Great article from Lifenews.com

Great piece on this adminstrations over reaching arms into the realms of religion & how grave the situation is. 

http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/29/attacking-religion-obamas-birth-control-bait-and-switch/

12 Myths of Catholicism....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtErU6VMJzA

Something NEW!!

I JUST found a whole other line of video's Voris called The One True Faith TV & have subscribed to it...a differnt vibe than his Real Catholic TV...listen to how beautiful he describes the Eucharist & Jesus here....how blessed we are to be Catholic!  God bless friends in Christ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rnujT14LGg&feature=related

More Signs......

I have been wondering just how to express myself about what has occurred to me this week.  It is too important not share because I firmly believe that these experiences continue to happen so they can be shared in hopes to assist us humans to understand the gravity & how real the true presence of God is in our lives. 
So if you have read any of my past, lengthy, story like entries about my son, his illness and some of things that have happened to me over this past year or so…I have yet another incident to add to story.  To recap for those who don’t know, one of the most dramatic “signs” I have received since my son’s illness was early on, when we first heard of my son having cancer last May, here is a snip-it from my original entry “Suffering at the Window Seat” which if you’d like the full story check that entry out AND also take a look the entry called “Signs.” But here is a segment which explains one of my most glaring ‘signs.’ 
“One night LATE, as I stared at the beige, stark, walls and said the rosary, I had this OVERWHELMING and emotional feeling that I MUST have a statue of Mother Mary in that room with us! She MUST be a visual presence in the room for both my son & myself as a constant reminder that there was someone present who literally knew our pain. I felt as if she was speaking to me, telling me “I understand what you are going through. I watched as my own son was unspeakably tortured and brutally killed and I could do nothing to ease His pain. I am here with you & I will cradle your son.” There were times that I so strongly felt her presence & just KNEW she was there beside my son as he slept.”…” I e-mailed a friend from that window seat and asked if there was any way she could get a small statue of Mary to the hospital and I would reimburse her. I didn’t care if she was plastic & an inch high. Well, this friend was kind enough to meet my husband the VERY NEXT MORNING at my children’s school and gifted us her OWN, beautiful statue of Our Mother which my husband brought directly to us at the hospital. I felt this urge to say the rosary as often as possible and with that urge came this necessity to ask others to do so as well.” …”One LOUD signal God gave me in answer to my most worrisome question happened one of the nights at that window seat when my cell phone rang. I did not recognized the number & I honestly I don’t even know why I picked up but I did. It wound up being a girlfriend from GRAMMAR SCHOOL that I hadn’t talked to in probably 10 years. She had heard about my son from a mutual friend. Her father was a well known Orthopedic surgeon in a very affluent area of the state and she, herself went on to become a doctor of pharmaceutical research at Pfizer. As one can imagine, when faced with the scenario my family was, one of the biggest fears we could have is “Do we have the right doctors for our son? Is this the right hospital etc?” We were at the mercy of the local hospital that we were admitted to. My old friend shared with me that when she heard the news, she felt the least she could do was find out the very best doctors & facility for the kind of cancer our son had in the area. She felt confident in being able to assist us because she personally knew one of the best pediatric oncologists in the country!! What an incredible God send. So she called this doctor & told him our story. The doctor began asking “Now wait, what kind of cancer is it? Who is this kid to you? How do you know this family? This isn’t O. Smith is it?”….the doctor on the other end of the phone was none other than the doctor who admitted my son the very 1^st day at our local hospital & was currently treating him. OUR DOCTOR was one of the best pediatric oncologists in the country. AND as rare as my son’s cancer is (less than 100 kids are reported to get it per year)…this doctor and his team see it & treat it at least twice annually...there was pure hysterical crying & outbursts by me from this revelation. At that very moment I KNEW God had reached out to me and asked me to leave it ALL at his feet. He was YELLING to me that THIS burden of worry, this PART of this horrible experience, was taken care of for me and taken off my plate. I will go to my grave believing that divine intervention took place that night to specifically tell me…”Trust in me” and that is when I began saying the “Divine Mercy Chaplet”

OK, so that was one of MANY signs I believe I have received since this whole ordeal has started with my son but it was probably the most dramatic until this week.  Although my son has been deemed “cancer free” since October, he has still had to undergo many terrible and horrible cancer treatments that have beat up his body pretty badly which has sent him back & forth to the hospital for many unscheduled stays due to him getting infections when his blood counts drop too low.  Well, this week was no different. His blood counts dropped dramatically low & my husband had to whisk him off to the hospital yet again for admission while they fought off yet another terrible infection over the course of the rest of week.  I could not be with my boy because someone had to be at home with my OTHER child and get her off to school the following day and I have now taken a job that I of course needed to get to.  So I have had an increasingly difficult time emotionally dealing with being away from my sick boy when he has to be admitted for potentially a week at a time.  Well, I shared my feelings with some friends & everyone was feeling badly or me & offering so many encouraging words& I knew so many were praying for us all. 

