Hi Friends, Read what the interviewee says 2/3 the way down the page re: "Do films have the power to make pedophelia and polyamory normal in a family...?" ..Her answer is very illuminating. God Bless, Dan

How "The Passion" Rattled Hollywood
Barbara Nicolosi on Some Positive Trends

HOLLYWOOD, California, DEC. 9, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Plenty of bad movies still come out of Tinseltown, but an industry insider sees some positive changes in the wake of "The Passion of the Christ."

Barbara Nicolosi, director of Act One, a boot camp for Christian screenwriters who hope to work in mainstream Hollywood.

She told ZENIT how bad movies are bad business for Hollywood, now that the industry has seen the power of the Christian audience.

Q: Recent films are portraying sympathetic views of pedophilia, such as "Birth" and "The Woodsman" -- whose gay activist director told the press that he wanted to "put a benign face on pedophilia." Have you seen a trend in normalizing pedophilia, in Hollywood?

Nicolosi: No, absolutely not. This is not a trend, thanks be to God. If it was trying to become a trend, the tide has changed enough that it won't happen.

I haven't forced myself to see either film -- I've been trying to avoid subjecting myself to them. But it seems like no one else has seen those films, either. They came and went without much notice.

I would be careful of even talking about these movies, because then you are doing them a favor. The strategy for dealing with bad product in this industry is: ignore it and it goes away. By talking about it, it gets more attention and stays around longer.

When "Birth" came out, my secular-industry marketing friends hated it. I have a friend in public relations, and he said that no one wanted to touch the project. It stars Nicole Kidman, who is a big talent. She can do anything and they know she will be good, but still no one wanted to promote the film. They did it because of their European partners.

Some people have wondered why Kidman -- who was raised Catholic, has kids and seems to be a generally "good" person -- would agree to do such a film. Most of the casting and production mysteries of this town are due to friendships and favors. Why did this awful film get made? Why did a big star headline it? Probably because of a friend of a friend.

Q: Another film, "Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family," features a "family" of two homosexual men and a woman who conceive a child together. Is Hollywood the next phase of the homosexual movement?

Nicolosi: No, I don't think so. That situation is something that we are seeing in the news and we haven't seen it before; that's why it's attractive to the industry.

There is sympathy for gay families in Hollywood, but it's only enough to make a movie like that once; you can't make it again. It's done. There's not many ways they can do it. We'll probably see a few more, but how many stories are in it?

The momentum in the industry is to find new story ideas, things we haven't seen before. It wouldn't be innately entertaining to do this story too many times.

Q: Has the legalization of same-sex marriage, in some places, opened the door for Hollywood to portray that marriage shouldn't be limited to just two partners -- but three, four, or more -- in various combinations?

Nicolosi: The fact that it is in the media makes it material for the industry. But if something is legalized, it loses its appeal. The industry is cutting edge and prophetic. If something is the norm, Hollywood is not brave for talking about it.

Things in Hollywood have been changing since "The Passion of the Christ" came out. Some folks from a big studio came to a couple of us Christians in the industry recently after they bought the rights to an upcoming movie that will be controversial for Christians. They asked us, "Is there any way we can do this without alienating the Christian audience?"

The answer was no, but still -- I could hardly believe they were concerned about it. When I first came to Hollywood, no one cared about alienating the Christian audience. But here were these execs who didn't want the reputation of being a studio that is anti-Christian. They won the movie in a bidding war with other studios; they obviously wanted to do the film. But if they could, they wanted to avoid Christians picketing them.

Gay marriage is the same thing. If it's going to turn off millions of people, it's bad business. Even if the creative elite want to do it, the business people in the studio won't let it happen. "The Passion" established that Christians make up a huge audience, and the business end of Hollywood wants to attract them.

Q: Do films have the power to make pedophilia and polyamory in a "family" normal and socially acceptable?

Nicolosi: I don't know if films do, but TV does -- it's so much more powerful than cinema. It has hundreds of hours for you to develop relationships with characters; viewers take them to heart and think that they know these characters. Television can do something powerful with your sympathy. People don't want to cast negative judgment on a character they have grown to accept and love.

Television is normalizing. Cinema still feels like an art world, a fake world. The TV is in your living room and lets in things you wouldn't normally allow in your house.

Q: What can concerned Christians do to prevent Hollywood from becoming an ally to those who are intent on undermining traditional family, sexuality and marriage?

Nicolosi: I don't know they have any intent in undermining values - they think they are enlightened and are working for human rights. They think they are "values" people; they are for freedom, self-expression, free thought. They see themselves in line with Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights fight.

The best way to change Hollywood is to get more of our people in this town. As long as we are not here, we will be begging at the doorstep of people who are very different than we are.

A movie like "Birth" should have been killed, but there wasn't one of us there with enough power or clout. If a healthy person isn't there to recognize an illness, we can't cure the sickness. We can't trust Hollywood to be good again on its own -- not that it ever was. I'm shocked when I see a great movie. It's amazing they make anything good.

It's an unpalatable solution for many Christians, but we need to always have a place in the culture; that's the world we live in.

-----Original Message-----

Hi Friends, Some very interesting Stats regarding "productive capacity" of African agriculture (vs. Europe) here, as well as the success of the Uganda pro-abstinence policy (A 70% drop in the number of AIDS cases). God Bless, Dan

Getting to the Root of Poverty and AIDS
Interview With Riccardo Cascioli 

ROME, DEC. 13, 2004 (Zenit.org). Hunger remains an enormous problem worldwide, says the annual report of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

The new FAO report, entitled "State of Food Insecurity in the World," states that although the percentage of people suffering from hunger is decreasing, the absolute number of victims is increasing.

