February 2012
4 posts
3 tags
Off today? Why don't you read the Holy Father's... →
Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for Lent 2012
It’ll take you about ten minutes. Come on.
You can spare that.
Print it out. Make yourself some tea. Read it. Reflect on it - meditate on your upcoming Lenten journey.
It’ll be worth it.
Here’s a taste to whet your appetite:
“We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of...
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Fr. Leo: Breaks Boards, Breakdances, Breaks Bread... →
YOUTUBE NOW HAS A CHAPLAIN…
… well, officially unofficially. If you haven’t heard the breaking news, Father Leo Patalinghug now has a Youtube Channel and Tumblr.
Since we here at Be the Straw are all about social media, we figured this would be noteworthy to feature - that, and we’re hoping Father Leo might hook us up with some of his mouth-watering fajitas someday....
On the Feast of St. Blaise - Bless Some Throats
Per intercessionem S. Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo
May God at the intercession of St. Blasius preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil.
Today is the feast of St. Blaise.
It is a great feast of a Bishop and a martyr, and also the day we celebrate a great little tradition of our church. It’s the day that throats are blessed. Why?
Well, (a...
January 2012
15 posts
3 tags
Sunday Sipping: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Click here for today’s readings!
Today’s gospel is a riveting account of Jesus casting out a demon that possessed a man in Capernaum on the Sabbath. In light of such a demonstration of power, I call on you today, brothers and sisters, to meditate on the authority of Christ, authority so great that even the demons obey His command. Do we trust that authority as we should? Do we take comfort...
quietly-living-life asked: Why be pro-life? I mean, do you know what hyperemesis gravidarum, pre-eclampsia, and ectopic pregnancies are? Do you know how physically hellish pregnancy can be for a woman? Do you know all of the different ways that pregnancy can cause mental and emotional distress to a woman? Do you know how emotionally scarring it can be to give a child up for adoption? Or do you just not care about any of...
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Sunday Sipping: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Click here for today’s readings!
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls His first disciples – Simon, Andrew, James, and John – who were ordinary fishermen. Yet these ordinary fishermen would serve as the first ministers of Christ’s extraordinary preaching, the first ones to echo the words of the Master: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the...
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Sunday Sipping: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Click here for today’s readings!
In today’s Gospel, the two disciples of John the Baptist sought a Rabbi. They sought instruction, but they got so much more than a Rabbi, so much more than instruction. This is much the same idea that lies behind vocation. We seek what God wants for us to do. And once we say yes, once we echo the Psalmist who says, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do...
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Top Ten Vocation Videos (#1)
Here is our favorite video!
1. Fisher of Men
Part 1
Part 2
(Raj’s Note: Fishers of Men had a profound effect on my own discernment, so it holds a special place in my heart)
And so concludes the list of our favorite vocation videos.
Tune in Saturday for the release of Be The Straw’s very own vocation video!
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Top Ten Vocation Videos (#4, #3 and #2)
And let’s continue with our favorite videos!
4. “Be a Man” - Priestly Discernment Program Edition - Franciscan University
3.Catholic Nun Comercial
2.New York Priest Oridnation
Stay tuned for our favorite vocation video!!!
New Vocation Themed Shirts for Vocation Awareness... →
It’s Vocation Awareness Week, and we’ve got two new shirts to release for the occasion. You’ll find the two new shirts below. We here at BTS would like to remind you that we are soon approaching confirmation season, and these shirts or some of our other gear make great gifts for your special confirmandi.
Check out the Be The Straw Store.
...
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Top Ten Vocation Videos (#7, #6 and #5)
And to continue the countdown here are number 7, 6 and 5!
7. Ordinary Men…Sacred Calling (Dominican Friars)
6. Married Life (Yes it’s a vocation!)
5. Single Life (Yes it’s also a vocation!)
Tune in tomorrow for the next three!
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Top Ten Vocation Videos (#10, #9 and #8)
Since this is Vocation Awareness week, we decided to find our favorite vocation videos. We have scoured the interwebs and brought you these. We will be bringing them you in groups as the week goes by. So here is #10.
10. The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia
9. Vocations Video 2010 - Catholic Community Foundation
8. Joining the Franciscan Sisters: Called to Community
Check out tomorrow...
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First Post of the New Year!!
(Ian and Ruben took the picture)
Hello everyone and Happy New Year!!
Happy Birthday, Jesus! (I know we’re super late) ‘Tis the first post of 2012 from Be The Straw! We thank you all for following and reblogging us! Hope your Christmas Season was joyous, restful and fruitful!
We apologize for not posting awhile. The Christmas Season was pretty cray cray (crazy) for all of...
December 2011
5 posts
4 tags
Sunday Sipping: Solemnity of the Nativity of the...
Click here for the Mass Readings! There’s four sets of them!
Rejoice! He for whom our hearts have longed for has come! Rejoice! He for whom Israel ached and whom the prophets foretold has come! Rejoice, for these are great and glad tidings! Just think, brothers and sisters, on this day we celebrate the birth of Our Lord. Today, we celebrate the union of the Divine and the human in the...
