| Posted: 24 Nov 2013 04:18 AM PST |
| *BEST OF DTB #122* The Catholic Defender: We Want A King Posted: 23 Nov 2013 10:30 AM PST (Editors note) The last calender Sunday of the Liturgical year is the Feast of Christ the King. Pope John XXIII instituted this Feast to remind modern man that no matter how technical and sophisticated man becomes, Christ is still the King. “In his old age Samuel appointed his sons judges over Israel. His first-born was named Joel, his second son, Abijah; they judged at Beersheba. His sons did not follow his example but sought illicit gain and accepted bribes, perverting justice. Therefore all the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, ‘Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us” (1 Samuel 8:1-5). This is a most important scripture because the people of God were asking for a man to be placed in a position to judge the people. Up to this point, God was their King, he lead the nation using Judges such as Samuel.  Previously, at Mount Sinai, the people gathered to hear the word of the Lord given to Moses, “On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking and God answering him with thunder. When the Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai, he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up to him. Then the Lord told Moses, ‘Go down and warn the people not to break through toward the Lord in order to see him; otherwise many of them will be struck down. The priests, too, who approach the Lord must sanctify themselves; else he will vent his anger upon them”.  Moses received the 10 Commandments from the hand of God, the bible says, “When the people witnessed the thunder and lightening, the trumpet blast and the mountain smoking, they all feared and trembled. So they took up a position much farther away and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, or we shall die’. Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid, for God has come to you only to test you and put his fear upon you, lest you should sin. Still the people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the cloud where God was” (Exodus 20:18-21). Up to this time, the Lord had been speaking to Moses, but the people were able to know that the Lord was with them, leading them, a cloud by day and fire by night. Samuel marks the end of the time of the Prophets and begins the time of the Kings. Saul would be the first King of Israel, but because of his disobedience, his throne was given over to another, King David. This is highly important because God promised David that his linage would last forever. At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel told Mary “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom there will be no end”. Jesus literally is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He is the Priest, Prophet, and King. What the people could not accept at Mount Sinai, Jesus fulfills, what the people couldn’t accept at Ramah, Jesus again fulfills. Today, we have largely lost the concept of a King because of our democracy. Our society wants to make the Church a democracy. That will not happen as the Catholic Church is the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus is the head of the Church, however, until He returns, Jesus placed St. Peter in charge, the keys of the Kingdom belong to the Pope. One of the constant struggles of the Church is to spread the word of the Lord to all the nations. The past 2,000 years, there have been much progress, yet, we have much to go in accomplishing our mission. The Roman Empire was brutal for centuries against the Church. This past Christmas, my wife got me a movie entitled, “The Eagle” staring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell. I really liked this movie and I came away with a unique perspective as it is centered in about 120 A.D. Britanica (England). Rome had been developing countries, building roads, conquering much of the known world. The Lord would certainly utilize this opportunity to spread His Church. There were some attributes that the Romans held that were strong bonds. Their word was their bond. In the movie “The Robe”, Richard Burton starred as a Roman Soldier who crucified Christ and the story is about the Robe and it’s affect on him. When he came to terms with who Jesus is, the Soldier offers St. Peter his sword, his possessions, his whole being. That is important and this was plainly seen in the movie “The Eagle”. The Quest to regain his Father’s honor, Marcus Aquila with the help of a slave, went into the highlands to retrieve the golden eagle lost by his father in a battle. The story builds when they find the eagle. The Church would ultimately convert the Roman Empire about 200 years later with the conversion of Constantine, who served in Britain. I have been raised to have a deep love for America and the Flag of the United States. The Church is to go to all the nations and bring the gospel to all who will accept it. Jesus uses the cultures many times to reach the nations. Jesus is King of Kings and this can convert cultures. The Blackfoot Indians on their Reservation during the season of Lent would carry crosses 7 miles doing the Stations of the Cross. The oldest to the youngest capable for the journey would carry crosses wearing ancestral clothing. The Polish have a similar tradition. Honor and integrity are important attributes to have as did the Roman, Christ restores all peoples into a friendship with God through His Church.
