Researchers Aiming to Prove Global Warming Frozen Solid! Hahahahahahaha!

And the ice breaking ships sent to rescue them couldn't get there so...they will need to be rescued by helicopter.

No wonder environmental extremists had to change the name of the "disaster" to "climate change." It's the only way they could continue to play the game. So please, can we hear the end of Chicken Littles screaming that we're all going to die as we go over the climate cliff brought about by man-made global warming. Its a hoax folks -- aimed at bringing in big bucks and increase big government!

Man can certainly damage the environment. Let's see a little concern over birth control chemicals in our drinking water causing sex changes in the fish. That's real! And we could use a little hand-wringing over GMOs that are poisoning breast milk, etc. Global warming is moonshine shenanigans!

Want to end the old year with a good laugh? Read the article linked below. But don't expect reality to stop these fanatics for long. Controlling people through made up disasters: it's the never-ending agenda.

Global warming scientists forced to admit defeat... because of too much ice: Stranded Antarctic ship's crew will be rescued by helicopter

Record 87 Abortion Mills Closed in 2013

Death Throes of the Death Industry: A Record 87 Surgical Abortion Clinics Close in 2013
Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics has always said one of the best ways to end abortion is to limit access. So this is good news indeed. As the Our Father says, "Lead us not into temptation." Many women will not choose abortion if the temptation is not available. Legalization gives a veneer of respectability to an unthinkable horror. So let's make that horror unthinkable in the minds of our neighbors. Raise a new year's toast to these heroic warriors:

Feast of the Holy Family: It All Begins with Marriage

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family which really began at the betrothal of Joseph and Mary. In the Jewish tradition, the betrothal was the marriage ceremony. That's why, when Joseph wasn't sure he was part of the plan, he intended to "divorce" Mary quietly. She was NEVER an unwed mother. Neither were they "homeless" when Jesus was born. Their family was firmly grounded from the start although it was a difficult one because of outside circumstances. In fact, they lived in the shadow of the cross from the very beginning.

So when I read the article below, I was fascinated by the marriage custom that recognizes just that -- we are married in Christ crucified:

Married on a Crucifix
Imagine a world without divorce. Imagine families without separation. Imagine no children or hearts torn apart.
by Michael Mullan, LC | Source: Catholic.net 

Imagine a world without divorce. Imagine families without separation. Imagine no children or hearts torn apart.

People of one place in this world do not have to imagine.

In the town of Siroki-Brijeg in Herzegovina not one of the 13,000 inhabitants can recall a single divorce or broken family.

What is their secret? One look at their marriage rite says it all.

When the bride and bridegroom go to the church to be married they carry a crucifix with them. The priest blesses the crucifix and exclaims, “You have found your cross! It is a cross to love, to carry with you, a cross that is not thrown off but rather treasured.”

When they interchange the marital vows, the bride puts her right hand on this crucifix and the groom puts his right hand over hers. Both are united to the cross. The priest covers their hands with his stole while they pronounce their promises to love each other in good times and in bad.
Then they both first kiss the cross, not each other. If one abandons the other, they abandon Christ on the cross....

Larry and I will celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary next October and I think this would be a wonderful part of a vow renewal. As we get older we are more aware of the cross. We see friends struggling with terminal illness of a spouse or the pain of seeing children divorce or abandon the faith. It's not to late to be "married on the crucifix" and call on our Lord to keep us united in Him. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all priests preparing couples for marriage would encourage them to make this custom part of their wedding ceremony.

Puzzled Over the Duck Dynasty Flap?

The American Catholic Explains it All for You! (And it's very entertaining, I might add.)

How A&E caved in to keep their cash cow (or is it the golden goose) bringing in the moo-lah and the goose laying those pretty golden eggs.

The Gay Thought Police Lose One

Do You Love Hobbits?

How would you life to live in a little hobbit house? I thought this was absolutely charming. This "hobbit house" is in Chester County near Philadelphia. See more here. 

New Year's Resolution Time

Don't wait til the last minute to consider your new year's resolution. My policy is to:

 1) Keep it simple.
 2) Keep it realistic.
 3) Check up on myself regularly to see how I'm doing.  

Two years ago I decided not to buy a single new item of clothing during the year and I kept it. But I'm not sure that it had all that much benefit except in the thrift department. Frankly, I can't remember what I resolved last year which a pretty definite sign that I didn't follow through since the year isn't finished yet.

This year I've already decided what I'm going to do and I want to keep my own three rules and maybe add a fourth -- pick something that will help you grow in virtue.. Since gratitude is the parent of all the other virtues, I'm going to thank God every day (in the morning) for ten specific things. And I'm going to keep a thanksgiving book with my daily gratitude list. At the end of the week I'll look back and see what I wrote down as I prepare for the next week.

I think this will not only have a big impact on my day, but help me to realize at the end of the week just exactly how blessed I am!

Have you thought about making a new year's resolution? What do you plan to do?

Why Do So Many Cultures Hate Girls?

The 3 Deadliest Words in the World: ‘It’s a Girl’

As a grandmother who has more granddaughters than grandsons I'm appalled at policies in places like China and India where gendercide is regularly practiced against baby girls. And what exactly happens in a culture where so many girls have been murdered that there is a serious shortage of women. A culture where men outnumber woman is more violent for one thing. Women have a civilizing impact on men. A country where marriage and family are the cultural bases is more stable. A country with a serious imbalance because of a shortage of women is more violent. The problem is also leading to human trafficking in brides. This is what abortion has given the world -- not freedom, but slavery, degradation of women, and human trafficking. Pray and work for an end to abortion. It's the evil root of many of the world's problems.

My Favorite Kneeling Santa!

Do you have your priorities in order this Christmas?

Merry Christmas!

