Showing posts with label truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label truth. Show all posts
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I love the Catholic Church!
From a friend....and I must say, I do agree!
It is of utmost importance to expose the extremes of both the "left and right" leaning "Catholics"; they both hold the same level of contempt for the Holy Father, Pope benedict XVI, and they are equally corrosive to the faith.
I love this publication!
JBM
Catholic World Report
"Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart and kindle in it the fire of Your Love..."
It is of utmost importance to expose the extremes of both the "left and right" leaning "Catholics"; they both hold the same level of contempt for the Holy Father, Pope benedict XVI, and they are equally corrosive to the faith.
I love this publication!
JBM
Catholic World Report
"Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart and kindle in it the fire of Your Love..."
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
A Trial Which the Whole Church Must Take Up
We are called by the Church to dedicate the month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
'We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through'.
Pray, fast and sacrifice for the sins, outrages and blasphemy committed against the Sacred Heart of Jesus and His Most Holy Catholic Church.
Click the link above for the article at www.catholic.org
Friday, May 21, 2010
Did the Apostles Pray the Rosary
I ran across this article at Catholic Exchange and thought I'd share it. For those of us faithful to praying the daily rosary and in so doing, meditating on the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; this article articulates in a beautiful way that which we already know.
"It sounds like a ridiculous question for me to pose. It’s common knowledge that the Rosary didn’t take shape for at least another thousand years! Something stood out to me the other night however, which makes me think that the “soul” of the Rosary was always present in the Apostles’ prayer....more
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The Pill at 50: science, stigma, self-empowerment...and the BIG LIE
You may have been unfortunate enough to see this horrendous news story
(which is really all about the use and exploitation of women) on the
Today Show Friday May 7.
I would not have seen this myself had I not been at the car dealership having some maintenance work done.
The Pill at 50: Science, stigma, self-empowerment
If you are interested in the truth concerning the Pill and the legacy it has left. I recommend here only a few of the many resources available.
1) Dr. Janet Smith blasts AFP for 'inaccurate' contraception article :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
Concerning another erroneous article applauding 'the Pill', this article begins: "Responding to a recent Agence France Presse (AFP) article that criticized Catholic teaching on contraception, well-known professor, Dr. Janet Smith, said that in her opinion, the poorly researched piece “was inaccurate and slanted from the beginning.”
2) One More Soul is a website filled with morally (biblically) acceptable resources for married couples, as well as a variety of other resources documenting the sanctity and dignity of human life from conception to natural death.
3) Concerning human sexuality and true marital happiness, joy and unity with God, take a look at the resources found at Ascension Press, Christopher West, Catholic Exchange: Theology of the Body, Theology of the Body Institute, Theology of the Body General Audiences of Pope John Paul the Great, or St John Cantius.
4) For a prophetic review of our current moral and cultural condition; read the very short (only 31 paragraphs), but in depth encyclical letter given to the Church on July 25, 1968 by Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae.
Take it from someone who's marriage and life was all but destroyed by artificial contraception..the Pill and tubiligation; [in Janet Smith's words] “who looks foolish?”...she asked. “The Church for not changing a teaching that almost guarantees happiness or a culture that is pushing an agenda that almost guarantees misery?”
I would not have seen this myself had I not been at the car dealership having some maintenance work done.
The Pill at 50: Science, stigma, self-empowerment
If you are interested in the truth concerning the Pill and the legacy it has left. I recommend here only a few of the many resources available.
1) Dr. Janet Smith blasts AFP for 'inaccurate' contraception article :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
Concerning another erroneous article applauding 'the Pill', this article begins: "Responding to a recent Agence France Presse (AFP) article that criticized Catholic teaching on contraception, well-known professor, Dr. Janet Smith, said that in her opinion, the poorly researched piece “was inaccurate and slanted from the beginning.”
2) One More Soul is a website filled with morally (biblically) acceptable resources for married couples, as well as a variety of other resources documenting the sanctity and dignity of human life from conception to natural death.
