RG: Missa_e

Pro-choice to pro-life in seconds

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:27:10 GMT

180movie.com

Gift From US Post Office

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:13:32 GMT

This is so sweet. Its nice to know that there are caring people out there willing to take the time to help others and make a childs day.

We don't know who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope.

On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.
Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Love, God

John Michael Talbot

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 01:58:06 GMT

...the more I live this life, the more I see our job as a community is to simply be faithful to what God has given us. In that way," he concludes, "We will be living, nothing more or less, than the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Plant and flowers from ancient Israel 'appear' on Shroud

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:53:56 GMT

The Shroud of Turin is believed by many to be the linen burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth (see John 19:38–42, 20:1–9). While studying life-size photographs of the Shroud, Dr. & Mrs. Alan & Mary Whanger (Duke University, Council for Study of the Shroud of Turin) discovered faint images of flowers, thorns (Gundelia tournefortii), and Pistacia fruit (mastic), which they tentatively identified by comparison with illustrations in the Flora Palaestina (Zohary, M. and N. Feinbrun. 1966–1986) using their polarized image overlay technique. While comparing the Shroud with the Pantocrator Icon (550 AD) from St. Catherine’s Monastery and a Justinian II coin (692–695 AD) both of which show outlines of flowers, they found 170 and 145 points of congruence (PC), respectively, indicating that the artists used the Shroud as a model (45–60 PC are used to determine same source in courts of law).....

Pope: Confessional Also a Place to Learn Something

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:51:27 GMT

Notes Benefits for Both Priests and Penitents

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 25, 2011 (Zenit.org).- There is a pedagogical value to the sacrament of confession, according to Benedict XVI.

The Pope affirmed this today when he addressed participants in a five-day course on the internal forum. The seminar, sponsored by the Apostolic Penitentiary, concluded today.

The Holy Father said that the teaching-learning aspect of confession is not sufficiently considered, despite its spiritual and pastoral importance.

"In what way does the sacrament of penance educate?" he asked. "In what sense does its celebration have a pedagogical value, first of all, for the ministers?"

To respond to these questions, he suggested starting with the recognition "that the priestly ministry constitutes a unique and privileged observation post, from which, daily, we are enabled to contemplate the splendor of divine mercy."

"Fundamentally," the Holy Father said, "to confess means to assist in as many 'professiones fidei' as there are penitents, and to contemplate the action of the merciful God in history, to touch the salvific effects of the cross and resurrection of Christ, at all times and for every man."

The Pontiff reflected how in the confessional, the priest in a sense visits the "abyss of the human heart, also in the dark aspects." And this, he said, also tests the "humanity and the faith of the priest himself."

"On the other hand," he continued, "it nourishes in him the certainty that the last word on the evil of man and of history is God's, it is his mercy, able to make all things new."

From confession, in fact, the priest can learn much, the Pope said, above all "from exemplary penitents by their spiritual life, by the seriousness with which they conduct their examinations of conscience, by the transparency in recognizing their sin and by their docility to the teaching of the Church and the indications of the confessor."

"From the administration of the sacrament of penance we can receive profound lessons of humility and faith," he assured. Confession is "a very strong call for each priest to the awareness of his own identity."

"Never, in the strength of our humanity alone, would we be able to hear the confessions of brothers," continued the Pope. "If they approach us, it is only because we are priests, configured to Christ, High and Eternal Priest, and made capable of acting in his name and in his person, of rendering really present God who forgives, renews and transforms."

Penitents, too

In regard to the pedagogical value for penitents, the Holy Father said that it depends "first of all, on the action of grace and on the objective effects of the sacrament in the soul of the faithful."

"Sacramental reconciliation is one of the moments in which personal liberty and self-awareness are called to express themselves in a particularly evident way," the Pontiff observed. "It is perhaps also because of this that, in an age of relativism and of consequent attenuated awareness of one's being, the sacramental practice is also weakened."

In this context, the examination of conscience has "an important pedagogical value" as it "educates to look with sincerity at one's own existence, to confront it with the truth of the Gospel, and to evaluate it not just with human parameters, but changed by divine revelation," he said. "The comparison with the Commandments, with the Beatitudes and, above all, with the precept of love, constitutes the first great 'penitential school.'"

Furthermore, Benedict XVI proposed, an integral confession of sins "educates the penitent in humility, in recognition of his own fragility and, at the same time, in awareness of the need for God's forgiveness and trust that divine grace can transform life."

In an age characterized "by noise, distraction and loneliness," said the Pope, "the penitent's conversation with the confessor can be one of the few, if not the only occasion to be truly heard and in profundity."

For this reason, the Bishop of Rome asked priests to "give appropriate space to the exercise of the ministry of penance in the confessional."

"To be received and heard is also a human sign of the acceptance and goodness of God to his children," he said.

Health of souls

In his greeting to the Pope, Cardinal Fortunato Baldelli, major penitentiary, reminded that "every confessor, to carry out his ministry well and faithfully, must have the necessary learning and prudence for this purpose."

The cardinal introduced to the Pope the priests of 242 dioceses of 68 nations who are participating in the annual course on the internal forum, and he confirmed that "the doctrinal preparation of the confessor is absolutely indispensable."

Following in the footsteps of Pope Pius V -- who said, give me good confessors and I will renew the whole Church from her foundations -- the penitentiary promotes every year these days of study on the sacrament, the cardinal noted.

"With intense satisfaction," he said, "we note that the fruits of these annual meetings have a concrete confirmation in the daily activity of our dicastery, which is approached with increasing interest and known for its essential mission in the Church, which is the 'salus animarum.'"

Safe nuclear does exist, and China is leading the way with thorium

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:46:05 GMT

This passed unnoticed –except by a small of band of thorium enthusiasts – but it may mark the passage of strategic leadership in energy policy from an inert and status-quo West to a rising technological power willing to break the mould.

If China’s dash for thorium power succeeds, it will vastly alter the global energy landscape and may avert a calamitous conflict over resources as Asia’s industrial revolutions clash head-on with the West’s entrenched consumption.

China’s Academy of Sciences said it had chosen a “thorium-based molten salt reactor system”. The liquid fuel idea was pioneered by US physicists at Oak Ridge National Lab in the 1960s, but the US has long since dropped the ball. Further evidence of Barack `Obama’s “Sputnik moment”, you could say.

Chinese scientists claim that hazardous waste will be a thousand times less than with uranium. The system is inherently less prone to disaster.

