Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Okay, I'm back...
I have been in Texas for a year and a half. I am back due to debilitating headaches that have plagued me for nearly a year now. I don't know what the Lord has in mind for me in the future but I am excited and anxious to find out what that might be. Please keep me in your prayers. God Bless.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Last Post!
I wanted to say 'Goodbye' this is going to be my last post to say God Bless and Good Bye. I am leaving in just about 2 weeks (Dec 31) to enter the School Sisters of Saint Francis. My family and I will make the trip December 31 and I will begin my life in the Religious Life. I greatly appreciate all of your prayers and support for me. God Bless! Sarah
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. Oh good Jesus, hear me. Within Your wounds, hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from You. From the malignant enemy defend me. At the hour of my death, Call me and bid me come to You. That with Your saints, I may praise You, forever and ever. Amen
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
These are pictures from http://www.toonslinger.com very good artist. Pope John Paul II and Blessed Mother Theresa Pray for Us!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Bella!
I want to say "Go see Bella!!" It is a wonderful film that will touch your heart. This movie has a great pro-life message that at the same time is quite subtle. Please go see this film, go, go, go!
Pray for this film that it will touch many lives and just maybe save some too! God Bless!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Prayer Request
To everyone who reads this, please pray for EWTN's Fr. Francis Mary. If you watched Life on the Rock this past week you know why if you did not, he needs your prayers to understand God's will for his life, he is struggling in his priesthood. Pray that his time spent away from EWTN will bear great renewal for him! God Bless you Fr. Francis Mary! You are certainly in my prayers! Fr. Kevin Fete Pray for us! Thank you for your prayers!
Today I spent my Saturday with Susie (RECON) and Scott Hahn, in Lincoln, NE. We drove to Lincoln and listened to Scott Hahn speak on three topics: The Lambs Super, Love Comes First, and Letter and Spirit. These talks touched me deeply. I thank God deeply for Scott Hahn, for answering the call to enter the Catholic Church in 1986. What a wonderful day being able to listen to Scott make the Mass come alive again for everyone present and then to have Bishop Buskowitz to celebrate the Mass.
I met Scott and had him sign my copy of The Lamb's Supper, as you can see he was also gracious enough to take a picture with me! Thanks Susie :-)!
The other picture here is of two women of great faith that I have been privileged to know for much of my life. Mary and Fay. These two women are so in love with our Lord I have been personally touched by them growing up. Thank you God for these wonderful women!
Thank you to Susie who is like a second mom to me! I love you!
To my Mom and Dad, I hope you read this and know how much I love you and am grateful for you and your love and faith. Happy Anniversary! 28 years! God Love You!
I feel so blessed today, I remember Sr. Mary Michael from the School Sisters of Christ the King that said something along the lines of this: God is always giving us grace, sometimes it in just a little dripping, sometime He turns on the fire hose full throttle! I feel it full throttle tonight!
Thanks for reading! God Bless! Thank you Scott Hahn! I had a great day listening to you! God Bless your ministry!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
LONG Live the Chocolate!
Here are the sixteen signs that you are a chocoholic:
1. You like to dip strawberries, cherries and bananas in chocolate so you start experimenting at dinner with broccoli and cauliflower substituting chocolate for cheese.
2. You buy a bottle of chocolate syrup and carry it around in a small paper bag for a quick nip when you need it.
3. You pour yourself a cup of coffee in the morning and use twelve chocolate spoons. You never touch the coffee.
4. You were delighted to discover that they make a chocolate bar for PMS, so you buy yourself three every month to get you through pre-menstrual, present-menstrual and post-menstrual syndrome.
5. Your significant other buys you a five-pound box of chocolate for Valentine's Day and you eat the whole thing in one night. The next morning you try to call in sick, but you can't dial the phone because your sugar levels are so high you can't calm the tremors. So you nurse yourself back to health with little nips from that chocolate syrup bottle.
6. Whenever you see "Back-to-school" advertisements you drool because you know there will soon be kids at your door selling the World's Finest Chocolate bars for a dollar each.
7. When kids come to your house on Halloween you "make change" by depositing hard candies in their pumpkins and withdrawing Snickers, Crunch, Hershey's and 3 Musketeers bars.
8. Whenever there is a morning meeting scheduled at work you grab a double-chocolate monster-sized muffin to go with your cup of cocoa, then sit on the edge of your chair all through the meeting waving your arm calling, "Me, me! I know, I know!" and they have to call a break so you can walk off some of the effects from all the sugar.
9. You actually call it a "hit" at three o'clock in the afternoon when that chocolate craving strikes and you need it to get through the rest of the day.
10. You've eaten all twenty-four pieces of chocolate in your advent calendar by December 1.
11. You think the best after-holiday sales follow Halloween, Valentine's Day and Easter.
12. You think Hershey's 65% cacao bars are for rookies and Lindt's 85% cacao bars are for professionals.
13. You think it's great when you go on a diet and the breakfast bars, snack bars, protein bars, and shakes come in chocolate and you've actually tried diet chocolate-flavored cola.
14. You plan to start a grassroots movement to get the cacao bean listed in the protein section of the food pyramid.
15. You think the woman in the Dove commercial who's satisfied with just one piece of chocolate is faking it.
16. You've got ‘Chocolate Forever' tattooed on you somewhere.
From Catholic Exchange
1. You like to dip strawberries, cherries and bananas in chocolate so you start experimenting at dinner with broccoli and cauliflower substituting chocolate for cheese.
2. You buy a bottle of chocolate syrup and carry it around in a small paper bag for a quick nip when you need it.
3. You pour yourself a cup of coffee in the morning and use twelve chocolate spoons. You never touch the coffee.
4. You were delighted to discover that they make a chocolate bar for PMS, so you buy yourself three every month to get you through pre-menstrual, present-menstrual and post-menstrual syndrome.
5. Your significant other buys you a five-pound box of chocolate for Valentine's Day and you eat the whole thing in one night. The next morning you try to call in sick, but you can't dial the phone because your sugar levels are so high you can't calm the tremors. So you nurse yourself back to health with little nips from that chocolate syrup bottle.
6. Whenever you see "Back-to-school" advertisements you drool because you know there will soon be kids at your door selling the World's Finest Chocolate bars for a dollar each.
7. When kids come to your house on Halloween you "make change" by depositing hard candies in their pumpkins and withdrawing Snickers, Crunch, Hershey's and 3 Musketeers bars.
8. Whenever there is a morning meeting scheduled at work you grab a double-chocolate monster-sized muffin to go with your cup of cocoa, then sit on the edge of your chair all through the meeting waving your arm calling, "Me, me! I know, I know!" and they have to call a break so you can walk off some of the effects from all the sugar.
9. You actually call it a "hit" at three o'clock in the afternoon when that chocolate craving strikes and you need it to get through the rest of the day.
10. You've eaten all twenty-four pieces of chocolate in your advent calendar by December 1.
11. You think the best after-holiday sales follow Halloween, Valentine's Day and Easter.
12. You think Hershey's 65% cacao bars are for rookies and Lindt's 85% cacao bars are for professionals.
13. You think it's great when you go on a diet and the breakfast bars, snack bars, protein bars, and shakes come in chocolate and you've actually tried diet chocolate-flavored cola.
