Catholic Prayer Breakfast - Archbishop Gomez of San Antonio

Catholic Prayer Breakfast- Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of San Antonio
The website – cinops be gone – Friday, November 21, 2008

2008 Orange County Catholic Prayer Breakfast: (800 participants)
Crown Plaza Anaheim Resort, Garden Grove, Ca. Fri. Nov. 21/08 – 6:30 A.M. to 9:15 A.M.

Keynote Speaker: The Most Reverend Jose H. Gomez, Archbishop of San Antonio

This special yearly event is sponsored by Magis Institute a Catholic Think Tank and Venture Group, with the Vision of healing the culture through Catholic Spirituality. www.magis.us

Notes from the Keynote Speaker:
Thank you for passing Proposition 8. As a young boy I remember the election of Kennedy in 1960. The Catholic religious barrier was broken. And so it is with the election of Obama in 2008, the racial barrier is broken.
Recall the Supreme Court Decision on Slavery. We need to look at things in the light of the gospel. We are all children of God.

The Archbishop told the story of the first black American priest (Augustine) in America in Missouri. His mother and father were slaves owned by an American family. That family allowed the slaves to be baptized and married in the Catholic faith. His father escaped and fought in the Union Army. As a priest he studied St. Thomas Aquinas: all have rights that no man can take away. How can Catholics then believe in the injustice of owning slaves?

The pope in his visit to America faced the same question. We profess our Faith on Sunday and not during the rest of the week. The Church always teaches the commandments but the Catholics owned slaves. Slaves were property. People back then should have known better. Those were strange times. Pope Benedict noted that today many Catholics are involved in pro-abortion activities. Why? Concerning the Catholic vote, ask them!

Figure it out. We need Catholics with a deep sense of their faith. They need to know the teachings of the Church…. It is not easy to keep the faith. Our society is more hostile to our Faith than ever before.
Cardinal George- Our social conscience has advanced. We can’t set aside some fundamental issues. More and more need to participate in politics, Catholics are asked to check moral and religious beliefs at the door. This is negative.

Anti-Catholicism is aggressive secularism. To participate in politics, we are expected to accept secularism. There is a better place for brothers and sisters.
The problem is that the culture defines happiness as very materialistic. Men and women are creatures with souls. Their ultimate end is holiness and love. We are made for God. We have to challenge some of our laws that deny God given laws. To participate is evil. Many Catholics are following the laws of society instead of the beliefs and practices of their faith.

How to solve this? Change hearts and minds, be men and women of virtue, be faithful Catholics. St. Paul calls each one of us to be a saint. This is God’s will for you. Do all for God. Rediscover the beauty of our Faith and share it with others. Be ambassadors of faith, hope and love.
It means that you stand up to secularism and the forces of secularism… have private prayers and personal devotions.

They (secularism) keep religion out of the public square. Promise that you will never turn your back on Jesus and the Church. God has something to say in this world we live in.

Be a witness of hope. Many people are like broken cups. We are children of God. Talk about heaven and eternal life. You must be messengers of love. Help our neighbor in need. Share the whole truth to set them free. Sacrifice for that truth. All human life is sacred. Each one is in the image of God. Each has a purpose in life. Defend the truth.

We face historically many challenges. … Stay on the side of the unborn, not to be despised like property. We have not come far enough. God is over us all. Blessings to all children. Create an America where life is celebrated, the handicapped and the old.

Mother Teresa: “We are called not to be successful but to be faithful.” – Ambassadors of Faith, Witnesses of Hope and Messengers of Love.
George H. Kubeck