The Catholic Defender: The IRS

The IRS, can we say, modern day tax collectors, have a difficult job. They are responsible for collecting and ensuring that every taxpayer pays their "just" amount. That would seem to be a very difficult task indeed with the current tax laws and the volume of participants throughout the country. It would and should be black and white, no gray areas.

From the biblical perspective, Mark 12:13-17 states, "They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to him to ensnare him in his speech. They came and said to him, 'Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone's opinion. You do not regard a person's status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Ceasar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?' Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, 'Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at." They brought one to him and he said to them, 'Whose image and inscription is this?' They replied to him, 'Caesar's.' So Jesus said to them, 'Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.' They were utterly amazed at him."


What is the purpose for taxes? It has a necessary importance.

For the President of the United States, the first and foremost is to build a strong military that defends the freedoms that our Nation and Constitution employs. When the President is not based as "Commander in Chief", the military hurts which is like lowering our hands increasing the vulnerability to enemy attack.

When our Troops are not able to train, when they can't afford the education to sent prospective leaders to military schools, the nation suffers. The cost to upkeep the strongest military in the world is nothing compared to the potential we have of great people leading and keeping our military strong from our Commanders down to the buck Sergeant taking care of his troops. They need to be supported.

Again, from the Biblical teaching, Luke 22:35-38 states, "He said to them, 'When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?' 'No, nothing,' they replied. He said to them, 'But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, 'He was counted among the wicked'; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.' Then they said, 'Lord, look, there are two swords here.' But he replied, 'It is enough!"

During my 26 plus years in the United States Army, many times I was challenged by some who questioned my being a Christian serving in the Army. People sometimes are misinformed about the nature of being a Christian and being a member of the military.

Luke 3:10-14 states, "And the crowds asked him, 'What then should we do?' He said to them in reply, 'Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.' Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, 'Teacher, what should we do?' He answered them, 'Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.' Soldiers also asked him, 'And what is it that we should do?' He told them, 'Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages."

For tax collectors (IRS) and Soldiers, both have an important purpose of service, but they are not to abuse their positions among the people for personal gain. One more point concerning the military, Luke 7:1-10 states, "When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come saying, 'He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.' And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, 'Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,; and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it.' When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, 'I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.' When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health."


From the teaching of the Catholic Church, it is clear from the Scripture that a nation has the means to defend itself from those who would wrongly attack it.

From this debate, I can add the importance of police officers who keep the peace and enforce just laws for society. I can also recognize the importance of supporting the Medical community, the Emergency Medical Professionals, the Paramedics who are first responders to those in need.


As I look at this, it is important for the Government to have a system of receiving revenue to care for these things. However, what do we do when things get out of hand?

 From the Scripture and Christian Tradition, there is a firm foundation for taxing people for the care of the nation. However, when more and more people prefer to sit in the wagon instead of getting out and help pulling it, this causes a terrible drain on the population.

In the early 1960's, there might be 1 person receiving benefits for every 50 people working. Today, it is getting close to 1 person receiving benefits for every three or four people working?

How can this continue especially when the current Administration continues to over spend annually more than a trillion dollars. We are now more than 16 trillion dollars in debt and 40% of the dollar is paying the interest back to China.

 This is a serious situation. For the first time, our credit rating as a Country went from a triple star downgraded to a two star rating. This is incredible that our Government willfully choose to not correct the situation.

The past few years, the constant infringement of our religious freedom and beliefs have been not only attacked but disregarded. How can any sensible person agree with the use of tax funded money being used for the killing of unborn children.

People are not given a voice where their tax dollars go. To support Gay Marriage, artificial birth control, the National Endowment of the Arts (who are paid tax dollars for blasphemy), how can this be? The argument goes from having taxes to using tax money (many billions of dollars) for anti-Christian issues.

The IRS as tax collectors care not about you, your beliefs, your foundations. They are for getting what they seek, more and more money. St. John the Baptist's words ring true even now, "Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, 'Teacher, what should we do?' He answered them, 'Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.'


My wife and I went and had our taxes between 2001 and 2009 filing jointly as opposed to separately. We found that we owed the Government $17,000 and that is not a good thing.

We worked tirelessly to have this paid off only to have the IRS continue to come back wanting more. By July 2010, we had paid off this debt.

 Recently, they are wanting nearly $2,000 more despite the fact that we received notification that our amount owed was "NONE"! When we produced the IRS statement that we owed nothing, they had to morph their attempt to collect by addressing the fact that my name was not on their reply. Forget the fact that we filed jointly and that they send out personal letters with the same information to each of us, it is easy to see them as cheaters and thieves. No wonder the Apostles and the people had a dim view towards tax collectors in their days.

Consider this scripture: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector." (Matthew 18:15-17)


That is an incredible statement! It is like we are being shackled and there is nothing you can do about it. Who wants the IRS on your back looking to punish you for trying to make a living.

The Fort Hood Texas tax lawyers and Copperas Cove Texas H & R Block both thought that the IRS was not knowing what their right and left hand were doing.