Between 2000 and 2002, 852 million people suffered hunger, including 815 million in developing countries.

The main causes of death, in countries where the situation is deteriorating, are wars and the spread of malaria and AIDS, which worsen the chronic state of malnutrition.

To better understand the enormity of the phenomenon, ZENIT interviewed Riccardo Cascioli, president of the European Center of Studies on the Environment, Population and Development.

Q: The FAO report speaks of millions of dead every year due to hunger and malnourishment, and yet Europe has set limits to food production. How do you explain this paradox?

Cascioli: This is certainly a "scandalous" paradox which cannot leave us indifferent. At the same time, however, we must beware of the demagogy of those who say that it is enough to redistribute food to resolve all the problems.

The sending of foodstuffs from Europe to the Third World is useful and necessary only for emergencies; otherwise, it becomes harmful welfarism.

Many factors contribute to the situation of so many peoples. For example, it is interesting to note that the FAO report states that the worst food crises are caused by conflicts which make all development impossible.  However, above all, there must be reflection on the productive capacity of poor countries.

A fact that speaks for itself, for instance, is that in Italy the production of rice per hectare varies from 70 to 85 quintals, in Africa from 4 to 5.

The ILO [International Labor Organization] report published on December 7 stresses this very problem: There are 550 million workers in the Third World who live on less than $1 a day; that is, their work produces very little.

Here is the point. It is a problem of global development that entails economic, social and political aspects -- but, I would say, above all, cultural, because efficiency and productivity depend ultimately on the meaning given to work and to the person.

Q: After malaria, AIDS is one of the main causes of death in Africa. In your opinion, what are the solutions?

Cascioli: Let us begin by establishing that the policies followed by international agencies until now, especially in developing countries, have been manifestly disastrous. Especially blameworthy is prevention based exclusively on the distribution of condoms, culpably described as "safe sex."

Research and experience show that condoms reduce the possibility of infection almost by 85%, but do not eliminate it. Moreover, the feeling of safety that they create leads to the proliferation of risky behaviour responsible for the epidemic, thus cancelling the possible benefits. Proof of this is that the African countries with the highest distribution of condoms, are also those with the highest rate of HIV infection.

Something similar can be said about the cures. To reduce the whole problem in developing countries to the availability of low-cost medicines is to be misleading. They are absolutely necessary, but the presence in the territory of personnel able to distribute such medicines and above all to educate people, is fundamental. Because it is also important to be very clear about the fact that AIDS is a sickness of poverty and it is illusory to think of arresting it by investing only in health remedies.

The fight against AIDS is to be addressed instead within global development policies, whose pivot must be education. Reality demonstrates this: The only positive examples of the fight against AIDS have been where education has highlighted responsibility and respect of the person and first of all, therefore, abstinence and fidelity to one's partner.

In Uganda for example, the only case of investment at the national level, the rates of HIV infection between 1991 and 2000 fell from 20% to 6%. Other positive examples were seen in Senegal, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, but the reason in all was a "change in behavior," in the sense of reduction in the number of partners and an increase of the age for the first sexual relationship.

It is no wonder, then, that the Bush administration, for example, emphasizes religious organizations in the fight against AIDS, because the latter prove to be the most important agents in education, above all thanks to their presence among the people. Having shared the situation for decades, they are, therefore, credible.

I am speaking of Catholic organizations, but not only of them, even though health institutions connected with the Catholic Church are alone responsible for close to 30% of the care of AIDS patients.

A big fish gets hooked - not by the mouth yet, but the gills.

Hi Friends, A noteworthy story here.

A Famed Atheist takes an important step in accepting "intelligent design."

God Bless, Dan

----- Original Message -----

ARTICLE TITLE: Famed atheist concedes: evidence points to God

ARTICLE: Dec. 10 (CWNews.com) - Antony Flew, the British scholar who for years has been the world's most noteworthy philosophical proponent of atheism, has conceded that scientific evidence points to the existence of God.

Flew-- a prolific writer and energetic lecturer who has advanced atheist arguments throughout his long academic career-- made his dramatic concession in a video presentation on scientific evidence for the existence of God. In the video-- based on a conference held in New York in May of this year-- Flew said that the latest biological research "has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce (life), that intelligence must have been involved."

Early this year, writing in "Philosophy Now" magazine, Flew had indicated that his commitment to atheism was wavering. He wrote: "It has become inordinately difficult even to begin to think about constructing a naturalistic theory of the evolution of that first reproducing organism."

Flew credited a Texas Catholic, Roy Varghese, with helping to persuade him that biological research points to the workings of an intelligent creator. Varghese, the author of  "The Wonder of the World", organized the May conference at which Flew first questioned his own atheistic position, and produced the video in which the 81-year-old scholar abandoned that stance.

Flew--  whose 1984 essay, "The Presumption of Atheism," fixed his place as the leading proponent of that view-- emphasizes that he has not accepted Christianity. He said: "I'm thinking of a God very different from the God of the Christian, and far and away from the God of Islam."  He likened his current position to the deism of Thomas Jefferson, explaining that he is now sympathetic to the researchers who theorize about an "intelligent design" in the working of creation.

