Catholic Fire

I haven't blogged on the PJ Myers case because the whole thing has sickened me to the max. I have however, linked to The Curt Jester and Jimmy Akin who have done a great job of reporting on the willful and violent desecration of the Holy Eucharist by this bigoted Professor at University of Minnesota. However, I believe I would be neglectful in my duties if I didn't say something about this unholy event. PJ Myers is obviously an attention-seeking individual who enjoys doing hurtful things to God and to others, especially Catholics. He is a spiritually and psychologically sick individual, who in his own words says, "Nothing must be held sacred." (This man is in desperate need of prayer! And I have been praying for him!) I wonder which religious group he will intentionally hurt next? On another level, he has openly discriminated against and harassed Catholics for no other reason than he doesn't agree with the most sacred and fundamental belief of our faith -- that

VATICAN CITY, 31 JUL 2008 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for August is: "That the human family may know how to respect God's design for the world and thus become ever more aware of the great gift of God which Creation represents for us". His mission intention is: "That the answer of the entire people of God to the common vocation to sanctity and mission may be promoted and fostered, with careful discernment of the charisms and a constant commitment to spiritual and cultural formation".

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, was born in 1491 in the Basque Country of Northern Spain to parents of distinguished families in that area. He was the youngest of 13 children and was called was called Iñigo. At the age of 15, he served as a page in the court of a local nobleman and later embraced a military career and became a valiant soldier. Wounded in battle by a cannonball, which broke one leg and injured the other, he was taken prisoner by the French, who set his leg and eventually allowed him to go home to Loyola. He spent his time recuperating at the home of his brother. Confined to his sick bed , he was given pious books to read, which he grudgingly accepted. To his surprise, he enjoyed them and began to dream of becoming a "knight for Christ", pursuing the ideals of St. Francis and St. Dominic. He eventually promised to devote his life to being a knight for St. Peter if he recovered, which he did after nine months of convalescence. Ignati

The WORLDWIDE ROSARY FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 18th, 2008. Participants will pray the Rosary during the 9:00 a.m. hour for the following intention: For an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn babies. Because participants will be praying the Rosary during the 9:00 a.m. hour according to the particular time zone they are in, it is hoped that the earth will be circled with multiple waves of Rosaries within a 24-hour time period. (If a person needs to, he/she may pray the Rosary at another time on October 18th, 2008). "This October 18th pro-life prayer event gives people throughout the world a great opportunity to unite in prayer for unborn babies," said Patrick Benedict, President of the Saint Michael the Archangel Organization, the organization that is coordinating the WORLDWIDE ROSARY FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event. " The primary way to stop the killing of unborn babies is by using spiritual weaponry.

"We claimed that between five and ten thousand women a year died of botched abortions. The actual figure was closer to 200 to 300 and we also claimed that there were a million illegal abortions a year in the United States and the actual figure was close to 200,000. So, we were guilty of massive deception." "One of the myths that was fed to the public through the media was that legalizing abortion would only mean that abortions taking place illegally, would be done legally. But in fact, abortion is now being used primarily as a method of birth control all over the world and in the USA. too." ~ Former Abortionist Bernard Nathanson, On July 9, 2008, in an interview with CFRB talk show host, Spider Jones

This week's Catholic Carnival is up at Organ-ic Chemist and she did a great job of organizing the many posts there. This week has been a crazy one for me so I neglected to enter. Here are a few of my favorites: Marcel's post entitled Humanae Vitae and The Catholic Church , is an extensive discussion on Mary Eberstadt's article The Vindication of Humanae Vitae . He presents a very interesting and extensive discussion in his well-researched post. Heidi at the Extraordinary Moms Network gave a list of posts she made on her other blog, Mommy Monsters Inc. which reflects what she considers to be the highlights of Humanae Vitae. Heidi also posted a beautiful reflection at Behold Your Mother on St. Joseph and the sacrifices he may have made being the husband of Mary. Elena at My Domestic Church reflects on the trials and tribulations of pregnancy and childbirth . Jane at Building the Ark writes on how she managed to find God in the garbage . There are many more great p

