I'm going! I'm going! I didn't think I was going to go this year, but God worked it out. :) There is a young adult group in our Diocese that I am starting to attend and last week's meeting there was a sign up sheet for the March. I was sooooooo happy! The schedule is awesome,too, because Father Jeff wants to make this a pilgrimage, not just a sight seeing tour.
Our Schedule:
Saturday 22nd - 7:30am Mass at the Cathedral, after Mass drive to Maryland
Sunday 223rd - 9am Mass at the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine, tour D.C., and then attend Mass again at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Monday 24th - 9:00am Mass at National Shrine of the Lourdes Grotto, and then the March For LIFE!!!!! After the March we will drive home and get there very, very late.
Are any of you going to the March? Leave a comment and let me know. Oh, and I will be wearing a lime green scarf that has some yellow and blue in it. ;)
Showing posts with label Catholic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catholic. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Urgent Action Needed!
Before I post anything related to LOTR Week, I must bring this to your attention:
Please ask Father Jenkins at Notre Dame to drop the charges against 88 pro-life advocates who face up to one year in jail and thousands of dollars in fines.
Sign the "Drop the Charges" petition
The 88 outspoken pro-lifers peacefully walked onto Notre Dame's campus in May to be the voice of the unborn -- when pro-abortion president Obama was honored there – and were arrested for trespassing.
Among those arrested were Fr. Norman Weslin, several nuns, Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade, and Ambassador Alan Keyes.
Lifesitenews.com reports: "While witnesses say pro-Obama protesters were allowed to roam free, the arrested individuals were singled out for displaying any pro-life message -- including slogans on the sanctity of life, photographs of aborted children, a large wooden cross, and images of Mary."
The double standard is rather shocking, isn't it?
You see, the University of Notre Dame, as the original complainant, has the choice to drop the charges pending against the 88 pro-lifers.
So kindly ask Notre Dame to drop the charges – sign here
Your signature is very important right now because, according to reports, the president of the University of Notre Dame "has repeatedly refused to seek such leniency or even answer the pro-lifers' requests for dialogue." (Lifesitenews.com: 09-04-09)
If you have any comments, please send them along.
Until next time, thank you very much for joining this urgent petition and feel free to pass it along, post it on Facebook, on blogs, and help get the word out.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Awesome
I got this from Lady Rose's blog.
Isn't that awesome!?!? I am so going to get a T-shirt and do that!!!!
Isn't that awesome!?!? I am so going to get a T-shirt and do that!!!!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Did God ordain the Pope to be the teacher of all Catholics? Part III
Now that we have had some Scriptural facts, let’s look at a little logic now:
There are only two covenants, the old and the new. But the first Christians under the New Covenant had a living and infallible guide to the truth in Christ himself. Surely the lack of such a guide in future times would constitute yet another covenant -- the difference would be so radical.
It is clear even from Scripture that Peter had a special commission and special powers from Christ to care for the flock of Christ, to bind and loose, and to confirm his brothers in faith -- indeed he had the very powers of the keys to the Kingdom. Obviously, these powers were essential to the Church as constituted by Christ. And Christ promised to be with the Church always to the end of time, and said that the powers of hell would not prevail against it.
Now, clearly Christ knew that Peter would not live until the end of time, so he must have intended that the power he gave to Peter would be carried on until His return. After all, Peter was to feed "My" (Christ's) sheep, and so was serving as the Vicar of Christ in Christ's absence. When Peter died, a new vicar would take his place, and so on, until Christ returned to claim his own. The parable of the steward awaiting his Master's return is very much to the point.
Just as clearly, Peter's authority also enabled himself (and his successors) to set forth the manner in which their successors would be selected, either by choosing the successor personally before death, or by setting forth some other means -- eventually, election by the college of cardinals.
Moreover, if these special and essential powers were to pass out of existence, it would be proof that Christ was no longer with his Church and that the powers of Hell had indeed prevailed. Therefore, again, Christ must have intended successors to Peter.
For this reason, we are not at all surprised that subsequent popes claimed to have the Petrine power and that the early Christian community accepted it without question. As I indicated above, this authority was exercised by the fourth Pope, Clement, while St. John the Evangelist was still alive. The earliest Christians were in a position to know Christ's will from other sources than Scripture, just as we today, under the guidance of the Church, are able to learn from Tradition. And we can assuredly trust in tradition because the Bible told us to in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 – “Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.”
***Note that the above article (with the exception of the last sentence) is from EWTN website. To read the whole thing click here. ***
The early Church was structured in a hierarchical manner as it is today. We see in Acts, chapter 15 how the apostles and the elders came together under the leadership of St. Peter to decide the question of what was required of Gentiles. We also see how St. Peter was regarded as the head of the Church when St. Paul, "Went up to Jerusalem to confer with Kephas [Peter] and remained with him fifteen days." (Galatians 1:18) There is no Scriptural evidence of independent local churches.
The Catholic Church is the only church that can claim to have been founded by Christ personally. Every other church traces its lineage back to a mere human person such as Martin Luther or John Wesley. The Catholic Church can trace its lineage back to Jesus Christ who appointed St. Peter as the first pope. This line of popes has continued unbroken for almost 2,000 years. We started first Pope Saint Peter (32-67), then Pope St. Linus (67-76), then Pope St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88), then St. Clement I (88-97), then St. Evaristus (97-105), then St. Alexander I (105-115), then St. Sixtus I (115-125) also called Xystus I, then St. Telesphorus (125-136), then St. Hyginus (136-140), then St. Pius I (140-155), and all the way to our present Pope Benedict XVI.