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less”
“Quit trying to straighten out your life before you give it to God. Give God your...”
November 2011
10 posts
3 tags
#1: Words Matter →
Here we go. We’re just about 24 hours from the first celebration of the Mass using the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal here in the good ol’ U S of A, and I’ve got my #1 reason for being excited: Words Matter.
I’m sure you’re still groggy from the tryptophan turkey trip last night, so I will try and keep this short.
Basically, in any important relationship, the...
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Thy KINGdom come. →
My name, Raj, means “King” in sanskrit or hindi. I never really paid much attention to it growing up - to me it was sometimes cool to have a unique name, sometimes frustrating. But at this point in my life, I reflect on the name my parents chose for me, and it is extremely humbling. Part of me wonders if I could ever live up to my very own name. Yesterday, as a Universal Church, we...
almajoy asked: can i be a crazy straw? like the kind with all the loops in it.. or the kind that form a shapes like a heart? but i guess if i were, people would have to wait a little longer for their thirst to be quenched. but usually people who pick the crazy straws don't mind anyways :) p.s. i know this is an ask box. but i'm using it as a comment box cuz i don't know how to make comments...
Sunday Sipping: Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ...
Link to Sunday’s Readings
It isn’t a fashionable idea nowadays to talk about obedience to a king. Words like king, kingdom, obedience, and submission irritate our modern sensibilities and it’s easy to see why. History is full of instances where kings or emperors have abused the power they held over their people. As such, many of us have been trained to look at monarchy with suspicion. So...
almajoy asked: ohhh!!!! i totally thought "Be the straw" meant be the straw to feed the sheep.. straw as in hay.. but i guess sheep eat grass and horses eat hay. so i was pretty confused. but now i have been enlightened :)
#2 Unity →
U-N-I-T-Y that’s a unity.
Okay, thats the first – and conceivably the only – Queen Latifah reference you will see on Be The Straw.
But that’s what we are talking about today: Unity. We’re talking about a mark of the Church – the Church is one. (Here’s all four: one, holy, catholic, apostolic).
Why are we talking about unity? Because that’s one of the reasons...
#3 A Moment for Catechesis →
I love being Catholic.
This love for Catholicism is the reason behind my fondness for Catechesis. There is so much meaning contained in every little action we do, and every prayer we pray, and it is such a great Joy to share this beauty of Catholicism with others. It’s an edifying experience when you give a talk and someone says “Whoa!” or “Wow.” or “I never knew that was the reason we...
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#4: Beauty. →
In 1999, Blessed Pope John Paul II wrote a letter to artists. In this letter, John Paul used this quote from Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot: “Beauty will save the world”.
As I continue on this earthly pilgrimage, I believe that claim more and more every day. Because I truly believe this, Beauty is another reason that I am super excited for the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal.
Before we get...
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Comic Books and Faith →
In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight Let those who worship evil’s might Beware my power… Green Lantern’s light!
Catchy oath, huh? If you don’t know this oath, read on and see how it relates to our faith.
October 2011
21 posts
#5: Fun Words →
Grievous. Consubstantial. Incarnate. Unblemished. Chalice. Partake. Hosts. These are just a few of the words that are either new or more prevalent in the upcoming English translation of the Roman Missal.
Come on. Grievous, how fun is that? The word is so fun that in the Star Wars universe, George Lucas named the leader of the Separatist droid armies General Grievous. Sorry, nerd moment.
But,...
Are We Too Easily Pleased? →
Just a short reflection here, brethren.
Does the following quote from C.S. Lewis disturb you?
“Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy...
Top 5 List: Why I'm Excited for the New Missal →
We are less than 5 weeks away from the implementation of the New Missal here in the good ol’ United States, and I hope you are as excited as I am. Okay, maybe not as excited as I am. I’m actually thinking of throwing a party - yes, potluck and all. Mmmm, spinach dip. Nevertheless, whether you are uber-excited, or you are still confused about the changes, I hope some of my excitement...
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Sunday Sipping: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Link to Sunday’s Readings
Premise 1: “… repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Premise 2: Caesar is dead. Premise 3: Debts owed to the dead are absolved. Conclusion: Repay nothing to Caesar
Read more!
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The Upside Down Cross
So you have probably seen this album by Tyler the Creator. As you can see he has an upside down cross on his forehead. Many people believe it to be a symbol of anti-christian beliefs.
The second picture is “The Crucifixion of St. Peter” by Caravaggio (1571-1610). It depicts St. Peter as he is about to be crucified. Now, why am I posting...
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Sunday Sipping: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10a
Psalm 23:1-6
Second Reading: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
This coming Sunday’s readings employ one of my favorite images of the Kingdom of God and God’s providence, i.e. the wedding feast. I repeat: the wedding FEAST! The First Reading from Isaiah tantalizes us with the promise of “juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines,” and in the Gospel, we...
volt-a asked: I really want a shirt, for Christian T-Shirt Day at my school, it's a Christian academy~:P