Antony Flew conceded that many of his philosophical followers will be shocked by his announcement. But he told Associated Press: "My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato's Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=33940

This news story originally appeared on the Catholic World News site.

Catholic World News, the pioneer in online Catholic news services, offers daily headline stories, analysis, and discussion of world events from the perspective of loyal but independent Catholic journalists.

To learn more about Catholic World News, to register for our free Weekly News Summary, or to become a premium subscriber and receive headline news coverage every weekday, please visit http://www.CWNews.com.

Hi Folks,

   Here's another good reason to re-introduce the St. Michael the Archangel prayer after each Mass.   Fr. Duffy of Madonna House said that a lot of the problems, liberalization, and exodus of priests in the 60's came quickly after the St. Michael Prayer was dropped.  Can we remember to pray the St. Michael Prayer for the military each day.  St. Martin of Tours is a patron of the military, I believe. We can ask his help too.  God Bless, Dan

Subject: Satanism accepted as an official religion in British Navy

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Consequences of De-Christianization

LONDON, NOV. 13, 2004 (Zenit.org).

Britain's Royal Navy stirred the waves last month when, for the first time, it gave official recognition to the practice of Satanism. According to an Oct. 24 report in the Telegraph, Chris Cranmer, a naval technician serving on the frigate Cumberland, is now allowed to perform Satanic rituals on board ship. He would also be able to have a funeral carried out by the Church of Satan if he were to be killed in action.

Cranmer is now petitioning the Ministry of Defence so that Satanism can be a registered religion in the armed forces. According to the Telegraph, the Church of Satan was founded in San Francisco in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey, author of "The Satanic Bible."

The article quoted a Royal Navy spokesman as saying that Cranmer's unconventional beliefs would not cause problems on board ship. "We are an equal-opportunities employer and we don't stop anybody from having their own religious values," he said.

In an Oct. 26 commentary in the Scotsman newspaper, Bruce Anderson said that naval authorities gave the go-ahead to Cranmer because they feared a lengthy legal action that could have ended up before the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, costing millions of pounds. The government, he said, is at fault for "nervously allowing a rights-based legal culture to intrude upon the armed forces."

Sophie Masson, in a commentary published Oct. 27 in the Sydney Morning Herald, considered the religious implications. The Church of Satan, she noted, says that "we are our own gods." Moreover, they hold that all traditional sins are virtues, that altruism is a myth and that the Christian virtues are just hypocrisy.

"The most frightening thing is that our society has seemingly become so disconnected from meaning that it no longer takes seriously the very building blocks of its culture," she added. "To worship the principle of evil itself is to invite it into your life and the lives of those around you, sometimes in unpredictable and horrifying ways."

Decline in faith

The navy's recognition of Satanism is just one in a series of news items detailing the decline in Christianity in Britain. On Aug. 18 the newspaper Independent published details of a report by the UK Home Office showing that while most white Britons still call themselves Christian, in practice religion plays little part in their lives.

The survey, based on 15,500 interviews, showed 74% called themselves Christian. But among those who professed their Christianity, when asked what they considered important to their identity, religion was cited by only 17% of white Christians, after other factors such as family, work, age, education, gender, income and social class. By contrast, among black people, 70% of whom say they are Christian, religion was third on the list, and Asians placed it second, behind family.

The survey also showed a weak Christianity among youth. Just 18% of Christians aged 16 to 24 considered their religion as important. Religion was more important for young people in other groups: 74% of Muslims; 63% of Sikhs; and 62% of Hindus.

Then, on Nov. 4, the Times published details of another study pointing to a severe decline in traditional religion, and a rise of mysticism. The study, carried out by two specialists in religion from Lancaster University, Linda Woodhead and Paul Heelas, looked at Kendal, a town of 28,000 in Cumbria.

In their book containing the results of the study, "The Spiritual Revolution," the academics observed that only 7.9% of the town's population now attends church, down from 11% two decades ago.

The practice of what the authors term "holistic activity," while still limited, is fast-growing. Currently, 1.6% of the population of the town and environs engage in some kind of holistic activity. During the 1990s, the growth of this number was rapid, and if current trends continue, within 30 years the holistic activities will be the dominant form of religious worship.

Some of the comments cited by the study revealed dissatisfaction with being "preached at" and a preference for describing their religious needs in psychological language. But the Times article also cited the Reverend Brian Maiden, of Parr Street Evangelical Church in Kendal, who declared that he believes that the liberalism of Christianity has turned people off it. "The people of Britain have been inoculated with a dead, mild form of Christianity, which has given them resistance to the real thing," he said. "It has been diluted with human philosophy. People want to be told what to do and how to do it."

The occult gains force

Britain is not alone in the trend toward the occult and alternative spiritualities. In the United States, for instance, Halloween continues to grow in popularity, the Los Angeles Times reported Oct. 11.

Although many celebrate Halloween on a merely superficial level, the article noted that sales of Halloween goods this year are projected to grow faster, at 5.4%, than those of Christmas, 4.5%. According to the Los Angeles Times the National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will have spen t more than $3 billion this season on Halloween products.

On a more serious level, news of Druidic influence in the Episcopalian Church has drawn attention. According to the Washington Times of Nov. 1, a Druidic "women's eucharist" and a "divorce rite," posted on the Episcopal Church's official Web site, outraged a number of Episcopalians. The rites were removed from the Web site after church headquarters began receiving complaints.

