Catholic Fire

Tonight, I watched Cheaper by the Dozen 2 , the sequel to the 2003 film. In this film, America's favorite movie family -- the Bakers -- return to the big screen. Only this time, they're going toe-to-toe against another clan in the ultimate inter-family battle. The entire Cheaper by the Dozen cast reunites, including Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Hillary Duff, Tom Welling and Piper Perabo, and they're joined by a new family, headed by Eugene Levy. Bigger scale, more laughs, ramped-up action –- and lots of heart –- are the hallmarks of the Bakers' new adventure. In Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Tom Baker (Steve Martin), a football coach, and wife Kate, a novelist, hoping for one last hurrah before the children go their separate ways, take their 12 offspring for a vacation at the Bakers' favorite getaway spot: Lake Winnetka. "It'll be just like old times – one more time," Tom promises. Instead, the vacation resurrects the longtime feud between Tom and Jimmy Murtau...

December 30, 2005 Catholic League president Bill Donohue released the following comments today on “South Park”: “Several news stories today are reporting on the decision by Comedy Central to pull a scheduled rerun of the ‘Bloody Mary’ episode that was shown on ‘South Park’ on December 7-10. The decision reflects what I asked for in our news release of December 8. Therefore, I commend Comedy Central for finally making the right decision. That it aired in the first place, however, does not speak well for the bigots responsible for creating it. "In our December 8 news release, I also said, ‘Remember, they chose to insult Our Blessed Mother on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, and the holy day itself.’ The episode in question featured a statue of the Virgin Mary spraying blood from her vagina. It was one of the most vile TV shows ever to appear, and that is why I asked Joseph Califano, a practicing Catholic and member of Viacom’s board of directors (Viacom is the parent company o...

I was tagged for the weird habits meme by Barb, the SFO Mom . I really don't mind doing this because having been a psychologist, I know that all people have their little idiosyncrasies. I enjoy mine -- they make me unique. Rules: "The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits of yourself," and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don't forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says "You are tagged" (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours." 1. I don't like to wear shoes and socks around the house. As soon as I am able to sit down when I get home, I take off my shoes and socks and either put on my sandals or go barefoot. 2. Before I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I like to write my sins down on a piece of note pa...

Albany, NY (LifeNews.com) -- The state of New York is attempting to stifle a lawsuit seeking to make “Choose Life” license plates available. Although the lawsuit cites the free speech protection of the first amendment, New York Assistant Solicitor General Jennifer Grace Miller told the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals that the statement “Choose Life” could lead to road rage. Judge Dennis Jacobs agreed, suggesting that allowing the phrase could open the door to messages from extremist groups. “If you win, then white supremacist organizations and the Ku Klux Klan can have license plates,” said Judge Jacobs. “There'd be a lot of road rage following that.” "This case should be of great interest and concern to all New Yorkers, whether they are pro-life or not, because New York has always vigorously defended freedom of speech and equal treatment under the law for every citizen, not just some, " said Dr. Elizabeth Rex, President of The Children First Foundation. "What is utterl...

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Cheap Monday jeans are a hot commodity among young Swedes thanks to their trendy tight fit and low price, even if a few buyers are turned off by the logo: a skull with a cross turned upside down on its forehead. Logo designer Bjorn Atldax says he's not just trying for an antiestablishment vibe. "It is an active statement against Christianity," Atldax told The Associated Press. "I'm not a Satanist myself, but I have a great dislike for organized religion." The label's makers say it's more of a joke, but Atldax insists his graphic designs have a purpose beyond selling denim: to make young people question Christianity, a "force of evil" that he blames for sparking wars throughout history. In more religious countries, that might raise a furious response, maybe even prompt retailers to drop the brand. Not in Sweden, a secular country that cherishes its free speech and where churchgoing has been declining for decades. Che...

The Example of Nazareth Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him. Here we can learn to realize who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief, everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel. How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the less...

No, not mine. Congratulations Papa Familias on the birth of your gift from God -- a new son -- Charles Joseph Lu! What a beautiful baby!

