Thursday, September 30, 2010

Our Lady of Good Remedy 9/30-10/8/2010



O QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, Most Holy Virgin, we venerate thee. Thou art the beloved Daughter of the Most High God, the chosen Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and the Sacred Vessel of the Most Holy Trinity.
O Mother of the Divine Redeemer, who under the title of Our Lady of Good Remedy comes to the aid of all who call upon thee, extend thy maternal protection to us. We depend on thee, Dear Mother, as helpless and needy children depend on a tender and caring mother.
Hail, Mary....
How Devotion to Our Lady of Good Remedy Started
O LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, grant that we may draw from thy treasury of graces in our time of need.
Touch the hearts of sinners, that they may seek reconciliation and forgiveness. Bring comfort to the afflicted and the lonely; help the poor and the hopeless; aid the sick and the suffering. May they be healed in body and strengthened in spirit to endure their sufferings with patient resignation and Christian fortitude.
Hail, Mary....
DEAR LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, thy compassionate heart knows a remedy for every affliction and misery we encounter in life. Help me with thy prayers and intercession to find a remedy for my problems and needs, especially for... (Mention your intentions here).
O loving Mother, on my part, I pledge to adopt a more intensely Christian lifestyle, to a more careful observance of the laws of God, to be more conscientious in fulfilling the obligations of my state in life, and to strive to be a source of healing in this broken world of ours.
Dear Lady of Good Remedy, be ever present to me, and through thy intercession, may I enjoy health of body and peace of mind, and grow stronger in the faith and in the love of thy Son, Jesus.
Hail, Mary.....
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of Good Remedy,
R. That we may deepen our dedication to thy Son, and make the world alive with His Spirit.

A Little Update

I haven't been very active lately, due to some health, emotional and sleeping issues .. but, as they say, "this too shall pass" ;)
At any rate, I wanted to just mention that I add quotes, Vortex videos, prayer requests and some other things in the static pages nearly on a daily basis. These won't show as a new post, cuz they're in static pages, so please check what interests you on the right side bar for new content.
I'm going to focus more on this blog rather than my starkvisions.com website because if anything happens to me (not in the best of health lol), eventually my domains will be removed, but this online blog will remain for some time I would think because new content is automatic on some side bar 3rd party applications. So .. that's the reason for that! ;)
I also think I'm going to start with more personal thoughts and opinions rather than just news events, etc. .. we'll see how that goes. Anyway, I'm growing, slowly but surely as they say. Please make it a point to visit the prayer requests daily and pray for the folks that have specifically asked and please .. never forget the souls in purgatory and conversion of souls on earth .. oh yeah, and all the lil ole rosary makers trying to make Jesus and Mary smile :)
God bless!

Monday, September 27, 2010

A Catholic "Tea Party" Group?

As faithful Catholics, we need to pray for discernment. There are many many liberal and yes, even subversive clergy in the ranks these days. I believe many of them aren't willfully attempting to destroy the Faith, but many inadvertently DO, due to their complacency and fear of offending and trying to remain 'politically correct'. We must remember that charity .. TRUE CHARITY, is not merely giving alms to the poor and other corporal good works. Real charity means going to our brothers and sisters with LOVE and RESPECT when we see them faultering or actually falling into sin. To say nothing and let them fall deeper makes us accomplices in their sin. I know this is very hard with priests and religious and all clergy. But, do you want to be uncomfortable now or answer for it later? ... Let us all pray for the charity, strength and discernment to be able to keep each other on the right path and strengthen one another in Jesus' Merciful Name!
And above all .. PRAY FOR YOUR PRIESTS & ALL CLERGY DAILY!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

The Homosexual Catholic

I think this is a very important topic, as Michael says, where it's so prevalent in the world today in nearly every aspect of our lives for many different reasons. Here's a fresh new way to look at this situation that gives us some insight that perhaps we haven't considered, but should. We definitely should. We all need to show more respect for each other in general, but even moreso for the homosexual population.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Catholic Answers

To start anew from Christ

“Though heaven and earth shall pass away, My words will stand”






 
Here are large excerpts from the homily of Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec City given in his diocese on November 28, 2003, following his elevation to cardinal by Pope John Paul II, in which he calls for a renewal of Christian life in our country:
“Though heaven and earth shall pass away, My words will stand” (Lk 21:33). There was a time when these words created no difficulty here (in the Province of Quebec), because it was so obviously part of our culture, marked by the Christian Faith and values. What a contrast today, when these same words sound weird to the ears of citizens of a multicultural, egalitarian and pluralistic society. The evolution of society seems to go on the exact opposite side of these provocative words of Jesus, as if these words had really passed away, or gone down in the country of free trade and free choice. The very notion of “Word of God” unfortunately disappears from new spiritual currents that emerge, following the religious crisis of my generation.
Having been created a cardinal the day after the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, you will therefore not be surprised for me to echo the cry of the poor, the widow, the orphans, the ignorant, and the excluded. The dramatic situation of our society calls for a reawakening of Christians, and a great wind of hope, founded on He who carries not only values for the future, but carries the very future itself: “Though heaven and earth shall pass away, My words will stand.”
We live in a confused, depressive, and even suicidal society. Out of a hundred pregnancies, thirty-seven are interrupted by abortion. A society that barely gives life, and that gives death so easily, reveals that it is profoundly sick, that it no longer enjoys the beautiful adventure of life. Some sociologists warn us that the social fabric has deteriorated in an alarming way. A climate of inter-generational tension and a rise of violence accompany the breakup of the family, the dropping out of school, the epidemic of suicides that decimate the young generations.
It is in Quebec that one can find the smallest number of marriages, and the  highest number of divorces. Family values, which were, in times past, rooted in a generous Catholic culture of life, are demolished by the idolatry of the self, exaggerated individualism, and the search for selfish and narcissistic, promoted by the media. Our society is out of breath; it suffocates in an atmosphere polluted by alcohol, drugs, gambling, and pornography.
I stop here describing this gloomy — yet incomplete  — picture, for fear of increasing depression even more. Dear friends, brothers and sisters, have we not a big gap in values to make up, do we not suffer from a grave deficiency of spiritual energy that erodes our solidarity and saps our motivation for work? How can this dangerous slide towards self-destruction be stopped?
The Word of God that we have just heard reminds us of the foundation of our history and of our Catholic identity: “Though heaven and earth shall pass away, My words will stand.” The Christian history of this land has been written, at its beginnings, with the blood of the martyrs, who announced the Gospel to the first nations. Facing the challenges of the third millennium, has not the time come to “start anew from Christ”, as Pope John Paul II courageously invites us to do? Since my arrival in Quebec, I can feel a strong trend along this line. I discover encouraging signs of Faith, love and generosity in many circles...
Yet, much remains to be done and restored to realize a new evangelization that reaches the poor, those who remain distant, and the victims of injustices. By returning to Christ for a new start, don't we all need — and first of all we, the ministers of the Gospel — to invoke His Mercy for our abdications and betrayals of all sorts, that darkened the testimony of the Church, and tarnished its contribution to the welfare of society? The profound crisis of hope of our society also depends on our sins and on our little faith in the tenderness of His Mercy. The Merciful Christ wants to utter on each one of us, personally, His words of forgiveness and peace.
Since Easter and Pentecost, the Church lives by this mercy diffused by the Holy Spirit, which turned scared disciples into bold and invincible missionaries. Their apostolic testimony, transmitted by the great tradition of the Fathers of the Church and doctors of the Middle Ages, has shaped the Catholic heritage that has reached us. Brothers and sisters, the time of Christianity is not over. It is the practical atheism and relativism of our society that have failed. The tragic lessons from the wars and genocides of the last century urge us to rebuild the society of the future on spiritual and religious foundations. André Malraux wrote, from the top of his observatory of the history of cultures: “The twenty-first century will be religious, or it will not be at all.”
People of Quebec and of Canada, the time has come for a reawakening of consciences, and a new quest for spiritual values that can give back strength and motivation to our society. A common effort of the State, society, and churches is necessary to create a new sense of belonging to a community where human values must prevail over the demands of market and profit. Quebec must make the most of all its resources, and cultivate its spiritual heritage if it wants to continue to exist as a distinct community in North America.
To maintain and exploit requires a genuine family policy, a new inter-generational solidarity, and also schools which remain an important place for the transmission of the religious culture among our population. Recent Law 118 (which abolishes denominational schools) has not, and must not, make Catholic religious teaching disappear from schools, even if new modes of enforcement of the law remain to be defined in the real world, with all due respect due to the new religious diversity and the continuation of the Catholic heritage received from our ancestors.
Brothers and sisters, the time has come for a new start and a concerted effort to give our children reasons for coming into the world and living. Duc in Altum, let's advance into deep water; let's throw our nets on the side of the Word of God, and we will be surprised with the miraculous draught in our own society. Yes, let's hold our heads up high, for our deliverance is near. The time for the return of the King has come. Let us not be afraid to open wide the doors to Christ. He brings us the happiness and the true liberty of the children of God. May our communities be vibrant with gratitude and missionary charity, and may they radiate the values of compassion, justice and hope that our world needs so badly.
 
