A Powerful Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas

"Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give me an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give me an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow on me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and faithfulness that may finally embrace you, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

St. Thomas Aquinas

The Godless Go Postal Over Mother Teresa Stamp

Patrick Madrid read my mind and beat me to the press on this. I saw it a few minutes ago and just rolled my eyes at the hypocrisy of atheists who want to suppress everyone elses views so that don't have to be tolerant of their fellow man. The amazing thing is that you don't HAVE to buy this stamp. You can mail your letter with any old stamp you choose. So why aren't good people allowed to honor someone who spent their lives doing good for others? Are you afraid that if you lick this stamp there might be some chemical concoction on the back that will turn you into a religious fanatic? Go ahead, make an atheist stamp! I'll buy the ones I like and you can buy the ones you like! Our mail will get there just the same. Get a life, people. Really.

As A Child Would

"“St. Therese’s Little Way might be summed up in this way: the love of God and others is the primary vocation of every Christian; we need to rely on God to become holy as a child would rely on her parents; and we can use the ordinary circumstances of everyday life as opportunities to offer God our love.”

Mike Aquilina
The Resilient Church, The Word Among Us Press"

Jacob's 3D Picture

They recommend that you do these pictures at about 30 weeks and she is 36 weeks right now. So the little guy is a bit scrunched, but he is adorable! I can't wait to kiss that little nose! He is already 6lbs 4oz, so pray this little guy makes an entrance a wee bit early for Sarah's sake!

It Is Well With My Soul

The past few weeks have been a difficult time. The passing of my mother and stress with my family have been difficult. For reasons that will be obvious, this old hymn has come to my mind several times lately. My friend, Marie, posted this on her facebook wall, and I thought I would share it with you all.

Catholic Is As Catholic Does

Fr. John did it again this morning. If you're one of those people who calls yourself Catholic but haven't been to Mass in ages, or who have decided to disregard Catholic teaching and become your own Pope, you were not comfortable at St. Thomas the Apostle this morning. Check our his sermon in the right margin.

I Have The Strangest Cat!

My cat, Katrina, has more personality than any cat I have ever known. She's . . . quirky. She has a thing for sitting on my shoulders. In fact, she sleeps on my arm at night. She's about as warm as a down comforter. As I was working at my computer, she pulled this trick and I happened to capture it.

Sarah's Baby Shower

We had Sarah's baby shower today. It went real well. Sarah is absolutely the most beautiful little mama I've ever seen. I can't say that about my first daughter because her pregnancies were both so high risk and she was so ill that it was painful to look at the poor thing. But Sarah has been fortunate thus far and she looks like a healthy, happy mama.

We didn't have a babysitter for the two boys, so they had to come along. We were so worried that the party would be disturbed by two rambunctious boys. Apparently we had nothing to fear. Before all the guests arrived, they both succumbed to nap time fatigue and were soon sleeping on the couch. Gabriel slept through the whole thing and Isaac only woke up minutes before we were done. Thank you, Lord!

The Gospel: It's Not All In Your Head

"“God created us in His image as a marvelous unity of spirit, soul, and body. Our intellect is only one component in our decision-making process. Apostles who have all the answers but do not love often just drive their hearers away from the Church.”

Patrick Madrid
Search and Rescue, Sophia Institute Press"

Too Funny!

You have to check this out on Patrick Madrid's blog. It's hilarious.

Singing, Praying Survivors Pulled From Haiti Rubble Week After Quake - The Americas - FOXNews.com

Singing, Praying Survivors Pulled From Haiti Rubble Week After Quake - The Americas - FOXNews.com

To my "no peace in the Catholic Church" friend: get a load of this lady! See, my dear, I've been Protestant and now I'm Catholic and I've never known the joy and peace I know now. I was not a nominal Protestant either. It was my desire for Christ that brought me out of the Protestant world and deep into the Catholic Church.

I have a challenge for you! Read the writings of the Early Church Fathers and ask yourself one question: Does my faith tradition believe and practice what these Early Christians did? Dig in and learn what faith and practice was in the first three or four centuries. I guarantee you, it's not what you think it was. I also guarantee you that you won't regret taking an honest look at Church history.