Well, the following morning I woke up, renewed and ready to be strong while we rode out this experience for the rest of the week. I will share with you that a new year’s resolution I made to myself was that I was going to try & say the rosary (and if I had the time the Divine Mercy Chaplet) every day.  So, I resolved to do it on my car ride into my office.  Then as a Lenten promise, I renewed my promise and decided to make sure I added the Divine Mercy Chaplet to my practice no matter what.  So, Thursday morning I said these prayers with special intentions for my son & family that morning and for some reason, I had gotten to my office super early…I had 30 minutes to kill so I whipped out my Word document of prayers (I mentioned in the past this is how I keep all my favorite prayers for easy access…I transcribed them all to a Word doc that I carry with me) & decided to say these as well. As I said these, I was thinking about how I had been wanting to purchase a Brown Scapular for sometime but because I needed to do some homework on just exactly what wearing a Scapular entailed, I had put it off.  So, I strengthened my resolve & said to myself “Today Liz, after work you’re going home & doing your homework on Brown Scapulars & purchasing one online.” With that, I jumped out of my car & made my way into the building to my desk.  I happen to be fortunate enough to work with a friend of mine, she had heard about my son heading to the hospital the night before & stopped by my desk to offer some encouraging words.  I shared with her my moment of weakness the night before & how lately it was getting more emotionally difficult for me to watch my son & husband run out the door time & time again.  She kind of jumped up and said “I have something for you…” and left my cube & returned a moment later and handed me a Brown Scapular. I have never shared with ANYONE my thoughts on wanting a Brown Scapular and for me to have been thinking of this no more than fifteen minutes prior to someone handing me one!  I was so flabbergasted…I literally JUMPED up and I began crying and practically yelling.  My poor friend had no idea what was taking place before her eyes.  I tried to calm down & share with her just exactly the gravity of what took place.  She said, oddly enough, that this was not something she had been thinking about doing. This Scapular was her Mother’s prior to her passing & something she kept with her.  She said “while you were talking, it was as if someone told me in my ear ‘you have something for her’ and as the thought entered my brain it came out my mouth…I hadn’t thought about the Scapular for so long & the thought literally popped into my brain!” as the day went on she became increasingly more flabbergasted herself over what transpired.  Think about the oddity…this wasn’t a breath mint she handed me!  This wasn’t even a  cross  (something far more common) this was a somewhat rare, specifically Catholic, religious item that she just happened to have with her.  This was an idea she claims was not even her own until that very moment & we were not discussing ANYTHING even remotely religious at the time.  It truly is amazing.

Folks, every single time I enhance my prayer life something occurs to remind me, to tell me that God is pleased and what I am doing is right.  In this case, the ‘sign’ had multiple outcomes.  1) It told me God was pleased 2) I needed strength that day & God CLEARLY gave it to me and 3) there was another person involved (as were many other experiences I had) that I believe was very specifically meant so the OTHER person would be moved to evangelize because of event that took place.

This is why Jesus performed miracles while He walked he earth….not because He was nice…but because we humans need to see to believe.  I write this blog to share & pass long these types of things so maybe, just maybe one or two people will be moved enough be completely converted.  Miraculous things continue to happen in my life ONLY so I can assist people in their own faith.  I strongly believe that.  Yes, these events have helped me through this extraordinarily difficult time but these events are not for me to keep to myself…I am not special…these ‘signs’ are for everyone if you only ask for them.  If you completely give yourself over and TRULY believe in ALL of  the Catholic Church’s teachings and communicate with God through prayer (especially through the rosary & veneration of Mary) God will be there to assist each and every one of us. 

We do not have to like or agree with every human who works for or within the Church…but we DO have to believe, trust and follow EVERY teaching of the Church.  She is infallible in all her teachings.  Perfect in every way and that is why it is so important we all spread this message. 

God bless you this Sunday morning.      

Plain, in your face on contraception...go Voris

Voris is SPOT on here.  It is our modern day apple for sure....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFk3O2gkegU&feature=player_embedded

Fr. Barron on the HHC Mandate....brilliant as always...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kcd-frYV6s&feature=player_embedded#!

Voris defending the faith against "Bible Only" Christians...enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU8t-rTJiog&feature=player_embedded

May Your Lenten Season Be Blessed

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1200721.htm

More who are angry as hell over the mandate...

Sing it Father...sing it....

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/i-am-angry.-very-angry

Santorum in his own words....

Satorum in his own words on Marriage & life...thanks friend for the article!

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/We-Hold-These-Truths

On the Issues

This is a great site to review your candidate's positions.  I am really getting more and more onboard with Santorum as we move along.  I hope he doesn't disappoint.

http://www.issues2000.org/senate/Rick_Santorum.htm#Social_Security

Some Additional Readings on the Topic

Cardinal Ratzinger Blames Church Crisis on Liturgical Collapse   

by Paul Likoudis

The unprecedented manner in which Pope Paul VI imposed the Novus Ordo of the Mass created tragic consequences for the Roman Catholic Church, says Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in his new autobiography.

