Litmus Test

It was pretty amazing watching all of the Republicans trying to circle the wagons around Newt Gingrich after his ex-wife gave an interview describing the hell the former speaker had put her through in their marriage.  I watched Laura Ingraham on the O'Reilly factor defending the Newt against ABC for daring to show the interview with the Newt's ex-wife.  Why, Laura argued, this is just old news and all they are trying to do is hurt Gingrich.  ABC has terrible, immoral programs (which is absolutely true and why I don't watch that network or any other) and they're all just a bunch of hyprocrites for bringing this up.  But Ms. Ingraham, a professed Catholic, did not utter one word about the immorality of Newt Gingrich and that just maybe this does disqualify him to be president.  Rush Limbaugh, of course, is out in full force, trying to somehow project it all onto Obama:

I don't understand why the media's pretending to be so upset about these charges coming from Marianne.  I mean, it's all about sex [this is sure not what he said about Bill Clinton or Ted Kennedy] and how many times are we told that somebody's sex life, even if they're president, doesn't matter. It's nobody's business as long as it doesn't affect the job.  And how about all the sex stories from Obama's former girlfriends?  That's right: What stories? What former girlfriends?  In fact, have we ever found out anything about any of his students when he supposedly taught law at the University of Chicago or buddies at Harvard Law Review?  I mean, we still don't know anything. "Mr. Limbaugh, this is very clever of you trying to disguise the fact that Mr. Gingrich is..."  No, I'm just reacting here.  [Just reacting?  How do we go from the adulterer Gingrich to Obama's college records?  I think that is called "deflecting."]

Limbaugh doesn't stop there, trying to make light of the entire sordid Gingrich story:

I got a great [???????] note from a friend of mine.  "So Newt wanted an open marriage.  BFD.  At least he asked his wife for permission instead of cheating on her.  That's a mark of character, in my book.  Newt's a victim [Now I think I'm getting seriously sick].  We all are.  Ours is the horniest generation.  We were soldiers in the sex revolution.  We were tempted by everything from Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice to Plato's Retreat, Deep Throat to no-fault divorce.  Many of us paid the ultimate price, AIDS, abortion, or alimony for the cultural marching orders we got.  Hell, for all I know we should be getting disability from the government." That's from a good friend of mine [gotta wonder about Rush's friends], "Newt's slogan ought to be, 'Hell, yes, I wanted it.'"  (laughing)  I'm sharing with you how some people are reacting to this. 

Now, I'm certainly not saying that the MSM doesn't have a motive in putting out this story about Newt.  The timing is interesting, to say the least.  But gimme a break.  This still doesn't take away from the fact that Newt Gingrich completely betrayed not only his first wife, but his second wife as well.  He had a 6-year affair behind her back, and then when she is sick with MS, and the doctor has specifically said that she should not be put under stress, he tells her he wants a divorce.  And even has the gall to ask for an "open marriage" (which he denies and we are expected to believe), telling his wife she has to "share" him.  And people like Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham are defending him?   

Later in Limbaugh's monologue, he even tries to blame Marianne Gingrich:

I also know that Marianne Gingrich... I've seen places shortly after Newt was made Speaker with Mary, social weekends and so forth, and she was never comfortable with the public eye -- and that bothered him. He thought it limited his future. She didn't like the media, she didn't like the focus on her life, so she just wasn't comfortable with the public eye -- and I know that he said, "Well, you knew what you were marrying." So there's two sides  to all this [I can't stand it!!!!  Marianne wasn't all that comfortable in the spotlight, so that makes it okay that Newt was a lying, cheating adulterer]

Rush later makes another reference to that "great note" he read:

And don't downplay this note I got from my buddy who's in his fifties, and I'll read it to you again here sometime during the program.

Limbaugh does correctly point out the hypocrisy of the media, but Limbaugh claims that the media hypocrisy means we should just ignore Gingrich's behavior:

Here's a headline from the New York Times: "Former Gingrich Wife Says He Asked for Open Marriage." Now, folks, this is the same New York Times that never ran one article about John Edwards cheating on his cancer-stricken wife. Do you remember ABC, CBS, NBC, Washington Post, New York Times would get nowhere near the John Edwards story? That was a National Enquirer exclusive, and the mainstream media was dragged kicking and screaming to it.

