Can anyone really live the Catholic faith? Sure. It's easier to strive for holiness when you have a traveling companion on your spiritual journey, though. Come walk along with this Catholic mom who shares life day by day, both the joys and the sorrows, the saints and the demons, our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother. Mary will help us live our Catholic faith!
Our Catholic children may be able to recite an Our Father and a Hail Mary prayer. But do we really expect them to be able to pray the Rosary? Most Catholic adults don't even know how to pray the Holy Rosary any more. It looks very complicated. Prayer should be simple and from the heart, you may protest. Well, here's good news. Mary's prayer, the Holy Rosary, is simple and is to be prayed from the heart. Well, it looks very time consuming and repetitious. That's a real turn off, you say. Well, considering your day has 24 whole hours in it, is about a half an hour really too much time for you to give to God? Don't you want to bless somebody that you love with a dozen roses rather than 2 or 3? Repeating the prayers in the Holy Rosary are not vain repetitions but they are like the most beautiful of roses that you present to our Blessed Mother.
The Rosary is the most powerful prayer that there is next to the Mass, when you pray in contemplation on the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary. Sometimes, though, looking at the whole of it looks like several tasks and inconveniences that today's busy Americans just aren't going to take the time to learn to do it. The sad truth is that their busy-ness is more about rest and relaxation and entertainment and fun than anything else. But here's an idea that may help fellow Catholics brave dipping their toes into the refreshing and grace-filled water of the Holy Rosary. Just one decade... http://www.examiner.com/x-4317-Denver-Roman-Catholic-Examiner~y2010m3d26-The-mystery-of-The-Annunciation
The mystery of the Visitation is here...
Pray, pray, pray for our country and all of her citizens whether born or preborn for our right to liberty and to life. There are so many links I can add to this post later, but for now, I just really want to encourage everyone to pray united together, prayer warriors joining to the army of the Lord. Myriads of angels are fighting. We need to get into the fight as well, for this is not just one small battle we may lose but certainly a major loss in the war from the culture of death. Many do not even realize that their tax dollars are already going to fund abortions in other places in the world. We have money going to developing countries. Look up the Mexico City Policy. And read what the Bishops have said about it: http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-022.shtml . Also read "Building and Promoting a Culture of Life" by Archbishop Chaput for explanations of excellent "do"s and "don't" in the fight for life: http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/1406 . I will also add a photo later as well. Not now. My heart is so heavy. Yet miracles are very real and they can and do happen. Lord God, we need a mighty miracle. Holy Mary, Mother of God, intercede for us and for our nation, for if this bill becomes law, we surely will see the judgment of our Lord come upon us with great fury. Lord have mercy on us. Amen. Wow, just in time w/ the finish here, it's the Holy Rosary on EWTN. Joining...
This St. Patrick's Day is one historical day. People have something to say. It is a spiritual battle and here are just a few of the details. While the Catholic Bishops oppose the Senate version of the health care bill, making news in the Catholic press, what gets plastered in headlines of the secular news that reaches everyone is that Catholic nuns support and endorse the bill, and hey, THEY are the ones who work with the people, so they are supposedly the real voice of the Catholic Church. They are "progressive" they claim. Liberals, socialists, communists, and the pro-death sites are running with this in gleeful distribution of this Catholic support of their views. Here is one: http://www.feministing.com/archives/020405.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Feministing+(Feministing)&utm_content=Twitter
It is important to note who is pleased with the "Catholic nuns" who are opposing the stance of the USCCB because this tells you something.
Archbishop Chaput linked to his statement on facebook. Finally we are beginning to call these people out and name them. Here it is: http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/3614
TO THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO
In the past two days, congressional leaders and the White House have brought tremendous pressure on prolife Democratic members of Congress to support a fatally flawed Senate version of health care reform.
Regrettably, groups like Network and the Catholic Health Association have done a grave disservice to the American Catholic community by undermining the leadership of the nation’s Catholic bishops, sowing confusion among faithful Catholics, and misleading legislators through their support of the Senate bill.
Do not be fooled. Nothing has changed. The Senate bill remains gravely flawed on the issues of abortion funding, conscience protections and the inclusion of immigrants. Unless seriously revised to address these issues, the Senate version of health care is unethical and should be firmly opposed. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of Denver James D. Conley, S.T.L. Auxiliary Bishop of Denver
Catholics United has an ad that they are airing, it looks like in the prolife Democrat districts to sway minds in those areas stating that the Reform is endorsed by the Catholic Health Association: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0310/Catholic_group_pushes_back_on_abortion_claims.html?showall These people are using the "Catholic" title to confuse people. How many people know that this is a liberal group that is breaking with the Catholic Bishops who are opposing the Senate version of the health care bill? We Catholics must begin to understand and to accept the fact that there are real wolves dressed in sheep's clothing in our Holy Catholic Church. RealCatholicTV call them "snakes"...
As Catholics, we are very much in tune with not pulling up the weeds and letting them grow along with the wheat, just as our Lord, Jesus, told us to do. And yet, the Holy Scriptures must be taken as a whole, not in part. They must be interpreted along with our Tradition, and Jesus Himself cried out: "You are of your father, the devil" to the Jewish leadership. These people who are priests and nuns who are hurting our people, need to be shown the door forthwith. We have excommunication. It is high time we began to implement this service. And certainly it is a service to save the souls of many millions of Catholics who are otherwise deceived and taught that Marxist belief trumps even the sanctity of human life for Catholic faithful believers. It is time for this to end. Let the word, the title, Catholic, mean something again.
