Why Humility Opens Doors

By Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. On August 30, 2010 @ 12:01 via CatholicExchange

“Nice guys finish last,” says the world.
“The last will be first,” replies Jesus.
My guess is that the Lord of creation knows best who really wins in the end.  And he says in this Sunday’s gospel, “whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11)
To understand why the humble get ahead and why the meek shall inherit the earth, we need to be sure that we understand what humility and meekness really are.
Humility does not mean looking down on oneself or thinking ill of oneself.  It really means not thinking of oneself very much at all.
The humble are free to forget themselves because they are secure.  They accept the fact that, as creatures, they are small, vulnerable, and not ultimately in control.  But they know there is a Creator who is great, omnipotent, and totally in control.  And they know that they’ve been made in the image and likeness of that Creator.  That makes gives them a dignity that they don’t have to earn and can never be taken away.  Though they’ve tarnished the divine likeness through sin, they know that the Creator came down from the heights of heaven to become human and fix what they couldn’t fix.
So when they mess up, the humble don’t have to cover up.  They just say “please forgive me,” give thanks for God’s mercy, and move on.  And when their creaturely limitations cause them to fail, they are not surprised.  They realize that they are not God.
All this is simply a way of saying that the humble are in touch with reality.  If the definition of insanity is being out of touch with reality, then our proud world with its “nice guys finish last” illusion is clearly insane.
Since the humble are secure, they are strong.  And since they have nothing to prove, they don’t have to flaunt their strength or use it to dominate others.  Humility leads to meekness.  And meekness is not weakness.  Rather, it is strength under control, power used to build up rather than tear down.
The humble are not threatened either by God’s greatness or the reflection of that greatness in the talents of others.  In fact, this is what naturally catches their eye and absorbs their attention — the goodness of God, wherever it may be found.
The form of prayer that extols God’s goodness is called praise.  The activity that honors God’s goodness in other people is called affirmation.  The humble take delight in praising God and affirming people.
The reason the humble take the last place of honor at the table is not because they think ill of themselves, but because they are preoccupied with honoring others.  And the reason people ask them to move higher is because they know this admirable attitude is rare.  In fact, it is actually divine.  It is exactly the way the three Divine Persons relate to each other.  The Father glorifies the Son, the Son glorifies the Father, and the Spirit is so preoccupied with glorifying the Father and the Son that most of us feel we really don’t know much about Him.
“An attentive ear is a wise man’s joy” (Sirarch 3:28).  The humble are able to truly listen to another with genuine interest and delight in the other’s goodness.  The humble are the people who give you their undivided attention and make you feel special and appreciated.  You love to have them around.  You love to work hard for them.  You cheer when they are honored.
The proud, on the other hand, are so self-absorbed that their conversations become monologues.  When you are speaking, they are not listening.  They are just thinking about what they are going to say next.  Eventually you smile, yawn, and do your best to get away from them.  You roll your eyes when they brag of their exploits.  If you work for them, you do the minimum required while looking for a better job.  So those who exalt themselves are ultimately left alone.  But those who humble themselves gather a crowd of admirers.
When asked to name the four Cardinal Virtues, St. Bernard of Clairvaux replied “humility, humility, humility, and humility.  He said this because the word “cardinal” means “hinge.”  And everything hinges on humility.  Humility opens the door to the hearts of others and to the heart of God.

PRIESTVILLE on Facebook

I began playing PRIESTVILLE on Facebook to see what it was about. There's a few things here and there the average Catholic might learn which is welcomed today. However, today I found something new in the game. Daily Mass. Here's something that EVERYONE should hear. Now that they've incorporated this ... I'm hooked ... may I invite you to Join my PriestVille Diocese!?

Just listen to this short homily!:

Catholic Charities to Honor Obamacare Abortion Sellouts

2010 August 30

by Lisa Graas

Holy Facepalm! What’s this??? Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) has announced that the Catholic Health Association (CHA), which sold out to the Obama Administration on pro-abortion Cabinet picks and taxpayer funded abortion in Obamacare, will receive CCUSA’s Centennial Medal in September.  A medal??? For blatant disobedience???

With the honor, CCUSA seems to be giving a stamp of approval to CHA‘s defiance of the bishops on the abortion issue. It’s the latest in a long line of examples of American Catholic organizations showing that they don’t give a rip about helping to lead souls to heaven provided that no one has to suffer from poverty or a lack of healthcare while here on earth. Considering the leadership at CCUSA, it’s not really a shock to hear that they’re honoring CHA with a medal.
Bishop Michael P. Driscoll, the Episcopal Liaison for CCUSA, is also a member of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).  The CCHD has come under fire recently for supporting organizations that promote abortion and other activities not in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic Church. While Bishop Driscoll has issued statements condemning activities which promote abortion, he is one of the prime persons under whose watch abuses at CCHD continue to occur.
Donna Markham, O.P., Chairperson of CCUSA‘s Board of Trustees, has served as a National Chairperson for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, a group that exists primarily as an organization of dissent against the Catholic bishops on even the most basic teachings.
Brian Corbin, Secretary of CCUSA‘s Board of Trustees, was actually once the Director of Pro-Life Activities for the Diocese of Youngstown.

That was, literally, to be the chief advocate for the church, to engage people in defense of human dignity and human rights—looking at the issues around abortion, patient-assisted suicide and euthanasia, and explaining the church’s position to the community and anyone who wanted to listen.

At the same time, Corbin worked with CCHD to develop community organizing, but he abandoned pro-life ministry to devote himself full-time to economic justice.
Catholic philosopher G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” While dissent may have become “fashionable” at the highest levels in America’s Catholic Church, these fallacies of the Catholic Left are manifest to the faithful in the pews and to the Vatican as well. With Pope Benedict XVI speaking out against Marxist activities, pointing out “Marx’s fundamental error“, and stating that we cannot put our faith in the creation of institutions to bring about the common good, America’s Catholic faithful, who are disgusted by such things as Catholic Charities‘ honoring of the Catholic Health Association, have a friend in the Holy See. At the same time, since it is rare that a Pope addresses specific individuals and organizations by name, it will continue to be primarily up to the faithful in America’s pews and pulpits to defend against blatant dissent in the Catholic Church.

