Crossed The Tiber
An Evangelical Converts to Catholicism
About Me
- Name: Russ Rentler, M.D.
- Location: Pennsylvania, United States
I was born into the Catholic faith. At 14, I was "born again" and found Jesus personally but lost His Church. After thirty years as an evangelical protestant, I have come full circle to find that He has been there all the time, in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I wish others to find the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith as I have found.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Feast of St. Francis DeSales
He wrote a series of apologetic tracts which have been collected under the title called Catholic Controversies which I have blogged about before. Here is the link. Here's a snippet:
"Are you not aware that one of your greatest ministers teaches that the body of our Lord is as far from the Lord's Supper as heaven is from earth, and are you not likewise aware that this is held to be false by many others? Has not one of your ministers lately confessed the reality of Christ's body in the Supper, and do not the rest deny it? Can you deny me that as regards Justification you are as much divided against one another as you are against us:-witness that anonymous controversialist. In a word, each man has his own language, and out of as many Huguenots as I have spoken to I have never found two of the same belief.
But the worst is, you are not able to come to an agreement:-for where will you find a trusted arbitrator? You have no head upon earth to address yourselves to in your difficulties; you believe that the very Church can err herself and lead others into error: you would not put your soul into such unsafe hands; indeed, you hold her in small account. The Scripture cannot be your arbiter, for it is concerning the Scripture that you are in litigation, some of you being determined to have it understood in one way, some in another. Your discords and your disputes are interminable, unless you give in to the authority of the Church. Witness the Colloquies of Lunehourg, of Malbron, of Montbeliard, and that of Berne recently. Witness Titman, Heshusius and Erastus, to whom I add Brenz and Bullinger. Take the great division there is amongst you about the number of the Sacraments. Now, and ordinarily amongst you, only two are taught; Calvin made three, adding to Baptism and the Supper, Order; Luther here puts Penance for the third, then says there is but one : in the end, the Protestants, at the Colloquy of Ratisbonne, at which Calvin assisted, as Beza testifies in his life, confessed that there were seven Sacraments. How is it you are divided about the article of the almightiness of God? -one party denying that a body can by the divine power be in two places, others denying absolute almightiness; others make no such denials. But if I would show you the great contradictions amongst those whom Beza acknowledges to be glorious reformers of the Church, namely, Jerome of Prague, John Hus, Wycliff, Luther, Bucer, Cecolampadius, Zuingle(Zwingli), Pomeranius and the rest, I should never come to an end Luther can sufficiently inform you as to the good harmony there is amongst them, in the lamentation which he makes against the Zwinglians and Sacramentarians, whom he calls Absaloms and Judases, and fanatic spirits (in the year 1527)."
Sister Mary Finnick and The Matthew 25 House
Today we boxed up lots of antibiotics and pain relievers and oral rehydration salts (we had in our basement for our upcoming trip) and were able to give them to a team from NYC that is leaving tonite for PAP along with a bishop and 4 doctors. They are going to to relieve the team at the Matthew 25 House.
Aid is slowly getting to the people in the most unusual ways. God be praised!
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Another Update From Father Andrew in Haiti
From Fr. Andrew:
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Top Prospect for the Oakland A's Enters Seminary
Walk away from a possible million dollar sports career? Turn your back on your lifelong dream? Check this out.
Yep, Grant Desme has chosen a higher calling. Outfielder to Catholic priest. I suspect that he will be responsible for influencing a number of vocations in the years to come. God bless him. St. John Vianney, pray for him.
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Gospel and the Haitians
"Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" James 2:5
I received an e-mail from a friend today telling of a Christian physician volunteering in Haiti who....
This got me thinking about the spirituality of the Haitian people. I have participated in many medical clinics over the years and have found them to be Christians with a deep faith despite facing a life of overwhelming suffering. There are always exceptions, but by and large, these people cling to God and trust him for every little crumb of their daily bread that falls from the table. Can I prove this? No, I can't, but listen to the stories on the news. Watch the people marching through the streets singing hymns. Listen to the words of the survivors trapped under the rubble for days at a time. Hoping, trusting and praying to the Lord. They say there are no atheists in foxholes and the Haitian people have been trapped in a foxhole of the violence of unimaginable poverty. Here's a quote from a woman who was trapped under the rubble with her daughter for over a week, who watched her daughter slowly die:
I consoled my daughter, and we started singing. We sang, "Keep me, keep me, God of love, give me a safe place to stay close to you. Let me find a place to hide behind you, and I know you will never leave me." I told God, "If it is your will for me to die, send your angels to come get me and receive me into your kingdom, but if your will is for me to stay alive, keep me alive so I can testify to the miracles you've performed in my life." I just sang and prayed to God to let me live so that I could live a spiritual life for him.
