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"Catholic Life" Archives:
2009
October
- The Nicene Creed: Part 7
What Do We Believe?
by Brandon Jubar
"What do you believe?" That was basically how it all started.
As we stood on that vacant stage, the work lights casting eerie shadows all around us, this Christian Rock guitar player had started to "witness" to me. He went on for many minutes about his conversion and acceptance of Christ as his "personal Lord and Savior". Eventually, he worked his oration back around to me.
"If you've been a Catholic all your life, you must be able to share with me your understanding of our Savior."
It was a challenge, not a request. So I answered it the only way I knew how -- by reciting our profession of faith. It wasn't going that bad, either, until I reached a certain part...
"We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church."
He almost leaped out of his shoes in his haste to stop me from continuing. "That is such an arrogant statement! The Catholic Church has it roots in paganism. And it's based upon the traditions of men, practically ignoring God's Word! How can you claim that you are more holy than other true Christians?" Read more...
August
- The Nicene Creed: Part 6
What Do We Believe?
by Brandon Jubar
For years I had said these words. But never with the sincerity nor the conviction with which I said them at that moment. I looked into the eyes of this born-again Christian guitar player, and I "explained" to him what I believed.
"We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets." Read more...
July
- The Nicene Creed: Part 5
What Do We Believe?
by Brandon Jubar
I paused a moment, the words ringing in my ears.
"...he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man."
Again, he looked as if he wanted to interrupt me. But this "born again" Christian rock guitar player had received my attention for many long minutes -- I was not about to stop. When he took a sharp breath, obviously preparing to interject a comment, I continued with my explanation of what, as a Catholic, I believed.
"For our sake, he was crucified under Pontius Pilot;
he suffered, died and was buried.
On the third day, he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
And his kingdom will have no end." Read more...
May
- The Nicene Creed: Part 4
What Do We Believe?
by Brandon Jubar
"Through him all things were made."
"Wait a minute," he interrupted. "I asked you what you believe. All you're doing is reciting the Apostle's Creed. Is that all Catholic's can do? Memorize a few prayers?"
His comment broke my train of thought. We were standing backstage, and only a handful of stage hands shared the theater with us. As I stopped and looked at this Christian Rock guitar player, he gave me a condescending look and shook his head in disgust.
"It's the Nicene Creed," I stated. "And it's what I believe. I just stood here for five minutes, listening to you quote scripture to me from memory. Is that all you can do? Memorize a few passages from the Bible?"
He started to speak, but I cut him off. "Now you wait a minute. I let you say your piece. And I really listened to what you had to say. So do the same for me and let me finish. And try to really listen." Read more...
April
- The Nicene Creed: Part 3
What Do We Believe?
by Brandon Jubar
The question was still ringing in my ears as I continued on. "What do you believe? If you've been a Catholic all your life, you must be able to share with me your understanding of our Savior."
But I was on a roll now. The words just kept coming...
"We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
one in being with the Father." Read more...
March
- The Nicene Creed: Part 2
What Do We Believe?
by Brandon Jubar
"What do you believe? If you've been a Catholic all your life, you must be able to share with me your understanding of our Savior."
It had caught me off guard, forcing a brief pause while I collected my thoughts. What do I believe? It had only taken a moment to come to me, and then the words just rolled off my tongue.
But those words, which I had spoken a thousand times, seemed to take on new meaning as they spilled forth. I thought about each line... each word... as I continued through my profession of faith:
"...the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen." Read more...
February
- The Nicene Creed: Part 1
What Do We Believe?
by Brandon Jubar
Born Again Rocker
"Why are you Catholic?" It was a loaded question -- and judging by the slight smirk on his face, one that he had obviously asked before.
"I was born and raised Catholic," was my reply. It was the truth, and had always seemed like a good enough reason. But it was a reason that I had never really examined. In fact, I had never even been challenged on my beliefs before that moment. Read more...
January
- Repetitive Prayer for the New Year: What's Up With That?
by Brandon Jubar
You want to ring in the New Year on a positive note, so you start by making resolutions and praying for God's help in keeping them. But rather than focusing on the resolution part of that equation, let's spend a little time discussing the second part -- prayer. For if we don't know how to pray, how in the world are we going to lose all that weight? Read more...
