We're back!!

After almost a year of post-less days, we're getting re-engaged in the battle for our culture. The election of President Obama and the corruption in Washington has sparked some of the resurgence, but it also has to do with prayerfully reflecting on whether or not we're going to just lie down as society declines or if we're going to do something, anything, to push back.

Looking at our children and trying to foresee what the future is going to be like for them, we're not going to lie down. Our children need to know we care and that we're not apathetic to the world's problems.

NFCM New Media Network

Good afternoon men! You may have already received this message, but just in case you haven't, well, here it is! I've been listening to their Sunday podcasts for many months, usually while I'm driving in the car or doing some chores around the house. They're helpful in that the focus is on men's spirituality. Often, there are some insightful questions for reflection at the end of each podcast.

I've also noted a great number of Catholic Men's groups around the nation, many of which I wasn't aware even existed. If there's not one in your area, you may find the NFCM helpful in getting the word out about a men's group you form at your parish.

Check out and support the National Fellowship of Catholic Men by downloading their helpful content...

Dear Brothers,

Greetings from the National Fellowship of Catholic Men. Below are several new resources from the NFCM this week that we will help you grow in your faith as a Catholic man, including our NFCM NEW MEDIA NETWORK. Please forward this email to other Catholic men that you believe could also benefit from them. If you are receiving this as a forwarded copy, you can receive this automatically each week by registering on the NFCM website. Just take a few minutes to do so by clicking here: REGISTRATION

As you are no doubt aware, God is continuing to move powerfully among Catholic men, and we are seeing sustained growth in the Catholic men’s movement. The NFCM, in collaboration with other men's ministries and with the support and endorsement of our Bishops, has played a major part in this growth. This includes our support to Catholic men’s conferences, fellowships, and men’s groups; and in training and formation of Catholic men's leaders. Here are some excerpts from an endorsement letter from Bishop Aymond of the Austin diocese (June 2006):

"Our Church desperately needs the Catholic men to take their rightful roles in their families, Church, and communities as men of God. An organization such as the NFCM clearly provides the vehicle to accomplish this goal. There is no stronger force in the world than a group of Catholic men evangelizing their faith and their commitment to Jesus Christ, their families, the Catholic Church and their communities."

NEW RESOURCES FROM THE NFCM THIS WEEK

• CLICK HERE and go to Channel Two on the NFCM New Media Network for a new compilation of inspired talks to Catholic Men at conferences, retreats, and missions, including talks by Peter Herbeck and others.
• CLICK HERE and go to Channel One on the NFCM New Media Network for a 10 minute weekly podcast reflection for men, by dynamic priests and deacons, on the upcoming Sunday Mass Readings.
• CLICK HERE to go to a new Catholic Man Channel Article, "Evangelizations, The Essential Mission of the Church"!
• CLICK HERE for a meditation on this Sunday's Mass Readings, "Trusting In God's Promises" -- plus discussion questions for men.
• CLICK HERE for information on the Catholic Men's Conference in Colorado Springs, CO., on September 13, 2008 (and on other men's conferences).
  

PARTNERING WITH THE NFCM

We are totally supported by the generosity of those who believe in our ministry, and those whom we serve. We ask you to prayerfully consider financially supporting the NFCM's vital ministry to Catholic men, especially during the summer months when contributions fall off. CLICK HERE to make a contribution.

May God richly bless you.
Maurice Blumberg, Director
National Fellowship of Catholic Men Center

If you know someone else who would like to receive periodic emails from the National Fellowship of Catholic Men, please encourage them to sign up via CatholicMensResources.org.

Our postal address is
PO Box 86381
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20886
United States

[Cross-posted to the Catholic-Dads blog]

We can't just avoid sin; we must also share the light of Christ

I was having a conversation with Matthew Parris, a good Catholic friend of mine, about the initiation of this blog and the motives behind it. As I mentioned in our first post "Setting ablaze the light", I hope to do more to engage the world around our family. Likewise, we hope to encourage others to do more of the same.

