What is the Bible?

The bible is a collection of letters sent to us from Our Lord and Creator as we reside in exile here on earth.

When we hear this Word of God (from God); it is similar to when we receive a letter from a loved one, that reaches us unexpectedly with their cherished utterance.

Our longing thirst from their noted absence becomes quenched…  

For we live in exile; hoping, praying and labouring for salvation! 

a world of shadows..

The knower sees the shadows

Moving slow and fast

Under cover of make-believe

As seen and unseen pass

The veil tightly stretched

The misdirect in view

A pawn is sacrificed

But most never knew

A show of circumstance

The world is smoothly spun

Another pawn is lost

The work is not yet done

The laws remain unbroken

Some thawed, some unfrozen

New ones introduced

All written by the chosen

In suffering and sadness

A select has shriveled away

A public show of honour

That yearns to stretch the day

So onward now another pawn

Is lost when more revealed

Move the curtain, stretch the veil

So truth remains concealed

Reality is just a word

The dealings never end

The knower watching all

A virtue, sure to amend

The brokers huddle more

A globe so small to travel

Plans to change the order

Their time set to unravel

a video trailer for 'The Way..

Here's a message from, Saint Paul...

"But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth." 

1 Timothy 3:15

If you ask most Christians, what is the ‘Pillar and Foundation of Truth?; they would answer, ‘the bible, of course!’.  

.. As we can see from this above message from Saint Paul, it is The Church!

If Christians put all their faith in the bible; it is not only wrong, it is unbiblical!

The theory of ‘sola scriptura’ (the bible alone) cannot be found anywhere in the bible. The inspired Word of God (bible) comes to us with no table of contents, and therefore needs authority outside of the pages of the bible to verify it. This authority is The Church. Jesus did not authorize or sign any copies of the Bible, but He did give authority to the apostles.

In talking to Peter, Jesus said ““…and on this rock I will build My church…”   - Matt 16:18

Catholics agree with Protestants that Scripture is a "standard of truth"—even the preeminent one—but not in a sense that rules out the binding authority of authentic apostolic Tradition and the Church.

And since the Church ‘Pre-Dates’ the Bible by almost 400 years… 

The Church’s Tradition and Authority cannot be ignored.

Using Aborted Cells in Research

Pepsi Ignores Criticism on Use of Aborted Cells in Research

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 5/30/11

PepsiCo is ignoring criticism from pro-life advocates upset that the company contracts with a research firm that uses fetal cells from babies victimized by abortions to test and produce artificial flavor enhancers.

Last week, dozens of pro-life groups called for a boycott of Pepsi because of information that came to light in March showing biotech company Senomyx was found to be testing their food additives using fetal cells from abortions. Senomyx ignored a letter from the pro-life group Children of God for Life, which complained about its practices.

“The company’s key flavor programs focus on the discovery and development of savory, sweet and salt flavor ingredients that are intended to allow for the reduction of MSG, sugar and salt in food and beverage products,” the Senomyx web site says. “Using isolated human taste receptors, we created proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems that provide a biochemical or electronic readout when a flavor ingredient interacts with the receptor.”

Debi Vinnedge, of the pro-life group Children of God for Life, explained, “What they don’t tell the public is that they are using HEK 293 – human embryonic kidney cells taken from an electively aborted baby to produce those receptors. They could have easily chosen animal, insect, or other morally obtained human cells expressing the G protein for taste receptors.”

After contacting Pepsi with their concerns, the beverage and food products company responded via email to pro-life advocates with an unsigned form response from “Pepsi Consumer Relations.”

“Thank you for contacting us to share your sincere concerns,” the PepsiCo response says. “Please be assured that PepsiCo is committed to using only the highest ethical methods in all aspects of our research. This is something we take very seriously, and we hold ourselves and all of our research partners to the same high standards as the world’s leading research centers.”

The email continues:  “With respect to the flavor discovery research with Senomyx, we utilize techniques that have been the gold standard for several decades by top universities, hospitals, U.S. government agencies, food and beverage companies, and essentially every pharmaceutical and biotech company in the world. Yet, there is some misinformation being circulated meant to distort what we’re doing and question our motives and those of other companies. This is unfortunate, and it is certainly not reflective of the work we are doing. We hope this information is helpful and reassuring. Thank you again for reaching out to us and allowing us to clarify the situation.”

In comments to LifeNews.com, Vinnedge says this is the latest example of PepsiCo avoiding or glossing over the criticism it receives.

“It seems that PepsiCo is simply not able to understand the concerns of consumers as they respond to their complaints with deceptive form letters,” she said.

