St. Peter Chrysologus

The Saint of the Day for July 30 is St. Peter Chrysologus.

In the fifth century, Ravenna, not Rome, was the capital of the Roman Empire in the West, and Ravenna itself became a metropolitan see. St. Peter Chrysologus was one of the most distinguished archbishops of that see.

Peter was born in Imola about the year 400 and studied under Cornelius, bishop of that city, who ordained him deacon. In 433, the archbishop of Ravenna died, and when a successor had been chosen by the clergy and people of Ravenna, they asked Bishop Cornelius to obtain confirmation of their choice from Pope Sixtus III. On his trip to Rome, Cornelius took his deacon, Peter, as his companion; upon seeing Peter, the pope chose him for the see of Ravenna instead of the one selected by the clergy and people of Ravenna.

Peter was consecrated and was accepted somewhat grudgingly at first by both the clergy and the people. Peter, however, soon became the favorite of Emperor Valentinian III, who resided at Ravenna and was also highly regarded by Pope St. Leo the Great, the successor of Pope Sixtus.

There were still traces of paganism in Peter's diocese, and his first effort was to establish the Catholic faith everywhere, rooting out abuses and carrying on a campaign of preaching and special care of the poor. Many of his sermons still survive, and it is on the basis of these that he came to be known as "the golden word."

In his concern for the unity of the Church, Peter Chrysologus opposed the teaching of Eutyches, condemned in the East, who asked for his support. Peter also received St. Germanus of Auxerre to his diocese and officiated at his funeral.

Knowing that his own death was near, Peter returned to his own city of Imola and after urging great care in the choice of his successor he died at Imola about the year 450 and was buried in the church of St. Cassian. In 1729, Pope Benedict XIII declared him a Doctor of the Church. — The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Familiar is his dictum: "If you jest with the devil, you cannot rejoice with Christ." Some of his sermons are read in the Breviary. Ravenna, his episcopal city, still harbors treasures of ancient Christian liturgical art dating to his day.

Movie Review: Zookeeper - PG

Griffin Keyes is the head zookeeper at the Franklin Park Zoo.  He loves caring for the animals,  and they love him because he is kindhearted.

Griffin keeps thinking about Stephanie, the girl who rejected him 5 years earlier. When he gets a second chance with her, the animals break their silence to help him get her back.

It was really cool how the animals talking was made to look so realistic. A lot of humorous moments, and lots of fun.  It was all about being yourself, and appreciating what you have.

Overall, a very entertaining movie.  The only part I didn't like was about peeing to mark your territory.  Aside from that, a very family-friendly movie.  My nephews, 11 and 13 loved it.

http://zookeeper-movie.com/

Catholic News Roundup 07-29

video: No Kidding!

Everyone loves children, right? Who could possibly not like children?

New iphone application. IGPII puts WYD Madrid 2011 in your pocket

Atheist group seeks to tear down World Trade Center cross

Of course they do...as long as they believe in nothing, they want to deny everyone else's first amendment right to believe.  And America IS a Christian nation.

When two steel girders were found intact, in the shape of a cross, in the middle of the wreckage of the World Trade Center after 9/11, it was hailed by many as a mini “miracle” and a sign of hope for a country beleaguered by a devastating terrorist attack.

Now, however, an atheist group has filed a lawsuit that seeks to tear down that cross, which was moved recently to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.

American Atheists filed its lawsuit, American Atheists v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in New York state court Monday.

“What we’re looking for is a remedy that honours everyone equally, with a religion-neutral display, or display of equal size and prominence,” said Dave Silverman, the group’s head.

According to the lawsuit, American Atheists’ members “are being subjected to and injured in consequence of having a religious tradition not their own imposed upon them through the power of the state.”

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League comments:

ATHEISTS OPPOSE WORLD TRADE CENTER CROSS

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Clinton: bill abolishing abortion funds would be ‘debilitating’ to foreign policy

Just when I need a good laugh, Hillary comes out with this nonsense.

A house bill that includes a provision banning foreign aid from going to groups that promote or perform abortion would be “debilitating,” according to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

In a letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Clinton cited the reinstatement of the Mexico City policy, along with numerous other provisions in H.R. 2583, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, as reason for “profound concern.”

“The net effect of these and other restrictions in the bill would be debilitating to my efforts to carry out a considered foreign policy and diplomacy, and to use foreign assistance strategically to that end,” she wrote.  Ridiculous...the Mexico City policy never hurt diplomacy.

Clinton added that she would recommend to the president that he veto the bill if it were presented to him for signature. Don't worry Hillary...Barry will fight for abortion funds.

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St. Martha

The Saint of the Day for July 29 is St. Martha.

Martha was born of noble and wealthy parents, but she is still more illustrious for the hospitality she gave to Christ our Lord. After His Ascension into heaven, she was seized by the Jews, together with her brother and sister, Marcella her handmaid, and Maximin, one of the seventy two disciples of our Lord, who had baptized the whole family, and many other Christians. They were put on board a ship without sails or oars, and left helpless on the open sea, exposed to certain shipwreck. But God guided the ship, and they all arrived safely at Marseilles.

