Keep your eyes open!...

January 29, 2010 

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

(Jas 1:27) Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep one's self unspotted from this world.

VIA ZENIT: Benedict XVI to Haiti: We Won't Abandon You

IN THE NEWS

Caritas feeding 50,000 in Haiti
Out of the rubble, a miracle named Karen
Amazing rescues, heroic Haitians and hard lessons from the past
Man Pulled Alive From Haiti Rubble 14 Days After Quake

OPINION: Haiti's hope and faith by Rev. Donald Maldari

MORE: Haitian sisters say quake victims need long-term help

The effects of the massive earthquake Jan. 12 in Haiti have been felt well beyond the borders of the island nation.

On Sunday, the University of Saint Mary conducted a prayer service for victims of the quake and its aftershocks, with two special guests — Sisters Melicia Singelus and Myrland Moise, both of whom had been personally affected by the disaster.

They are members of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa, Haiti, and first learned of the destruction in their homeland the evening of Jan. 12 during the television news.
“What are we going to do?” Singelus said she asked herself that day.

About two hours from the capital of Port-au-Prince in rural Haiti, the sisters said Fondwa has been ravaged by the quake, which had a magnitude of 7.0, according to the United States Geological Survey.

In their religious community, there are 13 sisters and more than 60 orphans — all now sleeping and living outside, as the earthquake destroyed all of the buildings in the community.

“If they’re not knocked down, they’re severely damaged,” said Sister Katherine Franchett, community treasurer for the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.

At the prayer service on Sunday in Annunciation Chapel on the Saint Mary campus, donations were taken for Catholic Relief Services in Haiti. Singelus said a lot of help is needed right now to get essential supplies like water and food to the country. Franchett said some of the rural areas in Haiti, like Fondwa, which lies in a valley and has suffered from what she called some “ferocious aftershocks,” have not been as quick to receive aid as major cities like Port-au-Prince.

“Many emergency supplies have gone in,” Franchett said. “But they have to get it to them.” As the rainy season approaches, Singelus said those made homeless by the quake will also need shelter.

OF CONCERN: Is Haiti just a passing fad? Donations are already slowing

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

January 28, 2010 

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

37. A holy team is love and humilty; the one exalts, and the other, supporting the exalted ones, never fails (1Cor 13:8).

January 27, 2010 

POPE BENEDICT XVI: “In a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims.”

NEWS REPORT: Report says Iran Working on Nuclear Bomb

Iran is serious about developing a nuclear bomb and has the ability to produce a primitive, truck-sized bomb this year, the German magazine, Der Spiegel, reported on Monday, citing secret intelligence information handed over to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

According to the report, Iran now needs to work on compressing such a bomb so that it can be fitted on a ballistic missile. Experts said Tehran could reach that stage by sometime between 2012 and 2014.

An intelligence dossier, portions of which were obtained by Der Spiegel, shows that there is a secret military branch of Iran’s nuclear research program that answers to the country’s Defense Ministry.

Officials who read the document, which is currently under review by the United States, Germany, Israel and the IAEA, claim that it shows that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at producing a nuclear bomb and that its plans are well advanced, said the report.

MORE

Iran crosses red line, can enrich uranium up to 20 pc
Iran to unveil missiles during anniversary
Iran to start new missile projects next month

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions, and virtues"

January 26, 2010 

(Psa 127:3) Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.

BALTIMORE SUN BLOG: March for Life unreported

As I marched up Constitution Avenue last Friday, I felt small among the crowd, the banners and the signs, yet united with my fellow man, we were massive. We came from parishes, communities, colleges and high schools from all over the United States. We were all ages, every race, many religions, or unaffiliated. When the road began to rise toward Capitol Hill, I looked ahead and saw people as far as the eye could see, and I looked back to find more people as far as the eye could see. We were marching for all life -- unborn, elderly, disenfranchised or infirm -- not just those who can voice a choice. There is no better feeling than standing up for what you believe in and knowing that what you believe is right and just, even if you hear nothing of it from the mainstream media.

RELATED

Hundreds of Thousands Join 37th March for Life
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52 Million Abortions Since Roe v. Wade
Participants at annual March for Life urged to keep up their efforts

VIA NEWSMAX: Justice Roberts Hints He Could Overturn Roe

Chief Justice John Roberts last week made it clear that the Supreme Court over which he presides will not hesitate to sweep away its own major constitutional rulings when doing so is necessary to defend America’s bedrock governing document.

