What Does God Want?

"“The whole point of the Christian life is to love God and to prepare ourselves to be with Him for eternity.”

Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R.
What Does God Want?, Our Sunday Visitor"

This little book has really changed my life. My Spiritual Director gave it to me at a time when I was working through a major decision. We now use the principals in it when we approach any decision in my life. I think it should be on every one's shelf.

Roots of the Faith - Mike Aquilina

I've had one mantra since discovering the Early Church Fathers:  Read them and ask yourself if your own faith tradition matches that of the early Church.  If it doesn't, why not?  That has been my challenge to any group I've spoken to for the past ten years.

Mike Aquilina wrote a book a while back called "The Mass of the Early Christians" that really rocked my world when I read it years ago.  I was blown away by how similar the Mass was two thousand years ago to the way we experience it every Sunday.  It made me realize how connected modern Catholics are to our brothers and sisters of ancient times.  It also proved to me that just as Sacred Scripture has been preserved by the Holy Spirit since the beginning, so has Sacred Tradition been guarded and guided by the very same Holy Spirit.

Now in "Roots of the Faith" he goes over the early Mass in the first chapter and then expands our visit to the early church through the perspectives of other Catholic distinctives such as Confession, the Communion of Saints, Purgatory, the Clergy, the Papacy and then into those real tough areas like the Church's view of sex, marriage celibacy and abortion.  He "goes back in time" and shows up how the fathers viewed those issues and how the Church's teaching developed into the timeless truths that Catholics hold dear and the world loves to mock and criticize. 

One chapter that really wore out my highlighter was the chapter on celibacy.  I recently celebrated my fifth anniversary of consecrated life and the chapter on celibacy really described both the sweetness of living the heavenly life in this present world, and the difficulty of living a life so contrary to the world's perspective.

The last chapter being about the beauty of living as modern Catholic is such a safely guarded Tradition reflects my own feelings every Sunday morning as I watch the Priest and Deacon process in and realize that this has been happening like this since St. Peter walked the earth.  How firm a foundation we have as Catholics! 

 

Obama and Abortion - A Cartoon

He Has The Keys Upon His Shoulder

This article from Ignatius by Carl Olson nearly brought me to tears.  Everytime I hear of another Anglican coming home, I can almost feel the healing of the Body of Christ.  Bring the wanderers home Lord.  They languish in the Protestant wilderness withough a Shepherd.

Litany of the Saints

The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail

My Mother Taught Him Better Than That

A while back I got wind of some boorish behavior taking place on my brother's Dividing Line web cast.  Apparently the subject was the physical appearance of the wives of the Mormon, Brigham Young.  Apparently my brother and his side kick, Rich Pearce, enjoyed some rooster cackling over how unattractive they found Young's wives and even joked that wives of such homely appearance might produce heresy in any man.

Stop me if I'm wrong, but didn't Jesus say in Mark 7 that "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man."  So a homely wife is no excuse for any sinful behavior on the part of a man.  It's his own lust that would draw him into sin of any kind.

Meanwhile, I'd like to show you a lovely lady who would never win any beauty contests but who was very beautiful in the sight of God:

This is James White's Grandmother (and mine).  Not a beauty queen by any means, but a beautiful woman in the eyes of a holy God.  I wonder how James would feel if a couple of guys sat around and made jokes about her.

A protestant blogger wrote about her own disappointment with James and Rich's behavior here.  She said that I am a heretic which would be erroneous since I am the one standing with Peter and she is a protester.  Nevertheless, she did bring up an interesting point.  She wondered if my brother would call me homely.  I would imagine he would since I know his standards.  The thing is that I am nearly a carbon copy of our mother which makes me wonder how he would feel if it was his own mother being publicly mocked?  Would it be different if it was on a Christian apologetics program?   

