Keep
your eyes open!...
November 26, 2008
(Php 4:6-7) Have
no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace
of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15). HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
OF INTEREST: The First Thanksgiving Was Catholic
CATHOLIC BLOG: The Meaning of Thanksgiving
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Jennifer Schuberth: Daniel
5:31-32 " When this period was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes
to heaven; my reason was restored to me, and I blessed the Most High, I
praised and glorified him who lives forever: His dominion is an
everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures for all generations, All
who live on the earth are counted as nothing; he does as he pleases with the powers of heaven as well as with those who live on this earth."
I
am writing this to you in the hopes that I can relate some of God's
majesty that I witnessed this past week. I was in Chicago with my 88
year old mother who is very sick with congestive heart failure,
lymphoma, diabetes and other problems. God showed HIs majesty and power
to us. My mom was at a very difficult point. Her heart was barely
functioning , and she kept having bouts with severe angina, even while
lying still. She often could not get her breath. Although at first she
had refused any treatment; she changed her mind completely and decided
to go with an angiogram and possible stents. We were told this was
risky but not much other information was given as to exactly HOW risky.
When she changed her mind and decided to go with this procedure, we
backed her up. She had to wait until Friday morning to make sure her
blood was not too thin. They let my sister and I go down with her. I
blessed her with a bottle of Lourdes holy water I had and prayed,
leaving her in the Father's hands. We were praying Thy will be done.
AFTER
the almost three hour procedure, which was supposed to take one hour,
the doctor boldly told us that he was shocked that she survived. In
4000 cases he has done, neither he nor his partner, has ever seen
anything so bad as her circulatory system. He Had told us if there was
too much to do, he would just come back out and not do anything. But
instead he chose to put two stents in one of my mom's bypasses. She is
88. The doctor fully did NOT expect her to survive. Again he never told
us this until AFTER the procedure. I am not sure what we would have
done had we known, but that doesn't really matter now.
I am just
in AWE at God's power. This morning as I sat down to write this, I came
right to the passage I quoted at the top of this note."he does as he pleases with the powers of heaven as well as with those who live on this earth."
God has the last word. Not the doctor, not any of us. He chose to show
His power and control through my mom surviving against all conceivable
odds. I hope the doctor took note. My mom most likely will not be long
in this world, as the doctor told us that what he did will not prevent
heart attack or stroke, but only make her more comfortable. But by all
medical standards she should not be alive even today. God needs her a
little while longer in this world and He has the final say.
One
more thing that I thought was interesting. Mom's three main God given
arteries are almost 100% blocked. But God can never be outdone. Her
body created what the doctor called collaterals which means she
sprouted blood vessels where there were none. She is living now on two
bypasses, one of which has the two new stents in and on God's gifts of
these sprouted vessels.
Our God is an AWESOME AWESOME God. He, only HE, is in control.
VIA Dennis DeLaurier: Love and Thanksgiving
Love
is so embedded in the very fabric of the world that one could write
about it for eternity. If you could take the whole universe and break
it down into it's most basic part. A part that could not be divided,
then you would see that it was made of love. Love is the basic particle
and building block of everything.
Love is the very fabric of the
universe; it pulses through our body in the form of blood and is the
electrical signals that communicate in our minds. Love is the light
that is reflected into our eyes and a cool sip of water when we are dry
and thirsty. It is the whisper or great howling of the wind on a cool
summer night or in a dark cold winter storm.
Love is a mother's
touch, a tear or a feeling of joy brought on by seeing a loved one that
has been away. Love is a meal cooked and brought to one in need. That
meal made up of billions of atoms and electrons comes from the very
center of love.
Love is a flower or a bee or a glorious morning
or an orange colored sunset. Love is the very sound of children playing
and laughing. It is the smile on our faces and the brown, blue, and
grey colors of our eyes.
Love is all these things and many more,
for they were all made by love. This love flowed out and touches all
parts of the universe; parts that may never be seen but are there. The
very filaments of the universe shout out this love. We can hear it if
you only listen, for it the great breath of God the Father who made it
all. God made everything from, in and through love. He made you and I
from love. He created you and I through and for His Son our Lord Jesus
Christ who is the very essence of love. His deepest wish is that we all
become like His son. When we have done that you and I will be love as
well.
Thanksgiving is a great time to give and receive love.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 12- "On lying"
1. The offspring of flint and steel is fire; and
the offspring of chatter and joking is lying.
November 21, 2008
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Mar 10:27) And Jesus looking on them, saith with men it is impossible; but not with God. For all things are possible with God.
FEAST DAY: The Presentation of Our Lady at the Temple
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Ephraim T. Echano (Naga City, Philippines):
At one time my wife Lhil had a lady
senior citizen for a physical therapy customer. To ease the burden of
boring therapy sessions, the lady decided to engage Lhil in a
conversation over interesting human life experiences even though they
were strangers to each other.
One of the experiences she shared was an incident that started with her brother’s death.
The lady said that her brother and
his wife died in a car accident. While she was on her way to their
place to attend the funeral, the bus she was riding in suddenly had
engine trouble. The bus driver told them to transfer to another bus.