Not only did the banning of the old Mass represent a severe departure from tradition, but the revolutionary manner in which the new Mass was imposed has created the impression that liturgy is something each community creates on its own, not something which "is given."
Rather than being a force for unity in the Church, the new Mass has been the source of liturgical anarchy, dividing Catholics "into opposing party positions" and creating a situation in which the Church is "lacerating herself."
Formally imposed after a six-month period of "liturgical experimentation" in which anything —and everything—did go, the Roman Catholic Mass has never attained a universality, stability—or even an element of predictably—for most Catholics around the world; but instead has been a stimulus for never-ending innovations—from altar girls to dancing girls to women priests.
While the Missal of Paul VI "brought with it some authentic improvements and a real enrichment," the banning of the old Mass caused some "extremely serious damages for us," he wrote in La Mia Vita, released in mid-April in its Italian translation.
"I was dismayed by the banning of the old Missal," he wrote, "seeing that a similar thing had never happened in the entire history of the liturgy....
"The promulgation of the banning of the Missal that had been developed in the course of centuries. starting from the time of the sacramentaries of the ancient Church, has brought with it a break in the history of the liturgy whose consequences could be tragic.... The old structure was broken to pieces and another was constructed admittedly with material of which the old structure had been made and using also the preceding models....
"But the fact that [the liturgy] was presented as a new structure, set up against what had been formed in the course of history and was now prohibited, and that the liturgy was made to appear in some ways no longer as a living process but as a product of specialized knowledge and juridical competence, has brought with it some extremely serious damages for us.
"In this way, in fact, the impression has arisen that the liturgy is 'made,' that it is not something that exists before us, something 'given,' but that it depends on our decisions. It follows as a consequence that this decision-making capacity is not recognized only in specialists or in a central authority, but that, in the final analysis, each 'community' wants to give itself its own liturgy. But when the liturgy is something each one makes by himself, then it no longer gives us what is its true quality: encounter with the mystery which is not our product but our origin and the wellspring of our life....
"I am convinced that the ecclesial crisis in which we find ourselves today depends in great part upon the collapse of the liturgy, which at times is actually being conceived of etsi Deus non daretur: as though in the liturgy it did not matter any more whether God exists and whether He speaks to us and listens to us.
"But if in the liturgy the communion of faith no longer appears, nor the universal unity of the Church and of her history, nor the mystery of the living Christ, where is it that the Church still appears in her spiritual substance?," he asked.
Too often, Ratzinger lamented, "the community is only celebrating itself without its being worthwhile to do so."
The book's German title translates to: From My Life: Remembrances 1927-1977.
On at least two other occasions, Cardinal Ratzinger has criticized specific liturgical abuses, while on other highly publicized events, such as the Ordinations of seminarians into the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, he has praised the beauty of the old Mass.
But his newly released autobiography is the first prolonged lament over the wholesale replacement of one liturgy with another.
In 1969, Pope Paul VI issued his General Instruction of the Roman Missal, revising the Order of the Mass and related prayers. The old Mass rite was to be banned, with few exceptions, after a transition period of several months.
Although the Mass had undergone evolutionary changes through the history of the Church, there was always a sense of "continuity," Ratzinger wrote. Even Pope Pius V, who reworked the Roman Missal. in 1570 following the Council of Trent, allowed for the continued use of some liturgies with centuries-long traditions.
Cardinal Ratzinger said there "is need for a new liturgical. movement to call back to life the true heritage of Vatican Council II.
"For the life of the Church, it is dramatically urgent to have a renewal of liturgical. awareness, a liturgical reconciliation, which goes back to recognizing the unity in the history of the liturgy and understands Vatican II not as a break, but as a developing moment."
Pope Paul VI's new Mass has been a contentious issue in the Church since its introduction in 1969, not only fueling a bitter Church dispute involving the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who was excommunicated by Pope John Paul II in 1988, but prompting millions of Catholics to question the legitimacy—not only of the Mass, but of the Pope who approved it.
Even after Pope John Paul in his 1988 apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei called on his bishops to be "generous" in giving Catholics access to the Tridentine rite, in a compassionate gesture aimed at healing some of the divisions and discontent over the Novus Ordo, many bishops, and even cardinals, notably Detroit's Adam Cardinal Maida, have refused to accommodate the desires of Catholics for the old Mass.

Some Reactions

For many Catholics, Cardinal Ratzinger's public acknowledgment that the Novus Ordo created a "crisis" for the Church was a long-overdue admission on the part of the Holy See.

"Publicly admitting that suppressing the 1962 Missal was a mistake, and then restoring it, would be a good first step toward liturgical renewal," said Chicago Catholic Rich Freeman, who posted the announcement on his Catholic Internet service as soon as it was reported in the Italian press.
"The modernists have always known that they couldn't win a fair fight with tradition . . . that's why they had to take the extraordinary step of suppressing, or attempting to suppress, the Mass that has an unbroken lineage of tradition back to 'that first Eucharist before He died'," he said.
A clerical reaction came from Fr. Joseph F. Wilson, a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y. He wrote a letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Tablet, after its editor commented negatively on the Ratzinger admission. Fr. Wilson stated:

". . . The effectiveness of the current liturgy is something many people are discussing—Cardinal Ratzinger is not a lone wolf howling in the wind on this one.
"Within the last two and a half years, two separate organizations were founded in the United States to address the question of the liturgy. Indeed, if memory serves —I wish I could be more exact in referring to this—there was a meeting within the last two years of liturgists in Chicago to observe the anniversary of Vatican II's liturgy constitution. The theme of the gathering was What Has Gone Wrong—why has the early promise of the liturgical renewal not come to fruition?
"It is unfair to cast this as a question of loyalty to Vatican II. Return to your copy of the documents and read the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. You simply will not find described there what we presently do at Mass. The postconciliar commission on the implementation of that constitution went well beyond the prescriptions of the council fathers, and every liturgist will admit that freely....