Does this not make you want to sing Angels We Have Heard on High? The celebration in heaven  and on earth is clear in Botticelli's painting, but what's also clear is the premonition of suffering as baby Jesus lies on a white sheet reminiscent of his shroud. Come, Lord Jesus, Savior of the world! Reign in our hearts!

How Are You Spending Christmas Eve?

What better way to start the day than go to Mass? That's how most days begin at our house. Then off to the grocery store to prepare for the little elves' invasion tomorrow. The grocery list included all the ingredients for my wonderful fruit cake which is a recipe from the Joy of Cooking with my own personal variations. (We all hate fruitcake mix that includes citron so I candy my own orange and lemon peel and include fruits like dried apricots and pineapple.) No candied cherries at the store so I'll candy my own and no dates either. (What gives with that?) But with all the other fruit and lots of nuts, I don't think the dates will be missed. I love to decorate the cakes and share with special friends. (Yes, there really are a few folks out there who like fruitcake!) After that I'm going to put together some graham cracker houses for the children to decorate tomorrow and continue writing Christmas cards. We'll end the day with the last lighting of the Advent wreath and the Christ candle in its center. (I'll replace those purple and pink candles tomorrow with red or white.) Then we'll welcome Jesus with a rosary and some carols. He's already in the manger because two of our little granddaughters were here yesterday and we processed around the house singing Away in the Manger and put the baby in the his makeshift cradle. We're not going to "midnight" Mass this year because I'm taking Communion tomorrow to one of our local nursing homes. So we'll probably go to bed early to rest up for all the excitement during Christmas vacation which will include visits from four of our five children and their families including 15 of our grandkids. Isn't that what Christmas is all about? I think the Holy Family would approve. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pray for us. And God bless us, every one!

Imitate Mary: Say, "Yes!" to God's Will in Your Life.

As we prepare for Christmas and the coming of the Christ child born of Mary, it's good to remember how it all began -- with the visit of an angel like a pillar of light bringing good news to the world through a young virgin, almost a child herself. Will you say "Yes!" to the will of God this Christmas? (Hat tip to The Wanderer and writer John Young for his article, Mary: Pondering the Prophecies.)

Favorite Christmas Movies! What's Yours?

When I think of Christmas movies the first one that pops into my head is It's a Wonderful Life. Our kids loved it so much growing up that watching it over Christmas vacation (usually on Christmas eve) became an annual tradition. I love George Bailey, but my favorite character is George's guardian angel, Clarence, although Mr. Martini is a close second. I love his tender concern for George after he gets clobbered in Martini's bar by the husband of Zuzu's teacher. Most of the minor characters in the film are wonderful. George's parents, his brother Harry, Bert and Ernie, Violet, Uncle Billy. One of the funniest scenes takes place after George rescues Clarence from the river and the man who runs the railway house listens to Clarence telling George he's an angel. It's hilarious! What a cameo!

But there are lots of other memorable Christmas movies. Some are set at Christmas, like A Christmas Carol. Others have Christmas scenes like Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Bells of St. Mary's. One of my favorite Christmas films is Miracle on 34th Street -- not the remake, but the 1947 version with Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and the absolutely endearing Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. That movie is truly magical!

If I had to guess my husband's favorite Christmas movie it would have to be A Christmas Story with Darren McGavin. It's all about Ralphie who wants a BB gun for Christmas, but seems destined for disappointment. Just mention the movie and Larry starts quoting lines from it. "You'll shoot your eye out!" Whenever I think of it I see the lamp that has a lady's leg for the base with the fringed shade and Ralphie's poor friend with his tongue frozen to the metal pole. Believe it or not you can actually visit Ralphie's house in Cleveland and even buy a lady's leg lamp, just about the tackiest gift item in history. 

Then there are all the cartoon specials for kids, but the only one I really like is Charlie Brown's Christmas. It's one of the few films that expresses what Christmas is all about. Linus' rendition of St. Luke's gospel is lovely as he describes the true meaning of Christmas. And who doesn't love the kids all cooperating to transform Charlie Brown's pathetic little Christmas tree. It's Christmas magic! I love watching that with my grandchildren.

The number of made-for-TV Christmas movies is legion and every year it seems more materialize like ornaments on an over-decorated tree. But the one that sticks in my mind is the pilot for The Walton's TV series: The Homecoming, A Christmas Story. It takes place in our own neck of the woods, the Blue Ridge Mountains. And what a lovely film it is. You can feel the warmth of family. How I loved that wonderful series!

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

Want to Stand with Phil Robertson?

Click the "like" button on the Stand with Phil Robertson Facebook page. Who is really intolerant? Phil Robertson who points out the biblical view of homosexual behavior? Or A&E who won't allow a politically incorrect viewpoint? I've only seen Duck Dynasty a few times but the family's unapologetic declaration of their Christian views is refreshing. And their humble discussion of their conversion is inspiring. So I'm standing with Phil! How about you?

Did You Say Thank You Today?

Gratitude: what a wonderful virtue for Advent. 

I was particularly reminded to be grateful this morning when I got up and my husband told me the furnace was out. What a wonderful thing to have central heating. You appreciate it most when it's on the fritz. Thank you, Lord, for all those who developed the wonderful gift of central heating. What a gift not to stoke a fireplace in every room and deal with coal dust and ashes every day. Thank you, Lord!

I'm also increasingly grateful for my joints, particularly since I injured my right shoulder a few weeks ago. I'm right handed so the impact of not being able to raise my arm is significant. Oh, how grateful I am now for all those years when motion wasn't restricted. What a blessing to be able to comb my hair, raise my arm to put on a shirt, and lift dishes into the cupboard - to pick up a little granddaughter and swing her in an arc saying, "Tick-tock, tick-tock." Thank you, Lord.

