Struggling Towards Heaven

ST. JOSEPH'S VIRTUES

2010-08-13T07:59:00.001-05:00

ST. JOSEPH'S VIRTUES
Words of Our lady to St. Bridget of Sweden

"St. Joseph was so reserved and careful in his speech that not one word ever issued from his mouth that was not good and holy, nor did he ever indulge in unnecessary or less than charitable conversation. He was most patient and diligent in bearing fatigue; he practiced extreme poverty; he was most meek in bearing injuries; he was strong and constant against my enemies; he was the faithful witness of the wonders of Heaven, being dead to the flesh and the world, living only for God and for heavenly goods, which were the only things he desired. He was perfectly conformed to the Divine Will and so resigned to the dispositions of Heaven that he ever repeated: 'May the Will of God ever be done in me!' He rarely spoke with men, but continually with God, whose Will he desired to perform. Wherefore, he now enjoys great glory in Heaven"

Conversation of the Merciful God with a Soul Striving after Perfection.

2010-07-16T11:41:00.002-05:00

Conversation of the Merciful God
with a Soul Striving after Perfection.

Jesus: I am pleased with your efforts, O soul aspiring for perfection, but why do I see you so often sad and depressed? Tell Me, My child, what is the meaning of this sadness, and what is its cause?
Soul: Lord, the reason for my sadness is that, in spite of my sincere resolutions, I fall again into the same faults. I make resolutions in the morning, but in the evening I see how much I have departed from them.
Jesus: You see, My child, what you are of yourself. The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me. But let this not sadden you so much. You are dealing with the God of mercy, which your misery cannot exhaust. Remember, I did not allot only a certain number of pardons.
Soul: Yes, I know all that, but great temptations assail me, and various doubts awaken within me and, moreover, everything irritates and discourages me.
Jesus: My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue. All temptations united together ought not disturb your interior peace, not even momentarily. Sensitiveness and discouragement are the fruits of self-love. You should not become discouraged, but strive to make My love reign in place of your self-love. Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy.
Soul: I understand what is the better thing to do, what pleases You more, but I encounter great obstacles in acting on this understanding.
Jesus: My child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for My kingdom. But fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on Me as you struggle, fearing nothing. Take the vessel of trust and draw from the fountain of life-for yourself, but also for other souls, especially such as are distrustful of My goodness.
Soul: O Lord, I feel my heart being filled with Your love and the rays of Your mercy and love piercing my soul. I go, Lord, at Your command. I go to conquer souls. Sustained by Your grace, I am ready to follow You, Lord, not only to Tabor, but also to Calvary.

—taken from Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary of St. Faustina, n. 1488

This firm resolution to become a saint is extremely pleasing to Me. I bless your efforts and will give you opportunities to sanctify yourself. Be watchful that you lose no opportunity that My providence offers you for sanctification. If you do not succeed in taking advantage of an opportunity, do not lose your peace, but humble yourself profoundly before Me and, with great trust, immerse yourself completely in My mercy. In this way, you gain more than you have lost, because more favor is granted to a humble soul than the soul itself asks for... —Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary of St. Faustina, n. 1360

Pelianito's Blog

2010-05-20T08:40:00.003-05:00

I would like to share this latest posting to Pelianito's Blog. I've added entries from there before, I know, I'm just such a boring cut and paste type blogger. I'm trying to change that a bit and to add a little more from me, but when I come across something that I get excited about, or that touches me, I can't help but want to share it with as many people as possible. (and use large run-on sentences when I explain myself :) )

This blog just really helps my faith. It makes it easier to hear Jesus' voice. Reading the verse, 'The Father will honor whoever serves me', is one thing, but then to hear, 'you will rejoice when you learn what it means to be honored by the Father', I just lose it. It's so beautiful. I would encourage you to check out her blog. She is a very faithful Catholic. I've just learned that she has taken vows to become a professed member of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance of St. Francis. They are a lay order that follows the Rule of 1221. They are very strict and it takes a 4 year formation period. So, she's no joke.

It's funny, I sometimes wonder why God does not talk to me like this, when this woman has made such a sacrifice.

Do not balk at what I ask, but place all your trust in me…

John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.

“My beloved child, what will you say: ‘Save me from this hour?’ But it was for this hour that you were born. Do you think it is by chance that I have placed you where I have placed you? Of course not. All has been worked out, and all I need are people who will serve me and follow me—all the way to the cross if necessary. Do you not see that this is the epitome of Christian love and service and the most perfect way to follow me? Then do not balk at what I ask, but place all your trust in me. It is when you let go of my hand that fear creeps in. Cling to me, my children! I will never let you go, but you must do your part and refuse to let me go. Resist all temptations to sin. Cling to me and you will rejoice when you learn what it means to be honored by the Father.”

Jesus I trust in you. Let us not be put to shame, but grant us every grace we need to be able to resist temptation and cling to you without fail. Jesus in Mary we trust in you. Amen.

I love this blog

2010-05-17T21:21:00.001-05:00

My child, pray! For a silence and a sadness is coming to my people. My children have turned against me. I am betrayed once again into the hands of the enemy. Who will stay with me at the foot of the cross? Who will run and scatter? Little child, pray for grace, the grace to stay at the foot of the cross with our Mother. A day will come when all that is familiar will be changed or gone. I say this not to cause you anxiety, but to prepare your heart for the coming trial. Remember always that I am with you. Remember the prayer, and pray it often. Pray it with my Mother at the foot of the cross. Through her tears and anguish she never lost faith—’Jesus I trust in you.’ —see www.pelianito.stblogs.com

Come on ladies - no more Harry...

2010-03-17T21:12:00.000-05:00

"Thank you very much for the instructive book. It is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly." (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, March 7, 2003)

St. Faustina - Love her!

2010-01-12T21:37:00.000-06:00

God’s mercy sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious way. Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. The soul, illumined by a ray of God’s powerful final grace, turns to God in the last moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from God forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign either of repentance or of contrition, because souls [at that stage] no longer react to external things. Oh, how beyond comprehension is God’s mercy! But—horror!—there are also souls who voluntarily and consciously reject and scorn this grace! Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful God gives the soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is willing, it has the possibility of returning to God. But sometimes, the obduracy in souls is so great that consciously they choose hell; they [thus] make useless all the prayers that other souls offer to God for them and even the efforts of God Himself…

—Diary of St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 1698

O Antiphons

2009-12-18T13:07:00.000-06:00

Sharing this from Suzanne...

Thank you!

NOVENA TO THE CHILD JESUS OF PRAGUE - Looks like a good one...

2009-12-17T09:00:00.002-06:00

NOVENA TO THE CHILD JESUS OF PRAGUE

A brief history...
This devotion took origin in the heart of St. Teresa of Avila (+1582) and of St. John of the Cross (+1591) who handed it over to the Carmelite Order as a spiritual treasure. In 1624 this devotion was revived in the Carmel of Prague where it grew in a Teresian atmosphere. In their chapel the Carmelites of Prague venerated a statue of the Infant Jesus and used to meditate on the words of Jesus: "Unless you become like one of these little childern you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." From the beginnig onwards many favours and graces were received which brought thousands of other people to this statue of the Infant Jesus. Thus a chain of love was being formed which spread all over the world with its name taken from the place of its origin.

FIRST DAY

O! Sweet Child Jesus, here at Your feet is a soul that, conscious of its nothingness, turns to You, who are all. I have so much need of Your help. Look on me, O! Jesus, with love and since You are all powerful, help me in my poverty.

"Our Father...", "Hail Mary..." and "Glory Be to the Father..."

Be Your Divine Infancy, O! Jesus, grant me the the grace that I now ask (express it) if it is according to Your will and for my true good. Do not look upon my unworthiness, but rather on my faith and show me Your infinite mercy.

Hymn of the most holy name of Jesus:

O, Jesus, it is sweet to remember You,
true joy of the heart,
but sweeter than honey, than anything
is your presence.
It is the most delighful song,
the most joyous to the ear;
it is the sweetest thought,
Jesus, Son of God.

Hope of the repentent,
benignwith him who ask,
good with him who seeks,
how could one describe finding You?
The spoken word cannot describe,
nor the written word express,
only he who has experienced can believe
what it is to love Jesus.
O Jesus, be our joy
and one day be our eternal rest;
in You is our glory
now and forever.
Amen.

V/ Blessed be the name of the Lord.
R/ Now and forever.

Prayer:
O God, who has appointed Your only begotten Son as Saviour of the human race, and wished that He be called Jesus, grant us to be able one day, to contemplate Him face to face in Heaven whose Holy Name we venerate on earth.
Amen.

SECOND DAY

O Splendour of the heavenly Father, in whose face shines the light of the divinity, I adore You profoundly and I confess You as the true Son of the living God. I offer You, O Lord, the humble homage of all my being. Grant that I may never separate myself from You, my highest good.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father.

Be Your Divine Infancy...

THIRD DAY

O Holy Child Jesus, in gazing upon Your countenance, from which comes the most beautiful of smiles, I feel myself filled with a lively trust. Yes, I hope for all from Your goodness. Shed, O Jesus, on me and on those dear to me Your smile of grace and I will praise Your infinite mercy.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father.

Be Your Divine Infancy...

FOURTH DAY

O Child Jesus, whose forehead is adorned with a crown, I accept You as my absolute sovereign. I do not wish to serve any longer the evil one, my passions or sin. Reign, O Jesus over this poor heart and make it all Yours for ever.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father.

Be Your Divine Infancy...

FIFTH DAY

I gize upon You, O Most Sweet Redeemer, dressed in a mantle of purple. It is Your royal attire. How it speaks to me of blood! That Blood which You have shed solely on my account. Grant, O Child Jesus that I may respond to Your great sacrifice and not refuse, when You offer me some difficulty, to suffer with You and for You.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father.

Be Your Divine Infancy...

SIXTH DAY

O Most Lovable Child, in contemplating You as You sustain the world, my heart fills with joy. Among the innumerable beings that You sustain I also am one. You look on me, uphold me at every instant and guard me as Your own. Look after, O Jesus, this humble being and help it in its many necessities.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father.

Be Your Divine Infancy...

SEVENTH DAY

On Your breast, O Child Jesus, shines a Cross. It is the standard of our redemption. I also, O Divine Saviour, have my cross, that, although light, very often weighs me down. Help me to bear it and may the carrying of it be fruitful. You well know weak and worthless I am.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father.

Be Your Divine Infancy...

EIGHTH DAY

Together with the cross, I see on Your breast, O Child Jesus, a little golden heart. It is the image of Your heart, which is truly golden on account of its infinite tenderness. You are the true friend, that generously gives Himself, even immolates Himself, for the one He loves. Continue to pour out on me, O Jesus, the enthusiasm which Your love inspires and teach me to respond always to Your great love.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father.

Be Your Divine Infancy...

NINTH DAY

How many blessings, O Little Child has Your almighty right hand poured out on thouse who honour You and call upon You. Bless me also, O Child Jesus, my soul, my body and my interests. Bless and help me in my necessities, and grant me what I now desire. Listen with compassion to my prayers and I will bless Your Holy Name every day.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father.

Be Your Divine Infancy...

Sharing - The Pelianito Journal Blog

2009-12-17T06:34:00.002-06:00

This is from a new site a found, she gets inspirations while reading the Bible. Mark Mallet is friends with her. I would have to say, I've been reading her stuff for a couple of months now and it's really inspirational, if not inspired. So, I will share her message posted today. Here's the link, if you'd like to go check her out yourselves. Her novena to Jesus' Holy Feet is awesome.

The holy ones who have completed their mission on earth stand ready to assist those still on the journey…

Ephesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God.

“My beloved child, do you understand the great honor I bestow on you in calling you my child? I have taken away the shame earned for you through the sin of Adam and Eve. Now, even though you live on the earth, heaven is your home. Keep this thought firmly in your mind as the days darken. The holy ones who have completed their mission on earth stand ready to assist those still on the journey. There is much to come, but all the details have been worked out! You, my faithful ones, will be given tremendous graces if you trust in me. The angels and saints are already assembled—they have their instructions. Do not neglect to ask for their assistance, for they are eager, very eager, to help and it is my joy to give them this honor and duty, especially in this dark hour. For their light can never be dimmed. Let the lights of heaven guide you, my children. Then you will know joy and peace, no matter what comes.”

Well.....if you're that curious

2009-12-16T20:30:00.002-06:00

I just came across a message that had made it into my spam folder, really, you can check out their website if you'd like, but make sure for the real laugh, that you go to The Berean Beacon - whatever that means...

I just thought after I posted my response, that it's on an old post so no one would probably see it. I thought I'd share it with everyone...

Anonymous Emmanuel said...

Suggest check out this website:
www.whateverycatholicshouldknow.com.

December 13, 2009 9:16 AM
Delete

Blogger Corinne said...

Don't check out that website!! It's veiled Catholic bashing under the guise of information - when you find the real website it's almost laughable what they say about the Church. If they put as much effort into saving their own skin as making the Catholic Church look bad, they'd realize the the Roman Catholic Church has it right!!

December 16, 2009 8:30 PM
Delete

Hummus

2009-12-04T10:37:00.002-06:00

I'd like to be a part of the recipe exchange, but I'm way too disorganized and not disciplined about keeping a regular blog, but my mom just wanted me to send her my recipe for hummus so I decided to pop it up here for all as well!

2 cans of chick peas drained and rinsed
1/3 cup of tahini (sesame butter)
minced garlic cloves - 1 or 2 (more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
juice of 1/2 to 1 lemons
about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of water

everything in the food processor, you can do it in a blender, but you'll have to stop and stir it several times

serve with olive oil drizzled on top like gravy on mashed potatoes (you know, make the crater in the top)

eat with pita bread or pita chips

refrigerate

Novena to the Immaculate Conception Starts today

2009-11-30T12:46:00.002-06:00

NOVENA TO THE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

O God,
who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that,
as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son,
You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us,
purified through Her intercession,
to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.

Amen.

Day One

O most Holy Virgin,
who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother,
immaculate in body and spirit,
in faith and in love,
look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession.
O most Holy Mother,
who by your blessed Immaculate Conception,
from the first moment of your conception
did crush the head of the enemy,
receive our prayers as we implore you
to present at the throne of God the favor we now request...

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Day Two

O Mary, ever blessed Virgin, Mother of God,
Queen of angels and of saints,
we salute you with the most profound veneration and filial devotion
as we contemplate your holy Immaculate Conception,
We thank you for your maternal protection
and for the many blessings
that we have received through your wondrous mercy
and most powerful intercession.
In all our necessities we have recourse to you with unbounded confidence.
O Mother of Mercy,
we beseech you now to hear our prayer
and to obtain for us of your Divine Son
the favor that we so earnestly request in this novena...

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Day Three

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
glory of the Christian people,
joy of the universal Church and Mother of Our Lord,
speak for us to the Heart of Jesus,
who is your Son and our brother.
O Mary, who by your holy Immaculate Conception
did enter the world free from stain,
in your mercy obtain for us from Jesus
the special favor which we now so earnestly seek...

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Day Four

O Mary, Mother of God,
endowed in your glorious Immaculate Conception
with the fullness of grace;
unique among women in that you are both mother and virgin;
Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ,
we ask you to look down with a tender heart from your throne
and listen to our prayers
as we earnestly ask that you obtain for us
the favor for which we now plead...

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Day Five

O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary,
did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son,
we beseech You that as by the foreseen death of Your Son,
You did preserve her from all stain of sin,
grant that through her intercession,
we may be favored with the granting of the grace
that we seek for at this time...

