Planned Parenthood is Caught in Their Own Web of Lies

Don't you love it when some one says two completely different things in seperate public forums and think that no one will make the connection?

Once again, Planned Parenthood has been discovered spewing lies left and right.

In Michigan, Citizens for a Pro-Life Society have been protesting a new “medical center” that Planned Parenthood has purchased and is attempting to remodel and open. Planned Parenthood heartily objects (of course) to the protestors’ activities.

According to Lori Lamerand, CEO of Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan, Planned Parenthood doesn’t even know themselves if they are going to offer abortions at this center. Right. Businesses commonly purchase properties and buildings without having a clue about how they’re going to use them. That makes perfect sense.

Lori Lamerand claims that Planned Parenthood kindly serves as a safety net for people without resources. Out of the kindness of their heart, they give to the community. At least, that’s the sense I get from her comments to The Oakland Press. Where did these pro-life protestors get any idea about abortion?

Read on.

We Are Catholic!

Enjoy!

I tried to tweet this from the article but I did something wrong and the link didn't work so I am posting the link here with a little preview.

Most 20-year-olds are worrying about college exams or boyfriends or arranging plans for the weekend.

But Ashley Vola is not like most 20-year-olds.

Two years ago, still just a teenager, Ashley - from St Louis - decided to devote her life to God and become a nun, after repeatedly dismissing the idea and what she thought were signs from God for years.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2079616/College-student-closed-Facebook-account-traded-jeans-nuns-habit-joined-convent.html#ixzz1i4Neh7EO

Blob Of Tissue Gets Honors At College

The arguments of the pro abortion crow never make any sense, particularly when they try to justify this atrocity by dismissing the life that is snuffed out as not really that of a person. Stories like this show the hollowness of their reasoning.

Blob Of Tissue Gets Honors At College

You Whiny Sniveling Little Atheists Are Pathetic!

OK be honest. Haven't you always wished that a judge would respond this way to some sue-happy atheist?

Let’s get this straight. The atheists are suing because they had to turn off the television to avoid the topic of religion or news announcements about the Day of Prayer. They had to alter their conversation to avoid the topic of religion. This made them feel like “outsiders”.

Oh, boo hoo.

You whiny, sniveling, little, pusillanimous cowards. You have the audacity to tell us Christians that we are “weak” and that our religion is a “crutch.” You are supposed to be so “courageous”, venturing forth boldly into the existential mystery of being alone, facing with stoicism the nothingness that awaits you at death, priding yourself on your realism and self-reliance. You are a bunch of feeble fakers.

It goes on in this vein. Check it out here:

You Whiny Sniveling Little Atheists Are Pathetic!

Pope's Christmas message expresses hope for peace in the Holy Land :: EWTN News

Pope's Christmas message expresses hope for peace in the Holy Land :: EWTN News: "Pope Benedict XVI's Christmas message called on believers to "turn to the child of Bethlehem, the son of the Virgin Mary," to ask for peace in "the land where he chose to come into the world."

In his address delivered from the loggia of St. Peter's Square, the Pope stressed the need for peace in the Middle East and other conflict areas including North Africa and Southeast Asia. "

'via Blog this'

Merry Christmas | Americans United for Life | AUL.org

I know you've probably heard many different versions of the classic 12 Days of Christmas. I beg your indulgence for just one more.

"Dear Friends,

It’s been a tremendous Year in the Life of Americans United for Life. We celebrated 40 years of service, working to ensure that everyone is welcomed in life and protected in law.

Historic votes took place, and pro-life legislators, armed with AUL’s model legislation, research and support, passed new laws to make their states, and this great nation, a place where all are valued and where fewer tax dollars are wasted in support of the abortion industry.

The pro-life community has much to celebrate as the year draws to a close. In the spirit of the music that marks the season, one song in particular seemed perfect for illustrating how your commitment to Americans United for Life over the last 40 years has helped create an impressive body of work."

'via Blog this'

For the Twelve Days of a Pro-life Christmas please go here: Merry Christmas | Americans United for Life | AUL.org

A California Christmas

Some tips for a truly Merry Christmas

Remembrance
A California Christmas

by Charles A. Coulombe

December 19, 2011

But my father was an alchemist—he could turn misery to joy by focusing on what we had rather than what we did not. There were the same tree ornaments we had had back home (some of which survive to this day at my brother’s house), and the same nativity scene; we attended the aforementioned Hollywood Christmas Parade (then called the Santa Claus Lane Parade); the four of us sang carols, and the Midnight Mass at Hollywood’s gorgeous Church of the Blessed Sacrament in those pre-Novus Ordo days was magnificent. The next day, there were presents under the tree and proof that Santa had arrived in the form of soot marks around the fireplace.

But my father was an alchemist—he could turn misery to joy by focusing on what we had rather than what we did not. There were the same tree ornaments we had had back home (some of which survive to this day at my brother’s house), and the same nativity scene; we attended the aforementioned Hollywood Christmas Parade (then called the Santa Claus Lane Parade); the four of us sang carols, and the Midnight Mass at Hollywood’s gorgeous Church of the Blessed Sacrament in those pre-Novus Ordo days was magnificent. The next day, there were presents under the tree and proof that Santa had arrived in the form of soot marks around the fireplace.

Read on.

The most important anniversary you may not even be aware of

Thirty years ago today the country of Poland was under marshal law in an attempt by their Communist government to suppress a burgeoning movement for freedom, which began in the labor movement known as Solidarity. An American President and a Catholic Pope decided to do something about it. Some of the details are only now coming to light as documents become declassified. Here is a brief summary of what transpired during those days and what can be a accomplished good men unite for a just cause.

