Pope Warns and Catechizes Latin Bishops

Pope Benedict – Protect Human Life, Marriage and the Family

Thee Catholic bishops of Latin America must protect families and children from “education programs which trivialize sexuality” and “false ideologies” Pope Benedict XVI said in an address this week.

Pope Benedict XVI

The Latin American bishops’ conferences must focus on “promoting a culture of life and working to ensure the rights of families are recognized and respected,” the pope said. The wellbeing of families in the region, he added, is also under threat from “rapid cultural changes and social instability,” poverty and migration of people.

Pope Benedict was addressing an assembly of bishops who serve as the heads of local Catholic organizations across Latin America that are dedicated to promoting family life. The prelates are meeting this week in Bogota, Colombia, with Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, the head of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

Christine Vollmer, head of Venezuela’s Alliance for the Family, told LifeSiteNews.com that she is pleased with the pope’s forthright statement of support for the struggles of families in Latin America.

“It is wonderful that the Holy Father understands our needs here in Latin America, and that the bishops are really studying the problems and putting them as a first priority,” said Vollmer, who is also a founding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

“The Pope is completely right,” she said. It is “cultural poverty” that is “the worst thing and the one undermining not only marriage but their faith as well.”

“The cultural and educational poverty” that is rife in Latin America, “has left millions completely imprisoned in a life style which is barely human. It is much more grave than monetary poverty.”

In his letter, Benedict also said: “No effort is in vain if it helps to ensure that each family, founded on the indissoluble bond between a man and a woman, carries out its mission as a living cell of society, seedbed of virtues, school of constructive and peaceful coexistence, instrument of harmony and a privileged area in which, with joy and responsibility, human life is welcomed and protected, from beginning to natural end.”

The pope said that he particularly wanted to encourage parents in their “right – and their fundamental duty – to educate the new generations in faith and in the values that dignify human existence.”

Vollmer agreed with Pope Benedict, saying, “The example and a culture of virtue is no longer there for young people. All the ‘models’ are dreadful, coming out of TV, MTV, video games and Hollywood.”

Vollmer is the co-author of a catechetical and relationship education program for young people that uses the teaching of the Catholic Church as its foundation and which is being used in schools across Venezuela.

The curriculum, called Alive to the World (Aprendiendo a Querer), covers children from age 6 to age 18 and focuses on the life of virtue. It is being promoted by the Catholic Church as a morally healthy alternative to standard secularist “sex-education” programs, but is even becoming popular in non-Catholic, state-run schools where improvements in behavior have been noted following its implementation.

The Catholic bishops of the Latin American region have a strong track record of defending life and family from attacks that have for years come from United Nations-based pro-abortion and anti-family organizations.

The pope encouraged the bishops to “find ways to collaborate with all men and women of good will in order to continue to protect human life, marriage and the family throughout the region.”

by Hilary White
ROME, (LifeSiteNews.com)

Biggest Find Since the Dead Sea Scrolls????

For scholars of faith and history, it is a treasure trove too precious for price.
This ancient collection of 70 tiny books, their lead pages bound with wire, could unlock some of the secrets of the earliest days of Christianity.
Academics are divided as to their authenticity but say that if verified, they could prove as pivotal as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947.

Lines of inquiry: The metal tablets could change our understanding of the Bible

On pages not much bigger than a credit card, are images, symbols and words that appear to refer to the Messiah and, possibly even, to the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Adding to the intrigue, many of the books are sealed, prompting academics to speculate they are actually the lost collection of codices mentioned in the Bible’s Book Of Revelation.

The books were discovered five years ago in a cave in a remote part of Jordan to which Christian refugees are known to have fled after the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. Important documents from the same period have previously been found there. Initial metallurgical tests indicate that some of the books could date from the first century AD.

Revelation: Experts speculate that the tablets could be the lost collection of codices referred to in the Bible's Book Of Revelation

Hidden meaning: Scrolls, tablets and other artifacts, including an incense
bowl, were also found at the same site as the tablets

SHEPHERD'S DISCOVERY THAT UNEARTHED A TREASURE TROVE

The Dead Sea Scrolls, counted among the most important archaeological finds of the modern era, were discovered in a cave (pictured) by a Bedouin shepherd in the West Bank.
The scrolls consist of 30,000 separate fragments making up 900 manuscripts of biblical texts and religious writings from the time of Jesus.
The fragile parchment and papyrus fragments have been the subject of intense study for more than half a century by an international team of scholars who are still trying to understand the significance of some 30 per cent of the texts which are not included in the Bible or any other previously known religious writings.
The scrolls include the earliest known copy of the Ten Commandments, an almost complete Book of Isaiah and many of the Psalms.
Some of the texts were damaged by well-intentioned restoration attempts since the 1950s that included the use of Sellotape, rice paper and perspex glue.

This estimate is based on the form of corrosion which has taken place, which experts believe would be impossible to achieve artificially.
If the dating is verified, the books would be among the earliest Christian documents, predating the writings of St Paul.
The prospect that they could contain contemporary accounts of the final years of Jesus’s life has excited scholars – although their enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that experts have previously been fooled by sophisticated fakes.

David Elkington, a British scholar of ancient religious history and archeology, and one of the few to have examined the books, says they could be ‘the major discovery of Christian history’.
‘It is a breathtaking thought that we have held these objects that might have been held by the early saints of the Church,’ he said.
But the mysteries between their ancient pages are not the books’ only riddle. Today, their whereabouts are also something of a mystery. After their discovery by a Jordanian Bedouin, the hoard was subsequently acquired by an Israeli Bedouin, who is said to have illegally smuggled them across the border into Israel, where they remain.

However, the Jordanian Government is now working at the highest levels to repatriate and safeguard the collection. Philip Davies, emeritus professor of biblical studies at Sheffield University, said there was powerful evidence that the books have a Christian origin in plates cast into a picture map of the holy city of Jerusalem.

A 16th century painting depicting Jesus's death. The metal books contain pages with images, symbols and words that appear to refer to the Messiah and, possibly even, to the Crucifixion

X marks the spot: The cave in Jordan where the artifacts were discovered

Dr Margaret Barker, a former president of the Society
for Old Testament Study, confirmed that a
sealed book is mentioned in the Bible

‘As soon as I saw that, I was dumbstruck,’ he said. ‘That struck me as so obviously a Christian image. There is a cross in the foreground, and behind it is what has to be the tomb [of Jesus], a small building with an opening, and behind that the walls of the city.
‘There are walls depicted on other pages of these books too and they almost certainly refer to Jerusalem. It is a Christian crucifixion taking place outside the city walls.’
The British team leading the work on the discovery fears that the present Israeli ‘keeper’ may be looking to sell some of the books on to the black market, or worse – destroy them.


But the man who holds the books denies the charge and claims they have been in his family for 100 years.
Dr Margaret Barker, a former president of the Society for Old Testament Study, said: ‘The Book of Revelation tells of a sealed book that was opened only by the Messiah.
‘Other texts from the period tell of sealed books of wisdom and of a secret tradition passed on by Jesus to his closest disciples. That is the context for this discovery.’