This miracle, together with their preaching, brought the people of Marseilles, of Aix, and of the neighborhood to believe in Christ. Lazarus was made Bishop of Marseilles and Maximin of Aix. Magdalen, who was accustomed to devote herself to prayer and to sit at our Lord's feet, in order to enjoy the better part which she had chosen, that is, contemplation of the joys of heaven, retired into a deserted cave on a very high mountain. There she lived for thirty years, separated from all human intercourse; and every day she was carried to heaven by the angels to hear their songs of praise.

But Martha, after having won the love and admiration of the people of Marseilles by the sanctity of her life and her wonderful charity, withdrew in the company of several virtuous women to a spot remote from men, where she lived for a long time, greatly renowned for her piety and prudence. She foretold her death long before it occurred; and at length, famous for miracles, she passed to our Lord on the fourth of the Kalends of August. Her body which lies at Tarascon is held in great veneration.

video: Judgment Day

What extraordinary times we live in! Priests calling for mass resignations of bishops. Cardinals warning their brother bishops as well as priests of Divine Judgment for their poor tending of the flock.

NC Senate Overrides veto of "Woman's Right to Know"...It now Becomes Law

An excellent way to combat the lies of the abortion industry...providing women with more information.

Women will get more information and face new restrictions before having an abortion in North Carolina after the state Senate passed the regulations into law Thursday over Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue's veto.

The Republican-led Legislature completed its veto override when the Senate voted 29-19 to approve the bill requiring women to receive counseling and wait 24 hours before an abortion. The House agreed to the override earlier this week.

The only Republican who voted against the measure when it initially passed the Senate last month, Sen. Stan Bingham of Davidson County, did not vote on Thursday. With one other Republican missing this week, the GOP had just enough votes to override Perdue's veto.

Based on the impact of similar laws in other states, the restrictions would cut the more than 27,000 abortions and result in about 2,900 additional births per year, legislative fiscal analysts said. That will cost taxpayers about $7 million a year, mostly because nearly half of the births would be funded entirely or in part by Medicaid, the health program for the poor.

North Carolina had been one of 16 states that don't require specialized counseling before an abortion. Half of all states require counseling, then a waiting period.

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Apostolic Nuncio in the US dies at hospital

I watched Mass this morning on EWTN, which is where I heard of the Archbishop's passing.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Holy Father’s diplomatic representative to the U.S., died in the evening of Wednesday, July 27, at the Baltimore hospital where he had been placed in assisted ventilation after complications following a lung surgery performed two weeks ago.

On Monday, the nunciature, along with Archbishop Sambi's family, who traveled to Baltimore from Italy after the worsening of Archbishop Sambi’s conditions, asked “Bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful” to offer “sacrifices and prayers” for the nuncio's recovery.

Archbishop Sambi was appointed by Pope Benedict in 2005 as the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. He began his duties in Washington, D.C. in February of 2006.

The archbishop was born in the northern Italian town of Sogliano sul Rubicone in 1938, and was ordained a priest on March 14, 1964, for the Diocese of Montefeltro. Archbishop Sambi was fluent in English, Spanish, and French, and held doctorate degrees in Theology and Canon Law.

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St. Victor I, Pope

The Saint of the Day for July 28 is St. Victor I, Pope.

Date of birth unknown; pope from 189 to 199; died in 199, possibly martyrdom.

Victor was a native African and his father's name was Felix. He is known for having obtained the release of Christians who had been deported to the mines of Sardinia and for being the first Pope to celebrate the liturgy and write Church documents in Latin rather than Greek.

He is most famous, however, for decreeing that Easter be universally celebrated on a Sunday, a practice already common in the West, but not so in the East.

Catholic News Roundup 07-27

video: No Bull In Madrid

Pop Culture debases sex and treats it as nothing more than another form of pleasure. World Youth Day is an opportunity for faithful Catholics to set the record straight through such efforts as realcatholictv.com's NO BULL IN MADRID.

This article ran yesterday:

World Youth Day organizers say Michael Voris catechesis not approved

World Youth Day organizers said July 25 that the independent catechesis sessions offered by U.S.-based media producer Michael Voris during World Youth Day 2011 are not approved by the event. Voris responded with puzzlement that the announcement was made, stating that his organization has never represented itself as linked to the event.

“Participants in the World Youth Day 2011 Cultural Program must be recognized and endorsed by the bishops and episcopal conferences of their respective countries,” read a July 25 statement from the event’s organizers.

There had been “some confusion” about Voris’ affiliation with World Youth Day, organizers said, further noting that “Real Catholic TV” and Michael Voris’ catechetical session “No Bull in Madrid” have not received endorsements from the group’s local bishop—Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit—or the U.S. bishops’ conference.

Gallup: majority of Americans support new pro-life laws

A majority of Americans support enacting restrictions on abortion, including laws designed to guarantee a woman’s informed consent, but remain narrowly divided on others.

According to Gallup, 87 percent favor laws requiring abortionists to inform their clients about the potential risks involved with having an abortion before undergoing the procedure. Just 11 percent oppose those laws.

Seventy-one (71) percent favor laws requiring minors under 18 to get parental consent before having an abortion, while 27 percent say they are opposed.

Americans also favor 24-hour waiting period laws, 69 - 28 percent.

Another 64 percent also support laws banning “partial birth abortion” in the last six months of pregnancy, except to save the mother’s life. Just 31 oppose such laws.

Half of those polled (50 percent) said they support laws requiring women to be shown an ultrasound of their unborn child at least 24 hours before an abortion.