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Day Six

Glorious and immortal Queen of Heaven,
we profess our firm belief in your Immaculate Conception
preordained for you in the merits of your Divine Son.
We rejoice with you in your Immaculate Conception.
To the one ever-reigning God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
three in one Person,
one in nature,
we offer thanks for your blessed Immaculate Conception.
O Mother of the Word mad Flesh,
listen to our petition
as we ask this special grace during this novena...

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Day Seven

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, and my mother,
from the sublime heights of your dignity
turn your merciful eyes upon me while I,
full of confidence in your bounty
and keeping in mind your Immaculate conception
and fully conscious of your power,
beg of you to come to our aid
and ask your Divine Son
to grant the favor we earnestly seek in this novena...
if it be beneficial for our immortal souls
and the souls for whom we pray.

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Day Eight

O Most gracious Virgin Mary,
beloved Mother of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
intercede with Him for us
that we be granted the favor
which we petition for so earnestly in this novena...
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard
before the throne of God.
O Glorious Mother of God,
in memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception,
hear our prayers and obtain for us our petitions.

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Day Nine

O Mother of the King of the Universe,
most perfect member of the human race,
"our tainted nature's solitary boast,"
we turn to you as mother,
advocate, and mediatrix.
O Holy Mary, assist us in our present necessity.
By your Immaculate Conception,
O Mary conceived without sin,
we humbly beseech you from the bottom of our heart
to intercede for us with your Divine Son
and ask that we be granted the favor
for which we now plead...

[Mention your intention(s) here...]

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

Mark Mallet - Deliberate Sin

2009-10-20T20:39:00.000-05:00

Great Post from Mark Mallet

IS the battle in your spiritual life intensifying? As I receive letters and speak with souls throughout the world, there are two themes which are consistent:

1. Personal spiritual battles are getting very intense.
2. There is a sense of imminence that serious events are about to take place, changing the world as we know it.

Yesterday, as I walked into the church to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, I heard two words:

Deliberate sin.

IN WEAKNESS

I felt those words come from Our Blessed Mother, who is preparing her army as this time in The Bastion comes to an end. Standing over us, and among us, as a strong protector and Mother, I hear her saying:

I know you are weak. I know you are tired, my little children. But you must not let your guard down. What I speak of here is "deliberate sin." Do not allow yourselves to be led astray and to choose the path of sin. It will lead to your destruction. Have recourse to my heart in times of temptation. Call your Mother! Will I not run to my children when they are in danger? Call to me, and I will gather you to myself, and the dragon will not be able to touch you. But you must firmly resolve to choose life, and reject the path of sin.

What our Mother is telling us is that she knows we are prone to sin from weakness. While these venial sins are not insignificant, we should not be discouraged, but rather, throw ourselves into the Ocean of Divine Mercy. Listen to these powerful words of comfort from Mother Church:

Venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace it is humanly reparable. Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness. —CCC, n1863

Satan wants to convince you that, because of your weakness and sin, you are not fit for the service of our Blessed Mother and Christ our King. But this a lie. Perfection is not the quality our Lord is looking for, rather, humility. He always chastised the Apostles on two accounts: their lack of faith or their lack of humility. Peter, who deeply betrayed our Lord, showed in the end that he had both faith and humility, and thus Jesus made him the shepherd of souls and rock of the Faith.

Thus, if you look around, you will see that The Bastion is crowded with many great sinners; men and women who deserved the "wages of sin," but who have been redeemed by the Lord of Mercy because of their faith and humility.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Still, it is a great battle, a great struggle in this life. So Jesus gives us direction on how to deal with spiritual warfare through St. Faustina:

My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.

Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone’s opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.

Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone. —Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 1760

Our Mother knows that the dangers today are like no other generation. Pornography is two mouse clicks away; materialism pounds at our mind’s door; sensuality drips from the majority of advertisements, programming, and movies; and the light of Truth that would guide nations into true spiritual freedom is growing dimmer and dimmer. And so, she calls to her children, numbed by the constant bombardment, to cry out to her, to grasp her hand, to flee beneath her mantle. And if you are listening, you will hear her direct your soul to the Great Physician who will heal your wounds, bandage them, and strengthen you in the battle. Yes, she will direct you to the Confessional, to the Word of God, and to the Holy Eucharist. Jesus is, and always will be, the answer to our souls aches and heart’s yearnings.

GET UP!

And so my brothers and sisters, let us take this battle seriously! You cannot grow spiritually until you begin to reject the path of sin, especially and most certainly mortal sin. We have to reject sin when it is presented to us in its always enticing and seemingly reasonable forms. Even more so, we must reject the near occasion of sin, so as to keep ourselves distant from the snares which are ever present.

Get up. Renew your vows to God this day, and begin again. Fight like a knight. Your sins are but a grain of sand compared to the Ocean of God’s mercy. Trust in Jesus who would die for you again if need be. Renew your time of daily prayer, that special time alone with God when you open your heart to Him, and allow his Word and grace to transform you. Call out to your Mother whom He gave you beneath the Cross. Hold her hand, and she will lead you—as the Ark led Joshua and the Israelites through the desert—to the Promised Land.

How soon and how completely will we defeat the evil in the whole world? When we allow ourselves to be guided by [Mary] most completely. This is our most important and our only business. —St. Maximilian Kolbe, Aim Higher, p. 30, 31

The invitation to have recourse to a good spiritual father [director] who can guide every individual to profound knowledge of himself and lead him to union with the Lord so that his life may be in ever closer conformity with the Gospel still applies for all—priests, consecrated and lay people, and especially youth. To go towards the Lord we always need a guide, a dialogue. We cannot do it with our thoughts alone. And this is also the meaning of the ecclesiality of our faith, of finding this guide. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, General Audience, September 16th, 2009; commentary on Symeon the New Theologian

Prayer of St. Padre Pio After Communion

2009-10-05T17:46:00.000-05:00

Thank you Sarah -

Prayer of St. Padre Pio After Communion

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always to be in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I wish it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgment, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but, the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me, Lord for it is You alone I look for. Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love you more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen.

St. Michael

2009-09-29T19:53:00.002-05:00

From Spirit Daily today - thank you Michael Brown

As for purgatory: we carry an incredible booklet called Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory that is said to be the Church-approved revelation of a deceased nun in the 19th century to a living one and informs us of Michael's role in the afterlife.

When asked how the feast of St. Michael is celebrated in purgatory, the deceased nun replied, "On that day St. Michael comes to purgatory and returns to Heaven with a great number of souls, especially with those who had been devoted to him in life.

"When the feast of a saint is celebrated on earth, he receives an increase of accidental glory in Heaven, even if he is not actually remembered on earth. He receives a special recompense in memory of some particular act or heroic virtue, or of some increase of glory, which he procured for God at a given time.

"This reward consists of an increase of accidental glory joined to the happiness which the memory of his work on earth causes him. The accidental glory which the Archangel receives is far above that of the other saints, because his glory is proportioned to the greatness of the merit of the recipient and also to the value of the action which merits the reward."

Keep that role too in mind.

St. Michael, St. Michael, St. Michael! Few realize the many roles you play; your incredible power (the one who cast Lucifer down); nor that your name, in challenging Satan, when the devil attempted to assume the Throne, is a war cry that means, "Who is like unto God?"

[resources: Unpublished Manusc

Today's the Day - Final Day of the Novena and Padre Pio's Feast Day

2009-09-23T08:10:00.001-05:00

9th DAY

Humble St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you who loved the Roman Catholic Church, pray for us. May the Master send workers to the harvest and give them the strength and knowledge needed to be children of God. Pray that Our Holy Lady will unite Christian people everywhere, comforting all of them in one great house of the Lord, the lighthouse of our salvation in the storm of life... just as a lighthouse is a beacon for safe return when there is a storm at sea.

“You must always keep yourself on the straight and narrow path in the Holy Catholic Church because She is the only Bride of Christ and can bring you peace. She alone possesses Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, who is the true Prince of Peace”. Padre Pio
PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name 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." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) 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 I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred 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 miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Day 8 - Padre Pio Novena

2009-09-22T08:18:00.002-05:00

8th DAY

Pure St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you experienced great love for your spiritual children and have helped them by purchasing them for Christ with the giving of your blood. Please grant us, who have not met you personally, the opportunity to be considered your spiritual children. In this way, with your protection, guidance and strength, you will obtain for us a special blessing from God, so that we may meet Him on the day of our death at the gates of Heaven.

“It would be most fulfilling, if God would grant me just one wish (if it were possible); that He would say, “Enter Heaven!” This is my one true wish; “That God would take me to Heaven at the same time that the last of my children and the last of the people who submitted to my priestly care have entered”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name 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." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) 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 I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred 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 miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Padre Pio Novena - Day 7

2009-09-21T07:41:00.002-05:00

7th DAY

Blessed St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you have worked in “God’s Plan for Salvation”, by offering your sufferings to free sinners from the chains of the Devil. We beg you to pray for us, so that unbelievers will be converted to the faith, that all sinners will repent in their hearts and that those with lukewarm hearts will find renewed enthusiasm for a Christian life. Finally, pray for all those who are faithful, so that they will persevere on their way to salvation.

“ If the people of the World could only see the beauty of ones soul when it is in the grace of God, all sinners and unbelievers of this world would be instantly converted”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

Day 6 - Padre Pio Novena

2009-09-20T13:12:00.003-05:00

6th DAY

Obedient St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you have loved the sick more than yourself, because you were able to see Jesus in them. You have performed many miracles by healing patients in the name of Jesus and thereby giving them peace of mind. We beg you to pray for us, so that sick patients, through the intercession of Mary, can be healed and their bodies restored so that they may benefit from the Holy Spirit and, therefore, thank and praise God forever.

“If I knew that a person was afflicted in his mind, body or soul, I would beg God to set him free of his affliction. I would gladly accept the transfer of his affliction to myself, so that he may be saved, and I would ask that he benefit from the fruits of these sufferings... if the Lord would allow me to do it”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

Padre Pio Novena - Day 5

2009-09-19T09:04:00.003-05:00

5th DAY

Prudent St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you have had a great devotion for the Souls in Purgatory for whom you have offered yourself as a victim to remit their punishments. Please pray for us and ask God to send us the same interest, compassion and love that you have for these souls. In this way, we will also contribute to reducing their suffering and, with our sacrifices and prayers, win for them their necessary Indulgences.

“My God, I beg you; let me bear the punishments that have been prepared for sinners and the souls in Purgatory. Multiply these punishments for me, so that you may forgive and save the sinners and free their souls from purgatory”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

From Patrick Madrid's Blog

2009-09-18T12:26:00.001-05:00

September 17, 2009
"A New Season" of Anti-Catholic Bigotry

To piggy back on Jim's post regarding Penn and Teller's most recent attack on Catholicism, I heard on the Radio this morning that there is a bit of controversy brewing at the N.Y. Metropolitan Opera House. On the Laura Ingraham Show, Raymond Arroyo reported that the Met's new season opener, Puccini's Tosca, features a very disturbing scene.

At the end one of the acts, the baritone who plays Baron Scarpia apparently simulates the sexual act with a statue of the Virgin Mary. When the curtain rises again, he is found caressing the statue.

You know as well as I that we would never see this type a scene perpetrated with a statue of Mohammad. But, as usual, we Christians are fair game.

I know where Bill Donahue will be on September 21st. Why don't we each lift up a prayer in reparation for this sacrilege against our Blessed Mother:

Most glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, turn thine eyes in pity upon us, miserable sinners; we are sore afflicted by the many evils tat surround us in this life, but especially do we feel our hearts break within us upon hearing the dreadful insults and blasphemies uttered against thee, O Virgin Immaculate. O how these impious sayings offend the infinite Majesty of God and of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ! How they provoke His indignation and give us cause to fear the terrible effects of His vengeance! Would that the sacrifice of our lives might avail to put an end to such outrages and blasphemies; were it so, how gladly we should make it, for we desire, O most holy Mother, to love thee and to honor thee with all our hearts, since this is the will of God. And just because we love thee, we will do all that is in our power to make thee honored and loved by all men. In the meantime do thou, our merciful Mother, the supreme comforter of the afflicted, accept this our act of reparation which we offer thee for ourselves and for all our families, as well as for all who impiously blaspheme thee, not knowing what they say. Do thou obtain for them from Almighty God the grace of conversion, and thus render more manifest and more glorious thy kindness, thy power and thy great mercy. May they join with us in proclaiming thee blessed among women, the Immaculate Virgin and most compassionate Mother of God. Amen.

4th Day of St. Padre Pio Novena - hang in there

2009-09-18T09:38:00.002-05:00

4th DAY

Chaste St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you loved your Guardian Angel, who served you well as your guide and as a defender and messenger. The Angels brought the prayers of your spiritual children to you. We beg you to pray for us, so that we may learn to call on our Guardian Angel who is always ready to guide us to what is good and to avoid falling into sinful actions.

“Invoke your Guardian Angel, who will enlighten you and guide you. God has given him to you for your protection, therefore, you should use him accordingly”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name 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." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) 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 I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred 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 miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Padre Pio Novena - Sorry for being so late...

2009-09-17T20:42:00.002-05:00

3rd DAY

Virtuous St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you love Our Holy Mother very much and have received daily graces and consolations from her. Please, we beg you to pray to the Holy Mother for us. Place in her hands the sorrow for our sins and our prayers of reparation, so that, as at Cana of Galilee, her Son says ‘yes’ to His Mother and our name may be written in the Book of Eternal Life.

“Mary has to be the star that illuminates your path and she will show you the secure way to go to the Celestial Father. She will be an anchor to which you must cling in the hour of temptation”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name 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." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) 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 I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred 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 miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

DAN BROWN ADORES THE MASONS

2009-09-16T13:22:00.000-05:00

I found this article through Spirit Daily - you can read the original here.

September 15, 2009

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol and his apparent fondness of Freemasons:

Dan Brown may loathe Catholics, but he just adores the Masons. “Brown goes out of his way in ‘The Lost Symbol’ to present the lodge as essentially benign and misunderstood,” says an AP story today. The Catholic Church, of course, is seen by Brown as essentially wicked and misunderstood only by its followers. “Masons are praised for their religious tolerance,” the article says. Somehow Catholics failed to notice: so abhorrent were Masons in their thrashing of Catholicism that the 1917 Code of Canon Law provided for automatic excommunication to any Catholic who joined a lodge. The current stricture in the Church, following the 1983 revisions to the Code, doesn’t mention Masons by name, but does retain excommunication for those who join anti-Catholic organizations.

In his new book, Brown defends the Masons against “unfair” portrayals. So kind of him. In real life Brown says he has “enormous respect for the Masons.” Must be their historic anti-Catholicism that won him over. Showing nothing but sweetness and light, the man who has made millions dumping on the Catholic Church says of his new work, “It’s a reverent look at their philosophy. I’m more interested in what they believe than all their rituals and conspiracy theories about them.” Now if only Brown had cut Catholics the same break.

Brown says his own religious beliefs are a “work in progress.” Indeed, he is a work in progress. “I spend part of every day thinking about religion, spirituality and God—maybe more than people who go to church. By Sunday, I’m pretty tired.” Good choice. The Lord said that was the day to rest. Maybe Brown will convert yet.

Ron Howard must be salivating at the thought of directing the film version. At least he won’t have the Catholic League to kick him around.

Novena to St. Padre Pio - Day 2

2009-09-16T09:18:00.001-05:00

2nd DAY

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, together with Our Lord Jesus Christ, you’ve been able to withstand the temptations of the Devil. You suffered the beatings and the oppression of the demon of hell, who wanted to have you abandon your journey of holiness. We beg you to pray for us so that, with your help and the help of all of the Heavenly Kingdom, we will be able to find the strength to set sin aside and to persevere in our faith until the day of our death.

“Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil. Remember this forever; it is a healthy sign if the devil shouts and roars around your conscience, since this shows that he is not inside your will”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name 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." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) 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 I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred 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 miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Today's the Day to Start the St. Padre Pio Novena

2009-09-15T14:57:00.001-05:00

1ST DAY

Beloved St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you have had the signs of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ on your body. You have carried this stigmata for everyone, enduring both the physical and mental sufferings that racked your soul and body in a continual sacrifice. We beg you to pray for us, so that we will be able to accept both the little and the larger crosses we too must bear during our life on earth and to offer these sufferings to God, assuring us a place with him in Eternal Life.

“It is to your advantage to commit yourself to the sufferings that Jesus will send to you. Jesus cannot tolerate seeing you afflicted and he will come to you and comfort you, blessing you with many graces for your soul”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name 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." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) 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 I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred 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 miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Our Sorrowful Mother

2009-09-15T10:21:00.003-05:00

At the cross her station keeping,
Mary stood in sorrow weeping
When her Son was crucified.

While she waited in her anguish,
Seeing Christ in torment languish,
Bitter sorrow pierced her heart.

With what pain and desolation,
With what noble resignation,
Mary watched her dying Son.

Ever-patient in her yearning
Though her tear-filled eyes were burning,
Mary gazed upon her Son.

Who, that sorrow contemplating,
On that passion meditating,
Would not share the Virgin's grief?

Christ she saw, for our salvation,
Scourged with cruel acclamation,
Bruised and beaten by the rod.

Christ she saw with life-blood failing,
All her anguish unavailing,
Saw him breathe his very last.

Mary, fount of love's devotion,
Let me share with true emotion
All the sorrow you endured.

Virgin, ever interceding,
Hear me in my fervent pleading:
Fire me with your love of Christ.

Mother, may this prayer be granted:
That Christ's love may be implanted
In the depths of my poor soul.

At the cross, your sorrow sharing,
All your grief and torment bearing,
Let me stand and mourn with you.

Fairest maid of all creation,
Queen of hope and consolation,
Let me feel your grief sublime.

Virgin, in your love befriend me,
At the Judgment Day defend me.
Help me by your constant prayer.

Savior, when my life shall leave me,
Through your mother's prayers
receive me
With the fruits of victory.

Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine

Let me, to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of your dying Son divine.

Wounded with His every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In His very Blood away.

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awe-full judgment day.

Savior, when my life shall leave me,
Through your mother's prayers
receive me
With the fruits of victory.

While my body here decays
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally. Amen Alleluia.

The Collegeville Hymnal
Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1990.

Triumph of the Cross

2009-09-14T09:29:00.000-05:00

Favorite, favorite story from Fr. Corapi

2009-09-11T16:48:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find out who this desert father is or where Fr. Corapi got this story.

One of the desert fathers, who was asked by a young monk about the devil. The monk inquired if people in later times would be able to persevere in the fasting and all night prayer vigils that the desert monks subjected themselves to. The desert father said, "No. People in later times will be weak and they will barely be able to fast a day without feeling faint. They will not be able to stay awake and pray all night, for they will be too weak."

When the young monk asked why they would be so weak, the desert father replied,"It is easy for us to do these things. We are fighting satan chained. In later times, people will fight him unchained."

I feel it....God help us!

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

St. Peter Damian - so relevant today

2009-09-10T07:54:00.005-05:00

From this blog, and St. Peter Damian....

Before leaving St. Peter Damian, I thought it might be useful to all of us to read about what Damian had to say to a friend, the abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino, Desiderius, in the year 1061 -- about 950 years ago. It is his Letter 86.

I choose this letter because it sheds light on our own time.

Damian begins by telling Desiderius that he and his monks should be grateful that they are out of touch with the "craziness" of the "modern world" (for their world, almost 1,000 years ago, was "modern" to them).

"You who are not unaware of the crimes that occur in this mad age would be wise to consider that, having left the world, you should be deeply grateful to God for having rescued you," Damian begins.

"Decency and right living have all but disappeared and, as vigorous Church discipline gradually collapses, a pestilential flood of vice and depravity of every kind grows deeper day by day...

"For just as the shepherd rescues an only sheep from the ravenous jaws of the attacking beast if it has sunk its teeth into one of the weaklings in the flock, so too has Christ rescued you from the mouth of the cruel plunderer who sought to have you serve him as the world was falling apart."

Indeed

REPOST - From Last Year - and yes, I am that original :)

2009-09-08T08:05:00.000-05:00

Monday, September 8, 2008

Happy and Privilaged to Share Her Birthday

Well, yes, it's my birthday too, and I'm happy to share it! I've always felt very blessed to be born on this day! Although I must relay a embarrassing story that comes to mind now every year. When I was 8, it was my 'golden birthday' and I wanted everything to be very special and FOR ME!! So, when my mother suggested that I go to church on that day to thank Mary (It was a special celebration that year for the 2000th year or something) I absolutely refused. No matter how much my Mother tried to get me to go I would not give up my day. Now I know I was a small girl, but I was quite a brat, and I thank God that it comes to mind every year to keep me and my big ego in check. I think He is the one who keeps that memory so fresh in my mind. I try now to go to church every year on Mary's Birthday, hopefully I won't be reminded of that day on judgement day! :) But if I am I'll be ready.

Pope asks Mary to protect families from falling apart

2009-09-07T21:10:00.002-05:00

Pope asks Mary to protect families from falling apart

Pope Benedict XVI

Rome, Italy, Sep 7, 2009 / 01:04 pm (CNA).- On Sunday afternoon, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of the Oak as part of his pastoral visit to area surrounding Viterbo. While at the shrine the Pope prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and read out a prayer calling upon the Virgin Mary to protect families that are at risk of being divided.

Among those present at the event were cloistered nuns from various convents in the Viterbo area. Addressing the religious the Holy Father said: "To you I entrust my intentions, the intentions of the pastor of this diocese and the needs of everyone who lives in this land. In this Year for Priests I especially entrust you with clergy, seminarians and vocations. ... Offer the Lord the sacrifice of your lives for their sanctification and for the good of souls.”

Returning to his request for his prayer in his role as a successor to St. Peter, Benedict XVI asked Mary to extend her “maternal protection" to him and “the Church entrusted to his care.” “Queen of peace,” he prayed, “obtain the gift of harmony and peace for peoples and for all humankind.”

The Holy Father also prayed that the Blessed Virgin would "keep our families united, which today suffer threats from all sides, and make them centers of serenity and harmony where patient dialogue dissipates difficulties and contrasts. Watch especially over those that are divided or in crisis."

Those who seek to spread the Gospel to the world were also on the Pope's mind as he prayed, "make the will of those whom the Lord of the harvest calls to be workers in His vineyard firm and decided, so that, resisting all the temptations and pitfalls of the world, they may persevere generously in following the path they have taken and, with your maternal help, be witnesses of Christ, attracted by the brilliance of His Love.”

Finally, Pope Benedict implored Mary to: "Console those who weep, who suffer for human injustice; support those who waver under the burden of fatigue and look to the future without hope; encourage those who work to build a better world in which justice many triumph and fraternity reign, in which egoism, hatred and violence may end. May every form and expression of violence be overcome by the pacifying power of Christ.”

St. Sharbel

2009-09-06T12:54:00.002-05:00

This is a really great prayer, I found it in the back of Claire M. Benedict's book St. Sharbel Mystic of the East, it's just a wonderful prayer...

O Merciful Father, through the Holy Spirit, You chose St. Sharbel as a voice crying in the wilderness. His monastic life is an example to Your Church. In the Scriptures he discovered Your Holiness as Word Made Flesh, and darkness gave way to light. In the Eucharist he encountered Your Divinity as Bread of Life, and the poverty of this world gave way to the treasures of Your Kingdom. In prayer, he experienced Your Silence as Mystery Present, and loneliness gave way to communion. Through the Virgin Mother he embraced Your Son as Lover of Mankind, and hostility gave way to hospitality. We now beseech You, through his intercession, to change our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh and to grant our special request.... We give praise to You, to Your Only-Begotten Son, and to Your Holy Spirit.

Evangelization

2009-09-04T11:29:00.000-05:00

People listen more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and when people do listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. It is therefore primarily by the Church’s conduct, by living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus, that the Church will evangelize the world. This century thirsts for authenticity… Do you preach what you live? The world expects from us simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, obedience, humility, detachment and self-sacrifice. —POPE PAUL VI, Evangelization in the Modern World, n. 41, 76

Prayer to St. Joseph

2009-09-04T11:03:00.000-05:00

Unfailing Petition to St. Joseph

*
Holy St. Joseph, Spouse of Mary, be mindful of me, pray for me, watch over me. Guardian of the paradise of the new Adam, provide for my temporal wants. Faithful guardian of the most precious of all treasures, I beseech thee to bring this matter to a happy end, if it be for the glory of God, and the good of my soul. Amen

Go Benedict Go

2009-09-02T12:49:00.001-05:00

Vatican watcher stands by accuracy of report on papal 'reform of the reform'
Comments: 24
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Pope Benedict XVI

Rome, Italy, Aug 31, 2009 / 10:02 am (CNA).- The Italian Vatican analyst Andrea Tornielli wrote this past Saturday on his blog that the recent clarifications by high-ranking Vatican officials do not refute what he stated in a column for the Italian daily Il Giornale on August 22. Tornielli had reported that Pope Benedict XVI is considering various measures to move forward with a liturgical “reform of the reform.”

Both in his column and on his usually well-sourced blog, Tornielli announced on August 22 that the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, led by Cardinal Antonio Canizares, had put forth a series of liturgical reforms—including greater use of Latin in the Mass, the possibility of celebrating the Mass ad orientum at least during the consecration, and a greater emphasis on Communion on the tongue—that were being studied by the Holy Father.

In an apparent response to the report by Tornielli, the vice director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Father Ciro Benedettini, said on August 24, “No institutional proposals currently exist that refer to a modification of the liturgical books.” Additionally, last Friday, in an interview with L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone called the reports “imaginary.”

According to Tornielli, the denial by Father Benedettini and the comments by Cardinal Bertone were provoked not by his article but “rather, by the manner in which the story was picked up by various blogs, which claimed the ‘reform of the reform’ and the changes to the Mass in a more traditional sense were imminent.”

He said on Saturday that his column referred to “the beginning of work” and not to “imminent reforms or documents already prepared,” adding that both the results of the meeting of the Congregation led by Cardinal Canizares as well as their presentation to the Pope for his consideration are real facts.

“All of this is an attempt to tell people not to believe what I wrote, saying there is nothing happening, that the Pope and the Congregation for Divine Worship are not considering anything, that the ‘reform of the reform’ and the recovery of a greater sense of the sacred in the Liturgy is a false story reported by me,” Tornielli said.

He concluded his blog saying, “Ever since I become a Vatican analyst I have made many mistakes and I will continue to make them, but the article in question, believe me, is not among them.”

A Word I need to take to Heart

2009-08-19T17:02:00.000-05:00

Once again from Mark Mallet's blog

Persevere!

Persevere

I have often written over the past few years of the necessity to stay awake, to persevere in these days of change. I believe there is a temptation, however, to read the prophetic warnings and words that God is speaking through various souls these days… and then dismiss or forget them because they have not yet been fulfilled after a few or even several years. Hence, the image I see in my heart is of a Church fallen asleep… "will the son of man find faith on earth when he returns?"

The root of this complacency is often a misunderstanding of how God works through His prophets. It takes time not only for such messages to be disseminated, but for hearts to be converted. God, in His infinite Mercy, gives us that time. I believe the prophetic word is often urgent so as to move our hearts to conversion, though the fulfillment of such words may be—in human perception—some time off. But when they do come to fulfillment (at least those messages which cannot be mitigated), how many souls will wish they had another ten years! For many events will come "like a thief in the night."

PERSEVERE

And so, we must persevere and not become discouraged or complacent. This does not mean that we should live on the edge of our seats, disconnected from reality, the duty of the moment, and even the joy of living. Especially the joy of living (for who wants to live with someone who is morose and gloomy… let alone the witness we are giving of a life in Christ?)

Jesus taught in the parable of Luke 18:1 that we must learn to pray and persevere. The risk is that many souls will lose their faith without this perseverance. We are all so weak and easily swayed by temptation. We need God; we need a Savior; we need Jesus Christ in order to be set free from sin and become who we truly are: children of the Most High, made in His image.

DIVINE GIFT

In the Diary of St. Faustina, Jesus reveals that His Divine Mercy is not a grace reserved only for sinners in this "time of mercy":

Both the sinner and the righteous person have need of My mercy. Conversion, as well as perseverance, is a grace of My mercy. —Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 1577 (underline is mine)

How often have we perceived that Divine Mercy is all about the conversion of sinners—of God reaching out to the miserable and forlorn sinner, but not about grace for those who already believe and are striving for holiness! That entry in the Diary is an enormous revelation in the broader context of the Divine Mercy message:

Speak to the world about My mercy; let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them. —Ibid. n. 848

When this is read with entry 1577, a new understanding is given. The message of Divine Mercy is a message for the end times, not only to gather souls back to the Father, but to strengthen the Church so she may persevere in the persecution and tribulations which will precede her glorification in the Era of Peace and ultimately Heaven. Where are these graces to be found? At the "fount of… Mercy." That is, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Foremost, this is the Holy Eucharist—the heart of Jesus, literally, His flesh given for the life of the world. But His heart and the graces of Divine Mercy are also poured out in the Sacrament of Confession… and from there, through the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Feast of Mercy (the Sunday after Easter), the 3 p.m. hour of Divine Mercy, and other countless ways in which God generously bestows graces upon those who ask for them.

And so, in weakness, we come to the throne of Mercy. Frequent Communion and regular Confession are an antidote to spiritual slumber (for those who are able to partake frequently; spiritual communions and daily examinations of conscience will be avenues of grace for those who are unable to receive the Sacraments regularly). We come to Him without fear, saying, "O Lord, I am so prone to falling asleep, to slipping back into sin, my old patterns and behaviors. I am sometimes dazzled by the world’s delights and drawn by its temptations. I am easily moved by self-love but so stubbornly slow to love others. O Jesus, have mercy on me!"

The remedy, He freely offers:

The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is—trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. —Ibid. n. 1578

Be watchful that you lose no opportunity that My providence offers you for sanctification. If you do not succeed in taking advantage of an opportunity, do not lose your peace, but humble yourself profoundly before Me and, with great trust, immerse yourself completely in My mercy. In this way, you gain more than you have lost, because more favor is granted to a humble soul than the soul itself asks for… —Ibid. n. 1361

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. (Heb 4:15-16)

Send your Angel to Mass

2009-08-14T14:39:00.002-05:00

From this blog

This very special prayer was written by a devout woman named Ruth Merz from Cincinnati, Ohio. Ruth was the mother of eight children who was diagnosed with cancer, which eventually and sadly claimed her life. Unable to attend mass because of her illness, she wrote this wonderful prayer. We hope that her words will convey special meaning to those who are ill and to their friends and families who care for them. Please feel free to share it with anyone that you feel might benefit from it.

SEND YOUR ANGEL TO MASS:

O’ Holy angel at my side Go to church for me Kneel in my place at Holy Mass Where I desire to be. At offertory in my stead Take all I am and own And place it as a sacrifice Upon the Altar throne. At Holy Consecration bell, Adore with Seraph’s love My Jesus hidden in the Host Come down from Heaven above. There pray for those I dearly love And those that cause me grief That Jesus’ blood may cleanse all hearts Give suffering souls relief. That when the priest Communion takes Then bring my Lord to me That His sweet heart may rest in mine And I His temple be. Pray that the sacrifice divine May all man’s sin efface Then bring me Jesus’ blessing home The pledge of every grace. Amen

Will He Find Faith?

