Character and Kindness: Pray for these two young men!

Take a Hike

Oh the things that you'll see and the people you'll meet,
If you just take a stroll on a U.S. Main St.
(Or off the beaten track.)

Check it out here....

Brit Blogger: Pope is not the Liberal the Media Wants

Can the media spin this one?

Pope defrocks and excommunicates priest who shilled for same sex marriage

Go, Ted Cruz!

The Conservative and the Party Animal Go At It...

...tooth and claw! I invite all my readers to pray the rosary for Ken. The thought of Terry McAuliffe in the governor's mansion is like a horror movie!

Cuccinelli’s Big Mo

My favorite quote from the article:

A stunning development was the endorsement of Cuccinelli by Tech PAC, the political arm of the very powerful, very influential Northern Virginia Technology Council, despite a furious last-minute lobbying campaign by the McAuliffe forces. Evidently, the PAC was not quite impressed with the Party Animal’s claim that, since he was Irish, his drinking habits would help with economic development efforts. I am not kidding. Check out the Washington Post story here. Nice job, Terry. Keep perpetuating those ethnic stereotypes.

What Better Way to Start the Week than to Pray the Rosary?

St. Dominic is my Confirmation patron, but can anyone tell me who the nun is that Baby Jesus is reaching out to? I want to adopt her as another Dominican friend.

Twisting the Pope's Words

The media loves to take the pope's words, twist them, spin them and fling them out backwards. His statement a few days ago about the Catholic faith not being only about abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception has been turned into the pope dismissing these evils. Planned Parenthood even had the audacity to thank the pope in the name of "pro-choice women everywhere!"

But addressing Catholic doctors on Friday, the pope made it clear he stands with the Church on respect for the unborn. "Every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord, who even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world." The pope certainly wasn't sending a message of approval for sexual immorality. What he did was emphasize that Christ's message is about more than sexual immorality. And I agree.

There are many moral evils not being discussed in our churches and a BIG ONE is USURY! The Bible doesn't say the root of all evils is adultery or sodomy or fornication or prostitution. It says LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evils. Jesus didn't say a man has to choose between God and his mistress or between God and his gay lover. No, he has to choose between God and Mammon. Does that mean Our Lord approves of fornication, adultery, and sodomy? Of course not! It does mean that greed is a primary motivator of men, one which leads them to treat their neighbors as commodities for their increasing wealth.

And that is a message that G.K. Chesterton discusses in the one book that has been described as "Chesterton in a rage!" The book? Utopia of Usurers  condemns unbridled capitalism that seeks to enrich the few by enslaving the many. When you look at the bailing out of rich bankers at the expense of taxpayers while their CEOs retire with golden parachutes even as the institutions fail you readily see the worship of Mammon in the U.S. Chesterton certainly recognized it in Britain and was especially enraged by the dehumanizing exploitation of the many by the few. (Certainly, the murder of the unborn is a perfect example of enriching the acolytes of Mammon by a barbaric and dehumanizing greed!)

Usury is just one example of a grave moral evil that has received too little attention in our churches, perhaps because so many of the "princes of the Church" are among the worshipers of Mammon. Let us pray, like St. Ignatius urges in the Spiritual Exercises, not only for spiritual poverty, but physical poverty if the Lord wills it.

May we never prefer to serve Mammon rather than Our Lord and Savior who was so poor He had no place to lay His head.

How Do We Keep Our Children Catholic? Give them Heroes!

I think there are many approaches to this question. Think of how Jesus taught in a way to capture the hearts and minds of those who followed Him. He told stories.

• "Once there was a man traveling along the road to Jericho...."
• "Once there was a young man who went to his father and asked, 'Father, give me my inheritance...'"
• "Once there were ten virgins with lighted lamps waiting for the bridegroom to come...."

Stories capture the mind and heart. And not just fictional stories. Some of the most compelling stories are true. When I taught fourth grade, my students loved to hear stories of the saints. The boys especially loved the most gruesome stories of the martyrs. Was it because they were a bloodthirsty lot? I don't think so. I think boys want to hear about those who are bold, heroic, and defend others. Horatius at the bridge is a compelling secular story that presents a hero. Saints are heroes and heroines. And so we should tell our children stories about them.

St. Isaac Jogues lived among the Indians, facing death at almost every moment. The least thing could change the superstitious Indians from friends to enemies and their jealous medicine men used the "blackrobes" as scapegoats when tragedy struck. One of most exciting things about these Jesuit martyrs is that we have their own words describing what they experienced. Fr. Jogues described the death of his lay associate Rene Goupil who was murdered because he made the sign of the cross on the head of a child. Two braves attacked him with tomahawks as he and Fr. Jogues walked in a ravine praying the rosary. For some reason they did not kill Fr. Jogues, but he held Rene in his arms as he died with the name of Jesus on his lips. I believe Kateri Tekawitha, born a decade later, was the fruit of the Jesuit martyrs' sacrifice. The lily of the Mohawks also suffered for the faith, a kind of white martyrdom. 

Read stories of the saints and tell them to your children: in the car, on walks, at bedtime. Give them real superheroes! And with Halloween coming, why not dress them up as little saints.  

Wow! How Many Babies Will Be Saved By This Music Video?

Two thumbs up to John Elefante for this incredible testimony to life.



Read more here. 

How Do You Prepare for Mass?

The world could continue to exist more easily without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

Another Brave Mother Chooses Life

Mom Defies Doctor’s Suggestion to Have an Abortion, Baby Defies the Odds

So many parents today kill their babies in utero because they find out they have a physical or mental challenge. That always boggles my mind. I wonder if anybody asks them, "What if you found out your baby was sick when he was three months old. Would you ask the doctor to treat him by killing him?" 

Life is filled with challenges. How many people have been injured in a car, bike, skateboard, sledding, diving, trampoline, sports, etc. accidents? Your perfectly healthy five-year-old could face a tragedy tomorrow that left her permanently brain damaged. Your teenager could fall and hit his head and be in a coma. There are no guarantees in life. 

I'm so glad to be a Catholic and know that God loves me and my family more than I can even imagine. No matter what happens, He is in control and will be there right with me as I struggle through it. And he loves my children and grandchildren more than I do. Trust in God. It's not easy, but it's the only way to peace.

Can the President Essentially Veto Laws Passed by Congress?

Obama Waives Ban on Arming Terrorists

The answer is: If Congress lets him and when has Congress stood up to Obama...EVER! I have a few questions about this.

• Will there be background checks to make sure no criminals or mentally ill terrorists get weapons?
• Will they be given assault weapons?
• How come it's okay to give terrorists guns, but American citizens can't be trusted with them?
• What ever happened to the peace president?

More Special Privileges for Congress...

Congress’s Exemption from Obamacare:

Senator David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, has demanded a floor vote on his bill to end an exemption that members of Congress and their staffs are slated to get that will make them the only participants in the new Obamacare exchanges to receive generous subsidies from their employer to pay for their health insurance. Angry Senate Democrats have drafted legislation that dredges up a 2007 prostitution scandal involving Vitter. The confrontation is a perfect illustration of just how wide the gulf in attitudes is between the Beltway and the rest of the country — and how viciously Capitol Hill denizens will fight for their privileges.

