Keep your eyes open!...





 

September 30, 2008  

(Mat 6:19-21) Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through, and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.

EXCERPT: THE ECONOMIC UPROAR

Now, with financial institutions collapsing, credit markets imploding and the global economy teteering, is it time to give Karl Marx a second chance? Not quite. But it may be a good opportunity for Americans to examine their collective conscience to see how easily they slipped into a faith-based way of thinking about market-based economics, embracing this system as a kind of secular religion no less doctrinaire than the communism that went before.

How did this new faith come to be?

Some like to trace it to the Protestant Reformation and the birth of a free enterprise approach to religion that coincided with, and bolstered, the rise of a capitalist economic model. A century ago, the German sociologist Max Weber summed up this view in "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," a landmark work that for all its flaws gave a memorable label to the undeniable impression of bustling Protestant worker bees laboring and saving.

The individual was "called" to this sanctification of work, the new theology went; the communal ethos of the old Catholic ecclesial package, on the other hand, inhibited incentive and frowned on the accumulation of wealth, which Protestants saw as a sign of divine approval.

Debates over Weber's Protestant ethic continue, but the current crisis shows that his thesis may be beside the point; today, laissez- faire capitalism itself has become a religion. This theory is best summarized in Robert Nelson's 2001 book, "Economics as Religion: From Samuelson to Chicago and Beyond," in which Nelson argues that market economics is not, as some would say, a value-free enterprise. Rather, it has its own system of beliefs, including the salvific power of abundance, a gospel of ef ficiency and a priestly caste to preach this good news.

"Economists think of themselves as scientists," Nelson writes, but "they are more like theologians." And Americans say amen. (Nelson is hardly a neosocialist, as his critique of "economic theology" encompasses Keynesian theories that argue for a "mixed economy" allowing positive roles for both the public and private sectors.)

Evidence for Nelson's thesis abounds in these days of crisis. Government officials are delivering sermons about the need to restore faith in the system, inspire confidence in the markets and keep our eyes on the ultimate hope of an economic rebound that will reward true believers. Others oppose the bailout as an unwarranted violation of economic dogma -- and an endorsement of relativism -- or as a plenary indulgence to grievous sinners.

FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY:

"The idea of the all-powerful market that must not be constrained by any rules, by any political intervention, was mad. The idea that markets were always right was mad," Mr Sarkozy said.

"The present crisis must incite us to refound capitalism on the basis of ethics and work & Self-regulation as a way of solving all problems is finished. Laissez-faire is finished. The all-powerful market that always knows best is finished," he added.

He accused "this system that allows the ones responsible for a disaster to leave with a golden parachute" of having "increased inequality, demoralised the middle classes and fed [market] speculation."

LINK: Congressman Ron Paul Speaks Out on Wall St. Bailout

NOURIEL ROUBINI: The risk of a total systemic meltdown is now as high as ever

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

11. An angy person is a willing epileptic, who due to an involuntary tendency keeps convulsing and falling down.

September 26, 2008    

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

(Mal 3:7) For from the days of your fathers you have departed from my ordinances, and have not kept them: Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord of hosts. And you have said: Wherein shall we return?

FATHER CORAPI: Education, Faith & America

In speaking with faithful Catholics all over the world for the past twenty years there is a consensus among them that the average Catholic doesn't know much about their faith. Likewise there is an overwhelming consensus that if we did, the world would be a very different place. In the United States of America we have over sixty million Catholics. If these Catholic citizens knew their faith and then voted and lived their faith, this country would be incalculably better off. In turn, so would the entire world.

In the past few months leading up to what may prove to be the most crucial presidential election in this country’s history, it is outright frightening how many Catholics think they can vote for a pro-abortion candidate. As many of our good bishops have pointed out, under the current circumstances this is not possible. Abortion is the overridingly most important moral issue of our times, all others being important, but rendered irrelevant if the preeminent right—the right to life—is destroyed.

As Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon recently pointed out, clarifying the teaching of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in their excellent pastoral letter “Faithful Citizenship,” a candidate or office holder is disqualified from receiving the vote of a Catholic in good conscience if they hold a pro-abortion position. In other words pro- choice candidates under the current set of circumstances are disqualified because of their pro-death political positions. We cannot vote for them. As the Bishops of Kansas recently asserted in their excellent voter’s guide, “Catholics would ‘commit moral evil’ by voting for a candidate who supports abortion and other intrinsically evil things. Voting is a moral act, and voting for pro-choice candidates is evil in itself. One becomes a collaborator in evil by so doing. No amount of rationalization can escape this logical and moral conclusion.

There was some confusion over this based on a statement made some time ago by Pope Benedict, who was speaking in general terms, saying that for a “proportionate reason” it would be possible to vote for such candidates. However, in the concrete situation we face, with a candidate who is pro-life, this would not be possible. No amount of “other reasons” would excuse voting for a pro-choice candidate. The Church clearly teaches that life begins at conception. As Pope John Paul II stated many times, “abortion is murder.” Following logically from this, if a single abortion is murder, then 48,000,000 (the approximate number of abortions in this country since Roe v. Wade) of them is genocide. What would be the “proportionate reason” supporting such an outrage? There is none.

Lack of understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches is grossly harmful to the individual Catholic and to society in general. It is for this reason that I have always tried to promote and teach the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is a sure norm for teaching the faith, as Pope John Paul II asserted in promulgating the Catechism. “Guarding the Deposit of Faith is the mission which the Lord entrusted to His Church,” are the first words of the Apostolic Constitution “Fidei Depositum.” These are the words the Holy Father used to introduce us to the Catechism.

For this reason we are making my series “The Teaching of Jesus Christ” more and more available through television, radio, and the lowest prices ever offered for DVD and CD versions. Ignorance of the Faith can prove fatal—for individuals and for nations. Learning our faith is the best investment we can make. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the very best way to do this.

