The Mike Wallace Interview - Margaret Sanger 9/21/57

Working with post-abortive women and those who have grown to be remorseful of using contraception; in particular the birth control bill; I know the note written by David Dowd is very much on the mark.

The following is from Facebook.

by David E. Dowd (notes) Yesterday at 10:26pm

Planned Parenthood is the most bloodthirsty organization on the face of the earth. The business of Planned Parenthood is the corruption of our children and the destruction of innocent life in the womb.

You are about to see the face of Margaret Sanger as she is interviewed by Mike Wallace. Study her face, listen to her words. Comprehend the evil the woman is proposing and notice how ignorant Mike Wallace is.... in the face of the evil Margaret Sanger is proposing.

Recognize, as you watch this video, the statistics delivered by Planned Parenthood... if you have a Planned Parenthood in your local community, consider the number of young men and women who have passed through the doors of Planned Parenthood to buy underpriced contraception, which corrupts the soul of the user... which is sold without parental consent to minors, which destroys newly conceived human life, which destroys relationships by turning sex into something robbed by the intrinsic evils brought about by sex without consequences.

Consider the tax dollars you pay our government so the policies of Planned Parenthood can corrupt innocent people in countries this country does business with. Consider NSM 200 which was passed during the Ford Administration turning our foreign policy with the United Nations into 3rd, 4th and 5th world countries into coercive exportation of contraception in exchange for aid.

Consider the damage done by every abortion Planned Parenthood performs for money which kills babies inside the womb of their mothers... to the mothers.... who, to their unmitigated shame and guilt often wake up to learn they have been deceived.

Consider the damage done by Planned Parenthood sex education courses in our schools which cheapen young people by reducing their self awareness to that of creatures who "Are going to do it anyway, so use protection"

Consider the corruption in our state legislatures as legislators are forced to corrupt their own sense of right and wrong by voting to spend your tax dollars in support of corruption of our youth and destruction of our innocent unborn.

Consider the hatred for US policy sewn in the hearts of those who have been deceived by the US...

Consider the Holy Father was right when he predicted these and other catastrophes when Humanae Vitae was written and Paul VI wrote of the consequences if the teaching in Humanae Vitae was not taught, learned and practiced.

Consider the damage done in our seminaries by dissenters to Humanae Vitae... and then consider generations of priests ordained in the 70s 80s 90s and early 2000s were taught dissent in their seminaries...

And consider Catholics in parishes across this nation and around the world never taught Humanae Vitae by these priests who practice birth control... mindless of the damages done to their unborn and their own souls...

Consider these evils when you view the face of Margaret Sanger...

And thank a priest to teaches the truth.

Under the mercy,

David E. Dowd
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/sanger_margaret.html

72-Page Report Documents Obama’s “Radical” Nominees and Appointments

72-Page Report Documents Obama’s “Radical” Nominees and Appointments

Washington, D.C., January 27, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Liberty Counsel (LC), a pro-life and pro-family legal group, released a 72-page report on Wednesday detailing information on each of the nominations and appointments of President Barack Obama.

The document provides information on more than 100 of Obama’s appointments and nominations. It includes more than 850 citations to articles, websites, and cases regarding each of the individuals and, according to LC, took weeks to compile.

“President Obama has nominated and appointed the most radical group of ideologues ever assembled by an American President,” said Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law. “The list of individuals, their comments, and backgrounds demonstrates that President Obama uses a radical ideological litmus test to select his nominees, which clearly takes preference over experience or qualifications.”

This report exposes the activities of radical activists like Kevin Jennings, Obama’s pick for “safe schools czar.” The founder and former executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, Jennings oversaw more than five years of student-workshops where topics included a message of homosexual sex, giving students their very own “fisting kits,” and graphic descriptions of homosexual practices, including urinating on one’s partner. For the high school students, there was a listing of local gay bars, complete with descriptions, but for the younger children there was a book list, recommended for ages 7-12, featuring explicit descriptions of sex acts between preschoolers; stories that seemed to promote and recommend child-adult sexual relationships; stories of public masturbation affairs between students and teachers, and five-year-olds playing sex games.

Other nominees, like Dawn Johnsen, Obama’s pick to head the Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice, are pro-abortion to an extreme degree. She has said that the idea to make abortion rare as well as safe and legal is “nonsensical” and that abortion restrictions “reduce pregnant women to no more than fetal containers.”

Johnson, the former ACLU employee and legal director of NARAL said, “The argument that women who become pregnant have in some sense consented to the pregnancy belies reality ... and others who are the inevitable losers in the contraceptive lottery no more ‘consent’ to pregnancy than pedestrians ‘consent’ to being struck by drunk drivers.”

“Obama’s nominations are neither moderate nor merely left of center,” concluded LC’s Matt Staver. “They can best be described as radical. They are clearly out of touch with all but a radical fringe. Obama’s pattern of choosing radical ideologues raises serious concern about the competency of the government.”
(To view the complete report by Liberty Counsel, click here)

March for Life Promotional

This is one of the videos produced by a member of the Indianapolis Archdiocesan Youth for Life from the 2010 March for Life. Some of the many youth sent to Washington with the group sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry are featured in this promo video. More videos can be seen on the Archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry website.