They look like an average American family, don't they? Just like you and me, right? NO WAY! By Michelle Malkin You couldn't pass a grocery store line this weekend without seeing the picture-perfect smiles of the Obama family. There were Barack Obama's young daughters (whose privacy their parents so sanctimoniously claim to want to protect) flashing their pearly whites on the cover of People magazine. Malia and Sasha competed for attention right next to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's toddler daughter, Shiloh, whose cherubic face was splashed on the cover of another celebrity tabloid. Next to them beamed basket-case starlet Lindsay Lohan and her new lesbian lover -- oh, and that formerly pregnant "man" who just gave birth to a baby girl. The Obamas blended seamlessly into this Hollyweird pop culture galaxy. The spread in People, which earlier this year fawned over a photo of the bare-chested Obama in his swimsuit, was supposed to be an "exclusive" firs

I love this video -- Alan Keyes talks frankly about his trials and his strong Catholic faith. What a winner this man is! This video is an exerpt of Alan Keyes speaking to his friends and supporters following his defeat at the Constitution Party Convention 2008.

Bill pushes mental screening, dangerous antidepressant drugs Pregnant and new mothers may be required to submit to government screening and treatment for depression if Democrats in Congress have their way. The Melanie Blocker Stokes Mother's Act, or S. 1375, is named after a pharmaceutical sales manager who killed herself by jumping out of a window after receiving four cocktails of antidepressants, anti-anxiety and antipsychotic drugs and electroshock therapy following the birth of her child. The Mother's Act would provide federal funding for a program to test women for depression, mood and anxiety disorders and postpartum psychosis. It would also supply government-determined "at-risk" mothers with antidepressant drugs. READ AMY'S SHOCKING STORY

Hundreds of millions in deals with candidate's associates JERUSALEM – Sen. Barack Obama's office engaged in six months of negotiations with a company controlled by convicted criminal Tony Rezko to lobby the U.S. government to push through a nixed $50 million contact to train Iraqi security personnel at a site in Chicago. The contract was awarded to Rezko's company while Aiham Alsammarae, a long-time, close Rezko friend and a contributor to Obama's campaign, served as Iraq's U.S.-appointed electricity minister. Rezko was a major Obama fundraiser and associate for two decades. Alsammarae also awarded another Rezko-controlled operation as part of a $150 million contract to construct a 250-megawatt electricity plant in Iraq. Alsammarae later was arrested by Iraqi authorities for bilking the coalition government out of some $650 million. He was sprung from prison under questionable circumstances in 2006 and escaped from Iraq, where he is still wanted for questioning wit

Born at Imola, Italy in 406, St. Peter was baptized, educated, and ordained a deacon by Cornelius, Bishop of Imola. St. Peter "Chrysologus" (the man of golden speech) earned the title of Doctor of the Church for his eloquent sermons, of which some two hundred remain. Made Archbishop of Ravenna by miraculous intervention of St. Peter in 433, he rooted out all remaining traces of paganism, as well as a number of abuses among the Christians. In his sermons he strongly urged frequent Communion. He is supposed to have given us the saying: "He who wants to laugh with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ." He practiced many corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and ruled his flock with diligence and care. He died about the year 450 in his native city of Imola. My Favorite Quotes from St. Peter Chrysologus "He is The Bread sown in the virgin, leavened in the Flesh, molded in His Passion, baked in the furnace of the Sepulchre, placed in the Churches, and set upon th

Heavenly Voices!

Only in complete silence, one starts to hear. Only when language resigns, one starts to see.