This whole situation reminds me of many other situations where James has enjoyed a good belly laugh about those he did not agree with.  I've been witness to many conversations between my brother and my father or my brother and his friends when people of other faiths have been the butt of his jokes and mockery.  It's a blast, don't you know, to laugh your head off at what others consider sacred.  After all, if they were anywhere near as smart as he is they would know how stupid their beliefs were, ha ha ha.

Almost ten years ago I was in a chat room (remember those?) with some Catholic friends talking shop.  We were also having one of those back-slapping good times laughing about "the other guys."  We didn't pay much attention when an unknown person signed on and just lurked.  We figured the person would chime in when they felt like it. And since it was a chat room we had created just for that evenings conversation between Catholics, we felt at ease to let our hair down and laugh. Later, it was getting late and I signed off and went to bed.  When I got up the next morning I had several emails from my chat room friends.  Apparently the lurker was my brother under a pseudonym.  After I signed off he announced his presence and then proceeded to pronounce judgement on my friends for their unChristlike behavior the night before. 

Let me explain something.  When you point a finger at someone else and chastise them publicly for doing something that you yourself do . . . I don't know . . . the word hypocrite comes to mind.  And then when you and your buddy get the giggles about ugly women in a public forum, well, I think it's about time you just keep your mouth shut and have yourself some humble pie.

Except In The Case Of Rape?

I've heard so many well meaning people say they are against abortion except in the case of rape or incest.  This web site might change some minds.  I know it touched my heart.

Caption This!

Twin Baby Boys Laughing at Each Other

Beware: This is so sweet you may get cavities!

Tim Hawkins - The Government Can

Ps 27 Responsorial

"Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD

Apostolic Succession In The Flesh

Have we been blessed lately or what?

Not Tired Yet.

I was sitting in Mass this morning and thinking as I frequently do about my brother telling me that I would very quickly tire of the liturgy and the repetition of the Catholic Mass.  Well, I'm nearing my tenth anniversary as a Catholic and I have only one thing to say:

NEVAHHHHH!

Before a Sovereign God

Before a sovereign God, what exactly constitutes an unplanned pregnancy?

(Stolen from Twitter by Matt Mahar.  As a former Calvinist, I love this one like crazy.)

Can I Hear An Amen?

"'IF I WERE NOT A CATHOLIC, and was looking for the true Church in the world today..., I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates.'~ Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen"

Stop and Ponder

"“You are living out, as a daughter or a son, the love that Jesus has for the Father and the Father has for the Son. Stop and ponder that for a moment. It is breathtaking. You are loved as much and in the same way as the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father. Your baptism really changed you. Your life is now immortal; your inheritance is eternal. You have full access to the Father through Jesus.”

Sr. Ann Shields
Pray and Never Lose Heart, Servant Books"

The Real Victim

Jesus - the Man who loved, the Man who healed, the Man who fed, the Man who gave hope to those suffering from despair - was mocked, beaten, tortured and killed, dying the shameful death of a criminal. Imagine being present at the crucifixion and being able to see all that is taking place. Jesus' mother, Mary, cannot stop her tears, nor can Mary Magdalene or the other women who are watching from afar. The soldiers are laughing and making fun of Jesus as He suffocates and chokes on His own blood. The apostles . . . where are the apostles, but John? All those who said they loved Him are hiding in fear. All those who welcomed Him into their town as a king just one week before are spitting on Him and shaking their fists at Him. They want him dead. And during it all, Jesus is winning their salvation. Just then, Jesus says: "Father, forgive them . . ."

Jesus will help you forgive whoever it is in your life that needs your forgiveness. Sometimes, the downfall in trying to forgive is that you try to do it all on your own. Remember that the very fact that you are willing to forgive is in fact a grace from God. So ask Him to stoke that spark of willingness to forgive into a flame and let this flame set your heart on fire with love.

When they reached the place called The Skull, there they crucified him and the two criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing. Then they cast lots to share out his clothing. - Luke 23: 33 - 34

divorcedcatholic.org

Catholic League: For Religious and Civil Rights

Warning:  This article is vulgar and nauseating.  But we really need to voice our disgust at things like this.