May God bless you, each one, and may God bless America in this time of national crisis.

MORE: DEATH WISH! The Impending Suicide of a Once Great Nation

OF INTEREST

Vatican backs British Bishop's call for revival of the faith
Catholic Church launches new website for the faithful

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

10. As a hard stone with sharp corners has ll its sharpness and hard formation dulled by knocking and rubbing against other stones, and is made round, so in the same way, a sharp and curt soul, by living in community and mixing with hard, hot-tempered men, undergoes one of two things: either it cures its wound by its patience, or by retiring it will certainly discover its weakness, its cowardly flight making this clear to it as in a mirror.


September 25, 2008    

(Rev 3:17-19) Because thou sayest: I am rich and made wealthy and have need of nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold, fire tried, that thou mayest be made rich and mayest be clothed in white garments: and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear. And anoint thy eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Be zealous therefore and do penance.

POPE BENEDICT XVI: "Shun the worship of idols. Our modern world has created its own idols, he said. "St Paul explains to the Colossians that insatiable greed is a form of idolatry, and he reminds his disciple Timothy that love of money is the root of all evil."
 
FINANCIAL HEADLINES

Buffett's "time bomb" goes off on Wall Street
Commentary: Bailouts will lead to rough economic ride
Hedge funds suffer mass redemptions
China paper urges new currency order after "financial tsunami"

LESSONS FROM THE DEPRESSION: Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or do without

INSIGHTFUL: Judgment Day on Wall Street by Rabbi Benjamin Blech

OF INTEREST: With Wall Street in turmoil, some in suits turn to religion

MORE: Wall Street's woes come to church

POPE LEO XIII: Therefore, those whom fortune favors are warned that riches do not bring freedom from sorrow and are of no avail for eternal happiness, but rather are obstacles;(9) that the rich should tremble at the threatenings of Jesus Christ - threatenings so unwonted in the mouth of our Lord(10) - and that a most strict account must be given to the Supreme Judge for all we possess. The chief and most excellent rule for the right use of money is one the heathen philosophers hinted at, but which the Church has traced out clearly, and has not only made known to men's minds, but has impressed upon their lives. It rests on the principle that it is one thing to have a right to the possession of money and another to have a right to use money as one wills. Private ownership, as we have seen, is the natural right of man, and to exercise that right, especially as members of society, is not only lawful, but absolutely necessary. "It is lawful," says St. Thomas Aquinas, "for a man to hold private property; and it is also necessary for the carrying on of human existence."" But if the question be asked: How must one's possessions be used? - the Church replies without hesitation in the words of the same holy Doctor: "Man should not consider his material possessions as his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need. Whence the Apostle with, ‘Command the rich of this world... to offer with no stint, to apportion largely.’"(12) True, no one is commanded to distribute to others that which is required for his own needs and those of his household; nor even to give away what is reasonably required to keep up becomingly his condition in life, "for no one ought to live other than becomingly."(13) But, when what necessity demands has been supplied, and one's standing fairly taken thought for, it becomes a duty to give to the indigent out of what remains over. "Of that which remaineth, give alms."(14) It is a duty, not of justice (save in extreme cases), but of Christian charity - a duty not enforced by human law. But the laws and judgments of men must yield place to the laws and judgments of Christ the true God, who in many ways urges on His followers the practice of almsgiving - ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive";(15) and who will count a kindness done or refused to the poor as done or refused to Himself - "As long as you did it to one of My least brethren you did it to Me."(16) To sum up, then, what has been said: Whoever has received from the divine bounty a large share of temporal blessings, whether they be external and material, or gifts of the mind, has received them for the purpose of using them for the perfecting of his own nature, and, at the same time, that he may employ them, as the steward of God's providence, for the benefit of others. "He that hath a talent," said St. Gregory the Great, "let him see that he hide it not; he that hath abundance, let him quicken himself to mercy and generosity; he that hath art and skill, let him do his best to share the use and the utility hereof with his neighbor."(17)

(Pro 30:7-9) Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die. Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life: Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

9. And we ought not to forget, my friends, that the wicked demons sometimes suddenly leave us, so that we may neglect our strong passions as of little importance, and then become incurably sick.

 

September 24, 2008  

(Mat 5:11-12) Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.

PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS IN INDIA!

Hindu zealots wage war on Catholic India
Doon shocked as Catholic priest, aide murdered
India: Catholic Cathedral damaged in arson attack
Italy's church asks EU to aid "hunted" Christians

INSPIRING: Nun Says Police Beating Helped Her Appreciate Her Faith

REVIEW: India and Religious Persecution

BREAKING NEWS

Ahmadinejad: American empire is nearing collapse

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, Iran's president accused "a few bullying powers" of trying to thwart his country's nuclear program. A program that he says is peaceful.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also declared that "the American empire" is nearing collapse.

The U.S. and its allies allege Iran wants to develop its uranium enrichment program to make nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is purely peaceful and designed to produce electricity for civilian use.

The United States delegation left the room during Ahmadinejad's address.

Ahmadinejad accused the "bullying powers" of possessing and stockpiling their own nuclear weapons which no international agency is monitoring, "and the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were perpetrated by one of them."

MORE: Iran's leader gives thumbs down during Bush speech

OF INTEREST: The speech Palin never gave: Ahmadinejad dreams of Final Solution

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

8. There is a quick movement of a millstone which, in one moment, grinds and does away with more spiritual grain and fruit than another crushes in a whole day. And so we must pay attention with understanding. It is possible to have such a blaze of flame, suddenly fanned by a strong wind, as will ruin the field of the heart more than a lingering flame.

September 23, 2008    

(Gal 6:17) From henceforth let no man be troublesome to me: for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body.