All I can say to this, is so what? Just because, like Rush, the MSM are hypocrites, that does not justify Gingrich's behavior and Limbaugh's defense of it.

Then there's the final kicker from Limbaugh, who himself has been married four times:

Hell, Newt was married to Marianne for 18 years. Do you realize that's a lifelong commitment in Hollywood terms? That's a lifetime marriage, in Hollywood.

So because Newt was married longer than most people in Hollywood, anyone who dares to criticize him is a hypocrite.  As far as I'm concerned, anyone who defends this behavior has lost all credibility.

I also watched the Republican debate in South Carolina last night, and the first question was to Gingrich about his ex-wife's intereview.  He castigated the moderator and attacked the MSM for bringing this up.  The most alarming part of this is the fact that the audience supported Gringrich, applauding him for standing up to the media!!!  Gimme a break, people.  Do you realize you are supporting a serial adulterer here, a seriously flawed individual?  Oh yea, we're suppose to be forgiving, and that's fine.  But does that mean we have to support him for president?  He has been married 3 times.  As far as I'm concerned, that alone completely disqualifies him to be president.  He shows a serious lack of character and morals.  Maybe he is truly repentant and wants to live a different life, and I actually hope for his sake that this is the case.  But please!!  How can anyone with any sense of right or wrong support this man for president?  He needs major help.  When Clinton was caught doing the nasty with Monica Lewinsky, all of his political opponents attacked him because they said it made him vulnerable to blackmail.  So why isn't this the case with Gingrich?

I guess we get the leaders we deserve.

Obama The Baby Killer

An interesting news item from Lifenews.com:

Second Grader: Defeat Obama, “He Says You Can Kills Babys”

by Jill Stanek | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 1/18/12 11:21 AM
I received the following from a second grade teacher:

The class has been learning about Martin Luther King, Jr., and we were talking about how one person can make a big difference. We talked about how he had a dream.

So they had a writing assignment to write about what their dream for the world right now is. This little boy wrote, “My dream for the world Is for president Obama to not be president ever again. Because he says you can kill babies. And because that is a dumb law.”

* * * *

I have one problem with this news story.  Obama is being blamed for the fact that we have abortion in our land.  Certainly, Obama is the most pro-abortion president we have ever seen, and hopefully will ever see.  But has it been any different with Republicans?  Does anyone think it will be any different with Romney, who has done a 180 degree flip flop on abortion?  Has any Republican president ever gone beyond talk and actually tried to outlaw abortion?  We have never seen it.

Our salvation is not with any politician.  It is only through Christ and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, just as she told us at Fatima.  Defeating Obama is not going to change anything.  The hearts and minds of the American people must change.  That is the only way to defeat this horrible evil.  I'm no fan of Obama, but the terrible scourge of abortion cannot be laid only at his feet.     

The Federal Government Should Not Legislate Morals

The video below shows how the MSM tries to belittle and distort Ron Paul's message, trying to make him look like a left wing liberal when in reality, he is the strongest supporter of the US Constitution of any candidate in recent history.

Ron Paul is asked by Chris Wallace why he, Congressman Paul, says that the legalization (or not) of marijuana, cocaine and even heroin should be left up to the states.  Congressman Paul gives a brilliant answer to this question.  I can only point out that it is the federal courts that gave us the legal killing of babies, known as abortion, and strongly supported by the federal government.  Whenever the people are left to decide what should be legal or not, they always come down on the side of morality.  Ron Paul is right - the federal government should not be in the business of making decisions for us.  We are capable of making our own decisions.  Once the government infringes on one part of our liberty, it will start taking away other liberties.  Prohibition of liquor - when the government decided we shouldn't drink alcohol - resulted in making criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens, and actually produced more drunkeness and wrecked lives.  Government legislation, especially by the Federal Government, does not make people moral.  It has to come from within.  If the people are allowed to decide what should be legal or not legal, we will be much better off.  I can assure you that abortion would have never been legalized in 1973 if it had been left up to the people. 



Don't accept the argument that we need government to take care of us. Government is, for far too many who are a part of it, immoral and corrupt. Witness all the many, many scandals we have seen over the decades. As shown in my post about the Masonic influence in politics, we as Catholics should be doubly suspicious of anything our government does.  Why should we let such people, who can't make moral decisions for themselves, make our moral decisions. 