Shortly afterward, the Philadelphia Inquirer, on Nov. 5, reported that two Episcopal priests, a married couple, the Reverend Glyn Ruppe-Melnyk and the Reverend William Melnyk, had resigned from the leadership of a local Druid society. They may face disciplinary action from the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. During almost four years, while they led parishes in Malvern and Downingtown, the couple were also spiritual guides to local Druids, according to the Inquirer.

Another sign of the growing influence of non-Christian groups is the spread of Wicca. The term can cover a multitude of practices, but it is part of a neo-paganism involving the worship of diverse gods and sometimes the practice of witchcraft. According to an article by Christine Wicker titled "Teen Pagans," posted on the Web site of Belief Net, Wicca is increasingly popular among adolescents.

Its spread is fostered by the contemporary interest in the occult, as well as the ease with which information about these groups can be disseminated via the Internet. Attempts to put a number on followers of Wicca have not met with much success, according to data posted on the Web site of the multi-faith Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Estimates of their numbers in the United States range from a low 2,000 to a high of 5 million.

Death of morality

Leaving aside what the decline of Christianity means from a religious viewpoint, attention on the social consequences was the focus of a book published earlier this year, "The Strange Death of Moral Britain," by Christie Davies.

His book charts what he terms the decline of "respectable Britain" - the increase in crime, drug use, illegitimacy, abortion, homosexuality, etc. -- and links it to the declining influence of Christian morality. Over the last few decades, notably since the 1950s, moral values once instilled by such institutions as Sunday schools have been replaced by a secularized attitude of minimizing harm, regardless of moral considerations.

Recognizing one person's right to practice Satanism may be dismissed as a trivial incident. But it can also be seen as symptomatic of a society that is rapidly becoming de-Christianized, a process that brings with it many unpleasant surprises.

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CONVINCE ME

   Last night I watched part of a program on PBS, which dealt with "marketing gurus."   It was shown that millions of dollars are paid to a French "Dr. Know Your Mind" for a "code" (formula) which taps into your unconscious "gotta have its."

   The guru's marketing seminar was a "Who's Who" of Brand Name Ville: Boeing was there; GMC was there; the "fragrance" people were there...just to name a few.

   The point is we're being programmed in ways we don't even know. Then another marketing guru, an American chap, showed how words help soften (read sell / persuade) consumers / voters to accept or reject, the identical product depending upon what phrasing is used to package the idea / product.

   In particular, this guru came up with the synonym  "global climate change" for "global warming" (remember that shift?); in the U.S., he helped get the government (in certain states, I believe) to do away with "estate taxes" by substituting the more emotional "DEATH TAX," - an abolishment that lawyers had been working on - unsuccessfully - for years.

   So what is my point? I believe we have to refuse to accept the term "Anti-Abortion" uses to describe ourselves; I recommend that we use terms like: "Pro-Future" or  "Pro-Wonder"...or "Pro-Mystery ...or "Pro-Laughter" with a Laughing Child on the Poster ... "Pro-Joy" could similarly be used. Similarly, "Pro-Hope" could also be used.   But now another thought comes to me:  Pro-Person.   Perhaps we could have a little survey here:

eg.  I'm a Pro-Joy person.  

On the flip side, we need to stop using the term:   "Pro-Choice."   This language was specially designed by anti-life forces to sell their Anti-Humanity agenda.  How about that term? I just found myself using it:  "Anti-Humanity?"  Perhaps even:  "Anti-Gift." (Seeing as children are a gift from God).  I'm being serious here.   We need to stop using the term:  Pro-Choice and come up with a new language that is based on truth but which also taps into people's emotional makeup.   Till Next Time,   Dan  ... Isaiah 38: 15-17

The Grand Insperiment: Fasting With a Purpose

     I've gotten myself into a habit the past couple of years.   It concerns that age ol' practice of fasting.   A practice to be done in secret. (Mt. 6:18)  Yet I share my limited experience here, because, from the Lord's own example, I trust that we are to speak  "clearly" to each other as disciples, while to the "others," we often must speak "only in parables." (Mt 13V10)   So here goes...

  As a rule I fast every Wednesday and Friday morning, and sometimes I fast from water in a different afternoon as well (provided I don't get dizzy spells).   What's left?   Well, I confess the radio knob stays off most of the time also, since I choose to catch up on the issues of the day through the internet or newspapers.

   What impact does this have on me?  Personally, I know it helps in the area of self-control, as well as in giving me a sense of inner peace.   It takes less time to "let go" of the trials of the day.   It also makes my guitar practice that much more of a joy, since my ears have become "hungry."   But I've become aware of a weakness.   It is this:  I haven't been tying my fasting to any particular purpose.   I've been using the "shotgun" approach, splattering the grace all over the place.   But I'm sensing the Lord wants it to be tied.   So I'm going to try an "insperiment."   I call it an "insperiment" as opposed to an "experiment" since I believe my "insperiment" is inspired, as opposed to the mere guesswork of "experiments."

   And what is to be the "object" of my "insperiment?"   ...Well... I'm going to start offering one of my fast days for mens' ministry.   Anyone care to join me?   The Lord will bless our unity:

"How else could one man rout a thousand, how could two put ten thousand to flight...were it not that their rock has delivered them up?"