It's not all IN A NAME .. just because something SAYS "CATHOLIC" doesn't mean that it IS Catholic as Lisa plainly shows. And it's even MORE of a SHAME that most Catholics don't have a clue about this stuff ... not to mention Doctrine, Tradition and the Tenants of the Faith. It's clear to see why someone has to point this stuff out and thank God for Lisa and those like her ... please keep her in your prayers.
If you want more of Lisa's wit and wisdom, click her name above or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

At Lincoln Memorial, a Call for Religious Rebirth

Drew Angerer/The New York Times

The crowd stretched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument on Saturday for an event led by Glenn Beck.

By KATE ZERNIKE and CARL HULS

WASHINGTON — An enormous and impassioned crowd rallied at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, summoned by Glenn Beck, a conservative broadcaster who called for a religious rebirth in America at the site where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech 47 years ago to the day.

 

The rally was held at the site where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech 47 years ago to the day. 

“Something that is beyond man is happening,” Mr. Beck said in opening the event as the crowd thronged near the memorial grounds. “America today begins to turn back to God.”
It was part religious revival, part history lecture, as Mr. Beck invoked the founding fathers and the “black-robed regiment” of pastors of the Revolutionary War and spoke of American exceptionalism.
The crowd was a mix of groups that have come together under the Tea Party umbrella. Some wore T-shirts from the Campaign for Liberty, the libertarian group that came out of the presidential campaign of Representative Ron Paul, while others wore the gear of their local Tea Party group, or of 9/12 groups, which were founded after a special broadcast Mr. Beck did in March 2009.
But the program was distinctly different from most Tea Party rallies. While Tea Party groups have said they want to focus on fiscal conservatism and not risk alienating people by talking about religion or social issues, the rally on Saturday was overtly religious, filled with gospel music and speeches that were more like sermons.
Mr. Beck imbued his remarks on Saturday and at events the night before with references to God and a need for a religious revival. “For too long, this country has wandered in darkness,” Mr. Beck said Saturday. “This country has spent far too long worrying about scars and thinking about scars and concentrating on scars. Today, we are going to concentrate on the good things in America, the things that we have accomplished, and the things that we can do tomorrow.”
Mr. Beck was followed on stage by Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate and former Alaska governor, who said she was asked, in keeping with the theme of the day, not to focus on politics but to speak as the mother of a soldier.
“Say what you want to say about me, but I raised a combat vet, and you can’t take that away from me,” said Ms. Palin, whose son Track served in Iraq.
But Ms. Palin did not steer entirely clear of politics. In a veiled reference to President Obama and his pledges to fundamentally transform America, she said, “We must not fundamentally transform America as some would want; we must restore America and restore her honor.”
Many in the crowd said they had never been to a Tea Party rally, but they described themselves as avid Glenn Beck fans, and many said they had been motivated to come by faith.
Becky Benson, 56, traveled from Orlando, Fla., because, she said, “we believe in Jesus Christ, and he is our savior.” Jesus, she said, would not have agreed with what she called the redistribution of wealth in the form of the economic stimulus package, bank bailouts and welfare. “You cannot sit and expect someone to hand out to you,” she said. “You don’t spend your way out of debt.”
Mr. Beck’s themes were ones he returns to on his radio and television shows, and people in the crowd echoed his ideas, saying that “progressives” were moving the country toward socialism and that the country must get back to a strict interpretation of the Constitution, which would limit the role of the federal government and do away with entitlement programs.
“The federal government is only to offer us protection from our enemies and help us when we need it,” said Ron Sears, 65, who came on a caravan of three buses from Corbin, Ky. “The states are supposed to control education and everything having to do with their citizens, except when they need federal help.”
Mr. Beck billed the event as the Woodstock of this generation, telling listeners that for decades, people would be asking, “Were you there?”
He had instructed his fans to leave their protest signs at home and to bring their children.
While there were few signs, people carried American flags or yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” banners, which have become mainstays at Tea Party rallies.
The event had the feeling of a large church picnic, with people sitting on lawn chairs and blankets with coolers and strollers.
Officials do not make crowd estimates because they are unreliable and can be controversial, but event organizers put the number of attendees at 500,000; NBC News said it was closer to 300,000, but by any measure it was a large turnout. The crowd stretched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument.
The rally organized by Mr. Beck, a Fox News broadcaster who has been critical of Mr. Obama and Congressional Democrats, has come under attack as dishonoring the memory of Dr. King by staging the event on the anniversary of his speech. Critics have suggested that Mr. Beck was trying to energize conservatives for the midterm elections.
 
People posed with an Abraham Lincoln 
impersonator while arriving for 
the rally on the National Mall.  

Across town, several hundred people packed a football field at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School to stage a rally commemorating Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
“We come here because the dream has not been achieved,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, an organizer of the rally. “We’ve had a lot of progress. But we have a long way to go.”
While the crowd at Dunbar was mostly African-American, the audience at Mr. Beck’s rally was overwhelmingly white, though a number of speakers and performers were black.
Among them was Alveda King, a niece of the civil rights leader, who in a speech said that if Dr. King were alive he would commend the organizers of the event and “would encourage us to lay aside the vicious lies that cause us to think we are members of separate races.”
Mr. Beck made a surprise visit on Friday to a convention held by FreedomWorks, a Tea Party umbrella group, for Tea Party supporters. He received a thunderous welcome from a crowd of about 1,600 in Constitution Hall.
He told the crowd that he had begun planning his march on Washington a year ago, thinking “it was supposed to be political.”
“And then I kind of feel like God dropped a giant sandbag on my head,” he said.
“My role, as I see it, is to wake America up to the backsliding of principles and values and most of all of God,” he said. “We are a country of God. As I look at the problems in our country, quite honestly, I think the hot breath of destruction is breathing on our necks and to fix it politically is a figure that I don’t see anywhere.”

Taliban attack Nato bases in Afghanistan's Khost area

28 August 2010 Last updated at 08:14  via bbc

Click to play

Click to play

Major Patrick Sheba said the Taliban insurgents were "dressed in US military uniforms"

Taliban insurgents wearing US military uniforms have attacked two coalition bases in eastern Afghanistan, Nato forces say.

