Why Is She Teaching at a Catholic College?

And moral theology no less. Oh...we forgot...Santa Clara is a Jebbie school. That explains it!

Lisa Fullam, prolific dissenter: you name it, she dissents from it. Just do your own thing!

And some thoughts from canon lawyer Ed Peters.

Is it any wonder young adults lose their faith at Catholic schools? I remember a heretic teaching my own moral theology class in 1966. It contributed to my wandering from the Church for awhile, fortunately a short while. But when will bishops rein in these renegade schools in their dioceses?

Ah...at least one bishop is on it. Two thumbs up to Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland and Pope Francis' first appointment to the U.S. episcopate. May we receive many more like him. Just goes to show there are a few good Jesuits. Fr. John Hardon, S.J., please intercede for your brother.

The Chutzpah of Heretics Never Ceases to Amaze Me

I guess it's not surprising that heretics are loaded with chutzpah! After all its definition is "unmitigated effrontery or impudence" and heretics certainly don't illustrate an iota of humility. But I'm always amazed to see how they rewrite prayers. You've seen it, of course. Changing the Our Father to Our Mother.  But heretics continue in their silliness and the American Catholic Council, heretics extraordinaire, has a rewritten Magnificat on their website that stimulates the gag reflex. I can't decide whether to laugh or weep:

A BASTARDIZED HERETIC'S VERSION OF THE MAGNIFICAT

                                                 by Joy Conley 

My soul sings in gratitude. [Mary no longer "magnifies the Lord" or "proclaims His greatness."] I'm dancing in the mystery of God. [No "rejoicing in God, my Savior." After all, who needs a Savior when you're your own god?]
The light of the Holy One is within me and I am blessed, so truly blessed. [What happened to God's "lowly servant? or the "Almighty who has done great things?"]

This goes deeper than human thinking. [Huh?]  I am filled with awe
at Love whose only condition is to be received. [Uh...no. Remember, "He has cast down the mighty from their thrones....and the rich He has sent away empty."]

The gift is not for the proud, for they have no room for it. [Well...she should know. There is no one prouder than one who thinks she can rewrite and improve on holy Scripture.]
The strong and self-sufficient ones don't have this awareness. [Got that right, lady!]

But those who know their emptiness can rejoice in Love's fullness. [Spoken as one who is totally full of herself!]
It's the Love that we are made for, the reason for our being.
It fills our inmost heart space and brings to birth in us, the Holy One. [Wow!...Well, as Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." In the meantime, these folks work to undermine many of the commandments especially those relating to love, marriage, and family. Pray for them! No heretics will get into heaven. But no one is beyond the grace of conversion even these proud, self-sufficient heretics.]

                                                                        

Good Counsel Homes: Helping End Abortion One Mom and Baby at a Time

New York City is one of the abortion capitols of the U.S. Black babies there are targeted for annihilation. Every year abortionists murder more black babies than are born. Seventy-three percent of the abortions in NYC are committed against black and Hispanic mothers and babies. And yet it's pro-lifers who are called racists who only care about babies before they're born. Watch the video below about Good Counsel Homes and see the truth. Who cares about homeless, drug-addicted moms? Surely not Planned Parenthood, an organization run by white elitists like Cecile Richards who talks about the poor while she and her cronies cart home their mega-salaries subsidized by American taxpayers making a fraction of what they do for killing babies. Here's what the face of concern for moms really looks like. Pray for Good Counsel Homes and if you can donate to help them continue visit their website here.

How Come No Second Miracle Was Needed for Pope John XXIII? Just Askin'...

Beatification of Pius XII blocked by absence of approved miracle

A proposed miracle for Pope Pius XII was rejected as possibly due to chemotherapy, but certainly there was a conversion as the husband describes. Fr. John Hardon, S.J. always said the most important miracles weren't physical, but spiritual.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will provide the miracle necessary for the beatification of this heroic pope. It does seem ironic that recent popes who ruled during the collapse of the faith and so many egregious scandals and even raised up so many bad bishops have been rushed to canonization while a pope who saved thousands from the Nazi holocaust continues to be slandered.  

Pope Pius XII, intercede for our poor Church. Mary, Mother of the Church, please intercede with your Son to give us this heroic model of virtue who fought the culture of death of his own day as an example for ours.

Putting Faces on Abortion

Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion could have been aborted! Read the story here.

Reading about the Saints: St. Monica, Mother of St. Augustine, Intercede for our Children

I was up from 3:30 to 5:00 a.m. and took my Kindle downstairs to pass my awake time. It's loaded with writings and biographies of saints. This morning I read a biography of St. Monica by Mother Frances Forbes. It was short and I finished it, and what an inspiring portrait of holy Monica was contained in those few pages. What trusting perseverance in God's power to change both her pagan husband and her brilliant, but stubborn, son!

Mother Forbes wrote many other short biographies of saints and I look forward to tracking them down as well. Think of the power of the lives of the saints to transform those who are lost in sin. St. Ignatius was converted reading lives of the saints while recovering from a battle wound. Edith Stein was converted by reading St. Teresa of Avila. Reading about St. Monica makes me want to grow in trust and patience as I pray for family and friends struggling in our fallen world. What a gift to persevere so diligently that the salvation of another is the fruit of our prayer!

Who needs your prayers today? What will you suffer and sacrifice to bring that loved one to the fullness of truth?

Elliot Rodger and World of Warcraft

SANTA BARBARA SLAYER MIMICKING WARCRAFT CHARACTER

Turn off the video games and live in the real world. I remember Fr. John Hardon, S.J. saying that millions of people live in a dream world and telling his listeners "If you listen to one thing I say today, live in the real world." 