Democrats REALLY care about the little people in this country....but not quite as much as they care about their special privileges and perks. Why should the rest of the country have to pay through the nose while Congress (they almost all end up rich after serving a few terms) gets subsidies paid by "employers" (That's you, the taxpayer!)? Isn't it time to make Congress live by every damnable law they pass to inflict their will on the American people? 

Heretic Alert!

Anthony Tambasco is speaking tonight and September 30th at St. Ann's in Arlington, VA which has a long-time reputation for dissent. Tambasco's list of shocking heresies includes:

• The apostles and early church fabricated the miracles and prophecies of Jesus.
• The resurrection wasn’t necessary.
• Mary’s perpetual virginity may have been a “theological symbol.”
• Peter never acknowledged Jesus as God.
• Jesus Himself didn't know He was God until after the resurrection.
• Thomas never put his hand in Jesus' side.
• Dr. Tambasco has also written that “It would not destroy my faith, if a theologian proved that [Jesus’] body rotted in the grave.” He snaps his fingers at St. Paul's admonition, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is void of content and your faith is empty too.” (1 Cor. 15: 14) [Read more....]

I faxed a letter to the head of catechetics, Fr. DeLadurantaye, with copies to the Chancellor and the pastor yesterday afternoon. Here's the content relative to the event:

I’m writing today because I saw a disturbing item in the Calendar of Coming events (page 26) for Sept. 16 and 30 of the current issue of the Catholic Herald (Sept. 12-18). The item lists a lecture by Anthony Tambasco at St. Ann’s in Arlington called “Vatican II: Shifting Emphases that Remain Today.”

As I’m sure you are aware Dr. Tambasco holds many heretical positions that he has never recanted. I have written about these in the past and I repeat those positions here:

According to eminent Catholic scholar James Likoudis, Tambasco’s book, What Are They Saying about Mary (Paulist Press), and his video course, In the Time of Jesus, are filled with heresies. These include: 1) The Gospels are not historically accurate; 2) The historicity of the virginal conception of Jesus is “an open question”; 3) Mary’s perpetual virginity may be only a “theological symbol”; 4) The Evangelists fabricated Jesus’ miracles; 5) The “Church community” invented Jesus’ prophecies after he died; 6) The Crucifixion was unnecessary; 7) Jesus did not know He was God until after His death and resurrection; 8) Peter never acknowledged Jesus as God; 9) The resurrection was probably not a physical one; and 10) Thomas never put his hand into Jesus’ side.

Tambasco also writes, “It would not destroy my faith, if a theologian proved that [Jesus’] body rotted in the grave.” So much for St. Paul’s admonition: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is void of content and your faith is empty too.” (1 Cor. 15: 14) For Tambasco to teach Catholics about the faith is like the KKK teaching about respect and tolerance.

In January 2008 when Dr. Tambasco was scheduled to speak at Good Shepherd in Alexandria, Les Femmes sent an open letter to Bishop Loverde in the form of a press release outlining Tambasco’s heresies as well. (I’ve attached a copy for your information.) Fortunately, the talk was cancelled by an act of God in the form of a snowstorm. That seems unlikely this week. Father, isn’t the policy still in place that requires approval of speakers? Surely you could not have approved Dr. Tambasco. I’m confident the bishop would not want this scandal to go forward. I hope Bishop Loverde and you will see the necessity to take immediate action to prevent this man from spreading his heretical views in the diocese.

I tried to reach Fr. Portula to discuss my concerns, but Sunday is a busy day and I ended up leaving a message on the office director’s voice mail.

To join me in protesting the Tambasco scandal contact the bishop's office at 703-841-2511 or FAX 703-524-5028.

The Face of Jesus

Matthew Shephard and the Big Lie

After Matthew Shephard was brutally murdered in 1998, the homosexual community raised him up as an icon illustrating the horrible impact of homophobia. National media and the gay community relentlessly beat the hate crime drum using the murder as a crisis not to be wasted. Shephard was lionized in The Laramie Project, a play named for the locale where the murder occurred. The play's message? Tolerance and acceptance of homosexuals (and the homosexual lifestyle)  is the only approach that can turn our hopelessly evil, intolerant, hateful, homophobic culture around.

There's only one problem with the entire Matthew Shepard story. It's a fairy tale, mostly fiction! And now an award winning reporter has exposed the truth in The Book of Matt. Shepard wasn't killed by evil homophobic heterosexuals. In fact one of the killers was a sometimes sex partner and fellow meth user. Here's what a gay journalist wrote recently about the book:

As gay journalist Aaron Hicklin, writing in The Advocate asks, “How do people sold on one version of history react to being told that the facts are slippery --- that thinking of Shepard’s murder as a hate crime does not mean it was a hate crime? And how does it color our understanding of such a crime if the perpetrator and victim not only knew each other but also had sex together, bought drugs from one another, and partied together?"

Indeed, will the truth make a difference? The Matthew Shepard foundation is already attacking the messenger. I haven't read the book yet, but I expect it's true because the story fits the profile of the self-destructive lifestyle of homosexual men, especially young men. Even gays admit that homosexuality is a "sewer" of casual, degrading sex and drug use including crystal meth.

Today's Gospel reading was the parable of the prodigal son. Matthew Shepard's murder cut short his life and the opportunity to reform and turn back to God. Let's pray that in the final hours before he died, he saw the face of Christ and reached out for Him. Our God is so merciful and wants no one to parish. St. Faustina, Apostle of Divine Mercy, pray for Matthew and for his murderers.

Today's Gospel: The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Pompeo Batoni's painting, Return of the Prodigal Son (1773), is one of my favorites. I love the Father enfolding the boy in his cloak. What a tender gesture. And Betoni makes the father himself and his son take on the shape of the cross. The trim of his cloak makes the cross beam and his head and the son's body make the verticle beam. The band on his hat reminds me of the crown of thorns and his face resembles our Savior's This portrait encapsulates the message of the cross: sorrow, love and forgiveness? The son, like us, kneels at the foot of the cross weeping in repentance for sin. The father, with the face of Jesus looks down in love and forgiveness. Art can touch our hearts with a depth of meaning that takes many words to describe. Pray for poor sinners today. Father, forgive us; we know not what we do. Blessed Jacinta, little victim soul for sinners, pray for us.

Quote of the Day: From Tom Fleming in Chronicles

"Americans today are the dumbest human beings since our ancestors crawled down from the trees to have a look around to see what they could steal."

Fleming's article in the September issue of Chronicles (which is not online) outlined the disastrous result of our current education system where feelings are more important than facts and cooperative learning is more important than getting the correct answer. Rachel Jeantel illustrates his point with her statement that, "Well, the jury, they see their facts. My thought of the jury, they old, that's old-school people. We in a new school, our generation, my generation."

And that, friends, is the problem. The "new school" is more focused on raising sheep for the elite government bosses to herd than in educating critical thinkers who may actually stand up to them and kick them across the field into the ditch.