Will I ever be able to do those things again? The therapist isn't sure and pain is a real tyrant. But think of all those years when movement was fluid and easy and I never gave a thought to the miracle of a ball and joint. Thank you, Lord.

And even pain is a gift, a continuous reminder of all the people in my life who suffer either physically or mentally. Use the sacrifice of my pain, Lord, to help them. Make me grateful to have a small splinter from Your cross to offer for others. Thank you, Lord!

Yes, today and every day I want to give thanks - not just for the big things, but the little things, to breathe thanksgiving all day long with every pulse of my heart. Chesterton said it well:

“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”

Everything is a grace and a blessing. May we remember that as we wait in anticipation for the greatest blessing of all -- the coming of our Savior.

Two Thumbs Up for Duck Dynasty Star

Now there's a man who's not afraid to offend the paragons of political correctness. Someone no doubt will say to him, "Who are you to judge?"

Duck Dynasty star refuses to back down on ‘anti-gay’ remarks

Thinking about St. Joseph

He's the quiet man of Christmas isn't he? We read in Luke that Caesar Augustus calls for a census and that all the men have to go to their town of origin and St. Joseph is of the House of David which requires him to go to Bethlehem. But we hear not one word about what Joseph thought or said. We just know he took Mary and went to Bethlehem where they were turned away from the inn and ended up in a stable or a cave where the animals were kept. What did Joseph and Mary talk about on that long journey to Bethlehem? When they camped at night and looked up at the starlit skies what did they think? We know that Mary pondered things in her heart so they probably didn't prattle on about nothing and I seriously doubt they were gossiping about their neighbors. Did they talk about the mystery of what was happening? Or were they silent like I am when I sit before the monstrance at adoration? What did St. Joseph say to Jesus as He grew? What did they talk about in the carpenter shop as Joseph showed Jesus how to use the tools? What funny stories did he tell? Did he describe the patriarchs and make animal noises when he told Jesus about Noah and the ark?

I plan to think about St. Joseph during these last days of Advent - maybe study his image in art and ponder what this just man was like and what he must have said to Jesus during all those days they spent together. He must have been amazing. After all, like Mary, he was chosen by God for a special role in the Messianic plan. I look forward to asking him about it one day.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Chinese Meta-analysis Confirms Abortion - Breast Cancer Link

Mainstream media in the U.S. continues to turn a blind eye to the increasing body of data that confirms a massive increase in breast cancer linked to abortion. The latest data comes out of China, a country where many women (on average, 8.2 million every year) have aborted, even experienced forced abortion, because of China's one-child policy. The Chinese report examined 36 studies and found that one abortion increased a woman's risk by 44%, two increased it by 76% and three increased it by 89%.

You would think such a blockbuster report would find its way into the U.S. press, but, googling China study and breast cancer link uncovered not a single U.S. mainstream media in the first 15 pages of hits. (That's when I quit looking.) Add New York Times to the search = zip, nada, nothing. Washington Post -- ditto. Boston Globe, L.A. Times, and Chicago Tribune --- the same. Ho-hum, nothing here to report --- not when it casts a shadow on the liberal sacrament of abortion. Keep women barefoot, ignorant, and un-pregnant.

So where is the abortion megalith's dirty secret being exposed? The usual: pro-life organizations, alternative website news, and individual bloggers. Once again, the mainstream media gets A+ for assisting liberal friends like NARAL and Planned Parenthood, and a big fat F for failing to report an inconvenient truth that conflicts with their liberal agenda. Down the memory hole. Women don't need to know the truth and predatory men don't want to know it.

Isn't it interesting that a communist nation with every reason to hide the abortion/breast cancer link because of its forced abortion policy is more honest than our supposedly open and free society with a "free press" that easily rivals Joseph Goebbels' propaganda machine and Russia's Communist mouthpiece, Pravda.

But "truth will out" as Shakespeare said and the cover-up can last only so long. Please pass on this information to everyone you know. Perhaps you'll spare a young abortion-minded woman (through physical self-interest) not only the tragedy of killing her baby but endangering her own life and future.

Christmas is Nigh: We're Singing the O Antiphons!

Nothing announces the nearness of the Messiah like the O Antiphons. Part of the Church's Liturgy of the Hours for hundreds of years, these beautiful psalms announce the imminence of our salvation from sin and death. Today, December 17, we sing, "O Wisdom." And what is the beginning of wisdom? Fear of the Lord, not in the sense of quivering terror, but recognizing the awe inspiring "fear" of God whose very name causes us to fall on our knees.

 "Who is Like Unto God?" Michael the archangel shouts as he thrusts Satan and his minions out of heaven into the everlasting fires. This first antiphon reminds me of the increasing light overcoming the darkness of sin and death.

Note some of the antiphons in the version of O Come Emmanuel below. Here are the seven O Antiphons.

• O Come, O Wisdom
• O Come, O Lord
• O Come, O Root of Jesse
• O Come, O Key of David
• O Come, O Rising Dawn
• O Come, O King of Gentiles
• O Come, O Emmanuel

Read more here.

More Inconvenient Truths about Nelson Mandela

...and the disintegration of South Africa.

White-washing Mandela's Memory

I Agree with Mike Voris: It's Irrational...

...to believe that it is reasonable that all men will be saved. Evil is a reality. Diabolical evil is on the increase. And, like the banal little clerk Adolf Eichmann, its perpetrators are often clerkish little men and women who resemble demons about as much as a china teacup full of strychnine looks like a murder weapon. Sometimes the devil wears granny glasses and holds a pen to check off the list of those targeted for extermination. Sometimes he wears a lab coat and marks its sleeve to keep a body count like Wild West gunslingers notched their guns to tabulate their kill count. No, hell is filled with damned souls like the ones the three children of Fatima saw falling into the fire like snowflakes. Let us pray for their repentance and salvation, but never fail to recognize exactly how many hardened souls will inevitably turn their backs on the God who loves them. If no one is in any real danger of hell (because God is so nice He would never send anyone there), why in the name of all that's holy should we have any kind of zeal to pray and sacrifice for sinners?