For most of us going through family trials, it's almost by default that we offer our fasting for the family member / situation / crisis in question, so it takes a change of thinking to begin fasting for a situation which seems less urgent to us.   I have, over the past few years, however, witnessed a number of situations which seem "pretty big" which I sense the Lord saying to "leave alone" in prayer.   It's as if he's saying "I don't want you obsessing over this; I know what I'm doing, it's taken care of."   And this takes trust on our part.   Too often we think a problem isn't taken care of until it is completely "fixed."   I'm guessing that for the Lord, the problem is "taken care of" when the will of the person begins to be transformed - which is a sign that while the person hasn't yet "arrived" - they have begun to move in a new direction.   And this transformation may only become "visible" to our eyes when it reaches the "fruit bearing" stage  - which may be months or years away.   So give yourself "permission" to let go of your loved ones, and ask the Lord just what or who you should be offering your fasting / sacrifices for.   Dan   Isaiah 38:  15-17

See  Sirach 11v22-23  Very Important Verse!

Prov 10v22  "The blessing of Yahweh is what brings riches, to this hard toil has nothing to add."

Prov 11v17  "The generous man is his own benefactor."

Prov 11v24  "One is extravagant, yet his riches grow, another excessively mean, but only grows the poorer."

Prov 11v29  "He who misgoverns his house inherits the wind."

Prov 13v11  "A sudden fortune will dwindle away, he grows rich who accumulates little by little."

Theresa of Avila:  "Preserve me from all powerful lords and ladies, since they are curiously apt to contradict themselves."(eg. Sheila C. (politician) meets Fr. Joseph Bill, has tears, then becomes a flagbearer for same sex marriage less than 6 weeks later.

Lev 25v3  "For six years you shall sow your field, for six years you shall prune your vine and gather its produce.   But in the 7th year the land is to have its rest, a Sabbath for Yahweh."

Lev 25v20  "I have ordered my blessing to be on you for every 6th year, which will therefore provide you for three years.   You will have the old produce to eat in the eighth and even in the 9th year."

Lev 26v1  "I will give you the rain you need at the right time." 

Dt 26v1  "When you come to the land Yahweh is giving you, you must set aside the first fruits of all the produce of the soil raised by you in the land Yahweh is giving you."

Job 42v10  "You restore my fortunes, O Lord!"

Eph 3v21  "You give more than I can ask or imagine."

Lk 12v15  "A man's life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs."

Mt 6v33  "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself."

Mt 6v33  "Do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself."

Phil 2v4  "Do not look out merely for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

Phil 4v6  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God."

Phil 4v11  "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in."

Constantia Hope - Dominican Republic; 84 years old in utter poverty, yet beaming with joy and expressing thanks to God for all she has)

Phil 4v12  "I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering.   I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.   Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction."

Mt 6/ Fr Bedard:  The Lord did not promise that he would make us rich, but rather that he would take care of us:   tomorrow will take care of itself."

Is 49v8  "I will restore the land and assign you the estates that lie waste."

Mt 25v29  "To everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from"...

Hector L:  Chuck C's client, losing lots of money.  Many wait too long before they "close down" an unprofitable business.   Pray for decisiveness.

Phil 4v12  I know how to be poor, and I know how to be rich too."

Acts 7v9  "God made Joseph wise enough to attract the attention of Pharaoh, who made him governor of Egypt, and put him in charge of the royal household."  

yet Stephen..., in recalling wisely the history of the Jewish people suffered the same end as Jesus."

Primacy of the Economic:  Materialism:
says:  "only those who can afford it should have the right to have children."
=   unwillingness to sacrifice.
=   the (false) necessity of pleasure.
=   denial of the God of justice. (for robbing through our excess, what belongs to others).

Dear VM Friends: Jim mentioned last week that I had some comments on finances. I've actually put together about seven pages of tips I've picked up over the years from Scripture and other sources (Not that I'm rich, but I trust a lot more than I used to).

If you would like to see more offerings like that presented below, please let me know at dang@virtualministry.com.

Finances, Part I

What strikes me today, as I read the list below, is the emphasis on the Sabbath rest in a number of the Leviticus texts halfway down.

Sirach 11v22-23 Trust in the Lord and keep to your duty; since it is a trifle in the eyes of the Lord, in a moment, suddenly to make a poor man rich.

Prov 10v22 "The blessing of Yahweh is what brings riches, to this hard toil has nothing to add."

Prov 11v17 "The generous man is his own benefactor."

Prov 11v24 "One is extravagant, yet his riches grow, another excessively mean, but only grows the poorer."

Prov 11v29 "He who misgoverns his house inherits the wind."

Prov 13v11 "A sudden fortune will dwindle away, he grows rich who accumulates little by little."

Theresa of Avila: "Preserve me from all powerful lords and ladies, since they are curiously apt to contradict themselves." (eg. A certain Cdn politician met Fr. Joseph Bill (a Catholic healer), had tears, then became a flagbearer for same sex marriage less than 6 weeks later.

Lev 25v3 "For six years you shall sow your field, for six years you shall prune your vine and gather its produce. But in the 7th year the land is to have its rest, a Sabbath for Yahweh."

Lev 25v20 "I have ordered my blessing to be on you for every 6th year, which will therefore provide you for three years. You will have the old produce to eat in the eighth and even in the 9th year."

Lev 26v1 "I will give you the rain you need at the right time."

Dt 26v1 "When you come to the land Yahweh is giving you, you must set aside the first fruits of all the produce of the soil raised by you in the land Yahweh is giving you."

