The Feast of Corpus Christi

Yesterday, June 7, was the Feast Day of Corpus Christi in the Traditional Calendar.  This is the Feast of the Body of Christ, a day that we celebrate the Eucharist, which is Christ with us under the appearance of bread and wine.  This Feast celebrates the institution of the Eucharist, which is marked on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday.  Because Maundy Thursday is during Holy Week, which commemorates the Crucifixion of our Lord, we do not celebrate it as such because Holy Week is a season of sadness and our minds are more occupied with the actual passion of our Lord. Corpus Christi was celebrated for many hundreds of years (close to 1000) on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.  But the Novus Ordo calendar has moved it to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, which I feel tends to obscure it.  However, Corpus Christi is still celebrated in the Traditional Calendar on its original day, Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

I think the celebration of Corpus Christi is more important than it has ever been. We as a Church and the entire world need the Blessed Sacrament more than ever, and yet it is precisely in this time that fewer and fewer people recognize the significance of this great gift from our Lord, or even worse, don't even believe in it.  In October 2011, USA Today reported on a very troubling survey done by  Catholic University sociologist William D'Antonio.  This survey showed the alarming lack of belief among Catholics.  According to the article:

I am the Bread of Life

The survey, a comprehensive look at the beliefs and practices of 1,442 U.S. Catholic adults, also finds that 86% say "you can disagree with aspects of church teachings and still remain loyal to the church." Only about 30% support the "teaching authority claimed by the Vatican."

And 40% say you can be a good Catholic without believing that in Mass, the bread and wine really become the body and blood of Christ — a core doctrine of Catholicism.

That could reflect the decline in Mass attendance. The survey finds it's fallen from 44% attending at least once a week in 1987 to 31% in 2011, while those who attend less than monthly rose from 26% to 47%.

When asked why they don't go to Mass more often, 40% say they are simply not very religious.

The Catholics Church is experiencing a deep crisis of the faith.  Far too many Catholics in our contemporary world discount the importance of the Real Presence and its vital and unequaled meaning and significance in our lives.   And as Catholics lose their faith, the world spins further and further into an evil morass. 

I want to share the reading from the Traditional Breviary from St. Thomas Aquinas, in which this great saint explains the significance of the Holy Eucharist and why it is so vital in our lives and in our salvation.

The Lesson is taken from a Sermon by St. Thomas Aquinas

Among the immeasurable benefits, which the goodness of God hath bestowed on the Christian people, is a dignity beyond all price. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is unto us? The only-begotten Son of God was pleased to make us partakers of his divine nature ; that is, he took our nature upon him, being himself made man that he might, as it were, make men into gods. And this body, which he took from us, he gave wholly unto our salvation. For, on the Altar of the Cross, he offered up his body to God the Father, as a sacrifice for our reconciliation, and thereon he shed his own blood for our redemption ; that is, his blood is the price whereby he redeemeth us from wretchedness and bondage, and the washing whereby he cleanseth us from all sin. And for a noble and abiding Memórial of this his so great work of goodness, he hath left unto his faithful ones the same his very Body for Meat, and the same his very Blood for Drink, with which we are fed under the forms of Bread and Wine.

O how precious a thing then, how marvellous, how health-giving, yielding royal dainties, is the Supper of the Lord. Than this Supper can anything be more precious? Therein there is put before us for meat, not as of old time, the flesh of bulls and of goats, but Christ himself, our very God. Than this Sacrament can anything be more marvellous? Therein it is that Bread and Wine become unto us the very Body and Blood of Christ ; that is to say, perfect God and perfect Man, Christ himself, is there under the veils of a little bread and wine. His faithful ones eat him, but he is not mangled ; nay, when the veil which shroudeth him in the Sacrament is broken, in each broken fragment thereof remaineth the whole Christ himself, perfect God and perfect Man. All that the senses can reach in this Sacrament, all these abide of bread and wine, but the Thing is not bread and wine. And thus room is left for faith. For Christ, who hath a Form that can be seen, is herein taken and received not only unseen, but seeming to be bread and wine, and the senses, which judge by the wonted look, are warranted against error.