Do the folks in Haiti need the gospel preached to them right now in the midst of this tragedy upon tragedy? No, I don't think so. I think they understand and relate much more to the life and suffering of the poor carpenter from Nazareth than we can begin to imagine. They need our love, support, prayers and cups of cold water given to them in the name of Jesus. In my song, Jewel of the Caribbean I tried to express my awe for their faith: "I don't think that I deserve to tie your shoes until I have walked a mile in your shadows." I believe the Haitian people will teach us what it means to live out the gospel and truly trust God in the worst of circumstances. Indeed, it was the result of my first trips to Haiti that caused me to re-examine my life and down-size and learn to appreciate more with less and change my priorities.
Father Scanlon wrote this in an article as a result of his time ministering in rural Mexico.
In hearing the gospel the poor have discovered the richness of God's love and the value of their own lives. That wisdom ennobles them as well as enables them. It enables them to be free in spirit no matter how burdened in body. No need for them to wait for their "pie in the sky" to make this world bearable. It is bearable because the poor carpenter from
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
St. Vincent: A Non-Bible Burning Catholic
He was imprisoned for his faith and tortured. The governor offered to set him free if he was willing to burn his "sacred books." This was 303 AD, so obviously the Bible as we know it was not yet collected into its present number and canonized. Yet, some of these "sacred books" of Saint Vincent's were no doubt books of sacred scripture and he chose death rather than allow the written Word of God be destroyed.
Next time you are told that Catholics burned bibles in the medieval ages to prevent the common folk from learning about faith, tell'm about Saint Vincent!
Check out my post on Catholic Bible Burners.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
March For Life 2010
The Catholic Church in the US considers this as a day of prayer and penance for the sake of the lives lost and hope that abortion will come to an end. Tomorrow, we can all join our hearts together in prayer and send a message to our government that 37 years later we protest this legalized holocaust in America.
As an aside, I enjoy the unity among different faiths that occurs on this March, where one sees Lutherans, Orthodox, Methodists, Catholics marching side by side for the Gospel of Life. The Franciscan friars in their sandals and bare feet in freezing temperatures is always a sight to see!
Hopefully, pics will follow from our trip.
Update: I brought home a little gastrointestinal virus from the nursing home which manifested itself in the middle of the night. Will be watching and praying from home this year :(
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Oral Contraception and Breast Cancer Again.
Interesting that the rate of breast cancer is rising dramatically and everyone has a loved one affected and no one says "what's going on?" There are Susan Komen marches/collections/ribbons/markers everywhere now. "Breast cancer awareness" is now become part of our modern lexicon.
But will "The explosion of Breast Cancer is caused by young teenagers being given oral contraceptives" become a part of our lexicon? It doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Elderly Woman Rescued from the Cathedral!
Powered By: VideoBuzz
7 days spent buried under the collapsed Church. When they found her she was singing. What amazing faith!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Report from Port-Au-Prince
Thank you in advance Russ. Whatever you can do for a person in Haiti right now would count for a million. In Port au Prince right now, there is no rich people. Everyone's hurt and we are in the same bold pack. Let me tell you for now, I have nothing in my apartment we can call food or money. We ran out of food since last weekend, This morning My sister woke me up at 7am and told me that we no longer have gas in the tank to run the stove. We have no water, nor soap. We are out of everything.
Most of the offices are destroyed. The ones that are not are still closed. The street is smelly, i am so afraid getting on the streets. Everyone is complaining of hunger. There are a lot of help but only young man who are strong and can fight are able to get some. Lots of people are heading to their countrysides which is the best thing they can do. Communication is very difficult, the price for food and all products are doubled.