Coalition forces repelled both attacks, killing 24 militants, the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said.
There were no coalition casualties in the fighting, in Khost province, south-east of Kabul, Isaf said.
The Taliban said about 30 fighters were involved in the two separate assaults.
Five attackers were captured, Isaf said.
Fence breached

Continue reading the main story

Taliban Conflict

• Civilian toll shows Nato dilemma
• Q&A: Fighting the Taliban
• Who are the Taliban?
• Challenges for Afghan forces

The attacks on Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province and nearby Camp Chapman began at about 0400 (2330 GMT).

Two of the insurgents managed to breach the fence at Forward Operating Base Salerno and enter the compound, but were killed, a statement from Isaf said.
"Coalition forces had the two insurgents under surveillance and when they cut the fence a quick reaction force was dispatched to the location where they were killed immediately," the statement said.
According to the statement, its troops called in helicopters to assist in repelling the attacks.
Three people, said to be involved in the attack but fleeing in a vehicle, were killed by an airstrike, the statement added.
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in Kabul, says that elaborate attacks on forward operating bases are not unusual and that Taliban insurgents are increasingly using this more sophisticated guerrilla-style attack.
Camp Chapman was the scene of a major attack in December, when a suicide bomber entered the base and killed seven CIA employees.
That was the most deadly attack on US intelligence officials since the US embassy in Beirut was bombed in 1983.
Commander captured Major Wazir Pacha, an officer at the provincial police headquarters told the Associated Press news agency that the militants used rifles, heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in Saturday's attack.

He also said that police recovered a truck laden with explosives, which may have been intended for use in a suicide bombing, and another containing ammunition, after the two vehicles became stuck in deep mud.
Local police chief Adbul Hakim Ishaqzai told AFP news agency the militants had pulled back after a period of fighting and had occupied a school.
Earlier this week Isaf announced that its forces had captured a senior commander of the local Taliban network in Khost - though it is not clear whether the arrest is connected to the latest attacks.
Meanwhile, across the border Pakistani security officials say four Taliban militants have been killed in a suspected US missile attack.
The missiles hit vehicles being driven by militants in the Kurram tribal area, which is not regularly targeted by US drones.

Mark Mallett - The Coming New Evangelization

The Coming New Evangelization from Mark Mallett on Vimeo.

The darker the world becomes, the brighter the stars of Christian witness will be. We may be in a spiritual winter, but a "new springtime" is coming. In this webcast, Mark explains why the Gospel has yet to reach the ends of the earth and why the opportunity to evangelize has never been greater and yet never so difficult… and that God is preparing us for the new evangelization, which is here and coming…

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Love Without Limits - Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta is an “inestimable gift for the Church and the world”, said Pope Benedict XVI Thursday in a message to the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, to mark the 100^th anniversary of the Blessed’s birth.

Born in Albania August 26, 1910, for over 45 years Mother Teresa ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries.

The message, written personally by the Pope, was read out during Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Calcutta, Lucas Sirkar in the Motherhouse of the Missionaries of Charity, the same house where on October 7 1950 she founded her order dedicated to the care of the sick, the destitute and the dying.

This morning’s celebration begins a special year dedicated to Mother Teresa, a year that Pope Benedict said he is confident will be “for the Church and the world an occasion of joyful gratitude to God for the inestimable gift that Mother Teresa was in her lifetime”.

Speaking to the Mother’s “spiritual children”, the many thousands of religious sisters, brothers and lay workers who carry on her mission of bringing Christ’s love to the “poorest of the poor”, the Pope urges them to draw constantly from the spirituality and example of Mother Teresa and, in her footsteps, to take up Christ’s invitation: “Come, be my light”.

Sr Mary Prema is Superior General of the Order, which today comprises an estimated 450 brothers and 5,000 sisters worldwide, operating 600 missions, schools and shelters in 120 countries. In a Letter sent to each of these missions, Sr Prema writes: “Her life and work continue to be an inspiration for young and old, rich and poor from all walks of life, religions and nations”. She adds that those who follow in her footsteps are called to share God’s love with those around us “beginning with our families”. And concludes in the Mother’s words: “A smile generates smiles and love generates love”.

Mother died on 5 September 1997. Following her death on 19 October 2003 she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

A century after Blessed Teresa of Calcutta’s birth, an Austrian priest who served as her confessor recalled her “love without limits.”

“She was a missionary of love without limits,” Msgr. Leo Maasburg recalled. “Her love was limitless in its geographic scope, like the apostles sent by the Lord and it was limitless in its spiritual depth, according to the unique new commandment of Jesus to ‘love one another as I have loved you.’ Mother Teresa lived this command of Jesus in a remarkably genuine and complete manner, making the light of Christ shine wherever she was present. Through her being and action, she has shown the world what the mission means today: not preaching love only with words, but also with one's way of life.”

Msgr. Maasburg added:

When Mother Teresa sent her nuns to the dictatorial regime in Ethiopia, someone posed the delicate question of how she hoped to carry out the mission. Her answer was: "The tender love and care that we will dedicate to the poorest of the poor in your country will show God's love for them."

“Whatever she did was ‘His work,’” the priest continued. “She never considered any of her works as her own. She was ‘the pencil in the hand of God, in the hands of a God who was writing a love letter to the world.’ Her docility led her into new, unknown mystical and spiritual depths. In the revelation of His thirst, of His need for love (‘I thirst’ - John 19:28), Jesus asked for her consent to His plan.” “The path into spiritual depths, for Mother Teresa, took an unexpected and dramatic course. In a ‘night of the soul’ that lasted for decades, Jesus made her participate in a mystical - yet very real - way in His own suffering and the abandonment of God on the Cross (‘My God why have you forsaken me’ - Mark 15:34). While the new order she founded spread all over the world, through a sense of separation from God experienced with great distress, she experienced the pain of thirst for love, a love that she did not feel was responded to.”

