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Friday, April 30, 2010
Say Hello to my New Facebook Friend.....Juda Myers
I just became friends on Facebook with Juda Myers.
Her web site subtitle is "Conceived in rape, Living with Purpose!"
She is a speaker, singer/songwriter, artist
U.S. Bill Would Amend Health Care to Exclude Abortion Funding
- Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) has introduced bipartisan legislation that aims to apply the Hyde amendment to the recently passed health care law.
Rep. Pitts' bill would amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to prevent federal funding for abortion or abortion coverage through government exchanges, community health centers, or any other program funded or created by PPACA. Additionally, the bill protects the right of conscience for health care professionals and ensures that private insurance companies are not forced to cover abortion.
H.R. 5111, the Protect Life Act, has 57 Republican and Democrat co-sponsors, and reflects the bill-wide ban of federal abortion funding once spearheaded by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), but that was not included in the final version of the health bill.
Stupak and a group of Democrats, after initially vowing to vote down the abortion-expanding law, were persuaded by the Obama administration hours before the final vote to support it in exchange for an executive order that purported to apply the Hyde amendment to the legislation. Various analysts have concluded, and the White House has since admitted, however, that the order merely reiterates what is already stated in the bill.
New York Proposes 'Presumed Consent' Organ Harvesting Law
I take this issue very personally, because in December of 2006 I had 2 strokes and was in a coma for 3 days. Because I had indicated 'organ donor' on my license, a nurse tried to talk to my mother about organ donation. Thank God I had given my parents medical power of attorney, so my mother was able to say no.
Citing the shortage in organs available for transplant, a state assemblyman in New York has proposed that all citizens of the state become automatically enrolled as candidates for organ harvesting.
New York State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky has introduced a new bill in Albany that aims to enroll all New Yorkers as organ donors unless they take action to opt out.
If passed, Brodsky's bill would become the first such law the U.S. However, a similar bill was also introduced in Illinois earlier this year.
"We have 10,000 New Yorkers on the list today waiting for organs. We import half the organs we transplant. It is an unacceptable failed system," Brodsky said, according to CBS News 2. Brodsky pointed to other nations who have passed similar laws that now are in force "without a lot of controversy."
Despite the altruistic goal of such legislation, the current practice of organ harvesting has increasingly alarmed the pro-life community, as evidence continues to surface that the prerequisite "brain death" is often defined to ease the process of collecting fresher organs, rather than according to whether a person has actually died. The prestigious New England Journal of Medicine confirmed these fears in a 2008 article that backed up the notion that "brain dead" patients are often, in fact, still alive.
Marvel/DC Comics Illustrator Creates Pro-Life Comic Book
Professional illustrators come in all shapes and sizes, but very few of them have a pro-life or Christian perspective. But that is something that Dan Lawlis, a professional illustrator for over 20 years who has created comic book art for companies like Marvel and DC Comics, wants to change.
Lawlis is endeavoring to use the internet to bring a new comic book vision to the world, and has made his first go at the effort with the comic called “Orange Peel” – a story set in a technologically advanced future, where evil aliens plot to take-over the neighboring planet Godderth for conquest. However, they first plan to make conquest easy by getting the inhabitants of Godderth to abandon their morality, destroy the family unit, and become so morally impoverished that they will welcome their would-be conquerors with open arms.
The premise of the book is that somewhere in the future, human beings learned how to transport themselves to distant planets, but the transportation led to transformations in their appearance, making them alien-like.
The comic’s artwork is visually stunning and appealing, and little wonder: Lawlis has worked on characters like Spiderman, the Hulk, X-Men and more.
But those characters, he said in an e-mail to LifeSiteNews.com (LSN), are more or less atheistic in their outlook. Instead, he was looking for a character that would appeal to comic book and science fiction fans and help introduce a pro-life Christian message “into what is mostly an anti-Christian atheist entertainment culture.”
Memorial of St. Pius V, pope
The Saint of the Day for April 30 is St. Pius V.
In December of 1565, Pope Pius IV died. His one monumental achievement was the resumption and successful conclusion of the Council of Trent. The man chosen to succeed Pius IV and upon whose shoulders rested the responsibility for carrying out the decrees of the council was Michael Ghislieri, a Dominican friar. It was the late pontiff's nephew St. Charles Borromeo who had been the driving force in the election of the new pope, for he recognized that a remarkable leader would be needed if the decrees of the council were to bear fruit.
Michael Ghislieri was a poor shepherd boy who entered the Dominicans at the age of fourteen, became a lecturer in philosophy and theology at Pavia, and very early became involved in the reform movement in the Church. His reforming labors brought him to the attention of other members of the reform movement, and he was given important positions in Como, Bergamo, and Rome. In 1556, he was consecrated bishop of Sutri and Nepi, and then to the diocese of Mondevi, lately ravaged by war. In a very short time, the diocese was flourishing and prosperous. His views on reform were often asked by the Holy Father, and he was noted for his boldness in expressing his views.