Play with your kids and grandkids. Tell them stories. Take them on walks and link their make-believe to the real world. Fill their heads with heroes who exhibit courage and honor instead of letting game-makers fill their heads with violence and hatred. How many are living in a self-indulgent X-rated fantasy land feeling sorry for themselves and imagining how they will get even over all the real and imagined injuries?

Today on Memorial Day remember those who gave their lives to save others. 

May God pour out His grace on our poor, troubled world. And may He have mercy on Elliot Rodger and his victims. Intercede for them, Mary.

Elliot Rodger and Other Mass Murderers: Is There a Link to the Drugs?

We know Elliot Rodger was seeing several shrinks for his problems. My question: what kind of drugs did they have him on? How many of these killers are taking strong psychiatric drugs that can cause violent and suicidal behavior? This is the scandal. It's not about the guns, folks. Elliot killed three people (probably his roommates) with knives before he went out and killed three more with guns. So let's call for knife control!  But the real control that's needed is drug control. Big pharma is pretty effective at keeping the lid on this scandal but the fact is there's pretty strong evidence of a drug link to these killings.

Every mass shooting over last 20 years has one thing in common... and it's not guns

School related violence committed by those on psychiatric drugs

Psychiatric Drugs and Mass Shootings: Is There a Link?

ISEPP Statement on the Connection Between Psychotropic Drugs and Mass Murder

Eternal Father Strong to Save

May all our courageous men and women who died in battle be welcomed into paradise. For there is no greater love than this -- to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Dems are "Gaslighting" the American People - It's What Sociopaths Do!

And They Call Pornography a "Victimless" Crime? Right....

19-year-old college student commits suicide after shooting first porn scene

Welcome the Stranger?

A chilling message from the cartels: Billboards with hanging mannequins warning cops to choose 'silver over lead' appear in Texas

Thanks to so many of our bishops for encouraging lawlessness. They certainly bear some responsibility for this. Why don't they encourage reform in Mexico so people can live in peace and prosperity in their own homeland? Do you think Mexico's corrupt elite would allow the kind of invasion of their country they are encouraging in ours? This hits close to home since we have often traveled I-10 when we are visiting family in Texas!

Were These Warnings to Bl. Elizabeth Mora for Our Time?

We certainly deserve chastisement! Listen to Our Lady of Fatima. Repent, receive the sacraments, and pray the rosary for a restoration of Holy Mother Church and our miserable, sinful world. Pray for the Holy Father and for our shepherds. Who knows -- time may be short!

For more on Blessed Elizabeth Mora go here.

Does This Describe Your Bishop?

"Bishops must be pastors, close to people, fathers and brothers, and gentle, patient and merciful. Men who love poverty, both interior poverty, as freedom before the Lord, and exterior poverty, as simplicity and austerity of life. Men who do not think and behave like 'princes.' Men who are not ambitious, who are married to one church without having their eyes on another. Men capable of watching over the flock entrusted to them and protecting everything that keeps it together: guarding their people out of concern for the dangers which could threaten them, but above all instilling hope: so that light will shine in people's hearts. Men capable of supporting with love and patience God's dealings with his people. The Bishop has to be among his people in three ways: in front of them, pointing the way; among them, keeping them together and preventing them from being scatterd: and behind them, ensuring that no one is left behind, but also and primarily, so that the flock itself can sniff out new paths."
                                                                Pope Francis from "He is the God Who Is Near"
                                                                Address to the Coordinating Committee of CELAM
                                                                July 28, 2013

Your Ignorance is Showing, Harry! Leave the Redskins Alone.

Read the letter from Redskins' president, Bruce Allen to see the proud heritage of the Redskins. The ignorant pundits of political correctness aside, the truth is that the Redskins' have nothing to be ashamed of and their name is one of which to be proud. So cover your head with a paper bag, Harry. You're an embarrassment!

The Truth about the Redskins' Name and Logo

Federal Thugs on Rampage...Again!

News Flash from Alpine, Texas

Bold witness to alleged abuse by federal agents comes forward (Thank you readers 21,000 views in one day)

Search first, warrant later. Court compels witness to rescind her accusations against the thugs or go to jail -- no trial, no jury, sign on the dotted line. Her injury? Just pretend it never happened unless you want to rot in the slammer! Witnesses say the brutality happened.

**Update **DA ignores first amendment violations; Washington Post comments

Purple Zone raided by heavy handed DEA agents FBI investigating...

Did We See the Same Movie? Homosexual Activists Call Third Way "Hate Speech!"

Gay advocates slam New Zealand bishop’s plan to use ‘The Third Way’ film as a teaching tool

The Third Way is a sensitive portrayal of the struggle of same-sex oriented Catholics who find freedom in accepting and following Church teaching. The individuals witness to the peace they experience in embracing the "third way" of chastity. (Chastity, by the way, is everyone's vocation.) But homosexual activists demand that sodomy be blessed and celebrated and label any other opinion as "hateful", "homophobic", "intolerant", etc., etc. The only opinion one is allowed to have on homosexuality is the right of homosexuals to engage in whatever kind of perverted sex acts they prefer in order to simulate sex between a man and woman (pretending the anus and mouth are vaginas). So they are slamming The Third Way which illustrates exactly how powerful it is. It's a threat that must be eliminated because it questions the mantra that "I can do whatever I want with my body."