The Best Reason to Love Duck Dynasty!

The family is pro-life and believe in evangelizing. Preach it, Brother! And he asks a good question: "What in the world happened to us?"

Wonders of Creation: Camouflage

When I taught fourth grade science I loved talking about camouflage and showing pictures of animals with special ways of hiding. I wish I'd had this video. Wow!

The Law of Unintended Consequences: Pill Caused "Demographic Catastrophe"

One of the inventors of the birth control pill, Carl Djerassi, an Austrian chemist and one of the three originators of the original synthetic progesterone, Norethisterone, calls the impact of the pill on society as a "demographic catastrophe." The pills environmental impact is also a disaster. with tons of hormones polluting the environment and impairing male fertility. In the UK the Daily Mail headlined an article warning of a Fertility Timebomb Found in Drinking Water. Men may be glad to have women take the pill so they can always be available as free sex toys. How many would be happy to know that they may be paying the price of chemical castration for their fun?

Check out these articles:

Catholic Church renews its attack on contraceptive pill

Water Pollution Caused by Birth Control Poses Dilemma

Hey Boulder, How Do You Like that "Naturally Occurring" Rain?

Boulder, CO has been inundated with nature lately in the form of rain, rain, and more rain leading to some pretty extreme outcomes. Nature up close and personal can be a threat to the community. But, hey, Boulder thinks ecosystems have the same rights as people. So if "trees are people too," how about raindrops? They're part of nature just exercising their right to choose where and when to fall. We hope none of Boulder's tree huggers are complaining!

From Denver Westward News:

Natural wonder: Boulder County has a reputation for leading the state in matters of open space, animal rights, environmental protections and all-around tree-hugging. But next week may present the acid test for local officials' greeniness. On Wednesday, September 18, the county planning commission will listen to a presentation from staff and ponder whether to include a statement in the comprehensive plan declaring that "Boulder County acknowledges the rights of all naturally occurring ecosystems and their native species populations to exist and flourish."
Whether or not it's approved, the proposed language signals that the Rights of Nature movement has landed in Colorado, complete with website and Facebook page. It's essentially a push by a wide array of environmental activists and thinkers to grant a kind of legal standing to native species; if corporations that promote fracking and other forms of environmental degradation can be granted personhood in the political arena, why can't entire ecosystems have rights, too? 

Since 2008, laws that specifically acknowledge such rights have been passed in countries such as Bolivia and Ecuador and more than three dozen U.S. towns and cities. The locals pushing for a similar measure in Boulder include the president of the county's Audubon Society; an attorney whose bio lists "life-long experience in the study of consciousness, nature and the law"; an "ecopsychologist and poet"; and Priscilla Stuckey, author of Kissed by a Fox: And Other Studies of Friendship in Nature. 

Slipping a line about how "trees are people, too" into the county planning documents isn't exactly awarding a constitutional right. Advocates of the Rights of Nature say it's a significant step, though, toward acknowledging that current protections for native species haven't saved a number of struggling populations in Boulder County — from the lark bunting to the burrowing owl to the bristlecone pine forest — from being imperiled. But critics fear that embracing the concept of legal rights for flora and fauna sets a dangerous precedent that can lead to further restrictions on property and energy development, as well as genetically modified crops.
A recent communique from the Rights of Nature supporters suggests that the county planning commission legal staff is prepared to recommend against incorporating the language in the comprehensive plan. That has the advocates rallying the troops to submit comments to the commission urging deeper consideration of the issue. 

Will Boulder eventually join places like Santa Monica, California, in declaring that citizens have a right to "a sustainable climate that supports thriving human life and a flourishing bio-diverse environment"? Will it follow the lead of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, in viewing ecosystems as "persons" for purposes of environmental enforcement? Or will it treat Boulder's abundant natives as second-class citizens? 

Either way, you can be sure of one thing. It's business, not personal.

Richard Dawkins is so Pathetic

Richard Dawkins: There’s nothing wrong with a little ‘mild pedophilia’

And there's nothing wrong with a little:

• mild spouse abuse
• mild elder abuse
• mild rape
• mild sadism
• mild assault

Blessed, Jacinta, please pray for this mindless atheist whose intellect is so darkened by hatred of the God he claims doesn't exist. No one who attacks God and people of faith so relentlessly (to the point of lying about the impact of religion on history) can disbelieve in Him. Dawkins has made himself a tool of the evil one. If you read the Wiki entry on him you see his atheism linked with Darwinism, which illustrates the atheistic tilt of evolution:

Dawkins is an outspoken atheist[72] and a supporter of various atheist, secular, and humanistic organisations.[8][73][74][75][76][77][78] Although he was confirmed into the Church of England at the age of thirteen, he started to lose his religious faith when he discovered Darwin.[79] He revealed that his understanding of evolution led him to atheism[80] and is puzzled by belief in God among individuals who are sophisticated in science.[81] He disagrees with Stephen Jay Gould's principle of nonoverlapping magisteria[82] and considers the existence of God to be just another scientific hypothesis like any other.

Some things are outside the realm of science. You cannot define or prove the existence of beauty by science. There is no measure for it. You cannot measure God, but there are many proofs for His existence as St. Thomas Aquinas illustrated. Please pray for poor Richard Dawkins. He's long in the tooth and getting close to meeting the God whose existence he denies. I would hate to be in his shoes on Judgment Day and so I'm offering my rosary for him this evening. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on him. Mother of Mercy, pray for him.

Imagine the History of the U.S. Told from a Catholic Point of View

It would include many primary sources including the first hand accounts of eight North American martyrs (six Jesuit priests and two laymen) who lost their lives serving the native Americans of the northeast. George Bancroft, a leading 19th century historian who wrote a 10-volume history of the United States, described the influence of the French missionaries:

The history of the Jesuit mission is connected with the origin of every celebrated town in the annals of French America. Not a cape was turned, not a river entered, but a Jesuit led the way. 

And, thanks to the internet, the biggest library in the world, the first hand accounts  of the martyrs' exploits are readily available to anyone interested in reading them.  They begin in 1610 and conclude in 1791. And what a story! For virtue, courage, and the love of neighbor you cannot find better examples. It was these men who first valued the Indians enough to record their language. It's interesting to consider that those parts of the world where Catholic missionaries settled, intermarriage with the native populations was common in contrast to English settlements where native populations were considered inferior and were treated as servants of the English at best.

Read about the North American martyrs and marvel at their courage and perseverance. They are what being a Catholic should be. They weren't community organizers seeking power, but servants of those they saw as neighbors. St. Isaac Jogues and company, pray for us.

Rush Decries Obama's Chemical Weapon: RU 486

Rush never ceases to amaze me with his willingness to speak the truth even when he may take a hit for it. Read his transcript on Obama's chemical weapons of mass destruction:

RUSH: I have a piece on Obama's speech last night. The magic word was "children." We've got to do this for the children! "Children" was the magic word in Obama's speech, and about 9:30 last night I was made aware of a post at LifeNews.com. This is going to offend some of you. President Obama was talking about chemical weapons being used on the children, how that just is unacceptable.