Here is a snapshot of a poll asking people's opinions on abortion published in July 2011.  As you will see, if left up to the people, abortion would be vastly restricted and regulated.  But in the government's hands, it continues almost unabated.

The Patriarch of Lisbon criticises ‘Masonic influence in politics’

All of the men pictured here, including John Wayne,
Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh,
George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt,
were 32nd Degree Freemasons

In 1917, when Our Lady appeared to the three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, she warned that Russia must be consecrated to her immaculate heart.  In the third apparition of Our Lady in Fatima, on July 13, 1917, Our Lady warned that if man does not:

stop offending God, another even worse war will begin in the reign of Pius XI… To prevent it [the war], I will come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays. If they listen to my requests, Russia will convert and there will be peace; if not, it will spread its errors throughout the world, promoting wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and several nations will be annihilated.

The errors of Russia, which is most specifically atheistic communism, have spread throughout the world.  Our Lady told us that the only way to avoid the errors of Russia being spread throughout th world was by consecrating Russia to her Immaculate Heart, as quoted above.  Russia was not consecrated to Mary's Immaculate Heart, and as she predicted, WWII broke out during the reign of Pope Pius XI, a greater and much more destructive war than the "Great War," WWI.  There were 35 million military and civilian casualities in WWI, more than the world had ever seen, but just a little over 20 years later, as predicted by Our Lady, WWII began in which it is estimated that 60 million people were killed, which was 2.5% of the entire world's population.  Also in this war, nuclear weapons were introduced, now making it possible to annihilate the entire world. 

It is now 2012, and though our Lady specifically asked that Russia be consecrated to her immaculate heart no later than 1960, the consecration still has not been done.  Therefore, the errors of atheistic Russia have continued to spread around the world, wreaking untold havoc and misery on mankind.  Joseph Stalin of the USSR is said to have killed 20 million people, with some estimates as high as 60 million.  China's Mao Zedong is estimated to have killed anywhere from 49 million to 78 million people, plus countless hundreds of millions more killed through China's mandatory one-child law, which results in the abortion of 35,000 babies every day.  There are the terrible wars and manmade famines throughout Africa, the killings in Cambodia by Pol Pot of 1.7 million people.  The atrocities go on, ad nauseum.  And there is no end in sight.  I onced heard a priest say that Satan always demands humand sacrifice.  We are certainly supplying him with more sacrifices than he probably thought possible.

Below is an article from Vaticaninsider.com concerning The Archbishop of Lisbon, Cardinal José da Cruz Policarpo, in which he describes how Masonry influences politics.  The reason I bring up the warning of Fatima along with this article is because they are at heart one and the same.  Masonry is belief in salvation through man, which is exactly what communism preaches, the errors of Russia.  When you read this article, keep this in mind. 

Make a Pledge to Recite the St. Michael's Prayer

O glorious prince St. Michael,
chief and commander of the heavenly hosts,
guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits,
servant in the house of the Divine King
and our admirable conductor,
you who shine with excellence
and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil
who turn to you with confidence
and enable us by your gracious protection
to serve God more and more faithfully every day

There can be no doubt that Satan has been unleashed upon the world.  The 20th Century was by far the bloodiest, most deadly century in the history of mankind.  It is estimated that 180 million people were killed in war in the 20th century, and this new century seems headed on the same path. No time has ever seen such immorality as we have seen.  No culture, no matter how debauched, ever considered destroying marriage as we have, no one ever killed their children on such a massive scale as we have.  Right is now wrong, and wrong is right.  Those who live upright moral lives are now considered the outcasts. 

I believe that one of the most important prayers given to the Catholic Church in the last 150 years to combat the terrible evil that reigns in this world is the St. Michael's Prayer.  Below is the story of how it came to be written:

The Saint Michael prayer was written by Pope Leo XIII in 1884. There are some variations on the exact events that inspired him to write this prayer.

After saying Mass one day, Pope Leo suddenly fell into an unconscious state.

People who were around him thought he was having a stroke or some other medical emergency.

Just as suddenly he regained consciousness and there was no evidence of a medical condition.

He is reported to have said, "What a horrible picture I was permitted to see!"

