Catholic Fire

One morning a man comes into the church on crutches. He stops in front of the holy water and splashes some of it on both of his legs, then throws away his crutches. An altar boy witnessed the scene and runs into the rectory to tell the priest what he'd just seen. Without batting an eye, the priest says, "Son, you've just witnessed a miracle. Tell me, where is this man?" "Flat on his ass, Father, over by the holy water."

May 31st - Visitation of Mary to August 15th - Assumption of Mary 38 days of Petition May 31st to July 7th 39 days of Thanksgiving July 8th to August 15th 1. Daily Pray Seven Sorrows of Mary on Regular Rosary Beads. Meditate on each mystery, as you pray 10 Hail Mary's on each decade. First Sorrow: Simeon's Prophesy "Thy own soul shall pierce thy heart." Second: Mary and Joseph fled into Eygpt with Jesus. Third: Jesus lost in the temple - Mary and Joseph suffered the loss of Jesus. Fourth: Mary meets Jesus on the way of the Cross. Fifth: Mary stood beneath the Cross and watched her Son suffer and die. Sixth Sorrow: Mary cradles Her dead Son in Her arms. Seventh Sorrow: Mary watched Her dead Son placed in the tomb. Finish the 7 Sorrows Rosary as normal with the Hail Holy Queen, etc. 2. Daily Consecrate Tiller's Abortion Mill to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Use these or similar words: "I consecrate Tiller's abortion mill to t...

When exactly is a pregnancy terminated? Abortion proponents attempting to answer that question should run into a problem. By trying to protect one flank, they've exposed another. To be consistent, the abortion industry's definition of when a pregnancy begins should agree with its definition of when it ends. But the two don't jibe. For over 30 years, abortion proponents have maintained pregnancy begins when an embryo implants in the uterus and ends after a completed delivery. According to pro-aborts, a fallopian tube carrying a newly created embryo has no bearing on pregnancy. It merely provides the portal of entry into the uterus. How then can they claim the portal of exit, the birth canal, has anything to do with pregnancy either? Once the baby is outside the uterus, they should consider the pregnancy over, terminated. Read Jill's column today, "Pro-abort PBA paradox," on WorldNetDaily.com .

I woke up this morning in a near panic when I realized what day this was. This evening one of our favorite priests (who gives wonderful pro-life homilies) is coming over to bless our new home and it is still in a sad and chaotic post - holiday condition so I am scrambling around attempting to make it look presentable, while nursing a sick cat who has an appointment at the veternarian's office this afternoon, and attempting to locate a misplaced cell phone to schedule other appointments. Who says you need kids to live the life of a desperate housewife? Thank God we're taking our priest friend out for dinner! By the way, I will get all the comments on the blog that I accidentally deleted while hurrying through them this morning. (Sorry, people, it's one of those days!) Mary, Queen of peace, pray for us!

Via Fr. Frank Pavone National Director, Priests for Life : In my current series of columns, I've been examining the fact that the price to be paid for doing abortions is life as an abortionist. It is, in many ways, its own punishment, and the examples we have given of how it destroys the personality are only the tip of the iceberg. Another dimension of this truth is how the stigma of being an abortionist is causing the abortion industry to collapse for lack of personnel. Here we find a beautiful irony, because "choice" has come back to bite the abortion industry. They have discovered the hard truth that if women can choose to have abortions, so doctors can choose not to perform them. There is an amazing disparity in the medical community between the number of those who will identify themselves as "pro-choice," and the number of those who are willing to work in an abortion clinic. Abortionist Morris Wortman attested, "There is tremendous support in the medic...

"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ~ Luke 1:42 "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever." ~ Luke 1:46-55 “Moved by charity, therefore, Mary goes to the house of her kinswoman.... While every word of Elizabeth’s is filled with meaning, her final words would seem to have a f...

Today I am praying for... healing for Alice, a junior in high school, who recently had an abortion and for blessings upon her friend who made this prayer request. Dom's prayer request Julie D.'s brother's job situation The repose of the soul of Fr. Todd Reitmeyer and peace for his family. The repose of the soul of Fr. McKenna and peace for his family. all the Oblates from the Community of St. John (Jean) who will be making their lifetime Oblature this Pentecost Sunday. Nan's 87-year old mother who had a heart attack and is suffering from other complications, as well. healing for Cammie, who had a bad fall recently and is dealing with the side effects of a promising new medication for her chronic illness /pain. Lord, please give her strength, perseverance, and peace of mind. the repose of the soul of the brother-in-law of the Anchoress who died recently, and for peace and healing for his family. an end to abortion and a respect for all human life. an unbiased Grand Jury...