2009-08-13T21:47:00.001-05:00

Thank you Mark Mallet....

Will He Find Faith?

IT was a five and a half hour drive from the airport to the remote community in Upper Michigan where I was to give a retreat. I knew of this event for months, but it wasn’t until I began my journey that the message I was called to speak finally filled my heart. It began with the words of our Lord:

…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8)

The context of these words is a parable Jesus told "about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary" (Lk 18:1-8). Strangely, he ends the parable with that troubling question of whether or not He will find faith on earth when He returns. The context is whether souls will persevere or not.

WHAT IS FAITH?

But what does He mean by "faith"? If He means belief in His existence, His incarnation, death, and resurrection, there will likely be many souls who intellectually assent to this, if only privately. Yes, even the devil believes this. But I don’t believe this is what Jesus meant.

James says,

Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. (James 2:18).

And the works Jesus demands of us can be summed up in one commandment:

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. (John 15:12)

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor 13:4-7)

The Holy Father, in his most recent encyclical Caritas In Veritate (Love in Truth), warns that love unbound from truth carries grave consequences for society. The two cannot be divorced. We can act in the name of social justice and love, but when it is unhinged from the "truth which sets us free," we may be leading others into slavery, whether it is within our personal relationships or within the economic and political actions of nations and governing bodies. His timely and prophetic encyclical once again highlights the false prophets who have arisen, even within the Church itself, who claim to act in the name of love, but move away from authentic love because it is not enlightened by the truth which "has its origin in God, Eternal Love and Absolute Truth" (encyclical, n. 1). Clear examples are those who promote the death of the unborn or promote gay marriage whilst claiming to uphold "human rights." Yet these very "rights" are paving the way to grave evils which threaten the lives of the weakest members of the human community and overturn the inherent and inviolable truths regarding the dignity of the person and human sexuality.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

FAITH: LOVE AND TRUTH

As I wrote in The Smoldering Candle, the light of Truth is fading, except in those who, like the Five Wise Virgins, are filling their hearts with the oil of faith. Love is growing cold because of the increase of evildoing, that is, actions which are intending or claiming to be good but are intrinsically evil. How dangerous and confusing this is, and how many are being led astray!

The real problem at this moment of our history is that God is disappearing from the human horizon, and, with the dimming of the light which comes from God, humanity is losing its bearings, with increasingly evident destructive effects. —Letter of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to All the Bishops of the World, March 10th, 2009; Catholic Online

Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. (Matt 24:11-12)

Faith, then, can be considered this: love and truth in action. When one of the three elements of faith is missing, then it is a weak or even non-existent faith.

Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. (Rev 2:3-5)

PERSEVERANCE

In this day when truth is being redefined, when authentic love is waning, and compromise is epidemic, it is crucial that we, like the woman in Christ’s parable, persevere. Jesus warned as much:

All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be dispersed…’ Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14:27, 38)

If you are like me, however, then you will have good reason to doubt your personal strength. This is good. God wants us to depend on Him completely (and we must, for we are fallen creatures in need of grace to be transformed into whole human beings). In fact, He is providing for us in these extraordinary times an ocean of graces precisely for perseverance. I will explain this in my next meditation.

Published in: DAILY JOURNAL, THE HARD TRUTH | on August 13th, 2009 |

Ephesians

2009-08-13T08:16:00.001-05:00

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:14-19)

Diary of Divine Mercy

2009-08-11T14:31:00.002-05:00

O Holy Trinity, Eternal God, my spirit is drowned in Your beauty. The ages are as nothing in Your sight. You are always the same. Oh, how great is Your majesty. Jesus, why do You conceal Your majesty, why have You left Your heavenly throne and dwelt among us? The Lord answered me, My daughter, love has brought Me here, and love keeps Me here. My daughter, if you knew what great merit and reward is earned by one act of pure love for Me, you would die of joy. I am saying this that you may constantly unite yourself with Me through love, for this is the goal of the life of your soul. This act is an act of the will. Know that a pure soul is humble. When you lower and empty yourself before My majesty, I then pursue you with My graces and make use of My omnipotence to exalt you.

Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, paragraph 576

† Jesus I trust in You †

Transfiguration

2009-08-06T12:07:00.001-05:00

Barbara

2009-08-04T22:15:00.000-05:00

Glad to hear from you - good you're reading - I'll change it...

Thanks

Saint John Marie Baptist Vianney Cure of Ars (1786-1859)

2009-08-04T09:18:00.001-05:00

One of my Mom's favorites

St. Martha

2009-07-29T08:17:00.001-05:00

St. Martha

This is a great one for us moms - say a quick prayer to her today...

Top 10 Misconceptions About the Catholic Church

2009-07-26T13:29:00.000-05:00

Good Stuff

Click

Tall guy - Little Car

2009-07-02T08:48:00.001-05:00

I told him this would happen - Uncle Nick got stuck.

Helen and I had to lift him up so he could stand and get out - so funny!

St. Anthony

2009-06-13T16:28:00.001-05:00

Unfailing Prayer to
Saint Anthony

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God
and Charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on
earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on
your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in
trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore
of you to obtain for me (request). The answer to my prayer
may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of
Miracles.

O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full
of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the
Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and
the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.

Amen. (Say 13 Paters, Aves, and Glorias)

We had a small miracle today. My husband just started a business finding lost property - usually money- as Wisconsin Unclaimed Property. He has been working on the startup of this business now for about 2 months. Today, it popped in my head that he should make St. Anthony the patron of his business, and put his picture on his website. I sat down with my Butler's patron saint index to see what they had to say about him. As I was looking at the first page I noticed the date - June 13th - TODAY!! THAT was no accident. I can almost see him tapping me on the shoulder.

Never Thought About It??? Really - LAME!!!

2009-06-12T16:18:00.002-05:00

She never thought about it?!?!?

That seems like an answer I'd get from my 5 year old!!

Message of May 25, 2009

2009-05-25T15:48:00.001-05:00

Message of May 25, 2009

"Dear children! In this time, I call you all to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon every baptized creature, so that the Holy Spirit may renew you all and lead you on the way of witnessing your faith – you and all those who are far from God and His love. I am with you and intercede for you before the Most High. Thank you for having responded to my call." 05/2009

Our Lady of the Finger Lakes

2009-05-19T12:03:00.003-05:00

Message from Our Lady of the Finger Lakes
As given to Mary S. Reilly on April 15, 2009

"Children of my Immaculate Heart, I am pleading with you to turn away from the distractions of the world. It is only in the silence of your hearts, that the Holy Spirit comes to you with inspirations of love. It is when you are quiet that you are open to the grace to respond to love. In this way, all of your actions and thoughts are rooted first in God. "My Son desires your hands, hearts, and feet, so He can work through you as you reach out to others on the path of holiness. I am asking you to join me as I gather my royal army. By your acts of kindness and of faith, many will also desire the road of holiness. "I hold all of you and all those you hold dear, close to my Holy and Immaculate Heart. I plead for all of you at the Throne of God, the Father. My peace is with you."

Me? I'm Glad it was Saint

2009-05-18T20:13:00.002-05:00

Luke and I were driving to the Gem, Rock and Fossil Show on Sunday - which, by the way, was SUPER COOL!! - he was navigating because we had a flyer with a map (any excuse to teach, right?) we needed to make a turn on a certain street.

Luke: "Here Mom, we go this way and then we turn onto State Saint"

Ahhh Catholic influence is working!! :)

The Cat and the Lizard

2009-05-16T15:59:00.005-05:00

My hubbie took some pics of our cat - Cami (Camouflage) investigating our Bearded Dragon - Karl.

Cool pics.

Maybe that's what my children's book should be about....

The End

2009-05-14T08:19:00.004-05:00

Luke had to do a flower report. He chose to do the orchid, I have a beautiful orchid that blooms wonderfully (with absolutely NO help from me), and Helen has just become interested in them as well, so it was not a surprise choice. 3 months ago, Luke decided to name his turtle Orchid, so I thought it would be funny to include a picture of her on his report. That sent him off. He loved taking pictures of her. This is my favorite.

If I ever write a children's book, (read - never) I will use this as the last page with the words The End.

I also told him that I think National Geographic has picture contests, he's super excited to send one of these in. I think this one is his choice.

What do you think? Has the kid got a future?

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T11:42:00.002-05:00

Lines Written in Her Breviary

2009-05-04T20:30:00.001-05:00

Let nothing disturb thee,
Nothing affright thee
All things are passing;
God never changeth;
Patient endurance Attaineth to all things;
Who God possessethIn nothing is wanting;
Alone God sufficeth.

St. Teresa of Avila

Thanks Jen

Our Lady’s message to Mirjana, April 2009

2009-05-02T21:47:00.002-05:00

Already for a long time I am giving you my motherly heart and offering my Son to you. You are rejecting me. You are permitting sin to overcome you more and more. You are permitting it to master you and to take away your power of discernment. My poor children, look around you and look at the signs of the times. Do you think that you can do without God’s blessing? Do not permit darkness to envelop you. From the depth of your heart cry out for my Son. His name disperses even the greatest darkness. I will be with you, you just call me: “Here we are Mother, lead us.” Thank you. May 2, 2009

So cute

2009-04-25T08:21:00.000-05:00

Persecution

2009-04-25T07:56:00.005-05:00

This is real persecution. If this was any other religious or racial group they would not put up with this kind of slander. How come we do?

Must Read!!

2009-04-08T18:21:00.002-05:00

Mark Mallet just gets me every time! I must share this one. Fantastic.

So Sad...

2009-04-03T07:54:00.001-05:00

This is a post I came across on Spirit Daily this morning. I've always wondered how some people justify killing an innocent infant. I guess it still doesn't make much sense. So sad.

Babies Are Just Like Rapists

Cornell Law Professor Sherry Colb writing for FindLaw Magazine writes a ghastly piece on abortion.

She's writing about the case where a woman attempted to procure a late term abortion but the abortionist wasn't on time and the baby was born alive gasping for breath, only to be thrown into a plastic bag and killed.

Now, Colb doesn't exactly excuse the abortionist's actions but examines them and seeks to codify them. But the language used is, I'm sure, unintentionally ghastly and cold. Reading her column sent chills up my spine.

Here's Colb's writing on the issue:

One might argue, as some pro-life advocates have, that there is no meaningful difference between what Gonzalez did and what an abortion provider does, because in both cases, a fetus is killed. This argument, however, ignores one of the main premises of the right to abortion – the bodily-integrity interest of the pregnant woman. Particularly at the later stages of pregnancy, the right to abortion does not protect an interest in killing a fetus as such. What it protects instead is the woman's interest in not being physically, internally occupied by another creature against her will, the same interest that explains the right to use deadly force, if necessary, to stop a rapist. Though the fetus is innocent of any intentional wrongdoing and the rapist is not, the woman's interest in repelling an unwanted physical intrusion is quite similar.

Yeah. That's right. In her little metaphor the baby is a rapist.

But of course that doesn't make sense because the woman likely became pregnant through an act of her own will whereas a rape takes place against a woman's will.

Now, to be fair, Colb argues that the treatment of the "creature" as she calls the baby should be investigated as homicide (which it isn't for some crazy reason.)

In fact, Colb encourages that even non-viable fetuses who are born accidentally should be treated well. Get this one:

When a nonviable fetus completely emerges from the womb alive, writhing, and gasping for breath, the right thing to do is – at the very least – to comfort the creature until it expires or to contact someone else who will.

That's right. Contact someone who will. From the abortion clinic you should call a friend and say "Hey buddy, I just tried killing my baby but the creature was born anyway. I'm pretty sure it'll expire soon so could you come on down here and hug the thing until it dies. Cool?"

But why is she even so concerned with being merciful to the baby that she's allowing to be killed? It makes no sense to me. Because the baby emerged from a woman's womb it's not OK to kill it then but moments before it's fair game.

In the end, Colb blames guess who for late term abortions. Come on make a guess. That's right pro-lifers. I'm not kidding. Because pro-lifers are asking for things like parental consent they make it more difficult to procure early abortions so pro-lifers make late term abortions more likely.

Well, just file this one under the ever expanding file of Ivy League Lunacy. And these are the elites of our culture. No wonder we're in such trouble.

Words from Jesus

2009-03-31T21:11:00.001-05:00

Powerful message today on Words from Jesus.

3/30/09
6:41 PM

My child, I am Jesus and I ask My children who is your Master who is your Messiah. Choose your heavenly Father for it is then that you choose light, truth and eternal life in Me.

My child let the world know that I desire for My faithful to amplify their voices to speak the truth and to make My mercy known while there is still time. Amplify your voices to overcome the darkness that is multiplying around you. Call upon heavens intercession for it is the evil one who desires you to give up in the midst of great difficulty.

You are soldiers who have been prepared for battle. Now is the time to use your armor wisely. I do not speak of the armor of the sword. I speak of the armor of prayer, fasting, and most of all the Eucharist. Come to realize that the obstacles you face will come to pass, yet eternity does not.

Offer each suffering to Me for the more you are tried and tested the greater your victory. Do not lose hope when you fall rather trust in My mercy and love. Meditate on the stages of My passion for I suffered for all your weaknesses. You suffer now the stages of My passion when you witness the rejection of My words, My Commandments, My love.

When you witness division of the truth in My church and amongst My chosen sons. When you see those who speak in My name and then justify their actions of darkness as coming from Me.

I am Jesus, I am the Way , the Truth and the Life. The first, the last, the beginning and the end. I desire you My children to turn away from sin and to come into the light of My mercy for all will be done according to My will.

Wormwood - Mark Mallet

2009-03-24T14:59:00.001-05:00

Wormwood

“the smoke of Satan is seeping into the Church of God through the cracks in the walls.” —POPE PAUL VI, first quote: Homily during the Mass for Sts. Peter & Paul, June 29, 1972

THERE is an elephant in the living room. But few want to talk about it. Most choose to ignore it. The problem is that the elephant is trampling all of the furniture and soiling the carpet. And the elephant is this: the Church is polluted with apostasy—the falling away from the faith—and it has a name: "Wormwood".

"WORMWOOD"

Shortly before Christmas, myself and visionary Mary Reilly—who lives 2000 miles away—received a strange word on the very same day:

Wormwood.

It is a word mentioned in the Bible. From Webster’s Online Dictionary:

In the symbolical language of the Apocalypse (Rev. 8:10, 11) a star is represented as falling on the waters of the earth, causing the third part of the water to turn wormwood. The name by which the Greeks designated it, absinthion, means "undrinkable."

Indeed, the Church is meant to be the source of living water, nurturing and nursing her children on the Truth, who is Christ. But these waters in many places have been poisoned by heresy—mass heresy. Many are those who claim to be Catholic ministers, but like wolves in sheep’s clothing, lead their flocks to errant pastures, groomed and tended by dissident theologians—the false prophets of our day. It goes to show that a theological degree is no guarantee of orthodoxy. Indeed, the ecclesiastical orders in North America have been routing the faith to such a degree that several theological seminaries and universities as well as hospitals and schools are now Catholic in name only. They are often the very source of the moral pollution in our culture.

If we want to know where our culture of death—of abortion, euthanasia, and contraception—came from, look no further than the episcopate’s doors. Forty years ago, when the world’s predators stood ready to devour the faithful, many sheep (such as my parents) were told that "the pill" was acceptable and that they could follow their conscience. Alas, the wolves were already inside the sheep pen, already inside the Church! I was born in 1968—just five months before the release of Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI’s encyclical letter reaffirming the Church’s teaching on contraception. It would be eight years later before my parents were taught the truth about birth control by two lay people (which resulted in the birth of my dear little brother.) How close I came to not existing due to false teaching! (Two years later, the minister who advised my parents, left the priesthood and got married.) The flood of abortion, pornography, STD’s, and divorce entered Catholic homes and society at large when the moral dam of many clergy collapsed.