Glenn Beck has recently stated that if you are in a church that teaches "social justice" you should leave that church. Some people were shocked, and they say he was attacking the Catholic Church. I agree that he was. And I also agree that he understands very well this code wording of "social justice" that ultimately means communistic thought, leaving the redeeming of souls out of their personal mission inside of the Church. The virtue of justice is being used as a useful good, a tool for conversion, capturing hearts, destroying lives, and causing the loss of souls. This is not true virtue. But how successfully deceptive. Take a look at how "good" these caring Catholics seem to be: http://www.catholics-united.org/?q=about Since they care to much about people who are victims of injustice, why are they opposing the Catholic Bishops who are upholding the sanctity of human life? Jesus said, "you shall know them by their fruits" and this is fruit positive of their views.
But I disagree with Beck on what needs to be done about the problem, the infiltration of heretics and "progressive" new age deceivers. Show them the door. They are in our church for one reason--to twist the teachings of our Church and to deceive as many as they can. They are a cancer in our midst, spreading their lying poison. Here is something insightful that Glenn had to say on St. Patrick's Day: Obama is Marxist:
Some 59 "Catholic nuns" signed a letter in support of the bill that was sent to members of Congress on the 14th of the month, yet even today all over twitter the word is that 59,000 Catholic nuns support the bill. Lies of this sort, exaggerated and hyped are being regularly retweeted by liberal, pro-death, and homosexual groups. They want the word out that Catholics are for the passage of the bill because it serves their purposes. Keep telling the lie and it is seen as the truth. Supposedly the smaller number of nuns represent the larger number of Catholics in their groups. If that is true, all the more reason to begin kicking them out of our Church. Today if possible. The faithful Catholic laity welcomes this to save our true Catholic identity.
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has already refuted that claim with his own letter opposing the bill.
George pointed out the slew of flaws that the U.S. bishops find “deeply disturbing” in the Senate health bill, including its lack of conscience protections, [lack of] Hyde-amendment protections against federal abortion funding, and the millions in new funds for Community Health Centers which will be available to fund abortions.
“It expands federal funding and the role of the federal government in the provision of abortion procedures,” he explained. “In so doing, it forces all of us to become involved in an act that profoundly violates the conscience of many, the deliberate destruction of unwanted members of the human family still waiting to be born.” http://www.lifenews.com/nat6140.html
St. Patrick was a Bishop. May God bless our faithful Bishops. And may our Bishops be faithful to our Catholic laity by driving out the snakes. Amen. St. Patrick, please pray for our people in the Catholic Church and in our great country, the United States of America. Amen.
St. Joseph and St. Patrick pray for us.Strengthen us Catholic patriots to take a courageous stand in the upcoming days as this tyrannical government take over becomes the law of the land w/o even a vote. I believe this will happen with the socialist health care bill, I figure the left knows it is now or never. If I'm wrong, great.
St. Joseph was and is a man of God, a man of great faith, obedient to our Lord, protector of and provider for the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ Jesus, the Holy Son of God. St. Joseph pray for us for our families are at stake along with our country.
St. Patrick converted Ireland. He risked his life and stood strong. We need the Catholic Church to stand strong now in America and speak the truth to our youth and lead the pagans or secularists to Christ. This does not mean just the priests or the Pope or good Catholic schools. It means YOU and it means ME. St. Patrick, pray for us and for our country.
Catholics would really do themselves a service and educate themselves on reconciling in their minds things like going to war and worrying about if it might be gossip or bad to call out leftist deceitful Catholics by reading the book of Judith. Also let us faithfully take out our most powerful weapons, our Rosaries. Contemplate, contemplate, contemplate. Amen.
Senator Michael Bennet had emails sent out inviting feedback on "how to fix Washington." So I sent this letter via email.
Dear Senator Michael Bennet:
Kill the pro-death healthcare bill.
I will keep you in my prayers, for you are one of those who are most in need of God's mercy. Blind, deaf, and unrepentant.
The way to fix Washington is for everyone over there to find a low-paying job and learn some humility. (You should be able to get a job, although regular US citizens cannot find any that are gainful to provide for our families now.)
Black-eyed Susan is that beautiful and resilient flower full of sunshine and upright in stature. Yet, she is punched in the eye. Oh how the saints have endured much to be where they are in the holy kingdom of God. Take heart those who suffer. These things do not go unnoticed. Nor unrewarded.
In this life, character will be refined and purified. And in the next life, you will spend an eternity with God Holy Trinity and the blessed Virgin Mary, our Holy Mother who also suffered so. Our guardian angels are here for us, that is true. And yet we will never be exempted from trials and tribulations. Was Jesus? No. Nor was Mary. Nor the great saints and martyrs of our true faith.
Catholics, these days, for the most part, do not grasp that Jesus hung there on the cross for us not just paying a price for us, but also as the model for us to emulate in sacrifice and love for others. We must embrace our crosses. Wait a minute, you wanted the flowers to bloom without having the rain?
When something bad happens, we lament, "why me?" and we never saw it coming. We should see it coming. Jesus Himself told us that in the Book of John. He said if the world hates you, remember, He was hated first. There is a spiritual battle for your soul going on. The love that Jesus brought to us to take into the world involves standing up for that which is right and suffering for lining your will up with God's.
We continue to pray for ourselves and our loved ones, but isn't it time to add in those who persecute us? Vengeance belongs to the Lord. In looking at the abuse He endured and the death he suffered for our sakes, it looks like the only one He evened up the score with is the evil one. Thank God for His forgiveness. Thank Jesus for His mercy. Thanks be to our Lord Holy Spirit who teaches and comforts us. Thank your Holy Mother for saying, "let to be done unto me according to your word." Let us do likewise.