Jay Leno Howard Dean said that we can’t win in Iraq. And if anybody knows about not winning, it’s the Democrats. The White House announced they sent out 1.4 million Christmas cards this year. When Bill Clinton was president, he sent out twice that number of cards. Of course, that was for Valentine’s Day. Hillary Clinton visited President Bush last week in the White House. She was there measuring the drapes. Iraqi officials have announced that they captured al Zarkawi and then accidentally let him go! They let a crazed killer go. We would never do that in America. Okay other than O.J. and Robert Blake. Letterman The sidewalk Santa’s are out. I was walking down the street today and I saw one. I threw some change into the kettle and he yells at me, "Thanks for ruining the soup!” During this transit strike, New Yorkers are pitching in and helping each other out. In fact today over at Time Square the traffic was being directed by a giant ape. King Kong” opens tonight. As a result the t...

Dawn Eden has an excellent post on Planned Parenthood -- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Sanger. At Open Book, Amy Wellborne reveals shocking information about abortion happenings in Europe in her post EU to Doctors: Abort or Else . Paul at Thoughts of a Regular Guy has an excellent post entitled If You Don't Like Abortion...

St. Thomas Becket was born in London in 1118 and became a close friend of King Henry II At age thirty-six, Thomas warned the King against recommending him for Archbishop of Canterbury, as conflicts over Church issues would certainly be unavoidable. With a Cardinal's insistence Thomas accepted the office. He was ordained a priest and then a bishop. He immediately led a more austere and spiritual lifestyle and devoted himself to the interests of the Church. To the King's displeasure he gave up his office as chancellor. Soon the new Archbishop found himself opposing policies of the King. Conflicts reached a crisis point when in 1164 the King demanded assent to the Constitutions of Clarendon, which brought back customs of the past that were contrary to the law of the Church and the practice of the papacy. Thomas gave in for a short time but then he opposed the King. Facing threats of death or imprisonment Thomas fled to France where Pope Alexander III was residing. Together they tr...

Man is the masterpiece of God's creation, and when a chld is conceived, "God already sees the future of that still-unformed embryo," Pope Benedict XVI said at his public audience on December 28. God recognizes a human being even when the unborn child "is not visible to the eyes of other men," the Holy Father told the 20,000 people who gathered in St. Peter's Square. The Pope's meditation, based on Psalm 138, also reflected his thoughts on the feast of the Holy Innocents. Psalm 138 extols the power of God the creator, and his knowledge not only of the past and present, "but also the entire range hidden by the future," the Pope observed. God knows and loves the smallest of his creatures, and sees every human being as the finest product of his handiwork, he continued. He added that this theme is particularly appropriate for reflection during the Christmas season, as the world celebrates the God who was "made man for our salvation." At th...

Over the past two hundred and thirty years or so, the ten Americans I consider to be best include: 1. George Washington – As the “Father of this County”, he played a central role in the founding of the United States. He endured great sacrifices for his country and demonstrated strong leadership and perseverance in the midst of great hardships. He had a strong faith in God, spoke often of the value of prayer, righteousness, and seeking and offering thanks for the "blessings of Heaven". Washington was a man of great personal integrity, with a deeply held sense of duty, honor and patriotism. He was courageous and farsighted, holding the Continental Army together through eight hard years of war and numerous privations, sometimes by sheer force of will. Washington peacefully relinquished the presidency to John Adams after serving two terms in office – thus, establishing limits for serving as President. This was a very unselfish act and is seen as one of Washington's most impo...

After completing the task of naming the Ten Worst Americans which was proposed by Alexandra of All Things Beautiful, I would like to challenge the blogosphere to an even more difficult task -- to name The Ten Best Americans in the past 200 or so years. This will challenge the intellect I am sure, so I am going to ponder on this one for awhile before I put anything down in writing. A few names are coming to mind, but only a few at this point in time, as it is the worst ones we hear about daily in our media and it seems to be those who are most evil attract the most attention. Those mentioned might be models for our future citizens -- someone you would want your children to emulate.

We read in Matthew 2 that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod, fearing for his throne, ordered that all the male infants of Bethlehem, two years old and under, be killed. These children are regarded as martyrs for the Gospel. St. Augustine called them "buds, killed by the frost of persecution the moment they showed themselves." Since the sixth century, the Church has celebrated the feast day of these innocent martyrs on December 26th. In modern times, we have our own "holy innocents" -- those children who are killed daily in the place that should be the safest and most protective environment of all for them -- their mother's wombs. On this day, we recall the over 45 million children in our country alone (since 1973) and the vast number of children throughout the world who have been killed under the insane laws permitting abortion, which is a horrific crime. Let us pray daily for an end to this tragedy and offer a novena for the protection of the unborn ...