There is an elephant in the living room, and its name is Wormwood.

THE BITTER PLANT

"Wormwood" is also known as a bitter plant.

The tradition is that this plant sprang up in the track of the serpent as it writhed along the ground when driven out of Paradise. —Webster’s Online Dictionary

Yes, in the wake of the the ancient serpent’s tail:

The tail of the devil is functioning in the disintegration of the Catholic world. The darkness of Satan has entered and spread throughout the Catholic Church even to its summit. Apostasy, the loss of the faith, is spreading throughout the world and into the highest levels within the Church. —POPE PAUL VI, Address on the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions, October 13, 1977

Contraception is the primary bitter agent of the "fallen star"—that is, the fallen clergy and theologians who have rejected the Church’s moral teachings. The Barque of Peter, the Church, is like…

…a boat about to sink, a boat taking in water on every side. —Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI), March 24, 2005, Good Friday meditation on the Third Fall of Christ

I have met several priests from various regions of the United States who estimate that over 50 percent of their fellow seminarians are gay—many living active homosexual lifestyles. One priest recounted how he was forced to lock his door at night. Another told me how two men burst into his room to "have their way"—but turned white as ghosts as they looked upon his statue of Our Lady of Fatima. They left, and never bothered him again. Another was brought before his seminary’s disciplinary panel when he complained about being "hit on" by fellow seminarians. But they asked him why he was "homophobic." Other priests have told me that their faithfulness to the Magisterium was the reason they almost didn’t graduate, and that some of their colleagues did not survive because of their obedience to the Holy Father. How can this be?! There is an elephant in the living room, and its name is Wormwood… and Schism is her twin sister.

I had another vision of the great tribulation… It seems to me that a concession was demanded from the clergy that could not be granted. I saw many older priests, especially one, who wept bitterly. A few younger ones were also weeping… It was as if people were splitting into two camps. —Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774–1824); The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich; message from April 12th, 1820.

REAPING WHAT HAS BEEN SOWN

It is this acceptance of contraception that has led to and continues to foster a literal "Wormwood" in our waters. Studies are beginning to reveal that hormones from contraception are making their way back into the water supply. The results are frightening. In some cases, such as in Canada’s Great lakes or Colorado’s Boulder Creek, male fish have begun to change sex and their populations have been greatly reduced. It has been traced to estrogen—the female hormone found in oral contraceptives or birth control patches.

It’s the first thing that I’ve seen as a scientist that really scared me. It’s one thing to kill a river. It’s another thing to kill nature. If you’re messing with the hormonal balance in your aquatic community, you’re going deep down. You’re twiddling with how life proceeds. —Biologist John Woodling, Catholic Online , August 29, 2007

Furthermore, as evangelical writer Julio Severo points out, contraception also results in "micro-abortions":

...rivers have become deposits of annihilated lives. Hundreds of millions of women use pills and other birth-control devices that provoke micro-abortions that end flushed in toilets, and then into rivers. —Julio Severo, article "Rivers of Blood", December 17, 2008, LifeSiteNews.com,

The water we cook with, we bathe in, we drink, is tainted with the blood of these murdered individuals. There is an elephant in the living room, and its name is Wormwood.

THE TIMES OF SORROW

You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. (Numbers 35:33 ESV)

It is difficult for me to write these things. I’d much rather kick my feet up, read a novel, and pretend that everything in the world is going to go along as it always has. The problem is, there’s an elephant in the living room. I can’t in good conscience pretend that it doesn’t exist. The dung has piled up high, the smell of disobedience is everywhere, and the damage to our children’s future is irreparable, save for a direct intervention from on High.

The warning in my heart is clear of a coming instrument of purification:

War is coming to the shores of the Americas.

Keep your eyes on the unholy trinity forming with Cuba, Venezuela, and Russia:

Be careful, especially when all seems to be peaceful and calm. Russia may act in a surprise way, when you least expect it… [God’s] justice will begin in Venezuela. —The Bridge to Heaven: Interviews with Maria Esperanza of Betania, Michael H. Brown, p. 73, 171

Because God loves us, our consciences need to be violently shaken. Before there can be an Illumination of Conscience, before we are willing to look up, we have to be brought to our knees, just as the Prodigal Son would not think to return home until his pride was crushed.

And let us not say that it is God who is punishing us in this way; on the contrary it is people themselves who are preparing their own punishment. In his kindness God warns us and calls us to the right path, while respecting the freedom he has given us; hence people are responsible. —Sr. Lucia, one of the Fatima visionaries, in a letter to the Holy Father, May 12th, 1982.

MERCIFUL JUDGMENT

The bitterness of Wormwood has reached the Lord’s mouth:

Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. (Rev 3:16)

If the Lord spits a portion of His Church out of His mouth—that is, removes His divine protection—it is not because He does not love us. It is precisely because He loves us:

If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards… whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges. (Heb 12:6,8)

In chaos, Mercy will come…

Is Ephraim not my favored son, the child in whom I delight? Often as I threaten him, I still remember him with favor; My heart stirs for him, I must show him mercy, says the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:18-20)

…for the elephant in the living room needs to be exposed. Wormwood needs to be uprooted. Poison needs to be drawn out so that Living Waters can flow again.

The consciences of this beloved people must be violently shaken so that they may "put their house in order"… A great moment is approaching, a great day of light… it is the hour of decision for mankind. —Catholic mystic Marie Esperanza (1928-2004), Antichrist and the End Times by Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi in P. 37

REFERENCE:

* Wormwood… a literal falling star? See The Seven Year Trial — Part VII and Part XI

* Scriptures unfolding levels of meaning: A Circle and The Spiral of Time

Remember St. Joseph

2009-03-19T08:42:00.002-05:00

Remember, O most chaste Spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who implored your help and sought your intercession was left unassisted. Full of confidence in your power, I fly unto you, and beg your protection. Despise not, O foster-father of the Redeemer, my humble supplication, but in your bounty, hear and answer me. Amen.

Passing this Along....

2009-03-13T07:55:00.001-05:00

Yes we are not crazy - Thanks Elizabeth!

This is Outrageous

Read this. Watch the video. And then pass it along far and wide. Either they are more ignorant than a fifth grader in a mandatory sex-ed class, or they're liars. Whichever it is, it's frightening that these people have power. Lots of it.

Happy Birthday Dear Helen

2009-03-09T08:15:00.004-05:00

WELCOME VIVIAN MARIE! - and - Hilarious Unrelated Pic

2009-03-06T12:23:00.006-06:00

This is my new favorite picture - so cute!!

There she is - 8lbs 7oz - born 7:16pm Thursday, February 26, 2009.

I don't remember losing a child down the laundry chute!! Clearly I have been entrusted with too many children :)

Fantabulistic !!! - I Just Made up that Word - it's MINE!!

2009-02-26T07:56:00.000-06:00

Everything is Grace

2009-02-24T14:09:00.002-06:00

My Mom was so impressed by this book that she bought 4 copies. I was lucky enough to receive one of them, being her favorite (read:only) daughter, as well as, determined enough to start reading it right away, instead of putting it on my "to be read someday pile".

I have already found something definitely worth posting, so here goes.

"Therese says to modern people, burdened with a sense of homelessness in life and suffering a sense of quiet dispair, You are searching in the face of death for meaning in your life, for authentic existence, for liberation, for happiness, for freedom, and for truth; you are looking for love and transcendence, for connectedness and companionship, for affirmation and a sense of fulfillment. I have discovered what you search for: it is God, it is divine love into your life, of willing to be available to the beloved God even in your weaknesses and despair. It is the way of being aware of you need for love, willing to give yourself to God's loving embrace like a child abandons itself with confidence and love into the arms of its loving parent, and then freely sharing love with others in creative good works of peace and justice. It is the willingness to be the person God calls you to be. " (pg. 21)

One Word - Mark Mallet

2009-02-20T03:17:00.001-06:00

Here's another keeper from Mark Mallet.

One Word

First published October 23rd, 2007.

NINE WORDS

WHEN you are overwhelmed with your sinfulness, there are only nine words you need to remember:

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. (Luke 23:42)

With these nine words, the thief on the cross was granted access to an Ocean of God’s love and mercy. With these nine words, Jesus washed away the thief’s sinful past, and fixed him deep within His Sacred Heart for all eternity. With these nine words, the thief on the cross became like a little child, and thus received the promise Jesus made to such souls:

Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these… Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. (Matt 19:14, Luke 23:43)

But perhaps you feel you are too unworthy to ask for a share in the Kingdom. Then, I recommend to you seven words.

SEVEN WORDS

A tax collector entered the temple, and unlike the thief, he couldn’t raise his eyes toward heaven. Instead, he cried out,

God, be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:13)

With these seven words, the tax collector became right with God. With these seven words, the Pharisee who boasted that he never sinned remained condemned, and the tax collector was absolved. With these seven words, the Good Shepherd ran toward His lost sheep and carried him back to the fold.

There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7)

But perhaps you feel unworthy to even utter a sentence to the Almighty God. Then I recommend to you but one word.

ONE WORD

JESUS.

One Word.

JESUS.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:13)

With this one Word, you invoke not just a person, but your salvation. With this one Word prayed with the heart of the thief and the humility of the tax collector, you draw Mercy into your very soul. With this one Word, you enter into the presence of Him who has loved you to the end, and who knew from all eternity the day, the hour, the minute, and the second that you would call upon His name… and He would answer:

I AM… I AM is here.

To pray "Jesus" is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2666

But if you say that you are too unworthy to invoke so grand a name upon your sinful lips, then I do not say I have any other words for you. For this Word, this Name, contains all you’ll ever need.

Rather, you should humble yourself before so great a God who has revealed to you in this late hour the one word which is the Key to opening the treasuries of Mercy and forgiveness. Otherwise, you will remain with the other thief upon the cross who refused to become like a child; with the Pharisee, who remained proud and obstinate; with all those souls who are eternally separated from God because they refused to utter one word which could have saved them.

Nine. Seven. One. You choose which… but speak. God Himself is listening… listening, and waiting.

There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Stealing Suzanne's Post

2009-02-14T09:09:00.002-06:00

Happy St. Valentine's Day - She says everything here that is really important for us to remember on this Feast Day.

The Red Envelope Project

2009-02-12T11:38:00.002-06:00

I got 50 envelopes, this sounds like a great way to have our voices heard. Time to start passing them out.

The Story...

Below is a letter that has been circulating with a great idea. The message began in silent prayer from a faithful follower who was spending quiet time with God.

Dear Friends and Intercessors:

Red Envelope Project Image This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind began to wander. I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions that President Obama took as he began his presidency. Namely, that he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for contraception. I have been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart to see a man and a political party committed to the shedding of innocent blood. This man, and this party lead our country, but they do not represent me or the 54% of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer be legal.

As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea. Out in the garage I have a box of red envelopes. Like the powerful image of the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message to Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue. It will be quiet, but clear.
Here is what I would like you to do:

Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores. On the front, address it to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington , D.C. 20500

On the back, write the following message.

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.

Put it in the mail, and send it. Then send this website to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president.

Warmly, [Unknown]
Let's Send 50 Million red envelopes (and Counting) to the President!

Random PIcture

2009-02-12T08:56:00.003-06:00

Herd Momma had this on her blog, I wanted to play too. This is a great picture. Helen is on the right, her friend Katie is on the left just before her First Holy Communion.

Here are the rules:
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store pictures on your computer.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder, and post it on your blog.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag four people to do the same.
5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

I didn't get tagged, and I didn't tag anyone else either, I'm such a rule breaker!!

Words from Jesus

2009-02-11T08:25:00.003-06:00

I love to read Spirit Daily. One of the books that was instrumental in me beginning to become convicted in my faith as an adult was "The Final Hour" by Michael Brown. I have read most of his books, he started a website years ago that pulls together faith filled articles, as well as, signs of the times. Sometimes his stuff can be a little sensational, but he always leaves that up to the reader to decide. Several years ago I came across an article on a young mother who was receiving messages from Jesus. The website is wordsfromjesus.com
My Mom, Aunt and I read the messages, there was just something about them that ran through your head hours and days after you had read them. In March of 2006, Jennifer was told to give her final messages. Since then, I have checked the website a couple of times, but there was nothing new.

My Mom just happened to check it the other day, Jennifer has a new spiritual director, and he has advised her to continue to publish some of the messages that she still receives. Mark Mallet, one of my other favorite websites, has mentioned and quoted a few of her messages. Lending further weight to her messages.

Today I checked the website and could not resist telling you all of this because the message is just so powerful, I had to put it on here.

Enjoy

"1/25/09
5:30 PM

My child, when the heart suffers it desires comfort and when My heart suffers it is surrounded by wounds ever so deep. When the heart suffers it desires not to suffer any longer. My child, I too do not desire to suffer any longer for I continue to feel the crowning of thorns, yet they are no longer on My head but surrounding My Most Sacred Heart for I am Jesus.

My child, I have assigned a particular soul to you. I desire for you to pray many Chaplets for her for she has had many abortions. So many of My young children are being misguided, misled, by this world that does not see life within the womb.

How many birthdays go uncelebrated? How many voices go silent? How many missions go unfulfilled? How many more lives are lost because of these missions going unfulfilled? My child, I weep for the blood of the innocent is what is calling for the world to find great justice. Mercy will become less and justice will become greater. My little ones are only given an unjust death. There bodies thrown into piles of no regard for My creation, My plan.

My child, if you only could see the number of these little souls that have been aborted and continue to be aborted you would come to understand why when I look down upon mankind I only see a small remnant for the course of humanity is forever changed. Herod lives on today in the hearts of many of your leaders. They order death in the womb instead of death on a cross. The crucifixion has moved into the womb. One by one the family is being destroyed. Husbands and wives, men and women, married or unmarried, the sin of Adam and Eve is being personified.

If St. Joseph had not fulfilled his role, then My Mother could have become one of Herod’s victims. Do you see, My daughter, each person has a purpose, a single mission to fulfill, yet it must comply with the divine plan. Where are the voices of My priest sons who are called to be like John the Baptist? Where are the prayers of My children who are being distracted by the ways of the world?

My child, each day, each hour your life story is being written and I only desire your story to bring forth My glory and honor. The only way humanity will ever find peace is if the world converts to My mercy for I am Jesus and all will done according to My will."

Again, pray about this, this is a private revelation and you are not under obligation to believe this.

Mystical City of God - St. Joseph's Illness

2009-02-10T20:02:00.002-06:00

So, here it is, the post for Therese and her little sick ones. I have put off writing it because there is just so much to say, and I won't be able to type all that is in this chapter of the Mystical City of God. This is from Volume 3, chapters 13 and 14. These two chapters describe the last 8 years of St. Joseph's life, he became very ill and could not longer support his family with his work. It was required that Mary support the family through weaving and mending, while tending to her ailing husband. It should be read by everyone.

At the end of each chapter describing the Holy Family's life together, Mary speaks directly to Mary of Agreda, to instruct her further upon what she has been shown. Here are a few of the things that were related by the Queen of Heaven on this subject.

"For I also provided for the necessities of my spouse, and held Myself ready to serve and support him, deeming myself obliged thereto; and I fulfilled this obligation with ardent charity until he died. Althought the Lord had given him to me for my support, I faithfully provided for him by my labors as long as he was unable to perform this task himself. I judged it to be my duty thus to use the strength given to me by the Lord and would have considered it a great fault not to do so with great assiduity." (Volume 3, pg 140) She then goes on to talk about the beauty of work and labor, which again, everyone should read, but does not really pertain here.