My wife said the exact same thing when she spoke with the IRS, she asked them, "How can my husband owe you this money when we filed jointly."

It is a very stressful, exhausting problem, when you try to communicate with them there is no way to talk to them without getting angry. I can't help thinking that if we are having this kind of problem with tax collectors today, how many others out there are struggling like we have?

It will get even worse when Obamacare gets implemented? Will the Church have to go underground during these times some might call "tribulation"?

How can a person be loyal to Christ and be patriotic to our Country as it continues to spin out of control. President Obama is claiming that America is not a Christian Country. That is becoming more and more clear as we turn from our Judeo/Christian foundations.


Are we now past the point of no return? Consider this promise of the Lord, "and if my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my presence and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

There is much to say about this and this should be the choice of Americans. However, more and more seem content to bend to the warning of the Lord: "But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and commands which I placed before you, if you proceed to venerate and worship strange gods, then I will uproot the people from the land I gave them: I will cast from my sight this house which I have consecrated to my honor, and I will make a proverb and a byword among all peoples. This Temple which is so exalted--everyone passing by it will be amazed and ask: 'Why has the Lord done this to this land and to this house?' And men will answer: They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they adopted strange gods and worshiped them and served them. That is why he has brought down upon them this evil" (2 Chronicles 7:19-22).

Christians are greatly responsible for the problems facing America because of our inaction, yes, even compromise. How many Christians have participated in abortion? Voted for Pro-Abortion candidates into Government? How many Christians have turned from their faith and accepted witchcraft and other false gods? How many have abandoned the Faith for every kind of false way? The IRS cares not who and what you are, they care only that you feed their machine. The machine needs to be cleaned or it will fall and all of us will be affected. Pray for America, she is in terrible need of God's saving hand.

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The Catholic Defender: Trench Warfare

"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".

Since that time I have been graced to have witnessed thousands of conversions. I use to love to read the "Catholic Digest" because it showcased conversion stories.

I think that had a lot on influence on me. I have always felt inspired by the testimonies of those who converted to the Catholic Faith. In the beginning, I was willing to discuss the faith anywhere at anytime. I would have Protestant Ministers come to my home wanting to debate me.

I quickly discovered that there was a huge difference among the Protestant groups, but yet, their attacks on the Catholic faith was what united them. Once I began to discover some of the more popular groups, I began to get a handle on the discussion.

Even now, most Protestants shy away from revealing who they represent because compared to the Catholic Faith, they are very young. I always thought it was wild when a church community would celebrate their 50 or 100 year anniversary. Every Pentecost, the Catholic Faith celebrates her anniversary, we are now 1979 years old.

Since the 1980's the Catholic Church has been recieving some very notable Conversions, one of the most important being Scott Hahn and his wife Kimberly. They have been a great inspiration for me. Tim Staples, Marcus Grodi, and Steve Ray are a very short list converting to the Catholic Faith.

I am so thanbkful that I have been involved in apologetics and watch this movement to the Catholic Faith continue to grow. When I enlisted in to the United States Army, my faith was front and center. In Basic Training, I was given the nickname "Padre" by my Platoon. I was always encouraging people to go to Mass on Sunday.

I became a Eucharistic Minister as early as 1985 when I was stationed at Ft. Stewart Georgia. When we deployed to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, I was commissioned by the Archdiocese to conduct Catholic Communion services. That was an honor I would do until 2007 when the Archdioces of the Military changed their policy on Lay Eucharistic Ministers.

This last deployment to Iraq, I was commissioned by the Archdiocese of the Military to conduct lay liturgy of the Word services. We could lead a service without Communion. I was stationed in Germany, Korea, deployed to Iraq, I have always been involved with the RCIA. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have played such a part serving our Country and the Church.

For many, I was the only church they might see. Alot of them would never have thought to go see a Chaplain, but because of the many discussions, many did go see the Chaplain. This is my encouragement to you. Here at deepertruth, we hope that many will take up their faith and defend it. St Jude writes, "Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

We are to take a stand for the Faith, and today, we must because the attack on the Faith is strong. Secularism is running out of control which is weakening the Church. Young people are at risk, our schools are teaching them atheistic philosophy and immorality is everywhere. Those of us in the trenches are fighting on the frontline.

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The Kentucky Wildcats- a stunning fall.

Every year at this time, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) puts on a rather dramatic enterprise called the NCAA basketball tournaments- one for the men, one for the women.

From a promotional standpoint, it is brilliant and nothing else in sports is anything like it.

Each tournament starts with the seeding of 68 teams. Through an elaborate bracket system, that sets dozens of games, these 68 teams will be whittled down to 2 teams that will play for the national championship.
This annual exercise has come to be known as march madness. In three out of every four years, one of the top 8 teams going in (one of the four #1 seeds or one of the four #2 seeds) wins it all. Yet, every once in a while, it is won by someone nobody expected, who gets hot just at the right time.