St. John the Baptist
St. John the Baptist is the patron of the French Canadians. On his feast day, June 24, 2003, Cardinal Ouellet gave a homily that reflected on the Catholic heritage of the French Canadians that is now threatened:
John the Baptist preached a baptism of conversion, and did not hesitate to denounce Herod, who lived in an irregular marital situation. This prophetic audacity cost him his head, when Herod's partner had a chance to take her revenge. What would he have denounced today as regards marriage? I let you guess... for it is quite obvious. However, I will not imitate him... not only for not losing my head, but also for not losing the opportunity to announce the main point of his message, Jesus.
The good news of children! This was, in times past, the strength and grandeur of Quebec... The good news of children who have a real father and a real mother, who are married together, and who still live together after ten, twenty, thirty years, thanks to their Christian Faith. Do today's governments — either federal or provincial — have something better to offer with their new laws?
St. Anne, protect our families
St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, is the patron saint of the Province of Quebec. On July 26, 2003, Cardinal Ouellet gave a homily at the shrine of St. Anne de Beaupré, calling for her protection over families:
The family, the basic cell of society and of the Church, is seriously threatened by trends of opinion that go against our traditional values. The spectacular rise of abortion, since a few decades, make the birth rate fall to an all-time low, to the point of making adoption almost non-existent. In Quebec, we do without orphanages and adoptive families because unwanted babies are killed. One out of four pregnancies ends up with an abortion. This is a real catastrophe that should be avoided, not only out of respect for life, but also out of compassion for these women who pay a heavy price for a decision hastily made...
To this disaster of abortion, one must also add now this federal bill that wants to change the definition of marriage to allow same-sex marriages... Even if some pressure groups seem to enjoy unlimited power to impose their views, let us throw in the balance the weight of our Faith and prayers, and also ask for the grace to act socially and politically, in order to avoid the ruin of society, which is battling against what Pope John Paul II calls a culture of death. Let us not lose hope; everything is not lost yet. The grace of God still works wonders in our society, and can do even more if we join forces to defend our traditional values... Good St. Anne, hope of a nation in distress, pray for us!
+ Marc Cardinal Ouellet

This article was published in the March-April, 2004 issue of “Michael”.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Phenominal Actual Video of Stigmata in Progress

For your discernment ... remember, even after Church approval, the faithful are not obligated to believe the apparition, locution or any other private revelation. We must always be careful to focus on the MESSAGE and not the messenger and test all things according to Scripture and Tradition!







Here's a link regarding how we should be disposed to assist at Holy Mass ... REALLY WORTH READING!

Happy Feast Day St. Padré Pio! CAPUCHIN FRANCISCAN MYSTIC AND STIGMATIC

Like the Apostle Paul, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina placed at the centre of his life and apostolic work the Cross of his Lord as his strength, his wisdom and his glory. Inflamed by love of Jesus Christ, he became like him in the sacrifice of himself for the salvation of the world. In his following and imitation of the crucified Christ he was so generous and perfect that he could have said: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20). And the treasures of grace which God had granted him so lavishly he unceasingly passed on through his ministry, serving the men and women who came to him in ever greater numbers, and bringing to birth an immense host of spiritual sons and daughters.

This worthy follower of St Francis of Assisi was born on 25 May 1887 at Pietrelcina in the Archdiocese of Benevento, the son of Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa De Nunzio. He was baptized the next day and given the name Francesco. At the age 12 he received the sacrament of Confirmation and made his First Holy Communion.

Like the Apostle Paul, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina placed at the centre of his life and apostolic work the Cross of his Lord as his strength, his wisdom and his glory. Inflamed by love of Jesus Christ, he became like him in the sacrifice of himself for the salvation of the world. In his following and imitation of the crucified Christ he was so generous and perfect that he could have said: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20). And the treasures of grace which God had granted him so lavishly he unceasingly passed on through his ministry, serving the men and women who came to him in ever greater numbers, and bringing to birth an immense host of spiritual sons and daughters.

This worthy follower of St Francis of Assisi was born on 25 May 1887 at Pietrelcina in the Archdiocese of Benevento, the son of Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa De Nunzio. He was baptized the next day and given the name Francesco. At the age 12 he received the sacrament of Confirmation and made his First Holy Communion.

On 6 January 1903, at the age of 16, he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars at Morcone, where on 22 January he took the Franciscan habit and the name Brother Pio. At the end of his novitiate year he took simple vows, and on 27 January 1907 made his solemn profession.

After he was ordained a priest on 10 August 1910 at Benevento, he stayed at home with his family until 1916 for health reasons. In September of that year he was sent to the friary of San Giovanni Rotondo and remained there until his death.

Filled with love of God and love of neighbour, Padre Pio lived to the full the vocation to work for the redemption of man, in accordance with the special mission which marked his entire life and which he exercised through the spiritual direction of the faithful, the sacramental reconciliation of penitents and the celebration of the Eucharist. The pinnacle of his apostolic activity was the celebration of Holy Mass. The faithful who took part witnessed the summit and fullness of his spirituality.

On the level of social charity, he committed himself to relieving the pain and suffering of many families, chiefly through the foundation of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (House for the Relief of Suffering), opened on 5 May 1956.

For the servant of God, faith was life: he willed everything and did everything in the light of faith. He was assiduously devoted to prayer. He passed the day and a large part of the night in conversation with God. He would say: "in books we seek God, in prayer we find him. Prayer is the key which opens God's heart". Faith led him always to accept God's mysterious will.

He was always immersed in supernatural realities. Not only was he himself a man of hope and total trust in God, but by word and example he communicated these virtues to all who approached him.