ZENIT.ORG: The Secret Story of Padre Pio's Stigmata

VIDEO: (St) Padre Pio Mass

ON THE WEB: Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

EWTN: Padre Pio: His Mass

VIA [email protected]: Padre Pio's Prayer After Holy Communion 

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and alway be in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes, death, judgment and eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

7. Some who are prone to anger are neglectful of the healing and cure of this passion. But these unhappy people do not give a thought to him who said: 'The moment of his anger is his fall.' (Eccl 1:22).


September 18, 2008    

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

(1Ti 2:1-2) I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men: For kings and for all that are in high station: that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all piety and chastity.

EWTN.COM: A Guide to Catholic Teaching and Voting  

EWTN Global Catholic Network's website – the most viewed Catholic website in the world next to the Holy See – today unveiled "A Guide to Catholic Teaching and Voting." The guide, which will be updated daily, can be found at www.ewtn.com/vote.

"EWTN's mission is to advance truth and the teachings of the Catholic Church," said EWTN President Michael P. Warsaw. "EWTN continues to promote and educate the public on all Church teachings, including those hot button issues of intense public interest, such as abortion."

This site contains information about election-related issues and includes information about upcoming programs, video and audio clips from programs and homilies, topical books and catechetical resources, election-related prayers and novenas, audio promotions for "40 Days of Prayer and Fasting for Life," statements by the Church hierarchy, and more. Check it out, add it to your "favorites" – and please tell your friends!

LINK: Fr. Stephen F. Torraco, PhD: A Brief Catechism for Catholic Voters

CATHOLICVOTE.COM: Resources: http://www.catholicvote.com/resources.aspx

PADRE PIO: A Patron Saint for the Unborn

COMMENTARY: You can't be Catholic, pro-choice

VIDEO: Catholic Vote 2008

ARCHIVES: Vatican cardinal weighs in on pro-abortion politicians and Communion

IN THE NEWS: McCain and Obama Woo Catholic Swing Vote

PATRICK J. BUCHANAN: A Catholic Case Against Barack

USCCB: Bishops Ask Catholics To Pray Election Novena

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) invites U.S. Catholics to pray before the November election a novena for life, justice, and peace called Novena for Faithful Citizenship. It is a podcast and available for download.

Joan Rosenhauer, Associate Director for the USCCB's Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, said that the special novena is part of "the bishops' campaign to help Catholics develop well-formed consciences for addressing political and social questions." The bishops issued their statement on forming consciences for faithful citizenship in November 2007.

Helen Osman, USCCB Secretary of Communications, expressed hope that the novena could help "Catholics enter into prayerful reflection as they prepare to vote." Seventy-one percent of all visitors to the USCCB's web site download the free podcasts of the daily NAB readings. These same visitors are encouraged to use the novena podcast for prayer. Osman said that the USCCB wants to support Catholics as they weigh pre-election issues and that "providing a prayer resource on the Web can help us focus on our common values and identity as Catholics." The novena emphasizes the dignity of life, justice, and peace.

The Novena for Faithful Citizenship runs for nine days and can be used consecutively, one day each week, for nine days prior to the election, or "in any way that works best for a community or individual," said Rosenhauer.

The novena will be available for download until the election and it can be downloaded online at http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/resources/podcasts.

For other Faithful Citizenship resources and materials visit www.faithfulcitizenship.org

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

6. As with the appearance of light, darkness retreats; so at the fragrance of humility, all anger and bitterness vanishes.

September 17, 2008    

(2Co 13:9) For we rejoice that we are weak and you are strong. This also we pray for, your perfection.

Commentary: 'The devil made me do it!' Moral reflections on sin and temptation by Rev. Richard Benson, C.M.

Reflection by Father Ted – – September 11, 2008 

My dearest Lord Jesus, throughout my entire life You have striven to make me more aware of my giftedness. For You have always wanted me to be aware of how much You and Your Father and Your Holy Spirit love me.

I know that part of that challenge for enabling me to know this truth was the responsibility of my parents as well as others.

They helped me.

But I had difficulties accepting the truth about my giftedness.

Perhaps that is why I neglected to thank all of You as I could have and should have done.

Now that I am much older I am more aware of what You have done to me and for me.

I am a bit more grateful to You.

Yet I still have a long ways to go.

One of the difficulties that I did have, and to a degree still have, is the acceptance of my weaknesses as true gifts from You.

Yet they are.

For when I realize and accept these weaknesses of mine, then I can turn to You for the help that I need to deal with them.

For as You clearly indicated while You were among Your disciples – without You I can do nothing.

When I ask You to help me when I am experiencing these weaknesses, especially when I am being tempted to give into one of my sinful inclinations, You do come to my aid.

Recently You have been trying to teach me that temptations can enable me to grow in virtue.

Of course this comes about because I call out to You for help; You offer it to me; I accept it; resulting in victory over that tendency to sin.

Without these temptations, I would not seek Your help – I would not be given those graces to grow in virtue.

Thank You Jesus for all of my gifts. Tonight I want to say – thank You for my weaknesses.

May I, from now on, always seek Your help. May I always accept Your help. May I grow in virtue and become the man, the priest, the saint that You want me to be.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

5. Wrath is a reminder of hidden hatred, that is to say, remembrance of wrongs. Wrath is a desire for the injury of the one who has provoked you. Irascibility is the untimely blazing up of the heart. Bitterness is a movement of displeasure seated in the soul. Anger is an easily changeable movement of one's disposition and disfiguration of soul.

September 16, 2008    

(Rev 6:5-6) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying: Come and see. And behold a black horse. And he that sat on him had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard, as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying: Two pounds of wheat for a penny, and thrice two pounds of barley for a penny: and see thou hurt not the wine and the oil.