Than this Sacrament can anything be more health-giving? Thereby are sins purged away, strength is renewed, and the soul fed upon the fatness of spiritual gifts. This Supper is offered up in the Church, both for the quick and the dead ; it was ordained to the health of all, all get the good of it. Than this Sacrament can anything yield more of royal dainties? The glorious sweetness thereof is of a truth such that no man can fully tell it. Therein ghostly comfort is sucked from its very well-head. Therein a Memorial is made of that exceeding great love which Christ shewed in time of his sufferings. 

It was in order that the boundless goodness of that his great love might be driven home into the hearts of his faithful ones, that when he had celebrated the Passover with his disciples, and the Last Supper was ended, then, knowing that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end, and instituted this Sacrament. For this Sacrament is the everlasting forth-shewing of his death until he come again ; this Sacrament is the embodied fulfilment of all the ancient types and figures ; this Sacrament is the greatest wonder which ever he wrought, and the one mighty joy of them that now have sorrow, till he shall come again ; and thereby their heart shall rejoice, and their joy no man take from them.

The Holy Eucharist is both the source and the summit of all Catholics.  We receive life from the Blessed Sacrament and, since it is the actual Body, Blood, Soul  and Divinity of our Lord, it is also that for which we long above all else.  We have no life apart from Christ.  We have no life apart from Him in the Blessed Sacrament.  Is it any wonder that our world is dying when it has rejected the only source of Life?

Jesus Christ tell us the following in John 6:54-57:

54 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.

55 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

56 *For my flesh, is meat indeed: and my blood, is drink indeed:

57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.

The Holy Eucharist - The Source and Summit of all Life

Meditation on the Second Joyful Mystery - The Visitation

Yesterday, June 2, was the First Saturday of the Month.  The First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was first mentioned by Our Lady of Fatima on July 13, 1917. After showing the three children a vision of hell she said, "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace... I shall come to ask for... the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays..."  The First Saturday devotion is as follows:

It consists in going to Confession, receiving Communion, reciting five decades of the Rosary and meditating for a quarter of an hour on the mysteries of the Rosary on the first Saturday of five consecutive months. The Confession may be made during the eight days preceding or following the first Saturday of each month, provided that Holy Communion be received in the state of grace. Should one forget to form the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it may be formed at the next Confession, occasion to go to confession being taken at the first opportunity.

The angel Gabriel brings a message
to the young girl Mary

I have gotten into the practice of sharing my meditation on one of the mysteries of the Rosary here.  This month I have chosen the second Joyful mystery of the rosary:  the visitation of our Blessed Mother with her cousin Elizabeth.  Mary had just been visited by the angel Gabriel and she had given her consent to become the Mother of God.  At the same time, Gabriel told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth, who had always been unable to bear children, was six months pregnant.  Mary immediately left to go to Nazareth to be with her cousin and assist her in any way that she needed.

Picture from the Visitation church, which is on the
site where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth

This was long before the time when you would just hop in your car or even get on public transportation to go anywhere.  The main way to travel was by donkey, and there were no paved roads to travel on, either.  Travelers were completely exposed to the elements and other dangers, and slept under the stars on the hard ground at night.  This did not deter our Blessed Mother in any way.  She was only a young girl - some think she may have been as young as 14 - and had probably never been away from home by herself before.  She was now pregnant, as well.  But she completely disregarded any fears she might had had because her cousin needed her.   Mary was the perfect example of someone who truly loved others, always thinking of others first and never making excuses.  There is no indication that Mary even asked anyone to go with her.  But as the picture from the Visitation Church shows, we can be sure that Mary, carrying the second Person of the Trinity in her womb, was surrounded by unseen angels.

Once Mary arrived at Zachariah and Elizabeth's home, the baby in Elizabeth's womb immediately reacted to our Lord who was in Mary's womb.  From Luke 1:41-42:

41 And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb: and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Several interesting things here.  First, Jesus and Mary were acting together while he was still in her womb.  Where we find Mary, we will find Jesus.  Just from hearing Mary's voice, the baby inside of Elizabeth, who would become John the Baptist, leaped, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit.   This is a picture of Mary's role in our salvation.  Mary is the one who brings her Son to us, and if we accept Mary, who is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, he comes and makes His home with us, just as he did with Elizabeth.  The Trinity worked through Mary even before the birth of Jesus, and has continued to work through her ever since.