Job 42v10 "You restore my fortunes, O Lord!"

Eph 3v21 "You give more than I can ask or imagine."

Lk 12v15 "A man's life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs."

Mt 6v33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself."

Dockside Evangelism

 I rented a canoe last Saturday in Combermere.   The price was right - $5 for a two hour rental.   As I started paddling around the corner of my launch site (the beach belonging to Stevenson's Lodge / Rentals) I decided to hug the shoreline and examine the cottages under their management.   There were about eight  small cottages.   They were all nicely spaced apart and nestled in behind evergreens near the shore.   I was curious as to how much they charged for these little hideaways.   So I decided to ask a fellow who had just come in from a little sojourn on the Madawaska.   He was securing his faded lime green  boat to the dock of his rented cottage.   "How much do this place cost a week?" I asked.   "$500, he answered...we've been coming here for 15 years."   I detected an American accent, so I asked where he was from.   "Washington, D.C." he said.

With that I mentioned that my father had grown up in the area (Barry's Bay), and that I was fond of it too.   His ears really perked up, however, when I mentioned that I spent over a year at Madonna House.   "What do they do over there?"  he asked.   I tried my best to explain it using the "evangelical counsels" (poverty, chastity, obedience) as my touchstones.   He responded with questions  like "Do they have their own cabins? (Some do)   Do they  have their own rooms? (Some do) ...Do you see any "pairing off" between the women and the men? (After they leave, in some cases)... What do you mean by obedience?" (I focused on the permission aspect as the hard part  for me - i.e.  permission must be granted before one can  purchase something personal or go offsite or have a poustinia day).  

 Basically, I tried to say that Madonna House folks trust God to meet their needs, not their wants.   He then mentioned how he could never live that structured a life, but that his sister had tried something similar in  Chicago.   "She's tried everything," he said.   He then asked me why people came to Madonna House.   In my own way I tried to say "to find themselves" (discern their vocation) or "rest awhile" (from demanding ministry).  

That question led to his telling me he was a retired teacher.   Feeling moved by the spirit, I passed on a Fr. Bob Bedard story.   I described how Fr. Bob, in meeting some old schoolmates, asked them what they were doing in their retirement.   "As little as possible," was the answer he most often received.   I explained how this was not God's will.   I then offered the example of Howard Riopelle, who at 80+ years of age was still actively engaged in seeking opportunities (most recently through Mission of the Redeemer) to bring people closer to God.   I then told him to "ask God what he should do with his retirement."   He answered, "You're right, I should do that."   After exchanging names, I paddled off.

I then recalled how a couple of days earlier, a prayer at our Thursday AM men's prayer breakfast had been for opportunities to share to gospel with complete strangers, where the Lord prompted.   This occasion was an answer to that prayer.

Dear VM Readers,

I write this the morning after the televised “political debate” over who will be Canada’s next Prime Minister. The debate itself is not what I will talk about here, however, but rather how Stephen Harper (up to this point) has surprised a lot of folks by moving quite quickly into a formidable position vis-à-vis the Liberals. We all know the primary catalyst was not the “HRDC boondoggle” or “gun registry” cost overruns. A certain amount of waste will always be with us, and these waste/scandal issues had already been raised months before and did nothing to help Mr. Harper. No, the real reason was Dalton McGuinty’s budget, which struck at the heart of Joe Squeezebill’s wallet. Specifically, the new Health Care Premium of $300 - $1050 (depending on your income) is what is creating all the fuss. Which brings me to my point. We must pray for a willingness to sacrifice to be planted in the hearts of our fellow Canadians. Unpopular as this may sound, Mr. McGuinty is asking the average Ontarian to suffer a little so that those who suffer a lot will have a chance to get the care they need.

We’ve been told that we’ve been living beyond our means for years, and yet we’re typically unwilling to make even small sacrifices (eg. voluntary lawn-sprinkler reductions in dry summer periods). A holy priest once told me that the only way the world gets changed is through prayer and sacrifice. Most of you folks do sacrifice, I’m sure. Most of you are already giving generously or tithing, so this health premium is a big hit. But are you praying for a willingness to sacrifice to be granted to your non-believing family members, neighbours and work-mates...let alone government departments? A fellow at my church - who owns his own high-tech company, told me that after the melt down he personally took a 40% pay cut, and asked all his managers to take 25% pay cuts - so that as many jobs could be conserved as possible. This is the spirit we need in our land.

Good ol’ Agur, speaking in Proverbs, had it right:

Proverbs 30v8: “Give me neither poverty nor riches,

Grant me only my share of bread to eat,

For fear that surrounded by plenty, I should fall away

And say, “Yahweh - who is Yahweh?”

Or else, in destitution, take to stealing

And profane the name of God

-----Original Message-----
Dear Jim & VM Readers: Here's one saint I'm glad to learn about. Who hasn't been lonely? ...Whose loneliness might you want me to ease today, Lord?
God Bless, Dan

----- Original Message -----
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ZENIT News Agency, The World Seen from Rome
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A Saint Who Knew Loneliness / Carmelite Author Talks About Gemma Galgani

ROME, APRIL 22, 2004 (Zenit.org).- One could think of St. Gemma Galgani as a patron of the lonely.

The saint who lived from 1878-1903 is an antidote against loneliness, say authors Father Bruno Moriconi and Armida Pezzini, in a news book on the young Italian.

