.

5) Both are life-giving. The marital act gives life to the marriage and, God willing, children. The Eucharist gives Life to the Church. Both "impregnate" their bride.

6) Both are a renewal of commitment. The Eucharist obeys the command to "do this in remembrance of me" and renews the new and everlasting Covenant. The marriage act renews the wedding covenant.

7) Both involve a FREE, TOTAL, FAITHFUL, FRUITFUL LOVE. They hold nothing back. They give and receive completely.

8) Both nourish and sustain us!


Isn't that stunning? I absolutely love the marital imagery of Christ the Bridegroom and His Bride the Church (us) coming together in a communion uniting hearts and souls and flesh, just as in Holy Marriage. In fact, the entirety of salvation history is a story of God wanting to "marry" us. We will achieve total union with Him at the consummation of the world, as we in our wedding garments take our places at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb Who is our eternal Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

It is no coincidence that our children's First Holy Communion clothing resembles wedding attire:

Markow Kent Photography

Okay now that you've soaked in all that Catholic beauty, let's move along to the always thrilling, usually (but not always intentionally) unfair BUBBLE AWARDS!!!


The Of Course You Can Answer and You Can Award Yourself As Many Rosaries as You Can Make Yourself Award goes to… Becky!

The Your Answer Was Great But You Won't Even Know If You Win or Lose Because I Think You Just Had a Baby Award goes to… Bethany!  

The Honesty in Cheating/Beauty of Redemption Award goes to… Manda! (That's the kind of moral turnaround we like to see around here.)

The Profiles in Courage and Making a Lot of Catholic Blog Ladies Happy Award goes to... Miss Gwen, for attending daily Mass as an atheist and finding it a pleasant experience! (And hey, the Eucharist was there, so there is a connection to this post!) 

The Sew You Don't Get Any Awards Anymore Because You Never Even Make a Token Appearance Award goes to… Sew!

And in keeping with the theme of the DQS, the Always the Bridesmaids Never the Brides Runner-Up Awards go to… all those of you who gave an amazing, meaty answer that might well have won the Grand Prize but didn't. Y'all know who you are. You guys are awesome and your answers were fantastic.


But of course, that leaves us with the Bubble Grand Prize Winner whom everyone already knows since you've all read the answers. And, no, Carter Douglas Lowman did not influence my decision, but great minds think alike as the winner is….

LAUREN from Magnify the Lord With Me!!!

Oh, the sheer joy and bragging rights of it! Enjoy this gorgeous icon (suitable for framing) and please email me to learn more about how to choose and claim your lovely Grand Prize rosary, handmade for you by Becky!

See you all next time when we come together again to play….

Doctrinal Quiz Show!!!

[clap, clap, clap and fade….]

.

Doctrinal Quiz Show! Marriage and the Eucharist!

Can you believe it?? It's time, finally, for another:

And with all the blechy, icky yuckiness that has gone on in the past couple of days in our neck o' the blogosphere, I think it's time for a little palate cleanser. And there is nothing that cleanses the palate of the heart, mind, soul and body than the Holy Eucharist.

And to make it a little more complicated than a catechism Q&A, I am going to throw in the topic which is causing such a ruckus in these morally troubled times: Marriage. Everyone wants it but no one can define it. And although no one can define it, everyone wants to redefine it. Weird.

In the meantime, Holy Marriage and the Holy Eucharist remain ever the same. Including, interestingly, their theological connectedness. And so here comes the question, which begs for beautiful and creative answers:

In what ways are the Eucharist and Marriage related?

The beauty of this DQS is that the best answer will be presented as the official answer… meaning I won't have to do a lick of research, ha ha! (Well, I do have the most difficult part of all, which is the crafting and presenting of the world's least most coveted bloggy awards: The Bubble Awards!)

And for the Grand Prize Winner (who will have won fairly and squarely, without cheating, googling or cutting and pasting from somewhere else), you will receive your choice of a stunning rosary or chaplet from our very own Becky! Check out some of your choices:

(Note the unborn child beads in this pro-life rosary)

To see the full selection of her gorgeous offerings, go here.


Okay, let's hear some amazing comparisons, connections and similarities between the incredible, grace-filled, life-altering sacraments of the Eucharist and Marriage!

GO!!!

Guess who's in your neighborhood?

As I drive around town shuttling kids to and fro, I pass by one or more Catholic churches. On my good days, I remember Who is inside, and I make a quick head bow and the Sign of the Cross as I pass. Sometimes I think of all the cars whizzing by these churches, with occupants going about their business who have no idea that the Creator of the universe -- the one Who thought them into existence -- is only a few yards away. Most wouldn't believe me if I told them. 

Yet, the Church's best kept secret is no secret at all. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity, The Word Incarnate Jesus Christ, Who existed before the Creation of the world, through Whom all things were made, our Redeemer and Savior, dwells in the tabernacles of every Catholic Church in the world.

And you can go visit Him. Even if you're not Catholic.