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| *BEST OF DTB #112* The Catholic Defender: I kneel before the King Posted: 23 Nov 2013 09:30 AM PST  “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”.
Kneeling has always been seen as an act of surrender to God, a sign of deep respect and reverance. Psalms 95:6 says, “Enter, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. For this is our God, whose people we are, God’s well-tended flock”. In the Mass, we are truly “God’s well-tended flock”. In the Mass is found the true worship of God through the liturgy. In the Old Testament, we see King Solomon kneeling before the Altar of the Lord. 1 Kings 8:54 says, “When Solomon finished offering this entire prayer before the altar of the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands outstretched towards heaven”. The Altar represents “holy ground” because this is where the great sacrifice continues before the assembly. God’s presence is made manifest before all through the invocation of the Priest.  Tradition pictures that Moses at the burning bush went to his knees.
Artists have shown this sign of surrender in many paintings, I love the scene with Charlten Heston in the movie “The Ten Commandments“! God calls out, “Moses, Moses, He answered, ‘Here I am’, God said, ‘Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob’. Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God”. Quite simply, to kneel is to bend the knee, to fall or rest on the knees. That is what I picture Moses doing as he takes his sandles off. Is there a time in your life when you recognized the power of God and simply went to your knees? Maybe an extreme situation? At Mass we kneel at the consecration of the Eucharist. We recognize God working and as his presence is made manifested at the Altar in the form of bread and wine. In the New Testament, we see kneeling as a sign of respect and great reverance. Matthew 17:14 says, “When they came to the crowd a man approached, knelt down before him (Jesus), and said, ‘Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him’. Jesus cures the boy, however, he tells the Apostles, “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”.  Jesus is teaching us about the importance of faith in Him, and as the man concerned about his son, we too should kneel before the King of kings especially when we approach him with humility.
Mark 1:40 states, “A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, ‘If you wish, you can make me clean”. Moved with pity, he (Jesus) stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean’. The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean”.
This is another scene where tradition plays a role is the story of the man born blind whom Jesus heals. There are many such stories in the New Testament where Jesus encounted the sick, the lame, and the blind. Jesus heals them all. The Church has always believed in the Divinity of Christ and because of this has always placed Jesus as the object of worship. We believe in the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever amen!  John 9:35 says the following, “When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘I do believe, Lord,’ and he worshiped him”.
Like the scene with Moses, I can see this healed blind man kneeling to Jesus with gratitude. There are a lot of such images found in the bible especially surrounding Jesus. This also reveals the kind of adoration people gave Jesus. Jesus was clearly being worshiped as in the this scene. In the early Church, kneeling signified penance. So thoroghly was kneeling identified with penance that the early Christians were forbidden to kneel on Sundays and during the Easter season, when the prevailing spirit of the Liturgy was one of joy and thanksgiving. In the Middle Ages kneeling came to signify homage, and more recently this posture has come to signify adoration, especially before the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  It is for this reason that the bishops of the United States have chosen the posture of kneeling for the entire Eucharistic Prayer.
Kneeling is also a sign of respect as seen when a Knight is being elevated or even if a heavenly manisfestation such as the Blessed Virgin Mary or an angel appears. Our worship is to God alone, therefore, we do not kneel before images or apparitions, but we recognize God at work through them. There is a distinction of worhip given to God alone, and the respect given the heavenly realm. Often times you will see an image of children kneeling before the Blessed Virgin Mary. Kneeling is seen here as paying honor and respect with attention to the message that comes from Heaven. Any true heavenly manisfestation would not allow you to worship such an event unless it was Jesus personally speaking such as the case with St. Faustina when Jesus appeared to her giving us the message of the Divine Mercy.