3) Concerning human sexuality and true marital happiness, joy and unity with God, take a look at the resources found at Ascension Press, Christopher West, Catholic Exchange: Theology of the Body, Theology of the Body Institute, Theology of the Body General Audiences of Pope John Paul the Great, or St John Cantius.
4) For a prophetic review of our current moral and cultural condition; read the very short (only 31 paragraphs), but in depth encyclical letter given to the Church on July 25, 1968 by Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae.
Take it from someone who's marriage and life was all but destroyed by artificial contraception..the Pill and tubiligation; [in Janet Smith's words] “who looks foolish?”...she asked. “The Church for not changing a teaching that almost guarantees happiness or a culture that is pushing an agenda that almost guarantees misery?”
But for the grace of God my marriage would have been included in the divorce statistics, instead the Holy Spirit led my husband and I after 29 years of marriage (through EWTN television and radio) on a whirlwind of a surprising, yet exciting and grace-filled journey of spiritual renewal and reversion. We whole-heartedly embrace the Church's teaching on marriage and sexuality and engage in ministries to help others not make the same mistakes we did in our marriage during our furtile years.
Pray for sins committed against marriage and all sins committed against life
A Holy Father
by Kathryn Jean Lopez | Headline Bistro
It was Holy Week. It was Holy Week and everywhere I turned – or so it seemed to this news junkie -- I heard calls for the pope’s resignation. He would step down, pundits on MSNBC could have had you believing, as if it were a foregone conclusion and absolutely necessity. The veritable end of the Catholic Church – or at least the Vatican -- if you were to believe some writing for the New York Times, was both imminent and welcome....more
It was Holy Week. It was Holy Week and everywhere I turned – or so it seemed to this news junkie -- I heard calls for the pope’s resignation. He would step down, pundits on MSNBC could have had you believing, as if it were a foregone conclusion and absolutely necessity. The veritable end of the Catholic Church – or at least the Vatican -- if you were to believe some writing for the New York Times, was both imminent and welcome....more
Sunday, March 28, 2010
"Eyes to See and Ears to Hear: Reading and Heeding the Signs of the Times"
Facebook post from Johnnette Benkovic, click link below to watch live this week's program.
Johnnette Benkovic If you missed this week's The Abundant Life program "Eyes to See and Ears to Hear: Reading and Heeding the Signs of the Times" with Fr. John Corapi, SOLT you can now watch it at the link below:
www.lhla.org
It
is clear that our day and time is unprecedented in human history.
Technology, communication capabilities, and neo-pagan and neo-atheistic
ideologies have coalesced to not only threaten, but all but bury, the
Judeo-Christian ethos in the marketplaces of ideas and public policy.
...
Sunday, February 28, 2010
New Blog Look
Well...I changed the look, but... I'm not really sure I like it.
I've spent an awfully long time working on the thing, and...I'm just NOT SURE...hum.
The thing I wonder about it...is it hard to read?
I tried to make all the colors match with one another, and I tried to make the font and everything be readable, but I'm just not sure.
I'm not very spontaneous...I think about things for a very long time before doing anything...it took me a while to decide to do this.
I guess I will wait for awhile and see how I like it after a week or so.
If any of my friends or visitors would please give me some input, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks and God bless,
I've spent an awfully long time working on the thing, and...I'm just NOT SURE...hum.
The thing I wonder about it...is it hard to read?
I tried to make all the colors match with one another, and I tried to make the font and everything be readable, but I'm just not sure.
I'm not very spontaneous...I think about things for a very long time before doing anything...it took me a while to decide to do this.
I guess I will wait for awhile and see how I like it after a week or so.
If any of my friends or visitors would please give me some input, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks and God bless,
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Proof that the Catholic Church is perfect:
Click link to read whole article
Jesus gave sinful Peter the power to walk on water. Jesus keeps us from drowning when the world attacks us and assails our wounded Church.
And Jesus guarantees that, despite the sins of Her members, the Church Herself is perfect.