Lust never makes anyone happy. Oh, it may be pleasant in the short term, but in the end it's deadly (and boring). True happiness lies in embracing the will of God. Our hearts are restless, as St. Augustine says, until they rest in Him. Pray for those inflicted with the cross of same-sex attraction that they may find the love of Christ and the peace that surpasses understanding. 

If you haven't watched The Third Way, take a look. 

Appalling! Terrorists Get Better Medical Care than our Courageous Vets!

Terrorists at Gitmo get better treatment than our vets. Ratio of patients to doctors at Gitmo? 1.5 to 1. Ratio of patients to doctors at VA hospitals? 35 to 1.

Is the "Courtship Movement" Good for the Heart?

This young wife says no and describes how its teachings hurt her relationships. She makes sense. Check it out.

How the Teachings of Emotional Purity and Courtship Damage Healthy Relationships

And here's another mom's perspective on courtship.

Christian Courtship

What do you think? 

Chastity: It's Everyone's Vocation!

Did you know that chastity is your vocation? It's everyone's vocation! God calls every single person on the face of the earth to chastity. Yes, married people too. 

Do you know what chastity is? Simple -- the proper use of God's gift of sexuality according to your state in life. So what does that mean? Here's the rundown:

1)  For single men: treat yourself and others with dignity and respect.

How Homosexual Bullies Punish Anyone Who Won't Kowtow to their Wishes!

Twelve examples of homosexual bullying

And this doesn't include the firing of Brendan Eich for supporting traditional marriage or the attacks on anyone who contributed to Proposition 8 in California. In fact, reading about the terrorism targeting Prop 8 supporters reminded me of Kristallnacht -- breaking windows and vandalizing property of people who displayed pro-Prop 8 signs, etc. Gleaning their names from donation lists and going to their homes to terrorize them.

 But, hey, it's okay because those homophobic, intolerant, hate-mongering, anti-gay, fascist bigots deserve whatever they get. No free speech for them! Send them to the re-education camps.

Homosexual Bullies and How Come...???

How come....homosexual bullies get away with pressuring businesses to fire people because they defend traditional marriage or donate to conservative causes? I've never tried to get a homosexual fired for supporting their causes!

How come....homosexual bullies get away with calling those who disagree with their lifestyle homophobes, hate-mongers, wing-nuts, bigots, fascists, etc. ad nauseum? I don't call homosexuals names!

How come....homosexual bullies get away with attacking Christians for our religious beliefs and never get called bigots?

How come....homosexual bullies get away with ignoring facts and pretending homosexual behavior is healthy and normal when it gives people AIDS, syphilis, gay bowel syndrome, shigellosis, and other deadly pathogens? And how come stating those medical facts gets you labeled a homophobe, hate-monger, wing-nut, bigot, fascist, etc.?

How come...donating to a traditional marriage group is hate, but homosexual bullies giving to a homosexual agitprop group is great?

How come...homosexual bullies deny free speech to anyone who disagrees with them but expect everyone to bow down to their politically correct speech?

How come...homosexual bullies can talk about gay pride, but it's hate speech to talk about straight pride?

How come...homosexual bullies keep talking about how persecuted they are when it's those who oppose them who are losing their jobs, being sent to sensitivity training camps, being fined and sued, being denied free speech, etc.

It's time to rein in the homosexual bullies! Stand up to the "homosexuality is normal bullies!"

Hold Obama Responsible for These Murders!

Illegals freed by Obama later commit 19 murders

"Criminal illegal aliens released by the Obama administration between 2009 and 2011 went on to be charged with 19 murders, three attempted murders and 142 sex crimes, a House Judiciary Committee report previously documented....

"On Monday, a Center for Immigration Studies report found that in 2013, ICE again released violent criminals, this time including murderers, rapists, kidnappers and drug dealers. The offenders were among the 36,007 criminal illegal aliens released last year who committed 87,818 crimes, including 15,635 for driving while intoxicated."

Don't you feel safer knowing Obama is in charge. Just think, a dead ambassador and three other Americans killed in Benghazi, tens of thousands of victims of criminal illegal aliens, drug wars on the border using guns provided by the Feds.

Oh, but never forget, Obama got Osama. It would be funny if it weren't so tragic.

Head-Scratcher: Why Does the Dept. of Agriculture Need Submachine Guns?

So, why is the USDA requesting to buy submachine guns?
More and more federal agencies are being armed to the teeth. Why? How come it's verboten for citizens to have guns to defend themselves against an increasingly violent culture, but the feds are turning every agency into a paramilitary force?

June Brides: "Get a Shawl or There'll be no Wedding!"

Princess Kate on her wedding way

My fellow blogger, Dymphna, posted on the immodest dresses being worn by brides. One person commenting described a priest sending a message out to a bride to "get a shawl or there'll be no wedding." Good for him! 

Now why wouldn't a bride want to look like a princess instead of like...well...to be delicate...I'll say...a chorus girl?

Archduke Imre of Austria and his bride Kathleen

Sunday Meditation: The World Demands, "Crucify the Christians; Give Us Barrabbas!"

Professor Robert George gave a sobering talk at the 10th National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, one that should be a wake-up call to every serious Catholic (and Christian for that matter). He says we are living Good Friday and then asks a series of questions. Will we be like Mary and John at the foot of the cross or will we flee in terror? Will we be silent and seek to "fit in" like Peter when he denied Christ? Will we bear faithful witness or will we hide in fear and be silent? What account will we give of ourselves on judgment day? Read George's complete talk. In fact, meditate on it. Bolster your courage with the sacraments and be prepared to suffer. Good Friday is upon us, but be assured, Easter is coming. God never abandons His people.