It's okay if conventional weapons, apparently, are used on children, 'cause they are being used on the children now. Bashar's back to using conventional bombs and bullets and everything else, but it's okay because he's not using the evil chemical weapons.  [Read the rest....]

The Weapon of Mass Destruction Nobody is Talking About

ARE TERRORISTS SETTING U.S. WILDFIRES?

“For any terrorists that are determined to inflict significant damage with very little investment or risk, fire is an extremely high-leverage weapon of mass effect.”

Have You Seen "Because Obama?"

It would be funnier if it weren't so true.



The moment I laughed out loud was when the gal talked about posting a picture of cats reacting to the obliteration of the family home.

MRC likes it too.

Domestic Terrorist Aided by Southern Poverty Law Center

Talk about a hate organization! The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has long targeted Christians as "hate groups" because of their pro-life, pro-traditional marriage positions. When domestic terrorist Floyd Lee Corkins went looking to commit mass murder of "conservative right wing Christian " he picked his target off the SPLC website. Check out these two articles and then ask yourself whether the SPLC should be charged with aiding and abetting?

Man Who Shot Up Pro-Life Office “Wanted to Kill Conservative, Right-Wing Christians”

Video: Southern Poverty Law Center Linked to Shooting at Pro-Life Group

Gilbert Magazine with Lunch

I love Gilbert Magazine. Today I was reading as I ate my stew and was thrilled to see that Chesterton's cause for canonization is being investigated by Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton, England. Well, what a gift that would be the Church: the "apostle of common sense" raised to the honors of the altar! Certainly our age needs common sense more than almost anything else. Nonsense and madness have taken over most of our institutions as a few illustrations demonstrate:

• Government protects snail darters, kangaroo rats, and bird eggs while promoting the murder of babies;
• Schools ban even the mention of the Christian God, but teach children to dress as Muslims and kneel on prayer rugs;
• Promoting common core one-size-fits-all education while paying lip service to diversity and individual performance;
• Men and boys can decide whatever gender they feel like and use bathrooms and locker rooms accordingly despite exposing their man parts to little girls (Remember when dirty old men in trenchcoats were arrested for exposing themselves? Now they can do it with the law's blessing.);
• Criticizing the policies of a black president or the violent acts of a black thug proves you are a racist even if you are black. (Just ask the black conservatives.)

Well, you get the idea. An apostle of common sense, especially one who was so joyfully cheerful, despite observing and predicting the collapse of western civilization, is exactly what our world needs. So raise a mug to the hope that we will soon add St. Gilbert to the calendar of holy men and women. And here's a quote from Dale Alquist's editorial in the July/August issue of Gilbert to demonstrate a little of Chesterton's common sense on education:

If we really believe in freedom, we must take education out of the hands of the State. Chesterton says that government means coercion. It has a very limited but necessary role in a free society. But controlling education is the most important thing that we do not want the State to control. It gives the government far too much power and influence. Chesterton observes that the desire to control becomes uncontrollable. It leads, ironically, to infinite liberty: "Only it is an infinite liberty for the rulers and an infinite slavery for the people. It is a loss of the whole sane social instinct which limited the scope and the subject matter of laws. It is a new freedom for the ruler to control buttons as he controls bullets and to forbid anchovy sauce as much as prussic acid. It is the intemperance of interference."

Catholic Bishops: Are They Just One More NGO Liberal Lobby?

Chris Manion has a great article on the bishops and their call for immigration "reform," their buzzward for amnesty. Some bishops (Mahony comes to mind) paint anyone who disagrees with them or calls for securing our borders as a racist troglodyte fit for hell because of his (or her) lack of "social justice." They never consider the justice due to citizens losing health care access and decent education (Illegals in the schools cost taxpayers $52 BILLION a year!) because the system is overrun by the illegal invasion. When 84 hospital in southern California go bankrupt and close the community suffers. Is that justice? Well...don't get me started. Here's a bit of Chris' excellent commentary:

USCCB President Timothy Cardinal Dolan is right — the bishops have had "laryngitis" regarding the magisterial teachings of the Church on sexual morality for fifty years. But they've filled the vacuum with the political agenda of the welfare state, and have used their "role of speaking for the moral voice of the Church" to pass off their opinions as official Catholic teaching instead. 

As a result, America's bishops have inverted the Church's priorities. Eternal truths are ignored, while personal political agendas are canonized. They have become "just another NGO," lobbying on issues ranging from inflation, welfare, taxes, and budgets to the price of tomatoes in Florida. 

Amnesty for illegal aliens fits right in with a clerical agenda that has become increasingly partisan, radical, and secular. 

It is especially distressing to see politicized bishops cloak their agenda in religious language, as though no good Catholic — or good person! — could possibly disagree. Catholics in my diocese are asking their pastors, in and out of the Confessional, "Is it a sin to oppose amnesty?" 

Countless bishops would apparently like them to think so. Roger Cardinal Mahony once told an immigration rally that supporters of current law were "fanning the flames of intolerance, xenophobia and, at times, bigotry."

Curiously, the Rubble can find no record of Mahony or his successor, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez – or any other bishop or USCCB official, for that matter — condemning the blatant racism of La Raza — "The Race" — or that of many other pro-amnesty agitators who march alongside them in amnesty rallies. 

Instead, the Cardinal implies that everyone who disagrees with him is irrational.
Such self-serving moral posturing is hardly pastoral. It ill serves — and even perverts — the Church's mission to "go and teach all nations"; it misinforms the public, scandalizes good Catholics; and is thoroughly lacking in charity. 

It is also often lacking in truth. Good bishops and priests consistently refer to the Catholic Catechism's teaching that prosperous nations should strive to "welcome the foreigner" [CCC 2241]; however, they rarely mention what follows: "Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens."

Don't miss the rest of this great article!

The Pope Speaks of Peace; Is Anyone Listening?

Pope Francis Calls for Peace at Prayer Vigil on September 8th. 

“And God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:12, 18, 21, 25). The biblical account of the beginning of the history of the world and of humanity speaks to us of a God who looks at creation, in a sense contemplating it, and declares: “It is good”. This allows us to enter into God’s heart and, precisely from within him, to receive his message. We can ask ourselves: what does this message mean? What does it say to me, to you, to all of us? It says to us simply that this, our world, in the heart and mind of God, is the “house of harmony and peace”, and that it is the space in which everyone is able to find their proper place and feel “at home”, because it is “good”. All of creation forms a harmonious and good unity, but above all humanity, made in the image and likeness of God, is one family, in which relationships are marked by a true fraternity not only in words: the other person is a brother or sister to love, and our relationship with God, who is love, fidelity and goodness, mirrors every human relationship and brings harmony to the whole of creation. God’s world is a world where everyone feels responsible for the other, for the good of the other. This evening, in reflection, fasting and prayer, each of us deep down should ask ourselves: Is this really the world that I desire? Is this really the world that we all carry in our hearts? Is the world that we want really a world of harmony and peace, in ourselves, in our relations with others, in families, in cities, in and between nations? And does not true freedom mean choosing ways in this world that lead to the good of all and are guided by love?