Yes, perfect!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Obama Advisor Says Pope is Hurting People in Jesus’ Name
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
An advisor to President Barack Obama’s who serves on the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has reiterated his belief that the Pope is “hurting people in the name of Jesus” because of his stance on condoms.
CNSNews confronted Harry Knox, who advises the president on the government’s Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships program, at a National Press Club event on Tuesday and asked if he still believed the pope was “hurting people in the name of Jesus” because of the Pope’s belief that the distribution of condoms only exacerbates the AIDS problem in Africa.
Knox answered, “I do.”
Knox, who serves as the director of the faith and religion program at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a homosexual activist group, first made the comment....more
An advisor to President Barack Obama’s who serves on the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has reiterated his belief that the Pope is “hurting people in the name of Jesus” because of his stance on condoms.
CNSNews confronted Harry Knox, who advises the president on the government’s Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships program, at a National Press Club event on Tuesday and asked if he still believed the pope was “hurting people in the name of Jesus” because of the Pope’s belief that the distribution of condoms only exacerbates the AIDS problem in Africa.
Knox answered, “I do.”
Knox, who serves as the director of the faith and religion program at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a homosexual activist group, first made the comment....more
+ + + + + + + + +
These people are absolutely insane! It is mind-boggling how they can make statements of such absolute absurdity while there are so many scientific research studies available to prove this line of thinking is completely erroneous!
Although I can quickly think of numerous studies showing the ineffectiveness of condoms for any use, I cannot immediately locate documentation to back up this reality. With a little research anyone interested in knowing the truth concerning the percentage of defective condoms and the permeability of the latex to the HIV virus as well as other STDs; would be able to find numerous scientific studies to show condoms are useless in the prevention of AIDS.
The inability to assure the prevention of unplanned pregnancies with the use of condoms is also well documented. On the contrary, condom failure results in an increased instance of the slaughter of millions of God's unborn children.
Anyone with a lick of sense, can determine with the use of reason alone; the only way to prevent the spread of STDs incuding AIDS and to prevent unplanned pregnancy is through abstinence...I mean, come on folks, if one does not put themselves in the position to aquire an STD or unplanned pregnancy...it isn't going to happen by osmosis!
I don't think I am being to harsh to suggest the only way these people can actually believe this nonsensical lie, could be because....they are son's and daughter's of the Father of Lies. At the very least they are spiritually deaf, dumb and blind; if not in fact deaf, dumb and blind to reality....they certainly are in denial of reality!
Oh, wow, denial of reality...is a good working definition of insanity...do we understand we have INSANE PEOPLE running our country...you know the kind that need institutionalized??
Although I can quickly think of numerous studies showing the ineffectiveness of condoms for any use, I cannot immediately locate documentation to back up this reality. With a little research anyone interested in knowing the truth concerning the percentage of defective condoms and the permeability of the latex to the HIV virus as well as other STDs; would be able to find numerous scientific studies to show condoms are useless in the prevention of AIDS.
The inability to assure the prevention of unplanned pregnancies with the use of condoms is also well documented. On the contrary, condom failure results in an increased instance of the slaughter of millions of God's unborn children.
Anyone with a lick of sense, can determine with the use of reason alone; the only way to prevent the spread of STDs incuding AIDS and to prevent unplanned pregnancy is through abstinence...I mean, come on folks, if one does not put themselves in the position to aquire an STD or unplanned pregnancy...it isn't going to happen by osmosis!
I don't think I am being to harsh to suggest the only way these people can actually believe this nonsensical lie, could be because....they are son's and daughter's of the Father of Lies. At the very least they are spiritually deaf, dumb and blind; if not in fact deaf, dumb and blind to reality....they certainly are in denial of reality!
Oh, wow, denial of reality...is a good working definition of insanity...do we understand we have INSANE PEOPLE running our country...you know the kind that need institutionalized??
Go to the St Michael Society blog and sign the petition to have Harry Knox removed due to his remarks that the Pope is "hurting people in the name of Jesus."
Okay, I've got to get off my rant here, but before I do I'm going to put forth 3 more links....