Because she was so preoccupied with
thoughts of who would take care of her late brother’s children,
she didn’t notice that she was the only one left in the bus.
And because of her deep sorrow, she
even failed to notice a kindly lady dressed in white wearing a
rope-tied sandal, who patted her shoulder, comforted her and said: “Just
don’t worry about your serious problem. It’s better that we
pray in church in order to obtain for you the graces you need to care
for the problems ahead.”
She said that she and the lady left
the bus and went to the church, which was just around the corner.
Inside the church she cried and cried while embracing the statue of the
dead, wounded Jesus, locally called hinulid. Seeing her grief, the lady
in white added more comforting words: “Don’t worry, I will help you. Just pray.”
With these words, she felt as if a thorn had been removed from her
breast and heart. But when she got up to thank the lady, she was no
longer around.
After the Internment and burial of
her brother and his wife, she and the couple’s eight surviving
little children, had to look for a residence to rent in Igualdad Street
in Naga City , Philippines . They found a little house inside of which,
to her surprise, was a calendar with a picture of the Virgin Mary, the
same lady in white who patted her shoulders and accompanied her to
church.
After that, she said her boyfriend
broke up with her because he can’t bear the thought of feeding
eight children not their own.
Because of the meager pension of
her deceased brother, she could not depend on anything else other than
the assurance given her by the lady in white that she should not worry.
At the time, all her eight nieces
and nephews have finished their studies. There is an accountant, a
dentist and two who work overseas.
The question was how was she able
to provide them with good education? God works in mysterious ways. He
provided the eight children with special talents that each one of them
was able to obtain a scholarship grants. But still, there was the need
to provide for food, clothing and health care. I don’t know the
answer myself, neither the old lady but if you have strong faith in
God, nothing is impossible because He has a way of making things happen.
Now, my wife’s lady customer
is already very old. Although she never married and had no child of her
own, I believe she is the happiest person that I have ever talked to.
I tell this story not to boast
about but to strengthen our faith in God and to know that He is with us
in our everyday life ready to help us in our needs if we sincerely pray.
Praise the Lord!
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 11- "On talkativeness and silence"
6. The silence of Jesus put Pilate to shame; and
by a man's stillness, vainglory is vanquished.
November 20, 2008
(Dt 8:12-20) "Do not become proud of heart!"
HEADLINE: Bookies hold bets on whether God exists
EXCERPT "Day by Day Scripture Reflections" Nov. 17 by Joseph B. Donders
There
is a warning in Deuteronomy, Dom Thomas Cullinan suggests, that was
paraphrased some thousands of years later by Abraham Lincoln.
The
Bible text reads: Remember when you have eaten all you want, when you
have built fine houses to live in... your silver and gold abound and
all your possessions grow great, not to become proud of heart...Beware
of thinking to yourself, 'My own strength and the might of my own hand
have given me the power to act like this. Remember the Lord your God.
God was the one who gives you power...if you follow other gods, you
will surely perish.
And Abraham Lincoln said, on March 30, 1863.
"We
have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have
been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown
in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we
have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved
us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we
have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all
these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our
own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too
self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving
grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It behooves us, then,
to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confeess our national
sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."
REFLECTION: If only my daughter could learn from my mistakes by Ana Veciana-Suarez
My
daughter, pregnant with her first child and my third grand, has spent
the past few weeks getting acquainted with her toilet bowl. Morning
sickness, I've long maintained, is the introductory offer to labor
pains. It is the initial fee exacted for the joy of new life. To
paraphrase Bette Davis, pregnancy isn't for sissies.
Then again, neither is parenting.
After
three tumultuous decades of teething and terrible twos, football games
and piano lessons, college applications and post-graduate job hunts,
I've made some embarrassing mistakes on my way to learning some
valuable lessons.
If only I could share them with her!
Nadie
aprende an cabeza ajena, my own mother used to say. Or, no one learns
from others' mistakes. But I'll share and preach anyway:
• Don't
worry about the wrong things. I did, at times. Too often I compared my
children with others or among themselves. At 12 months, I fretted over
the child who didn't walk as steadily as I thought he should. In 12th
grade, I agonized over SATs and GPAs. In doing this, in trying to get
all to fit the same mold, I failed to see the unique talents that each
of my children has eventually displayed -- in spite of me. Had I to do
it over again, I would've worried less and relaxed more. I would've
recognized that there is a wide range of development and interests even
within families. Raising children is not a competition with a finish
line and trophy.
• Frustration and failure can be a good thing.
Children should be allowed to make mistakes. It's the way they learn.
Don't hover. Don't rescue. Don't stay up late helping with a science
project because Jose proved disorganized or lazy. Don't do for them
what they can do for themselves. I know, I know. This is so very
difficult! It goes against every molecule of maternal instinct. But
trust me on this: Start them early. If they can hold a toy, they can
also learn to put it back in its place. The rewards will be bountiful.
Which leads me to this strange but proven corollary . . .