God rules, instructs and sanctifies His people through His Church. Under her teaching office, the Catholic Church preserves the Word of God. She is the custodian, keeper, dispenser and interpreter of teachings of Christ. And she accomplishes this under the protection of the Holy Spirit.
***Note that I didn’t write the majority of this article either, but I forget where I got it from. :( Oops. So, just know that I am not taking credit for this article.***
There are only two covenants, the old and the new. But the first Christians under the New Covenant had a living and infallible guide to the truth in Christ himself. Surely the lack of such a guide in future times would constitute yet another covenant -- the difference would be so radical.
It is clear even from Scripture that Peter had a special commission and special powers from Christ to care for the flock of Christ, to bind and loose, and to confirm his brothers in faith -- indeed he had the very powers of the keys to the Kingdom. Obviously, these powers were essential to the Church as constituted by Christ. And Christ promised to be with the Church always to the end of time, and said that the powers of hell would not prevail against it.
Now, clearly Christ knew that Peter would not live until the end of time, so he must have intended that the power he gave to Peter would be carried on until His return. After all, Peter was to feed "My" (Christ's) sheep, and so was serving as the Vicar of Christ in Christ's absence. When Peter died, a new vicar would take his place, and so on, until Christ returned to claim his own. The parable of the steward awaiting his Master's return is very much to the point.
Just as clearly, Peter's authority also enabled himself (and his successors) to set forth the manner in which their successors would be selected, either by choosing the successor personally before death, or by setting forth some other means -- eventually, election by the college of cardinals.
Moreover, if these special and essential powers were to pass out of existence, it would be proof that Christ was no longer with his Church and that the powers of Hell had indeed prevailed. Therefore, again, Christ must have intended successors to Peter.
For this reason, we are not at all surprised that subsequent popes claimed to have the Petrine power and that the early Christian community accepted it without question. As I indicated above, this authority was exercised by the fourth Pope, Clement, while St. John the Evangelist was still alive. The earliest Christians were in a position to know Christ's will from other sources than Scripture, just as we today, under the guidance of the Church, are able to learn from Tradition. And we can assuredly trust in tradition because the Bible told us to in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 – “Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.”
***Note that the above article (with the exception of the last sentence) is from EWTN website. To read the whole thing click here. ***
The early Church was structured in a hierarchical manner as it is today. We see in Acts, chapter 15 how the apostles and the elders came together under the leadership of St. Peter to decide the question of what was required of Gentiles. We also see how St. Peter was regarded as the head of the Church when St. Paul, "Went up to Jerusalem to confer with Kephas [Peter] and remained with him fifteen days." (Galatians 1:18) There is no Scriptural evidence of independent local churches.
The Catholic Church is the only church that can claim to have been founded by Christ personally. Every other church traces its lineage back to a mere human person such as Martin Luther or John Wesley. The Catholic Church can trace its lineage back to Jesus Christ who appointed St. Peter as the first pope. This line of popes has continued unbroken for almost 2,000 years. We started first Pope Saint Peter (32-67), then Pope St. Linus (67-76), then Pope St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88), then St. Clement I (88-97), then St. Evaristus (97-105), then St. Alexander I (105-115), then St. Sixtus I (115-125) also called Xystus I, then St. Telesphorus (125-136), then St. Hyginus (136-140), then St. Pius I (140-155), and all the way to our present Pope Benedict XVI.
God rules, instructs and sanctifies His people through His Church. Under her teaching office, the Catholic Church preserves the Word of God. She is the custodian, keeper, dispenser and interpreter of teachings of Christ. And she accomplishes this under the protection of the Holy Spirit.
***Note that I didn’t write the majority of this article either, but I forget where I got it from. :( Oops. So, just know that I am not taking credit for this article.***
Did God ordain the Pope to be the teacher of all Catholics? Part II
Now that we have gone through the passage of Matthew 16:17-18, let us look and see if we can find evidence that the Church’s teaching is correct. Let’s first start with finding ample, Gospel evidence that Peter was first in authority among the apostles:
When they were named, Peter almost always headed the list – Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16.
Sometimes it was only “Peter and his companions” – Luke 9:32
Peter was the one who generally spoke for the apostles – Matthew 18:21; Mark 8:29; Luke 12:41; John 6:69.
Peter figured in many of the most dramatic scenes – Matthew 14:28-32, 17:24; Mark 10:28.
Now for after the Ascension:
Acts 1:15-16 – Peter stands up and tells the others that they must appointment to another who witnessed of the life, death and resurrection of Christ to replace Judas.
Acts 2:14-41 – After Pentecost, Peter stood with the Apostles and gave the first public sermon about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. After that he and the others baptized around 3,000 people that day.
Acts 3:1-4:4 – Peter was the first to work a public miracle, he cured a lame man, after which he preached to the people which brought about more converts.
Acts 4:5-21 – When questioned by the Jewish High Council, Peter defends in undismayed and impressive fashion the cause of Jesus and the obligation and liberty of the Apostles to preach the Gospel.
Acts 5: 1-11 – When a couple, named Ananias and Sapphira, attempted to deceive the Apostles and the people, Peter appears as judge of their action, and God executes the sentence of punishment passed by the Apostle by causing the sudden death of the two guilty parties.