Justin and Sarah

These two precious people renew my faith every time I am with them. Their marriage is a constant picture of Christ and His Church. Their baby is due next month, and if Nana's hunch is correct, it will be sooner than we are thinking. Please pray for them as they anticipate their first birth experience.

My Thoughts on "The Promise"

Way back a while ago I was going to write a commentary on Fr. Jonathan Morris' book, "The Promise." There were many things that made this book a good experience for me. But the one thing that meant the most to me was how it challenged my thinking on God's role in disasters or tragedies. The woman who did so much for me when I was recovering from sexual abuse, was in the process of writing a study about God's role in evil when I began to study the Catholic Church. (Those two things have nothing to do with each other, it was just a matter of a point in time.) She was teaching that God was the one that sent every disaster, not by his action, but by his inaction. In other words, since he didn't prevent the disaster in Haiti, he wanted it to happen. That fit in perfectly with the Calvinist view of God and salvation. God could be as capricious as he wanted to be, but since he is God, he can't commit evil. That was how I saw his role in my own painful childhood. He could stand by and "allow" this to happen because he took pleasure in seeing me suffer, yet he was still holy because he was God.

The was one of the views of God in Fr. Morris' book, but there were others. Many people see him as a great Genie in the heavens that we go to when we need a favor, but who doesn't really figure into our everyday lives.

Then there is the very distant God that sets the natural laws of the universe in motion and then goes on vacation. He stands a long way off and just checks in now and then to see how big a mess we have made. This version reminds me of Bette Midler's song "From A Distance."

Then there is the "Cop" God who takes great pleasure in catching us being frail human beings and throwing us in the brig whenever we mess up.

Satan loves to mess with our image of God. After all, what was the first thing he said to Eve? "Did God say....?" He was casting doubt on God's goodness by questioning his motives in outlawing the fruit from one tree. He was suggesting that if God were really interested in their well being, he would have given them free reign of the garden and not kept anything from them. That's always his approach. Get those humans to see God as something other than love.

In fact, the debate about who God is has repeated itself in an infinite number of ways for centuries. It is at the heart of the centuries old debate between Calvinists and Arminians. The beautiful thing is that moderation is the key to truth. Getting off in the weeds too far in any direction gets us into trouble. And the Catholic Church has carefully guarded the middle of the road since her inception.

So all that to say that I truly appreciated all the many aspects of Fr. Morris' book, but for me personally, I appreciated his middle of the road view of God that helped me and folks I work with see God as the loving, holy God he is rather than the capricious, legalistic God that I grew up with.

The Devil Writes A Letter To Pat Robertson

As I am frequently guilty of doing, I snatched this article right off one of my favorite blogs. Patrick Madrid posted this little ditty and I thought it was right on.

Faith, Hope and Love in Haiti

I've never seen the kind of faith and love that this story demonstrates other than in Our Lord Himself. Watch and be amazed.

Infinite Mercy

"“In whatever condition we find ourselves, we can always open ourselves to conversion and receive forgiveness for our sins. On Calvary, by the supreme sacrifice of his life, the Messiah will seal for every man and woman the infinite gift of God’s pardon and mercy.”

Pope John Paul II
Words to Live By, The Word Among Us Press"

To my "no peace in the Catholic Church" friend: Have you read St. Faustina's Diary?

You Are My Hiding Place

I send this video to the person who commented that there is not consolation in the God of the Catholic Church. Oh, my friend, you know not what you say!

This Morning's Reading

"For Zion's sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet. Until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. Nations shall behold your vindication, and all kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem held by your God. No more shall men call you "Forsaken," or your land "Desolate," but you shall be called "My Delight," and your land "Espoused." For the LORD delights in you and makes your land his spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a Bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God delight in you"

The Rain Falls

Pat Robertson came up with one of those statements that gives God credit for the evil in the world. This is the kind of thinking that makes me glad I'm Catholic. The Catholic God isn't in heaven throwing hurricanes, earthquakes and other disasters on those He died to have mercy on. Let's pray for the healing of the faithful in Haiti and the gift of repentance and salvation on those who do not know Him. Matthew 5:43-48.

Please Pray For My Mother

My mother slipped into eternity on Sunday. Please pray for her eternal rest in the arms or Our Lord. My brother wrote a loving tribute to her here. I always felt we could have been the best of friends. My comfort is that she knows all truth. I'm sure Mary has introduced herself and let her know her Motherly love. My mom never knew her birth mother. She passed away when my mother was just an infant. I always longed for her to know Mary's motherhood. Now she does.