The first, EWTN Live with Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J. and Dr. Del Hahn talking about the Glories of Condoms; in which they discuss how sex educators tell our children: "We would never try at home what we're about to tell you. Ever! We're what you call professionals. But, you go ahead and do it to your hearts discontent."
The second, is another EWTN Live with Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J., this time with Steve Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute talking about Population Control: Real Costs, Illusory Benefits and his conversion due to work in the pro-life movement.
Finally, go to Patrick Madrid's site and get this DVD.
The first, EWTN Live with Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J. and Dr. Del Hahn talking about the Glories of Condoms; in which they discuss how sex educators tell our children: "We would never try at home what we're about to tell you. Ever! We're what you call professionals. But, you go ahead and do it to your hearts discontent."
The second, is another EWTN Live with Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J., this time with Steve Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute talking about Population Control: Real Costs, Illusory Benefits and his conversion due to work in the pro-life movement.
Finally, go to Patrick Madrid's site and get this DVD.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Bat Tutorial
I could not resist.......
Our planet is populated with plenty of bizarre and astonishing creatures.
Here are two from the Bat Family ..... without the need for resorting to fiction.
Sucker-footed Bat
Left-Winged Ding Bat
Our planet is populated with plenty of bizarre and astonishing creatures.
Here are two from the Bat Family ..... without the need for resorting to fiction.
Sucker-footed Bat
Left-Winged Ding Bat
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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!
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?
++++++++++++++
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!
Friday, January 8, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Today’s False Teachers
By Dr. Jeff Mirus; January 05, 2010 11:26 AM
From Catholic Culture
It’s time to look again at the many false “Catholic” teachers among us, who have arisen to lead the faithful astray much as did false prophets in the time before Christ. Wayward bishops, priests, religious and theologians have promoted countless destructive heresies, some of which even deny Who Christ is. This can lead only to spiritual disaster, of course, but too many follow in the wake of their licentious teaching, holding the truth in contempt. The reality is that such teachers exploit the faithful with lies. They have already been condemned; destruction is at work within them.
Consider: If God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them into a pit of gloom to await the judgment; if God did not spare the ancients, but preserved Noah as a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when He brought the flood upon the ungodly; if by turning Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes God condemned and made of their inhabitants an example to those who would be unfaithful; if God rescued Lot, who was distressed by the wickedness around him—the lawless deeds which vexed his holy soul day after day—then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, especially those who indulge their passions in lust and so come to despise authority.
Such bold and willful teachers are not afraid to revile even the angels, though despite their greater might and power, the angels refrain from pronouncing judgment against them in the presence of the Lord. Nonetheless, these false teachers, born to be caught and killed like irrational animals following nothing but instinct, and rejecting that holiness of which they are so ignorant, will be destroyed through their own wrongdoing. They may count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, but they are only blots and blemishes reveling in dissipation, seeking always to seduce the faithful. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice wavering souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Their end is certain! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgressions; it took a dumb ass speaking with a human voice to restrain that prophet’s madness!
Such teachers are waterless springs, and mists driven by a storm; for them, the deepest darkness has been reserved. Uttering loud and foolish boasts, they entice with the passions of the flesh Christians who have barely escaped from those who live in error. They promise freedom, but they are really slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved.
If any who have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ become once again entangled in those defilements and overpowered, then their last state is worse than the first. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy instruction they have received. Thus do all of our false “Catholic” teachers prove the ancient proverb: The dog turns back to his own vomit, and the sow is washed only to wallow in the mire.
[Inspired writing? Yes, but not mine. Really inspired, it is in fact, very nearly verbatim, the second chapter of St. Peter’s second epistle. St. Peter might just as easily have written it yesterday as in the middle of the first century. It still rings true, doesn’t it?]