Acts 5:12-16 - there is special mention of Peter, since it is recorded that the inhabitants of Jerusalem and neighboring towns carried their sick in their beds into the streets so that the shadow of Peter might fall on them and they might be thereby healed.
Galatians 1:18-20 - A confirmation of the position accorded to Peter by Luke, in the Acts, is afforded by the testimony of St. Paul.
Acts 12:1-18 – Peter was thrown into prison by Herod Agrippa I, intending to have him also executed; however, Peter was freed in a miraculous manner, and, proceeding to the house of the mother of John Mark, where many of the faithful were assembled for prayer, informed them of his liberation from the hands of Herod, commissioned them to communicate the fact to James and the brethren, and then left Jerusalem. As one can see from this verse, the Church still needed Peter’s guidance and leadership, so, by the grace of God, it was not yet Peter’s time to die.
So, there are some of the numerous examples that Peter was head of the Church after Jesus ascended into heaven. There are even more examples in Scripture of Peter’s leadership. To be sure, Peter was not perfect. He was human, and humans make mistakes; however, he still had the promise of Christ to be infallible in matters of faith and morals.
To be continued..........
***Note that much of this information is taken from Catholic sources, namely: New Advent Online Catholic Encyclopedia, EWTN website, and Catholic Answers.***
When they were named, Peter almost always headed the list – Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16.
Sometimes it was only “Peter and his companions” – Luke 9:32
Peter was the one who generally spoke for the apostles – Matthew 18:21; Mark 8:29; Luke 12:41; John 6:69.
Peter figured in many of the most dramatic scenes – Matthew 14:28-32, 17:24; Mark 10:28.
Now for after the Ascension:
Acts 1:15-16 – Peter stands up and tells the others that they must appointment to another who witnessed of the life, death and resurrection of Christ to replace Judas.
Acts 2:14-41 – After Pentecost, Peter stood with the Apostles and gave the first public sermon about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. After that he and the others baptized around 3,000 people that day.
Acts 3:1-4:4 – Peter was the first to work a public miracle, he cured a lame man, after which he preached to the people which brought about more converts.
Acts 4:5-21 – When questioned by the Jewish High Council, Peter defends in undismayed and impressive fashion the cause of Jesus and the obligation and liberty of the Apostles to preach the Gospel.
Acts 5: 1-11 – When a couple, named Ananias and Sapphira, attempted to deceive the Apostles and the people, Peter appears as judge of their action, and God executes the sentence of punishment passed by the Apostle by causing the sudden death of the two guilty parties.
Acts 5:12-16 - there is special mention of Peter, since it is recorded that the inhabitants of Jerusalem and neighboring towns carried their sick in their beds into the streets so that the shadow of Peter might fall on them and they might be thereby healed.
Galatians 1:18-20 - A confirmation of the position accorded to Peter by Luke, in the Acts, is afforded by the testimony of St. Paul.
Acts 12:1-18 – Peter was thrown into prison by Herod Agrippa I, intending to have him also executed; however, Peter was freed in a miraculous manner, and, proceeding to the house of the mother of John Mark, where many of the faithful were assembled for prayer, informed them of his liberation from the hands of Herod, commissioned them to communicate the fact to James and the brethren, and then left Jerusalem. As one can see from this verse, the Church still needed Peter’s guidance and leadership, so, by the grace of God, it was not yet Peter’s time to die.
So, there are some of the numerous examples that Peter was head of the Church after Jesus ascended into heaven. There are even more examples in Scripture of Peter’s leadership. To be sure, Peter was not perfect. He was human, and humans make mistakes; however, he still had the promise of Christ to be infallible in matters of faith and morals.
To be continued..........
***Note that much of this information is taken from Catholic sources, namely: New Advent Online Catholic Encyclopedia, EWTN website, and Catholic Answers.***
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Papal Infallibility*
Q: What is meant by the infallibility of the Catholic Church?
A: By the infallibility of the Catholic Church is meant that the Church, by the special assistance of the Holy Ghost, cannot err when it teaches or believes a doctrine of faith or morals.
a) Infallibility, especially papal infallibility, is a doctrine often misunderstood and derided by those outside the Church. The term “infallibility” is often distorted to mean impeccability, that is, freedom from all sin. The Church has never held that the Pope cannot sin.
b) It is unthinkable that an institution established by God for the salvation of souls could lead men into error and turn them away from God. If the Church could and did err in matters of faith and morals, it would not be a true teacher; it would fail in its ministry of sanctification and would not lead men to salvation but would be responsible for their condemnation.
c) A doctrine of faith or morals is a truth revealed by God dealing with what we must believe or what we must do in order to be saved
d) The Church cannot change its defined teachings on faith and morals, though it may restate them more clearly and more completely.
e) We know that the Church is infallible in matters of faith and morals because Christ promised that he would be with the apostles and their successors in their work of teaching until the end of time. It would be impossible for Christ to be with the official teachers of the Church and permit them to error.
SCRPITURE:
“And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to dwell with you forever, the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16)
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your mind whatever I have said to you” (John 14:26)
“Then Jesus answered and said, ‘Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee, but my father in heaven. And I say to thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever though shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:17-19)
Q: When does the Church teach infallibility?