Wednesday January 19, 2011
DENIS LEARY DEFAMES POPE, PRIESTS AND NUNS
On January 16, Comedy Central aired "Denis Leary & Friends Present Douchebags & Donuts." On January 18, Comedy Central Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment released the DVD nationwide. The opening segment of this video is addressed by Bill Donohue today:
The standup special opens with a clip of Pope Benedict XVI talking to a crowd. But there is a voice-over that is dubbed in to make it seem like he is discussing priestly sexual abuse. Leary then appears on a stage with a large illuminated Cross in the background; he prances around extending his middle finger at it. On stage with him is a singing trio of women dressed as nuns in habit wearing short skirts.  
The clip of the pope has him screaming, "Heil Hitler," proclaiming, "Oh yeah, I'm the f***ing pope, for Christ's sake, the god**** Fuehrer." The pope then introduces Leary as Father Denis Leary and he proceeds to mimic confession. Here are some of the lines:
• "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned—yeah, pull down my pants and put your penis in"
• "Thou shalt not kill and Thou shalt not lie, and don't drop the soap when the pope is nearby. Cause they may hate gays but they do love the guys"
• "Well, the nuns are goin' down on other nuns, and the priests are chasin' after altar boy buns, and the pope will move you when the damage is done"
• "Jesus, Mary and Josephine, well this church is full of some giant queens, so break out the candles and the Vaseline"
Comedy Central released this hate-filled video right after President Obama called for an end to incivility. In effect, they stuck their middle finger in his face. These people want more than a culture war—they want it to spill over into the streets. 
Contact Renata Luczak, the director of Comedy Central's Home Entertainment: mailto:renata.luczak@comedycentral.com

Catholic League: For Religious and Civil Rights

I Can't Do It

"“For I see very well that almost everything I have to do is something I myself cannot do at all. That fact already forces me, so to speak, to place myself in the Lord’s hands and to say to him: ‘You do it, if you want it!’”

Pope Benedict XVI
Light of the World, Ignatius Press"

Like Mother's Milk

"“Like mother’s milk, Mary’s teaching is perfectly suited for our growth in Christ. Nothing artificial or harmful comes through her care. I like to think of receiving her ‘immunities’ as a protection against the work of Satan…What child of Mary has not experienced her powerful protection in times of trouble and temptation?”

Patti Gallagher Mansfield
Magnificat"

Save Me, Lord!

"Sometimes the frustration, anger and disappointment of divorce are so overwhelming you may feel you can hardly stand it! The fear of the unknown future and the implications of things continuing to turn out badly can weigh heavily upon you. We can easily see ourselves in the shoes of the apostles in the boat, with the storm beating down upon them and the waves beginning to overtake the boat. But let's not forget that Christ was there with them in the boat. True, He was sleeping, but many mistake His sleeping for ignoring the apostles in their time of need. In reality, Christ was setting the example for us. Be at peace in the midst of your storm. Do not worry. Do not fear. Have faith, have hope, be peaceful, for I am your Lord. I will take care of you.

The apostles were astounded because although they loved Jesus and believed He was 'the Christ, the Son of God,' their faith was still weak. They had much to learn about Jesus and to learn that their peace would only come through trusting Him. And so at this particular time fear ruled their souls and dictated their behavior. But oh, how different it was when the Holy Spirit came to them at Pentecost and filled them with a holy boldness! How incredible it was to see their fear changed to inspiration and zeal! Imagine yourself in the boat with Jesus, asleep. Imagine your fears, worries and hurts as the waves, crashing upon you trying to destroy your boat. Now, look at Jesus asleep and imagine-what would you do?

And then he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. They were astounded and said, 'Whatever kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? - Matthew 8: 26-27"

www.divorcedcatholic.org

St. Anthony the Great

Click Image.

Fr. Baker Another Step Closer To Sainthood

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Catholics in western New York are rejoicing in news from the Vatican on Friday. Father Nelson Baker and Pope John Paul II are closer to sainthood.  Read more here.