But then we wonder: Is this the world in which we are living? Creation retains its beauty which fills us with awe and it remains a good work. But there is also “violence, division, disagreement, war”. This occurs when man, the summit of creation, stops contemplating beauty and goodness, and withdraws into his own selfishness.

When man thinks only of himself, of his own interests and places himself in the centre, when he permits himself to be captivated by the idols of dominion and power, when he puts himself in God’s place, then all relationships are broken and everything is ruined; then the door opens to violence, indifference, and conflict. This is precisely what the passage in the Book of Genesis seeks to teach us in the story of the Fall: man enters into conflict with himself, he realizes that he is naked and he hides himself because he is afraid (cf. Gen 3: 10), he is afraid of God’s glance; he accuses the woman, she who is flesh of his flesh (cf. v. 12); he breaks harmony with creation, he begins to raise his hand against his brother to kill him. Can we say that from harmony he passes to “disharmony”? No, there is no such thing as “disharmony”; there is either harmony or we fall into chaos, where there is violence, argument, conflict, fear ....

It is exactly in this chaos that God asks man’s conscience: “Where is Abel your brother?” and Cain responds: “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen 4:9). We too are asked this question, it would be good for us to ask ourselves as well: Am I really my brother’s keeper? Yes, you are your brother’s keeper! To be human means to care for one another! But when harmony is broken, a metamorphosis occurs: the brother who is to be cared for and loved becomes an adversary to fight, to kill. What violence occurs at that moment, how many conflicts, how many wars have marked our history! We need only look at the suffering of so many brothers and sisters. This is not a question of coincidence, but the truth: we bring about the rebirth of Cain in every act of violence and in every war. All of us! And even today we continue this history of conflict between brothers, even today we raise our hands against our brother. Even today, we let ourselves be guided by idols, by selfishness, by our own interests, and this attitude persists. We have perfected our weapons, our conscience has fallen asleep, and we have sharpened our ideas to justify ourselves. As if it were normal, we continue to sow destruction, pain, death! Violence and war lead only to death, they speak of death! Violence and war are the language of death!

At this point I ask myself: Is it possible to change direction? Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we learn once again to walk and live in the ways of peace? Invoking the help of God, under the maternal gaze of the Salus Populi Romani, Queen of Peace, I say: Yes, it is possible for everyone! From every corner of the world tonight, I would like to hear us cry out: Yes, it is possible for everyone! Or even better, I would like for each one of us, from the least to the greatest, including those called to govern nations, to respond: Yes, we want it! My Christian faith urges me to look to the Cross. How I wish that all men and women of good will would look to the Cross if only for a moment! There, we can see God’s reply: violence is not answered with violence, death is not answered with the language of death. In the silence of the Cross, the uproar of weapons ceases and the language of reconciliation, forgiveness, dialogue, and peace is spoken.

This evening, I ask the Lord that we Christians, and our brothers and sisters of other religions, and every man and woman of good will, cry out forcefully: violence and war are never the way to peace! Let everyone be moved to look into the depths of his or her conscience and listen to that word which says: Leave behind the self-interest that hardens your heart, overcome the indifference that makes your heart insensitive towards others, conquer your deadly reasoning, and open yourself to dialogue and reconciliation. Look upon your brother’s sorrow and do not add to it, stay your hand, rebuild the harmony that has been shattered; and all this achieved not by conflict but by encounter!

May the noise of weapons cease! War always marks the failure of peace, it is always a defeat for humanity. Let the words of Pope Paul VI resound again: “No more one against the other, no more, never! ... war never again, never again war!” (Address to the United Nations, 1965). “Peace expresses itself only in peace, a peace which is not separate from the demands of justice but which is fostered by personal sacrifice, clemency, mercy and love” (World Day of Peace Message, 1975). Forgiveness, dialogue, reconciliation – these are the words of peace, in beloved Syria, in the Middle East, in all the world! Let us pray for reconciliation and peace, let us work for reconciliation and peace, and let us all become, in every place, men and women of reconciliation and peace! Amen.

#########

A Great History Resource for Your Kids - and it's FREE!

Learn more here.

I haven't watched this yet and, obviously, it's from a Protestant perspective so it probably stresses the English settlement and may ignore the importance of the Catholic Spanish, but that can always be supplemented. I'm going to order it to have on hand for visiting grandkids. You only pay shipping and handling and there are lots of extras. Check it out! They have numerous videos on our American heritage and the political process. Let's face it, kids are being shortchanged in the public schools. Make sure they learn the truth about our Godly American past. We were founded as a Christian nation. Whether we still are is questionable, but the first step in building the future is remembering the past. Our children should be proud of their roots. Many of our families immigrated here for freedom of faith and freedom of opportunity. Let's help our children remember where they came from.

Remember What's Really Important

Make a memory with your family today and don't forget to say, "I love you."

A Priest Who Leads...Literally

I subscribe to bulletins online to see what's going on around the diocese at some of the best (and worst) parishes. This week, my first stop was at St. Raymond of Penafort which is always a joy. But this week it was a particular thrill when I read in the Pastor's Corner an announcement explaining that the Sunday 8:45 a.m. Mass will be celebrated ad orientam beginning September 15th. Fr. De Celles gave a  description of the history and meaning of this beautiful practice. You can read the entire article here, but here's just a bit:

The symbolic turning together in the same direction harkens back to the Early Christians who often prayed facing East, waiting for the second coming of the Son of God, like the rising of the Sun....In offering Mass facing toward the people I have often thought how strange it is that I would be praying to God while I was facing you. Think of that: you all face in the same direction together (toward the altar, the cross and the Eucharist), as you pray to God. So then why would I face you while I'm praying to God, and leading you in prayer and presenting your sacrifice to God. Facing with you always seems more natural, more prayerful, more uniting. 

Read the article; it's worth the few minutes and may enrich your understanding of the Church's wisdom. Incidentally, Vatican II did NOT mandate that the priest face the people, and, in fact, that posture is a clear temptation to say Mass a performance of the priest rather than as a sacrifice to God.

Here's a video of the Novus Ordo as it could be:

Hillarious! Obama Supporters Sign Petition to get Karl Marx on Presidential Ballot

My big question: how does he keep a straight face while he talks to most of these folks? He does finally lose it temporarily, but he is gooooooood!

Questions for Obama from Fr. Tom

I thought these questions from my friend, Fr. Tom were right on the money. So I'll be his echo and post them here. Think the media will ever ask them?

How is it that a year after the terrorist attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Obama still cannot explain how and why it happened, yet he is able to pinpoint blame on Assad for the release of poison gas on Syrians?

How is it that Obama can hold Assad responsible for the gassing of civilians "under his watch", but will not accept his own responsibility for the abuses of power under his own watch by the NSA, the IRS, the BATF and the EPA?

I Love This Young Priest!

If I ever get to Indianapolis I'll look him up!