A: The Church teaches infallibly when it defines, through the Pope alone, as the teacher of all Christians, or through the Pope and bishops, a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by all the faithful.
a) The Holy Father must intend to use his supreme, apostolic authority when he teaches infallibly.
b) The Pope can teach without speaking infallibly, for example, he does this in his encyclical letters. Catholics must accept such teachings, not on faith, but in obedience to the authority of the Pope and in respect for his wisdom.
A: By the infallibility of the Catholic Church is meant that the Church, by the special assistance of the Holy Ghost, cannot err when it teaches or believes a doctrine of faith or morals.
a) Infallibility, especially papal infallibility, is a doctrine often misunderstood and derided by those outside the Church. The term “infallibility” is often distorted to mean impeccability, that is, freedom from all sin. The Church has never held that the Pope cannot sin.
b) It is unthinkable that an institution established by God for the salvation of souls could lead men into error and turn them away from God. If the Church could and did err in matters of faith and morals, it would not be a true teacher; it would fail in its ministry of sanctification and would not lead men to salvation but would be responsible for their condemnation.
c) A doctrine of faith or morals is a truth revealed by God dealing with what we must believe or what we must do in order to be saved
d) The Church cannot change its defined teachings on faith and morals, though it may restate them more clearly and more completely.
e) We know that the Church is infallible in matters of faith and morals because Christ promised that he would be with the apostles and their successors in their work of teaching until the end of time. It would be impossible for Christ to be with the official teachers of the Church and permit them to error.
SCRPITURE:
“And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to dwell with you forever, the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16)
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your mind whatever I have said to you” (John 14:26)
“Then Jesus answered and said, ‘Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee, but my father in heaven. And I say to thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever though shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:17-19)
Q: When does the Church teach infallibility?
A: The Church teaches infallibly when it defines, through the Pope alone, as the teacher of all Christians, or through the Pope and bishops, a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by all the faithful.
a) The Holy Father must intend to use his supreme, apostolic authority when he teaches infallibly.
b) The Pope can teach without speaking infallibly, for example, he does this in his encyclical letters. Catholics must accept such teachings, not on faith, but in obedience to the authority of the Pope and in respect for his wisdom.
*These questions, answers, and Scripture verses are taken directly from “The New Confraternity Edition Revised Baltimore Catechism and Mass No. 3” Questions 163-164.
More stuff on Mary and the Catholic Church
I would like to thank Earwen for asking a question on Saint Dominic; because it caused me to do some research and I found out that I was wrong in my information. Our belief that Mary appeared to St. Dominic is based on tradition. So, this article should clear up my mistake:
Of the many forms of devotion to Our Lady, there are some which have been especially recommended by the Church. Devotions which involve the use of physical objects are not superstitious, because these objects are not thought to have any power in themselves. Rather, they are external aids to interior devotion to the Mother of God.
An especially great Marian devotion is the Rosary. There is an ancient tradition that St. Dominic received the Rosary from Our Lady in an apparition at Prouille in 1206 A.D. as a weapon against the Albigensian heresy. What is entirely certain is that in one way or another, numerous Popes have spoken of St. Dominic as author of the Rosary, without pronouncing on the authenticity of the Prouille vision. They have strongly recommended the Rosary. Vatican II in its Constitution on the Church # 67 wrote that whatever the Church has ever recommended in Marian devotion should still be considered of great importance. Not long after, Pope Paul VI in his Encyclical Christi Matris Rosarii pointed out that that statement obviously included the Rosary. Countless are the favors individuals have experienced through the Rosary. The whole Church benefited especially when in October 1571, Pope St. Pius V announced that the Christian fleet had won a decisive victory over the Muslim fleet at Lepanto in the Gulf of Corinth. The Muslims were trying to take over all Europe. The Pope explicitly attributed that victory to Rosary processions being held the day of the victory; in addition, every man on the Christian flagship had been given a Rosary before the battle. Our Lady at Lourdes and at Fatima called for a great increase in the prayer of the Rosary, declaring it one of the conditions needed for world peace and the conversion of Russia.
Okay, now that I have that cleared up, I would like to address her original question: How was it proven that Saint Dominic appeared.
Well, to begin with, it was Mary that appeared to St. Dominic. Secondly…….there is a lot of information. ;)
In order to understand how the Church has the authority to say that an apparition is authentic and be sure that they aren’t wrong (Papal Infallibility) can be read here: http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/papac2.htm
And to understand how the Church decides if an apparition or private revelation is authentic can be read here: "Apparitions/Private Revelations"
Have fun reading!!
Of the many forms of devotion to Our Lady, there are some which have been especially recommended by the Church. Devotions which involve the use of physical objects are not superstitious, because these objects are not thought to have any power in themselves. Rather, they are external aids to interior devotion to the Mother of God.
An especially great Marian devotion is the Rosary. There is an ancient tradition that St. Dominic received the Rosary from Our Lady in an apparition at Prouille in 1206 A.D. as a weapon against the Albigensian heresy. What is entirely certain is that in one way or another, numerous Popes have spoken of St. Dominic as author of the Rosary, without pronouncing on the authenticity of the Prouille vision. They have strongly recommended the Rosary. Vatican II in its Constitution on the Church # 67 wrote that whatever the Church has ever recommended in Marian devotion should still be considered of great importance. Not long after, Pope Paul VI in his Encyclical Christi Matris Rosarii pointed out that that statement obviously included the Rosary. Countless are the favors individuals have experienced through the Rosary. The whole Church benefited especially when in October 1571, Pope St. Pius V announced that the Christian fleet had won a decisive victory over the Muslim fleet at Lepanto in the Gulf of Corinth. The Muslims were trying to take over all Europe. The Pope explicitly attributed that victory to Rosary processions being held the day of the victory; in addition, every man on the Christian flagship had been given a Rosary before the battle. Our Lady at Lourdes and at Fatima called for a great increase in the prayer of the Rosary, declaring it one of the conditions needed for world peace and the conversion of Russia.