This personal encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist is no academic exercise, no theological theory, no mere symbol. Protestants worry that Catholics worship Mary, but their worry is misplaced. We don't worship Mary, but we do worship that "piece of bread" in the monstrance as God. Now that is something to worry about, if the wafer is just a wafer. Talk about idolatry! 

But of course, that "piece of bread", once consecrated, is no longer bread at all, but is the whole, living, resurrected Christ: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. I know! It's crazy! Nothing could be more absurd. Well, except maybe an infinite, omniscient, omnipotent God who chose to become a man in the first place.

For those who seek God, for those who crave God, or for those who do not believe in God but secretly want to, go to the Lord hidden under the appearance of bread. Find a Catholic parish nearby that has regular hours of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. That is when the consecrated Host (Jesus in the Eucharist) is exposed in a monstrance and placed on the altar or in a special adoration chapel, for all souls to come and adore Him in silence and prayer.

Some people visit Jesus daily, some weekly, some whenever they need the grace and peace that comes from even a few moments in the presence of the Lord. Going to adoration changes you. 

"Be still, and know that I am God."

The next time you drive by a Catholic church, think of Who is inside, think of the healing, comfort, peace and love He offers, and consider stopping in to see our God Who is right in the neighborhood, and Who is waiting for you:

"I am the Bread of Life"

Answers to Doctrinal Quiz Show: Amazing Grace! Plus, Bubble Awards!

*This just in: Hannah Rose was born this morning to Kaitlin at More Like Mary, More Like Me! Praise God and congratulations!!




Welcome back, Bubble contestants! You've all been waiting patiently, probably sitting by the computer all weekend, so let's get to our answers.


The question was:


Name and describe the different types of grace.


And the answer....


The two kinds of grace are sanctifying grace and actual grace.


Sanctifying grace is the very life of God (let that sink in!). It is interior grace, which dwells in the soul and transforms it, making it holy. The ordinary way we receive sanctifying grace is through the sacraments.


Actual grace is supernatural help from God (like nudges). It is external grace, working on us from the outside only; it does nothing to change the state of our soul. Everyone receives actual grace, and it comes to us when we need it. We have the free will to cooperate with it or ignore it.


Let's go into a little detail about each.*

Sanctifying Grace

I'll start with an analogy that was very helpful to me: We all know that our human nature is not equipped to live in the ocean. We will die there unless we have something outside of (or above) our nature to sustain us. Scuba gear is the apparatus that allows us to transcend our human nature and live underwater. Similarly, our human nature is not equipped to live in Heaven. Sanctifying grace is the "apparatus" that allows us to transcend our human nature and live in Heaven. We need sanctifying grace, for in our merely human state, we are simply not equipped to live in the presence of God.


When God created our first parents, Adam and Eve, He immediately infused them with the extraordinary gift of sanctifying grace (i.e., a sharing of His divine life). This undeserved gift elevated them above their own human nature and allowed them to live in the direct presence of God. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve threw away this supernatural gift when they "fell from [sanctifying] grace" by choosing to sin. Without sanctifying grace, they were now separated from God, and Heaven was closed to them.


Since the Fall, humans are no longer given the gift of sanctifying grace at their creation. However, thanks to Jesus Christ and His atoning death, we are able to receive the gift of sanctifying grace through the sacraments of His Church. At our baptism, our souls are infused with sanctifying grace (God's very life!), and we become fit for Heaven. Assuming we continue to live in God's friendship and not commit mortal sin, this grace can continue to grow in our souls throughout our lives (through our prayers, acts of mercy and love, penance, etc.), making us increasingly holy. We hope to die in a state of grace.

Actual Grace

Actual grace is like little nudges from God. These nudges can take many different forms and come to us from many different places (and people). Actual grace could come in the form of your mother reminding you not to miss Mass on Sunday, or a friend telling you that you should get to confession. It could be a catastrophic event which leaves you on your knees before God, when before you wouldn't have gone near Him. It could be the promptings of your own conscience when confronted with your sins. It might be a class you took or a book you read which compelled you in the direction of justice or righteousness or humility. It could be the unexpected presence of a holy person or the feeling of awe you get when you look at a coastal sunset. It could be just about anything which moves you closer to the Lord.


Actual grace can be acted on or it can be ignored; but just like a train, there will always be another "nudge" coming around soon. God never abandons anyone, and every human being on the planet receives as much actual grace as is necessary to prompt one to seek out salvation. Unlike sanctifying grace, actual grace does not touch the interior of a person, but only works from the outside. Actual grace does not change the state of a person's soul, but is merely the agent that pushes a soul to seek out and receive sanctifying grace.


Now to the bonus question:

What is "the source and summit" of the Christian Faith?


I was thrilled that so many of you knew the answer! The Eucharist is "the source and summit" of the Christian Faith, because the Eucharist is truly Jesus Christ -- Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. He is the source and summit of everything, and we have Him with us! We are truly blessed!


Now let's seamlessly transition into the presentation of the Bubble Awards!!

The Just Because I Feel Sorry For Her Award goes to... Mary! Her multiple comments, heartfelt pleas, brutal honesty, clever wit ("the little girl I used to babysit"), liberal use of smiley faces, and general DQS enthusiasm struck a soft spot in my heart.