Americans are more narrowly divided over other abortion restrictions.

On the issue of allowing pharmacists and healthcare providers the ability to opt out of services that result in abortion: 46 percent favor those laws, while 51 percent oppose them.

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St. Panteleon

The Saint of the Day for July 27 is St. Panteleon.

St. Panteleon is the patron saint of bachelors and physicians. A lifelong layperson and single person, he was the physician to the emperor Maximian. At one point, he had abandoned his faith, but he eventually returned to the Church, giving his fortune to the poor and treating them medically without charge. Some of his cures were accomplished by prayer.

Other physicians eventually denounced him to the anti-Christian authorities. At his trial, he offered a contest between himself and the pagan priests. He challenged the pagan priests to heal a paralyzed man with their prayers, but they were unable. Pantaleon cured the man by simply mentioning the name of Jesus. As a result, many of those who witnessed the miracle converted.

The authorities remained resolute in trying to get him to denounce his faith with bribes, threat and torture, but they did not succeed. He was then nailed to a tree and beheaded in c.305.

Catholic News Roundup 07-26

video: Sins of the Flesh

In the battle for our immortal souls, Satan scores his most effective hits in the area of our sexuality. That is why the truth of sex must be proclaimed loudly in a world drowning is sexual sin.

6-Year-Old Lucy Mangum Forgives Shark That Attacked Her Off North Carolina Island

A touching story of forgiveness.  Is there anyone as forgiving as a child?  :)

A 6-year-old North Carolina girl who had asked her parents if she was "going to die" after a shark ripped into her flesh last week said Tuesday she forgives the shark that did it.

Lucy Mangum, of Durham, N.C., who underwent two surgeries for severe injuries to her calf muscles and other tendons, said Tuesday she forgives the shark who attacked her July 19 off Ocracoke Island while she was playing on a boogie board, WRAL.com reports.

Lucy Mangum, 6, of Durham, N.C., survived a shark attack last week off Ocracoke Island. The girl, who reportedly underwent two surgeries, is expected to fully recover.

"He didn't really mean to do it," Lucy told the station in an interview.

Lucy, who is expected to make a full recovery, said she tried to swim away when she saw the shark coming toward her.

The shark grabbed her right leg and foot within seconds, leaving two deep bite marks that exposed her tendons and muscle, according to the station.

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Beckhams Slammed for Having Four Children

Complete nonsense.  The farce of 'global warming' has become an excuse for pro-aborts to attack the family.

David and Victoria Beckham may have been overjoyed to welcome their new daughter, Harper Seven, last week but, according to a growing group of campaigners, the birth of their fourth child make the couple bad role models and environmentally irresponsible.  LOL

As the world's population is due to hit seven billion at some point in the next few days, there is an increasing call for the UK to open a public debate about how many children people have.

Now the Green MP, Caroline Lucas, has joined other leading environmentalists in calling for the smashing of what TV zoologist Sir David Attenborough has called the "absurd taboo" in discussing family size in the UK.  What are these nuts going to do?  Start forcing abortion like China does?

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H/T Catholic Vote

Vatican Cardinal: Divine judgment will fall on priests who do not oppose abortion, homosexuality

KUDO's to Cardinal Sarah for speaking the truth.

Cardinal Robert Sarah is warning that priests who fail in their duty to oppose the breakdown of morality in modern society, particularly pro-abortion and anti-family policies, will receive the condemnation of God.

In a sermon delivered on June 25 to seminarians of the Community of St. Martin, whom he was about to ordain to the priesthood and diaconate, Sarah admonished his listeners, “if we have fear of proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, if we are ashamed of denouncing the grave deviations in the area of morality, if we accommodate ourselves to this world of moral laxity and religious and ethical relativism, if we are afraid to energetically denounce the abominable laws regarding the new global ethos, regarding marriage, the family in all of its forms, abortion, laws in total opposition to the laws of nature and of God, and that the western nations and cultures are promoting and imposing thanks to the mass media and their economic power, then the prophetic words of Ezechiel will fall on us as a grave divine reproach.”

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video: Quiet Riot

The stubborn refusal to everywhere boldly preach the Church's infallible teaching on contraception has not only helped contribute to an epidemic of immorality in the culture, but has created chaos in the Church.

Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of Mary

The Saints of the Day for July 26 are Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of Mary.

Who does not know about the great shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupre in Canada, where miracles abound, where cured cripples leave their crutches, and where people come from thousands of miles to pray to the grandmother of Jesus? At one time, July 26 was the feast of St. Anne only, but with the new calendar the two feasts of the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary have been joined and are celebrated today. Our information about Mary's parents comes from an apocryphal Christian writing, the Protoevangelium Jacobi (or Gospel of James), written about the year 170. According to this story, Joachim was a prominent and respected man who had no children, and he and his wife, Anne, looked upon this as a punishment from God. In answer to their prayers, Mary was born and was dedicated to God at a very early age.

From this early Christian writing have come several of the feast days of Mary, particularly the Immaculate Conception, the Nativity of Mary, and her Assumption into Heaven. Very early also came feast days in honor of SS. Joachim and Anne, and in the Middle Ages numerous churches, chapels, and confraternities were dedicated to St. Anne. The couple early became models of Christian marriage, and their meeting at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem has been a favorite subject of Christian artists.