Groundbreaking find: A section of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were unearthed in 1947

Professor Davies said: ‘The possibility of a Hebrew-Christian origin is certainly suggested by the imagery and, if so, these codices are likely to bring dramatic new light to our understanding of a very significant but so far little understood period of history.’
Mr Elkington, who is leading British efforts to have the books returned to Jordan, said: ‘It is vital that the collection can be recovered intact and secured in the best possible circumstances, both for the benefit of its owners and for a potentially fascinated international audience.’
*British scientists have uncovered up to eight million mummified dogs, thought to have been sacrificed to Anubis, the god of the dead, 2500 years ago after excavating tunnels in the ancient Eygptian city of Saqqara.

By Fiona Macrae

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1371290/70-metal-books-Jordan-cave-change-view-Biblical-history.html#ixzz1ID2ExUj9

Being Faithful

I've made the analogy many times in my writings that if we truly love God, we'll act the way we do when we love another person ... and we don't even give Him the time we do to our hobbies! I think this coming May will be a whirlwind of opportunity to open our eyes to the TRUTH. God keep us safe and close! The New Springtime is coming folks, but never forget, first the harsh winter! But the New Spring will be worth everything suffered ... the colors will have texture, farsightedness will have no distortions, the beauty will astound us and the peace will embrace us with a comfort we've never known.

Taliban Catholics??

Company Uses Fetal Cells From Abortions for Artificial Flavors

Company Uses Fetal Cells From Abortions for Artificial Flavors
by Steven Ertelt | LifeNews.com

A pro-life group that monitors the use of cells from babies victimized by abortions is today bashing the biotech company Senomyx, which it says produces artificial flavor enhancers using aborted fetal cell lines to test their products.

    The group Children of God for Life is calling for a public boycott of major food companies partnering with Senomyx.

Debi Vinnedge, the director of the pro-life organization, tells LifeNews.com today that, in 2010, her group wrote to Senomyx CEO Kent Snyder and pointed out that moral options for testing their food additives could and should be used. But when Senomyx ignored her letter, the group  wrote to the companies Senomyx listed on their website as "collaborators" warning them of public backlash and threatened boycott. They included food giants PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Campbell Soup, Solae and Nestlé. (See update below.)

"The company's key flavor programs focus on the discovery and development of savory, sweet and salt flavor ingredients that are intended to allow for the reduction of MSG, sugar and salt in food and beverage products," the Senomyx web site says. "Using isolated human taste receptors, we created proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems that provide a biochemical or electronic readout when a flavor ingredient interacts with the receptor."

Vinnedge says a boycott is important because the collaborating companies provide Senomyx with research and development funding plus royalties on sales of products using their flavor ingredients.

"What they don't tell the public is that they are using HEK 293 - human embryonic kidney cells taken from an electively aborted baby to produce those receptors," she said. "They could have easily chosen animal, insect, or other morally obtained human cells expressing the G protein for taste receptors."

Vinnedge says she has contacted the food companies working with Senomyx, but said it took three letters before one company, Nestlé, finally admitted its relationship with Senomyx and company officials claimed the line of cells from abortions was "well established in scientific research".

Both PepsiCo and Campbell Soup also responded.

PepsiCo wrote: "We hope you are reassured to learn that our collaboration with Senomyx is strictly limited to creating lower-calorie, great-tasting beverages for consumers. This will help us achieve our commitment to reduce added sugar per serving by 25% in key brands in key markets over the next decade and ultimately help people live healthier lives."


Campbell Soup officials told the pro-life group: "Every effort is made to use the finest ingredients and develop the greatest selection of products, all at a great value. With this in mind, it must be said that the trust we have cultivated and developed over the years with our consumers is not worth compromising to cut costs or increase profit margins."

While Campbell Soup didn't state they would change their methods, their response, gave Vinnedge hope.

"If enough people voice their outrage and intent to boycott these consumer products, it may convince Senomyx to change their methods," she said. "Otherwise, we will be buying Coca-Cola, Lipton soups and Hershey products."

UPDATE: Within hours of its press statement to LifeNews.com, the pro-life group received notice from Campbell Soup that the company has severed its ties with Senomyx. Juli Mandel Sloves, Senior Manager of Nutrition & Wellness Communications at Campbell Soup Company, told Vinnedge, "We are no longer in partnership with Senomyx. This fact was discussed during the Senomyx conference call with its investors earlier this month."

ACTION: Contact the companies at:

Kent Snyder, CEO
Senomyx
4767 Nexus Centre Drive
San Diego, California 92121

Edmund M. Carpenter, CEO
Campbell Soup
1 Campbell Place
Camden, NJ 08103-1701

Paul Bulcke, CEO
Nestlé USA
800 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA  91203

Jamie Caulfield, Sr.VP
PepsiCo, Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577

Irene Rosenfeld, CEO
Kraft Foods/Cadbury Chocolate
Three Lakes Drive
Northfield, IL 60093

Mr. Torkel Rhenman Chief Executive Officer
Solae
4300 Duncan Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63110

by Steven Ertelt | LifeNews.com | 3/29/11 11:44 AM

UPDATE!!! March 29, 2011

Within hours of our press release, Children of God for Life received notice from Campbell Soup that they have severed their ties with Senomyx.

Stated Juli Mandel Sloves, Senior Manager of Nutrition & Wellness Communications at Campbell Soup Company, "We are no longer in partnership with Senomyx. This fact was discussed during the Senomyx conference call with its investors earlier this month."

If you choose to write to Campbell Soup, please thank them for their decision.  Mmmm good!

Fired Disgruntled Employee Vows to DESTROY Fr. Corapi!

A leader of the company that manages Rev. John Corapi’s media has claimed that the recent accusations against the popular priest were launched by a “disgruntled” former employee who vowed to “destroy” Corapi’s reputation.

Corapi, a well-known Catholic personality and member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) who has been extremely outspoken on the life and family issues, has been placed on “administrative leave” in consultation with the diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, where SOLT is based.
The move was in reaction to a letter by a former employee of the media company sent to several bishops and claiming that Corapi was addicted to drugs and sexually involved with multiple women.
The priest himself announced the allegations in a note on his website, and has said that all the allegations are false. 
Bobbi Ruffatto, Vice President of Operations at Santa Cruz Media, Inc., said in a statement Friday that the only evidence against Corapi thus far is “the unsubstantiated rant of a former employee, who, after losing her job with this office, physically assaulted me and another employee and promised to ‘destroy’ Father Corapi.”
Ruffatto notes that Santa Cruz is “a secular corporation and not affiliated with the Catholic Church in any way” and thus not under any bishop’s jurisdiction.
Stating that the company “fully support[s] Rev. John Corapi in this terrible trial,” Ruffatto said company leaders “have consulted with a number of canon lawyers” who have concluded “that the actions of the Bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas are, on several points of canon law, illicit,” although Ruffatto did not elaborate.
In his original note, Fr. Corapi had taken issue with the zero-tolerance policies used by the U.S. bishops to respond to allegations of misbehavior, which he suggested amount to presuming guilt until innocence is proven.
“There seems to no longer be the need for a complaint to be deemed ‘credible’ in order for Church authorities to pull the trigger on the Church’s procedure, which was in recent years crafted to respond to cases of the sexual abuse of minors,” he said.
KALISPELL, Montana, March 25, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) 

-by Kathleen Gilbert

Bishop Tobin – “Gay Marriage” Can Never Be Condoned

 Bishop Thomas J.Tobin: “Homosexual Relationships Are Not Marriage – 

Never Have Been, Never Will Be.” 