“First, they tried to reassure the public their relationship with Senomyx was to produce “lower calorie great tasting beverages”.  Then after our first press release March 29th, they tried to insinuate the reports were false and they were being accused of doing aborted fetal research,” Vinnedge explained. “Now, as the full boycott begins, they brush off using aborted fetal cell lines as an industry gold standard.”

“Well, we have a message for PepsiCo,” the pro-life advocate continued. “We who are pro-life have a “gold standard” too. And that means we defend the sanctity of all human life

including the remains of innocent aborted babies that PepsiCo is exploiting for profit.”

“If they want to boycott to end, they need to tell Senomyx to start using moral sources for their research and development or they will sever their contracts,” she concluded.

Senomyx boasts that it has over 800,000 unique flavors for foods, Vinnedge says, but cells expressing certain proteins produce a chemical signal when the flavors are introduced, which determines if they have achieved the proper flavor. The aborted fetal cells are not in the product itself.

Pro-life organizations are asking the public to boycott all Pepsi drink products and encourage consumers to contact Pepsi management requesting that they sever all ties with Senomyx. Consumers are also encouraged to contact Campbell Soup and thank them for responding to pro-life concerns.

Pro-life groups joining Children of God for Life in the boycott to date are:  American Life League, Life Issues Institute, Concerned Women for America, Colorado Right to Life, American Right to Life, Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute, ALL Arizona, Central Nebraskans for Life, Pro-Life Waco, Houston Coalition for Life, Mother and Unborn Baby Fox Valley, Womankind, Billboards for Life, Movement for a Better America, Defenders of the Unborn, Focus Pregnancy Help Center, Idaho Chooses Life, EMC Frontline Pregnancy Centers of NY, Four Seasons for Life, CREDO,  Life Choices, STOPP Dallas, CA Right To Life, Human Life Alliance, International Right to Life Federation, Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation. LifeNews.com has joined the boycott call as well.

ACTION: Contact these companies…

Jamie Caulfield, Sr. VP

PepsiCo, Inc.

700 Anderson Hill Road

Purchase, NY 10577

(914) 253-2000

Email form: http://cr.pepsi.com/usen/pepsiusen.cfm?time=5189878

everyone loves a mystery..

Corapi.. goes from 'bishop sheen to 'charlie sheen'

It's sad to see another Catholic priest go down. 

The devil loves taking out the priests! 

No priest; no Eucharist!

Strike the shepherd, and the sheep flee... But we need to regroup!

Many people (myself and family included) would enjoy listening to Father John Corapi on TV and radio.

His preaching was electrifying, and his message was simply preaching Christ and the Church. I would listen to his talks over and over and get new insights each time. That was then, but not anymore! He doesn’t convince anymore, because he’s no longer convinced!

His present message and delivery is but a shell of his old self.

I'll have a hard time ever again listening to some of the many DVD’s and CD's I purchased from his Santa Cruz media foundation. It is hard to imagine that his words that rang so true; could be from a fake, or an ‘entrepreneur’ as he recently put it. 

I recall being energized by Bishop Sheen, and in a comparable vein enjoyed Father Corapi’s similar motivating excitement. Now I watch him on the slippery slope to becoming another ‘Charlie Sheen’ caricature!

I don’t want to get into the well publicized and documented accusations against him. I do want to pray for his soul. As Father Corapi he said many times; ‘bring your sins to Jesus’ and then quoted Isaiah..

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

We are all sinners, and if you’ve fallen get up.. pick up your cross and carry on.

Lord please rescue John Corapi’s soul before we witness his destruction. We are weak humans and without You we can do nothing. Bring him back into your fold and after some healing and reconciliation; may he once again be a soldier in your army as we commence our spiritual battle of life.

Message to John (Father) Corapi:

Don’t switch sides near the end of the battle…

while we each approach our own Armageddon!

May our Lord have Mercy on you!

FYI... the Bible is Catholic!

Q-How did we get the Bible?

A-The Only Authority for the Bible is the Catholic Church

If we want to use scripture to prove anything.. 

we must first be assured it is scripture!..

..and if you say Bible Alone; 

you've got a bigger problem..

because the bible doesn't tell us what books make up the bible.. Who could? 

The Bible was determined (in A.D.382) by bishops of the Catholic Church consisting of 27 New Testament and 46 Old Testament books (73 total)

These scriptures were primarily established to be the only liturgical readings, read at Mass.

The Bible is the Word of God; but not the only Word from God... 

God would not allow almost 400 years of time to pass without any direction for Christians.. (over 12 generations after Christ walked our earth)

He promised us the Church with tradition and authority guided by The Holy Spirit. Jesus never commanded the apostles to write; but He did tell them “To Go into all the world and preach the Gospel” (Mark 16). He also said.. “He who hears you, hears me; he who rejects you, rejects me” (Luke 10:16). Saint Paul gave instructions;"Stand Firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter"(2 Thess.2:15). If not for the Teaching Magisterium of the Church; the scriptures would be words without authority!