The love of God filled him, and satisfied his every desire; charity was the chief inspiration of his day: to love God and to help others to love him. His special concern was to grow in charity and to lead others to do so.
He demonstrated to the full his love of neighbour by welcoming, for more than 50 years, countless people who had recourse to his ministry and his confessional, his counsel and his consolation. He was almost besieged: they sought him in church, in the sacristy, in the friary. And he gave himself to everyone, rekindling faith, dispensing grace, bringing light. But especially in the poor, the suffering and the sick he saw the image of Christ, and he gave himself particularly to them.

He exercised to an exemplary degree the virtue of prudence, acting and counseling in the light of God.
His concern was the glory of God and the good of souls. He treated everyone with justice, frankness and great respect.

The virtue of fortitude shone in him. He understood very early in life that his would be the way of the Cross, and he accepted it at once with courage and out of love. For many years, he experienced spiritual sufferings. For years he endured the pains of his wounds with admirable serenity. He accepted in silence the many interventions of his superiors, and in the face of calumnies he always remained silent.
He habitually practised mortification in order to gain the virtue of temperance, in keeping with the Franciscan style. He was temperate in his attitude and in his way of life.

Conscious of the commitments which he had undertaken when he entered the consecrated life, he observed with generosity the vows he had professed. He was obedient in all things to the commands of his superiors, even when they were burdensome. His obedience was supernatural in intention, universal in its scope and complete in its execution. He lived the spirit of poverty with total detachment from self, from earthly goods, from his own comfort and from honours. He always had a great love for the virtue of chastity. His behaviour was modest in all situations and with all people.

He sincerely thought of himself as useless, unworthy of God's gifts, full of weakness and infirmity, and at the same time blessed with divine favours. Amid so much admiration around him, he would say: "I only want to be a poor friar who prays".

From his youth, his health was not very robust, and especially in the last years of his life it declined rapidly. Sister Death took him well prepared and serene on 23 September 1968 at the age of 81. An extraordinary gathering of people attended his funeral.

On 20 February 1971, barely three years after the death of the servant of God, Pope Paul VI, speaking to the superiors of the Capuchin Order, said of him: "Look what fame he had, what a worldwide following gathered around him! But why? Perhaps because he was a philosopher? Because he was wise? Because he had resources at his disposal? Because he said Mass humbly, heard confessions from dawn to dusk and was—it is not easy to say it—one who bore the wounds of our Lord. He was a man of prayer and suffering".
Even during his lifetime, he enjoyed a vast reputation for sanctity because of his virtues, his spirit of prayer, sacrifice and total dedication to the good of souls.

In the years following his death, his reputation for sanctity and miracles grew steadily and became established in the Church, all over the world and among all kinds of people.

God thus showed the Church his desire to glorify on earth his faithful servant. In a short time the Capuchin Order took the steps prescribed by canon law to begin the cause of beatification and canonization. After examining the case, the Holy See, in accordance with the norm of the Motu Proprio Sanctitas clarior, granted the nihil obstat on 29 November 1982. The Archbishop of Manfredonia was thus abled to introduce the cause and set up the informative process (1983-90). On 7 December 1990 the Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognized its juridical validity. When the Positio had been completed, there was the usual discussion on whether the servant of God had exercised the virtues to a heroic degree. On 13 June 1997 the special meeting of the theological consultors was held and gave a positive judgement. In the ordinary session on 21 October 1997, with Bishop Andrea Maria Erba of Velletri-Segni as the proposer of the cause, the Cardinals and Bishops recognized that Padre Pio of Pietrelcina had lived to a heroic degree the theological, cardinal and associated virtues.

On 18 December 1997, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, the decree on heroic virtues was promulgated.
For the beatification of Padre Pio, the Postulation presented to the competent Congregation the healing of Mrs. Consiglia De Martino of Salerno. The regular canonical process concerning this case was held at the ecclesiastical tribunal of the Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno from July 1996 to June 1997, and the case was recognized as valid by a decree dated 26 September 1997. On 30 April 1998 at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Medical Board examined the miracle, and on 22 June 1998 the special meeting of theological consultors gave its judgement. On 20 October 1998 the ordinary congregation of the Cardinals and Bishops belonging to the Congregation, together with the proposer, Bishop Andrea M. Erba, was held in the Vatican.

On 21 December 1998, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, the decree on the miracle was promulgated

O Lord Jesus Christ, who, when the world was growing cold, in order to enkindle in our hearts the fire of Thy love, didst renew the sacred marks of Thy Passion on the body of St. Pio of Pietrelcina: mercifully grant, that with the aid of his merits and prayers we may ever bear our cross, and bring forth worthy fruits of penance. St. Pio, pray for us! Amen.

St. Padre Pio, most powerful on this your feast day (September 23), pray for us!


SPIRITUAL MAXIMS OF PADRE PIO
[1] “Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds Him.”

[2] “The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual  struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain.”

[3]  “Whoever does not meditate is like someone who never looks in the mirror before going out, doesn’t bother to see if he’s today, and may go out dirty without knowing it. The person who meditates and turns his mind to God, who is the mirror of his soul, seeks to know his fault, tries to correct them, moderates his impulses, and puts his conscience in order.”

[4] “If we are calm and persevering, we shall find not only ourselves, but our souls, and with that, God Himself.”

[5] “The demon has only one door by which to enter into our soul: the will; there are no secret doors. No sin is a sin if not committed with the will. When there is no action of the will, there is no sin, but only human weakness.”

[6] “God enriches the soul which empties itself of everything.”

[7] “In the spiritual life one must always go on pushing ahead and never go backwards; if not, the same thing happens as to a boat which when it loses headway gets  blown backwards with the wind.”

[8]  “It is not a loss of patience if one asks Jesus to take away pain, when this becomes insupportable to us and beyond our strength, nor does one lose the merit of the suffering which is offered, by asking this of God.”

[9]  “A good heart is always strong, it suffers, but with tears it is consoled by sacrificing itself for its neighbor and for God.”

[10] “Love and fear must go united together, fear without love becomes cowardice. Love without fear becomes presumption. When there is love without fear, love runs without prudence and without restraint, without taking care where it is going.”

[11] “Where there is no obedience there is no virtue, where there is no virtue there is no good, where there is no good there is no love, where there is no love, there is no God, and where there is no god there is no Paradise.”

[12] “Time spent in honor of God and for the salvation of souls is never badly spent.”

[13]  “Keep well dug into your minds the words of Our Lord: In patience you will possess your soul.”

[14] “Pray that God will console you when you feel the burden of the Cross, for in doing so you are in no way acting against the will of God, but you are placing yourself beside the Son of God who asked His Father during the Agony in the Garden to send Him some relief. But if He is not willing to give it be ready to pronounce the same ‘Fiat,’ ‘So be it,’  that Jesus did.”

[15] “Those strong and generous in heart do not complain except for a strong reason, and even then it does not affect them intimately.”

Excerpted from a translation of a copy of a personal letter written by Padre Pio, addressed to the Commission of Heroldsbach appointed by the Vatican, which testifies to the truth and reality of these revelations given by Our Lord to Padre Pio.