His holiness and austerity of life were notable, and he succeeded in bringing simplicity even into the papal household. He refused to wear the flowing garments of previous popes and insisted upon wearing his white Dominican habit even as head of the Church. To this day, the pope wears white, a custom begun by this Dominican pontiff.
The announced intention of St. Pius V was the carrying out of the decrees of the Council of Trent. He insisted that bishops reside in their diocese under pain of losing their revenues; he made a systematic reform of religious orders, established seminaries, held diocesan synods, and reformed the Breviary and Missal. He brought unity into divine worship, published catechisms, ordered a revision of the Latin Vulgate and revitalized the study of theology and canon law. During his pontificate, the Turks were definitively defeated at the battle of Lepanto, due, it was said, to the prayers of the pope.
Pius V died in 1572, at the age of sixty-eight, deeply grieved by the troubles besieging the whole Church. He was canonized by Pope Clement XI in 1712.
Michael Ghislieri was a poor shepherd boy who entered the Dominicans at the age of fourteen, became a lecturer in philosophy and theology at Pavia, and very early became involved in the reform movement in the Church. His reforming labors brought him to the attention of other members of the reform movement, and he was given important positions in Como, Bergamo, and Rome. In 1556, he was consecrated bishop of Sutri and Nepi, and then to the diocese of Mondevi, lately ravaged by war. In a very short time, the diocese was flourishing and prosperous. His views on reform were often asked by the Holy Father, and he was noted for his boldness in expressing his views.
His holiness and austerity of life were notable, and he succeeded in bringing simplicity even into the papal household. He refused to wear the flowing garments of previous popes and insisted upon wearing his white Dominican habit even as head of the Church. To this day, the pope wears white, a custom begun by this Dominican pontiff.
The announced intention of St. Pius V was the carrying out of the decrees of the Council of Trent. He insisted that bishops reside in their diocese under pain of losing their revenues; he made a systematic reform of religious orders, established seminaries, held diocesan synods, and reformed the Breviary and Missal. He brought unity into divine worship, published catechisms, ordered a revision of the Latin Vulgate and revitalized the study of theology and canon law. During his pontificate, the Turks were definitively defeated at the battle of Lepanto, due, it was said, to the prayers of the pope.
Pius V died in 1572, at the age of sixty-eight, deeply grieved by the troubles besieging the whole Church. He was canonized by Pope Clement XI in 1712.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
video:The Great Healthcare Sellout
How the "supposed to be Catholic" Health Association betrayed Catholics
Okla. ultrasound law is constitutional and ‘commonsense’ abortion regulation, backer says
FYI...the picture at left is a 4d ultrasound.
The pro-aborts, who pretend to be "for women" are having fits that they are now required to actually provide more information to women.
Women aren’t done any favors when the truth about abortion is hidden from them, says a backer of a new “commonsense” Oklahoma law that requires a doctor to give an ultrasound to a woman seeking an abortion. His comments come in response to a legal challenge from the pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR).
The law passed on Tuesday after a bipartisan vote in the Oklahoma legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Brad Henry’s veto.
The law requires the doctor to show a woman the ultrasound image of her unborn baby and to describe the image in detail before performing an abortion.
In a Tuesday statement, the CRR argued that the requirement for an ultrasound “profoundly intrudes” on a patient’s privacy, calling it “the most extreme ultrasound law in the country.”
“The law forces a woman to hear information that she may not want to hear and that may not be relevant to her medical care,” the CRR continued, saying this alleged compulsion discounts “her abilities to make healthy decisions about her own life.” Wouldn't providing this information enable her to make a more well-informed decision?
The organization also claimed that the law interferes with the doctor-patient relationship.
Supreme Court rules Mojave Desert Cross can stay
Score one for religious freedom :)
The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a federal court overstepped its boundaries in ordering the removal of a long-standing memorial cross in California's Mojave Desert.
A white, seven-foot cross, which was erected as a memorial by the Veterans of Foreign Wars over 75 years ago in the Mojave National Preserve, will be allowed to stay.
Before today's ruling, the cross was covered with a plywood box in accordance with a lower court’s order. A district court initially ruled that the cross had to be removed from the land.
Congress then enacted legislation ordering the Department of the Interior to transfer an acre of land which included the cross to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. A former National Park Service employee, Frank Buono, sued to have the cross removed or covered after the agency refused to allow the erection of a Buddhist memorial nearby.
Supreme Court justices told the federal judges on Wednesday that they did not take sufficient notice of the government's decision to transfer the land to private ownership, and that they went too far in ordering the removal of a congressionally endorsed war memorial.
Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor
The Saint of the Day for April 29 is St. Catherine of Siena.
Catherine, the youngest of twenty-five children, was born in Siena on March 25, 1347. During her youth she had to contend with great difficulties on the part of her parents. They were planning marriage for their favorite daughter; but Catherine, who at the age of seven had already taken a vow of virginity, refused. To break her resistance, her beautiful golden brown tresses were shorn to the very skin and she was forced to do the most menial tasks. Undone by her patience, mother and father finally relented and their child entered the Third Order of St. Dominic.
Unbelievable were her austerities, her miracles, her ecstasies. The reputation of her sanctity soon spread abroad; thousands came to see her, to be converted by her. The priests associated with her, having received extraordinary faculties of absolution, were unable to accommodate the crowds of penitents. She was a helper and a consoler in every need. As time went on, her influence reached out to secular and ecclesiastical matters. She made peace between worldly princes. The heads of Church and State bowed to her words. She weaned Italy away from an anti-pope, and made cardinals and princes promise allegiance to the rightful pontiff. She journeyed to Avignon and persuaded Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome. Even though she barely reached the age of thirty-three her accomplishments place her among the great women of the Middle Ages. The virgin Catherine was espoused to Christ by a precious nuptial ring which, although visible only to her, always remained on her finger.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
US bishops oppose 'draconian' Arizona immigration law
I really don't see why the Bishops are opposing this.
What's wrong with following the law?
I support legal immigration.
I oppose illegal immigration.
In a statement released April 27, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) denounced a recently signed law in Arizona which criminalizes undocumented immigrants, calling the legislative move “draconian” and saying it “could lead to the wrongful questioning and arrest of U.S. citizens.”
Writing on behalf of the USCCB, Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. bishops' committee on Migration noted that he joins the Arizona bishops in “strongly opposing” the implementation of SB 1070, which was signed into law by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer last Friday.
According to ABC news, the new Arizona law makes it a crime to be in the state illegally and allows police to arrest and question suspected individuals about their status without a warrant. It also criminalizes transporting illegal immigrants anywhere in Arizona, even if by family members.
“This new law, although limited to the State of Arizona, could have impact throughout the nation, in terms of how members of our immigrant communities are both perceived and treated,” Bishop Wester said.
Oklahoma Senate Overrides Governor Veto of Pro-Life Legislation
Always glad to see a pro-life victory :)
Two bills putting restrictions on abortion in Oklahoma became law Tuesday morning after the Oklahoma Senate overrode Governor Brad Henry's veto.
The governor had vetoed both bills, HB2780 and HB2656, on Friday. The House easily overrode the vetoes on Monday, before the Senate followed suit the next day.
Tony Lauinger, the state chairman of Oklahomans for Life, told LifeSiteNews.com in an interview Tuesday that “We are very appreciative of the wonderful pro-life actions taken by our Senate and House these past two days.”
The first of the two bills, HB2780, requires that women be given an ultrasound within an hour of their abortion, and that the sonographer must explain the results in detail. The senate overrode Gov. Henry’s veto in a 36-12 vote.
Governor Henry said last week that he believes the legislation constitutes an “unconstitutional violation of privacy.”
“State policymakers should never mandate that a citizen be forced to undergo any medical procedure against his or her will, especially when such a procedure could cause physical or mental trauma,” he said. So a baby shouldn't have to be killed by an abortion against his/her will, right?
Memorial of St. Louis Mary de Montfort, priest
Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion (not the custom then!) and imitation of the Virgin Mary's ongoing acceptance of God's will for her life.
Louis founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary (for priests and brothers) and the Daughters of Wisdom, who cared especially for the sick. His book, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, has become a classic explanation of Marian devotion.
Louis died in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sevre, where a basilica has been erected in his honor. He was canonized in 1947.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Two Powerful Testimonies in Support of Life
Pro-aborts love to bring up the topics of rape and rare medical conditions to justify abortion. In reality, it cannot be justified.
Britain's smallest mother has described her joy at watching her toddler tower over her after rejecting advice that she have an abortion because her 3ft frame couldn't handle pregnancy.
Amanda Moore, 25, became the shortest woman ever to give birth in the UK when son Aidan was delivered by caesarean section last year.
She suffers from a rare bone disease which has left her measuring just 3ft 1ins from head to toe.
h/t American Papist
h/t American Papist
In an interview with Mexican columnist Sergio Sarmiento, Lianna Rebolledo, who was raped at the age of 13 but chose to carry her child to term, explained that “abortion is not the solution” to an unplanned pregnancy, even “in cases such as rape.”