There are certain teams that are annually expected to be in the hunt for that championship every year. They are college basketball's elite teams.

On the women's side, Connecticut, Stanford and Tennessee are among those long-standing dynasties. Recently, teams like Baylor and Notre Dame have asserted themselves into that mix.

On the men's side, the premier dynasties are Indiana, UCLA, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky. Last year, Kentucky won their 8th national championship. This is second only to UCLA with 11.

What is remarkable about Kentucky's most recent title (and the reason that I decided to write an article about it on a Catholic blog) is what happened to Kentucky after they won the title. Where is this team just 1 year later?

Sports journalists are referring to Kentucky incorrectly as the defending national champions. Kentucky is the reigning national champions until a new champ is crowned on April 8th. However, a reigning national champion and a defending national champion are two different things. On the women's side, Baylor is the defending national champion and they will continue to be so until they a) are eliminated or b) win it all and succesfully defend their title.

Kentucky, on the other hand, cannot defend their title because they failed to make the 68 team tournament. That's right, last year's best team isn't even one of the top 68 best teams this year.

This would be remarkable enough before what happened last night.

The National Invitational tournament (NIT) is sort of a consolation prize for teams that failed to make the NCAA tournament. These are, shall we say, the 69th through 84th best teams in the country. These 16 teams are seeded and play on until one of them wins the NIT title.

Kentucky, as the #1 seed, lost last night to 8th seeded Robert Morris.

This is one of the most stunning falls in the history of sports in America. Last year's #1 men's college basketball team barely limped home with the right to be called on of the top 85 teams this year.

Now the point....

Success is fleeting. If you build your life on worldly success, how fast and how far can you fall from that perch? The 2012 Kentucky Wildcats are a living monument to the fleeting nature of human glory.

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The Catholic Defender: Sitting at the King's Gate

"On the first day of the week when we gathered to break bread, Paul spoke to them because he was going to leave on the next day, and he kept on speaking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered, and a young man named Eutychus who was sitting on the window sill was sinking into a deep sleep, as Paul talked on and on. Once overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and he was picked up, he was dead. Paul went down, threw himself upon him, and said as he embraced him, 'Don't be alarmed: there is life in him'. Then he returned upstairs, broke the bread, and ate; after a long conversation that lasted until daybreak, he departed".

Not only is it recorded here that St. Paul conducted the first Midnight Mass, he is probably the first recorded Apostle to have someone fall asleep on him!

I remember sitting next to my Mother at Midnight Mass and I was so tired I wanted to sleep so bad.

My Mother kept me going. Traditionally, sitting was always a posture of listening and meditation.

Tradition pictures the throng of people sitting around Jesus to listen to him speak known as the Sermon of the Mount.

It was on a Passover day, John 6:10, Jesus instructs the Apostles to "Have the people recline.' Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted."

There was a multitude that was fed with five barley loaves and two fish.

Today, the congregation sits for the scripture readings preparing for the Gospel reading when everyone stands.

The congregation sits to hear the sermon at Mass much as they did to here Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount and the Multiplication of the Loaves.

Of course today we have nice pews to sit and listen as opposed to the grass in the field or the Temples 2,000 years ago.

As we sit to hear the scripture readings we should be attentive to the word of God proclaimed to us.

St. Paul instructs St. Timothy to "Attend to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in both tasks, for by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you" (1 Timothy 4:16).

It is important to note here that no one carried a bible to Mass in the time of the Apostles and their successors. It would take many centuries before that capability would arrive.

The word of God was proclaimed and handed down to the people from generation to generation. In the early Church, there was a rule of order.

"If a revelation is given to another person sitting there, the first one should be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. Indeed, the spirits of prophets are under the prophets control, since he is not the God of disorder but of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:30-32).

Today, at Mass, we have usually the Old Testament reading followed by the Responsorial Psalm.

Then a New Testament Epistle reading, usually from a letter of St. Paul, is read before the Gospel. Every three years using the Church Calender, A, B, and C the Church proclaims the bible.

Everyone at Mass should strive to sit with a posture during Mass to be attentive to the word of the Lord, and not just simply be a resting position.

Otherwise, you might fall asleep like Eutychus. We are invited to sit and listen, but it is most highly expected that you read the scriptural readings prior to Mass to help prepare for the message.

Certainly, the more you open yourself and apply yourself the more you will get out of it.

"Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path" (Psalms 119:105).

Speaking of light, Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house" (Matthew 5:14-15).

Jesus invites us at Mass to sit and recline to listen to the word of God.

As King, Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father and he sits in the Judgment seat.

Moses was given his "judgment seat of authority, and now the Pope is given this authority seat (Matthew 16:18).

Let us open our hearts and receive the King into the gates of our hearts as we sit to hear his word.

"Enter the temple gates with praise, its courts with thanksgiving. Give thanks to God, bless his name; good indeed is the Lord, whose love endures forever, whose faithfulness lasts through every age" (Psalms 100:4).

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The Catholic Defender: Lazarus, Come Forth

"Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.