Okay, now that I have that cleared up, I would like to address her original question: How was it proven that Saint Dominic appeared.
Well, to begin with, it was Mary that appeared to St. Dominic. Secondly…….there is a lot of information. ;)
In order to understand how the Church has the authority to say that an apparition is authentic and be sure that they aren’t wrong (Papal Infallibility) can be read here: http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/papac2.htm
And to understand how the Church decides if an apparition or private revelation is authentic can be read here: "Apparitions/Private Revelations"
Have fun reading!!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Mary and the Rosary
Hey all!! This is a post dedicated on the Rosary and Mary since the month of May is dedicated to her.
Now, someone recently asked me, "How do we know that the Rosary is most pleasing to Mary?" Well, the Rosary is the most renowned Catholic prayer, because it was given to us by Mary herself. Mary (and this has been approved by the Church) appeared to St. Dominic and gave him the Rosary. She has constantly told us in her apparitions through the ages, to pray the Rosary.
Just so you know and aren’t confused about Catholics praying the Rosary to Mary, we aren’t really praying to her. When we “pray” to her, we are simply asking her to take our intentions to her Son, Jesus. Just like we ask our friends and family members to pray for us, how much more good will it do us to ask His mother to pray for us? Just like at the Wedding Feast in Cana, Mary saw that help was needed, so she asked Jesus to do something about it. And even though he didn’t feel ready, what did she say? She turned to the servants and said, “Do whatever He tells you.” Out of obedience and love for Mary, Jesus preformed His first public miracle of turning the water to wine. (John 2:1-11) In the olden days, when you really needed something granted from the king, you know what people would do? They would go around to the king’s mother, the queen, and ask her to intercede for you. What son does not love his mother? And what Son would not honor the special request of the mother who bore Him?
Basically, the Rosary is praying the Gospels. We meditate on the Gospel events and mysteries. For instance, when we pray the Luminous Mysteries we meditate on Our Lord's public life: His baptism in the River Jordan, the Wedding Feast in Cana where he preformed His public miracle, the preaching of the Kingdom of God, the Transfiguration, and the Last Supper. And the prayers that we say on the beads of the Rosary (the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be) are taken from passages in the Bible and on faith.
One last note about Mary for all you who love our Lord’s love letter to us, the Bible: "And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women…” (Luke. 1:28) and "And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43)
God bless you all!!!
Now, someone recently asked me, "How do we know that the Rosary is most pleasing to Mary?" Well, the Rosary is the most renowned Catholic prayer, because it was given to us by Mary herself. Mary (and this has been approved by the Church) appeared to St. Dominic and gave him the Rosary. She has constantly told us in her apparitions through the ages, to pray the Rosary.
Just so you know and aren’t confused about Catholics praying the Rosary to Mary, we aren’t really praying to her. When we “pray” to her, we are simply asking her to take our intentions to her Son, Jesus. Just like we ask our friends and family members to pray for us, how much more good will it do us to ask His mother to pray for us? Just like at the Wedding Feast in Cana, Mary saw that help was needed, so she asked Jesus to do something about it. And even though he didn’t feel ready, what did she say? She turned to the servants and said, “Do whatever He tells you.” Out of obedience and love for Mary, Jesus preformed His first public miracle of turning the water to wine. (John 2:1-11) In the olden days, when you really needed something granted from the king, you know what people would do? They would go around to the king’s mother, the queen, and ask her to intercede for you. What son does not love his mother? And what Son would not honor the special request of the mother who bore Him?
Basically, the Rosary is praying the Gospels. We meditate on the Gospel events and mysteries. For instance, when we pray the Luminous Mysteries we meditate on Our Lord's public life: His baptism in the River Jordan, the Wedding Feast in Cana where he preformed His public miracle, the preaching of the Kingdom of God, the Transfiguration, and the Last Supper. And the prayers that we say on the beads of the Rosary (the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be) are taken from passages in the Bible and on faith.
One last note about Mary for all you who love our Lord’s love letter to us, the Bible: "And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women…” (Luke. 1:28) and "And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43)
God bless you all!!!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Stupid, stupid, stupid Catholic college!
Look! Look!!! The heretics that have the nerve to call themselves "Catholic" are at it again! Make sure to look at the pictures on the link.
It’s one thing to invite or allow a pro-abortion president to speak at your Catholic university. It’s another to give in to his request that you cover up your Catholic identity.
Which is what Georgetown has done.
Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram “IHS”–symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ—because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there.
First point of interest here is that the White House “asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols”. Why? Has any president ever done that? Has Reagan or Bush or Clinton or Bush (or any former president) ever asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols of their Catholic identity?! Obama did.
And this didn’t pose a problem for them?
No.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the “IHS” monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown’s Gaston Hall was still covered up–when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com.
(See the photographs there. They did a good job visually telling this story.)
“In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday’s event, Georgetown honored the White House staff’s request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage,” Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, told CNSNews.com.“The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they’ve done for other policy speeches,” she added. “Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn’t high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context.”