“Abysmal” Catholic apathy must be overcome to oppose those who are “fiercely determined” to impose homosexual “marriage,” Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island Thomas J. Tobin has warned. Reasserting Catholic teaching on sexual morality, he also said that same-sex “marriage” will endanger religious freedom.

Bishop Thomas J.Tobin: Defender Marriage

Writing in his April 23 column in The Rhode Island Catholic, Bishop Tobin spoke of a “relentless” political march towards homosexual marriage, with New England leading the way. “The supporters of gay marriage in Rhode Island are well-organized and well-funded. They’re fiercely determined to impose their politically correct agenda on all the citizens of the state – human history, culture and moral principles not-withstanding. Anyone who opposes them is quickly labeled a bigot,” the bishop observed.

However, he said the typical Rhode Island Catholic’s response was indifferent and cited not wanting to judge people. Tobin also said that Catholics give rationalizations about the decline of Catholic influence.

“Gay marriage will affect you and you should be concerned. And there’s a lot we can do,” the bishop wrote, proceeding to review reasons Catholics oppose same-sex “marriage.”

Bishop Tobin explained that “homosexual activity is unnatural and gravely immoral. It’s offensive to Almighty God. It can never be condoned, under any circumstances. Gay marriage, or civil unions, would mean that our state is in the business of ratifying, approving such immoral activity.”

The movement for same-sex “marriage,” he added, “seeks to radically redefine the most fundamental institution of the human race, the building block of every society and culture. From the beginning, marriage has been defined as the stable union of man and woman, designed by God to continue the human race through the procreation of children.
“Homosexual relationships are not marriage – never have been, never will be.”

Bishop Tobin introduced what he called the “champagne principle.” Saying that not every wine has the unique characteristics of champagne, the bishop argued that someone who relabeled a bottle of Chianti and tried to sell it as champagne would be arrested for fraud.
Similarly, those who seek to redefine marriage and “to usurp the title ‘marriage’ for their morally bankrupt relationships,” are “committing an act of fraud,” he charged. “It’s insulting to those who have entered the authentic, sacred and time-honored institution of marriage over the years.”

“The gay culture continues to seep into our popular culture, cleverly claiming credibility,” he said. He charged that President Barack Obama’s special invitations to homosexual families to participate in the White House Easter Egg Hunt was “just another not-too-subtle attempt to ignore the objective immorality of the situation and present gay couples as normal and happy as every other couple.”

He closed with a warning about the implications the recognition of same-sex “marriage” would have for religious liberty.

“We’re familiar with other examples of the gay agenda infringing on religious freedom,” he said, noting how Massachusetts required the Catholic Church to place children for adoption with homosexual couples and how some countries have charged Christian preachers of hate crimes for voicing Christian doctrine about homosexual practices.

“Proponents of gay marriage say that the Church won’t be forced to witness such marriages. Don’t believe it,” he said, warning that the Church may be required to admit homosexual couples as sponsors for baptism, to rent its facilities for homosexual wedding receptions, or to hire employees despite their immoral lifestyles.
“For simply maintaining its teachings in these and many other possible scenarios, the Church will be accused of bigotry and unlawful discrimination. The threat to our religious freedom is real, and imminent,” he said.

Crediting Rhode Island’s governor, its Speaker of the House, and its President of the Senate for avoiding homosexual marriage, he said they have been “consistent and courageous” in deflecting the “onslaught” of homosexual activists.
Bishop Tobin said that if only five or ten percent of Rhode Island’s Catholic population became involved on this issue “we could have an enormous impact and help Rhode Island maintain its moral sanity.”

He encouraged Catholics to become aware of political action on the issue, to write letters to the editor, and to encourage their representatives to “defend marriage and family values.
“And you can pray fervently that God will help us in this critical struggle on behalf of morality and common sense,” he added.

If the imposition of homosexual marriage happens in Rhode Island, the bishop concluded, “It’ll be our fault… simply because our abysmal apathy allowed it to happen.”

Other Bishop Tobin Articles

• Bishop Tobin: A Warning to CNA Nuns

• Bishop Tobin Unveiling Catholic Healthcare System Giving Money For Abortions

• Bishop Tobin Stands Firm

from: Courageous Priest

Novena for the Fr. Corapi Ordeal – March 25 to April 2

(From the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, to the Anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s passing, April 2)

Efficacious Novena To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus

(This novena prayer was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who asked his prayers)

I. My Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.’ Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I knock, I seek and ask that my prayer be granted. (here, mention your request) ____________

Our Father…

Hail Mary…

Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.’
Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, in Your Name I ask the Father that my prayer be granted.

Our Father…

Hail Mary…

Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, heaven and earth
will pass away but my words will not pass away.’ Encouraged by
Your infallible words, through the intercession of Mary, Your
holy Mother I feel confident that my prayers will be answered.
(mention your request)

Our Father…

Hail Mary…

Glory be to the Father…

O Sacred , O Merciful, O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate heart of Mary, Your tender mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen…

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

Salt and Light Interviews Mark Mallett on the End Times

An Interview on the End Times from Mark Mallett on Vimeo.

Religion 'will be driven toward extinction' in 9 countries, experts predict

Religion will all but vanish eventually from nine Western-style democracies, a team of mathematicians predict in a new paper based on census data stretching back 100 years.

It won't die out completely, but "religion will be driven toward extinction" in countries including Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, they say.

The mathematicians say it will also wither away in Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland and Switzerland.

They can't make a prediction about the United States because the U.S. census doesn't ask about religion, lead author Daniel Abrams told CNN.

But nine other countries provide enough data for detailed mathematical modelling, he said.

"If you look at the data, 'unaffiliated' is the fastest-growing group" in those countries, Abrams said.

"We start with two big assumptions based on sociology," he explained.

The first is that it's more attractive to be part of the majority than the minority, so as religious affiliation declines, it becomes more popular not to be a churchgoer than to be one, he said - what Abrams calls the majority effect.

"People are more likely to switch to groups with more members," he said.

Social networks can have a powerful influence, he said.

"Just a few connections to people who are (religiously) unaffiliated is enough to drive the effect," he said.

The other assumption underlying the prediction is that there are social, economic and political advantages to being unaffiliated with a religion in the countries where it's in decline - what Abrams calls the utility effect.

"The utility of being unaffiliated seems to be higher than affiliated in western democracies," he said.

Abrams and his co-authors are not passing any judgment on religion, he's quick to say - they're just modelling a prediction based on trends.

"We're not trying to make any commentary about religion or whether people should be religious or not," he said.

"I became interested in this because I saw survey data results for the U.S. and was surprised by how large the unaffiliated group was," he said, referring to a number of studies done by universities and think tanks on trends in religion.

Studies suggest that "unaffiliated" is the fastest-growing religious group in the United States, with about 15% of the population falling into a category experts call the "nones."

They're not necessarily atheists or non-believers, experts say, just people who do not associate themselves with a particular religion or house of worship at the time of the survey.

Abrams had done an earlier study looking into the extinction of languages spoken by small numbers of people.

When he saw the religion data, his co-author "Richard Wiener suggested we try to apply a similar technique to religious affiliation," Abrams said.

The paper, by Abrams, Wiener and Haley A. Yaple, is called "A mathematical model of social group competition with application to the growth of religious non-affiliation." They presented it this week at the Dallas, Texas, meeting of the American Physical Society.