So the sisters sent word to him, saying, Master, the one you love is ill.

When Jesus heard this he said, This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was.

Then after this he said to his disciples, Let us go back to Judea.

The disciples said to him, Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.

He said this, and then told them, Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.

So the disciples said to him, Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.

But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.

So then Jesus said to them clearly, Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.

So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go to die with him.

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.

Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

She said to him, Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, The Teacher is here and is asking for you.

As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, Where have you laid him?

They said to him, Sir, come and see. And Jesus wept.

So the Jews said, See how he loved him. But some of them said, Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, Take away the stone.

Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.

Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?

So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me. And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out!

The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth.

So Jesus said to them, Untie him and let him go"! Think how important "Untie him" really means to you and me? In your life, what is it that might hold you bound? Like Lazarus, Jesus means to untie the chain than holds us bound. The bondage of sin. Avail yourselves the Sacrament of Confession regularly, as often as you need a spiritual bath. Jesus will untie the chains not only on your hands and feet, but your neck and heart as well!

This Easter Vigil, there will be millions who will be received into the Catholic Faith. What a great blessing to hear Jesus say to them, "Untie them and let them go"! Praise the Lord!

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The Catholic Defender: Apostles of the Interior Life

This past week was an extraordinary opportunity for the Copperas Cove Catholic Community to receive grace as the "Apostles of the Interior Life" religious Order conducted their Mission for the Parish.

 Along with the Sisters were young people from the Texas A&M "Aggies" College who gave their personal testimonies and support for the Sisters in their Mission through song and prayer.

From the Apostles of the Interior Life web page:

 "The Apostles of the Interior Life are consecrated women who dedicate themselves to evangelization and to offering a service of spiritual assistance for the Interior formation of all who seek to know and love Jesus Christ."


Each evening began with the Holy Mass conducted by one of Deepertruth's Chaplain's, Father Chris Downey.

There is no better way to begin an event than through the Holy Mass. The first night the Sisters focused on the importance of Mental Prayer.

The reflections were based from the book "In Conversation with God" by Francis Fernandez, Scepter Publishers Inc, Princeton, NJ, 2000.

The focus of the talk was to prepare yourself for prayer through preparation, body of prayer, and conclusion. The preparation phase is to recollect the purpose of the devotion, clearing your mind and allowing the presence of God to take center stage. You should invite the Holy Spirit to help you stay focused and centered in your devotion.

The body of the prayer involves your mind, reflection on the mysteries of God, on dedication and purpose for the prayer. Affectional prayer involves your heart, allowing the Lord to penetrate deep within your soul so that you can benefit from the heart felt prayer. Then a resolution which involves your will, to be resolved to grow in the Father's will for your life.

The Conclusion of the prayer is simply to develop a thankful heart before God, to entrust your resolution to Christ through our Mother Mary, the Saints your guardian angel. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who are there with Our Lord. Then carry a word for the day that keeps a prayer in your heart throughout the day.

Pope John Paul II instructs us, "prayer is a duty, but it is also a great joy, because it is a dialogue with God through Jesus Christ."

"Fill yourselves with joy, realizing that our prayer is united to the prayer of all those who have ever lived with Jesus Christ, the unceasing prayer of the Church Militant, the Church Suffering and the Church Triumphant; they join all those still to come. Therefore... when you find yourself dry in prayer, make yourself go on praying, and say to the Lord: My God, I don't want my voice to be missing from that great chorus of permanent praise to You which will never come to an end" (Idem, 20165, p1411).


The Second evening, after the Holy Mass, the Sisters talked on the importance of going to Confession.

Pope John Paul II writes, "I absolve you from your sins... 'Go' says our Lord, 'and do not sin again.' It is Christ himself who forgives. The sacramental formula, I absolve you... and the imposition of the hand and the sign of the Cross made over the penitent show that at this moment the contrite and converted sinner comes into contact with the power and mercy of God. It is the moment at which, in response to the penitent, the Trinity becomes present in order to blot out sin and restore innocence. And the saving power of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus is also imparted to the Penitent... God is always the one who is principally offended by sin-'tibi soli peccavi!'-and God alone can forgive." (Apostolic Exhortation, Reconciliatio et Poenitentia, 2 December 1984, 31, III)

St. Ambrose said, "See the Father comes out to meet you: He will fall on your neck and will give you a kiss, the pledge of love and tenderness. He will make them bring you a cloak, shoes for your feet... You still fear a reprimand.,. you are afraid of hearing words filled with anger, and he prepares a banquet for you."

The Lord take those sins that you confess and he throws them into the sea of forgetfulness and he remembers them no more. That is why the Confessional is truly the mercy seat of God!

St. John Chrysostom said, "It is not enough to remove the arrow from the body: We also have to heal the wound caused by the arrow. It is the same with the soul; after we have received forgiveness for our sins, we have to heal the wound that remains through penance."