14. You plan to start a grassroots movement to get the cacao bean listed in the protein section of the food pyramid.
15. You think the woman in the Dove commercial who's satisfied with just one piece of chocolate is faking it.
16. You've got ‘Chocolate Forever' tattooed on you somewhere.
From Catholic Exchange
Friday, October 5, 2007
Please Pray
Hello, I wanted to pass along a prayer request! I am going on a retreat this week-end, please pray that it is fruitful for me, I have not been on a retreat in some time and very much need one and I am very excited for this opportunity. God Bless, I will tell about it when I return! Here is e-mail I received from Spirit & Life, It is a good read:
Plan A: Keep "Plan B" Out of Catholic Hospitals
On September 28th the Connecticut bishops issued an unfortunate statement allowing the Plan B abortion-causing drug to be used in cases of rape in Catholic hospitals. I have written respectfully and urgently to the Connecticut Catholic Conference (CCC) and to each bishop individually to ask them to withdraw this potentially precedent-setting statement, and I pray that they do so. I am extremely concerned that this statement will begin to have a domino effect on other Catholic hospitals and healthcare institutions, and I write to you today to ask your ongoing partnership in this concern.
First, let me be clear about our obligations as Catholics. While our bishops operate in union with the Vicar of Christ, no individual bishop or conference of bishops, however wise or holy, has the charism of infallibility. Our respect for our bishops is sometimes exercised in presenting them with the clear facts that their advisors may have missed. It is an expression of our filial cooperation in their ministry. In this case, we have no option but to humbly ask them to reverse their decision due to some extremely egregious errors contained in the statement.
Errors of fact
Error number 1: "The administration of Plan B pills in this instance cannot be judged to be the commission of an abortion because of such doubt about how Plan B pills and similar drugs work."
The truth is that there is absolutely no doubt about how the Plan B pills work. Just ask the manufacturer, Barr Pharmaceuticals, whose product insert states: "This product works mainly by preventing ovulation (egg release). It may also prevent fertilization of a released egg (joining of sperm and egg) or attachment of a fertilized egg to the uterus (implantation)." (My italics.) It's that third item that makes Plan B an abortion-causing drug. The same can be said for every chemical contraceptive.
Error number 2: "...the teaching authority of the Church has not definitively resolved this matter...." Here, regretfully, Catholics are led to believe that Rome has not unambiguously addressed the issue of Plan B (a.k.a., the "morning after pill") already.
The truth of this matter is evident by a simple recourse to a statement of the Pontifical Academy for Life on the Vatican's website. The Academy stated in a document issued in October of 2001 that "from the ethical standpoint the same absolute unlawfulness of abortifacient procedures also applies to distributing, prescribing and taking the morning-after pill. All who, whether sharing the intention or not, directly co-operate with this procedure, are also morally responsible for it." The Vatican did not need to invent any new teaching on the Plan B pills because these pills fall into the category of abortifacient contraception, pure and simple. The consistent teaching of our Church on abortion applies here.
Errors of judgment
There were other errors in judgment in the bishops' statement that confuse the issue from a moral point of view. The bishops state that "to administer Plan B pills without an ovulation test is not an intrinsically evil act." This type of language just confuses the issue. It would indeed be a seriously irresponsible act to administer a killing drug not knowing whether or not ovulation has occurred and a new life is present. It would be like a hunter shooting at something moving in a forest if he were not really sure that what he saw was an animal or a human being. To use the language of "intrinsically evil" would make us think - legalistically - that it would be okay to take an action if it were only possibly evil. Hair-splitting language like this does not give us guidance when our moral obligation is to err on the side of life whenever there is a doubt. Furthermore, Dr. Chris Kahlenborn has shown that Plan B only works to halt ovulation half the time. Thus fertilization may occur even after the pill is administered, and a chemical abortion would result.
The core of the matter
What we are faced with here is the long arm of the culture of death reaching into our Catholic institutions and coercing us to comply with its totalitarian dictates. The Connecticut state legislature, with the complicity of the governor, passed a law that forbad the use of ovulation tests in cases of rape - why? This unwarranted government intrusion into a purely medical decision was totally unnecessary and would not likely have affected any other institutions than Catholic ones. It is, in my opinion, a law that was drafted deliberately to coerce Catholic hospitals to comply with the contraceptive dictates of the abortion providers. Remember this same state was the origin of the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court case which legalized contraception! It is no wonder that Connecticut is reaping the rotten fruit of the seeds that it sowed over forty years ago.
The bishops were forced into a "reluctant compliance" with this law, according to Bishop Lori of Bridgeport, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Acts of blatant coercion of Catholic consciences are already far advanced and will only continue unless the Church is willing to stand up and rebuke the arrogance of these coercive measures and carve out strict realms of conscience which are unreachable by activist courts and corrupt politicians. That will require Church leaders to be willing to fight ferocious battles against the dictators of relativism in order to assert our rights of conscience and faith. All Catholics, but especially our leaders, will have to be clear-headed and uncompromising in the face of the temptations to put our Catholic institutions in league with the liars and manipulators of the culture of death.
I envision a day in which Catholic leaders may have to resign from lucrative positions in business and shut down Catholic healthcare institutions rather than cooperate in the arrogant and coercive programs of the culture of death. Actually, I think that day has already arrived.
What we can do
Our greatest weapon in this battle against the culture of death is prayer. I ask you to pray for the bishops, above all, who are usually the target of attack by the culture of death and are often surrounded by compromisers. We need their strong moral leadership unfettered by lawyers and "ethicists" who prevent them from taking up arms in the culture wars. We are at a point in our Church's history where bishops and priests are being called to martyrdom for the sake of the Faith, and only prayer will give them that courage to embrace their vocations to the last drop of blood.
Secondly, we all need to make a firm decision to never be silent in the face of any form of chemical killing. Abortifacient contraception is a back-door plague which enters into lives, institutions and societies in the guise of the birth control "savior," but it is just one more way to kill, and with greater frequency at that.
Finally, stay tuned for more battles in more states with more Catholic healthcare institutions. One phone call I had with the legislative advisor of the Connecticut Catholic Conference gave me the impression that the domino effect is already happening in other episcopal conferences, and that concerns me deeply. The vigilance of many great pro-life forces, coupled with prayer and massive protests from people of conscience will undoubtedly give our Church leaders the courage to imitate the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International
Plan A: Keep "Plan B" Out of Catholic Hospitals
On September 28th the Connecticut bishops issued an unfortunate statement allowing the Plan B abortion-causing drug to be used in cases of rape in Catholic hospitals. I have written respectfully and urgently to the Connecticut Catholic Conference (CCC) and to each bishop individually to ask them to withdraw this potentially precedent-setting statement, and I pray that they do so. I am extremely concerned that this statement will begin to have a domino effect on other Catholic hospitals and healthcare institutions, and I write to you today to ask your ongoing partnership in this concern.
First, let me be clear about our obligations as Catholics. While our bishops operate in union with the Vicar of Christ, no individual bishop or conference of bishops, however wise or holy, has the charism of infallibility. Our respect for our bishops is sometimes exercised in presenting them with the clear facts that their advisors may have missed. It is an expression of our filial cooperation in their ministry. In this case, we have no option but to humbly ask them to reverse their decision due to some extremely egregious errors contained in the statement.
Errors of fact
Error number 1: "The administration of Plan B pills in this instance cannot be judged to be the commission of an abortion because of such doubt about how Plan B pills and similar drugs work."