He heard two distinct voices coming from the tabernacle, the place where Jesus, truly present under the appearance of a consecrated host remains after the Mass.

One voice was kind and gentle. This was the voice of Jesus.

The other voice was harsh and wicked. This was the voice of Satan.

The conversation he heard was Satan telling Jesus that he could destroy His Church.

Jesus told Satan that if he thought he could destroy the Church then he could try.

Satan responded that he needed more power and more time. Satan asked for a century and for more influence over those people who were willing to be his servants.

Jesus said He would allow this to happen.

This frightening vision inspired Pope Leo XIII to write the Saint Michael Prayer.

He knew that the world would need this prayer to get through the horrible century when Satan would have more power over the wicked.

Pope Leo XIII felt this prayer was so important that he asked that it be said after Mass.

Even though this practice (saying the Saint Michael Prayer after mass) was suppressed in 1964 by Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II asked people to reestablish the practice of saying this prayer after Mass once again in 1994. John Paul II said,

"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians: "Draw strength from the Lord and from His mighty power" (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church. Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world." 

Human Life International, a group dedicated to pro life causes, has a campaign that encourages people to make a pledge to recite the St. Michael prayer after every Mass to specifically pray for the conversion of abortionists.  You may go here to to sign the pledge and download St. Michael prayer cards.  Below is the pledge you will make:

To our dear priests and bishops: As a faithful member of the Church Militant, I intend to say the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel at the end of every Mass that I attend. I respectfully ask that you lead the faithful entrusted to your care in doing the same. I do so because our fight against the culture of death is fundamentally a fight against “the principalities and powers of this world of darkness” (Eph 6: 12). That being true, then surely we need to invoke St. Michael’s assistance if we are to bring to conversion and to the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, all abortionists who commit crimes against our unborn brothers and sisters. In union with millions of others around the world who labor to restore the sanctity of human life, I promise you my prayers as you consider this request.

PRAYER TO
SAINT MICHAEL
THE ARCHANGEL

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the snares and temptations of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who roam about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

My Daily Eucharist - The Continuing Sorrow of the Prisoner in the Blessed Sacrament

Something to think about when you visit the Blessed Sacrament.

"I want to tell them of the poignant sorrows which filled My Heart at the Last Supper. If it was bliss for Me to think of all those to whom I should be both Companion and Heavenly Food, of all who would surround Me to the End of Time with adoration, reparation, and love... this in no wise diminished My grief at the many who would leave Me deserted in My tabernacle and who would not even believe in My Real Presence.

"Into how many hearts defiled by sin would I not have to enter... and how often this profanation of My Body and Blood would serve for their ultimate condemnation.

Sacrileges and outrages, and all the nameless abominations to be committed against Me, passed before My eyes... the long, lonely hours of the day and of the night in which I would remain alone on the altars... and the multitudes who would not heed the appeals of My Heart...

"Ah! Josefa, let the thoughts of My Heart sink deep into yours.

"It is love for souls that keeps Me a Prisoner in the Blessed Sacrament. I stay there that all may come and find the comfort they need in the tenderest of Hearts, the best of Fathers, the most faithful of Friends, who will never abandon them.

"The Holy Eucharist is the invention of Love... Yet how few souls correspond to that love which spends and consumes itself for them!"

The Way of Divine Love
Words of Our Lord to Sr. Josefa Menendez

Visit the Blessed Sacrament today or the very first chance you get.  He is waiting for you.

Catholics Still Are Not Voting "Catholic"

I was doing a further review of the Fox News Exit Poll, and I came across the category breaking down the voters by religion.  And there it was - 45% of all voters identifying themselves as Catholic voted for - Mitt Romney, the great flip flopper - first for abortion, then against it; first for same sex marriage, then against it.  Romney is a Mormon, closely associated with freemasonry.  He is a big business Republican and will push the United States further and further into globalization.  As you can see from the chart, second place is tied between Paul and Huntsman at 17%, Gingrich, a "new" Catholic got 11%,  and the only other Catholic candidate - Rick Santorum - got 8%.  Here is a picture of the poll from Foxnews.com

This poll makes it very clear that Joseph Bottum of First Things, as shown in my post, Wolves in Sheep's Clothing, was definitely mistaken when he said the Catholic vote is moving to the right.  It just ain't happening.  And it has always been true that whoever wins among Catholics will win the popular vote.