Only the Czech Republic already has a majority of people who are unaffiliated with religion, but the Netherlands, for example, will go from about 40% unaffiliated today to more than 70% by 2050, they expect.

Even deeply Catholic Ireland will see religion die out, the model predicts.

"They've gone from 0.04% unaffiliated in 1961 to 4.2% in 2006, our most recent data point," Abrams says.

He admits that the increase in Muslim immigration to Europe may throw off the model, but he thinks the trend is robust enough to withstand some challenges.

"Netherlands data goes back to 1860," he pointed out. "Every single data that we were able to find shows that people are moving from the affiliated to unaffiliated. I can't imagine that will change, but that's personal opinion, not what the data shows."

But Barry Kosmin, a demographer of religion at Trinity College in Connecticut, is doubtful.

"Religion relies on human beings. They aren't rational or predictable according to the laws of physics. Religious fervor waxes and wanes in unpredictable ways," he said.

"The Jewish tradition that says prophecy is for fools and children is probably wise," he added.

And Abrams, Wiener and Yaple are not the first to predict the end of religion.

Peter Berger, a former president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, once said that, "People will become so bored with what religious groups have to offer that they will look elsewhere."

He said Protestantism "has reached the strange state of self-liquidation," that Catholicism was in severe crisis, and anticipated that "religions are likely to survive in small enclaves and pockets" in the United States.

He made those predictions in February 1968.
By Richard Allen Greene, CNN

How Important is Prayer Really?

The field of battle between God and satan is the human soul. It is in the soul that the battle rages every moment of life. The soul must give free access to the Lord so that it may be fortified by Him in every respect and with all kinds of weapons; that His light may enlighten it to combat the darkness of error; that it may be clothed with Jesus Christ. To be clothed with Jesus Christ it is necessary to die to oneself. That which comes from satan begins with calmness and ends in storm, indifference, and apathy. In the spiritual life he who does not advance goes backward. It happens as with a boat which always must go ahead. If it stands still the wind blows it back. Fix the time, the length of your meditation, and do not rise from your place until you have finished even at the cost of being crucified -- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina 

Do we really need to pray? Doesn't God already know what we need and want? If God has everything and can do everything, why does He need our prayers? The short version is He doesn't need a blessed thing from us, but because of His infinite love and mercy ... He desires us to move closer to Him. Prayer is a conduit to God in which He dispenses graces to us for the journey till we get home to Him. Prayer helps bring us closer to Him and although we shouldn't pray for the 'feeling' it gives us, it is nonetheless, a special gift and joy those times when it is received. If you do nothing else after reading this, please make a time DAILY to set aside for God ALONE and PRAY! Even if you are laden with pain so great that you can't read a sentence or remember a phrase, you CAN keep repeating "JESUS" over in the silence of your mind and heart. So there is no excuse not to commit to a life of daily prayer no matter your station in life. As I often say: "Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi." "As you pray, so shall you believe ... as you believe so shall you live." Think about that. If you have no prayer life, what belief do you hold to? If you have no beliefs, you don't care HOW you live! This is the life of a pagan who searches out only what the world can give him along with instant gratification in everything because HE DESERVES IT ALL AND RIGHT NOW. Very sad indeed. What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world yet lose his soul? And, he who has Jesus lacks NOTHING! Truer words were never spoken.

The Sacraments of course are most important and we should avail ourselves a heapin' helpin' of grace when ever we can and as often as we can. If someone was handing out gold bars on the corner, would you smile politely as you passed by saying "NO THANK YOU"?? We as Catholics take for GRANTED the infinite treasures that our Faith gives us. It is the FULLNESS of Faith with all SEVEN Sacraments instituted by Jesus Himself and traceable in the Bible.
But getting back to prayer ... When you prayer, you lift your soul to our glorious Triune God, that can at times bring us to a height of supernatural joy that is hard to explain. Perhaps close to this might be compared to being in a praise and worship renewal or healing service  where all raise their voices to God. Often we then experience a feeling that can 'carry us away' so to speak and remove us for a moment from all worldly concerns. Why is this? Well, the Bible clearly states that God INHABITS the praises of His people. I believe when your heart is lifted to Him in holy abandon and if even for a moment NOTHING else exists for you but HIM, well then you have a taste of eternity .. of heaven.

Now we want to make certain that this "feeling" is not the motivation for prayer ... certainly many of us, myself included have (and many of us most recently and presently) experienced what is called being in the desert, the dryness of prayer or dryness of the soul. During these times, we may be faced with severe attacks from the old boy wanting to distract us from prayer however he can ... fear, anxiety, daily/worldly worries, even pain, illness, lack of sleep, or falling asleep at mid sentence .... ANYTHING to inhibit our prayer life. We must FIGHT to keep to our prayer schedules. And you SHOULD DEFINITELY *have* a prayer schedule. Even if only 15 minutes a day, but at least an hour is best. I like to do mine during the special Hour of Divine Mercy, 3pm. Jesus told St. Faustina that what ever is asked of Him during that hour will be granted (I'm sure being in the state of grace and wanting His Will in your life assists greatly.).

Now when we pray, what should we pray for? How should we pray? Well the Rosary is the most POWERFUL prayer outside of the Holy Mass and has averted wars and mitigated disasters, so this is first on the list. God knows what you want and need, Jesus gave us the "Our Father" ... so, first give thanks and glory to God in all things.

Let's take a closer look at this perfect prayer:
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. - You acknowledge that God IS GOD in HEAVEN, is Holy and rightly to be praised. In His goodness and mercy He permits us to address Him as FATHER, hence, accepting us as His children.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. - We await His Kingdom .. that all will come to know and accept His love and mercy. We pray that humankind will turn to Him in obedience, embracing His Perfect Will in all things as the angels and saints in heaven do.
Give us this day our daily bread. - We ask our Heavenly Father to provide for our daily needs which He knows so much better than we do. Not necessarily what we WANT, but what He knows we NEED. And that need generally leans more toward our spiritual sanctification and salvation rather than our temporal needs on earth. Even so, God's treasure house of love, mercy and compassion is overflowing, so He frequently gives us our temporal needs as well.
And forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us. - Here, we're asking God to treat us as WE TREAT OTHERS. Be careful here! Forgiveness is paramount in prayer and a Christian life. Christ Himself forgave all from the Cross even after all the mockery, humiliations, tortures and all else! Who are we to do any less to those that have wronged and hurt us? FORGIVE ALWAYS ... SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN!!!!
Lead us not into temptation. - Would God lead us into temptation? No of course not. But He permits us to BE tempted so we can excercise our free will and strengthen our Faith. He wants us to be free to choose Him ... why would He want robots worshiping Him? We're asking here too for the strength to resist temptation and to increase our Faith so we may stand strong in the face of adversity.
But deliver us from evil. - Here we ask for help again with temptation but also more directly, to protect us from the snares and tricks of the devil. To deflect the darts and daggers that the ole boy throws our way to distract us from the path of holiness that leads to everlasting life. The devil always makes something look easy and good in the beginning, telling us God won't mind, it's no big deal and then when we're up to our ears in it, he stand laughing and tells us we're doomed and too far gone to even THINK about asking God for forgiveness .. he leads us into despair, apathy, self indulgence and ultimately self destruction. So we need help .. a lot of help, to fend off this deceitful liar and murderer who feeds off our sorrow and pain.
AMEN. - So be it! ... Let all we just said come to pass and be so!