“She realized that the place where Jesus' thirst for love can be quenched, is in the hungry, thirsty, naked, and forgotten - in a word: "Jesus under the disguise of the poorest of the poor," in the slums of the world and in the spiritual slums inside people's hearts,” Msgr. Maasburg added. “Thus, she became a Missionary of Charity, with a social commitment that was without limits and that contained an incomparable spiritual depth.”

addendum:

India’s president pays glowing tribute to Mother Teresa
August 30, 2010
 
India's president pays glowing tribute to Mother Teresa  India’s President Pratibha Devisingh Patil paid glowing tribute to Mother Teresa on August 28 in New Delhi at the launch of the special memorial coins issued by the federal government to mark the centenary of her birth.
Describing Mother Teresa as “one of the noblest souls of our times,” Patil pointed out that she “became a symbol of hope to many: the aged, the destitute, the unemployed, the diseased, the terminally ill, and those abandoned by their families.” He continued:

She was a social worker to the core of her heart, attending with care and dedication to the poor, the abandoned and the dying. Gandhi may well have been speaking of Mother Teresa, when he said that where there is pure and active love for the poor, there is God also.

The highlight of the function, attended by hundreds of Catholics, was the release of the special coins to mark the centenary of Mother Teresa. India’s finance minister, Pranab Mukherji, handed over first set to President Patil and Sister Prema, the superior general of the Missionaries of Charity, the order that Mother Teresa founded

Susan Boyle Will Sing for the Pope in September

via http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk

World famous Scottish singer Susan Boyle has described the opportunity to sing for Pope Benedict XVI as "her greatest dream come true." Speaking in a television interview recorded by the Scottish Catholic Media Office, the global singing sensation spoke of being "honoured and humbled" by the invitation.

Susan will perform three times at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on Thursday 16 September as well as singing with the 800-strong choir at the open air Mass which will be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Scotland.
The Mass will begin around 5.15pm, while in the pre-Mass programme Susan Boyle will sing the hymn "How great thou art" as well as her signature song "I dreamed a dream." Following the final hymn at the end of the Mass, she will also sing a farewell song to Pope Benedict as he leaves the park to travel to Glasgow Airport for his flight to London and the continuation of his four-day UK visit.
Speaking from her home where she was rehearsing for the day, Susan said:
"To be able to sing for the Pope is a great honour and something I've always dreamed of - it's indescribable. I think the 16th of September will stand out in my memory as something I've always wanted to do, I've always wanted to sing for his Holiness and I can't really put into words my happiness, that this wish has come true at last."
Susan revealed that she had been approached by Cardinal Keith O'Brien to participate, adding;
"My family will be there on the day on what will be a very special day for all of us and I hope they will be proud of me."
Speaking of her late mother she said:
"I know she won't be there physically, but she was at Bellahouston Park in 1982 and I know she will be there again, spiritually, she will be with us."
On the importance of her Catholic faith, Susan said:
"The Pope's visit is a very big event for Scottish Catholics. My own faith is the backbone of my life, I pray and say the rosary each day and am very close to my religion. I am humbled and honoured by this invitation and I hope I can do my best."
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland said:
"I am delighted that Susan will be able to perform for the Pope, I think it is wonderful that she will have this once in a lifetime opportunity and as her Bishop I am hugely proud of her."

I have prayed for Susan from the start as have many, I'm sure. It's just wonderful to see a humble regular person realize their temporal dreams while holding fast to their eternal treasures. 
Please continue to keep her in your prayers. 

Bishop's Prime Objective? ... SAVE SOULS

May the courage that Cardinal Ouellet shows in speaking the TRUTH spread like wildfire among all the Bishops ~ especially those in the USA, renewing their commitments, vows, love for the flock and setting them on fire for the Lord!

Novena to St. Monica Starts 8/18/10 - 8/27-10

St. Monica's feast day is August 27. She was the mother of St. Augustine. Augustine was the original enfant terrible  who famously lapsed from the faith. He credits the intercessory prayers of his mother with bringing him back to the Church. Indeed everything we know about St. Monica was told to us by Augustine.

Today I found this on another blog ... Helen (@catholicseeking on Twitter) is starting this for members of her own family as well as others .. I am standing with her in this noble effort. I have recently turned to St. Monica for a member of my own family and have been praying for the fallen away in general for a very long time now .. it's a petition that's very dear to my heart. Please join us.

Novena

Exemplary Mother of the Great Augustine,
You perseveringly pursued your wayward son
Not with wild threats
But with prayerful cries to heaven.

Intercede for all mothers in our day
So that they may learn
To draw their children to God.

Teach them how to remain
Close to their children,
Even the prodigal sons and daughters
Who have sadly gone astray.

Dear St Monica, troubled wife and mother,
Many sorrows pierced your heart
During your lifetime.
Yet you never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence and profound faith,
You prayed daily for the conversion
Of your beloved husband, Patricius
And your beloved son, Augustine.

Grant me that same fortitude,
Patience and trust in the Lord.
Intercede for me, dear St. Monica,
That God may favorably hear my plea
for (mention your petition here)

And grant me the grace
To accept His Will in all things,
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God forever and ever. Amen.

For the Progressive/Permissive Liberal Clergy ... :-(

I am NOTHING! I give much thanks that through the Grace, Mercy and Love of God, the Perfect Sacrifice of Jesus, my Lord and the working of the Holy Spirit that I can call myself a daughter of the Most High! I don't pretend to be anything more or anything less. But my heart trembles with fear today when I think about the progressive liberal clergy! So many nuns wanting to become priests and actually rolling their eyes at "old fashioned abortion laws". Priests that tell folks that if "their conscience" tells them it's alright, they can DO IT (whatever IT is, be it contraception, abortion or God only knows what else!). They forget that before you consult your CONSCIENCE, you MUST FORM YOUR CONSCIENCE!!!!!
Now some of them are just so caught up in the world that they really don't know how they're hurting folks. But I believe many are leaving or have left the True Church because of complacency and compliance with the world ... and it's because the clergy aren't holding the 'faithful' to THE TRUTH.

PLEASE I BEG YOU WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS IN ME ... IF YOU HAVE GIVEN YOUR LIFE TO GOD, THEN FEED US .. LEAD US ... TEACH US .. FORM US .. AND KEEP US ON THE ROAD TO HEAVEN, IN THE NAME OF GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!

I beg everyone to please pray HARD for priests, religious and all clergy! They need so much grace to do God's Will today. The world has so many of them and most of them don't even KNOW IT. Pray and do penance for them .. do not FORGET them ... do not POINT FINGERS AT THEM ... do not WHISPER about them! They have been given MUCH and MUCH will be required of them!

Please please don't forget the clergy!!!
Hold them up before Jesus truly present in the Tabernacle.