Photos of the 3 day pilgrimage were also taken by a member of the Indianapolis Archdiocesan Youth for Life as a representative for the Criterion; the archdiocesan newspaper. Photos and the article Standing up for the unborn: Archdiocesan youths come out in large numbers for annual March for Life in nation’s capital cover the opening Mass for the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the evening of January 21, the private Mass celebrated for the Indianapolis Archdiocesan pilgrims by Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein in the Crypt Chapel of the Basilica the morning of January 22 and the March for Life later in the day.

Other articles of interest about the 2010 March for Life are 2010 March for Life in Pictures, Hilarious Media Bias on March for Life and The Truth About the 2010 March for Life.

Laity in the 21st Century

Evil in the News

Sunday Snippets -- A Catholic Carnival For January 17, 2009

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. We are a group of bloggers who gather once each week to share out best posts. We are all Catholic and blog at least somewhat about Catholic things; some do so exclusively, others only periodically. All are welcome to participate here.

To join in the fun, go to your blog and create a post titled Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. In that post describe and link to any posts you want to share with the rest of us. Then go to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival and follow RAnn's instructions for linking your post to other bloggers. It's a lot of fun and helps draw people who may not normally visit your blog...and you may even gain a new follower or two.

This week for your enjoyment...

1. From God Love You; 2 Videos - Building Materials and He Would Have Gone Farther.

2. Something dfferent - Our Lady of the Eucharist a Catholic Woman's Day Planner from Family Centered Press.

3. A bit about me - Introduce Youself an idea I got from Conversion Diary.

4. 7 Quick Takes Friday - Another weekly I participated in from Conversion Diary.

5. The Weekly Five - A series I started after Adrienne mentioned my blog on Adrienne's Corner.

6. A Truly Inspirational Woman - A Woman of Grace - Select links from Johnnette Benkovic's blog.

Well there you have another week for your musing pleasure...and once again I ask that we offer a prayer for one another, our families and our culture; that we as a nation will once again embrace the Christian values that our great country is founded upon...those values that proclaim all men are created in the image and likeness of God and as such possess dignity and sanctity; and so being all men have the inalienable right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"....in that order!

In the words of Monsignor Schaedel, a very holy priest and the Vicar General of my Archdiocese, "Of one thing I am convinced; of one thing I am certain: Providence never fails!"

This is my last post, God willing until after my return from the March for Life in Washington. With faith, hope and trust in the Providence that will not fail us!

A Truly Inspirational Woman - A Woman of Grace

Johnnette Benkovic

of 

Living His Life Abundantly  and Women of Grace

I was just reading Johnette's blog and I couldn't help but post the following links.  Johnette is such an inspiration for my life and these posts on her blog are such important reminders to me.

My Top Twelve Blessings in 2009

New Year's Resolutions, Part 1

New Year's Resolutions, Part 2

New Year's Resolutions, Part 3

New Year's Resolutions, Part 4

New Year's Resolutions, Part 5 


I have studied and broken down these words of inspiration into manageable bite-size chunks

Over the coming year, as the days progress and with God's grace, I pray I can remember to review these inspirational notes daily; so as to burn them deep within my memory and allow me to follow the R-E-S-O-L-V-E-D acronym with fervent and wholly committment.

The Weekly Five - Friday 1/15/10

The Weekly Five

Alright folks, I'm starting a new series and for lack of a more catchy name I'm calling it The Weekly Five; it should post either Thursday or Friday each week.

 I got this fabulous idea after reading a post called Is Silence Really Golden? at Adrienne's Corner. I was so amazed...I mean really flattered...that Adrienne had this to say about me:

"Patty at St. Monica's Tears is worth a daily visit for her inspirational posts"

She hasn't put me on her blogroll yet, nor is she following me, but in due time...

So the whole idea behind this new series is to introduce the folks on my blogroll to any and all who read this post. The plan is to feature 5 blogs per week and give a little overview...what they write about, that type of thing.

Since Adrienne was so gracious as to mention me on her blog, I will launch this whole series with none other than (drum roll) Adrienne's Corner!

1. Adrienne's Corner - Adrienne's blog header says "Still Catholic, Still Conservative" (yes - this I like). She has a daylilly nursery, is a Master Gardener and has a wonderful series called Twelve Steps for Catholics.  Much of what she blogs on is political yet with a nice dose of humor. Anyone following Adrienne's Corner is apt to be pleased with her writing.

2. A Catholic Mom in Hawaii - Ester  has a very nice inspirational Catholic blog, she is a homeschooler and has pets.  Once on Ester's site you will find she has alot of links to other Catholic resources.  She has also linked to this YouTube Video, For All The Saints, it is very graphic, so beware.  Once on Ester's site check out her profile, she has numerous blogs, some of which are team blogs. Very nice, well worth a frequent visit.

3. Abba's Little Girl - Is home to Patty Bonds.  Patty is a convert and avowed lay person. You may know her as the sister of the well known anti-Catholic (I'm having an Alzheimer's moment on his first name) last name White. I think I first met Patty on Marcus Grodi's Journey Home Show on EWTN.  Patty has an amazing conversion story, but the link on her blog doesn't work. Patty and I share a similar white martrydom from family members we dearly love. Patty blogs on faith and family; visitors to Patty's blog will be pleased.

4. Abba's Way - Is home to Mary a committed Catholic, a wife and mother. She is pro-life and loves praying the mercy chaplet and the rosary. Mary's blog here is poetry, I look at it periodically.  She also writes at A Beautiful Gate which I read more frequently, her writing here is very spiritual.