Alexandra of All Things Beautiful has proposed a challenge to the Blogosphere: to name 'The Ten Worst Americans' in the last 230 odd years. Normally, I don't care to point out the sins of others and prefer to look for the good in people, but I think such a list is useful in the sense that through it, we can identify people who are most in need of our prayers. In addition, compiling such a list will be useful to show future generations what not to do. 1. Bill Clinton -- a disgrace to the office of President; His blatant lies, numerous adulterous relationships, overall immorality, and irresponsible actions and decisions, which reportedly led to the deaths of thousands of people, qualify him as one of the worst Americans of all time. And, of course, he was and still is a big supporter of the culture of death. He was truly the worst American President we have ever had. 2. Hillary Clinton -- a total disgrace as the first lady; Her immoral actions (lies, manipulative behavior, ...

Recently, WorldNetDaily Managing Editor David Kupelian, author of the best-selling book, "The Marketing of Evil," was widely quoted in the news media for his criticism of the new film "Brokeback Mountain ." Here, Kupelian explains how and why the controversial movie is one of the most powerful homosexual propaganda films of our time.

The number of abortions carried out in Spain has risen by almost three quarters in the past decade but the figure remains low by European standards, the country's health ministry said. In 2004 the total reached 84,985, up by 6.5 percent on 2003 (79,788) et 72 percent on 1995 (49,367), it reported. This is shocking, considering Spain is a predominantly Catholic country.

Today is the feast day of my Community -- the feast of St. John, the Apostle. St. John is also my patron saint and the saint I try most to emulate in my daily life. St. John, a fisherman, the son of Zebedee, and the brother of St. James the Great, was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public ministry, and he travelled everywhere with Him. St. John is known as the Beloved Disciple, the Apostle of Love. Why was he identified in this way? John loved Jesus greatly, and he demonstrated a meek, mild, tender, humble, and peaceable disposition that made him very much like Our Lord himself. Also, his singular privilege of chastity, his virginal purity rendered him worthy of this more particular love. As St. Augustine explains, "He was chosen by our Lord, a virgin, and he always remained such. Christ was pleased to choose a virgin for his mother, a virgin for his precursor, and a virgin for his favorite disciple. His church suffers only those who live perfectly ch...

Here's a heart-melting one to check out.

Springfield, IL (LifeNews.com) -- The number of abortions in Illinois has reached a 31 year low and continues to decline steadily. The latest figures from the state health department show 41,577 abortions in 2004, a two percent decrease from the 42,228 that were done in 2003. In 1973, 32,760 abortions were performed in Illinois, and the number has never been that low since. Now, 2004 marks the second lowest total since that year when the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision ushering in an era of virtually unlimited abortions. As with previous years, more than half of all abortions in Illinois took place in Chicago's Cook County. [Entire Story]

To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; To seek Him, the greatest adventure; To find Him, the greatest human achievement. ~St. Augustine

A number of Catholic cardinals have warned Italian women against mixed marriages with the rising number of Muslims in the country. Church officials say that as Italy's Muslim population touches the one million mark, some 20,000 mixed marriages took place this year alone. That is an increase of around 10% on last year. The Catholic Church's official position is to encourage dialogue between Rome and other religions, including Islam. The late Pope John Paul II was the first pope in history to pray in a mosque, when he visited Damascus. His successor, Benedict XVI, has insisted that he is also keen to promote religious and cultural dialogue with the Islamic world. But two documents published in Rome have called for extreme caution by Catholic women contemplating marriage to a Muslim. Criticism In one, issued by the Vatican last year, a Vatican cardinal, Stephen Hamao, wrote about what he called the "bitter experiences" that European women have had in marrying Muslims. Th...

For the Church, Christmas and Easter are celebrated with an octave of rejoicing. An octave is eight days of celebrating with the same joy that marked the first day. So, for us as believers, Christmas is not just one day. The Octave of Christmas begins with Christmas day and ends after the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Then the liturgical calendar focuses on the next immediate Sunday, counting off days before and after it: Epiphany. Epiphany commemorates the recognition of Jesus as the Son of God by the three Wise Men (and by extension, by all nations). The season of Christmas ends on the Monday after the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, which signifies the purification of the world, through Christ himself.