When the World Seems to be Falling Apart....

....focus on family.

At a party recently, another grandma and I were talking about our favorite subject: our grandchildren, of course. She said she had designated a wall in her home for her grandchildren's art work. Each had a frame and they could replace the picture any time they wanted. What a good idea! I had been taping them to the fridge and my cupboards, but a grandchildren's art "museum" was much more appealing. So that's what I did with my stairwell wall. I only have seven contributions so far, but expect the masterpieces to increase as the grandkids see the opportunity to be featured on Gramma's art wall.

I think the contributions so far are wonderful.

The museum is open for visitors by appointment.

Vatican Shakeup: Levada and Wuerl Named to Bishops' Board

...Cardinal Burke off.

Hmm....what does it mean?

Cardinal Burke retains his many posts at the Vatican, including head of the highest Vatican court so he definitely hasn't been packed off to Mongolia as some fear...at least not yet.

But how should a faithful Catholic take the news that Cardinal Levada and Cardinal Wuerl will be vetting new U.S. bishops? What will that mean for the quality of men selected for the U.S. Church which has improved in recent years? Will it be back to the Bernardin era which saw the rise of the lavender mafia and the "Good-bye, Good Men" style of seminary gatekeepers?

Check out the news here and here. Thomas Peters is optimistic, the Badger Catholic not so much. As for me, I think I'll imitate Mary and ponder all these things in my heart. I think an extra hour of adoration this week is a good response.

Pray for Holy Mother Church.

Colorado Arapahoe H.S. Shooter Was a Liberal Socialist...

...who supported gun control. But you might have a hard time finding that out from the liberal media. They're busy censoring facts out of the story to cover up the inconvenient truth that this disturbed young man described himself as a communist and defended all the typical liberal positions. Note that what ended the potential mass murder massacre this student obviously planned was a strategy endorsed by the NRA -- armed staff. It was an armed deputy sheriff working as a school resource officer who ran toward the gun shots while identifying himself and yelling for people to take cover that probably precipitated the gunman's suicide and limited loss of life. But don't look for any of this to impact the true believers on the left. The deputy's gun may have saved lives, but they'll never admit it because GUNS ARE EVIL! And where are the calls for an end to leftwing hate speech? Don't hold your breath.

THE HIGHLY INCONVENIENT ARAPAHOE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER

St. Thomas Aquinas Flash Mob Brings Christ to the Mall...

...and joy to the world! Pass it on.  This is the giving spirit of Christmas.

Gaudete Sunday at St. John Bosco in Woodstock

Gaudete Sunday brings out the rose-colored vestments and the call to "Rejoice, the Savior is near!"

But we had another reminder today of the first Christmas, because we were visited by representatives of The Bethlehem Carving Group. They come every year with beautiful woodcarvings, rosaries, and other devotional items -- all made in the Holy Land and sold to raise money for the Catholics who still live there. Not many sadly. Catholics used to represent about 37% of the population. Now they are less than 1%. The violence has driven them away and those that remain live in uncertainty. We bought a beautiful statue of the holy family this morning made from a single piece of olive wood. The detail is intricate and I was especially taken by the faces of Mary and the babe. It was a way to contribute to the Catholics in the Holy Land and to remind ourselves often to pray for them. The statue will sit on our dining room table throughout the Christmas season as a call to imitate the holy family. It will also be a continuous reminder to be in union with our suffering brothers and sisters around the world. Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.

N.B. You need not schedule a visit from the woodcarvers to see the items for sale, although actually handling the statues and seeing them close up is better than just seeing pictures. You just can't appreciate the beauty of the detail from the photos. But you can check out their catalog here.

Cut the "Fat" Talk: Stop Obsessing over Your Outside...

....it's the inside that's most important!  It's fine to want to be physically fit and healthy, but the obsessions with the body is just plain silly. Think of Jane Fonda. She's spent her entire life obsessing over her looks. You know what...she's still gotten old and wrinkled. Stand tall and put your obsessing where it belongs...on becoming a saint. It doesn't matter how many pounds you've shed or how many size zero dresses are in your closet. The only thing that matters is knowing, loving, and serving God. And the size of your body has little to do with it!

Bradi Barth: The Visitation

Advent is a good time to meditate on The Visitation. It was Mother Teresa's favorite mystery of the rosary because, she said, Mary was the first missionary of charity hurrying to see her elderly cousin as soon as she learned she was pregnant. And one of my very favorite depictions of The Visitation is Bradi Barth's. Most artists show the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, but few show the two unborn children greeting each other. But Bradi Barth gives us a window into the womb.

And here's a little bit about Bradi Barth herself. Praise God for the talents he showers on people. Each of us has gifts to share. And what a lovely one He endowed on Bradi Barth. Thank you, Jesus!

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.

Evangelii Gaudium: Chapter One

I'm continuing my reading of the pope's Apostolic Exhortation with Chapter One on the Church's mission of evangelization.

The Church's Missionary Transformation

Pope Francis points out that, from the beginning of Christ's ministry, joyous missionary zeal characterized His mission. Jesus moved from town to town never staying long in one place. He sent out the apostles two by two and they returned in joy ecstatic in their successes. We have always been a Church that "goes forth." And the center of this missionary activity should be the individual parish:

The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community. While certainly not the only institution which evangelizes, if it proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it continues to be “the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters”.[26] This presumes that it really is in contact with the homes and the lives of its people, and does not become a useless structure out of touch with people or a self-absorbed cluster made up of a chosen few. The parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration.[27] In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers.[28] It is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a centre of constant missionary outreach (28)....