Heidelberg, Germany (LifeNews.com) -- A new study by international researchers finds that a woman's risk of contracting breast cancer is lowered and the decrease is more substantial the more pregnancies a woman has had. As a result, women who have abortions could be losing missing an opportunity to lower their chance of contracting the disease. [ More ]

I would like to thank all who have been praying for me during this training period for my new apostolate. Next week, I will "graduate" and then begin volunteering part-time as a crisis pregnancy counselor. I am looking forward to this as I believe that it is a new path that the Lord wants me to take. God bless you abundantly!

Today I am praying for... Nan's 87-year old mother who had a heart attack yesterday and is suffering from other complications, as well. healing for Cammie, who had a bad fall recently and is dealing with the side effects of a promising new medication for her chronic illness /pain. Lord, please give her strength, perseverance, and peace of mind. the repose of the soul of the brother-in-law of the Anchoress who died recently, and for peace and healing for his family. the repose of the souls of Father McKenna and Father Todd Reitmeyer. the repose of the soul of Sean's father, who passed away and for healing and peace for the family. an end to abortion and that all human beings may experience the right to life. all our veterans, including my father, Marcel, (World War II) my brother, Michael (Viet Nam), and my sister, Susan, and especially for all those who have died in our nation's service: that they will be remembered and honored for their immeasurable sacrifice. our militar...

Check out Amy Proctor's post Memorial Day Commentary from an Army Wife . Read "Birth Control Is Selfish" ... The Message Society Doesn't Want To Hear By Ruben Obregon at No Room for Contraception, Always room for love. Babies with club feet aborted via The Black Kettle is a real eye-opener.

Memorial Day, which began as Decoration Day for those who fought and died in the Civil War, has evolved into a day of remembrance for all the faithful departed. As I participated in Holy Mass this morning, remembering all those who have served our country to defend our rights, some even unto death, I couldn't help but think of the many who have died in our country without even the basic right that we all are guaranteed by the founders in the Constitution -- the right to life; for without this right, we have no others. Today, after Holy Mass, we prayed the rosary at the Knights of Columbus memorial for the unborn -- those who have been denied the right to life in the United States. We grieve their loss and we pray to them and for them for an end to the slaughter of innocents in our country today along with the many military men and women who, in imitation of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, have sacrificed their lives for us. A Prayer for Memorial Day Remember, Lord, the fallen Wh...

St. Augustine was the agent of a greater man than himself, Pope St Gregory the Great. In Gregory's time, except for the Irish monks, missionary activity was unknown in the western Church, and it is Gregory's glory to have revived it. Gregory decided to begin with a mission to the pagan English, for they had cut off the Christian Celts from the rest of Christendom. The time was favorable for a mission since the ruler of the whole of southern England, Ethelbert of Kent, had married a Christian wife and had received a Gaulish bishop at his court. Gregory himself wished to come to Britain, but his election as pope put an end to any such idea, and in 596 he decided to send an Italian monk following the comparatively new Rule of St Benedict. Augustine set out with some companions, but when they reached southern Gaul a crisis occurred and Augustine was sent back to the pope for help. In reply the pope made Augustine their abbot and subjected the rest of the party to him in all things,...

(AP Photo/Diether Endlicher) May. 26 (CWNews.com) - Speaking to 300,000 people at the famous Marian shrine of Jasna Gora on Friday, Pope Benedict XVI asked the Catholic faithful to proclaim the Gospel "in a mature manner-- not infantile and not aggressive-- to the world of culture and of work, to the world of the media and of politics, to the world of family life and the life of society." The "wisdom of the Gospel," the Pope said, can be "read in the works of the great saints, and verified in our own lives." He went on to say that the quest for holiness is carried out in everyday life, by those who follow the example of the Virgin Mary and "allow our lives to be penetrated by the power of God Himself."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented today on an A&E documentary based on the work of Simon Cox, author of Illuminating Angels and Demons: The Unauthorized Guide to the Facts Behind the Fiction: “Beginning the day before ‘The Da Vinci Code’ opened, A&E has thrice aired a documentary, ‘Illuminating Angels and Demons,’ that is replete with lies about the Catholic Church; the next airing is tomorrow. “Drawing on the work of a Dan Brown wannabee, Simon Cox, the viewer learns that Peter was the first person to see the resurrected Jesus (he wasn’t—it was Mary Magdalene); the Vatican existed in the Fourth Century (it didn’t exist until a 1000 years later ); there are ‘hidden gospels’ buried in the Vatican that could be used to destroy the Church (the innocuous books can be found online); Jesus was a follower of John the Baptist (he’s got it backwards); the Church is anti-science (no institution has contributed more to science than the Catholic Church); the Church ‘would st...