HOOFBEATS OF THE BLACK HORSEMAN

AIG Is 'Ubiquitous,' May Shake World Markets If It Collapses
Wall Street's acid test
Greenspan Says Crisis May Be 'Once in Century' Event

VIA Darrell: The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus. What are we to fear? Death? Life to me means Christ, and death is gain. Exile? The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord. The confiscation of our goods? We brought nothing into this world, and we shall surely take nothing from it… I concentrate therefore on the present situation, and I urge you, my friends, to have confidence. —St. John Chrysostom, Liturgy of the Hours, Vol IV, p. 1377

VIA LIST: Prayer "Heal Our Land" from Fr. Hampsch 

Heavenly Father, the world seems to be collapsing around us. While families struggle to keep their homes and feed their children, floods and tornados ravage our land; abortion is accepted and same-sex marriage is legal. 

Government and business leaders have chosen to walk in the ways of darkness; wars and fighting are tearing countries apart. Crime and violence dominate many towns and cities. 

Fear and trepidation grip our hearts; we don't know where to turn. We have fallen from Your grace; we have drifted so far from Your protection. Many don't even know Your name. What must we do to find favor with You, O Lord, what must we do? 

O Lord, we are weak and afraid. But You, O Lord, are our strength, You will defend us in battle; Your son Jesus died for our sins and transgressions; "by his stripes we are healed." 

We place our trust in You and You alone, we cast out fear, we bind the enemy in Your precious Name. We seek Your face and we turn away from our sins, we are not afraid. 

For You have said: "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chron 7:14). 

We claim Your solemn promise, Lord. May Your Holy Spirit help us to fulfill the conditions that You require for its fulfillment, in Jesus' precious name. Amen.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

4. The begining of freedom from anger is silence of the lips when the heart is agitated; the middle is silence of thoughts when there is disturbance of the soul; and the end is an imperturbable calm under the breath of unclean winds.


September 12, 2008     

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

(Gal 6:14) But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.

LINK: Exaltation of the Holy Cross

LINK: Mary, Mother of Sorrows: The Mystery of Comfort and Hope

LINK: The Seven Sorrows Devotion Prayer Card

Mary's Aggies Prayer Request (Hurricane Ike)- O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach heavenly Jerusalem where a stormless eternity awaits us. Amen.

FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Dawn Self: Today, I celebrate not going to Chemo! It has been 3 weeks since my 6th and last cycle/infusion. They were 3 weeks apart!

Our God is so awesome! He strengthens me.

Of course, I have offered all of this up, in reparation and for the conversion of sinners everywhere, especially those in my family, and for the Holy and Suffering Souls in Purgatory.

I begin 35 Radiation treatments tomorrow. Every day, M-F, with weekends off. This will be a walk in the park compared to Chemo, I understand. I will finish around the 28th of October.

Everyone on your list-and their intentions are also in my prayers. God Bless you.

MEDJUGORJE FEEDBACK

VIA Dave:  Thanks for the articles on Medjugorje. Whether Medjugorje is true or not, will be determined if and when, the great sign appears there.

My own opinion is that Medjugorje is the real thing. Human weakness and our sin nature has darkened things a bit as commercialism and scandal have tended to obscure the basic message of repentance and a return to God.

Having been there nine times, I have noticed the village changing from a simple village of people of faith to a modern day commercial enterprise.

I wonder if people would say the same thing of Lourdes?

Nevertheless, we must be vigilant in these times and let Medjugorje prove itself on its own merits as Fatima has done.

In the meantime, let us work for the Kingdom of God. He's the only Employer Who won't cut our post-retirement benefits!

VIA Kathryn:  What marvels the Lord gives us to speak His Word to us. The miracles of Medj. give Truth to it. Daily to many, just unbelievable that Our Lady would be so close.
The many have come and are filled with a believing enthusiasm. But there are those who forget and that is too bad. We pray for those priests who become weak in their ministry.

Today, we in our small joining towns of Coos Bay and North Bend will meet at 7:30 AM at North Bend's High School Flag to remember today's tragedy and pray for those 3000 families and their loved ones who died in the horror of 9-11, 2001 and our Country's situation. Thank God for small town 'grass roots' freedoms.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

3. Meekness is an immovable state of the soul which remains unaffected, whether in evil report or in good report, in dishonour or in praise.

September 11, 2008     

(Rev 12:17) And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

MEDJUGORJE UPDATE

Vatican suspends priest linked to Medjugorje apparitions

A priest who has acted as spiritual director to the visionaries at Medjugorje has been suspended from ministry pending the outcome of a Vatican investigation, writes Patsy McGarry , Religious Affairs Correspondent.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has said charges against Fr Tomislav Vlasic include "the diffusion of dubious doctrine, manipulation of consciences, suspicious mysticism, disobedience toward legitimately issued orders" and charges that he violated the sixth commandment ("Thou shalt not commit adultery").

Fr Vlasic is the second spiritual adviser to the visionaries to be suspended from ministry.  Similar action was taken against Fr Jozo Zovko in 2004.

MEDJUGORJE.NET COMMENTS: The facts that are true are:

1.  Fr.  Tomislav Vlasic was one of the franciscan friars that operated in the parish in the beginning of the apparitions.

2.  Fr.  Tomislav Vlasic is not involved with Medjugroje since 1984.  That means that he is not involved with the activities and the pastoral care of the parish of Medjugorje.  He does have a house in Medjugorje behind the hill of Crnica and between the village of Surmanc and Bijakovici.

3.  He is not a member of the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina.

4.  The six visionaries of Medjugroje have no contact with Fr. Tomislav Vlasis what so ever since the 80's.

5.  Fr.  Tomislav Vlasic has been living in Italy for the past 15 years.

POINT: The message of Medjugorje by Max Farrugia

COUNTERPOINT: More about Medjugorje by Kevin Symonds

Matt C.  Abbott: Do letters indicate John Paul II believed in Medjugorje?