Elizabeth's words at this meeting indicate she had full realization of who Mary was and who was in her womb.  From Luke 1:

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

45 And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.

How did our Blessed Mother accept these words of praise?  She immediately gave it to God and began to glorify him.  The words she used are now called the Magnificat and are said every day in the Breviary.  Here is part of the Magnificat:

46 And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord:

47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my Saviour.

48 Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

49 For he that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is his name.

Mary never keeps any praise and devotion given to her but instead, immediately gives it to God and this in turn draws the one giving the praise closer to God.  Our Blessed Mother is the perfect conduit to her Son and the other two members of the Trinity, the Father and the Holy Spirit.   If we accept Mary's visitation as her cousin Elizabeth did, we too will be filled with the Holy Spirit and participate in the joy of the presence of our Lord and Saviour. 

Allow the Blesssed Mother to come into your home and into your life, and you will be blessed by the Presence of her Son, Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  There is no more sure road to Jesus than through his most Blessed Mother, for Mary is never without her Son, Jesus, and Jesus will never leave his Mother. 

Republican Posturing on Abortion

A few days ago Lila Rose and her group, Live Action, who have gone under cover in the past and exposed the evil practices of Planned Parenthood, did just that yet again.  This time they filmed Planned Parenthood giving advice to two different women posing as pregnant mothers who wanted to abort their babies if they were pregnant with girls merely because they wanted boys instead.  The problem with this is that an ultrasound cannot determine gender in an unborn baby until 18 to 20 weeks, which would mean a late term abortion. There are other tests which can determine the sex of a baby earlier, but the earliest would probably be about 13 to 14 weeks.  The following is a description of a 14 week old fetus from webmd.com:

Your baby measures about 3.2 to 4.1 inches from crown to rump now and weighs almost an ounce. The ears are shifting from the neck to the sides of the head, and the neck is getting longer and chin more prominent. Facial features and unique fingerprints are all there. Your baby is beginning to respond to outside stimuli.  If your abdomen is poked, the fetus will try to wriggle away. [This would also mean that a baby would try to "wriggle away" from an abortionist's tool.] 

14 Week Old Fetus

The shock and outrage could be heard across the nation.  Many seem to feel that abortion based on gender is somehow worse than abortion for any other reason, such as "inconvenience" or that the baby is just not wanted.  The problem is that whatever the reason for abortion, the result is always exactly the same:  a dead baby. 



Among those who expressed horror and shock at this video from Live Action were the Republicans in the House of Representatives.  And of course we can always trust the sincerity of politicians. The House Republicans immediately put a bill together to outlaw abortion based on gender selection,    But as the article below from thehill.com explains, it seems the Republicans introduced the bill under rules that minimized debate and required a larger than normal majority to pass.  Once the inevitable defeat of the bill was accomplished, that was the end of the discussion 

So it seems that we are right back where we started, with thousands of babies being aborted every day in the United States for any reason whatsoever.  The Republicans continue to claim that they are "pro life" and want to outlaw abortion, but somehow it just never seems to happen.

And the beat goes on.

House rejects bill penalizing doctors for sex-selective abortions 

By Pete Kasperowicz - 05/31/12 02:15 PM ET

House Speaker John Boehner

The House on Thursday rejected a Republican bill that would impose fines and prison terms on doctors who perform abortions for the sole purpose of controlling the gender of the child, a practice known as sex-selective abortion.

The Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA), H.R. 3541, was defeated in a 246-168 vote. While that's a clear majority of the House, Republicans called up the bill under a suspension of House rules, which limits debate and requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass. In this case, it would have required more support from Democrats.  [So the Republicans bring up this bill and in effect doom it by bringing it under a rule that limits debate and requires the Democrats to vote for it in order for to ensure passage.  Is that just a coincidence,  is it stupidity, or is it deliberate?]

Twenty Democrats voted for the bill, while seven Republicans opposed it. The bill would have needed 30 more yeas to pass.  [And if you think the Republicans did not know what the outcome would be, I would like to sell you the bridge that is pictured at the top of my blog.] 


Suspension votes are normally used for noncontroversial bills, but the GOP-backed measure was clearly controversial. [Hmmmmm.  Seems very suspicious to me.] Republicans have occasionally put controversial bills on the suspension calendar in order to highlight that Democrats oppose certain policies. 