2008
December
- Prepare for the Coming of the Lord!
by Brandon Jubar
"For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man."
In the space of five lines, the Nicene Creed covers the birth of Jesus. But don't be fooled, for the amount of text used does not equate to the importance of that wondrous event. During this month before Christmas, in this season we call Advent, the Church will help us to prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth. These four weeks are much more indicative of the importance of Christmas than the five lines of the Creed... provided we actually use them to prepare! Read more...
November
- Marriage: Happily Ever After
by Rod Hetherton
Most people would agree that weddings are exciting and fun-filled events. They are filled with love, family, friends, food, song and dance. Although a wedding is only one day in a couple's life, it should be a great starting point for kicking-off their marriage. The big question is...what should go into that marriage? Well,the Catholic Church teaches us about the many wonderful components of marriage, so I took just a few quotes out of the Catechism to help us explore. Read more...
September
- The Eucharist
by Rod Hetherton
The biggest event in my memory from CCD class was the 7th and 8th grade trips to Boblo Island, near Detroit. I loved feeling like an adult, riding the ferry, and looking for girls. The next biggest thing I remember was my brother getting put in a closet by a nun for some ridiculous reason. So what was I supposed to have learned in catechism class? Read more...
August
- Preferential Option for the Poor -- Am I Doing My Part?
by Jacki Popadich
I had fifty cents to my name. No kidding. I had just hopped off the bus on Washtenaw Avenue and had begun my 6-block hike to work. As I was heading past the library I heard a familiar call. "Hey, sweetie, can you spare some change?"
I turned around to see an old man in a wheelchair. I stopped for a second to think. I'm on my way to wait tables in a busy restaurant, but it's a Monday, notorious for being a slow day. There's no guarantee that I'll even make enough for bus fare home.
But it was only fifty cents -- so I figured I might as well. He probably needed it more than I did anyway. And so I dug into my pocket, produced the change and continued on my way.
Read more...
July
- The Sin of Unforgiveness
by Jacki Popadich
A friend of mine called me up once and said to me, "I just got two free tickets to see CCR. Wanna go?" Hmmm...free ticket to see Creedence Clearwater Revisted. Do I wanna go? Do I EVER!
So there we were the night of the concert, waiting for the band to come on stage when suddenly, SPLASH! Something cold, wet and sticky is running down my back. Then I hear a giggle and a "Sorry, man!" So I said, "no problem," since people spill stuff all the time -- no big deal. But a minute or two later I hear the woman behind me who spilled her drink all over me bragging to a newcomer that she had. They then begin kicking our seats and telling us to expect them to spill more all over us for the rest of the evening. Read more...
June
- A Little About the BibleWritten by Berniece Shuster
Edited by Brandon Jubar
What Is It?
The Bible is a collection of "little books" of every sort and description written over a long period of time (1200 BC or earlier, and late as 150 AD). The Catholic Church recognizes 46 books written before Christ as the Old Testament and 27 books written about Christ as the New Testament. These books are bound together as one book and were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, and some in Greek. The Bible contains all types of literature, some of which are ancient songs and poetry; (Psalms); love stories (David and Bathsheba); fiction (Jonah); biography (Jesus); great drama (Revelation); numerous proverbs; tragedies; short stories; and the most extraordinary letters ever written (St. Paul). Read more...
May
- DVD Review: "Orange County" and Human Person Adequately Considered
by Jacki
Popadich
 Entertainment these days is a jungle. All this brain, eye and ear candy is constantly being fed to me, and now I think I'm sick to my stomach from all the sugar. We are constantly being bombarded with all kinds of media. I know that I personally spend a sizable chunk of my paycheck on movies, music and magazines. So as a Catholic young adult, what is worth your time and money?
Read more...
March
- Challenge 5: Love
Five Challenges of Faith (Part 5)
by Brandon Jubar
Jesus did more than simply teach. He did more than lead by example. Jesus of Nazareth caused people to experience faith -- some, perhaps, for the very first time. In a religious culture that had deteriorated to the point where "faith" had become nothing more than a list of rules and regulations, the life, teachings and parables of Jesus truly rocked their world. Even today, we are challenged by the teachings of Christ. In this final article of the series, we will discuss another such distinct challenge. Read more...