5. Behold Your Mother: A Bouquet of Love to Mary From Her Children - Heidi Saxton is the author of this blog. As the name says this is a beautiful tribute of love to the Blessed Mother. Heidi no longer writes on this blog, however; she can be found at Extraordinary Moms Network. Here she writes to offer encouragement and guidance for adoptive mothers and foster moms, etc.

Well, there you have it, the debut of...The Weekly Five.

Now that the debut post has been written, I will not be back to write the second post in this series for two weeks as I will be flying to Washington, D.C. to join the youth and young adults of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis at the march for Life. Please keep all of us in your prayers as I will you.

God will I will be back January 29, with the second post of this series. 

He Would Have Gone Farther

Our Lady of the Eucharist Day Planner

I found this beautiful Day Planner at Family Centered Press. I could not resist posting, this picture is the center-piece to the altar I have in my prayer room.

These Day Planners look very nice and functional, they come in a small size and a large size (8.5 x 11) coil bound or drilled, they sell for $25.00.

7 Quick Takes Friday - Friday 1/15/10

 

JMJ 

I  am joining Jennifer and others at Conversion Diary and 7 Quick Takes, why don't you join me it should be lots of fun!

Before I begin I'd like to offer a Hail Mary for the poor folks in Haiti, please join me.

Hail Mary,

 Full of Grace,

The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death. Amen.

If you'd like to make an online donation to help in the relief efforts you can do so through Catholic Relief Services. 

++ 1 ++

Today one of the main things I have been focusing on is the Pro-Life Youth Pilgrimage to Washington D.C.  In fact it is something I have been focusing on for several weeks...since about at least mid-November.  Things are coming together and all should go well for the buses that are leaving Wednesday for our nation's capitol to protest the decision that was made when "Satan dawned judicial robes and entered the supreme court chamber declaring abortion the law of the land". (Father John Corapi ~~paraphrased).

++ 2 ++

This evening we had our monthly Archdiocesan Youth for Life (AYL) meeting.  These are a great bunch of young people. They are so energetic and "on fire" for the Catholic Faith. The time I am able to spend with these young people helps to fill the voluminous void left by the lack of contact I have with my own 5 grandchildren.  You see as tragic as it sounds, my son has pretty much disowned me and his Dad and we are not allowed much contact with our only grandchildren. If we see them once or twice a year we are doing good...and they only live about 20 minutes away. This is because we try to faithfully live our Catholic Faith which our son has turned his back on to embrace an anti-Catholic, non-denominational religious view.  Fortunately we are able to visit with our oldest grandson from his previous marriage.  Through a lot of rough times we have been able to maintain a friendly and good relationship with his first wife. We are very grateful and only wish our schedule would allow for more time with him. I've been told my son's behavior is despicable...I must admit I am embarrassed for him.

Back to the AYL meeting; the president and vice-president of the group are going off to college so discussion centered around membership recruitment and early elections.  They also discussed the retreat they have planned for June of this year along with their involvement with the Sanctity of Life Banquet and the Italian Festival.  Prayer was requested by one of the members for her sister who is entering a community of cloistered Carmelites.

++ 3 ++

I have been thinking about my niece Kashara quite a bit lately.  She is beautiful both in appearance and spirit. She will be 19 on February 1 and is going to IU School of Nursing, just like her Aunt Patty - yes! We are planning a lunch together, just us 3 girls; Kashara, Janet (her Mom and my sister) and me.  She is pictured here with our youngest and unmarried son at her high school graduation last May.

I have also been thinking about my youngest son a lot lately.  He came over for dinner Sunday and spent a few hours visiting with us; it was a nice treat.

++ 4 ++

I am looking forward to my new Tiber River book review, St .Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer, by Fr. Cliff Ermatinger.  It looks very, very good and with any luck I will be able to get it read on the flight to and from Washington D.C. Fr. Cliff Ermatinger was on the Sonrise Morning Show on EWTN the other morning discussing this book and it sounds as though I will enjoy it.  The only drawback I see at this point; other than all the well known quotes and the things I know about St. Augustine in general and because I have a devotion to his mother, I've never actually read anything he has written.  But on second thought maybe this is not a drawback...it may actually be the thing that spurs me on to read more of his writings.  I've always wanted to read his Confessions maybe this will be just the boost I need! 

++ 5 ++

Please pray for my brother-in-law Sam, he recovered about 2 weeks ago from a long struggle with pneumonia after which x-rays showed a suspicious spot on his lung. I just found out his daughter-in-law took him to the emergency room last night because he could not breath.  I will be taking my husband to see him later this morning.

++ 6 ++

I'm thinking about the Washington Trip.  There is a lot of detail to putting it all together so it will all come off smoothly, and...the planning is a bit stressful, but the rewards are really GOOD.  It has an energizing effect to help folks carry on with pro-life ministry for yet another year. It sort of combats the feelings of discouragement from the negative impact the secular humanist media and the current government administration has on life. Below I have shared links to two YouTube videos produced by one of our AYL members. True these are more geared for teens, but I share them because this is an example of the teens that are being formed as our future pro-life leaders within the Catholic Church, through involvement with AYL.  The young man that produced these videos has a promising career with his company Starlight Media Productions.