•
Don't smooth the path for your child. Shocked? You shouldn't be. Early
hardships forged the resilient adult I am today, yet I've made things
too easy on my kids. Actually, my generation shares this fault, yet we
express surprise and dismay at our children's pervading sense of
entitlement. Hunger of a certain kind is a good thing. Nothing -- not
talent, not money, not brains -- can replace motivation, tenacity, fire
in the belly. You owe your baby food, shelter, clothing, love, an
education and a sense of values. Everything else is a privilege that
must be earned.
• Spending money on a child is not a measure of
your love. You don't need a plush Bella Bear or a Stokke crib in the
nursery. Teach kids that the trappings of wealth are superfluous by
modeling a simple life yourself. Focus on family instead of work, God
instead of bank accounts, self-discipline instead of self-interest.
•
And when the baby's bawling and your back aches and the house is a
mess, remember that, one day in a future that is a lot closer than you
suspect, your child will announce the debut of her own child. And
between warring emotions of unbearable happiness and debilitating
trepidation, you'll think: Life doesn't get any better than this.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 11- "On talkativeness and silence"
5. The friend of silence draws near to God and,
by secretly conversing with Him, is enlightened by God.
November
19, 2008
POPE JOHN PAUL II: To
claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to
recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a
perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others
and against others. This is the death of true freedom.
EXCERPT AMERICAN CATHOLIC: Cardinal: Obama is 'Aggressive, Disruptive and Apocalyptic'
"Because
man is a sacred element of secular life," Stafford remarked, "man
should not be held to a supreme power of state, and a person's life
cannot ultimately be controlled by government."
"For the next
few years, Gethsemane will not be marginal. We will know that garden,"
Stafford said, comparing America's future with Obama as president to
Jesus' agony in the garden. "On November 4, 2008, America suffered a
cultural earthquake."
Cardinal Stafford said Catholics must deal
with the "hot, angry tears of betrayal" by beginning a new sentiment
where one is "with Jesus, sick because of love."
VIA Frank Rega: Socialism at the gates
The
November 2008 issue of Christian Order reproduces the text of the truly
prophetic anti-West anti-socialism speech given by Alexander
Solzhenitsyn at the Harvard Commencement of 1978. Besides warning about
the dangers of Western flirtation with socialism (imminent now), he
points out the spiritual bankruptcy of both systems (although the
people of the East are generally far stronger spiritually). His
description of the tactics of the Western media dovetails perfectly
with what our media did to Sarah Palin 40 yrs. later. The article is
not online at Christian Order, but here is a link to the full text and
also audio of the speech: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/alexandersolzhenitsynharvard.htm
MORE ON FR. NEWMAN
LIFESITE: Fr. Newman Responds to Diocesan Concerns about Pro-Abortion Voting Letter
LINK: Original letter by Fr. Newman
LINK: Statement of Monsignor Martin T. Laughlin
CONTACT INFO:
Father Jay Scott Newman, Pastor
St Mary's Catholic Church
111 Hampton Avenue Greenville,
South Carolina 29601-1928
Phone number: 864.679.4101
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 11- "On talkativeness and silence"
4. He who has become aware of his sins has controlled
his tongue, but a talkative person has not yet come to know himself as
he should.
November
18, 2008
(Eze 34:7-10) Therefore,
ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, saith the Lord God,
forasmuch as my flocks have been made a spoil, and my sheep are become
a prey to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd:
for my shepherds did not seek after my flock, but the shepherds fed
themselves, and fed not my flocks: Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the
word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself come upon
the shepherds, I will require my flock at their hand, and I will cause
them to cease from feeding the flock any more, neither shall the
shepherds feed themselves any more: and I will deliver my flock from
their mouth, and it shall no more be meat for them.
Diocese Repudiates SC Priest Who Said Catholic Obama Supporters Need Penance Before Communion
Father
Jay Scott Newman, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville,
SC, has told Catholics who voted for President-elect Obama that they
need to seek penance before they take Communion, "lest they eat and
drink their own condemnation," Newman wrote in a church newsletter,
alluding to I Corinthians: "For anyone who eats and drinks without
recognizing the body [of the Lord] eats and drinks judgment on himself."
In
a newsletter posted on the church website -- but since taken down --
Father Newman wrote that "Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a
plausible pro-life alternative exits constitutes material cooperation
with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves
outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment
of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy
Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament
of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."
Via
email the Greenville News interviewed Father Newman, who expressed
chagrin at a recent poll indicating that fewer than 25% of American
Catholics attend Mass every Sunday.
"Newman calls abortion the
'chief battleground' in the so-called culture wars, and different from
'prudential' matters such as health care, education or the war on
terror," wrote the News. "A Catholic who gets an abortion, encourages
one or assists in the procedure is automatically excommunicated from
the church, Newman said, a penalty he said doesn't apply to other forms
of killing. 'The reason is that abortion is usually murder in secret
and it lays axe to human life at its root,' he said. With nearly 50
million abortions since Roe v. Wade, Newman said Obama would seek to
make 'hidden murder' a legally protected right, and anyone who voted to
give him such power 'will be complicit in the legal holocaust which
will follow.'"
But in an unusual move, Monsignor Martin T.
Laughlin, Administrator of the Diocese of Charleston, SC, has issued a
statement and video repudiating Father Newman.