Wichita, KS – Judge Clark Owens denied a motion filed by attorneys for abortionist George R. Tiller that challenged the constitutionality of the state statute mandating a jury of six for misdemeanor cases. Tiller had asked for a jury of twelve to hear his 19 misdemeanor charges of illegal late-term abortions. “We appreciate Judge Owen’s ruling that Tiller will have to have a jury of six, like every other person who faces misdemeanor charges in the State of Kansas. Maybe some day Tiller will understand that he is not above the law nor is he entitled to special privileges,” said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger, who was present at the hearing. The jury pool will be sent a special juror questionnaire at least four weeks ahead of trial. Judge Owens agreed to the request, usually reserved for capital murder cases, because of the complex issues involved in Tiller’s case and because of the high emotions and strongly held opinions that surround the abortion issue. A trial date wa

Washington, D.C. (29 July 2008) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Women, Infants and Children program, designed to provide needy moms and young children with nutritious foods and health care referrals, is referring those same moms and kids to Planned Parenthood. "It is absolutely outrageous that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program that WIC sponsors would refer mothers to the nation's largest abortion chain for health care," Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League said. "Planned Parenthood kills more children than any other single organization in the country. How can a program for children associate with it?" The WIC Learning Online Web site links to Planned Parenthood Federation of America as a "participant referral." Planned Parenthood received over $336 million in taxpayer funding in 2007 alone, with an overall profit of $115 million. Sedlak says this Planned Parenthood partnership with a program designed for children is j

Mark W. LeChevallier agrees with Dr. Lester Ruppersberger, a pro-life obstetrician and gynecologist, that natural family planning is safe, healthy and effective. But he would add one more characteristic: It's environmentally responsible. LeChevallier is director of innovation and environmental stewardship at American Water, the largest water and wastewater provider in North America. Along with his wife, he also has been a certified instructor of natural family planning for the past 25 years. MORE

Abbotsford, B.C. woman gives birth to 18th child Alexandru Ionce and his wife never planned to have 18 children in 23 years but when they welcomed little Abigail Ionce into the world, that's just what happened. Abigail weighed in at seven pounds, 12 ounces last Tuesday, making her the 18th child for 44-year-old Livia Ionce and her husband Alexandru, 51. The couple immigrated to Canada from Romania in 1990 and now live in Abbotsford, B.C. Their 17 other children range in age from 20 months to 23 years old. Alexandru Ionce does not know if the couple will be having more children. "We never planned how many children to have," he said. "We just let God guide our lives, you know, because we strongly believe life comes from God and that's the reason we did not stop the life. "We let life come." The family now has 10 girls and eight boys. "We would have liked a boy to be even," he said. "We thank God all of them are healthy and happy." He s

Denver, Jul 29, 2008 (CNA).- Colorado for Equal Rights, an organization backing a measure on the Colorado ballot that would define a person in the state’s Constitution as “any human being from the moment of fertilization,” has released a list of over 70 physicians and pharmacists from around the United States who agree that a person includes any human from the moment of conception. "We are honored to have received these endorsements from such respected physicians," stated Kristi Burton, head of Colorado for Equal Rights. "Science clearly proves that life begins at the time of fertilization. We are secure in the fact that we have science and reason on our side, and we are pleased to have the medical community supporting our efforts." "As support for Amendment 48 accumulates, we are very encouraged as we get closer to November's election," Burton said. "Every human life should be protected, and the endorsements we continue to receive prove that our

In many Asian cultures, little girls are considered a burden rather than a blessing. This has led to all manner of atrocities like sex-selective abortion and even infanticide of infant girls in favor of boys. Steven W. Mosher talks about how this practice is coming to the United States, and how feminist groups are doing nothing about it. “Where are the feminists when you need them?” Mosher asks, alleging that American feminists’ dedication to permissive abortion laws makes them unwilling to oppose sex-selective abortion. “I challenge the National Organization of Women,” says Mosher, “and other feminist groups, to join us in the battle to ban this terrible form of sex discrimination that is killing so many unborn baby girls. Their continued silence only facilitates the killing.”