The evening gave opportunity for everyone to go to Confession. There were five Catholic Priests who participated form local Catholic Communities to hear Confessions. What a great opportunity offering healing of the mind, body, spirit, and soul.


The third night after the Holy Mass focused on the Holy Eucharist.

The importance of Eucharistic Adoration (which was part of each evening's devotion), for personal devotion has the greatest value.

The Council of Trent, Session 22 taught "It is impossible to make a more perfect reparation to God for the faults that are committed daily than by offering or participating with devotion in the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar."

During Holy Communion, I have prayed this prayer since the 1980's, "May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most mysterious and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in heaven on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar."

What a great opportunity this was and I am so thankful that I was able to attend all three evenings. I want to encourage all of you to make the Mass the center of your life, to make prayer more focused with an intent to grow in holiness. Our Families and our Nation is in great need and we must cry out to the Lord and once again kneel before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and pray for our Country and our world.

Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You King of the universe.
All that has been created has been made for You.
Make full use of Your rights over me.

I renew the promises I made in Baptism,
when I renounced Satan and all his pomps and works,
and I promise to live a good Christian life
and to do all in my power
to procure the triumph of the rights of God
and Your Church.

Divine Heart of Jesus,
I offer you my efforts
in order to obtain that all hearts
may acknowledge your Sacred Royalty,
and that thus the Kingdom of Your peace
may be established throughout the universe.

Amen.

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Friday quick takes- new beginnings.

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More and more, I am finding that it is really OK to admit that I mess up a lot. Not that it is OK to mess up, mind you. I am just seeing that we have to strip away the protective layers and say "Jesus, I REALLY need you, Father, I REALLY need you, Holy Spirit I REALLY need you! I can't do this on my own. I just can't break my own will without your help.

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My biological father is in heaven and now I have a new papa in Pope Francis. It is a time of new beginnings. I really think Pope Francis is going to be a transformational Pope.

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My wife and I have come full circle. Long ago, I helped here come to know and understand what Catholics believe, now she is teaching me everything that that faith embodies- love, charity, patience and empathy. If all of you are getting tired of me praising here, you you have to find a way to deal with it because she is a rock to me. I did not think it was possible to love another person as much as I love her.

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Shameless self promotion segment #1. On the Deeper Truth show tonight, our guest is John Haskell and he will tell a compelling story about fatherhood

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Shameless self promotion #2. If you know anyone that needs a website done, we can do a really good job at a really fair price. Please pass along our link.

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This coming Easter Sunday (March 31) would have been my mom and dad's 62nd anniversary. My dad died on February 25th. I am at a loss to figure out an appropriate way to commemorate this day. Any ideas?

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It was a lot easier to make it through these last few weeks with the love of family and friends. Let me give my heartfelt thanks and love to Don Hartley, Christie Martin, Margie Prox Sindelar, Ross Hoffman and Dr. Gregory Thompson. I really love you guys.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

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*BEST OF DTB #258* Habemus Papum!

We have a Pope! He is Francis the First and a first in many respects: the first Jesuit, the first Argentinian, and the first Pope from the Americas.

Please tune in tonight for the Podcast at 9 p.m. Eastern as we talk all things papal! All of us writers at Deeper Truth are all a-Google and will have much to share about today's historic events.

Listen to internet radio with Deeper Truth on Blog Talk Radio

His bio taken from the Vatican Website

BERGOGLIO Card. Jorge Mario, S.I. © www.catholicpressphoto.com

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite, was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was ordained for the Jesuits on 13 December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel. He was novice master in San Miguel, where he also taught theology. He was Provincial for Argentina (1973-1979) and rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel (1980-1986). After completing his doctoral dissertation in Germany, he served as a confessor and spiritual director in Córdoba. On 20 May 1992 he was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires, receiving episcopal consecration on 27 June. On 3 June 1997 was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires and succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino on 28 February 1998. He is also Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite. Adjunct Relator General of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 2001. He served as President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 8 November 2005 until 8 November 2011. Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the Bl. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the  Title of S. Roberto Bellarmino (St. Robert Bellarmine). Member of: Congregations: for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments; for the Clergy; for  Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ; Pontifical Council for the Family; Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

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The Catholic Defender: Prayer of St. Patrick

There have been many times in my life when everything seemed like I was being prepared for a greater purpose.

One of my Drill Instructors during an in ranks inspection looked at me and told me that he sensed that I was destined to do something great.

That had always stuck with me and so I felt I had a purpose even in the small things we did.

I escaped death many times during training and also in war scenarios.

The following prayer by St. Patrick really reminds me of the importance of recognizing the Lord's presence in all things.

To know that he is there when things go south. I served in the United States Army for more than 26 years. In that time I faced some close encounters with death. Many of us can identify with this prayer:

Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I was stationed in Germany between October 1986 through October 1989. I actually left Germany and returned to the United States about a month before the Berlin wall was to fall. I loved Germany, it has a rich history, a strong christian foundation.