"My daughter (Mary speaking to Mary of Agreda), one of the virtuous works most pleasing to the Lord and most fruitful for souls, is the loving care of the sick. By it is fulfilled to a great extent that natural law which requires us to do to our neighbors what we wish them to do to us. In the Gospel this is adduced as one of the works for which the Lord shall give eternal reward to the just and the failure to exercise this duty is alleged as one of the causes of the eternal damnation of the wicked. (Vol 3, pg 148)" Because Mary of Agreda is the superior of a convent, She goes on to explain how to care for the ill sisters, and gives her more specific advise about that, which also contains much wisdom and encouragement.

The totality of these two chapters were extremely touching and encouraging. Mary's tender care for St. Joseph reflected our care as mothers for our sick children. As She is the most perfect example for us I suggest running to your local Catholic bookstore and buying these books (or getting them online) - you could buy the abridged version too, it's a great place to start, but after reading it you will want to read all 4 volumes.

I don't know if this helped as much as it did in my mind, but I tried. :)

Wordy Wednesday

2009-02-04T08:05:00.007-06:00

So, we are doing better with the sleep. We were in a vicious circle. Nina was getting tired because she was waking up so much at night. In the morning at 10:30 when I went to pick up Mercedes she was falling asleep in the car and taking an afternoon nap. Saturday, all day, she only slept for 10 minutes, so then she slept all night. After being well rested she didn't need a morning nap. Last night she woke up once, but she went right back to sleep (with a small bottle from Mom - I'll work on it).

Thank you everybody for your prayers and concerns, advice is always appreciated. I'm asked how I do it, and most of the time I don't have an answer, but I still am always curious how everybody else does it too. My biggest awe inspiring event is how mothers with toddlers can homeschool.

We are off to the West Allis Public Library this morning. I didn't realize that I still have Just Fishing with Grandma in my possession. Hopefully, they won't make me pay too much.

I want to get some books on embroidery. I taught myself to cross-stitch and I love it (though of course don't do it very much), but somehow just having or looking at books inspires me and is almost as good as doing it myself. I have crocheted some blankets and scarfs for the kids. I'm working on this one for the new little one.

I made this one for Nina.

But she prefers this one that Grandma made for Helen for K4 nap time - she like the satiny - who knew.

I made this one for my Godson,

it's pretty variations on my own patterns, I'm no good at following patterns, cause I kind of taught myself, not good at the counting. That's pretty much me in a nutshell though anyways, I always have to do things my own way - not the best way. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn, but I am willing to learn nowadays - it comes with age I guess.

Ok, then it's off to the Aurora Women's Pavillion, I have to pre-register, I've been putting this off, just regular ol' procrastination there.

Nightmares!!

2009-01-29T08:07:00.002-06:00

I don't usually use this blog for venting. I don't know why, but I guess I just feel tedious having to type out the whole story to explain my crazy ramblings.

Well, today is different, I feel that I must. Nina will NOT sleep through the night! It seems that she just gets worse and worse, I am at my wits end, last night I felt like it was just better if I don't even try to sleep. Usually, she cries out, sometimes falls back to sleep on her own and sometimes she needs assistance. Last night she was just UP. From 11:30 til 2:30, just awake. I took her out of her crib for about 45 minutes, but I wouldn't let her get down from the recliner. I don't want her to think it's a good time to play.

Our trouble is that we put her to sleep with a bottle. She LOVES her bottle, she wants to hang out with it all day. She gets mad at night when she wakes up and it's empty. I know that its not a great idea, it just happened. I used to give her the nighttime bottle on the recliner and she would fall asleep there. As she got older she just wanted to be in her bed. If I tried to rock her to sleep she would get down off my lap and start playing. I don't have any of those children that will just sit on your lap. Every one of my babies has to be on the move ALL THE TIME. It's like she tries to crawl out of her skin.

I just don't know where to go from here. I have a deadline. I have a new baby coming in a month and I can't be going back and forth between a newborn and a toddler who SHOULD be sleeping through the night!! Otherwise, I'd just suck it up and deal. I've read posts varying for letting the cry it out and figure it out, or water down the bottle until it's all water(really my children are much smarter than that, she would NOT let me get away with this), to just letting her have it for now. Well, I know that she can outcry me, not to mention she would keep the whole house awake. We live in the bottom half of my Aunt's duplex and there is just no room for a screaming toddler in the middle of the night when you have 3 other kids who need to be up for school.

Ok, so now I feel like a combination of a big fat whiner - and better. Thanks.

Hey, has anyone when having a newborn, absolutely BEG your guardian angel to quiet them so you can sleep??

I have. I like to think that it has made a difference, although, I do think that I'm usually the one who ends up getting up.

That's because it's good for us to Struggle Towards Heaven..... :)

新年快乐

2009-01-26T08:31:00.001-06:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

So we'll be having a litte Ox, just like Daddy! Yikes!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-21T07:52:00.002-06:00

Three girls in one bathroom - Title - BEFORE the teenage years!

Really Funny Video

2009-01-20T07:53:00.000-06:00

I watched this like 12 times and I still think it's hilarious!!

The Hour is Late

2009-01-19T15:12:00.001-06:00

Another great article from Spirit Daily:

The Hour Is Late

January 19th, 2009 by Patti Maguire Armstrong ·Print This Article Print This Article ·ShareThis

Ladies and gentleman,

May I have your attention please? Put down the birth control. You heard me. Put it down and walk away.

I don’t like to be harsh, but the hour is late. The citizens of many countries belong on the endangered species because they are dying out. Never before in the history of the world have so many countries lost so many people without disease or war to blame. This loss is by choice and it’s downright suicidal.

Why?

I am not telling you to have more children if you do not want them. I am telling you to want them. Couples have come to think that there is some cosmic balance that limits families to two children. Of course there are families that want to have children but can’t and those that can’t have more. This article is not addressed to them. Or do I (or I hope anyone) give dirty looks to small families assuming they are not doing their parts. It is between them and God. Even when people express shock at learning I have ten and proceed to either categorize me as a “special person” or announce the reasons why they don’t want more, I don’t judge them. Alas, I was once in the group that thought family planning was all about the planet, money and freedom. These are the main reasons people choose not to be open to new life.

Money. Portfolio or another soul? I get that this is between you and God. Do you? It’s not between you and the banker. Children cost money. How much depends on your perspective and spending habits. For the record, my kids get jobs to buy their own cars and get themselves through college. We might wear brand names if we stumble onto them at rummage sales or on sale, but really, we don’t care about labels. So, my kids cost less than some.

For thousands of years children were considered treasures and investments for the future — including eternity. Poor families tended to have large families because their children represented help and security. But in the last few decades it’s all about money. Nowadays, children are treated like siphons on the ledger sheet. Spending money on children leaves less for parents. For many couples, there’s a level of comfort and financial security they refuse to dip below. Pity.

Population control. Now, this reason has become a real hoot. We were lied to and bullied senseless. People were made to feel guilty for even having children at all. During the sixties and seventies, people were told we would run out of food and natural resources. The opposite occurred. We still pay farmers not to farm. Our technological advances have provided for abundant food production. As for the natural resources, they are there, but in many countries, there are just not enough people to get to them.

The lies have been revamped as global warming — oh wait — make that “climate change” now that we have many months where average temperatures are below normal. Climate has always fluctuated but now anti-people groups blame humans for the change and change is not good according to them. The solution: stop making new people.

Climate change actually even reared its head in the seventies with the bestseller in 1976, The Cooling: Has the New Ice Age Already Begun? Can We Survive? I’m all for taking care of our planet. It’s a gift from God and I absolutely hate pollution. But radical environmentalists like to throw birth control at every problem. In reality, we need humans to fix the problems.

Are we running out of space? Yeah, right. Get out of the city and take a trip across the country. Entire books have been written debating both sides of the overpopulation debate so I’m not going to cover this in depth. Ironically, the latest and most troubling news is actually the exact opposite of what we were warned about — there are not enough people. It’s as if we went to sleep to one scenario and woke up to another.

Freedom. People often count 18 years from the birthday of their youngest to figure out when they will be “free” again. Or, they just don’t have children and openly admit they are too selfish to do so. In such a case, may God have mercy on them.

The Numbers Tell the Story

In Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Japan and Russia, the only thing we are running out of is people. There are not enough babies. We are witnessing the self-extermination of entire nations.

According to the United Nations Population Division discussing the 2007 population changes in Eastern and Central Europe: “The expected global upheaval is without parallel in human history.” Germany’s population is down 10.3 %, Poland’s is down 20.5%, the Russian Federation’s is down 24.3%, and Bulgaria dropped 35.2%. The only population increase in Western Europe will be due to the large migration from Africa and Asia. There are pockets of growth here and there, but this is due to Muslim populations. For instance, among the districts in Russia there are exceptions to the dying trends — the high abortion, high HIV infection, low birthrate, high alcoholism and other social ills. Twelve of the eighty-nine Russian federal regions showing substantial population growth are Islamic regions. Islam is growing rapidly in a country where the native population is in the death throes. This is a country awash in natural resources except the most important one — people. It possesses a resource — rich eastern hinterland that it cannot get to without people. It is also the land of nuclear weapons and know-how. The future possibilities are frightening.

The number you need for merely maintaining a population is 2.1 babies per woman. Seventeen European nations are now at the “lowest-low”, 1.3 births per woman. This is the rate from which, according to demographers, no human society has ever recovered. In theory, countries at the “lowest-low” are falling fast, halving every thirty-five years or so. In reality this will likely happen much faster. Imagine the social upheaval as an aging population grows increasingly dependant on youth to support all the government services they need (certainly not enough children to take in parents). It’s likely that many young people will head for the hills, or at least another continent where their entire livelihood will not be sucked up into government social security. It also seems inevitable that euthanasia will become ever more popular and aggressive. With more old people to support and less young people to do it, the pressure will be to reduce the burden.

Why are so many countries, more educated, more peaceful, wealthier and healthier than at any other time in history, failing to create the next generation? On June 24, 2008 in Moscow, His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia spoke to the Bishop’s Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on the population decline. He attributed Russia’s demographic crisis to the pitiable status of family and marriage and the low level standards of morality and spirituality. His Holiness claimed that any attempts to overcome the crisis by economic means only, without a spiritual component, are “doomed to failure since the sources of the crisis are not in purses, but in the souls of people.” He said it is not accidental that believers have more children than non-believers in identical economic conditions.

“Demographic problems do not arise in poor countries that have kept their religious traditions,” he observed. “Thus Russia should be looking for a way out of the demographic crisis in a spiritual and moral transformation of the person and society” (1).

In a sermon at a Neocatechumenate meeting in Jerusalem on March 27, 2008, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, issued an attack against birth control, blaming it for Europe’s declining birth rate. He blamed his predecessors for lacking the courage to speak out after the publication of the encyclical Humanae Vitae, that reiterated the constant teaching of the Church on birth control.

“But those bishops,” said Cardinal Schonborn, were “frightened of the press and of being misunderstood by the faithful”. Blame lay not only with the bishops responsible at the time — none of whom is still alive — but with all bishops for the fact that Europe is “about to die out” (2).

In the Unites States, Christianity is a bigger part of everyday life than post-Christian Europe. Prayer, church membership and participation are higher. Also encouraging is that America still is willing to share its future with children. Although our birthrate was declining for many years and generally falls in around the 2.1 replacement, the United States reported a rise by 3.1% between 2005 and 2006 reaching almost 4.3 million births. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, that is the largest single-year increase in the number of births since 1989.

An Associated Press examination of global data also shows that the United States has a higher fertility rate than every country in continental Europe, as well as Australia, Canada and Japan. Fertility levels in those countries have been lower than the U.S. rate for several years, although some are on the rise, most notably in France. “Americans like children. We are the only people who respond to prosperity by saying, ‘Let’s have another kid,’” said Nan Marie Astone, associate professor of population, family and reproductive health at Johns Hopkins University (3).

Yes, this is somewhat encouraging. Statistics show we pray more and have more children than Europeans. But really, our tendency to teeter at replacement is not a position of strength. Let’s go back to Europe — the motherland for many of us — to see what is accompanying the decline in native births.

Changing Faces

Europe’s increasing social welfare programs depend on a growing population. Unable to generate such an increase on their own, they depend increasingly on immigration. And the majority of immigration is from Islamic cultures that are becoming increasingly more radical. Immigrant Muslim populations are not acclimating to the European culture. Europe gets older and its faith grows ever more feeble while Muslim populations within Europe increase due to the need for immigration to support the aging population. Muslim religious fervor is strong and they have large families, thus their population is increasing on both ends. Christianity fades while Islam increases. Already, much of Europe is catering to Sharia law. In Brussels, ten of the eighteen members of the ruling Socialist Party Caucus are Muslim. ”That’s to say, the capital city of the European Union already has a Muslim-majority governing party.” The introduction of Sharia bonds make London the world capital of Islamic banking. In country after country, civil laws, schools and cultural norms accomodate Sharia sensibilities (4).

According to his book, America Alone, Mark Steyn contends that the growing, youthful populations of Europe will ultimately take over. “What’s the Muslim population of Rotterdam? Forty percent. What is the most popular baby boys name in Belgium? Mohammed. In Amsterdam? Mohammed. In Malmo, Sweden? Mohammed. What country today has half its population under the age of fifteen? Spain and Germany have 14 percent the United Kingdom 18 percent, the United States 21 percent — and Saudi Arabia has 39 percent, Pakistan 40 percent, and Yemen 47 percent. Little Yemen, like little Britain two hundred years ago, will send its surplus youth around the world-one way or another” (5).

If you look at it in terms of birthrate, consider these birthrate numbers from Islamic countries: Niger is 7.46; Mali, 7.42; Somalia, 6.76; Afghanistan, 6.69; Yemen, 6.58. Yes, we can change the world, and we are; by disappearing. The future belongs to those willing to create the next generation. Islam is the fastest growing religion in North America and Europe. And throughout the world, Muslims are becoming more radical and aggressive in their faith.

By now, some readers have branded me racist for comparing the dwindling populations with the growing populations given who’s who in the scenario. Well, don’t even go there. I have two boys from Kenya, as dark as they come, who call me Mom. Besides, Muslims are not of a single skin color or culture. Am I phobic of non-Catholic religions? Don’t go there either. The books in the Amazing Grace series that I co-authored included stories from people of other faiths. God’s grace is for everyone. This is not a war of who has or has not the most people; it is spiritual warfare. We are losing because we aren’t living our faith.

In 2008, the Vatican announced that Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world’s largest religion. “For the first time in history, we are no longer at the top: Muslims have overtaken us,” Monsignor Vittorio Formenti said in an interview with the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano. He said that Catholics accounted for 17.4% of the world population — a stable percentage — while Muslims were at 19.2% (6).

The growth is attributed to both aggressive conversion tactics and large families. While millions of Westerners have bought into the secular one-or two-child mentality, Islamic societies are rapidly increasing in numbers. If current trends continue, Europe will make up just 7.5 percent of the world’s people by 2050, compared to 22 percent in 1950. At the same time, the countries with the most youthful populations will all be Muslim: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Iraq. Worldwide trends indicate that by 2050, Muslims will comprise 30 percent of the world’s population, with Christians making up 25 percent (7).

If anyone walks away from this article thinking that I’m sounding an alarm based on them versus us, they would be misinformed. This is really about us. What has happened to us? Why are we dying out or just teetering on existence?

I contend it’s all based on a people that have become worldlier and less religious. God matters less and the world more. Religion has taken a back seat to Wall Street. Selfishness precludes parenthood, and people are hugging trees instead of babies.