In some cases, Republicans have rescheduled these bills for regular consideration after they have failed, allowing for passage by a simple majority. But Republicans gave no sign that they would try again with PRENDA.  [I am shocked, shocked.]

Earlier in the day, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) indicated that the issue of stopping sex-selective abortion is important enough that they would try again, but he was not specific.  [You better believe he was not specific.  This bill will never be spoken of again in the House of Representatives.]

"This is an important issue to the American people," Boehner said to reporters off the floor. "This type of sex selection most Americans find pretty repulsive, and our members feel strongly about it. That's why it is being brought to the floor."  [This bill was brought to the floor so that the Republicans could say, "See, we tried to fight abortion, but the big bad Democrats stopped this."  This bill was not brought to the floor in order to stop sex selection through abortion.  It was merely an attempt to quiet the public outrage so that the abortions could continue unimpeded. ]

During debate on the bill Wednesday, Republicans said the bill is consistent with the broader U.S. position that sex-selective abortion should be condemned around the world.

"In 2007, the United States spearheaded a U.N. resolution to condemn sex-selective abortion worldwide," said Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), the sponsor of the bill. "Yet, here in the land of the free and the home of the brave, we are the only advanced country left in the world that still doesn't restrict sex-selective abortion in any way."  [And this is one of the major reasons why our country is self destructing.]

While some Democrats made it clear that they oppose sex-selective abortion, they indicated that they oppose the bill's enforcement provisions, which they said would put in place an unacceptable limit on women's rights to choose abortion.

"We can all agree that women should not choose to terminate a pregnancy based solely on gender, but this bill criminalizes a legal procedure," Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) said Thursday afternoon.  [That is exactly the problem.  The Democrats are showing very clearly why this bill was nothing but a sham.  People express shock and outrage at gender selection through abortion, but why aren't they just as outraged in general that abortion is legal upon demand in our country?  Selective outrage does not impress me.]

"The bill includes a provision that would allow a women's husband or parents, by merely alleging that an abortion is because of gender, to seek injunctive relief to prevent the doctor from performing abortion procedures, sending an incredibly private and personal decision into the courts," Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) added Thursday.

 It is another Republican intrusion into a woman's right to choose," said Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) of the GOP bill on Wednesday. "Women should be able to make such sensitive and private decisions with their families, their doctors and their god, free from the fear of the police."  [Interesting, "god" is spelled with a small "g."]

Republicans voting against the bill were Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Charlie Bass (N.H.), Mary Bono Mack (Calif.), Robert Dold (Ill.), Richard Hanna (N.Y.), Nan Hayworth (N.Y.), and Ron Paul (Texas).

Democrats voting for it were Reps. Jason Altmire (Pa.), John Barrow (Ga.), Dan Boren (Okla.), Jim Cooper (Tenn.), Jerry Costello (Ill.), Mark Critz (Pa.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), John Garamendi (Calif.), Tim Holden (Pa.), Larry Kissell (N.C.), Daniel Lipinski (Ill.), Stephen Lynch (Mass.), Jim Matheson (Utah), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Collin Peterson (Minn.), Nick Rahall (W.Va.), Silvestre Reyes (Texas), Mike Ross (Ark.) and Heath Shuler (N.C.).

So there you have it, folks.  The Republicans put on a nice show with no intention of changing anything.  As far as I'm concerned, it was nothing more than a diversionary tactic.  Something happens to remind the public of just how evil abortion is, the politicians react in a way that makes it seem they agree in order to mollify the public's concern  and outrage, but nothing changes.  If the Republicans were truly serious about stopping abortion, they would completely defund Planned Parenthood of the $500 million this evil organization receives in taxpayer money every year.  Instead, the killing continues on unabated, and we as a nation and as a world, draw ever closer to our own doom.

Jesus, The Great Physician

We hear in our world all the time that all religions lead to God.  We may get there by different paths, but we are all headed toward the same place.  St. Augustine, the great convert and bishop of Hippo back in the 4th Century, would be deemed unacceptably "politically incorrect" because he most vehemently disagreed with this point of view.  Below is a reading from today's traditional breviary in which St. Augustine discusses the "Great Physician", Jesus Christ, who came to this world not to condemn man but to save him.  The catch is that we can find our salvation only in Christ and no other and we must cooperate with him.  Jesus cannot and will not save us against our will.  Then St. Augustine makes the incredibly politically incorrect statement that "he that believeth not is condemned already. Though the condemnation be not yet openly pronounced, it hath nonetheless already taken place." 