Most respectful to whom? Out of what context? He’s standing on a stage in a history-steeped, prominent Catholic college in Washington. No amount of PR spin can cover Georgetown’s capitulation of their values and very identity in ‘honoring the White House request’. They cut some plywood to fit, painted it black as an unobtrusive background, and used it to cover the gold ‘IHS’ and cross on that stately pediment.
Roman Catholics traditionally use “IHS” as an abbreviation for Jesus’ name. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “St. Ignatius of Loyola adopted the monogram in his seal as general of the Society of Jesus (1541) and thus became the emblem of his institute.” The Society of Jesus is the formal name for the Jesuits.
And Georgetown is a “prestigious” Jesuit school. Shame on them.
One thing’s for certain. When Obama speaks at the commencement ceremony in South Bend in May, there will be no draping over the Notre Dame who stands atop the golden dome.
What a mess our country is in. *rolls eyes in disgust*
It’s one thing to invite or allow a pro-abortion president to speak at your Catholic university. It’s another to give in to his request that you cover up your Catholic identity.
Which is what Georgetown has done.
Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram “IHS”–symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ—because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there.
First point of interest here is that the White House “asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols”. Why? Has any president ever done that? Has Reagan or Bush or Clinton or Bush (or any former president) ever asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols of their Catholic identity?! Obama did.
And this didn’t pose a problem for them?
No.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the “IHS” monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown’s Gaston Hall was still covered up–when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com.
(See the photographs there. They did a good job visually telling this story.)
“In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday’s event, Georgetown honored the White House staff’s request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage,” Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, told CNSNews.com.“The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they’ve done for other policy speeches,” she added. “Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn’t high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context.”
Most respectful to whom? Out of what context? He’s standing on a stage in a history-steeped, prominent Catholic college in Washington. No amount of PR spin can cover Georgetown’s capitulation of their values and very identity in ‘honoring the White House request’. They cut some plywood to fit, painted it black as an unobtrusive background, and used it to cover the gold ‘IHS’ and cross on that stately pediment.
Roman Catholics traditionally use “IHS” as an abbreviation for Jesus’ name. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “St. Ignatius of Loyola adopted the monogram in his seal as general of the Society of Jesus (1541) and thus became the emblem of his institute.” The Society of Jesus is the formal name for the Jesuits.
And Georgetown is a “prestigious” Jesuit school. Shame on them.
One thing’s for certain. When Obama speaks at the commencement ceremony in South Bend in May, there will be no draping over the Notre Dame who stands atop the golden dome.
What a mess our country is in. *rolls eyes in disgust*
Saturday, March 7, 2009
CALLING ALL CATHOLIC YOUTH! CALLING ALL CATHOLIC YOUTH!
Attention all Catholic youth from The Age of Reason to 20 years old! I have a special post just for you, so sit down, listen up, and pay attention! ;)
We are the future of the Catholic Church!........Did you know that? We have a problem, though. We aren't living our faith enough! Face it, most of the Catholic youth are not serious about their faith; they have to be dragged to Church; unless, of course, it is to get a free meal or doughnuts in the Hall. *rolls eyes*
WE NEED A REVIVAL OF CATHOLIC YOUTH! If we do not wake up and take on the responsibilities and pride of being Catholic, there will be practically no members left! We need action! WAKE UUUUP!!!!
One of our old parish pastors said in his Christmas sermon, "I see all the CEO's are here."
Everyone looks around puzzled.
"That means Christmas, Easter, and Other holiday goers."
Everyone in the Church started laughing, because it is so true! On the big days (not Sundays), the Church is overflowing with people! It's ridiculous. Don't be a CEO!!!
BE CATHOLIC TO THE MAX!!! What does that mean? Well, that means you try to live your faith everyday in thought, word, and deed. You don't have to be dragged to Mass, but want to go, even everyday, because you know the value of it; you KNOW your faith and are ready to defend it (1Peter 3:15), you are active in pro-life activities, you pray (and know) the Rosary, the Angelus, the Chaplet, and other traditional Catholic prayers, and so on.
We are soldiers of Christ's army, fighting a vicious and bloody spiritual battle. We have to be ready. We must be ready! Think of it this way, you are a soldier in boot camp, for training. You learn about your enemy(Satan and Co.), your weapons and armor (the sacraments, graces, etc.)and how to fight. After boot camp you're made a Knight or Shieldmaiden in the General's (Christ's) Army; this would be the sacrament of Confirmation. We have to fight the good fight, everyday, and we cannot fail our General.
So, here is my plea to you:
#1-Wake up and join the war! Jesus wants you!
#2-If you have already enlisted (meaning you already consider yourself Catholic to the Max) start recruiting other youth!
#3-BE Catholic, don't just say you are Catholic.
#4-Make this your motto: 1 Peter 3:15 "Always be prepared to make a defence to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you..." Basically, be ready to defend your faith.
#5-Remember that you have to answer to God at the end of your life. Are you going to have to face God and tell him that you deserted, or that you fought bravely, and honorably, to the end?
God Bless,
Victoria Rose Philomena Martin de Porres
We are the future of the Catholic Church!........Did you know that? We have a problem, though. We aren't living our faith enough! Face it, most of the Catholic youth are not serious about their faith; they have to be dragged to Church; unless, of course, it is to get a free meal or doughnuts in the Hall. *rolls eyes*
WE NEED A REVIVAL OF CATHOLIC YOUTH! If we do not wake up and take on the responsibilities and pride of being Catholic, there will be practically no members left! We need action! WAKE UUUUP!!!!