Coming in Haiti with a group of mission is not a good idea for now. Maybe by March, I would suggest. But I would also suggest you discuss that with Fr. Andrew and some other folks to see what's possible.
As for myself, Food, water and money are my priorities....
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Satan Objects to Pat Robertson's Comments
"Dear Pat Robertson,
I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action.
But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished.
Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"?
If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll.
You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract.
Best, Satan"
Church in Haiti
I have read many times that Haiti is 90% Catholic but 100% Voodoo. I have not seen this in the Catholic Church in Haiti in my experiences there and do wonder about the origins of this statement.
Be Proud To Be Catholic
"Be Proud to be Catholic," ironically, written by a Jewish man!
Sam Miller, prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman (NOT a Catholic) in a speech March 6, 2008 said:Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church? Do you know - the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to your Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. Your graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%, all at a cost to you. To the rest of the Americans it's free.
The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students. The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people - not just Catholics - in the United States today.
But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.
Let me give you some figures that you as Catholics should know and remember. For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church , 41.8 % of clergywomen reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed. Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia. {10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia.}* This is not a Catholic Problem.
A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.
The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.
Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States. Then remember what Jeremiah said: 'Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls'. Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions. Be proud that you're a Catholic.
Reprinted excerpts with permission of the Buckeye Bulletin - courtesy of Brookside Council #3297, Cleveland Diocese.
Update 4/30/10 *Please Note: Sam Miller's statement of 10% of protestant ministers being guilty of pedophilia has not been substantiated and Philip Jenkins research does not support this number. I apologize to all my readers for passing on this incorrect information. Thanks to Rob Pollak in the combox for bringing this to my attention.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
More Good News from Haiti
Great news - please forward .
Received word from Fr Andrew directly! As some of us thought/feared he was saying Mass when the earthquake hit - at the consecration! Contrary to earlier reports rectory and church intact; security walls down; fr andrew still sleeping in his car. all the people we know survived and fr andrew has sent them to the countryside. he does not have access to internet much if at all; phones are very sporadic.
The community of St Jude parish has been totally destroyed and is littered with dead bodies. Fr Andrew has been a one man medical clinic at the church during the day (thankfully he has some supplies from our leftovers) and the rectory grounds are full of refugees and members of the filipino community. his fellow missionaries are in fact at the formation house. He says he doesn't know where to begin.
I let him know he is in our prayers, and to let us know what (medical/construction) he needs us to do and when and we will be there. Thanks so much for all your interest support and prayers.
I am sure you are all overjoyed as am I.
Peace
Tom
Good News From Haiti
One of our medical team members received a cell phone call from a member of Fr. Andrew's parish where we have our mission. The members of the Church are OK and Fr. Andrew and his household are all right! Thank you God for your mercy.
They are sleeping outside and need food and supplies.
Donations can be sent directly to Fr. Andrew and St. Simon Jude Parish by making checks out to Missionhurst and include "Fr. Labatorio/Haiti" in the memo line. Thanks so much.
Mail Checks to:
Missionhurst-CICM
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Redeem Us O Lord
Today's Responsorial Psalm
44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25
R. (27b) Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace,
and you go not forth with our armies.
You have let us be driven back by our foes;
those who hated us plundered us at will.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
You made us the reproach of our neighbors,
the mockery and the scorn of those around us.
You made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
Why do you hide your face,
forgetting our woe and our oppression?
For our souls are bowed down to the dust,
our bodies are pressed to the earth.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
More Sad News From Haiti
I have been going to Haiti almost yearly since 1997. We were hosted by an elderly Haitian woman named Se Tata who opened her home and heart to us each week we were there. We worked in the church of Pastor Bienne Lamerique who allowed us to care for his parishioners these past years and was a kind and godly man. He would take time out of his incredibly busy schedule to translate for me in the clinic we set up in his church.
Here's a note from Tom Kardish, who has accompanied me on missions to Shiloh Baptist and to St.Simon and Jude Church these past two years.
tom
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.
Haiti News Updates
Report From Port-Au-Prince
Here is a note from the folks at Matthew 25 House, a hospitality/logistics center for missionaries in Haiti. It was the folks from Matthew 25 who first put us in touch with Fr. Andrew's parish where we run our medical clinic. I want to point out that Sr. Mary in the letter below is a 78 year old American nun who "retired" to spend the rest of her days as a missionary in Haiti.