"In your article you say: a) American Catholics have embraced the revised liturgy; b) we understand it much better today; c) we understand that it is the central act of the Church; d) our better understanding is due to the changes in the liturgy.

"I wish that I could say that you do not specify which planet you refer to. You actually say you're talking about America. How do you reconcile these assertions with the results of two different well-known polls (which were reported in your paper) that only one-third of Mass-goers recognized the orthodox Catholic doctrine on the Real Presence as being an expression of their faith, the other two-thirds happily opting for Zwinglian and Lutheran formulations? And how on earth can you reconcile these assertions with the fact that Mass attendance has dropped by perhaps as much as 60% in 30 years?. . .
"I think the most serious thing which can be said about the way we worship in the Roman rite is that it is in tone, in spirit, utterly different from any of the other rites of the Catholic Church. The Roman rite was always different from all of the eastern rites, of course, but the sense of the transcendence of God, which once marked our liturgy strongly, seems rarely to find expression in our worship today. And we trashed, just trashed, a glorious tradition of liturgical music which the council fathers at Vatican II explicitly commanded be fostered. We replaced it with . . . On Eagles' Wings.
"You also ask: 'Does he really think that in the midst of the relevancy revolution of the 1960s, people would have continued to flock to a ceremony at which they couldn't understand a word?' (That's part of my point. Most of them didn't continue to flock!! We just stopped caring about them. They were the unrenewed. We just kept talking about how renewed we were, ignoring the declining numbers)."

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If You Are at All Interetsted in the Church Post Vatican II

I was chatting with a young seminarian last night....he reminded me of this FANTASTIC special Real Catholic put out on the deconstruction of the Mass & how it is led to the downfall of our faith...if you are at interested in a comprehensive history of the Church post Vatican II, here it is!! 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fpG2sQg_fg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8P0JcvsMgE&feature=related

Pope Pius XII

"The roots of modern apostasy lay in scientifci atheism, dialectical materialism, rationalism, illuminism, laicism, and Freemasonry; which is the mother of the all...."

I think Mr. Santorum Needs Our Prayers

This "regular guy" (so he truly seems) who has lived through personal tragedy and currently is dealing with a VERY ill child...when one has lived through these things, there isn't ANYTHING that human's can throw at you that you can't handle...BUT what with how evil his opposition has been treating him...he needs our support.  He is edging out Romney as of this past week...if he keeps this up we MAY get a Catholic candidate...and so far, what I have seen, he seems like the real deal...even willing to tick off some "misled" Bishop's...good for him!! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=X9Is_zQDSfE

Also Voris on Santorum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9-0aCDYDbnA#!

OK...there has been enough explaination of it...

Now here Integrated Catholic gives us concrete steps of wat WE can do about it....the new HHS mandate that is

http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2012/02/deacon-bickerstaff-hhs-mandate-made-simple/

The explaination of the great divide....

Voris here explains all the different "camps" of Catholicism & how without unity we only strengthen evil....can you guess what "camp" I'm in??  HA!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vkH6RsHDwWI

More On the Contraception Mandate

More Voris on the current contraception mandate & the tough spot the Church finds Herself in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lXl2Y51c8G8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0ITGfUzoezk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-EzQB9R_6A&feature=player_embedded#!

A Bishop's Tesitimony on the Healthcare debate

I find it horrendous that one of our good Bishop's even has to explain himself in terms like this over our grave situation in the American Catholic Church BUT....this is a great & simple way to illustrate the current situation going on with our politicians...Catholic's & our beliefs are so reviled that we need to use our Jewish friends as the example to better understand our situation...please pray.  I believe I have to come to a decision of what & where to direct all of my Lenten sacrifices this year.  Please pray for the Church & pray for all the good Bishop's trying to right this horrible wrong. 

Testimony of Most Reverend William E. Lori Bishop of Bridgeport

On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

United States House of Representatives

February 16, 2012

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Committee, for the opportunity to testify today. For my testimony today, I would like to tell a story. Let’s call it, “The Parable of the Kosher Deli.” Once upon a time, a new law is proposed, so that any business that serves food must serve pork. There is a narrow exception for kosher catering halls attached to synagogues, since they serve mostly members of that synagogue, but kosher delicatessens are still subject to the mandate.