As the result of sin, the virtues have become painful to us; we shrink from them because they mean humiliation and suffering. " You do not want to be humiliated?" Humilation is an honor, suffering a joy, because Jesus Christ has placed in them true honor and true joy. ~ St. Peter Julian Eymard

There are some wonderful specials coming up on EWTN . One I am really looking forward to watching is this one: DEDICATION OF THE SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE LA CROSSE, WI LIVE 3 hrs.The Dedication Mass of The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe live from La Crosse, Wisconsin, featuring commentary by EWTNews Director Raymond Arroyo. Thur 7/31/08 1:00 PM ET & 10 AM PTFri 8/01/08 12:00 AM ET & 9 PM PT (Thur)

By Donald DeMarco In 1986, Brother Don Fleischhacker of the University of Notre Dame wrote a letter to Playboy protesting that magazine's fragmented view of human sexuality. Citing "Humanae Vitae," this intrepid Holy Cross religious reasoned that once "the contraceptive mentality is accepted, there can be no coherent objective ground for opposition to homosexual activity." If the unitive aspect of sex becomes an end in itself, he went on to explain, "There is no essential reason why sex should be restricted to couples of different sexes." Recent events have proven that Brother Don was as prophetic as was Pope Paul VI when he penned "Humane Vitae" back in 1968. For Playboy, however, the letter was treated as an object of ridicule and its content irreverently dismissed: "Brother, you sound like St. Thomas' lawyer," wrote the Playboy editor, who went on to bless "both kinds" of sexual relations. This holier-than-thou post

Mary and Martha lived with their brother Lazarus at Bethany, a village not far from Jerusalem. They are mentioned in several episodes in the Gospels. On one occasion, when Jesus and His disciples were their guests (Luke 10:38-42), Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him while her sister Martha busied herself with preparing food and waiting on the guests, and when Martha complained, Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part. When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died, Jesus came to Bethany. Martha, upon being told that He was approaching, went out to meet Him, while Mary sat still in the house until He sent for her. It was to Martha that Jesus said: "I am the Resurrection and the Life." (John 11:1-44) Again, about a week before the crucifixion, as Jesus reclined at table, Mary poured a flask of expensive perfume over Jesus' feet. Mary was criticized for wasting what might have been sold to raise money for the poor, and again Jesus spoke on her beh

"It is better for us to reach eternal bliss after a few difficulties than to go down into the depths of hell after brief joy." ~Saint Caesarius of Arles

“Abortion would be a sacrament if women were in charge. Abortion should be a sacrament even today. I suspect that for many women today, and for their spouses, lovers, families and communities, abortion is celebrated as such, an occasion of deep and serious and sacred meaning.” ~ Episcopal priestess Carter Hayward

Judge Owens denies Tiller's motion to dismiss criminal charges. Upholds constitutionality of Kansas post-viability abortion ban Wichita, KS - District Court Judge Clark V. Owens released a 35-page opinion today on the constitutional challenge to the Kansas post-viability abortion ban, saying that "K.S.A. 65-6703 survives all of the constitutional challenges" presented by Tiller. His motion to dismiss the 19 criminal charges against him was denied. This ruling will send Tiller to trial to face allegations that he illegally aborted 19 viable babies without first having obtained the second concurring opinion from an unaffiliated Kansas physician. If convicted, Tiller faces the possibility of 19 years in jail. "We have just one thing to say to Tiller today and that is, 'See you in court!'" said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Today's ruling by Judge Owens vindicates our efforts to bring Tiller to justice. All along, we knew that it wasn

Known as a "Victorian Mother Teresa", Sister Elizabeth Prout opened schools and provided a lifeline to thousands during the industrial revolution. Sister Elizabeth Prout is seen as a pioneer of women's rights for her work in teaching the poor during the 19th century, and helping them find jobs. A dossier on Sister Elizabeth Prout will be sent to the Vatican after a Mass at her tomb in the Church of St Anne and Blessed Dominic. A WOMAN WHO SAID 'YES' THE STORY OF ELIZABETH PROUT (1820-1864) FOUNDRESS OF THE SISTERS OF THE CROSS AND PASSION

