Christian Faith

"Christian faith is never just spiritual and inward, never just a subjective or a personal and private relationship with Christ and his word, but is entirely concrete and ecclesial."

-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, in Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith.

Christ Our Great High Priest

"According to Leviticus 16 the Jewish high priest sacrificed two victims for sin, then entered the holy of holies, and sprinkled the throne of mercy with the blood of the victims. This final action was the decisive one for the expiation of sins. The death of Christ on the cross corresponds to the immolation of the two victims by the high priest, and the ascension of Christ corresponds to the high priest’s entrance into the holy of holies as well as to the sprinkling of the throne of mercy with the blood of victims. In the eyes of the writer of this Letter [Hebrews], then, the climactic moment in the mystery of salvation is not the immolation of Christ on Golgotha but his glorious exaltation and entrance into the heavenly sanctuary where God greets him as high priest, ‘living for ever to intercede for all.’ Our heavenly high priest constantly prays to God for the Church. He is always offering and interceding, just as on Calvary he offered ‘through the eternal spirit.’"

-Andre Feuillet in his book The Priesthood of Christ and His Ministers.

Professor Quote

"Celebration of the liturgy is the climax of what it means to live in a covenant with the Almighty!"

-Dr. Hahn

Traditional Mass Never Went Away

Genoa, Nov. 28 [Source] Responding to rumors that Pope Benedict XVI will soon issue a motu proprio encouraging broader use of the pre-conciliar liturgy, the Archdiocese of Genoa, Italy, has posted a detailed notice assuring the faithful that the traditional liturgy was not abolished by the Second Vatican Council.

The notice, published on the web site of the Genoa archdiocese on November 27, does not specifically confirm the widespread reports that a motu proprio is imminent. However, after saying that "misleading comments that are in circulation" call for a response, the statement emphasizes that the Pope has the authority to issue new liturgical norms. In order to preserve full communion within the Church, all Catholics should follow those norms, the statement adds.

Regarding the traditional liturgy, the Genoa archdiocese states: "The Second Vatican Council did not abolish or ask for the abolition of the Mass of Pius V." Rather, the Council sought a reform of that liturgy.

The statement goes on to say that the traditional liturgy (the Mass of St. Pius V) and the post-conciliar "Mass of Paul VI" are "two valid expressions of the same Catholic faith." It is seriously wrong, the archdiocese says, to suggest that these two liturgical approaches are somehow in opposition to each other.

Echoing a theme that Pope Benedict XVI raised in his pre-Christmas speech to the Roman Curia, the Genoa archdiocese emphasizes the development of the liturgy should be seen as organic, with the decisions of one Roman Pontiff always interpreted in light of previous papal statements. Similarly, the statement continues, the actions of different Popes "and those of the Council of Trent and the Second Vatican Council, must not be presented as if they were in conflict."

The statement from the Genoa archdiocese seems to be an effort to prepare the faithful for the appearance of the motu proprio, deflecting the criticism that Pope Benedict intends a repudiation of the liturgy of Vatican II.

Istanbul, Not Constantinople

With the Pope visiting Turkey this week all the talk has been about the muslims reaction and the Pope's visit to the Blue Mosque.

In my opinion, that isn't the most exciting part of the trip. For me, it would be the historic meeting on Wednesday with Patriarch Bartholomew I. Bartholomew has been a key player in the ecumenical movement between the East and the West. If it wasn't for the Russian Patriarch, who knows what would have happened between Bartholomew and JP II.

I really feel that if Orthodox churches start coming back home to Rome, then Protestants will be following quickly behind.

Let us continue to pray for Pope Benedict's safety and also for his meeting with Bartholomew!

For news on the meeting, go to this site.
Hat tip to Mike Aquilina for the website.

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers in the U.S.! And many blessings to the rest!

This is my first Thanksgiving as a Catholic and I am very thankful for it.

Being my first Catholic Thanksgiving, is there anything special I should do? Like, leave a seat open for Elijah? ;-)

Digging Up Dead Dominicans

The remains of Dominican friars dating back five centuries have been uncovered during the excavations of a prestigious shopping centre development.