+

Saint Athanasius (Church Father in A.D.367) witnessed to the contents of the New Testament, exactly as we have them today.

(listing same books of NT.. however some variances of OT).....

satire says it best sometimes...

St. Joseph's Feast Day March 19

A Prayer To St. Joseph



O blessed Joseph, faithful guardian of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, protector

of thy chaste spouse, the virgin Mother of God, I choose thee this day to

be my special patron and advocate and I firmly resolve to honor thee all

the days of my life. Therefore I humbly beseech thee to receive me as thy

client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction,

to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus,

and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death. Amen

+
"I know by experience," says St. Teresa of Avila, "that the glorious St. Joseph assists us generally in all necessities. I never asked him for anything which he did not obtain for me."

Adoration U

AdorationU.com from Cardinal Newman Society on Vimeo.

eclectic truths

eclectictruth.066.11
FAITH..
Is believing what you know in your heart, but can’t quite prove with your mind...

Pakistan & Catholics mourn death of Cabinet member Martyred for the Faith

Bishop Anthony Rufin and the late Shahbaz Bhatti

Torn with grief over the recent assassination of Pakistani government minister Shahbaz Bhatti, the Christian community in Pakistan declared three days of mourning for the late Catholic political leader, who was gunned down on March 2.

..from EWTN News


Peaceful protests, prayer vigils and a funeral Mass for Bhatti are slated to take place during March 4 – 6, with a public procession starting Thursday evening in Bhatti's home Diocese of Faisalabad.

A local priest told the Vatican-based Fides news agency that the demonstrations by local Christians are “a testimony of faith to gather together around the memory of this martyr, to remember his message, asking God for the strength to go on in this state of suffering, as an exiled people.”

March 4 has been declared a day of fasting and prayer, when Bhatti will be laid to rest after a funeral Mass at Our Lady of Fatima church in Islamabad. Local Archbishop Anthony Rufin will preside at the Mass.
The 42-year old Bhatti – a leading voice for religious freedom and peace in Pakistan – served as federal minister for religious minorities. He was a Catholic and the only Christian in Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari's Cabinet.

Bhatti was slain by three men on Wednesday as he left his mother's home in Islamabad by car. His usual police escort was not present because Bhatti preferred to keep a low profile while visiting his mother, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Eyewitnesses told the AP that as the vehicle left the driveway, two men pulled Bhatti out of the car while a third fired on him with an automatic weapon.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, recalled that Bhatti was the first Catholic to hold such a high position in Pakistan and that he had met with the Pope last September.
“He bore witness to his own commitment to peaceful coexistence among the religious communities of his country,” the spokesman said of Bhatti.
“Our prayers for the victim, our condemnation for this unspeakable act of violence, our closeness to Pakistani Christians who suffer hatred, are accompanied by an appeal that everyone many become aware of the urgent importance of defending both religious freedom and Christians who are subject to violence and persecution.”

Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, head of the nation’s bishops, called Bhatti’s slaying “a perfectly tragic example of the unsustainable climate of intolerance in which we live in Pakistan.”
Fr. Robert McCulloch, a Columban missionary who has been in Pakistan for 20 years, said that he believes the current climate of extremism can be linked to the country’s broken education system.
“Religious hatred is cultivated and nurtured in Pakistan's public schools” which have become “closely linked to the madrasas," he told Fides. He also said that textbooks are a major source of the growing extremism, pointing to some official texts completely exclude religious minorities and don't even consider them “part of the nation.”

Bhatti had received death threats in recent months from Islamic extremist groups angered by his opposition to the nation’s anti-blasphemy law. The law is designed to prevent any public criticism of Islam or its prophet, Muhammad.

Bhatti and other critics, including Pope Benedict XVI, say the law should be abolished because it is consistently used to harass and intimidate religious minorities, mostly Christians.

We Pray,
Lord, May You bring a Greater Good from this Evil, as You welcome Bhatti to Your House.
And Please give his Family and country Your Guidance and Strength...Amen

A Prayer on Saint Valentine’s Day

Give us more…
~ We pray, our Lord, our King!





Thank-you for all our blessings, and keep them coming our way

We must seem like bottomless pits, that return and beg You at pray



May we keep returning to You Lord. to Your boundless Mercy shower

With persistence of our praying, to touch Your strength, Your power



Distress and hardships abound, as do gold encrusted reward

Our soul is searching for solace, seeking You.. oh Lord



The options are ours to choose, our decisions, our own to own

Choices cease at the trail’s end, as we stand in judgment alone



Choosing should be easy, our decision need not sway

‘Not my will, but Thine be done’, the words we heard You pray



We beg humility, we beg patience, and perseverance too

No matter the disquiet, no matter the sorrow, may we keep coming to You





Give us more…

~ We pray, our Lord, our King!