The truth is that there is absolutely no doubt about how the Plan B pills work. Just ask the manufacturer, Barr Pharmaceuticals, whose product insert states: "This product works mainly by preventing ovulation (egg release). It may also prevent fertilization of a released egg (joining of sperm and egg) or attachment of a fertilized egg to the uterus (implantation)." (My italics.) It's that third item that makes Plan B an abortion-causing drug. The same can be said for every chemical contraceptive.
Error number 2: "...the teaching authority of the Church has not definitively resolved this matter...." Here, regretfully, Catholics are led to believe that Rome has not unambiguously addressed the issue of Plan B (a.k.a., the "morning after pill") already.
The truth of this matter is evident by a simple recourse to a statement of the Pontifical Academy for Life on the Vatican's website. The Academy stated in a document issued in October of 2001 that "from the ethical standpoint the same absolute unlawfulness of abortifacient procedures also applies to distributing, prescribing and taking the morning-after pill. All who, whether sharing the intention or not, directly co-operate with this procedure, are also morally responsible for it." The Vatican did not need to invent any new teaching on the Plan B pills because these pills fall into the category of abortifacient contraception, pure and simple. The consistent teaching of our Church on abortion applies here.
Errors of judgment
There were other errors in judgment in the bishops' statement that confuse the issue from a moral point of view. The bishops state that "to administer Plan B pills without an ovulation test is not an intrinsically evil act." This type of language just confuses the issue. It would indeed be a seriously irresponsible act to administer a killing drug not knowing whether or not ovulation has occurred and a new life is present. It would be like a hunter shooting at something moving in a forest if he were not really sure that what he saw was an animal or a human being. To use the language of "intrinsically evil" would make us think - legalistically - that it would be okay to take an action if it were only possibly evil. Hair-splitting language like this does not give us guidance when our moral obligation is to err on the side of life whenever there is a doubt. Furthermore, Dr. Chris Kahlenborn has shown that Plan B only works to halt ovulation half the time. Thus fertilization may occur even after the pill is administered, and a chemical abortion would result.
The core of the matter
What we are faced with here is the long arm of the culture of death reaching into our Catholic institutions and coercing us to comply with its totalitarian dictates. The Connecticut state legislature, with the complicity of the governor, passed a law that forbad the use of ovulation tests in cases of rape - why? This unwarranted government intrusion into a purely medical decision was totally unnecessary and would not likely have affected any other institutions than Catholic ones. It is, in my opinion, a law that was drafted deliberately to coerce Catholic hospitals to comply with the contraceptive dictates of the abortion providers. Remember this same state was the origin of the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court case which legalized contraception! It is no wonder that Connecticut is reaping the rotten fruit of the seeds that it sowed over forty years ago.
The bishops were forced into a "reluctant compliance" with this law, according to Bishop Lori of Bridgeport, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Acts of blatant coercion of Catholic consciences are already far advanced and will only continue unless the Church is willing to stand up and rebuke the arrogance of these coercive measures and carve out strict realms of conscience which are unreachable by activist courts and corrupt politicians. That will require Church leaders to be willing to fight ferocious battles against the dictators of relativism in order to assert our rights of conscience and faith. All Catholics, but especially our leaders, will have to be clear-headed and uncompromising in the face of the temptations to put our Catholic institutions in league with the liars and manipulators of the culture of death.
I envision a day in which Catholic leaders may have to resign from lucrative positions in business and shut down Catholic healthcare institutions rather than cooperate in the arrogant and coercive programs of the culture of death. Actually, I think that day has already arrived.
What we can do
Our greatest weapon in this battle against the culture of death is prayer. I ask you to pray for the bishops, above all, who are usually the target of attack by the culture of death and are often surrounded by compromisers. We need their strong moral leadership unfettered by lawyers and "ethicists" who prevent them from taking up arms in the culture wars. We are at a point in our Church's history where bishops and priests are being called to martyrdom for the sake of the Faith, and only prayer will give them that courage to embrace their vocations to the last drop of blood.
Secondly, we all need to make a firm decision to never be silent in the face of any form of chemical killing. Abortifacient contraception is a back-door plague which enters into lives, institutions and societies in the guise of the birth control "savior," but it is just one more way to kill, and with greater frequency at that.
Finally, stay tuned for more battles in more states with more Catholic healthcare institutions. One phone call I had with the legislative advisor of the Connecticut Catholic Conference gave me the impression that the domino effect is already happening in other episcopal conferences, and that concerns me deeply. The vigilance of many great pro-life forces, coupled with prayer and massive protests from people of conscience will undoubtedly give our Church leaders the courage to imitate the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Good News
I am so sorry that I have not been blogging lately! I had to take a break as our computer at home has broken!
I wanted to share some great news!
I just received word yesterday that my application to the School Sisters of Saint Francis in Panhandle, TX. I am so exited! I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me in my discernment. God Bless!
I should be entering in the new year after I can get rid of my College Debt! Your continued prayers are greatly appreciate!
God Bless!
I wanted to share some great news!
I just received word yesterday that my application to the School Sisters of Saint Francis in Panhandle, TX. I am so exited! I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me in my discernment. God Bless!
I should be entering in the new year after I can get rid of my College Debt! Your continued prayers are greatly appreciate!
God Bless!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Appeal from the Holy Father for World Youth Day 2008
Dear Young People,
One year from now we will meet at World Youth Day in Sydney! I want to encourage you to prepare well for this marvellous celebration of the faith, which will be spent in the company of your bishops, priests, Religious, youth leaders and one another. Enter fully into the life of your parishes and participate enthusiastically in diocesan events! In this way you will be equipped spiritually to experience new depths of understanding of all that we believe when we gather in Sydney next July.
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). As you know, these words of Jesus form the theme of World Youth Day 2008. How the Apostles felt upon hearing these words, we can only imagine, but their confusion was no doubt tempered with a sense of awe and of eager anticipation for the coming ofthe Spirit. United in prayer with Mary and the others gathered in the Upper Room (cf Acts 1:14), they experienced the true power of the Spirit, whose presence transforms uncertainty, fear, and division into purpose, hope and communion.
A sense of awe and eager anticipation also describes how we feel as we make preparations to meet in Sydney. For many of us, this will be a long journey. Yet Australia and its people evoke images of a warm welcome and wondrous beauty, of an ancient aboriginal history and a multitude of vibrant cities and communities. I know that already the ecclesial and government authorities, together with numerous young Australians, are working very hard to ensure an exceptional experience for us all. I offer them my heartfelt thanks.
World Youth Day is much more than an event. It is a time of deep spiritual renewal, the fruits of which benefit the whole of society. Young pilgrims are filled with the desire to pray, to be nourished by Word and Sacrament, to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the wonder of the human soul and shows the way to be "the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ" (Deus Caritas Est, 33).
It is this love - Christ's love - for which the world yearns. Thus you are called by so many to "be his witnesses".
Some of you have friends with little real purpose in their lives, perhaps caught up in a futile search for endless new experiences. Bring them to World Youth Day too! In fact, I have noticed that against the tide of secularism many young people are rediscovering the satisfying quest for authentic beauty, goodness and truth. Through your witness you help them in their search for the Spirit of God. Be courageous in that witness! Strive to spread Christ's guiding light, which gives purpose to all life, making lasting joy and happiness possible for everyone.