O, Victorious Lady,

Thou who hast ever such powerful influence with thy Divine Son,

In conquering the hardest of hearts,

Intercede for those for whom we pray

That their hearts be softened by the rays of Divine Grace,

That they may return to the unity of the true faith,

Through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

The Journey Home | Eternal Word Television Network, Global Catholic Network

Drake and Crystal McCalister talk about their Journey Home and about living the Liturgical Year which is one of my favorite subjects.

The Journey Home | Eternal Word Television Network, Global Catholic Network

Rosie the Rosary Prayer

We can do it.  We can change the world one bead at a time!

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com - Officer thankful for woman's help

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com - Officer thankful for woman's help

You've got to see this video.  I just love this lady.  She sees an officer in need and does what she can to help him subdue an intoxicated, belligerent man attempting to get the officer's gun.  Way to go, lady!

Hate message spray-painted at Catholic Church | police, church, incident - News - The Orange County Register

ANAHEIM – Police were called Tuesday morning to investigate a report that "Kill THE CATHLICS!" was spray-painted on a wall near the entrance of St. Boniface Catholic Church.
About 7:15 a.m., police were sent to the church at 120 N. Janss St. regarding the incident on the west side of the church, police said.

Parishioners attending mass this morning at Saint Boniface Catholic Church experienced a hateful message spray painted on the church's west wall. The graffiti read, "Kill THE CATHLICS!"

The misspelled graffiti was expected to be removed Wednesday. Parishioners have been asking what happened, said Maria Alcala, a secretary at the church.

Alcala said police took an incident report and will review surveillance video to determine when the incident occurred and to see if they can determine who did it.

Taxed For Going To Church?

The local Catholic Diocese and the First Baptist Church are joining forces to fight a tax on going to Church.  Yes, that's right, the local government has found a way to charge churches for having people in the pews.  Check it out here.

'Angels,' bikers help protect girl's funeral

 'Angels,' bikers help protect girl's funeral

Hope and Prayers for Ted Williams

Ted Williams and his golden voice are headed for rehab and a chance to get his life back on track.  I hope you will join me in praying that Ted digs deep and deals with his issues and comes out with peace of mind and heart and most of all, a dependence on God for everything.  Getting a job isn't the answer, fame isn't the answer, finding God and knowing Him is the answer.  God bless Ted in his endeavor to find healing and peace.

Lord, Thank You For Waiting For Me!

He loves, He hopes, He waits. If He came down on our altars on certain days only, some sinner, on being moved to repentance, might have to look for Him, and not finding Him, might have to wait. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep him waiting one instant.


St Peter Julian Eymard

O, Holy Spirit

O, Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul... I adore you.

Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me.

Tell me what I should do... give me Your orders.

I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me.

Let me only know Your will.

"Do you not realize that you are a temple of God with the Spirit of God living in you?"-1 Corinthians 3:16

From divorcedcatholic.org

One Life

Facebook: "One life lived as a holy and authentic Catholic, has been of more service to Christ and his Church than many, many debates and arguments over Christian apologetics." David Plitt

I appreciated that one, David. Thanks.

The Evil of Westboro Met By Some Guardian Angels

Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- Tucson just isn't that kind of town, says Christin Gilmer.


Gilmer is referring to the actions of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, which has made its name protesting the funerals of people who died of AIDS, gay people, soldiers and even Coretta Scott King.

But when the church announced its intention to picket the funeral of a 9-year-old girl -- one of six people who died Saturday during the attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- Gilmer and others put their feet down.

Read full story here.

If You Want To See Real Vitriolic Rhetoric, Try This On For Size

Warning:  This blog site tells it like it is and it's not pretty.

(Swiped from Patrick Madrid's blog.)

Sarah Palin's Fault? Are you serious?