Matt agreed and responded with an except he heard from a Legionary of Christ priest. I quote Matt's recollection of the priest's passage:

In the excerpt, the author warned of Christianity becoming a way of life where one simply avoids evil. Taken to an extreme, this can result in legalism where actions are a result of following a rule and avoiding what is bad. Whereas this is a necessary first step for the Christian, his conscience must consider sins of omission. We are all here on a mission, each of which may be manifested in various ways. We as Christians must be active-- evangelizing, engaging the culture, etc. We must all look for opportunities to spread the light of Christ and not resort to just looking out for ourselves. We're not here for ourselves, but for each other.

This is the struggle I believe all Christians face -- being citizens in the world, but not being of the world (it's very important to know the difference). Some Christians respond better than others. For myself, I must admit that my response thus far has not be sufficient.

Up to this point, my journey of faith has not been unlike the path taken by many others; some mistakes have taken us away from God but we eventually gain the conviction to get back on the narrow road towards the Kingdom of Heaven. My journey, in brief, consists of growing up with the faith ("Cradle Catholic"), falling away when I began to get too wrapped up in worldy concerns, but then later returning to my faith with renewed vigor. I attribute my return to the Church to be due to God's grace and the desire He impressed upon my heart to pursue the truth that had been exposed to me in my youth.

And so in continuing to follow Christ wherever he may lead me, I now find myself writing here. The first step of avoiding sin as best as I am able has become my way of life. The next step involves this apostolate as just one way of helping me move away from simply avoiding evil to include doing more to serve our neighbors in need and to bring the light of Christ to a world full of shadows and darkness.

Despite the daunting expanse of need in the world today, none of us should be intimidated because our efforts, joined with the love of God, can truly change the world. We may never see the fruits of our labor in this world, but we can be sure that any good deed performed out of a love for God has its reward, for God sees all we do.

Setting ablaze the light

And so it begins... the Ruggiero family has begun this apostolate to bring forward topics of relevance to our lives with a Catholic perspective. We'll focus primarily on the issues that pertain to our family and all families of the world. Our readers are you -- friends, family, and the wandering visitor -- but you're not just a reader, you are a contributor. You will have the opportunity to comment on what we say or respond to what others say. Whether you agree or disagree, we want to hear from you.

You might be asking, "why this?" Well, to be completely honest, I have never been one to have an interest to enter in to the "blogosphere". In fact, I always told myself that I couldn't see myself sharing mindless, miscellaneous details of our life with others, like what kind of pizza we just ordered, the traffic-jam we encountered in town, or idle chat about the fleeting trends of the day (BORING!).

The change of mind has come through prayer... an inner sense that we, as a family, must be willing to actively shine forth the light of Christ by placing our lamp on a lampstand for all to see; not in a way to boast or showcase ourselves, but rather to demonstrate a positive alternative to the lifestyles promoted by secular society. Radiated light is never unsuccessful in displacing the darkness. In a world which will always have darkness due to the fall of man through original sin, we all must be willing to combat the darkness through the expression of Christ's light that exists in all of us.

Naturally, we seek to share Christ's love with all the people that we meet. We may not always be successful in that pursuit, either through our own sin or through missed opportunities. While we continue to pursue those ideals on a daily basis, this apostolate seeks to pair words with our actions.

Therefore, using the technology of our day to engage those we do not have regular contact with (and perhaps have never met), we can do more to reach out to all of God's children (i.e., YOU!). In essence, we can evangelize. We can share our joys and sufferings (and the joys found in suffering). We can stimulate your mind to consider things you won't hear in your regular communication circles. And hopefully, as a result, you will feel compelled to also increase your charitable and loving demonstration of Christ's light to others. Together, we can make a difference in the world.

So come back often and share in the joy of Jesus Christ, our eternal Father in Heaven. Praise be His name forever!

~The Ruggiero Family~

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We can't just avoid sin; we must also share the light of Christ