My dear young people, until we meet in Sydney, may the Lord protect you all. Let us entrust these preparations to Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Help of Christians. With her, let us pray: "Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love".
www.wyd2008.org
May our Lord be brought to all people thoughout the world this World Youth Day! May it be the biggest yet! May God Be Praised in all things! God Bless!
Dear Young People,
One year from now we will meet at World Youth Day in Sydney! I want to encourage you to prepare well for this marvellous celebration of the faith, which will be spent in the company of your bishops, priests, Religious, youth leaders and one another. Enter fully into the life of your parishes and participate enthusiastically in diocesan events! In this way you will be equipped spiritually to experience new depths of understanding of all that we believe when we gather in Sydney next July.
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). As you know, these words of Jesus form the theme of World Youth Day 2008. How the Apostles felt upon hearing these words, we can only imagine, but their confusion was no doubt tempered with a sense of awe and of eager anticipation for the coming ofthe Spirit. United in prayer with Mary and the others gathered in the Upper Room (cf Acts 1:14), they experienced the true power of the Spirit, whose presence transforms uncertainty, fear, and division into purpose, hope and communion.
A sense of awe and eager anticipation also describes how we feel as we make preparations to meet in Sydney. For many of us, this will be a long journey. Yet Australia and its people evoke images of a warm welcome and wondrous beauty, of an ancient aboriginal history and a multitude of vibrant cities and communities. I know that already the ecclesial and government authorities, together with numerous young Australians, are working very hard to ensure an exceptional experience for us all. I offer them my heartfelt thanks.
World Youth Day is much more than an event. It is a time of deep spiritual renewal, the fruits of which benefit the whole of society. Young pilgrims are filled with the desire to pray, to be nourished by Word and Sacrament, to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the wonder of the human soul and shows the way to be "the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ" (Deus Caritas Est, 33).
It is this love - Christ's love - for which the world yearns. Thus you are called by so many to "be his witnesses".
Some of you have friends with little real purpose in their lives, perhaps caught up in a futile search for endless new experiences. Bring them to World Youth Day too! In fact, I have noticed that against the tide of secularism many young people are rediscovering the satisfying quest for authentic beauty, goodness and truth. Through your witness you help them in their search for the Spirit of God. Be courageous in that witness! Strive to spread Christ's guiding light, which gives purpose to all life, making lasting joy and happiness possible for everyone.
My dear young people, until we meet in Sydney, may the Lord protect you all. Let us entrust these preparations to Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Help of Christians. With her, let us pray: "Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love".
www.wyd2008.org
May our Lord be brought to all people thoughout the world this World Youth Day! May it be the biggest yet! May God Be Praised in all things! God Bless!
World Youth Day 2008
Images of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon! Praised Be Jesus Christ...Now and forever! Amen
Holy Father John Paul II at the Tomb of Padre Pio on the 100 Anniversary of his birth
Photo and information from www.padrepio.com
Friday, September 7, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Hello
I am sorry I have not had any new posts lately, I have been in Texas visiting again the School Sisters of St. Francis in Panhandle, TX. I spent a week there again and turned in my application for possible acceptance, I am now waiting on a few last minute things for the application and I will know in a few weeks if my application was accepted! Please keep me in your prayers! God Bless you! I have enjoyed my time there and truely feel God is calling me to continue this path with the School Sisters.
The Superior asked me what I really enjoyed about my time at the convent and I said "I feel beautiful here" it may sound kind of strange but I really feel that this convent is where I have felt the most beautiful.
Please keep me in your prayers as I am needing to pay off College debt before entering!
The Superior asked me what I really enjoyed about my time at the convent and I said "I feel beautiful here" it may sound kind of strange but I really feel that this convent is where I have felt the most beautiful.
Please keep me in your prayers as I am needing to pay off College debt before entering!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
St. Augustine Feast Day
A Wayward Son Returns Home
He was deluded by paganism and lived a sinful lifestyle! Yet he became one of the greatest thinkers in Western history, and more importantly, a saint. St. Augustine (354-430) was a brilliant scholar and teacher even as a young man, but he was led astray by the false charms of a wayward life. He lived with a mistress and fathered a child out of wedlock, and deeply resented the prayers his mother, St. Monica, offered on his behalf.
Knowing that his mother wanted to accompany him when he moved to Rome, Augustine slipped away (telling her he was going down to the docks to send off a friend, when in fact he, himself, was departing). Heartbroken, Monica followed him to Rome and then to Milan, where she was encouraged to persevere in her prayers by the great bishop, St. Ambrose.
Ambrose's own spiritual and intellectual integrity prompted Augustine to re-examine his own beliefs, and during the spiritual crisis which resulted, Augustine heard a voice telling him to "take and read" the Bible. When he did so, he opened by chance to St. Paul's statement that "the night is far spent, and the day draws near ... therefore, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh" (Rom 13:12-14).
Upon reading this passage, Augustine finally experienced a sense of true peace and enlightenment, leading to a profound conversion. He was baptized a Christian on Easter, 387, and he and St. Monica rejoiced together in the short time remaining before her death.
Augustine returned to North Africa and was ordained a priest; in 396 was chosen as Bishop of the city of Hippo. He was a very successful pastor and an even greater theologian, playing a major role in overcoming the heresies of Donatism (an excessively harsh understanding of Christianity) and Pelagianism (the false belief that humans can save themselves without the help of God's grace). He helped develop the Church's teachings on grace, original sin, and the Holy Trinity. He is a Doctor of the Church. His autobiography, the Confessions is beloved by many, and his life is an inspiration to all who seek the merciful forgiveness of God.
Catholic Exchange
He was deluded by paganism and lived a sinful lifestyle! Yet he became one of the greatest thinkers in Western history, and more importantly, a saint. St. Augustine (354-430) was a brilliant scholar and teacher even as a young man, but he was led astray by the false charms of a wayward life. He lived with a mistress and fathered a child out of wedlock, and deeply resented the prayers his mother, St. Monica, offered on his behalf.
Knowing that his mother wanted to accompany him when he moved to Rome, Augustine slipped away (telling her he was going down to the docks to send off a friend, when in fact he, himself, was departing). Heartbroken, Monica followed him to Rome and then to Milan, where she was encouraged to persevere in her prayers by the great bishop, St. Ambrose.
Ambrose's own spiritual and intellectual integrity prompted Augustine to re-examine his own beliefs, and during the spiritual crisis which resulted, Augustine heard a voice telling him to "take and read" the Bible. When he did so, he opened by chance to St. Paul's statement that "the night is far spent, and the day draws near ... therefore, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh" (Rom 13:12-14).
Upon reading this passage, Augustine finally experienced a sense of true peace and enlightenment, leading to a profound conversion. He was baptized a Christian on Easter, 387, and he and St. Monica rejoiced together in the short time remaining before her death.
Augustine returned to North Africa and was ordained a priest; in 396 was chosen as Bishop of the city of Hippo. He was a very successful pastor and an even greater theologian, playing a major role in overcoming the heresies of Donatism (an excessively harsh understanding of Christianity) and Pelagianism (the false belief that humans can save themselves without the help of God's grace). He helped develop the Church's teachings on grace, original sin, and the Holy Trinity. He is a Doctor of the Church. His autobiography, the Confessions is beloved by many, and his life is an inspiration to all who seek the merciful forgiveness of God.