I was tagged by Alexandra at Happy Hearts at Home for the following meme. Here are the rules: 1. List these rules on your blog. 2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog. My 7 Facts: 1. I have lived in the US all my life, but the few times I have been outside of this country were when I traveled to: Canada, Italy, France, and Aruba. 2. I love it here in Kansas! Believe it or not, there are actually hills, lakes, and waterfalls in this state. They have the most beautiful sunsets here in God's Country aka "Catholicland." 3. One of the first concerts I attended featured The Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry at the Amphitheatre in Chicago. 4. My parents were of French-Canadian heritage. 5. I speak English and a little Latin, a little Spanish, and a little French, but no German -- my husband's family grew up speaking German. My parents spoke French in their childhood homes. 6. I am a cradle Catholic who drifted away from my faith in the early 70's and returned in the

Go visit Peggy's to see what the other women are doing and thinking today. For Today... Outside my Window...the sky is dark, it's in the upper 90's and has been raining a little. I'm thankful for the rain, which reminds me that God is always pouring out His graces upon us. I am thinking...how happy I am that Bill only has two weeks to go before his cast comes off. I am thankful for...the good report we received from his doctor today. I'm also thankful that he will be receiving Physical Therapy. From the kitchen...baked chicken, cole slaw, and potatoes au gratin. I am creating...nothing special at the moment, but had fun with the shields and watergun props I created and used this past weekend at my Wellness Workshop. I am wearing...taupe jeans with a turquoise cotton top and earrrings to match. I'm bare foot. I am reading... a new book I received in the mail today for review and am awaiting another one. I am hoping...that we have a good turn-out at the Midwest C

American Life League's Warning: Planned Parenthood's latest outreach website to teens and pre-teens, called TakeCareDownThere.org, is absolutely VILE! While our report does NOT present the nasty stuff, please use great discretion when viewing the contents of the site, and be sure not to watch any of the videos with kids around. While the videos themselves are not entirely visually offensive, the verbal content is absolute FILTH! Warning: Adult Content I am showing this to make people aware of where their tax money is going. Who is Planned Parenthood's new spokesman? Planned Parenthood attempts to use sick humor to normalize sexual behavior. Related Post: Please Help Protect Life: Defund Planned Parenthood.

Apparently the Junior Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, has decided that his prospects for winning an election are better in Europe, and he has begun campaigning among his new constituents. Learn more at Obama’s Trip: No Bounce, No Flags, No Wounded GIs . He didn't want the American flag shown at his speech in Germany and at his press conference in Paris. He canceled a trip to visit wounded soldiers when he was told the press couldn't take pictures of him. And the American public thought the press coverage of his trip was simply "excessive." Get the Full Story — Go Here Now

St. Leopold Bogdan Mandic (1866-1942) was a Croatian-born Franciscan priest and noted confessor who spent most of his priestly life in Padua, Italy and was canonized in 1983. On May 12, 1866, in Croatia, a twelfth child was born to Peter and Caroline Mandic. He was named and baptised Bogdan, 'the God-given-one'. Although physically frail, from his youth he showed signs of great spiritual strength and integrity. At the age of 16 years, Bogdan left home for Italy to attend the Seraphic School where he was taught by the Capuchins at Udine and was also an aspirant to the order. Life was not easy for him there, since he was physically malformed and still delicate in health. At the age of 18, Bogdan entered the Capuchin Order as a novice at Bassano del Grappa and took the religious name of Brother Leopold. After his Profession of Vows at 23, he embarked on a course of clerical studies first at Padua and then at Venice. Finally, he was ordained in Venice at the age of 28. In the mid-