TESTIMONY: Father Keller says 1989 conversion led him back to traditions

These days the 75-year-old diocesan priest employs strict adherence to all the Church's teachings with particular emphasis on life issues.  Currently he is pastor of St.  Rose of Lima in Carlisle and Holy Trinity in England.

He credits his "coming back to my senses" in large part to his return to Mary.  He experienced a conversion in 1989 while visiting Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the place where a group of people have reported regular Marian apparitions since 1981.

MEDJUGORJE HEADLINE 9-8-2008: Monster Fire Threatens Medjugorje Apparition Site

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

2. Freedom from anger is an insatiable appetite for dishonour, just as in the vainglorious there is an unbounded desire for praise. Freedom from anger is victory over nature and insensibility to insults, acquired by struggles and sweat.


September 10, 2008    

(Job 42:1-3) Then Job answered the Lord, and said: I know that thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from thee. Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge.

BREAKING: Largest particle collider conducts successful test

HEADLINE: LHC To Startup Wednesday. Will It Crush Reality Or Just Bandwidth?

September 10th marks the first test-run for CERN's Large Hadron Collider in Geneva.  Doomsayers maintain it will cause the earth to be swallowed in a black hole and are making desperate legal efforts to stop it.  Scientists say the worst likely outcome is a slow day on the Internet.

The largest acceleratometer complex in the world, capable of accelerating protons to energy levels of 7 TeV, will get its first test "fire" on Wednesday; although it is only being powered to 450 GeV, which is a tenth of its capacity, and protons are being fired only one way, not to be collided at all, there are those like former nuclear safety officer Walter Wagner and his Citizens Against the Large Hadron Collider, who claim it will cause the end of the world.  Scientists have faced everything from lawsuits to death threats, all geared towards stopping the experiment.  But what is really going to happen?

Scientists say there's nothing to worry about, as the safety of the project, 20 years in the making, has been thoroughly considered.  Given, it's hard to explain the exact operation of the massive accelerator to someone without a degree in particle physics, but scientists say that what it does simply cannot generate a black hole, strangelets, or other phenomena capable of rending the space-time continuum.

This has not stopped such fears emerging in the past however, as Fermilab's other particle accelerator, Tevatron, which has been around since the '80s, has faced similar protests.  So has the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider in Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York.

The fact that these similar devices have not destroyed the Earth does little to reassure those who think that scientists are playing God, by pushing the limits of science and building such ever more complex and powerful machines.

However, even if the LHC does not destroy the Earth, it may ruin your bandwidth on Wednesday.  Given the 15 petabytes or so of data that will be generated by the LHC's test run, the massive amount of data will be processed by a global grid computing system composed of 60,000 computers placed worldwide.  This network will test and push the limits of the Internet, and in and of itself may constitute the basis of a significant advance in information technology, as the massive processor arrays dedicated to analyzing LHC data redefine the meaning of looking for a needle in a haystack.

RELATED

Atom-smasher may prove 'God particle'
Hadron Collider: Big Bang and Earth is bye-bye or a slow day online?
Hawking bets CERN mega-machine won't find 'God's Particle'

REVIEW: Mysteries of universe to be probed in giant project

OF INTEREST: Our Final Hour: A Scientist's Warning: How Terror, Error, and Environmental Disaster Threaten Humankind's Future In This Century

The premise of the book, written by British Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees, is that the Earth and human survival are in far greater danger from the potential effects of modern technology than is commonly realised, and that the 21st century may be a critical moment in history when humanity's fate is decided. Rees discusses a range of existential risks confronting humanity, and controversially estimates that the probability of extinction before 2100 AD is around 50 per cent, based on the possibility of malign or accidental release of destructive technology.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 8- "On Freedom from Anger and on Meekness"

1. As the gradual pouring of water on a fire completely extinguishes the flame, so the tears of true mourning are able to quench every flame of anger and irritability. Therefore, we place this next in order. 


September 9, 2008    

(Luk 10:36-37) Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers? But he said: He that shewed mercy to him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou in like manner.

CNS: Pope prays for Haitians as they battle to survive series of storms

EYEWITNESS: Haiti Wracked By A Storm Of Misery

HEADLINE: Hurricane Ike slams Cuba, Haiti death toll passes 600

The main concern is now in Haiti , where four storms in three weeks have killed at least 600 people and left hundreds of thousands in desperate need of food, clean water and shelter.

Officials continued aid operations in the flood-stricken town of Gonaives, devastated by flooding from Tropical Storm Hanna.  Another 47 people perished in the village of Cabaret, near Port-au-Prince, in flooding caused by Ike, officials said.

"Many homes were destroyed in Cabaret, and we have seen some bodies of children in the water," a journalist for UN radio who spent the night on the roof of his house told AFP.

Hundreds of bodies were found in Gonaives, a town of 350,000 in northwestern Haiti, after a five-meter (16-foot) wall of water and mud engulfed much of the town.

UN peacekeepers on Saturday evacuated several thousand residents from Gonaives, a local official said, but thousands more are still awaiting relief.

Some 650,000 Haitians have been affected by the flooding, including 300,000 children, and the task of delivering crucial aid has been complicated by dismal transport conditions, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).  Officials said 200,000 people were without food and clean water, many for four days.

"What has happened here is unimaginable," member of parliament Pierre-Gerome Valcine told AFP from Cabaret, 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the capital.

Massive flooding over the past week in the poorest country in the Americas has triggered a humanitarian crisis that was worsening by the day. 