March for Life Doc 2009 Part 1

March for Life Doc 2009 Part 2 

++ 7 ++

 Speaking of Secular Humanists - until I saw Steve Mosher, President of the Population Research Institute on EWTN Live  with Father Mitch Pacwa 1/13/2010, I really didn't know anything about these people other than their view was certainly anything but Christian. Well this program with Steve Mosher was rather eye-opening for me. I'm probably the only one ignorant of these things, but I was horrified to hear these people view humans as no different than a herd of cattle...and since our population is out of control "so they think" and we are polluting the world, the "human herd" needs to be "thinned"...there you have it! The obvious solution, ABORTION! You may want to view my side bar and scroll down to, "The Demographic Winter". On that horrifying note I need to go pray!

++++++++++++

I will be in Washington D.C. protesting the abortion holocaust next friday, so God willing, I will be back same time, same place in two weeks...until then you will be in my prayers through, with and in the Lord of Life.

Introduce Yourself

Hello friend,

I have some regular followers and have had many visitors stop by.  I'm interested in who is reading my blog and why.  Please answer the questions below or just tell me a little about yourself, I've given a rather long answer to each of these questions myself....you needn't go to such extremes, short answers are totally okay....long answers are okay too. If you have any prayer requests let me know and I will add you to my daily morning prayer.

Also, if you know anyone who is in need of encouragement and support for fallen-away friends and family members send them my way, I plan on adding things I've learned and implemented in my daily life to help these poor unfortunate souls.

1. Spiritual journey: religious beliefs then? Religious beliefs now?
2. Where are you from?
3. What is one book that has had a great impact on your life (other than the Bible)?
4. Tell me a little bit about your daily life: what is a typical day like for you? What's your favorite part of each day?
5. If you have a blog, feel free to indulge in a little shameless self-promotion: what's your URL? What do you write about?

++++++++++++++

I found this link over at Conversion Diary called Introduce Yourself.  I thought the questions contained therein would make a nice blog post on my page so here goes.

1. Spiritual journey: religious beliefs then? Religious beliefs now? Hello, my name is Patty and I'm a Catholic....(sounds strangely like an introduction at a 12 step meeting), there IS a story behind that....for a later date. I was raised Methodist, I converted to Catholicism (the fullness of Christianity) in 1985. It wasn't so much that my beliefs changed, it was more like I realized the beliefs I had were Catholic. Of course once I converted, my beliefs and understanding of who God is and who I am in relation to Him began to grow and develop into this never-ending and awesomely deep Faith. I'm truly in love.

2. Where are you from? I am a born-again Hoosier (LOL)...truly, many think of us as a bit..let's say backward, and some of us are I suppose, but not all or most. I have lived all my life in or near Indianapolis. I grew up behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and spent Memorial Day weekend with immediate and visiting family on our roof watching the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race...The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. It was great fun and I have lots of good memories of this time.

3. What is one book that has had a great impact on your life (other than the Bible)? This one is a challenge. I am a book-lover, having an entire wall in my living room with bookcases full of books. I'm sorry but I have absolutely no choice but to list 4 books here. The first and most important book is A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul, by Holly Pierlot.  After living a number of years as an on-call 24/7 Nursing Supervisor, everything about my personal life had turned into complete disarray. This book more than anything else has helped me jump-start or turbo-charge my striving to follow Jesus; as He says "You...must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Using the definition from Donald Attwater, ed., A Catholic Dictionary (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1943), 399; Perfection is "union with God, which is possible in this world, consisting in and proportional to the degree of charity possessed and exercised...When a [person] loves God with his whole heart, soul, mind and strength, and his neighbor as himself for God's sake, then he is perfect." Holly Pierlot's book has helped me recognize and prioritize my life into the 5 areas of prayer, person, partner, parent and provider; to strive for and, God willing achieve the perfection to which I have been called. I have developed a Rule of Life based on the traditional Christian tool for ordering one's vocation, found most often in religious community life.

Reading A Mother's Rule of Life led to my reading The ANTI-Alzheimer's Prescription; by Vincent Fortanasce, M.D. I recommend this book for anyone who suffers from an inflammatory disease, i.e. arthritis, fibromyalgia or in my case lupus. Here again is a book focusing on the whole person (wholistic). Dr. Fortanasce gives a science-proven plan to help delay and or prevent Alzheimer's and other inflammatory diseases, by planning in the four areas of food consumption, physical exercise, mental exercise and finally; stress reduction, through quality sleep and spiritual health. He also points out many suffering from these inflammatory diseases have sleep apnea.

The next 2 books feed my soul and bring me to an intimacy with God like no other book(s) I've found. Divine Intimacy, by Father Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., is a goldmine of inspirational thoughts and spiritual meditations from those who lived heroic virtue, to help the soul enter more deeply into the treasures of the Truth of the Faith; so that ones thinking and acting might become transformed and unity or Divine Intimacy might be achieved. I have a series about this book on my blog.

Finally, Christian Prayer (what I have) or the 4-volume Liturgy of the Hours. This as most Catholics will know is the Prayer of the Church, flowing from the Jewish practice of the daily recitation of the Psalms. This devotion consists mostly of the Psalms and other scripture readings and has given me a much deeper understanding of the Mystical Body of Christ and the Communion of Saints as well as my responsibility and commitment to Jesus and His Church as a Catholic Christian. I will be writing more about all of these books on my blog in the future.