From Catholic Culture
It’s time to look again at the many false “Catholic” teachers among us, who have arisen to lead the faithful astray much as did false prophets in the time before Christ. Wayward bishops, priests, religious and theologians have promoted countless destructive heresies, some of which even deny Who Christ is. This can lead only to spiritual disaster, of course, but too many follow in the wake of their licentious teaching, holding the truth in contempt. The reality is that such teachers exploit the faithful with lies. They have already been condemned; destruction is at work within them.
Consider: If God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them into a pit of gloom to await the judgment; if God did not spare the ancients, but preserved Noah as a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when He brought the flood upon the ungodly; if by turning Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes God condemned and made of their inhabitants an example to those who would be unfaithful; if God rescued Lot, who was distressed by the wickedness around him—the lawless deeds which vexed his holy soul day after day—then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, especially those who indulge their passions in lust and so come to despise authority.
Such bold and willful teachers are not afraid to revile even the angels, though despite their greater might and power, the angels refrain from pronouncing judgment against them in the presence of the Lord. Nonetheless, these false teachers, born to be caught and killed like irrational animals following nothing but instinct, and rejecting that holiness of which they are so ignorant, will be destroyed through their own wrongdoing. They may count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, but they are only blots and blemishes reveling in dissipation, seeking always to seduce the faithful. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice wavering souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Their end is certain! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgressions; it took a dumb ass speaking with a human voice to restrain that prophet’s madness!
Such teachers are waterless springs, and mists driven by a storm; for them, the deepest darkness has been reserved. Uttering loud and foolish boasts, they entice with the passions of the flesh Christians who have barely escaped from those who live in error. They promise freedom, but they are really slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved.
If any who have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ become once again entangled in those defilements and overpowered, then their last state is worse than the first. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy instruction they have received. Thus do all of our false “Catholic” teachers prove the ancient proverb: The dog turns back to his own vomit, and the sow is washed only to wallow in the mire.
[Inspired writing? Yes, but not mine. Really inspired, it is in fact, very nearly verbatim, the second chapter of St. Peter’s second epistle. St. Peter might just as easily have written it yesterday as in the middle of the first century. It still rings true, doesn’t it?]
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Splendor of the Church
There is no shortage of bad news in the Catholic Church today. Scandal, Catholic-in-name-only politicians and policy makers, reduced mass attendance, especially among the young, and on and on and on. Are you finally ready for some “Good News?” We thought so. That’s why Saint Joseph Communications has produced a Special Edition of Scott Hahn’s popular DVD The Splendor of the Church.
External Attraction
When renowned convert Scott Hahn began to study Catholicism, he quickly discovered an authentic splendor about the Catholic Church. At first he was attracted by the Church’s artwork, architecture, intellectual and cultural achievements, humanitarian services, miraculous elements and the heroic virtues of the Saints. But looking closer he found an even more exciting interior splendor, especially in liturgy and worship. Here Hahn discovered the amazing fulfillment of the Old Covenant Passover in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Special Edition
As you watch this new Special Edition of The Splendor of the Church, you will accompany Scott Hahn as he began to uncover the true interior splendor within the Catholic Church. You will share his contagious joy of discovery as he describes his journey through Scripture to find that Jesus is the cause of the prerogatives of Mary, that it is Jesus who established the Church, that it is Jesus who guarantees the papacy, and so much more. Plus in this newly mastered Special Edition you will see on-screen images of the many treasures of art and architecture Scott describes from his meeting with Pope John Paul II in Rome and more.
A Message to the Church
This inspiring presentation also includes a special message for Catholics in America
REDISCOVER!
- What the Church teaches about her external splendors
- What it is about the Church that sets her apart from all denominations
- How the Catholic Church is the “family of God”
- Why Catholic missionaries were so successful among the barbarians of
- What is the theme of the Mystery of Christ
- Why externals matter in liturgy and worship
- Why Our Lord’s words to the Church in
- How faith means obedience to the truth taught by the Church
- What it takes to become a saint
- And much, much more!
