Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Pater Noster


Taking up Pope Benedict's call for a revival of Latin and inspired by St. Peter's Helpers, I present to you the "Our Father."


Pater noster, qui es in caelis,

Our Father, Who art in Heaven,

sanctificetur nomen tuum,

hallowed be Thy Name.

adveniat regnum tuum,

Thy kingdom come.

fiat voluntas tua sicut in caelo et in terra.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie.

Give us, this day, our daily bread.

et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Et ne nos inducas in temptationem.

And lead us not into temptation,

Sed libera nos a malo.

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Amen.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Charlotte Church Has Nothing On This Kid!

Seriously, this kid is amazing!



Hat tip to American Papist.
And Now For Something Completely Different...


Finish Mr. Praline's speech from the "Dead Parrot."

"It's not pining, it's passed on. This parrot is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late parrot. It's a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies. It's rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible! This is an ____."
Pope Says Embryos Have Rights From Conception

From Reuters.com

Pope Benedict on Monday reaffirmed Catholic teaching that life begins at the moment of conception, saying embryos are "sacred and inviolable" even before they become implanted in a mother's uterus.

The Pope made his comments in an address to the Pontifical Academy for Life, which is hosting an international congress on scientific aspects and bioethical considerations of "The Human Embryo Before Implantation."

Speaking in Italian, the Pope said the Church had always proclaimed the "sacred and inviolable character of every human life, from its conception to its natural end."

He added: "This moral judgment is valid from the start of the life of an embryo, even before it is implanted in the maternal womb."

In natural conception, implantation of the embryo in the uterus usually begins to occur about a week after the egg is fertilised in the fallopian tube and is usually complete after about 14 days.

By making such a defense of life, the Pope appeared to be trying to cut short any debate that the period between conception and implantation could be seen as a time for legitimate experimentation or manipulation on embryos.

He did not make a distinction between embryos created naturally and those generated outside the womb through in-vitro fertilisation.

The Catholic Church holds that in-vitro fertilisation is morally wrong but scientific advances have presented it with a minefield of ethical issues regarding embryos created outside the womb for artificial implantation.

He made no reference to debates among scientists and ethicists about what to do with the growing number of "surplus" artificially generated embryos preserved in fertility clinics around the world.

Some Catholic ethicists believe that since they are human lives, the Church has a moral duty to give them the opportunity to be born.

This has led to calls within some sectors of the Church to promote so-called embryo adoption, in which embryos generated artificially are "adopted" by women willing to bring them to term.


"By making such a defense of life, the Pope appeared to be trying to cut short any debate that the period between conception and implantation could be seen as a time for legitimate experimentation or manipulation on embryos."

Good job for Benedict XVI! There should be no debate about it: Life begins at conception! Also there is never a legitimate time for experimentation or manipulation on embryos. The Church teaches that this is wrong along with in-vitro fertilisation , because if we did it we would be playing God. It is up to God alone to create and end life. Man should not try to be God! All life is sacred from conception to it's natural end...period!

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Monty Python Trivia Question Of The Day



I just bought a Monty Python day by day trivia desk calendar on the cheap at Borders! Gotta love buying calenders at the end of February! So here is today's trivia:

Name the three, four, no, five weapons of the "Spanish Inquisition."

Thursday, February 23, 2006

What does a cardinal do?



The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church have two key jobs, advising the current pope and electing a new pope.

The cardinals as a body offer their advice to the pope in two ways:

-- Through their membership in Vatican congregations or other departments of the Roman Curia, the church's central administrative offices.

-- Through their membership in the College of Cardinals, which the pope can convoke to discuss substantive questions facing the church.

Cardinals who are resident in Rome meet more frequently to discuss the major decisions the pope is facing.

The College of Cardinals has three ranks:

-- Cardinal bishops, a group that includes only six Latin-rite cardinals, one of whom is elected dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the current Pope Benedict XVI, was the dean at the time of his election. He was succeeded by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state.

-- Cardinal priests, most of whom are diocesan bishops, although some senior curial officials also hold the rank.

-- Cardinal deacons, most of whom are curial officials.

Cardinals wear a distinctive orange-tinged red cassock and biretta in solemn ceremonies. During ordinary liturgical rites they wear a red skullcap.

Pope Paul VI decreed that the College of Cardinals would have a maximum of 120 active members. Since 1970, those over 80 have not been counted as active.

Although the retired cardinals are not eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope, they still are considered advisers to the pope, and they are invited to participate in the meetings of the College of Cardinals in preparation for a conclave.

From Catholic News Service.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Determination Pays!

I have finally figured out how to get the picture of St. Brendan in my title! I was almost going to give up on it, but I decided to keep messing around with my template and now you can see the success! I have never done anything this complicated before in my life. My college Latin classes were easier than this. A big thank you goes out to Carmel from Winterr's Words for pointing me in the right direction!

I'd also like to mention that this past week I have had a huge increase in visitors thanks to a link posted by someone on the Catholic Moms Community discussion board. Thanks Catholic Moms for visiting and I hope you enjoy my blog!

Monday, February 20, 2006

Lenten Discipline

David and Jonathan have a great idea for Lent. To read works by the Church Fathers!
Here is their description of the plan:

"If you follow our plan, when Easter comes, you will have read 10 early Church Fathers and over 15 individual works from the early Church. You will also have deepened your faith and knowledge in numerous ways during Lent. It will only take 15 minutes or so a day too."

Here is the Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan.

They have also put the plan together with all the texts in order.
Question Of The Day

Why is it that when a person kills a woman and her unborn child, they are charged with two counts of murder; yet in America it is legal for a woman to kill that same unborn child?