Rebolledo said in the interview that during her upcoming visit to the city of Cancun to promote the Forum for the Defense of Life, she hopes to meet the 11-year-old Mexican girl who was raped and is currently 19 weeks pregnant. The girl has been the object of intense pressure from feminist groups to undergo an abortion, but has resisted saying that she understands “a life is growing in her womb.”
Governor Brewer Makes Arizona First to Drop Abortion Funding in Health Care
KUDO's to Governor Brewer for not allowing taxpayers' money to be used for abortions. Ironically, she's just helping Barry keep his false promise that Obamacare would not fund abortion. It actually does have plenty of abortion funding.
State legislators in Tennessee may have beaten their colleagues in Arizona in passing a law to allow the state to opt out of some of the abortion funding in the government-run health care bill President Barack Obama signed. But Governor Jan Brewer made Arizona officially the first to have the bill become law.
As pro-life advocates in Tennessee wait for Governor Bredesen to decide if he will sign the bill there into law, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer wasted little time signing her state's version.
On Saturday at the Center for Arizona Policy Family dinner before 1600 guests, Brewer signed SB 1305 to opt Arizona out of abortion coverage in any insurance exchanges created by the new federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The first-in-the-nation law further clarifies current Arizona law prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion by prohibiting state and local governments from offering abortion insurance coverage in employee benefit plans.
Prof. with activist connections offering course on same-sex ‘marriage’ at Seton Hall
I was both surprised and disappointed to read this. Some years ago, I worked on a budget project at SHU. I had the opportunity to attend Mass in their chapel. The campus had a distinctly Catholic atmosphere. They are clearly not living their Catholic identity.
Seton Hall University, an institution of the Archdiocese of Newark, has announced a course on same-sex “marriage” that will be taught by a professor with connections to homosexual advocacy groups.
Offered by the Department of Women and Gender Studies, the course will analyze the contemporary political situation regarding same-sex “marriage, such as Proposition 8 in California. It will also teach various cultural perspective of marriage.
Prof. W. King Mott, instructor of the course, told the Setonian it is not an advocacy course but that he will teach it from an academic perspective.
“It is one thing to say ‘I am for or against gay marriage,’” Mott said. “It’s another to actually understand the issue.”
“I hope my students gain an appreciation and respect for disinterested analysis that can be used to formulate an informed opinion,” he added.
Students taking the course will analyze same-sex “marriage” from a perspective they choose “after they have been educated on the issue,” the Setonian writes.
from the catechism:
1660 The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator. By its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament (cf. CIC, can. 1055 § 1; cf. GS 48 § 1).
Eighth U.S. Bishop Severs Ties with Anti-Poverty Arm, CCHD
I love Bishop Brandt! Recently, he denied a group of dissenting nuns the use of diocesan resources, and now he's cutting off funds to CCHD, which supports anti-Catholic organizations.
Bishop Lawrence Brandt of Greensburg, Pennsylvania announced Thursday that his diocese will no longer support the U.S. bishops' domestic anti-poverty arm, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), because the national organization has funded groups that promote activities contrary to Catholic teaching.
Speaking at a fundraising dinner for Catholic Charities of Greensburg, the bishop announced his plan to develop a Diocesan Poverty Relief Fund to support the poor locally with funds that had previously been sent to the national CCHD.
"This change allows our diocese to know exactly how the poverty relief funds are spent,” he said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It also assures the parishioners who make generous contributions to the diocese that they are helping their neighbors right here in southwestern Pennsylvania."
National “Yoga Machine” Sells the “Spirituality of Style”
Why is it that people are so quick to turn things like yoga and global warming into both a lifestyle and a religion? Fortunately, I think people are now waking up to the silliness of both.
A recent New York Times article documents a decline in the number of people attending yoga classes along with a rise in the number of people who are rebelling against the high-priced “yoga machine” that has overtaken the country in recent years.
“Yoga is definitely big business these days,” writes the Times’ Mary Billard. “A 2008 poll, commissioned by Yoga Journal, concluded that the number of people doing yoga had declined from 16.5 million in 2004 to 15.8 million almost four years later. But the poll also estimated that the actual spending on yoga classes and products had almost doubled in that same period, from $2.95 billion to $5.7 billion. “
The yoga fad has become very expensive. For example, a pair of the popular Groove yoga pants cost $108 and a Manduka mat can reach as high as $100. A typical class in New York can cost up to $20 and some of the higher end chains in Manhattan charge up to $185 a month.
Billard also lists the many high-end “yoga rock stars” that have grown up during the yoga-boom, such as David Life and Sharon Gannon who taught Madonna and Sting, and Bikram Choudhury who is known for his “contortions (and Rolls Royces).”
Homosexuality caused by eating chicken, remarks Bolivian president
Unbelievable. I couldn't stop laughing when I read this nonsense.
Eating chicken makes you gay? ROFLOL!