“The reactor has an amazing safety feature,” said Kirk Sorensen, a former NASA engineer at Teledyne Brown and a thorium expert.
Related Articles

“If it begins to overheat, a little plug melts and the salts drain into a pan. There is no need for computers, or the sort of electrical pumps that were crippled by the tsunami. The reactor saves itself,” he said.

“They operate at atmospheric pressure so you don’t have the sort of hydrogen explosions we’ve seen in Japan. One of these reactors would have come through the tsunami just fine. There would have been no radiation release.”....
US physicists in the late 1940s explored thorium fuel for power. It has a higher neutron yield than uranium, a better fission rating, longer fuel cycles, and does not require the extra cost of isotope separation.
The plans were shelved because thorium does not produce plutonium for bombs. As a happy bonus, it can burn up plutonium and toxic waste from old reactors, reducing radio-toxicity and acting as an eco-cleaner.

Infographic

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:51:46 GMT

We should trust ourselves to Christ and His mother, pray often, and say the Rosary. Then, although we have done little, we have done everything. John-Paul II - According to a periodical called Stimme des Glaubens, during a visit to Fulda, Germany, in November of 1980.

Ron Paul: "What We Need Is More WikiLeaks On The Federal Reserve"

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:39:25 GMT

What is the truth ?

'WE ARE A CHURCH ON FIRE': Eucharistic Adoration transforms Acushnet parish

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:30:28 GMT

"Personally, I think Adoration is the best kept secret," she told them. "I give Him all my problems; He gives me answers. I give Him all my fears; He gives me peace beyond any human understanding. I give Him my tears; He gives me joy. If you're looking for a place to refuel with God's graces to get through another hectic week, then Adoration is the place to be."

National debt is new hot issue for evangelicals

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:24:13 GMT

Many economists warn that the government’s huge national debt is a looming threat to long-term prosperity. But is it also immoral?

Edel Quinn

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:15:01 GMT

One day in 1937 a Dutch priest was driving an Irish girl to a Legion of Mary meeting some miles from his mission in Africa. They came to a river in such flood that the bridge across it could not even be seen. He was about to turn back when the girl cried out, "Oh Father, please go on, I'm sure Our Lady will protect us". He was aghast but found he couldn't resist such faith. Some men standing by formed a human chain to see if the bridge was still there.

It was, so he drove on blindly. The water flooded the engine and plugs but the impetus carried the car across and up an incline at the far side. He dried the plugs and tried the starter. The car got going and they were in time for the meeting.The girl was Edel Quinn and the incident typical of her story. In 1936 she had been sent from Dublin to establish the Legion in East and Central Africa.
The difficulties were enormous but she met every challenge with unwavering faith and courage. When others faltered her invariable response was, "Why can't we trust Our Lady?" or "Our Lady will see after things". For nearly eight years, her health steadily declining, she worked over the vast territories committed to her. Hundreds of Legion praesidia and many higher councils were set up on an enduring basis. As a result, thousands of Africans are engaged in the Church's work of evangelization.

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:31:05 GMT

"It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry." - Thomas Paine

My First Catholic Confession in 40 Years was on the iPhone

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:18:45 GMT

A new app for the iPhone allows sinners to make an instant confession. Note though that you must make your confession eventually in person, to a catholic priest, for your confession to be valid.

The Catholic Church wants to be clear about the new iPhone app meant to assist Catholics with confession — the technology should NOT take the place of a priest.

Following news this week the Church in the U.S. had sanctioned the app aimed at helping Catholics through confession and encouraging lapsed followers back to the faith, media outlets have latched on to the story with zeal.

The Vatican, however, has since come out to emphasize the app (priced at $1.99) is no substitute for the real deal (sacrament of confession).

“It’s essential to understand that the sacrament of penance requires a personal dialogue between the penitent and the confessor, and absolution by the confessor who is present,” Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, told reporters.

“This is something that cannot be replaced by any application. One cannot speak of a ‘confession via iPhone,’” he said.

"Father Lombardi said the new application could be useful in helping people make an examination of conscience, the Catholic News Service reports. In the past, he noted, Catholics would sometimes use written questions and answers to prepare for confession, and that’s something that could be done today with the aid of a digital device."

“People have emailed us saying they hadn't been to Confession in 20 or 30 years, and were afraid to go back. But then, they went – because our app made it a less 'scary' experience.” Kreager said he and his fellow developers, Patrick and Chip Leinen, were “extremely humbled” by these reports.

“Confession: A Roman Catholic App” is the first iPhone app to receive an “imprimatur,” signifying the official approval from a Catholic bishop – in this case, Bishop Kevin C. Rhodes of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind. Although this step seems unusual, Kreager considers it in keeping with Catholic tradition.

Mourir dans la dignité

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:08:34 GMT

Les membres de la Commission spéciale sur la question de mourir dans la dignité achèvent d'entendre les citoyennes et citoyens du Québec et rédigeront bientôt leur rapport à l'intention du Gouvernement. Pour éviter que l'euthanasie et le suicide assisté n'entrent clandestinement dans le système de santé public :

Signez et encouragez vos familles et vos amis à signer le Manifeste pour une fin de vie naturelle et digne et pour la promotion de soins de santé de qualité au Québec. SVP envoyez ce lien à vos contacts. PÉTITION
Diffusez l'outil d'information intitulé "Démystifions ces mots qui dérangent".
Visionnez les 5 videos sur YouTube "Vivre dans la dignité" une entrevue avec le Dr Marc Beauchamp

The members of the Select Committee on Dying with Dignity are almost done hearing the citizens of Quebec and will soon be preparing their report for the Government. In order to prevent euthanasia and assisted suicide from being smuggled into our public health system disguised as a medical treatment, support the Living with Dignity network :

Sign and encourage family members and friends to sign the Manifesto for a natural and dignified end-of-life and promotion of quality health care in Quebec . Please send this link to your contacts. PETITION
Spread the new educational resource titled "Untangling the Terms" by email or by distributing printed copies.
See the 5 videos on YouTube "Vivre dans la dignité" une entrevue avec le Dr Marc Beauchamp (in french)

Jeff Markin: Back from the Dead, Reborn Into the Light

Sat, 05 Feb 2011 18:45:41 GMT

They called a time of death on Jeff. Then, his doctor heard the Lord say, 'Pray for him.'