Apologetics Advice From Origen

Therefore "'the infant in [Elizabeth's] womb leapt, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. She cried out in a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women.'" At this point we ought to refute the heretics' usual objections; otherwise some simpler people might be deceived. Someone or other gave vent to his madness and claimed that the Savior had repudiated Mary because she had been joined to Joseph after his birth. This is what he said. I hope he knows what the state of his mind was when he said it. If heretics ever raise an objection like this to you, answer them and say, "Elizabeth surely was filled with the Holy Spirit when she said, 'Blessed are you among women.' If the Holy Spirit called Mary 'blessed,' how could the Savior repudiate her?" Furthermore, they assert that Mary had marital relations after the birth of Jesus. But they have no source of proof. For the children who were called Joseph's were not born of Mary. There is no passage in Scripture that mentions this.

-Origen, in his 7th Homily on the Gospel of Luke.

A Saint Who Loves His Mother!

I am currently writing a paper on Mary's Queenship for my Mariology class (as is evidenced by my most recent posts) and I came across this great quote.

In the very first homily of St. John Damascene, he said of Mary:

"We serve thee today, O Queen. Yes, Queen I say, and I repeat it again and again. O virginal Mother of God, we cling to thee as we would to an immovable anchor, and to thee we consecrate ourselves entirely in mind and soul and body."

It's no wonder he's a saint!
I pray that all priests (and all Christians) would so honor Our Blessed Mother in the order of grace!

Our Lady Of America

"It is the United States that is to lead the world to peace, the peace of Christ, the peace that He brought with Him from heaven," Sister Mary Ephrem quoted The Virgin as saying:

"Dear children, unless the United States accepts and carries out faithfully the mandate given to it by heaven to lead the world to peace, there will come upon it and all nations a great havoc of war and incredible suffering. If, however, the United States is faithful to this mandate from heaven and yet fails in the pursuit of peace because the rest of the world will not accept or cooperate, then the United States will not be burdened with the punishment about to fall.

Weep, then, dear children, weep with your mother over the sins of men… Intercede with me before the throne of mercy, for sin is overwhelming the world and punishment is not far away.

It is the darkest hour, but if men will come to me, my Immaculate heart will make it bright again with the mercy which my Son will rain down through my hands. Help me save those who will not save themselves. Help me bring once again the sunshine of God's peace upon the world.

If my desires are not fulfilled much suffering will come to this land. My faithful one, if my warnings are taken seriously and enough of my children strive constantly and faithfully to renew and reform themselves in their inward and outward lives, then there will be no nuclear war. What happens to the world depends upon those who live in it. There must be much more good than evil prevailing in order to prevent the holocaust that is so near approaching. Yet I tell you, my daughter, even should such a destruction happen because there were not enough souls who took my warning seriously, there will remain a remnant, untouched by the chaos who, having been faithful in following me and spreading my warnings, will gradually inhabit the earth again with their dedicated and holy lives."

The Church Fathers On The Queenship Of Mary

The Fathers of the Church unanimously called the Blessed Virgin Mary their Queen. Here is a sample of a few of the Fathers in their own words:

St.Jerome tells us "We should realize that Mary means Lady in the Syrian language."

St. Peter Chrysologus says "The Hebrew name ‘Mary’ means ‘Domina’ [Lady] in Latin. The Angel therefore calls her Lady so that the Mother of the Lord, whom the authority of her Son made and caused to be born and to be called the Lady, might be without servile fear."

St. Ephrem has Mary say:
"Let Heaven sustain me in its embrace, because I am honored above it. For heaven was not Thy mother, but Thou hast made it Thy throne. How much more honorable and venerable than the throne of a king is his mother."

He also says of her:
"...girl, empress and ruler, queen, lady, protect and keep me in your arms lest Satan who causes evil exult against me, lest my wicked foe be glorified against me."

St. Gregory Nazianzen calls her "the Mother of the King of the entire universe" as well as "Virgin Mother who brought forth the King of the entire world."