Here's a sample: 

The days of socially acceptable Christianity are over. The days of comfortable Catholicism are past. It is no longer easy to be a faithful Christian, a good Catholic, an authentic witness to the truths of the Gospel. A price is demanded and must be paid. There are costs of discipleship—

Can't Sleep? Pray the Memorare...

I've been saying a lot of Memorares at night since I'm not sleeping well. I love the prayer and the image of Mary as our faithful helper and intercessor.

"Remember...." Isn't our memory of Mary and her faithfulness a great place to start a prayer?

Remember "that NEVER was it known." Think about it -- never is it known for the Blessed Mother to ignore the prayers of "anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession." None of those supplicants are "left unaided."

Hey, she is there for you, your mother, and you can ALWAYS count on her aid.

That prayer almost makes me look forward to being awake at night praying for family and friends. "In your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen"

She will you know.

Gardisil: "Dangerous and Useless"...But it Sure is Profitable!

Are Gardasil Side Effects Just Part of the Greatest Medical Scandal of All Time?

From the article:

Merck didn’t even put Gardasil through all the appropriate tests required for new drugs and vaccines. The Inquisitr accounted the claims of Dr. Diane Harper, an OB/GYN involved in Gardasil’s clinical trials. Dr. Harper claims that Gardasil was not properly tested with a double-blind study, which measures the effects of two parties, one of which is given the drug and the other is given a placebo. Both are kept “blind” as to whether or on they received the drug or the placebo. Instead Merck gave the participants the vaccine, and a vaccine adjuvant to boost the body’s immune response. 

Since being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2006, Gardasil has been linked to a number of side effects, including death. Reported Gardasil reactions include encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, premature menopause, paralysis of the lower limbs and blood clots

Imagine...They're Demanding Gay Leaders in the Boy Scouts...Surprise!

Boy Scouts Pressured to Allow Gay Leaders (Note that this leader just joined the Boy Scouts and then went public. It is all about the next step in the gay agenda of forcing every institution in America to normalize and bless perverted behavior!)

Let's face it...we all knew that allowing openly gay scouts was the prelude to having openly gay scout leaders. Now take a look at what the Scouts can look forward to in the future. All you have to do is look back at the abuses in the past. This is from an article at Cal Catholic by Anne Hendershott:

the overwhelming number of the nearly 5,000 documented cases of sexual abuse within the BSA from 1947-2005 involved same-sex behavior with teenage boys. The Los Angeles Times has published a database containing information on nearly 5,000 men and a handful of women who were expelled from the Boy Scouts of America because of allegations of sexual abuse. The data were derived from confidential Scouting files—something the Scouts called the “perversion files”—submitted as evidence in a major court case involving abuse by a gay male Scout leader in 2010. 

These documents provide valuable information into the tactics that male Scout leaders used to ensnare the teenage boys in the troops, as well as revealing ways in which Scouting executives attempted to cover up abuse by simply removing leaders after credible allegations. The records of banned Scout leaders document horrific acts by serial abusers that in some cases went on for years. For example, Clyde Brock, an Oregon City troop leader, took nude photographs of male troop members and showed the photos to other Scouts who visited his home; the BSA did not remove him until two Scouts came forward to say he had forced them to engage in sexual relations with them. 

Using a color-coded map of the United States, replete with dots indicating the location of troops connected in some way to the accused, the Los Angeles Times provides information on the volume of cases opened by year. It also provides names and troop locations for each individual accused of sexual abuse. Visitors to the Times site can click on each of the thousands of names of men who were accused of sexual abuse to read the interoffice Scouting memos, arrest records, and newspaper clippings surrounding the alleged sexual abuse that caused the leaders to be banned from Scouting. 

The BSA has paid millions of dollars in damages to sexual abuse victims of male abusers. While the overwhelming majority of cases involved teenage boys, many disturbing cases of sexual abuse on prepubescent children are on record. In the largest single settlement, BSA victim Kerry Lewis was awarded nearly $20 million in damages from the BSA in a trial that ended in April 2010. Lewis was just one of several others who were sexually abused by Timur Dykes, a man who had admitted to a BSA official in 1983 that he had already molested 17 boys. During the settlement trial, Lewis’s attorneys used the secret perversion files to argue that the organization had dismissed or ignored many allegations of sexual abuse by male Scout leaders.

The media only cared about the priest abuse scandal because it allowed them to bash the Church which opposes the homosexual agenda. They will champion the right of homosexuals to be scout leaders despite the danger to youngsters from sexual predators who join for the express purpose of access to young boys. Is every homosexual an abuser? Of course not. But there is something insane about putting same-sex-attracted men in a control position over young men. It just isn't worth the risk!

"Religion of Peace" Will Execute Christian Mom for Refusing to Convert

Her dad was Muslim. He abandoned the family when she was six and her Ethiopan orthodox mom raised her Christian. That won't stop her flogging under Sharia Law (for adultery because Islam doesn't recognize her Christian marriage) and hanging for apostasy because her dad was Muslim. Where is the outrage in the media? Where are Barack and Michelle and Joe and other political leaders? Pray for this courageous mom's release and for the eyes of the world to be opened about the true nature of Islam. Meriam is one of jihad's victims. Pay attention, America, it's already here and growing.

Meriam Ibrahim to be Hanged for "Crime" of Being a Christian

What Do You Think about Bishop Sullivan's House?

