Walmart has been a consistent supporter of faith and family films, and their latest partnership with Warner Brothers will bring Superman a day early for Walmart customers and faith-based film goers.

Walmart has been there for us,” said Jones. “Lets support them by being first in line on Saturday, May 18, at 8:00 am to pre-buy tickets for the June 13 showing at 7:00 pm.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE.

Jones is the producer of CRESCENDO and co-producer of BELLA. He is working to found a Legatus chapter in his home state of Hawaii.

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Louder than Words
Matthew Leonard
Our Sunday Visitor, 2013
160 pages, $14.95 paperback

Author, lecturer and Catholic convert Matthew Leonard combines the stories of the saints with his own personal anecdotes (and wry humor) to give a fresh take on the art of being truly Catholic in a contemporary world.

Jesus called his followers to strive for perfection, but is that possible in such an imperfect world? Absolutely, Leonard writes, but Catholics have lost sight of who they are. More than a billion strong, Catholics are often indistinguishable from the rest of humanity. However, Catholics can humanize their faith, making it authentic, powerful and contagious — attractive to even the most cynical.

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Susan Locke

by Susan Locke

Building “core strength” has been an essential component of most fitness programs. Core strength refers to the muscles of your abdomen and back. They are essential for supporting your spine and keeping your body stable and balanced.

The major muscles of the “core” are:

• Transverse abdominis: This is the deepest of the abdominal muscles that lie under the obliques. It wraps around your spine for stability and protection.
• External obliques: These are the muscles on the side and front of the abdomen around the waist.
• Internal obliques: These muscles lie under the external obliques and run in the opposite direction.
• Rectus abdominis: This is a long muscle that extends along the front of the abdomen. It is the muscle that gives the appearance of “six-pack abs” when it is well toned and there is reduced body fat.
• Erector spinae: This is a collection of three muscles along your neck extending to your lower spine.

There are many benefits of improving core strength. A strong core improves balance and stability which can reduce falls and prevent injuries during sports and other activities. A strong and flexible core can help in almost everything you do.

Activities of daily living require the use of core muscles. The simple acts of putting on your shoes, looking behind you, sitting in a chair, standing upright are just a few of the many movements that engage your core. Jobs that involve twisting, lifting and standing all depend on core muscles. But sedentary jobs tax your back muscles also.

Most sports activities are powered by a strong core and require flexibility. Housework, home repair and gardening requires twisting, bending, lifting, carrying, reaching — these are all core activities. Strengthening core muscles not only improves your appearance, but also decreases the wear and tear on your spine.

Back pain can be caused by a number of different conditions, but a weak or imbalanced core contributes to the pain. Nonsurgical treatment of back pain includes physical therapy and core strengthening exercises.

For more information on back pain, we went to a world-renowned back surgeon and Healthnetwork Service Excellence Award recipient Ali Bydon, MD, from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md.

What types of back issues are most responsive to nonsurgical treatment?

Back pain is divided into acute vs. chronic. Acute back pain, the most common type, is a severe acute onset back pain that lasts up to six weeks. It typically resolves on its own and is amenable to physical therapy and possibly injections. Chronic low back pain is any back pain that lingers beyond three months.

The back issues that are most responsive to nonsurgical treatment are the acute low back pain. When buttock and leg pain are involved as well, the likely etiology is nerve root compression. This is amenable to selective nerve root injections or surgery as a last resort.

If my doctor sees “structural issues” (herniated discs, etc.) on my MRI, is surgery in my future?

Structural issues on MRI are quite common and may be mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic. If symptomatic, then surgery may be an option. You should discuss all treatment options with your physician.

How do you differentiate muscle pain from spinal nerve pain?

Muscle pain is distinguished from spinal nerve pain by the location of the pain: buttock and leg denotes nerve compression vs. back pain, which denotes muscular pain.

SUSAN LOCKE, MD, is the Healthnetwork Foundation’s medical director.