Epiphanius of Constantinople said that the unity of the Church would be preserved "by the grace of the Holy and the con-substantial trinity and by the prayers of Mary, Our Lady, the holy and glorious Virgin and Mother of God."

St Andrew of Crete tells us "His ever-virgin Mother, from whose womb He, being God, took on human form, He today transports from earthly dwellings as Queen of the human race."
also : "the Queen of the entire human race faithful in reality to the meaning of her name, who is exalted above all things save only God himself."

St. Germanus says to her : "Be seated, Lady, for it is fitting that you should sit in a high place since you are a Queen and glorious above all kings."

St. John Damascene calls her : "Queen, ruler, and lady"

An Anonymous Eastern Father calls her "the perpetual Queen beside the King, her Son...whose glorious head is crowned with a golden diadem."

St. Ildephonsus of Toledo proclaims "O my Lady, my Ruler, Thou who governs me, Mother of my Lord...Lady among the handmaidens, Queen among sisters."

Truly, Mary is the Queen of Heaven and Earth!

Three Arguments For The Actual Queenship Of Mary, Rather Than The Mere Metaphorical

"Jesus Christ is King of the universe, even as man, in virtue of His Divine Personality. But Mary as Mother of God made man belongs to the hypostatic order and shares in the dignity of her Son, for His Person is the term of her divine motherhood. Hence she shares connaturally, as Mother of God, in His universal Kingship. Our Blessed Lord owes it to Himself to recognise His Mother’s title in gratitude.

A second argument is that Jesus is King of the universe by His fulness of grace and by the victory which He won over Satan and sin by His humility and His obedience unto death, ‘For which cause God hath exalted Him...’ But Mary was associated with His victory over Satan, sin, and death by her union with Him in His humiliations and sufferings. She is therefore really associated with Him in His Kingship.

The same conclusion may be arrived at by considering the close relationship in which Mary stands to God the Father, of Whom she is the first adoptive daughter and the highest in grace, and God the Holy Ghost through Whose operation the Word took flesh in her womb.

It has been objected that the mother of a king, the queen-mother, is not by that simple fact queen in the strict sense of the term: she has nothing of royal power. Neither then has Mary. We have answered this objection already. There is no parity between the two cases. A queen-mother is simply the mother of a child who later became king. But Mary is the mother of Him Who from the instant of His conception is King of the universe by His hypostatic union and His fulness of grace. Besides, Mary was associated closely with the victory by which He obtained universal kingship as a right of conquest, even though He possessed it already as Son of God. Mary is therefore associated with His Kingship in a true, even if in a subordinate, manner."

-Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday!

She occassionally reads my blog, so leave her a birthday greeting in the event that she stops by today.

Happy Birthday Mom! I hope you have a great day today! Thanks for all you do.

The History of The Term "Co-Redemptrix"

"All these things developed from the Pontiffs and the theologians, and a terminology was created in which Mary is soon called the 'spiritual Mother of men, Queen of heaven and earth'; in other ways, 'New Eve, Mediatrix, Dispensatrix of all graces,' and indeed, 'Co-Redemptrix'...To that which pertains to the title, 'Co-Redemptrix,' and 'Associate of Christ the Redeemer,' some things must be added.

Already in the tenth century, the title of 'Redemptrix' was used: 'Holy Redemptrix of the world, pray for us.' When in the fifteenth and sixteenth century, this familiar title was used, already an immediate cooperation of the Blessed Virgin in the work of our Redemption was recognized, and to the name, 'Redemptrix' is added 'co,' and therefore the Mother of God was called, 'Co-Redemptrix,' while Christ continued to be called, 'Redeemer.' From that time to the seventeenth century, the title Co-redemptrix was brought into use not only in devotional works of piety and holiness, but also in a great number of theological tracts. This also pertains to the Roman pontiffs, as it has occurred in certain texts of St. Pius X and Pius XI..."

-From the first schema on the Blessed Virgin Mary presented to the Council Fathers of Vatican II on November 23, 1962, as quoted in the book "With Jesus": The Story of Mary Co-Redemptrix by Dr. Mark Miravalle.