MORE: Haiti Is Struck By Hanna, Drenched By Ike

CARITAS RESPONDS: Caritas Haiti sends help following storm

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES: CRS Aids Storm-Ravaged Haiti after Hanna and Gustav; Steps Up Relief to South Asia Monsoon Floods

MORE RESOURCES

How to help Haiti
Agencies request cash to help Hurricane Ike victims in the Caribbean
Humanitarian/Relief Projects: Cuba and Haiti

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"

35. Do not trust your fountains of tears before your soul has been perfectly purified. For wine cannot be trusted when it is drawn straight from the vats.

September 8, 2008     

(Mat 1:23) Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

FEAST DAY: Our Lady of Charity of Cobre, Patroness of Cuba

MORE: Our Lady of Charity is a revered symbol in Cuba. A small statue of the Virgin Mary is revered in Cuba as Our Lady of Charity, a symbol of faith and national identity.

Our Lady of Charity has been entwined with the island's history for nearly 400 years, ever since the statue was found floating in the Bay of Nipe off the island's northeast coast.

The discovery is chronicled in an account set down decades after the events happened.

Between 1606 and 1612, two Indian brothers -- Juan and Rodrigo de Hoyos -- set out with the 10-year-old African slave Juan Moreno to collect sea salt for the Spanish colony's booming copper-mining settlement of El Cobre.  Crossing the bay in a small craft, the three spied an object -- ``a white thing floating on the foam.'' When they drew near, they found it was a statue of the Virgin Mary, about a foot high, carrying the infant Jesus on her left arm and a gold crucifix in her right hand.  The statue was attached to a plank inscribed: `Yo soy la Virgen de la Caridad [I am the Virgin of Charity].'' They carried the statue to El Cobre, where it became an object of veneration whose image spread throughout the island, often shown rising above a stormy sea before the gaze of three awestruck voyagers in a tiny boat.

Our Lady of Charity was declared Cuba's patron saint by Pope Benedict XV in 1916.

CUBAN NEWS HEADLINE: Deadly Ike rakes Cuba, could hit Havana head-on 

WEATHER BLOG: As promised, here is why the passage of Hurricane Ike just north of the Bay of Nipe in eastern Cuba is so significant:

Firm documentation exists of the experiences of three very young sea salt gatherers who went into the bay to gather salt in the early 1600's. They ran into a storm and prayed for help. They saw and recovered from the water a statue of the Virgen Mary, floating on a board, whose clothing was completely dry. They carried her ashore and after more miraculous happenings, a shrine was built in her honor on Copper Mountain (El Cobre) in eastern Cuba. She has become known as Our Lady of Charity and has inspired love and devotion and a spirit of nationhood under her Queenship throughout Cuba during the last four centuries.

Her feast day is SEPTEMBER 8TH (the same day in which the Church celebrates the Blessed Mother Mary's Birthday). Many a lost rafter in the Florida Straits have begged for her help and protection.

EWTN: Prayer to Our Lady of Charity of Cobre, Patroness of Cuba

Most Holy Mother of Charity
who came to us as a messenger of peace across the sea.
You are the Mother of all Cubans
To you we come, Most Holy Mother of God
to honor you with love as your children.
To your motherly heart
we entrust our desires and hopes
our work and our prayers.
We pray for our torn country
that we may be able to build
a nation based on peace and unity.
We pray for our families
that they may live in fidelity and love.

We pray for our children
that they may grow strong
in spirit and in body.

We pray for our young people
that their faith may increase,
as well as their attachment to
the truth.

We pray for the sick, the homeless,
the lonely, the exiled,
and for all suffering souls.
We pray for the Catholic Church in Cuba,
for its mission,
for its priests, deacons,
religious and laity.

We pray for the victory
of justice and love
in our country.

Mother of Charity!
We place ourselves
under your mantle of protection!
Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!
And to Him be the glory and the power
now and forever. Amen.

(Add one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Gloria).

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"

34. It is not surprising if mourning begins with good tears and ends with bad. But it is praiseworthy if reprehensible and natural tears are goaded on to spiritual tears. People inclined to vainglory understand this problem clearly.

September 4, 2008     

(Eph 1:15-17) Wherefore, I also, hearing of your faith that is in the Lord Jesus and of your love towards all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making commemoration of you in my prayers, That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation, in the knowledge of him.

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

SARAH PALIN UPDATE

HEADLINE: Palin's pro-life code, loud and clear
FATHER JONATHAN: A Priest's View of the Palins
VIDEO: Rockwell moment from Palin's speech
HUMOR: Little Known Facts About Sarah Palin, AKA The SarahCuda

Ron Smith Report: Brown and Green Scapulars

LINK:  The Nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Reflection by Father Ted – August 29, 2008 From Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico 

My dearest Lord Jesus, how often do we forget that You have created us to live with You and the Father forever in Your home?

How often do we, yes even I, forget that You created us in Your image and like-ness?

How often have we forgotten that each day is Your gift to us to enable us to know You better, and to love You, and, of course, to serve You by serving others who need our help?

You constantly strive to remind us about how gifted we truly are.

Unless we frequently – even daily focus on You and our purpose in life – to be with You forever in heaven, we fail to perceive this giftedness, which You have bestowed on us, and how we are called to use our giftedness for the sake of oth-ers.

So often we become too preoccupied with our own wants that we neglect our purpose in life.

Unless we consciously make the effort to keep in mind our purpose, we concen-trate on striving to please ourselves.

Of course, we do not realize, when we lack this important reality, that our enemy – Lucifer and his fellow demons, strive to persuade us not to focus on our true purpose in life.

He strives to con us into neglecting our relationship with You and our purpose in life.

He strives to con us into seeking, first and foremost, the good times.

And when we neglect our relationship with You and fail to keep in mind our ulti-mate goal in life, then he can also con us into believing his many lies.

The result is – we fail to become the saintly people that You created us to be.