'YOUCAT'

‘YOUCAT’


Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church Released with Forward by the Pope

Given his diminutive stature and humble demeanor, many predicted that Pope Benedict XVI would not have the same effect on the youth of the world as did his predecessor, the Venerable John Paul II. Time has proven them absolutely wrong. The youth have a special love for this wonderful Pope. This is evident in the constantly expanding crowds of youth at World Youth Days as well as on his many apostolic visits around the globe. Now, he gives them their own Catechism of the faith.

We are at War...!

To win any war, the three most necessary things to know are: (1) that you are at war, (2) who your enemy is, and (3) what weapons or strategies can defeat him.



Below is a Great article posted by Peter Kreeft.. It would be a great article to print and keep for reference.. and refer to often!...

"Light of the World" and the Mainstream Media

Ignatius Press president Mark Brumley has been busy fielding questions about Light of the World from a multitude of media sources. But they all seem to ask the same questions…


Mainstream Media: So the Pope has written a book about condoms!



Mark Brumley: Well, actually, it’s an interview book. And journalist Peter Seewald interviewed Benedict about a wide-range of topics, not just about condoms.



MM: Yes, but condoms must be a major theme of the book. Look at all the coverage that has focused on condoms!



Mark: Actually, the Pope’s comments about condoms cover only about two pages out of about 200 pages of Q & As.



MM: Well, what did the Pope say about condoms?



Mark: You can go and read for yourself what he said.



MM: Many readers won’t want to be bothered to do that. Can’t you just tell us?



Mark: Really, the Pope’s remarks aren’t very long. And Ignatius Press has gone to the trouble to have them translated into English, so English-speakers can read them for themselves.



MM: I’m sure people appreciate that, Mr. Brumley, but, please, summarize things for us. When can we use condoms, according to the Pope?



Mark: The Pope never said we may use condoms.



MM: That’s not what I read online. I read the headline “Pope Approves Condoms” or something like that.



Mark: May I suggest that you and your readers actually look at what the Pope said?



MM: Mr. Brumley, you seem like you’re trying to dodge my question. Please, answer my question. When, according to the Pope, may we use condoms?



Mark: Ok. Let me try to explain this to you. The Pope did not approve condom use. Not even on rare occasions, contrary to what some media reports said.



MM: Not unless you’re a male prostitute. Then you can, he said.



Mark: No. He didn’t.



MM: Mr. Brumley, you’re being evasive.



Mark: Show me where he said that a male prostitute may use a condom.



MM: “There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.”



Mark: Well, at least you’re actually referring to the Pope’s own words. So where does the Pope say that it is morally permissible for the male prostitute to use condoms?



MM: “There may be a basis in the case of some individuals …”



Mark: He says there may be a basis, not that there is justification. A basis for what? To wear a condom or for a first step to sound morality?



MM: To wear a condom, of course!



Mark: That’s not clear at all. But let’s assume you’re right. Let’s assume he says that there may be a basis for wearing a condom. To say that “there may be a basis” isn’t the same as saying “someone is justified”. But let’s assume he means, “There may be justification”.



MM: Yes.



Mark: “May be” doesn’t mean “certainly is”.



MM: I don’t follow you.



Mark: Well, buy a lottery ticket. “You may be a winner” doesn’t mean “You won!”. At best, the Pope would be speculating on the possibility of condoms being justified in a specific case. But possibility isn’t certainty. Now read the rest of his comments.



MM: The rest?



Mark: Yes. Read Peter Seewald’s follow up question and the Pope’s reply.



MM: Are you saying, then, that the Catholic Church is actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms?

She of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality.



Mark: Notice that the pope says that the Church doesn’t regard condoms as a “moral solution”. How can you say, then, that the Pope says condom use may be “justified”? Justified means “morally justified”. How can something that is not a moral solution be morally justified?



MM: Ok. But he goes on to say that condoms are ok if they’re a first step toward doing the right thing.



Mark: No. He says the intention of reducing the risk of infection, in this or that case, can be a first step in the right direction. It’s the intention of protecting another human being that the Pope commends, not the use of condoms.



MM: I don’t understand.



Mark: Well, someone can intend to protect his partner from infection. In doing so, he may see that sexual relations aren’t just about his own pleasure or even mutual pleasure. That he really does have to put the welfare of the other ahead of his pleasure or, if he is a prostitute, his livelihood, such that it is. He may begin to think about his personal responsibility for his sexual actions. And that may lead him eventually to reconsider prostitution and perhaps even same-sex genital activities.