(Regarding the 3 days of darkness or the Illumination)


January 28, 1950: "Keep your windows well-covered. Do not look out. Light a blessed candle, which will suffice for many days. Pray the Rosary. Read spiritual books. Make acts of Spiritual Communion, also acts of love, which are so pleasing to Us. Pray with outstretched arms, or prostrate on the ground, in order that many souls may be saved. Do not go outside the house. Provide yourself with sufficient food. The powers of nature shall be moved and a rain of fire shall make people tremble with fear. Have courage! I am in the midst of you."

February 7, 1950: "Take care of the animals during these days. I am the creator and preserver of animals as well as man. I shall give you a few signs beforehand, at which time you should place more food before them. I will preserve the property of the elect, including the animals, for they shall be in need of sustenance afterwards as well. Let no one go across the yard, even to feed the animals - he who steps outside will perish! Cover your windows carefully. My elect shall not see My wrath. Have confidence in Me, and I will be your protection."

"Hurricanes of fire will pour forth from the clouds and spread over the entire earth! Storms, bad weather, thunderbolts and earthquakes will cover the earth for two days. An uninterrupted rain of fire will take place! It will begin during a very cold night. All this is to prove that God is the Master of Creation. Those who hope in Me, and believe in My words, have nothing to fear because I will not forsake them, nor those who spread My message. No harm will come to those who are in the state of grace and who seek My Mother's protection."

"That you may be prepared for these visitations, I will give you the following signs and instructions: The night will be very cold. The wind will roar. After a time a thunderbolt will be heard. Lock all the doors and windows. Talk to no one outside the house. Kneel down before a crucifix, be sorry for your sins, and beg My Mother's protection. Do not look during the earthquake, because the anger of God is holy! Jesus does not want us to behold the anger of God, because God's anger must be contemplated with fear and trembling."

"Those who disregard this advice will be killed instantly. The wind will carry with it poisonous gases which will be diffused over the entire earth. Those who suffer and die innocently will be martyrs and they will be with Me in My Kingdom. Satan will triumph! But in three nights, the earthquake and fire will cease. On the following day the sun will shine again, angels will descend from Heaven and will spread the spirit of peace over the earth. A feeling of immeasurable gratitude will take possession of those who survive this most terrible ordeal, the impending punishment, with which God will visit the earth since creation.

"I have chosen souls in other countries too, such as Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, who have received these revelations so that other countries also may be prepared. Pray the Rosary, but pray it well, so that your prayers may reach Heaven. Soon a more terrible catastrophe shall come upon the entire world, such as never before has been witnessed, a terrible chastisement never before experienced!"

"How unconcerned men are regarding these things! Which shall so soon come upon them, contrary to all expectations. How indifferent they are in preparing themselves for these unheard of events, through which they will have to pass so shortly! The weight of divine balance has reached the earth! The wrath of My Father shall be poured out over the entire world! I am again warning the world through your instrumentality, as I have so often done heretofore."

"This catastrophe shall come upon the earth like a flash of lightning! At which moment the light of the morning sun shall be replaced by black darkness! No one shall leave the house or look out a window from that moment on. I Myself shall come amidst thunder and lightning. The wicked shall behold My Divine Heart. There shall be great confusion because of this utter darkness in which the entire earth shall be enveloped, and many, many shall die from fear and despair."

"On that day, as soon as complete darkness has set in, no one shall leave the house or look from out of the window. The darkness shall last a day and a night followed by another day and night, and another day - but on the night following, the stars will shine again, and on the next morning the sun shall rise again, and it will be SPRINGTIME!! In the days of darkness, My elect shall not sleep, as did the disciples in the garden. They shall pray incessantly, and they shall not be disappointed in Me. I shall gather My elect. Hell will believe itself to be in possession of the entire earth, but I shall reclaim it."

"Again and again I have warned men, and often have I given them special opportunities to return to the right path; but now, wickedness has reached its climax, and the punishment can no longer be delayed. Tell all that the time has come in which these things shall be fulfilled."

Padre Pio Quotations
"Do not disturb your soul at the sad spectacle of human injustice .... One day you will see the inevitable triumph of Divine justice over it."

"The pivot of perfection is love; he who lives in love lives in God, because God is love, as the Apostle says."

"To fail in charity is like wounding God in the apple of His eye. What is more delicate than the pupil of the eye? To fail in charity is like failing against nature."

"Try always to advance more in charity; enlarge your heart with confidence for the divine gifts which the Holy Spirit is anxious to pour into it."

"God can reject everything in a creature conceived in sin and of which it bears the indelible impression inherited from Adam. But He can absolutely not reject the sincere desire to love Him."

"Charity is the queen of virtues. As the pearls are held together by the thread, thus the virtues are held together by charity; as the pearls fall when the thread breaks, thus virtues are lost if charity diminishes."

"Humility and charity go hand in hand. The one glorifies, the other sanctifies."

"The time spent for the glory of God and the salvation of souls is never spent badly."

"Where there is no obedience, there is no virtue; where there is no virtue, there is no good. Where good is wanting, there is no love; where there is no love, God is absent; where God is absent, there is no heaven."

"Obey promptly! Do not consider the age or merit of the person. And in order to succeed, imagine you are obeying the Lord."

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Wisdom from Bishop Sheen

"If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates.    My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh.    If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world.   Look for the Church that is hated by the world, as Christ was hated by the world.   Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times, as Our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned.   Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth.    Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because he called Himself the Truth.    Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ, and respect its voice as the very voice of its Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly, it is other-worldly.    Since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself.…” ~Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

God Bless our "Cheeky" Holy Father!

It's true that the English have many quaint words to describe things that are whimsical yet accurate to the rest of us not overly familiar with them all, not to mention many times; spot on. I think CHEEKY is one of those terms. However 'cheeky' our Holy Father was in his speeches and silent stances, one thing is certain .. he gave them IN YOUR FACE TRUTH in a respectful, loving and forthright manner while pointing clearly to the direction that leads to Truth, joy and our ultimate destination of heaven. All this he did while being encouraging and bestowing honor on one of the UK's own that didn't let public opinion sway him from the Truth when he found it. Blessed Cardinal John Newman! All the publicized hate towards Pope Benedict before he even left the Vatican, seemed to quickly disappear and certainly the overall trip was a spectacular success.
Just goes to show ya ... all the prayers before his trip and during were not left unheard ;)
God bless our German Shepherd we need to pray daily for his intentions, his strength, health and for his continued safety.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Pope gives sniffer dog a pat of thanks

By Rupert de Lisle on Monday, 20 September 2010

Pope gives sniffer dog a pat of thanks
Pope Benedict XVI yesterday stopped to give a police dog an unexpected pat while thanking some of the 2,000 members of the West Midlands Police who had helped to protect him during his visit.
After meeting the seminarians of England, Wales and Scotland at Oscott College, Sutton Coldfield, the Pope saw Jake, a black Springador who acts as an explosives sniffer for the police.
Wading through a crowd of public servants the Pope was greeted by the dog, who appeared to enjoy the attention.
Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe said: “It was a pleasure to meet his Holiness and very kind of him to take time to extend thanks to all the officers involved in the police operation.”
“This has been a hugely complex operation. It has involved agencies from across the public and private sector and been months in the planning.  I’m pleased to say it has been a resounding success.”
The Pope expressed his gratitude “for all the hard work of preparation” for his visit before departing for Rome from Birmingham International Airport.