Made in China: Are We Funding a War Machine?

The article below says little about the economic disparity between the U.S. and China, but it says volumes about the growing danger of the Asian giant. Pay attention to world affairs. Read the article below and send some special Advent prayers heavenwards for peace. Remember how God used pagan nations to chastise the Israelites. Doesn't the U.S. with our massive murder of the unborn, our politics of usury, our financial slavery of millions deserve chastisement? It may not be Lent, but it's a good time to pray, do penance, and give alms. May God save us from ourselves.

China Sea Crisis Deteriorates

Another Baby Miracle

“My Unborn Baby Saved My Life:” Pregnancy Destroys Mom’s Cancerous Tumor

Thank God for this great outcome. 

Scientific studies are also showing that abortion does not help women who are diagnosed with cancer while pregnant. Aborting their babies does NOT improve their outcomes and is in no way beneficial. Studies are showing that women who have chemo after the first trimester do NOT endanger their babies.So, once again scientific data illustrates that abortion is unnecessary for medical reasons and, in fact, pregnancy has saved a number of women with different conditions including a woman with cervical cancer and another with a uterine tumor who kicked it free. Makes sense. God made the "machine" and running it the way it is supposed to be run will generally provide a good outcome. Throw in prayer and a desire to live according to God's will and you can hardly go wrong. As a cancer survivor, I can personally testify that even the challenges of life can be blessings. 

Cardinal Dolan Disgraces Himself Again

Lay Catholics Object to Cardinal Dolan's Lament That Catholics Could've Been 'Cheerleaders' for Obamacare -

"The People in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light"

Scripture reading for blessing the Advent wreath:

Isaiah 9:1-2, 5-6 

The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen. 

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and hast not increased the joy. They shall rejoice before thee, as they that rejoice in the harvest, as conquerors rejoice after taking a prey, when they divide the spoils. 

For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. 

His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. 

Source: Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition of the Bible (in the public domain)

Quick Overview of Advent: Getting Ready for that Special Guest!

How will you get ready? I'm putting up my artificial tree (lights unlit until a few days before Christmas) and adding a Jesse ornament every day. And then when we light the advent wreath every evening we'll read a selection from scripture that applies to the symbol being added to the tree. When the grandkids come over we'll let them put the Jesse tree ornament on and explain about Jesus "family tree."

The First Sunday of Advent

What better way to honor Advent than to stay out of the mall and do your Christmas shopping at home? And what better way to celebrate Christmas than to include the faith under your Christmas tree. Here are some great Christmas gift ideas from the Catholic Sistas. Keep the important things front and center this Advent. Prepare spiritually first. And when you think Christmas presents keep it simple and don't forget to include the reason for the season. Here's one of my favorite gifts for the littles in the family.

Fisher Price also has a great little nativity set. And their toys are indestructible! Our grandchildren play with the Fisher Price toys we bought for our own children 40 years ago. They have a few teeth marks, but are still going strong.


And for a mom, you can't go wrong with this madonna and child, especially if there's a new baby in the family. I used to call my babies "little lamb" and would have loved this statue to put on a prayer shelf.

And for Dad, how about some monastery mints or Mystic Monks Coffee. Maybe he'd prefer some Trappist beer.

Check out all the great gift ideas at Catholic Sistas and if you pray for all your gift recipients throughout Advent, you can be sure they will appreciate them all the more. Guardian angels, help everyone receive the gift of a grateful heart on Christmas morning!

Pray for Diane Derzis who Thinks She's God's Abortionist

Owner of last abortion clinic in Mississippi: ‘I feel like God wants me to do this job’
Talk about using God's name in vain! What will happen to Diane Derzis if she dies unrepentant for this blasphemy against the God of LIFE? Let's join the Rev. Flip Benham (who played a major role in the conversion of Norman Jane McCorvey, Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade) in praying this woman into God's arms with a little fasting added (Some demons are only driven out through fasting).

I'm praying the rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for Diane Derzis today and urge readers to make their own prayer pledge for the conversion of an abortionist. Imagine a world where no person trained to heal was willing to kill a patient instead. Diane Derzis is NOT out of reach of God's grace. Our Lady, refuge of sinners, intercede for Diane that she comes to her senses.

(Hat tip to Roger. Thanks for the link.)

Thinking about Joy

Reading Evangelii Gaudium has me thinking about joy. And thinking about joy always sets me thinking about the theme of joy in classical music. Mozart, particularly, puts a smile on my face with his compositions of joy. Exultate Jubilate is one of my favorites.

Russian coloratura soparano Julia Lezhneva gives us an idea of what the angels in heaven must sound like as they sing praise to our wonderful God!

Exultate! Rejoice! Jubilate! Be glad!

Victims of "Gay" Hate

Christian couple faces uncertain future for living their faith!

Too bad they just didn't post a sign saying they would donate the proceeds from renting to fornicators and sodomites to a group defending traditional marriage. The U.K. is even worse than the U.S. when it comes to politically correct hatred of Christians who dare to try to live their values.

Evangelii Gaudium, the Introduction: Quotes and Thoughts

Evangelii Gaudium I: A Joy Ever New, A Joy which is Shared

Well, I'm moving slowly into Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization and find the introduction comfortingly familiar. The pope's words reinforce what I have often said when I was sidewalk counseling outside abortion mills. There is nothing too big for Jesus. He is always there with outstretched arms, but He never forces our free will. If we walk away from Him He will not drag us kicking and screaming back. He simply waits, like the father of the prodigal son, for us to "come to our senses."