Christmas 1981: A Flame for Freedom in Poland
Paul Kengor

by Paul Kengor
13 hours ago
RSS

December 2011 might not be an anniversary on the minds of American Catholics, but it is close and near and dear to the hearts of Polish Catholics. As American Catholics, we ought to pause here, today, to consider why. The reasons are historically and even spiritually inspiring.

It was 30 years ago, December 13, 1981, that martial law was imposed upon Poland by the communist government. Poles were aghast, horrified, frightened. And so was the man in Rome, a Polish native named John Paul II, and so was another man thousands of miles away in Washington, DC, President Ronald Reagan.

When word of the communists’ actions reached the White House, President Reagan was furious. He wanted to help the people of Poland in any way he could. At that very moment, Reagan committed to save and sustain the Polish Solidarity movement as the wedge that could splinter the entire Soviet bloc, as the first crack in the Iron Curtain.

One of Reagan’s first responses was to call someone he deeply respected: John Paul II. On December 14, he told the Holy Father: “Our country was inspired when you visited Poland, and to see their commitment to religion and belief in God. It was an inspiration…. All of us were very thrilled.”

At that point, Reagan had not yet met John Paul II in person. Reagan had been president only for 11 months. Both he and John Paul II had been shot earlier in the year. Reagan told the Pope that he looked forward to a time when the two men could meet in person. The imposition of martial law added a special urgency. Reagan wanted to meet with the Pope to plan ways to cooperate.

Read on.

Catholic country star inspired to produce religious album | TheCatholicSpirit.com

From the Catholicspirit.com:

Collin Raye, the Catholic country singer who had a string of hits in the 1990s, said he wanted to make his latest album “feel like you were in church for an hour or so.”

“His Love Remains,” the title of Raye’s new release, contains some familiar church melodies, like “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” and “Here I Am, Lord.”

In the liner notes to the album, Raye, 51, said he was inspired to make the album from witnessing his granddaughter Haley’s struggle with a disease that ultimately claimed her life. Haley would be 10 were she still alive, he noted.

“Any anger or frustration I had for the Lord not getting involved the way I wanted him to get involved went away the moment she passed away,” he said. “He gave us this peace that was his from the beginning.”

Read on:

Catholic country star inspired to produce religious album | TheCatholicSpirit.com:

'via Blog this'

Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at South Bay Galleria - official video

North Korea in 1000 Words | Why I Am Catholic

We have all heard and probably used the expression a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture at teh Why I Am Catholic blog at Patheos may be worth quite a few more than a thousand. Check it out:

North Korea in 1000 Words | Why I Am Catholic:

'via Blog this'

My heart is a manger - The Arlington Catholic Herald

My heart is a manger
By Barbara Curtis

Sometimes I look around at all the strong and faithful Catholic families in our church and wish I could have been brought up like that, with the love of God swaddling me not just on Sunday mornings but every day because my parents kept God’s love alive in their union and in our home.

To all who have knit a seamless garment of faith for your children, I hope you know there are parents in the pews who draw hope and inspiration from your example. I hope your moments of feeling taken for granted — and I know even the most perfect parents must have them — are fleeting and that you quickly hear the still, small voice whispering that your influence extends well beyond your own children to people like me who came from brokenness and can only hope to start a new legacy with our own families.

Read on:

My heart is a manger - The Arlington Catholic Herald

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’

By: Danny Gallagher

Charles Schulz's 'Peanuts' characters have become timeless classics, thanks to their long-lasting presence in newspapers and their many animated TV specials. (“It's Arbor Day Again, Charlie Brown!”) A big part of the characters' success is thanks to the classic 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' TV special.

Since it first aired in 1965, the beloved special has practically become required viewing for families celebrating the holiday season. Its message of anti-commercialism and good will towards man mixed with Schulz’s trademarhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifk humor of caustic kids in a cynical world is a perfect remedy for the holidays that can get sappier than your aunt’s homemade egg nog.

At the time of its airing, 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' received rave reviews, record ratings and an annual presence on television and home video for decades to come. And yet 46 years later, few fans know about its rocky beginnings that were fraught with much frustration and cynicism by the network executives who commissioned it and the producers who fought so hard to preserve Schulz's humor and pathos. In celebration of the special's annual TV airing, here are some things you might not know about 'A Charlie Brown Christmas.'

Read more.

Jim Caviezel calls abortion ‘the greatest moral defect of the western world’ | LifeSiteNews.com

Jim Caviezel calls abortion ‘the greatest moral defect of the western world’ | LifeSiteNews.com:

"SPAIN, December 20, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Actor James Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ,” said in a recent interview in Spain that he regards abortion as “the greatest moral defect of the western world.”http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Caviezel was in the country to promote his latest movie “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” which has just been released there. He was asked by the publication Sembrar, “in your judgment, what is the greatest moral defect of the western world?”

“Abortion, without any doubt,” answered Caviezel. “As Mother Theresa said, ‘abortion will end up bringing the world to nuclear war’. When a man kills a man in a war situation, it is bad, very sad.  Attila [the Hun] went further.  He said ‘not only am I going to kill men, but also women and children.’  He raised the bar to another level.”

Read more.