"This past week,
the Catholic Church's clear, moral teaching on the evil of abortion has
been pulled into the partisan political arena," wrote Msgr. Laughlin.
"The recent comments of Father Jay Scott Newman, pastor of St. Mary's
Catholic Church in Greenville, S.C., have diverted the focus from the
Church's clear position against abortion. As Administrator of the
Diocese of Charleston, let me state with clarity that Father Newman's
statements do not adequately reflect the Catholic Church's teachings.
Any comments or statements to the contrary are repudiated."
LIFESITE: Bishops React to Priest who Told Obama-Supporting Catholics to Confess before Receiving Communion
CNA: Local priests support S.C. pastor in trouble over misreported communion ban
ON RECONCILIATION
Examen of Conscience by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
Father Pat's Reconciliation Page
Homily: "They Confessed Their Sins"
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 11- "On talkativeness and silence"
3. Intelligent silence is the mother of prayer,
a recall from captivity, preservation of fire, an overseer of thoughts,
a watch against enemies, a prison of mourning, a friend of tears, effective
remembrance of death, a depicter of punishment, a delver into judgment,
a minister of sorrow, an enemy of freedom of speech, a companion of stillness,
an opponent of desire to teach, increase of knowledge, a creator of divine
vision, unseen progress, secret ascent.
November
14, 2008
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(1Th 5:16-18) Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all.
VIDEO: It's Friday, but Sunday's Comin'! - Fr. Frank Pavone
THANK YOU JESUS!: Abortionist Turned Pro-Life Apostle
FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT: Sign the Fight FOCA Petition! The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.
Reflection by Father Ted – – November 12, 2008
My
dearest Lord Jesus, last Monday You reminded us of the importance of
asking You for an increase in faith. You told us that if we had the
faith the size of a tiny mustard seed we could do incredible things.
You want us to ask You frequently for this increase in the gift of faith.
Then today You showed to us ten people who asked in faith for a healing – a healing from the evil of leprosy.
You
told them to go and show themselves to the priests – who would declare
them cleansed of their leprosy. Yet when they left You, they had not
yet been cleansed.
Only while they were walking to see the priests did they become healed.
Their leaving You and going off to see the priests indicated that they had faith.
Their faith enabled them to become healed.
But today You focused upon another gift that is even more important than faith - namely – thanksgiving or gratitude.
Only one of the ten returned to thank You.
Your comments about the other nine tells me that giving thanks to You is very important.
You don’t need our thanks.
We do.
We need to give thanks – especially to You and to Your Father and Your Holy Spirit.
Yet how often do I express my thanks to You, my Lord? And, do I do so consciously?
Lord, help me to thank You more often. And help me to do so conscientiously.
That means that I also need to reflect on all the reasons for giving You thanks each day.
Also
today, in the scriptural readings, You reminded us of the importance of
praying for the needs of our leaders – both civic and religious.
They need our prayers – because they need Your help to fulfill their responsibilities.
Even
when they do not realize that they need Your help, they do. Even when
we do not realize that they need our prayers to help them to fulfill
their responsibilities, we do.
So Lord Jesus, prompt us to pray
for these leaders of us, both within the Church and within our civil
government. May these leaders of ours fulfill their responsibilities as
You desire. Help them to become saintly leaders. And help us to become
saintly citizens of our Church and of our country.Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 11- "On talkativeness and
silence"
2.
Talkativeness is the throne of vainglory, on
which it loves to show itself and make a display. Talkativeness is a
sign
of ignorance, a door to slander, an inducement to jesting, a servant of
falsehood, the ruin of compunction, a creator and summoner of
despondency,
a precursor of sleep, the dissipation of recollection, the abolition of
watchfulness, the cooling of ardour, the darkening of prayer.
November
13, 2008
(Php
1:27-28) Only let your conversation be worthy of the gospel of Christ:
that, whether I come and see you, or, being absent, may hear of you,
that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind labouring together for
the faith of the gospel. And in nothing be ye terrified by the
adversaries: which to them is a cause of perdition, but to you of
salvation, and this from God.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: Without the coming of Christ, the world will not be just or renewed, Pope teaches
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Dennis: Come O Holy Spirit – Come by the means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Your Well-Beloved Spouse.
The
above is a prayer that I have prayed perhaps thousands of times in the
last fifteen years and is a prayer that prays for the Triumph of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary.
"In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph" – Our Lady of Fatima
As
I continue to repeat this prayer, I seem to feel that it has more and
more meaning as I watch the world go crazy with love of self. Europe
has all but tossed God out with the trash. As much as we protest,
abortion seems to have become just something we do. Man seems to want
to modify life and continue to spew it deadly chemical concoctions on
the earth. Even if you don't see this, you must see the greed that
seems to be bringing the world's financial systems down? It seems that
a great cloud of evil has settled on the earth. We have all arrived at
an era of choice. Will we choose the physical or will we live in the
spirit? It is coming as sure as I am writing this message using
electrons to transmit it over the internet. One day, perhaps what I
have done today may be looked upon as an act or terror. Perhaps one day
you and I will have to choose our most wonderful Catholic faith or
choose what others will say is good. When that day comes, good will be
deemed as evil and evil as good. Now is a good time to think about that
and what your response will be.