February
- Challenge 4: Gratitude and Joy
Five Challenges of Faith (Part 4)
by Brandon
Jubar
Jesus did more than simply teach. He did more than lead by example. Jesus of Nazareth caused people to experience faith -- some, perhaps, for the very first time. In a religious culture that had deteriorated to the point where "faith" had become nothing more than a list of rules and regulations, the life, teachings and parables of Jesus truly rocked their world. Even today, we are challenged by the teachings of Christ. In this fourth article in the series, we will discuss another such distinct challenge. Read more...
January
- Challenge 3: Trust
Five Challenges of Faith (Part 3)
by Brandon Jubar
Jesus did more than simply teach. He did more than lead by example. Jesus of Nazareth caused people to experience faith -- some, perhaps, for the very first time. In a religious culture that had deteriorated to the point where "faith" had become nothing more than a list of rules and regulations, the life, teachings and parables of Jesus truly rocked their world. Even today, we are challenged by the teachings of Christ. In this third article in the series, we will discuss one such distinct challenge. Read more...
2007
December
- Challenge 2: Humility
Five Challenges of Faith (Part 2)
by Brandon Jubar
Jesus did more than simply teach. He did more than lead by example. Jesus of Nazareth caused people to experience faith -- some, perhaps, for the very first time. In a religious culture that had deteriorated to the point where "faith" had become nothing more than a list of rules and regulations, the life, teachings and parables of Jesus truly rocked their world. Even today, we are challenged by the teachings of Christ. In this second article in the series, we will discuss one such distinct challenge. Read more...
November
- Challenge 1: Mystery and Wonder
Five Challenges of Faith (Part I)
by Brandon Jubar
Jesus did more than simply teach. He did more than lead by example. Jesus of Nazareth caused people to experience faith -- some, perhaps, for the very first time. In a religious culture that had deteriorated to the point where "faith" had become nothing more than a list of rules and regulations, the life, teachings and parables of Jesus truly rocked their world. Even today, we are challenged by the teachings of Christ. In this series of articles, we will discuss five such distinct challenges. Read more...
October
- Call No Man Father
by Brandon Jubar
"Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven" (Mt 23:9).
One common criticism of the Catholic Church by fundamentalist "Bible Christians" is our use of the title "father" in regards to our priests. Their assertion is that this is in direct violation of the words of Jesus. As Catholics, how can we respond to such claims? Read more...
September
- Shadow of a Doubt
by Brandon Jubar
Technology has put the world at our fingertips. We have become almost gluttonous in our demand for information. And whether we want to admit it or not, bad news sells better than good. The torrent of tragedy playing across our TVs, radios, and computers can cause our view of things to become skewed. The world seems depressing at best, and it is far too easy to fall into that trap called doubt. Read more...
July
- Original Sin: Time To Ask For Directions
by Jacki
Popadich
Perhaps you've read or heard this urban legend: A couple brings home their newborn son from the hospital. They introduce the new baby to their 3-year-old daughter. She asks her parents to leave her in the room alone with her new brother for a few minutes. The parents agree, but hesitantly. They leave the door open just a crack so they can keep an eye on what is going on. They hear the little girl say to the new baby, "Hey, little brother. Can you tell me what God is like? I'm starting to forget."
From this story, it sounds as though this little girl is starting to truly experience original sin. Yes, just starting to experience it. Read more...
June
- Baptism: Plunging for Christ
by Rod Hetherton
Perhaps it was only coincidence, but on the weekend that my youngest son, Jacob, was baptized, the readings for the mass centered on baptism. It was a beautiful day in which Jacob officially became a part of the church. But wait! He couldn't even walk or talk; he was totally dependant upon his mother and me. How could he have received a sacrament? Exactly what is baptism? Read more...
May
- The Bible Says...
by Brandon Jubar
When I was in high school, there was one type of person who intimidated me more than any other. It wasn't the class bully. It wasn't a gang member. It wasn't the cops or some other "authority" figure. No, the type of people who intimidated me held bibles in their hands. Read more...