'via Blog this'

And a Happy Hanukkah to You - By Mark Krikorian - The Corner - National Review Online

And a Happy Hanukkah to You - By Mark Krikorian - The Corner - National Review Online

Thousands Rally to Save Nativity Scene

From Fox News:

“We are humbled at the turnout of the crowd,” said Nathan Lorick, the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Malakoff and one of the organizers of Saturday’s rally in Athens.
“We believe that God led us to do this and so we knew he was up to something great,” he told Fox News & Commentary in an email message. “This message is resonating in the hearts of people all over the country. This was a real statement to the nation that Christians are tired of the persecution and suppression. We want all to know that we are ready to contend for the faith.”

A senior citizen flash mob?

You've got to go to the Deacon's Bench to see this.

A senior citizen flash mob?

The assault on Christmas continues

OK, Someone has to explain this latest bureaucratic idiocy from the PC crowd. Maybe everyone needs a visit from three ghosts one night.

Congressmen can't say 'Merry Christmas' in mail by Mark Tapscott Editorial Page Editor

Looks like the PC police have threatened members of the House of Representatives against wishing constituents a "Merry Christmas," if they want to do so in a mailing paid for with tax dollars.

Members who submit official mailings for review by the congressional franking commission that reviews all congressional mail to determine if it can be "franked," or paid for with tax dollars, are being told that no holiday greetings, including "Merry Christmas," can be sent in official mail.

"I called the commission to ask for clarification and was told no 'Merry Christmas.' Also told cannot say 'Happy New Year' but can say 'have a happy new year' – referencing the time period of a new year, but not the holiday," said a Hill staffer who requested anonymity.

Another Hill staffer told The Washington Examiner that "we were given that advice after submitting" a draft mailing.

Members of Congress send millions of dollars worth of mail to constituenthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs every year but there are official rules that govern what can and cannot be said in those mailings. Members are barred, for example, from saying anything that might be construed as advocating their re-election.

But saying "Merry Christmas" is also not permitted, according to a Dec. 12 memo from the "Franking Commission Staff" concerning "Holiday Messaging." The memo explains:

Members are unable at the current time to use official resources to record holiday greetings, post on social media/website, or send to constituents in franked mail or e-communications.

Read on.

Ohio Civil Rights Commission to revisit 'white only' pool case

The really sad part is that it doesn't surprise me that such narrow minded bigotry still exists. The evil of racism never really goes away but rather takes other forms or is redirected toward other racial, religious or ethnic groups. Either that or it expresses itself in more subtle but perhaps even more destructive ways.

(CNN) -- The Ohio Civil Rights Commission in Columbus will revisit next month a case it has already determined probably represents unlawful interference with housing rights on the basis of race.

The case was brought by Michael Gunn, a white man who had unrestricted access to the pool area for himself and his guests during the nearly two years he lived in a duplex in Cincinnati, he told CNN in a telephone interview.

Gunn said he and his girlfriend, who is also white, lived upstairs; their 31-year-old landlord lived downstairs. "It's a very nice neighborhood, racially mixed," said Gunn, a software engineer.

But it turned not-so-nice last Memorial Day, when he invited his 10-year-old biracial daughter to visit and swim in the pool, he said.

"Complainant states that the owner, Jamie Hein, accused his daughter of making the pool 'cloudy' because she used chemicals in her hair," the commission said in its summary. "Days later, the owner posted a sign on the gate to the pool which read, 'Public Swimming Pool, White Only.'"

Read more.

Unemployment advocates see 'tempered' victory in Senate deal - The Hill's On The Money

Another two month stop-gap. This is getting monotonous.

Advocates of extending unemployment insurance called the Senate's two-month tax and spending agreement reached on Friday a "tempered" victory.

Senate leaders agreed a short-term accord, after deliberating for the past couple of days, to extend the payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits and a Medicare "doc fix" for two months, as Congress looks to leave Washington in plenty of time before Christmas.

The deal means that unemployment benefits will continue to be paid for 99 weeks through the first two months of the year — instead of dropping to 79 weeks in January, as called for under a Republican-sponsored House-passed plan.

"The unemployed can rest assured that they will have benefits through February," Judy Conti, federal advocacy coordinator with the National Employment Law Project, told The Hill.

Read more:


Unemployment advocates see 'tempered' victory in Senate deal - The Hill's On The Money

Fr Lombardi, SJ: Pope Benedict XVI and the capacity for mercy

Prisons in any country are not nor-should they be-garden spots. But some prisons are obviously more humane than others. However, as is pointed out in this article, few if any prisons are very successful in addressing the problems they are supposed to and more often than not they exacerbate rather than alleviate the problem.

Cardinal Martini once observed that a prison is “the reversed mirror of a society, the space where the contradictions and sufferings of a sick society emerge”: the troubles of prisoners and their relatives, the suffering of victims and their relatives, the problems of prison staff, the difficulties for the authorities – and the questions of legislators, who note how most of the problems that prison should be solving in fact remain unsolved, if not worsened. The condition of a country’s prisons is, in short, one of the essential indicators of that country’s state of civilization.

Read on:

What is it with atheists anyway?

It has become an annual assault by a tiny minority on the overwhelming majority in an illegal and unconstitutional drive to suppress all public religious expression. Carson Holloway reports from Catholicvote.org:

South New Jersey is apparently the location of the latest example of what is now almost a holiday tradition: angry atheists complaining about (and constitutionalizing their complaints about) public displays of Christian faith. In Pittman, New Jersey, the Knights of Columbus have put up a sign, hanging over a private road, but attached to two privately owned buildings, admonishing readers to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” The sign apparently provoked the ire of some residents of the town, who contacted the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation. The group’s “constitutional consultant” then contacted the city, asking that the sign be removed.