In My Mailbox

I just received my copy of Dr. Brant Pitre's dissertation Jesus, The Tribulation, and the End of the Exile: Restoration Eschatology and the Origin of the Atonement!

It's too bad I won't be able to read it until the break. In the meantime, I am reading Dr. Hahn's dissertation, Kinship By Covenant: A Biblical Theological Study Of Covenant Types And Texts In The Old And New Testaments.

So many great books to read, so little time in our short lives!

Man, I love being a Catholic and a Theology Major!!


Oh, and Jason...when I get my PhD, then I will get a dannygarland.com!

My Trip To The National Basilica Of The Immaculate Conception

Saturday, I journied to Washington, D.C. to partake in the Reconsecration of the United States to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was a wonderful experience. The mass was beautiful and the Basilica was amazing! Below are a few of the over 50 pictures I took:

Christ on a Celtic Cross. For obvious reasons, this is my favorite picture!

This isn't a painting. It is made entirely of mosaic!



This is the statue of Mary that was processed in.















This is one of the domes of the Basilica that is made entirely of Mosaic. They are working on another dome, that when completed, will be the largest mosaic in the world.











This is a long shot from the back of the Basilica. (By the way, it was completely filled for the reconsecration mass!)

Two outside shots of the Basilica. (In the left picture is the head of Fr. Jose, a wonderful priest from India who made the journey with me.)







This is the actual Papal Tiara worn by Paul VI at his coronation and the stole that John XXIII wore to open the Second Vatican Council!

I'm trying to find the text to the homily given by Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR. It was truly splendid. If anyone comes across it, please point me in its direction!

O, Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary: Ora Pro Nobis!

Salvation By The Cross

"The Mother stood near the Cross for this: that the restoration of mankind would correspond with the collapse of the world. As the fall of the world was accomplished by two, but especially by a man, so the salvation and redemption came about from two, but especially from Christ; for whatever excellence Mary has, she recieved from Christ, not only on account of a certain proper harmony, but also on account of the eminent capacity of Christ in redeeming, a capacity which with his mother (whose works He needed least of all) He wished to share as co-redemptrix, not only without her dishonor, but with the great glory of Christ Himself."

-Fr. Alphonsus Salmeron, S.J.

Hans Urs Von Balthasar's Three Laws For Christian Anxiety

Law #1:
Christianity is intent upon and capable of delivering man from sin-anxiety, provided that he opens himself up to that redemption and its conditions. In the place of sin-anxiety, it provides him with anxiety-free access to God in faith, love, and hope -which, however, because they stem from the Cross, can in and of themselves put forth a new, grace-filled form of anxiety that stems from catholic solidarity and shares in Christ's work of atonement.

Law #2:
Insofar as we are sinners and even as believers can always become sinners anew, the anxiety of sin is not simply taken away from us by the objective act of redemption on the Cross but rather is set before us even in the New Testament. We are permitted to leave sin-anxiety behind us to the degree that we appropriate in truth the living faith offered to us from the Cross, that is, a faith active in our lives. However, even when the grace of sharing in the anxiety of the Cross is granted, the distance between the one who suffered is maintained in its entirety, and the anguished soul is aware of it.

Law #3:
God grants a (mystical or even usual) participation in the anxiety of his Son on the Cross to no believer unless he has first granted to him the entire strength of the Christian mission and joy and the entire light of faith, love, and hope -that is to say, unless he has first taken from him the anxiety of sin. To consider a "synthesis" of both to be possible, or even worth striving for, does not conform to sound Christian doctrine.

Quote Of The Day

"The metaphysics of crap!"

- Dr. Miravalles’s explanation of Richard McBrien’s theology of Mary (and basically all of his theology).

A Great Story

From CNA:

Back in August Catholics and non-Catholics alike were dismayed to hear the story of a priest who was issued a parking ticket while rushing to administer the Sacraments to a hospitalized woman. Several people responded with prayers, donations, and words of support for the priest and his ministry, but none had quite the same effect as 6-year old Brandon Rodriguez.