March
- Sacred History and Relationships
Sacred History, Then and Now (Part II)
by Brandon Jubar
Generally speaking, sacred history is a religious interpretation of historical events. These events are usually at least partly confirmable by secular history (e.g. the Israelites were exiled to Babylon, but perhaps not exactly the way in which the Bible stories tell it), but the overarching goal is to explain the spiritual or religious meaning -- God's purpose -- behind such historical events. In Part I of this series, we looked at the meaning of "sacred history" and examined the idea that it is focused on the message and not simply the facts. In Part II, we will look closer at one example -- the Covenant -- to illustrate the importance of this concept of sacred history. Read more...
February
- What is Sacred History?
Sacred History, Then and Now (Part I)
by Brandon Jubar
Generally speaking, sacred history is a religious interpretation of historical events. These events are usually at least partly confirmable by secular history (e.g. the Israelites were exiled to Babylon, but perhaps not exactly the way in which the Bible stories tell it), but the overarching goal is to explain the spiritual or religious meaning -- God's purpose -- behind such historical events. Read more...
January
- A Cosmic Perspective
Grace, Christ & Spirit (Part VI)
by Brandon Jubar
Through this series of articles I am attempting to share my understanding of salvation as a fundamental theology for ministry and evangelization. In Parts I and II of this series, I painted the backdrop of my initial understanding of salvation, grace, and mankind; then tackled the difficult subject of the Trinity and that ever-elusive topic, "free will". In Part III of the series, I took a brief look at the nature of man and discussed a bit of our understanding about the nature of God.
The first three articles provided background and set the stage for an exploration into a different understanding of grace and salvation. Thus in Part IV of Grace, Christ and Spirit, I looked at my new understanding in preparation for Part V, where we had a more in-depth discussion on what this all means to ministry in the Church -- starting with eMinistry. In this final installment of the series, we'll pull back to get a much broader view in light of the new insights we've gained from the first five articles. Read more...
2006
December
- Ministry, Expertise, and Openness to Change
Grace, Christ & Spirit (Part V)
by Brandon Jubar
Through this series of articles I am attempting to share my understanding of salvation as a fundamental theology for ministry and evangelization. In Parts I and II of this series, I painted the backdrop of my initial understanding of salvation, grace, and mankind; then tackled the difficult subject of the Trinity and that ever-elusive topic, "free will". In Part III of the series, I took a brief look at the nature of man and discussed a bit of our understanding about the nature of God.
The first three articles provided background and set the stage for an exploration into a different understanding of grace and salvation. Thus in Part IV of Grace, Christ and Spirit, I looked at my new understanding in preparation for Part V, where we'll now have a more in-depth discussion on what this all means to ministry in the Church -- starting with eMinistry. Read more...
November
- A New (and Improved) Understanding
Grace, Christ & Spirit (Part IV)
by Brandon Jubar
Through this series of articles I am attempting to share my understanding of salvation as a fundamental theology for ministry and evangelization. In
Parts I and
II of this series, I painted the backdrop of my initial understanding of salvation, grace, and mankind; then tackled the difficult subject of the Trinity and that ever-elusive topic, "free will". In
Part III of the series, I took a brief look at the nature of man and discussed a bit of our understanding about the nature of God. These articles provided background and set the stage for an exploration into a different understanding of grace and salvation. In Part IV of Grace, Christ and Spirit, we'll look at that new understanding in preparation for a more in-depth discussion on what this all means to ministry in the Church. Read more...
October
- The Nature of Man and God
Grace, Christ & Spirit (Part III)
by Brandon Jubar
When I was in high school, I went to youth group with a friend of mine who wasn't Catholic. The other teens there seemed really nice but I only went one time. You see, we had a discussion with the youth minister that just blew my mind. It was so far from what I believed that I didn't even want to consider being a regular member of that group.
Read more...
September
- God, Christ and Grace
Grace, Christ & Spirit (Part II)
by Brandon Jubar
One of the most difficult topics I've tackled as a high school religious education teacher is that of Trinity. Most of the trouble I have teaching young people about it is probably due to the fact that it's one of those ideas that I personally struggle to get my mind around. For better or worse, I learn best from metaphors. I'm able to grasp new ideas by using old understandings as stepping stones. Unfortunately, I haven't heard a good metaphor to help explain the Trinity.
Read more...