MM: How likely is that?



Mark: I don’t know. The Pope wasn’t addressing the likelihood of it. He was only pointing to one positive aspect to something he otherwise characterized as not “a moral solution”.



MM: That doesn’t sound to me like he has changed his mind on condoms. He still doesn’t think they’re a moral solution to prevent AIDS. He still wants gay people to stop having sexual relations. He still sees sex as intended for marriage between a man and a woman.



Mark: Exactly.

New technologies confuse reality and fiction: Pope

Pope Benedict XVI said today that the media's increasing reliance on images, fuelled by the endless development of new technologies, risked confusing real life with virtual reality.


"New technologies and the progress they bring can make it impossible to distinguish truth from illusion and can lead to confusion between reality and virtual reality," the pope said.
"The image can also become independent from reality, it can give birth to a virtual word, with various consequences - above all the risk of indifference towards real life," he said.

He said the use of new technologies should set off "an alarm bell".
Benedict's comments came in a speech to participants at a world congress of Catholic media, organised by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

eclectic truths..

eclectic truth.237.10


~We build walls around ourselves.. we ‘think’ for our protection…

~The next time your wall gets knocked down..

don’t be in such a hurry to build it back up again,

and be open to the fresh wind that enters your space…

you've got to be 'outside the box'...

If heaven is everything we could ever want, and death leaves friends and some loved ones behind on earth.. How could this be everything we have ever wanted?.. If our dearest ones are not with us, how could our desire be fulfilled?
This question found roots from a previous post… Let’s explore it more.
We don’t have a definitive answer, but we do have conjecture based on hints revealed to us.

We would be in the Presence of God.. and “God Is”..
Therefore Heaven would feel as ‘Present and Eternal’!
Maybe we’ll see everything as current, or unbound and released from time?

We need to think beyond our normal senses. Perhaps we will see with enhanced eyes instead of the limited ones we have on earth. If we are fortunate to get into Heaven, our understanding will be complete and in union with God and we will understand beyond our earthly capacity. After we pass this veil, all souls will understand and thus no yearning other than God and God’s will, will quench our restlessness. Even the souls in hell, will accept this as they bathe in the burn of God’s love. And this is also a very good reason for the purifying flames of purgatory; to gives us worthiness.

It could be compared with the way a fetus understands the universe of it’s ‘womb’, as compared to not comprehending the outside (or our) universe. In this sense, we are like a baby in the womb… We can’t imagine (as a baby in the womb) what our hands and feet will be used for; and in this vein, perhaps our mind and soul will be more essentially vital than their current restricted uses!

Therefore the earth is a nursery for heaven..
Hopefully our soul is not lost or aborted!
Our physical body is merely the box that our soul comes in..
And we must learn to think outside this box…

Judge in California rejects the 'will of the people'!...

When the ‘proposal 8’ was recently overturned in California, it shows that even democracy isn’t allowed when bias has a bias. This judge has opened up a ‘Pandora’s box’ that will surely haunt his decision.

Is his statement summary it was so noted that, “to marry the person of one's choice is a fundamental right”.. Really now..? .. ‘a fundamental right to choose a partner’..hmmm…

Why stop at homosexuals and lesbians?
It would be discrimination not to allow bi-sexuals..they should be able to have at least 3 in a marriage.. and why stop at three, four, five or be limited to a number?

What about human and animal relationships? Surely the judge allowing people to choose partners can’t mean that a 55 year old man shouldn’t be able to choose a 5 year old boy and girl and a dog as his partners? Sadly the absurdity can be substituted in all his points of ruling. His logic is anything but…

Neither can he claim scientific reasoning, because science puts an end to his theory. Both science and once again the Church are correct; that marriage by definition is between a male and female and these are the necessary natural ingredients required for a family. He should look at the guidelines that nature, has naturally provided; and remember that laws are formed as a set of norms to halt the obscene.

May this ‘Pandora’s box’ be reversed!

What time is it in heaven?

God is present in present time.. because God is…

We were not.. but now are.. and will be from now on…
We cannot fully grasp the idea that a past and a future does not exist with God…
Because ‘time’ is our measuring stick of being; and God stands outside of ‘time’

Q: What time is it in heaven?
A: It isn’t

Our past has passed but still exists… it can be re-visited in memory..
Our present… dies almost immediately and transforms into the past..
Our future… just became the present.. but now has passed..
So, how long then, is the present?

Why can we imagine something we did not yet experience?
Imagine sitting on a beach and enjoying a drink (soda with lime on ice), and talking with a friend (one who has died). Now move this thought to a mountaintop ski resort and change the drink to hot cider and change friends (one you haven’t seen in years).
In an instant you can create a parallel world that takes practically no time to make and no time to travel to…
How can our mind be in the present, but travel into the future and past?