The Orthodox Jewish community—whose members run kosher delis and many other restaurants and grocers besides—expresses its outrage at the new government mandate. And they are joined by others who have no problem eating pork—not just the many Jews who eat pork, but people of all faiths—because these others recognize the threat to the principle of religious liberty. They recognize as well the practical impact of the damage to that principle. They know that, if the mandate stands, they might be the next ones forced—under threat of severe government sanction—to violate their most deeply held beliefs, especially their unpopular beliefs.  Meanwhile, those who support the mandate respond, “But pork is good for you. It is, after all, the other white meat.” Other supporters add, “So many Jews eat pork, and those who don’t should just get with the times.” Still others say, "Those Orthodox are just trying to impose their beliefs on everyone else.”

But in our hypothetical, those arguments fail in the public debate, because people widely recognize the following. First, although people may reasonably debate whether pork is good for you, that’s not the question posed by the nationwide pork mandate. Instead, the mandate generates the question whether people who believe—even if they believe in error—that pork is not good for you, should be forced by government to serve pork within their very own institutions. In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no. Second, the fact that some (or even most) Jews eat pork is simply irrelevant. The fact remains that some Jews do not—and they do not out of their most deeply held religious convictions. Does the fact that large majorities in society—even large majorities within the protesting religious community—reject a particular religious belief make it permissible for the government to weigh in on one side of 

that dispute? Does it allow government to punish that minority belief with its coercive power? In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no. Third, the charge that the Orthodox Jews are imposing their beliefs on others has it exactly backwards. Again, the question generated by a government mandate is whether the government will impose its belief that eating pork is good on objecting Orthodox Jews. Meanwhile, there is no imposition at all on the freedom of those who want to eat pork. That is, they are subject to no government interference at all in their choice to eat pork, and pork is ubiquitous and cheap, available at the overwhelming majority of restaurants and grocers. Indeed, some pork producers and retailers, and even the government itself, are so eager to promote the eating of pork, that they sometimes give pork away for free.In this context, the question is this: can a customer come to a kosher deli, demand to be served a ham sandwich, and if refused, bring down severe government sanction on the deli. In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no.

So in our hypothetical story, because the hypothetical nation is indeed committed to religious liberty and diversity, these arguments carry the day. In response, those proposing the new law claim to hear and understand the concerns of kosher deli owners, and offer them a new “accommodation.” You are free to call yourself a kosher deli; you are free not to place ham sandwiches on your menu; you are free not to be the person to prepare the sandwich and hand it over the counter to the customer. But we will force your meat supplier to set up a kiosk on your premises, and to offer, prepare, and serve ham sandwiches to all of your customers, free of charge to them. And when you get your monthly bill from your meat supplier, it will include the cost of any of the “free” ham sandwiches that your customers may accept. And you will, of course, be required to pay that bill.

Some who supported the deli owners initially began to celebrate the fact that ham sandwiches didn’t need to be on the menu, and didn’t need to be prepared or served by the deli itself. But on closer examination, they noticed three troubling things. First, all kosher delis will still be forced to pay for the ham sandwiches. Second, many of the kosher delis’ meat suppliers, themselves, are forbidden in conscience from offering, preparing, or serving pork to anyone. Third, there are many kosher delis that are their own meat supplier, so the mandate to offer, prepare, and serve the ham sandwich still falls on them.

This story has a happy ending. The government recognized that it is absurd for someone to come into a kosher deli and demand a ham sandwich; that it is beyond absurd for that private demand to be backed with the coercive power of the state; that it is downright surreal to apply this coercive power when the customer can get the same sandwich cheaply, or even free, just a few doors down.

The question before the United States government—right now—is whether the story of our own Church institutions that serve the public, and that are threatened by the HHS mandate, will end happily too. Will our nation continue to be one committed to religious liberty and diversity? We urge, in the strongest possible terms, that the answer must be yes. We urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to answer the same way.

Thank you for your attention.

Look What I Found!

So it struck me HARD this morning that Lent is upon is in FIVE days.  I was thinking to myself..."how could it have snuck up on me so quietly & quickly this year..." and then set about a way to rectify my increasing forgetfulness problem...and thought 'how am I going to keep myself better aware?'....so I went in search of an on-line, Catholic Calendar and look what I found?
This AWESOME website will e-mail me daily with the Catholic calendar, the readings of the day, feast days in a snapshot kind of scenario....it is also chock full of OTHER useful information of the Catholic cycles, it explains why our Church is adorned in certain colors during the different times and celebrations of the year...I just LOVE it...I hope you do too.

http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/calendar/index.php

The War on Catholicism...

Catholics...the gauntlet has been thrown by our politicians! The American Catholic Church is on life support & the Church is suffering all over the world because as goes America, as in so many other scenarios, so goes the rest of the world.

Folks we MUST, I repeat MUST assist our GOOD priests, bishops and our beloved Pope in the purifying of the Church. I think so often about the moral decay of society & how rapidly it spirals ever deeper. 

The Catholic Church has hobbled itself since the 1960’s.  By falling silent since the sexual revolution and the widespread acceptance of contraceptives in attempt to become more “accepting” of modern culture which has failed in its attempt to keep people in the pews, it HAS left whole generations of Catholics confused & lackluster for the faith.  She has lost almost all of her credibility and moral authority in America by this poorly devised plan.