Dites non au compteur sur votre connexion Internet

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:17:22 GMT

Bell Canada et les autres grandes entreprises de télécommunication sont maintenant libres d'imposer la facturation à l'utilisation aux Fournisseurs d'Accès Internet indépendants, ainsi qu'à VOUS. ...Dans un avenir rapproché, les fournisseurs factureront à l'octet, comme c'est présentement le cas avec les téléphones intelligents. Si nous les laissons faire, les Canadiens n'auront d'autre choix que de payer plus pour moins d'Internet. Signez la pétition (français)... car ceci va passer au Parlement canadien prochainement (anglais)

Voir aussi: 200GB to 25GB: Canada gets first, bitter dose of metered Internet

Mission Accomplished

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:37:20 GMT

Try finding a trash can anywhere inside the Oxford train station, in England. There isn't one. Not one. In order to dispose of that paper cup, you'd need to actually step outside the building, walk across the passenger-unloading terrace, and then trek to the far end of the taxi stand to find the nearest bin. I asked the budding barista who served me my espresso why this was so. Why? They're bomb hazards, silly.

How Societies Regress to Become Pathocracies

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:27:04 GMT

A pathocracy is a social movement, society, nation, or empire wherein a small pathological minority takes control over a society of normal people. The pathological minority habitually perpetrates evil deeds on its people and/or other people.

Deacon recounts dedication of father to ailing wife and tremendous vision of heaven

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:00:27 GMT

Six and one half years before my Mother died, she sustained severe injuries while undergoing cardiac by-pass surgery. Air was inadvertently allowed into her bloodstream...

Fracking the Life Out of Arkansas and Beyond

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:56:00 GMT

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:43:34 GMT

‘Most pro-life’ Congress sworn in today

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:36:14 GMT

Los Angeles Attorney Declares Rampant Fraud, Many Abuse Claims Against Catholic Priests are 'Entirely False'

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:23:47 GMT

"The Big Silence", in 12 parts

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:12:19 GMT

"Would you like me to teach you how to grow from virtue to virtue and how, if you are already recollected at prayer, you can be even more attentive next time, and so give God more pleasing worship? Listen, and I will tell you. If a tiny spark of God's love already burns within you, do not expose it to the wind, for it may get blown out. Keep the stove tightly shut so that it will not lose its heat and grow cold. In other words, avoid distractions as well as you can. Stay quiet with God. Do not spend your time in useless chatter." -- From a sermon given during the last synod he (St. Charles Borromeo) attended.

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:23:32 GMT

On Marguerite d'Oingt

"The God-Love That Reveals Himself in Christ Fascinated Her"

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 3, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the weekly general audience, held in Paul VI Hall. - Source

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With Marguerite d'Oingt, of whom I would like to speak to you today, we are introduced to Carthusian spirituality, which is inspired in the evangelical synthesis lived and proposed by St. Bruno. We do not know her date of birth, although some place it around 1240. Marguerite came from a powerful family of the old nobility of Lyonnais, the Oingt. We know that her mother was also called Marguerite, that she had two brothers -- Giscard and Louis -- and three sisters: Catherine, Elizabeth and Agnes. The latter followed her to the Carthusian monastery, succeeding her as prioress.

We have no information on her childhood, but through her writings we can intuit that she spent it peacefully, in an affectionate family environment. In fact, to express God's unbounded love, she valued images linked to the family, with particular reference to the figures of the father and mother. In one of her meditations she prays thus: "Very sweet Lord, when I think of the special graces that you have given me by your solicitude: first of all, how you took care of me since my childhood, and how you removed me from danger and called me to dedicate myself to your holy service, and how you provided everything that was necessary for me to eat, drink, dress and wear, (and you did so) in such a way that I had no occasion to think of these things but of your great mercy" (Marguerite d'Oingt, "Scritti Spirituali," Meditazione V, 100, Cinisello Balsamo, 1997, p. 74).

We always intuit in her meditations that she entered the Carthusian monastery of Poleteins in response to the Lord's call, leaving everything behind and accepting the severe Carthusian Rule, to belong totally to the Lord, to be with him always. She wrote: "Sweet Lord, I left my father and my mother and my siblings and all the things of this world for love of you; but this is very little, because the riches of this world are but thorns that prick; and the more they are possessed the more unfortunate one is. And because of this it seems to me that I left nothing other than misery and poverty; but you know, sweet Lord, that if I possessed thousands of worlds and could dispose of them as I pleased, I would abandon everything for your love; and even if you gave me everything that you possess in heaven and on earth, I would not consider myself satiated until I had you, because you are the life of my soul, I do not have and do not want to have a father and mother outside of you" (Ibid., Meditazione II, 32, p. 59).

We also have little data on her life in the Carthusian monastery. We know that in 1288 she became its fourth prioress, a post she kept until her death, which took place on Feb. 11, 1310. From her writings, however, we do not deduce particular turns in her spiritual itinerary. She conceives the entirety of life as a journey of purification up to full configuration with Christ. He is the book that is written, which daily influences her heart and life, in particular his saving Passion. In the work "Speculum," referring to herself in the third person, Marguerite stresses that by the Lord's grace "she had engraved in her heart the holy life that Jesus Christ God led on earth, his good examples and his good doctrine. She had placed the sweet Jesus Christ so well in her heart, that it even seemed to her that he was present and that he had a closed book in his hand, to instruct her" (Ibid., I, 2-3, p. 81). "In this book she found written the life that Jesus Christ led on earth, from his birth to his ascension into heaven" (Ibid., I, 12, p. 83). Every day, beginning in the morning, Marguerite dedicated herself to the study of this book. And, when she had looked at it well, she began to read the book in her own conscience, which showed the falsehoods and lies of her own life (cf. Ibid., I, 6-7, p. 82); she wrote about herself to help others and to fix more deeply in her heart the grace of the presence of God, that is, to make her life every day marked by confrontation with the words and actions of Jesus, with the Book of his life. And she did this so that Christ's life would be imprinted in her soul in a stable and profound way, until she was able to see the Book in her interior, that is, until contemplating the mystery of God Trinity (cf. Ibid., II, 14-22; III, 23-40, p. 84-90).

Through her writings, Marguerite gives us some traces of her spirituality, enabling us to understand some features of her personality and of her gifts of governance. She was a very learned woman; she usually wrote in Latin, the language of the erudite, but she also wrote in Provençal French, and this too is a rarity: thus her writings are the first of those known to be written in that language. She lived a life rich in mystical experiences, described with simplicity, allowing one to intuit the ineffable mystery of God, stressing the limits of the mind to apprehend it and the inadequacy of the human language to express it. She had a lineal personality, simple, open, of gentle affectivity, great balance and acute discernment, able to enter into the depth of the human spirit, discovering its limits, its ambiguities, but also its aspirations, the soul's tensions toward God. She showed outstanding aptitude for governance, combining her profound mystical spiritual life with service to her sisters and to the community. Significant in this connection is a passage of a letter to her father. She wrote: "My sweet father, I let you know that I am very occupied because of the needs of our house, so that it is not possible for me to apply my spirit to good thoughts; in fact, I have so much to do I do not know which way to turn. We have not gathered wheat in the seventh month of the year and our vineyards were destroyed by the storm. Moreover, our church is in such poor conditions that we are obliged to reconstruct it in part" (Ibid., Lettere, III, 14, p. 127).