Sunday, February 19, 2006

In Preparation For Lent


The present is the season of confession: confess what thou hast done in word or in deed, by night or by day; confess in an acceptable time, and in the day of salvation receive the heavenly treasure. Devote thy time to the Exorcisms: be assiduous at the Catechisings, and remember the things that shall be spoken, for they are spoken not for thine ears only, but that by faith thou mayest seal them up in the memory. Blot out from thy mind all earthly care: for thou art running for thy soul. Thou art utterly forsaking the things of the world: little are the things which thou art forsaking, great what the Lord is giving. Forsake things present, and put thy trust in things to come. Hast thou run so many circles of the years busied in vain about the world, and hast thou not forty days to be free (for prayer), for thine own soul's sake? Be still, and know that I am God, saith the Scripture. Excuse thyself from talking many idle words: neither backbite, nor lend a willing ear to backbiters; but rather be prompt to prayer. Shew in ascetic exercise that thy heart is nerved. Cleanse thy vessel, that thou mayest receive grace more abundantly. For though remission of sins is given equally to all, the communion of the Holy Ghost is bestowed in proportion to each man's faith. If thou hast laboured little, thou receivest little; but if thou hast wrought much, the reward is great. Thou art running for thyself, see to thine own interest.

If thou hast aught against any man, forgive it: thou comest here to receive forgiveness of sins, and thou also must forgive him that hath sinned against thee. Else with what face wilt thou say to the Lord, Forgive me my many sins, if thou hast not thyself forgiven thy fellow-servant even his little sins. Attend diligently the Church assemblies; not only now when diligent attendance is required of thee by the Clergy, but also after thou hast received the grace. For if, before thou hast received it, the practice is good, is it not also good after the bestowal? If before thou be grafted in, it is a safe course to be watered and tended, is it not far better after the planting? Wrestle for thine own soul, especially in such days as these. Nourish thy soul with sacred readings; for the Lord hath prepared for thee a spiritual table; therefore say thou also after the Psalmist, The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall lack nothing: in a place of grass, there hath He made me rest; He hath fed me beside the waters of comfort, He hath converted my saul:--that Angels also may share your joy, and Christ Himself the great High Priest, having accepted your resolve, may present you all to the Father, saying, Behold, I and the children whom God hath given Me. May He keep you all well-pleasing in His sight! To whom be the glory, and the power unto the endless ages of eternity. Amen.

-St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Sunday Best

I have become increasingly disturbed by what parents let their kids wear to church. When I was growing up, I was taught that one was supposed to wear their "Sunday best" when they went to church. After all, you are going to worship God and I believe he deserves the respect of at least wearing nice clothes to do it. Parents should not let their kids come to church in their jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers! Put on a collared shirt for crying out loud! What's even more disturbing here in Pittsburgh (I'm sure it happens elsewhere as well) is when I see kids (or even adults) come to church in football jerseys. Even if I liked the Steelers (which I don't) I would still find it disrespectful. You have the whole rest of the day to wear your jersey. Don't do it at church! Church isn't a football game, it's where you go to worship and reverence God. There is no reverence in putting on the first thing you pull out of your drawer.

Friday, February 17, 2006

The Lord Jesus Himself Proclaims


Perhaps you will say, "I see something else, how is it that you assert that I receive the Body of Christ?" And this is the point which remains for us to prove. And what evidence shall we make use of? Let us prove that this is not what nature made, but what the blessing consecrated, and the power of blessing is greater than that of nature, because by blessing nature itself is changed.

Moses was holding a rod, he cast it down and it became a serpent. Again, he took hold of the tail of the serpent and it returned to the nature of a rod. You see that by virtue of the prophetic office there were two changes, of the nature both of the serpent and of the rod. The streams of Egypt were running with. a pure flow of water; of a sudden from the veins of the sources blood began to burst forth, and none could drink of the river. Again, at the prophet's prayer the blood ceased, and the nature of water returned. The people of the Hebrews were shut in on every side, hemmed in on the one hand by the Egyptians, on the other by the sea; Moses lifted up his rod, the water divided and hardened like walls, and a way for the feet appeared between the waves. Jordan being turned back, returned, contrary to nature, to the source of its stream. Is it not clear that the nature of the waves of the sea and of the river stream was changed? The people of the fathers thirsted, Moses touched the rock, and water flowed out of the rock. Did not grace work a result contrary to nature, so that the rock poured forth water, which by nature it did not contain? Marsh was a most bitter stream, so that the thirsting people could not drink. Moses cast wood into the water, and the water lost its bitterness, which grace of a sudden tempered. In the time of Elisha the prophet one of the sons of the prophets lost the head from his axe, which sank. He who had lost the iron asked Elisha, who cast in a piece of wood and the iron swam. This, too, we clearly recognize as having happened contrary to nature, for iron is of heavier nature than water.

We observe, then, that grace has more power than nature, and yet so far we have only spoken of the grace of a prophet's blessing. But if the blessing of man had such power as to change nature, what are we to say of that divine consecration where the very words of the Lord and Saviour operate? For that sacrament which you receive is made what it is by the word of Christ. But if the word of Elijah had such power as to bring down fire from heaven, shall not the word of Christ have power to change the nature of the elements? You read concerning the making of the whole world: "He spake and they were made, He commanded and they were created." Shall not the word of Christ, which was able to make out of nothing that which was not, be able to change things which already are into what they were not? For it is not less to give a new nature to things than to change them.

But why make use of arguments? Let us use the examples He gives, and by the example of the Incarnation prove the truth of the mystery. Did the course of nature proceed as usual when the Lord Jesus was born of Mary? If we look to the usual course, a woman ordinarily conceives after connection with a man. And this body which we make is that which was born of the Virgin. Why do you seek the order of nature in the Body of Christ, seeing that the Lord Jesus Himself was born of a Virgin, not according to nature? It is the true Flesh of Christ which crucified and buried, this is then truly the Sacrament of His Body.

The Lord Jesus Himself proclaims: "This is My Body." Before the blessing of the heavenly words another nature is spoken of, after the consecration the Body is signified. He Himself speaks of His Blood. Before the consecration it has another name, after it is called Blood. And you say, Amen, that is, It is true. Let the heart within confess what the mouth utters, let the soul feel what the voice speaks.

-St. Ambrose of Milan
On Reverence At Liturgy


Trust not the judgment to thy bodily palate no, but to faith unfaltering; for they who taste are bidden to taste, not bread and wine, but the anti-typical Body and Blood of Christ.