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| The Catholic Defender: Band of Survivors Posted: 22 Nov 2013 08:30 PM PST “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When it’s branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”. It seems that mankind does not learn from the past. Jesus words were fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem on the 9th of AV, 70 A.D. Yet, the spiritual rebellion that cause the destruction of Jerusalem is growing today in our own time. Jesus continues to warn: “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man”. The United States is being swept away by a new age, progressive agenda that sets itself in contrast to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a result, the Catholic Church is being made war upon. It has been a process in the making from the early 1900′s with the Progressive Movement. President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free”. In 2010, while I was still deployed in Iraq, my Brigade Chaplain warned me that the Gay Activist had already approached the Military Chaplaincy. They instructed the United States Army that the Chaplains will have to modify what they preach from the pulpit. This with the consent of the present Administration. Is this not an attack on the Constitution of the United States? Is this not the beginning of an outward offensive. Obama does not fear public distrust in him, he has a willing and open media to shield him. Storm clouds are coming and Christians are going to be forced to comply or they will be punished. This is only the beginning as we have set into motion events that anything opposing this will be met with denial, with the force of the United States Government. Consider the future of the Supreme Court. The influence that Obama will have on the Court will be greater even than President Roosevelt. What lead to the taking of the bible and prayer out of public schools will continue with the legalizing Gay Marriage, Abortion, and Obama-care. The Progressives will not stop until they silence the Church. They want to put in jail those who would refer to homosexual acts as sin. They want to remove the Church from having political influence which opposes their extreme left positions. We are refereed to as the “far-right” when in fact, they themselves are far -left. The Progressives have packaged themselves as “centrist”, mainstream. America used to be considered center right as a nation, but it has had a dramatic shift. People who were once known for being strong traditional family supported Obama nearly 75%. We are not in the process of losing our soul, we have already lost it. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ if we are to turn things around. Our struggle is only beginning, this is not a time for the Church to hide under a bushel basket. It is not a time to compromise our faith and values. It is time for us to take a stand for Christ, souls are at stake. The Virgin Mary at Fatima warned against this very thing, this very threat and we have not listened. Maybe we simply thought that this was for Russia and Eastern Europe? This could not happen in America? Well, it has happened as a result of our falling away from the Faith, for compromising with evil and embracing it. There will be a Band of Survivors who will stand up for Jesus Christ and his Holy Church even though our voices will be diminished in the public eye. Yet, Our Lord and Our Lady is standing here with us. The following is very possible: as we are setting our path in motion that will be difficult to reverse:
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| He was a friend of mine Posted: 22 Nov 2013 07:37 AM PST There are few events in our nation’s history that shook the nation like what happened 50 years ago today. In the modern, live TV age, it may be that only 9-11 is on par with it. The 60′s band The Byrds recorded a song expressing a nation trying to come to grips with this awful tragedy. To this day, I would say that He was a friend of mine is one of my top 10 all-time favorite songs. So moving, so powerful, so profound in it’s simplicity and harmonic strength. This dirge of a fallen President speaks to all of us and makes us examine our hearts and minds, searching for what God could do, if not for the barbarity of man. On September 10th, 1964, not yet 10 months from that tragedy, my mother gave birth to a baby boy. My father named him John Fitzgerald Benko, in memory of our fallen President. Now, I am 49 years old and my father is gone and I have only the memories of him left. There are good memories and there are bad memories and both leave much to ponder.  For better or worse, many people invested great hope in the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. He was perhaps the last President elected before this age of perpetual hatred. John F. Kennedy certainly had his faults, this cannot be disputed. However, at his core, I believe he was a profoundly decent man (even if a weak one) who truly wanted what was best for the country. Whether or not you agree with that, we must agree on one thing- John Kennedy’s assassination was no work of one man with a grudge. It was a conspiracy. I do not know how this could plausibly be denied. The assassination of President John F Kennedy was a professional hit. I say this, fully convinced that the arguments of a so-called magic bullet have been debunked. I have seen the scientific analysis and re-creations and am convinced that the Warren Commission was right about 9 wounds being caused by that single bullet. To me, that only adds to the evidence of a conspiracy.
Here are a few reasons why:
- Though I have full confidence in the scientifically recreated shots, let’s concede one fact up front- the re-created shots were all fired by trained marksmen. That alone is proof enough to me that Lee Harvey Oswald could not have made those shots.