Rush Limbaugh - Working For The Man

Whenever I hear someone spouting party lines, whether they be Democrat or Republican, Right or Left, supporting establishment positions, I always say to my husband "He (or she) is working for the man."  Well, Rush Limbaugh would have you believe that he does all his own thinking and says only what he truly believes, but even he has admitted he carries water for the Republican party.  Is it just coincidence that no matter what side the Republicans take, Rush is right there?  He may disagree with them on some minor matters, just to make things look good, but if the Republicans decide to go to war, set economic policy, etc., Rush is their biggest cheerleader.  And all of his millions of ditto head listeners hang by his every word.

One Republican whom Rush bashes on a regular basis, even more than he will bash some Democrats, is Ron Paul.  Rush claims to be a conservative even before calling himself a Republican, so why is he bashing the person who has the most conservative voting record in Congress?  Ron Paul refuses to support the many illegal wars in which the United States is involved and threatens to become involved.  He refuses to support the illegal Federal Reserve.  He feels the smaller government is, especially federal government, the better it is.  He wants to take power away from federal government and give it to the states.  All of these positions go directly against the Republicans, who are as much into big government as the Democrats.  They put on a nice fight for us, pretending to disagree, but when it comes time to voting, they all fall into line.  And Rush Limbaugh is right there cheering them on.

Tim Tebow - God's Answer to Abortion

I am not a sports fan.  I pay little attention on what goes on in the sports world because I see it mainly as another big business, just as corrupt and centered on materialism as any other big business.  I know that many people relate to their favorite teams and athletes as if they were family members, and they vicariously live through them.  Unfortunately, we know that like those in the entertainment industry, far too many involved in the sports industry live immoral and Godless lives.  Witness the recent pedophile scandals at Penn State and Buffalo.  And those are only the ones we know about.

BUT there is one bright shining light that has caught the entire nation's attention, both with sports fans and those like me who have no interest in sports.  That shining light is Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos.  Tim wears his deep belief in God proudly and will not shrink from it no matter how much ridicule and hatred comes his way.  His parents were both missionaries.  His mother was quite ill when she was pregnant with him, and because of strong drugs she was required to take, the doctors told her that the fetus would be irreversibly damaged and she should have an abortion.  She refused, and the result we see is one of the most amazing athletes of our time. 

Below is a story dated January 11, 2012, about a poll showing that Tim Tebow is now the most popular professional athlete in the United States.  I think that people are unconsciously hungering for someone and something who is real, who is what he appears to be.  Americans are looking for a hero, and they have found one in Tim Tebow.  If Tim and the Broncos do get to the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for February 5, 2012, just two weeks after the 39th anniversary of the legalization of abortion in the United States, I will be among those watching the game, and praising God for this most amazing miracle.

Poll: Tim Tebow is U.S.' favorite

How big is Tebow-mania? According to the ESPN Sports Poll, Tim Tebow is now America's favorite active pro athlete.

The poll, calculated monthly, had the Denver Broncos quarterback ranked atop the list for the month of December. In the 18 years of the ESPN Sports Poll only 11 different athletes -- a list that includes Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and LeBron James -- have been No. 1 in the monthly polling.

In December's poll, Tebow was picked by 3 percent of those surveyed as their favorite active pro athlete. That put him ahead of Kobe Bryant (2 percent), Aaron Rodgers (1.9 percent), Peyton Manning (1.8 percent) and Tom Brady (1.5 percent) in the top-five of the results.

The poll results were gathered from 1,502 interviews from a nationally representative sample of Americans ages 12 and older.

"To put this in perspective, Tim Tebow rose to the top before the end of his second pro season. It took Tiger Woods three years, LeBron James eight years and Kobe Bryant 11 years," Rich Luker, founder and director of the ESPN Sports Poll, said. "I think we may be at the front end of a new era in sports stars."

Tebow is just the sixth different athlete to finish No. 1 in the monthly rankings since 2007. The others are Brett Favre, Manning, Woods, Bryant and James.

"This is an exciting finding and one that reflects the sentiment of all sports fans, not just the online or social media world," Artie Bulgrin, senior vice president for Research and Analytics, ESPN Sales and Marketing, said.

