Catholic Carnival XLIX

Welcome to this week's Catholic Carnival! Do bear with me, as I've never hosted the Carnival before. And if there's any mistakes, please let me know in the comments.

Confiteor: Our Word and Welcome to It discusses The Wages of Sin. Our salvation carries with it certain obligations. Being a witness to Christ means changes in the way we think, talk, and act. And it applies to our entire life, not just certain aspects of it.

Ubi Caritas: Elena at My Domestic Church finds that Real Intimacy isn't to be found where we often assume it is.

Puer Natus est Nobis: My Lovely and Brilliant Wife at Confessions of a Hot Carmel Sundae reminds us that life only begins in the womb. Being pro-life requires a dedication from Catholics at all levels, from the parish to the family. When Catholic people contracept and parishes are less than welcoming to children, the result is fewer priests and a pro-life belief that becomes ineffectual because we don't really live it.

Mors et Resurrectio: Kicking over My Traces introduces us to the Sisters of Hurricane Katrina,as the Presentation Sisters look to rebuild on the Gulf Coast.

Hic Sapientia Est: Herb Ely sees wisdom in a general's sarcastic retort to a reporter, and offers some ideas on getting Unstuck from Stupid.

Indica Mihi: Catholic liberal Nathan Nelson at Here I Stand invites his conservative brethren (and sistern) in for a friendly dialogue, with ten questions to get the ball rolling. The important thing, according to St. Benedict, is not to talk but to listen.

Agnus Dei (or should it be Arachnus Dei?): in Crucified Hero, CowPi Journal finds seeds for contemplation occur in the strangest places. This time, grace is received in thinking about a child's colorful crucifix of Spiderman.

Exspectantes Beatam Spem: In The Father's Will, Kevin at HMS Blog reflects on the Mass readings for Sunday 9/25, considering especially the meaning of Christian hope for salvation.

Verbum Domini: Deo Omnis Gloria considers some of the serious problems with Sola Scriptura, Luther's doctrine of the Bible alone as our source of Truth in Half the Truth: the Bible Alone.

Salve Regina: September 24 was the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham (go on, tell me you remembered!), and Quenta Nârwenion has some thoughts on this least respected of our Blessed Mother's feasts. The English Reformation tried to wipe it from the calendar, but they couldn't wipe her from the hearts of England's faithful. Check out The Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.

De Civitas Dei: In Return of the City, A Penitent Blogger reflects on the devastation wreaked by hurricanes, and on the devastation of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Cities, like souls, can be brought back to life in the face of death and emptiness by our faithful Lord.

Quid Enim Scriptura Dicit: Crusader for Justice has found some interesting gems in Divino Afflante Spiritu. Apparently, Encyclicals say the Darnedest Things.

Orate, Fratres: Dunmoose the Ageless gives us a summary of daily life at a monastery in New Mexico, and some reflections on monastic life in A Day in the Life of Christ in the Desert.

Apologia Pro Vita Nostra: My own humble contribution, at On the Other Foot, looks at Apologetics and Anti-Catholics. Very few of the Protestants we debate with are genuinely anti-Catholic; most (though not all) of them would rather see us saved than damned. A little patience and civility may be in order.

Update: This one got caught in my spam filter, and I just found it Wednesday morning. Sorry, Eric!

Dona Nobis Pacem: Eric at Ales Rarus is concerned that emotions are running too high in the discussion of Banning Gays From Priesthood. "There are some very reasonable, fair, open-minded, intelligent, and compassionate orthodox responses," he says, "to the policy against the admission of gays to the priesthood, and the related inspection of American seminaries, to be found in St. Blog's Parish. If only we could get that side of St. Blog's to talk peacefully to the other side. I don't know whether the discourse thus far has been civil because I thus far haven't noticed any discourse (outside of echo chambers) whatsoever. Let's change that."

And that's it. Ite, carnivale est!