Mary is gathering her children for her Son – Will you be one of them?
ECONONOMIC HEADLINES
Banking Crisis: Thain (Merrill), Like the Great Depression
Obama Is Seen Inheriting Worst U.S. Recession Since Reagan Era
For the U.S. Economy in the New Year, the Pain Will Precede the Promise
ANALYSIS: Why Washington Cannot Prevent Depression
OPINION: Preparation: Recession, Depression, or Panic?
BISHOP'S STATEMENT:
As the Catholic bishops of the United States gather in Baltimore and as
servants of Jesus our hope, we bring with us our concern for people in
our dioceses, and we want to express our active support and solidarity
with all those who are being hurt by the current economic crisis. As
pastors and bishops, we see the many human and moral consequences of
this crisis. Clearly, the impact is greater in some regions than others.
However,
across our nation families are losing their homes; retirement savings
are threatened; workers are losing jobs and health care; and many
people are losing a sense of hope and security.
This
disturbing and complicated situation brings home a universal truth: we
are all children of God. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers. We
are all in this together. Hard times can isolate us or they can bring
us together. The Catholic community will continue to reach out to those
in need, stand with those who are hurt, and work for policies that
bring greater compassion, accountability and justice to economic life.
Pope
Benedict XVI has outlined our goals in his 2008 World Day of Peace
message: "The family needs to have a home, employment, and a just
recognition of the domestic activity of parents, the possibility of
schooling for children, and basic health care for all." He also insists
that society and public policy should be "committed to assisting the
family in these areas."
We
offer our prayers for the families and individuals, our sisters and
brothers, who are hurting, anxious or discouraged in these difficult
times. We also pledge our prayers for our wounded nation and suffering
world. We pray that, working together, we can find the courage, wisdom
and ways to build an economy of prosperity and greater justice for all.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 11- "On talkativeness and
silence"
1.
In the preceding chapter, we spoke briefly
of how extremely dangerous it is to judge others, or rather, to be
judged
and punished by one's own tongue, and of how this vice steals into even
the most apparently spiritual people. Now we must show the cause of
this
vice, and give a proper account of the door by which it enters, or
rather,
goes out.
November 12, 2008
(Luke 23:18) But the whole multitude together cried out, saying: Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:
A LOOK BACK: THE 2008 JUDEO-CHRISTIAN VOTE
JEWISH VOTE:
Despite all the talk of racist old Jews in Florida, the middle name
"Hussein," Muslim heritage, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and how Obama's
position on Iran would lead to another Holocaust, President-elect
Barack Obama not only won the Jewish vote yesterday with 77% of their
vote, that was an improvement on the Jewish vote numbers earned by Sen.
John Kerry, D-Mass., four years ago.
CATHOLIC VOTE:
An estimated 54 percent of voters who describe themselves as Catholic
helped elect Sen. Barack Obama Tuesday as the first African-American
president. That's a significant boost for Democrats since 2004, when it
was President Bush who carried Catholics at 52 percent.
CARDINAL GEORGE (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops):
"The church and her life and teaching do not fit easily into the
prior narratives that shape our public discussions. As bishops, we can
only insist that those who would impose their own agenda on the church,
those who believe and act self-righteously, answerable only to
themselves -- whether ideologically on the left or the right -- betray
the Lord Jesus," he said.
"Strengthening people's relationship
with Christ remains our primary concern and duty as bishops. We extend
that pastoral concern, especially at the beginning of a new
administration and a new Congress, to Catholics of either major party
serving others in government. We respect you and love you, and we pray
that the Catholic faith will shape your decisions so that our communion
may be full."
ESSAY: How will Catholic bishops deal with a Democratic Washington?
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA [email protected]: Post-election message from the Poor Clare Colettines TMD
I know that many of you have suffered a bereavement, the death of a
dream. a sense of growing dismay and discouragement because values that
you cherish are ignored and transgressed. Hold your heads up high, the
important thing is that you chose to defend life, you chose to be a
voice for life, the unborn, the vulnerable, marriage between one man
and one woman....before God you made the right choice.
God
himself has promised to comfort all who mourn and In the beginning of
St Johns gospel we read that the LIGHT shines in the darkness but the
darkness has not overcome it..... let your light shine... you may think
it small or insignificant, but your faith, your witness is needed by
your even Christian brothers and sisters.
God can work through
all things and he alone can bring good out of evil...All things pass,
men come and men go, the glory of a man may be dust tomorrow, the world
and its spirit are fickle and passing, love alone, God remains......
Do
not allow the evil one to draw you into despondency and despair, we are
called to the courage and sacrifice of a bloodless martyrdom, to be
Gods witnesses in an ever increasing secular world. Alone we cannot but
united together in him we can....
Do not exhaust yourselves with
endless speculations and fill your minds with fears that have not even
yet become realities, tomorrow the future is known to God alone...
Courage
!!! your love, prayer and sacrifices are so needed by the church, look
back over the centuries at our brothers and sisters in the faith who
underwent persecution for love of Christ....but look also at the great
number of souls who have been saved through their examples and prayers.