- The specials proved one bullet caused those wounds and it proved another hit the pavement. Fine. What it did not prove (or even address) is the third, and fatal, shot. Which clearly came from the front.
Of course, not addressing the 3rd shot, in the program does not affirm the consequent but it sure does raise eyebrows. Suggesting that the 3rd shot came from the rear just does not pass the eyeball test. At frame 313, we clearly see a shot impact the front of John Kennedy’s head and his body slammed backwards and to the left. Audio and eye witness accounts, plus the plain visual evidence, confirm that there was a second gunman. That, by definition, is a conspiracy. There are not many who would disagree. What most people disagree about is the who and the why. That is the biggest point of conjecture and controversy. Was John Kennedy killed by the KGB or the CIA. Was it the Mafia or were the Cubans behind it? Some have plausibly inferred that J. Edgar Hoover was behind the assassinations of, not only JFK, but Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, JR as well. Finally, there are those who point to Lyndon Johnson, claiming that his thirst for power caused him to want the Presidency by any means necessary. In this lifetime, I doubt we will ever know who all the persons were who carried out this diabolical act. We can know, however, the one person who was behind it: Satan. His diabolical fingerprints are all over it. For me, it is hard to argue against the fact that the assassination of John F. Kennedy hastened America down the path of socialism and secularism. John Kennedy was, after all, a man of faith and a man that believed in America as it should be. LBJ, his successor was not. In JFK’s famous inaugural speech, he challenged America to ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. He also said, those who seek to gain power, by riding the back of the tiger, will one day find himself inside. I am firmly convinced that John F Kennedy’s inaugural address stacks up against the greatest few speeches in American history. It is impossible to comprehend that this man belonged to the same party that is now run by Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. It is said that Saint Padre Pio has verified that John F Kennedy now resides in paradise, having received sacramental absolution the night before his death. When you ponder the fact that 41 of our 44 American Presidents have fallen, it is sobering to contemplate that John F Kennedy is the only President who we can be assured was saved. This is not to say that no other President isn’t possibly in heaven, some could very well be. However, let’s face squarely this fact. There is only 1 certain path to heaven. There is only one Ark to which people can flee to, safe from the powers of hell. Only one has the foundation of the Apostles, built by Jesus. Only one has the Sacraments instituted by Christ. Was John Kennedy a perfect man? Far from it. Yet, he belonged to a perfect church. That institution endowed with Divine perfection, even as it filled with sinful, imperfect men. While JFK was not a perfect Catholic, he, nonetheless was not a schismatic and openly defiant Catholic in the mold of Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi. If what Padre Pio said was true (and I believe it was), John Kennedy was still guided by the Holy Spirit, through his church. If John Kennedy was still a faithful and malleable Catholic, it is quite possible that his assassination was the extinguishing of the last real chance for America to cooperate with God in setting our house in order. This is not to say that some Presidents that followed did not attempt to show at least some godly example (Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George W Bush for example). It is simply saying that if Holy Mother church had more of an opportunity to work through this man, who knows what we could have accomplished towards feeding the hungry and making the world a better place. That may indeed be what died that day, half a century ago. Today, a host of warring factions, each as evil as the other (radical atheism/secularism, Islam, fanatical Protestantism/Zionism) has our nation in a perpetual state of paralysis and war. There doesn’t seem to be a way out. The assassination of John F Kennedy certainly isn’t the beginning or the cause of this gridlock but did it extinguish our last real hope of keeping it at bay?
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| The Catholic Defender: Great is Our God Posted: 19 Nov 2013 11:00 PM PST 
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it” (Matthew 13:16-17).
Last night as I was with Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration, I was thinking about the above scripture.
For thousands of years, the people of God earnestly awaited for the coming of the Messiah to follow him.
Finally, in time and space, the Messiah did come and he gave us great signs and wonders. What a great time to be alive in the history of mankind.
We are living in the springtime of evangelization bringing the word of God to the nations. People today who live in bondage welcome what they see of Christ in us, and listen to Jesus Word as they hear us today.  Jesus said , “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).