The reading is a response to the Gospel of John 3:16-21, which is as follows:

16 *For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him. 

18 He that believeth in him is not judged: but he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the judgment: *because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

20 For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved.

21 But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.

A Homily by St. Augustine the Bishop

Jesus, the Great Physician, healing the blind man

The Physician cometh to do all he can towards the healing of the sick. And the sick person who will not attend to the advice of the Physician bringeth on his own death.  [Jesus Christ came to save all, but he will not force anyone to accept the salvation he brings.  We must make a personal decision to accept Jesus Christ as the Saving Physician.]  This Physician is come, as a Saviour, to the world. Why is he called the Saviour of the world, except that he came, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved?

Hast thou no desire to be saved through him? by thine act be thou condemned. [Christ does not condemn us.  He came to save us.  It is our action of turning away from him that condemns us] And why do I say, Be thou condemned? Because it is written : He that believeth on him is not condemned. What then dost thou expect will be said to him that believeth not? This shall be said : He is condemned. [Those who refuse to believe Christ, who refuse to accept his saving graces, will be condemned]  Indeed he hath already said more than that, to wit : He that believeth not is condemned already. Though the condemnation be not yet openly pronounced, it hath nonetheless already taken place.  [A very grave warning to all who refuse to believe Jesus Christ.]

We condemn ourselves when
we refuse to listen and believe

The Lord knoweth them that are his. He knoweth them that will continue unto the crown, and likewise he knoweth them that will continue unto the fire. He knoweth the wheat on his threshing floor, and the chaff. He knoweth the field (which is the world) with its good grain, and its tares. He that believeth not is condemned already. Why? Because he hath not believed in the Name of the only-begotten Son of God. [The only Name under heaven by which men are saved.  Acts 4:12]

And this is the condemnation : That light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Whose deeds, my brethren, doth the Lord find to be good? None. [Romans 3:10 - "All have turned out of the way; they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, there is not so much as one."]  He findeth the works of all men to be in themselves bad. How then do we hear that some there be who do the truth, and come to the light? For it is written : He that doeth truth, cometh to the light.

But he saith : Men loved darkness rather than light. And here he maketh the great point of difference between such as love darkness, and such as come to the light. There be many who have loved their sins. [How many of us can admit that we actually love our sins] Also there be many who have confessed their sins. He that confesseth, thereby denounceth his sin, and is working already with God. God denounceth thy sins, and if thou denounce them likewise, then dost thou join thyself with God in his act.  [When we confess our sins, we have denounced them and put ourselves on the side of God.]  The man and the sinner are, as it were, two different things. God made the man ; man made the sinner.  Destroy what thou hast worked in thyself, and God will save what he hath already made. [If we are willing to denounce and turn away from the sinful beings we have become, God will save what we were originally created to be.] Thou art behoven to hate in thyself thine own works, and to love God's work. When thine own works begin to displease thee, then is it that thou beginnest to do well, because thou denouncest thine own evil works. The first thing to do, if thou wouldest do good works, is to acknowledge thine evil ones.

Too many people believe that as long as they are "good" people, and don't try to hurt others, that they will go to heaven.  We too often fail to realize that we are spiritually and morally sick, and the only One who can heal us is the Great Physician, Jesus Christ.  Someone with AIDS needs to do more than eat well.  When we admit our sins and destroy the evil we have created by denouncing it, then and only then will the Great Physician be able to heal us. 

The Story of Pentecost

Below is the hymn from today's Traditional Breviary.  It is a beautiful hymn filled with great meaning about this most special day, Pentecost, the day in which the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church. 

The Hymn - "Jam Christus astra ascenderat"

Now Christ, gone thither, whence he came,

And throned midst the stars aflame,

Desired God's Promise to bestow,

The Father's Gift to man below.

The solemn time was drawing nigh,

Replete with heavenly mystery,

On seven days' sevenfold circles borne,

That first and blessed Whitsun-morn.