You can drive the autobahn, the countryside and find crucifixes, statues in the middle of the field, or at some intersection on any street. It is an awesome place to spend a tour of duty. I was attached with a Support unit and I was a squad leader of the "Track Pack".

It was Reforger 1988, it was cold and wet. We had orders for our track ambulance to transport a fake casualty to higher medical support. It was part of training we were conducting with several other units in the field of operations. Anytime we had to move out, we always had to tear down our defensive position.

I had recently been promoted to Sergeant and I was solidly in charge of the "Track Pack" in the Ambulance Platoon. In those days it was always a chore putting up cammo net as it would always get hung up on the track.

There were a million places on the vehicle that always would tangle up. The crew usually would be a two man team consisting of a driver and a TC (someone who would keep an eye out for the driver). It was always demanding especially when you had to break track.

That was always hard work and you have to watch what your doing. I was in really good shape, I would do about 20 chin ups every morning just because I could. I would always max my PT Test in the 19-21 year old age group, not bad for an over 30 guy.

I worked hard to improve the readiness and proficiency of the track pack. It was a cold hard winter this year and the roads had snow and ice on the roads. We had orders to move our track through a village and into a prescribed place for medical support.

I was Troop Commander (TC) of our track and was sitting in the back hatch where it was cold. On our route, we were trying to make a trip down a large hill when the track became like a sled.

My driver lost control of the vehicle as we began to move across the highway. We edged toward the other side of the road and began to turn over when we were saved by a tree.

All we could do was to brace ourselves.

If the track had turned over, we would have plummeted to our death falling down a gorge at least a hundred feet.

When we were fully stopped the track was off the entire right side and the roof of the track had hit a lone tree. This tree was not a large tree, but it certainly stopped the track from rolling down this gorge.

The Driver and I could only position ourselves inside the track bracing ourselves for a terrible end. I remember it like slow motion, we began to flip over to our right when it just stopped right there in mid flip. We literally was sitting with the back of the track tilted against the tree. The right side track was way of the ground.

I opened the back door and our fake casualty who was riding in the back on a litter who came out from the back throwing up as he thought his life was over. It was a site to see as the track was literally on it's way to rolling sideways down this gorge. This was the only tree in the entire area and we hit it dead center. I thanked the Lord for his presence and for the tree!

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Quick takes Friday- "I miss you" edition

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In my dream last night, I spoke to my father in heaven. No, not OUR Father in heaven but MY father whose life we celebrated yesterday in a memorial mass and military ceremony. He called me on the phone and we just chatted. It is surprising me more and more how real the concept of my dad in heaven is becoming. Not real in the sense that I doubted it but real in the sense that I can actually picture it.

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What a model my dad gave us to follow. Through 14 months of agony, he kept putting my mom and his family first in his concern. It reminded me of the end of the papacy of John Paul II...and of Jesus Himself.

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Years ago, when I was an angry and bitter adolescent, I uttered which were among the most hate-filled and caustic words of my life- to my mother, yet. I rashly predicted that I would not cry at my father's funeral. Needless to say, I was unable to keep that promise. In fact, I didn't come close to keeping it. Looking back at my father and myself, it is not just hard, but impossible, to reconcile that either of us were the same person in 2013 that we were in 1977. In fact, we weren't. Call it what you want, I know that what happened to us was the Holy Spirit.

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Want more proof that there is a God? All you have to do is look at the way my father's diagnosis, last days and death united my family. Some say that a world with suffering cannot be a world with a merciful God but how unbearable would this world be without God and the love He inspires?

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During a video tribute to my dad (made by my nephew), the song Que Sera Sera was played.It was one of my dad's favorites and it rings so true. Whatever will be, will be. We no more control the future than the man on the moon. We do our best and hope for the best and God controls the rest.

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The Marine ceremony honoring my dad was beautiful. I was struck by one part. Here we are, in this pavilion, the chill in the air, everything around covered in a blanket of snow with these dignified marines before us unfurling Old Glory.  At the very instant they snapped the flag open, there was a sudden, long and unmistakeable gust of the wind. That happens a time or two in Scripture, as I recall, at moments of great significance.

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I was the person who gave the Eulogy at my father's funeral yesterday. To my family and friends who don't yet know that there is a God or aren't sure He cares about you, all I can tell you is the truth. If you had visited me in the 1970s from the year 2013 to tell me the future, I would have had an easier time believing that we had taught pigs to fly than to believe that. God can reach you too and you truly can come to know Him but you have to be willing to try. Here is the speech I give. Some found inspiration in it. I humbly submit it if it helps anyone find hope.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

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CONNECTICUT WOMEN FILES MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FEDERAL CIVIL SUIT

 Constitutional Rights Violated! Religious Discrimination!

A Connecticut woman, Andrea Cota Eigner files a multi-million dollar lawsuit for Religious Discrimination, a Violation of The United States Constitution. The Claim also includes Parental Alienation and Multiple Damages inflicted on all victims involved.