Anne is often shown in paintings with Jesus and Mary and is considered a subject that attracts attention, since Anne is the grandmother of Jesus. Her two great shrines — that of Ste. Anne d'Auray in Britanny, France, and that of Ste. Anne de Beaupre near Quebec in Canada — are very popular. We know little else about the lives of Mary's parents, but considering the person of Mary, they must have been two very remarkable people to have been given such a daughter and to have played so important a part in the work of the Redemption.

There is a church of St. Anne in Jerusalem and it is believed to be built on the site of the home of SS. Joachim and Anne, when they lived in Jerusalem.

Catholic News Roundup 07-25

Music Review: "I'm All In" by Robert Pierre

.  I'm All In"  will be released July 26.

This is Robert's second album

After listening to the first few tracks, the overall theme of total commitment to the Lord, as evidenced by the title "I"m All In", becomes apparent.  The first track, "I'm All In",  talks about total commitment to Christ.

I especially like "Who R U",  where he says "you're either hot or your cold, either yes or no";  there is no halfway commitment to Christ.

Other songs such as "Greater is He" and "I Trust in You" focus more on acknowledging the greatness of God.

 

The music and tempo of  each song seem to be particularly  well suited for its lyrics and its message.  Overall, this makes "I'm All In" an effective evangelization tool.  It is very uplifting to listen to.

I think Robert has very noticeably improved since his first album "Identity"

http://robertpierre.com/

Abandon the logic of evil, Pope pleads after Oslo attacks

Pope Benedict XVI issued a “heartfelt” plea to all on Sunday, following the terrorist attacks in Norway. He called on everyone to “abandon forever the path of hatred and escape from the logic of evil,” as he offered his prayers for the victims and their families.

The Pope said that the news of the bombing in downtown Oslo and the subsequent shooting at a youth camp caused him deep sorrow and left him grief-stricken.

Catholics in Norway are feeling much the same way.

“We are so used to being this quiet little nation where nothing like this happens,” said Fr. Paul Bratbak, the communications director for the Diocese of Oslo, in a July 22 interview with CNA.

“It's just too much to take in at the moment.”

The July 22 attacks began when Anders Behring Breivik—by his own admission—detonated a car bomb at the government headquarters in downtown Oslo. That attack took the lives of seven people and injured many more.

Hours later Breivik appeared at a youth camp for the children of the political Labour Party on Utoya Island and, dressed as a policeman, began a shooting spree. The number of dead stands at 86 as of Sunday, according to Norwegian police.

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California diocese offers $50M for Crystal Cathedral

The Diocese of Orange has offered $50 million to purchase Crystal Cathedral, the 3,000-seat Protestant church built by televangelist Robert Schuller.

The bid, said Bishop Tod Brown, “respects the legacy Rev. Schuller worked so hard to establish. Our offer also clearly accommodates future diocesan needs for a cathedral and modern administrative campus.”

Bishop Brown added:

Crystal Cathedral Ministries has been a valued religious resource for many, many years in Orange County and, through the Hour of Power, around the globe. Like our own Mission San Juan Capistrano, its historic and cultural links are important to Orange County. Under this plan, we hope that that ministry can continue.

Dr. Schuller built up this ministry from the humble roof of a drive-in snack stand, and that constant faith in God’s providence, I believe, will sustain their community through these current trials. The Crystal Cathedral underscores the vitality of faith in our modern society and with our offer we will enable this beacon of faith to continue to influence others as an important place of worship.

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Movie Review: Captain America: The First Avenger - PG13

Steve Rogers is so eager to serve his country during WWII that he volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into a super soldier known as Captain America.  At first, he is mostly symbolic, inspiring patriotism during the war,  but he soon finds himself battling the NAZI HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull.

Unlike other super heroes, Captain America doesn't really have a 'secret identity'...everyone knew he is Rogers.  This may seem a minor point, but I found it significant because it blended his real identity and his Captain America identity in a way that I haven't seen in other super hero movies.

 I found Captain America more nostalgic than I expected, and I wish that Americans still had the level of patriotism I saw in the movie.

There was more story than I expected, but also plenty of action.

A very good movie.  My nephews, 11 and 13, also liked it a lot.

http://captainamerica.marvel.com/

St. James

The Saint of the Day for July 25 is St. James.

In Spain, he is called El Senor Santiago, the patron saint of horsemen and soldiers, and his great shrine at Santiago de Compostela in that country has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. He is one of those that Jesus called Boanerges, "son of thunder," the brother of John the Evangelist and the son of Zebedee the fisherman from Galilee.

St. James the Greater and his brother John were apparently partners with those other two brothers, Peter and Andrew, and lived in Bethsaida, on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. How and where James first met Jesus, we do not know; but there is an old legend that makes Salome, his mother, a sister of Mary, and if this were the case, he would have known Jesus from childhood.

Along with Peter and his brother John, James was part of the inner circle of Jesus, who witnessed the Transfiguration, were witnesses to certain of His miracles, like the raising of the daughter of Jairus, and accompanied Him to the Garden of Gethsemani. Like his brother, he was active in the work of evangelization after the death of Jesus, and one legend, very unlikely, even has him going to Spain after Jesus' resurrection.