(Unscientific) Statistics Concerning Male Altar Servers

Meditation from the Post Office

Life is hard, there's no two ways around it. And we all make life harder for ourselves by our sins. That came home to me this morning at the post office of all places. I wanted to buy the sweet flower stamps, but they were all out. So I asked for the car stamps...all out too. But they did have the Johnny Cash stamps so I bought them. On the way home I was thinking about Cash's sad and troubled life. So many artistically talented men and women seem to struggle with demons. Many like Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley end up addicted to drugs and alcohol. But they also seem to have a particular longing for the spiritual. According to the Wiki entry on Cash:

Cash, a troubled but devout Christian, has been characterized as a "lens through which to view American contradictions and challenges." A biblical scholar, he penned a Christian novel titled Man in White; in its introduction Cash writes about a reporter who, interested in Cash's religious beliefs, questions whether the book is written from a Baptist, Catholic, or Jewish perspective. Cash denies an answer to the book's view and his own, and replies, "I'm a Christian. Don't put me in another box." and he made a spoken word recording of the entire New King James Version of the New Testament. Even so, Cash declared that he was "the biggest sinner of them all", and viewed himself overall as a complicated and contradictory man. Accordingly, Cash is said to have "contained multitudes," and has been deemed "the philosopher-prince of American country music"....His diversity was evidenced by his presence in three major music halls of fame: the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1977), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1980), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1992). Only thirteen performers are in both of the last two, and only Hank Williams Sr., Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills, and Bill Monroe share the honor with Cash of being in all three. However, only Cash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the regular manner, unlike the other country members, who were inducted as "early influences."

Another portion of Wiki's entry describes his interest in Gospel music:

Cash's early memories were dominated by gospel music and radio. Taught by his mother and a childhood friend, Cash began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of twelve. When Cash was young, he had a high tenor voice. In high school he sang on a local radio station; decades later he released an album of traditional gospel songs, called My Mother's Hymn Book. He was also significantly influenced by traditional Irish music that he heard performed weekly by Dennis Day on the Jack Benny radio program.

Johnny Cash was a complex and fallible human being like all of us. I hope you'll pray for him today. I am and I'm asking Blessed Jacinta who had such a love for "poor sinners" to join me.

The Community Organizer's Ridicule Rule

Don't you love it when community organizers engage in internecine warfare. Bill Ayers is going after Obama using Alinsky's ridicule rule. This should be fun to watch.

Bill Ayers turns against Obama on Syria:

NEW YORK – Leftist political activist and University of Chicago professor Bill Ayers has turned on Barack Obama, characterizing the president’s determination to launch a military attack on the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria as a “dumb war.” 

In a series of posts on his Internet website over the past few days, Ayers has come out swinging, attacking the presidential candidate he backed in 2004 for trying to justify a U.S. strike on Syria. 

In what appears to be satire aimed at mocking President Obama, Ayers posted Sunday, Sept. 8, a diatribe suggesting Assad has already authorized launch missile strikes against the United States....

A Love Story in a Picture

Read about it here.

Happy Birthday, Mother Mary!

Light a candle for Mary today. In fact, if you have children, why not celebrate with a birthday cake?

SMU Halifax Sets New Low for Sexist Behavior!

Have you heard about the infamous chant during frosh week at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia? Here are the lyrics:

“SMU boys we like them Y-O-U-N-G: Y is for your sister, O is for oh so tight, U is for underage, N is for no consent, G is for grab that ass.” [Bold words and syllables are stressed in the chant.] 

According to reports,
this has been chanted during frosh week for the past three or four years. It only got outed this year when somebody posted the video on line and it went viral. Administration officials said they were unaware of the chant which, if true, indicates little supervision over the content of freshmen orientation week which is a problem in itself. (Frankly, I had a hard time understanding the lyrics on the video myself.) But what is shocking is that there were female orientation leaders who apparently had no problem with these blatantly sexist lyrics that advocate statutory rape! [Read more here and view the video.]

little girl as tasty treat?

I think this illustrates a societal problem that treats women as nothing but sex objects and playthings. It's everywhere. You saw it at the MTV awards with Miley Cyrus' filthy dance as she stripped down to near nudity in a flesh colored bikini and proceeded to simulate sex with everything on stage. Even liberal media figures expressed dismay over her performance. And if you watch the video (I don't recommend it), you can't help noticing that the men are wearing suits and the women are nearly nude. Is it any wonder that teenage college students see statutory rape as normal when this is how their "idols" portray women? And then there's the annual on-campus celebration of sexual perversion with the V-Monologues where audiences shout out four letter words and are invited to give their best orgasmic groans.

Since the 1960s the dignity of women has been stripped away layer by layer until women's "lady parts" are the only thing left to identify them. The feminists started it by equating sexual "equality" with the right to be as sexually promiscuous and irresponsible as men "sowing their wild oats" have always been able to be. The sex liberationists racheted up (or down) the message to the point that today Planned Parenthood celebrates sluts, fashion-lines portray little girls as "Juicy," media celebrates women and girls as nothing more than sex objects, etc. ad nauseum.

The offensive chant at SMU didn't make a blip on the brains of the students because their brains are programmed to see women exactly the way they were chanting. Hey...no big deal...girls are for the entertainment of men and boys. And if they say no, a little coercion is in order. Is it any wonder that date rape on campus is a major problem?

Modesty is beautiful! Ask Princess Kate.

Until women wise up and treat themselves with respect, nothing will change. It starts with dressing modestly.
Draw a man's eyes to your face and your eyes, the windows of the soul. If you draw his attention to your "lady parts," he may never notice you have anything upstairs. Besides, remember the elegance of Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana, and Princess Kate. Most of their clothing was modest because modesty is always elegant and in good taste? What woman wouldn't want to look like a princess?

And guys, keep custody over your eyes. You have a responsibility to act like a man, not a little boy looking for an all-day sucker. Gentlemanly behavior is the mark of a manly man. Any creep can oggle and drool.

You Are What You Eat

Baby boy dies after ingesting mother's drug-laced breast milk

This mom's drug abuse caused her little one's death. But consider...we are all consuming the mega chemical company's genetically modified wheat, corn, rice, soy, sugar, etc. not to mention hormone/antibiotic laced milk, chicken, etc. And these chemicals are turning up in mother's breast milk and even in the blood of babies before they're born. Check out these articles:

High levels of GMO agrochemicals found in breast milk of Brazilian mothers

GM food toxins found in the blood of 93% of unborn babies

comparison of GM corn and nature's own

Toxic GMO Compounds Found In Nearly 100% of Pregnant Women and Their Fetuses

Already polluted? Environmental toxins found in newborns' cord blood: report

Big chemical companies like Monsanto are poisoning our food supply. The evidence is in, but that hasn't put the brakes on these polluters. Where's the EPA when you need them? Oh, I forgot. They're in somebody's back yard examining a puddle so they can declare the property a wetland. Meanwhile they're increasing the level of poison Monsanto can include in their crops.

Politicians on the Playground

Do you ever get the feeling that most politicians are like little kids on the playground and in the classroom? You have the bullies threatening that if you bring a knife to the fight, they'll bring a gun,passing poison pen notes or dead fish, and calling for "revenge." They'll use their gangs to go after anyone they don't like and their gangs usually go by acronyms (IRS, NSA, FEMA, BATF, EPA, etc.).