To purchase a copy of this DVD go to Saint Joseph Communications
To view a trailer of the DVD go to Saint Joseph Communications
Henry VIII’s Letter to Pope Leo X on the subject of his book “Assertio Septem Sacramentorum”
Most Holy Father:
No duty is more incumbent on a Catholic sovereign than to preserve and increase the Christian faith and religion and the proofs thereof, and to transmit them preserved thus inviolate to posterity, by his example in preventing them from being destroyed by any assailant of the Faith or in any wise impaired.
So, when we learned that the pest of Martin Luther's heresy had appeared in Germany and was raging everywhere, without let or hindrance, to such an extent that many, infected with its poison, were falling away, especially those whose furious hatred rather than their zeal for Christian Truth had prepared them to believe all its subtleties and lies; we were so deeply grieved at this heinous crime of the German nation (for whom we have no light regard), and for the sake of the Holy Apostolic See, that we bent all our thoughts and energies on uprooting in every possible way, this cockle, this heresy from the Lord's flock.
When we perceived that this deadly venom had advanced so far and had seized upon the weak and ill-disposed minds of so many, that it could not easily be overcome by a single effort, we deemed that nothing could be more efficient in destroying the contagion than to declare these errors worthy of condemnation, after they had been examined by a convocation of learned and scholarly men from all parts of our realm.
This course of action we likewise recommended to a number of others. In the first place, we earnestly entreated His Imperial Majesty, through our fraternal love for him, and all the electoral princes, to bethink them of their Christian duty and their lofty station and to destroy this pernicious man, together with his scandalous and heretical publications, after his refusal to return to God.
But convinced that, in our ardour for the welfare of Christendom, in our zeal for the Catholic Faith and our devotion to the Apostolic See, we had not yet done enough, we determined to show by our own writings our attitude towards Luther and our opinion of his vile books; to manifest more openly to all the world that we shall ever defend and uphold the Holy Roman Church, not only by force of arms but by the resources of our intelligence and our services as a Christian.
For this reason we have thought that this first attempt of our modest ability and learning could not be more worthily dedicated than to your Holiness, both as a token of our filial reverence and an acknowledgment of your careful solicitude for the weal of Christendom.
We feel assured that our first fruits will be enhanced in value if it be approved by the wholesome judgment of your Blessedness. May you live long and happily!
From our Royal Palace Greenwich
Your Holiness' most devoted and humble son, Henry, by the grace of God King of England France Ireland
Saturday, November 14, 2009
What is Truth?
What Is Truth?
by Marcus C. Grodi
by Marcus C. Grodi
I am a former Protestant minister. Like so many others who have trodden the path that leads to Rome by way of that country known as Protestantism, I never imagined I would one day convert to Catholicism.
By temperament and training I’m more of a pastor than a scholar, so the story of my conversion to the Catholic Church may lack the technical details in which theologians traffic and in which some readers delight. But I hope I will accurately explain why I did what I did, and why I believe with all my heart that all Protestants should do likewise.
I won’t dwell on the details of my early years, except to say that I was raised by two loving parents in a nominally Protestant home, and I went through most of the experiences that make up the childhood and adolescence of the typical American baby-boomer. I was taught to love Jesus and go to church on Sunday. I also managed to blunder into most of the dumb mistakes that other kids in my generation made. But after a season of teenage rebellion, when I was twenty years old, I experienced a radical re-conversion to Jesus Christ.
I turned away from the lures of the world and became serious about prayer and Bible study.
As a young adult, I made a recommitment to Christ, accepting him as my Lord and Savior, praying that he would help me fulfill the mission in life he had chosen for me.
The more I sought through prayer and study to follow Jesus and confirm my life to his will, the more I felt an aching sense of longing to devote my life entirely to serving him. Gradually, the way dawn’s first faint rays peek over a dark horizon, the conviction that the Lord was calling me to be a minister began to grow.
That conviction grew steadily stronger while I was in college and then afterwards during my job as an engineer. Eventually I couldn’t ignore the call. I was convinced the Lord wanted me to become a minister, so I quit my job and enrolled in Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in suburban Boston. I acquired a master of divinity degree and was shortly thereafter ordained to the Protestant ministry....more
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