I am so thankful for my Catholic Faith that the Lord Jesus Christ calls me to serve him by virtue of my Baptism and Confirmation.
To serve our Lord during this time of the final countdown reaching many people who are open to God’s presence that we can see and His Word that we can hear.
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”, so that the captives can see who are blind, so that the deaf can hear his voice.
At a time when people are calling for a false rapture, the truth of God continues to march on until the Day of the Lord when He does return.
The Parousia will come but until that time, we continue to do God’s will fighting for the salvation of the lost.
The Catholic Faith was built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.  Today we are the Church. Be encouraged no matter how bad things might seem because our God is too big to fail.
St. Paul writes,”Concerning times and seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. When people are saying, ‘Peace and security,’ then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).
There is no escape except through the Catholic Faith. If we are vigilant through all our tribulations the thief will not catch us sleeping.
To be blessed today, we need to keep our eyes open and our ears listening for the voice of the Lord. Do not detour from the Lord’s straight and narrow path that lights our way.
Jesus still speaks through the “Bark Of Peter”! The Catholic Faith is the one true Faith commissioned by Christ and sent by Christ to go to the Nations. 
There are no good rabbit trails that will lead you home. When the news reports about preachers calling for a “Rapture” on this day or that hour, just remember that such false prophets will come.
Be encouraged because Jesus said that his people know his voice. It is his voice we follow by being faithful to his Church.
If you know anyone who has left the Catholic Faith, invite them back. Pray them back, stand strong for love of God and love for the Church.
Work out each day with the desire to serve Our Lord. There are many Prodigals out there to be found under just about any rock you can imagine. Work towards bringing them home to the true Rock of Christ!
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| The Catholic Defender: My Deliverer Posted: 17 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PST As we close out the “Year of Faith”, I am reminded that Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We are moving into the Season of Advent after next week. We will prepare for the coming of the Lord into human history. With his coming into the world he has become our deliverer who will save his people from bondage. Consider the bondage that many have willingly fallen down into. It is interesting to note that when a Catholic leaves the Church, they are seen as “fallen” Catholics or non-practicing Catholics. Have you ever heard the statement, “Once a Catholic always a Catholic”? It is true that a person can never erase their Baptism, they can still renounce it. Many times at Mass I will have to fight back tears for family members who have abandoned the Faith of the Apostles. I’ve given my story before and some of you have read the following before: “One particular dream had the greatest impact on me. After a major debate in the room where I took on a number of those attacking the Catholic Church, I went to bed troubled. I slept hard, but I dreamed that God’s Church, the Catholic Church, was dead. I felt such despair, and sadness I began to cry. I felt that the Church was in ruins and that Christ was sheding tears for His Body, the Church. I never felt such anguish, I cried so much that I woke up out of my sleep totally wet from crying. My pillow, the bed, and the blankets were all wet. I sat up as it took me a couple of minutes to realize it was a dream. I recalled my Confirmation that took place in Blue Springs Mo on September 23, 1968 by Bishop Sullivan. I renewed my vows and told the Lord that I will be a soldier for Him. I will not betray Him and leave the Church even when people around me do. I will do my best to remain loyal and stand for Him. A promise that I have tried to keep since 1978″.  I often run into people who have “fallen” away from their faith and wondering on their own. I recall the 21 year old lady who I met at Seton Hospital who had left the faith for radical feminism. She had accepted the liberal system of abortion and rejected the King of kings who loves those they “choose” to kill. I recall the lady I met at Wal-Mart who identified me because of my Alabama hat. She was a Kansas State fan and challenged me about the upcoming game between Alabama and Notre Dame. We talked about her apostasy from the Catholic Faith for more than an hour. There was another lady I met at HEB, a chain grocery stores well known in Texas. We talked about her “Falling” away from the Catholic Faith out in the HEB parking lot. As a Father, if one of my children were to “fall” away from the faith, how glorious it would be to know that someone around the world were able to reach them back for Christ and His Church. That is a motivating factor as Christ Himself world leave the 99 to find the 1 who has gone astray. Jesus is our deliverer who calls us and leads us away from the bondage of sin. Jesus is not simply just a system of rules and regulations, but it is an actual