A Carthusian nun thus describes the figure of Marguerite: "Revealed through her work is a fascinating personality, of lively intelligence, oriented to speculation and at the same time favored by mystical graces: in a word, a holy and wise woman who is able to express with a certain humor an affectivity altogether spiritual" (Una Monaca Certosina, Certosine, in Dizionario degli Istituti di Perfezione, Rome, 1975, col. 777). In the dynamism of mystical life, Marguerite values the experience of natural affections, purified by grace, as privileged means to understand more profoundly and to second divine action with greater alacrity and ardor. The reason lies in the fact that the human person is created in the image of God, and because of this is called to build with God a wonderful history of love, allowing himself to be totally involved in his initiative.

The God-Trinity, the God-love that reveals himself in Christ fascinated her, and Marguerite lived a relationship of profound love for the Lord and, in contrast, sees human ingratitude to the point of vileness, to the paradox of the cross. She says that the cross of Christ is similar to giving birth. Jesus' pain is compared with that of a mother. She wrote: "The mother who carried me in her womb suffered greatly in giving birth to me, during a day or a night, but you, most sweet Lord, were tormented for me not one night or one day, but for more than 30 years! [...] How bitterly you suffered because of me during your whole life! And when the moment of birth arrived, your work was so painful that your holy sweat became as drops of blood, which were shed over all your body to the ground" (Ibid., Meditazione I, 33, p. 59). Evoking the accounts of the Passion, Marguerite contemplated these sorrows with profound compassion. She said: "You were placed on the hard bed of the cross, so that you could not move or turn or wave your limbs as a man usually does when suffering great pain, because you were completely stretched and you were pierced with the nails [...] and [...] all your muscles and veins were lacerated. [...] But all these pains [....] were still not sufficient for you, so much so that you desired that your side be pierced so cruelly by the lance that your docile body should be totally ploughed and torn and your blood spurted with such violence that it formed a long path, almost as if it were a current." Referring to Mary, she said: It was no wonder that the sword that destroyed your body also penetrated the heart of your glorious Mother who so wanted to support you [...] because your love was higher than all other loves" (Ibid., Meditazione II, 36-39.42, p. 60f).

Dear friends, Marguerite d'Oingt invites us to meditate daily on the life of sorrow and love of Jesus and of his mother, Mary. Here is our hope, the meaning of our existence. From contemplation of Christ's love for us are born the strength and joy to respond with the same love, placing our life at the service of God and of others. With Marguerite we also say: "Sweet Lord, all that you did, for love of me and of the whole human race, leads me to love you, but the remembrance of your most holy Passion gives unequaled vigor to my power of affection to love you. That is why it seems to me that [...] I have found what I so much desired: not to love anything other than you or in you or for love of you" (Ibid., Meditazione II, 46, p. 62).

At first glance this figure of a Medieval Carthusian nun, as well as her life and her thought, seems distant from us, from our life, from our way of thinking and acting. But if we look at the essential aspect of this life, we see that it also affects us and that it would also be the essential aspect of our own existence.

We have heard that Marguerite considered the Lord as a book, she fixed her gaze on the Lord, she considered him a mirror in which her own conscience also appeared. And from this mirror light entered her soul: She allowed the word to come in, the life of Christ in her own being and thus she was transformed; her conscience was enlightened, she found criteria, light and was cleansed. It is precisely this that we also need: to let the words, life and light of Christ enter our conscience so that it is enlightened, understands what is true and good and what is wrong; may our conscience be enlightened and cleansed. Rubbish is not only on different streets of the world. There is rubbish also in our consciences and in our souls. Only the light of the Lord, his strength and his love is what cleanses us, purifies us, showing us the right path. Therefore, let us follow holy Marguerite in this look toward Jesus. Let us read the book of his life, let us allow ourselves to be enlightened and cleansed, to learn the true life. Thank you.

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:18:52 GMT

The one thing necessary - The interior life ... is something far more profound and more necessary in us than intellectual life or the cultivation of the sciences, than artistic or literary life, than social or political life. Unfortunately, some great scholars, mathematicians, physicists, and astronomers have no interior life, so to speak, but devote themselves to the study of their science as if God did not exist. In their moments of solitude they have no intimate conversation with Him. Their life appears to be in certain respects the search for the true and the good in a more or less definite and restricted domain, but it is so tainted with self-love and intellectual pride that we may legitimately question whether it will bear fruit for eternity. Many artists, literary men, and statesmen never rise above this level of purely human activity which is, in short, quite exterior. Do the depths of their souls live by God? It would seem not.

This shows that the interior life, or the life of the soul with God, well deserves to be called the one thing necessary, since by it we tend to our last end and assure our salvation. This last must not be too widely separated from progressive sanctification, for it is the very way of salvation.

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:56:07 GMT

Let us not underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely and broken. But this is not our spontaneous response to suffering. What we desire most is to do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it. Being busy and active, we want to earn our bread by making a real contribution. This means first and foremost doing something to show that our presence makes a difference. And so we ignore our greatest gift, which is our ability to enter into solidarity with those who suffer. Fr. Henri Nouwen

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 07:46:41 GMT

The Admirable Secret of the Rosary

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:01:58 GMT

Father Michael Lightner

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:31:34 GMT

At Marian Apparition Locations, Great Trials & Tribulations Often Occur Before & After

....all too often we become enamored with the ways of the Dictatorship of Relativism (Pope Benedict XVI’s revealing term,) by obtaining ever greater numbers of personal possessions and engaging in a hedonistic lifestyle that encourages that every sexual whim and feeling be obeyed. Sadly all of this is occurring, while too many of the clergy have become enamored with being accepted and liked by the new cultural elite.

These elites often go hand in hand with today’s new social activists who claim to be in alliance with the Church’s mission. However, in reality they have always hated the Church and always will, because in their heart of hearts they are rebellious to the ways of God. The elite media’s treatment of Pope Benedict XVI is one such example. Before he became pontiff, he was hailed for his role in stopping the evil Abuse Scandal. However, once he used term the “Dictatorship of Relativism,” and was given the “keys” he immediately became a target for their vitriol and hate.