Jesus, help us to always respond to our call to holiness.  Help us always to seek first our relationship with You.  Help us always to rely upon Your help to use the gifts You have given to us.  Help us to serve Your children, our brothers and sis-ters faithfully each day.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"

33. Stripped by the fear of God, let us train ourselves in all these ways, and acquire for ourselves pure and guileless tears over our dissolution. For their is no dissimulation or self-esteem in them, but on the contrary there is purification, progress in love for God, washing away of sin, and dispassion.

September 3, 2008     

SARAH PALIN IN THE HEADLINES

Palin Refused to Choose
Zogby online poll shows most Catholics think Palin good choice for McCain
A Visit to Palin's Church

FROM THE MAILBAG VIA Deb Frost (Alaska):  One Alaskans opinion about our new Republican VP candidate...

Feel free to agree or disagree, but here is an Alaskan's viewpoint on our new VP candidate (and it is an opinion shared by the vast majority of Alaskan residents).

Sarah Palin is the US's answer to Margaret Thatcher!

Anyone who thinks she cannot handle the job or deal briskly and efficiently with ANY issue, including foreign governments ...  well, they haven't met our Sarah <grin>.  She is not "just a woman", she is not "just a way to get votes" and if anyone expects her to smile, simper and be sweet - they don't know Sarah.  She is *more than* qualified for the job and the best possible choice McCain could have made.

As an Alaskan resident as well as a resident of Wasilla, AK, where Sarah Palin was at one time Mayor ...  I can speak with confidence.  Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska is exactly what she portrayed during her introduction this morning and exactly what our US Government needs.  She is ethical to a fault (if there is such a thing), a refreshing change to the status-quo and as smart and determined a PERSON (gender really isn't an issue here as far as I'm concerned) as anyone could ask for at the head of government.

Sarah is no naïve "small town mayor" - she just *started out* there.  Btw, as Mayor of Wasilla, she brought this "small town" through a lot of GOOD changes and left it at the end of her term having grown to the 4th largest CITY in Alaska - a lot of growth and a stronger economic base than ever before.

She has EXECUTIVE experience *running a government* (something NONE of the other candidates can actually boast, even John McCain <g>) as Governor of Alaska and got there by defeating the *incumbent* Republican Governor, who was definitely part of the "old school" and who WAS very much in the pocket of the big oil companies.  We in Alaska wanted change -and we got it in the person of Sarah Palin!

Sarah Palin is everything she looks to be and more.  Her approval rating as Governor of Alaska has been as high as 95% and is currently leveled out consistently in the upper 80 percentile throughout the state (and in both parties) - the HIGHEST approval rating of ANY sitting Governor.

Sarah has been turning around corruption in the Legislature of Alaska - turning things on their ear for that matter; cutting spending in spite of the increased income the state is currently receiving due to the high oil prices - she has insisted on putting a huge amount of the "windfall" into savings for the future rather than spending, spending, spending - and has insisted from the get-go on what she refers to as "honest, ethical and transparent governing" - no more closed door meetings and dealings - the big oil companies thought she would be a pushover and have learned better to their chagrin.

She understands the "real people" and the economic issues we all face (Alaskans along with the rest of the country) - she was one of "us" not long ago.  Rather than passing useless "laws" or throwing money at pet projects, she (most recently) temporarily suspended the state gas tax (on gasoline at the pumps, fuel oil and natural gas for homes, etc.) and has ordered checks issued to ALL residents of Alaska this fall in an attempt to assist with the burden of high fuel costs for the upcoming winter.  I could go on and on, but that's enough for now <smile>.  She isn't doing these things to be popular - she is doing it because her constituents are HURTING financially and she is in a position to help.

She became Governor of Alaska by defeating the Incumbent Republican Governor and doing it *without* the money or the support of the Republican Party, which was amazing in itself - and she won by a landslide.  The "powers that be" at that time totally underestimated Sarah and learned better the hard way.  Let's hope Obama does the same.  Sarah has done exactly what she claimed she was going to do when elected and is just as popular today as the day she was elected - perhaps more so since even the Democrats up here seem to like her - she works well with both sides in the Legislature here.

Sarah "belongs" to us (Alaskans) ...  and although we are going to be terribly sorry to see her leave before she finishes the job she started here (two years ago) straightening out OUR State <grin> ...  we understand she is needed for a bigger purpose and hopefully her Lt.  Governor will be able to fill her shoes here and continue the job.

As for worrying about what would happen if McCain were to die or step down or whatever ...  here in AK we've only been wondering how long we would be able to KEEP Sarah in Alaska and have seen her as our first woman President of the USA from the start.  It's always been a matter of whether she would wait until the end of her TWO terms as Governor (no doubt at ALL that she would be re-elected if she ran for a second term at the end of her current term) ...  or end up in Washington sooner.  She could do the job TODAY.

Personally, I feel a lot better about McCain now that I know he has someone as savvy, as strong, as ethical and as steady as Sarah at his back.  She will be an excellent Vice President ...  and my guess is she will be our US Republican Presidential candidate in four years - AND by then the country will KNOW her - will love and respect her as we do here - and she'll win by as much of a landslide as she did here in Alaska.  I only wonder if McCain has a clue what he is unleashing on the US of A <grin>.  She is going to be a fresh wind, but also a strong wind.

Is that enough of an endorsement?  If not, I'll add this ...  my husband and I have for many years felt the best "vote" was to vote for the lesser of two "evils" and hope they didn't do too much damage.  Two years ago during our State Governor's race was the first time EVER that we actually asked for not just a little sign to put in our yard showing our support of our candidate (something we've never felt the desire to do at all before) - we asked for a full 4' x 8' "SARAH PALIN FOR GOVERNOR!" sign and were proud to display it.  She hasn't let us or Alaska down.  She will do the same for the USA if given the opportunity.

Feel free to pass this on to anyone who may be interested (and spam those who aren't!).