"[W]henever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms....Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love." 3

Why I Need This Holiday

By Alice Doyle

Last week I was sitting in my stylist’s chair, struggling to make small talk while she worked her magic on my hair. Thanksgiving was an obvious choice of topic, and I asked her what she would be doing. She told me she usually cooks for her extended family, but this year she had decided they would eat out so that she could start shopping when the stores opened at 5 PM. She elaborated, telling me that Black Friday is a tradition for her and her girlfriends who literally “shop ‘till they drop” from Thursday afternoon until Friday evening. 26 glorious hours of filling bags, trekking to the car and going back for more, more, more. More what? “You should see my girls’ lists! What don’t they want?”

The check-out clerk at Walmart told me she was working 2pm-11pm Thanksgiving Day. They don’t close lest the people arrive in droves and inadvertently trample someone on the way to the greatest buy. I asked her when she would celebrate Thanksgiving. She shrugged and said she wouldn’t but that her mother and brother would be celebrating. At the grocery store, I overheard a manager tell a customer, “We’re only open until 5pm on Thanksgiving. I’ll be out of here by 5:30 and maybe get a few leftovers.”

My fellow Americans—WHAT IS GOING ON? 

I have two concerns about all of this.

First, it is extremely un-American. Thanksgiving is our holiday, rooted in our nation’s infancy. It is an important part of our history. We should embrace it. One day of the year, set aside to give thanks and celebrate our tremendous blessings as a nation is, in the balance, the very least we can do. And yet, we aren’t doing it. Instead, we are rushing through and past the gratitude to the “more, more, more” that marks the celebration of Christmas.

Which is my second point. If you were the devil trying to distract the world from focusing on the poor, newborn babe in the manger, how would you do it? Rampant materialism might be a good place to start. The central message of Christmas is that God gave the world His best gift. His son, Jesus, is literally all we need. We do not need “door busters” regardless of the price. And yet, how many people will rush away from the good things in life today like good friends, family and the comforts of home in search of deals that will someday be so much junk in a landfill?

I saw an interesting sign recently: “If you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday, what would you have?” My honest answer? Not much. Which is why I need this holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving: It All Started with the Grateful Catholic Explorers

The Catholic Origins of Thanksgiving

What better way to begin the day than go to Mass and thank the giver of the gift. Eucharist means "thanksgiving." And today, the best way to say thank you is to join at Mass to offer to God His own Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love is everlasting!

     Happy Thanksgiving!

Pope Francis: The Joy of the Gospel #1

I've just started reading Pope Francis' apostolic exhortaton Evangelii Gaudium and I had to laugh and shake my head when I read this line:

The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience.

Uh...sounds like a warning for Black Friday. Talk about "consumerism!" I wonder how many folks tomorrow will stuff themselves into a coma, take a nap, and then get up a few hours later to go out and shop on "Black Friday" eve. So many stores are advertising their Thanksgiving hours. It is absolutely pathetic.

Well, I will be where I am every Thanksgiving and Black Friday -- at home enjoying family and playing games with grandkids thanking God for all the blessings in my life which are too numerous to count! Shopping is NOT on my agenda! How about you?

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Conservatism and the Catholic Bishops

Establishment Republicans are good at jumping on the bandwagon blowing all the politically correct whistles. The issue that will ultimately kill conservatism and the Republican Party in this country, one that will destroy the reason people have so long tried to enter America (legally or illegally) is immigration. We need reform yes, but we also need a sensible policy that preserves the Constitutional principles on which the country was founded and allows assimilation of the multi-millions already here.

Phyllis Schlafly explains why our current immigration policies signal the death knell for the Republican party unless they put the skids on immigration. Ironically, our bishops are big boosters for killing conservatism while they pay lip service to certain fundamental moral principles like the right to life. Their policies will hasten America's death and our conversion to socialism. Once we're there (all the way there; we're well on the way) big government will be entrenched and you can forget about any defense for the unborn, the elderly, the middle class, etc. We will all be virtual wage slaves, cogs in big government's machine. Every liberal nightmare policy you can imagine from legalizing polygamy, drugs, active euthanasia, and pederasty (yes, eliminating the age of consent is on the horizon) to criminalizing Christian speech as a hate crime and confiscating guns will pass. You think the government is a monster now, just wait! Oh, and note to the bishops, do you really think the Church will be overlooked? Remember other Catholic countries like Spain and Mexico where the Church experienced bloody martyrdom under socialism!

Thanks, country club Republicans. Thanks, U.S. bishops. Once liberals destroy America we'll never have to worry about immigration again. No one will want to come here! We'll have no jobs, long lines for basic commodities (Remember the Soviet Union?), and anyone who dares to speak out will be an enemy of the state. Can't happen here? Open your eyes; it already is happening.

Hang on to your rosaries and fight -- for yourself and for your children. And please...don't give your liberal diocese any money. If you have a Catholic conference that is supporting liberal legislation or any legislation that is a matter of prudential judgment vs. fundamental Catholic morality, cut them off. What the heck are the Virginia bishops doing taking a position opposing uranium mining? For crying out loud! Pray for your bishop always and everywhere, but if he's involved in nonsense, don't give him a penny! Sadly, most of them are. You have an obligation to support the Church. You can do that in many ways other than filling the coffers in liberal dioceses.

Does the Republican Party Have a Future?

Conning America: The Obama Games...

...come right out of Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. As a senior administration rep boasted during the government shutdown, “We are winning. … It doesn’t really matter to us [how long the government shutdown lasts] because what matters is the end result.” Exactly! Power to the community organizer! Make it as painful as possible for the American people and pretend it's someone else's fault. Obama and his minions play the American people like a puppet master plays with his stringed puppets. They can only do it because of the complicity of the despicable mainstream media. Read more here....