One of the common ploys of these elites is to appeal to their inflated sense of ego and intelligence, as if their intellect could save themselves and the world. This is a common ploy used to attack the likes of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. However this is nothing new, Adam and Eve were duped into thinking they would be as smart as God if they would simply eat the apple. In the New Testament, Judas seemed to have no problem letting everyone know that he fancied himself quite a scholar and leader. We see where that got him. All too often this path of hubris leads to disaster which is why William F Buckley wryly noted that he would rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the Harvard faculty.

Thankfully, there is good news as many dioceses are heeding the message of the Blessed Mother and once again obeying the teachings of her Son, Jesus the Christ who with His Apostles, Saints, Early Church Fathers and Popes have given us sound teaching and the authority to go with it. While mainline liberal Protestant churches are in a statistical free fall due to a desire for their theology to coincide with the secular world, Evangelical Churches and the Catholic Church continues to grow.

For Catholics, all of this is made manifest in ordination numbers. 64 to 6 and 14 to 4 stand out. What does this mean? In 2006 when writing my book, The Tide is Turning Toward Catholicism, I noted that even though the Diocese of Rochester had more Catholics than the dioceses of Lincoln and Omaha combined, Rochester had 6 men studying for the priesthood while Lincoln and Omaha had 64. That same year of 2006 Denver had 14 young men ordained to the priesthood (eleven in May and three earlier in the academic year) while Los Angeles had four; a staggering statistic when one considers that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has 4,300,000 Catholic residents compared to 385,000 Catholics for the Archdiocese of Denver.

In 2006 Los Angeles and Rochester were led by two of the most liberal prelates in the Church, while Omaha, Lincoln and Denver were led by three of the more conservative bishops in the US, a revelatory statistic to say the least. For more on this read my columns, If You Want the Political Left to Run Governments, Look at What the Religious Left Has Done to Religion, (Left It In Tatters,) along with my article, The Coming Open Rebellion Against God.

While liberal convents are strapped for cash because they haven’t had a postulant in years, more conservative orders like the Sister of Mary in Ann Arbor, Michigan are running out of room due to the large number of young professional women coming their way. They are not the only conservative order growing; the Nashville Dominicans among others are also experiencing growing pains.

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:18:12 GMT

Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase Your love in my heart. - Saint Rose of Lima

Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven. - Rose of Lima

Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: “Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven.” When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me and seemd to place me in the middle of a street, so that I might say in a loud voice to people of every age, sex and status: “Hear, O people; hear, O nations. I am warning you about the commandment of Christ by using words that came from his own lips: We cannot obtain grace unless we suffer afflictions. We must heap trouble upon trouble to attain a deep participation in the divine nature, the glory of the sons of God and perfect happiness of soul.” “If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men.” - from the writings of Saint Rose of Lima

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:04:59 GMT

A Surprise at the Confessional

This is a powerful story about the power of the sacraments! The following comes from In God's Company 2:

In the beginning of May 2010, an Italian family from Naples arrived at Medjugorje in a state of profound distress: on a spiritual level they had no peace, on a physical level they were carrying a heavy cross: not only was their 5 year old almost completely deaf since birth, but their 8 year old son, Antonio, suffered from epilepsy. His seizures multiplied day by day and occurred more and more frequently. His parents couldn’t bear to see him suffer like this anymore! One evening, they were able to go with the other pilgrims to pray on Apparition Hill with Ivan, and they recited the Rosary under the stars as they awaited the coming of Our Lady. There, they placed everything into Her motherly hands. They hoped for a powerful, heavenly assistance during this pilgrimage.

The next day, the father went to share with the responsible of their group the painful situation of his family, hoping for a comforting word from her part. But she simply said to him, "Go to confession!" Surprised by this seemingly harsh word, the man made a solid examination of conscience. Actually, he was living in sin and had not been to confession in years! Seeing within that word an invitation to make his peace with God, he decided to make a good confession and he sincerely renounced his sins.

To everyone's amazement, his son Antonio (ignorant of this confession) had no longer any seizures since then! As for the little 5 year old girl, upon returning from the pilgrimage, she began to speak, pronouncing intelligible words for the first time...
The father concludes his beautiful testimony in this way: "I am changed! My wife and I see life with different eyes. It is a great comfort for me to have found peace again, and to rediscover the optimism of my wife. Since that confession at Medjugorje, I can touch with my own hands the benefits of a life lived in the light of God."

Yes, the Blessed Mother knows why she asks for monthly Confession.

"When there is sin”, she says, “there is no peace". "Monthly Confession shall be a remedy for the Church of the West". (1982)

“I desire to lead all of you to my Son, your Savior. You are not aware that without Him you do not have joy and peace, nor a future or eternal life. Therefore, little children, make good use of this time of joyful prayer and surrender.” (07/25/2010)

“I ask of you to sincerely look into your hearts and to see how much you love Him (the Father). Is He the last to be loved? Surrounded by material goods, how many times have you betrayed, denied and forgotten Him? My children, do not deceive yourselves with worldly goods. Think of your soul because it is more important than the body: cleanse it. Invoke the Father, He is waiting for you.” (11/2/2009)

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:32:57 GMT

The Legion of Mary's Role in Strengthening the Church During the Communist Takeover of China. By Rev. Father Francis J. Peffley pdf

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:41:45 GMT

11 Reasons Why The Federal Reserve Is Bad

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:38:12 GMT

Bishop Olmsted: 'Love Authentically' by Acknowledging Disorder of Homosexuality

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:43:25 GMT

Man cannot permanently observe all the precepts of the natural law without the help of grace. In other words, only by entering into redeeming contact with Jesus Christ is complete fulfillment of human existence possible.

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:27:57 GMT

Thinking About God Calms Believers, Stresses Atheists

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:36:33 GMT

Digital Copy Machines - Security Risk?

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:13:05 GMT

Young Florida woman chooses baby's life over her own

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:18:55 GMT

"It [Carthusian life] is an extremely happy life. Peace is the tranquillity of order, an absolute order in the sense that you try to make yourself completely free and live in the order of God, which is the order of things, an immensely simple life, an immensely harmonious life with the tremendous satisfaction of just living in the presence of God. God is not a dark cloud hanging over you. He's the light and the sun and simple joy, the fulfilment of the heart. There are tough sides, of course, but from the inside it is a very wise life, a life of great satisfaction, of great meaning." Fr. Cyril, Parkminster Past Prior & present novice master author of Conference series.