"Jesus proclaims that a new age has begun, in which the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon all humanity...Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith’s rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished -- not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed." ~ Pope Benedict XVI in his homily, during the World Youth Day closing Mass on Sunday, July 20 at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia

"Duh?... Present." Barack Obama tries to convey that he is a man of character who will cross party lines to work with Republicans and is not the radical left "extremist" that some portray him to be. Of course, this is another one of his lies. The reality is that Obama has a history of voting “present” on most bills, rather than supporting or opposing them. In fact, he voted "present" 130 times as a state senator. A really decisive guy who would make a great President, right? Let's project this behavior into the future.... "Mr. President, the terrorists have just bombed the Pentagon, what should we do?" "Duh?...present." Seriously, the man is spineless! He can't talk on his own nor can he think for himself. He doesn't know how to respond in complete sentences when he's not been spoon-fed and groomed for a canned speech. He can't think on his feet. Please don't tell me what an "articulate" guy he is --

Joachim (whose name means Yahweh prepares), was the father of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Anne (Hebrew, Hannah, grace; also spelled Ann, Anne, Anna) is the traditional name of the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Anne and St. Joachim were parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Tradition has it they first lived in Galilee and later settled in Jerusalem where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born and raised. Joachim and Anne were a rich and pious couple who had been married for a long time, but found themselves childless. The couple prayed fervently for a child and promised to dedicate their first born to the service of God. An angel appeared to Anne and told her, "The Lord has looked upon thy tears; thou shalt conceive and give birth and the fruit of thy womb shall be blessed by all the world". Joachim also received the same message from the angel. Anne gave birth to a daughter whom she called Miriam (Mary), who was conceived without sin. As a child, Mary

Courtesy of ProlifeNews.tv and ProlifeUnity.com. Please visit: http://defundplannedparenthood.org/ "Please read and sign the petition intended to end ALL tax payers money that is given to Planned Parenthood by our elected officials at the local, state and federal level of government. We welcome your comments, stories, and first hand experiences to tell the real story of what Planned Parenthood really is. After all, shouldn't we all be held accountable to the same standard of law?" Citizen's Petition to Defund Planned Parenthood We, the people of the United States, are calling upon our local, state, and federal elected officials to stop our tax dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is an organization that, according to their own 2007 financial report, boasts about being a one billion dollar organization. Yet, this same group has clinics facing: 107 criminal charges, which includes 23 felony charges of late-term abortions and falsifying documents

He was the brother of St John and, like him, a fisherman. He was one of the witnesses of the Transfiguration and one of those who slept through most of the Agony in the Garden. He was the first of the apostles to be martyred, being beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I to please the Jewish opponents of Christianity. He was buried in Jerusalem, and nothing more is known about him until the ninth century. At this time we learn of a tradition that the relics of St James were brought to Spain some time after his martyrdom, (perhaps early, perhaps as late as 830), and his shrine at Compostela in Galicia grew in importance until it became the greatest pilgrimage center in western Europe. In every country there are churches of St James and known, well-trodden pilgrim routes. In Paris, the Tour St Jacques marks the start of the route and the Rue St Jacques points straight towards Compostela. In England, pilgrim routes lead from all parts of the country to the major ports that were used on the pilg

is now up and ready for your reading pleasure! Joe at Ho Kai Paulos has created a beautiful theme, so please join me on my trek there. Here are just a few of my favorite posts: Worship in the Shadowlands by Heidi at Mommy Monsters, in which she discusses Humanae Vita and the meaning of true love. She makes a profound discovery about conjugal love when she watches Shadowlands, the love story of C.S. Lewis and his wife. In How to Be a Man, Jane at Building the Ark, reminds us that we can all strive to be heroes . At Behold Your Mother, Heidi introduces us to Christine Trollinger and an example of divinely answered prayer - When the Lost is Found . When Things Turn Out...Differently by Sarah at Another Day of Catholic Pondering reminds us that God has every hair on our heads counted and keeps our best interests in mind, even when they aren't how WE planned things. Don't stop at reading these inspirational and well-written posts, but be sure to check out all the great posts ther