Mother Mary forewarned us at Fatima (1917) that sexual sins would bring great suffering on the Church and with the ushering in the contraceptive nation, legalized abortion, the societal elevation of the homosexual community, the sexual deviants WITHIN the Church, trivializing the importance of marriage which has resulted in 50+% ending in divorce has ALL resulted in the destruction of the traditional family & horrendous drops in the number of births that cannot even keep up with replacement levels needed to keep up with our economy, gigantic aging population & ever growing tax burdens.  

Listen here to Voris speaking clear as a bell on this issue (on these TWO videos) & how our assistance AND acceptance of the political machine that the Catholic Church cannot even protect faithful Catholics we must all be a part of taking our AUTHENTIC Church back learning our faith, evangelizing it and support the GOOD Bishop’s when they are brave enough to speak out about these atrocities.  God bless us & God bless the Catholic Church.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dtRM3E3uoPo#!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ekFX370kE-Y#!

You cannot BE Catholic & VOTE for Pro-Abortionists...

Although, I TOTALLY agree with Rahe from YESTERDAY'S article which points out so well, that since the American Catholic Church has been so accepting of our ever growing, over reacing Government for decades now by promoting the immoral act of the re-distribution of wealth under the guise of "charity" & "social justice", for the American Catholic Church NOW to attempt to hold any public position of  credibility on the current debate of Catholic institutions government forced acceptance (and PAYMENT) of abortions & contraceptives is just too little too late...I am in complete support of the GOOD Bishop's who are trying to wage the just fight for what is right.  Can we right the ship?  I am unsure BUT I AM SURE we cannot vote for politicians who are in direct opposition of our moral & Catholic positions.  PLEASE Catholics...please VOTE CATHOLIC (for we are Catholic before we are ANYTHING else) in November.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/catholic-bishops-obamas-contraception-mandate-change-unacceptable/

This is an AMAZING piece by Paul Rahe....

I urge you to read this piece!!!  Paul Rahe is a historian at the Hillsdale College and wrote this harsh reality piece about the American Catholic Church & its history in this country.  SO VERY worth your time & couldn't be more on the money in my humble opinion.

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/American-Catholicism-s-Pact-With-the-Devil

I LOVE THIS!! So cute....What Catholic Girls Say

This is from the FABULOUS campus of  Fransiscan University (what an authentic Catholic collge)

Thank you my friend...this is too cute...enjoy everyone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6-55Tgurvw

I Really Like This One

Here is Voris from "Real Catholic"once again driving home the beauty and truthfulness of our faith & how we have the right to have authentic Catholicism in our lives and how no one can take it away from us. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCs8hjXOOgM&feature=player_embedded

The Most Holy Eucharist

Folks, as I have mentioned on numerous occassions, please, please, please consider receiving Communion on your tongue at the VERY least!  Please stop the American practice of receiving in the hand.  Some say they are embarrassed to make the change back because everyone else receives in the hand.  Folks, this is the TRUE PRESENCE OF BODY OF CHRIST...is it really a matter of peer pressure?  One of the video's below explains exactly why we should...the other is Cardinal Burke once again reiterating the Holy Father's plea...
My Dad always told me "be a leader, not a follower" I'm passing along a wise mans words to you...be a witness to your children, family & friends.  If you did it, others may follow. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzsyuytMlQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYqdGzBrmlA

Ever Virgin IMMACULATE Mary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6j5GSVL0nSo

WE MUST LEARN OUR TRADITIONAL FAITH!

I cut & pasted this article below from "The Catholic World Report" from November 1, 2011.  As this good Bishop Sample explains here, most post Vatican II Catholics don't know, what they don't know.  We have been victims of a grave injustice and we have a moral obligation to ourselves and our children to be TRUE & HONEST stewards of the faith.  We must take the time to learn our faith and stop perpetuating the sins we all have been spreading due to the woeful lack of education we have about Catholic Church and our beautiful religion.  

Take a read!

Bishop Alexander Sample, 50, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his ordination and installation as bishop of Marquette, on Michigan’s upper peninsula. At the time of his episcopal ordination, he was the youngest Catholic bishop in the US, and the first to be born in the 1960s.

Sample was born in Montana and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, and attended Catholic schools there. Although he had thought about a vocation to the priesthood while growing up, he initially decided to pursue a career in engineering.

His family moved to Michigan, where he attended college. “I immediately fell in love with the upper peninsula of Michigan,” he recalled. “I loved the beautiful country and the people.”

After earning his BS and MS degrees in engineering, Sample opted to go to seminary.“I was more prayerful than many of my peers,” he remarked. “That opened me up to the action of the Holy Spirit.”

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Marquette in 1990, and filled a variety of diocesan positions, including serving simultaneously as pastor of three small parishes, before being ordained bishop of the diocese.

Marquette is a rural diocese; surrounded by three of the Great Lakes, much of it is wooded, and it is known for its cold winters. It has 50,000 Catholics, 94 parishes and missions, and 53 priests, many of whom must serve multiple parishes. Local industries include mining, lumber, and tourism, but much of the area is economically depressed, especially in the current recession.