Ezekiel 34: 1 - 11
1	The word of the LORD came to me:
2	"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ho, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?
3	You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep.
4	The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the crippled you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
5	So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild beasts.
6	My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
7	"Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
8	As I live, says the Lord GOD, because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd; and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep;
9	therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
10	Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
11	"For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.

Matthew 23: 27 - 32
27	"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
28	So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29	"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30	saying, `If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
31	Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32	Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

Those that can, please don't leave Jesus alone in the Tabernacle! Visit Him ... share your day with Him ... present your loved ones before Him! He is REALLY THERE and He waits so patiently for you, with much love!

Vatican Catholic Education Prefect ...

... Only Universities with Strong Catholic Identity Will Last!

I wanted to be sure you saw the big news from the Vatican:  Pope Benedict XVI has urged the Vatican's chief education official to "fight for the Catholic university"!

Let me give you some quick background: Over the past month, The Cardinal Newman Society has been briefing the media on the important 20th anniversary of Ex corde Ecclesiae, the apostolic constitution on Catholic higher education.

Catholic News Agency (CNA) published our material, followed by a frank interview with Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education.

In the interview, Cardinal Grocholewski agreed that Catholic colleges that are out of line with Catholic teaching are "hypocritical and lying."

Cardinal Grocholewski also predicted the fate of secularized Catholic institutions: "I think that only the Catholic university that conserves its identity will have a future."

He went on to praise new and "strengthened" institutions that have "a clear vision of what a Catholic university should be."  Prime examples of such faithfully Catholic colleges are profiled in our
Newman Guide online.

For 17 years, The Cardinal Newman Society has steadfastly promoted authentic Catholic higher education—and stood as a witness against scandals like Notre Dame's honor to President Obama, The Vagina Monologues, abortion advocacy and more.

Together with the Vatican, let us rejoice over Sunday's 20th anniversary of Ex corde Ecclesiae. 
And thank you for your prayers and support!

Please watch this short video and read the full Catholic News Agency article here.  Enjoy!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Patrick J. Reilly
President, The Cardinal Newman Society

Gay Marriage Will Bring About the Destruction Of Western Civilization!

So why, you ask, is gay marriage wrong? Let me count the ways. First and foremost is because it violates the revealed Will of God as seen in Scripture. There are few things as clear in God’s revelation as the sacred institution of marriage between a man and a woman. From Genesis 1 (the marriage of Adam and Eve) to Revelation 21 (the marriage of Christ the Lamb with His Bride the Church) God has had only one model of marriage, and it is not gay marriage. Even polygamy and divorce was done away with in the Christian Church, as Our Lord reminded all of the essence of marriage as it was “in the beginning.” This Christian view of marriage became the norm of Western society and its most basic societal unit, undoubtedly allowing the West to flourish.   A close second to this is that gay marriage distorts the very concept of parenting as well as marriage. Even if you overlook the fact that gay marriage is by definition sterile, every child of a gay marriage has to be adopted or artificially inseminated, and that in itself is a violation of the whole concept of family. In the 80s the Vatican actually said that the adoption of children by homosexuals “does violence” to the child. Pretty strong language, but true nonetheless. In its simplest terms, kids need a mom and a dad, and are forever stigmatized by being the child of a gay marriage. Kids model their lives, their concept of family, their morals and oftentimes their whole worldview on their parents’ attitudes and values. These kids get a totally distorted view of all these basics.  Third but by no means the last reason, all of society suffers because of the public endorsement of an intrinsically disordered lifestyle and practice. Yes, “disordered” is what our Church calls both the homosexual orientation and lifestyle, and gay marriage simply ratifies that disorder on a social level. In recent debates, the term “human right” to describe gay marriage and the charge that anyone who stands against it is guilty of “discrimination” are examples of these fundamental distortions. Fr. Marx was right: a society cannot long survive this kind of violence done to its basic values, and history surely shows many societies like Ancient Greece, whose rapid decline was preceded by the proliferation of the gay lifestyle and its public acceptance.  While we respect all people as they are, we don’t have to respect such a wholesale assault on everything that is sacred to us and good for our society; no, in fact, we must fight against it with our very lives. The question is not whether or not we can win the battle; the question is whether we will join it. Will we accept the challenge to defend the sacred or not? We are called to be faithful and obedient to the Plan of God for our world, and within that, God will bring forth the victory. There is no doubt that, if it is not already there, gay marriage will be coming to your state soon. If we don’t fight it, our souls, our families and basically, our very civilization, will find themselves at “the end” of the line in very short order. by Father Thomas Euteneuer (Read entire article here)

Fr. Mark Bozada – Signs of the Times; Be Sober and Awake

Fr. Mark Bozada with his Godson, John Paul

My Dear People,
Paying attention to the signs of the times has never been more important than right now. We are watching history unfold before our very eyes. As Catholics, our vision needs to include Sacred Scripture, and the Holy Tradition intimately connected to the Bible. Without this corrected to the Bible. Without this corrected vision, we might miss the importance of world and history unfolding rapidly in His own day.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us another parable about “readiness”. The welcome the Master’s return. A good steward is always exercising the gifts of the holy Spirit within the framework of his/her vocation.  God’s expects payment from the gifts given and Baptism and Confirmation. And so, as we draw closer each day to Our Lord’s Second Coming, wise stewards will be sober and awake. We cannot get drunk in the obsessions and cares of this world. We must be alert and ready to welcome Jesus, whether on our deathbed, or otherwise. Stay vigilant. Pray, Pray, Pray.
Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,
Fr. Mark Bozada

May we be always be awake and ready to welcome the Lord when He returns.

BOMB THREAT AT LOURDES on Feast of Assumption!

Pilgrims evacuated after bomb threat at Lourdes
Thousands of people, many disabled or ailing, were at French shrine.


PARIS — Thousands of people, many disabled or ailing, were evacuated Sunday from the shrine at Lourdes in southern France after a bomb threat on the Catholic holy day of Assumption.

Some 30,000 pilgrims were at the site in the foothills of the Pyrenees late morning when Lourdes police received a threat saying a bomb would hit the site Sunday afternoon, said shrine spokesman Pierre Adias.