We are created in the ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ of God..
Is image short for imagine; which is our intangible mind?
Does likeness, mean similar yet incomplete?
If something is ‘like’ something, it cannot be the same.

Perhaps in heaven, time unfolds as being present? This would help us unravel another mystery. If heaven is everything we could want; how could we feel satisfied if we leave loved ones behind? With no time, there’d be no past or future to impede things…

While heaven does not measure time; we seem to expeditiously be running out of it!

let's correct 'political correctness'...

How about giving our political leaders the respect that is due to them?
If I am being ‘politically correct’; should I tell you what I think, or what I think you want to hear? Should I be popular or accountable?

Does it mean we should be green-eyed, cheating liars?
- I ‘love the environment’, as I jet-set to another extravagant summit.
- I ‘love my wife and family’, but ‘I made a mistake’.
- I woo the ‘common man’, to live like a king.
Now, not all politicians are to be painted with this brush; but enough abnormalities exist to wonder what criteria would encompass ‘political correctness’? Politicians can ‘get in’ by majority and serve a minority; as the political correct dictionary grows daily with each societal whine.

As we call to mind their follies, maybe we should look at them in light of the way we view scandals in the Church. The Church stands for truth and moral guidance while the parishioners and clergy still fail at it (sin). In theory the political system should give us some guidelines, while the politicians and public fail being correct. Since there is no ‘Church Correctness’ permitted in the public square; the statement of being ‘politically correct’ should also be challenged.

Does more transparency produce evasiveness? An ‘open door policy’ that beckons constituents to enter the front door, while the politician escapes out the back door seems transparent to some.

In the end, we get the leadership that we deserve. The political leadership seems to reflect the sins of society as we get a taste of our own medicine.
Perhaps it is time to erase the paradoxically incongruent phrase called ‘politically correct’ and replace it with ‘political persuasion’ or ‘political agenda’ because there is not much ‘correct’ about politics these days!

Church Blasts gay priests leading a 'double life'

A recent headline in response to another slur against the Church.. article appears below.. There seems to be no lack of headlines that will readily slam or attack the Church.. but note the varied infererred headlines.


The one above was found in from the AP.. and this journalism has a balanced take, while some others use their attention grabbing headlines to paint a darker picture (as the journalist snickers and slithers away)...


Other examples are: 'Catholic sex scandal as undercover reporter 'films priests at gay clubs and having casual flings'.. or 'Church Scandal in ROME'.. or 'Gay priest sex scandal has rocked the Catholic Church in Italy today' ... One doesn't need to even read the entire article to get their point.. (and most people don't as they confirm 'their  suspicions' or form their judgement)...


AP article..
ROME – The Italian church says gay priests must not lead a "double life," expressing pain and anger over a magazine article and video purporting to show priests frequenting gay locales in Rome.

A statement by the Roman Catholic Rome diocese on Friday said no one is forcing homosexual prelates to remain as priests. It said "we don't want to hurt them" but their conduct "muddies the reputation of all the others."

The weekly ‘Panorma’ magazine said it interviewed several gay priests in Rome and accompanied them to clubs frequented by homosexuals in the capital. It quoted one as saying that 98 percent of the priests he knew were gay.

The Rome diocese said the article was aimed at defaming the church.

from the Associated Press July 23 2010

Has anyone heard God?

A college student was in a philosophy class, which had a discussion about God's existence. The professor presented the following logic:


"Has anyone in this class heard God?" Nobody spoke.

a Great video that makes Sense...

'10' FACTS about the Catholic Church.. that most Catholics really don't know.. (but should)

Below is a Great Article by Gary Zimak that was posted on the ‘Catholic Exchange’.. It covers many current issues that are continually drudged up by people and used as excuses why they left the Church. It would be good for some of these or other weak Catholics to read this article. He uses the ‘Code of Canon Law’ and the ‘Catechism of the Church’ as the source to give authenticity to his important points.

Topics including woman priests, the Bible, in-vitro fertilizations, hell and purgatory, are summarized concisely in this article. Use this as a starting point to find more of the ‘truth’ about our faith and if anyone brings up these objections, maybe you can bring them answers. Ignorance or indifference is no excuse; some walk straight in the paths of truth, while others stumble in them.

why wait, for someone else to do our thinking?

We should be taking time to exercise our minds..

Enough of listening to the tv, surfing the web (like you’re doing now), catching a movie, hearing or reading the news headlines and developing our deductions. Our society is quick to drink the kool-aide and follow our apparently learned leaders.