My post on the diocesan purchase of the $500,000 house in Camden (which some assure us in "not a mansion") generated a bit of controversy. While some are defending the bishop, other residents of the diocese (I am not one.) disagree with the necessity for the purchase. One parishioner wrote a letter and posted it to YouTube (below).



What do you think? Does the fact that three priests will live there make it reasonable? How about the person claiming it was only $100,000+ instead of $500,000 because of the sale of other property? What do you think?

On Slavery and the War between the States

I'm reading an interesting book on Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. Since moving to the Valley in 2002, I'm fascinated by its history which attracted me to Stonewall in the Valley by Robert Tanner when I was browsing the shelves of our little independent library in Woodstock. Initially I just planned to look up all the entries on Woodstock, but when I read the first chapter I was hooked.

One paragraph that leaped out at me referred tangentially to slavery. It described Jedekiah Hotchkiss, the famous mapmaker of the Confederacy. If you've ever seen samples of his maps you were no doubt impressed by their accuracy. A satellite map can hardly compare. The man had a great gift for "seeing" the lay of the land. A few years ago, Larry and I saw a display of his work at Winchester's Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. Wow! How could anyone on horseback with little opportunity for a bird's eye view make maps so detailed and so accurate? And to think it was a hobby. At any rate, Hotchkiss's profession was education and he began a number of schools in the Valley, the New Yorker's adopted home.

Here's the paragraph that impressed me:

Is This a Sign of the "Springtime of Evangelization?"

Camden Diocese Consolidating More Parishes

Hope is a Christian virtue and an important one. No matter the circumstances, no matter how the storm rages around us, we hope in the Lord. But sometimes it's hard. As we read the statistics on young people leaving the Catholic Church and see diocese after diocese closing and consolidating formerly vibrant parishes...well...it looks more like coming winter than springtime. Pray for the Church.

Well, if Jesus' houses are being boarded up, not so with the bishop's living space.

N.J. Bishop's Mansion Draws Criticism

Just a bit from the article:

From 2008 to 2010, the diocese shrunk its number of parishes by more than 40%, going from 124 to about 70. The diocese, made up of New Jersey's six most southern counties, has about a half million Catholics but fewer than a quarter go to Mass regularly.

"Amazing that the Catholic Church has money for this extravagant home despite the apparent financial crisis that has led to the closing of many Catholic schools (including St. Patrick's in Woodbury) and several churches," he said....
"The diocese purchased the property because the bishop needs a residence and space to hold meetings with potential donors and benefactors," diocesan spokesman Peter Feuerherd said. "It will well pay for itself and more. We realize others may have a different opinion, but that was the rationale behind the purchase."

Somehow, there is always a reasonable rationale behind the lavish living of the bishop. Does Bishop Sullivan make you think of the holy bishop in Les Miserables? Can you see Bishop Sullivan giving his silver candlesticks to Jean Valjean?

Pray for Holy Mother Church. So many of our clerics today seem more interested in building their own wonderland on earth than building the city of God. Pray for them. If you have a holy bishop, thank God and pray for him. If you have a worldly bishop, beg God's mercy on him. A little fasting wouldn't hurt for all bishops. They will be called, as we all are, to an accounting on Judgment Day.  

Can Pope Francis Right this Wrong?

Vatican evicts tenants to build luxury hotels

Isn't that a poignant example of Vatican redistribution of income? I wonder if Pope Francis can call in the Vatican "Zacchaeus" and his cohorts responsible and give them a chance to repent and make restitution. Of course, that means finding all the people injured by the Vatican rent collectors.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama with a Club!

Here's the Mama you want in your corner for protection. Remember this image of Our Lady. She isn't just the woman who ponders in her heart. When evil demons threaten her little ones (and that's all of us), she's there with a club to beat them away. Happy Mama's Day, Mother Mary. Thank you for your vigilance to protect us from the roaming demons looking for little ones to devour. Keep that club raised high agains the wickedness and snares of the devil. With you on one side with your club and St. Michael on the other with his flaming sword, we fear no evil!

Chris Manion on Catholics, War, and Unintended Consequences

Great article! How many just wars have there been in history? Darn few is my guess!

Catholics, War, and Unintended Consequences
by Christopher Manion
fitzgerald griffin foundation

FRONT ROYAL, VA — The recent unpleasantness in eastern Ukraine recalls a nagging truth: Wars always bring unintended consequences, and Americans have seen plenty of them, firsthand.

In 1916, Woodrow Wilson won reelection on the slogan, “He Kept Us Out Of War!”

But Wilson wanted war, and, five months later, he got it.

In October 1940, late in the presidential campaign, Franklin Roosevelt promised “again and again and again” that “your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars.”

But Roosevelt wanted war, and fourteen months later, he got it.

Pope Saint John Paul II adamantly opposed the war, and sent Cardinal Pio Laghi, to meet with Bush personally. ...Laghi told Bush that his proposed war in Iraq would be a “disaster.”

The results were as grim as they were unintended. Over a hundred thousand Americans died in Wilson’s war, and another 600,000 died from the epidemic of influenza that the surviving troops brought back from Europe to every corner of America. World War II killed over 400,000 Americans (only the War Between the States had more).

Moreover, the onerous terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles opened the door to a Communist Russia and a National Socialist Germany. In like fashion, the deals reached by FDR and Truman during World War II at Yalta, Teheran, and Potsdam handed over 100 million Christians in Eastern Europe to Stalin for 45 years.

Read more here.