President of Bolivia Evo Morales, who is considered a champion of gay rights in Latin America, angered gay-friendly organizations last week after stating that eating genetically modified chicken leads to both homosexuality and baldness in men.
Morales made his comments during a recent climate summit in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
“The chicken we eat is loaded with feminine hormones. For this reason, eating this chicken leads to disorders in men,” Morales said. “In Europe, all men are bald, and it’s because of what they eat. You don’t see bald men among the indigenous peoples.”
During his remarks, Morales also said that it was commonplace in Bolivia for janitors who clean bathrooms to use Coca-Cola to unclog toilets.
St. Zita Of Lucca
The Saint of the Day for April 27 is St. Zita Of Lucca
St. Zita is the patron saint of domestic workers. She was born into a poor, Christian family and at the age of 12, she became a housekeeper to a rich weaver in Lucca, Italy.
Despite her great workload, she attended mass and prayed everyday. She believed her work would lead to personal holiness. She would say: "A servant is not holy if she is not busy."
She was very generous with gifts of food for the poor, and she would make time in her work schedule to visit with the sick and with prisoners.
Zita also experienced heavenly visions. She died in 1278, at the age of 60, having worked as a housekeeper for the same family all those years. The local people recognized her holiness and considered her a saint at her death.
Monday, April 26, 2010
video: New iPad application to track baby developments during pregnancy
For all those who have already gotten the iPad:
British government apologizes for Foreign Office memo that insulted Pope
The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office has apologized for a memorandum drafted by a junior official that suggested that Pope Benedict should launch “Benedict condoms,” “open an abortion ward,” “bless a civil partnership,” and “reverse policy on women bishops/ordain woman.”
In addition, Francis Campbell, the nation’s ambassador, has apologized to Vatican officials.
“The text was not cleared or shown to Ministers or senior officials before circulation,” said a Foreign Office spokesman. “As soon as senior officials became aware of the document, it was withdrawn from circulation.”
“The individual responsible has been transferred to other duties. He has been told orally and in writing that this was a serious error of judgement and has accepted this view.”
Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Good Counsel (Can)
April 26 is the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
On the Feast of Saint Mark, April 25 1467, the people of Genazzano, Italy witnessed a marvellous sight. A cloud descended upon an ancient church dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel. When the cloud disappeared, an image of Our Lady and the Child Jesus was revealed which had not been there before. The image, on a paper-thin sheet, was suspended miraculously.
Soon after the image's appearance many miracles were attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Because of this, Pope Paul II ordered an investigation and the results have been preserved.
It was later discovered that the very same image had been seen in a church dedicated to the Annunciation in Scutari, Albania. The image in this church was said to have arrived there in a miraculous manner. Now, the image had been transported from Albania miraculously to avoid sacrilege from Moslem invasion.
A commission of enquiry determined that a portrait from the church was indeed missing. An empty space the same size as the portrait was displayed for all to see.
Many miracles continue to be attributed to Our Lady of Good Counsel. Pope Saint Pius V, for example, credited victory in the Battle of Lepanto to Her intercession.
Several Popes have approved the miraculous image. In 1682 Pope Innocent XI had the portrait crowned with gold. On July 2 1753 Pope Benedict XIV approved the Scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel, and was the first to wear it.
In 1884 a special Mass and Office of the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel was approved by Pope Leo XIII.
For more than 500 years the image has continued to attract countless pilgrims.
Although much of the church was destroyed during World War II, the image has remained intact — and continues to be suspended miraculously.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Fr. Apostoli at the Clinic
Fr. Andrew Apostoli from EWTN came to my Parish today.
He said Mass for us to start the day.
He showed us the rosary he received from Mother Teresa and allowed us to touch it.
(I touched my scapular to it :)
Then we processed to the abortion clinic.
Father led us in the rosary.
When we returned to the parish center, we had lunch, then Father gave a talk on Fatima and on Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Father is the vice-postulator for the Cause for Canonization for Archbishop Sheen.
And of course I got to meet him :)
Optional Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest and martyr
The Saint of the Day for April 24 is St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen.
Fidelis has been called the "protomartyr of the Capuchin Order and of the Propaganda in Rome." He was born in 1577, became a renowned lawyer. But feeling that this profession endangered the salvation of his soul, he decided to join the Capuchin Order and employ his extraordinary gift of eloquence in urging the faithful to lead holy lives and in bringing heretics back to the true faith. An ardent admirer of the founder of his Order, he was a great friend of poverty. Severe with himself, he was most considerate towards others, "embracing them like a mother does her children." When the Austrian army was stricken by plague, he cared for the spiritual and bodily needs of the soldiers in such a manner that he was honored with the title, "Father of the Fatherland."