Heaven Meets Earth

"“Heaven meets earth in the sacraments. This is not mere wishful thinking or a metaphor taken too literally. It is something profoundly true and real… For the sacraments represent divine mysteries, spiritual realities, and human senses cannot see them in their deepest reality.”

Scott Hahn & Mike Aquilina
Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division"

I had a comment recently about another quote from this book. I will address it later. I know that when I began studying the Catholic Faith, sacraments were very strange to me. I was used to a faith that could only be read about, not touched or seen or felt. But the Catholic Faith is an incarnate faith. God came a dwelt among us. He still dwells among us in the Sacraments.

I Am The Bread Of Life

Click Title or Image

You've Got To See This!

I hope to get some video of my Grandson, Isaac, playing the drums like he's Phil Collins, but this little dude makes me smile. I used to play the ukelele, I've never seen it played this passionately. You've definitely got to see this.

For those who have difficulty waking up in the morning, this alarm tone might help

For those who have difficulty waking up in the morning, this alarm tone might help

Please Pray For My Mother

My mother had a heart attack a couple of days ago and had to have a stint put in. She is in poor health anyway and I'm sure recovery will be a hard road. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks!

Supernatural Prudence

“There is nothing wiser than to follow Christ. There is no surer way of happiness in this world than following the Gospel. The person who has sacrificed much in order to follow the supernatural goals set by our Lord Jesus Christ may look unfortunate in the eyes of the world, but he or she will have great interior peace. That alone makes supernatural prudence the wisest and most acceptable way to walk in this confusing world.”

Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.
The Virtue Driven Life, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division

Profile Away

I'm glad someone finally said what was on my mind. While we are tip toeing around people's feelings, our country is a sitting duck before the terrorists. I just pray that if you or me are ever on a plane with a terrorist, there's a courageous, hard working, wage earning citizen willing to tackle the guy so that the government paid marshal can get cuffs on him.

Consecration To The Blessed Virgin Mary

Every year, since the year I was received into the Catholic Church, I have renewed my consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I don't use the forula suggested my de Montfort as I did the first year, though that is a wonderful process. But I do make time every January 1st to stop by an image of the Blessed Mother and give the following year into her hands and ask her patronage and her prayers for myself and especially for my children and grandchildren.

This year, we had plans on New Year's Day, and my daughters didn't want me to daudle too long after Mass. But I didn't need to daudle anyway. As I was praying during Mass, I was reminded of a picture that hangs in my bedroom. It's a picture that a friend of mine framed for me as part of my meditation wall.

For me, this picture helps me visualize Mary's role in my life. She is that human link to Jesus who teaches me to always say "yes" to Jesus and assists me in being the spouse that He wants me to be. Notice Mary's hand on the arm of St. Cathrine? Her blessed assitance is always there as I offer myself to Christ as His sole possession and servant.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with you.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now, and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

This Guy Will Be Looking Over His Shoulder The Rest Of His Life

This story really boggles my mind. Jesus Christ and His Church can be drug through the mud, mocked, accused, insulted and lied about, but draw a picture of Muhammad and you'll be walking around with a death sentence the rest of your life. In fact, even your innocent little grandchildren will have to live under your curse. Does that make sense to anyone? I mean, does that not just make your head spin?

How many times have you heard of images or sculptures or dramatic portrayals of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus or a Catholic Priest that were insulting, deranged and perverted? It's socially acceptable to publicly trash talk all things Catholic. But we all get nervous when someone questions someone in a turban.

The world has gone mad!

Frankly, I think we are afraid of them. We are still in shock after 9/11 (myself included) and we're afraid to offend someone who might just blow us up! Well, I'm not hankering to get blown up either, but I think we are going to "tolerate ourselves to death" with this attitude.

Jesus, Her Son

"'We never give more honour to Jesus than when we honour his Mother, and we honour her simply and solely to honour him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek - Jesus, her Son.'

St. Louis Marie de Montfort
True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, Montfort Publications"

Happy New Year!!!

May we, individually and as a nation, bless God this year by our obedience and our adoration.