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:28:45 GMT

The Gregorian Institute of Canada in collaboration with the Saint-Viateur-d'Outremont Parish presents The Third Journées grégoriennes of Montreal Pentecost weekend: May 21st to 23rd , 2010 Saint-Viateur-d'Outremont Church (Montreal QC) (corner of Laurier West and Côte-Ste-Catherine - Bus 51 or 129) Gregorian Chant Workshops for all levels led by Rebecca Bain, Jean-Pierre Noiseux, and Alain Vadeboncoeur « Postérité du chant grégorien au moyen âge », lecture by Pascale Duhamel « Et ils se mirent à parler plusieurs langues », Chant from the Office of Pentecost Opening Concert by the Scholastiques Neumatiques, Dir.: Pascale Duhamel « Le Souffle du Paraclet », Gregorian Chant for Pentecost Public Concert by the Schola Saint Grégoire, Dir.: Jean-Pierre Noiseux Saturday May 22nd, 8pm, at Saint-Viateur-d'Outremont Church (Pay what you can - Suggestion: $10 or $20) Participants will be invited to sing Friday Compline and Pentecost Mass (music available on www.gregorian.ca) Registration at St-Viateur Church on Friday, May 21st, from 7:00pm to 7:45pm Regular : $30* Students (proof of status) : $15* * Members of the Gregorian Institute of Canada will benefit a $10 discount. Pre-registration: As spaces are limited, and in order to print the exact quantity of material needed, please fill the attached pre-registration form, save it (Word format), and e-mail to journeesgregoriennes@gmail.com Complete details on http://www.gregorian.ca

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:00:41 GMT

Modern photocopiers save potentially confidential information on a hard disk.

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:04:16 GMT

The scientific method applied to the rigorous analysis of the probable cause of the destruction of the World Trade Center complex. Video (2H).

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:58:37 GMT

Like him or not, Denver's Chaput is a very 21st century bishop

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:52:15 GMT

The last Anchorite: Video: Youtube part 1 | Youtubepart 2 - Livre: "Desert Father: A Journey in the Wilderness with Saint Anthony"

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:13:05 GMT

While many are familiar with Anthony’s efforts to earn women the right to vote, few realize she vehemently opposed abortion. Anthony recognized that authentic women’s rights could never be built upon the broken rights of innocent unborn children

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:19:11 GMT

Sisters of Mary on Oprah

Famous TV host Oprah sits down with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist from Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is a commune of just under 100 nuns, average age is 26. Two of the Sisters of Mary, Sr. Teresa Benedicta and Sr. Joseph Maria, teach at the school.

All our life is a journey for God...

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:01:49 GMT

Children Full of Life

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:09:15 GMT

Modern Pharisees pervade Church

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:05:54 GMT

One of the greatest fruits is the joy that millions of people discover when they experience true reconciliation in this place...the spirituality of Medjugorge, a way of life that offers renewal every day when we focus on our own poverty and acknowledge in the midst of all our limitations our God is available as a source of nourishment and sustenance. Personal conversion is our life journey. That is, an inner movement that connects us deeper to our God. There are many fruits associated with Medjugorge, the late Pope John Paul II called it the “confessional of the world” when he considered the importance of reconciliation in all our lives. Many young addicts now are living lives of contentment and fulfillment because of a real encounter with God’s love. Medjugorje is the home of the Cenacalo communities that accompany, through prayer and fellowship, young people whose lives were once destroyed by addiction to harmful substances. The testimonies of healing and recovery by these good people are truly inspirational and life giving. In a time when so many are struggling and are burdened I think of this great gift given to inspire and heal.

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:59:57 GMT

Tucson designer encourages Catholics to get 'mantled'

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:58:01 GMT

Pope to priests: Go forth and blog

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:36:58 GMT

Majority of Americans, and Nearly 6 in 10 Young Adults, View Abortion as Morally Wrong

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:53:58 GMT

Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte will preside at a special Eucharistic celebration for Haiti

MONTREAL, Jan. 19 /CNW Telbec/ - Everyone is invited to join the Archbishop of Montreal, Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, next Saturday, January 23, at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph's Oratory, for a special Eucharistic celebration for Haiti.

Organized in collaboration with the representatives of St. Joseph's Oratory, the celebration will bring together many dignitaries, priests and numerous members of the Montreal Haitian Community. During the celebration a special collection will take place for Development and Peace, represented in Haiti via the Caritas International Aid Organization.

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:05:20 GMT

conversion is the business of most of the world

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:23:11 GMT

John Paul II´s Vision of the Church and Islam 8.9.2003

by Renzo Guolo

Despite the conflicts and persecutions that see Christians as the victims of Muslims, John Paul II seems to harbor no fear of Islam. For Karol Wojtyla, religious dialogue is necessary in order to foster the common good of humanity. This dialogue is sustained by the awareness that there are common values across cultures, because these values are rooted in human nature. These include the defense of the family, opposition to abortion, and peace. The pope has frequently said that he appeals to "authentic religious Islam, the praying Islam, the Islam that knows how to join in solidarity with the needy."

The pope is moved by his deep convictions, but also by the need to care for the Christian communities in the countries of the Crescent Moon, and by the urgency of preventing Islam from cementing itself into fundamentalist positions. This perspective would lead to the clash of civilizations that Wotyla considers ominous for the fate of humanity. By apologizing for the Crusades, or praying in the Omayyadi mosque in Damascus, originally a Christian basilica, John Paul II has sought to keep open dialogue with the Muslim world. He did this by promoting the meetings between religions in Assisi in 1986 and 2002. He did this also by aligning the Church decisively against the American military intervention in Iraq.

But the pope´s approach, which some in the Catholic world define as "dialogue to the point of extremism," generates widespread criticism among the bishops and even in the Roman curia. According to this point of view, John Paul II speaks, illusively, to interlocutors who cannot in any way guarantee a line of conduct for the Muslim Umma. Being a "religion without a center," Islam is not able to control the behavior of its faithful. According to those who oppose dialogue, trusting in such prayer partners is a vain hope on the pope´s part, from the fact that they represent only themselves. By purifying the historical memory of the Church, asking forgiveness for the Crusades, and fawning upon the "persecutors" of Christians, the pope, according to his critics, is exposing the Church to deep humiliation. Moreover, it transforms ecumenism into a sort of syncretism in which every religion seems as good as the next. This is tough criticism, which out of respect for papal authority and the state of John Paul II´s health does not manifest itself as open dissent, but it nevertheless deeply marks the ecclesial body.