His devotion toward the Mother of God was truly remarkable. Trusting in her intercession and that of other saints, he often begged God for the grace of sacrificing his life in vindication of the Catholic faith. The occasion came when he was appointed to lead the mission for the conversion of Grisons (in Switzerland); heroically he suffered a martyr's death and sanctified with his blood the first-fruits of martyrdom in the Capuchin Order (1622).
Friday, April 23, 2010
Book Review: "Hide in Plain Sight" by Marta Perry
Andrea Hampton is a successful businesswoman.
When her sister Rachel is hit by a car, Andrea returns to Pennsylvania to help Rachel and their grandmother with the Three Sisters Inn.
they are converting the large family estate into a bed-and-breakfast. The problem is, there is someone who doesn't want the B&B to open. Actually, Andrea isn't crazy about the idea either. She would prefer they sold it, but nevertheless, she takes some time off from work to help them get it started. She can't wait to return to work.
They soon realize that Rachel's 'accident' was no accident, and other dangerous events continue to occur. Andrea must race against the clock to both get the inn open, and find out who is trying to stop them. She gets help from both Cal Burke, her grandmother's tenant, and the Amish family who live next door.
The story is quite captivating, but I think what I like most about this book is the characters; they are unique and distinct, and their roles in the story are well-defined. Most importantly, two of the major characters each undergo a transformation; a change of heart. I especially like like how these two characters often turn to God. Nothing dramatic, but they frequently utter short little prayers such as "Lord, show me the way" or "God, I need your help". I identify especially with the character of Andrea. At one time, I too put my job above all until I had a medical situation that made me realize the importance of family.
An excellent story that I can highly recommend.
Archie Comics to get First Gay Character
Archie was one of my favorite comics as a kid. It's very disappointing that they will now be promoting the homosexual agenda.
Notre Dame Anti-Military, Pro-Gay Protesters Let Go; Pro-Lifers Still Face Fines, Imprisonment
It seems that "Father" Jenkins really has a problem with pro-lifers and those who actually expect him to run Notre Dame according to Catholic principles.
While numerous pro-life protesters who were arrested for trespassing at the University of Notre Dame last year continue to face up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine, anti-military and pro-gay demonstrators who were previously arrested on campus had their charges dropped, according to a shocking new investigation by the Sycamore Trust. Furthermore, the president of the University, Fr. John Jenkins, has reportedly refused to discuss the disparate treatment.
William Dempsey, Notre Dame alumnus and president of the Sycamore Trust, notes in the organization's latest bulletin that Jenkins has responded to inquiries about the pro-lifers (who were arrested last May while peacefully protesting Obama’s commencement speech and honorary degree) by saying that, "The University cannot have one set of rules for causes we oppose, and another more lenient set of rules for causes we support. We have one consistent set of rules for demonstrations on campus – no matter the cause."
While Notre Dame does not have power to drop the charges, the University's recommendation to dismiss would likely carry great weight with the St. Joseph County prosecutor.
Dempsey says that "we doubted that any organization would saddle itself with such an inflexible policy." Hence, his organization set about investigating how past trespassers have been treated.
'Biggest Loser's' Jillian Michaels Criticizes Pregnancy
It's really sad that stars like Jillian teach women that pregnancy is like a 'disease' to be avoided. It is good that she does encourage motherhood by adoption.
There is no doubt that “The Biggest Loser” trainer Jillian Michaels has one of the best bodies in America, and given her childhood history of being overweight, it's something the 36-year-old has worked ultra-hard to achieve. So hard in fact, that she’s not willing to let it slide even to become a biological mother.
“I’m going to adopt. I can’t handle doing that to my body,” Michaels told the new issue of Women’s Health magazine. “Also, when you rescue something, it’s like rescuing a part of yourself.”
Michaels’ words surrounding pregnancy and her figure have been met with criticism from several experts (who have not worked with her) in the health industry.
“She is teaching people about body image and self-esteem. Women who have children all the time and get right back in shape particularly if they exercise,” Dr. Leslie Seppinni, a Los Angeles-based Family Therapist & Clinical Psychologist told Pop Tarts. “If this is how she truly feels, she should seek counsel before coaching others on issues of body image.”
And Dr. Mike Bishop, Executive Director at Wellspring health/weight loss camps pointed out that Michaels’s own self-esteem may have too much emphasis on aesthetic.
Denver Broncos pick Tim Tebow in NFL Draft
I am really happy for Tim. He has taken a lot of criticism for simply making a pro-life ad with his mom, who had refused to abort him as a baby.
Optional Memorial of St. George, martyr and St. Adalbert, bishop and martyr
The Saints of the Day for April 23 are St. George and St. Adalbert,
St. George is venerated by the Eastern Church among her "great martyrs" and "standard-bearers." He belonged to the Roman army; he was arrested and, probably, beheaded under Diocletian, c. 304. He is the patron of England, since 800. St. George is one of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers."