Catholic Exchange
Monday, August 27, 2007
St. Monica
Rewards of Persistent Prayer
St. Monica (331-387) was the mother of St. Augustine (whose feast day is August 28). Monica, her pagan and licentious husband Patricius, his cantankerous mother, and her three children (including Augustine) all lived together in North Africa.
There was plenty of potential for family strife and discord, but Monica's patience and charity made the difference; her saintly example eventually brought about the conversions of her husband and mother-in-law.
Augustine, however, proved a tougher nut to crack; he indulged in a free and loose lifestyle, and adhered to a pagan philosophy condemned by the Church. After Patricius died, Monica tried to discipline her brilliant but wayward son (at one point even locking him out of her house), but to no avail. Monica's constant sacrifices, prayers, and admonitions seemed to have little effect (other than annoying her son).
At the age of twenty-nine, Augustine tried to break free of his mother's influence, travelling to Rome and then to Milan; a determined Monica followed him and was present when her son finally experienced a conversion. Augustine became a Christian in 387; St. Monica became ill and died soon after this. The time remaining to mother and son was short but beautiful, for they shared their faith and discussed the life to come.
Information from Catholic Exchange
St. Monica (331-387) was the mother of St. Augustine (whose feast day is August 28). Monica, her pagan and licentious husband Patricius, his cantankerous mother, and her three children (including Augustine) all lived together in North Africa.
There was plenty of potential for family strife and discord, but Monica's patience and charity made the difference; her saintly example eventually brought about the conversions of her husband and mother-in-law.
Augustine, however, proved a tougher nut to crack; he indulged in a free and loose lifestyle, and adhered to a pagan philosophy condemned by the Church. After Patricius died, Monica tried to discipline her brilliant but wayward son (at one point even locking him out of her house), but to no avail. Monica's constant sacrifices, prayers, and admonitions seemed to have little effect (other than annoying her son).
At the age of twenty-nine, Augustine tried to break free of his mother's influence, travelling to Rome and then to Milan; a determined Monica followed him and was present when her son finally experienced a conversion. Augustine became a Christian in 387; St. Monica became ill and died soon after this. The time remaining to mother and son was short but beautiful, for they shared their faith and discussed the life to come.
Information from Catholic Exchange
Friday, August 24, 2007
Catholic Church
Please watch! Can you tell me who is singing? God Bless! Wonderful, beautiful video! God Bless!
St. Bartholomew, Apostle
August 23, 2007
The name of the Apostle St. Bartholomew is included among the lists of the Twelve Apostles, but aside from this, there's no mention of him in the New Testament. Many scholars feel he is the same man as Nathaniel, whom St. John's Gospel has Jesus describing as "an Israelite in whom there is no guile" (Jn 1:45).
Bartholomew initially doubted the possibility of the Messiah coming from Nazareth, but upon meeting Jesus he immediately declared Him to be "the Son of God and the King of Israel" (Jn 1:49). Early Church legends describe Bartholomew as having preached the gospel in India and Armenia, where he supposedly suffered martyrdom by being flayed alive; the historical value of these legends is open to question.
St. Bartholomew is in a sense the "unknown Apostle," and for this reason, he can serve as a patron saint for almost all of us. Most of us will never become famous or important in the eyes of the world, but this matters little; all of us are perfectly known, and infinitely important, in the eyes of God. The simple, everyday lives we lead can, if we offer them to God, become ways of helping bring about His Kingdom. St. Bartholomew isn't as well known as Peter, John, Thomas, or some of the other Apostles; what matters is that he responded wholeheartedly to God's call.
The name of the Apostle St. Bartholomew is included among the lists of the Twelve Apostles, but aside from this, there's no mention of him in the New Testament. Many scholars feel he is the same man as Nathaniel, whom St. John's Gospel has Jesus describing as "an Israelite in whom there is no guile" (Jn 1:45).
Bartholomew initially doubted the possibility of the Messiah coming from Nazareth, but upon meeting Jesus he immediately declared Him to be "the Son of God and the King of Israel" (Jn 1:49). Early Church legends describe Bartholomew as having preached the gospel in India and Armenia, where he supposedly suffered martyrdom by being flayed alive; the historical value of these legends is open to question.
St. Bartholomew is in a sense the "unknown Apostle," and for this reason, he can serve as a patron saint for almost all of us. Most of us will never become famous or important in the eyes of the world, but this matters little; all of us are perfectly known, and infinitely important, in the eyes of God. The simple, everyday lives we lead can, if we offer them to God, become ways of helping bring about His Kingdom. St. Bartholomew isn't as well known as Peter, John, Thomas, or some of the other Apostles; what matters is that he responded wholeheartedly to God's call.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Largest Ever Planned Parenthood Abortion Mill Threatens to Open Near Chicago
A huge new abortion clinic, said to be the largest Planned Parenthood Center in the United States, has been constructed near Chicago. In response Illinois pro-lifers have launched a major grass-roots campaign to prevent it from opening on its scheduled date this September.
If the 22,000-square-foot, $7.5 million facility opens, it will offer contraceptives, pregnancy tests, sexually transmitted disease testing and abortions. Officials expect to receive 8,000 patients and 10,500 visits within the first year. Of those visits, reports the Chicago Daily Herald, about 2,400 will be for abortions.
Eric Schiedler, Communications Director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, described the overwhelmingly positive support that the organization's efforts have received. He told LifeSiteNews.com that over the course of just ten days, hundreds of pro-lifers have added their support, vowing to prevent Planned Parenthood from entering Aurora.
City residents had no idea what was being constructed in the East side of Aurora, near Chicago. As Schiedler remarked in a recent report, "Planned Parenthood snuck into town." He added, "They were nearly finished building this place before we learned about it. We haven't got much time to stop them, but we're doing all we can."
Schiedler told LifeSiteNews.com that pro-lifers are calling for an investigation of the city council of Aurora into the fraudulent process by which Planned Parenthood came into the community. Planned Parenthood constructed the facility under another name, listing it as the "Gemini Medical Office Building."
"Planned Parenthood knew what they were doing," Schielder said in a press release. "Pro-lifers have stymied them before when they knew Planned Parenthood was coming to town. This time they kept things quiet until it was too late to halt construction."
Schiedler told LifeSiteNews.com, "They lied to the city of Aurora...They let the city council believe it was going to be a quiet, medical office." According to the Beacon News, however, Steve Trombley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area, said that the building would be the largest Planned Parenthood health center.
The pro-life community has launched a full-force grassroots effort to stop the clinic's opening. On August 9 they began the "40 Days for Life" praying, fasting and 24-hour vigil campaign with this intention. The largest "40 Days for Life" Campaign is scheduled to take place in cities across the nation starting on September 26.
The Pro-Life Action League is also organizing a massive pro-life demonstration in front of the Planned Parenthood facility next Saturday morning, August 25 from 9 to 11 a.m.
If the 22,000-square-foot, $7.5 million facility opens, it will offer contraceptives, pregnancy tests, sexually transmitted disease testing and abortions. Officials expect to receive 8,000 patients and 10,500 visits within the first year. Of those visits, reports the Chicago Daily Herald, about 2,400 will be for abortions.
Eric Schiedler, Communications Director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, described the overwhelmingly positive support that the organization's efforts have received. He told LifeSiteNews.com that over the course of just ten days, hundreds of pro-lifers have added their support, vowing to prevent Planned Parenthood from entering Aurora.