The pope´s approach was rejected by the majority of cardinals during the 1994 consistory at which John Paul II expressed his intention of asking forgiveness for the "wrongs" of his predecessors. But despite the contrary opinion of many ecclesial sectors, and not only the openly traditionalist ones, the pope decided to proceed with his plan. Many responded with hostile silence: some of them recalled how Wotyla, who ordinarily speaks about all topics, had spread a veil of silence over the persecution of Christians in Muslim countries.

According to the critics, despite the fact that John Paul II has also asked the Muslim world to respect human rights, religious liberty being among them, the aspect of "dialogue at all costs" is the salient feature of the pope´s approach - and the one they don´t share. But in the conviction that it is impossible to make progress in dialogue between religions by using strategies from the past, Wojtyla has ignored these criticisms. He seems to believe that only the prophetic gesture, the utopian perspective, the mystical leap powered by an intense spirituality, can achieve this objective. But this comes at the cost of humiliating the Church by burdening it with past wrongs, in the hope that others will admit their own sooner or later.

The pope´s approach to Islam changes tone in regard to multiethnic society. Here Wojtyla affirms that it is necessary to distinguish basic ethical principles capable of regulating shared existence within this type of society. For the pope, the cultural characteristics of immigrants must be respected and welcomed, but only if they do not place themselves "in contrast to universal ethical values founded upon the natural law, and to fundamental human rights." John Paul II recalls that the right of immigrants to the juridical recognition of specific cultural expressions is linked to the "assessment of the common good" in a given moment in history and a given territorial and social situation. This reminder permits the pope to underline the importance of the link between culture and territory. For Wojtyla, it is necessary to guarantee to a territory a certain "cultural equilibrium" in relation to the prevailing culture. This equilibrium, while respecting the fundamental rights of minorities, allows the continuity of a determined "cultural physionomy," that heritage of language, traditions, and values that is generally connected to the experience of the nation and to the sense of homeland. One may deduce, for example, that the cultural equilibrium of "Catholic Italy" should not be altered by the presence of Muslims.

But the demands of "cultural equilibrium" in a territory, Wotyla recalls - in this he is almost directly refuting Giacomo Cardinal Biffi - cannot be satisfied through legislative means. These are not effective if they have no foundation in the national ethos, and they are destined to be changed when a culture loses its vigor. For the pope, instead, what is necessary is to keep the Christian culture and identity of the nation alive and vital. Only in this way will this identity not be overwhelmed, while no law can keep it alive artificially. John Paul II´s approach to multiethnic society is that of the challenge between strong religious identities, rather than that of Europe as a fortress. He does not invoke the law, but an encounter of values, charisma rather than rules. It is an approach linked more to his personal charisma than to the convictions of the leadership of the Italian Church.

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:22:55 GMT

Merry Christmas from the World of Islam

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:19:51 GMT

God's Love

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:23:53 GMT

Global Restrictions on Religion - Pew Forum

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:11:17 GMT

The Carthusian mission is a hidden apostolate. A Carthusian Prior once said to me "We never see the good we do, but I am perfectly sure that it is done." There is no satisfaction of accomplishment, no congratulations from friends. Like the widow's two brass coins (Luke 21:2), the Carthusian contribution is unmarked and lost in the treasury of the Temple of God. The Carthusian lives in the darkness of faith; and the patient hope in the darkness lends added value to his life of prayer and penance. His life is the very opposite of selfishness. It is a holocaust of self-sacrifice, a complete immolation of all that the world holds dear in order that through the darkness of faith, he may approach the Throne of Him Who lives in inapproachable light and also help to lead through the darkness an unknown and unnumbered multitude of the children of God.

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:41:52 GMT

How Goldman Sachs Made Tens Of Billions Of Dollars From The Economic Collapse Of America In Four Easy Steps

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:06:41 GMT

Cybercrooks stalk small businesses that bank online

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:26:05 GMT

Where's the Line to See Jesus?

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:28:09 GMT

28 Colombian Christians detained for refusing to denounce their faith

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:50:35 GMT

Abraham Lincoln once posed a question: Suppose we agree to call a horse's tail a leg; then how many legs does a horse have? His hearers answered five. No, said Lincoln, our agreeing to call a tail a leg does not make it a leg. Similarly, the District Council's action in calling something marriage cannot make it marriage.

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:11:28 GMT

Fall of the Republic: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:04:08 GMT

Canadian Parliament Attempts To Legalize Euthanasia (Bill C-384)

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:11:21 GMT

St Damien: The leper priest of Molokai Today, Pope Benedict XVI will be canonising Fr Damien de Veuster, known everywhere as the Leper Priest of Molokai.

Fr de Veuster celebrated his first Mass in the boiling hot chapel where he was confronted with all the physical unpleasantness of leprosy including the stench of rotting flesh. He had to turn away in order not to be sick by going to the open window, but the building was surrounded by those who could not get into the little church.

Fr de Veuster soon recognised that the exiles were hurt because he never touched anyone or smoked the communal pipe. If he really wanted to win their hearts he would have to accept them fully and risk infection. Once contracted, he knew he would die within three or four years. He soon began his sermons with the words, "We lepers..."

His ministry had four concerns:

1) The spiritual needs of the lepers. Facing death, it was easy for them to throw off all moral restraint and resort to drunkenness and sexual profligacy. He built chapels with his own hands while he faced undercover but prevailing witchcraft.

2) The exiles all needed medical care. Besides leprosy, the patients suffered from all kinds of secondary infections: lice and tick infestations, scabies, lung infections, ulcerated sores, diarrhea, coughs, etc. He helped to alleviate all these needs, often in the face of indifference, delays and even open opposition.

3) There were many orphans, prey to pimps or used as house slaves. In time he was caring for over a hundred orphan boys himself. Besides spiritual teaching, he involved them in his building projects.

4) He laboured to raise the living conditions of the lepers, helping them erect their cottages, bringing in an adequate water supply from a stream a long way off, insisting on better food and adequate clothing. He dug their graves and made their coffins. Fr de Veuster loved God and his whole life long was true to his vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In December 1884, he noticed severe blisters on his feet without the presence of pain. He died of leprosy on April 15, 1889 after 16 years of undaunted dedication. No wonder that he has become the Patron of those afflicted with HIV and AIDS.

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:01:32 GMT

Jezu, ufam Tobie!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:09:17 GMT

Abortifacients -- The Other Forbidden Grief

I thought birth control pills stopped fertilization when in fact that is not the case. The pills stop the already-fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. In other words, they act as abortifacients.