His prominence and his presence in Jerusalem must have been well known, for scarcely a dozen years after the Resurrection, he became involved in the political maneuverings of the day and was arrested and executed by King Herod Agrippa. This was followed by the arrest of Peter also, so his death must have been part of a purge of Christian leaders by Agrippa, who saw the new Christian movement as a threat to Judaism.

Jesus had foretold this kind of fate when He prophesied that James and his brother John would "drink of the same chalice" of suffering as Himself. The two brothers had asked to be seated at the right of Jesus and at His left in His kingdom, and Jesus told them that they would be with Him in a far different way than they expected.

James's death is the only biblical record we have of the death of one of the Apostles, and he was the first of that chosen band to give his life for his Master.

Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Patron: Against arthritis; against rheumatism; Antigua, Guatemala; apothecaries; blacksmiths; Chile; Compostela, Spain; druggists; equestrians; furriers; Galicia, Spain; Guatemala; horsemen; knights; laborers; Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Nicaragua; pharmacists; pilgrims; Pistoia, Italy; rheumatoid sufferers; riders; soldiers; Spain; Spanish conquistadors; tanners; veterinarians.

video: Contraception Deception

Contraception is one of the greatest moral evils in the world today.

Obama certifies ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal

And he did this like he does everything...ram it down people's throats despite the opinion of the majority of people.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and President Obama have certified the repeal of the military’s ban on openly gay servicemen. The change to take effect in another 60 days.

The Associated Press reported late Friday afternoon that President Obama has added his signature to Panetta’s, certifying that the repeal would not affect military readiness. This was the final move needed to set the repeal in motion following Congress’s permission in December.

A recently-publicized document from the U.S. military’s top investigative office revealed evidence that the military survey that was pivotal to the repeal decision had been engineered months prior to its release, and was deliberately skewed in later media leaks, to sway Congress despite opposition from combat troops.

While the survey actually found combat troops far more opposed than favorable to repeal, media and Obama administration officials alike consistently portrayed the survey as showing a lack of opposition; federal investigators concluded in April that this was the result of a media spin campaign by highly-placed anonymous sources.

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St. Bridget of Sweden

The Saint of the Day for July 23 is St. Bridget of Sweden.

Bridget was born in Sweden of noble and pious parents, and led a most holy life. While she was yet unborn, her mother was saved from shipwreck for her sake. At ten years of age, Bridget heard a sermon on the Passion of our Lord; and the next night she saw Jesus on the cross, covered with fresh blood, and speaking to her about his Passion. Thenceforward meditation on that subject affected her to such a degree, that she could never think of our Lord's sufferings without tears.

She was given in marriage to Ulfo prince of Nericia; and won him, by example and persuasion, to a life of piety. She devoted herself with maternal love to the education of her children. She was most zealous in serving the poor, especially the sick; and set apart a house for their reception, where she would often wash and kiss their feet. Together with her husband, she went on pilgrimage to Compostella, to visit the tomb of the apostle St. James. On their return journey, Ulfo fell dangerously ill at Arras; but St. Dionysius, appearing to Bridget at night, foretold the restoration of her husband's health, and other future events.

Ulfo became a Cistercian monk, but died soon afterwards. Whereupon Bridget, having heard the voice of Christ calling her in a dream, embraced a more austere manner of life. Many secrets were then revealed to her by God. She founded the monastery of Vadstena under the rule of our Savior, which was given her by our Lord himself. At his command, she went to Rome, where she kindled the love of God in very many hearts. She made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem; but on her return to Rome she was attacked by fever, and suffered severely from sickness during a whole year. On the day she had foretold, she passed to heaven, laden with merits. Her body was translated to her monastery of Vadstena; and becoming illustrious for miracles, she was enrolled among the saints by Boniface IX.

Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

St. Bridget founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines) at Vadstena in 1346. It received confirmation by Pope Urban V in 1370, and survives today. The new branch of the order was refounded by Blessed Elisabeth Hesselblad and has grown substantially, around the world.

Book Review: "Stain of Guilt" by Brandilyn Collins

When popular TV show American Fugitive does an update on a 20 year-old murder case, they engage forensic artist Annie Kingston to draw an age-progressed image of the main suspect, Bill Bland. In order to do this, Annie must immerse herself in the mind of Bland.  But there is someone who doesn't want Annie to complete the drawing; she soon finds herself, and her family, in danger.  Annie is determined to finish it, and, after years of non-believing, she turns to God for help.  Will Annie fish the drawing in time for the show?  Who is trying to stop her from finishing it?

This story combines lots of suspense with good character  development, and the result is a captivating story you won't be able to put down. 

Ms. Collins once again proves that it is possible to create a good murder mystery without the sordid content that is so prevalent in today's media.  I especially appreciate the Christian theme that defines her stories.

Catholic News Roundup 07-22

Mother of six priests and four religious sisters mourned in India

God bless her for fostering all those vocations.

Elizabeth Anikuzhikattil, a Catholic mother whose 15 children included five priests, a bishop, and four religious sisters, died at the age of 94 on July 14.

“We mourn the death of a holy mother,” said Fr. Augustine Kootala, a family friend, in an interview with India's Bosco Information Service.

Elizabeth Anikuzhikattil and her husband Luke, who died in 2006, raised eight boys and seven girls. Four of her daughters became religious sisters. Two joined the Sacred Heart Sisters in Kerala, one is a Salesian Sister, and another is a Franciscan Missionary of Mary.