City residents had no idea what was being constructed in the East side of Aurora, near Chicago. As Schiedler remarked in a recent report, "Planned Parenthood snuck into town." He added, "They were nearly finished building this place before we learned about it. We haven't got much time to stop them, but we're doing all we can."
Schiedler told LifeSiteNews.com that pro-lifers are calling for an investigation of the city council of Aurora into the fraudulent process by which Planned Parenthood came into the community. Planned Parenthood constructed the facility under another name, listing it as the "Gemini Medical Office Building."
"Planned Parenthood knew what they were doing," Schielder said in a press release. "Pro-lifers have stymied them before when they knew Planned Parenthood was coming to town. This time they kept things quiet until it was too late to halt construction."
Schiedler told LifeSiteNews.com, "They lied to the city of Aurora...They let the city council believe it was going to be a quiet, medical office." According to the Beacon News, however, Steve Trombley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area, said that the building would be the largest Planned Parenthood health center.
The pro-life community has launched a full-force grassroots effort to stop the clinic's opening. On August 9 they began the "40 Days for Life" praying, fasting and 24-hour vigil campaign with this intention. The largest "40 Days for Life" Campaign is scheduled to take place in cities across the nation starting on September 26.
The Pro-Life Action League is also organizing a massive pro-life demonstration in front of the Planned Parenthood facility next Saturday morning, August 25 from 9 to 11 a.m.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Oh My @#%$@#$!
Thou Shalt Not take the Lord's name in vain. That is the third commandment given to Moses from God.
# 3 Kind of important, so why is it so often broken without a second thought? I hear our Lord's name taken as a curse everyday! I know I am not the only one, it is everywhere! It is really heart breaking! God is not someone to curse but to praise, to worship and adore. Here is the thing, it just seems to be an expression like, "Oh My!" nothing to worry over, no offense, no problem. Why?
I have started to say a Hail Mary every time I hear someone curse the Lord's name. I don't remember all the time, but I try to at least recognize it and apologize for them. It breaks my heart! Today, if you hear someone curse using the Lord's name say a prayer for them and apologize to our Lord for them, that will mean something. God Bless
# 3 Kind of important, so why is it so often broken without a second thought? I hear our Lord's name taken as a curse everyday! I know I am not the only one, it is everywhere! It is really heart breaking! God is not someone to curse but to praise, to worship and adore. Here is the thing, it just seems to be an expression like, "Oh My!" nothing to worry over, no offense, no problem. Why?
I have started to say a Hail Mary every time I hear someone curse the Lord's name. I don't remember all the time, but I try to at least recognize it and apologize for them. It breaks my heart! Today, if you hear someone curse using the Lord's name say a prayer for them and apologize to our Lord for them, that will mean something. God Bless
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Maximilian Kolbe
[photograph of Saint Maximilian]
Also known as
Apostle of Consecration to Mary; Maksymilian Maria; Massimiliano Maria Kolbe; Maximilian Mary Kolbe; Rajmund Kolbe; Raymond Kolbe
Memorial
14 August
Profile
Second of three sons born to a poor but pious Catholic family in Russian occupied Poland. His parents, both Franciscan lay tertiaries, worked at home as weavers. His father, Julius, later ran a religious book store, then enlisted in Pilsudski's army, fought for Polish independence from Russia, and was hanged by the Russians as a traitor in 1914. His mother, Marianne Dabrowska, later became a Benedictine nun. His brother Alphonse became a priest.
Raymond was known as a mischievous child, sometimes considered wild, and a trial to his parents. However, in 1906 at Pabianice, at age twelve and around the time of his first Communion, he received a vision of the Virgin Mary that changed his life.
I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both. -Saint Maximilian
He entered the Franciscan junior seminary in Lwow, Poland in 1907 where he excelled in mathematics and physics. For a while he wanted to abandon the priesthood for the military, but eventually relented to the call to religious life, and on 4 September 1910 he became a novice in the Conventual Franciscan Order at age 16. He took the name Maximilian, made his first vows on 5 September 1911, his final vows on 1 November 1914.
Studied philosophy at the Jesuit Gregorian College in Rome from 1912 to 1915, and theology at the Franciscan Collegio Serafico in Rome from 1915 to 1919. On 16 October 1917, while still in seminary, he and six friends founded the Immaculata Movement (Militia Immaculatae, Crusade of Mary Immaculate) devoted to the conversion of sinners, opposition to freemasonry (which was extremely anti-Catholic at the time), spread of the Miraculous Medal (which they wore as their habit), and devotion to Our Lady and the path to Christ. Stricken with tuberculosis which nearly killed him, and left him in frail in health the rest of his life. Ordained on 28 April 1918 in Rome at age 24. Received his Doctor of Theology on 22 July 1922; his insights into Marian theology echo today through their influence on Vatican II.
Maximilian returned to Poland on 29 July 1919 to teach history in the Crakow seminary. He had to take a medical leave from 10 August 1920 to 28 April 1921 to be treated for tuberculosis at the hospital at Zakpane in the Tatra Mountains. In January 1922 he began publication of the magazine Knight of the Immaculate to fight religious apathy; by 1927 the magazine had a press run of 70,000 issues. He was forced to take another medical leave from 18 September 1926 to 13 April 1927, but the work continued. The friaries from which he had worked were not large enough for his work, and in 1927 Polish Prince Jan Drucko-Lubecki gave him land at Teresin near Warsaw. There he founded a new monastery of Niepokalanow, the City of the Immaculate which was consecrated on 8 December 1927. At its peak the Knight of the Immaculate had a press run of 750,000 copies a month. A junior seminary was started on the grounds in 1929. In 1935 the house began printing a daily Catholic newspaper, The Little Daily with a press run of 137,000 on work days, 225,000 on Sundays and holy days.
Not content with his work in Poland, Maximilian and four brothers left for Japan in 1930. Within a month of their arrival, penniless and knowing no Japanese, Maximilian was printing a Japanese version of the Knight; the magazine, Seibo no Kishi grew to a circulation of 65,000 by 1936. In 1931 he founded a monastery in Nagasaki, Japan comparable to Niepokalanow. It survived the war, including the nuclear bombing, and serves today as a center of Franciscan work in Japan.
In mid-1932 he left Japan for Malabar, India where he founded a third Niepokalanow house. However, due to a lack of manpower, it did not survive.
Poor health forced him to curtail his missionary work and return to Poland in 1936. On 8 December 1938 the monastery started its own radio station. By 1939 the monastery housed a religious community of nearly 800 men, the largest in the world in its day, and was completely self-sufficient including medical facilities and a fire brigade staffed by the religious brothers.
Arrested with several of his brothers on 19 September 1939 following the Nazi invasion of Poland. Others at the monastery were briefly exiled, but the prisoners were released on 8 December 1939, and the men returned to their work. Back at Niepokalanow he continued his priestly ministry, The brothers housed 3,000 Polish refugees, two-thirds of whom were Jewish, and continued their publication work, including materials considered anti-Nazi. For this work the presses were shut down, the congregation suppressed, the brothers dispersed, and Maximilian was imprisoned in Pawiak prison, Warsaw, Poland on 17 February 1941.