"We are all OK physically at the house, including Domond and family and Vivienne Haitian. Have not heard from Ricardo. We were home when it hit. The house stood up well, does not appear to be any serious structural damage.downstairs, but upstairs is pretty bad, unusable as a matter of fact.
Matt 25 cooked up 4 big pots of soup for the people coming for treatment, and served as a triage and treatment center. We were able to climb over the fallen bookcases and shelves and retrieve a lot of meds and supplies we had in our depot
Sr Mary, Vivian and our 6 guests performed superbly in treating many injured. Eventually, 3 Haitian doctors showed up, I think when they heard we had supplies.
Worked till about two in the morning. We were also one of the few houses to have power with our inverters and batteries, so we set up 3 o4 4 lights on the soccer field to help with the treatment.
The hospitals are either badly damaged or destroyed, and have stopped taking patients as they are overwhelmed.
Pray for our sisters and brothers.
Pat, Viv, Sr. Mary"
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Please Pray for Haiti
An earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck Haiti today at 4:30 PM
The epicenter of the quake was about 10 miles southwest of Port-Au-Prince.
The capital itself is devastated and thousands are expected to have perished.
Our medical mission to Haiti is in the capital and we have no idea how Fr. Andrew and the parish of St. Simon and Jude have fared. Please keep our brothers and sisters of Haiti in your prayers. If you have any extra cash please consider a sacrificial donation to Catholic Relief Services or the Red Cross to anyone of the aid organizations that will be heading there.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Catholic Vitamins Podcast
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Trying My Hand at Liturgical Music
I usually attend the 8:30 AM Mass on Sundays. It just works out better for our schedule. It also happens to be the "folk" Mass. Usually just three gals singing, 2 of which have nylon strung guitars. Very reminiscent of my 70's folk Mass experience. Though I am not that keen on "folk" Mass music, there's something innocent and non-pretentious about their assisting worship with their music and I never feel like it's a concert or they are saying, "hey look at us over here."
But, we tend to sing the exact same melody for the Gospel acclamation before the gospel reading, the Memorial acclamation after the consecration as well as the Agnus Dei during the fractionation. The beauty of the Mass is that as long as the Eucharist is validly consecrated, Jesus comes to us and we get to receive Him- soul, body and divinity in the Eucharist! Regardless of how polished or not so polished the music that accompanies the liturgy is.
Nevertheless, I started thinking today, maybe I could try to write some new melodies for these parts of the Mass. Here's my first attempt starting with Agnus Dei .Yeah, I know. I'm trapped in the 70's.
Addendum: 1/4/10
My liturgically astute wife, Prodigal Daughter just pointed out this AM, that I left out the "Have mercy on us" on the second refrain. Back to the drawing board.......
Driven To Catholicism-Governor Bobby Jindal
His conversion story was news to me and if you hadn't heard it, I will share it with you.
Bobby Jindal went from Hinduism to evangelical Protestant to Catholic. Here's his story.
Just think..... we could have a Catholic president in 2012. Here's hoping.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Mary And The New Year
Our parish had Eucharistic adoration from 10PM to 12 AM New Year's Eve so we were able to usher in the New Year in the presence of Christ himself, then the following morning celebrate the New Year by receiving Him during in mass. What a way to start the New Year!
The New Year's Day Mass used to be the feast of the circumcision but it has been changed to be a solemnity, the Solemnity of Mary. The Church in her wisdom reminds the faithful that Mary is the model of holiness and obedience for all Christians. When Mary is emphasized, which tends to be a sticking point for non-Catholics, God is ultimately glorified. This has been the pattern for 2000 years and whenever the Church made an infallible statement regarding her, it was for a better understanding of Christ. ( Yes I am aware that some Catholics can take Marian devotion too far, and this issue has always been with the Church, see my post here)
Dr. Jeff Mirus has written an excellent piece on Mary which is one of the best short articles I have seen that explains Mary's role in the Church. From the early Christians onward, Mary was considered an important part of salvation history. She is not an "add on" by Catholics but it has been the Father's will from the beginning to grant us salvation through the flesh of humans, and in particular Mary, the first Christian.