Six of her sons have become priests, with the oldest going on to become the current bishop of the Diocese of Idukki in southern India.

“Don Bosco's promise of heaven for her is surely fulfilled,” said Archbishop Dominic Jala of the Diocese of Shillong. St. Don Bosco taught that a priest is the single greatest blessing to a family, and those who give their sons to the Church as priests will blessed for generations.

One of Anikuzhikattil's sons, Fr. Jose Anikuzhikattil, remembered his mother's perseverance in raising 15 children during the “frontier days” of a settlement in Idukki. The family moved to Idukki in 1949 with the first agricultural migrants to the area.

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St. Mary Magdalene

The Saint of the Day for July 22 is St. Mary Magdalene.

The feast of St. Mary Magdalene is considered one of the most mystical of feasts, and it is said that of all the songs of the saints, that of Mary Magdalene is the sweetest and strongest because her love was so great. That love was praised by Jesus Himself who said that because much was forgiven her, she loved much. Where she is buried, no one knows. Legend has her dying in Provence, France, in a cavern where she spent her last days, and her body resting in the chapel of St. Maximin in the Maritime Alps. Another has her buried in Ephesus where she went with St. John after the Resurrection. This latter view is more likely, and St. Willibald, the English pilgrim to the Holy Land in the eighth century, was shown her tomb there.

She was the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus, His most ardent and loving follower. She had stood with Mary at the foot of the Cross on that brutal Good Friday afternoon and had been by the side of Mary during these difficult hours. On Easter morning, she went with the other women to the tomb and it was there, in the garden near the tomb, that Jesus appeared to her. It was she who brought the news of the Resurrection to the Apostles, and Peter and John raced to the tomb to see what had happened.

She was from Magadala, a small fishing town on the Sea of Galilee, between Capernaum and Tiberias. She was known to be a "great sinner," a woman of the streets who heard Jesus speak of the mercy and forgiveness of God and changed her life completely. Her matter-of-fact witness to the Resurrection moved Peter and John to go and see for themselves: "I have seen the Lord and these things he said to me." Jesus had chosen her to bring the news to them and she simply told them what had happened.

She has always been the example of great love and great forgiveness, one of those close to Jesus who grasped the truth of God's love for human beings and spent her life bearing witness to that love.

video: Society of the Damned

As the line goes .. 'What we do in life, echoes in Eternity.' It's also true that what is NOT done in life, also reverberates throughout Eternity.

Vatican website goes mobile

Step forward to defend DOMA from repeal, bishops' official urges

It's been obvious for a while that Barry intended to repeal DOMA.   Fortunately, it doesn't look like this will pass right away.

Following President Barack Obama’s backing of a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), an official with the U.S. Catholic bishops’ conference says Catholics and others cannot take the legislation for granted but should be prepared to defend it.

“We just can’t simply sit back. Every Catholic and every Catholic institution concerned about marriage and the family will need to be able to step forward and advocate for the Defense of Marriage Act as federal policy,” commented Dan Avila, a policy advisor to the U.S. bishops on marriage and family issues and a member of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.

“We can’t just take DOMA for granted,” he told CNA on July 20. “Even if there’s no immediate prospect for this bill to race through Congress, the fact is that the pressure is building and the case is being made for the eventual demise of DOMA. All those concerned about the preservation of marriage simply need to pay attention, stay tuned, and be ready to respond.”

The Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage for the purposes of federal law and protects states which do not recognize “gay marriage” from being forced to recognize unions contracted in states which do.

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St. Lawrence of Brindisi

The Saint of the Day for July 21 is St. Lawrence of Brindisi.

His name was Julius Caesar, and he was born at Brindisi in the kingdom of Naples in 1559. Educated in Venice at the College of St. Mark, he entered the Capuchins and was given the name Lawrence. Finishing his studies at the University of Padua, he showed a flair for languages, mastering Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French, and showed an extraordinary knowledge of the text of the Bible.

While still a deacon, St. Lawrence of Brindisi became known as an excellent preacher and after his ordination startled the whole of northern Italy with his amazing sermons. Sent into Germany by the pope to establish Capuchin houses, he became chaplain to Emperor Rudolf II and had a remarkable influence on the Christian soldiers fighting the Muslims when they were threatening Hungary in 1601. Through his efforts, the Catholic League was formed to give solidarity to the Catholic cause in Europe. Sent by the emperor to persuade Philip III of Spain to join the League, he established a Capuchin friary in Madrid. He also brought peace between Spain and the kingdom of Savoy.

His compassion for the poor, the needy, and the sick was legendary. Elected minister-general of his order in 1602, he made the Capuchins a major force in the Catholic Restoration, visiting every friary in the thirty-four provinces of the order and directing the work of nine thousand friars. He himself was a dominant figure in carrying out the work of the Council of Trent and was described by Pope Benedict XV as having earned "a truly distinguished place among the most outstanding men ever raised up by Divine Providence to assist the Church in time of distress."

In 1619, he undertook a journey to see King Philip III of Spain on behalf of the oppressed people of Naples who were ruled by a tyrannical governor. Lawrence reached Lisbon where the king was residing, and it was there that his last illness overtook him. His body was carried back to Spain and buried in the church of the Poor Clares at Villafranca del Bierzo.

Lawrence was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1881 and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John XXIII in 1959.

Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Catholic News Roundup 07-20

IOM Decision May Force Americans to Have Pro-Abortion Health Care

Even more reason to repeal the monstrosity of Obamacare.

Yesterday, the Institute of Medicine recommended that the Obama administration approve new guidelines calling for the Obamacare health care system to require every health insurance plan to cover all FDA-approved birth control drugs.

The decision, which is expected to be adopted by the Health and Human Services Department has far-reaching effects because it would force insurance companies to include coverage of drugs like the Plan B pill that may cause an early abortion of a newly-conceived unborn child or the Ella drug, which causes abortions days after conception. Health insurance plans would likely pass on the increased coverage costs to consumers.

Americans United for Life staff counsel Anna Franzonello said today that the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) recommendations on “preventive services for women” are “unsurprisingly supportive of abortion-inducing drugs because the IOM chose to invite abortion advocacy groups to the table to make recommendations.” Franzonello, who testified before the IOM during hearings asking that the birth control and abortion-causing drugs not be included, says the Obama administration is responsible for the stacked hearings that led to the IOM recommendations.

If adopted, Franzonello says the recommendations would yield a horrendous result: “No American will be able to choose an insurance plan that does not include the abortion-inducing drug ella under the IOM plan released today.”

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video: Good Night, Knights!

There comes a time when a man must take a stand. Such a time has come.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - PG13

This is the final battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort.   

Knowing that this was the last movie in the Potter saga, there was an undercurrent of excitement and anticipation that added to the exciting battle scenes.  Much of the story focused on a search for three items that, if destroyed,  would help Harry against Voldemort.  There were a couple of unexpected revelations, as well as a couple of positive recurring themes.  The loyalty of Harry's friends Ron and Hermione is admirable. There are also a couple examples of self-sacrifice.  The special effects were stunning.   I won't give away any secrets, but I was very satisfied with the ending  :)

HP7 may be a bit scary for smaller children but my nephews, 11 and 13, loved it..   A very exciting movie and a suitable ending to the series.

http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com

St. Apollinaris

The Saint of the Day for July 20 is St. Apollinaris.

Apollinaris came to Rome from Antioch with the prince of the apostles, by whom he was consecrated bishop, and sent to Ravenna to preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He converted many to the faith of Christ, for which reason he was seized by the priests of the idols and severely beaten. At his prayer, a nobleman named Boniface, who had long been dumb, recovered the power of speech, and his daughter was delivered from an unclean spirit; on this account a fresh sedition was raised against Apollinaris. He was beaten with rods, and made to walk barefoot over burning coals; but as the fire did him no injury, he was driven from the city.

He lay hidden some time in the house of certain Christians, and then went to Aemilia. Here he raised from the dead the daughter of Rufinus, a patrician, whose whole family thereupon believed in Jesus Christ. The prefect was greatly angered by this conversion, and sending for Apollinaris he sternly commanded him to give over propagating the faith of Christ in the city. But as Apollinaris paid no attention to his commands, he was tortured on the rack, boiling water was poured upon his wounds, and his mouth was bruised and broken with a stone; finally he was loaded with irons, and shut up in prison. Four days afterwards he was put on board ship and sent into exile; but the boat was wrecked, and Apollinaris arrived in Mysia, whence he passed to the banks of the Danube and into Thrace.

In the temple of Serapis the demon refused to utter his oracles so long as the disciple of the apostle Peter remained there. Search was made for some time, and then Apollinaris was discovered and commanded to depart by sea. Thus he returned to Ravenna; but on the accusation of the same priests of the idols, he was placed in the custody of a centurion. As this man, however, worshipped Christ in secret, Apollinaris was allowed to escape by night. When this became known, he was pursued and overtaken by the guards, who loaded him with blows and left him, as they thought, dead. He was carried away by the Christians, and seven days after, while exhorting them to constancy in the faith, he passed away from this life, to be crowned with the glory of martyrdom. His body was buried near the city walls.

Catholic News Roundup 07 19

video: Little by Little

When you give the Enemy an inch .. he takes the world.

Irish priests will refuse to break seal of confession if proposal becomes law

I really don't think this nonsense is going to happen.

Catholic priests in Ireland are prepared to “strongly” resist a proposed law that would require them to disclose information learned in confession.

“More than any other issue, it is probably the one that will unite both the liberal and conservative wings of the Church,” said Father Tony Flannery, a priest with the Association of Catholic Priests, in a July 18 e-mail to CNA.

“If even one exception was made to the seal of Confession, then the whole Sacrament would collapse,” he stated. “The truth of faith that this Sacrament is meant to convey is central to Christian teaching.”

The legislation, proposed by Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, would put priests in jail for up to five years if they failed to tell authorities about sexual abuse crimes disclosed during confession.

Fr. Flannery said that the Association of Catholic Priests has not taken the proposed law very seriously, because it is simply not “workable.”

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Pope appoints Archbishop Chaput to Philadelphia archdiocese

Pope Benedict appointed Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver on July 19 to lead the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Cardinal Justin Rigali, who reached the age of retirement in April 2010, will serve as apostolic administrator until Archbishop Chaput's installation on Sept. 8. Cardinal Rigali has headed the Philadelphia archdiocese since 2003.

The Pope's appointment comes as the archdiocese struggles to deal effectively with clerical sex abuse allegations.