The announcement of that guiding core principle means two very big things. First, Roberts and his fellow strict constructionists on the court are now armed and ready with a powerful rationale for overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion ruling if Justice Anthony Kennedy or a future justice becomes the fifth vote against Roe.

Secondly, successfully placing Roberts atop the high court is beginning to look like former President George W. Bush’s most important legacy – a gift that will keep on giving for conservatives for decades.

In last Thursday’s 5-to-4 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling dismantling the McCain-Feingold campaign law, Roberts joined with fellow Bush appointee Justice Samuel Alito to issue a separate concurrence “to address the important principles of judicial restraint and stare decisis implicated in this case.” While Roberts conceded that “departures from precedent are inappropriate in the absence of a ‘special justification,’” he quickly added that “At the same time, stare decisis is neither an ‘inexorable command’… nor ‘a mechanical formula of adherence to the latest decision’ … especially in constitutional cases,” noting that “If it were, segregation would be legal, minimum wage laws would be unconstitutional, and the Government could wiretap ordinary criminal suspects without first obtaining warrants.”

If Roberts really did just establish clear restrictions on the power of faulty Supreme Court precedents, it might not just mean a mechanism for the eventual conquest of Roe v. Wade, and victory for pro-lifers; a whole series of widely ranging liberal decisions going back to the activist Warren Court era could eventually be in jeopardy too.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions, and virtues"

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

(Mat 19:13-14) Then were little children presented to him, that he should impose hands upon them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said to them: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such.

THECATHOLICSPIRIT: White House protest new to March for Life activities, Roe anniversary

Pro-life activists flocking to the nation's capital for the 37th March for Life Jan. 22 will be buoyed by recent polls that say they are among the majority of Americans who identify themselves as pro-life.

Organizers of the massive demonstration also have scheduled -- for the first time in its history -- a two-hour rally at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, the evening before the march, in an effort to demonstrate their commitment to the pro-life movement to President Barack Obama.

Although the March for Life is not linked to a particular faith group or ethnic community, a variety of organizations are holding multiple events in the nation's capital and throughout the U.S. in the days surrounding the march.

The National Prayer Vigil for Life, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, will begin with a 6:30 p.m. EST Mass Jan. 21 and conclude with a 7:30 a.m. EST liturgy Jan. 22. Both will be broadcast live on the Eternal Word Television Network.

IN THE NEWS

At 84, pro-life leader and March for Life pioneer Nellie Gray marches on
Abortion's 'other wounded souls'
Significance of Western World's Largest Abortion Facility

LINK: Join The Virtual March

Can't make it to Washington, DC this year? No problem. Here's your chance to defend life and say "no" to the health care reform bill by signing up for the Virtual March for Life. It's easy. In Step 1, enter your contact information (please enter all required fields, marked with a red asterisk if not completed correctly). In Step 2, create your own "avatar" and invite your friends and family to participate in the Virtual March for Life.

RELATED INFORMATION

EWTN Complete Coverage of Coast to Coast Pro-Life Events
Priests for Life: Pro-Life Activities in Response to 37 Years of Roe vs. Wade
International Pro-Life Leaders Come to US Capitol to Protest Aggressive US Anti-Life Policies
40 Days for Life Campaigns to Oppose Abortion in 156 Cities

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

37. A holy team is love and humilty; the one exalts, and the other, supporting the exalted ones, never fails (1Cor 13:8).

January 21, 2010 

(Isa 58:6-10)  "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. "If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

HAITI IN THE HEADLINES

Baby Elisabeth brings hope to quake-hit Haitians
Tales of the survivors in Haiti
Hard Times at Home Don't Crimp American Generosity for Haiti

FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Bascom Palmer Communications: Update from Haiti

I returned early yesterday morning from Haiti, and Drs. Richard Lee and Julie Spielman were kind enough to meet me at MIA to give me a ride home.  Dr. Banta was definitely a hard act to follow, as I heard him praised over and over by the doctors and nurses who had worked with him.  There have been a lot of changes since then, as medical workers were pouring into the make-shift hospital.  Similar to James' experience, we were involved in a lot of non-ophthalmic care, including assisting in some of the many amputations being performed.

