Miss America 2014

Old news by now, but a 24-year old (South) Indian woman was chosen as Miss America. Her platform was also pretty neat: "celebrating diversity through cultural competency". Not meaningless diversity, but competency. Interesting. Although there are certain endemic problems to the Miss America pageant and beauty contests in general (a real failure to understand modesty being foremost), it's not my call (or yours) to judge the young lady, or any of the contestants. Instead, it's our calling to pray for her.

So let's pray that she represents America well, and particularly that she helps to give a good name to all Indians living in this country. Amen.

www.newstimes.com/entertainment/television/article/New-Miss-America-takes-dip-in-NJ-surf-4817291.php

Failure of Vigilance

The recent D.C. Navy Yard shooting is yet another indicator of the intellectual, emotional, moral, and spiritual crisis that this country suffers from. Along with the Fort Hood shooting and many other tragedies, it also clearly shows that military personnel are as likely break down and harm others as the rest of the population. Although politicians will no doubt cry out for more "vigilance", any increase in this "vigilance" cannot be effective when the watchmen themselves are at fault. Spiritual reawakening is the only thing that can save us from violence.

Jesus, please have mercy on this country, and break our ignorance of you. Amen.

A recent event in popular culture

The things described in this article are so ugly I hesitated at posting it. But we need to be aware of what's going on around us. It's very sad to see what's going on around us. So many people around us, especially the youth, are getting sucked into an immoral culture with absolutely no respect for human dignity or beauty of any kind.


But there IS an answer: a life of Catholic witness. There is such much goodness, so much happiness, so much greatness all around us that God is asking us to be a part of. Let's not be blind to that call, but joyfully show others the way to Christ and true peace. But in order to that, we have to cut this dark culture totally out of our lives, hearts, and minds.

In case you need a little motivation, or to remind yourself why this matters so much, please read this article.

Warning: I would not look for pictures or videos of what Cyrus did. I think we're all better off without that.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/richard-cohen-miley-cyrus-steubenville-and-culture-run-amok/2013/09/02/1cecafa6-11af-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html

Jesus, help us to see any ways we are participating in the immoral culture around us, and inspire us to build a new culture based on justice, love, and true goodness. Grant us the ability to show others the beauty of a truly Christ-centered life. Amen.

Workers in Tailspin

As Catholics, it's tremendously important to have an understanding of how our economy functions, for a number of reasons. One, we need to see things as they really are, to avoid judging others who are in dire straits. We cannot buy into the ultra-conservative myth that everyone who struggles to find work is lazy, or that it's somehow their fault.

Two, some corporations engage in bad business practices, which disrupt the environment, economy, and ultimately entire cultures. Sometimes this is even spread out over entire business sectors. If we do not take the time to question whether our careers are morally responsible, we are guilty of perpetuating these same social sins.

Finally, increasingly it's more and more important to keep an eye on the economy just to ensure that we are able to serve the Lord through our lives. The economy is shrinking and it's not likely to change anytime soon. If we aren't realistic about which job opportunities are viable, we could end up in a bad economic situation, disrupting our family lives and church involvement, sometimes to a drastic extent. Pursuing work with dignity so that we are still able to serve the Lord is a major challenge for Catholics today.

With all that in mind, take a look at this article from Labor Day:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/00redesign/news/local/workers-in-tailspin-this-labor-day/article_35c9c4fb-c67b-57c8-a29f-8181a53ebf25.html

May the Lord protect our society and help all people to find work with dignity. Amen.

The Era of Walking Away

Editorial by J.D. Mullane in the BCT.

Apathy, the unwillingness or inability to love when things get tough, has been characteristic of our times. It's vastly important to make sure this attitude has not embedded itself in our own relationships with others, particularly within our families.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/blogs/news_columnists/jd_mullane/brenda-heist-case-symbolizes-the-era-of-walking-away/article_575efce7-97a5-50b5-bdff-64dfc907e321.html

Jesus, give us the strength to love others unceasingly, even until the point where it hurts. Be with us and help us to pray, so that we may feel your love within us and gain the strength to truly love others. Amen.