Police ordered everyone evacuated, and explosives experts were sent to scour the area. The pilgrims were told to leave just as the midday Mass was meant to begin. "The shrine is currently empty," Adias told The Associated Press by telephone.

No other information was immediately available about the source or nature of the threat.

Live coverage of Sunday's services on the website of TV Lourdes was not available, for reasons "independent of our will," according to a message on its home page.

The Aug. 15 holiday sees a particularly large influx of pilgrims at Lourdes, reputed for its healing powers. Some pilgrims came to this year's ceremonies in wheelchairs, others supported by loved ones, in images shown on French television.

Assumption marks the heavenly assumption of the Virgin Mary, and is a public holiday in France and several other countries.

The Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes has a special meaning for the suffering, many of whom believe that its spring water has the power to heal and even work miracles.

The sick bathe in pools of the cool water and take it home in plastic jugs and vials in the shape of the Virgin Mary. Thousands of people have claimed to be cured there, and the Roman Catholic church has officially recognized 67 incidents of miraculous healing linked to Lourdes.

Pope Benedict XVI came to Lourdes in 2008, marking the 150th anniversary of visions of the Virgin Mary to a Lourdes peasant girl, 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, who was later made a saint.

Bishop Jacques Perrier sought to soothe believers. "We will not be afraid," he said in opening the service, attended by only six priests and shrine personnel and broadcast on the website of TV Lourdes. Dozens of pilgrims remained waiting outside the gates, watching from afar.

After about five hours, the shrine reopened and Assumption ceremonies resumed. "Inspection of the site allowed us to determine that it was an unfounded threat," Adias said.

The mayor said the evacuation was peaceful but acknowledged "the atmosphere is not one of the greatest calm."

The Assumption or our Lady into Heaven .. Body and Soul

For hundreds of years, Catholics observed the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15 — celebrating Mary’s being taken bodily to Heaven after her death — but it was not until 1950 that the Church proclaimed this teaching a dogma of the Church — one of the essential beliefs of the Catholic faith. August 15 is the day that Catholics have long celebrated what is called the Dormition (falling asleep) or Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The Feast of the Assumption celebrates both the happy departure of Mary from this life by her natural death, and her assumption bodily into heaven. Along with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8th) the Assumption is a principal feast of the Blessed Virgin and a Holy Day of Obligation — one of the most important feasts of the Church year.
The idea of the assumption of Mary into heaven after her death is first expressed in narratives of the fifth and sixth centuries. Even though these were never official, they bear witness to the very early belief in a teaching of the Catholic Church which was not formally defined as a dogma (a teaching essential to the Catholic faith) until 50 years ago.

Though it was almost universally believed for more than a thousand years, the Bible contains no mention of the assumption of Mary into heaven. The first Church writer to speak of Mary’s being taken up into heaven by God is Saint Gregory of Tours (594). Other early sermons on the Feast of Mary’s entry into heaven are those of Ps.-Modestus of Jerusalem (ca. 700).
On May 1, 1946, Pope Pius XII, asked all bishops in the world whether they thought this belief in the assumption of Mary into heaven should be defined as a proposition of faith, and whether they with their clergy and people desired the definition. Almost all the bishops replied in the affirmative.

On November 1, 1950, the Feast of All Saints, Pope Pius XII declared as a dogma revealed by God that “Mary, the immaculate perpetually Virgin Mother of God, after the completion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of Heaven”.
We have no real knowledge of the day, year, and manner of Our Lady’s death. The dates which have been assigned to her death vary between three and fifteen years after Christ’s Ascension. Both Jerusalem and Ephesus claim to be the place where she died. (By tradition, Mary lived at Ephesus after the death of Jesus.) Mary’s tomb was presumably found in Jerusalem. It is believed that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that after her burial, her tomb, when opened, was found empty. Therefore, they concluded that her body had been taken up (assumed) into heaven.

Saint Gregory of Tour provided a rationale for the tradition, which is related to her having been preserved from original sin. He said that it is inconceivable to think Mary’s sinless body, likened to the Ark of the Covenant which was made of incorruptible wood, should decay in the grave. The text, ‘Rise thou and the ark of thy strength’ (Ps 132/1:8) was understood to mean that it was God’s will that, as Christ had ascended, so too Mary would be received into heaven.
There is an important difference, of course, between the ascension of Jesus into Heaven after His Resurrection, and the assumption of Mary. To ascend is to rise up under one’s own power; while to be assumed means something that is done to one. Jesus, being the Second Person of the Trinity, had no need of assistance; whereas Mary did not have this power. (A pastor once demonstrated this difference in an unusual way. He asked two children to come to the front of the church. He told one child to walk from one side of the sanctuary to the other; and the other child he carried across.)

According to one tradition, Mary was warned of her approaching end by Saint Michael the Archangel, who conducts souls to Heaven, and was surrounded on her death-bed by the apostles, who were miraculously transported to her bedside from their various mission-fields. It was said that Jesus appeared, bore away her soul, and returned three days after her burial, when angels carried her body to Paradise where it was reunited with her soul under the Tree of Life.

VOTE IN NOVEMBER! Don't Leave it Up to the OTHER GUY! YOU ARE THE OTHER GUY!

Posted by Creative Minority Report: Matthew Archbald ~many thanks for a wonderful presentation that should be posted somewhere every hour on the hour from now till election time and even beyond!