Young Rodriguez was at the family dinner table in Kissimmee, Florida listening to his father and mother recount the story of Fr. Cletus Forson--ticketed by the city of New York while he made an emergency hospital call to what he thought to be a dying woman. Despite Fr. Forson’s placing a “Clergy on Call” placard in his window before rushing into the hospital, city officials ticked his vehicle alone among the many others left by hospital employees.

“I was very upset and sad,” Rodriguez’s father Izzy told CNA. In the middle of dinner, Brandon suddenly jumped out of his seat and ran to his room, returning with a t-shirt sagging with change and his suitcase.”

“How much do I have?” Brandon asked.

Knowing what his son was up to, Rodriquez told him he had enough to do whatever he wanted.

Brandon replied, “I want to go to New York and help the Father!”

Rodriguez didn’t think much of the idea until the next evening when he returned from work. Walking into the house from the auto shop he runs, Rodriquez was confronted by an insistent Brandon, “So, when are we leaving to New York?”

With that, Rodriguez’s wife Karen booked a flight for father and son and soon they were off.

Priestly Inspiration

The Rodriguez pair met with Fr. Forson at his Brooklyn parish, offering their moral and spiritual support. Izzy also gave the priest a check which more than paid for the ticket.

But Fr. Forson told CNA that the financial support was not the most moving part of the story. “This 6 year old Brandon who came and said, ‘well Father, carry on and good job,’ that short sentence of encouragement…does more for me than the money they came to give.”

The priest added that the wave of support he has received from around the nation has greatly moved him. “Its certainly revitalizing,” he said. “It gives me a sense of hope and strength that I’m not alone in my ministry; there are people out there who support the ministry that I’m doing.”

Fr. Forson is ordained for a diocese in Ghana, Africa, and is helping out at a Brooklyn parish while he works on his doctorate. He said that although the city went ahead with charges, he has nonetheless been inspired by the whole event.

“There has been so much said about the ticket… on our side, the story has been closed. For me it’s a time to go ahead with vitality and hope that in spite of everything there are people out there who still value the work that we do as priests. In the midst of all the notes from among Catholics there are also not-Catholics who have spoken in favor of what I did. That really gives me and other priests a sense of edification.”

If anyone is not surprised by the event, it’s Brandon’s parents. The elder Rodriquez boasted to CNA that “We have an awesome 6 year old son and are we blessed…Brandon is just a giver with God in his heart.”

He recounted that Brandon, who is an asthmatic, “blesses his little brother every night with the sign of the cross on his forehead. He donates toys he buys on his own” to local charities and he “has collected over $3000.00 for the Children’s Miracle Network in Orlando Florida--all on his own.”

Prayer For Renewal Of Consecration

Below is the prayer for the renewal of consecration to Our Patroness of the United States of America the Immaculate Conception which will take place this Saturday at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at noon:

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother; in union with Mary, we adore your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to you. Through her we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land and for the freedom, which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our president and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners—on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give our country and ourselves to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced by the sword of sorrow prophesized by Simeon save us from degeneration, disaster and war. Protect us from all harm. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, you who bore the sufferings of your Son in the depths of your heart be our Advocate. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.

If you want to come out to the event the address is:
400 Michigan Avenue, NEWashington, DC 20017-1566

See You there!

Benefits Of Masters Theology Degree

Q: What's the difference between a Masters Theology degree and a pizza?

A: You can feed a family of four with a pizza.



-Told to me by Tom Reagan who said he got it from Scott Hahn.

Quote Of The Day

"Only in Heaven will we know what a priest is. If we were to know this on earth, we would die, not of grief, but of love."

-St. John Marie Vianney

The Immaculate Conception In Scripture

The Scriptural foundations for the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception are found in two key places in the Bible. In the OT with Genesis 3:15 and in the NT with Luke 1:28.