On 28 May 1941 he was transferred to Auschwitz and branded as prisoner 16670. He was assigned to a special work group staffed by priests and supervised by especially vicious and abusive guards. His calm dedication to the faith brought him the worst jobs available, and more beatings than anyone else. At one point he was beaten, lashed, and left for dead. The prisoners managed to smuggle him into the camp hospital where he spent his recovery time hearing confessions. When he returned to the camp, Maximilian ministered to other prisoners, including conducting Mass and delivering communion using smuggled bread and wine.
In July 1941 there was an escape from the camp. Camp protocol, designed to make the prisoners guard each other, required that ten men be slaughtered in retribution for each escaped prisoner. Francis Gajowniczek, a married man with young children was chosen to die for the escape. Maximilian volunteered to take his place, and died as he had always wished - in service.
Born
7 January 1894 at Zdunska Wola, Poland as Raymond Kolbe
Died
14 August 1941 by lethal carbonic acid injection after three weeks of starvation and dehydration at the Auschwitz, Poland death camp; body burned in the ovens and ashes scattered
Venerated
30 January 1969 by Pope Paul VI
Beatified
17 October 1971 by Pope Paul VI; his beatification miracles include the July 1948 cure of intestinal tuberculosis of Angela Testoni, and August 1950 cure of calcification of the arteries/sclerosis of Francis Ranier
Canonized
10 October 1982 by Pope John Paul II; declared a martyr of charity
Patronage
drug addiction; drug addicts; families; imprisoned people; journalists; political prisoners; prisoners; pro-life movement
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
According to Sister Mary Catherine, Mother Vicar of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery:
"Mother Angelica remains in good spirits. She spends much of the day in her room, gaining in Holiness. The Nuns love spending time with Mother as she is at peace and displays a gentle countenance and joyful laugh. Christ radiates in her. One positive note on her physical condition, Mother's speaking and writing ability, which was hampered by the stroke she suffered in 2002, continues to improve with time."
May God Bless Mother and her work even now!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
SAINT THERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS
The Early Years
Edith Stein was born on October 12, 1891, Yom Kippur, of Orthodox Jewish parents. A brilliant Jewish girl, but at age 14 she suddenly stopped praying and dropped out of school, angry because an anti-Semitic teacher consistently refused to put her at the head of the class even though the entire class thought she had earned it. However, eager for education, she received private tutoring and was admitted to the University of Breslau, one of the very first women admitted to full matriculation at a major university, where she majored in psychology.
The Philosophy Years
In the summer of 1913, when she was nearly 22 years old, Edith was an atheist on the surface but a Jew deep in her heart. This is fairly common among young Jews when their faith is presented to them simply as ethical idealism. They see it as a philosophy rather than a faith, and find it appropriate to probe its defects. Edith took a neutral position on God and refused all religious practice. Instead, she began to look for intellectual principles more deeply rooted in truth than those of Judaism.
Edith Stein did not find these higher principles in psychology, so she switched to the University of Göttingen to study philosophy under Edmund Husserl. His “phenomenology” sought to make philosophy a hard science by resolving the conflict between empiricism (observation) and rationalism (reason and theory). Phenomenology highlights the origin of all philosophical and scientific systems and theoretical constructs in the experiential life. Soon Edith became Husserl’s most gifted student; and when she had brilliantly completed her studies with a doctorate summa cum laude, he took her on as his assistant and collaborator.
The Old Damascus Road
Christ calls to us in ways that fill our needs. Phenomenology led Edith Stein into a state of Voraussetzungslosigkeit, total impartiality, without which she would have been incapable of opening herself to thinking of God in terms of objective analysis. She set out to understand what should be her relationship with God. She began to weigh the three alternatives within her environment: Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic.
She tried to return to the Judaism of her parents, especially by reading the Old Testament prophets. After deep exploration, Edith decided that Judaism did not fill the need in her heart. But she never tried to refute it, as some Jews who have become complete in Christ do. She was always respectful. Her exploration of Protestant religion fit in with her preference for Bach’s Christian music. More important, the Christian response to grief for the atrocities of World War I and the strength of Christian hope born of the Cross of Christ deeply impressed her.
Edith had tried to reach Christ on a rational level, but He reached her heart. She had become close to Adolf and Anna Reinach, both Jewish converts to the Evangelical Church. Adolf enlisted early in World War I and was killed in 1917. Edith went to his home to help Anna arrange his scholarly papers. She had also come to console Anna. Anna, however, was serene; her deep Christian faith led her to see the Cross in Adolf’s death. Anna’s deep faith made a deep impression on Edith, and prepared her for what was to come. Relating this experience many years later to Father Hirschaum,a Jesuit, Edith told him, “This was my first meeting with the Cross, with the divine strength it brings to those who bear it. I saw for the first time within my reach the Church, born of the Redeemer’s sufferings in his victory over the sting of death. It was at that moment that my incredulity was shattered and the light of Christ shone forth, Christ in the mystery of the Cross.” However, this was preparation. Many Jews who find Christ, myself included, experience something like what Saul of Tarsus experienced on the road to Damascus, which breaks our attachment to our old way of thinking and prepares us for the conversion itself.
During the next three or four years Edith, again like many Jews attracted to Christ, entered a period of intense reflection. She read numerous books on Catholic spirituality. One day she bought a book on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. She began by getting involved in the Exercises at a purely psychological level, but after a few pages she found this impossible. She ended up doing the Spiritual Exercises as an atheist thirsting for God. The Exercises were Christ’s preparation for what was to follow. That came in June 1921. she went to Bergzabern, to the home of a friend, Hedwig Konrad Martius, a regular meeting place of Husserl former students. Edith discovered in the library The Book of the Life, the autobiography of the great Spanish mystic, St Teresa of Avila, who originated the Carmelite Reform that restored and emphasized the austerity and contemplative character of primitive Carmelite life. Edith, astonishlingly, finished the entire book in a single night. Closing it, she exclaimed, “This is the truth! Her Damascus transformation was complete; all became light for her.
The Path to Carmel
Edith was baptised on January 1st 1922 and at once began to consider becoming a Carmelite nun. She had always sought the most complete path; Carmel seemed the only way to satisfy her desire for totality. Thirty years old, full of energy and enthusiasm, her faith became an integral part of her life.
Mt. Carmel is in some mysterious way associated with Jews who become Catholic. The prophet Elijah had spent most of his life on Mt. Carmel. Elijah, the rabbis taught, would return to herald the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus told us Mt 11:14 “[John the Baptist] is Elijah who is to come.” Rev. Elias Friedman, a Jew who became a Catholic priest and founded the Association of Hebrew Catholics, was a Carmelite friar. Edith Stein, when she was baptized, received a vocation to Carmel.
Twelve years passed, however, before she entered the Carmel of Cologne. During that time she taught at the Institute for Scientific Pedagogy in Munster, gave lecture tours, studied, and above all matured interiorly. Here again, Christ’s ways are above ours. Edith may well have continued her brilliant academic career for the rest of her life, but the rising tide of anti-Semitic measures made it impossible for her to continue teaching. Edith became a Carmelite nun, taking the name of Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Her name, “of the Cross,” probably taken in honor of St. John of the Cross, was prophetic. The Germans discovered her Jewish origins. She was no longer safe behind monastery walls in Germany, so in the wee hours of New Year’s Day 1939 she was taken to Holland, to the Carmel of Echt. It seemed tranquil, but Edith sensed that she would not escape the destiny of her people.