encounter with the Risen Lord, an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Pope Benedict XVI, in his first encyclical states, “We have come to believe in God’s love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, that gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” Like the encounter that changed the life of the women caught in adultry, Catholics receive the same powerful impact through the Sacrament of Confession, the Ministry of reconcilation. Each and every Mass is an encounter with the Risen Lord, to renew the Covenant through the power of His Name. This is why for me this can be emotional because of loved ones who no longer go to Mass, when I see children it reminds me when my children were young. Today at Mass, a Father carried his new born child, only two days old, to the altar of the Lord. That was me at one time! I took all my children to Mass from the time of their births until they left home. In the end, I can only be accountable for myself, even though I am responsible for others. Ultimately, we all will be accountable and so it is our responsibility to let your light shine before others, “that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”. This Christmas Season is a renewed opportunity to offer ourselves as a perpetual gift to the King of kings, to our Deliverer. In this journey of Faith, may we continue to march forward doing his will. My Deliverer is the Good Shephard: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name. Even though I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage. You set a table before me as my enemies watch; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflowes. Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come”. (Psalms 23)
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| * BEST OF DTB #208* The Catholic Defender: The Great Commission Posted: 11 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST 
Moses once said, “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen. This is exactly what you requested of the Lord, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘let us not again hear the voice of the Lord, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die” (Deuteronomy 18:15-16). A prophet like Moses has come, one who is much greater. St. John writes, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16). As important it is that the Father sent his only begotten Son into the world, it is important to understand that the Son so loved the world that he sent his Church into the world. The connection here cannot be missed especially through the covenant the Lord has made with his people.  Jesus said, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus instructs his Apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so for nine days they awaited until Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came upon them in tongues of fire and they spoke to the world through tongues and languages. From this point forward, the Catholic Faith went out from behind locked bolted doors and took the gospel to the nations. This event took place 1967 years ago today.  The Holy Spirit continues to hear the voice of the Lord and keep the Church in step to the Lord’s will (John 16:13, John 14:26). I was once asked by a Non-Catholic why the Holy Spirit could not move in a Protestant setting. I answered him this way, “The Lord sent the Church into the world to baptize the nations and to teach them the gospel. Even the Baptism that most Non-Catholics use comes from the Catholic Faith. These people are being baptized into the Church. However, because their understandings have deviated through rebellion, their teachings are not truth. A person can receive the Holy Spirit yet because of their bended minds, do not understand or know the voice of the Lord”. His response was, “St. Paul said, “And no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit”. He asked me what this meant, so I responded this way:  Isaiah 29:13 states, “The Lord said: ‘Since this people draws near with words only and honors me with their lips alone, though their hearts are far from me, And their reverence for me has become routine observance of the precepts of men, Therefore I will again deal with this people in surprising and wondrous fashion”. “Jesus recalls this warning, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts” (Mark 7:6-7). Through the power of the Spirit, when we say Jesus is Lord, we must bend the knee! Jesus must be Lord of our lives, not just in principle, but in fact. As a Non-Catholic, can you truly call Jesus Lord when you deny the Church he established? Can you call Jesus Lord when you reject the Church’s teaching on Artificial Birth Control? Is the Lord sovereign? It’s easy to give “lip service” but it is totally something else to put this in practice.  St. Paul says, “For the grace of God has appeared,saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. Say these things. Exhort and correct with all authority. Let no one look down on you” (Titus 2:11-15). We cannot call “Jesus is Lord” by the power of the Holy Spirit while at the same time still living these worldly desires. The anointing of saying “Jesus is Lord” comes from God. If it doesn’t come from God it is still “lip service” After about three months of discussion, my non-Catholic friend was recieved into the Catholic Faith.