St. Stephen was one of the first deacons and the first Christian martyr. In Acts 6:5 seven men were selected and specially ordained by the Apostles to take care of the temporal relief of the poorer members. Of these seven, Stephen, is the first deacon mentioned and the best known. The Church had, by selecting him for a deacon, publicly acknowledged him as a man "of good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). He was "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost" (vi, 5), "full of grace and fortitude." Certain Jews, members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedmen, debated with Stephen but proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke. They persuaded others to make the charge of blasphemy against him. He was seized and carried before the Sanhedrin. Stephen spoke to the crowd and recalled the mercies of God towards Israel during its long history and of the ungratefulness by which, throughout, Israel repaid these mercies. “[Y]ou alw...

Here is a translation of the Holy Father's Christmas Day message: "I bring you good news of a great joy … for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). Last night we heard once more the Angel's message to the shepherds, and we experienced anew the atmosphere of that holy night, Bethlehem Night, when the Son of God became man, was born in a lowly stable and dwelt among us. On this solemn day, the Angel's proclamation rings out once again, inviting us, the men and women of the third millennium, to welcome the Savior. May the people of today's world not hesitate to let him enter their homes, their cities, their nations, everywhere on earth! In the millennium just past, and especially in the last centuries, immense progress was made in the areas of technology and science. Today we can dispose of vast material resources. But the men and women in our technological age risk becoming victims of their own intellectua...

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO!

Pilgrims and tourists from around the world flocked to attend Benedict's first Christmas as Pope. In his homily at Christmas Midnight Mass, the Holy Father stated: "Where there is love, light shines forth in the world; where there is hatred, the world remains in darkness. The light of Bethlehem has never been extinguished. In every age it has touched men and women, it has shone around them." Pope Benedict recounted the Christmas story of Christ's birth in a stable in Bethlehem and asked Catholics not to forget that the true meaning of Christmas was the "inner light" radiating from the Child Jesus. "Let us keep this light-giving flame from being extinguished by the cold winds of our time!" he said. He urged his listeners to help to end conflicts and misunderstandings wherever they were found. "Let us strive to be active heralds of his peace in the world of today," he said. "Christ gives himself to us and, in doing so, gives us his pea...

My prayers are with each one of you for a blessed and holy Christmas. In the love of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Jean M. Heimann

It is urgent that we strive to re-Christianize holidays and popular customs. It is urgent to keep the public from being faced with the dilemma: either overpious or pagan. Ask our Lord to provide laborers for this urgent work which could be called the "holiday apostolate.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, 975.

The Virgin Mother kneels upon the floor And holds her baby in her arm, Her heart is gladder than her lips can say, To keep her new born baby snug and warm, A babe more sweet and fair and dear Than any rose bud in the bright sunshine, Whose little eyes look straight into her own, O, blessed maid, God's son is also thine. Twas holy midnight, when He came to earth: As pours a sun ray through a limpid glass, Not leaving any mark upon its face; A drop of dew upon the fresh green grass, A little star that fell upon her lap, A cooing babe, that seeks her virgin breast. The hopes of all the sin-cursed world Upon this baby's eyelids rest. And ever since the midnight hour is holy, And millions of human hearts are stirred To wonderment and love for Him who came, To save the world, God's own incarnate Word. He came in darkness, He who was The Light, His godhead shone from clear blue baby eyes, The curse of earth's first sin was lifted then, That midnight hour reopened paradise. Fre...

'Twas the night before Jesus came And all through the house Not a creature was praying, Not one in the house. Their Bibles were lain On the shelf without care... In hopes that Jesus would not come there. The children were dressing to crawl into bed, Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head. And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap. When out of the East there arose such a clatter, I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash! When what to my wondering eyes should appear But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here. With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray, I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY! The light of His face made me cover my head It was Jesus! returning just like He had said. And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth, I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself. In the Book of Life which He held in His hand Was written the nam...

After three and one half months, we have it -- a contract. Our house in IL is sold! Praise the Lord -- Glory Hallelujah! Thank you all for your prayers.

Bethlehem, Dec. 23 (AsiaNews) - "For 36 years I traveled the world representing the Holy See, but nowhere have I felt the presence of God so close than inside the Nativity grotto." Those were the words of Archbishop Pietro Sambi-- the former apostolic nuncio in the Holy Land, newly appointed to be the Pope's representative in the US-- in a Christmas meditation released through the AsiaNews service. "From a human point of view, being surrounded by an 8-meter (27-foot) wall, and the great hardship it imposes, are certainly no way to celebrate Christmas for it literally closes off one’s horizons," the Vatican diplomat said, in a reference to the Israeli "security wall" that surrounds Bethlehem and has severely curbed tourism and pilgrimages. But he continued: "However even here, when we kneel before God made man we must pull down the wall of selfishness and open up to others…. In this sense I wish everyone could humbly kneel before the Child of Bethl...