Blessed Elena Aiello

Be not silent, my daughter, because the hours of darkness, of abandonment, are near. ‘I am bending over the world, holding in suspension the justice of God. OTHERWISE THESE THINGS WOULD ALREADY HAVE NOW COME TO PASS. Prayers and penances are necessary because men MUST RETURN TO GOD and to My Immaculate Heart—the Mediatrix of men to God, and thus THE WORLD WILL BE AT LEAST IN PART SAVED’.

The Mother of God to Blessed Elena Aiello

Here is a quote from a blog I found about the beatification of Elena Aiello:

Saturday, September 10, 2011

For fourth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, Pope draws
attention to little known prophecies of Venerable Elena Aiello.
By Brian Kopp

Very interesting timing on the part of Pope Benedict XVI for the beatification of
Venerable Elena Aiello. September 14 is not only the Feast of the Triumph of
the Holy Cross and the fourth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, it is also
the day the Vatican has called the leaders of the SSPX to Rome for one-on-one
talks.

The body of prophecy attributed to Venerable Elena Aiello correlates well with both conjecture about the part of the Third Secret of Fatima that may not yet have been revealed, as well as the known messages of Our Lady of Akita. Note the parallel between warnings of global fire in these prophecies and that of Our Lady of Akita (see http://olrl.org/prophecy/akita.shtml), which stated:  

Why Do Catholics Go To Church?

 I have mentioned here, I was away from the church for 38 years, and when I came back there were definitely some new practices that I had never seen before in the Catholic Church.  Among the things I had not seen in the Catholic Church when I was a child was people talking before and after Mass as if the church building was nothing more than any other meeting hall. There no longer seems to be a lot of awareness or concern that Jesus Christ - the King of the Universe, our Creator and Savior who poured out his blood on the cross for us - is present in the Tabernacle.  A few weeks ago I was trying to pray the Rosary after Mass, and two people were having a very loud conversation a few pews ahead of me.  I went up to them and asked if they could take it outside.  One of the people gave me a very dirty look as if I was being rude for interrupting their conversation.

I think it is safe to say that for almost all other religions, getting together for worship is also a time to "fellowship" with each other.  I belonged to a small Protestant cult for many years.  "Fellowship" was basically a doctrine of this group.  We were expected to meet and talk with each other after worship services.  It was the Christian thing to do.   This is not so in the Catholic Church.

I think one of the biggest reasons why people no longer seem to have reverence for the Real Presence is because He is basically ignored in the Novus Ordo Mass.  We are suppose to be praying to Christ, but instead our concentration is on the priest, the "eucharistic ministers", the lecturers, maybe dancers, singers, etc., etc.  We are no longer praying.  We're just being entertained.  Before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said that Mass had become a "closed circle" between priest and congregation.  By just staring at each other instead of entering into prayer with the angels and saints, we forget who is really there.  This is only intensified right after the Consecration when instead of being in deep communion with our Lord, we take our focus completely off of him and turn to each other, shaking hands, waving, kissing, etc.  It is only natural to continue this after Mass.  And it is killing us spiritually.

We need to be reminded that when Catholics go to church - be it for Mass, adoration or just general prayer - we are not going there to meet other people. We are going, or at least should be going, to literally be with Christ. Catholic Churches are not empty buildings like other church buildings, they are not meeting halls. They are not "worship centers." They are a place where we on earth can go to the entrance of heaven - where our Savior, surrounded by angels and saints and the Blessed Mother, is there waiting to meet with us one on one. A Catholic Church is a place unlike any other on this earth. Our Lord is present in the Tabernacle, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, under the presence of bread.

From Tan Books, "The Blessed Sacrament, God With Us"

Jesus dwells continually in our midst in the Blessed Sacrament. Day and night He abides among us under the lowly species of bread, in the narrow Tabernacles of our churches. Here He is not only our infinitely great God, but also our merciful Saviour and our most faithful friend. The same miracles He wrought for the corporally sick during His earthly life, He performs in our days from the Tabernacle for those spiritually ill. He gives sight to the "blind" by granting them light to see the evil of sin, the value of things eternal, the value of Crosses and sufferings, the value of resignation to the will of God. He gives power of movement to the "lame" by prompting their sluggish will to resolve and act for His love alone. He raises the "dead" to life by calling souls from the death of sin to the life of grace.