The claim has been placed on The State of Connecticut, 3 Family Court Judges, 2 Lawyers, a Doctor, and a Social Worker Company. Andrea was victimized and her rights were violated by the Middletown Family Court System in the attack on her Christian Catholic Religion and against her, in the taking of her son in Sept. 2008 through an immediate exparte motion. Her son was age 7 at the time, and is now age 12. Both have undergone countless inhumane treatments by the defendants in the case.

 The father no longer wanted to pay child support and worked the system to find a way to take the child from her, warning her just months before the exparte motion was granted, he was going to stop paying her child support, and she would see soon how he was going to do it. After her son was taken from her she was threatened to sign her son over to the father by the GAL/attorney, in a small side room in the court hall. After interrogating her 4 hours and attacking her Religious Beliefs the GAL threatened her, saying, she would never see her son again and they would put her away and drug her until she signed physical custody over to her son's father.

On Oct. 5th 2009, during a long awaited hearing another Judge also denied Andrea of her Constitutional Rights of Religious Freedom in the raising of her son in the Christian Faith. The Judge took offense when she recited the Laws of the Constitutional Rights regarding Religious Freedom and Discrimination. In the few years to follow she filed several motions to fight this tyranny, and more Judges continued to violate these Rights of The U.S. Constitution. In a recent hearing on Dec.17 2012, still yet another Judge denied her of Religious Rights in raising of her son. He told her, you can only see your son if you don't talk about God. She asked him if he realized he is in violation of the Constitutional Rights, as the others involved in this case for 4 years were. His reaction was not that of caring about The U.S. Constitution.

 On Dec.13th 2012, Andrea filed a Motion with the Federal Court in Hartford Connecticut, to obtain a Emergency Federal Relief Injunction, from conditions imposed by The State Court and by Additional Defendants listed on Complaint, violating her Constitutional Rights of Religious Freedom. Religious Discrimination... Middletown Ct. is just one of the many corrupt courts across America who are trafficking children, for nothing other than money and power. People in the United States need to become aware of the seriousness of this matter. If you are a victim of Family Court Corruption you can reach out to others and help our Nation by taking a stand in the fight to preserve Our Constitutional Rights.

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*BEST OF DTB #257* A simple kind of man- RIP Dad

As many of you know, my father passed away on February 25th. It was way back in the fall that I asked my mother and brothers for the permission to say the eulogy. Today, my father's memorial funeral mass took place followed by a military burial at Quantico National cemetery. It concluded with a bereavement luncheon where there was a slideshow and many family members spoke on his behalf. The speech I gave went through about a dozen revisions before I was happy with it. I include it below with thanks to all who supported my family during this time.

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Today, my father will be honored by the military he so courageously served in and fought for in Korea and Vietnam.  No doubt, you will also hear from members of the Church and the Knights of Columbus who will talk about how much he did to serve the less fortunate. My brothers and other family members will almost assuredly talk about any number of wonderful and treasured memories of football and fishing and Christmas and marching bands.These are all very, very good things that should and will be talked about today.

One that sticks out in my mind is the day I saw my dad save a young boy from drowning. Another is the Christmas when he got me and two of my brothers BB guns. Dad, you gotta know that was a big mistake.

Nevertheless, I wish to honor my Dad today by talking about what he taught us about living.

Many of you know that I had a difficult relationship with my father growing up and you may be thinking that I am the last person who should be giving this speech. It's a fair concern.
Let me just respond with the words of Thorton Wilder that "In the battle of love, only wounded soldiers can serve". I love that quote. It really says it all. The greatest testament of the miracle of my reconciliation with my father was the size of the mountain and the strength of the love that moved it. I am here to testify about my father, the wounded warrior and mountain mover.


Yes, I do believe that pretending our home was always perfect would be an injustice to my Dad and to all of you. Like any home, we had good times and bad times. That is how life is lived-out in a fallen world. A life without struggles is a fantasy.

Yes, by all means today, remember and talk about the good times, the fun, the laughs and the celebrations. We should and do celebrate these things and hold them in our hearts. Yet, to appreciate the man is not to pretend away the bad times because the measure of the man is who he is in good times and bad. My words today are about far more than our triumphs and tragedies, they are about him. My dad met every day with the same grit, the same down home simplicity and the same corny jokes. 

My Dad was a great man and we want each person here to know how to honor him from this day forward. There was a time when I would have been shocked to hear myself say that but I came to understand it by living. One of his favorite expressions was "I've been down that road". Well, Dad, now, so have I and you were right. Experience is a hard task-master.

We are all prodigal sons but the story of the prodigal son is not about the son, it is about the Father. Our earthly Father showed us a model of our heavenly Father- unchanging, real and forgiving. I, and my four prodigal brothers are proud to call this wonderful hard-headed man, Dad.

Another thing about the story of the prodigal son was that when he came to his senses, the family rejoiced and celebrated. We did the same. Our celebrations were usually held in the front yard with soda and bottled water and beer, and crabs or steaks. If it was a really special occasion, we had hot dogs. There was dad, through it all, the same awful jokes, the same antiquated clothes.