My friend, Nancy, a Catholic freelance writer, has her new blog up. You can check it out at www.patchesofblog.blog.com .

Today is the second anniversary of my blog. The first year, I was just getting my blogging feet wet, but this past year has been a time in which I have really learned a lot and made some new blogging friends. I just want to thank all of them, especially Julie D. at Happy Catholic for helping me grow and flourish. God bless you all!

St. John was born at Kanty, in the Diocese of Krakow, Poland in 1390 to Stanislaus and Anne who were pious country people. He was educated at the Academy of Krakow, where he impressed his professors and colleagues with his pleasant and friendly disposition; always happy, but serious, humble, and holy, he won the hearts of all who came in contact with him. He earned his doctorate in theology and philosophy, was ordained priest and was then appointed professor of theology at the Academy of Krakow. Shortly afterwards, he was reassigned to the Diocese of Krakow, to be a parish priest. He was then re-appointed professor of Sacres Scripture at the Academy of Krakow, a position he held for the rest of his life. John taught his students this philosophy again and again, "Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause." He distinguished himself as an orthodox teacher of the faith, and by his piety ...

Here's what's on the Christmas menu at the Heimann household: St. James Winery Country White Wine St. James Winery Blackberry Wine Organic Romaine, Raddachio & Radish Salad Roast Turkey with Walnut dressing Fresh, Whole Cranberries Sweet Potatoes Green Bean Almondine Jean's Christmas Salad Fresh Cherry Pie with Vanilla Frozen Yogurt You may be wondering what Jean's Christmas salad is. Basically, it is an attempt at duplicating my mother's famous recipe which was about 10,000 calories per teaspoon. Some of the ingredients in my mother's recipe were: lime Jello, walnuts or pecans, real whipped cream, Miracle Whip, cream cheese, pineapple, and marshmallows. I have replaced the cream cheese with fat-free cream cheese and the Miracle Whip is now also fat-free, but I have kept the whipped cream real -- I don't care for the artificial stuff. This salad is very thick, very rich, and very filling -- something that is only served during the Christmas season. Sinc...

Is there a conspirancy against pro-life pharmacists in this country? It certainly seems so if you are following the news stories these days. In IL, four Walgreens' pharmacists were fired for refusal to dispense the Morning After Pill. In Denton, Texas , the Eckerd Corporation, the owner of the Eckerd Pharmacy chain, fired three pharmacists six days after they refused to fill prescriptions for the abortifacient Morning After Pill. In Miami, Florida, Pharmacist Hillel Hellinger, a Hassidic Jew and father of nine, was fired by Eckerd Pharmacy over his refusal to sell condoms, an action that would violate his religious beliefs . The right to freedom of religion is guaranteed to all Americans in the Constitution, yet somehow these pharmacists have been excluded from this fundamental right. They are being discriminated against by their employers and that is something that should not be tolerated. Employers are required by law to make accomodations for the disabled and are not permitt...

The Holy Father's first encyclical is now expected to made public in January 2006, after the feast of the Epiphany . In a traditional pre-Christmas meeting with the leaders of the Roman Curia, Pope Benedict XVI revealed that he felt a "great fear" when he was elected on April 19, particularly because he would be following in the footsteps of a beloved figure. Pope Benedict XVI has been named as Time Magazine’s “European Newsmaker 2006” and was identified as one of 2005’s top newsmakers.

On Friday, December 9, the Mayor of Boston, who opposes Catholic teachings on abortion and marriage, was honored at a fundraiser dinner by Catholic Charities of Boston. Six weeks earlier, Catholic Charities also disclosed that they have sponsored adoptions of children by homosexual couples for 18 years. More than 700 people wrote to Mayor Menino, the Catholic bishops, and the Vatican in just 4 days, but unfortunately Menino still spoke at the December 9 event and continued to misrepresent Church teachings there. In follow-up of our efforts, two officials in Rome have let us know the messages are getting through to the people concerned with the situation! In light of growing concerns around the crisis of the Catholic faith in Boston—the Menino situation, the disclosure of 18-years of Catholic Charities-sponsored adoptions by homosexual couples, a key staff departure from the Church’s public policy arm, and a move by the State of Massachusetts forcing Catholic hospitals to dispense em...