I've got to say here that with all the initially bad PR before he arrived there and the threats of possible agitation and safety issues, 'alls well that ends well'! He asked for prayers before he left. Millions of faithful gave him just that. There were rosaries, prayers, hopes and well wishes from the faithful for more than a week before he left and all during his visit there. Many of us were nervous where there were threats of 'civil arrest' by atheists and others seemingly living solely for the purpose of making Benedict PAY for ANYTHING that's been done in ANY denomination of Christianity since time immemorial! Well, can't tell me prayer doesn't work. Not only was he safe with no real mishaps (even the one effort was thwarted without any real impact, thank God), but many of the media now hold a new found respect and perhaps even reverence for him. His trip was a colossal success, Praise God! :)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pope declares elderly are a ‘blessing for society,’


.-

The Holy Father visited a home for the elderly in London's Vauxhall area on Saturday afternoon. In his remarks, Pope Benedict referred to the growing population of elderly in the world as "a blessing for society." He said that their care should be more a "repayment of a debt of gratitude" than a mere "act of generosity." He met with individuals both in the institution's chapel and the theater. Lauding the Church's work in respecting and caring for the elderly, he told his audience of residents and caretakers that blessings are bestowed on those who keep the commandment to "honor your father and mother."
"God wills a proper respect for the dignity and worth, the health and well-being of the elderly and, through her charitable institutions in Britain and beyond, the Church seeks to fulfill the Lord’s command to respect life, regardless of age or circumstances," he stated.
He spoke of life as "a unique gift from conception until natural death" and said that "it is God's alone to give and to take."
These words are a strong witness in the U.K., where the legalization of euthanasia has significant support.
"One may enjoy good health in old age," continued the Pope, "but equally Christians should not be afraid to share in the suffering of Christ, if God wills that we struggle with infirmity."
He spoke of the case of the suffering of Pope John Paul II late in life, saying that "(i)t was clear to all of us that he did so in union with the sufferings of our Savior." His "cheerfulness and forbearance" in that time was a "remarkable and moving example" to all elderly.
The Pope went on to refer to himself "not only as a father, but also as a brother who knows well the joys and the struggles that come with age." He noted that long life allows the "marvelous chance to deepen our awareness of the mystery of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity."
While the physical condition can deteriorate compromised, the late years of one's life "may well be among the most spiritually fruitful years of our lives," he said. They can be years to remember loved ones in prayer and offer a lifetime of experiences to God.
"This," Benedict XVI concluded, "will surely be a great spiritual comfort and enable us to discover anew his love and goodness all the days of our life."

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Police Foil Plot to Attack Pope in UK

London, England (CNN) -- Investigators in Britain arrested six men on suspicion of terrorism Friday and reviewed security arrangements for Pope Benedict XVI's trip there, authorities said.
Some news reports said the arrests involved a potential threat to the pope, who was in London on Friday, but the Metropolitan Police declined to say whether the case was directly linked to the pontiff's visit.
Police said they were satisfied the pope's security plan remains "appropriate," and the pope's itinerary did not change.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the pope and his representatives were not particularly worried about the arrests.
"The police have already said that the information they have until now collected demonstrated there is no need to change anything about the program of the pope and the security," Lombardi told reporters in London.
He said he believed the police had simply taken "normal precautionary measures," and everyone remained calm.
"The pope is happy with the trip until now, and we can go on with the same joy as until now," Lombardi said.
Five suspects arrested earlier in the day are street cleaners in Westminster, the borough of London that includes Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and many of the city's tourist attractions, the Westminster City Council said.
They work for one of Westminster's contractors, Veolia Environmental Services, the council said.
It said all staff are subject to checks to make sure they are eligible to work in England, referencing questions about the men's nationality.
The men arrested appeared to be Algerian, a high-ranking source familiar with the investigation said, adding that some or all of them were probably in the country illegally.
The men were arrested around 5:45 a.m. at a business on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, police said.
The men are ages 26, 27, 36, 40 and 50, and were taken to a central London police station to be interviewed by detectives.
A sixth man, 29, was arrested later in the day by counterterrorism detectives investigating the possible plot against the pope, Scotland Yard said.
The men were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows police to hold them without charge for 28 days.
Searches were being carried out at a business in central London and at residential locations in north and east London, police said.
Searches of the men's homes have not turned up any terrorism-related paraphernalia such as bomb-making materials, the source said.
"Today's arrests were made after police received information," police said. "Following initial inquiries by detectives a decision was made to arrest the five men."
Police added there was no change to the threat level in the United Kingdom as a result of the arrests.
The arrests came on the second day of the pope's four-day trip to Britain, and on his first full day in the capital.
After holding an event in south London with Catholic schoolchildren and educators, then meeting with religious leaders, the pope met the archbishop of Canterbury -- the leader of the Anglican Church -- at his London residence of Lambeth Palace. It is the first time a pope has ever visited Lambeth Palace, and the visit marked a bridge between the two faiths.
"Part of what's at stake here is history," said John Allen, CNN's senior vatican analyst. "This is a schism between Roman Catholicism and the Anglican Communion that dates to the English reformation in the 16th century."
Pope Benedict and Archbishop Rowan Williams are friends, Allen said, but they have long-standing problems to deal with in the relationship between their churches. The Anglican Church has adopted fairly liberal policies on things like female priests, female bishops, and blessing gay marriages, much to the disapproval of the Catholic Church.
Earlier this year, many Anglicans objected when Benedict created new structures to welcome disaffected Anglicans into the Catholic fold.
"It is not my intention today to speak of the difficulties that the ecumenical path has encountered and continues to encounter," the pope said at Lambeth Palace, acknowledging the problems. "Rather, I wish to join you in giving thanks for the deep friendship that has grown between us and for the remarkable progress that has been made in so many areas of dialogue."
Stressing, however, the firm stance of the Vatican, the pope then said, "We recognize that the church is called to be inclusive, yet never at the expense of Christian truth."
The pope also spoke to members of the British Parliament at London's historic Westminster Hall.
It was there in 1535 that Thomas More, a Catholic, was convicted of treason and sentenced to death for refusing to accept King Henry VIII's marriage annulment and repudiate the pope after Henry broke with the Vatican and created the Anglican Church. The pope paused at the spot where More was condemned.
The pope told the legislators that the central questions in More's trial were still presenting themselves in "ever-changing terms as new social conditions emerge."
"I would suggest that the world of reason and the world of faith -- the world of secular rationality and the world of religious belief -- need one another and should not be afraid to enter into a profound and ongoing dialogue, for the good of our civilization," he said. "Religion, in other words, is not a problem for legislators to solve, but a vital contributor to the national conversation."
Later, at nearby Westminster Abbey, an Anglican church, the pope prayed alongside the archbishop of Canterbury at the tomb of Edward the Confessor, the English king who built the abbey and was buried there after his death in 1066.
He spoke once again about the commitment to unity among Christian churches while noting the obstacles.
"We know that the friendships we have forged, the dialogue which we have begun and the hope which guides us will provide strength and direction as we persevere on our common journey," he said. "At the same time, with evangelical realism, we must also recognize the challenges which confront us, not only along the path of Christian unity, but also in our task of proclaiming Christ in our day."
Thursday, Benedict said the Roman Catholic Church has not been vigilant enough or fast enough in responding to the problem of sexual abuse by priests.
"These revelations were for me a shock and a great sadness. It is difficult to understand how this perversion of the priestly ministry was possible," he told reporters aboard his plane to Scotland. "How a man who has done this and said this (in his priestly vows) can fall into this perversion is difficult to understand."
He added, "It is also a great sadness that the authorities of the church were not sufficiently vigilant and insufficiently quick and decisive in taking the necessary measures."
British people feel overwhelmingly that the pope has not done enough to punish priests who abuse children, according to a ComRes poll for CNN released as Benedict arrived in the country. Three out of four British people -- and two out of three Catholics in the country -- say he should do more to punish abusive clergy.
Thursday, tens of thousands turned out to hear the pope preach in Glasgow, Scotland, with members of the faithful describing it as a "happy day" and calling it a "great honor" that he had come.
Benedict started his visit in Edinburgh, where he held a meeting with the queen and greeted thousands who turned out to see him on the streets of the Scottish city.
Though a pope has visited Britain once before -- Pope John Paul II in 1982 -- this is considered the first state visit by a pope to Britain because it comes at the invitation of the queen, not the Catholic Church, as was the case 28 years ago.