HEALTHNETWORK is a Legatus membership benefit, a healthcare “concierge service” that provides members and their families access to some of the most respected hospitals in the world. One Call Starts It All: (866) 968-2467 or (440) 893-0830. Email: help@healthnetworkfoundation.org

Angels and Saints at Ephesus
Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles
Decca/De Montfort Music, 2013

As a follow-up to their chart-topping first release with Decca last year, the Benedictines of Mary unite their voices once more on a new disc, “Angels and Saints at Ephesus.” Recorded at their priory in the heartland of America, this CD is a dynamic, yet pure fusion of their contemplative sound.

This second album is truly inspired. With English and Latin pieces sung a cappella for the feasts of the holy saints and angels, this is truly 17 slices of heaven. They sing familiar hymns like “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” and “O God of Loveliness” along with lesser-known works like “Te Joseph Celebrent” and “Lorica of St. Patrick.”

Founded in 1995, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, are a young monastic order of sisters who sing together eight times a day as they chant the Divine Office in Latin.

Last November and December, their debut album, “Advent at Ephesus” spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical music chart. They ended the year as the No. 1 Classical Traditional Artist of 2012, according to Nielson’s Soundscan. The mainstream media took notice. The sisters received positive attention from NPR, USA Today, People magazine, the Washington Times, and numerous other media outlets.

The new CD is a natural outgrowth of the sisters’ love of traditional Catholic music, they said. “Gathering the hymns we have learned and loved, it seemed only natural to suggest the theme of the angels and saints, the heralds of God’s glory and grace for this album,” said Sr. Scholastica, the order’s subprioress and the designer of the album’s artwork. “Music is a vital part of our spirituality, and it has been a blessing to have it blossom and broaden in recent years.”

Not only are the sisters’ angelic harmonies inspired, but the entire project is uncompromisingly top-shelf. Nine-time international Grammy-winning producer Christopher Alder and two-time Grammy-winning engineer Mark Donahue recorded the sisters at their convent in Missouri.

“Angels and Saints at Ephesus” is available May 7, and a 30-minute special on the album’s recording will air on EWTN on May 7 at 6 PM Eastern and May 8 at 3:30 AM Eastern.

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Reverend John Trigilio Jr.

by Fr. John Trigilio

Papal primacy is the concept that the bishop of Rome (the pope) is the universal pastor and supreme head of the Catholic Church. He has full, supreme, immediate, and universal jurisdictional authority to govern the Church.

This means that no bishop, synod, or council of bishops can override his authority. His teaching authority is defined in the doctrine of papal infallibility. His governing authority is contained in papal primacy.

The Eastern Orthodox Church considers the bishop of Rome to have a primacy in honor among the five patriarchs of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Rome. They do not recognize his primacy in jurisdiction, however.

Every bishop in the Catholic Church must be approved by the pope and receive a papal mandate before being ordained and consecrated to the episcopacy, and it is the pope who confers on that bishop the authority to govern the diocese to which he has been appointed.

The First Vatican Council defined papal infallibility and papal primacy. “All the faithful of Christ must believe that the Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff hold primacy over the whole world, and that the Pontiff of Rome himself is the successor of the blessed Peter, the chief of the apostles, and is the true Vicar of Christ and head of the whole Church and faith, and teacher of all Christians.”

The charism of infallibility is exercised only when the pope issues an ex cathedra statement on faith and morals or when he proposes a teaching united with all the bishops of the world. Unlike divine inspiration of scripture, where God directed the sacred authors to write only what he wanted them to write, infallibility means there are no moral or doctrinal errors present in the statement.