Prayer should be our spiritual breath to live. We cannot live without oxygen to breathe, Christians cannot live without prayer and the Sacraments. To do so is fruitless and amounts to nothing but stress and misplaced priorities for this world that is passing away, just as our bodies are. Is prayer hard for you? Do you find it a chore sometimes? Then you may be in the desert.

Persevere and beg for the grace to remain focused and bask in the glory of the Father of Mercy and Love.
Lay your head at the Feet of the One that suffered and gave up all - to the very last Drop of His Most Precious Blood even for those that He knew would mock and hate Him through the ages.
Breathe in the newness of the Breath of Life from the Holy Ghost Who's Power and Might can sustain even the most wretched and weak of us.
Finally, forget not the Queen of the most Holy Rosary who stands ever ready to plead and intercede for her children to Jesus. Her intense love, great compassion and maternal care reach into the wounded Sacred Heart in a way that is unique between Mother and Son. She takes no glory for herself ... remember her words always: "Do whatever He tells you!"

St. Joseph: Model Of A True Man!

All Catholic Men Should Have A
Devotion To St. Joseph!

St. Joseph Is The Model Of A True Catholic Man

As men we are bombarded with role models that are contrary to what every Catholic man should be.  The brute, the macho, the Playboy, the jock, the effeminate or the indifferent imbecile are negative models presented to us through television and movies.
Saint Joseph presents to us the true model of the authentic, mature and coherent Catholic man, husband and father.
As I wrote in my book Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Family Life and Sexuality, to be a real father does not simply mean that you show up to your kids’ ball game or recital.  No, fatherhood is much more than this.

The Father Must Be The Spiritual Leader of the Family

First of all, not only is a father the guardian, protector and provider of his family, a father also must be the spiritual leader of his family.  Too many times men leave spirituality and religious instruction for their wives to handle.  Children need to see that their fathers do indeed pray.
More and more families are making it a part of their lives to attend Mass every day.  This may not always be possible, but it is certainly something to strive for.  In the evening, it is a very laudable practice for the entire family to come together after dinner and pray the Rosary.  But, this means, that the family must have dinner as a family every night.
The father should direct and lead this nightly effort, although he may ask his wife or children to lead some of the decades.  At the end of the Rosary, the father should conclude with some form of night prayer, after which he should once again embrace and kiss his children, and give them each his blessing as father and spiritual leader of the home.
Sunday worship is of primordial importance for a family.  Sunday Mass needs to be the priority of each Sunday.

The Father Must Take An ActiveRole In His Children’s Education 

Along with the father as spiritual leader of his family, he also has to be, along with his wife, the primary educator of his children.  Too many parents think that the local school takes care of everything.  Educating children is a vital task for parents, and the father plays an important task in this as well.
Education does not simply mean getting good academic grades at school.  Yes, a good report card is important, but I am referring to something much more demanding and much more complete than just a good report card.
Both mother and father have a shared responsibility in the education and formation of their children.  A father must not be seen merely as the provider.  Both mother and father have an equal responsibility in the raising of their children. When it comes to the raising of children, always remember that mother and father complement one another.
It is very important that Catholic men have a filial devotion to Saint Joseph.  Contemplating his life and his virtues will guide men how to be real Catholic men.

By: Father James Farfaglia

Just In Case Your Parish Priest Doesn't Know ...

All Who Prayed Rescued Baby Joseph!

A Big THANK YOU To Everyone Who Pitched In To Help!

He was just days away from having his breathing tube removed—and it seemed as if all hope for little Baby Joseph’s rescue was fading fast.

But thanks to you and tens of thousands of your fellow pro-lifers who got involved in this fight, Baby Joseph is now safe and secure in a wonderful Catholic hospital in St. Louis, Missouri—the Cardinal Glennon Childrens Medical Center.

As you know by now, it was touch-and-go there for awhile. It didn’t look like the Canadian health care officials were going to release Baby Joseph. Instead, they were determined to remove his breathing tube and let him die.

But all that changed when you and scores of concerned people contacted the Canadian hospital and said, “Let Baby Joseph GO!”

They finally agreed. And last Sunday night, we got Baby Joseph out of the Canadian hospital… and he, his Dad, and I boarded the special high-tech “air ambulance” designed to handle cases like these… and took him to the brave American hospital that stepped up to the plate in order to give Baby Joseph the care he needs.

Now… the worst is over.

And so, at this time, I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who pitched in to help with this historic fight.

We at Priests For Life are very grateful to you for being among the tens of thousands of pro-lifers who sent e-mails to the doctors and administrators at the Canadian hospital where Baby Joseph would have been forced to die.

This victory just goes to show that when enough good people get involved and work together, miracles happen.

We’re also extremely grateful that the Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital—out of dozens of hospitals we contacted—had the intestinal fortitude to stand up to all the political pressure and say, “YES! We’ll take Baby Joseph and care for him! That’s what we do!”

Without them, Baby Joseph had no real hope of survival.

Therefore, I’m writing to ask you to send one more e-mail—this time, a “Thank You” e-mail to the officials at Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital—and tell them how thrilled you are that they took in Baby Joseph during the most critical hour in his fight for life.

All you have to do is go to http://www.priestsforlife.org/alert/alert.aspx?id=15, and use the e-mail form that we’ve provided for your convenience.

At the same time, I’d also like to ask for your help in a special way to assist Priests For Life in paying the significant costs we agreed to incur for rescuing Baby Joseph.

For instance, now that Baby Joseph is in a U.S. hospital, we've been told that it could cost as much as $150,000 for his stay in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

So if you can help us pay down the bills we face, it would be a wonderful gift to Baby Joseph and his parents. There’s simply no way any family could afford the daunting costs of rescuing Baby Joseph. But we committed ourselves to paying the bills, and that’s what we’re going to do.

We’ve established a special “Baby Joseph Fund” specifically for this purpose, so that every dollar you donate goes directly to paying these bills.

Let me tell you… the news media was shocked by what we did in the Baby Joseph rescue effort!

Virtually every major news outlet—from CNN to Fox News, Geraldo, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Yahoo!, the UK Daily Mail, the Associated Press… you name it—came out to cover this story.

We made it clear in every interview and “sound bite” that our Christian duty is to cherish life over the bottom line. No “death panels”!!! We also emphasized that our e-mails to the Canadian health officials were clear, firm, but respectful. We didn’t let this become a verbal “brawl” in any way.

But the pressure they felt from the tens of thousands of e-mails they received from good folks like you is what caused the whole struggle to turn around in our favor over the course of the last week. Prior to that, they fought Baby Joseph’s parents at every turn.

So, like I said, it just goes to show what can be done when we all work together with God on our side.

We will continue to help Baby Joseph and his parents in any and every way. Only God knows how long he’ll live, based on his health challenges.

But this much is sure: while he does live, he will be cared for, because though there is such a thing as a worthless treatment, there’s no such thing as a worthless life.

As before, I also encourage you to forward this e-mail Alert to everyone on your e-mail address list. This really made a BIG difference in getting tens of thousands of people involved, and all it takes is a few keystrokes and clicks on your computer.

Thank you again for your time, your charity, and your love for the defenseless children among us -- born and unborn. We couldn’t have done this without you.

Blessings,

National Director,
Priests for Life

P.S. The father of baby Joseph, Moe Maraachli, is extremely grateful for all of your help. In a recent interview he said,  “I feel like my son was kidnapped and in jail, but now he has been set free.”