Read on.

In New York City the dehumanizing daily cattle drive known as commuting became slightly more tolerable in the Staten Island Ferry terminals for a few weeks each year as Christmas and Hanukkah decorations brightened up the ordinarily drab and sterile environments of the terminals. This year this decades old practice has been discontinued by Mayor Bloomberg because "the Department of Transportation got sued one to many times." Please tell me again how this guy was so wonderful that we had to ignore the term limits law to re-elect him.

Mayor Bloomberg is playing the role of Mayor Grinch.

Hizzoner on Friday defended the city's call not to allow Christmas trees and other decorations in ferry terminals this year.

"Nobody's more in favor of holiday spirit and holiday decorations," the mayor said on WOR Radio. "In this case, the Department of Transportation got sued one time too many... Last year a Nativity scene was placed in one of the terminals without a permit."

The brouhaha over decking the halls started when Staten Island commuters noticed earlier this month that the Christmas trees, menorahs and holiday lights that usually decked the Staten Island ferry's halls had vanished. The terminals on either side of the harbor were typically decorated by early December.

Read more

OK, so if you want to deny others freedom of speech and the free excercise of their religion all you have to do is sue persistently. Got it.

ZENIT - On Jesus' Prayer as Love for God and Neighbor

"Petition, Praise and Thanksgiving Should Coalesce"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 14, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. The Pope continued with his reflections on Jesus' prayer.

* * *

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today I would like to reflect with you on Jesus’ prayer as it relates to His prodigious healing action. In the Gospels, various situations are presented in which Jesus prays before the beneficent and healing work of God the Father, who acts through Him. It is a prayer that manifests once again His unique relationship of knowledge and communion with the Father, as Jesus becomes involved in a deeply human way in the difficulties of His friends; for example, of Lazarus and his family, or of the many poor and sick whom He wills to help concretely.

One important instance is the healing of the deaf man (Mark 7:32-37). The Evangelist Mark’s account -- which we just heard -- shows that Jesus’ healing action is connected to His intense relationship both with His neighbor -- the man who is ill -- and with the Father. The scene of the miracle is carefully described in this way: “And they brought to Him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought Him to lay His hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, He put His fingers into his ears and He spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him ‘Ephphata’, that is, ‘Be opened’.” (7:33-34).

Read more:
ZENIT - On Jesus' Prayer as Love for God and Neighbor

Ex-Con Finds, Returns Cash-Filled Wallet

Redemption changes you. Here is an example.

myFOXdetroit.com - Just out of jail, a recovering alcoholic is being hailed a good Samaritan.

Play the video to get the full story from Fox 2's Amy Lange>>

Alexis Ortiz found a wallet at the Mobil gas station at Walton and Sashabaw in Waterford yesterday.

Inside the wallet was enough cash to tempt even the most honest person: $1,000 in cash, credit cards and a man's identification.

Read more

When Seconds Count

When many of us think of women who seek abortion the first one's we think of are those who find themselves with unwanted pregnancies. But some go into the doctors office for a routine exam on a very much wanted unborn child and as a grave look crosses the face of the ultrasound tech suddenly the world is a very different place. What happens next? Read this article and see some of the things that are being done to help families through the anguish and pain and the difficult decisions that have to be made.

Maria Keller was pregnant with her fourth child when she visited her doctor for a routine ultrasound at 20 weeks and was confronted with a moment all mothers dread. Maria and her husband, Joe, suspected something was not quite right when the ultrasound technician suddenly became quiet as she caught the first glimpses of the couple’s unborn child on the ultrasound screen. Then the technician abruptly exited the room, leaving Joe and Maria waiting for a few tense minutes before they were called in to see the doctor, who met them with a distressed look on his face. The ultrasound had revealed that their son, who would later be named James Nicholas, had osteogenesis imperfecta type II, a genetic bone disorder that causes collagen deficiency and defective connective tissue. Most babies diagnosed with OI Type II die within the first year of life of respiratory failure. “We were frankly told that we shouldn’t expect James Nicholas to survive birth, and that if he did survive to prepare for it to be a matter of seconds or maybe a couple of minutes, if we were blessed,” Joe told CWR in an interview. Until recently, it was not uncommon for delivery room doctors to seize babies with lethal anomalies immediately after birth. The belief was that it would be less traumatic for parents not to hold or even see babies who would likely die soon after birth. Today there is better recognition that deep maternal-fetal bonding can take place. But a strong anti-life bias persists against unborn and newborn babies with fatal conditions. There is broad public support for abortion of unborn children with profound disabilities. According to a 2006 poll by the National Opinion Research Center, 70 percent of Americans believe a woman should be able to obtain a legal abortion if there is a strong chance of a “serious defect” in the baby. Most unborn babies who receive a severe or fatal diagnosis are aborted. Cheri Shoonveld, a genetic counselor and spokesperson for the National Society of Genetic Counselors, estimates that only 10 to 20 percent of women carry to term after learning of a terminal prenatal diagnosis. In her book For the Love of Angela, Nancy Mayer-Whittington tells the story of her daughter Angela, who was diagnosed prenatally with Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder associated with a life expectancy of just 30 days. When Mayer-Whittington informed her doctor that she would be carrying Angela to term, he told her she was his first patient carrying a child with a life-threatening diagnosis to choose not to terminate. A woman’s decision whether to bring a baby to term or abort after a fatal diagnosis can hinge on whether alternatives to abortion are offered, and whether she has the necessary medical and emotional support from her husband and other family members, clergy, and health-care providers.