In approaching therefore, come not with thy wrists extended, or thy fingers spread; but make thy left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. And having hollowed thy palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. So then after having carefully hollowed thine eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, partake of it; giving heed lest thou lose any portion thereof; for whatever thou losest, is evidently a loss to thee as it were from one of thine own members. For tell me, if any one gave thee grains of gold, wouldest thou not hold them with all carefulness, being on thy guard against losing any of them, and suffering loss? Wilt thou not then much more carefully keep watch, that not a crumb fall from thee of what is more precious than gold and precious stones?

Then after thou hast partaken of the Body of Christ, draw near also to the Cup of His Blood; not stretching forth thine hands, but bending, and saying with an air of worship and reverence, Amen, hallow thyself by partaking also of the Blood of Christ. And while the moisture is still upon thy lips, touch it with thine hands, and hallow thine eyes and brow and the other organs of sense. Then wait for the prayer, and give thanks unto God, who hath accounted thee worthy of so great mysteries.

Hold fast these traditions undefiled and, keep yourselves free from offence. Sever not yourselves from the Communion; deprive not yourselves, through the pollution of sins, of these Holy and Spiritual Mysteries.

-St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Even Saints Aren't Above Asking For A Handout


Now if my account has explained the work in detail, I hope it may be possible for your holiness, on perceiving what is needed, to relieve us completely from anxiety so far as the workmen are concerned… I know that we shall appear to most people to be higglers, in being so particular about the contracts. But I beg you to pardon me; for mammon-- about whom I have so often said such hard things-- has at last departed from me as far as he can go, disgusted, I suppose, at the nonsense that is constantly talked against him, and has fortified himself against me by an impassable gulf--poverty--so that neither can he come to me, nor can I pass to him.


-St. Gregory of Nyssa's witty request for money from Bishop Amphilochus.
Dominicans Vs. Jesuits


What is similar about the Jesuit and Dominican Orders?
Well, they were both founded by Spaniards, St. Dominic for the Dominicans, and St. Ignatius of Loyola for the Jesuits. They were also both founded to combat heresy: the Dominicans to fight the Albigensians, and the Jesuits to fight the Protestants.

What is different about the Jesuit and Dominican Orders?
Well, have you met any Albigensians lately?


Hat tip to Joe from Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.
Quote Of The Day

"I'm wary of any church less than 2000 years old."

-Anonymous

Thursday, February 16, 2006

St. Jerome





God's angry man, His crotchety scholar,
Was Saint Jerome,
The Great name-caller,
Who cared not a dime
For the laws of libel
And in his spare time
Translated the Bible.

-Phyllis McGinley
Fun With Pictures Part 2


"Speaking about being fishers for men, did I ever tell you about the trout I caught? I kid you not, it was this big!"
Fun With Pictures




"Of course I have I-tunes on my camera. Look I'll play Ave Maria!"

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

The Protestant Question.


Until about 6 months ago, I was a cradle Episcopalian. Part of the Anglican Communion. Growing up, I didn’t know a lot about my faith. I knew that Jesus is our savior. God is creator of all things. The Holy Trinity consisted of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I knew the Nicene Creed. I even knew the Apostles Creed. But most important of all, I knew I was an Episcopalian!

I didn’t really know why I was an Episcopalian as compared to other denominations. Growing up in and around Boston, many of my friends were Catholic. I didn’t really know why I wasn’t a Catholic or they weren’t an Episcopalian. I just knew what my father had told me when I asked him what denomination we were.

Boy, was I proud to be an Episcopalian!

Then when I went to college, I learned that the Episcopal Church was a part of the wider Anglican Communion which was started by the Church of England. I didn’t really know why the Anglican Communion broke away from the Catholic Church, only that I wasn’t a Catholic.

I wasn’t really taught that the Catholic Church was bad, I just kind of had it institutionally taught to me. After all, most of the founders of America were Anglican. Why, even George Washington was Anglican! I’ve even sat in his pew in St. Paul’s Church in New York City.

I was content being Anglican because that was all I knew. After all, I was Anglo-Catholic!

(Whoopee!)

Then the Anglican Communion went to pot! (That’s putting it nicely!)
I started to read about the history of the Episcopal Church. I wasn’t surprised at all after reading about it to see where it was today. The orthodox just sat back watching while the liberals turned it into a Universalist sect.

I read about the Oxford Movement. I dreamt of starting a new “Oxford Movement” within the Episcopal Church to save it from it’s downward spiral. I admired Newman and thought of him as a hero…even if he left the Anglican Communion. I wasn’t going to leave! No way, Keble and Pusey stuck with it.

Then, I started reading theology. More importantly, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. After reading “God and the World,” I had this spark inside of me that kept growing ever greater until an overwhelming fire consumed me with a desire to read more theology. I read more and more. Some Protestant theologians, but mostly Ratzinger.

I began to realize that I held many of the same beliefs as Catholics. After all I was an Anglo-Catholic, so the there wasn’t much difference. I considered myself Catholic without a pope. I didn’t have any objections to the pope. It was just that I had been Anglican all my life. Why Change? I was with the orthodox side of the Anglican Communion. I was doing fine!

The problem was that I didn’t know where the Anglican Communion was going. There is such a wide variance of beliefs in the Communion. Even between priests of the same church!

Not wanting all the stress that the Anglican Communion offered, I started to look into the Catholic Church. I wanted a Church with authority. Where there is a stated and upheld Truth that it teaches. The Catholic Church is all that and so much more. I found that it was the fullest expression of the Christian faith handed down from Christ to his Apostles and down to Pope Benedict XVI.

The hardest part of leaving the Anglican Communion was leaving the comfortable surroundings I had known and not worshipping in communion with friends who remained. But what’s more important? Comfort? Or salvation? I choose salvation.

I am most grateful that God led me to Ratzinger. Reading his books were an essential part of my decision to convert. He became my favorite theologian. And when he became pope, I saw it as a sign from God that I was supposed to be in the Catholic Church.