Tom Shane and I rounded on all of the approximately 200 patients to survey for eye injuries.  Many patients had severe facial swelling from blunt trauma as well as cellulitis.  Fortunately, most patients had only minor ocular injuries such as subconjunctival hemorrhages, infected lid abrasions, and facial cellulitis.  We did evaluate a woman with a naso-ethmoidal and left orbital fracture with decreased ocular motility, a traumatic optic neuropathy, a post-operative posterior ischemic optic neuropathy, and conjunctivitis.  Tom Shane and I helped transfer five critically ill patients to the Israeli field hospital, and found it to be quite impressive with an imaging center, lab, NICU, and ICU with ventilators.  The hospital was located off the airport, and we saw first hand some of the devastation as well as a huge tent city housing the displaced Haitians.

The conditions at our field hospital were quite primitive and basic.  The first night we were there, I helped with an amputation by holding a flashlight over the surgical area while the trauma surgeon amputated an arm with the patient under ketamine anesthesia on the concrete behind one of the two hospital tents.  Conditions improved on our second day there as we arranged an OR area in one of the tents using two folding tables as operating tables and divider walls.

Our minor OR nurse Ashlee Vainisi scrubbed on approximately 10 amputations the first day, and surgery proceeded well into the evening.  She did an absolutely outstanding job.  On our second day, Tom Shane, Ashlee, and I set up an eye clinic and wound care clinic between the two hospital tents.  We provided shade by spreading large tarps over the area, cleaned up the trash and moved boxes, and made a quite nice little clinic. Part of this area was reserved for the wound care doctors who performed dressing changes.  We did visual screening, used the auto refractor, and provided glasses (mostly readers), artificial tears, vitamins, and anti-allergy drops when needed to over 140 patients.  We also attended to dressing changes on our inpatients, performed dilated exams, and received a few emergencies including a reporter with a conjunctival foreign body and pain, as well as a young girl transferred from another clinic with a large infected cheek laceration extending into the maxillary sinus combined with swollen eyelids on the involved side.

Tom Shane was excellent with his boxes of glasses and organizational skills.  He is now working as the UM envoy to the organizational meetings being held throughout the day at the UN between all of the ngos (approximately 30) involved in the efforts.  The whole hospital is soon to be moved to a different area, with large air-conditioned tents paid for by Miami Heat's Alonso Mourning.  Presently conditions are quite cramped, and most of the staff sleeps when they can on the floor of a stage at the end of one of the tents.  Tom, Manny, Ashlee and I found a place to lie down between the tents on tables the first night.  The second night we camped outside near the tents for a while.  Drinking water arrived at the hospital on a regular basis, and patients and medical staff had adequate water to drink.  Food consists mainly of power bars, peanut butter, crackers, and occasionally bagels and bread, and is spread out on a table where staff members sleep and keep their personal belongings.

The patients were stoic and calm, but one could hear the constant cries of pain as analgesics wore off and dressings were changed.  Even with the hell they were going through, patients rarely complained and were happy each time we examined and cared for them.  On our rounds Tom and I encountered an 18-month old baby girl with cerebral palsy and scalp lacerations who was alone.  We were walking by and heard her crying.  We picked her up, fed her and held her, and she seemed very happy.  Thereafter we made it a point to round on her and feed her several times each day.  Patient family members provided basic care to the injured patients including feeding them, cleaning them, and emptying their bedpans.  Two infectious disease doctors from UM help coordinate the intravenous antibiotic therapy that most patients need due to infected wounds, amputations, and crush injuries.

Reporters were constantly touring the facility, and the President of Haiti stopped by Monday evening.  Emmanuel Paz ("Manny") from anesthesia has been an extremely hard working member of the team, providing ketamine and propofol anesthesia for amputations with basically no monitoring equipment except for a pulseoximeter.  On our first morning, a woman was rushed in who had been trapped under the rubble of the Caribbean Supermarket for four days in a couched position.  She was obviously very dehydrated, but fortunately had no major injuries.  Manny managed to start a 14 gauge IV, and she was quickly hydrated.  You could see life coming returning to her, and her relief to be alive and under medical care.  Later in the day we loaded her into a truck to be air-transferred to JMH. I'm going to try and locate her today at Jackson.