On my Christmas Wish List..Flannery O'Connor's Prayer Journal

Flannery O'Connor's A Prayer Journal

From the New York Times book review:

While O’Connor was a student at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop she was also a daily communicant at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at the edge of campus. Her journal reflects a conflict, in her mind at least, between a skeptical intellectual environment and the faith she sometimes anxiously sustains. She says: “I dread, Oh Lord, losing my faith. My mind is not strong. It is a prey to all sorts of intellectual quackery. I do not want it to be fear which keeps me in the church.” She knows all the arguments against religion. They seem to have changed little over the last 70 years, so there is no need to rehearse them here. Considering the threat she feels them to be, it is striking that atheism, in an apparently Southern, vernacular incarnation with nothing intellectual about it, is at the center of “Wise Blood,” the novel she had already begun to write and submit to be read in workshop. This is a tale in which pathos tips into pathology and violence, answered by a penance of self-mutilation and suffering. Yet the prose is absolutely brilliant, sentence by sentence, simile by simile, and so relentlessly inventive it feels comic. The young writer prays, “Please let Christian principles permeate my writing and please let there be enough of my writing (published) for Christian principles to permeate.”

Feast of Christ the King: How the Liturgical Year Ends

I love that the liturgical year ends with the Feast of Christ the King! The feast has only been in the Church calendar since 1925 when Pope Pius XI created it as a response to the rising tide of secularism. What a gift to the Church! Just think, we begin the liturgical year with preparation for the baby King's arrival in poverty and weakness and end with the celebration of Christ in all His glory and majesty. This year is especially poignant as the feast comes the day after the feast of Blessed Miguel Pro, martyr of Mexico, who died with arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross, proclaiming "Viva Cristo Rey!" Long live Christ the King! As this liturgical year ends, so does the year of faith. What fruits have come from this amazing year? Many firsts: the first pope named Francis, the first pope from the "new world," the first Jesuit pope. Did you have any firsts in your life this year?

And you think you have challenges? Praise God for Life!

I love Nick -- what an attitude. People like him make you believe anything is possible. And have you seen him in The Butterfly Circus? Watch it here. What a movie of hope and gratitude. Yes, God can transform us! Thank you, God, for everything in my life. The joys that look beautiful and the joys that are hidden inside challenges and tragedies. I think for Thanksgiving I'll make a list of a dozen things for which I'm thankful. I'll include the hard things, like having cancer at 39, which taught me so much about trusting God in the midst of difficulties. Praise you, Lord, in both the sun and the storm.

It's All About Dumbing Down the Kids!

IL 4th grade book says white voters rejected Obama because of race

See the book and a few dozen reviews here. How would you feel about your child being subjected to this leftist propaganda as part of Common Core? The mantra continues to be that anyone who opposes Obama's policies is a racist. What nonsense! And why does the accusation not work both ways? After all, blacks voted overwhelmingly for Obama. If you vote AGAINST someone because of his race, that's racism. What if you vote FOR someone because of his race. Isn't that racism too?

The irony of Barack Obama is that, while promising to bring America together, he has used his Alinsky community organizing strategies to divide. Fundamental to Alinsky's principles was to define opponents as "enemies" and "freeze" them. If you read Rules for Radicals

Americans Angry? They need this Antidote!

New York News

The best way to deal with anger and agitation in my opinion? Prayer! And a great prayer for soothing the agitated spirit is the rosary. The repetitive prayer is like background music for the mystery meditations.Research shows the impact on the brain which switches from the analytical centers to the area that experiences deep feelings. Much of the research has been done with Eastern meditation practices, but the danger with them is they aim at emptying out. The rosary (and all Christian prayer) aims at emptying (purification from sin and selfishness) only to create a space to fill up -- with the Holy Spirit. Who would start on a journey with a deliberately empty gas tank? The journey of life requires a tank continuously filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit!

The practice of Eastern meditation is fraught with danger as the Holy See warned in a 1989 Letter to the Bishops of the World:

With the present diffusion of eastern methods of meditation in the Christian world and in ecclesial communities, we find ourselves faced with a pointed renewal of an attempt, which is not free from dangers and errors, to fuse Christian meditation with that which is non-Christian.

Wondering What to Make for Dinner?

Spaghetti dogs, anyone?  I thought this was too cool - a great dish for the grandkids. Let's see, how can we spiritualize this? Seven spaghetti noodles poked into the frank to represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. As they poke the noodles through they can recite: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

Hold on to Your Wallet: CCHD Collection This Weekend

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) collection is being taken up this weekend in many dioceses including Arlington. The campaign continues to be serious problematic giving millions to Alinsky community organizing groups that fund projects diametrically opposed to Catholic teaching. Check out these sources below and give to an organization that is trustworthy and doesn't support moral evils. Please pass this on. Friends don't let friends give to CCHD.

Reform CCHD NOW!

"Throughout this investigation, RCN has witnessed a rising trend in granting money to organizations that support abortion, birth control, homosexuality, and/or Marxism either directly or through coalitions. Despite repeated claims by CCHD representatives that CCHD does not fund such groups, the report this year indicates that 37% of the organizations receiving CCHD funds are in violation of CCHD guidelines. In this year's report, RCN found that $2.8 million of the total $7.6 million (38%) in CCHD grants went to organizations undermining the Church's efforts to protect human life and dignity."

American Life League acknowledges that some progress has been made in the 2013 grant season, but still urge Catholics to avoid the collection. You can read their press release by going to All.org and click on the newsroom link where you will find the November 21st press release.

Al Qaeda in Kentucky? Yikes!