Obama Turned Local Issue Into National One

9/11 Families ‘Stunned’ The President Backs Mosque

Proposed Mosque Site Near Ground Zero (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (CBS 2/1010 WINS) — On the same day Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson squared off on the development of an Islamic cultural center just blocks from Ground Zero, the president took a clear side, turning the controversy from a local one, as CBS 2′s Kathryn Brown reports, to a national one.
President Obama left no room for interpretation, forcefully endorsing the plan to build a mosque near Ground Zero and telling a group of Muslims the issue goes to the heart of America’s core values.
“Let me be clear: as a citizen and as a president I believe Muslims have a right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country, and that includes the right to build a house of worship and community center on private property in Lower Manhattan,” he said.
“This is America and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable,” he said.
At the annual White House dinner celebrating the Islamic Holy month of Ramadan, the president weighed in for the first time on the politically and emotionally charged issue, but his stance runs counter to the majority of Americans who oppose the plan to build a mosque steps from where the twin towers fell.
Debra Burlingame, co-founder of the group “9/11 Families For A Safe & Strong America,” argued “Muslims have worshipped in New York without incident both before and after the attacks of 9/11. This controversy is not about religious freedom.”
Burlingame excoriated the president, saying he “has abandoned America at the place where America’s heart was broken nine years ago, and where her true values were on display for all to see. Since that dark day, Americans have been asked to bear the burden of defending those values, again and again and again. Now this president declares that the victims of 9/11 and their families must bear another burden. We must stand silent at the last place in America where 9/11 is still remembered with reverence or risk being called religious bigots.”
Opponents also wasted no time firing back at the president’s remarks. Long Island Congressman Peter King voiced his anger on CBS radio.
“For the President of the United States to stand by those who want to build this mosque, to me just shows that the president is giving in to political correctness. He’s not doing the right. He’s not doing the moral thing. What he’s doing is absolutely wrong,” he said.
Earlier in the week, Gov. Paterson tried to diffuse an increasingly heated argument by suggesting the state could help developers find a new location for the mosque. “The reality is that I hope that the type of cultural understanding that they’re trying to promote when they build this center could be practiced right now.”
Mayor Bloomberg who has been a fierce advocate for the mosque swiped back.
“The governor really does try to make our lives better but probably not the number one expertise that he has is in site selection and that’s a nice way to put it.”
And with Friday night’s developments, the controversy went from a local one to a topic being debated across the country.
“And let us also remember who we’re fighting against and what we’re fighting for. Our enemies respect no religious freedom,” Mr. Obama said.
“We are stunned by the president’s willingness to disregard what Americans should be proud of: our enduring generosity to others on 9/11–a day when human decency triumphed over human depravity. On that day, when 3,000 of our fellow human beings were killed in barbaric act of raw religious intolerance unlike this country had ever seen, Americans did not turn outward with hatred or violence, we turned to each other, armed with nothing more than American flags and countless acts of kindness,” Burlingame said.
“In a breathtakingly inappropriate setting, the president has chosen to declare our memories of 9/11 obsolete and the sanctity of Ground Zero finished. No one who has lived this history and felt the sting of our country’s loss that day can truly believe that putting our families through more wrenching heartache can be an act of peace,” she added.

WHY do they want to build it at GROUND ZERO???? WATCH THIS!!! AND OBAMA SAYS IT'S OK!!!

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941)

He was born Rajmund Kolbe in Poland in 1894 to a large family.  His father and mother worked hard to care for their children.  His father, part of the resistance, was captured and executed by the Russians who occupied partitioned Poland. As a child, he had prayed and asked Our Lady for guidance.  In a vision, she offered two crowns, one for purity and one for martyrdom, he accepted both.  He entered the Conventional Franciscan Monastery at 16 and was ordained at 24. He dedicated his daily life to Mary and founded the Knights of the Immaculata, a magazine to preach the "Good News" and the City of the Immaculata which would house up to 700 Franciscans.  He also established a monastery outside of Nagasaki, Japan.  He was arrested by the Nazis in 1941 and sent to Auschwitz.  After a prisoner escaped, 10 men were order executed..  The prisoners were being lead to the death house and St Maximilian Mary Kolbe asked the commandant if he could take the place of one of the men who was a husband and father.  The commandant asked, "who are you?" He answered, "A priest."  He was canonized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II as a martyr of charity.  Franciszek Gajowniczek, the man he replaced in Auschwitz was in attendance. 
This week pray a Rosary in his honor, his feast day is August 14th.

Heavenly Father, Your loving servant Maximilian Kolbe spent his life in service to others, using technology to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. You crowned his life with the grace to give his life for another, in imitation of Jesus who said, “There is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend.” Through the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe, may we always use technology for Your glory and to draw others close to You and to your Blessed Mother, Mary.

St. Maximilian Kolbe, please pray for us!

Please Join Me in these Petitions

My health is not good. And with what I see transpiring in this Country today, I sometimes wonder if God in His goodness and mercy might not spare me from seeing the ruin of the land and our freedoms destroyed. Blessed be God what ever His Will; but I must admit, I have felt for a long time now that something was imminent. Considering nothing else but abortion, the land cries out for the blood of the innocent! And there is now SO much more to consider besides that heinous evil.

Our Lady, with her loving compassion, can only hold back His Divine Hand of Justice for so long. He IS Justice … Mercy and Truth too, yes, but JUSTICE as well! I have asked folks I know to pray 3 things along with me daily:

1. To unite heartbeats, breaths, actions, etc. to all living beings in the world and unite it to the Perfect Passion of Jesus and His Precious Body and Blood truly present on all the altars of the world and in all the Tabernacles in reparation for the sins, offenses and blasphemies committed against the Holy Trinity and our Lady.

2. That purgatory is emptied into heaven daily during the 3pm Divine Mercy Hour by combining the pain and suffering of the souls in purgatory with the Perfect Passion of Jesus and His Precious Body and Blood truly present on all the altars of the world and in all the Tabernacles.

3. That souls on earth are strengthened, renewed, restored and converted by a miracle, sign, or the Illumination and not have to suffer heartache, disaster and destruction to return to the Lord.

These are just some of my daily petitions which cut at my heart.
Please join me in this and of course also, please pray the USA Chaplet!
God bless and strengthen us all!

Grace: The Air Our Soul Breathes

Grace. What's the first thought that comes to mind when you hear the word 'grace'? Perhaps it's a childhood memory of giving thanks at the dinner table. Perhaps it's something you were told you'd get the day you made your first Confession. But sadly for many ... it invokes no more than the thought perhaps of an obscure acquaintance in grade school who had pigtails, freckles and shared our classroom.

We of course received grace when we were Baptized. Confession, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders and the Sacrament of the Sick (Last Rites/Extreme Unction) all give Sanctifying Grace. We recall that the Sacraments are an outward sign instituted by Jesus to give us grace.
But what IS Grace exactly? Well, simply put, I think grace is God's infinite love which gives us a share in His Divine Life and permits the Holy Spirit to dwell in our souls. The supernatural LIFE that grace bestows also gives us supernatural power and strength to overcome temptation, love God more fully and keep His commandments.