Read more: When Seconds Count: A look at what happens when parents continue a pregnancy after a fatal diagnosis

One-year Anniversary: Ecumenical/Interreligious Commitment to Marriage | Marriage Unique for a Reason

With all our differences it is refreshing to come together in cooperation and mutual support on an issue of such vital importance to our culture. The attack on marriage, family and Judeo-Christian values is relentless and our response must be equally so.

“How good it is, how pleasant, where the people dwell as one!” – Psalm 133:1 (NAB)

Just over one year ago, on December 6, 2010, leaders from twenty-seven different religious communities joined together to reaffirm their commitment to marriage as the permanent and faithful union of one man and one woman. In an open letter entitled “The Protection of Marriage: A Shared Commitment” religious leaders representing a wide-range of Christian churches and communities, Jewish organizations and the American Sikh community joined the Catholic Church in expressing their common concern and commitment to marriage between one man and one woman as an unalterable institution in the bedrock of our society.

“As religious leaders across different faith communities,” the signatories wrote, “we join together and affirm our shared commitment to promote and protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. We honor the unique love between husbands and wives; the indispensable place of fathers and mothers; and the corresponding rights and dignity of all children.”

The open letter was a remarkable expression of ecumenical and interreligious collaboration, and a hopeful sign of joint activity yet to come. Despite the groups’ theological and cultural differences, they affirmed together their common belief that protecting and promoting marriage is a fundamental task for all people of faith. Indeed, “how good it is, how pleasant, where the people dwell as one!”

Read more:

One-year Anniversary: Ecumenical/Interreligious Commitment to Marriage | Marriage Unique for a Reason

Pope ends individual speeches to new Vatican ambassadors :: EWTN News

The Holy Father has reached an age where any change in schedule or practice is breathlessly poured over by some in the media as possibly health related. However this change appears to be a return to a more commonly observed protocol.

Pope Benedict XVI will no longer give a speech to new foreign ambassadors to the Holy See as has been is custom up until now, but he will continue to meet them personally when they are appointed.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., explained the changes to the media Dec. 15. He said the move was being made for “reasons of simplicity and consistency with current diplomatic practice,” and that it should not be seen as a reflection of the 84-year-old Pope’s health.

It is diplomatic protocol for new ambassadors to submit a formal “letter of credence” to the head of state asking for diplomatic accreditation. It is at these ceremonies that speeches are sometimes exchanged.

Read more: http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=4560#ixzz1gePlLd8V

Read More:
Pope ends individual speeches to new Vatican ambassadors :: EWTN News

Pictures of Padre Pio

For my 200th post I give you this link to a wonderful collection of pictures of Padre Pio. Some you may have seen but I am willing to bet, most you have not. Enjoy!

If Mary and Joseph used Facebook

This is really cute. It will bring a smile to your face.

A Blessed Christmas! « The Gospel in the Digital Age

From Archbishop Timothy Dolan

A Blessed Christmas!

“Where will you have your Christmas?”

A common question this time of the year.

What’s it mean? Usually, the person asking is wondering where you’ll have Christmas dinner, or where you’ll be when the presents under the tree are opened.

But, for us as believers, the essence of Christmas is not the festive meal — as eagerly as I await that joyful experience! — or even where we’ll gather with family and friends to exchange presents. (I’m all for that, too!)

No. For us as Catholics, the heart of Christmas is the Mass! Even the name of the holiday — Christ-Mass — implies the centrality of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on this radiant feast of the Nativity of the Lord.

Read more:
A Blessed Christmas! « The Gospel in the Digital Age

Leslie Shares Her Abortion Story - Support for Pregnancy Loss

US bishops say aid for unemployed is a 'moral obligation' :: EWTN News

Despite the tendency of proponents on both sides of the aisle to project opposing black hat/white hat opposing viewpoints, in the long run, whether or not benefits are extended or for how long does not matter one wit to solving the core problem of persistent unemployment. The US Bishops are right that is a moral obligation and that aid certainly includes emergency financial assistance. However what is needed is an economy with the confidence an freedom to expand and create jobs. Failing that we will be right back here whenever the extended benefits run out with the difference being a diminished ability of of a further weakened economy to absorb the cost of these benefits.


US bishops say aid for unemployed is a 'moral obligation' :: EWTN News

Breitbart.tv » #OccupyPortland Mom Places 4-Year-Old Daughter On Train Tracks To Shut Down Port

The real mystery here is how this woman is allowed to keep custody of her child. If you spank an unruly child in public and you risk being turned in to family services. But some idiot can put her child in the path of a moving train with no consequences whatsoever. What is wrong with this picture?

Breitbart.tv » #OccupyPortland Mom Places 4-Year-Old Daughter On Train Tracks To Shut Down Port

The Real St. Nick

This time of year we we see all kinds of treatments of the Santa Clause story, most of which have little or nothing to do with the historical person, St Nicholas. this is a little about him.

Mary Did You Know?

I have been hearing Christmas songs for weeks now on the radio but I have yet to hear this one so I searched youtube for the version I liked best so I could share it with you. Enjoy!
The video that accompanies this is from the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. The vocals are by Reba McIntyre. Hat tip to anikethdsouza1 on youtube.