For every spiritual ailment His love holds a remedy in readiness. Are you abandoned and sorrowful? On the altar you will find the heavenly Comforter. Are you poor in virtue? In the Tabernacle He who is infinitely rich is waiting to share His treasures with you. Are you troubled on account of your sins, and do you sigh for pardon? Go to the altar! Jesus, the all-merciful God, will receive you with open arms. He will help you to do everything necessary for true repentance. With His own Heart's Blood He will purify your soul and impart to you a strength which will sustain you until you have reached the "Mountain of God," the celestial paradise.

In your temporal needs and your physical ailments, Jesus in the Tabernacle will also be your Friend, your Father and your Physician. Countless is the number of those who, burdened with anxiety and care, have found help and relief before the Tabernacle. Many, too, are the bodily cures wrought through the Blessed Sacrament. At the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, where countless miracles are wrought each year, it is usually at the time the sick are blessed with the Most Blessed Sacrament that the miraculous cures are effected.

Catholics do not go to Church looking to meet other people.  We go because that is where Our Lord and Savior is.  The Catholic Church has monastaries where the monks or nuns never talk to each other at any time.  Their entire focus is on the Lord.  That is how we are to be when we are in front of the Tabernacle.  If you want to visit with people, go somewhere else, or at least wait until you get outside.  A Catholic Church is literally the House of God.  Show him the reverence he so richly deserves.  The next time you are in a Catholic Church, remember who is in the Tabernacle, and act accordingly.

Epiphany - Salvation Is Given to the Gentiles

Today is the Epiphany of Our Lord, the day salvation was given to the Gentiles.  It is the day the Gentile Kings came bearing gifts for our Lord, and our Lord gave them salvation. It is a day of great rejoicing. As John 1:11-13 says:

He came unto his own [the Jews], and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.   Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  [Salvation is given to the Gentiles] 

This day is filled with tremendous meaning.  Below is an article that shows the many faceted meanings of this wonderful Feast day.

From milesjesu.com

The Spirituality of the Epiphany

Why the Epiphany?

Gifts, the gifts of the Three Kings, are an important element of the Epiphany. But the Epiphany is bursting with treasures that surpass the Magi’s coffers of gold, incense, and myrrh. Here are just some of the riches of the Epiphany from Sacred Scripture, the Liturgy of the Church, saints, and scholars...

The Epiphany is the Original, Most Ancient Solemnity of the Christmas Season, Celebrated Since the Second Century. Christmas, on the other hand, has been celebrated as a separate feast only since the fourth century. Epiphany (a transliteration of the Greek word for “manifestation”) is a threefold commemoration of the first manifestations of Jesus: at His birth when He is revered by angels and men, at His baptism in the Jordan when the voice from heaven identifies Him as The Son (cf. Mt. 3:16,17, Mk. 1:9-11, Lk. 3:21,22), and at the “first of the signs that Jesus worked, at [the marriage feast at] Cana in Galilee; and He manifested His glory.” (cf. Jn. 2:11) We tend to especially use the word “Epiphany” for the first of these mysteries—that unexpected visit of three noble but mysterious figures from far-off pagan lands.

First Friday Devotion

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

It's the beginning of January, the first month of the year and a time to make life changing resolutions.  Today is the First Friday of month.  Now is the time to make a great resolution, one that will be life changing. 

FIRST FRIDAY DEVOTION

The following is from prayerbook.com:

The Nine First Fridays

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, received the unique favor of being visited by Our Lord Himself, who asked her to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart. This she most humbly did, once she had received the permission and approbation of her superiors, especially her spiritual director and confessor, St. Claude La Columbiere.

For all Catholic men and women, families and young people troubled by the many afflictions of modern life here is the greatest source of spiritual and temporal help, graces and blessings for those who truly love the Sacred Heart of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and practice His requested Devotion with the essential prayers and acts including the "First Friday's". The Nine "First Fridays" must be made in honor of His Sacred Heart on nine consecutive months, and communion must be received.

The Great Promise of Jesus to Saint Margaret M. Alacoque

To all those who, during nine months on end, will receive Holy Communion on the first Fridays of every month,

I promise the Grace of final perseverance. They will not die in My disgrace, but will receive the Sacraments (if necessary), and My Heart will be sure shelter for them in that extreme moment.