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"

32. Many of the Fathers say that the question of tears, especially in the case of beginners, is an obscure matter and hard to ascertain, as tears are born in many different ways. For instance, there are tears from nature, from God, from adverse suffering, from praiseworthy suffering, from vainglory, from licentiousness, from love, from the remembrance of death, and from many other causes.

September 2, 2008     

HOMILY: What Ardent Practicing Catholics Do

EXCERPT: Don't Blame the Bishops- Catholic means pro-life by Father Thomas D. Williams

Some people think that when Catholics compare abortion to slavery or to Nazi anti-Semitism they are engaging in hyperbole. They couldn't be more wrong. Abortion is not only the greatest social injustice of our century; it is arguably the greatest social injustice of all time. Abortion circumscribes an entire class of human beings (the unborn) as non-citizens, excluded from the basic rights and protections accorded to all other human beings. In this way abortion mimics the great moral tragedies of all time, which always began with the denigration of an entire class of people as unworthy of life or freedom.

The evil of abortion is compounded by the magnitude of the problem. Though completely reliable statistics are unavailable, conservative estimates place the number of legal abortions performed worldwide each year at 25-30 million, a figure that alone makes abortion a social problem of staggering proportions. "Humanity today offers us a truly alarming spectacle," wrote Pope John Paul in his 1995 encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae, "if we consider not only how extensively attacks on life are spreading but also their unheard of numerical proportion." The legal, systematic elimination of the most vulnerable members of society is the most heinous crime known to man. To fail to oppose it is to make oneself complicit in it.

MORE: Can't Be Right by Fr. Frank Pavone  National Director, Priests for Life

An honest look at what an abortion is, and at how many victims it claims, is enough to reveal that nothing outweighs its gravity among the many "life issues." Multiple Church documents have confirmed this insight, repeating over and over that the abortion tragedy demands urgent attention and priority.

While some have tried, shamelessly, to obscure and contradict this teaching, many are quite able to understand and accept it.  Yet the truth is even deeper than the statement, "Being wrong on abortion outweighs being right on other issues."

The full truth is, if you are wrong on abortion, you can't be right on other issues.

To permit abortion, but then to cry out for the right to work, housing, education, health care, and so forth, is to say that these other rights belong to some people but not to all.  They obviously do not belong to those who were snuffed out by abortion.

Therefore, these rights cannot be human rights, because you have already said that not all humans have a claim on them.  This trivializes those other rights and puts them on an obscure and questionable foundation.

If you permit abortion, then, on what basis do you defend the other rights?  Why do we care for the poor?
Because they have a right to food, clothing, and shelter.  But why do they have a right to those things?
Because they have a right to live.  Why are we concerned about unemployment?  Because people have a right to make a living.  Why do they have that right?  Because they have a right to live.  It all comes back to that foundational right.  Abortion is not the only issue, but neither is the foundation of a house the only part of a house.  Take it away, however, and see how well you can build the rest.

The reason that being wrong on abortion makes it impossible to be right on other issues is that the heart and soul of every "issue" is precisely the dignity of the human person, whose right to life is not under the dominion of any other person.  A person's dignity comes from the fact that he or she is human, not that someone else decides to grant that right at some point in time.  Any human right begins when human life begins; otherwise, it isn't a human right, but rather some kind of benefit bestowed for another reason.

Now if you can take the right to life away from some humans, as abortion does to the children in the womb, then obviously you can take away from those same humans all their other human rights, because none of those other rights made such a claim upon your respect that you had to let those people live to possess it.

This is why the Pope has said that when the right to life is not protected, cries for other human rights are "false and illusory." When one is wrong on abortion, one cannot be right on anything else.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"

31. Just as fire is destructive of straw, so are pure tears destructive of all material and spiritual impurity.


September 1, 2008    

LINK: Litany to Our Lady of Prompt Succor

Wikipedia: Our Lady of Prompt Succor

Catholic Charities USA Prepared to Respond to Hurricane Gustav

As Hurricane Gutav batters the Gulf Coast, Catholic Charities USA stands ready to respond with humanitarian relief.

After the storm, local Catholic Charities throughout the region plan to open community resource sites. The bulk distribution sites will offer water, basic food essentials, cleanup supplies, personal care kits, and other items to meet the communities' recovery needs.

In addition, teams will be deployed into the affected areas to make damage assessments and identify unmet needs in the communities. These assessments will help Catholic Charities determine how best to tailor their response efforts in the days, weeks, and months to come.

"Using our experience from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we stand ready to respond to Gustav with speed, reliability, and a long-term commitment to helping the impacted region recover," said Kim Burgo, senior director of disaster response for Catholic Charities USA.

To contribute to Catholic Charities USA's response efforts: Call (800) 919-9338

Visit www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org

Send checks to
Catholic Charities USA
2008 Hurricanes
PO Box 17066
Baltimore, MD 21297-1066

CCUSA, which has been commissioned by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to represent the Catholic community in times of domestic disaster, responds with emergency and long-term assistance as needed. Its Disaster Response Office connects the Church's social service agencies and disaster planning offices across the nation.

RELATED: Communities and churches act over Hurricane Gustav

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"

30. The fruit of spurious compunction is self-esteem, and the fruit of praiseworthy compunction is consolation.
Links  E-mail Dr. Zambrano  Home

Jubilee 2000: Bringing the World to Jesus

The Tribulation Times Archives:


 

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
January July January July January July January July January July JanuaryJuly
February August February August Feb-March August February August February August August
March September March September April September Lent September Lent September Lent
April October April October May October April October April October April
May-June November May November June November May November May November May
December June December December June December June December June

 

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
June-July January July January July January July January July  January July
August February August February August February August February August February August
September March September March September March/April September March/April September March September
October April October April October May October May October April October
November May November May November June November June November May November
December June December June December December December June December



FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.