August
- My Initial Understanding of Grace and Salvation
Grace, Christ & Spirit (Introduction)
by Brandon Jubar
"Have you been saved?" she said with a slightly condescending tone, as if she expected me to fumble with the answer. After all, I had just told her I was Catholic -- and Catholics don't really use that "saved" language. To an outsider, it may seem that we hesitate to answer the question because we haven't been "saved". The problem of course has nothing to do with that. The problem is that the true answer is far more than a simple "yes" or "no". Read more...
May
- Catholic Social Teaching: Stewardship of God's Creation
by Brandon Jubar
Scriptures tell us that God granted humanity dominion over the things of the earth because he created these things for us. As Catholics, we further believe that these gifts from God are intended to benefit everyone -- not just a select few. We also believe that we have a responsibility to care for the earth and the rest of creation as if we are stewards, not simply consumers. The way we handle that responsibility is a measure of our stewardship and we should see it as a means to show our respect for God, the Creator. Read more...
February
- Catholic Social Teaching: Economic Justice
by Brandon Jubar
Our search for the "common good" is founded on a belief in truth and justice, and given life by our love for one another. One way that we express this love is by honoring each other's rights and by accepting certain responsibilities -- at the individual and the governmental level. One such area of responsibility is the economy, where a complex mixture of factors is needed in order to maintain a balance that ensures justice to all people and not simply to the captains of industry. Read more...
2005
November
September
- Catholic Social Teaching: Rights and Responsibilities
by Brandon Jubar
In our search for the "common good", we start with a foundation of truth and justice, brought to life by love for one another. We express this love by honoring the rights of other people, just as they should honor our rights in turn. However, we have to keep in mind that all "rights" go hand-in-hand with certain responsibilities. Read more...
August
- Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor
by Brandon Jubar
Society and the social order are always in need of improvement, which is why the Church has set the "common good" as its goal. In order for us to be successful at this, we need a foundation of truth and justice, brought to life by love for one another. But what we need to stay focused on is that the "common good" means the good of all human life. Read more...
June
- Catholic Social Teaching: The Common Good
by Brandon Jubar
We are Sacred and Social
Each of us is special -- created in the image and likeness of God -- and that makes us "sacred". On the other hand, Christ calls us to be together in community -- to be in relationship with one another -- and that makes us "social". In essence, we are both sacred and social. And though we deserve many rights because we are unique creations, the protection of those rights is dependent upon society as a whole. Read more...
May
- Catholic Social Teaching: Bigger Than It Appears
by Brandon Jubar
In today's high tech world, it's easy to feel like we're caught in an information landslide. Faced with everything from 24 x 7 news networks to a sea of information at our fingertips via the world wide web, it's no wonder that people are suffering from information overload. The real problem, however, may not be with the quantity or quality of information available. The real problem may be the lack of both breadth and depth of information -- and the fact that we rely on it. Read more...
March
- Prepare, Experience, and Celebrate: The Culmination of the Liturgical Year
by Brandon Jubar
The season of Lent has always been important in the Catholic Church -- beginning with ashes on our foreheads, marking us as God's people, and ending with palms that remind us of the people's love for Jesus. The prayer, fasting, abstinence and almsgiving throughout Lent remind us that we are preparing for something bigger -- the Easter Triduum.
The Easter Triduum is the three-day celebration of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. It consists of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday. Unfortunately, Lent sometimes overshadows the Triduum in the minds of many Catholics, but the documents from Vatican Council II tell us that "the Easter Triduum of the passion and resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire liturgical year." (General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, # 18)
The purpose of Lent is for us to prepare ourselves for these three days.
Read more...
February
- BOOK REVIEW: GOD's Library (by Joe Paprocki)
by Brandon Jubar
Having been raised Catholic, I'm very familiar with the seven major Sacraments of the Church. I'm also fairly knowledgeable when it comes to the mass, which I attend every week. I even know a great deal about the Catechism and various teachings of the Church. But one area where I have been unfortunately weak is in my understanding (or lack thereof) of the Bible itself.
If you share my discomfort, then GOD's Library, by Joe Paprocki, is definitely the book for you!
Read more...
2003
December
September
2002
July
- The Rapture Trap
by Brandon Jubar
Everywhere you go these days, there is a book display for the Left Behind series. It seems that the fundamentalist Christian theology of end-times prophecy has taken pop culture by storm. With so many conflicting theories floating around, what's a person to do? Read more...
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