  More World News from ABC


U.S. May Have Let Dozens of Terrorists into the Country

More on St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy Devotion

Well, I generated a lot of discussion on my Facebook page with the post about the Divine Mercy and Sr. Faustina. (Much more than here.) One friend sent me a link from Catholic Culture about the dangers of the Tradition in Action website. I trust Catholic Culture's reviews. I also did more research and came across a good rebuttal of the points made by Fr. Perez which were attributed to an unnamed priest, Fr. S. (Yes, I should have done more research first, mea culpa.)

The rebuttal by Dr. Robert Stackpole is respectful and convincing. I hope visitors here will take the time to read it, but I'll summarize a few points:

• Translations of Sr. Faustina's work was originally smuggled out from behind the iron curtain.
• The Italian translation of the work was faulty and the original documents couldn't be reviewed as long as the Communists ruled Poland. This lack of the original documents and mistranslations led to the condemnation and ban prior to Poland opening up.
• Once the original documents were available and analyzed, the ban was lifted by the same Congregation that imposed the ban.
• Criticism of the Divine Mercy image for not showing the Sacred Heart of Jesus ignores all the sacred images that do not show Christ's heart including the crucifix, images of the Resurrection, icons of Christ, etc.
• Devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Divine Mercy devotion are complementary.

The website where I found Dr. Stackpole's article is a wealth of information on the Divine Mercy devotion and I plan to spend some time there. (Catholic Culture gives them a good rating.) 

I could just take the original post down, but I think in our confusing times people need to know the reasons something is wrong. If you can address the errors in an argument, you have a much better chance of protecting others who might be influenced by it. 

Reasons to Question the Divine Mercy Devotion

After reading the article below, I looked up some of the references in Sr. Faustina's Diary. The problems this priest points out in the text are clear. Oh dear..... Some of the quotes are troubling indeed. And what are we to make of the fact that two popes, Pius XII and John XXIII condemned the devotion?

Church Reasons to Condemn the Divine Mercy Devotion

Update here.

What If Middle Earth Were Real?

I've just finished a fascinating novel called Toward the Gleam which gives me confidence that Catholic fiction is alive and well. Author T.M. Doran creates a "what if" world based on the proposition that Middle Earth actually existed as a real, ancient civilization. The protagonist, John Hill, is an Oxford professor and veteran of W.W. I, who discovers by accident (during a terrifying night in a dark cave where he's taken shelter from a storm) an artifact from said civilization. It is a gleaming metal box of unknown material containing an ancient manuscript describing a time filled with strange creatures and dangerous adventures. It becomes Hill's lifetime passion to translate the unknown language and discover whether the work is fact or fiction. But there is someone else interested in the book as a key to unleashing power over men and he will go to any lengths to discover Hill's secret and plummet the depths of his research.

Those with a passion for Tolkien will enjoy this creative story where famous people from the past mingle in cameo scenes with Doran's fictional characters to help unlock the mysteries of the ancient world. On a few occasions I felt another real person was introduced just for the author's amusement. A brief discussion of "Dorothy's" fantastic murder scheme takes place among John, Jack, and Owen in the (Inklings') pub, the Bird and Baby which is a clear allusion to mystery writer Dorothy Sayers. I won't identify the others. As I read, half the fun was seeing these celebrities, identified only by first names, pop up with words of wisdom (and clues) for our hero.

If you want a thoroughly entertaining romp through a real/imaginary world of mystery and menace, pick up Toward the Gleam.It's great fun. And if you figure out the riddle of the locked room it contains, you're smarter than I am.  Here's the book trailer. Enjoy!

Aida's Grand March by Flash Mob!

I love the opera flash mobs. And here's one playing one of my favorite pieces of music!

Viral Video of Twins Being Bathed

Too lovely not to share. But consider that just a few days or weeks before this video was taken, these little ones could have been legally killed in utero in most countries of the world.

I wonder how many of the million oohing and ahhing over the pictures, will still defend the right to kill babies as long as they aren't yet born.

Profits Soar For Incompetent Obamacare Website Developer

Obamacare Website Developer Sees Profits Soar

Not really a surprise. After all, the company that secured the no-competition contract has a senior official who's a friend of Michelle's. And hasn't this been the M.O. for the Obamas. Their friends, like business mogul and crook Tony Rezko, grease the Obamas' palms and they return the favor.

The Apocalyptic Vision of John Paul II

For the past few weeks I've been pondering a quote in the Magnificat missalette from the feast of Blessed John Paul II on October 22nd..

“We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. I do not think the wide circle of the American Society, or the wide circle of the christian Community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, between the Gospel and the anti-gospel, between Christ and the antichrist. This confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence. It is therefore, in God’s Plan, and it must be a trial which the Church must take up, and face courageously.... 

"We must prepare ourselves to suffer great trials before long, such as will demand of us a disposition to give up even life, and a total dedication to Christ and for Christ … With your and my prayer it is possible to mitigate this tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it, because only thus can the Church be effectively renewed. How many times has the renewal of the Church sprung from blood! This time, too, it will not be otherwise. We must be strong and prepared, and trust in Christ and His Mother, and be very, very assiduous in praying the Rosary."   Blessed John Paul II

The first part of this statement was reported in the Wall Street Journal of November 9, 1976 from an address to the U.S. bishops before Cardinal Karol Wojtyla became pope. The second part is from an interview with Catholics of Fulda in 1980 when he had been pope for several years. I can't help feeling as I read this piece that John Paul actually heard these warnings from the Blessed Mother herself. Did she appear and tell  him the tribulation could no longer be averted? His words sound like statements Mary's made in apparitions around the world. And the pope certainly had an intimate relationship with Our Lady. Reading this makes me want to be more faithful and more devout in praying the rosary. Our world is in such desperate need of Mary's intercession.