When we call to mind GRACE, how can we not automatically see before us, in our minds eye, the one that was FULL OF GRACE? Mary ... a fully human being was "FULL OF GRACE". Our first impression of this phrase might be that she had a LOT of grace .... more than most for sure. But I believe the literal translation meant that 'her cup runneth over". It meant that she was so full of grace that no more would fit. Literally FULL of grace!

Now we can feel the difference a good Confession makes in lifting our spirit and filling our souls with joy. Many have experienced outpourings when lost in praise and adoration or deep prayer. Just consider for a brief moment what supernatural power and love filled her soul by having no capacity left for more grace! Our Glorious Triune God made sure that she had what she needed (as He does for all His children) to sustain her through the horrific Passion of her dear Son.

If not for abundant grace, being fully human, how COULD she EVER have endured it? It was written that she at the foot of the Cross never fainted. We know she shed tears and the swords piercing her Immaculate Heart were foretold, but without being FULL of GRACE, how could she have watched such a torturous ordeal? I'm not just talking about watching someone you love unjustly beaten, humiliated and put to death in the most vile manner possible. I'm talking about KNOWING He was the WORD made FLESH .. yes, her flesh ... and God, DIVINITY ITSELF! HOW, without grace, could she ever have kept her wits about her and not fly into an open rage?

Seriously, consider our Sorrowful Mother's thoughts and feelings when she initially found out Jesus was arrested. Was she watching as Pilot brought Him out bloody and beaten while the crowd screamed for His death? We know she met Him on the road to Calvary ... what strength could have kept her on her feet, let alone follow Him to Golgotha and stand for 3 hours as He shed every last drop of His Most Precious Blood for sinners that would mock and ridicule Him even thousands of years later?

If Mary was not FULL of GRACE, I do not believe she would have been able to even give her initial FIAT, let alone suffer all her sorrows. This gives us a better understanding of the supernatural power grace bestows on us. But the AMOUNT of grace is dependent on our RECEPTIVITY ... how we are pre disposed and open to receive.
Do the Sacraments always impart grace? Yes. Do they always impart the same amount of grace to every individual? Um, not so much.

The grace we receive (whether Sanctifying or sacramental) is directly proportional to our immediate state of grace and attitude. In other words ....
Two people receive Holy Communion.
One person just went to Confession and is in the state of grace and exuberant about receiving the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus.
Another person has no mortal sin, but perhaps some un-confessed venial sin and isn't so sure about the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, but attends Mass and receives more out of obligation than pure love.
It's very obvious which of the two will receive an abundance of grace .. .certainly it's the one in the state of grace lovingly anticipating Jesus coming into their soul. But they both receive grace.

Shouldn't we strive in this day and age to avail ourselves of God's good gifts as much as humanly possible? We need all the supernatural help we can get and as things progress, we will only need more and more. Unfortunately, there is no clear cut 'formula' to acquire such a precious gift. It IS a gift, just as is FAITH. But if we have love we will want to be as close to God as possible. We will be open to the leanings of the Holy Spirit and our guardian angels. We will want to be in the state of grace always and joyfully anticipate the Eucharist with unbridled awe and love. We will recognize the Sacrament of Penance as a most merciful joy and utter delight and not with trembling, fear and shame.

We as Catholics have the fullness of Faith. Jesus instituted SEVEN SACRAMENTS. He didn't do it because He wanted to be NICE. He did it to leave us a means that by which we may be strengthened during our sojourn here on earth. "For he that has much, much will be expected." So many of us have, for so long, taken the Sacraments for granted, or perhaps not even believing they confer strength and grace as we were taught. What will be worse: The non Catholic that has 2 Sacraments (Baptism & Marriage) and avails himself freely, or the Catholic that having access to not only the 7 Sacraments but a myriad of Sacramentals and devotions finds that he has better things to do with his time?

Time IS getting MUCH shorter now .... choose wisely!

So consider our Most Sorrowful Mother often, asking her to hold us in the mantle of her love recommending our poor hearts to her Divine Son who loves us from everlasting to everlasting. She helps us to realize the true value of grace and the Sacraments which bring us nearer to our Precious Lord while giving our poor souls all the strength and health it needs to fight the good fight while we still trod this valley of tears. We nourish our bodies which are no more than a speck of dust after a short time here, let us also nourish our souls which will enjoy the glory of God for all eternity.

Have Hope? - Know what it REALLY IS?

Many of us ole timers sometimes forget our Baltimore Catechism lessons :)
Many of us can name the 3 Theological Virtues and perhaps even those that can't name the three, DO know that the greatest of these is LOVE :)
You would do well to dust off your copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and look up the exact definitions of all three. Michael will give you the one on HOPE at the end of the 1st video :)



Here is the document of which Michael speaks:
ON BEING CHARIABLE

Hour of Anxiety Soon Approaches!

by: Mark Mallett

The Hour of Anxiety coming is first and foremost the hour of midnight—of open rebellion against God and His Church (see Revolution!). One could also think of it as an Eclipse of the Son.

In seeking the deepest roots of the struggle between the "culture of life" and the "culture of death"… We have to go to the heart of the tragedy being experienced by modern man: the eclipse of the sense of God and of man. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Evangelium Vitae, n.21

It is essentially an eclipse of  Truth. Fewer and fewer are those today who are speaking the truth, the whole truth, the entire Gospel as revealed to us through Jesus and entrusted to the Catholic Church. The sheep have been abandoned to political correctness, betrayed by apostasy within her ranks, and have themselves been swept away by the spirit of the world. It is critical, then, that you learn how to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd. For the days will come when His voice may not be heard from the pulpits or pontifical seat (in so far as persecution silences our priests or Holy Father in many if not most regions in the world—perhaps one of the "destructive effects" of a world "losing its bearings"). At that time, His voice may only be heard in those whose hearts were filled with the oil of faith expressed in love so that the Light of Christ will continue to burn even in the greatest darkness. How will you know the voice of the Shepherd unless you actually believe you will hear His voice? And how will you hear His voice unless you take time to listen to Him? If like me, dear friends, you have begun to doubt that God speaks to you, then you have to renounce this lie. For Jesus said of the Good Shepherd:

…the sheep follow him, for they know his voice… My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:4, 27-28)

To read the rest of Mark's most recent writings, please visit his blog and don't forget about Embracing Hope; his video presentations which are also wonderful!