When the third hour shone all around,

There came a rumbling mighty sound

And told the Apostles, while in prayer,

That, as 'twas promised, God was there.

Then from the Father's light there came

That beautiful and kindly Flame,

To kindle every Christian heart,

And fervour of the Word impart.

With joy the Apostle's breasts are fired,

Thus by the Holy Ghost inspired;

And straight, in divers tongues and speech,

The wondrous works of God they preach.

All nations to their voice give ear;

Barbarians, Latins, Grecians hear,

And lo, the wondrous word to all

Doth in familiar accents fall.

But Jewry, faithless even yet,

With mad, infuriate rage beset,

To mock Christ's followers, combine,

As drunken all with new-made wine.

Thereat, with signs and works of might,

Stands Peter forth to teach aright

How Joel's words, fulfilled this day,

Refute what these maligners say.

All praise be thine, O risen Lord,

From death to endless life restored;

Whom with the Father we adore,

And Holy Ghost, for evermore. Amen.

Here is the hymn from Youtube:

Happy Birthday! It's Pentecost

Today is the birthday of the Catholic Church.  Fifty days ago we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus from the grave, in which he overcame death and sin and opened the gates of heaven to mankind.  Ten days ago we celebrated the ascension of our Lord into heaven, in which he rose to heaven with his resurrected body to sit at the right hand of the Father.  But before he left us, he said, "And I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever, The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, nor knoweth him: but you shall know him; because he shall abide with you, and shall be in you."  (John 14:16-17). 

The Holy Spirit, Third Person
of the Trinity, descends upon the
Blessed Mother and Apostles

As we say in the Nicene Creed, "And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets."  This sentence is packed with so much meaning. "The Lord and Giver of Life".  The Holy Spirit is the one who conceived Jesus Christ in the Blessed Virgin Mary and brought Jesus Christ into the world, and yet at the same time, the Holy Spirit proceeds from and is given to us by both the Father and the Son.  It is a great mystery which my small, infinite human mind cannot begin to comprehend.  We are told that the Holy Spirit is to be worshipped and glorified.  Since worship belongs only to God, this means the Holy Spirit is God just as much God as the Father and Son are God.  This member of the Trinity is the very One who descended upon the Blessed Mother and the Apostles in the Cenacle on that first Pentecost, transforming the Apostles from weak, timid men to courageous and powerful men, standing up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and unafraid of any man.

The Holy Spirit never leaves us but is always
guiding, comforting and protecting us

The Holy Spirit is the great gift given to us by the Father and the Son to walk with us in our Christian lives, guiding us and comforting us, and as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words."  When we go before the great God, we are like babbling babies, completely unable to express ourselves, but the Holy Spirit intervenes and interprets our prayers to the Father.  Satan accuses us before God day and night (Rev. 12:10), but the Holy Spirit is our advocate on our behalf, which is the meaning of the word "Paraclete" used in John 14:16.  The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is our defense attorney before the Father. 

Jesus pouring himself out on the cross for us

Philippians 2:6-8 tells us that Jesus "being in the form of God, thought it not robbery, to be himself equal to God: But debased himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in shape found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Jesus took on the form of man, completely humbling himself. He then took on the sin of all mankind and spilled his blood to save us from sin. While dying on the cross, our Lord gave us his very own beloved Mother to be our Mother, to intercede for us before His throne in heaven. On that first Pentecost, which we celebrate today, he sent a member of the Godhead to be our advocate, guide and comforter and even interpret our weak and ineffectual prayers before the Father. Jesus has left nothing back from us but has done everything possible to bring us to salvation and eternal life with him in heaven.


Pentecost is a day of great celebration.  Although Jesus has left us and gone in his glorified body to sit at the right hand of the Father, he and the Father have sent the Holy Spirit so that we are never alone, never without a guide and protector and advocate.  All we need to do is follow the example of Jesus' most beloved Mother, and say "Be it done to me according to thy word". 

Still Think You Have A Real Choice?

I have posted a few times now that there is no real difference between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, and that we have basically been given no choice in the presidential race.  Another story has now come out about Mitt Romney which I have posted below and which, sadly, supports the fact that Romney and Obama are no different from one another.  A fundraiser was held for Mitt Romney by the manufacturer of the morning after pill.  Does it get any more apparent than this?  Yet, according to the story, there are still "conservative" groups who say, yea well, Mitt Romney is still our guy because anyone will be better than Obama.  When is the average Joe citizen going to realize that we have been had, that there is only one power in control, and it is not friendly to us, to say the least!