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| The Catholic Defender: Fullness of Truth in Tyler Texas Posted: 10 Nov 2013 08:41 PM PST This past weekend (November 8-9, 2013) I attended the Fullness of Truth Conference held at Tyler Texas. I was joined by Paul Mathers and Jeff Hutchins representing the St. Paul Street Evangelization team from Dallas Texas. What a great weekend this was with many opportunities to meet people around the State of Texas. We distributed a lot of pamphlets filled with information about the Catholic Faith. The Fullness of Truth is an organization that has been putting on such conferences promoting the Catholic Faith. They have had great Catholic Apologists speaking at these Conferences.  Several hundred people attended this event and it was a great joy to have played a part.
Paul Mathers and Jeff Hutchins both were important players promoting St. Paul’s Street Evangelization. People as far away as Houston Texas became interested in this evangelization. The Fullness of Truth also is centered on evangelization gathering a strong Marian following called the “Circle of Mary”. Leaders of the Conference lead the Rosary, the Divine Mercy, and at the end Holy Mass. This is always very important. We had two featured guest speakers, Jesse Romero, John Martignoni and a special talk by Bishop Joseph Strickland.  Jesse Romero is a very dynamic speaker. He has a lot of energy in his talks.
His talks were entitled “Did Jesus Start the Catholic Church?” and “Christianity: Religion or Relationship?” These are great talks and I encourage everyone to ask for them at St. Joseph’s Communication out of West Covina, CA (626-331-3549). Jesse Romero will be a featured member of Deepertruth very soon and what a great blessing to add Jesse to the team. John Martignoni was the other major featured guest speaker. He spoke at the luncheon the evening before on the importance of marriage as covenant and the connection with the Eucharist.  His main talks were entitled, “Does God want Everyone to Be Catholic?” and “One Church”.
The Fullness of Truth shares a prayer for the New Evangelization: Lord Jesus Christ, You have given your Church the mission to proclaim the Gospel to all the nations. May our efforts to fulfill this mission be guided by the Holy Spirit so that we might be a leaven of new life, salt of the earth and a light of the world, worthy missionaries and faithful to you. Make us valiant witnesses to the Faith of the Church and inspire us to speak the truth with love.  May we bear into the world the hope of God, which is Christ the Lord, who rose from the dead and lives and reigns with Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Pray for us! St. Peter and St. Paul, Pray for us! St. Therese, Patroness of Missionaries, Pray for us! St Thomas Aquinas, Pray for us! Evangelism is the most important mission of the Church, which includes the family, taking care of those who are sick, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, visiting the prisoner. All this is important.  Bringing home the prodigals is a most important call.
When a sinner returns back to the truth, they will save their soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. To restore the vineyard is the goal and for every lost sheep returned there is a celebration in heaven. That is the real miracle! To restore the lost to the table of the Lord. I want to encourage anyone interested in helping out with the St. Paul’s Street Evangelization, please check in your area for a local group. At this point we are in more that 80 cities across America and it is having bearing great fruit.  You might stumble upon a group of Catholics who are handing out rosaries and pamphlets in a location near you.
Look for the sign that has the “Catholic Truth” heading on it and you should see some very excited Christians wanting to talk to you. Ephesians 2:19-20 states, “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.” When you proclaim the Word of God, you are actually prophesying for the Lord. Please understand the importance to proclaim His Word to your Family, to your Friends, and those who really need to hear it. God bless you all!
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| No good deed goes unpunished Posted: 10 Nov 2013 08:52 AM PST |
St. John the Baptist was born with a purpose, God ordained this purpose from the foundation of the world. 
St. John the Baptist was the herold before the Lord. Matthew 3:1-5 states, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' Now John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey." 
How can this be? Luke 1:13-15 states, "But the angel said to him (Zechariah), 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb". 
September 3 B.C. The planet Jupiter was in conjunction with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo-Leo the Lion. This would be the star the wise men would follow leading them to Bethlehem. They followed the star for about 16 months until the Star rested over Bethlehem for six days beginning on Dec 25, 2 B.C.
This sign of grace given to John was very important in God's plan of salvation. 
It all looked so much the same. I went back and forth across that valley five or six times trying to relocate where I originally took off from.