Rather than taking some quiet time to ponder the depths of our intellect, we busy ourselves with our quest to chase contentment in paradise. During our hectic selfish pursuit, we gather these details while our rested brain is on ‘cruise control’. We manage to form an opinion without even bothering to turn our brain on.

A sad indictment for the pinnacle of earth’s species.. Aimlessly wandering through time while permitting a ‘select few’ to do our thinking.

Excuse me, I must stop babbling and go to wonder about..
go forth and be your own 'intelligentsia'...

from the desert fathers..

I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, "What can get through from such snares?" Then I heard a voice saying to me, "Humility."
~St. Anthony the Great

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God descends to the humble as waters flow down from the hills into the valleys.
~St. Tikhon of Voronezh

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the sign of the cross..

The Sign of the CROSS...


There are actually three signs of the cross in the Catholic Church. All of them represent the same thing, which is the Cross that Jesus died upon.

on being tolerant..

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to be tolerant means: you must take a stand.. albeit in quicksand

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tolerance breeds a passive society.. pouring lukewarm water into the swamp that once was an oasis…

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an empire that becomes too tolerant will not crumble with a thunderous crash; it will end with a wink and a nod as its suicide pact…

The Hidden and Mysterious Word in the Lord's Prayer...

..the Lord gives us the most familiar prayer of all, the “Lord’s Prayer.” It is a prayer shared by and prized by all Christians. Few if any have not committed to memory. Yet hidden within the Lord’s prayer is a mysterious word that both Greek and Biblical scholars have little agreement over or even a clear understanding of in terms of its precise meaning. I call it “hidden” only because most Christians do not read Greek and are unaware of the difficulties and debate surrounding the word. They simply accept that the most common English translation of the Our Father as undisputed. To them the problem is hidden...

ARMAGEDDON...

Armageddon , Jezreel Valley in Israel (shown). 

A vast plain surrounded by high mountains; looking every bit like an ominous battlefield.

Armageddon (“hill of Megiddo”) is mentioned briefly in the New Testament in Revelation 16. It is also the location of many decisive battles of ancient Israel. Accounts of this battleground are given in the Old Testament and Hebrew books of Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel and Zechariah.

Armageddon is given, perhaps symbolically in Revelation (The Apocalypse) as the site for the Final Battle (between good and evil) and the Last Judgment.

news.. under the mainstream radar...

Bishop Padovese canceled Cyprus trip to avoid assassination of Pope


An Italian Vatican expert is saying that Bishop Luigi Padovese, Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia and President of the Turkish Bishops’ Conference, canceled his trip to Cyprus because he feared that his driver –who later confessed to killing the bishop- might attempt an attack on Pope Benedict XVI during his stay on the island, reports Catholic News Agency.

Analyst Fr. Fillippo di Giacomo, who writes for publications such as L’Unitá and La Stampa, revealed that “hours before Padovese was killed, the Turkish Government called him to say that his driver, who they themselves had put in his service four years before, had gotten out of hand. That is to say, he had embraced the fundamentalist cause.”

Prayer Vigil gathers 15,000 priests from around the world

Vatican City, Jun 11, 2010 / 01:03 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- An estimated 15,000 priests attended a prayer vigil last night in St. Peter's Square. The priests, who hail from 97 different countries, gathered as part of the celebrations marking the close of the Year for Priests.

+ 'I have little doubt that when St. George had killed the dragon he was heartily afraid of the princess.' G.K.Chesterton

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If you want to really be a Rebel Today.. ‘try being a Catholic’…

Headlines.. March-April 2010

Recent headlines take direct aim at the pope and Catholic Church. This seems to be a yearly occurrence in weeks leading up to Easter Celebrations. A secular venture to plant seeds of doubt; so as to bathe the believers (without guilt) in the luke-warm waters of contentedness.

These headlines are intended to defame the pope, claiming that he was (as head of Doctrine of the Faith) the man responsible for abuse in our Church.
Why do these reports forget to use the word ‘alleged’, when they first
proclaim these charges and before checking their sources? Why the Rush?
The Church should be held to higher standards, but there should be some
concern for truth rather than seeking sensational headlines.
Long after the headlines are recanted or apologized for; the bad taste still
remains!

atheists want to arrest the Pope..?

They want him to face criminal charges for ‘crimes against humanity’.
They seek to fan the flaming flames; with more of their hot air..

Of course they want to pile on this current media hysteria of ‘scandal’. For the most part, these latest allegations are old buried allegations that have been exhumed for renewed study; enabled by poor journalistic standards (like verifying the facts). Their erroneous headlines would provide Dan Brown with enough fiction to spit out another ‘historical fantasy novel’ to harass the Church.