In March, Cardinal Rigali placed 21 priests on administrative leave following a grand jury report claiming to have credible accusations of misconduct against them. According to the report, some of the priests were still in active ministry at the time.

Since Archbishop Chaput's began leading the Denver archdiocese in 1997, it has launched numerous endeavors, such as the founding of the local St. John Vianney Seminary, which boasts one of the highest seminary enrollment rates in the country.

Archbishop Chaput has also been influential in the success of several Colorado-based organizations, including the nationwide missionary group Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), the international women's group Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women (ENDOW), and the Augustine Institute, a lay Catholic graduate school.

From 2003 to 2006, the archbishop served on the U.S. Commission of International Religious Freedom.

He has also served on numerous U.S. bishops' committees involving marriage and family, pro-life activities, and migration.

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St. Arsenius

The Saint of the Day for July 19 is St. Arsenius.

Anchorite; born 354, at Rome; died 450, at Troe, in Egypt. Theodosius the Great having requested the Emperor Gratian and Pope Damasus to find him in the West a tutor for his son Arcadius, they made choice of Arsenius, a man well read in Greek literature, member of a noble Roman family, and said to have been a deacon of the Roman Church. He reached Constantinople in 383, and continued as tutor in the imperial family for eleven years, during the last three of which he also had charge of his pupil's brother Honorius.

Coming one day to see his children at their studies, Theodosius found them sitting while Arsenius talked to them standing. This he would not tolerate, and caused the teacher to sit and the pupils to stand. On his arrival at court Arsenius had been given a splendid establishment, and probably because the Emperor so desired, he lived in great pomp, but all the time felt a growing inclination to renounce the world. After praying long to be enlightened as to what he should do, he heard a voice saying "Arsenius, flee the company of men, and thou shalt be saved." Thereupon he embarked secretly for Alexandria, and hastening to the desert of Scetis, asked to be admitted among the solitaries who dwelt there. St. John the Dwarf, to whose cell he was conducted, though previously warned of the quality of his visitor, took no notice of him and left him standing by himself while he invited the rest to sit down at table. When the repast was half finished he threw down some bread before him, bidding him with an air of indifference eat if he would. Arsenius meekly picked up the bread and ate, sitting on the ground. Satisfied with this proof of humility, St. John kept him under his direction. The new solitary was from the first most exemplary yet unwittingly retained certain of his old habits, such as sitting cross-legged or laying one foot over the other. Noticing this, the abbot requested some one to imitate Arsenius's posture at the next gathering of the brethren, and upon his doing so, forthwith rebuked him publicly. Arsenius took the hint and corrected himself. During the fifty-five years of his solitary life he was always the most meanly clad of all, thus punishing himself for his former seeming vanity in the world. In like manner, to atone for having used perfumes at court, he never changed the water in which he moistened the palm leaves of which he made mats, but only poured in fresh water upon it as it wasted, thus letting it become stenchy in the extreme. Even while engaged in manual labour he never relaxed in his application to prayer. At all times copious tears of devotion fell from his eyes. But what distinguished him most was his disinclination to all that might interrupt his union with God. When, after long search, his place of retreat was discovered, he not only refused to return to court and act as adviser to his former pupil the Emperor Arcadius, but he would not even be his almoner to the poor and the monasteries of the neighbourhood. He invariably denied himself to visitors, no matter what their rank and condition and left to his disciples the care of entertaining them. His contemporaries so admired him as to surname him "the Great".

American taxpayers provide one-third of Planned Parenthood's annual budget

This is why it is so important to defund Planned Parenthood.  There is NO reason that taxpayers should be funding the nation's largest abortion provider.  Obama will never defund them on a federal level, so I'm glad to see a number of states defunding them.

A new in-depth report on Planned Parenthood by a pro-life group shows that American taxpayers give substantial amounts of money to the abortion provider each year.

“By Planned Parenthood’s own accounting, $363 million – one-third of its budget annually – comes from the American taxpayer,” said president of Americans United for Life Dr. Charmaine Yoest.

“While Congress is discussing going deeper in debt and raising the debt ceiling … our government is quietly subsidizing the world’s largest abortion provider with $1 million a day.”

Americans United for Life says its report, “The Case for Investigating Planned Parenthood,” is the result of their legal team researching more than 20 years of Planned Parenthood records, law enforcement reports, and other materials.

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WebSite Review: Pen Pal Kids Club

http://www.penpalkidsclub.com/

This is a new site which provides a fun, safe, and educational place for kids to interact online.  Here are some of the features it offers: 

• There are 6 fun games which also teach about other cultures in other parts of the world.
•  There is a library of articles from Encyclopedia Britannica for kids.  
• There is a Penpal function which I could not test because I was using a free account to review the site.  It allows you to find a penpal based on common interests (music, sports, food etc)
• There is a message function (email) which allows you to communicate directly with other users

I created both a parents account and a kids account.  As a parent, I like the ability to control and monitor my kid's account.   As a kid, it is neat to be able to interact with other kids in other countries.

Overall, Pen Pal Kid's Club is an entertaining and educational online environment for kids.  It is free for the month of July, and $4.99/month thereafter.

My main concern, and it is a big one, is safety.  Kids are pretty free to interact with each other on Pen Pal Kids Club..  Sadly, pedophiles and hackers can be quite clever.   As with any online activity, I would strongly encourage parents to be vigilant.