The basis for the teachings on papal primacy and papal infallibility are found in Matthew 16:17-19 when Jesus said to Simon, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Some who dispute papal primacy claim that the original Greek words used by Matthew (Petros for Peter and petra for rock) show a difference between rock and stone, as if Peter were a small stone and the Church was a large rock. Actually, the Greek word for stone is lithos. Petros is nothing more than petra (rock) with a masculine ending. Calling Simon “petra” would be like calling John “Joan” or “Johanna.” So despite the feminine ending of Petra, linguistic and biblical scholarship maintains that Simon “Peter” is the rock upon which Christ built his church.

FATHER JOHN TRIGILIO JR. is an author, theologian and president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. This article is reprinted with permission from “The Catholicism Answer Book: The 300 Most Frequently Asked Questions,” which he authored with Fr. Kenneth D. Brighenti.

Catechism 101

The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful. For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.

The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter’s successor, as its head. As such, this college has supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 882, 883

Bishop Thomas Daly

Bishop Thomas Daly
San Jose Chapter

Before becoming the first auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of San Jose in 2011, Bishop Thomas Daly was a priest of the San Francisco archdiocese. After his priestly ordination in 1987, he served as a parish pastor and parochial vicar, as a teacher and campus minister, and later as president of Marin Catholic High School, as a San Francisco Police Department chaplain, and archdiocesan director of vocations. Bishop Daly is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and holds master’s degrees from Boston College and St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif.

Tell us about your call to the priesthood.

I was born and raised in San Francisco at a time when the city was still very Catholic and people identified themselves more by their parish and the school than their neighborhood. I am the fourth of seven children and attended Catholic school from first grade through college.

The example of my parents, parish priests, the Daughters of Charity and the De La Salle Christian Brothers all played significant roles in my discerning the call to priesthood. This was in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Their example was one of stability and commitment to Jesus Christ. My dad was an executive who worked hard to send all of us to Catholic schools, and my mom lived each day with a strong sense of self-sacrifice, humility, compassion and prayer. Both were great models of discipleship.

What have you found to be the most fulfilling aspect of your priesthood?

Being able to shepherd the people of God — that is, to celebrate the sacraments and assist people in hearing the Good News. There is so much that distracts people today, especially because of the addiction to technology. To call people to quiet and remind them, as St. Peter writes, that “the goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls” is truly a privilege.

How did you become acquainted with Legatus?

I first heard of Legatus from Fr. Mike Barber, a Jesuit who was a faculty member at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park. Legatus has brought together men and women of strong faith and prominent influence in the business and professional community of Santa Clara County.

Beginning our meetings with Mass, being able to share a meal together, and then listening to distinguished and timely speakers are opportunities that only Legatus can provide. Our members can then go out to their respective areas of work and be Christ for our world. The Silicon Valley needs credible Catholic lay people of faith who aren’t afraid to say that we are not our own saviors — no matter how wealthy or successful we might be.

How do you approach your role as Legatus chaplain?

I see my role to be that of a spiritual guide and shepherd. I try my best to make sure that scheduling conflicts don’t get in the way of attending our gatherings.

You have a vocation, of course. Any avocations?

If I could manage my time better, I wouldn’t mind playing more golf with some former students of mine. During the summer, I like to go swimming or go for a bike ride.

Are there any lessons you’ve learned as a priest that are especially apt for business leaders?

There are no moral shortcuts! My father told me this from his experience in business and the older I get, the more I see his wisdom.

Are there any devotions you recommend to Legates?

Attend Mass at least one day during the week, regular Confession — a great gift of grace that too few participate in. Also, the rosary, because Mary always leads us closer to her Son, and an annual retreat.

Return to Order
John Horvat II
York Press, 2013
400 pages, $21.95 hardcover

The subtitle says it all: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society — Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here, and Where We Need to Go. In his penetrating analysis of contemporary society, author John Horvat focuses on our cultural and economic crises with insight and clarity.

The modern economy has become cold, impersonal, and out of balance, he writes. Gone are the human elements of honor and trust so essential to our daily lives. Society has discarded the natural restraining influence of the human institutions and values that should temper our economic activities.

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