The prodigal son had to learn what the father already knew- that life isn't about getting what you want, it's about doing what you must. If you have love but lack things you may despair from time to time. However, if you have things but lack love, that despair will overtake you. Only God and Love can fill the longing in a man's soul. Right now, Dad, my soul longs for you because I love you and that love motivates my will to walk on and live in your footsteps. You are here, right now, today, inside each of us.

God gives us people to love and things to use, not people to use and things to love.
My Dad understood this and that is why his family always came before himself. He always sacrificed for us and for others and gave everything he had. The precious memories and moments of happiness we experience are not because of the places we go and the things we do. They do not live in the pictures or the videos we take. The experiences live in our hearts and in our minds and in our very souls because of the people who animated those experiences. The love of family is the fire that ignites them and brings them to life. The spark of family that you lit, Dad, is a roaring flame living on in all of us.

Fishing and camping and cookouts and volleyball games are our treasured memories......and I have the broken fingers to prove it.

It has been said that "He who dies with the most toys wins". Dad, you taught us that he who lives and dies with the most principles wins. A clear conscience trumps a fat wallet and you won't find a rich man in twenty with a satisfied mind.

I'm certain I heard that somewhere.

To honor you, Dad, is to honor the most real and simple man we ever knew. You despised pretense, you hated fakeness. When it came to Al Benko, what you saw is what you got.  A man that was not changed by the world. Wearied by the world? Yes. Beaten down by the world? Absolutely. Changed by it? No.

Some people develop layers. My Dad did not have any layers. Nobody ever said "I wonder what he is thinking".

In a world full of modern marketing, my dad was a throwback. You might have wondered if he was frozen in 1958 because there he was, as he was, caring not how fast the world was turning as long his tomatoes were ripe, or the Redskins were beating the Cowboys. I find myself hoping very anxiously that someone saved his horseradish recipe.

Was my Dad perfect? No. Raise your hand if you are perfect.  A view of a life has to be the long view and not a snapshot of either a man's best day or his worst day. True, I will think of him every time it is Father's day, every time the Fighting Irish take the field and everytime I see someone wearing untied combat boots with no socks but I will let the rest of you catalog the days of his life, I want to talk about his purpose in life.

There were certain principles he sought to instill in us . Those principles are what live on today, and for the next generation and the next after that. We did not lose my Dad on February 25th, the day we lose those principles will be the day we lose my Dad.

The family is what he always sought above anything else in this world. The good times we had were embodied in the simple things and the bad times we had were borne with patience.  Families go through trials and tribulations and I don't bring that up to dwell on the bad. Far from it. The reason I bring it up is because it was from the tough times that I learned the most valuable lessons from my dad and I think the rest of my family would agree. 

You didn't lie to improve your lot in life and you didn't steal either. Respect, honor and integrity were not optional. There was no discussion to be had on the matter. In the Benko home, right was right and wrong was wrong and that was just all there was to it.

 I never saw my Dad cheat a man out of a penny, not one time. He took up his cross every day, soldiered on and lived by his principles.

He endured more than his fair share of disappointment and family strife. If we want to honor this man, we must acknowledge these things, not to dwell on them but to profit from what he taught us during those times. If we can have the courage to do that, we can at last be able to stand in awe at this mountain of a man.

If I had to give a one word eulogy today, If I had to sum up my Father's entire life in a single word, that word would be perseverance.

The real measure of this man is a man that NEVER gave up, that NEVER quit. I know. I stand with each one of you today, with Joy in my heart! Love and Joy for a man who was all about family. I know my Dad made peace with his family and peace with God before he left this world and those two things- and nothing else- are what truly matter.

I do not know how my Dad would rank in the world's estimation, but that doesn't concern me anymore than it concerned him.  My father taught us that honesty and integrity were the bedrock principles of what life is really about. This, and the faith my mother instilled in me are the two biggest treasures of my life.

These were the simple things that brought simple joy to a simple life. I long for those simpler days. I'm guessing some of you do as well. These were the days before I-Phones and Facebook when my Dad would fire up the old wood stove with 30 people in the house. For those of you who don't know, some people put a log on the fire, my Dad would put the whole tree. His strategy was to make it 72 upstairs by making it 120 downstairs.

What should we take from today? First, to my mom, let me pledge the devotion of all the brothers and the rest of the Benko clan. We pledge to you the same unshakable devotion that Dad gave to you. You are the matriarch of this family and we love you with all our hearts.

To all the rest of you, here is how I think you should honor this man. Be real as he was real. Be honest as he was honest. Act with integrity as he acted with integrity and, most of all...MOST OF ALL forgive, as he forgave. Forgive anyone who needs your forgiveness. That is what he would want.

Learn from his lesson and understand that we are all in this together. We are each imperfect individually but together, we are a legacy.  Forgive. That is how to honor him.

Thanks Dad, for showing us the way (point to the sky).

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