Go to http://www.youtube.com/frfrankpavone#p/u/3/PQ1S64rM8sc to see a
special thank you from baby Joseph’s father, Moe Maraachli.

Priests For Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 888-PFL-3448
718-980-4400
Fax: 718-980-6515
Email: mail@priestsforlife.org
www.PriestsForLife.org

Baby Joseph in USA!

 Fr. Frank Pavone – A Hero For Our Times

Baby Joseph Freed!!!

Under cover of darkness, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, arrived in Ontario, Canada, Sunday night to rescue Baby Joseph Maraachli from the London Health Sciences Centre. For two weeks, doctors at the hospital in London, Ontario, have been delaying the baby’s transfer to a hospital where efforts to save his life will not be officially labeled “futile.”

Fr. Frank Pavone and Baby Joseph
in St. Louis, MO

“I knew, after this dragged on day after day, that I needed to be here myself to get Baby Joseph to safety,” said Father Pavone. “He needs to be in a hospital that cherishes life over the bottom line. After around-the-clock negotiations, this really became a race against time.” Father Pavone was accompanied by Priests for Life staff, who were there to assure the transfer proceeded smoothly.
Baby Joseph and his father, Moe Maraachli, were flown with Father Pavone to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo., on a specially equipped air ambulance provided by Michigan-based Kalitta Charters, and sponsored and paid for by the New York City-based Priests for Life.
“If there is a chance this boy can live, we have to explore every option,” said Father Pavone, who was to arrive back home in New York earlier today after weekend speaking engagements in Cleveland. Instead, he flew to Detroit and then on to Canada, vowing not to leave the country until he had Baby Joseph and his father with him.

“Priests for Life staff toiled through the night for many nights, working in concert with dozens of people to make this possible,” Father Pavone said of the nighttime rescue mission. “Now that we have won the battle against the medical bureaucracy in Canada, the real work of saving Baby Joseph can begin.”

Father Pavone said Baby Joseph’s transfer was accomplished through the efforts of a number of people, including his parents; family spokesman Sam Sansalone; family attorney Claudio Martini; Bobby Schindler of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Dr. Martin McCaffrey, a neonatologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Medical School; the Rev. Pat Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition in Washington, D.C., and attorney CeCe Heil from the American Center for Law and Justice, also in D.C. Father Frank also thanked the many other Canadian pro-life groups and individuals who have been consistent and heroic in their advocacy for Baby Joseph and for all the vulnerable.
“We are united across national boundaries to continue to work together for a Culture of Life,” Father Pavone said.
SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center opened in 1956 and was named in memory of Cardinal John Glennon, Archbishop of St. Louis from 1903 until his death in 1946. The hospital was a fulfillment of Cardinal Glennon’s vision of a health-care facility open to all children in need of medical care. The hospital is part of SSM Healthcare, which is run by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary. The system has 19 acute-care hospitals in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
Pictures from Baby Joseph’s Transfer
Fox News Article: EXCLUSIVE: ‘Baby Joseph’ Gets Second Chance at Life in U.S.
Want to help Baby Joseph? Click here.
Priests For Life – STATEN ISLAND, March 14, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 14, 2011

Dear Mary,

I have great news to share with you today.  We have had success in getting
Baby Joseph out of Canada and bringing him to the United States to receive
the health care he needs.

Last night I arrived in Ontario, Canada, to rescue Baby Joseph Maraachli
from the London Health Sciences Centre. For two weeks, doctors at the
hospital in London, Ontario, have been delaying the baby's transfer to a
hospital where efforts to save his life will not be officially labeled
"futile." Read more about this at www.priestsforlife.org.

I flew in a medical jet with Baby Joseph and his father, Moe Maraachli, to
SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo.  He is now
being evaluated by the staff at this wonderful Catholic facility.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your help.  None of this
could have been possible without you.  Your prayers and your emails to
Canadian officials are what helped us to get Baby Joseph out of Canada.

This proves that when we all band together united for such an important
cause we can make a difference.  Let this be incentive for us to continue
to work together to protect the most innocent and to truly bring about a
culture of life.

Please keep praying for Baby Joseph and his family.  Continue praying and
fighting for others like Baby Joseph who are considered by some in the
medical profession to be “worthless” and continue to pray and fight for
an end to the slaughter of the most innocent still in their mothers’
wombs.

Keep watching for Baby Joseph developments on our website at
www.priestsforlife.org and in special emails and alerts that I will send to
you.

Thanks and God Bless,

National Director,
Priests for Life

Priests For Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 888-PFL-3448
718-980-4400
Fax: 718-980-6515
Email: mail@priestsforlife.org
www.PriestsForLife.org

A Brief Review of the Akita, Japan Apparitions

In 1973, the Blessed Virgin Mary gave Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in Akita, Japan three messages through a statute of Mary. Bathed in a brilliant light, the statute became alive and spoke with a voice of indescribable beauty. Her Guardian Angel also appeared and taught her to pray. The wooden statute from which the voice came wept 101 times over a course of several years. It also perspired abundantly and the perspiration sent out a sweet perfume. Its right palm bled from a wound having the form of a cross. Hundreds of people witnessed many of these events. Scientific analysis of blood and tears from the statute provided by Professor Sagisaka of the faculty of Legal Medicine of the University of Akita confirmed that the blood, tears, and perspiration are real human tears, sweat, and blood. They come from three blood groups: O, B, and AB. Sister Agnes also has stigmata on the right palm. A Korean woman with terminal brain cancer received immediate healing while praying before the statute in 1981. The miracle was confirmed by Dr. Tong-Woo-Kim of the St. Paul Hospital in Seoul and Fr. Theisen, President of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Seoul. The second miracle was the complete cure of total deafness of Sister Agnes.

April, 1984 - Most Rev. John Shojiro Ito, Bishop of Niigata, Japan, after years of extensive investigation, declares the events of Akita, Japan, to be of supernatural origin, and authorises throughout the entire diocese the veneration of the Holy Mother of Akita. He said: "The message of Akita is the message of Fatima."
June, 1988 - Vatican City - Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gives definitive judgement on the Akita events and messages as reliable and worthy of belief.

     Messages

First message, July 6, 1973

"My daughter, my novice, you have obeyed Me well in abandoning all to follow Me. Is the infirmity of your ears painful? Your deafness will be healed, be sure. Be patient. It is the last trial. Does the wound of your hand cause you to suffer? Pray in reparation for the sins of men. Each person in this community is my irreplaceable daughter. Do you say well the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist? Then, let us pray it together:"

"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with Your Heart being sacrificed at every instant on all the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father, pleading for the coming of His Kingdom."

"Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me as You will for the glory of the Father and the salvation of souls."

"Most Holy Mother of God. Never let me be separated from your Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as Your special child. Amen."

" Pray very much for the Pope, the bishops and the priests."

Second Message on August 3, 1973

"My daughter, my novice, do you love the Lord? If you love the Lord listen to what I have to say to you."

"It is very important. You will convey it to your superior."

"Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console Him to soften the anger of the Heavenly Father. I wish, with my Son, for souls who will repair by their suffering and their poverty for the sinners and ingrates."

"In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. With my Son, I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the sufferings of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him and form a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father's anger. I desire this also from your community, that it love poverty, that it sanctify itself and pray in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages of so many men. Recite the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist with awareness of its meaning: put it into practice: offer (whatever God may send) in reparation for sins. Let each one endeavor, according to capacity and position, to offer herself entirely to the Lord."