One of our old parish pastors said in his Christmas sermon, "I see all the CEO's are here."
Everyone looks around puzzled.
"That means Christmas, Easter, and Other holiday goers."
Everyone in the Church started laughing, because it is so true! On the big days (not Sundays), the Church is overflowing with people! It's ridiculous. Don't be a CEO!!!
BE CATHOLIC TO THE MAX!!! What does that mean? Well, that means you try to live your faith everyday in thought, word, and deed. You don't have to be dragged to Mass, but want to go, even everyday, because you know the value of it; you KNOW your faith and are ready to defend it (1Peter 3:15), you are active in pro-life activities, you pray (and know) the Rosary, the Angelus, the Chaplet, and other traditional Catholic prayers, and so on.
We are soldiers of Christ's army, fighting a vicious and bloody spiritual battle. We have to be ready. We must be ready! Think of it this way, you are a soldier in boot camp, for training. You learn about your enemy(Satan and Co.), your weapons and armor (the sacraments, graces, etc.)and how to fight. After boot camp you're made a Knight or Shieldmaiden in the General's (Christ's) Army; this would be the sacrament of Confirmation. We have to fight the good fight, everyday, and we cannot fail our General.
So, here is my plea to you:
#1-Wake up and join the war! Jesus wants you!
#2-If you have already enlisted (meaning you already consider yourself Catholic to the Max) start recruiting other youth!
#3-BE Catholic, don't just say you are Catholic.
#4-Make this your motto: 1 Peter 3:15 "Always be prepared to make a defence to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you..." Basically, be ready to defend your faith.
#5-Remember that you have to answer to God at the end of your life. Are you going to have to face God and tell him that you deserted, or that you fought bravely, and honorably, to the end?
God Bless,
Victoria Rose Philomena Martin de Porres
Monday, October 20, 2008
Youtube Update!
Dear Readers:
36,994 petitions…1,873 holy hours…thousands of rosaries, letters, calls and faxes…YouTube still will NOT pull the 43 Holy Eucharist desecration videos from its site.
But the reaction is going global and we won't give up. Protestors from countries like Poland, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Britain, Canada and Russia are joining.
So I'm taking advantage of the growing outrage to triple our push to get the videos removed. And here's what I ask you to do:
Send a NEW petition message via email to Mr. Eric Schmidt, CEO and chairman of Google. Google owns YouTube and their motto is: "Don't be evil."
So please tell YouTube to put an end to this sacrilegious evil.
Send them a petition NOW.
Thank you and please pass on this message to friends and family.
Sincerely,
Robert Ritchie
America Needs Fatima
36,994 petitions…1,873 holy hours…thousands of rosaries, letters, calls and faxes…YouTube still will NOT pull the 43 Holy Eucharist desecration videos from its site.
But the reaction is going global and we won't give up. Protestors from countries like Poland, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Britain, Canada and Russia are joining.
So I'm taking advantage of the growing outrage to triple our push to get the videos removed. And here's what I ask you to do:
Send a NEW petition message via email to Mr. Eric Schmidt, CEO and chairman of Google. Google owns YouTube and their motto is: "Don't be evil."
So please tell YouTube to put an end to this sacrilegious evil.
Send them a petition NOW.
Thank you and please pass on this message to friends and family.
Sincerely,
Robert Ritchie
America Needs Fatima
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Youtube Protest Update
"28,692 people have petitioned YouTube to pull the Host Desecration from its site. But they refuse to comply.
Why?
Just yesterday, YouTube removed a video called "Welcome to Saudi Britain" which asks viewers to petition the British government NOT to accept Sharia (Islam) law in Britain.
Contradiction -- YouTube removes an anti-Islam video, but keeps 43 videos showing desecration of the Holy Eucharist in horrible ways -- one was flushed down the toilet!
What should we do in response?
Well, besides expanding our YouTube protest, it’s time to appeal to a higher court: to God in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
That's why I'm doing an act of reparation in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
Will you join me?
The intention is to do reparation for the 43 desecration on YouTube, for all sacrilege against the Holy Eucharist, and for whatever intentions are in your heart.
Thank you for praying with me, and please continue countering the desecration videos on YouTube by seeing the action items below.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Ritchie
P.S. Go here to let me know that you will offer reparation in front of the Blessed Sacrament for the 43 desecration videos on YouTube. And I’ll keep you posted.
* * *
Four point action plan to protest the Host desecration videos on YouTube:
1) Go to user fsmdude (person who posted the videos) YouTube channel and flag all his videos. Right under the video window is the link to FLAG. Next choose “hateful or Abusive Content.” Next Choose the sub-section – “promotes hatred or violence.”
Next choose “Religion” as the “group attacked.” Next type in your specific reason, such as "he is desecrating what Catholics hold sacred. YouTube just removed an anti-Sharia video, so why the double standard?”
2) Call YouTube (Google owns YouTube). Dial 650-253-0000, then press 0 for a live person. Tell them, in polite yet firm terms, how upset you are with the 43 desecration videos posted by user fsmdude. Ask them to remove his videos and pledge never to allow such videos again.
3) Send a fax to YouTube/Google 650-253-0001 telling them, in polite yet firm terms, how upset you are with the 43 desecration videos posted by user fsmdude. Ask them to remove his videos and pledge never to allow such videos again.