The
Church has recently called us to look deeper into Gods word, let us
respond to that for within his gospel, the gospel of Our Lord Jesus
Christ you will find all the answers... Offer your tears and
disappointments to God , ask him to transform them all into grace for
the future...Do not let fear direct and manipulate your lives but cling
to HIM... no matter what may come. We are each without exception called
to holiness and the nearer we grow to God the greater our light will
shine. You are all so much in our hearts and prayers at this time....
God bless you all
ST. THOMAS MORE: "Nothing can come
except what God wills. And I make me very sure that whatsoever that be,
even if nothing has ever appeared so bad, it shall indeed be the
best... I never intend, God being my good Lord, to pin my soul to
another man's back, not even the best man that I know this day living;
for I know not where he may hap to carry it."
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 10- "On slander or calumny"
11.
The demons, murderers as they are, push us
into sin. Or if they fail to do this, they get us to pass judgment on
those
who are sinning, so that they may defile us with the stain which we
ourselves
are condemning in another.
November
11, 2008
(1Sa 8:6-9) And
the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say:
Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord
said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say
to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not
reign over them. According to all their works, they have done from the
day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day: as they have
forsaken me, and served strange gods, so do they also unto thee. Now,
therefore, hearken to their voice: but yet testify to them, and
foretell them the right of the king, that shall reign over them.
PRESS RELEASE: President-elect Obama Reveals his Position as 'The abortion President' with Proposed Executive Order Reversals
On
Sunday, transition advisors to the President-elect have revealed a
potential list of executive orders that Mr. Obama would reverse once he
became President.
They include reversing a provision barring
international organizations that receive American aid from counseling
about the availability of abortions and reversing President Bush's ban
of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research.
The Christian
Defense Coalition, along with other faith organizations, warned that if
Barack Obama were elected he would be the "most radical pro-abortion
President" in American history.
The reversing of these executive
orders would offend millions of Americans in the faith community and
betrays President-elect Obama's public statements about building
bridges of unity with differing groups and being a President that
respects faith and social justice.
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney,
Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, comments, "It was with a
profound sense of disappointment that I heard President-elect Obama's
transition advisors publicly talking about reversing some life
affirming executive orders once he becomes President.
If Mr.
Obama reverses the 'Mexico City Policy,' which forbids groups that
receive American aid from counseling women about the availability of
abortion, it would greatly increase abortions around the world. It
would also create a scenario in which American evangelicals and
Catholics would be paying for abortion referrals through their tax
dollars. If President-elect Obama reverses this policy, it would show a
complete and blatant disregard for the faith values of millions of
American Christians as well as expanding the violence and tragedy of
abortion worldwide. America should be exporting justice and human
rights not brutality and violence.
NEWS LINK: Obama to use executive orders for immediate impact
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Michael O'Brien:
From my own reading of Obama's declarations and stated positions, I
knew he was an ultra-liberal, a social revolutionary with visionary
pretensions. But the Antichrist? No, not possible, I thought. I felt
that he was too shallow a man to be the Son of Perdition, the Man of
Sin, the Beast of the Book of Revelation. And I still think so. Obama
is a crowd-pleaser with just the right ethos of idealistic crusader.
That the crusade and the banners under which it marches are evil does
not automatically prove that he is the Antichrist.
But
now that I have seen the video of the Berlin speech I think there is
more here than meets the eye. He is indeed a powerful manipulator of
crowds, even as he appears ever so humble and wholesomely charming. I
doubt that he is the long-prophesied ruler of the world, but I also
believe that he is a carrier of a deadly moral virus, indeed a kind of
anti-apostle spreading concepts and agendas that are not only
anti-Christ but anti-human as well. In this sense he is of the spirit
of Antichrist (perhaps without knowing it), and probably is one of
several key figures in the world who (knowingly or unknowingly) will be
instrumental in ushering in the time of great trial for the Church
under its last and worst persecution, amidst the numerous other
tribulations prophesied in the books of Daniel and Revelation, and
letters of St Paul, St. John, and St. Peter.
VIA Fr. John Corapi:
The American people have now made it abundantly clear who they want to
lead them, and the policies and practices that this president-elect has
represented for some time, they can now claim as their own. Actions
have consequences, and I am sure God has duly noted what our priorities
are in the US of A.
Economic matters would seem to take precedence over
moral matters; money more important than life itself to most people (I
guess they don't consider almost 50,000,000 innocent children murdered
by abortion part of life).
Now we shall see what the fruit of such a
tree will be. I predict that we won't have to wait long. In recent
months we have seen "corrections" in the stock market, housing market,
and banking industries. Now we'll see if God orchestrates a
"correction" in a country and a world that has demonstrated quite
clearly that it prefers convenience and wealth to life itself. Regardless
of whatever happens next, remember there is still a God in Heaven and
He loves you. He is infinitely merciful—and He is infinitely just as
well.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 10- "On slander or calumny"
9.