If the statistics alone convince you to have more children, then, again, you are not hearing me clearly. If our homes and hearts are not open to more children, then we need to go back and open them. We do this by putting God at the center. Whatever stands in the way of openness to life, needs to be pushed aside. Souls, life, God, eternity… these are of the greatest value. The rest will fade away, just as it should. For it is the world that should be fading away and not us.

(1) “Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II: Demographic Crisis Can Only Be Overcome by Morality not Money”, translated by Andrey Bystrov, July 8, 2008, LifeSiteNews.com

(2) ”Cardinal Schonborn Lambasts the Failure of Bishops to Condemn Contraception”, CatholicActionUK.com, November 6, 2008

(3) “More U.S. Babies Born, Fertility Rate up, Defying Low-birth Trend in Europe”, Mike Stobbe — Associated Press, January 15, 2008

(4) Steyn, Mark, America Alone, Regnery Publishing, Inc., xii

(5) Ibid, pp. 6-7

(6) “Vatican: Muslims Now Outnumber Catholics”, USA TODAY, 4/2/2008

(7) Ali, Daniel and Spencer, Robert, “Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics”, Ascension Press, 2003

What Hath 50 Years of Barbie Wrought?

2009-01-10T09:24:00.002-06:00

The following is an article that I found on Spirit Daily this morning

What Hath Fifty Years of Barbie Wrought?

January 8th, 2009 by Mary Anne Moresco ·Print This Article Print This Article ·ShareThis

Father had launched into a holy rant. Mid-way through his homily, he startled us so we bolted upright in the pews. “You parents,” he said, as if by rattling our brains he could jump-start our consciences, “do not know evil when you are looking at it.” Although this homily took place years ago, I remember it still. Father was right. As parents in a sometimes wildly wicked world, we are often blinded by the evils that can pelt us and our children harder than a hailstorm. Parents need to sometimes wonder about the immorality hidden in things our “non-judgmental” society routinely accepts as normal. And one must wonder if Barbie, the beloved American doll who is turning fifty this year, is harming girls.

Wait dear reader! Stop! Before you say “It’s only a Barbie!” and toss this article aside like American toddlers toss aside headless, naked Barbies, stay with me please.

In the late 1950’s Barbie became the first “adult” doll for children. She was copied from a German prostitute doll name Bild Lilli, who was a character in an “adult” cartoon. The prostitute Lilli doll was sold, not to girls, but to men in bars and tobacco shops. Unaware of her prostitute background, Barbie’s American creators used the prostitute Lilli doll as a prototype for the first Barbie doll.

Barbie’s wardrobe was and still remains indecent. The 2008 Holiday Barbie wears a silver gown with a more than plunging V-slit that goes straight from neck to navel, as she poses with gobs of thick black mascara and hand on hip. Barbie recently debuted as a “Happy Birthday Gorgeous” doll-with her shiny teal blue dress slit up the side of her entire leg. Modesty is decency (CCC 2522). How are girls to learn modesty, if they are, almost from infancy, bombarded with an assortment of over-sexed immodestly dressed indecent dolls? Although America may be blinded by the indecency of Barbie, other countries are not. The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Saudi Arabia stated that: “[B]arbie dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures… are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West.”

barbie.jpgBarbie is unhealthy for girls, not just because she is immodest, but because she is so impossibly thin, with a figure that does not conform to normal human proportions. The International Journal of eating disorders has reported that if Barbie’s dimensions were projected to human size, they would be 38-18-34. Barbie dolls can cause girls to dislike their own body shape, and lead them toward eating disorders. The Journal of Developmental Psychology reported on a study conducted to assess the impact of images of dolls on young girls. This study showed that, across the board, girls were more dissatisfied with their shape and desired more extreme thinness after seeing Barbie doll images than after seeing other pictures.

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health reports that 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight. Dissatisfaction with one’s body can lead to not only emotional, but physical decline in girls. Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents, and twenty percent of those with anorexia will die prematurely from this illness or complications related to it.

Barbie is not only indecent and overly-thin. She is a narcissist. She herself could write a book on self-absorbed excess and acquisition. With disturbing ease, Barbie spreads this debilitating mentality of acquiring and excess to young girls. One look at the magnitude of Barbie’s paraphernalia will show you why. Barbie owns just about everything. This includes over forty pets from a lion to a horse to a zebra; multiple vehicles from a Corvette convertible to a “surfs up cruiser,” Volkswagon, Mustang, Ford, Jeep, “Hot tub party bus,” and a “Jam and Glam” bus; and a mountain ski cabin, a 3-story “dream house,” and “Barbie Talking Townhouse.” And this barely touches the surface of Barbie’s possessions and what has helped make her worth $3 billion a year to Mattel.

Like other modern day media, Barbie indoctrinates girls into glamour and glitz. Mattel has, in their magnanimous generosity, provided girls with glamour through a Barbie Top Model Doll, a Talk of the Town Barbie, and — perhaps to satisfy a generation of children raised on one too many American Idol shows — a Barbie Opening Night. There is a Barbie Party Cruise, complete with disco ball, and swimming slide. With the likes of Barbie and her glamour and excess infiltrating homes, how are girls to learn the virtues of temperance and moderation, and how will their hearts be lead closer to God who longs one day to share eternity with them in heaven?

Over 100 years ago, a young nun died in Nevers, France. Owning nothing, she became more beautiful in death than life. She had lived a life of suffering, piety and pain. But despite this pain, she lived with such great humility, purity, virtue and goodness, and in a way so pleasing to God, that according to a sister in her order, upon death “her face became young and peaceful again, with a look of purity and blessedness.” Her body lies incorrupt in Nevers, France. This humble nun was the chosen child to whom Our Lady appeared in Lourdes to proclaim her Immaculate Conception. Her name is St. Bernadette Soubirous, and she had a great love for children. For role models, instead of pointing our girls to Barbie, why don’t we point them to saints like Bernadette?

Mattel has earned billions on Barbie, but at what cost to girls and their virtue? What will the next fifty years be like? We can continue to build Mattel’s fortune, to offer girls more scantily-clad, toy-acquiring, self-absorbed, empty-headed plastic dolls as role models, and lead girls to fall into that same vain glamorous, over-sexed, anorexic pit. Or we can give them baby dolls, and modest dolls to care for, and saints to emulate as we guide them in virtue.

What else can parents do? When at spiritual war, one can take up spiritual arms.

1. Mother Theresa advised praying three Hail Mary’s a day for our own purity, and as parents we can do that for each of our children. We can pray that they be kept pure in heart, soul, mind, body, speech, dress, will and thought.

2. Pray the Rosary as a family. Our Lady is our model of purity and she will protect us.

3. Pray for a spirit of purity to spread across our nation and around the world.

4. Stop buying over-sexed dolls with impossibly thin figures and educate relatives and friends. Explain to girls how certain dolls “are not good for you.”

5. Insist on modest clothing for the dolls that girls have in the home, and use this as a lesson to teach about the virtue of modesty.

6. Talk to girls about inner beauty. True beauty comes from leading a life pleasing to God and radiates from the inside out. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised (Psalm 31:31). True inner beauty is carried with us into eternity.

May we lead our girls toward inner beauty and toward an eternity with God in heaven.

Our Kitty Camouflage

2009-01-08T08:15:00.005-06:00

So, we got rid of the dogs, agreed to take my Aunt's cat when she tried it out at the Carmelite convent (she came back to us), and I liked having her cat so much, of course, I wanted one of my own. We almost got one from the Humane Society, but the timing wasn't right. Instead we went to Humane Milwaukee - in Southridge Mall, a friend from high school runs it. It's an absolutely fantastic place, they know every animal there like they are their own pets. They will match your family up and give you plenty of time to become acquainted with your potential new pet. Well, we found the perfect little Kitty.

We named her Camouflage or Cami for short. My son, who, as he says, has wanted a cat, "His whole life!!" (he's 6) was given the choice on what to name her. She does have a camo pattern on her back, so I guess it works.

We got her in Nov, I'm just posting pictures now because I finally found my camera cord, under my bed, of course!

Mercedes carrying Cami around, just like Olivia - moving the cat!

Wonderful Post from Mark Mallet

2009-01-07T07:58:00.001-06:00

I Am Not Worthy

Peter’s Denial, by Michael D. O’Brien

From a reader:

My concern and question is within myself. I have been raised Catholic and have also done the same with my daughters. I have tried to go to church practically every Sunday and have tried to be involved with activities at church and in my community too. I have tried to be "good." I go to Confession and Communion and pray the Rosary occasionally. My concern and sadness is that I find that I am so far from Christ according to everything I read. It’s so hard to live up to Christ’s expectations. I love Him so much, but I’m not even close to what He wants from me. I try to be like the saints, but it only seems to last a second or two, and I’m back to being my mediocre self. I can’t concentrate when I pray or when I’m at Mass. I do many things wrong. In your news letters you talk of the coming of [Christ’s merciful judgment], chastisements etc… You talk of how to be prepared. I’m trying but, I just can’t seem to get close. I feel like I’m going to be in Hell or at the bottom of Purgatory. What do I do? What does Christ think of someone like me who’s just a puddle of sin and keeps falling down?

Dear daughter of God,

What does Christ think of someone like "you" who is just a puddle of sin and keeps falling down? My answer is twofold. First, He thinks you are precisely the one whom He died for. That if He had to do it all over again, He would do it just for you. He did not come for the well, but for the sick. You are most eligible for two reasons: one is that you are a sinner, like me. The second is that you acknowledge your sinfulness and your need for a Savior.

If Christ came for the perfect, then neither you nor I have a hope in Heaven of getting there. But to those who cry out, "Lord, have mercy on me a sinner," He does not merely stoop to hear their prayer… no, He comes down to earth, takes on our flesh, and walks among us. He dines at our table, touches us, and allows us to soak His feet in our tears. Jesus came for such as you. He searches for you. Did He not say that He would leave the ninety-nine sheep to look for the one lost and gone astray?

Jesus tells us a story about the ones to whom His mercy is given—the story of the tax collector whom a Pharisee saw praying in the temple. The tax collector cried out, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner!" while the Pharisee boasted that he fasted and prayed and was nothing like the rest of humanity: greedy, dishonest, adulterous. Who did Jesus say was justified in God’s eyes? It was the one who humbled himself, the tax collector. And when Christ hung on the Cross, He turned to such a thief who had spent his life as a criminal, who asked in his dying moments that Jesus remember him when He goes into His kingdom. And Jesus replied, "Today you will be with me in paradise." That’s the kind of mercy our God has to bestow! Is such a promise to a thief reasonable? He is generous beyond reason. His love is radical. It is given most generously when we least deserve it: "While we were still sinners, He died for us."

St. Bernard of Clairvaux states that absolutely every person, no matter how…

…enmeshed in vice, ensnared by the allurements of pleasure, a captive in exile… fixed in mire… distracted by business, afflicted with sorrow… and counted with those who go down into hell—every soul, I say, standing thus under condemnation and without hope, has the power to turn and find it can not only breath the fresh air of the hope of pardon and mercy, but also dare to aspire to the nuptials of the Word. —Fire Within, Thomas Dubay)

Do you think you will never amount to anything for God? Fr. Wade Menezes points out that St. Mary Magdelene de Pazzi was tormented continually by temptations to lust, gluttony, and plagued by despair. She endured severe physical, emotional, and spiritual pain and was tempted to commit suicide. Yet, she became a saint. St. Angela of Foligno reveled in luxury and sensuality and indulged in excessive possessions. You could say she was a compulsive shopper. Then there was St. Mary of Egypt who had been a prostitute who used to join the caravans of men between the port cities, and especially enjoyed seducing Christian pilgrims—until God stepped in. He transformed her into radiant purity. St. Mary Mazzarello had endured severe temptations to desolation and despair. St. Rose of Lima would frequently make herself vomit after meals (bulimic behavior) and had even inflicted self-mutilitation. Blessed Bartolo Longo became a satanic high priest while studying at the University of Naples. Some young Catholics drew him out of it and taught him to pray the Rosary faithfully each day, all 15 decades. Pope John Paul II later set him apart as an exemplar for praying the Rosary: "The Apostle of the Rosary". Then, of course, there is St. Augustine who, prior to his conversion, was a womanizer who reveled in the flesh. Lastly, St. Jerome was known to have had a sharp tongue and hot-tempered personality. His nastiness and broken relationships damaged his reputation. Once when a pope was viewing a painting hanging in the Vatican of Jerome beating his breast with a stone, the pontiff was overhead to say, “If it were not for that rock, Jerome, the Church would never have declared you a saint.”

So you see, it is not your past which determines sainthood, but the degree to which you humble yourself now and in the future.

Do you still feel incapable of receiving God’s mercy? Consider these Scriptures:

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. (Psalm 51:19)

This is the one whom I approve: the lowly and broken man who trembles at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)

On high I dwell, and in holiness, and with the crushed and dejected in spirit. (Isaiah 57:15)

As for me in my poverty and pain, let your help, O God, lift me up. (Psalm 69:3)

The Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains. (Psalm 69:3)

The hardest thing to do sometimes is to actually trust that He loves you. But to not trust is to turn in the direction that can lead to despair. That’s what Judas did, and he hung himself because He could not accept God’s forgiveness. Peter, who also betrayed Jesus, was on the very brink of despair, but then trusted again in God’s goodness. Peter had confessed earlier, "To whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal life." And so, on his hands and knees, he went back to the only place he knew he could: to the Word of eternal life.

Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:14)

Jesus doesn’t ask you to be perfect so that He can love you. Christ would love you even if you were the most miserable of sinners. Listen to what He says to you through St. Faustina:

Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. —Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 1146

Jesus asks us to follow His commandments, to "become perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect," because in living His will perfectly, we will be our happiest! Satan has so many souls convinced that if they aren’t perfect, they are not loved by God. This is a lie. Jesus died for humanity when it was so imperfect it even killed him. But precisely in that hour, His side was opened and His mercy poured forth, first and foremost for His executioners, and then for the rest of the world.

So, if you have sinned the same sin five hundred times, then you need to repent sincerely five hundred times. And if you fall again out of weakness, you need to repent again in humility and sincerity. As Psalm 51 says, God will not spurn such a humble prayer. So here is your key to God’s heart: humility. This is the key which will unlock His mercy, and yes, even the gates of Heaven so that you no longer need be afraid. I am not saying you should keep sinning. No, for sin destroys charity in the soul, and if mortal, cuts one off from sanctifying grace necessary for entry into the eternal beatitude. But sin does not cut us off from His love. Do you see the difference? St. Paul said that not even death can separate us from His love, and that’s what mortal sin is, death of the soul. But we should not remain in that fearful state, but come back to the foot of the Cross (Confession) and ask His forgiveness and begin again. The only thing you really have to fear is pride: being too proud to accept His forgiveness, too proud to believe that He could possibly love you too. It was pride which eternally separated satan from God. This is the deadliest of sins.

Jesus said to St. Faustina:

My child, all your sins have not wounded My Heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does—that after so many efforts of My love and mercy, you should still doubt My goodness. —Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 1186

And so, dear daughter, let this letter be a cause of joy for you, and a reason to get down on your knees and accept the love of the Father for you. For Heaven is waiting to rush toward you, and receive you into Its arms the way the father received the prodigal son back. Remember, the prodigal son was covered in sin, sweat, and the smell of pigs when his "Jewish" father ran to embrace him. The boy hadn’t even confessed, and yet the father had already received him because the boy was on his way home.

I suspect the same with you. You are repentant, but you do not feel worthy to be His "daughter." I believe the Father already has His arms around you now, and is ready to clothe you in a new robe of Christ’s righteousness, polish the ring of sonship on your finger, and place the sandals of the Good News upon your feet. Yes, those sandals are not for you, but for your lost brothers and sisters in the world. For the Father wants you to feast upon the fatted calf of His love, and when you are full and overflowing, go out into the streets and shout from the rooftops: "BE NOT AFRAID! GOD IS MERCY! HE IS MERCY!"