I am also blessed that God inspired me to learn more about my faith. Part of what inspired me was the example I saw from my priest in college, Fr. Brad Page. It’s because of his example and love for God, that I wanted to become a priest, which led me to study and learn what I believed. If I hadn’t desired to learn about my faith, I would probably still be Anglican.

I wish I had become Catholic earlier. However, I was ignorant of my faith. Ignorance should not be an excuse! Parents need to teach their children about the faith. Mine didn’t. Bishops, priests, and leaders should make sure that everyone has knowledge of their faith. Not only must people be knowledgeable, but they must be able to defend their faith! For as 1 Peter 3:15 says, we must “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you."

The most disturbing thing in the world is when a Protestant who is educated and well versed in the Bible leads Catholics away from the Catholic Faith with false doctrines. Why is that happening? Because Catholics aren’t being educated in their faith! Their education shouldn’t stop when they are confirmed. The education of a Catholic should be ongoing till the end of their life! Even then, they won’t know all about the Faith. But they will have a much better understanding.

I also find it disturbing when Protestants who are scholars of the Bible are unable to see that Protestantism is contrary to Scripture. Sola Scriptura? Sorry, but the Church was around before the Bible. Where in the Bible does it mention Sola Scriptura? It doesn’t! If Protestants would read the Bible and truly see what it is saying, instead of twisting it to say what it doesn’t, they would realize that the Catholic Faith is the One True Faith.

After all, the Bible was given to the world by the Catholic Church! And as we see in 1 Timothy 3:15, the Church is “the pillar and bulwark of the truth.” The Church at that time was the Catholic Church. The authority of the Bible depends on the Catholic Church! It is the Church that interprets the Bible. Not some individual Protestant who was supposedly led by the “Holy Spirit.” Or some other Protestant led by the “Holy Spirit” who contradicts what the previous Protestant said. The Holy Spirit does not contradict itself!

Jesus founded ONE Church! Look at Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.”
Jesus didn’t say he was going to build “churches.” He said he was going to build his “church,” singular.

In John 10:16, Jesus says:
“And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.”

One Flock!

Again in Ephesians 4:4-5:
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

One Body! One Faith!

The Catholic Church also has authority given to it by Jesus Christ himself which is handed on down from the Apostles and the successors of the Apostles, who are the Bishops.

In Matthew 28:18-20:
“Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.’ "

Then in John 20:21:
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ "

Jesus was sent by the Father to have “All authority in heaven and on earth.” In John we see Jesus bestowing that authority on the Church.

We also see in Matt 18:15-17, that the Church has the final authority amongst Christians:
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

We know that in 397 at Carthage, the official canon of the Bible was confirmed. It stayed that way for about 1100 years.

Then came Martin Luther. In about 1520 Martin Luther broke from the Catholic Church, thus starting the Reformation.

By 1600, more than 200 Protestant denominations existed.

In 1900, there were almost 1,000 different Protestant denominations.

Then in the year 1999, according to government statistics, there were between 25 to 30,000 different Protestant denominations!

All of these denominations claimed to be based on the Bible alone and guided by the Holy Spirit. Yet, all have different doctrines and many contradict each other!

As I said before, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT CONTRADICT ITSELF!

Now, some Protestants will say that Catholics use a different Bible, because they added books to it (meaning the Apocrypha). Well, they are half right. We do use a different Bible. But that’s not because Catholics added books, it’s because Martin Luther took books out. Among the Apocrypha, he took out James and Revelation. All because they didn’t fit his theology!

A year later he was persuaded by his fellow Protestants to put the books back. When he put them back he also added the word “alone” to Romans 3:28.

If any pope did this as an article of faith, Catholics would never here the end of it! For it would prove that the Catholic Church was not of God…and it wouldn’t be! Yet when Luther did it, all the Protestants held him in the highest esteem.

Why?

Who’s authority did he have to do this?

Certainly not God’s and definitely not the Bible’s!

For in Revelation 22:18-19 it says:
“I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

Now, Luther didn’t just take words out of Revelation, he took out the WHOLE book!

It’s time for our Protestant brother and sisters to stop rejecting the Catholic Church founded by Christ and come back home, where we will be waiting with open arms like the return of the prodigal son.

As Jesus told his Apostles, "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me" (Luke 10:16).

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

A Question for Anglicans...

David from An Aid to Memory has a question that I've often wondered.
Pro Choice?...Think Again!


(This is a repost of a post I did back in October. I didn't have many readers back then, so I thought I would post it again.)

1. A preacher and his wife are very, very poor. They already have 14 kids. Now she finds out she's pregnant with the 15th. They're living in tremendous poverty. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population, would you consider recommending she get an abortion?

2. The father is sick with sniffles, the mother has TB. Of their four children, the first is blind, the second has died, the third is deaf, the fourth has TB. She finds she's pregnant again. Given this extreme situation, would you consider recommending abortion?

3. A white man raped a 13-year-old black girl and she's now pregnant. If you were her parents, would you consider recommending abortion?

4. A teenage girl is pregnant. She's not married. Her fiancé is not the father of the baby, and he's upset. Would you recommend abortion?

In the first case, you would have killed John Wesley, one of the great evangelists in the 19th century. In the second case, you would have killed Beethoven. In the third case, you would have killed Ethel Waters, the great black gospel singer. If you said yes to the fourth case, you would have declared the murder of Jesus Christ!
What Happens When You Are Home Sick From Work?


You find a great site like this one with pictures of nuns having snowball fights and sledding!









I'm feeling better already!

Not A Choice!



The small print says: In fact, an unborn baby's heart begins to beat at 18 days. At 40 days she has measurable brain waves. An unborn baby shouldn't be thrown away like a piece of tissue.

From Prolife Blogs.
Saint Of The Day: Saint Valentine






St. Valentine was a physician and priest in Rome, possibly a bishop.

When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. He was eventually discovered and sent to prison. While he was there he converted the jailer by restoring sight to the jailer's daughter. He was beaten and beheaded in 269.

Valentine's Day celebrations began in ancient Rome, when the Romans held the festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on Feb. 15.

