Catholic

My name is Rene Henry Gracida. I am a Roman Catholic bishop. I am Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, having served as the Fifth Ordinary, or Diocesan Bishop, of that Diocese from May 19, 1983 until my retirement on April 1, 1997. The title of my Blog, Abyssus Abyssum Invocat is my episcopal motto and is taken from the 41/42/43 rd Psalm. It is translated “Deep is calling to Deep.” It expresses the thought contained in Saint Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians: “The Lord has said ‘My grace is enough for you; my power is at its best in weakness’, so I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boasts so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. 

Some people will claim that they are not for abortion…they are merely for “choice”. Let’s bring more clarity to the term “Pro-choice”. It is used because it implies an association with freedom and liberty. But it is a smoke-screen. It means “pro-abortion”. Now, someone could say, “No it doesn’t. It simply means that I do not think it is right to take away a woman’s right to choose what to do with her pregnancy”. Two things about that. First, the “what to do” only has to do with killing her baby. The “choice” is between allowing the baby to live and actively taking steps to end the child’s life. Second, “what to do with her pregnancy” is another misleading phrase. It implies that she is the only person involved. It entirely neglects the fact that this also involves the life of an innocent child.

I'd like to take a moment to share with you how this site came about and its mission. After being a guest on Mother Angelica and then with some colleagues on  The Abundant Life Show (EWTN) discussing psychological issues from a Catholic perspective, my colleagues and I received calls from all around the country asking if we knew of any Catholic therapists in their areas. It was very distressing to have to say "no" to so many and to not be able to offer too much advice on how to find one.

The Purpose The goal of Exodus is to achieve the freedom necessary to fully engage the love of God and the love of neighbor. Exodus is based on a challenging 90-day period of purification, a dying to self, which is supported by a fraternity of like-minded men for greater interior freedom and, eventually, a more purified and selfless love.

Over the course of the past few years, several organizations have investigated Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its partnerships.  In these investigations, CRS has been found to be intimately involved, either directly or indirectly, in the promotion of abortion and contraception.  A brief history of some of the serious concerns faithful Catholics have had regarding CRS is listed below.

WHAT YOU WILL NEVER SEE AT TRADITIONAL MASS

These five current issues concern actions that are intrinsically evil and must never be promoted by the law. Intrinsically evil actions are those that fundamentally conflict with the moral law and can never be deliberately performed under any circumstances. Includes party platforms, ivoter powered, candidate information...

 “Pride Parades” today encompass a much larger agenda than anti-discrimination. They’re largely funded by, supported by, attended by, the secular LGBT agenda. And while one sliver of what they’re standing for and pushing against in society is upholding the dignity of the person, which I would agree with, there’s a whole lot more that they’re pushing for that’s directly against my faith".

The building of the first Babel was an act of pride. (cf. Gen 11) Like Adam and Eve, the builders didn’t want to receive from God; they wanted to obtain things on their own. They sought to construct a tower “with its top in the heavens” and to make a name for themselves, lest they be “scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” They desired to raise themselves to God’s level – to be self-sufficient – and to establish unity on their own terms.

To frustrate their aims and punish their pride, God confused their language and scattered them. The lesson of Babel is clear: it is human pride that has produced confusion and division in the world.

We are witnessing the construction of a new Babel. Ours is a post-Christian society, an anti-culture that has rejected the Word of God. In our pride, we want on our own terms and by our own accomplishments what creatures can only receive from God. We have thrown off His reality – about gender, sex, life, etc. – and tried to...