Although a young bishop, Bishop Sample has been outspoken in his defense of Church teaching. In 2009, for example, he asked Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, retired auxiliary bishop of Detroit, not to speak in the Marquette diocese because of his dissenting views on such issues as homosexuality and the ordination of women. He also condemned the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama, calling the move “unconscionable” and “completely out of step with the Catholic Church’s teaching.”

Bishop Sample recently spoke to CWR.

You’ve said that when you made the decision to enter the seminary and pursue ordination to the priesthood, you never doubted your vocation, but others close to you did.

Bishop Sample: I never doubted my call to the priesthood. From the time I decided to enter the seminary, I felt a great peace. There were those who opposed my decision, including my father and my college professors. And, since I was ordained a priest, I have loved and enjoyed my life ever since.

My father knew I had pondered the idea of a vocation, but wanted me to become an engineer. He was proud of me, as were my college professors, and he thought I’d put the idea of a vocation out of my head.

Also, I was his only son. My grandfather was Alexander I, my father Alexander II, and I was Alexander III. He wanted me to carry on the family legacy, and hoped there would be an Alexander IV.

When I announced my decision to him, he was unpleasantly surprised. He was cool to the idea. I had been living and studying at home, so we went through some rough months.

But he had a spiritual experience that led him to change his mind. He loved boats, and had one on Lake Superior. He was out boating, and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise. As he watched it, he realized that God had given him many good things in life. He had a good family, enjoyed financial success, and survived his first battle with cancer.

He realized that God had blessed him in many ways. He also realized that God was asking him, in return, to give him his only son as a priest. He returned from the trip and immediately called me down to the dock to talk to him. He shared his experience and said, “If this is what you believe God is calling you to do in your life, then I’m behind you 100 percent.”

From that moment on, he became my biggest supporter. He’d write me every week in the seminary to encourage me. His cancer returned, unfortunately. He made it to my ordination to the diaconate in 1989. In fact, he skipped a chemotherapy treatment to be there. I think he knew he wouldn’t make my ordination to the priesthood, however. He died a couple of months later.

Although he couldn’t be with us physically for my ordination to the priesthood in 1990, since he was with God, I like to say he had the best seat in the house.

What sort of growth has the Diocese of Marquette experienced in recent years?

Bishop Sample: Sadly, our Catholic population has been declining. The number of those regularly going to Mass has declined, and so has the income we’ve received in our parishes. We struggle to keep some of our small parish communities going.

There are two reasons why this has happened. The first is demographics in our region; there is a decline in the number of young people in the Upper Peninsula, especially due to the poor economy in Michigan. Young people can’t find work, so they leave the area in search of jobs to support their families.

Additionally, here in Marquette we’ve experienced what they’ve experienced in other parts of the country: some of our Catholic people are drifting away from the faith. They are not well formed in the faith and have been swayed by a secular culture. They don’t see religious values as important.

Is the use of contraception a factor?

Bishop Sample: Absolutely. Not everyone wants to talk about it, but that is a clear factor in the decline of the Catholic community. When I speak to my pastors, I hear them ask, “Where are the children?” We’re struggling to keep our Catholic school population up. This is true in our public schools as well.

My pastors want to have flourishing schools, but the children just aren’t there to fill them. Couples are using artificial contraceptives to limit the size of their families, and sterilization is also becoming a common practice. Families think they have the number of children they want, and then close off any further openness to life that God might want to bring into their family.

You’ve said that, to your pleasant surprise, scandalous behavior by a few members of the clergy, rather than being the end of the priesthood, has led to a time of transformation and renewal. Can you explain?

Bishop Sample: I’ve been involved in priest personnel work for many years. For nearly a decade, I was Marquette’s chancellor and director of ministry personnel services. I was the point-man when it came to dealing with issues of clerical sexual abuse. In 2002, when the priestly scandals were erupting, we were already struggling with vocations. I thought—this is going to be the death blow for vocations. What young man in this climate is going to give his life to the priesthood?

I was completely surprised. Many young men—wholesome, faith-filled, zealous men—stepped forward to become a part of the solution, to rebuild the Church. They wanted to be a part of the renewal of the priesthood. That’s remarkable. It’s a work of the Holy Spirit.

I think we’re on the verge of a new Pentecost, which has to start with the priesthood. In the parish, it is the pastor that sets the tone. I tell my priests—as goes the head, so goes the body. The priest ministers to the Church in persona Christi capitis, in the person of Christ, the head.

Jesus is the head of his body, the Church. The priest ministers in the person of Christ, the head. And if the head is holy, strong, zealous, and fervent, strong in faith, hope, and love, then that will help lead and guide the rest of the body, the Church.

I’m excited. I recently ordained two fine young men to the priesthood. They’re excited. They’re ready to go. They want to be priests and serve Christ and his people. All the men we have in the seminary are an inspiration to me for the future of the Church.

Who are some priests you especially admire?

Bishop Sample: I consider myself a John Paul II priest and bishop. Blessed John Paul II was a great influence on and inspiration to me.