4. Tell me a little bit about your daily life: what is a typical day like for you? What's your favorite part of each day? All of my home activities Monday - Thursday (for the most part) occur in the morning. Prayer, reading, blogging and catching up on news and e-mail begin my day. Then I head to the Office for Pro-Life Ministry for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, where I spend the remainder of the day focused on my role as Administrative Assistant and my activities surrounding pro-life and pro-family; and the pro-life ministry within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Although I am paid a small salary as an employee I view this position as a ministerial vocation; somewhat of an extension to the pro-life and pro-family ministry my husband and I had been doing prior to my being employed by the Office for Pro-Life Ministry. I am truly blessed to have this vocation and doubly so as I am frequently able to attend Mass in the Chapel. Friday through Sunday begin basically the same; however, I use this time to focus on my responsibilities at home and my vocation as wife and when possible mom and grammy to my grown children and grandchildren. The favorite part of my day is spent with God, whether that be at Mass or in adoration; or meditation and prayer spent in my prayer room at home.

5. If you have a blog, feel free to indulge in a little shameless self-promotion: what's your URL?
My blog is St. Monica's Tears and is found at http://stmonicastears.blogspot.com

What do you write about? This blog has two purposes. The first is to share my journey of continuing conversion toward the peace and joy that is found in knowing, loving and serving the Truth which is Christ Jesus and subsists fully within His Catholic Church. The second is to share the pain, sorrow and tears for my sons who have fallen away from the True Faith of Jesus Christ and to encourage and support others who carry this same heavy cross. And so I write about things Catholic!

St. Hilary (315?-368)

From American Catholic 

Image Credit 

This staunch defender of the divinity of Christ was a gentle and courteous man, devoted to writing some of the greatest theology on the Trinity, and was like his Master in being labeled a “disturber of the peace.” In a very troubled period in the Church, his holiness was lived out in both scholarship and controversy.

Raised a pagan, he was converted to Christianity when he met his God of nature in the Scriptures. His wife was still living when he was chosen, against his will, to be the bishop of Poitiers in France. He was soon taken up with battling what became the scourge of the fourth century, Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ.

The heresy spread rapidly. St. Jerome said “The world groaned and marveled to find that it was Arian.” When Emperor Constantius ordered all the bishops of the West to sign a condemnation of Athanasius, the great defender of the faith in the East, Hilary refused and was banished from France to far off Phrygia (in modern-day Turkey). Eventually he was called the “Athanasius of the West.” While writing in exile, he was invited by some semi-Arians (hoping for reconciliation) to a council the emperor called to counteract the Council of Nicea. But Hilary predictably defended the Church, and when he sought public debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians, dreading the meeting and its outcome, pleaded with the emperor to send this troublemaker back home. Hilary was welcomed by his people.

Comment:

Christ said his coming would bring not peace but a sword (see Matthew 10:34). The Gospels offer no support for us if we fantasize about a sunlit holiness that knows no problems. Christ did not escape at the last moment, though he did live happily ever after—after a life of controversy, problems, pain and frustration. Hilary, like all saints, simply had more of the same.

Catholic Fire: Archbishop Burke warns: A society that masks 'totalitarianism' with 'hope' will destroy itself

Catholic Fire: Archbishop Burke warns: A society that masks 'totalitarianism' with 'hope' will destroy itself

"Building Materials"

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700)

From American Catholic


“God closes a door and then opens a window,” people sometimes say when dealing with their own disappointment or someone else’s. That was certainly true in Marguerite’s case. Children from European as well as Native American backgrounds in seventeenth-century Canada benefited from her great zeal and unshakable trust in God’s providence.

Born the sixth of 12 children in Troyes, France, Marguerite at the age of 20 believed that she was called to religious life. Her applications to the Carmelites and Poor Clares were unsuccessful. A priest friend suggested that perhaps God had other plans for her.

In 1654, the governor of the French settlement in Canada visited his sister, an Augustinian canoness in Troyes. Marguerite belonged to a sodality connected to that convent. The governor invited her to come to Canada and start a school in Ville-Marie (eventually the city of Montreal). When she arrived, the colony numbered 200 people with a hospital and a Jesuit mission chapel.

Soon after starting a school, she realized her need for coworkers. Returning to Troyes, she recruited a friend, Catherine Crolo, and two other young women. In 1667 they added classes at their school for Indian children. A second trip to France three years later resulted in six more young women and a letter from King Louis XIV, authorizing the school. The Congregation of Notre Dame was established in 1676 but its members did not make formal religious profession until 1698 when their Rule and constitutions were approved.

Marguerite established a school for Indian girls in Montreal. At the age of 69, she walked from Montreal to Quebec in response to the bishop’s request to establish a community of her sisters in that city. By the time she died, she was referred to as the “Mother of the Colony.” Marguerite was canonized in 1982. 

Comment:

It’s easy to become discouraged when plans that we think that God must endorse are frustrated. Marguerite was called not to be a cloistered nun but to be a foundress and an educator. God had not ignored her after all.

Quote:

In his homily at her canonization, Pope John Paul II said, “...in particular, she [Marguerite] contributed to building up that new country [Canada], realizing the determining role of women, and she diligently strove toward their formation in a deeply Christian spirit.” He noted that she watched over her students with affection and confidence “in order to prepare them to become wives and worthy mothers, Christians, cultured, hardworking, radiant mothers.”

Blessed William Carter

Born in London, William Carter entered the printing business at an early age. For many years he served as apprentice to well-known Catholic printers, one of whom served a prison sentence for persisting in the Catholic faith. William himself served time in prison following his arrest for "printing lewd [i.e., Catholic] pamphlets" as well as possessing books upholding Catholicism.

