“What is the essential, public purpose of marriage?”

The answer to the above question is absolutely crucial, and if you have not thought through this question thoroughly, then you should because all other considerations are ancillary.

I want to introduce you to a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, who poses this essential question and provides a clear answer, followed by a detailed analysis.

I believe that once we answer this fundamental question and consider the answer thoughtfully, we’ll come to see clearly why so-called “Same Sex Marriage” has never, before just recently, existed in the course of human civilization.

If you’d like to go deeper, I encourage you to read “Rebuttals to arguments for same-sex marriage – Examining the most common arguments for redefining marital unions …and understanding why they are flawed” by Brandon Vogt.

Below, I have reproduced the full translation, provided courtesy of Vatican Radio:

In these three readings I see that there is something in common: it is movement. In the first reading, movement is the journey [itself]; in the second reading, movement is in the up-building of the Church. In the third, in the Gospel, the movement is in [the act of] profession: walking, building, professing.

Walking: the House of Jacob. “O house of Jacob, Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” This is the first thing God said to Abraham: “Walk in my presence and be blameless.” Walking: our life is a journey and when we stop, there is something wrong. Walking always, in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live with that blamelessness, which God asks of Abraham, in his promise.

Building: to build the Church. There is talk of stones: stones have consistency, but [the stones spoken of are] living stones, stones anointed by the Holy Spirit. Build up the Church, the Bride of Christ, the cornerstone of which is the same Lord. With [every] movement in our lives, let us build!

Third, professing: we can walk as much we want, we can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, nothing will avail. We will become a pitiful NGO [Non-Governmental Organization], but not the Church, the Bride of Christ. When one does not walk, one stalls. When one does not built on solid rocks, what happens? What happens is what happens to children on the beach when they make sandcastles: everything collapses, it is without consistency. When one does not profess Jesus Christ – I recall the phrase of Leon Bloy – “Whoever does not pray to God, prays to the devil.” When one does not profess Jesus Christ, one professes the worldliness of the devil.

Walking, building-constructing, professing: the thing, however, is not so easy, because in walking, in building, in professing, there are sometimes shake-ups – there are movements that are not part of the path: there are movements that pull us back.
This Gospel continues with a special situation. The same Peter who confessed Jesus Christ, says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. I will follow you, but let us not speak of the Cross. This has nothing to do with it.” He says, “I’ll follow you on other ways, that do not include the Cross.” When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, but not disciples of the Lord.

I would like that all of us, after these days of grace, might have the courage – the courage – to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Cross of the Lord: to build the Church on the Blood of the Lord, which is shed on the Cross, and to profess the one glory, Christ Crucified. In this way, the Church will go forward.

My hope for all of us is that the Holy Spirit, that the prayer of Our Lady, our Mother, might grant us this grace: to walk, to build, to profess Jesus Christ Crucified. So be it.

I learned something significant during those years that I would like to share here: Today, most of the great evangelical and catechetical efforts of the Church are not initiated and run by the hierarchy and diocesan offices, but rather, from the apostolate of the laity.

Several of many examples: EWTN, Immaculate Heart Radio, Catholic Answers, and Ascension Press.

On November 18, 1965, Pope Paul VI promulgated one of the 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council titled: ”Apostolicam Actuositatem: The decree on the Apostolate of the Laity.”

This beautiful document, in sum, speaks to the call every baptized Christian receives from the Father, in union with Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit in baptism to go out and make disciples of all nations.

Back when I was a graduate student at Franciscan University of Steubenville between 2001 and 2004, a central aspect of my formation was to read through each of the 16 documents of Vatican II and to soak them up, filling my heart and mind with their beauty.  I’ll never forget the first time I encountered Apostolicam Actuositatem, and I wholeheartedly recommend a thorough reading of it.

The purpose of this blog post is to introduce you, the reader, to Veritas Catholic Young Adults and a budding website I designed for this effort at CatholicVeritas.com.

Imagine, on a recurring monthly schedule, young adults scattered throughout a darkened downtown cathedral in silent adoration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, led by the bishop or one of his priests.

Imagine these same souls gathering in a local pub a week later to listen to a speaker address the call to marriage, commitment, and holiness.

Another week, the group engages in an active work of charity, whether it be a service project or pro-life witness.

To continue, the next week, these young adults gather for Benediction, the Divine Liturgy, Compline, and a social.

This is Veritas, established and grown by young adults in the greater Sacramento and Bay areas.  No, it wasn’t a diocesan initiative.  There was no master plan initiated by the bishop.  No diocesan director created this program of prayer, liturgy, catechesis, fellowship, charity, and witness.  It sprung up from the heart of the lay faithful and is nourished by the Holy Spirit.

I have had the privilege of designing and developing the website for this group at CatholicVeritas.com.  The site features a calendar, maps, search engine optimization, email notifications, blog entries, interactive commenting, and a beautiful, mobile-first design.  (For an explanation of how the website is mobile-friendly, utilizing advanced design, you may be interested in the post I published over on my web development blog.)

Here’s a screenshot of the website:

It is our hope, that with time, other groups of young adults in various cities/areas will adopt the Veritas model and name (with no pesky licensing fees!)… and even their own iteration of the website to facilitate communication and advertising.  If you happen to be reading this post and wish to inquire, please do so at this link.