For 800 years the Romans had dedicated this day to the god Lupercus. On Lupercalia, a young man would draw the name of a young woman in a lottery and would then keep the woman as a sexual companion for the year.

Pope Gelasius I in (496) was, understandably, less than thrilled with this custom. So he changed the lottery to have both young men and women draw the names of saints whom they would then emulate for the year (a change that no doubt disappointed a few young men). Instead of Lupercus, the patron of the feast became Valentine. For Roman men, the day continued to be an occasion to seek the affections of women, and it became a tradition to give out handwritten messages of admiration that included Valentine's name.


By 1477 the English associated lovers with the feast of Valentine because on that day "every bird chooses him a mate." The custom started of men and women writing love letters to their Valentine on this day. Other "romance" traditions have become attached to this feast, including pinning bay leaves to your pillow on Valentine's Eve so that you will see your future mate that night in your dreams.

St. Valentine is the patron of affianced couples, against fainting, bee keepers, betrothed couples, engaged couples, epilepsy, happy marriages, and young people.

Monday, February 13, 2006

On The Perpetual Virginity Of Blessed Mary


Mark 6:3 says, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses, and Judas and Simon, and are not His sisters here with us?"

Some Protestants might try to use this passage to say that Mary was not a perpetual virgin.

However, there was no word for cousin, or for nephew or niece, or for aunt or uncle in ancient Hebrew or Aramaic (the language spoken by Christ and his disciples). The words that the Jews used in all those instances were "brother" or "sister".

Lot, for example, is called Abraham’s "brother" (Gen. 14:14), even though, being the son of Haran, Abraham’s brother (Gen. 11:26–28), he was actually Abraham’s nephew.

If you look at Genesis 14:14 you will see that instead of "brother" the translator has chosen "kinsman" :
"When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan."

However in the original hebrew text it refers to Lot as his "brother." The translator translates it as brother because he knows that Lot is his nephew.

Similarly, Jacob is called the "brother" of his uncle Laban (Gen. 29:15). Kish and Eleazar were the sons of Mahli. Kish had sons of his own, but Eleazar had no sons, only daughters, who married their "brethren," the sons of Kish. These "brethren" were really their cousins (1 Chr. 23:21–22).

Now let's look at John 19:26-27 "When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!' Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Right before Jesus dies, it says that Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to the beloved disciple, John.

However, after the father died, according to Jewish custom, it was the eldest son's job to take care of the mother. If Jesus had four "brothers" (and not cousins): James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude: he would not have gone against Jewish custom and appointed John to take care of his mother. If Mary had had any other sons, it would have been a grievous insult to them that John was entrusted with the care of their mother!

Now let's look at Mark 6:3 again: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses, and Judas and Simon, and are not His sisters here with us?"

Compare that with Matthew 27:55-56:
"There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him; among whom were Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee."

In the verse from Matthew it says that Mary the mother of James and Joseph were at the cross. These are the same James and Joseph (Joses was a hebrew synonym of Joseph) from Mark 6:3.

And there is no confusing Mary the mother of James and Joseph with Mary the mother of Jesus, because Matthew 27:55-56 says that Mary the mother of James and Joseph was looking on from afar. Mary, the mother of Jesus, we know was at the foot of the cross.

Now look at Acts 1:14-15, "[The Apostles] with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with His brothers...the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty."

Here is John Martignoni's take on it:

"A company of 120 persons composed of the Apostles, Mary, the women, and the "brothers" of Jesus. Let's see there were 11 Apostles at the time. Jesus' mother makes 12. The women, probably the same three women mentioned in Matthew 27, but let's say it was maybe a dozen or two, just for argument's sake. So that puts us up to 30 or 40 or so. So that leaves the number of Jesus' brothers at about 80 or 90! Do you think Mary had 80 or 90 children? She would have been in perpetual labor! "

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would conceive a son, she asked, "How can this be since I have no relations with a man?" (Luke 1:34).

From the Church’s earliest days, Mary’s question was taken to mean that she had made a vow of lifelong virginity, even in marriage. If she had not taken such a vow, the question would make no sense.

Mary knew how babies are made (otherwise she wouldn’t have asked the question she did). If she had anticipated having children in the normal way and did not intend to maintain a vow of virginity, she would hardly have to ask "how" she was to have a child, since conceiving a child in the "normal" way would be expected by a newlywed wife. Her question makes sense only if there was an apparent (but not a real) conflict between keeping a vow of virginity and acceding to the angel’s request.

A careful look at the New Testament shows that Mary kept her vow of virginity and never had any children other than Jesus.

I've gathered these passages and quotes for this post in response to comments left by Mark Horne on an article Al Kimel wrote on Pontifications responding to Horne's reasons why he is not a Catholic. In Horne's article he refers to Mary in a very crass and vulgar way. He also states in his comments on Pontifications that the Church Fathers were wrong about Mary...as if he is an authority to make such a statement!

For more information, I suggest reading The Perpetual Viriginity of Blessed Mary by St. Jerome.
On The Holy Spirit



He is called Spirit, as "God is Spirit" (Jn 4:24), and "the breath of our nostrils, the Lord's anointed" (Lam 4:20). He is called holy, as the Father is holy, and the Son is holy, for to the creature holiness was brought in from without, but to the Spirit holiness is the fulfillment of nature, and it is for this reason that He is described not as being sanctified, but as sanctifying. He is called good, as the Father is good, and He who was begotten of the Good is good, and to the Spirit His goodness is essence. He is called upright, as "the Lord is upright" (Ps 92:15), in that He is Himself truth, and is Himself Righteousness, having no divergence nor leaning to one side or to the other, on account of the immutability of His substance. He is called Paraclete, like the Only Begotten, as He Himself says, "I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Counselor" (Jn 14:16).

Thus names are borne by the Spirit in common with the Father and the Son, and He gets these titles from His natural and close relationship. From what other source could they be derived?

Again He is called royal, Spirit of Truth, and Spirit of wisdom. "The Spirit of God," it is said, "has made me" (Job 33:4), and God filled Bezalel with "the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship" (Ex 31:3). Such names as these are super-eminent and mighty, but they do not transcend His glory.