Listen to me, listen, all you malicious reckoners
of other men's accounts! If it is true (as it really is true) that
'with
what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged (Matt 7:2), then whatever
sins
we blame our neighbour for, whether bodily or spiritual, we shall fall
into them ourselves. That is certain.
November 7, 2008
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(2Ma
12:43-46) And
making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to
Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead,
thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection. (For if he
had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would
have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he
considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great
grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to
pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.
VIA
Darrell Bennett: Visiting a Cemetery
An
indulgence is granted the Christian faithful who devoutly visit a
cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the dead. This indulgence is
applicable only to the souls in purgatory. This indulgence is a plenary
one from November 1 through November 8 and can be gained on each one of
these days. On the other days of the year this indulgence is a partial
one.
May the Divine Assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of
the faithfully departed rest in peace.
VIA Our
Lady of the Rosary Library:
Q. What benefits can flow from a visit to a Catholic cemetery?
A.
It must first be recalled that a Catholic cemetery is a holy place,
being consecrated ground, especially blessed by the Church to receive
the bodies, temples of the Holy Ghost, that will rise up to meet Our
Lord, the Supreme Judge, on the last day. It is for this reason that it
was always considered obligatory for the bodies of faithful Catholics
to be buried in Catholic cemeteries (Canon 1205, 1 of the 1917 Code).
A
visit to a cemetery is consequently an act of religion, as is the
special care of the cemetery and of the tombs of those who are buried
there. It inspires a Catholic with reverence, awe for God's judgments,
respect for the souls of those whose bodies are buried there, with an
awareness of the brevity of this earthly life, and of the union of the
Church militant with the Church suffering in the mystical body of
Christ. Special graces are consequently attached to silent and
prayerful visits to cemeteries. It can easily be understood why Church
law prescribes that each parish have its own cemetery (Canon 1208), and
why it is the traditional custom for it to be physically adjoining the
parish.
However, if Catholics love to visit cemeteries, it is
especially out of a motive of charity. We long to assist the suffering
souls in purgatory by our prayers, sacrifices, and Masses, given that
we are united as members of the same mystical body. A physical visit to
a cemetery is a great help in inciting us to this duty of charity. It
is for this reason that the Church has generously enriched with her
indulgences visits to cemeteries. During the eight days from November
1-8, any of the faithful can, simply by visiting a cemetery and praying
for the poor souls, obtain a plenary indulgence, applicable to the poor
souls in purgatory, under the usual conditions. At other times of the
year this is a partial indulgence. The gaining of a plenary indulgence
does not mean that one soul is freed from Purgatory, but that the power
of the Church's suffrages is added to the personal prayers and applied
to the poor souls, by manner of intercession.
How could we refuse to take advantage of the unlocking of the Church's
treasury, which simply depends on our visits and prayers.
Let
us consequently be generous and regular with our visits to Catholic
cemeteries, and let us never pass one by without stopping to recite a
short prayer for the poor souls there, or at least reciting such a
prayer as we go by.
Q&A by Fr. Scott (http://www.angelusonline.org/)
----------------------------------------------------
V. From the gates of hell, R. Deliver their souls, O Lord.
V. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, R. And let perpetual light shine
upon them.
V. May they rest in peace, R. Amen.
V. May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God
rest in peace, R. Amen.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 10- "On slander or calumny"
8. Fire and water are
incompatible; and so is judging
others in one who wants to repent. If you see someone falling
into
sin at the very moment of his death, even then do not judge him,
because
the Divine judgment is hidden from men. Some have fallen
openly into
great sins, but they have done greater good deeds in secret; so their
critics
were tricked, getting smoke instead of the sun.
November
6, 2008
(2Sa
12:18-23)
And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died: and the
servants of David feared to tell him, that the child was dead. For they
said: Behold when the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he
would not hearken to our voice: how much more will he afflict himself
if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw his servants
whispering, he understood that the child was dead: and he said to his
servants: Is the child dead? They answered him He is dead. Then David
arose from the ground, and washed and anointed himself: and when he had
changed his apparel, he went into the house of the Lord: and
worshiped, and then he came into his own house, and he called for
bread, and ate. And his servants said to him: What thing is this that
thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was
alive, but when the child was dead, thou didst rise up, and eat bread.
And he said: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for him:
for I said: Who knoweth whether the Lord may not give him to me, and
the child may live? But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Shall I
be able to bring him back any more? I shall go to him rather: but he
shall not return to me.
PRAYER OF SOLACE
May Christ support us
all the day
long, till the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy
world is hushed, and the fever of life is over and our work is done.
Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging, and holy rest and
peace at the last. Amen.
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Roy:
Thanks for your encouragement in these sad moments of our lives
especially those of us who prayed fervently and beseeched Our Lord and
His mother Mary to grant us victory for life which was not to be at
this time that makes us wonder why our prayers were not answered.
But who are we to
question the Lord's unfathomable judgment and His inestimable wisdom?
We have seen in times
past that He
has allowed good to come out of evil through chastisment of those who
perpitrate evil and influence others against His will.
In times like those He
has allowed them to be consumed by their own wickedness.
But those of us who
seek to do His
will must remain steadfast in adversity as a test of our faithfulness,
knowing that He will never fail us even when our backs are up against
the wall.