Now, the second thing I wanted to say is pray… just as you carve out time for supper, carve out time for prayer. In prayer, not only will you come to know and encounter His unconditional love for you, so that letters like these will no longer be necessary, you will also begin to experience the transforming fires of the Holy Spirit who is able to lift you from the puddle of sin into the dignity of who you are: a child, made in the image of the Most High. If you have not already done so, please read Be Resolved. Remember, the journey to Heaven is through a narrow gate and along a difficult way, hence, few take it. But Christ will be with you each step of the way until He crowns you in eternal glory.

You are loved. Please pray for me, a sinner, who is also in need of God’s mercy.

The sinner who feels within himself a total deprivation of all that is holy, pure, and solemn because of sin, the sinner who in his own eyes is in utter darkness, severed from the hope of salvation, from the light of life, and from the communion of saints, is himself the friend whom Jesus invited to dinner, the one who was asked to come out from behind the hedges, the one asked to be a partner in His wedding and an heir to God… Whoever is poor, hungry, sinful, fallen or ignorant is the guest of Christ. —Matthew the Poor

From Markmallet.com/blog

The Great Tortoise Hunt

2009-01-06T11:23:00.002-06:00

So my son announced that for his 7th birthday (on Feb. 18th) he would like a turtle. There was in fact a turtle on his Christmas list, but that was vetoed. I do not want a turtle. They are messy and hard to care for. I, however, have always wanted a tortoise (I love how they eat). I would consider getting one of those, although I'm not sure where I would put it. They are ridiculously expensive though! They cost anywhere between $100 and $300, I cannot believe that everyone that currently has a tortoise wants to keep it, so I'm keeping my eye on craigslist.

Any suggestions, let me know!!

Otherwise, scorpions are pretty reasonably priced, they're only $20, but I do not think it would be a good idea to have a scorpion in the house with two babies!! Plus, I really don't know anything about them and I think a pet (other than a fish, of course) that you can't pick up is really useless.

So, I really don't know what to get him for his birthday. We always take the kids out (one by one) for a special birthday dinner at the place of their choosing. Luke has always picked hibachi at Japanica, which I am all for and looking forward to. It's funny, when Luke or Mercedes has us all to themselves for a whole night, they sometimes don't know what to make of it.

Today

2009-01-02T08:19:00.002-06:00

Ahh, the last day of Christmas Vacation, the kids are crazy with no structure. I think that we are going to Chuck E Cheese to cash in our tickets, we have quite a few, not a massive amount, but plenty. We spent our new years day here
it was very much fun. I don't have pictures of anything because my Nina hid the cord for my camera, I think that I may have to buy another one.

Nina is going to start talking any day now. It's so exciting, she 14 months old and I think she tried to say, "Oh Maann!", this morning, good ole swiper the fox!

We had a very nice new year's eve. Funny story, we own a laser pointer cat toy which our kitty loves. David and I wanted to see how far it would go if we pointed it outside, so we started with the lawn and across the street and up to the neighbor's house across the street (it's got really good range!). Well, the neighbor's window was open and they were watching tv, the laser light pointed on their wall and someone shot up off the couch and looked out the window!! It was hilarious, I only hope they didn't think that it was a rifle scope. We were expecting the police to show up, but they didn't!! He he, and all this fun and I was still in bed before midnight!!

New Year's Blessing Prayer for Clocks and Calendars

2009-01-01T14:17:00.002-06:00

Lord, You who live outside of time,
and reside in the imperishable moment,
we ask Your blessing this New Year's Day
upon Your gift to us of time.

Bless our clocks and watches,
You who kindly direct us
to observe the passing of minutes and hours.
May they make us aware of the miracle
of each second of life we experience.
May these our ticking servants
help us not to miss that which is important,
while You keep us from machine-like routine.
May we ever be free from being clock watchers
and instead become time lovers.

Bless our calendars,
these ordered lists of days, weeks, and months,
of holidays, holydays, fasts and feasts --
all our special days of remembering.
May these servants, our calendars,
once reserved for the royal few,
for magi and pyramid priests,
now grace our homes and our lives.
May they remind us of birthdays and other gift-days,
as they teach us the secret
that all life
is meant for celebration
and contemplation.

Bless, Lord, this new year,
each of its 365 days and nights.
Bless us with new moons and full moons.
Bless us with happy seasons and a long life.
Grant to us, Lord,
the new year's gift
of a year of love.

Amen.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!

2008-12-24T21:33:00.001-06:00

Joy Williams - 2000 decembers ago Lyrics
Album:

2000 Decembers Ago

Did it feel like a night any different
Then at least a million before
Was there any rare expectation
Like there was some kind of somethin' in store
Did the sky have to hold back the thunder
Did the moon find new reasons to glow
Could the children somehow sense the wonder
2000 Decembers Ago

Were the sheep as amazed as the shepherds
At the new star that lite up the sky
Did the willow trees whisper excitement
To the rivers and streams passing by
Did the joy ricochet off the mountains
'Til it filled up the valleys below
Did all the world sense love abounding
2000 Decembers Ago

Was anyone able to look at the stable
And not see a child but a King
I wish I could hear back over the years
As heaven & nature sing, heaven and nature sing.

Did the walls of the barn start to tremble
With a glory they could not contain
Did anyone wake with the feeling
Of peace that they could not explain
Oh the love must have been overwhelming
As it warmed everyone in its flow
For all of the earth is still telling
Of 2000 Decembers ago

Was anyone able to look at the stable
And not see a child but a king
I wish I could hear back over the years
As heaven and nature sing, heaven and nature sing
Oh the love must have been overwhelming

2000 Decembers Ago

Christmas Novena

2008-12-23T22:20:00.002-06:00

December 24:

O Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, God of hosts, come, show Thy face, and we shall be saved.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Christmas Novena

2008-12-23T22:18:00.002-06:00

December 23:

O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Christmas Novena

2008-12-22T11:32:00.002-06:00

December 22:

O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Christmas Novena

2008-12-21T08:26:00.003-06:00

December 21:

O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Christmas Novena

2008-12-20T10:02:00.003-06:00

December 20:

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Christmas Novena

2008-12-19T16:05:00.003-06:00

Before I forget, you can see the entire Novena here

December 19:

O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Christmas Novena

2008-12-18T12:02:00.004-06:00

Two Days late -

December 18th

O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Semi Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T09:45:00.002-06:00

Immaculate Conception - The Mystical City of God

2008-12-08T12:40:00.008-06:00

The divine wisdom had now prepared all things for drawing forth the spotless image of the Mother of grace from the corruption of nature. The number and congregation of ancient Patriarchs and Prophets had been completed and gathered, and the mountains had been raised, on which this mystical City of God was to be built (Ps. 86, 2). By the power of his right hand He had already selected incomparable treasures of the Divinity to enrich and endow Her. A thousand angels were equipped for her guard and custody, that they might serve as most faithful vassals of their Queen and Lady. He had provided a noble and kingly ancestry from whom She should descend and had selected for Her most holy and perfect parents, than whom none holier or more perfect could be found in the world. For there is no doubt that if better and more apt parents existed, the Almighty would have selected them for Her, who was to be chosen by God as his Mother.

He endowed these parents with abundant graces and blessings of His right hand, and enriched them with all virtues, with enlightenments of divine science and with the gifts of the Holy Ghost. After having announced to the two saints, Joachim and Anne, that He would grant them a Daughter, admirable and blessed among women, He permitted the work of the first Conception to take place, namely, that of the most pure body of Mary. The age of Anne, when she married Joachim was twenty-four, and that of Joachim, forty-six. Twenty years they lived in married life without having an issue, and thus Anne, at the same time of the Conception of her Daughter, was forty-four years old, and saint Joachim sixty-six. Although the conception happened according to the ordinary course of nature, yet the Most High freed it from imperfections and disorders, permitting only what was strictly required according to nature, in order that the proper material might be furnished for the formation of the most perfect substance within the limits of a mere creature.

In the formation of the body of the most holy Mary the wisdom and power of the Almighty proceeded so cautiously that the quantities and qualities of the four natural elements of the human body, the sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic and choleric, were compounded in exact proportion and measure; in order that by this most perfect proportion in its mixture and composition it might assist in the operations of that Holy Soul with which it was to be endowed and animated. This wonderfully composed temperament was afterwards the source and the cause, which in its own way made possible the serenity and peace that reigned in the powers and faculties of the Queen of Heaven during all her life. Never did any of these elements oppose or contradict nor seek to predominate over the others, but each one of them supplemented and served the others, continuing in this well-ordered fabric without corruption or decay. Never did the body of the most Holy Mary suffer from the taint of corruption, nor was there anything wanting or anything excessive found in it.

Just as the hand of our Lord formed the first parents Adam and Eve in such a way as to befit original justice and the state of innocence and therefore also more excellently than their descendants (for the works coming directly from the Lord must be more perfect than those of secondary causes), so His Omnipotence, in a more excellent and superior manner, operated in the formation of the virginal body of the most holy Mary. And this He did with so much the greater solicitude and abundance of grace, as this Creature was to exceed in perfection not only the first parents, who were to sin so soon, but all the other creatures, corporal and spiritual. According to our way of speaking, God exerted more care in composing this little body of his most holy Mother, than in creating all the celestial orbs and the whole universe. In accordance with this rule are to be measured the gifts and privileges of this City of God from its first beginnings and foundations to its highest pinnacle next to the infinity of the Most High.

Such was also the measure of the distance between her miraculous Conception and sin and its cause, concupiscence; for not only was She, as the dawn of grace, entirely free from sin, and always so exhibited and treated by the Lord; but also in her parents, sin and concupiscence was restrained and withheld in view of her Conception, in order that nature might not be disturbed or made imperfect in this work. For nature was to be subject to grace and served merely as an instrument to the supreme Artificer, who is superior to the laws of nature and of grace. It was here that He commenced to destroy sin, and to lay the foundations, building up the castle of the strong armed One (Luc. 11, 22) who was to undermine evil and deprive it of the possessions which it tyrannically held.

The day on which the first Conception of the body of the most holy Mary happened, was a Sunday, corresponding to the day of the week on which the angels were created, whose exalted Queen and Lady She was to be.

On the Saturday next following this first Conception, the Almighty wrought the second Conception by creating the soul of his Mother and infusing it into the body; and thus entered into the world that pure Creature, more holy, perfect and agreeable to His eyes than all those He had created, or will create to the end of the world, or through the eternities. God maintained a mysterious correspondence in the execution of this work with that of creating all the rest of the world in seven days, as is related in the book of Genesis. Then no doubt He rested in truth, according to the figurative language of Scripture, since He has now created the most perfect Creature of all, giving through it a beginning to the work of the divine Word and to the Redemption of the human race. Thus was this day a paschal feast for God and also for all creatures.

On account of this Immaculate Conception of most holy Mary the Holy Spirit has provided that Saturday be consecrated to the Virgin in the Holy Church, since that was the day on shich She received the greatest benefit through the creation of her soul and its union with its body without entailing sin or its effects. The day of the Immaculate Conception, which the Church now celebrates, is not the day of her first conception, when the body alone was conceived, but it is the day of her second Conception or the infusion of her soul. Body and soul, therefore, remained for nine months in the womb of holy Anne, which are the days that intervene between the Conception to the Nativity of that Queen. During the other seven days preceeding the vivification of the inanimate body, it was disposed and organized by the divine power, in order that this work might correspond with the account that Moses gives of the Creation of all things, comprising the formation of the whole world at its beginnning. At the instant of the creation and infusion of the soul in the most holy Mother, the most blessed Trinity, repeated with greater affection of love the words, recorded by Moses at that time concerning man: "Let us make Mary to our image and likeness to be our true Daughter and Spouse and a Mother to the Onlybegotten of the Father."

By the force of this divine pronouncement and through the love with which it issued from the mouth of the Almighty, was created and infused into the body of most holy Mary her most blessed Soul. At the same time She was filled with grace and gifts above those of the highest seraphim of heaven, and there was not a single instant in which She was touched by the stain or darkness of original sin. On the contrary She was possessed of the most perfect justice, superior to that of Adam and Eve in their first formation. To Her was also conceded the most perfect use of the light of reason, corresponding to the gifts of grace, which She had received. Not for one instant was She to remain idle, but to engage in works most admirable and pleasing to her Maker. In the perception of this great mystery I confess myself overcome, so that my heart, unable to express itself in words, is dumbfounded in sentiments of admiration and of praise. I see the Ark of the Testament joined together, enriched and placed in the temple of a sterile mother with greater glory than the figurative one in the house of Obededon and of David, or in the temple of Solomon. I see the altar of the Holy of holies, whence is to be offered the first sacrifice that is to overcome and prove acceptable to God; I see the order of nature break from its laws to be rearranged; I see new laws established against sin, disregarding those of the common order, overpowering those of guilt, conquering those of nature and supervening even those of grace itself; I see the formation of a new earth, and of a new heaven being the womb of a most humble woman, whither the eyes of the most holy Trinity are directed, where the Divinity presides, where the courtiers of the ancient heavens gather, and whither a thousand angels are delegated to form a guard over a tiny, animated body not larger than that of a little bee.

In this new creation is heard with a greater force the voice of its Maker, who, pleased with the work of his Omnipotence, says that it is very good. Let human frailty with humble piety approach this wonder, confessing the grandeur of the Creator, and let it rejoice at this new benefit conceded to all the human race in this its Reparatrix. Let the heat of disputation cease, overcome by they divine light; for if the divine Bounty, as was shown to me, in the Conception of the most holy Mother, looked upon Her with such pleasure and upon original sin with such hostility that He gloried in the occasion and just cause of restraining and withholding its baneful currents, how can that appear proper to human wisdom, which was so abhorrent to God?

At the time of the infusion of the soul into the body of this heavenly Lady, the Almighty desired that her mother, the holy Anne, should feel and recognize the presence of the Divinity in a most exalted manner. She was filled with the Holy Ghost and was moved interiorly with a joy and devotion altogether above the ordinary. She was wrapped in exalted ecstasy, in which she was enlightened with deep intelligences of the most hidden mysteries and praised the Lord with new canticles of Joy. These effects lasted during all the rest of her life; but they were greater during the nine months in which she bore in her womb the Treasure of heaven. For during that time these benefits were more constantly renewed and repeated with continual intelligences of the holy Scriptures and of their most profound sacraments. O most fortunate woman! Let all the nations and generations of the world extol thee and call thee blessed!

The Mystical City of God - Venerable Mary of Agreda, from pages 173 to 183, Volume I

The Classic Dames Test

2008-11-28T08:41:00.001-06:00

My Mom liked the board games test so much, that she's still asking people what board games they are. So here's another one, I like this one it's kinda cool.

Your result for The Classic Dames Test...

Katharine Hepburn

You scored 19% grit, 38% wit, 43% flair, and 12% class!

You are the fabulously quirky and independent woman of character. You go your own way, follow your own drummer, take your own lead. You stand head and shoulders next to your partner, but you are perfectly willing and able to stand alone. Others might be more classically beautiful or conventionally woman-like, but you possess a more fundamental common sense and off-kilter charm, making interesting men fall at your feet. You can pick them up or leave them there as you see fit. You share the screen with the likes of Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant, thinking men who like strong women.

Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the
Classic Leading Man Test.

Take The Classic Dames Test at HelloQuizzy

WATCH OUT TURKEY - HERE WE COME!!

2008-11-27T08:05:00.001-06:00

Great Video, Thanks Therese!

2008-11-22T08:01:00.002-06:00