Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of Life, Pray for Us

Our Lady of Guadalupe,

Mystical Rose,

make intercession for holy Church,

protect the sovereign Pontiff,

help all those who invoke you in their necessities,

and since you are the ever Virgin Mary

and Mother of the true God,

obtain for us from your most holy Son

the grace of keeping our faith,

of sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life

of burning charity, and the precious gift

of final perseverance.

Amen.

Abortion Butcher Leroy Carhart: Would You Put Your Life in His Hands?

How many women have to be injured or killed at the hands of Leroy Carhart before medical authorities take action? Imagine it was your mother or daughter who experienced a botched abortion the day after Thanksgiving at his hands. It's time to retire this baby butcher who increasingly butchers mothers as well. See more here.

A Big Corporation with a Big Heart: Pass On the Joy!

This is amazing. And note the Merry Christmas -- no Happy Holiday rhetoric. For those who hate capitalism, do you think you'd ever see this in a socialistic state? How many people are trying to sneak into commie countries? And don't you think many of those folks who received their gifts will pass on the joy by giving to others? Take a tag or two off your church's giving tree and remember that it's more joyful to give than to receive.

Abortion is NOT a Human Right

Praised be to God for this:

European Parliament Again Rejects Bill Declaring Abortion a Human Right

Have you ever noticed that the flag of the European Union has twelve stars like Mary's crown? Those who designed it may not have had that in mind, but I believe it is significant and am praising Mary today for the rejection of this diabolical bill. The Queen of Heaven has once again defeated the dragon. 

Snowing in Woodstock, a Handful of Folks at Mass

I'm thankful this morning for four wheel drive. We live in the bottom of a dip with significant hills on either side of us. Last winter our son's van couldn't make it up the hill and their winter visit was extended by a day (which delighted us but made our 14-year-old granddaughter upset because they were going to visit their cousins). The only way we get out after a significant snowfall is with our Yukon's wheels all working. This morning, with about five inches of snow on top of the ice from Sunday's storm, we would be home bound if not for four wheel drive. Thanks be to God.

So, with the hill conquered, we went to morning Mass where a half dozen other intrepid souls gathered for praise and worship. The gospel today was the good  shepherd who leaves the 99 to go in search of the lost sheep who has wandered away. What struck me this morning was Jesus saying:

"It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost." (Matt 18:14)

James Webb: The Lost Sheep

Who are these "little ones?" Since he is talking about the lost sheep who's wandered from the fold, I have to think he is talking about every single person in the state of mortal sin. We are all God's "little ones" and when our souls lack God's grace through serious sin we are the "little" lost sheep. Think of it. The man or woman most committed to evil, even one totally dedicated to atrocities, is God's "little one." Hitler, Stalin, and every other genocidal monster are "little ones." Kermit Gosnell, George Tiller, Leroy Karhart, Douglas Karpen and all their fellow abortionists...all "little ones" in God's sight. Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, the Obamas, Kathleen Sebelius, Harry Reid, Terry McAuliffe and every politician committed to killing the innocent...they too are "little ones."

As I reflected on the gospel, I asked the Lord to change my attitude toward these individuals whom the world honors. They are poor, pathetic "little ones" more to be pitied than despised. And so I pray that the Lord will lay on my heart his view of sinners, "poor sinners" as Jacinta of Fatima called them. Our Lady, I'm sure, constantly pleads for them before the throne of God. May we have the same love for poor sinners and pray diligently for their salvation. Not all will be moved by the grace of repentance offered to them, but let their condemnation never be laid at our feet for lack of interceding for them.

Our Lady, refuge of sinners, pray for us.  

 

Bishop Tobin Refuses to Join the Hallelujah Mandela Chorus

Catholic Bishop Slams Nelson Mandela’s Legalizing Unlimited Abortion as “Shameful”

It's high time the descendants of the apostles stopped paying human respect to the rich and powerful of the world and spoke the truth:

One unrepented mortal sin is enough to send a soul to hell for all eternity. 

When you think of the blood on the hands of so many of the "great ones" worshiped by the world, you wonder what will happen to them on Judgment Day. It is not a good sign to be held up as an icon of this world. Remember, its prince is Satan himself. 

Pray for Nelson Mandela and all those who are in danger of dying in mortal sin. 

Lord Jesus, please send the dying soul today who is closest to damnation the grace of repentance. I offer my rosary as a channel of grace to inspire tears of sorrow for his or her sins. Please don't let that poor soul be lost. Mary, Mother of sinners, please intercede for that endangered soul and save him or her from the fires of hell.  Amen.

Immaculate Mary, Your Praises We Sing!

Happy Feast Day to our Blessed Lady. We are putting white lilies on our Jesse Tree in her honor today.

Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us. I invite you to pray with me the Litany of Our Lady.

Their Blood is on Obama's Hands

How many of our brave men and women have to die thanks to Obama? All of the soldiers in the stories below died because of the irresponsibility of the administration and rules of engagement that threaten their lives. Political correctness has no place in war. Hobbling soldiers with ridiculous restrictions is the same kind of nonsense that killed the soldiers at Ft. Hood in what Obama had the audacity to call "workplace violence." The deaths of these patriot warriors lie at the feet of our venal president who doesn't care one iota for the brave men and women of our military. Remember Benghazi when Obama went to bed for his beauty sleep before a Las Vegas fundraiser while our people died. Read these articles and call for accountability:

"American Warrior Blood is Pooling in the Oval Office"

"My Son Trained Somebody to Murder Him."