Women Religious Against Human Traficking

Boycott worthy? You Decide

Many male celebrities in libertine dominated Hollywood are pro abortion but that stance, contrary to popular belief, might not be the product of anything remotely resembling concern for an enlightened attitude relating to female sexuality.

5 Male Celebrities I’m Boycotting – And Why (In Their Own Words)
By Kristen Walker -- December 7th, 2011, 7:22 am

Yesterday I told you about five famous women whose TV shows and movies I refuse to watch because of their very public pro-abortion views and, in most cases, their financial support of Planned Parenthood. Today, I’ll tell you about five male celebrities I boycott.

Famous men are less likely in general to be vocally pro-choice, as the issue is still mistakenly viewed by some — especially pro-abortion advocates — as one in which men should have no say. This is ridiculous, since abortion is not just a women’s issue but a human rights issue. Also, organizations are less likely to use men to encourage women to support abortion. Something about it comes across as creepy… as you will see below.

I’ve counted down these pro-abortion dudes from least irritating to most exasperating, but they all certainly earned my boycott.

For the list and why they made it click here.

Dec 8 - Veneration of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Town Vows to Defend Nativity “Until Hell Freezes Over”

National Group Wants Courthouse Nativity Scene Removed: MyFoxDFW.com

NH Welcomes Bishop Libasci

NH Welcomes Bishop Libasci

Pews inside St. Joseph Cathedral were filled with parishioners who came to see Libasci installed as the 10th Bishop of the Manchester Diocese.

Nearly 1,000 people jammed the sanctuary of St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Manchester Thursday afternoon to witness the installation of Bishop Peter Anthony Libasci, who officially became the 10th Catholic Bishop of the Manchester Diocese Dec. 8.

Dozens of Catholic church clergy and laymen, as well as Knights of Columbus members, fully decked in feathered hats, dark capes and white gloves, lined up outside the church to wait for Libasci to move to the head of the procession.

Read more and view the video here.

How free are clergy to discuss politics from pulpit?

How free are clergy to discuss politics from pulpit?
Suit challenges IRS restrictions on pastors and nonprofit organizations when it comes to political issues

By Jim Graves - OSV Newsweekly, 12/18/2011
Clergy preaching politics


The San Diego apologetics organization Catholic Answers recently made the news when it asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to sue the Internal Revenue Service for violation of its First Amendment rights.

At issue were two e-letters sent by founder Karl Keating questioning if Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democrat presidential candidate, should present himself for holy Communion because he is a Catholic who supports legalized abortion. The IRS had ordered Catholic Answers to pay excise taxes for 2004 and 2005, but later dropped the case. Catholic Answers wants to sue the IRS because it believes the threat of tax penalties will prevent such groups from speaking out on issues in the public arena.

With the 2012 presidential election less than a year away, the dispute raises the broader question: What can clergy in the pulpit and Catholic nonprofits say about politics without fear of IRS retribution?

Read more here.

File under Bottom story of the day

(Reuters) - National Basketball Association (NBA) players and owners ratified a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, formally ending a five-month lockout and ensuring the season will start on Christmas Day.

Read more here if you are suffering from insomnia.

Pardon my YAAAWWWNNNNNNNNN

Study Claiming European Pro-Life Laws Don't Work Has Big Flaws | LifeNews.com

This month, the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a study that purportedly shows that abortion restrictions in European Union countries have little effect on abortion rates. This study received considerable coverage in the London Daily Telegraph and other European media outlets. However, this study contains numerous methodological shortcomings. As such, it provides precious little information about the impact of European pro-life laws.

First, the study arrives at this conclusion by excluding data from Ireland, Malta, and Poland — the only three European Union countries that offer substantial legal protection to the unborn. Second, the study considers data from only one year, 2008. This is problematic, because the best way to analyze the effect of a pro-life law is to compare abortion rates both before and after the law was passed. Obviously, this is impossible when only one year of data is analyzed. Finally, the authors arrive at their conclusion by computing simple averages of abortion rates in European Union countries. They fail to use regression analysis, which can hold constant economic and demographic factors, which can impact the incidence of abortion.


Study Claiming European Pro-Life Laws Don't Work Has Big Flaws | LifeNews.com

Salve Regina

Sebelius overrules experts, blocks selling abortion pill on store shelves « The Deacon's Bench

A surprise though welcome move by the health secretary.
Sebelius overrules experts, blocks selling abortion pill on store shelves « The Deacon's Bench:

'via Blog this'

7 former employees offer to testify against Planned Parenthood in congressional probe | LifeSiteNews.com

7 former employees offer to testify against Planned Parenthood in congressional probe | LifeSiteNews.com: "December 7, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Seven former Planned Parenthood employees have expressed their support for Congress’ current investigation of the abortion giant, and offered to testify against the organization, in a letter released this week. 

News broke in September that the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce had launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood to determine whether the group mishandles criminal conduct, or uses federal funding to pay for abortions.


Abby Johnson is one of the seven former Planned Parenthood workers who signed a letter offering to testify against the abortion giant.
In a letter addressed to leaders of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, the former Planned Parenthood workers say they “have personally witnessed and can testify to the validity of specific concerns raised by subcommittee chairman Cliff Stearns (R-FL).”"

'via Blog this'

Prayer

I have found that God always answers prayer. It is not always the answer I desire but He most certainly does answer.

O (cyber) Christmas Tree!

From the Nun Blog

O (cyber) Christmas Tree!