"Senate Democrats are protecting sex traffickers in their allegiance to promoting abortion on demand - this is inexcusable." ~ Connie Mackey, Vice President of Government Affairs, Family Research Council Washington, D.C. - Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) is currently holding up legislation that the U.S. House of Representatives approved unanimously on December 14. The bill, H.R. 972, targets purchasers of illegal sex acts and the traffickers who exploit the victims domestically. The End Demand for Sex Trafficking Act focuses on halting the trafficking of people, primarily women and children, in the United States for the purposes of prostitution and sexual slavery. In the Senate, Senator Biden is trying to attach language that would allow taxpayer funds to go to foreign organizations that perform and promote abortion, including coercive abortions. Connie Mackey, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Family Research Council, released the following statement: "I applaud Rep...

Rick at De Civitate Dei has a cute pro-life joke on his blog today. You can find it here .

After attending President Bush’s signing into law of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 (H.R. 2520/S. 1317), Richard M. Doerflinger, Deputy Director of the USCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement:“This is wonderful news for the many thousands of suffering patients who can benefit from umbilical cord blood stem cell treatments. We are grateful to Congress and the President for enacting this legislation without further delay.“ The House of Representatives passed Rep. Chris Smith’s legislation, to support and coordinate a nationwide public bank of cord blood stem cells, almost unanimously on May 24. Yet this urgently needed life-saving legislation was blocked for months in the Senate, held hostage to debates over far more controversial and speculative stem cell research requiring the destruction of human embryos. In the last days of this session the deadlock was finally ended, and Congress agreed on the kind of stem cell treatments that ca...

Need a spiritual lift for Christmas? Read this.

Peter Canisius was born in Holland on May 8, 1521. Peter was a brilliant, but humble, young man, who studied at Cologne and received his license as doctor of civil law; he then went to Louvain (Belgium) to learn canon law. After he attended a retreat given by Blessed Peter Faber, the first disciple of St. Ignatius, he decided to become a Jesuit. On the day of his final vows, as he knelt in St. Peter's, Our Lord showed him a vision of His Sacred Heart. From that time forward, he never failed to make an offering of all his work to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sent to Germany, he worked strenuously for many years by his writings and teachings to confirm the Catholic faith. Of his numerous books, the Cathechism is most renowned. It remains a monument of the triumph of the Church over error in the time of Luther. A man of great energy, he taught in several universities, founded 18 colleges, and authored 37 books; his catechisms went through 200 printings in his lifetime and were translat...

I saw this meme on Thoughts of a Regular Guy and decided to answer the questions. Hot Chocolate or apple cider? I'll take a little of both, please. Turkey or Ham? Turkey. I love ham, but avoid it due to the nitrites. Do you get a Fake or Real you cut it yourself christmas tree?Artificial. I am allergic to the ones God makes. Decorations on the outside of your house? Not this year, as we are living in an apartment until our house in IL sells. Maybe next year. Snowball fights or sledding? Sledding. Do you enjoy Going downtown shopping? Yes, although it's more window shopping than actually spending money. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night How do you feel about Christmas movies? The best movies usually come out at Christmas time. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music? Christmas music is great anytime, but it is extra beautiful during the Christmas season. Stockings before or after presents? Before. Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them? ...

" A merica, you cannot insist on the right to choose without also insisting on the duty to choose well, the duty to choose truth." ~ John Paul II, Ecumenical Service, South Carolina, September 11, 1987

VATICAN CITY, DEC 20, 2005 (VIS) - Yesterday, during a private audience with Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorized the congregation to promulgate the following decrees: MIRACLES - Venerable Servant of God Luigi Boccardo, Italian, priest of the archdiocese of Turin, Italy, founder of the Order of Sisters of Christ the King, a contemplative branch of the Poor Sisters of San Gaetano (1861 - 1936). - Venerable Servant of God Luigi Monza, Italian, priest of the archdiocese of Milan, Italy, founder of the Secular Institute of the Little Apostles of Charity (1898 - 1954). - Venerable Servant of God Mose Tovini, Italian, priest of the diocese of Brescia, Italy (1877 - 1930). - Venerable Servant of God Agostino Thevarparampil, known as "Kunjachan," Indian, priest of the eparchy of Palai, India (1891 - 1973). - Venerable Servant of God Eustachio Van Lieshout, Dutch, professed priest of the Congregation of the Sa...