Slain Marine Sensed Insider Attack Was Coming

New Rules of Engagement a Death Trap for U.S. Troops

Green on Blue Attacks Part of Taliban Strategy

Why the Love Affair with this Radical Marxist?

Winnie & Nelson Mandela & Joe Slovo give Commie salute

We live in the "1984" dystopia where history is continually re-written and reality is dropped down the memory hole. That is certainly happening with the idolatry of Nelson Mandela, a radical Marxist Communist and terrorist who was on the U.S. terrorist list up until 2008. He killed thousands of people through ordered bombings including at the Johannesburg Railway Station. He signed off on the execution of scores of innocent people and continued ordering violent murders from behind bars.

During his 27 years in prison in South Africa he was never tortured and was treated well, unlike the way he treated farmers and South African whites thousands of whom were murdered and continued to be murdered after apartheid ended. Even Amnesty International would not get involved to free Mandela because they recognized he was NOT a political prisoner but justly convicted of treason for admitted crimes of terrorism and sabotage. Had he been convicted in England or the U.S. he probably would have been executed. He certainly was no "prisoner of conscience."

Air Force Flash Mob: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Couples with Joy to the World

Now don't you think Pope Francis whose apostolic exhortation focuses on joy, would approve. I sure do!

Abortion for Rape: An Unacceptable Exception

Abortion for rape? NO! If you favor that, essentially you believe the child should be executed for the crime of the father. Also, the impact on the mother from abortion is similar to the consequences of rape. Raped women feel dirty, have lowered self esteem, are often depressed and even suicidal. The same thing happens to post-aborted women. So the rape victim who aborts gets a double whammy of bad consequences! In addition to that, when the woman aborts, she does to the baby what the rapist did to her -- uses violence against someone weaker. Abortion is NEVER the answer. Love, support, assistance, encouragement...help the pregnant rape victim get through the crisis. Many women say their children represent the one positive thing from the rape. Watch these women rape victims witness to their experiences. I am unconditionally pro-life and invite you to share this information with those who say, "I'm pro-life except for rape and incest." Don't diminish the value of these beautiful witnesses to life. God called them from the womb and with their mothers' cooperation they became something beautiful for God.

December 7, 1941: Never Forget!

Pearl Harbor Remembered

Please pray today for all veterans, living and dead, of World War II, especially those present in the attack on Pearl Harbor including my own dad, a Navy ensign assigned to the U.S.S. Detroit, and my mom who was in an apartment on Oahu. May they rest in peace.

A Constitutional Convention Is NOT the Answer

One of the most politically savvy folks in the nation is Phyllis Schlafly. She was the impetus that helped deep-six the misguided and dangerous Equal Rights Amendment. When Phyllis says a Constitutional Convention is dangerous, I believe her.

New Threat of a Constitutional Convention

Do you really think conservatives will control a convention? Don't you think ordinary folks will be frozen out. If we can't win a national election or state governor seats or control a majority of state legislators do we really think we the people can control a Constitutional Convention? It will be a fiasco that destroys the last remaining shreds of our liberties by eliminating the document that protects them. Think about it. We can't even get our political leaders to stand by our constitution now. Why should we expect that they will protect it during a Constitutional Convention -- especially when they have a chance to get all their pet projects written into a new document.

Please take the action at the end of the article above asking your legislators to oppose a Constitutional Convention. There is nothing wrong with our current constitution except the failure of establishment wimps who only care about their own careers to protect it. Please fight the move to adopt an Article V Con-Con.

God help us if this move is successful! The community organizers and liberals backed by Soros-Buffet-Gates money will be hard to stop. NO CON-CON!

St. Nicholas Day

How I loved St. Nicholas day when our children were little. They always put their shoes outside their bedroom doors and we put in a few gold covered chocolates and maybe a tangerine or a small toy. It wasn't a mini Christmas, just a reminder of the great saint who loved the poor. We liked to tell the story of St. Nicholas providing dowries for poor women in his village who otherwise couldn't marry. (Some customs are well gone!)

What will I do for the poor this Advent season in memory of St. Nicholas? The food pantry at the parish comes to mind and the Giving Tree in the Church vestibule filled with wish-list items -- so many opportunities to share this time of year -- and they make the light of Advent shine brighter.

What's happening in your neighborhood?

Beauty in the Midst of Horror: Hope Overcoming Despair

When I watched this video I thought of the Advent quote from Isaiah. "The people in darkness have seen a great light." Could there be many times in history darker than the Nazi holocaust? And yet people found beauty and light there. The darkness can never overcome the light.



If you subscribe to Magnificat, don't miss the testimony of the Sandy Hook mother writing about her daughter Catherine who was killed in the massacre. Her faith shines like a beacon of hope. Evil and darkness can never overcome those who live with their arms embracing the cross of Christ.