Margaret Sanger's Eugenics Proposal In Action

Margaret Sanger referred to "Coloreds" as "weeds that need to be exterminated." What else do we need to know about her motivations? What else do we need to know about the agenda of those who continue to foist abortion and contraception as a solution when they are in reality at the root of the destruction of the family unit in all of society but especially in the African American community.

Monty Patterson learns about RU-486 the hard way

The Obama Administration wants to make this abomination available to minors without either a prescription nor parental consent. Then you read a story like this:

It was just after 9 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2003, when Monty Patterson got the call from the hospital. His daughter was in intensive care, and Patterson, a construction supervisor working on a home in the Oakland hills, was told to hurry.

At ValleyCare Medical Center in Pleasanton, Patterson, a divorced dad, was informed that Holly, who had turned 18 three weeks earlier, had an infection from an "incomplete abortion." The doctor said Holly had taken the abortion pill Sept. 10, and was in septic shock.

"Holly was intubated, and I went and held her and said, 'I don't know what happened, but I'm here to help, to get you well,' " Patterson said, his eyes welling with the memory. "The look in her eyes said, 'Dad, save me.' "

Read more here.

Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: University: Want your college degree? Attend "gay pride" parades.

Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: University: Want your college degree? Attend "gay pride" parades.: "University: Want your college degree? Attend "gay pride" parades.

And so it goes, apparently without any end in sight:

ATLANTA (BP) -- The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has heard arguments in a religious liberty case that could determine whether a college has the right to require students to profess certain beliefs about homosexuality in order to get a degree.

Augusta State University, in east Georgia, put counseling student Jennifer Keeton on academic probation in 2010 after she acknowledged in private conversations and during class that she disagreed with homosexuality. School administrators claimed Keeton said it would be hard for her to counsel gay clients, a stance they said violated ethical standards for licensed counselors, as put forth by the American Counseling Association.
"

'via Blog this'

In the Habit « nunspeak

In the Habit « nunspeak: "In the Habit
Inspired by reading the post by Elizabeth Scalia, Cheating the Habit of Being, I wished to share my personal experience in regard to wearing a religious habit, and will post vocation stories from some of my Sisters serving around the world as they become available.

Enjoy and God bless!"

'via Blog this'

Today's Homily-memorial of St Nicholas,Bishop

I am going go out on a limb and assume that no one ever falls asleep during Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers Homilies. Here is today's as broadcast on EWTN.

Mary -- Crucial to Christmas

From an article in Our Sunday Visitor
by Charles Dickson

Mary -- Crucial to Christmas

As we approach the Advent and Christmas seasons, we begin to ask ourselves the question as to what role the mother of our Lord should play in our worship and festival observances. How important a place? The answer in a nutshell is: a very important place.

Protestant observances of the events surrounding the Incarnation all but deny the importance of Mary. A few references to her in sermons, a character in the Christmas play, and a statue in the Nativity scene are about as far as it goes in terms of recognizing the role of Our Lady in the divine transcendent event. However, Catholic observers are quick to point out that their own Church hasn't always properly emphasized her importance.


Mary -- Crucial to Christmas:

'via Blog this'

OSV | Advent | Questions and Answers About Advent & Christmas

In the assault on the religious aspects of Christmas by the intolerant bigots on the left there has been a growing tendency to refer to Christmas trees as Holiday trees. This might not seem like such a big deal since trees are not an overtly religious symbol. However this article in Our Sunday Visitor explains in very brief terms teh history of Christmas tree and what religious significance it has come to have over the years. After reading this it would be difficult to regard teh term "Holiday Tree" with anything other than the scorn it deserves.


OSV | Advent | Questions and Answers About Advent & Christmas:

'via Blog this'

In a related article we are reminded once again how the term "inclusive" as currently employed is really anything but what the word implies.

Diocese to hold alternate tree-lighting: wpri.com

Court: NYC Can Ban Churches From School Buildings | FOX News & Commentary: Todd Starnes

Once again the courts have overstepped their bounds and struck a blow against the free practice of religion in this once free society. The evangelical church in this case was not given free use of the school but was simply renting it like any other organization. To discriminate against the church is to impede the free exercise of religion guaranteed to all under the Constitution. You remember the Constitution. Thats the document the courts are supposed to uphold, not subvert. But you would never know it by the way many of today's jurists act.
Court: NYC Can Ban Churches From School Buildings | FOX News & Commentary: Todd Starnes:

'via Blog this'

Congreessional Inquest Brings More Justice Dept. Lies About 'Fast And Furious' To Light - Investors.com

The scandal keeps getting bigger, the lies keep multiplying yet Holder and Napolitano just continue on with impunity. I am sure that their continued employment has nothing whatsoever to do with the fourth estate lapdogs that make up the White house press corp these days and total abandonment of their role as watchdog when it comes to anything to do with this administration.



Congreessional Inquest Brings More Justice Dept. Lies About 'Fast And Furious' To Light - Investors.com

Legless man denied wheelchair - The Local

The full effect of Obamacare is still a little ways off but here is a sampling of the bureacratic idiocy you can expect when it does take effect. This is pretty stupid even by government standards.

Legless man denied wheelchair - The Local:

'via Blog this'

Marquette Lists Same Sex Ceremony Under “Weddings.” « Campus Notes

Marquette Lists Same Sex Ceremony Under “Weddings.” « Campus Notes:

'via Blog this'

Family Of Bronze Star Recipient Appealing For Death Benefits After Pentagon Decision | Fox News

Family Of Bronze Star Recipient Appealing For Death Benefits After Pentagon Decision | Fox News:

'via Blog this'

A Catholic View: Pelosi Calls Catholic Bishops “Lobbyists” For Obamacare Concerns

The more help you take from government the more power you give them. The more power you give them the more freedom you give up.