Fr. Tom Writes on Pope Francis and Redistribution of Income

Father hits another home run in this article. Let us share willingly the blessings and benefits we have -- not merely our physical wealth, but the wealth of our prayers, our presence, our talents, our love. For many people, the wealth they need is time. The sick and elderly in nursing homes -- what a blessing to give them a listening ear and a cheerful smile. For children in the inner city who have never walked in the woods, what a gift to offer a week in the country. It will be more than feeding a hungry body; but will feed a hungry heart. Read Father's article and rise to his challenge! As for his statement about “legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State” what can that possibly mean? Since the government doesn't own the property of its citizens, how can the state possibly "legitimately" redistribute anything without stealing? That's what Zacchaeus was doing -- stealing. He repented of his theft and voluntarily made restitution and gave what was legitimately his. Frankly, I find Pope Francis baffling in his mixed messages and confusion. Causing confusion and imbalance among the faithful is not a particularly positive sign. Pray for the pope and the magisterium. Our poor, confused Church needs it. We all hear about the "new springtime" but it bears all the signs of a drought! Fr. Z has some cogent comments on the pope's statement as well. Check out his blog!

By Father Tom Collins...

In a recent address to a United Nations committee in Rome, Pope Francis called for governments to work for an ethical redistribution of wealth, so as to help the poor and marginalized of the world to rise out of oppressive and degrading poverty.

In reflecting on his words, I could not help but to recall what happened in Zimbabwe when the colonial era of that land ended. With the best of intentions, the government of that nation initiated a land redistribution program, whereby much of the farm land owned by the former colonial rulers of that region was taken away from its colonial owners and parceled off to the poor. It was a great move to empower those who had suffered the burden of poverty for decades. But the results were devastating.

Abortion Emily is One Sick Puppy! "In Awe" that She Can "Make a Baby" and Kill a Baby!

Note her repeating over and over, "I'm a lucky girl." Poor baby -- not so lucky. If you've read about Emily you know she says she wasn't using birth control in spite of the fact that she works at a women's reproductive center. So did she get pregnant on purpose? Another question: Is the whole thing a stunt? It wouldn't be the first time somebody lied to get her 15 minutes in the limelight.

 I worked at a crisis pregnancy center next door to an abortion mill. We could hear the suction machine on the other side of the wall as well as the cries of some of the girls. This entire video comes across to me as phony-baloney. Do you ever hear the suction? But hey, it's her "story." Whether it's true or not is another matter.

Matt Walsh has a powerful post, This is My Positive Abortion Story, and he accurately describes Emily's video as a "snuff film." If you don't know that term, it refers to films where people are actually tortured and  murdered on the screen. While snuff films may be a matter of urban legends (or not), if Emily really had an abortion, her snuff film is for real. Walsh calls her a psychopath and it's hard to argue when with one breath Emily gushes about being in awe over making a baby and then talks about how wonderful a time she had killing her baby. Talk about cognitive dissonance! But Emily claims there is no conflict, which pretty much indicates she's a psychopath. Would you hire this gal to babysit for your children? How about your newborn?

Pray for Emily. She needs it!

Do You Love Tolkien? Watch This!

What are hobbits? Saints in the making protecting hearth and home and willing to go on a "crusade" to protect it! Next time you read Lord of the Rings consider these themes: home as the domestic church, suffering and sacrifice for others, forgiveness, missionary journey, friendship and charity, resisting evil, assistance from "guardian angels" (or other creatures with wings or branches). Yes, there's much to reflect on in Lord of the Rings. Tolkien created a rich environment with spiritual themes and implications for our own journey toward holiness. And we certainly live in the time of many evil Saurons determined to destroy all that is good in a quest for power. We may be small and weak like hobbits, but united with the Lord we can take on the world, the flesh, and the devil with courage. If God is for us, who can be against us?

Watch the The Third Way: It's Good!

The Third Way: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church

Falling in love with God is the answer to every problem. It doesn't mean we'll never sin again, but it will begin the healing and bring us to wholeness. A priest once said to me that "Holiness is wholeness." There is no peace except in God. "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord."

Rest in Jesus! Your happiness depends on it.

Sensitive Post on Same Sex Attraction and Friendship

Sometimes friends are siblings or cousins!

From a Catholic man who took a risk

I think a lot about this issue. Several friends are same-sex attracted and, while I don't believe they were "born that way," how people get mixed up sexually is somewhat of a mystery. And with all the environmental poisoning of the water with artificial hormones, well, I think it's likely that sexual identities will become increasingly confused. Hey, if male fish are producing eggs, what the heck is happening to people?

We're all broken in one way or another. We all have sinful inclinations, but each of us is called to control those inclinations using intellect and will and praying for God's grace. Who can live a holy life alone? No one! We all need help -- God's help certainly. But God generally uses our hands and our hearts to reach out in His name. Holy friendship is a vocation for all.

Who needs you today? Can you think of someone who needs a phone call or a note in the mail? Certainly we all need prayer. Ask the Lord who needs the gift of your friendship right now. You'll be blessed by sharing it.

Homosexual Sex Abuse: Okay When It's Hollywood Icons

Have you seen the media bulldogging these Hollywood molesters? Oh, hey, boys will be boys -- unless they wear roman collars. Somebody tell me why the mainstream is pretty much ignoring this story? Oh, never mind, we all know why!

Column: Hollywood's Sexual Predator Problem Explodes

Here's a bit from Michelle's column:

"Everyone's ducking for cover," Paul Petersen, a former child actor and child actors' advocate, told Entertainment Weekly in 1997. "It's a complete and total breakdown of the protections Hollywood pretends it accords children." 

The same industry that sanctimoniously convenes anti-bullying summits with the Obama White House and falsely accuses conservatives of waging a "war on women" has allowed countless children to be stalked, groomed, beaten, molested and raped on casting couches, in movie trailers, and at drug- and alcohol-drenched parties by Tinseltown predators. The alleged child rape scandal exposed by Egan does not exist in a vacuum: 

—Last year, child actor Corey Feldman sounded the alarm on rampant pedophilia in a brave, scathing memoir. He recounted how his best friend and co-star, the late Corey Haim, was sodomized by an older male on the set of their hit film "Lucas." The boys, fed cocaine by a string of predators, attended parties with Hollywood talent manager and child actors' rep Marty Weiss. Now a registered sex offender, Weiss pleaded no contest in 2012 to lewd acts on a child under the age of 14. The victim, another young child actor, alleged Weiss sexually assaulted him between 30 and 40 times from the age of 11. 

—Registered sex offender Jason Murphy, a Hollywood casting agent, had kidnapped and molested an 8-year-old boy before joining the industry.

Keep on this story and watch how the media engage in a collective yawn. Can't mess with their Hollywood heroes even if they are a bunch of child rapists.

News Stories Worth Checking Out: Start with Hillary IS the War on Women

"Hillary IS the War on Women!"

Worrisome devilopment re CDF's critique of Rebel U.S. Nuns Cardinal Kaspar "esteems" two heretic nuns!

Black Mass at Harvard? Can you imagine the uproar if they were mocking Islam?

Uh-oh! Is this a repetition of the confusion fostered before Humanae Vitae?

Will Media bulldog Bryan Singer abuse like they did the "pedophile priests?" Don't hold your breath.

Media buries IRS scandal of targeting conservatives. Are we surprised?

Chicken Little works for Obama! "CO2 will kill us all, squawk squawk!"

Holocaust Survivor Sees Familiar Signs of Totalitarianism in Obama's America

"The 86-year-old [Anita Dittman] recently told attendees at Olive Tree Ministry’s “Understanding the Times” conference that the 2008 campaign images of Barack Obama with halos around his head and the worship-like adulation from crowds gave her nightmares.

"The adulation offered by many to Obama has been well documented.

"Broadcast veteran Barbara Walters admitted what many news watchers have thought about people in the media and their adoration of Obama.

“'We thought that he was going to be – I shouldn’t say this at Christmastime – but the next messiah,' Walters told CNN’s Piers Morgan."

 (Read more here.)

Free Justina NOW: A Message from Josh Duggar

Go here for more.  Note in the video that Justina is being used as a guinea pig for a neurologist who has a grant from NIH to study a psychosomatic disease. Justina has become a footnote in an immoral scientific experiment. She's a cash cow for DCF and a conduit for federal money to study a disease she doesn't have. Meanwhile her medical condition has continued to deteriorate and she is in serious physical danger from the neglect under DCF.

Pray for this poor family who has suffered so much during this evil scenario. If it can happen to them it can happen to you.

Rebels at Heart: Leadership Conference of Women Religious

Cardinal Müller: LCWR Stands in ‘Open Provocation’ of Holy See

And here's the CDF statement by Cardinal Gerhard Müller at the April 30th meeting with the presidency of the LCWR. Wow! I've highlighted some of the more cogent items in red - in honor of the blood of the martyrs who died to defend the faith that these rebel nuns are so intent on destroying!

 Cardinal Müller::

I am happy to welcome once again the Presidency of the LCWR to Rome and to the Congregation. It is a happy occasion that your visit coincides with the Canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII, two great figures important for the Church in our times. I am grateful as well for the presence and participation of the Delegate for the implementation of the LCWR Doctrinal Assessment, Archbishop Peter Sartain.

As in past meetings, I would like to begin by making some introductory observations which I believe will be a helpful way of framing our discussion.

Federal Government Owns Most of the West

Read these figures and ask yourself -- Is this right? Why do the feds own all this STATE LAND? Check out the Washington Times article here.

What's wrong with this picture?

Put another way, one out of every two acres in the West is federally owned. In Nevada, the figure is 81.1 percent; in Alaska, 61.8 percent; in Utah, 66.5 percent; in Oregon, 53 percent. In Connecticut and Iowa, the federal government owns 0.3 percent of the land. 

“The federal estate is larger than France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom combined,” said Robert Gordon, a senior adviser for the Heritage Foundation. “It is too big and was never intended to be preserved as one big park, but the left is strangling use of it and with it, rural America.”

The left is great at robbery -- taxing at usurious rates (one of the seven deadly sins), spending money it doesn't have and "borrowing" (stealing) from future generations, slandering good, hard-working families labeling them domestic terrorist and worse (sin against the 8th Commandment), and lusting after and taking all that it doesn't have already. Yup, the left is evil. Sadly, so is much of the right, especially those who are leftist wannabees.

Fight liberalism. Why because of what it is. Liberalism is the belief that man is autonomous and is the arbiter of morality, that by his reason he can create "heaven" on earth. Of course, we can see how well that's working. Liberalism excludes God from the equation, so it  it is both anti-God and anti-man who is created in God's image and likeness. You see liberalism at work in the French Revolution which attempted to kill God and replace him with Reason. How well did that work for France? You see it in the Spanish and Mexican Civil Wars where Socialist governments murdered hundreds of thousands of their own people and decimated the churches. And you see it here in the U.S. with a growing murderous toll against the week: the unborn, the handicapped, the elderly. Yes, indeed, liberalism is consummate evil.

If you want to learn about the disasters of liberalism you can hardly do better than to read the works of Dostoevsky. Here's a good place to start.

A Modern John Bosco: Fr. Francis Peffley

One of our family's favorite diocesan priests! We've known him since he served as our associate pastor at St. Louis Parish in Alexandria. Father even spends a week of his vacation leading families on a family retreat week at the beach where he offers daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, special talks, as well as all the fun the beach offers. He takes seriously the admonition, "The family that prays together stays together." And he still calls all our adult children on their birthdays! Now that is impressive!

Father's a great devotee of St. Louis de Montfort and the Legion of Mary and it shows. Visit Father's website here and share this wonderful Marian priest with others. May God prosper his vocation and lead many to Christ through his devotion!

Turn off the technology and have a real conversation - with a REAL friend!

...or even an acquaintance...or even a stranger at the store. I had one of those yesterday with a stranger at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We were both looking at shower curtain liners and she talked about her "dream house." Now, since I often pray for everyone who has EVER touched my life, she will always be in my prayers even though I don't even know her name. Don't get me wrong. I love seeing the family photos and sending Happy Birthday greetings, etc., but don't ever make the mistake of thinking that replaces the personal contacts. Social media can be incredibly isolating!

Life is to short to spend it relating to a 2" x 4" video screen or even a 20" computer screen. Connect with real people in person. They're worth it. Is there somebody you could phone today just to say, "I'm glad you're my friend?" Wouldn't that be a great Sunday activity?

Excuse me, I just thought of somebody I want to call.

A Satanic Temple in Oklahoma?

How can so few have so much influence? Pray the St. Michael prayer every day that this abomination never comes to light. St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle....

News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Engaging Pro-Abortion Folks: You Can't Have an Impact...

....if you don't engage! Think about the woman at the well. Jesus talked to her as a person. He didn't just preach, he touched her heart and her mind because he cared about her. We need to truly recognize each person we meet as a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated individual. Pray that the Lord places in your path those who are looking for the truth, because if they are looking for the truth they are looking for God and He will not hide his face from them. Pray for Howard and his brethren. They need us! And pray for these pro-life warriors who go onto the field of battle to present the truth. May God prosper their efforts!

How I Got a Pro-Choice Biology Professor to Consider the Pro-Life Perspective

Watergate vs. Benghazi

House Speaker John Boehner says special committee needed to investigate Benghazi
Remember Watergate? Nobody was killed, but several folks went to jail. And Nixon's cover-up brought him down.

But with Benghazi it's a whole different story. An ambassador and three others killed while Obama et al played politics. The administration failed to take any action to help our people on the ground. They "created an environment of politics" and created a story to shore up the administration's irresponsible policies. They created out of whole cloth a ridiculous scenario about a video causing "protests" instead of what really happened, a planned terrorist attack.

And then the cover-up. Nobody's had to answer for the unnecessary deaths of our people. Nobody's had to answer for telling the military not to back up the courageous men who went to the embassy. Obama went to bed to prepare for his oh-so-important fundraiser in Vegas the next day while our men were in a life and death firefight expecting assistance. And Hillary Clinton, her reaction? "What does it matter now?" That wasn't the attitude the Democrats took over Watergate.

Isn't it time to treat Benghazi with the same zeal? Or is that kind of action OFR, only for Republicans. Where is the media in all this? Seems like their bias is showing by not addressing this with the same bulldog tenacity they use against Republican scandals.

Looking for Something for Your Bookclub?

I'm reading an interesting book that I happened to pick up in our lawyer's office when were refinancing a property we own. He's a committed Christian and we always enjoy our conversations, but what interested me in this book was one of the promotional blurbs in the front. It was by Peter Kreeft who teaches philosophy at Boston College and is a favorite writer of mine for his "Socrates" series. Here's an interview where he talks about it. 

The book getting thumbs up from Kreeft is Lee Strobel's, The Case for Christ. Strobel is an investigative journalist who traveled a personal spiritual journey from atheism to faith. He approaches the "case for Christ" like a detective/lawyer examining the evidence. Each chapter begins with a real-life criminal case examining evidence. Among the subjects examined are the eyewitness evidence, the documentary evidence, the physical evidence, etc. He even looks at evidence that rebuts the case. He interviews experts in each area who present their proofs for the case. And it's interesting to see that there is more eyewitness and documentary evidence for the existence of Christ than for historical figures like Alexander the Great, Herod, and even Pontius Pilate.

I'm halfway through and am so impressed I just ordered two dozen copies of the book to share with others. It's that good.

What makes it especially useful for book clubs is that every chapter ends with discussion questions and suggestions for further reading. I really recommend The Case for Christ. I plan to give one to my pastor and our deacon. And who knows, if someone expresses curiosity about Christianity, it's a great resource to have on hand.

Celebrate St. Joseph the Worker Today...

And offer your labors through his intercession. May all our work be to the greater honor and glory of God.

A little history:

Now Here's a Good Cop...

....who knows his job is about protecting the innocent! Two thumbs up to Mason County, MI sheriff Kim Cole. He's a hero and spiritual godfather to a little baby boy and the mom who chose life. Read the story. It will make your day and remind you of the power of prayer. Spiritually adopt a baby today!

Sheriff’s refusal to allow abortion results in a new family

Spiritual Adoption Prayer:

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn child that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion. Amen.