Maybe, just maybe we should listen to these morally bankrupt ‘non-believers’ on how to make this world a better place. Excuse me while I pry my tongue from my cheek.

An atheist is someone who stands for nothing and answers to no one; not even themselves.
These ‘ambassadors of the assinine’ really should not even open their mouths because the vacuum generated could suck all their unused brains out.

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We never know the cross that others bear.
Be cautious of this when we encounter someone.
They may be carrying a cross that’s weight would devastate us.
Lend a hand rather than add more weight.
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Can God make a stone so heavy that He can’t lift it?

We acknowledge that God can do anything..
But further deliberation begs the question; “Can God make a stone so heavy that He can’t lift it?”
This age old question seems to imply, that God cannot be omnipotent.

The problem with this thought process, is that we can’t fit God into our human conundrums on our terms.
Our ant-sized brains (comparison) cannot step outside of humanity to grasp the scope of God.

Let us ask the question; ‘Can God make a four sided triangle?’ Our obvious answer would be that He cannot. However, who created the triangle? Mankind created a word to describe 3 sided objects. A finite answer would lie in determining what is a triangle? But God is infinite and timeless.

God cannot be contained inside the small feeble mind of humanity; nor can He be limited by a triangle. Mankind created the concept of a triangle however God stands outside of ‘brain teasers’.

prayer of a child

A grandfather was walking through his yard when he heard his grandaughter repeating the alphabet in a tone of voice that sounded like a prayer. He asked her what she was doing. The little girl explained, "I'm praying, but I can't think of exactly the right words, so I'm just saying all the letters, and God will put them together for me, because he knows what I'm thinking."
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by the book...

My doctor had recommended surgery and referred me to a specialist.

Arriving early for my appointment, I found the door unlocked and the young surgeon, deeply engrossed in reading, behind the receptionist’s desk. When he didn’t hear me come in, I cleared my throat.

Startled, he closed the book, which I recognized as the Bible. “Does reading the Bible help you before or after an operation?” I asked. My fears were dispelled by his soft one-word answer: “During.” – Saint Luke’s Messenger
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ya gotta love Reverend Jim

eclectic truths..

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The main reason why many people won’t become Catholic… is ‘catholics’...
We should remember the gift of our faith is a membership of service, not privilege...
Saying you’re Catholic does not entitle you to a ‘get out of hell’ card…
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the SILENT monks

a story from native canadians..

Elders gathered the children together for some banter and lessons..
The oldest elder speaking, told the children that in each one of them there lives two wolves; one good 'white' wolf, and one evil 'black' wolf, and they are fighting each other. The good wolf is full of compassion, forgiveness and kindness and the bad wolf is full of anger, greed and selfishness. One of the children asked, 'who will win?’ The elder replied,” the one you feed".

why do catholics do that?

Q- Why do Catholics Genuflect?

A-Genuflection is an act of reverence consisting of falling onto (usually) one knee. It originated as a posture of respect of a knight before a king. Today the term is used mostly in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church. Catholics who come into the presence of the Eucharist (stored in the tabernacle) are expected to genuflect on the right knee as a sign of devotion. If the Eucharist is exposed in a monstrance, many Catholics genuflect on both knees.Traditionally, a priest or acolyte passing in front of the tabernacle during the Mass would genuflect each time he passed; however, recent instructions from the Vatican have indicated that it suffices to genuflect once at the beginning and once at the end of Mass.On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, Catholic Churches do not contain the Eucharist. However, there is a custom whereby the faithful genuflect to the crucifix on these days, once it has been revealed in the Good Friday service.

Genuflection is an act of humility. Catholics take seriously the verse that states that 'Every knee shall bow."

Praising Him...

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22,000 Youth in Eucharistic Procession through Kansas City

Cardinal DiNardo gave the keynote at today’s session of the National Catholic
Youth Conference in Kansas City, while Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph
Naumann led Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction at Sprint
Center. Kansas City – St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn then led 22,000 High
School students through his See City from Sprint Center to the Kansas City
Convention Center. 
to See pics – click read more-

how brave?

A young lad from Cincinatti overheard his father saying that his older brother needed a blood transfusion immediately. The youngster thought it over a while and though he wasn't quite sure what 'these blood transfusions' were, he asked his father, "Dad, can't I give Bud the blood transfusion?" The parents thought it over, and soon the mother took the boy to the clinic. Within fifteen minutes the nurse had removed the half pint of blood that was needed. The boy's jaw was set even though he was shuddering a bit. He raised his manly tear-dimmed eyes to his mother and quietly asked, "Mom, do I die now, like Jesus?" The mother almost fainted when it became clear to her how brave her boy had been. With a burst of love she drew his slightly protesting form to herself as she realized that he had thought that he was giving his life that his brother might live.
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