Many major problems persist.  Patients with pelvic fractures have no place for treatment, as neither our hospital nor the Israeli hospital is equipped to deal with them. They may die of injuries that would be easily treated in the US.  The same goes for spinal injuries.  Fortunately, fewer patients are dying now because they are receiving their needed surgeries quickly.  Immediate hospital needs include monitoring equipment, intravenous antibiotics, narcotics, ventilators, a laboratory, and imaging equipment. Ophthalmic needs include more antibiotic ointments and glasses.

My patient in Haiti asked me to call family members when I returned to Miami.  It was a very moving experience to call them and let them know he is alive and being well cared for in our hospital camp, as they had not heard any news of him since the quake.  It looks like the UM involvement in this effort will be a long term commitment, and I'm glad to see Bascom Palmer is able to play a vital role in the delivery of health care to this devastated country.  I want to go back, and I hope our residents, fellows, and faculty members will also give of some of their time and skills.

LINK TO DONATE TO CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICE: https://secure.crs.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3181&3181.donation=form1

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

Catholic Relief Service Helps Set up Displaced Camp on Port-Au-Prince Golf Course, Gets Haitian Hospital Running
Woman found alive in ruins of archbishop's residence
Conn. man trapped under Haiti quake rubble for 10 hours says miracles helped save his life

I just wanted to let you know I safely returned from Haiti tonight (Saturday). The extent of devastation visited upon the people of Haiti is difficult to describe. I helped staff a makeshift hospital in two airport hangers caring for around 250 patients. The vast majority had major orthopedic injuries. Of the 48 hours I was there, I spent nearly all of my time simply doing what I could with the limited supplies we had. The first night I could do nothing but dress wounds, administer IV fluids, and give pain meds along with 2 other doctors and 2-3 nurses. We had an excellent trauma surgeon who did a good job of keeping on top of everything. UM Orthopedist David Pitcher arrived yesterday and was simply amazing. I spent most of the last 24 hours splinting and casting badly broken extremities under his direction. I sewed up a few lids and facial lacs, but fortunately dealt with few eye-related problems. It is a desperate time for that poor country and the desperation is going to reach a fever pitch in the coming weeks as sanitation and morale drop. I don't fully comprehend how the situation can be remedied. My sincere hope for Haiti is that when the rebuilding occurs, it will be with the appropriate infrastructure to push the country to higher places. It will be a long and arduous process, but one I hope can move quickly with the international attention that has been garnered.

Haiti needs money for supplies and housing. The injured need orthopedic and trauma surgeons with OR support (which is currently minimal--the first field ORs were to be opened today) and quality nursing (which is a severe deficiency currently). Security is going to be a major problem as a desperate group of people cling to the shards of their severely broken lives. An entire generation of orphans and disabled has been introduced into an already strained, deficient system. As I look at the last 48 hours, of which I only slept about 3, the extent of the task at hand appears beyond daunting. There were times of hopelessness as I watched people suffer and sometimes die. Possibly even more difficult to remove from my thoughts were the cries of the orphaned or displaced children who were often inconsolable at bedtime, their fairly resilient natures not enough to overcome the physical pain of the injuries for which they were hospitalized as well as the emotional upheaval of losing their parents. There were some fleetingly hopeful times. Last night, a 15 year old girl was miraculously removed from the rubble of what was her secondary school after 4 days without food or water. Her left arm was crudely amputated in order to allow her escape. After a rather spartan surgery on a folding table sitting outside the hanger, her bleeding was addressed and her fluids replenished. When I left today, she was awake and talking, although very uncomfortable. She still might not survive. Her arm is still in horrible shape and she was found to have a heinous laceration of her lower back that might be infected--yet she was alive and talking. It was to be but a brief respite from the reality of the situation. As I smiled and felt proud of my part in her recovery, she began to ask me about her friends with whom she attended school. Sadly, I knew from the rescue team that she was likely the only survivor, and from the emotionless way in which she recited their names, she almost certainly knew as well. In Haiti today, even the hopeful moments are tinged with a stinging, painful reality.

You are welcome to circulate this report to the faculty and staff if you see fit to do so. I wish I could make it more hopeful, but the current reality is bleak. The outpouring of aid and volunteers is heartwarming and will eventually give way to a new, improved Haiti. If anyone would like to do something to help the situation, give money to a trusted charitable organization such as the American Red Cross or the UN's World Food Program.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

BLOG: Redemptive Suffering with help from John Corapi

FAITHFUL HAITIANS RESPOND

Haitians praise God after apocalyptic quake
And yet, the Haitians praise God
Many Haitians' religious faith unshaken by earthquake

EDITORIAL: Why does Haiti suffer so much?