Therefore we must take
courage and
trust in His mercy for these times of uncertainty will pass and our
crown of glory will be enhanced by the sacrifices we make in times of
darkness.
One day the vail of
darkness will be lifted and we will experience the true light of His
love.
So let us not question
His judgment and make every effort to remain faithful to Him.
God is love, God is
good, God is just!
1ST READING
TODAY'S DAILY MASS: (Phi
2:12-18) Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always
obeyed, not as in my presence only but much more now in my absence)
with fear and trembling work out your salvation. For it is God who
worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good
will. And do ye all things without murmurings and hesitations: That you
may be blameless and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the
midst of a crooked and perverse generation: among whom you shine as
lights in the world. Holding forth the word of life to my glory in the
day of Christ: because I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.
Yea, and if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice and service of your
faith, I rejoice and congratulate with you all. And for the selfsame
thing, do you also rejoice and congratulate with me.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 10- "On slander or calumny"
7. Do not regard the
feelings of a person who speaks
to you about his neighbor disparagingly, but rather say to him: 'Stop,
brother! I fall into graver sins every day, so how can I criticize
him?'
In this way you will achieve two things: you will heal yourself and
your
neighbour with one plaster. This is one of the shortest ways to the
forgiveness
of sins; I mean, not to judge. 'Judge not, and ye shall not be
judged(Luke
6:37).'
November
5, 2008
(Psa
105:1-5) Give
glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the
Gentiles. Sing to him, yea sing praises to him: relate all his wondrous
works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that
seek the Lord. Seek ye the lord, and be strengthened: seek his face
evermore. Remember his marvellous works which he hath done; his
wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:
O God, of Whose mercies there is no
number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite; we render
thanks to Your most gracious majesty for the gifts You have bestowed
upon us, evermore beseeching Your clemency, that as You grant the
petitions of them that ask You, You will never forsake them, but will
prepare for the reward to come. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Te
Deum
(This famous hymn is very old, possibly
the work of Saint Nicetas of Remesiana (335-415))
We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
Thee, the Father everlasting, all the earth doth worship.
To Thee all angels, to Thee the heavens and all powers, To Thee the
Cherubim and Seraphim continually cry:
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth.
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory.
Thee, the glorious choir of the apostles,
Thee, the admirable company of prophets,
Thee, the white-robed army of martyrs, praise.
Thee, the holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge:
The Father of infinite majesty;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Also, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter .
Thou, O Christ, art the king of glory.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When Thou didst take upon Thee to deliver man,
Thou didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death, Thou didst Open the kingdom of
heaven to all believers.
Thou sit test at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our judge.
We, therefore, pray Thee to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed
with Thy Precious Blood.
Make them to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting.
Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance. Govern them, and
raise them up forever.
Every day we bless Thee.
And we praise Thy name forever; yea, forever and ever.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day, to keep us from sin.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in Thee.
O Lord, in Thee have I hoped; let me never be confounded.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 10- "On slander or calumny"
6. I have known a man who
sinned openly and repented
secretly. I condemned him as a profligate, but he was chaste before
God,
having propitiated Him by a genuine conversion.
November
4, 2008
(Php
4:6-7) Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights, that among these are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
A worried woman went to
her gynecologist and said:
'Doctor,
I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not
even 1 yr. old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close
together.' So the doctor said: 'Ok, and what do you want me to do?' She
said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help
with this.' The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he
said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem.
It's less dangerous for you too.' She smiled, thinking that the doctor
was going to accept her request.
Then he continued: 'You see, in
order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time,
let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before
the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't
matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you
chose the one in your arms.
The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime
to kill a child!
'I
agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be ok with it, so I
thought maybe that was the best solution.' He smiled, realizing that he
had made his point.
He convinced the mom that there is no
difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's
still in the womb. The crime is the same!
- ONE
SUNNY DAY IN 2009, AN ELDERLY MAN APPROACHED THE WHITE HOUSE FROM
ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, WHERE HE'D BEEN SITTING ON A PARK BENCH.
He spoke to the Marine
standing guard at the White House and said, I would like to go in and
meet with President Barrack Obama.
The Marine replied, Sir, Mr. Obama is not President and he doesn't
reside here.
The old man said, Okay, thank you and walked away.
The
following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the
same Marine, I would like to go in and meet with President Barack Obama.
The Marine again told the
man, Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Obama is not President and doesn't
reside here.
The man thanked him and again walked away.
The
third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the
very same Marine, saying: I would like to go in and meet with President
Barack Obama.
The Marine, understandably agitated at this point,
looked at the man and said, Sir, this is the third day in a row you
have been here asking to speak to Mr. Obama. I've told you already
several times that Mr. Obama is not the President and doesn't reside
here! Don't you understand?
The old man answered, Oh, I understand you fine. but I just love
hearing your answer!
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, See you tomorrow,
Sir!
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 10- "On slander or calumny"
5.
He who wants to ovecome the spirit of slander
should not ascribe the blame to the person who falls, but to the demon
who suggests it. For no one really wants to sin against God, even
though
we all sin without being forced to do so.
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