I’ll conclude this blog entry with one final truth about Veritas (pun intended).  Many of the presentations speakers give are recorded and published online, and below, I have linked to several of the YouTube videos.

• Fr. Leatherby – Divine Mercy
• Dominican Brother Brad Elliot – His Conversion from Lutheranism to Catholicism
• Islam in a Catholic Light

On January 15, 2013, I drove down to Fresno, California to record two television episodes (“The Church and Social Media” – Parts 1 and 2) for the diocesan owned television station, KNXT with Lisa Hendey, creator of CatholicMom.com.  We were on the show titled “Forum for a Better Understanding,” and we were interviewed by the host, Jim Grant.  If you missed the first episode, click here.

Here’s how Lisa described the content of this second episode:

In this video, Carson and I discuss the USCCB’s social media initiatives, the Bishops and Bloggers meeting, the CNMC and our own roles in using the tools of social media in the New Evangelization.

Below, I have embedded Part 2 of 2.

We were on the show titled “Forum for a Better Understanding,” and we were interviewed by the host, Jim Grant.  In this first episode, Lisa and I did a quick run through of new media methods of communicating and how the Vatican is embracing the new media.

On her blog post over on Patheos, Lisa said:

This “Forum” program is typically a multi-faith conversation, which explains the huge Star of David behind Carson’s head. It was our goal with this and the companion program (which I’ll share tomorrow) to educate the average person in the pew about what’s happening in Catholic new media.

I truly enjoyed the opportunity, and Lisa’s hospitality was second to none!

Below, I have embedded Part 1 of 2.

To watch the second episode, click here.

I couldn’t agree more, Mr. President.

And… Catholic apostolates are paying talented developers to create incredible Catholic mobile apps.

I’m happy to say that one of my favorite new-and-upcoming Catholic apps is no longer up and coming.  It has arrived!

Lighthouse Catholic Media has officially launched their mobile app, which is titled: Lighthouse Catholic Media Bible.

It’s available in the Apple App Store, on Google Play (the Android Market), and for the Kindle Fire.  I’ve linked the name of each of these three platforms to the app, so you can easily download and access the app without having to search for it.

The app contains the entire text of the Bible in the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition.  This text is linked up with the Truth and Life Audio Bible, so you can purchase the awesome soundtrack for each book of the Bible if you wish.  The Gospel of John is included at no cost.

But that’s not why I’m so stoked about this app.  I mean… there’s already an awesome Truth and Life Audio Bible app available.

I’m excited because Lighthouse has amassed an incredible array of talks and has done an outstanding job distributing this content via audio CDs through kiosks in parish vestibules, through the CD of the Month Club, and by downloadable MP3s.

Now, for the first time ever, you can access those talks instantly through your Droid, iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device for only $1.99 or $2.99 each.

Want to listen to Jeff Cavins’ amazing talk: “I’m Not Being Fed”?  Click on Additional Content and  through three successive simple taps, you’ll be downloading your content in seconds.  Then, there’s Dr. John Bergsma’s fascinating presentation on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Fr. Michael Schmidt’s inspiring talk titled: “True Worship.”  You can grab the famous conversion story of Dr. Scott Hahn (“Why A Protestant Pastor Become Catholic”).   Or, perhaps you’d like to download the conversion story of Tim Staples: “The Bible Made Me Do It.”

And then, there are free talks available for download!  Dr. Scott Hahn’s phenomenal presentation titled “The Lamb’s Supper” is available for free alongside some other amazing free content provided courtesy of The Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

There’s an icon in the app that says “Promo Code.”  Click on that and enter 1515 to download additional free content.  Personally, I chose “True Worship” by Fr. Michael Schmitz for my free download.

• February 2
• March 9
• April 13
• May 11
• June 8

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be available each day at 8:00 a.m. and class will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost for the entire course is only $95. To register, please email Sandra Martinez at smartinez@oakdiocese.org.

I’m very excited about this course! We’ll be diving into the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), a document of the Second Vatican Council, and taking it as our lead as we explore Biblical exegesis and how to engage in fruitful study of the Sacred Scriptures. Participants will learn “the big picture” of the Biblical Narrative: How the Old Testament presents God’s saving plan that culminates in the saving work of Jesus and the Catholic Church. Participants who successfully complete the course will be provided with practical resources to lead a Bible study in their own parish or group of friends.

Would you please help me and the Diocese of Oakland publicize this course among those you know in the Bay Area?

Here are some additional links:

• The Official Announcement on the Diocesan Website
• Download the printable full-color PDF Flyer

For the Year of Faith, flockNote will email you a select portion of the Catechism of the Catholic Church every day for 1 year. Read that email each day, and in one year, you’ll have read the entire Catechism.

When I was a grad student at Franciscan University, I read the Catechism from cover to cover in 3 months, and it changed my life. The Catechism is an incredible systematic presentation of the meaning of life and is filled with spiritual treasures. It’s one of those books that you definitely don’t want to judge by its cover.

Sign yourself up at flocknote.com/catechism. (Enter your email address, click “Subscribe,” and you’re good to go.)

It all began on October 11, 2012. If you’re signing up late, no worries. Previous archived emails may be read at https://www.flocknote.com/list/54755

I’ll see you on the other side of these 365 days!

Here’s a direct link to the video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT55lTEICms

View Al Kresta’s biography.

Invite Al Kresta to speak at your event.

Books by Al Kresta: