Too Darn Sadly True!

I can testify to the consequences to the laity. I've been blacklisted from the diocesan newspaper for twenty years. Before that I wrote occasional articles and frequent letters to the editor. But, hey, there are other places to write. And this blog and the Les Femmes newsletter, The Truth, plug away defending the faith and evangelizing. We're called to do it and so we do. Thanks be to God for the grace of fortitude. May the Lord pour out a triple dose on our faithful priests!

Our Fresh Air Fund Adventure Begins Today

Have you heard of the Fresh Air Fund? Check it out. It's a program that matches children from New York City with families in the country. Today we have two little girls coming to stay with us for a week and we have lots of adventures planned. Hopefully, the buck will continue coming to our little apple orchard and the mommy bunny with her babies. That's probably something they've never seen in the city. We also plan on a visit to a farm, maybe to the llama lady's place and a walk across the "scary bridge" which is a suspension bridge that swings when you cross it. What do you think we should do with the kids? Any ideas?

When a Pope Needs Correction....

There are many things I love about Pope Francis. But there are issues that concern me too...especially his off the cuff remarks. It always makes me thing of the wartime slogan, "Loose lips sink ships." Is the barque of Peter in trouble? Well, it certainly can't sink since the Holy Spirit is its captain. But there's no question the Church is in stormy waters and is likely to go under in some places. As Fr. John Hardon often said, the Lord promised that hell would never prevail against the Church, he never promised that the Church in a specific place would not disappear. And then he would predict that entire dioceses would lose the faith. Certainly where unfaithful bishops undermine the truth, that has already happened. Some parishes in the Richmond Diocese are almost unrecognizable as Catholic! And we've attended Mass at some of them.

St. Paul didn't hesitate to correct our first pope, St. Peter, when he was wrong, so I was glad to see Cardinal Brandmüller correct the pope's reported statements on priestly celibacy.

Francis Speaks, Scalfari Transcribes, Brandmüller Shreds

There are two paragraphs in the Cardinal's article below that I found particularly telling:

It is interesting to note that the contestation of the precept of celibacy has always coincided with signs of decadence in the Church, while in times of renewed faith and cultural blossoming one has noted a strengthened observance of celibacy. 

And it is certainly not difficult to draw historical parallels with the current crisis from these observations.

One can hardly argue that there are "signs of decadence" in our Church today. It's absolutely imperative that we pray for the bride of Christ and her spouse, Pope Francis.

WE PRIESTS, CELIBATE LIKE CHRIST

by Walter Brandmüller

No Ed Gillespie Sign in Our Yard!

After the Virginia Republican state convention in Roanoke, we were considering active support for Ed Gillespie. He wasn't our candidate, but he gave a gracious acceptance speech and promoted "unity." Well, that was then. The other night during his debate with Mark Warner he came out for chemical birth control being sold without prescription. So much for courting unity with "social conservatives." And it was totally unnecessary, pure political expediency. He also back-pedaled as fast as he could when Warner's accused him of supporting the personhood amendment. Oh no, that's only in the Republican Platform. (Hmmm....at the convention there was all kind of rhetoric about supporting "our" platform.) But Gillespie insisted he never supported it and defied Warner to prove he did.

Oh, I know what he was doing all right -- trying to defuse the Democrats' "war on women" rhetoric. One problem: hormonal birth control IS a war on women -- chemical warfare. It's a group one carcinogen KNOWN to cause cancer. Making it more easily available without medical supervision is nuts! And abortion, which the personhood amendment addresses, is a war on little unborn women as well as little unborn men.

But hey, it's all about getting elected and if you have to deep-six your Catholic faith in the process, no problemo. Jack Kennedy and Mario Cuomo illustrated how it's done.

Sooo...no sign for Gillespie in our yard. Heck, I may have to wash my hair on election day. Why work to trade a hot Democrat for lukewarm Democrat-lite? Can a man who puts his politics above God's law really be trusted with man's? Darn, I wish Shak Hill were our candidate!

"I know your deeds; I know you are neither hot nor cold. How I wish you were one or the other -- hot or cold! But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth!" Rev. 3:15-16

Sunday Meditation: Words of Wisdom from Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur

I love reading the daily meditations in the Magnificat Missal. Yesterday's was from Elisabeth Leseur who spent many painful years of bedridden suffering. Here is something she wrote to a friend experiencing a "painful crisis."

I want to assure you of my profound compassion in the painful crisis that you are going through. I understand it thoroughly. But if the waves of suffering and bitterness are violent, do not let yourself go under, especially under the influence of a physical and emotional depression that is very natural after such a shock....Having come to Jesus to share in his sacrifices and his Passion, you have experienced this and continue to go through an agony similar to the one the Savior knew in Gethsemane....It is enough t ohave received these choice graces and to know at the same time the deep call, the mysterious vocation of suffering....

A priest said about a woman who was struggling with her feelings: "There are times whenyou have to take your heart, throw it at God's feet...and step on it." How hard that is, but how mysterious! At that moment, miracles of grace take place, and one hour of such suffering is equal to a life given over simply to doing the good.

Are you on the cross today? Do you have a sick and suffering child? Have you lost a loved one or have you been diagnosed with a serious illness? Are you in the midst of a confusing and worrisome dilemma with a family member that causes you to worry and lose sleep?

Oh, if I could only, in those moments in my life, remember to take my heart, throw it at God's feet, and step on it. Help me, Lord Jesus, to give you my heart and will that you might conform them to yours. "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine."

Pray for the Success of Justina's Law!

Justina Tells Congress her Story

Justina Tells Her Story on Capitol Hill



Let's all pray in thanksgiving that Justina is home and recovering. Work to get Justina's Law passed so no child is ever again made a guinea pig of the state!

An Interesting Comparison of Nazi Policies with Today's Progressive Elites

Fr. Tom is always thought provoking. Here's an email he sent today with my comments in red. Remember, liberalism is a sin because it replaces God with man and His wisdom with big utopian ideas spawned in hell by the father of lies. Check out all the holocausts of the 20th century to see how well that worked.

Thanks, Father, for giving us something to think about-- again!

Hitler and his Nazi thugs maintained their power by employing certain techniques.

• they cynically aroused and then appeased resentments against any who did not fit into their plans for an evolutionary advanced new world order; [Democrats use community organizing techniques to foster hatred and disunity between groups whether it's racial animosity or economic jealousy.]
• they ignored or ridiculed evidence that contradicted their theories and agendas (e.g., Jesse Owens victories over the "Master Race" in the 1936 Olympics, Einstein's discoveries in quantum physics) [There's no such thing as a conservative black. All blacks who leave the liberal plantation are "Uncle Toms. They try to destroy them - like Clarence Thomas.]
• they declared certain groups of humanity as sub-human, and then consigned them to either death or to slave labor; [Abort unborn babies, put the handicapped on a "different path" with regard to health treatment, and kill off the useless elderly by terminal sedation and assisted suicide.]
• they proclaimed themselves and their agenda as being on the right side of history;
• they promoted evolution as justification for eugenics and for the extermination of the "unfit" [ref. liberals love affair with  Planned Parenthood, a eugenics organization from the get-go.] 
• they subjected scientific research to their political agenda; [ref. the global warming hoax where data is manipulated, scientists who disagree are denied publication, etc.]
• they abused political power to intimidate or suppress any who did not agree or cooperate with them; [Note the destruction of their political enemies: the IRS persecution of conservative groups, etc.]
• they redistributed the wealth of the "greedy rich Jews" in order to promote social justice. [Gotta stick it to those greedy rich conservatives, but hey, not the Hollywood liberals!]

Somehow, all this sounds like some of the things being promoted by the progressive elites in our own government today.

Lift Up Your Hearts and Join the Restoration of the Church

This episode of the Vortex really gave my heart a lift this morning. Not surprising. Beauty calls to the heart and the sanctuary at Church Militant TV is truly beautiful. If you have a beautiful sanctuary at your local church, praise God and spend some time there glorifying our beautiful Lord who resides in the tabernacle there. If you have an ugly church where it's hard to find Jesus because He's been relegated to a closet, spend some time there consoling our sorrowful Lord who continues to be crucified by so many who should honor Him. And please pray the Litany for our poor Church and for the restoration of the faith in America that is so badly needed.

Pray the Litany for the Church

Too Cruel for Capital Punishment but Great for Assisted Suicide?

Botched Execution in Arizona Causing Death Penalty Debate Used Assisted Suicide Drug

Leaving the moral issue of killing yourself aside for a moment, just take a look at the practical issues. Consider:

You're a nonbeliever with a terminal illness who abhors the thought of dying by inches dribbling and vomiting, etc. So you go along with the "compassionate dying" crowd who insist that killing yourself is easy and pleasant, no problemo -- except that the drugs leave you "gasp(ing) and snort(ing)", vomiting and having seizures for hours before you finally experience that blissful nirvana of the good death. Nice picture, eh?

I Love Fr. Z's Sense of Humor! Something We All Need These Days.

Things are never so bad that humor can't be poured on as balm. Think of all the martyrs who joked as they went to their deaths and other saints who made laughter part of their ministry. (Don't take my quotes literally; I'm writing them from memory.):

•  St. Lawrence being cooked on a grill -- "Turn me over; I'm done on this side."
• Thomas More moving his beard out of the way of the executioner's axe. "My beard has done no harm." Also, "See me safe up (onto the executioner's platform); as for my coming down, let me shift for myself"
• St. Bernard of Clairvaux, on finding his monks trying to get rid of a swarm of flies in a church about to be dedicated, solemnly said to the pesky bugs, "I excommunicate all of you," giving his monks a hearty laugh.
• St. Teresa of Avila didn't even mind tweaking the Lord. I think everyone has heard the story of when her carriage lost a wheel in a muddy stream leaving the nuns to wade out of the water. Hence her famous admonition to the Lord, "If you treat your friends like this, no wonder you have so few."
• And then there is irrepressible Don Bosco. Some people thought he was crazy and wanted to have him institutionalized. They went to pick him up and take him to the insane asylum, but, knowing their intent, he insisted they get in first. As soon as they did, he slammed the door and called to the driver, "Quick! To the asylum; they're expected!"

Anyway, I appreciate Fr. Z's quick wit:

Happy Sisters...no bus in sight! (See the rest of the post -- with pictures -- here.)

And then there's this post about Pope Francis popping into the employee cafeteria for lunch. 

Humor is a life saver. And think about it. Can you imagine the devil laughing a good, hearty, Chestertonian laugh? I can't. All I can imagine is a dirty snicker. Satan no doubt invented pornography and potty mouth. But real humor? That's as alien to him as heaven!

Praise God, Meriam Ibrahim is Free and Out of the Sudan

Sudanese Christian Meriam Ibrahim meets Pope Francis

With so many Christians being persecuted around the world, it was wonderful to see Pope Francis meet with and encourage this brave woman and her family, victims of anti-Christian Islam. 

May God bless them as they recover from the ordeal they've suffered. And may their little ones grow into strong and holy Catholic Americans who help to change our culture of death into a culture of life. With a mom like Meriam, that seems a likely scenario. Our Lady, Queen of the Americas, intercede for them.

Happy Feast Day, St. James and Jamie!

St. James the Greater, brother of St. John

I love St. James! Both St. Jameses in fact. Having visited Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain when my daughter was teaching at the university, I grew to really appreciate St. James the Greater, the brother of John. And then there is "St. James the Lesser" (I wonder if he was physically smaller or was he just quieter than the "Son of Thunder?") who told us in his epistle that "faith without works is dead." (HT to Janet for catching my error. Maybe this will keep me straight in the future about the two Jameses. )

Anyway, you gotta love a man who knows the score and articulates it so clearly! So thanks, St. James the Lesser

When our youngest child, a daughter, was born on August 2nd, the feast of St. Eusebius, we considered name possibilities. Much as I like the historian saint, I even have his history on my saints bookshelf, we couldn't think of a name variation our daughter wouldn't roll her eyes and groan about when she was older. ("Eusie? Mom, you've got to be kidding! What were you thinking?")

St. James the Lesser, uncle of James and John

So we looked at nearby dates for a more girl-friendly patron.  And there was my friend St. James
the Greater only a week earlier on July 25th. (St. James the Lesser's feast is May 3rd) So Jamie she became. The only questions we got were, "What's her real name? Isn't Jamie a nickname?"

Nope, Jamie she is, check out her birth certificate.

So Happy Feast Day to St. James the Greater and his namesake Jamie who can claim the other St. James for a patron as well. And thanks for the great epistle, St. James the Less.

St. James the Greater and St. James the Lesser, Pray for us!

The New Evangelization Begins with Repentance -- From the Top Down!

THE OBFUSCATION OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION

by Fr. Tom Collins

If the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? I Cor 14:8

A few weeks ago, an elderly man who had lapsed from the practice of the Catholic Faith, summarized his reason for leaving by saying, “Father, let me know when the Catholic bishops finally decide what the Church really teaches”. He had earlier expressed dismay at how quickly Church leaders sought to appease dissidents and how slowly they sought to please God. He gave the example of how quickly the USCCB was willing to change the words of institution from “for all men” to “for all”, in order to appease radical feminists. In contrast, it took over four decades for them to concede that pro multis means “for many”, not “for all”. He went on to point out that The Roman Catechism specifically addressed this issue over four hundred years ago. Yet the Vatican chose to ignore this clearly delineated teaching in order to approve translations of liturgical texts that tended to prioritize relevance over Revelation.

The man also pointed out his consternation over the current HHS-USCCB controversy.

Michael Moore: Poster Boy for Liberal Hypocrisy!

Wow! Did you know that film maker Michael Moore who is always lambasting the "1%" who live in gated communities or "castles" surrounded by moats owns nine homes including a $2 million lake front mansion in northern Michigan? But hey, that doesn't keep the man (whose net worth is estimated at $50 million) from masquerading as a blue collar anti-capitalist everyman while he lambasts wall street fat cats. I'd say fat cat doesn't quite describe Moore. He's more like a fat hyena, laughing behind his pudgy fist while he slams an economic system that has done him more than proud.

Check it out here and here.

This is just one more illustration that liberals tend to be amoral. No rules apply to them: honesty, common decency, respect for life...all fall if they conflict with what a liberal wants to do. Michael Moore is Machiavellian and has a Napoleon complex. He can do and say whatever he wants because he's not like the rest of us. He only pretends to be so he can use people to scratch his latest itch to keep his fat face in front of the cameras. I wonder if he even minds bad publicity.

Well, you know what the Lord says about hypocrites!

Pray the Rosary: Mary Is Our Constant Help if We Only Ask!

While I was on retreat I read St. Louis de Montfort's Secret of the Rosary. It renewed and magnified my love of the rosary. Most days I prayed all twenty decades and, to help myself focus and meditate on the mysteries, I made a mini reflection from memory before each Hail Mary. For example, praying the decade on the Annunciation, I said the Our Father and then, before the first Hail Mary I thought, "An angel of the Lord was sent to Nazareth to visit a young virgin named Mary." Before the next Hail Mary I thought, "The angel greeted her saying, 'Hail Mary, full of grace, you have found favor with God and will become the mother of the Messiah.'"

I have always had trouble keeping my mind on the mysteries as I pray. By reciting a bit of scripture before each Hail Mary, I am much more focused. Then the prayers truly do become the background music for the meditation. And I'm not drifting off into what I'm going to make for dinner.

There are all kinds of aids for the rosary. Check out this scripture accompaniment to the Joyful Mysteries from a website that offers all the mysteries and includes the text of the prayers for those who may not know them. There's even an audio rosary on the main page of the site so you can pray along. 

After the Mass the rosary is the devotion most pleasing to the Blessed Mother. Think of her apparitions. At Lourdes she had a rosary over her arm. At Fatima she held it in her hands. One of her titles is Our Lady of the Rosary. And how much it honors her Son to hear the prayer He taught His apostles and to hear His holy mother honored by repetition of the angelic salutation. 

If you don't yet love the rosary, why not pray a Hail Mary every day for the grace of learning to love it. That prayer will surely be answered.

Tell Us Again How Great the Economy Is....

Layoffs Prove the Deceit of Amnesty

Microsoft is laying off 18,000 workers. Electrical engineering jobs have sunk from 385,000 in 2002 to 300,000 last year and many are going to foreign workers who can be paid less. Twenty-four million Americans are out of work, filling part time or temporary jobs, or have left the workforce altogether.

But the man behind the curtain will tell you all is well. Look at the situations in your own family. If your family is like ours, it puts the lie to the all is hunky-dory and rosy mantra of the Democrats.

Vigilant Border Patrol Agents Stop Dangerous....Boy Scouts!

Border Patrol Points Gun at Boy Scout's Head



Simply unbelievable! While agents change diapers and make formula in response to the invasion in the south,

Thank a Vet! And Thanks to Food City for this Tender Moment.

My dad was a World War II vet. One of my sons-in-law is a Marine (inactive). I have a nephew who was in Desert Storm and several others who also served in harm's way.

I remember the disgraceful actions of the "flower children" and the contempt they showered on our poor soldiers returning from VietNam calling them "baby killers" and worse. (I wonder how many of them aborted children conceived in a drug stupor!) Even today that contemptible attitude continues as a military fiance with a bumper sticker that reads, "I (heart) my soldier" learned.

If you aren't praying for our men and women in uniform every day, I hope you'll start - at least one Hail Mary. They don't choose the wars. If anybody wants to spew hate and venom, let them direct it where it belongs -- at the White House and at politicians who treat our military men and women like cannon fodder for their war games and then deny them health care and other services they earned when they return broken and battle scarred.

The suicide rate among our vets is shocking. We need to pray, say thank-you, and consider other ways we can help these suffering men and women.

If You Want to See the Face of Obamacare, Look at the UK

Mom Dies Of Cervical Cancer After Doctors Tell Her She's Too Young For Pap

And when you look at this young woman consider as well the Democrats' war on women. Yes, there is definitely a war on women in this country and it's generals are Democrats who will gladly offer women abortions to solve a problem of [unplanned pregnancy, poverty, lack of education, wanting to fit into a bikini, ........ fill in the blank]. But the primary problem from the male point of view (think of serial womanizers Bill Clinton, John Edwards, and Anthony Weiner) is the baby complication! It's no wonder they love abortion. Like the misogynists they are, they want their women always available and recyclable. Give 'em free chemical birth control drugs, primary carcinogens that have a long list of contraindications and a growing list of young women who die from taking them. And if the drugs fail, abortion is always there for a backup to rip up and dispose of the little complication.

Yes, Democrats are good at eliminating evidence whether it's files run through the paper shredder, bludgeoned computer hard drives, or babies shredded in the abortion mill. They not only own the war on women; they invented it!

Looking Forward to Seeing "There's No Place Like Utopia"

Keep Your Eyes on the Tex-Mex Border

Remember Fast and Furious and this administration's irresponsible and treacherous arming of the Mexican drug cartels who appear to be using the weapons to fire on the U.S. Border Patrol. Thanks, President Obama, for putting our brave agents at risk. 

Texas Sending 1,000 Guardsmen to the Border

Texas Gov. Rick Perry Monday announced the deployment of 1,000 National Guard troops to the border following an incident in which members of Mexican drug cartels allegedly fired shots from a .50-caliber machine gun from the Mexican side of the border into Texas, sending U.S. Border Patrol guards scurrying for cover....

In an interview with WND, William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, said he believed Perry’s decision was motivated not only by the gunfire at the border but by “the historic wave of protests across the country this weekend, which included more than 40 locations in Texas alone.”

Okay, Nancy and Michelle, How Many Immigrant Kids are you Taking In?

A Modest Proposal Proposal for Housing Illegal Immigrants

And here's how immigrant-welcoming hypocrite Maryland governor reacted to the idea the feds might send kids to his state:

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has rolled out the welcome mat to any and all who manage to break the law and enter the United States illegally. He has even sharply rebuked the Obama administration for suggesting that maybe, perhaps, probably, sort of, the United States should shorten waits for deportation hearings. 

It gave Mr. O'Malley — a presidential contender in 2016 if he can get to the left of Hillary Clinton and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren — an opening to appear compassionate. Of course, the cost of any surge of illegal immigrants into Maryland will be borne by Maryland and federal taxpayers, not by Mr. O'Malley, unless he agrees to house them at his own place and with his own money. [Fat chance!]

There is the little matter of Mr. O'Malley’s secret request to White House domestic policy adviser Cecilia Munoz not to house illegal immigrants at a former Army Reserve Center in Westminster. How embarrassing that this got out. He has since explained that it was only because the people in that community might not be thrilled with the idea, and may harass the children or “worse.”... [This is what liars do when they get caught with their pants down -- blame their constituents! Of course, the people of his state are nothing but worthless bigots! I wonder how many of those people who would "harass" immigrants or "worse" will vote for the next Democrat on the ballot.] 

Meanwhile, thousands of desperate children from Central America are heading north, risking life and limb, lured by the pied piper’s song of amnesty that Mr. Obama has been playing so recklessly. Mr. Obama directly caused this humanitarian crisis and the existential threat to a self-governing America posed by unlimited illegal immigration. Someone should do something about it.

And, by the way, how many illegal immigrant children will be going to Sidwell Friends with the Obama daughters? How 'bout putting up a few dozen at the White House! Michelle has enough staff to handle it and they can put them to work in the White House garden picking cotton (oops...picking arugula) or put them in caps and aprons to serve as domestic help.

Pope Francis Seems Serious about Rooting Out the Sex Abusers!

He's sending an investigative team to check out Carlos Urrutigoity.

Now if only he'd work on the other end by keeping out the homosexuals in the first place!

Homosexuals have no place in the priesthood. Men who are attracted to men should not put themselves in a source of continuous temptation. Their disordered sexual drive makes them a danger to young boys and men. If they rise to positions of power in the Church, they have the further temptation to use that power to gain sexual favors by bribery and intimidation. Hey, that's not speculation, we have a number of examples of both heterosexual and homosexual bishops. But most of the abuse was homosexual in nature (more than 70% according to the John Jay Report).

Pope Francis promises accountability. Let's pray he won't be stonewalled and will clean out the nest of vipers in the Church hierarchy.

And This is What Cops Should be Like!

I can't imagine one of those kids every calling one of these cops, "Pigs." And what a great way to give the kids good strong male role models. In view of the fact that so many black kids have no dad in the home, it becomes even more important. Thanks to these officers for their commitment to the kids.

How to Confuse the Flock!

It appears that the person carrying the Blessed Sacrament in the procession is a woman who turns Jesus over to the priest as the procession arrives at the church.

Good grief, what is the priest thinking? I would like to know where and when this happened. If I lived in that community this would be in a video on the way to the bishop and if he took no action I'd send it to Rome. No wonder so many Catholics are confused. Bad priests clericalize the laity and laicize themselves. What next? A woman on the altar saying the words of Consecration?

Do You Know What Your Kids are Learning in Public School?

If you love your kids, you'd better be on top of this!

Why You Should Avoid Sending Kids to Public Schools

Maybe all public schools aren't this bad, but I know that back in the 70s Fairfax County's sex ed program was anti-parent, explicit, and gave kids permission to have sex as young as middle school. "Just don't change sexual partners too frequently." I can only imagine what they teach now 40 years later. 

Everybody can't home school, let's face it. And how many families, especially large Catholic families can afford Catholic schools these days? Maybe it's time for a return to the "dame schools." And aren't there some retired folks out there who can offer to help tutor kids in math, science, foreign languages, and other skills that home schooling parents may lack?

There's always an alternative when innocents' souls are at stake!

New Cardinals: Many have Profiles of Union with the Poor

I'm reading a back issue (I'm always behind) of Inside the Vatican (February 2014) with profiles of the men raised to Cardinal by Pope Francis. Very interesting reading. None were from the U.S. (I think we should cheer.) and many were from poor countries that never had a cardinal before. A number of the men come from modest backgrounds. Also, the orthodoxy of several was particularly noted by the writers. An interesting side note is that the Vatican didn't give these men a heads up. One found out from a woman in the congregation where he was officiating Confirmation. He said, like the apostles on Easter Sunday, he didn't believe it until he read it on the Vatican website. Another said the nunciature is usually notified a few days ahead of the announcement, but they'd heard nothing. The first cardinal from Ouagadougou thought it was a joke. 

Click on the Inside the Vatican link above to read the article.

I'll just give a few highlights that really encouraged me:

Good Advice: Everybody Just Chill Out on "The Pope Said..." Headlines

The Administration Planned the Invasion by Children

They even contracted to make it happen.

Contract Shows Obama Planned Border Invasion

So Why Do Gays Have So Much Power to Control the Conversation?

Government survey: Gay population smaller than previously thought

TV, billboards, and magazines bombard us with an unending stream of gay-think. Every time I pick up a magazine in a doctor's office or even on my own coffee table (Southern Living???) I'm inundated with gay couple showing off their home renovation or their cooking skills. Really! The editors must go hunting for them. I hardly watch TV so that's not much of a factor for me, but I think I'll let all my magazine subscriptions lapse except the Catholic ones and my bird magazine. 

I haven't seen any gay bluebirds yet. There are always eggs in the nest.

My Niece's Little Two-Year-Old Abby Loves the Pirates!

...and made the news in Pittsburgh! Take a look at this little doll who had a challenging start to life but continues to amaze and edify us. What a witness to life!



Read more about Abby here.

Will We Face a Bloody Martyrdom Here in America?

"I am convinced that the persecution against Christians today is stronger than in the first centuries of the Church. Today there are more Christian martyrs than in that period. And, it's not because of fantasy, it's because of the numbers."   Pope Francis 

June 9th interview with Andre Tornielli for La Vanguardia

I think the pope's other oft-quoted statement from the same interview shows his own willingness to expose himself to possible martyrdom:

"I know that something could happen to me, but it's all in God's hands. I remember that in Brazil they had prepared a Popemobile closed with glass. But I cannot greet people and tell them that I love them from inside a sardine can, even if it is crystal. To me this is a wall. It is true that something can happen to me, but let's be realistic, at my age I don't have much to lose."

It's wonderful to have a pope who makes you laugh!

Could this Explain the U.S. Bishops' Enthusiasm for the Invasion?

Is the government buying the bishops' support (and their silence)?Read the complete article here. And I found this a particularly interesting bit:

Catholic Charities is running a fundraising campaign to help finance the resettlement of the illegal aliens, WND reported. But the religious charities get the bulk of their funding not from private donors or church members putting checks into a basket. They get it from the federal government. 

Alexandria, Va.-based Catholic Charities USA reported receiving $1.7 million in government grants in 2012, according to its IRS Form 990. 

But one of the largest recipients of government funds to resettle immigrant children is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The USCCB helps resettle not only unaccompanied alien children, or UACs, who enter the country illegally but also refugees fleeing persecution overseas who enter through legal channels. 

The USCCB is one of nine agencies that receive hundreds of millions in tax dollars to resettle refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. under contract with the federal government. Six of the nine contractors are religious groups, WND has learned, including the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Episcopal Migration Ministries, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the Church World Service and World Relief Corp., which includes a plethora of evangelical groups.

The Catholic Bishops alone received $65.9 million in federal grants to care for unaccompanied alien children and refugees, according to its 2012 annual report.

Well, that's one way to make up some of the income lost paying out settlements to abuse victims.

Frankly, I think the bishops' unholy alliance with a godless, evil government is shameful. It makes them silent eunuchs when it comes to addressing the moral issues of our day. Many of them save their outrage for orthodox Catholics, as Dietrich von Hildebrand said years ago in The Devastated Vineyard.  

It's a sad day when faithful Catholics feel like unwanted stepchildren in their churches. That's exactly what we are. While dissidents are coddled and heretics are welcomed to speak at diocesan seminars, the faithful are labeled mean-spirited troublemakers. Please, Lord, give us the grace to keep our sense of humor and remember that those who persecuted You most vigorously even unto death were the high priests and rabbis of the synagogue, i.e., the Jewish magisterium. Some things haven't changed much!

Eric Holder: A Hero of Refugees? Not to Elian Gonzales!

This lawless bunch makes things up as they go along. Remember the federal raid to seize Elian Gonzales, the little six-year-old found clinging to an inner tube in the ocean after his mom fled Cuba with him? Read the article below on Holder's connection to Elian and get it in your head that children are just pawns of a vicious federal Leviathan that doesn't care one whit for anything but its own power! The children being trekked from Central America across Mexico are in danger. Some are dying in the process. Young girls (even as young as three and six) are being raped. Children's bodies have washed up along the Rio Grande.

And this is an administration that "cares" about children? Hey, I have a nice covered bridge for sale in Shenandoah County - no ID required - cash only.

Elian Gonzales, Call Your Office

(Thanks for sending the article link, Jane!)

Reality Check: One More Consequence of Illegal Immigrant Child Trafficking

DHS: Parents Giving Birth Control to Girls--'In Case They're Raped' on Way to USA

The bishops should be preaching everywhere to the flock to keep the children at home!

Condemn the Obama Administration's Promotion of Human Trafficking of Children

It is unbelievable that anyone can justify the human trafficking of the Obama administration using children as pawns to overwhelm our system and increase the government bureaucracy. CNS News has a very disturbing story that includes this:

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told the committee that he'd just received a report from an immigration advocacy group at the University of Chicago Law School describing the ordeal of two unaccompanied children: 

"Samuel and Emily are siblings; amazingly, ages 3 and 6 -- 3 and 6. They got here from Honduras. I don't know how," Durbin said. 

"When they initially arrived in the United States, they were very quiet and they didn't open up. They were clearly victims of trauma. After two months of care and custody of these 3- and 6-year-old children by HHS, Emily revealed that both children had been raped by members of a local drug cartel. 

"I think about those children when I think about this debate. Are they the exception? God, I pray they are. But I'm afraid there are many more with similar stories."

Three and six years old! Those are the ages of two of my little granddaughters. What mother in her right mind would let those little ones travel thousands of miles alone with a bunch of barbarian coyotes? It is time to close the borders instead of letting people think there's a magic land in the north where money grows on trees and the roads are paved with gold.

Obama and his administration are guilty of the trafficking of these children, some of whom are dying on the trip like 15-year-old Gilberto Ramos. And then there are the reports of children's bodies washing up on the banks of the Rio Grande.

And why are we not securing the borders? It's all part of the community organizing strategy to overwhelm the system. Read about it here. Obama promised to transform America and he's keeping that promise in spades. What his supporters didn't realize is that he wanted the U.S. to collapse so he could remake us into the latest socialist, government-run country where the people are slaves of the state. Is that what you want for your children and grandchildren?

Trouble in Obama's Paradise

See more here.

Now shouldn't Chicago be heaven on earth? After all, community organizer Obama was there a few decades ago agitating for Utopia. And his clone, Rahm Emanuel is the mayor. So things must be A-okay. On the other hand, 4th of July weekend saw a rash of violence and most of the victims were black or Hispanic. Emanuel is in trouble according to the Washington Post.

So what are the Feds doing to help Chicago? Sending them hundreds of illegal immigrant children. Does anyone not see something bizarre about claiming we must allow the deluge of unaccompanied children into the U.S. because their countries of origin are "violent" and then sending them to Chicago? We are living in the land of Oz with a little pretender behind the curtain using his teleprompter and pretty soon there will be no country to go home to!

I'm betting this angry woman is post-abortive....Warning - graphic language!

...Please pray for her and for the courageous pro-lifers who often meet this kind of abuse when they stand up for life on the public sidewalk.



A few things to consider in this video. First, the woman denies the truth of the abortion signs which are incontrovertible. Listen to her continuously insist, "It's a clump of cells at 12 weeks...no hands are showing at that time." Really? A baby at 10 weeks has a well-formed body. At 11 weeks all organ systems are functioning. Here are several photos from webmd.com with their descriptions:

Does this look like a clump of cells?

Development at 8 Weeks:
The baby is now a little over half an inch in size. Eyelids and ears are forming, and you can see the tip of the nose. The arms and legs are well formed. The fingers and toes grow longer and more distinct.

No hands are showing?

Development at 12 Weeks: 

The baby measures about 2 inches and starts to make its own movements. You may start to feel the top of your uterus above your pubic bone. Your doctor may hear the baby's heartbeat with special instruments. The sex organs of the baby should start to become clear.

This poor woman may just be spouting lies she was told at an abortion mill. Her anger is misdirected at those who are showing her the painful truth. Grief and guilt are common after abortion. And people will feel anything before they will deal with those emotions. Pray daily for babies in danger of abortion and mothers suffering from having killed their children. May God have mercy on them and bring them to healing. 

Spiritual adoption prayer

Healing after abortion

Face the Truth, America

Sidewalk counseling

A Homily on Catechesis and Critique of YouCat by FSSP Priest

It's interesting that this priest requested that his name be withheld when the homily was put online. Wonder why? In view of what happened to Fr. Justin Wylie, I think he's prudent. As you listen to the homily think about his comments on the heretical Dutch catechism published in 1969. No one involved in that scandalous, heretical work was disciplined or fired or prevented from saying Mass. But Fr. Wylie who preached a politically incorrect sermon is banned from saying public Mass in NYC, one more outrageous act from the Cardinal of New York. But back to the issue at hand, bad catechisms.

Here's the email I received from a priest friend:

Priest is FSSP. (he's not kind to the YouCat - I found more passages than he cites that were vague and misleading in it, esp. on sins against the 6th/9th Commandments, against which our youth struggle the most today and on which they most need clarity, "YouCat" doesn't IMO give it.

Catechetical Nightmares: What Religious Books Should I Use?

 

		Catechetical Nightmares: What Religious Books Should I Use? Catechetical Nightmares: What Religious Books Should I Use?: preached on 2014-06-28 and available at AudioSancto.org, a source of sermons in plain English on Catholic dogma, doctrine, and devotion.
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The Bishops Need to Read St. Thomas Aquinas on Immigration

There's a good article at Spero Forum addressing the opinions of St. Thomas Aquinas on immigration. Here are a few paragraphs that sum up some essentials:

These are some of the thoughts of Saint Thomas Aquinas on the matter of immigration based on biblical principles. It is clear that immigration must have two things in mind: the first is the nation’s unity; and the second is the common good. 

Immigration should have as its goal integration, not disintegration or segregation. The immigrant should not only desire to assume the benefits but the responsibilities of joining into the full fellowship of the nation. By becoming a citizen, a person becomes part of a broad family over the long term and not a shareholder in a joint stock company seeking only short-term self-interest. 

Secondly, Saint Thomas teaches that immigration must have in mind the common good; it cannot destroy or overwhelm a nation. 

This explains why so many Americans experience uneasiness caused by massive and disproportional immigration. Such policy artificially introduces a situation that destroys common points of unity and overwhelms the ability of a society to absorb new elements organically into a unified culture. The common good is no longer considered.

Right! And many of our bishops are primary culprits in enabling the destruction of our country and the common good. It's unfortunate that so many nations have corrupt governments that exploit their people. (Like ours doesn't?) But the answer is not to destroy what little unity we have in the U.S. by flooding the country with illegals, many of whom have no interest in assimilating but simply want to cash in on government handouts bankrupting communities and stealing from the taxpayers.  (Attention, bishops, stealing is a sin!) Pray for our bishops! Many of them are blind guides drawing their flocks to error and sin. Never forget that prudent Catholics test the spirits.

Home from Retreat and Rejoicing in God's Blessings

I'm giving thanks today for the blessing of another grace-filled retreat. The Spiritual Exercises provide such an intense course in meditation. And my "backup book" was St. Louis de Montfort's Secrets of the Rosary. The stories and meditations on the mysteries of the rosary were the perfect accompaniment to the exercises.

And the setting was absolutely beautiful. San Damiano retreat house is lovely. Take a look and consider how such a setting lifts one's heart and mind to God. Have you made a retreat lately? Don't forget to set apart time for God. Think about it... you can't love someone if you don't know him. And you can't know someone if you don't spend time with him.

Remember one of the first questions in the Baltimore Catechism. "Why did God make me?"

"God made made me to know him, to love, him, and to serve him in this world and be happy with him in the next." Make a retreat with the Lord. If you can only spare a day, there are days of reflection. If you have a weekend, even better. God will not be outdone in generosity. If you give him time, he will bless you abundantly!

You Know Not the Day or the Hour! Pray Not to Die an Unprovided Death.

Well, I'm back from a five-day silent retreat...and what a return to the "real" world (or is it the unreal world) this afternoon was.

My daughter went on retreat with me after her family came for a fourth of July visit. To let them avoid having to bring two cars, my husband and I offered to drive our daughter to meet her husband and family in Cumberland, MD which is halfway between their house in a Pittsburgh suburb and ours in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. But, oh my, what a trip! About twenty minutes up I-81 from Winchester we came to a full stop that lasted two hours.

When it became clear we weren't going anywhere soon, my daughter and I decided to walk up to the next exit (three miles) and along the route we found out there had been a violent, localized downpour. (We didn't see a drop of rain ourselves!) Someone in a small compact heading southbound lost control, went across the median, and struck an SUV travelling north head-on. Two people were killed at the scene. I don't know whether it was both drivers or a driver and passenger. According to another bystander there was also a helicopter that medevacked someone to the hospital. I guess we'll read about it in the paper tomorrow. I haven't been able to find a thing on the internet. So sad for the families involved and especially the victims who may have experienced what the Church calls an "unprovided death" where they are not spiritually prepared.

We decided that our presence near the accident scene was providential since we were there "by mistake." We usually go through Berkley Springs, WV, but my husband missed the exit off 81 and decided to continue north on the alternate route. As a result of us being there, however, we prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for those who died and then prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary for them.

Our retreat was based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius which begin by contemplating sin and its devastating impact -- Original Sin that drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden and robbed them and their children of God's friendship and then personal sin. Retreatants meditate on the fact that many people have died and gone to hell for committing one mortal sin and then each of us reflects on why I have not been lost for my many sins. Why has God given me more time to repent and get my life in order when others have been taken so precipitately? Big question when one comes face to face with sudden death.

We prayed that those who died this afternoon were ready to face their maker. They certainly had little time to prepare in those split seconds before impact. No doubt they did not consider this morning that they were embarking on their last day on this earth. Please pray for all accident victims who died today. May God have mercy on their souls, especially those who were least prepared.

As the retreat ended we prayed for all those travelling home and Father gave us a travelers' blessing. I hope all eighteen of us are safely in our beds tonight. But my mind is buzzing with thoughts tonight about the insecurity of life and the need to be vigilant about our final end. What a tragedy to lose an eternity of heaven for the short life here on earth. Which brings me to a final question.

What would you do differently if you knew you would die today?

Lives of the Saints and St. Joseph de Clairval Abbey

St. Ignatius' conversion began with an injury on the battlefield that left him laid up in bed for months. The only reading material he had was Scripture and the lives of the saints. He preferred the romances of the time about knights and their adventures, but when he compared the fleeting entertainment of those stories with the examples of true love and courage reflected by the saints, he was changed forever.

On retreat we listen to readings at meals from the Imitation of Christ and the lives of the saints. What a blessing to be filled with true examples of those who conformed their lives to Christ and became living witnesses to His love.

I receive a monthly newsletter from Saint Joseph de Clairval Abbey in France that each month features a particular saint (or saint in the making). Some are well known like the children of Fatima or St. Damien or St. Therese of Lisieux, but many of those featured are lesser known. Their stories are inspiring and often riveting. If you want wonderful bedtime reading, ask to be put on their mailing list. Think of going to bed contemplating the life of men or women who loved Christ enough to give their lives completely to Him. Each story is short, only four pages, but a wonderful introduction to a hero or heroine. Here's an example of a favorite saint of mine, Margaret Clitherow, one of the English martyrs, a wife and mother executed for nothing other than loving the Mass and letting priests say it in her home. You can read about her here.

I regularly have masses said for my loved ones at the Abbey. Their newsletters have been such a gift to me that I want to return the favor by supporting them.

Ignatian Retreat and the Spiritual Exercises

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are famous for changing lives. Many saints made them during their lifetimes. In fact, all the Jesuits make them as part of their formation for the priesthood. Think of these great Jesuit heroes of the past and the part the Spiritual Exercises played in their sanctification:

the North American martyrs who suffered incredible torture and abuse at the hands of the Iroquois Indians; the many English martyrs like St. Edmund Campion, St. Thomas Garnet, St. Robert Southwell, and St. Philip Evans who died brutal deaths by being hanged, drawn, and quartered, or beheaded. You can read about these Jesuit saints here and consider the impact the Spiritual Exercises had in forming their characters to the extent they were willing to follow Jesus to the cross -- literally. 

Yes, the Spiritual Exercises are saint-makers. Please Lord, help me this week to cooperate with all the graces of the retreat that I might be willing to follow in the footsteps of your saints, especially the martyrs who were willing to give up all, even life, for love of You.

What Are the Spiritual Exercises?

There are many types of retreats, but the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola are unique. They represent a formal pattern based on four "weeks" of meditations beginning with God's love for us and our own attachment to sin that hinders us from responding. Most of the retreat involves meditating on the life of Christ from the Incarnation to the passion to the resurrection. Each "week" involves praying for a particular grace -- for example the grace of sorrow and tears as we reflect on Christ's passion and what our sins cost the Lord of the Universe, and the grace of great joy at our Salvation as we ponder the resurrection and Christ's opening the gates of heaven. You can read more about the Spiritual Exercises here. And if you are interested in more there's a wealth of information here. I hope you go browsing to learn more about this great spiritual method of growing closer to the Lord through meditation and contemplation on the life of Christ. St. Ignatius, pray for us.

Abolish Child Trafficking: Close the U.S. Borders!

Child Trafficking and the Political Left's Silence

These children are unaccompanied. The left encourages parents to send their children with coyotes, gangs, and the drug cartels. Where do these children go once they arrive in the U.S. Some sources say the "family groups" are anything but -- that people claim to be families and then go their own ways once they are dropped in the interior of the country. So what exactly is going on with these kids? Are they modern indentured servants or worse when they find a "home?" Who's following up? How many will end up dead like the kids who disappear in foreign countries? Will some be sold into sex slavery?

Who knows? Let's ask the U.S. bishops who are so gung-ho on amnesty and the invasion on the border. Does anyone really care about these kids?

On Retreat -- I'll Be Praying for You!

Starting this evening I'll be on a five-day silent retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. I've attended this for most of the past 10-12 years annually with a priest from the Fraternal Society of St. Peter, Fr. James Buckley. It's a wonderful oasis of peace and meditation in a very noisy world. I love the silence, both the physical silence of no conversation except with the Lord and the angels and saints and the technological silence: no phones, no internet, no Facebook, no email -- just quiet time to listen to the voice of the one who speaks in silences.

I'm scheduling a few items to post while I'm gone, but I won't be moderating any comments until I return next Saturday. So please be patient and I'd appreciate your prayers for a fruitful retreat. Be assured I'll be praying for all my internet friends and for those who don't know yet that I really am a friend and consider me an enemy, just as they consider Jesus their enemy. May God open your eyes and bring you to realize His love and His truth.