4) Pass on this 4 point action plan to all your friends and family members. In numbers there is strength. "
Why?
Just yesterday, YouTube removed a video called "Welcome to Saudi Britain" which asks viewers to petition the British government NOT to accept Sharia (Islam) law in Britain.
Contradiction -- YouTube removes an anti-Islam video, but keeps 43 videos showing desecration of the Holy Eucharist in horrible ways -- one was flushed down the toilet!
What should we do in response?
Well, besides expanding our YouTube protest, it’s time to appeal to a higher court: to God in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
That's why I'm doing an act of reparation in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
Will you join me?
The intention is to do reparation for the 43 desecration on YouTube, for all sacrilege against the Holy Eucharist, and for whatever intentions are in your heart.
Thank you for praying with me, and please continue countering the desecration videos on YouTube by seeing the action items below.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Ritchie
P.S. Go here to let me know that you will offer reparation in front of the Blessed Sacrament for the 43 desecration videos on YouTube. And I’ll keep you posted.
* * *
Four point action plan to protest the Host desecration videos on YouTube:
1) Go to user fsmdude (person who posted the videos) YouTube channel and flag all his videos. Right under the video window is the link to FLAG. Next choose “hateful or Abusive Content.” Next Choose the sub-section – “promotes hatred or violence.”
Next choose “Religion” as the “group attacked.” Next type in your specific reason, such as "he is desecrating what Catholics hold sacred. YouTube just removed an anti-Sharia video, so why the double standard?”
2) Call YouTube (Google owns YouTube). Dial 650-253-0000, then press 0 for a live person. Tell them, in polite yet firm terms, how upset you are with the 43 desecration videos posted by user fsmdude. Ask them to remove his videos and pledge never to allow such videos again.
3) Send a fax to YouTube/Google 650-253-0001 telling them, in polite yet firm terms, how upset you are with the 43 desecration videos posted by user fsmdude. Ask them to remove his videos and pledge never to allow such videos again.
4) Pass on this 4 point action plan to all your friends and family members. In numbers there is strength. "
Monday, October 6, 2008
PROTEST ALERT!!!
This is was sent to my family and I implore you to read this ans take part in it!
Dear readers,
8,201 people in 7 days have respectfully asked YouTube to remove videos that show the Holy Eucharist being desecrated, including one being flushed down a toilet.
I strongly believe these videos violate YouTube's hate policies. They are sacrilegious and demeaning to God, to Catholics and to the Roman Catholic faith. At first, it seemed YouTube heard us. The videos were pulled yesterday morning. However, by the afternoon, the videos were back! That's why we're turning our petition into a protest!
Click the first link on the page.
Click here to go to the website.
Please go here to send your NEW protest message to YouTube. By YouTube seemingly resolved to give a platform to these host desecration videos, many Catholics will reasonably conclude they agree with these videos deep anti-Catholic bias. After all, it seems that YouTube has removed videos with content offensive to Jews and Muslims.
For example, a video showing a teenager urinating on the Holocaust memorial was pulled. So was the trailer to a Dutch documentary that claims that Islam inspires intolerance, murder and terror.
But videos with the Holy Eucharist being desecrated seem to be OK. In my opinion, this is a double standard. I know you will not accept this. And that is why I ask you to send your NEW protest message to YouTube.
As I said, our petition has spread like wildfire, 18,201 people have signed on in just 7 days. Other Catholic sites and groups have joined us, which reminds me of the protest we did against e-Bay auctioning consecrated hosts online. We won that one! E-bay changed its policy and no longer facilitates the sale of consecrated hosts.
This victory spurs me to action, to reach out to millions more Catholics out of the one billion Catholics worldwide. Ultimately, I hope 100,000 people sign this new protest message to YouTube.
Will you help do it by passing on this message to your friends and family?
Dear readers,
8,201 people in 7 days have respectfully asked YouTube to remove videos that show the Holy Eucharist being desecrated, including one being flushed down a toilet.
I strongly believe these videos violate YouTube's hate policies. They are sacrilegious and demeaning to God, to Catholics and to the Roman Catholic faith. At first, it seemed YouTube heard us. The videos were pulled yesterday morning. However, by the afternoon, the videos were back! That's why we're turning our petition into a protest!
Click the first link on the page.
Click here to go to the website.
Please go here to send your NEW protest message to YouTube. By YouTube seemingly resolved to give a platform to these host desecration videos, many Catholics will reasonably conclude they agree with these videos deep anti-Catholic bias. After all, it seems that YouTube has removed videos with content offensive to Jews and Muslims.
For example, a video showing a teenager urinating on the Holocaust memorial was pulled. So was the trailer to a Dutch documentary that claims that Islam inspires intolerance, murder and terror.
But videos with the Holy Eucharist being desecrated seem to be OK. In my opinion, this is a double standard. I know you will not accept this. And that is why I ask you to send your NEW protest message to YouTube.
As I said, our petition has spread like wildfire, 18,201 people have signed on in just 7 days. Other Catholic sites and groups have joined us, which reminds me of the protest we did against e-Bay auctioning consecrated hosts online. We won that one! E-bay changed its policy and no longer facilitates the sale of consecrated hosts.
This victory spurs me to action, to reach out to millions more Catholics out of the one billion Catholics worldwide. Ultimately, I hope 100,000 people sign this new protest message to YouTube.
Will you help do it by passing on this message to your friends and family?
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