I can't believe the rush to make the tragedy in Tucson this weekend a political hammer to beat conservatives with.  Any excuse, any twist of the facts, any controversy to use to push the left agenda and make all the world's problems look like the fault of the religious, conservative right.  This kid that shot about twenty innocent people was obviously mentally ill and not a little bit evil (did you see his altar in the back yard?).  He had carried a grudge against the Congresswoman for several years according to those who actually know him (as opposed to those who just want to make him look like the victim of a campaign graphic).  His decisions were not based on facts or political campaign speeches or posters, his thinking was skewed so badly he was not dealing with reality at all.  So for once in the last 18 months, leave the Palins alone. No thinking person is buying that rot anyway. 

Oh, I forgot, here's actual article on the subject.

Only Jesus Can Satisfy

Security... what does that mean to you? For many people, security is equal to large amounts of possessions, a nice home, savings in the bank, and happy relationships. And there is nothing wrong with feeling secure because you have a nice home, money in the bank, the freedom to purchase at will, and a happy family. These things make us feel safe, content, snug... and for some of us, even smug. I was smug before I my divorce happened. I believed that divorced people, especially Catholics, were failures and "bad Catholics." But when it suddenly happened to me, my perspective changed completely. But it's precisely at this point, when the worst happens and you begin seeing yourself stripped of the things you love that something very good will happen... if you allow it.


Divorce is humiliating; degrading. What, you might ask, can be good then about having the things you love stripped away? Well, it's not good, unless it's coupled with the desire to become holy. So many times in my life, I have lost things... reputation, money, friendships, my home, my marriage... and they've all been very painful events. It wasn't until I learned to ask God to help me look at my life through His eyes, from His perspective, that I was able to see the possessions and relationships that I lost were actually separating me from Him. In most cases, I was just too attached. They held a higher place in my life than He did. I never could see it until I had to deal with the loss and then, after reflecting on the situation, I realized God was doing me a favor. He was removing an obstacle between Him and me. He was removing the beam from my eye. It wasn't until after my divorce that I could see how absent God was in my marriage and how far my relationship with my husband was dragging me away from Him. It is only now that I can see the things He has stripped away from me were keeping me focused on those things and not on Him. God and the promise of life with Him in heaven became all the security I needed, for no possession nor human being can give me that, only God. I invite you to reflect on how God may be trying to remove obstacles between you and Him. And you can count on my prayers for clarity and peace.

Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." - Mark 10:21

divorcedcatholic.org

9 Year Old Christiana Green - Rest in Peace Sweetheart

Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- She was born on Sept. 11, 2001, and died in Saturday's shootings here. Christina Green's father says the nine years in between were special.

Full story here.

Little Song for Sheriff Dupnik

Sheriff Dupnik of Tucson needs to close his mouth and do his job. Perhaps if they had given the Representative a deputy to protect her this would not have happened. Sheriff, if you want to run for a political office you can make speeches, otherwise, you are to be an objective servant of the people. So mind your job.

Pelosi Passes Gavel to Boehner

I could watch this all day long. In fact, I might save it in my favorites so when the left is on my last nerve, I can watch it for comic relief.

Fred Phelps Thanks God for the Shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

God help us. This man is like Satan coming along after a tragedy and rubbing salt in the wounds of the victims. He would not know God if he met Him. God have mercy on His hate filled soul, and God protect the family of this little girl from Westboro hatred.

Ghosts in Arizona tragedy » GetReligion

Ghosts in Arizona tragedy » GetReligion

Click the link for information about today's shooting in Tucson.  Please pray for those who lost their lives and for the wounded and for all whose lives are greatly impacted by this tragedy. 

Forgive Those Debts

In the gospel of Matthew we read about Jesus' teaching on how to forgive. There are two verses that strike me as intersecting even though they are found in different chapters. They are: "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:22)," and "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles (Matthew 5:41)." It's as if Christ is saying that simply obeying His law in forgiving others is not enough. "I want you to put your whole heart into it," He tells us. "It doesn't matter if what happened is fair or just - just give and give until it hurts. That's what I want from you, because that's what I give to you." Compelling thoughts, indeed.