The Final Journey
On Sunday July 26, 1942, a protest by the Catholic Bishops of Holland against the Nazi deportation of Dutch Jews was read at every Mass in all churches. It said, “In this we are following the path indicated by our Holy Father, the Pope.” Gestapo General-Commissar Schmidt announced, “We are compelled to regard the Catholic Jews as our worst enemies and consequently see to their deportation to the East with all possible speed.” One week later, the Gestapo arrested, deported, and sent to Auschwitz all Dutch Catholics of Jewish origin. At the Carmel of Echt, while she was writing her book on the doctrine of St John of the Cross, titled The Science of the Cross, two officials of the German occupation forces came to the monastery. She had to go with them, together with her sister Rose, also a convert, who had joined her in Echt. Edith and Rose Stein were deported to Auschwitz. On August 9th, 1942, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, in a white house filled with Zyklon-B gas, went to heaven.
Pope John Paul II beatified Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross on May 1, 1987 and canonized her on Oct. 11, 1998.
St. Teresa Benedicta, pray for us!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
From Fr. Tom Euteneuer of Human Life International
Abortion: The Devil's Masterpiece
A few weeks ago, I visited Leroy Carhart's partial birth abortion mill in Omaha, NE and beheld for a few uncomfortable moments a totally repulsive center of human wickedness. Just looking at the dilapidated former car repair garage turned into baby-killing factory and the squalor of the entire surrounding area, I could not help but notice that the evil of abortion degrades everything that it touches. Abortion is not only a social plague; it is also the spiritual negation of God's entire plan for man's happiness and eternal welfare. Whenever God says "Yes" to life and fertility the devil yells a resounding "No!"
Abortion's spiritual power is its perfect violation of all the commandments. First of all, most abortions are the result of sins against the sixth or ninth commandments (adultery/fornication/lust). Abortion is certainly a sin against the fifth commandment prohibiting murder. Likewise, it violates the third commandment because the vast majority of babies are killed on abortion's heaviest business days, Saturdays (the Sabbath). Abortion is also a reversal of the fourth commandment where father and mother "dishonor" the child in the most heinous way and, in doing so, curse the holiness of God (second commandment) which is manifested in the only creature made in His "image and likeness." As a false religion, abortion is a violation of the first commandment forbidding the worship of any other gods but the Lord, and this religion is undoubtedly fed through a highly sophisticated system of falsehoods and deceits (eighth commandment) which lead women into the abortion chambers.
Furthermore, abortion literally steals (seventh commandment) both our personal and national futures by depriving us of children! Anyone concerned about the present immigration issue should remember that the presence of more than 40 million Hispanic immigrants in this country tracks the destruction of 47 million of our own children by abortion since the Roe death decision. The saying, "nature abhors a vacuum" is as true in demographics as it is in physics. Finally, the tenth commandment (coveting our neighbor's goods) is about the capital sin of greed, the very thing that drives so many of the abortionists to do the killing work. Abortionists often claim to hate abortion, but they love the money behind it.
Abortion is like a huge spiritual vortex of sin pulling people into it, and even the Church can be compromised by this evil too. Most of the sins listed above are sins of commission, but the Church's sins are generally sins of omission, which abortion inspires - the terrible silence of the clergy on this topic, heretical "Catholic" politicians who are never disciplined by bishops, the easy justification of abortion by Catholic educators, the moral compromise by Catholic medical personnel on abortifacient contraception and sterilizations, etc. I am sure the devil just laughs and pats himself on the back when he sees the Church, that has the spiritual power to undo "all his work and all his empty promises," sitting back and pretending that abortion is a non-issue.
All of this is to point out that abortion is a spiritual power that negates God's plan for love, life and the family. It not only destroys bodies but destroys souls, which from the point of view of eternity, represents the devil's greatest masterpiece of evil.Fr. Tom Euteneuer
President of Human Life International
I think he has said it best and their is not much more to say other than St. Gianna Molla Pray for us!
THIRD DAY - SHOW ME YOUR GLORY - LIVE
This song was written based off scripture from the Transfiguration! (I think Third Day are closet catholics!)
Feast of the Transfiguration
Monday is the feast of the Transfiguration.
How beautiful it must have been for the apostles to see such beauty even if they did not understand what was happening. But would have I? I doubt it!
Prayer for Knowing My Vocation
Jeus, In you Sacred Heart you have loved me woderfully and have challenged me to live my life in oneness with you.
Daily send forth your Spirit of courage to help me respond to your love
of wisdom so I may know the path I am to take
of love so I may be witness to you in all I do and say. AMEN
This is for your Susie:)
This is a quote from Saint Therese of Lisieux:
"I have realized that whoever undertakes to do anything for the sake of earthly things or to earn the praise of others, deceives himself. Today one thing pleases the world, tomorrow another; and what is praised on one occasion is denounced on another. Blessed are you, my Lord and my God, for you are unchangeable for all eternity. Whoever serves you faithfully to the end will enjoy life without end in eternity. AMEN"
O Lord, you who said: Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven: grant, we beseech you, that in humility and simplicity of heart we may so follow the blessed virgin Theresa, as to obtain reward everlasting. Who livesw and reigns world without end. AMEN
O servant of God, Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, who in your dying moments said: I will spend my heaven in doing good upon earth, hasten to let fall upon me a shower of roses that I, too, may be inflamed with that fire of love which burned so brilliantly in your breast which brought you so gloriously to the arms of Jesus, my Lord and my God. Amen.
What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love
Without love deeds, even billiant, count as nothing.
My vocation is to love
Breastplate of St. Patrick
This is the prayer of St. Patrick I thought I would share with you as I truly love this pray as when I read it it helps me remember to put God first in my life always! Now I know it is not March but I just came across this again today and wanted to share it! God Bless you all
ST. PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE
I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need; the wisdom of my God to teach, His hand to guide, His shield to ward; the word of God to give me speech, His heavenly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in the hearts of all that love me, Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name, the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three, of whom all nature hath creation; Eternal Father, Spirit, Word, praise to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.
I did it!
I figured out how to get my posts to be listed on the same page! I am very excited and a little proud of myself (but not too proud) as I am sure that I will have something else come up and I will again be dumbfounded as to how to solve a new thing with this here blog! Anyway now you can see all posts on the same page!
Images of Jesus
These are some of my favorite images of Jesus Christ that I have come across! It is always the eyes that makes me ponder God's great love for us! How blessed we are that God would send his Son to us and for us. May God Bless you this day when you look at him in the Eucharist may you know how much God loves you and know he is truly with you at every moment of everyday!
I have finally figured out how to post images!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I still can't figure out why my posts are going to other pages when it could still just stream on the same page! Any suggestions? I have gone to the help and have had no luck finding the answer to my particular issue.
Anyway,
I wanted today to say that I have been having a great time on a couple of different Catholic Forums just meeting and discussing the Church with other people! I have gone to CHN Forum, Catholic Answers Forum and Catholic Community. It has been fun! Technology can work to our advantage if we let it. I can now contact and exchange ideas with people in so many different avenues that I have never tried before. More to come! God Bless!
Anyway,
I wanted today to say that I have been having a great time on a couple of different Catholic Forums just meeting and discussing the Church with other people! I have gone to CHN Forum, Catholic Answers Forum and Catholic Community. It has been fun! Technology can work to our advantage if we let it. I can now contact and exchange ideas with people in so many different avenues that I have never tried before. More to come! God Bless!
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