CRS: Collection for Haiti earthquake

As the official relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, Catholic Relief Services is on the ground and already reaching out to the victims. CRS has made an initial investment of $5 million and will need our help to continue their work in the coming weeks.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

(Mat 25:37-40) Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry and fed thee: thirsty and gave thee drink? Or when did we see thee a stranger and took thee in? Or naked and covered thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison and came to thee? And the king answering shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.

HEADLINE: Pope activates world Catholic charities for Haiti

Pope Benedict on Wednesday ordered that the Roman Catholic Church's extensive worldwide charity network be immediately activated to help the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Speaking at his weekly general audience, the pope also appealed to the international community and individuals to be quick and generous in their aid.

"The Catholic Church will immediately activate (its aid) through its charity institutions in order to respond to the most urgent needs of the population," he said.

A major earthquake struck the capital of impoverished Haiti on Tuesday, flattening buildings and burying hundreds, possibly thousands, of people under the rubble, witnesses said.

The Catholic Church has one of the world's largest and most capillary charity networks.

"I appeal to everyone's generosity, so that these brothers and sisters of ours who are living through a time of need and pain receive our concrete solidarity and the effective help of the international community," he said.

MORE: Archbishop of Port-Au-Prince Dies in Haiti Quake

RESPONSE: 'We Are Working Against the Clock': World Rushes Aid to Shattered Haiti

BLOG: Catholic Relief Service workers in the field are reporting unprecedented devastation in Haiti's capital city Port-au-Prince following yesterday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake. Karel Zelenka, CRS's country representative for Haiti told CRS spokesperson John Rivera the devastation is unlike anything he's ever seen. "I've been in  earthquakes before," Zelenka told Rivera. "This was a major earthquake and a direct hit [on the capital]. There must be thousands dead."

LINK TO DONATE TO CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICE: https://secure.crs.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3181&3181.donation=form1

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

January 12, 2010 

(Rev 6:9-11) And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord (Holy and True), dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given to every one of them one; And it was said to them that they should rest for a little time till their fellow servants and their brethren, who are to be slain even as they, should be filled up.

HEADLINE: Pope condemns religious attacks after Copt deaths

Pope Benedict called on political and religious authorities on Sunday to prevent violence against Christians, in an apparent reference to recent attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt.

"Violence against Christians ... has caused indignation among many people, particularly because it has taken place on the most sacred days of the Christian tradition," Benedict said after his weekly Angelus blessing in Rome.

Six Coptic Christians were killed in drive-by shootings in the town of Nagaa Hamady in southern Egypt on January 6, just before midnight on Coptic Christmas Eve.

Three days later Muslims and Christians set fire to each others' homes and shops in nearby villages, injuring six people, as tension remained high in the area, 60 km (40 miles) north of the tourist and archaeological center Luxor.

"It is necessary that both political and religious authorities do not fail to live up to their responsibilities," the pope said. "We cannot have violence in the name of God."

IN THE NEWS: More Malaysian churches attacked in Allah dispute

There have been more attacks on churches in Malaysia, in a growing dispute over the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims.

The police say petrol bombs were thrown at a church and a convent school in the state of Perak, and at a church in Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

Another church in the south of the country was daubed with black paint.

The attacks come days after four churches near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, were hit by petrol bombs.

Religious tensions in Malaysia have increased since a court ruled last month that a Roman Catholic newspaper could use the word Allah in its Malay-language edition to describe the Christian god.

RELATED

Malaysian Christians defy church attacks
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REVIEW: Filipinos witness Christianity in Muslim countries

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

January 08, 2010 

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

(1Jo 4:20-21) If any man say: I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God love also his brother.

POPE BENEDICT XVI: Pope calls for brotherly love and tolerance

FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Dennis: As I set here writing this blog, the last few hours of 2009 is slipping by and I find it hard to believe how quickly the months have come and gone. As I look at 2009 and forward to 2010, I am not feeling very well about the future. Our country is still in Iraq and going deeper into Afghanistan. We are still killing many thousands of babies in their mothers’ wombs and our country is spending money like it is water. Unemployment is really bad and there doesn’t seem much hope left to go back to the way it was. This generation may be the last of the “Happy Motoring” generation. I must apologize for all the gloom, and I must admit what this country and world needs is a good place to find love.