I didn't realize the impact this new found information would have on me until several years later when I was with a friend visiting Epcot Center in Disney World. It was in the Wonder of Life exhibit where I would come to the complete realization of the consequences of my birth control actions. As I began to watch a beautiful photographic video showing the wonder of how life began, I realized what taking the birth control pills really meant: aborting new life. ....I came to grips with the fact that I had not only shut myself off to life, but had also destroyed an unknown number of children. I came out of that exhibit and there was a giant rushing water fountain nearby. I walked over to it and began to sob uncontrollably. I stayed there for quite some time absorbed in my sudden feelings of grief and remorse. This was the very first time I became aware of the full impact of what I had done.

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:38:59 GMT

Ten lies that lead to divorce

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:30:53 GMT

"Our true humanness is found only in a relationship with God."

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:02:38 GMT

Killing Rifqa

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:35:58 GMT

Chickens Not Fooled by GM Crops

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:20:18 GMT

What Will You Say When God Asks: "Where Are Those Whom I Have Entrusted to You?"

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:58:13 GMT

Nashville nuns attracting most US postulants

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:07:12 GMT

The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:07:32 GMT

Life of young, vibrant Catholic, inspires many to come back to the Church

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:41:37 GMT

Eucharistic adoration leading to booming vocations in Uganda

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:17:28 GMT

The disasters of the Quran_1
The disasters of the Quran_2
The disasters of the Quran_3
Of all the religions Islam is the only one that has to threaten its adherents with death if they try to break away.

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:32:37 GMT

Ultrasound technology is partly responsible for Americans’ gradual shift to identifying themselves as pro-life.

Sun, 17 May 2009 12:13:25 GMT

The 13th day

October 13th 1917, Fatima, Portugal.

FACT: Over 70,000 witnesses watched the sun spinning in the sky before plummeting towards the earth, in an extraordinary prophesised event, which became known as ‘The Miracle of the Sun’.

In a world torn apart by persecution, war and oppression, 3 children were chosen to offer a message of hope to the world.

Based on the memoirs of the oldest Seer, Lucia Santos, and many thousands of independent eye-witness accounts, The 13th Day dramatizes the TRUE story of three young shepherds who experienced six interactive apparitions with a “Lady from Heaven” between May and October 1917, which culminated into the final prophesized Miracle.

Abducted from their homes, thrown into prison and interrogated under the threat of death in the government’s attempt to silence them, the children remained true to their story.

The lady, who later revealed herself to be the Blessed Mary, gave a SECRET to the children told in three parts, from a harrowing vision of hell, to prophetic warnings of future events including the advent and timing of the Second World War, the spread of communism, and the assassination of the Pope.

All three Seers have since die. Two of them have been beatified.

Stylistically beautiful and technically innovative, writer-directors Ian & Dominic Higgins use state-of-the-art digital effects to create stunning images of the visions and the final miracle that have never before been fully realized on screen.

Shot on location in Portugal and in the UK, 13th Day Films worked with a cast of over 250 to re-create the scenes of the 70,000 strong crowds, and 3 Portuguese children play the iconic roles of the Seers.

Witness the greatest miracle of the 20th Century, and experience the incredible, emotionally-charged and often harrowing world of three young children whose choice to remain loyal to their beliefs, even in the face of death, would inspire thousands.

Running Time: 85 minutes
Format: High Definition / Dolby Surround Sound
Rights Ownership: 100% worldwide.

Thu, 14 May 2009 14:26:22 GMT

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R. (1819-1867)

Thu, 14 May 2009 14:12:03 GMT

National March For Life, May 14 2009 at noon, Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Thu, 14 May 2009 13:50:44 GMT

Holy Father to grant plenary indulgences for the Year of Priests

The means to obtain the indulgence are as follows:

(A) All truly penitent priests who, on any day, devotedly pray Lauds or Vespers before the Blessed Sacrament exposed to public adoration or in the tabernacle, and ... offer themselves with a ready and generous heart for the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance, will be granted a Plenary Indulgence, which they can also apply to their deceased confreres, if in accordance with current norms they take Sacramental Confession and the Eucharist and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. Priests are furthermore granted a Partial Indulgence, also applicable to deceased confreres, every time they devotedly recite the prayers duly approved to lead a saintly life and to carry out the duties entrusted to them.

(B) All truly penitent Christian faithful who, in church or oratory, devotedly attend Holy Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mold them to His Heart, are granted a Plenary Indulgence, on the condition that they have expiated their sins through Sacramental Confession and prayed in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. This may be done on the opening and closing days of the Year of Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the faithful.

The elderly, the sick and all those who for any legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain a plenary indulgence if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, "on the days concerned, they pray for the sanctification of priests and offer their sickness and suffering to God through Mary, Queen of the Apostles."

Additionally, a partial indulgence will be offered to the faithful each time they pray five “Our Father,” “Hail Mary” and “Glory Be,” or any other duly approved prayer "in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to ask that priests maintain purity and sanctity of life."

Thu, 07 May 2009 19:14:32 GMT

Woman with multiple sclerosis throws away crutches at Lourdes

Thu, 07 May 2009 19:12:18 GMT

Eight Habits of Highly Effective Bishops

Tue, 05 May 2009 19:37:48 GMT

Muslim Demographics

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:24:57 GMT

First Church built in Cuba in fifty years.

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:43:41 GMT

There cannot be anything great in us in the sight of God except our passive endurance. Therefore let us think of it no more, let us leave the care of our sanctification to God who well knows how to effect it. It all depends on the watchful care, and particular operation of divine Providence, and is accomplished in a great measure without our knowledge, and even in a way that is unexpected, and disagreeable to us. Let us fulfill peacefully the little duties of our active fidelity, without aspiring to those that are greater, because God does not give Himself to us by reason of our own efforts. We shall become saints of God, of His grace, and of His special providence. He knows what rank to give us, let us leave it to Him, and without forming to ourselves false ideas, and empty systems of sanctity, let us content ourselves with loving Him unceasingly, and in pursuing with simplicity the path He has marked out for us, where all is so mean and paltry in our eyes, and in the estimation of the world. Jean Pierre de Caussade, S.J. - Abandonment to Divine Providence.

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:58:38 GMT

The Prophecies and Revelations of Saint Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:15:54 GMT

Umbert the Unborn

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:49:09 GMT

"Come and See" Evenings:
March 20, 2009
April 17, 2009

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:22:20 GMT

The Jesuit Who Inspired the Pope's Ideas on Islam

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:58:36 GMT

"Brain Death" as Criteria for Organ Donation is a "Deception": Bereaved Mother

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:03:28 GMT

The Spirit of Islam