And his operations, what are they? For majesty ineffable, and for numbers innumerable. How shall we form a conception of what extends beyond the ages? What were His operations before that creation whereof we can conceive? How great the grace which He conferred on creation? What the power exercised by Him over the ages to come? He existed; He pre-existed; He co-existed with the Father and the Son before the ages. It follows that, even if you can conceive of anything beyond the ages, you will find the Spirit yet further above and beyond...Is it Christ's advent? The Spirit is forerunner. Is there the incarnate presence? The Spirit is inseparable. Working of miracles, and gifts of healing are through the Holy Spirit. Demons were driven out by the Spirit of God. The devil was brought to naught by the presence of the Spirit. Remission of sins was by the gift of the Spirit, for "you were washed, you were sanctified...in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor 6:11).

There is close relationship with God through the Spirit, for "God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' " (Gal 4:6). The resurrection from the dead is effected by the operation of the Spirit, for "When You send forth Your spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth" (Ps 104:30).

With these thoughts before us, are we to be afraid of going beyond due bounds in the extravagance of the honor we pay? Shall we not rather fear lest, even though we seem to give Him the highest names which the thoughts of man can conceive or man's tongue can utter, we let our thoughts about Him fall too low?

-St. Basil the Great
Quote Of The Day



"No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother."

-St. Cyprian

Sunday, February 12, 2006

A Hymn to Christ the Savior

I.
Bridle of colts untamed,
Over our wills presiding;
Wing of unwandering birds,
Our flight securely guiding.
Rudder of youth unbending,
Firm against adverse shock;
Shepherd, with wisdom tending
Lambs of the royal flock:
Thy simple children bring
In one, that they may sing
In solemn lays
Their hymns of praise
With guileless lips to Christ their King.

II.
King of saints, almighty Word
Of the Father highest Lord;
Wisdom's head and chief;
Assuagement of all grief;
Lord of all time and space,
Jesus, Saviour of our race;
Shepherd, who dost us keep;
Husbandman, who tillest,
Bit to restrain us, Rudder
To guide us as Thou williest;
Of the all-holy flock celestial wing;
Fisher of men, whom Thou to life dost bring;
From evil sea of sin,
And from the billowy strife,
Gathering pure fishes in
Caught with sweet bait of life:
Lead us, Shepherd of the sheep,
Reason-gifted, holy One;
King of youths, whom Thou dost keep,
So that they pollution shun:
Steps of Christ, celestial Way;
Word eternal, Age unending;
Life that never can decay;
Fount of mercy, virtue-sending;
Life august of those who raise
Unto God their hymn of praise, Jesus Christ!

III.
Nourished by the milk of heaven,
To our tender palates given;
Milk of wisdom from the breast
Of that bride of grace exprest;
By a dewy spirit filled
From fair Reason's breast distilled;
Let us sucklings join to raise
With pure lips our hymns of praise
As our grateful offering,
Clean and pure, to Christ our King.
Let us, with hearts undefiled,
Celebrate the mighty Child.
We, Christ-born, the choir of peace;
We, the people of His love,
Let us sing, nor ever cease,
To the God of peace above.

By St. Clement

Saturday, February 11, 2006

John Martignoni's Twelve Questions To Ask A Protestant

1) If everything we need to know as Christians is in the Bible, where in the Bible does it give us the list of books that are supposed to be in the Bible?

There isn't a list in the Bible! So that means there is an authority outside of the Bible that decided it!

2) If we are saved by faith alone, then we don't need to love anyone do we...even God in order to be saved, right?

If we need to love in order to be saved, then we aren't saved by faith alone are we? We are saved by faith and love. Catholics call this "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6).

So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). This verse tells us that love is greater than faith. So how can we be saved by faith alone?

3) If you have faith but not works, can faith save you?

If they answer "yes" then they contradict scripture:

What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead (James 2:14-17).

If they answer "no" then it's NOT faith alone that saves us.

4) If salvation by faith alone is the most central and important Christian doctrine, then why does the phrase "faith alone" or "faith only" appear just once in all of Scripture, and that is to say that we are NOT justified or saved by faith alone?

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone (James 2:24).

5) If God alone can forgive sins and we are to confess our sins to God alone and not to men, then why does Matthew say that God gave the authority on earth to men (plural), not just to a man (i.e. Jesus Christ)?

But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men (Matthew 9:6-8).

Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed (James 5:16).

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained (John 20:23).

6) Is whether or not we have faith God's sole criteria for judging us worthy of salvation?

If they answer "no" then it is not salvation by faith alone, is it?

If they answer "yes" then why does every passage in the New Testament that speaks of judgment say that we will be judged by our works, our deeds, by what we have done?

See Matthew 24, John 15, Romans 2, and Revelation 20.

7) For a Christian what is the pillar and foundation of the truth...is it the Bible?

If they say "yes" then they disagree with the Bible which says it is the Church!

...if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

If they say "no" then how can you believe in the Bible alone?

8) Is God's revelation to men ongoing or did it end with the death of the last Apostle?

(Every Christian denomination believes it has!)

If they say "yes" ask them where in the Bible does it say that? It doesn't! Isn't that a non-biblical tradition!

9) Jesus tells us in John 6:27, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." Doesn't sound like faith alone does it? In John 6:55 Jesus says, "For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." And in John 6:54 Jesus says, "he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." What does Jesus mean when he tells us to labor for the food that will lead to eternal life?

These are actions. You have to DO something. Not just "faithing."

Even if Jesus is speaking symbolically, he tells us that if we DO something we will have eternal life. Sounds like faith AND WORKS!

10) Christ redeemed all men with his death on the cross, he paid the price for all men's sins. Yet not all men are saved. What is the difference between those who are merely redeemed and those who are redeemed and saved? What's the difference between the redeemed and saved and the redeemed and unsaved? Is it something Jesus did or is it something each individual did?

If it's something Jesus did, why doesn't he do the same for all men? Scripture tells us that he desires that all men be saved.