The wicked servant in chapter 18 did not appreciate the great favor the master granted him. He was about to be sold into slavery along with his wife and children and would lose all his possessions. Just like what would happen to us if we did not have Christ's mercy and forgiveness... we would be lost! How can you show Christ that you appreciate His great gift of mercy and forgiveness? Take some time to reflect upon this and make a few resolutions in forgiveness that you can practice as you begin the new year.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

- Matthew 5: 7

divorcedcatholic.org

Have Christ?

"Even the heretics appear to have Christ, for none of them denies the name of Christ. Yet, anyone who does not confess all that pertains to Christ does in fact deny Christ. - St.Ambrose of Milan"

This is a subject I'm mulling over for a piece. Saying you have faith in Christ, does not mean you know Him at all. Beware of false ecumenism that is based on "faith in Christ."

Jacob at Ten Months

He's trying those legs!  Before we know it he will be running after his big cousins!  What a doll baby!

Thinking as a Catholic

My mother told me that Catholics don't think for themselves, they let the Pope and their Priests do that for them. I've never had to think so deeply in my life as I have since becoming Catholic. It is the deepest thinking minds that are coming home to the Catholic faith.

'Becoming Catholic does not mean leaving off thinking, it means learning *how* to think.' G. K. Chesterton.

Gregorian Chant Benedictinos

(SJST) "St. Joan of Arc in the words of St. Therese of Lisieux"

Doritos/Pepsi Ad Mocks The Holy Eucharist

I had heard rumors about this, but now that I've seen it I'm fighting mad.

I have received this message via another protester that is apparently the response from Pepsi/Doritos.  I'm glad to read this, but I'm still disgusted by the consumer to created this piece.

Thank you for contacting us at PepsiCo to share your sincere thoughts.


We want to reassure you that the commercial you cited was not one conceived and produced by PepsiCo, and it never aired on television. Rather, it was a consumer submissio...n in our web-based Crash the Super Bowl promotion, in which participants can upload their own 30-second spots for Doritos tortilla chips or Pepsi MAX to be considered for broadcast during Super Bowl XLV.

We announced the contest finalists this morning and this consumer submission is not included in that selection. We hope you are further reassured to know that this consumer submission will not be aired during the Super Bowl, nor will it be included in any other Doritos or Pepsi MAX marketing programs in the future.

We apologize if you were upset or offended by this consumer submission, and we will share your feedback with our marketing teams so they can be aware of your concerns.

Thanks again for taking the time to write.

PepsiCo Consumer RelationsSee More

End of world begins May 21, Christian group says

End of world begins May 21, Christian group says

This article has an error in it. Actually, it has a bunch, but one that stands out is that the protestant view of a secret rapture is a rather novel idea, not a firmly, orthodox teaching of the early Church. But I am amused to say the least that we are at this again. Let's watch this situation and see how it runs the same course of so many of these "rapture manias."

Iraqi Immigrant to Be Tried for Daughter's 'Honor Killing' in Arizona

PHOENIX -- An Iraqi immigrant accused of killing his daughter because he believed she was too Westernized goes on trial this month in Arizona in a case that raised awareness about incidents of so-called "honor killings" in the U.S.


more.  .  .

You are my God

My Lord and my God!

Hilaire Belloc: Defender of the Faith

Hilaire Belloc: Defender of the Faith

The above link will give you a look at who Hilaire Belloc was.  I will no doubt be making comments about Belloc's book on the Great Heresies. Right now I am completely absorbed in reading it. It's like taking a huge step back and seeing the big picture of how we got into the mess we are in now. Did you know Islam is a heresy? Did you know it has a lot in common with Calvinism? Stay tuned.

Spain Goes on Mosque-Building Spree

Spain Goes on Mosque-Building Spree

I just finished reading Hilaire Belloc on the Mohammedan heresy. Mind blowing stuff. Changes my whole perspective on Islam. The article above fits like a glove into Belloc's warning about Islam.