In this interview with ZENIT, Father Moriconi, a Discalced Carmelite, explains what was behind Gemma Galgani's well-known smile, a saint who always retained her serenity even though she endured misunderstandings and was afflicted by sufferings.

Father Moriconi is co-author of "Beyond Loneliness: The Message of Gemma Galgani" ("Oltre la Solitudine. Il Messaggio di Gemma Galgani"), published by Città Nuova.

He teaches exegesis and Christology at the Pontifical Faculty Teresianum of Rome, and at the Camillianum International Institute of Health Care Pastoral Theology.

Q: What is hidden behind St. Gemma Galgani's smile, the saint of the Passion?
Father Moriconi: St. Gemma was really an attractive girl. But behind her smile, which we discuss in the first chapter of the book, there was much more: her attitude, welcoming and loving, and her serenity, derived from her faith.

Despite the sad incidents of her life, Gemma offered everything that befell her for the good of others. Behind her smile was the love of Jesus Christ for the whole of humanity.

"Jesus, I would like my voice to reach the confines of the whole world," she said. In fact, St. Gemma told Christ that in prayer she "would call all and tell them to enter his heart."

Despite the fact that she is identified precisely as the "saint of the Passion," Gemma is not attracted by suffering as such, but by the love which drove the Lord to give everything, even allowing himself to be crucified to take the love of the Father to all.

Q: Why does Gemma "enrich the world with the force of love," as you state? Father Moriconi: Because once one discovers what really moves and sustains her, Gemma is one of those figures of which we are in great need. Although there is much talk about love today, the love exercised in our world is many times another side of egoism, and of desiring to have everything at all cost.

Instead, the love of the saints, such as Gemma's, is really stronger than death, as it is that transparent and selfless love that we all need, regardless of our situation.

Q: How does one learn to have the trust that Gemma had to overcome loneliness?
Father Moriconi: We have chosen the title "Beyond Loneliness" for the book because it seems to us that it is, fundamentally, Gemma's message for our time.

First of all, because she remained alone, was unable to enter a convent, and experienced to the highest degree the isolation of loneliness.

In the second place, because although the conditions were there for her to despair or to fall into depression, she had the grace to find the strength to live with serenity.

Thanks to her mother, who had taught her trust in the Lord and in Mary, she reflected profoundly within herself and found that presence which no one could ever take away.

She went deeply into the simple way of prayer, which each one of us can do, in addition to prayer in the Church, in the secret of our own heart, at home, on the street, in school, at work, on all occasions. In fact, the only weapon against loneliness is always to have a You to whom one can turn.

Q: Did Gemma feel out of place, wanting to be a nun but being unable to do so due to her precarious health?
Father Moriconi: To enter a convent was the only thing that she really wanted. Although she received marriage proposals on more than one occasion, Gemma felt she was called to a life of consecration in a convent.

When she was rejected for the umpteenth time by the convent of Tarquinia, where she would have been happy to carry out the most humble services, Gemma could not help express her disappointment.

"They don't want me while I am alive but when I die they will look for me," she told an aunt. Words that proved to be prophetic, given that the convent of the Passionist Sisters of Lucca has been built around St. Gemma's Shrine.

Although she was not in the place where she wanted to be, Gemma did not abandon her daily commitments. Instead of questioning why these things were happening to her, including the rejection from the convent, she lived her life where she was.

Seeing her somewhat disappointed one day because of the nuns' rejection, her brother Tonino said to her: "Don't be upset; if you want to become a saint, you can do so outside the convent."

His advice was wise and is valid for everyone, given that the ideal conditions to live in the best way do not exist, but one can live the best way in any condition, as St. John of the Cross taught with this maxim of absolute efficacy: "Where you see there is no love, put love, and you will get love."

Q: Is her message attractive to young people? Father Moriconi: It might seem that it is not, because of a certain unilateral way of presenting her figure, so full of extraordinary phenomena that studded her brief life. But it is, as we have tried to show in this little book.

We address real life in depth, its ideals and fears. Even a youth of today can rediscover St. Gemma as a travel companion, as well as a patroness.

ZE04042220

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Challenge Rules the Runway

Theresa Carlson


Fifty-eight girls from Illinois show the fashion industry how it should be done.

Kelly Carlson (left) and Katie McMahon enjoyed the show.

The Third Annual Challenge Chicago Pure Style Fashion Show presented "A day of fun, fashion, modesty and memories" to more than three hundred attendees at The Carlisle in Lombard, Illinois on Sunday, May 18th. The event gathered Challenge Clubs from throughout the Chicago area, Kankakee and Champaign, to promote modest fashions for girls of today.

"From photos to speakers, lunch and fashions, the day was a beautiful example of what Challenge Clubs are all about," said Angela Colarelli, co-chair of the fashion show. "With the upcoming Youth and Family Encounter in July, many girls brought prospective members and families to experience the gathering and see the powerful example of Christ in the girls."

Upon arrival and registration, guests were invited to have a complimentary photograph taken. These photos were available to take home at the end of the day, a memory of a delightful afternoon spent with parents, daughters, and friends. Angela Colarelli and fellow co-chair Mary Ann Wood welcomed everyone to the show and encouraged them in the mission of Challenge: "To enable today´s young woman to give her best to others so that Christian culture will prevail in the heart of each person and in every society."