But even more, he offended public officials by publishing works that aimed to keep Catholics firm in their faith. Officials who searched his house found various vestments and suspect books, and even managed to extract information from William's distraught wife. Over the next 18 months William remained in prison, suffering torture and learning of his wife's death.

He was eventually charged with printing and publishing the Treatise of Schisme, which allegedly incited violence by Catholics and which was said to have been written by a traitor and addressed to traitors. While William calmly placed his trust in God, the jury met for only 15 minutes before reaching a verdict of "guilty." William, who made his final confession to a priest who was being tried alongside him, was hanged, drawn and quartered the following day: January 11, 1584.

He was beatified in 1987. 

Comment: 

It didn’t pay to be Catholic in Elizabeth I’s realm. In an age when religious diversity did not yet seem possible, it was high treason, and practicing the faith was dangerous. William gave his life for his efforts to encourage his brothers and sisters to keep up the struggle. These days, our brothers and sisters also need encouragement—not because their lives are at risk, but because many other factors besiege their faith. They look to us.

Sunday Snippets -- A Catholic Carnival for January 10, 2010

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. We are a group of bloggers who gather once each week to share out best posts. We are all Catholic and blog at least somewhat about Catholic things; some do so exclusively, others only periodically. All are welcome to participate here. 

To join in the fun, go to your blog and create a post titled Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. In that post describe and link to any posts you want to share with the rest of us. Then go to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival and follow RAnn's instructions at This That and The Other Thing for linking your post to other bloggers. It's a lot of fun and helps draw people who may not normally visit your blog...and you may even gain a new follower or two.

My first post is Bring Your Gifts - Epiphany, from the God Love You series. Then I have Sing of Mary on article by Dr. Jeff Mirus. Next is A Sermon by Pope Leo the Great. Then we have an article called A New Missionary Age: The Year that was and the Year that will be are a Prelude. Then I have Spiritual Gems From the Holy Father, and finally, I offer So, You Want to Criticize the Catholic Church? an excerpt from an article written by Dr. Jeff Mirus.

I can't resist, another post you may want to look at is called Today's False Teachers, again by Dr. Jeff Mirus.

Ending this post I again ask that we offer a prayer for one another, our families and our culture; that we as a nation will once again embrace the Christian values that our great country is founded upon...those values that proclaim all men are created in the image and likeness of God and as such possess dignity and sanctity; and so being all men have the inalienable right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"....in that order!

In the words of Monsignor Schaedel, a very holy priest and the Vicar General of my Archdiocese, "Of one thing I am convinced; of one thing I am certain: Providence never fails!"

Until next week, with faith, hope and trust in the Providence that will not fail us!

Wintery Cold and Beautiful Catholic Churches

As it turns out we spent the week between Christmas and New Year in Norway Illinois about 90 minutes southwest of Chicago.  Norway is a little town settled by Norwegian folks way back when., probably the early 1800's...I didn't really pay much attention to this little bit of information. Anyway it is a little country town, with a gas station, grocery store, restaurant and no stoplight. 

Our road trip going was about 6 hours from our location in Indy.  The last 2 1/2 hours was spent driving in the snow and by the time we reached our resort destination it was after dark and there was a good 6 inches or more of snow on the ground.  We unloaded our car, fixed the dinner we had brought from home, showered and settled in for the evening. Before retiring for the night we phoned St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Earlville  for the Sunday Mass schedule and decided upon the 10:30 A.M. Mass.

After waking on Sunday morning to more snow; we ate breakfast, did our morning prayers, got ready for Church (by this time it was in single digit temperatures) and cleared the car of snow.  When we headed out on the country roads it was not too bad but by the time we had traveled 3 miles of the 20 mile trip  we began to re-evaluate the situation.  We were traveling on unfamiliar roads, the wind was causing the snow to drift and even though it appeared snow plows had been by we really could not tell very well where the road ended and the fields began.  We decided we should not risk ending up stuck a in ditch. Disheartened that we would miss Mass we turned around and headed back to the condo.

For the remainder of Sunday and again on Monday we caught up on reading  and relaxation. Tuesday was the day we were really looking forward to.  We woke up at 2:00 A.M. to get ready for our 90 minute trip into Chicago for the 6:00 A.M. Mass, Extraordinary Form followed by the Novus Ordo and Morning Prayer at St. John Cantius Church. 

The Church is of Polish origin and is one of those parishes near closure due to parishioners moving to the suburbs.  It is now operated by the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius whose main charism is to bring about the sacred, in the celebration of the liturgy, devotion and in education. It has been completely renovated and is gorgeous! It is home to six or so priests and probably 30 or so seminarians. The Novus Ordo Mass was celebrated with the altar facing away from the people and in the Sanctus, Agnus Dei, etc in Latin. Morning Prayer was chanted.  The whole morning was such a beautifully awesome experience.  We stayed for Midday prayer and then reluctantly began our return trip home.

St. John Cantius has what is called St. Monica's Sodality for those of us who mourn for our family who have lapsed from the Faith.  The following is a remark from Shirley Cichy, a member of the St. Monica Sodality.  “It’s unbelievable when you stop and realize that we probably have more fallen away Catholics than active Catholics. The Catholic culture in the United States has literally fallen apart before my eyes and there just hasn’t been much real progress and reversing of the process. And so we’re going to storm heaven! We’re going pray our people back. Catholics must stop weeping by themselves and start praying together to bring our people back. We have a straightforward program of prayer and penance for people to follow and by banding together we can draw strength and hope from each other. People must realize that they are not alone in this crisis.” Membership into St. Monica's Sodality is available online.