Today I am praying for... an end to abortion and the closing of all abortion mills. the success of apostolic work outside abortion clinics. an unbiased Grand Jury Investigation of late-term abortionist George Tiller. birthday blessings for Heidi. a safe holiday weekend for all. the repose of the soul of Gene, Sean's father, and for peace and healing for the family. Donna, who is recovering from a heart bypass and laser eye surgery. She is having complications due to diabetes and has gone completely blind. those Oblates who will be making their life-time Oblature on Pentecost Sunday. Theophilus at Vivificat. the conversion of Governor Kathleen Sebelius . I am thanking the Lord for answered prayers, especially for... more prayer warriors and sidewalk counselors at the abortion mill. the passage of a bill that provides monies for adult stem cell research in Kansas. the closing of Wichita abortion mill . Please feel free to share your prayer intentions with me and I will be happy to pr...

The Novena to the Holy Spirit begins today.

St. Phillip Neri was born in Florence, Italy on July 22, 1515. He was one of four children of the notary Francesco Neri. His mother died when he was very young, but a very capable and competent stepmother filled her place. Although they were related to Italian nobility, the family was quite poor. Phillip was a cheerful and friendly boy, and was popular with all who knew him. At eighteen, Phillip was sent to the town of San Germano, where he lived with a childless relative who had a business there to train as an apprentice and heir. Phillip had a strong aptitude for business. Soon after his arrival, Phillip began speaking of his conversion, which dramatically changed his life. He left his relative’s home and set out for Rome, as he had a vision that he had a mission to fulfill there. He left without money or a specific plan, trusting in God’s providence. In Rome, he found shelter in the home of Galeotto Caccia who offered him an attic and a few basic necessities in exchange for tutoring...

Sebelius shames her Catholic faith by claiming to be “pro-life” in veto statement. Topeka, KS – Kansas Lawmakers will attempt to override Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ veto today of a measure that would compel abortion mills to report the reason for each abortion on viable babies past 22 weeks. It would also require abortionists to report the diagnosis for babies aborted due to fetal abnormality, such as Down syndrome. Post-viability abortions are illegal in Kansas, with very narrow exceptions. The Kansas Attorney General, Phill Kline, is investigating abortion mills because he has reason to believe that the mills may be engaging in illegal late-term abortions outside the exceptions allowed by Kansas law. The legislation vetoed by Sebelius would have made the abortion mills more accountable for their actions. Sebelius’ media spokesperson, Nicole Corcoran, told the Topeka Capital-Journal, “She’s very clear about her personal beliefs as a Catholic and supports a woman’s right to privacy.” She ...

(AP Photo/Diether Endlicher) (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) Here is a video/audio from Reuters about his arrival and his trip to Poland. For more, go here. EWTN is offering live coverage on the Holy Father's trip from May 25 -28.

St. Madeleine Sophie was born in Joigny, France on December 12, 1779. She was the third child of a Burgundy vine-grower and barrel - maker. As a young child, Madeleine Sophie showed exuberance, optomism, good judgment and common sense as well as a strong dedication to God. Louis, her older brother and a priest, was responsible for her early education. At an early age, Madeleine became proficient in Latin, Greek, Spanish and Italian. Through her brother, she met Father Varin who desired to found a female counterpart of the Jesuits which should do for girls' education what they did for boys' education. On November 21st, 1800, Madeleine with three companions dedicated herself to the Sacred Heart and so the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was begun. From the first house at Amiens it was to spread in the lifetime of its foundress all over Europe and to Africa and America, and its boarding schools have become famous. Madeleine's energy in extending the work was seconded by ...