"Even in a secular institute prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to pray are on the way to being gathered. Without attaching too much attention to the form, be faithful and fervent in prayer to console the Master."

Third and the Last message on October 13, 1973:

". . . if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by my Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and the priests."
"The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres (other priests). Churches and altars will be sacked. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord."
"The demon will be especially implacable against the souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them."
". . . Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."

Pope: Priests Must Teach The Truth In Its Entirety!

“Priests Must Not Preach Christianity ‘A La Carte’!”

Priests must not preach “Christianity ‘a la carte’” and should be willing to approach even uncomfortable aspects of the Gospel, Pope Benedict said in a meeting with priests this week.
In a meeting with priests and religious from the Diocese of Rome on March 10, the Pope led a Scripture meditation as the “pastor of the pastors.”
He based the meditation – called a “lectio divina” (sacred reading) – on a chapter from the Acts of the Apostles in which St. Paul leaves the faithful in Ephesus with instructions on how to continue preaching the Gospel after his departure.
Paul’s advice to be humble and vigilant in preaching the faith, to make themselves completely available in service to Christ and the Church, and prayerful as they protect their “flocks” are all relevant characteristics of priests nearly 2,000 years later, said the Pope.
He implored priests to show “full-time” fidelity to their vocation as priests, “being with Christ and being ambassadors of Christ.”

The Pope also called on priests today not to shrink from proclaiming “the entire plan of God.”
“This is important,” said the Pope. “The Apostle does not preach Christianity ‘a la carte,’ according to his own tastes, he does not preach a Gospel according to his own preferred theological ideas; he does not take away from the commitment to announce the entire will of God, even when uncomfortable, nor the themes he may least like personally.

“It is our mission to announce all the will of God, in its totality and ultimate simplicity. But the fact that we must instruct and preach is important – as St. Paul says – and really proposes the entire will of God.”

In a world where people are curious to know everything, “so much more should we be curious to know the will of God,” said Pope Benedict.

“What thing could be more interesting, more important, more essential for us than to know what God wants, to know the will of God, the face of God?”
He called on priests and religious to respond to this curiosity and awaken it in others, assisting them in “knowing truly all the will of God and knowing then how we can and must live, which is the path of our lives.”
From the CNA, By: Alan Holdren

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Release Baby Joseph NOW!

March 12, 2011

We have everything we need to bring Baby Joseph
to the U.S. for the health care he needs.

We've done everything the Canadian hospital has asked us to do --
now it's up to them to do their part and let Baby Joseph go.

Dear Mary,

No doubt you've been following the rollercoaster drama that has been
unfolding in Canada regarding the fate of little Baby Joseph. Neither we
nor anyone else knows how long he has to live, but that’s God’s
decision. Meanwhile, we are joining his family in trying to get him
reasonable care that will extend his life – care that has so far been
denied by the hospital he is in.

Believe it or not, this last Friday we were prepared to pick up Baby
Joseph from the Canadian hospital and transport him to a hospital in the
U.S. that has agreed to take him in and give him the care he needs.

However, we have been stonewalled through all kinds of delay tactics --
the list of which is so long it would take another page to describe them to
you.

It was infuriating!

For instance, we have an air medical transport team -- one of the top
teams in the country -- waiting on standby for the "go ahead" that has not
yet come. In other words, Baby Joseph could be in that U.S. hospital right
now receiving the care he needs. Instead he is still languishing in the
Canadian hospital.

The medical board overseeing his case is apparently convinced that giving
proper care to Baby Joseph is futile. They don’t mean that the medical
care won’t help him. They mean his life in its current condition isn’t
worth the trouble.

This of course is an outrage, and must be stopped.

We at Priests For Life have been at the forefront of this battle for the
last several weeks, once we discovered how critical this situation was for
Baby Joseph and his parents. We have already made a firm commitment to
fight for Baby Joseph -- whatever the cost. And let me tell you, the costs
will be significant.

For example, the air medical team and their specially-equipped airplane
costs thousands of dollars an hour. That's because they're capable of the
highest level of critical care, and they can handle anything. Furthermore,
once we get Baby Joseph to the U.S. hospital, we've been told that it could
cost as much as $150,000 for his stay in the Pediatric Intensive Care
Unit.

So here's what happens next …

Monday morning, there's going to be a "conference call" between the
lawyers, doctors, and administrators involved in this case to ensure that
Baby Joseph can be released immediately. Once he is, our team springs into
action.

What I need you to do right now is to contact by email a certain Dr.
Douglas Fraser, who is the attending physician for Baby Joseph at the
Canadian hospital. It is our understanding that he has the ultimate
authority to permit the release of Baby Joseph or to deny it. In other
words, the fate of Baby Joseph is in Dr. Fraser's hands.

We all must urge Dr. Fraser to do the right thing and allow Baby Joseph to
get the care he can receive in the U.S. hospital which we've already lined
up and is ready to go.

Therefore, go to http://www.priestsforlife.org/alert/alert.aspx?id=14 to
send your email to Dr. Fraser so that he sees it first thing Monday
morning. Also, I implore you forward this Alert to everyone on your email
list -- because we need to get the word out in order to have maximum
effectiveness.

I am personally "on call" right now to hop on an airplane and go to Canada
when Baby Joseph is released so that I can be with him on the medical jet
as it flies to the United States. I will be joining Baby Joseph's parents
in order to give them spiritual strength during this undoubtedly difficult
time in their lives.

Please say a prayer for Baby Joseph, his parents, the air medical team,
and everyone else involved in this historic case. Pray that the Canadian
authorities do the right thing AND RELEASE BABY JOSEPH NOW!

Thank you for your time, your charity, and your love for the defenseless
children among us -- born and unborn.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director

P.S. The email that you'll send to Dr. Fraser will also go to Mr. Peter
Johnson, who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Canadian
hospital where Baby Joseph lies in wait for us to help him. Mr. Johnson
oversees that particular hospital, and therefore he can have a strong
influence on Dr. Fraser's decision. Please see the email at
http://www.priestsforlife.org/alert/alert.aspx?id=14 for more details.

Priests for Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 718-980-4400
Toll Free: 1-888-735-3448
Fax: 718-980-6515
mail@priestsforlife.org
www.priestsforlife.org

Time to Speak Out ... and Don't Judge Who should HEAR

Said it before and I'll say it again .. it's time to get the heck off the fence and begin opening our mouths!

Michael points us to Cardinal Burke's Wisdom Again

I Am Catholic! I Cannot Go To Hell!

My Dear People,

Like Many Cultural Catholics, She Lived All the Pagan Values of Today’s SocietyGloria Polo-Ortiz, a speaker from Columbia SA, shared her near death experience with us a few years ago. She told us of having been struck dead by lightening. Leaving her body, she felt herself rising toward the heavens. Before she reached the eternal light of Heaven, she began to fall backwards into the darkness. Even though she had been baptized and raised Catholic, she never actually embraced or lived her faith. In fact, like many cultural Catholics, she live all the pagan values of today’s society. She never went to confession, and used her faith to promote her professional needs. As she fell closer to Hell, she kept crying out, “I am Catholic, I cannot go to Hell, I went to Church. I performed good deeds.”