The following article is from lifesitenews.com, to whom I give great credit for even publishing this story.  As stated in the article, conservative blogs have generally kept their head in the sand and continue to repeat the the mantra, "Anyone but Obama."  They are all in for a rude awakening if Romney is elected. 

Mitt Romney holds fundraiser with manufacturer of Morning After Pill

by Ben Johnson

MIAMI, FLORIDA, May 17, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney scheduled a $50,000-a-plate fundraiser at the home of Phil Frost, the executive of the company that makes the Morning After Pill, on Wednesday night. Plan B One-Step is produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals, Frost’s company.

The pharmaceutical executive’s residence was one of several stops scheduled to increase Romney’s war chest during a two-day swing through Florida.

“It’s a huge disappointment,” Brian Camenker, director of the Massachusetts-based pro-family organization MassResistance told LifeSiteNews.com. “You wouldn’t see someone who was really pro-life doing a fundraiser with somebody who helped the abortion industry.”  [It's a pretty good bet that someone opposed to abortion will not take money from people who destroy innocent, defenseless innocent life.  And anyone who tells you otherwise is either living in a fool's paradise or lying to you.]

Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote.org, didn't seem troubled by the fundraiser saying, “What matters is whether a President Romney will end all taxpayer support for abortion-inducing drugs, repeal unconstitutional mandates that force private institutions to cover such drugs, and whether he will make progress in building a culture of life.”  [I have always like catholicvote.org, but they need to wise up.  Why do these people continue supporting Romney who has made his views very clear.  This is the same man who, as governor of Massachusetts, signed into law a provision (as stated below) that forced Catholic hospitals in that state to administer emergency contraception to rape victims.]

Despite repeated media denials that Plan B is an abortion-inducing drug, the manufacturer’s website admits Plan B “may inhibit implantation” of an embryo after conception “by altering the endometrium.” Federal health officials have made the same determination. Studies have linked its use to increased STDs and ectopic pregnancies.

Concerned Women for America CEO Penny Nance told The Daily Caller she hoped Romney would return the money. The event made her “question if Gov. Romney has a clear understanding of what it means to be pro-life.”  [C'mon, just look at his past record!  Stop kidding yourself.  Look at this video and you will know all you need to know.]

Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul did not respond to a request from Bloomberg News about the visit.

Aside from a few scattered voices, the pro-life movement has been largely silent. The Christian Science Monitor noted, “By Wednesday, there wasn’t much chatter in the conservative blogosphere about the fundraiser.”  [Why are conservatives refusing to look at this issue?  Why don't they just admit that they have been had - Mitt Romney is just as liberal and pro choice in his views as Barack Obama.  In 2002, Romney pledged his support for Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that protects women's choice, for laws protecting the safety of abortion clinics, for increased access to the morning-after pill and for late-term abortions when the mother's health is at risk. Romney also indicated that he supported the "state funding of abortion services through Medicaid for low-income women." We have been given no choice between these two candidates!]

That dichotomy works to Romney’s advantage – and the pro-life movement’s downfall, Camenker warned. Romney is in the advantageous position of running against Obama, Camenker told LifeSiteNews, and that will solidify pro-life support behind him “because nothing he does is going to be as bad as Obama.”  [Think again!]

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney vetoed a bill providing Plan B over-the-counter and requiring hospitals to furnish it. The legislature overrode his veto – unanimously in the state senate. Subsequently, Romney ordered Catholic hospitals to offer the Morning After Pill on the legal advice of his personal counsel, Mark D. Nielsen, although many legal experts felt he had no legal obligation to do so.  [As I stated above.]

"I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose and am
devoted and dedicated to honoring my word in that regard."
Mitt Romney, 2002

Facing social conservative Rick Santorum in the primaries, Romney pledged to “get rid of” Planned Parenthood and protect the conscience rights of healthcare providers who oppose distributing what he called “abortive pills,” such as Plan B. The fundraiser did not indicate a change in position on those issues.  [Does any sane person think that the manufacturer of Plan B would hold a fund raiser for Romney if the candidate was truly committed to puting him out of business?  This has to be something out of the Twilight Zone!]