 

The following day we again woke early this time to be at Marytown for the 7:00 A.M. Mass.  Marytown is located in Libertyville, IL just north of Chicago.  It is the home of the Conventual Franciscan Friars of Marytown and National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe.  There is a retreat center and gift shop at the Shrine.  While we were there a young adult retreat was being conducted by the Franciscans.

 

The remainder of our time in Norway was spent just relaxing and catching up on reading.  However the real treat for us was totally unexpected.  We attended the Vigil Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God at St. Theresa of Avila in Earlville.  This is a very quaint little country church with a very holy priest, who celebrated a delightfully reverent Mass.  Jesus is good!

So, You Want to Criticize the Catholic Church?

Excerpt from The Church Perfect by Dr. Jeff Mirus, January 8, 2010

The Bride and Body of Christ

There are several keys to understanding this essential identity which the Church possesses as a perfect society despite the sins of her members. These keys originated in the teachings of Christ; they were carried on by Tradition and outlined in the New Testament; they were developed by the Fathers and have been further articulated by the Magisterium. The two most powerful keys to this proper understanding were conveniently provided by St. Paul in a particularly blessed passage in his letter to the Ephesians:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (5:15-32)

Let anyone who understands something about Christian marriage tremble at the unfathomable intimacy of this passage. Here St. Paul not only introduces marriage in the context of Christ’s love for the Church, but the Church in the context of marriage and Christ’s love for His own body. And here are our two keys to grasping the Church’s perfect identity, the Church as the bride of Christ and the Church as the body of Christ. In both senses, the Church is so fully and deeply joined to her Lord as husband and head that she is made supremely holy through her union with Him.

It has often been remarked, and not without wisdom, that the Church is a hospital for sinners. But here we see, at one and the same time, that she is the bride “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing” and she is even the very body of Christ. As bride she is enraptured for holiness by Christ’s sacrifice; as body she is created and extended through Christ’s own body and blood. Nor is this bridal and bodily identity just an identity of ideas. No, the flawless bride and the holy body of Christ is a real, objective, discernible organization, composed of institutional bone and muscle. The bone is her hierarchy, led infallibly (for all its human flaws) by the successor of Peter, who serves as Christ’s vicar until He comes again. The muscle is her membership, activities and works which—again, despite all the many sins, failures and miscues—imprint the image of Christ on a fallen world.

This bride, this body, is infused with the very life of God, coursing in her veins through her participation in the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, embodied in action by the sacraments, through which grace flows into the world. In fact, grace flows here so perfectly and completely that all attachment to Christ depends ultimately on the existence and mission of His Church. This is why a positive response to grace by any person under any circumstance tends toward unity with the Church; it also explains how connections with Christ’s body may be formed by men of good will everywhere, often beneath the level of juridical membership, but always in direct consequence of Christ’s mysterious action through His Church. Thus is every grace and good intimately dependent upon the Church, which by virtue of her supreme holiness has become the universal sacrament of salvation extended through time.

The Mind of the Church

The Church is also the repository of Revelation, of all that we know about God, about His ways with men, about His salvific plan, about what it means to conform ourselves spiritually and morally to Him. Moreover, as recorded in the deposit of Faith in both Scripture and Tradition, Christ imbued the Church with the Petrine power so that the brethren might be confirmed in faith and strengthened (Lk 22:32), and this power has been exercised now by the Church’s Magisterium for nearly two millennia. The result is a wealth of clear and specific teaching about reality, life and love which serves to express quite fully both what the Church is and what we must do—and must even become—to be worthy of her. This teaching, so fruitful in producing holiness, has indeed enabled many to become worthy of what the Church is. Those who become so are called saints.

But most of us are not worthy of the Church. It is this pervasive unworthiness that creates the Church’s human flaws. In the final analysis, it is we ourselves who open the Church to criticism. Recognizing this, we have a strong obligation to root all criticism in what is, in spite of ourselves, the Church’s own perfection. That perfection is expressed in what I earlier referred to as the Church’s internal account of herself, which is commonly called the “mind” of the Church. When we combine the Church’s doctrines with the witness of her Fathers, doctors and saints, who have given individual expression to her perfect fruitfulness in every time and place, we come into possession of this “mind”. It is formed by Scripture and Tradition, and all that the Church has officially taught, as this has been consistently extended and interpreted by those who, across the generations, have been most formed by her holiness. This mind of the Church is the complete standard for our own spiritual growth, and it is the sole criterion by which we may presume to judge what is or is not wrong with ourselves, as well as what is or is not “wrong with the Church”.

The Church is, or ought to be, everything to each of us: our consistent encounter with Christ, the source of our salvation, the font of grace, the theory and practice of holiness, a haven for all the living, and the rule for the ultimate judgment of all things. It is only by putting on the mind of the Church that we put on the mind of Christ. It is only by holding ourselves to the Church’s measure that we can tell where anyone, including anyone who exercises leadership in the Church, has fallen short. Indeed, it is against the Church’s perfection that her very imperfections must be measured and corrected. The bride-body of Christ must be our one standard, just as it is, in the end, our only hope.

Blessed Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)

From Americancathoilic.org

Some saints show marks of holiness very early. Not Angela! Born of a leading family in Foligno, she became immersed in the quest for wealth and social position. As a wife and mother, she continued this life of distraction.