Washington, DC (24 July 2008) – We need YOU to protect a new proposal that would defund Planned Parenthood, protect medical workers and save countless lives – and we need it TODAY! The Bush administration is considering a regulation that would not only ensure freedom of conscience for pro-life medical workers, but also recognize abortion as including the birth control pill or any other contraceptive method that results in the death of a human being before or after implantation. Pro-abortion lawmakers, fueled by an irate Planned Parenthood Federation of America and supported by the pro-abortion mainstream media are on the warpath. They know how important this regulation could be to protect preborn children, so they want to make sure it gets quashed ASAP. Led by Sen. Hillary Clinton, pro-aborts are circulating a letter signed by more than 105 members of Congress pledging their opposition to the regulation and vowing to fight it. But pro-lifers are fighting back. Reps. Dave Feldon and L

Donna Cori Gibson talks about the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Contains scenes from the film The Passion of the Christ. Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. He is waiting for you. Go spend an hour with Jesus. He asked Peter, James & John to watch one hour with Him and pray. Can you do the same please? Jesus is so thirsty for your faith.

Saint Sharbel was born in 1828 in the small mountain village of Beqa-Kafra, Lebanon. His peasant family lived a strong faith, were attentive to the Divine Liturgy, and had a great devotion to the Mother of God. At the age of twenty-three, he left his family to enter the Lebanese-Maronite Monastery called Notre-Dame de Mayfouk. Following studies and perpetual profession at St. Cyprian de Kfifane Monastery, he was ordained in 1859. For the next seven years, Sharbel lived in the mountainous community of Anaya. He then spent the next twenty-three years of his life in complete solitude at Sts. Peter and Paul Hermitage near Anaya. He died there on Christmas Eve, 1898. Sharbel had a reputation for his austerity, penances, obedience, and chastity. At times, Sharbel was gifted with levitations during prayer, and he had great devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament. In all things, Sharbel maintained perfect serenity. He was beatified in 1965 by Pope Paul VI and canonized by Pope John Paul II in

Have a beautiful and blessed day, Maureen! Others who share your birthday today include: 1725 - John Newton , English cleric and hymnist (d. 1807) 1802 - Alexandre Dumas, père , French writer, author of Three Musketeers (d. 1870) 1936 - Ruth Buzzi , American actress and comedian 1942 - Chris Sarandon , American actor 1951 - Lynda Carter , American actress ("Wonder Woman")

I have been blogging on Barack Obama and Jill Stanek since 2004, when I had the privillege of serving as one of Jill Stanek's prayer intercessors. At that time, Jill was dismissed from her position as an R.N. at Christ Hospital in Oak Brook, IL for telling the truth about the infanticide occuring there. Babies that were meant to be aborted at this so-called "Christian" hospital who were born alive were left to die, without receiving any medical assistance whatsoever. Jill's testimony can be found here at Priests for Life. Jill also appeared on O'Reilly to share her story. Jill fought back to protect these infants and, the Born Alive Infants Protection Act was introduced into the IL legislature as a result of her efforts. Barack Obama was serving in the IL legislature at that time and worked to ensure that this horrifying procedure continue. Obama not only voted against Born Alive, but he was the sole senator to speak against it on the senate floor - 2 years in a

An excellent reflection by Fr. Leo Clifford, O.F.M. on handling our failures. He uses St. Peter and St. Paul as examples and also includes G.K. Chesterton, Francis Thompson, St. Margaret of Cortona, St. Augustine in his brief inspirational talk. Includes Psalm 63. Tune in to EWTN TV and radio for more of Fr. Clifford's "Reflections". You can also find 36 of Fr. Clifford's reflections online here.