Many legends are attached to Saint George. The most famous is the one in The Golden Legend. There was a dragon that lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Not even armies could defeat this creature, and he terrorized flocks and the people. St. George was passing through and upon hearing about a princess was about to be eaten, he went to battle against the serpent, and killed it with one blow with his lance. Then with his great preaching, George converted the people. He distributed his reward to the poor, then left the area.
t. Adalbert while still under thirty became bishop of Prague, but the pastoral and political difficulties were such that in 990 he withdrew in desperation to Rome. Pope John XV sent him back to his diocese, where he founded the great abbey of Brevnov; but again he met with opposition to his ministry from the nobility, and again he retired to Rome. At length it became apparent that there was no hope of his working unmolested in Prague, and he was allowed to turn his attention to the heathen Prussians of Pomerania. But here he had no more success. He and his fellow missionaries nevertheless persevered in their mission, and were eventually murdered, perhaps near Konigsberg. Despite the disappointments of his career, St Adalbert of Prague seems to have had considerable influence. He was a friend of the Emperor Otto III, encouraged the evangelization of the Magyars, and inspired St Boniface of Querfurt; his cultus was widespread in central Europe. He in his turn was influenced by the ideals of the great monastery of Cluny.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Do Comedy Central and MSNBC really believe in free speech?
Well, it depends on if it is Catholic bashing, which is fine by them.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the latest examples of media duplicity:
Trey Parker and Matt Stone recently did a satirical episode of "South Park" on Comedy Central depicting Moses, Jesus and Buddha; Muhammad was explicitly given a pass, and was instead dressed in a bear costume. That's because the boys at Comedy Central have told Parker and Stone to lay off Muhammad for fear of Muslim retaliation. But it was all for naught as Muslim extremists posted online that they were gunning for Parker and Stone anyway. Previously, Parker and Stone have admitted that "it really is open season on Jesus," and that they are constantly being blocked from depicting Muhammad.
Yesterday, MSNBC host Donny Deutsch had his show canceled for the rest of the week because he dared to criticize MSNBC star Keith Olbermann on Tuesday. In a segment criticizing "angry" media figures like Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, Deutsch's guest, Hugh Hewitt, cited Olbermann and Ed Schultz, another MSNBC host. Olbermann was reportedly angry; Deutsch was disciplined and his producer, Gresham Striegel, was sent home. Last January, MSNBC president Phil Griffin sent a memo to staff members warning that "We do not publicly criticize our colleagues. This kind of behavior is unprofessional and will not be tolerated."
It's all so amazing. The gutless executives at Comedy Central continue to give the green light to Catholic bashing, simply because Catholics don't threaten to kill them. And the folks at MSNBC—who never tire of lecturing the Catholic Church for not being more tolerant of dissent—are quick to issue a gag rule when one of their own is criticized by a colleague. Accordingly, neither Comedy Central nor MSNBC have any ethical right to ever criticize the Catholic Church for not being open enough to different points of view.
story
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project.
I was asked to share this information, and I am happy to do so.
Conference to explore newly translated work of Catholic philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand on the fundamental human question, “What is love?”
ROME, ITALY — Lauded by Pope Benedict XVI as one of the most prominent Christian thinkers of the twentieth century, the Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project in collaboration with the department of philosophy at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross is hosting an intellectual gathering in Rome to explore the question “What is love?”
It’s aim is to bring together philosophers, theologians, psychologists, doctors, scientists, writers, and artists to unpack the original insights of Dietrich von Hildebrand’s most important philosophical work, The Nature of Love, published for the first time in English by the Hildebrand Project and St. Augustine’s Press.
The conference is also taking place under the supreme patronage of the Pontifical Council for Culture, headed by Archbishop Ravasi, as well as by Christof Cardinal Shoenborn, Arhcbishop of Vienna, who serves as an honorary member of the Hildebrand Project’s board of advisors.
“We entitle our conference, The Christian Personalism of Dietrich von Hildebrand: Exploring His Philosophy of Love, because we want our study of his treatise on love to stand in the service of what he once called “the struggle for the person,” said Crosby, Founding Director of the Hildebrand Project.
Crosby went on to say, “We are organizing the conference on the assumption that one cannot make sense of the human person apart from his or her capacity for loving and being loved. To quote the late Pope John Paul II, ‘Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it.’”
Keynote speakers include: Roberta Green Ahmanson, Joseph Bottum, Rocco Buttiglione
John F. Crosby, Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz, Alice von Hildebrand, Charles Morerod OP, Michael Novak, Josef Seifert, Michael Waldstein, Robert Spaemann, and Metropolitan John D. Zizioulas.