...who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

If it's something an individual believer did, isn't that a work? The believer has to do something in order to be saved! Jesus died on the cross for the believer and the unbeliever. The difference is the believer DID something and the believer didn't do something. The believer believed by the grace of God, but he had to cooperate with that grace. He had to Do something or else he would not have been saved! Faith alone...?

11) Do we have to forgive others in order to have our sins forgiven by God?

If they answer "yes" then we are not saved by faith alone. We can't be saved if our sins are not forgiven by God. And if we cannot have our sins forgiven by God if we do not forgive others, then we cannot be saved. Therefore, we are saved by faith and at least one work...the act of forgiving others of their sins against us!

If they answer "no" then they are going directly against what Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

12) Where in Scripture does it say...

Scripture alone is the sole rule of faith for Christians?

We are saved or justified by faith alone?

Baptism is a symbolic gesture that the already saved makes to show his commitment to God?

Every individual has the right to interpret every single passage of Scripture on their own in order to determine by their own authority what is true doctrine and what is false doctrine?

You are to have altar calls?

You are to meet at your church every Wednesday night?

It is okay to disagree on the non-essential doctrines as long as you agree on the essential doctrines?

That there is such a thing as a non-essential doctrine, a non-essential part of the Word of God?

The answer is, it is NOT in the Bible!
Theology On Tap



I would love to have theology on tap with Pope Benedict!

If you live in the Pittsburgh area there is theology on tap on Wednesday nights at Molly Brannigan's at 7pm. This weeks topic is "Who Has Time for God?" led by Fr. Jonathan Wisneski.

The Pope won't be there, but you do get two free drinks and appetizers on the house!

Friday, February 10, 2006

Another Meme

This time I have been tagged by none other than Mike at Sacramentum Vitae.

4 jobs you have had in your life:
Shoe salesman at Sears
Manager at Chick-Fil-A
Cook/Dishwasher/Runner at a sushi restaurant
Assistant Manager at Starbucks

4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over:
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Newsies
Good Will Hunting
Swing Kids

4 Places You Have Lived:
Carver, Massachusetts
Orlando, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

4 TV Shows You Love To Watch:
Scrubs
House
The Office (the UK version)
Monarch of the Glen

4 Places You Have Been On Vacation:
Barcelona, Spain
Nova Scotia, Canada
Banner Elk, North Carolina
New York, New York

4 Websites You Visit Daily:
Pontifications
Titusonenine
Shrine of the Holy Whapping
St. Peter's Helpers

4 Of Your Favorite Foods:
Lasagna
Pizza
Spaghetti
Steak
(If one didn't know better, they would think I was Italian!)

4 Places You Would Rather Be Right Now:
Ireland
England
Rome
Boston

4 Bloggers You Are Tagging:
St. Peter's Helpers
Carmel
Jonathan
Dymphna's Well
The Bible And Confession


So, you are a Protestant (or even a Catholic) and you think that confessing your sins to a priest is unbiblical, and that you should only confess your sins to God. Well, here is what the Bible has to say about it:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

So far, nothing we can't agree on here. Try this:

"Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16).*

Notice it said, "to one another." This is directly from the Bible. Need more convincing? Let's look at the Old Testament. For as St. Augustine said, "The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.”

"When a man is guilty in any of these, he shall confess the sin he has committed, and he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin which he has committed... and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin" (Leviticus 5:5-6).*

Now, to one of the most popular quotes from the Bible on confession:

"And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:22-23).

Jesus gave the Apostles the authority to not only forgive sins, but also to retain them!

"'But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins' -- he then said to the paralytic -- 'Rise, take up your bed and go home.' And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men" (Matthew 9:6-8).*

They glorified God because he gave men the authority to forgive sins. The next quote is connected to this one:

"As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18).

The "me" is Jesus and the "them" are the Apostles. Just as God sent his only Son into the world with the authority to forgive sins, Jesus has bestowed that same authority on the Apostles. Bishops are successors of the Apostles, and priests are appointed and are under the authority of bishops. So as Christians, we are called to confess our sins to priests and bishops who are authorized by Christ who is authorized by God to forgive us of our sins.

*Emphasis added.
Quote Of The Day


"You do not have to go looking for people to convert to Catholicism. All you have to do is let it be known that you are Catholic, and they will come to you! The more you live and practice your faith, the more opportunity God will give you to defend it!"

-John Martignoni
Say "No!" To Cafeteria Catholicism


"Someone once said, 'there is a shortage of vocations to the priesthood in the United States, but there is no shortage of vocations to the papacy'...If we each appoint ourselves pope and throw out a doctrine here, or a doctrine there, then our faith is no longer Catholic."

-John Martignoni
Not Protestants, But Catholics


"The people I have had the most trouble convincing on any given truth of the Catholic Faith are not Protestants...they are Catholics!"

-John Martignoni
How To Be A Great Apologist

Today I finished listening to a cd entitled "Introduction to Apologetics" by John Martignoni, president of the Bible Christian Society and have gathered many great quotes from it. Such as...


"When presented with an opportunity to defend your faith, never be afraid to say, 'I don't know'...however...always, always, follow 'I don't know' with, 'but I will find out and get back to you!'"

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Let's Go, Black and Gold!



Tonight I get to see my first live NHL game! And to make it better, I get to see my Boston Bruins! It's to bad I had to move all the way to Pittsburgh to finally see the Bruins play, though.
I'm sure it will be worth the wait!

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Dogma of the Immaculate Conception



"The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."
I Want Everyone to be Catholic

"We are called to love each other. When you love someone you want the best for them. The best for them is the Catholic Faith...So I want everyone to be Catholic!"

-A very rough paraphrase from Fr. John Corapi
Reading List

Over at Pontifications, there is a theology reading list for college.