The nine Friday promises of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary

1. I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life.

2. I will establish peace in their houses.

3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4. I will be their strength during life and above all during death.

5. I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.

6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Tepid souls shall grow fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9. I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored.

10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.

12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant all to those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

Reflections of St. Augustine on the Birth of The Christ

As I walk down the streets of New York City, I see discarded Christmas trees on the curbs, signaling the fact that for most of the world, Christmas is over.  The supervisor in my apartment building took down all the Christmas decorations on January 3, making it quite clear that Christmas 2011 was history.

But Christmas is not over in the Catholic Church.  Walk into any Catholic Church, and you will see a manger.  The readings of the Mass are still very much focused on the birth of the Christ Child.  And certainly the Traditional Breviary is still centered on the Birth of our Lord.  There is a magnificent reading today from St. Augustine (you can never go wrong with him).  This reading could only be written by a Catholic and understood in its entirety with the Catholic mind.  It contrasts the sinfulness of man with the glory of God, and how Christ gave up his glory in heaven to take on the form of lowly man in order to bring man to God.  It also emphasizes Mary's virginity and more importantly, her perpetual virginity - "ever sealed".  A truly beautiful reading.

The Lesson is taken from a Sermon by St. Augustine the Bishop

Our Lord Jesus Christ, dearest brethren, who in eternity is the Creator of all things, was as at this time born of a mother and became our Saviour. It was as at this time that he willed to be born for us in earthly time, so as to lead us to the Father's eternity. God is made man, that man may be made as God. That man may eat the bread of Angels, the Lord of Angels was as on this day made man. 

Now is fulfilled that prophecy : Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness : let the earth open, and bring forth a Saviour. He who made all things is therefore himself made, that those who are lost may be found. It is even as man is made to testify of himself in the Psalms : Before I was humbled, I went wrong. Man sinned and became guilty. God is born man, that the guilty may be delivered. Man fell, but God descended. Man fell miserably, God descended mercifully. Man fell by pride, God descended with grace.

R. The Maiden's heart was established in God, when the Angel declared unto her the mystery of God and she conceived : then did she receive in her pure womb him that is fairer than the children of men : * And she that is blessed for ever, brought forth for us God and man.
V. The mansion of the modest breast becometh a shrine where God shall rest : the pure and undefiled one within her womb conceived the Son.

R. And she that is blessed for ever, brought forth for us God and man.

O my brethren, what a miracle! what a wonder! The laws of nature are changed concerning man : God is born, a Virgin conceiveth without an husband ; the Word of God is wedded to one who knoweth no man ; she is at once Mother and Virgin. A Mother, yet ínviolate : a Virgin having a Son ; knowing no man, ever sealed, yet not unfruitful. For he alone was born without sin. He alone was born without human embrace, begotten not of the will of the flesh, but of the obedience of the mind.

R. Blessed and worshipful art thou, O Virgin Mary, from thee, still maiden undefiled, the Saviour came, a little Child : * He whose glory filled the heavens lay in a manger.
V. O Lord, I have heard the report concerning thee and am afraid ; I have considered thy wondrous works and am overcome with awe : O thou that dwellest between the two beasts.

R. He whose glory filled the heavens lay in a manger.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. He whose glory filled the heavens lay in a manger.

Big Brother Is Watching You

 I live in New York City, which is supposedly the #1 target of terrorists, and as a result, there is no privacy in this city at all.  There are cameras everywhere and it is not uncommon to see the military walking around with guns.  It was a little disconcerting right after 9/11/01, but it's over 10 years now, and now I just find it annoying and intrusive.  We all accept the fact that we can be stopped at anytime and illegally searched, and there is nothing we can do about it, just as the rest of America seems to willingly submit to this at their airports. 

But why is this happening in the little town of Leesburg, Florida?  I have actually passed through this town, and it is hardly a terrorist target.  As of 2005, the population was 19,086. Here in New York City, we have office buildings that have more people than that working in them.  I think there are probably more people living in the few square blocks of my little neighborhood in Brooklyn than in all of Leesburg, Florida.  So what's the deal?  Wake up, America.  This is not about security.  This is about reducing you to mindless slavery.