A Catholic View: Pelosi Calls Catholic Bishops “Lobbyists” For Obamacare Concerns

Deacons Today: Dalmatics and Beyond: Watching a Classmate Become a Bishop

Deacons Today: Dalmatics and Beyond

Thursday, December 1, 2011
Watching a Classmate Become a Bishop
I haven't seen Dave Kagan since 1967, when we graduated from Salvatorian Seminary in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, and went our separate ways into different college-level seminaries. Dave was a seminarian for the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, and I was a seminarian for the Diocese of Peoria. For those of you not in the know about such things, Rockford and Peoria have always competed for the title of the second largest city of Illinois. Dave and I were members of a 27-student senior class, so we all knew each other quite well by the time we graduated. Dave and the rest of the Rockford men went to Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa and the Peoria men were sent to Saint Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa.

Deacons Today: Dalmatics and Beyond: Watching a Classmate Become a Bishop:

'via Blog this'

Too Many Translation Tensions?

CATHOLIC PORTAL
Too Many Translation Tensions?
The new missal translations bring our prayers in line with those of Catholics the world over. We sing better with one voice.
By Kathy Schiffer, November 02, 2011

I attended a workshop recently led by a Benedictine priest, a great writer and speaker. His message was good, and there was much to take away. Just one thing bothered me: He complained loudly about the Church.
Let me put it in context. He's a priest. That is, he is ordained, consecrated to the service of Holy Mother Church and dedicated to the people of God. But rather than helping to build the Body of Christ, he tears it down by criticizing and belittling and griping about something so small as a pronoun. You see, he doesn't like the idea of a "new translation" (sigh). "Here's an example," he says, "of what we have to look forward to. Instead of saying 'We believe' in the Creed, as we do now, we'll have to say 'I believe.'"
"That's it?" I wondered. "That's the issue that's so important that you need to cast a pall over this gathering, undercut your own message, and show us that Pride is victorious over Obedience?"


Too Many Translation Tensions?

It's Not a New Mass. It's a New Translation

Some of the most recognizable tenets of Vatican II were the changes in the celebration of the Mass. At the core of those changes was the call for dynamic participation in the Mass on the part of the laity. That same call applies as we face the changes in the New Missal. Yet, it is important to remember that the New Missal does not present a new rite for the Mass, rather, an updating of the English translation following the new official Latin translation promulgated several years ago.

It's Not a New Mass. It's a New Translation

what the new translation taught me… | The Crescat

what the new translation taught me…
Posted on November 27, 2011 by The Crescat
… After the congregation stumbled through the mass last night, myself included, with a few “and also with your spirit” responses it became obvious that I wasn’t paying hard enough attention to the mass itself. I wasn’t truly present, just merely on auto-pilot.

what the new translation taught me… | The Crescat:

'via Blog this'

Lost (and Found) in Translation | Black, White and Gray

Lost (and Found) in Translation | Black, White and Gray: "Lost (and Found) in Translation
Posted on November 28, 2011 by Mark Regnerus
Yesterday was an unusual Sunday for American Catholics, and reinforces the distinctive nature of worship in Catholic and Protestant Christianity. It was the long-anticipated introduction of the “new” Mass translation. It is, of course, a bit humorous to talk about “new” anything when referring to Catholic worship forms, but yesterday was a bona fide beginning as the 3rd edition of the Mass translation into English rolled out for mandatory use. Since the worldwide official language of the Mass is written down, in Latin, this is a big deal—bigger for priests than for parishioners, because the former have more speaking parts than the latter."


Lost (and Found) in Translation | Black, White and Gray:

'via Blog this'

Catholic principal fired after promoting pro-life witness | LifeSiteNews.com

Many people may decry the lack of government financial support for parochial schools here in this country but I am ceaselessly grateful for it. This is an example of just what compromises on moral principle dependence on government largess can cause. Abortion, as politically volatile as the subject can be, is not a political issue for Catholics, it is a moral absolute. However, because the school is so heavily dependent on the government financially the diocese feels compelled to compromise where no compromise should ever be contemplated. That is indeed tragic.

Catholic principal fired after promoting pro-life witness | LifeSiteNews.com

US House questions decision to cut bishops' human trafficking funds :: EWTN News

From EWTN/CNA:

The U.S. House of Representatives opened an investigative hearing on Dec. 1 into whether or not the Department of Health and Human Services was justified in denying grants to the U.S. bishop's human trafficking fund.

George Sheldon, acting assistant secretary for the department’s Administration for Children and Families, testified today that the department funded groups who “could best meet the needs of human trafficking victims” which did not include the U.S. bishops.

Sheldon said that the administration found all the organizations “equally” qualified and decided that the awards would go to the groups that would offer referrals for “family planning services” and “the full range of legally permissible gynecological and obstetric care.”

Read more:http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=4482#ixzz1fL5zSggc


US House questions decision to cut bishops' human trafficking funds :: EWTN News

FLOTUS dines at Co Co. Sala | The Examiner | Yeas & Nays | Washington Examiner

Ah yes, but did she eat her peas?

FLOTUS dines at Co Co. Sala | The Examiner | Yeas & Nays | Washington Examiner:

'via Blog this'