CNN's Richard Greene, Laura Perez Maestro, Andy Carey and Antonia Mortensen in London, England, and Kathleen Johnston in Atlanta, Georgia, contributed to this report.

Who and WHAT are We REALLY Electing These Days?

Why isn't this plain and clear to everyone?????

Friday, September 17, 2010

A Prayer To The Holy Spirit

Dear Father, in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to stir up within me the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to grow in my relationship with the Third Person of Your Holy Trinity and to live in His power and use His gifts.

Lord Jesus, You promised, "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26). Help me to remember that I don't know everything, and that this is okay, because the Holy Spirit understands it all. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and His understanding of everything that is happening in my life.

O Holy Spirit, Jesus asked the Father to give me the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17). Help me to recognize You in the scriptures. Open my mind to understand Your truths, and open my heart to accept Your truths in faith even before I gain right understanding.

O Holy Spirit, Jesus said, "The one who receives the seed that falls on good soil hears the word and understands it. He produces an abundant crop" (Matt. 13:23). Be the gardener of my life. Nourish the seeds of heaven that You have already placed within me and make it grow so that Your love, Your ways, and Your kingdom will always grow within me and produce much good fruit for others.

O Holy Spirit, Jesus said, "Do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say" (Luke 12:11-12). Help me to trust in You always. Help me to remember that with You, nothing is impossible, and that You work everything according to what is good and right and timely, even if it doesn't seem so to me.

O Holy Spirit, Jesus said, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and everything else you need will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33). Help me to let go of all my earthly attachments. First help me to recognize what I am attached to that is not of You, and then hold my hand as I walk away from the things of the world. Give me the determination and the strength to let go so that I have no other gods before me. I want only You.

O Holy Spirit, You are the Comforter. Help me to let go of the losses in my life. Heal my heart. And help me to face my sinfulness and to feel genuine sorrow for the damage ~ both intentional and unintentional ~ that I have inflicted on others and in so doing have inflicted on Jesus. Comfort me as I mourn my need for forgiveness, and give me Your spirit of rejoicing over this new growth in me.

O Holy Spirit, Jesus freely chose to suffer and die for me because of His tremendous love for me. I have pains in my life ~ hurts, wounds, sufferings, trials, difficulties ~ and I want to run from them. Strengthen me to follow in Jesus' footsteps so that I can walk my road to Calvary without fearing evil, and lead me into my new life of victory and resurrection.

O Holy Spirit, Jesus said that He would not leave us orphans, but would send You to us (John 14:18). How often I have wept or complained because it seemed like You were not with me in my sorrows and sufferings! Help me to recognize Your presence in ALL situations. Help me to turn to You and find You, for You never leave me nor abandon me. You care even more about me and my problems than I do. You are working a plan for my benefit, to make good come from everything that happens to me. Help me to discover Your presence in every moment of my life.

O Holy Spirit, by the cross of Jesus we are healed! By His resurrection we live in the new life of total, unconditional love. Help me to share that healing love with all those around me. Jesus commanded, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Help me to declare with power the Good News of Jesus Christ. Send me to where You can use my gifts and talents to make a difference.

O Holy Spirit, You gave Yourself to the Virgin Mary and she said "yes" to becoming the mother of the Messiah. Help me to say "yes!" to whatever it is You are calling me to do. I want to serve the Father and make Jesus' love more evident in the world around me.

O Holy Spirit, I have my own expectations about what I should and should not do. I now surrender to You my ideas, my limitations, my preferences, and my goals. Fill me, Holy Spirit, with all Your supernatural gifts! Empower me to accept and grow in the supernatural life as much as the early disciples did. I want to be useful to You. I want to go where You lead me. Holy Spirit, send me forth gifted and empowered to make a difference spreading the Good News of God's forgiving love.

Come, Holy Spirit; renew me. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

St. Padré Pio's Statue Wept Blood - 2002

Italian statue 'weeps blood'

Police wipe the statue with handkerchiefs from believers

Police and crowds gather round the 'weeping' statue of Padre Pio
Thousands of believers have flocked to the Sicilian city of Messina after a statue of the revered Padre Pio began shedding tears some think are blood. A passer-by noticed that the statue seemed to be crying late on Tuesday night.


Statue of Padre Pio
Police are to analyse the red liquid coming from the statue's eyes
He called a local priest who was unable to wipe away the red substance leaking from the eyes of the statue in the centre of the city, according to the Italian news agency Ansa. The suspected miracle was reported on the evening news and sparked mass interest in the statue of Padre Pio who will be made a saint by the Pope in June.
Though claims of weeping statues are not unusual in Italy, the popularity of Padre Pio has made this a special case.
More than 2,000 people rushed to the statue overnight in the square in front of the Church of Madonna of Pompeii. 




Stigmata
Police have taken a sample of the liquid coming from the two-metre (seven-foot) bronze statue for analysis.



Padre Pio de Pietrelcine is one of the most revered religious figures in Italy.
He was considered the first priest in centuries to show the stigmata - the wounds to hands, feet and side suffered by Jesus at his crucifixion.
He has an enormous following and the monastery where he died in 1968 at the age of 81 attracts seven million visitors a year - similar to the numbers who go to France's Lourdes shrine.

Vatican Shocked at Britain's Hostile Reaction to Pope


The hostility that many British are voicing toward Pope Benedict XVI has shocked church officials in Rome as they prepare for the first formal state visit to Great Britain by a reigning pontiff.

The four-day papal visit, which begins Thursday, has prompted negative reactions by far exceeding anything the Pope has encountered when traveling even to non-Christian countries such as Turkey or Israel.

pope,benedict,britain,protests,aide,controversy,third,world,countryThe protests have ranged from the mean-spirited and the tasteless to the vehemently ideological. Some even called for the Pope's arrest upon his arrival in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Queen Elizabeth II is to greet him.

At the bottom of the scale, the cost of the visit — an estimated 10 million pounds (about 15.4 million U.S. dollars) to British taxpayers — has generated repeated complaints, although such protests are never heard when other heads of state come to Britain.

More seriously, a controversy arose in April after the leak of a joke memo that a junior Foreign Office official had written suggesting that the Pope should bless a gay marriage and open an abortion clinic as part of his official program.

The government offered an apology to the Holy See, but the prank betrayed the sort of ignorant contempt that passes for cleverness in the corridors of power in Britain.