Today, I am praying for... the repose of the soul of Sean's dad who recently passed away and peace, comfort, and healing for the family. healing for Sue, whose cancer is spreading. the grace, strength, and skills necessary for the two new apostolates /ministries the Lord has called me to. an unbiased Grand Jury Investigation of George Tiller, late term abortionist in the death of Christin Gilbert. those who feel abandoned, exiled, and hopeless. an end to abortion and the closing of all abortion mills. spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional healing for all those who have been injured by the devastating effects of abortion.

Latter day feminists think abortion is not just fine, it's holy. Wrote Debi Jackson, owner of Cincinnati Women's Services abortion mill, in a web post recently: "Imagine... that a woman may create a ceremony... to be performed during the abortion or afterwards with family and friends in attendance... She may have a circle of women friends take part in the procedure itself - an ancient ritual of fertility, life , death, and rebirth...." A Cincinnati City Beat article last year included a photo of Debi, "practic[ing] an ancient Chinese calming ritual.... Harmonic vibrations caused by rubbing the dragon bowl's brass handles create wavelets and jumping water." I'll tell you what's jumping, Debi. My skin is, that's what, you sicko. Then there's... The lunatic fringe goes mainstream on WorldNetDaily.com . This is a really bizarre, but interesting post. Via Jill Stanek and ProLife Blogs .

So reads the headlines of Sarah Boseley's article in The Guardian , which follows. A drug commonly used as a sleeping pill appears to have had a miraculous effect on brain-damaged patients who have been in a permanent vegetative state for years, arousing them to the point where some are able to speak to their families, scientists report today. The dramatic improvement occurs within 20 minutes of taking the drug, Zolpidem , and wears off after around four hours - at which point the patients return to their permanent vegetative state, according to a paper published in the medical journal NeuroRehabilitation. All three patients were men around 30 who had suffered brain damage in car accidents. Patient L had been in a vegetative state for three years, showing no reaction to touch and no response to his family. After he was given the drug, he was able to talk to them. Patient G was also able to interact with family, answer simple questions and catch a baseball. Patient N "was cons...

May. 24 (CWNews.com) - The US bishops' conference has joined several other religious bodies in a plea to the US Supreme Court to uphold a ban on partial-birth abortion. In an amicus curiae brief, filed in the case of Gonzales v. Carhart, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops joined with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in asking the Court to reverse a lower court's ruling that a statewide ban on partial-birth abortion in Nebraska was unconstitutional. The lower federal court had ruled that the Nebraska law violates the principles set by the Supreme Court in the 2000 case Stenberg v. Carhart. In that earlier case the Supreme Court sided with opponents of the ban, who said that the law was unduly vague and restricted a woman's legal right to obtain an abortion. The USCCB and its allies argued that t...

“The Da Vinci Code” will open in India on Friday. The one-week delay was due to negotiations between Sony Pictures and the nation’s censorship board over the propriety of inserting a disclaimer. Sony has now agreed to put the following statement before and after the movie: “The characters and incidents portrayed and the names herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person is entirely coincidental and unintentional.” Last week, Sony agreed with Thailand’s censorship board to put a disclaimer at the beginning and end of the film saying its content is fictional. Catholic League president Bill Donohue was amused: “Some people will do anything for a buck. Having run up against a brick wall in India and Thailand, Sony caved and delivered on the disclaimer they said wasn’t necessary. It was either buckle to the demand or lose money, and Sony did what everyone knew they would do. “I wrote to Ron Howard on March 18, 2005 asking for a disclaimer. I...

St. Vincent of Lerins (d.c.445) was a monk and writer. Born to a noble family of Gaul (modern France), he was probably the brother of St. Lupus of Troyes. Vincent initially served as a soldier but gave it up to become a monk on the island of Lerins off the southern French coast near Cannes. He was ordained there and in about 434 authored his famous work the Commonitorium. Written under the pseudonym Peregrinus, the Commonitorium offered a guide to orthodox teaching and included his famous maxim, the Vincentian Canon, by which he hoped to be able to differentiate between true and false tradition: quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus credituni est ("what has been believed everywhere, always, and by all"). He believed that the ultimate source of Christian truth was Holy Scripture and that the authority of the Church was to be invoked to guarantee the correct interpretation of Scripture. Via Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints.