In Genesis 3:15 (also known as the protoevangelium, “the first Gospel”), God curses the serpent and says that He will put enmity between the serpent and the woman and between her seed and the serpents seed. We know from revelation that the seed of victory is none other than Jesus Christ, so the mother of the seed of victory can only be Mary. The word “enmity” means “a complete and total opposition.” So just as Christ is in total opposition to sin and Satan, likewise is Mary. In order for Mary to be in total and complete opposition to Satan, she would have to be conceived Immaculate, without the stain of original sin. Otherwise, Mary, had she been born with original sin, would not be at enmity with Satan. She would have to be playing for both sides. She would be tainted by Satan, but also working for God. In the words of Dr. Miravalle, “Mary is not a double agent!” As Genesis 3:15 states, she is in complete opposition to Satan and thus not corrupted by original sin.

In Luke 1:28, at the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel greets Mary with the words, “Hail, Full of Grace! The Lord is with thee.” “Full of Grace” is Mary’s title. The Angel doesn’t say, “Hail Mary, Full of Grace,” but “Hail, Full of Grace.” The Angel testifies that Mary possesses a plenitude of grace and that the Lord is with her! The Angel’s testimony is so true indeed, he gives her a new name: Full of Grace! She would not have a plenitude of Grace had she been born with original sin.

In the Greek, the phrase is in the passive tense and would be literally translated as “Hail, You who have been fully graced!” This implies that Mary has received a plenitude of grace prior to the Annunciation and that the grace is ongoing. If there was any sin in the Blessed Virgin, whether original or any thereafter, the greeting of the Angel would be false! (And since, Scripture is the Inspired Word of God, we know that it is not.) Thus, Mary had to have been conceived Immaculately without the stain of original sin…AND SHE WAS!

Two Adams

"Look Lord and find both Adams met in me;
As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,
May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace."

-John Donne

Satan Wins In South Dakota

From CNN
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (Reuters) -- South Dakota voters overturned on Tuesday a state abortion ban that supporters had championed as the best chance to challenge a 33-year-old U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing the procedure.

"This means that there has been a rebellion against social, right-wing wedge politics that have been dominating this country," said Sarah Stoesz, chief of Planned Parenthood's operations in the Dakotas and Minnesota, key backers of the campaign to kill the measure.
Translation: Planned Parenthood poured millions of dollars into the effort to seduce voters to reject the ban.

"It is a very important victory for people who are open-minded and progressive in this country.”
Translation: This is a very important victory for people who like to kill innocent babies.

Supporters of the abortion ban declined to comment.

With 81 percent of vote counted early Wednesday, those voting to overturn the law had an advantage of 55 percent to 45 percent, and CNN projected a victory for opponents of the measure.

Signed by Gov. Mike Rounds on March 6, the South Dakota law would have banned abortions at all stages of pregnancy, including cases of rape and incest, and offered no exception if a mother is in poor health. The law would have allowed a doctor to perform an abortion if a woman is dying but requires the doctor to try to save the life of the fetus as well as the woman.

The measure was to take effect last July, but a petition drive by abortion-rights groups forced the issue onto the ballot and delayed its implementation pending a voter decision on the issue.
Translation: Abortion was already banned, until baby killing-rights groups coerced the issue onto the ballot, in order to buy votes and ensure a victory.

Each side raised close to $2 million for the campaign, with contributions flowing into the state from individuals and organizations around the country.

The campaign turned into a bitter battle that sparked debate in religious and medical communities, homes and businesses.
Translation: Satan rallied all his baby killing supporters against all who believe that all life is sacred.

"The church teaches it's wrong to kill no matter what," said 39-year-old Martha Fiegen, a Sioux Falls home maker who voted in favor of the ban. "I believe life is sacred and every life is worth living."

Of course, common sense also teaches that it’s wrong to kill and that life is sacred and every life is worth living. It’s only the Satanic mindset brought about by secularization that makes people think that an innocent baby should die so a woman won’t have to face up to the consequences of her actions.

Marianne Larsen, 65, a Sioux Falls retired business owner who voted to repeal the law, cast the issue differently.
"Women must have the right to make choices for themselves, not have a bunch of male legislators make the decision for them," Larsen said. "It's very much about women's rights."
Translation: “It’s all about how selfish I can be. Women must think of only themselves. It’s very much about women’s rights to commit murder.”