The National Secular Society, an atheist lobby group, has submitted to the government a petition against the papal tour and will demonstrate against the pontiff during the visit. The group's opinions are quoted widely and even promoted in the British press whenever the papal visit is discussed. The society’s protests against Islam, by contrast, seem limited to campaigning against the ritual slaughter of animals.

Worst of all have been the antics of those who say they want to put the Pope behind bars. Professor Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, the evolutionary scientist and militant atheist whose book “The God Delusion” sold millions, has stated that he would try to stage a citizen’s arrest of the Pope.

Together with human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC, Dawkins claims the Pope bears guilt for the child abuse scandal. A week before the papal visit, Robertson published a book arguing that Benedict should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity and explaining why he believes the Pope cannot claim sovereign immunity.

And on Monday, just days before the Pope’s plane was to touch down in Edinburgh, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was given an hour on prime-time television to attack the Pope, the visit, and Catholicism generally in the most simplistic and virulent terms.

Indeed, so bad-tempered has been the mood in Britain surrounding the visit that the British ambassador to the Holy See felt compelled to suggest in August that it is better for the Pope to generate hostility than indifference.

But why would there be such enmity in a Christian country when there was none from a Muslim or a Jewish one?

The fact that these attacks come from people who are already discredited has done nothing to stem their resonance. Tatchell attacks the Pope over the child abuse scandal, but he himself defended sexual relations between adults and children as young as 9 in a letter to The Guardian in 1997.

Robertson, meanwhile, was sacked from his post as president of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2004 because he refused to withdraw as judge in a case whose defendants he had proclaimed guilty in one of his books. But he continues to pose as an authority on the law and due process.

On the contrary, the outpouring of anti-Catholic feeling has put British Catholics so far on the defensive that many of them now think their opponents are perhaps at least partly right.

Britain has become one of the most virulently anti-Christian countries in the world. After a few decades in which the traditional anti-Catholic prejudices fell into abeyance, the basic anti-popish reflexes of an ancient Protestant nation have come back with a vengeance, spurred on by ideological attacks on the only Christian church that seems to stand for anything at all. The Anglicans, meanwhile, having been mired in their own internal problems for years.

Common to all these attacks is an obsession with sex and a refusal to see Christianity as anything but a “teaching,” a mere series of moral “thou shalt nots.”

One might not expect militant atheists to understand the notion of transcendence or divinity, but Britain’s widespread hostility to the largest religion in the world does not square with its trashy indulgence of all other movements, however marginal or inchoate, that choose to label themselves “spiritual.”

Britain has traveled further down the road of political correctness than even traditionally permissive European societies like those of the Netherlands or Scandinavia. At a time when the basic social conservatism of some of those countries is manifesting itself in various protest movements, especially against Muslim immigration, British politics and society is now well to the left of the already very left-wing Western European average.

Soon after David Cameron was elected to power, the new “Conservative” prime minister hosted a garden party at 10 Downing Street for the nation’s most prominent homosexuals. This kind of demonstrative support for gays is something not even the progressive Dutch have ever done, and certainly not something a right-wing politician would normally deem necessary.

The contrast also is striking with the United States, which is, like Britain, a country with a strong Protestant ethic, but unlike Britain, a country where religion plays a big role in public life.

Whereas a Florida pastor’s desire to burn the Koran is widely denounced as extremist, even in the United States itself, the prevailing mood in England regards virulent attacks on Catholicism in England as mainstream. The BBC treats opponents of the Pope as decent campaigners with a voice that deserves to be heard but derides opponents of a mosque at ground zero as redneck right-wingers and racists.

How times have changes since the pastoral visit of John Paul II in 1982, when the pontiff was received with generosity and good grace. The country Joseph Ratzinger will get to know this week has changed unrecognizably since then, and for the worse, to become little but an uncouth, boorish, and sex-obsessed Rude Britannia.

John Laughland, a British citizen, is studies director at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris.
© Newsmax. All rights reserved. 


Michael Voris' 2¢ on the matter:

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

7 Sorrows of St. Joseph

To increase one's devotion to the Blessed Spouse, one may meditate on the Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph with the following prayers:
(If you prefer to use a rosary, the Servite Rosary would work well, as it does for the 7 Sorrows of Mary)

O chaste Spouse of Mary most holy, glorious St. Joseph, great was the trouble and anguish of thy heart when thou wert minded to put away privately thine inviolate Spouse, yet thy joy was unspeakable when the surpassing mystery of the Incarnation was made known to thee by the Angel! By this sorrow and this joy, we beseech thee to comfort our souls, both now and in the sorrows of our final hour, with the joy of a good life and a holy death after the pattern of thine own, in the arms of Jesus and Mary. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)

O most blessed Patriarch, glorious St. Joseph, who was chosen to be the foster father of the Word made flesh, thy sorrow at seeing the Child Jesus born in such poverty was suddenly changed into heavenly exultation when thou didst hear the angelic hymn and beheld the glories of that resplendent night. By this sorrow and this joy, we implore thee to obtain for us the grace to pass over from life's pathway to hear the angelic songs of praise, and to rejoice in the shining splendor of celestial glory. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)

O glorious St. Joseph, thou faithfully obeyed the law of God, and thy heart was pierced at the sight of the Precious Blood that was shed by the Infant Savior during His Circumcision, but the Name of Jesus gave thee new life and filled thee with quiet joy. By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace to be freed from all sin during life, and to die rejoicing, with the Holy Name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)

O most faithful Saint who shared the mysteries of our Redemption, glorious St. Joseph, the prophecy of Simeon regarding the sufferings of Jesus and Mary caused thee to shudder with mortal dread, but at the same time filled thee with a blessed joy for the salvation and glorious which, he foretold, would be attained by countless souls. By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that we may be among the number of those, who through merits of Jesus and the intercession of Mary the Virgin Mother, are predestined to a glorious resurrection. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)

O most watchful Guardian of the Incarnate Son of God, glorious St. Joseph, what toil was thine in supporting and waiting upon the Son of the most high God, especially in the flight into Egypt! Yet at the same time, how thou didst rejoice to have always near you God Himself, and to see the idols of the Egyptians fall prostrate to the ground before Him. By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace of keeping ourselves in safety from the infernal tyrant, especially by flight from dangerous occasions; may every idol of earthly affection fall from our hearts; may we be wholly employed in serving Jesus and Mary, and for them alone may we live and happily die. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)

O glorious St. Joseph, an angel on earth, thou didst marvel to see the King of Heaven obedient to thy commands, but thy consolation in bringing Jesus out of the land of Egypt was troubled by the fear of Archelaus; nevertheless, being assured by the Angel, thou dwelt in gladness at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary. By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that our hearts may be delivered from harmful fears, so that we may rejoice in peace of conscience and may live in safety with Jesus and Mary and may, like thee, die in theri company. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)

O glorious St. Joseph, pattern of all holiness, when thou didst lose, through no fault of thine own, the Child Jesus, thou sought Him sorrowing for the space of three days, until with great joy, thou didst find Him again in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors. By this sorrow and this joy, we supplicate thee, with our hearts upon our lips, to keep us from ever having the misfortune to lose Jesus through mortal sin; but if this supreme misfortune should befall us, grant that we may seek Him with unceasing sorrow until we find Him again, ready to show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we may pass over to enjoy His presence in Heaven; and there in company with thee, may we sing the praises of His Divine mercy forever. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)

Antiphon: And Jesus Himself was beginning about the age of thirty, being (as it was supposed) the Son of Joseph.