However, pro-family advocates liken it to the governor’s longstanding opposition to same-sex “marriage” (although not civil unions). Several prominent Romney donors support same-sex “marriage” and exercise far greater influence than conservatives.  [Is this a surprise to anyone?  This is the same candidate whose preference is that  "we ... continue to define marriage as the relationship between a man and a woman".  This is also the same candidate who thinks there is nothing wrong with homosexual couples adopting children.]

Romney attended at least five fundraisers in southern Florida Wednesday and Thursday, which are expected to raise $5-8 million for his campaign.

As I have stated, our salvation does not lie in politics.  The world has been given over to Satan, and he is in power, no matter who is the face of that power.  Our only salvation will be found on our knees.  The Catholic Church, the ark of salvation, must do what she has been commanded to do or evil will increase even more. 

Credit for the following video to caffeinatedthoughts.com

Another $1.5 Trillion Added to National Debt

There was a very interesting article on bbc.co.uk on November 3, 2010 when the Republicans took over the House of Congress.   John Boehner, who was elected as Speaker of the House, was interviewed and said the following:

John Boehner, set to become the next speaker of the House of Representatives, said Americans had voted for "smaller government".

He pledged to repeal Mr Obama's healthcare reform "monstrosity", to cut spending and to create jobs.  [Oh yea, and how did that go?] 

Mr Boehner vowed to start work on the "people's priorities".

"They want the president to change course. Change course we will," he said.

John "Pinocchio" Boehner

Mr Boehner insisted that halting the president's flagship healthcare reform was a top priority.  [Let's see, how has that gone?  Well, now Catholic Church institutions have been told they must supply free contraception to their employees.  Guess "halting" healthcare reform hasn't exactly happened.]

While there will be much talk of compromise and reaching deals, many Tea Party supporters' explicit aim is to block and undo Mr Obama's agenda, our editor says. [And just what part of "Mr. Obama's agenda" has been blocked?  I haven't seen a single issue of Obama's agenda blocked.]

Now let's fast forward to the present, and today there was an article on cnsnews.com which tells us that the federal debt per household has increased since 2010 by $12,984.  Oh, those Republicans are really halting Mr. Obama's agenda, aren't they?  Here is the article:

$12,984--Increase in Debt Per Household Since First 2011 Bipartisan Spending Deal

By Terence P. Jeffrey
May 18, 2012

The White House and the congressional leaders of both parties in Congress have begun maneuvering this week over the issue of the federal debt and what to do when the government hits the latest statutory limit on that debt--$16.394 trillion—which Congress and the president agreed to when they cut a deal on the debt limit last August.

The federal debt is currently $15.709 trillion, or about $685 billion below the limit.  [Really putting the brakes on that spending, aren't you Republicans!]  

The first spending deal the White House and leaders of both parties in Congress made last year was on March 2 [with all those new Republicans who were going to halt Mr. Obama's agenda]. On that day, the president signed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded past March 4, when the previous continuing resolution, passed by a lame-duck Congress in late 2010, expired.

The March 4 CR kept the government funded for two weeks and was approved by a bipartisan 335-91 vote in the House and a bipartisan 91-9 vote in the Senate.  [Hey Republicans, I thought you were going to stop all the big spending when you got voted into office in 2010.]

Since that March 4, 2011 bipartisan continuing resolution, the federal government has been funded by a series of bipartisan deals cut between the White House and congressional leaders.  [Speaker Boehner, what happened to to your promise to cut spending?]

In the meanwhile, under these bipartisan spending deals, according to official figures published by the U.S. Treasury, the federal debt has climbed from $14,182,627,184,881.03 to $15,708,753,671,767.64.

That is an increase of $1,526,126,486,886.61. [Kinda hard to even read a number that big]

Given that the Census Bureau estimates there are about 117,538,000 households in the United States, the per household increase in the federal debt since Congress enacted its March 4, 2011 bipartisan spending deal has been approximately $12,984.

So there you have it, folks.  Really big difference between the two parties, right?  We can sure count on those Republicans to stand up to the big bad, high-spending Democrats, can't we?