You have the cops and robbers bunch who want to solve everything by putting on a white hat and shooting, lynching, and bashing the "bad guys" even if they don't know who the bad guys are (or they themselves are). They want to force everybody to do what they want and, if you know what's good for you, you'll obey their orders or face the consequences.

You have the dodge ball players who want to use their "weapon" to inflict as much pain on the target as possible.

And then there's the mob mentality of stirring up the group to go after the weak kid or the one who's different.

Well, Obama, Boehner, Biden, McCain, Holder, Reid, Pelosi, etc..... the principal has his eye on you. Expulsion puts you on the hot seat bigtime so you'd better watch out!

Ken Cuccinelli is about Justice

I've seen plenty of stories about prosecutors who care about CONVICTIONS whether they get the right guy or not. That is NOT Ken Cuccinelli. As Attorney General he pursued justice for all.

We need him in the Governor's mansion. Terry McAuliffe demonstrated as head of the DNC that he is all about selling influence to the big money buyers. Is that what we want? A man who sees Richmond as the general store? Please share this video about Ken and let others know that he's a man of principle. We need more men like him in politics. And Tiero will be a beautiful first lady of Virginia.

Pray and Fast for Peace

Pope Francis has called for a world-wide day of prayer and fasting for peace on the vigil of Our Lady's birthday, Saturday September 7th. Will you join in this important work? Some demons, Jesus says, are only driven out by prayer and fasting. A fast can take many forms: fasting from food and/or drink, fasting from television and other forms of entertainment. You have a few days to think about how you will sacrifice on this day and promote peace. Certainly Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy could be spaced throughout the day to keep your mind on the Lord. Some time in prayerful meditation on Scripture would also be appropriate. And then add fasting: skipping lunch, fasting on bread and water, etc. Let us all join in this important day of prayer for peace in Syria.

Helping Children Make Better Confessions

If children are to grow up practicing the faith, they need to practice it when they are young. The best thing a parent can do for their young children is to give them a good example by receiving the Sacraments devoutly and frequently. Here's a great article on helping children make a good confession. Father emphasizes obedience to parents and isn't obedience a neglected virtue today? Look how many people dissent from the authority of Holy Mother Church! They consider their dissent bold and virtuous which illustrates that sin darkens the intellect, i.e., it makes you stupid.

Let's all examine our consciences and see where we are disobedient to the rightful authority in our lives. It takes humility to be obedient and Jesus showed us that humility by making himself subordinate to His own creation. O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.

Mass or Rock Dance Aerobics?

Let's see. What was objectionable about the WYD liturgy? Here are a few:

•  profane music more appropriate to a rock concert and in violation of the rubrics on music, 
•  Dancing more appropriate to an aerobics class than the liturgy, 
•  Drums and other rock instruments specifically prohibited by sacred documents on music,
•  Solo singing reminiscent of a cabaret act,
•  Plastic cups for distributing the Body of Christ???

 I found viewing the video particularly sad because last night at adoration I was reading Romano Guardini's book, Preparing Yourself for Mass. The first meditation is on STILLNESS
which was completely lacking at the WYD Mass. Even given the Latin culture, the complete lack of a sense of the sacred was jarring. Would anyone have been surprised to see the young people moshing during this raucous event? They certainly appeared to be doing the pogo. Where was any of the stillness that Guardini describes? He calls it "very grave, very important, and unfortunately sorely neglected." Wow! He sure got that right. He emphasizes stillness, not just as lack of noise, speech, or movement, but an entering in to a profound attentiveness before God. That stillness turns a loose group of individuals into a congregation, which means literally, "to collect into a flock." This doesn't happen amidst noise and chaos. Guardini describes how it comes about:

Congregation is formed only when those individuals are present not only corporally but also spiritually, when they have contacted one another in prayer and step together into the spiritual "space" around them; strictly speaking, when they have first widened and heightened that space by prayer. Then true congregation comes into being.... All this takes place only in stillness; out of stillness grows the real sanctuary. 

I once participated in a silent rescue at an abortion mill on a cold, rainy Good Friday in March. It was the most spiritual experience of any rescue I ever attended. The silence and stillness of the rescuers standing in prayerful repose in the rain spoke more loudly than any chanting or singing could have. We truly were that day a congregation of love standing in silence like the little voiceless ones we were defending. And that is what Gurardini calls a prerequisite of the liturgy:

We cannot take stillness too seriously. Not for nothing do these reflections on the Liturgy open with it. If someone were to ask me what the liturgical life begins with, I should answer: with learning stillness. Without it, everything remains.superficial, vain.... [Stillness is] the prerequisite of the liturgical holy act. 

Watch the video again and imagine the impact of those young people on their knees in complete silent stillness worshiping God instead of engaging in a rock concert. What a message that would have sent to the world!

Just Proves There's at Least One Sensible Man in Town

Jodi Miller Makes Me Laugh

She sure got Hillary and Joe right!

Gotta Love Bill Whittle!

Bill Whittle is brilliant! Join the Rebel Alliance, (but I can't talk about it; it's not for you).

Pop culture is making conservatives the villains and villains never win. We've gotta fight the myth that Democrats care more about people that's coming form the pop culture which is dominated by the liberal media.

Pro-Abort Democrats Pray to the "god" of Abortion: Moloch? Ba'al? Astarte?

This blasphemy illustrates exactly why Joe Sobran called Democrats the "evil party." This is not only evil; it is diabolical. This woman is surely not praying to the God who created the babies being aborted, so she must be praying to a false god. Which is it? Ba'al, a fertility god; Moloch, the god of parental child sacrifice? Since the lady engaged in false worship uses the pronoun "she" perhaps she's praying to Astarte (Ashtareth) the mother goddess and goddess of both sexual love and war. Hmmm...she must be the god they were praying to asking for blessings on both lust and murder. Please join me in praying right now in reparation for this blasphemy against our Creator God. "Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.Amen."

The Weight of the Holy Mass

Have you ever taken the Mass for granted? Have you heard Mass casually and with little attention? Miracles related to the Mass do happen and this story tells of one. The story is also told in a longer version here. The graces from one Mass are inestimable!  Let's each resolve to never take the Mass for granted, never to undervalue the gift of the Holy Eucharist. Let us resolve to read materials that increase our devotion to the Mass. One wonderful book is by Romano Guardini, Preparing Yourself for Mass. It was written before Vatican II, but the 32 meditations are timeless. Let me offer just one paragraph from the meditation entitled "Encounter and Feast":

The participant in Holy Mass enters into a community at table, with his prayers, glorifying God and placing his personal concerns at the feet of the provident Father. Then, beholding and participating, he helps to prepare the sacred meal, to which he brings his offering. And however impersonal the money-piece, it is the accepted substitute for the more vital form of giving. Now with the priest he turns to the Father and receives through faith the presence of Him who said: "I am the living bread that has come down from heaven." At Communion he sees in spirit the Father's hand proffering the sacred nourishment, which he reverently accepts, that he may "have life." But this conception of the Lord's Supper or Feast does not stand alone. It is coupled with another: that of Christ's "coming."