It’s too bad that nobody has a “right” to kill innocent babies! Women and men DO however have the right to make the choice NOT to have sex if they don’t want a baby! They DO NOT have the right to have sex for pleasure and when they end up with a baby that they didn’t intend on having, to go and snuff out the life of the innocent and defenseless child.

What about the rights of the baby?

A mother is supposed to protect and defend her child at all costs. That is natural motherly instinct! It is unnatural, inhumane, and satanic for a mother to want to kill her child.

America with its child killing culture of death is beginning to resemble ancient pagan nations who sacrificed their own children.

If a person kills a pregnant woman, that person is charged for two counts of murder. One for the woman and one for the baby inside of her.

Or if the woman survives and the baby dies, the person is charged with attempted murder for the woman and murder for the baby.

Why then is it alright for a woman to kill that same baby?

More On The Reconsecration Of The United States

From Mother Of All Peoples:

On Saturday, November 11, in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., a re-consecration of the United States to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary in the presence of the Papal Nuncio to the United States, His Excellency Archbishop Pietro Sambi, will take place.
In order to stress the importance of this act we wish to run the following article by Dr. Courtenay Bartholomew, which brings out with amazing clarity the efficacy of consecrating countries and peoples to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Consecration to the Immaculate Heart brought victory to the Allied side and an end to World War I; in fact, the armistice that ended the war was signed on November 11, the same date the Papal Nuncio chose for officiating at the Mass for the United States...

Election Day

Election day is approaching fast!

I really hate politics but it's important to make your voice heard and protect the culture of life in America.

Remember Catholics out there to vote Pro-life and know the 5 non-negotiables:
-Abortion
-Euthanasia
-Embryonic Stem Cell Research
-Human Cloning
-Homosexual "marriage"

If any candidate supports any of these, it is your Catholic duty to NOT vote for them!

If you live in Pennsylvania the candidates that seem to check out on these issues are:
Senator: Rick Santorum
Representative: Tim Murphy
Governor: Lynn Swann
Lieutenant Governor: Jim Matthews

If I am incorrect that any of these guys are not Pro-Life, feel free to correct me!

Also, if you live in the Pittsburgh area and you know anything about Wayne Fontana (State Senator Dist. 42) or Bill Ogden (State Representative Dist. 27) I would appreciate any info I can get.

Remember on Nov. 7th, Vote For Life! For Catholic Answers Guide For Serious Catholics click here.

Mark Your Calendar

On Saturday, November 11, in Washington D.C. there will be a reconsecration of America to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary!

Whenever a country is consecrated to Mary great graces flow forth. Just ask Russia!

I will post more as soon as I find out more about it.

Feast Of All Souls

"Weep for those who die in their wealth and who with all their wealth prepared no consolation for their own souls, who had the power to wash away their sins and did not will to do it. Let us weep for them, let us assist them to the extent of our ability, let us think of some assistance for them, small as it may be, yet let us somehow assist them. But how, and in what way? By praying for them and by entreating others to pray for them, by constantly giving alms to the poor on their behalf. Not in vain was it decreed by the apostles that in the awesome mysteries remembrance should be made of the departed. They knew that here there was much gain for them, much benefit. When the entire people stands with hands uplifted, a priestly assembly, and that awesome sacrificial Victim is laid out, how, when we are calling upon God, should we not succeed in their defense? But this is done for those who have departed in the faith, while even the catechumens are not reckoned as worthy of this consolation, but are deprived of every means of assistance except one. And what is that? We may give alms to the poor on their behalf"

-St. John Chrysostom.

Let us pray for all the poor souls in Purgatory!

Surrounded By So Great A Cloud Of Witnesses!

Happy All Saints Day to everyone!

It's great to have this cloud of witnesses that is the saints as an example of how to love and serve the Lord.

For some great posts on the saints check out Mike Aquilina, St. Peter's Helpers, and those wonderful Dominican nuns from Moniales OP.

May all the saints intercede for us so that we may love Christ like they do!

All Saints Ora Pro Nobis!