V: Pray for us, O holy Joseph,

R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray.

O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, grant we beseech Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Are You A Hero?

Monday, September 13, 2010

Church Militant, Suffering and Triumphant

On September 5th a dear friend that buried my parents passed away, Fr. Louis Soucey .. he was 92. On September 10th, Frank Shriever, a man that dispatches for the local cabs here passed away very suddenly shortly after Carl spoke to him for what would be the last time, he was only 63. Today, I hear my sister in law's father Peter Lyon is in a coma waiting to die with blood pressure 30/45. Our friend in Kansas's wife, Sandra Chimick who has battled cancer for so many years now has given up the fight and is in hospice after learning she has yet another brain tumor with 3 large new tumors in her abdomen and something else in her blood. I don't think she's yet even 50.
It's something how bad news generally seems to come in 3's. Perhaps a superstition, but it gives one pause none the less.
I have been even more so inclined to pray for the souls in purgatory lately. Many of you might know (and for those that don't, please feel free to join me in this) that daily, during the hour of Mercy 3pm, one of my major petitions is that I beg for purgatory to be emptied into heaven at that time. I also say a purgatory souls chaplet at bedtime as well asking for even more to be released then too.
I think it's very important to unite all our every day actions to the Perfect Passion of Jesus and His Precious Body and Blood truly Present in every Tabernacle and on every altar in the world. This makes me remember that Jesus asked us to pray without ceasing. I think uniting  every breath, heartbeat, joy, sorrow, tear, action, reaction, step and utterance to Him daily brings us closer to His request and it also makes me feel more united to the communion of saints.

The world is hard. It often hurts. It's unjust much of the time. It seems it's getting worse rather than better. No wonder Jesus wondered if He'd find any FAITH on earth when He returned. Yes, we must live in this world now but as St. Paul tells us, we do not have to be OF the world, just IN it till God calls us home. How often do we really think of our HOME? Our FINAL DESTINATION? Do we really believe we are merely sojourners here or do we feel like this IS IT and that's all there is? How do we live? Our thoughts, words and deeds reflect our beliefs. Actions speak louder than words. Do we keep our eyes fixed on temporal goals or heavenly treasures?

We must not forget that no matter how hard things are here, we ARE NOT ALONE! We are ONE BODY IN CHRIST! We, the Church militant struggling here must support the Church suffering in purgatory with alms, Masses, prayers and penance. They cannot pray for themselves and they desperately need our help, especially those that have been forgotten and I feel so STRONGLY that there are MANY MANY :-( 
We also must not forget to call upon the Church Triumphant in heaven. Those saints that have gone before us (proclaimed and yet unproclaimed) that have a special place in heaven for their faithfulness and can intercede on our behalf tirelessly. Today in fact, I received word and confirmation of just this. A lady placed an order for some chaplets and I felt compelled to enclose a little St. Therese prayer with a golden rose. I nearly didn't because I only had 2 left, but I really did feel compelled! Come to find out today, she tells me that she was in the middle of a novena to St. Therese which concluded on the day she received her order. She knew St. Therese heard her prayer being the rose was there. (Interesting about St. Therese and prayers and roses, google it. :))
It just makes me tearfully smile and fills my heart with joy when I see God's people strengthening each other, whether militant, suffering or triumphant. We are all one in Him!
So I guess I'm writing this thing that most of you already know, but I want to remind everyone not to take this for granted ... our daily lives can be so cluttered with LIVING! LOL
Let's never forget the riches that our dear Lord has left for us. Particularly HIMSELF in the Holy Eucharist ... TRULY Present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
Please pray for the soul of Fr. Soucey and for Peter and Sandra above and all of us struggling here in this valley of tears for however long the Good Lord deems us do His Will here on earth. Pray hard for each other and never forget the souls in purgatory, especially those that are abandoned and have no one to pray for them.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Eucharistic Prayer

O most sweet Jesus, who came into this world to give to all souls the life of Your grace, and who, to preserve and increase it in them, willed to be the daily remedy of their weakness and the food for each day, we humbly beseech You, by Your Heart so burning with love for us, to pour Your divine Spirit upon all souls in order that those who have the misfortune to be in the state of mortal sin may, returning to You, find the life of grace that they have lost. Through this same Holy Spirit, may those who are already living by this divine life devoutly approach Your divine table every day when it is possible, so that, receiving each day in Holy Communion the antidote of their daily venial sins and each day sustaining in themselves the life of Your grace and thus ever purifying themselves the more, they may finaly come to a happy life with You. Amen.  -- Pope St. Pius X

Social Engineering Bill In Senate Will Force You Into City

If anyone has further info on this ... please advise!
taken from Personal Liberty

September 10, 2010 by Bob Livingston
Social Engineering Bill In Senate Will Force You Into City A social engineering bill to restrict residence in the suburbs and rural areas and force Americans into city centers has passed the United States Senate Banking Committee and is on the fast track to passage in the Senate.
The bill is called the Livable Communities Act (SB 1619) and it was introduced by corruptocrat outgoing Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.). It seeks to fulfill the United Nation’s plan Agenda 21, adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and signed onto by “New World Order” President George H.W. Bush.
This bill is designed to destroy your community. According to the non-profit American Policy Center the bill:
  • Is a blueprint for the transformation of our society into total Federal control.
  • Will enforce Federal Sustainable Development zoning and control of local communities.
  • Will create a massive new “development” bureaucracy.
  • Will drive up the cost of energy to heat and cool your home.
  • Will drive up the cost of gasoline as a way to get you out of your car.
  • Will force you to spend thousands of dollars on your home in order to comply.
A carrot and stick policy will be used to get your local government to sign on. The carrot is billions of dollars in grants available if your local government agrees to amend zoning laws that restrict housing in outlying areas, forcing people to give up their homes and land and move into the city center.
The stick will be denial of the funds and bad publicity generated by “Green” organizations criticizing government officials for turning down free money.
The rub is the grants will come with strings attached that force local governments to bend to the will of the Feds.
The idea of these social engineering initiatives is to force people to live in a congested area in high rise buildings with housing on the upper floors and stores on the bottom. The whole area will be linked by mass transit creating the “utopian” communities loved by socialists.
The result will be higher costs for housing (because overcrowding will make housing space a premium) and goods and services (because of less choice and competition) and less freedom to move about (because cars won’t be necessary and parking space will be prohibitively expensive).
As we pointed out here President Barack Obama is — not surprisingly — an advocate of this type of nonsense. And his cabinet is populated by elitists who think they know better than you how you should live.
It is imperative that you call your two Senators immediately and tell them to oppose Dodd’s SB1619.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Don't Miss the Priestville Video Homilies

I just want to point out and encourage my readers not to miss the great Priestville homilies I've found as well as some of the other static pages in this blog. I may, in the future, add other good video homilies I find so this may not be exclusive to the Priestville homilies forever. I only get 10 static pages here, so must conserve a little! ;)
When I update "Quotes" or "Prayers" or any of the other static pages, it's not dynamic content, so you have to click on the side bar links to go to the pages you wish to view. Some great Vortex videos there as well as personal and traditional prayers and even a little Humor.

These pages and more are found under "What's Inside" on the right sidebar :) God bless!

Unfortunately, it appears that they've discontinued the homilies .. however they have replaced it with daily readings which is good too. 

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