Prayer to Mary Help of the Christians Mary, most powerful Virgin,You are the mighty and glorious Protector of the Church,You are the marvelous Help of Christians,You are awe-inspiring as an army in battle array. You have destroyed heresy in the world. In the midst of our anguish, our struggle and our distress defend us from the power of the enemy, and at the hour of our death receive our soul into heaven. Amen. ~Saint John Bosco, Franciscan Tertiary and modern Apostle of young people (1815-1888)

In June, the U.S. Senate will vote on the marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which will define marriage as between a man and a woman. The U.S. bishops are asking as many Catholics as possible to participate in the Knights of Columbus’ drive to contact their U.S. senators. To participate, print out the Knights’ response form at Kof C.org or write your own letter using the information here. Find their names and addresses by typing in your Zip code at Vote-Smart.org. Why homosexual “marriage” is wrong, and not just for Catholics. World cultural and legal history has never thought of marriage as anything but one thing: the union of a man and a woman. But just as most abortion proponents want to skip the debate about when life begins and argue about “choice” instead, most homosexual activists want to skip the argument about what marriage is. Instead, they argue about rights or about discrimination. But the fact is, the very nature of marriage is such that the law severely restric...

"The response to the commandment of love is made possible only by the experience that this love was first given us by God. The veneration of the love made manifest in the mystery of the Cross, re-presented in each Eucharistic celebration, is, then, the foundation that enables us to become individuals capable of love and of giving ourselves. ... This openness to the will of God, however, must be constantly renewed. 'Love is never finished and complete'." "Gazing at the side pierced by the lance, where shines God's boundless will for salvation, cannot then be considered as a passing form of veneration or devotion. The adoration of God's love, which found historical-devotional expression in the symbol of the pierced heart, remains irreplaceable for a living relationship with God." ~ Pope Benedict XVI in a Letter to Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), for the 50th anniversary of Pope Pius XII's Encyclic...

Born at Voltaggio near Genoa, as a priest in Rome he worked for forty years among the sick and the poor, and especially among cattle-drovers and homeless women. He was in great demand as a confessor, and he once said that the shortest road to Heaven lay in guiding others to the confessional.

May 23rd, 2006 Operation Rescue is asking for the public to help keep the investigation honest. Wichita, KS – A grand jury convened on Monday for the first time to begin an investigation of late-term abortionist George R. Tiller in the death of Christin Gilbert. A group of about 20 Christians gathered to pray for the grand jury proceedings outside the Sedgwick County Courthouse where Chief Administrative Judge of the 18th District Court Richard Ballinger is presiding over the secret proceedings. Reports indicated that a panel of 15 jurors was being selected during Monday’s session. Responses from the District Attorney’s office to public inquiries about the case have troubled some of the members of the grassroots coalition that helped gather over 7,700 signatures to force the grand jury to convene. Operation Rescue was informed yesterday that the DA’s office was not taking the grand jury investigation seriously due to the fact that the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts cleared Tiller o...

A View from the Pew presents an interesting and thought -provoking view of knowledge in Do You Want to Know a Secret? At Vivificat, Theophilus has been selected has been selected to particpate in the diocanate program in his Catholic diocese. He writes about it here. Go over and congratulate him and let him know you're praying for him. Jay at Pro Eccesia shares some interesting views in his post: Cardinal Arinze in to AmChurch Bishops: Get with the Program. In his post A Daily Reflection, Taken From The Writings of Elisabeth Leseur , Joe introduces us to the spirituality of a 19th century French housewife.

Today I am praying for... the Grand Jury Investigation of criminal allegations against late-term abortionist George R. Tiller in the death of Christin A. Gilbert. I am praying for justice for Christin. the repose of the soul of Catholic Caveman's father and for peace, comfort, and healing for his family. this heartbreaking situation. Donna, who is recovering from a heart bypass and laser eye surgery. She is having complications due to diabetes and has gone completely blind. B. who is giving a special presentation tomorrow afternoon. the conversion of Madonna and an end to her Christ-bashing. reparation for the sins of those who blaspheme Christ. an end to abortion and the closing of all abortion mills. an increase in vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. healing for all those who all those who are afflicted with same sex attraction. a special intention.