They then introduced club members Kayleigh Ayers & Brittany Pence, who spoke about what the Challenge Clubs have meant to them. They told of their clubs as a place where they can have fun, be themselves, and meet other girls who also want to know and love Christ.

Tammy Grady, a consecrated member of Regnum Christi, offered grace before lunch was served. Tammy said the "Challenge Club

Chicago Challenge's Third Annual Pure Style Fashion Show was a great example of what girls can do for Christ.

girls are an inspiring example not only locally but across the world as well. Having shown the girls in Australia a program from a prior Pure Style Show, they became excited to eventually have a show themselves." They promised to offer prayers for the success of the Challenge Chicago Fashion Show as well, Tammy said.

Next, featured speaker Tricia Magaletti, the Director of Challenge North America, reminded attendees of the inner beauty of all girls. "It isn´t the make up, hair styles or fashions that make them so," Tricia said. "Rather, they are beautiful simply because God made them in His image, and loves them tremendously." She spoke of how moved she was to see the girls put forth their best efforts for Christ through the Pure Style Show.

Prior to the show, all outfits had to meet certain standards for modesty. Though some styles had to be altered, moms Lisa Beecher and Mary Ann Wood ensured the fashions would be stylish yet modest.

The fashion show itself included fifty-eight participating "models." Junior high girls from the Challenge Club in the Chicago suburb of Lemont, Ill., modeled "Sunday Best" clothing. While the girls modeled to fun summer music, Angela Colarelli described the fashions for the audience. Each club presented a certain theme, modeling everything from beach wear (Champaign) to formal evening attire (Team Leaders from all areas), to sports wear (Lemont) to summer wear (Chicago) to casual wear (Champaign), to pajamas (Kankakee). Meredith Dadigan, team leader from Champaign, Ill., even modeled a bridal gown to the song "Goin´ to the Chapel," and the "Marvelous Moms" strolled the runway in summer styles, demonstrating that modesty and fashion appeal to women of all ages.

After closing remarks by Mrs. Colarelli, guests went home knowing what Challenge is: a North American club for girls ages 10-16 that strives to help girls with common interests to form a friendship with Christ. Through meetings, camps, and activities such as the Pure Style Fashion Show, Challenge enables girls to discover and develop their natural talents and place them at the service of society. Through the fashion show, these girls really did model their motto, "Challenge yourself. Challenge others. Challenge the World!"

The next event for the Challenge Clubs is a Mother-Daughter Retreat in June, and an ECYD convention and YTM mission in Chicago.

(June 16, 2003)

WORRY NO MORE

Mark Twain once said: “My life has been filled with disasters...most of which have never happened. If we’re honest, each of us would admit that there have been at least some times in our lives when worry has gotten the better of us.

Yet, why is it that we worry? (Ask those present)

Often, it is because we perceive a threat: A threat that we will lose something we hold dear - like our health, our job or our home; that we will lose someone we hold dear - like our spouse or our children because of death, divorce, or a move...or...that we will lose some dream we hold dear - like owning our own home or business, getting married, raising happy and successful children or simply “enjoying our retirement.”

Worry in large part is a habit which is learned. And habits are living things. They kick in automatically, with no help from us...like the guy who says “ya know” a thousand times a day, and isn’t even aware of it. Only for the worrier the inner mind repeats some version of the all too common question: “What if?” i.e. “What if I don’t finish this?” “What if my marks aren’t high enough?” “What if he doesn’t like me?” “What if I lose my job?”...what if my pension won’t cover expenses? etc. etc.

So, we know there is a lot that we can worry about, but what does it do to us as we allow it to get the better of us?

Prov 12v25 states: “Worry makes a man’s heart heavy, a kindly word makes him glad.”

Yes, it makes our hearts heavy. We feel weighed down.

Lamentations 3v19 puts it this way: “Brooding on my anguish and affliction is gall and wormwood.”

...which is really just another way of saying that it makes us bitter.

Yet, for us Christians,the verse that really caught my attention a few years back is the following:

Ps 37:“Do not fret (worry),it only leads to evil.”

It leads to evil.How? Well, perhaps things don’t turn out our way, so we get angry and become complainers, or we feel self-pity and neglect our responsibilities (for our children, our spouse, our health, our home etc.), or we begin interfering in the affairs of others by trying to fix problems which are theirs to fix, not ours. Conversely, we may begin to “let ourselves go” and “blame others” (perhaps maybe only in our hearts but blame we do) for our “sorry lot.” We can begin to say “what’s the use” and give in to despair.

In short, we begin to focus increasingly on our problems and those of the people around us, to the point where many say “I can’t help it.” And this is true - to a degree. I myself was one of those people who said “I can’t help it.” Worry had a “habit” of kicking in whenever some demanding form of stress or confrontation took place - robbing me of the joy and peace I somehow knew should have been mine.

On the road to recovery, I learned that the worry bug can be picked up even in the womb, passed on from an anxious mother to a child. I also learned that experiencing some form of trauma or deprivation (eg. of love, security) can leave its emotional scars on us, especially when experienced earlier in life. For example we may have been thrown into a problem we or our guardians didn’t know how to fix, and so we suffered as a result. In the process our inner selves may have told us that “those assigned to protect us cannot be trusted in moments of danger; therefore we are really vulnerable and on our own.” And so whenever we face similar threatening situations in the future, our worry bug kicks in. It’s as if we are trying to protect ourselves from a repeat performance of the earlier trauma or depri