It is as follows:

Part I

Diogenes Allen, Philosophy for Understanding Theology

Irenaeus, On the Apostolic Preaching

Athanasius, On the Incarnation

Basil, On the Holy Spirit

Gregory of Nazianzus, On God and Man

Cyril of Alexandria, On the Unity of Christ

Augustine, Confessions

Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt, Holy Teaching: Introducing the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas

Robert Wilken, The Spirit of Early Christian Thought

Boris Bobrinskoy, The Mystery of the Trinity

Leo Davis, The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787)

Robert Sokolowski, The God of Faith and Reason

Thomas Oden, Systematic Theology (3 vols)

Part II

Günther Bornkamm, Jesus of Nazareth

N. T. Wright, Paul: In Fresh Perspective

Brevard Childs, Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments

Karl Barth, Dogmatics in Outline

Henri de Lubac, Catholicism: Christ and the Common Destiny of Man

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity

Servais Pinckaers, The Sources of Christian Ethics

Looks like a good list. I however, have only read Augustine's Confessions and Ratzinger's Introduction to Christianity from the list. I've read quite a bit of Ratzinger's books and many other theology books. I am currently working on a stack that is beside my desk which includes Origen, Newman, Chesterton, Ratzinger (of course), Kreeft, and various books on church history. When I'm finished with those, then I will tackle the Pontificator's list.

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

Monday, February 06, 2006

Your Faith Has A Motive





"Convert those who do not believe with the example of your life, so that your faith has a motive. If God's Word pleases you, act accordingly-not only God's Word in your heart, but in your life so that you will form God's family, united and pleasing to His eyes in all your actions. Don't doubt, brethren, that if your lives are worthy of God, unbelievers will find faith."

-St. Augustine

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Tagged!

from Ancient and Future Catholic Musings

Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1) Jeni
2) Anastasia
3) LutherPunk
4) Jonathan (AFCM)
5) Irish and Dangerous (Me, Danny)

Next select five people to tag
1)Dilexitprior
2)Antonia
3) Dymphna's Well
4) St. Peter's Helpers
(Note: If you've already done this, that counts, lol)

What were you doing 10 years ago?
February 1996: I was a Junior in high school. I don't really remember yesterday. Do you expect me to remember 10 years ago? I was most likely performing in a play at West Orange High School in Orlando, Fl.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Enjoying my first month of being married!

Five snacks you enjoy:
1) Cape Cod Potato Chips
2) Swiss Rolls
3) Snack Pack's Puddings
4) Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
5) Lay's Baked Potato Chips

Five songs you know all the words to:
A. Any Sinatra song
B. Any Elvis song
C. Any Dave Matthews Band song
D. Name an Irish song and I'll sing it!
E. Most of Johnny Cash's songs

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
A. Pay off my debts and my family's debts
B. Give most of it away to Catholic Churches and charities
C. Help my friends out
D. Start a scholarship to help underprivileged kids go to college
E. Buy alot of books

Five bad habits:
A. Surfing blogsites excessively
B. Way too much coffee
C. Sleeping in late on days off
D.
E.

Five things you enjoy doing:
A. Being married to Laura!
B. Defending the Faith
C. Reading
D. Watching movies
E. Teaching

Five things you would never wear again:
A. Pants with elastic waists
B. Shorts
C. Mid drift shirts
D. Most clothes from the 80's
E. tacky ties

Five favorite toys:
A. G.I. Joe's
B. Tonka trucks
C. Hot Wheels
D. Remote control cars
E. He-Man action figures

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Pope Chart

Some people have posters on their walls that have all of the U.S. Presidents on it; I have one with all the Popes on it! It was purchased from JMJ Bookstore, my favorite Catholic Bookstore in Pittsburgh!
Happy To Serve God

3 young women live out the reality, share the joy of contemplative life.
Irish Saint Of The Day: Saint Brigid






St. Brigid was born in 453 at Faughart, County Louth, Ireland. She was the daughter of Dubtach, pagan Scottish king of Leinster, and Brocca, a Christian Pictish slave,who had been baptized by Saint Patrick. Just before Brigid's birth, her mother was sold to a Druid landowner. Brigid remained with her mother till she was old enough to serve her legal owner Dubtach, her father.

She grew up marked by her high spirits and tender heart, and as a child, she heard Saint Patrick preach, which she never forgot. She could not bear to see anyone hungry or cold, and to help them, often gave away things that were Dubtach's. When Dubtach protested, she replied that "Christ dwelt in every creature". Dubtach tried to sell her to the King of Leinster, and while they bargained, she gave a treasured sword of her father's to a leper. Dubtach was about to strike her when Brigid explained she had given the sword to God through the leper, because of its great value. The King, a Christian, forbade Dubtach to strike her, saying "Her merit before God is greater than ours". Dubtach solved this domestic problem by giving Brigid her freedom.

Brigid's aged mother was in charge of her master's dairy. Brigid took charge ,and often gave away the produce. But the dairy prospered under her (hence her patronage of milk maids, dairy workers, cattle, etc.), and the Druid freed Brigid's mother.

Brigid returned to her father, who arranged a marriage for her with a young bard. Bride refused, and to keep her virginity, went to Bishop Mel, a pupil of Saint Patrick's, and took her first vows. Legend says that she prayed that her beauty be taken from her so no one would seek her hand in marriage; her prayer was granted, and she regained her beauty only after making her vows. Another tale says that when Saint Patrick heard her final vows, he mistakenly used the form for ordaining priests. When told of it he replied, "So be it, my son, she is destined for great things."

Her first convent started with seven nuns. At the invitation of bishops, she started convents all over Ireland. She was a great traveller, especially considering the conditions of the time, which led to her patronage of travellers, sailors, etc. Brigid invented the double monastery, the monastery of Kildare that she ran on the Liffey river being for both monks and nuns. Saint Conleth became its first bishop; this connection and the installation of a bell that lasted over 1000 years apparently led to her patronage of blacksmiths and those in related fields.

She died 1 February 523 at Kildare, Ireland of natural causes and buried in Downpatrick, Ireland with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba. Her head was removed to the Jesuit church in Lisbon, Portugal.

I couldn't wait to post this "Irish Saint of the Day." I've been thinking about it for months. St. Brigid is one of my favorite Irish saints, along with Saint's Patrick and Brendan!