Another book, one I've read over and over is a slim volume of St. Teresa of Avila's after-Communion meditations called Lingering with my Lord. She left 17 of these brief meditation which expose the depth of her love and intimacy with the hidden Jesus within her. Here's a little bit from meditation X:

Children's story loosely based on the facts.

O Christians! Now is the time to defend your King and to keep Him company in His great solitude; there are so few vassals who remain with Him and such a great multitude that follow Lucifer. And the worst of it is that they show themselves to be friends in public, and sell Him out in secret. There is hardly anyone who can be found that He can trust. O true Friend, how badly are You repaid by the one who betrays You! O true Christians! Help out by weeping for your God, because those heartfelt tears were not just for Lazarus, but for others who would not desire to rise from the dead, even though His Majesty gave them voices to cry out for this favor. O my Good, how aware you are of the faults that I have committed against You! May these faults cease, Lord, may they cease and those of all men.

How this reminds me of the little shepherd Francisco calling out in sorrow as he kept company with the hidden Jesus in the tabernacle, "Love is not loved."

Please, Lord, help me never to hear Mass again without my full attention and gratitude for Your great gift.

There is a lovely book based on the true story above. The locale is shifted to the town bakery which, as you can imagine, offers lovely illustration possibilities.

Military Vets Say "Vote No" on War in Syria

GOP CONGRESSMAN: Military Members Keep Telling Me To Vote No On Syria

And who should be most aware of the reality of "nation building chicanery" on the ground? These military vets deserve to be heard. Obama has made no rational case that our national interests require us to strike a country that has not attacked us. Warmonger John McCain's beating the drum for an assault that, of course, won't cost us a thing in terms of American lives. Does he really believe what he says? “I know Americans are war-weary… but I believe that we can prevail without American lives in danger.” Maybe it's time for a dementia check. Does he really believe there will be no retaliation? Is the increase in terrorism in this country a direct result of our intervention? Get real, McCain!

Use of chemical weapons is barbaric and perpetrators should receive broad international condemnation, but the evidence is still not in on who used the weapons in Syria. Was it Assad or the rebels? The rebels certainly had the most to gain. In any case, the U.S. is NOT a world policeman and both sides in Syria are affiliated with terrorists. Why should we spend more American financial and human resources on what is NOT our war.

Louisiana State Senator is "Free at Last"

Louisiana state senator Elbert Guillory explains why his switch to the Republican party isn't a "bold decision" but the "right decision." He urges the black community to join him. Thank God for black citizens whose eyes are open to the truth about a Democrat party that's about controlling people, not helping them.

Syria Scenario is Deja Vu All Over Again

Let me get this straight.

1. Somebody used chemical weapons (weapons of mass destruction) to kill Syrian citizens. The Obama administration claims it was Syria's leader President Assad.

2. The Obama administration has released intelligence reports they claim "prove" that Assad launched the chemical weapons. (Remember the intelligence that "proved" Saddam Hussein had WMDs?) However, as with Iraq there is no hard evidence, so we just have to take the word of the administration. We all know how trustworthy they've been on foreign affairs...like Benghazi.

3. Press reports that conflict with the Obama administration version of events say that rebels on the ground are taking responsibility for the attack and implicating Saudi Prince Bandar as the source of the chemical weapons.

3. Meanwhile, it looks like Obama is trying to figure out how to get out of the corner he's backed himself into with his chest thumping war speech. So, guess what, he decided (after a walk in the garden) to consult Congress after all although folks in his administration say he's still keeping his option to bomb the hell out of Syria on the table no matter what Congress does. This is a man who NEVER takes responsibility for anything. His double talk is one more attempt to avoid making a decision that he will have to own.

4. And the bottom line is that it is far more likely that the gas attacks were the works of the rebels who have everything to gain from pinning the blame on Assad and getting U.S. bombers to help them take him out.

5. Pat Buchanan makes a lot of sense especially when he says what's been reported in Syria "reeks of a false flag operation." Watch the video and read more here. "IT'S NOT OUR WAR!"

Proof that Compassionate Democrats Care...NOT!

Lawmakers Laugh at Woman Conceived in Rape, Want Resolution Supporting Her Abortion

Democrats are so committed to abortion that even a woman conceived in rape is worthless to them. Can you imagine listening to the story of a rape survivor and then, in front of her, introducing a resolution to promote abortion for rape and incest? It's inconceivable to me.

But another lawmaker, Gov. Rick Perry, was changed by Rebecca's story. He recognized that babies conceived in rape are every bit as valuable as others. No abortions; no exceptions!

And here's a trailer of the video that changed Rick Perry's mind by touching his heart. Most democrat legislators apparently have no hearts to touch.

Eleven Children and On Her Own

Read more here.

There are a lot of fathers who will be in boiling water on Judgment Day! And the father of this family is one of them. So please pray for the mom and kids, but also for the dad of these wonderful children who have pulled together to help their mom keep the family going. Could your family of  (how many) survive on $1200 a month? Why not try it and see. I think I'll order a saint doll.

We're Walking for LIfe...

...will you sponsor us?

Check out my donor page.

Larry and I are walking to raise money for the Front Royal Pregnancy Center where I work as a volunteer. The center offers practical assistance to women facing crisis pregnancies and other mothers of young children who need material help. We offer maternity clothes, layettes, children's clothing up to size two, formula, baby food, diapers, etc. Our Earn While You Learn program that lets mom earn big-ticket items like cribs by self study video programs on pre-natal issues and child rearing skills.

While our material aid is important, we are lots more than a handout center. We are especially good at being a shoulder to cry on and a motherly or grandmotherly ear for listening and encouraging good decision-making. Recently, the center began offering free sonograms thanks to a generous donation of a machine from the Knights of Columbus.

Won't you be a supporter and sponsor Larry and me? We'll be praying the rosary for the intentions of all our supporters as we walk. Talk about a bonus return on your money! Not only will you be helping the moms who come to our center, but you'll receive an outpouring of grace from the Author of Life Who can never be outdone in generosity.

Crazy Terry McAuliffe

New Vatican Secretary of State

Bertone Out, Parolin In

Pray for the new Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin.
Come Holy Spirit, fill him with grace and enkindle in him the fire of your love. May he be effective in calming strife and fostering charity among nations. Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for him. 

From Vatican Insider:

Parolin's temperament suggests that as Vatican Secretary of State he will try to take different ecclesiastical sensitivities into account, countering that self-referential aspect of the Church that Francis has always spoken out against. In the true spirit of Vatican diplomacy, Parolin has always been realistic, carefully studying contexts and problems that need to be solved and searching for possible solutions. In the face of the regional conflicts which continue to rock the world – starting with the Middle East – and the risk of new global clashes between old and new superpowers, the Holy See will once again be well placed to offer its wisdom and foresight in order to promote peace. Following Francis' path of pastoral conversion, Vatican diplomacy will be able to offer a creative contribution to Church action, inspired by the Bishop of Rome’s invitation to come out of itself and go out to men and women in the geographical and existential peripheries in which they live.

From Catholic News Agency

From BBC News 

From Reuters