The Oh No, Wait a Second, Do They Know More Than I Do About This? Award goes to... Stacy Trasancos and her husband for throwing out big themes of grace that left me thinking I needed to do more research because they sounded really theological and scholarly, while I was going off something I read from a little tract. (Wait, I see now that you commented a second time, taking yourself out of the competition. I hereby revoke this award. Maybe I'll give it to Calah and the Ogre instead.)

The "Are You Proud of Yourselves?" Romper Room Award for Juvenile Behavior on a Doctrinal Quiz Show goes to... Beth and Cathy! For reasons which are well known to them. (That last line is from the book Mommie Dearest. Can anyone tell me, without cheating, the context of that line?)

The Making Excuses, aka Quit Yer Whining, Award goes to... JoAnna and Brenda! (And remember, blame-shifting is not a Christian virtue.)

The Just in the Nick of Time Award goes to... Sew! Because I always promised to give her an award anytime she participated. See, Sew, I am a woman of my word!

And, the GRAND PRIZE BUBBLE AWARD for getting the correct answer goes to:

NUBBY!!!!

My dear Nubby, you are not only the winner of the incredible DVD documentary, Watch With Me, but you also get to put the coveted Bubble Award Icon on your mantle at home (or start a blog and put it there)! Hooray!!!

Please send your mailing address to littlecatholicbubble@gmail.com, and I will get your DVD sent out to you right away!

(Anyone wanting to purchase a copy can go to this link. Thank you, All You Who Hope!)

Now, if for any reason Nubby is unable to fulfill her duties as the Bubble Award Grand Prize Winner, the First Runner Up will assume her title, prizes, and glory. The First Runner Up is...

GOD ALONE SUFFICES!!!!!

(Dear GAS, this is the first time I've decided to designate a runner-up! Congratulations! You got the right answer, but Nubby beat you by about 20 hours.)

Okay, folks, that's all for this episode of Doctrinal Quiz Show!! Tune in next time when I ask you to list all 265 popes by memory! Start studying, y'all!

{applause, applause, applause, and fade....}


*When I taught myself the Catholic Faith in the mid-90s (before I had internet), I bought this great set of little tracts from Catholic Answers. They were chock-full of practical, easy-to-understand information, and much of what you are reading here is from those tracts. You can find all of that today on their website.

Books in the Bubble -- Jesus-Shock!

I am not sure who has enough time to read books these days, including me, but I crave it. I've got shelves full of great books, most of which I will never actually read this side of Heaven.


That bums me out, because I want to read them all!


Still, I have occasionally found time to read those rare books which grab my attention quickly and leave a lasting impression.


Because you might also have limited time and patience, Books in the Bubble is born! This latest Bubble feature will offer "don't waste my time" book recommendations. 


Soooooo, have you been shocked -- I mean really shocked -- by Jesus lately?! 

I have. I just read, Jesus-Shock, by Peter Kreeft. The title got my attention, and that's basically the whole point of the book -- to get our attention!



If you are not utterly shocked by your encounters with Jesus Christ -- in Scripture, in Sacrament, in everything -- then your faith and existence need a jump start. In the comfort and affluence of America especially, we Christians have become complacent (I know I have). This book will shake you up and re-introduce you to the God-Man who walked the earth 2000 years ago, truly present, and who still dwells in our Tabernacles today, truly present.


The book starts with a quiz (which I failed), and then goes on to tell you why and how Jesus Christ has shocked, stunned, amazed, frightened and/or horrified everyone He's ever come in contact with. Not exactly the "nice," bland, milquetoast "community organizer" Jesus we see thrown at us by the secular culture and even within our own churches. 


If you aren't shaken to your core by the glory and power of Jesus, then you haven't been paying attention. You haven't met the Jesus of the Gospels, the same One who comes to you in the Eucharist. Kreeft goes through a host of Bible passages, quoting the jarring reactions that come from those who encounter Jesus. Having it laid out like that really opened my eyes. I am so "used to" Jesus that I hadn't noticed that no one "got used to" Jesus in Scripture!


Kreeft spends the second half of this small book discussing the "Jesus-shock" we Catholics should be experiencing when we encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, both in Holy Communion and Adoration. Kreeft, a convert from Calvinism, makes some of the best, most succinct apologetics arguments for Catholicism that I have ever read (and believe me, I have read a lot of apologetics over the past 15 years!).


My only complaint? There are several typos in the book (which, as a former editor, bugs me!!), and the physical book itself looks like it was hurriedly put together. However, the work itself was not hurried, as it took the author ten years to complete (he wrote fifteen other books while still working on Jesus-Shock). Kreeft has written almost 60 books (many of you are familiar with his work), but he says that if he could only write one book, Jesus-Shock would be it. I can understand why.


*Update: I should note that the "shock" is not about getting us to have an "emotional high" about Jesus. It's definitely not about subjective "feelings".




Recommended for: Those who have grown complacent in their relationship with Christ, and who need to go back to the foundation of everything, which is the Person of Jesus.