As I was discerning my vocation, I thought about the direction in which the Church was heading. I lived through the late 60s and 70s when there was so much confusion, upheaval, and experimentation, both in our culture and in the Church. I needed to know where the Church was going before I could climb onboard and give my life as a priest.

Pope John Paul II burst on the scene. He was a dynamic and personable leader for the Church. I confess—I’m half Polish, and I took great pride that he was from Poland. He had great zeal and enthusiasm, and spoke boldly on matters of faith and morals in the face of a culture that rejected the very moral values that the Church had always upheld. I was pleased to attend his beatification in Rome earlier this year.

I also admire Pope Benedict. While serving as a cardinal he was unfairly portrayed as harsh. Anyone who knows Pope Benedict knows him to be a humble, spiritual, and kind man.

I am pleased with what Pope Benedict is doing in regards to liturgy. I agree with the Holy Father’s efforts to bring about a “reform of the reform.”

I am also inspired by other bishop leaders, such as Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York and Archbishop Charles Chaput [now of Philadelphia]. Archbishop Dolan has a great love for the Church and the priesthood; Archbishop Chaput has been courageous in asserting that the Church has a right to have a voice in the public square. Cardinal Raymond Burke is also an inspiration. Like Pope Benedict, he has been unfairly characterized in the media as harsh, but what he does comes from a deep faith. He loves the Lord and loves the people. He wants to help us all on the road to salvation.

You’ve described yourself as a member of “the first lost generation of poor catechesis,” which“raised up another generation that is equally uncatechized.” What’s wrong with catechesis and what have you done to help solve the problem?

Bishop Sample: My generation was the first in the wake of Vatican II. While I certainly don’t blame the Council, much upheaval occurred in the Church in its aftermath. Culturally, society was experiencing the sexual revolution, the women’s liberation movement, and the anti-war movement, among others. There was an anti-authoritarian spirit.

In this time of great confusion, catechesis suffered. We booted the Baltimore Catechism out the door, but there wasn’t anything to replace it. I was taught the faith in Catholic schools using materials that were weak and insubstantial. I wasn’t being taught my faith. The liturgy suffered from experimentation as well.

When I speak about this publicly, invariably people of my generation come up to me to agree with what I’m saying. This includes many bishops.

My generation raised up the next generation. Since we weren’t taught the faith, we raised children who weren’t either.

We need a renewal in catechesis. I feel passionately about this. In my Diocese of Marquette, I directed the development of a diocesan curriculum for faith formation for grades K-8. It is a solid, substantive, systematic, and sequential curriculum, which builds from one year to the next. It is topical, based on the pillars of the catechism. Every parish is expected to follow this curriculum.

Now I’m turning my attention toward adult faith formation. If we can get catechesis and the liturgy right, we’ll be well on our way to the renewal and growth of the Church for which we hope.

You recently released a pastoral letter on the diaconate. What concerns led you to write such a letter?

Bishop Sample: I didn’t have a concern about the permanent diaconate, but a great interest in seeing the program prosper and grow in a way would help build up the Body of Christ. There needed to be a clear, common understanding of what the ministry of the permanent deacon is.

I formed a study group, which included many deacons, and the fruit of the study was summarized in the pastoral letter. I’m disappointed that the media chose to focus on one small part of the letter, the question of the deacon preaching at Mass [he should preach rarely, according to the letter].

The basic point of the letter is that the deacon, through his sacred ordination, is configured to Christ sacramentally as Christ the servant. The priest or bishop through ordination is configured to Christ the priest. The deacon isn’t ordained unto priesthood, but unto service. He is configured to Christ as the servant of all.

What concerns do you have regarding the Church and the public square?

Bishop Sample: I have two grave moral concerns, in the areas of the protection of innocent human life and the defense of traditional marriage. As a society, we must take steps to protect the unborn, and also the elderly and handicapped. And, since marriage and family are the basic unit of society, the health of society rests on the health of marriage and family life. Anything which threatens either of these is seriously destructive.

What is a basic program of spirituality you recommend to the faithful?

Bishop Sample: That is a good and important question. I emphasize the importance of a strong sacramental life, especially participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I recommend frequent reception of the sacrament of penance; the fall-off in its use worries me greatly. We priests and bishops need to preach often about the importance of confession and be available to hear confessions.

It’s important that we learn to pray on a deep level, not just vocal but mental prayer and contemplation. We’re so busy in our lives and the world is so noisy; we need to learn to be quiet and listen. We need to develop a personal, deep relationship with the Lord and pour our hearts out to him in prayer.

And, we need to stay close to the Lord as part of the Body of Christ, the Church. This means being part of the local Church under the diocesan bishop, being docile to the word of God and humbly accepting the teachings of the Church.

The Inquisition-The Myth

I love when "Real Catholic" takes the the time to make these specials on certain topics.  Please take a few moments to learn the REAL history of the Inquisition instead of the lies that we hear from so many of the haters.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18EderfKDOM&feature=player_embedded#!

Me, Me, Me Please...pick me!

Yes Michael, I would be one of those people....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z2-GEIWIurA

AMEN!!!!

This is such GREAT & HOPEFUL news for Catholic's...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=305DZ74APXo