Around the age of 40 she recognized the emptiness of her life and sought God’s help in the Sacrament of Penance. Her Franciscan confessor helped Angela to seek God’s pardon for her previous life and to dedicate herself to prayer and the works of charity.

Shortly after her conversion, her husband and children died. Selling most of her possessions, she entered the Secular Franciscan Order. She was alternately absorbed by meditating on the crucified Christ and by serving the poor of Foligno as a nurse and beggar for their needs. Other women joined her in a religious community.

At her confessor’s advice, Angela wrote her Book of Visions and Instructions. In it she recalls some of the temptations she suffered after her conversion; she also expresses her thanks to God for the Incarnation of Jesus. This book and her life earned for Angela the title "Teacher of Theologians." She was beatified in 1693.

Comment:
People who live in the United States today can understand Blessed Angela’s temptation to increase her sense of self-worth by accumulating money, fame or power. Striving to possess more and more, she became more and more self-centered. When she realized she was priceless because she was created and loved by God, she became very penitential and very charitable to the poor. What had seemed foolish early in her life now became very important. The path of self-emptying she followed is the path all holy men and women must follow.

Quote:

Pope John Paul II writes: “Christ the Redeemer of the World is the one who penetrated in a unique, unrepeatable way into the mystery of the human person and entered our ‘hearts.’ Rightly therefore does the Second Vatican Council teach: ‘The truth is that only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of the human person take on light.... Christ the New Adam, in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and his love, fully reveals human beings to themselves and brings to light their most high calling’” (Redemptor Hominis, 8).

Spiritual Gems From the Holy Father

Take Five - Meditations With Pope Benedict XVI, is written by Mike Aquilina and Father Kris D. Stubna, and is published by Our Sunday Visitor.

Mike Aquilina is executive vice president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology has authored or edited many books including the best selling What Catholics Believe and is co-host of EWTN's Reason to Believe. Fr. Kris Stubna has a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, is the diocesan secretary for education for the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is author or co-author of many books including A Pocket Catechism for Kids. True to the title, this 176 page little gem contains over 70 brief, five minute meditations taken from the writings of the Holy Father.  It is available from the Catholic Company for $9.95.

In the forward Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston states, "It is a guide to enter into silence with God, and there to discover God's Holy Spirit beckoning us to meet the Lord Jesus. Amen!" (p. 10). In the introduction we discover the way in which the authors choose to bring this about. Using the rich teaching of Pope Benedict XVI we are shown in little snippets how to bring the supernatural to our ordinary everyday tasks. We read through select passages of the Holy Father's "books, sermons, letters and interviews...about the dignity of work; about getting along with co-workers; about the wise use of money and resources; and about the challenge of keeping your eye on the goal, which is not worldly success, but godly glory." (p. 12).

Each meditation starts with a quote or excerpt from one of Pope Benedict's writings or teachings. It is then followed by a section called "Think About It", where we are challenged to meditate upon and apply the teaching to our own lives.

Next we are greeted with a section called "Just Imagine". Here we are given a passage of scripture. Knowing the Holy Father's teaching flows from an experience of prayer steeped in the word of God we can "just imagine" these selections might have been the very words Pope Benedict pondered as he put his thoughts to paper.  We can use these scripture passages to enter into the scenes of the Bible for a personal experience with salvation history.

The final section is "Remember". This is a brief sentence or two to jot down and carry with us as we go about our daily activities. Read it periodically to become re-grounded...treat it as a memory verse.

Reading through the meditations, several well known documents figure prominently in this five-minute devotional. Spe Salve (Saved in Hope) is quoted in entries entitled; The Longing of the Human Heart, Offer It Up, Concern for Others and Loving God and Neighbor. Deus Caritas Est (God Is love) is quoted in entries entitled: Giving of Self, Prayer and Work, Friendship in Christ and Humility. Meditations are also taken from various documents and teachings directed toward young people. Some of which include; We Cannot Love If We Do Not Know - Address to Young people, Genoa Italy (May 18, 2008), Confirmed in the Spirit and Honor the Cross - Address to Young People, Paris (September 12, 2008), Only in God - World Youth Day Vigil, (July 19, 2008), The Happiness You Desire - Address, World Youth Day, Cologne, Germany (August 18, 2005) and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - Message to Young Catholics of the Netherlands (November 21, 2005).

This little book also contains a brief summary of the life of Benedict XVI as well as the spirit of Pope Benedict. The authors have chosen to share with us five aspects of the Holy Father's spirituality who like us is on a "personal search for the face of the Lord" (p. 23). It will come as no surprise that these five aspects are basic to the devotional lives of Catholics who wish to attain to the holiness to which we are called. The common threads found in this book are Christ-centered - our lives depend solely on our relationship with Jesus our Triune God. Biblical - to have a relationship with Jesus we must be soaked in His word. Liturgical - we meet Jesus truly present - body, blood, soul and divinity in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Traditional  -  the early Church Fathers and the Saints are our brothers and sisters in Heaven "the great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) urging us on in the Faith. Marian - the Blessed Mother was the instrument by which our Father in Heaven chose to give us our Lord.

This little devotional is jam packed with spiritual nuggets from Pope Benedict, with a generous depth yet brevity to bring Jesus to the central focus of our lives during those times when all we have are a few moments for brief reflection. Take Five - Meditations With Pope Benedict XVI has found its way into an integral part of my devotional life.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Take Five - Meditations with Pope Benedict XVI.