Mon, May 22, 2006 ANN ARBOR, MI — The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has submitted a brief with the United States Supreme Court supporting the Federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. Joining the Thomas More Law Center in the friend of the court brief are the Catholic League and the National Pro-Life Alliance. The appeal to the Supreme Court involves a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Nebraska that found the federal Act to be unconstitutional. Two other federal courts of appeal, the Second Circuit in New York and the Ninth Circuit in California, have also ruled the Act unconstitutional. The Act bans the abortion procedure wherein an unborn baby, generally 20 weeks or longer in gestation, is removed from her mother’s womb, except for the head. The doctor punctures the child’s head, sucks out the child’s brains in order to collapse the skull, and then removes the dead child from the ...

Catholic actor MEL GIBSON has slammed THE DA VINCI CODE book and movie for attacking the beliefs that he holds so sacred. But THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST star has been outraged with the thriller's controversial plot concerning JESUS CHRIST and MARY MAGDALENE. Gibson tells, "What worries me is that people will take this as fact."I'm not angry, per se, that it refutes everything I hold sacred, the foundations of my beliefs." The Da Vinci Code is an admitted work of fiction but it cleverly weaves fact into maverick theories in a way that will appear plausible to some." The angry star was actually the first choice of DR ROBERT LOMAS' (the intellectual who inspired the ROBERT LANGDON character) to play him, not TOM HANKS.Lomas says, "In an ideal world I'd quite like to have been played by Mel Gibson." Dream on...

Rep. Mary Pilcher-Cook Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- In the final version of the state budget lawmakers approved, Kansas will spend $150,000 to fund a research project at Kansas University on adult stem cell research using umbilical cord blood. They weren't able to get a ban on human cloning but hope the adult stem cell studies will lessen the desire to support embryonic stem cell research. Rep. Mary Pilcher-Cook, a pro-life Republican legislator, inserted the adult stem cell research funding in the bill. She said the funds are a good alternative to embryonic stem cells, which require the destruction of human life to obtain and have not seen the same success as adult cells. “Some of the leading-edge research is coming from stem cells extracted from umbilical cords,” she told the Lawrence newspaper. She hopes embryonic stem cell research will "fade away" because of the controversy surrounding it and the fact that it hasn't yet been...

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) The singer Madonna kicked off her “Confessions” tour in Los Angeles yesterday. Between political statements and oral sex jokes, Madonna found the time to don a crown of thorns, hang from a mirrored cross and croon her ballad “Live to Tell” in front of a screen flashing images from the Third World. Commenting on this is Bill Donohue: “When the Material Girl first embraced Kabbalah, we thought her new-found faith would inspire her to show some respect for religion. It stands to reason that a woman whose faith is so important to her that she drags her rabbi to her concerts would not want to mock the faith of others. “But I guess you really can’t teach an old pop star new tricks. Madonna has been spicing up her act with misappropriated Christian imagery for a long time now. Perhaps she can’t arouse any interest in her work without it. Poor Madonna keeps trying to shock. But all she succeeds in doing is coming across as a bori...

St. Rita was born at Rocca Porena in the Diocese of Spoleto in 1386 to Antonio and Amata Lotti, who were quite advanced in years. Rita’s birth was an answer to their prayers. The family was well-known for their charity, which merited them the surname of "Peacemakers of Jesus Christ". Rita brought much joy to her parents. She was a cheerful, amiable, pious and devout child who spent much of her time in prayer. At the age of twelve, she desired to consecrate herself to God in the religious state. Pious though her parents were, they refused her pleas, but instead gave her away in marriage, at the age of eighteen, to an ill-tempered young man who was the town watchman. The couple had two sons, who inherited their father's temperament. After 18 years of marriage, Rita’s husband was murdered by an old enemy. Her sons swore vengeance on their father’s killers, but through Rita's intercessory prayers, they forgave the offenders. Both of her sons died shortly afterwards. Rita...

St. Bernardine was born in 1380 in Tuscany. His parents died when he was seven years old and he was taken in by relatives who raised him as if he were their own. As a youth, he possessed a strong love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and spoke to her as a child speaks to his mother. She kept him chaste and pure. While still a student at the University of Siena, he took charge of the hospital there when an epidemic killed most of the staff. Later he looked after a bedridden aunt until her death. At the age of 22, he became a Franciscan. He was an energetic and popular preacher who spent years travelling on foot throughout Italy preaching to huge audiences. As a priest, he promoted peace among the warring Italian cities, and worked hard for the reform of the Franciscan order and for church unity. He encouraged devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus and is known for his use of the monogram IHS. Bernadine died on May 20, 1444, at the age of sixty-four in Aquila, Italy. He was declared a saint in 14...