It’s amazing where people seek love. You would think that something like that would be easy, and it is if you only look in the right places. I think there was a song “Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places”. With all the various religions, communication technologies, and other ways people socialize, you would think some where in there you could find love. It’s quite obvious that love does not exist in these places for if it did we would be a much better off world. Religion can gives us laws and tell us we should love, but that only operates at the surface. To really find love we must look deeply into the eyes of our Creator who is the Author and essence of love. To really see how love operates you must look into the very womb of Mary the mother of Jesus. There God the Father placed His Son not as a god, but as a simple helpless baby. If that does not make you stop and think I am not sure what would. Just what kind of God do we have that would do such things out of love for his children?

From the birth of Jesus until his death for us on the cross, Jesus was a pure example of love. Jesus came to serve, forgive and be an example of the very essence of His Father. If you are seeking love, then seek Jesus. If you want to be love then become Jesus like. There is no other place that one can find real love. If you want others to find love, then love them like Jesus loved and when they see your love you can point to the source, that is Jesus the Lord.

To all of you I wish a happy New Year, but I especially from deep in my heart wish all of you love. Don’t look in all the wrong places. Go directly to the Source.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

SPOTLIGHT ON MEDJUGORJE

BLOG: The position of the Church on Medjugorje

AUSTRIAN TIMES: Schönborn visits pilgrimage destination Medjugorje

Vienna Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn spent New Year's at Bosnia-Herzegovina pilgrimage destination Medjugorje.

Schönborn wanted his visit to be private since he wanted to spend time in silence and prayer.

The Roman Catholic Church has still not officially recognized the place where the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to six school children in 1981.

Since then, over 30 million pilgrims have visited the location in the southern part of the country.

"BLOCKBUSTER" INTERVIEW: From Vecernji List the daily newspaper Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Question: "Medjugorje is again in the center of attention, church and public as well. Though the visit of Cardinal Shonborn is private, it did not leave anybody indifferent because he is the member of Congregation for Doctrine of Faith.  We talked to Cardinal while he was visiting Medjugorje.

"We came here to be close to the Lord's mother", you said during the Christmas Eve Mass, Your Eminence. These words had a great echo. We would like you to explain them?"

Cardinal: " We cannot deny that pilgrims have been coming over here for past20 years, as we can not deny what they experience in Medjugorje and how close they fell to the Blessed Mother. This is my first visit, but since I've been a Bishop from 1991. I have simply noticed the fruits of Medjugorje.  more....

EXCERPT DOCUMENTARY PREVIEW: A Journey of Faith

"I am not a regular church-goer but witnessing the faith and devotion of the Northern Ireland pilgrims on this journey gave me a great respect for those who give their lives over to God. There are those who go to Medjugorje in search of apparitions of Our Lady, of phenomena like the spinning sun and the weeping knee, and I have no issue with this if it helps them strengthen their faith.

However, it's the people who go for their own personal reasons that I have most admiration. People like west Belfast man Emmanuel Strong whose mother died in Medjugorje whilst on a pilgrimage. He wanted to visit the place where his mother sadly passed away and takes great comfort in being there, feeling closer to her".

ZENIT.ORG: Cardinal Puljic on Medjugorje: God Blesses Prayer

CNA: Medjugorje bishop says Cardinal Schönborn's visit brings greater suffering to his diocese

CATHOLICCULTURE.ORG: Medjugorje: the message is unclear, but the differences are obvious

MEDJUGORJE.COM: Prophetic Message of January 2, 2010 Given by Our Lady Queen of Peace of Medjugorje's to Mirjana on the day for Non-believers
 
"Dear children, today I am calling you to, with complete trust and love, set out with me, because I desire to acquaint you with my Son. Do not be afraid, my children, I am here with you, I am next to you. I am showing you the way to forgive yourselves, to forgive others, and, with sincere repentance of heart, to kneel before the Father. Make everything die in you that hinders you from loving and saving – that you may be with Him and in Him. Decide for a new beginning, a beginning of sincere love of God Himself. Thank you."

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

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