And may our Mother Mary touch your heart and wrap you in the folds of her garment like she did for her little son Juan Diego.

A Day to Remember: Filled with Grace!

Twenty-nine years ago today, my Dad entered into eternal life. Today, one of the youngest of his great-grandchildren, Maximilian Edward, our newest grandchild, was baptized into the Holy Catholic Church. As I looked around at our children and grandchildren gathered around the baptismal font, I thought of all the branches on Dad and Mom's family tree. With ten children who all married and had children of their own, most of whom are now married and have children of their own -- well it's a legacy of love and life that stretches from the year they married, 1940, until today. I think mom and dad had 39 grandchildren, but that count may be off. I've totally lost track of the number of their great-grandchildren. And we look forward to many, many great-great grandchildren and beyond.

Do you ever think of your ancestors and pray for them? Especially those who passed on the faith? It has become a regular prayer for me. Thank you, dear ancestors, for loving and sharing the faith so that I could be a Catholic today passing the faith on to my own grandchildren. I can't think of a greater gift to give or be given.

Lord, if any of those dear ones are still in Purgatory, please release them today because of their faithfulness in transmitting the faith to their children and grandchildren.

St. Joseph, protector of the family, pray for us.

Hope You're Having a Family Fourth!

This country was founded on strong families. Think of the pioneer families described in the Little House books. What spirit and gumption they had! And they were people of prayer as well.

So we're starting our fourth with Mass praying for restoration of the family. As my grammar school civics book taught, the family is the basic building block of civilization -- and I don't mean the bizarre permutations of "family" we have today. I'm talking about the nuclear family. Surprisingly, even the U.N. has affirmed the "natural family" as the "fundamental unit of society" and the "natural environment" for the education and development of children. (Read more here.)

So praise God today for the family and enjoy all the festivities with your loved ones. We especially look forward to sparklers and the Woodstock fireworks! Have a Happy 4th of July!

Flee the Ear Ticklers! Repent and Reform Your Lives!

More from St. Francis of Assisi in Manhattan:



A lot of people really have a hate-on for Michael Voris. But it takes courage to go out and actually enter the belly of the beast and talk to folks who vehemently disagree with you. Like the sidewalk counselors at abortion mills who try to save lives and souls from the abortionist/gods of human sacrifice, men (and I do mean men) like Michael Voris have the courage and love of souls to speak the truth in charity.

If you go to a doctor to treat an illness, you want him to respect you enough to give you the hard truth. You want to know how to fight the disease aggressively.

If you have a disease of the soul you need a spiritual doctor who will tell you the hard truth and help you cut out the spiritual cancer that's killing your soul. Parents who affirm their children in sin because they don't want to face their wrath or rejection DO NOT LOVE THEIR CHILDREN.  They love themselves -- so much so that they would rather see their children in hell than feel their rage.

Spiritual fathers (like many of our bishops) lack the courage to tell the truth. They would rather tickle ears to win praise and acceptance from the world rather than be ridiculed and condemned. Who do they love? Surely not the sheep. If they loved the sheep, they would defend them from the wolves. They love themselves.

Michael Voris is a modern-day prophet walking in the steps of those sent by God to warn the people of Israel to return to the way of the Lord, the way prepared by the precursor of Christ. As St. John the Baptist "crying in the wilderness" said, "Reform your lives! The reign of God is at hand." Not a single soul in unrepented mortal sin will enter heaven. Don't let yourself or your loved ones be in that unhappy company on Judgment Day.

Tomorrow is First Friday: Take Advantage of the Graces!

I'm focusing on the nine First Fridays devotion to secure the promises of Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary. They're wonderful! What a consolation if you've made them!

Larry and I fulfilled the requirements in June. They're easy: go to Mass on the first Friday of the month for nine consecutive months, receive Holy Communion worthily, and go to confession within eight days before or after. There's even a website to help you keep track and send you reminders as First Friday approaches. I signed up and I hope you will too. And if you haven't enthroned the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts in your home, why not ask your pastor about it. The Legion of Mary happily visits families to carry out the enthronement. If your parish is blessed with a Legion, ask them about it.

I probably made the nine first Fridays when I was a child, but I want First Friday to become a perpetual devotion in my life. That will insure I go to Confession at least once a month as well as making sure each month starts out with reflecting on the grace mercy and love of Our Lord. What a win-win situation. So please join me by going to Mass tomorrow aware of the day's significance and reflecting in your heart on the goodness of God who desires us all to become saints.

Confusion is a SIgn of Satan!

When the teachings of the Church are deliberately muddled, it is a sign of the "smoke of Satan." St. Francis of Assisi deliberately confuses and the "smoke of Satan" there is enough to smother the consciences of those who enter and are foolish enough to inhale what they're peddling!

Good-Bye, Burger King!

It's hard to enjoy your meal when you feel nauseated!

Veterans Administration Puts Sex Change Patients at the Front of the Line

If the VA scandal weren't bad enough, read the article below and see exactly how the Obama administration treats those with REAL medical problems vs. those who want to change their s.e.x. Vets are dying waiting for treatment while men who want to look and sound and feel like women get seen and trreated. If it doesn't make you mad, why not?

SECRET TO SURVIVING OBAMA'S VA: S-E-X A bit from the article:

“My dad has believed his whole life that he is really a woman,” said Kori Peterson. “He currently has appointments for a rhinoplasty (a nose job) and a vocal cord surgery, all provided by the VA. Now my understanding is that the VA doesn’t do the gender reassignment surgery … so he has an appointment with a surgeon … through Medicare on July 1 to talk about his genital reassignment surgery.” 

“The priorities are a little off here,” said Peterson. “You’ve got these guys who have been on waiting lists forever and so many of them losing their lives as they wait perpetually. And then you have, it seems, like these things that should not be prioritized are being prioritized over life and death situations.” 

Taxpayers apparently will foot the bill one way or the other – either through the Veterans Administration, or through Medicare. 

“The Transgendered Identity Disorder diagnosis is a new thing, but my dad has been getting his hormone replacement (from the Veterans Administration) … since his diagnosis,” remarked Peterson.

Want security at the VA? Here's the prescription:

Sexting and Drunk Driving Lead to Job Security at VA