Submitted papers will come from as far and as wide as Algeria, Russia, Poland, South America, Germany, Italy, England, and Austria. There is also an international graduate student essay contest associated with the conference, supported in part by the generous funding of the Earhart Foundation and Franciscan University of Steubenville, where the top submissions will be invited to present their papers at the conference.
The Hildebrand Project is proud to collaborate with organizations such as the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture and the Acton Institute, both co-sponsors of the event, who see their participation as an extension of their own missions, as a means of enriching their own work through a careful study of the life and thought of Dietrich von Hildebrand.
The conference will be interdisciplinary in nature and have both a theoretical and an applied focus. Several sessions will be devoted to the importance of a proper understanding of love for psychotherapy and neurology, while others will look to Shakespeare and Mozart as they seek to unpack the aesthetic dimension of this all important human experience.
Pope Benedict XVI has been actively involved in the work of the Hildebrand Project since its founding, first by becoming an honorary member of the organization when still a Cardinal, and then by receiving Hildebrand Project Founder John Henry Crosby and Alice von Hildebrand, the late philosopher's wife, in a private audience to discuss the importance and future of their work within the church.
The conference will be broadcast live via the organization’s website www.hildebrandlegacy.org/rome.
Conference Details:
Pontifical University of the Holy Cross School of Philosophy
Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, 49
00186 Roma, Italy
May 27-29, 2010
To register for the conference, visit The Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project’s website at www.hildebrandlegacy.org/rome, or email conferences@hildebrandlegacy.org
Abortion Business in Kentucky Hides Potential Sexual Abuse in Undercover Video
The pro-aborts, who are, of course, "for women", don't care about the damage abortion does to women, or when a 14 year-old girl is pregnant by a 31 -year-old "boyfriend" (that's called statutory rape).
Another abortion business has been caught on tape attempting to cover up a potential case of sexual abuse of a minor girl. A Louisville, Kentucky abortion center is the latest caught on an undercover videotape ignoring sexual abuse of a child and giving misleading abortion counseling.
Live Action, a pro-life group led by college students, released another in a long line of videos showing problems at Planned Parenthood and other abortion centers nationwide.
The new footage today comes from EMW Women's Surgical Center and has Lila Rose and actor Jackie Stollar, who posed undercover as a minor with Rose telling the staff that she was 14-years-old and impregnated by her 31-year-old "boyfriend".
In the video, an EMW Women's Surgical Center named Wendy determines that Rose is "14 to 15-weeks pregnant" and that an abortion at that point in pregnancy would cost over $1,000.
Sympathetic 'Dr. Death' Kevorkian Biopic Set to Air on HBO Saturday
A biopic of Dr. Jack Kevorkian that portrays the famous mass-murderer in a sympathetic light is set to air on HBO Saturday night. Known to many as "Dr. Death," Kevorkian has admitted to murdering over 130 disabled, terminally ill, and healthy suicidal individuals.
"You Don't Know Jack," which stars Al Pacino and reportedly takes a lighthearted approach to Dr. Kevorkian's trail of murders that led to his national celebrity status, has already been shown in a premiere in New York last week. Another premiere is set to take place in Detroit on Thursday.
Kevorkian was recently released from parole after serving over eight years in prison for the second-degree murder of 52-year-old Lou Gherig's disease sufferer Thomas Youk. Although Kevorkian, 82, said in an interview last year that he was tempted to kill himself in prison, his lawyer talked him out of it; ironically, Kevorkian admitted that he would not have done the same in return.
Optional Memorial of St. Anselm, bishop & doctor
The Saint of the Day for April 21 is St. Anselm.
St. Anselm (1033-1109) was born in Aosta, Italy, and died in Canterbuy, England. St. Anselm's services to the Church are principally the following: First, as Archbishop of Canterbury he defended the rights and liberties of the Church against the encroachments of the English kings, who plundered the Church's lands, impeded the Archbishop's communications with the Holy See, and claimed the right to invest prelates with ring and crosier, symbols of the Church's spiritual jurisdiction. Second, as a philosopher and theologian he developed a method of reasoning which prepared the way for the great thinkers of the Middle Ages. Third, he had a great devotion to Our Lady and was the first to establish the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the West.
As prior and abbot, Anselm made the Benedictine monastery of Bec the center of a true reformation in Normandy and England. From this monastery he exercised a restraining influence on popes, kings, the worldly great, and entire religious orders. Raised to the dignity of Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of England, he waged a heroic campaign in defense of the rights and liberties of the Church. As a result he was deprived of goods and position and finally banned from the country. He journeyed to Rome, and at the Council of Bari supported Pope Urban II against the errors of the Greeks. His writings bear eloquent testimony to his moral stature and learning, and have earned for him the title of "Father of Scholasticism."
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