As she approached the mouth of Hell, she was suddenly snatched up by an angel and returned to her body. Later, she was shown by Our Lord, that a poor peasant farmer had sacrificed some of his food money to have a mass offered for her soul. Jesus told her that she would have fallen completely into the fires of Hell, had it not been for this man’s heroic merciful act of love for her. This is sobering to say the very least. The Gospel tells us that those who lived pagan lives, and call out, “Lord, Lord”, begging for help, will encounter his Divine Justice. Don’t wait until your deathbed to repent. Convert your lives while there is still time. Live God’s Mercy TODAY!

Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,
Fr. Mark Bozada

Save Baby Joseph – Fr. Pavone Needs Your Help!

Canadian Hospital Refusing To Provide 

Proper Medical Treatment

Join the Maraachli family as they fight this horrendous attack on their innocent baby boy’s life.

• Save Baby Joseph Community Facebook Page
• Save Baby Joseph – OFFICAL FAMILY SITE Facebook Group

Read thoroughly, action needed.

By Fr. Frank Pavone (Priests For Life) – As I’m sure you know, the now-famous case of Baby Joseph in Canada is becoming critical. He could die in the next couple of weeks if his breathing tube is removed as the hospital and the government intend.
Baby Joseph is only 13 months old and often has difficulty breathing on his own. He needs a procedure called a tracheostomy in order to go home and live under his parents’ care. However, the Canadian health care system is refusing to let the family take care of their son — even though hospitals in the United States have privately said that they would take Joseph in and give him the tracheostomy he needs to survive. U.S. doctors and hospitals who are now familiar with the case are appalled that Baby Joseph hadn’t received the tracheostomy 3 or 4 months ago rather than make the baby suffer all this time.
Baby Joseph’s parents are pleading with the world for a hospital with the courage to step forward and accept their son for evaluation and treatment. Priests For Life has even agreed to supply medical air transport to and from the facilities. We will support the cost of the hospitalization and after-care including nursing. Home ventilators have also been donated to maintain Baby Joseph if needed.
There are U.S. physicians in Michigan willing to oversee Baby Joseph’s outpatient care and assist in weaning him off the home ventilator should it be necessary.
We have yet to find one facility that said it would not perform the tracheostomy on Baby Joseph.
The real problem is that health care providers in the U.S. need Baby Joseph’s medical records — but the Canadian authorities are refusing to release them.
Therefore, I need your help to continue to contact the Canadian authorities so that a proper and humane solution to this problem can be found. We have recently discovered that Canadian law requires the hospital to release these records to Baby Joseph’s parents upon request. And to date, they have refused.
This is what is preventing hospitals in the United States from being able to accept Baby Joseph. We need those medical records! And we need them now!
Therefore, I urge you to click here and send an email to the Canadian officials who oversee the London, Ontario hospital requesting that the medical records be released immediately.
We are continuing our search for a hospital in the United States to take Baby Joseph, and they won’t do that without the records.
So please send an email to the Canadian authorities — and at the same time say a strong prayer for Baby Joseph and his parents. Time is running out, so please act now.
Again all you need to do is click on this link and action can be taken in this life-or-death case.
And while you’re on your computer, please forward this urgent email to everyone you know, and we may have a strong chance of saving Baby Joseph from a cruel death.

Fr. Frank Pavone
Nationail Director

Archbishop Chaput: Luke Warm Christianity Is A Convient Form Of Paganism!

Luke Warm Christianity Is Convenient Paganism

Addressing a gathering of European church officials on March 4,  Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver warned that many contemporary Christians have reduced their faith to a convenient “form of paganism,” which cannot compete with the widespread “idolatry” of modern consumer culture.
Archbishop Chaput offered his observations at a conference in Paris honoring the late Cardinal Archbishop Jean-Marie Lustiger, a Jewish convert to Catholicism who was the Archbishop of Paris from 1981 to 2005.
The Denver archbishop described Cardinal Lustiger as “an unsentimental realist” who dared to speak about disturbing trends in the Church and society – including a lack of faith among professed Christians, leaving a vacuum that would be filled by other “gods” such as sex and money.

“Lustiger named lukewarm Christians and superficial Christianity for what they are: a congenial form of paganism,” said Archbishop Chaput. “The Church needs a great deal more of his medicine.”

Many Christians Have Reduced God To An Idol

He recalled Cardinal Lustiger’s prophetic warnings against “creating alibis and escaping the implications of our faith.” In a passage cited by Archbishop Chaput, the cardinal wrote that “many Christians,” through evasions and misunderstandings, had “reduced the God of the Covenant to a mere idol.”
“The main crisis of modern Christianity is not one of resources, or personnel, or marketing,” Archbishop Chaput asserted. “It is a crisis of faith. Millions of people claim to be Christian, but they don’t really believe.”
“They don’t study Scripture. They don’t love the Church as a mother and teacher. And they settle for an inoffensive, vanilla Christianity that amounts to a system of decent social ethics.”

The Worst Kind Of Phony Christianity!

“This is self-delusion,” he warned, “the worst kind of phony Christianity that has no power to create hope out of suffering, to resist persecution, or to lead anyone else to God.”
Archbishop Chaput said that these weakened forms of Christian faith would not be able to compete with the many modern cults of instant gratification and success.
Cardinal Lustiger, he recalled, had “warned that one of the deepest and oldest instincts of man is idolatry.” The Denver archbishop said he sees that instinct taking on several forms today.
“There are no real atheists in America – quite the opposite,” he said. “We have a thriving free market of little gods to worship. Sex and technology have very large congregations.”

The Modern State Is A Great Idol!

“I was especially struck,” he noted, “by Lustiger’s description of the modern state ‘as one of the strongest forms of idolatry that exists; it has become the most absolute substitute for God that men have been able to give themselves . . .  and it is a tyrant god, feeding itself on its victims.’”
But the Archbishop of Denver said that these human tendencies, leading to the worship of objects and of oneself, could not be driven out by the mere exercise of authority.

To Purge Christianity Of These Great Idols Demands Total Conversion Of Individuals

“The Christian remedy to these idolatries,” he explained, “can never simply be coerced from the outside, by stronger statements from stronger bishops.” He quoted Cardinal Lustiger’s insight that these forms of idolatry “must be exorcised from the inside … To uproot them, we must be converted in depth.”
He also indicated that Cardinal Lustiger’s unique perspective was just as important for U.S. Catholics today as it was for European Catholics during his lifetime. The cardinal’s work, Archbishop Chaput noted, “continues to influence our seminary formation” at Denver’s St. John Vianney seminary.
“He is a Jew who discovers Jesus Christ … His mother is murdered at Auschwitz. He survives the most horrific war in history, but he refuses to hate and despair. Instead, he turns to God more deeply and gives himself to the priesthood.”
“Most of the young men I meet hunger for examples of manliness, confidence, courage and faith,” Archbishop Chaput noted. “Cardinal Lustiger’s personal story is itself a catechesis – an invitation to pursue God heroically.”

The above text by the great Archbishop Chaput was taken from the CNA.  In the text, Archbishop Chaput takes a cue from Cardinal Lustiger and  warns on the growing crisis of faith, and the many different forms of idolatry which have choked the life out of Christians and the Church as a whole.  The Archbishop warns explicitly on the idols of  sex, technology, and the state as being particularly prevalent in our day.
Read and Enjoy.
By Benjamin Moore, CNA