Catholic Fire

A beautiful song about Divine Mercy:

"I shall sing forever the Lord's mercy." (Ps 89 [88]) This Sunday is popularly known as Mercy of God Sunday. Between 1930 and 1938 Christ appeared to Sister Faustina, a Sister of Mercy in Poland who initiated the Divine Mercy devotion. She was canonized on April 30, 2000, the Sunday after Easter, the Feast of Divine Mercy. On Good Friday, 1937, Jesus requested that St. Faustina make a special novena before the Feast of Mercy, from Good Friday through the following Saturday. Jesus also asked that a picture be painted according to the vision of Himself as the fountain of mercy. He gave her a chaplet to be recited and said that it was appropriate to pray the chaplet at three o'clock each afternoon (the Hour of Great Mercy). Indulgences Attached To Divine Mercy Devotions

Science Matters #3: Former supermodel Kathy Ireland tells Mike Huckabee about how she became pro-life after reading what the science books have to say.

I received this urgent action alert recently from Operation Rescue and wanted to share it with all of you. I believe it is vital to the future of our country. Sebelius "America's Abortion Queen" is UNFIT to be head of America's Health and Human Services (HHS) Dear Pro-Life Friend, Obama has said He Would Kill His Unexpected Grand Child? "If my daughters make a mistake, I do not want to punish them with a baby." - President Barack Obama Now, abortion-extremist Barack Obama has nominated Kansas Gov. Sebelius to be the head of Health and Human Services (HHS)-which would make her the "Abortion Czar" of the Obama Administration and that would punish every unborn child. Governor Kathleen Sebelius is rightfully being called "America's Abortion Queen." "Abortion Queen" Sebelius's die-hard support for ALL forms of abortion-especially the gruesome late-term abortions performed by her biggest political ally and financial backer,...

The Catholic News Agency reported this week that, according to a Homeland Security Report issued to law enforcement agencies this week, abortion opponents are as great a threat to national security in the immediate future as white supremacists. The report warns of the possible threat to national security posed by "groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration." The Thomas More Law Center filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with Homeland Security requesting the basis for its report. According to the Law Center, the Report goes further by singling out military veterans as particul arly concerning. The head of the American Legion called the document "incomplete, and, I fear, politically-biased" since it warns that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan could be recruited by right-wing groups for possible terrorist attacks. It's preposterous that those who stand to protect life from con...

There has been a lot going on with the Notre Dame Scandal lately and the battle is heating up. Here's a bold new initiative: ReplaceJenkins.com is a national effort consisting of Notre Dame Alumni and financial supporters who believe the University should not honor President Barack Obama given his public actions and commitment to the destruction of innocent human life, in violation of the express teachings of the Catholic Church. LifeNews.Com has a good summary of recent updates here. NotreDameScandal.com has 315,000+ signatures on their petition at this time. NDResponse.com has the latest updates on events and protests. The Cardinal Newman Society shares the information that President Jenkins refuses to dialogue with students on the Obama invitation. Virginia’s Republican attorney general called on his alma mater Friday to deny President Obama an honorary degree when he delivers a commencement address at Notre Dame in May. Bob McDonnell, who is running for governor, said the ...

Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Over the charcoal fire, Peter is given the opportunity to tell Jesus he loves Him, three times, repairing for his triple denial of Christ at His Passion. More at Catholic Culture. Daily Readings (on USCCB site): April 17, 2009 Collect: Father, you gather the nations to praise your name. May all who are reborn in baptism be one in faith and love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A profound and poignant article by Selwyn Duke from New American : What a society talks about — and what it fails to — both speak volumes about it. And lately, the news has been replete with stories about the Obama’s new canine acquisition, a Portuguese water dog the first family has fittingly named Bo. Yet while the little curly-haired purebred is creating a tempest in a teapot — because Barack Obama said during the campaign that he intended to get a “rescued” dog, such as one from a shelter — few talk about a type of rescue to which Obama won’t even pay lip service. Of course, it certainly is fashionable to lament the plight of abandoned animals, and for sure, no humane person wants to see any of God’s creatures suffer needlessly. Yet, shouldn’t this sublime compassion extend to His children as well? I speak of abortion. On the very day the Obamas got their dog, more than 4,000 babies died in America’s abortion mills. In fact, Planned Parenthood reveals in its Annual Report 2007-2008...

Fundraising letter reveals that KS Governor Kathleen Sebelius continues to conceal donations from late-term abortionist George Tiller. Does this surprise anyone? Washington, DC – Operation Rescue has released a copy of a letter signed by late-term abortionist George R. Tiller , stating that he personally contributed $200,000 to ProKanDo, a political action committee he controlled, to defeat Kathleen Sebelius’ challenger in the 2002 Kansas gubernatorial race and “make sure we have a pro-choice Governor.” Tiller also makes a plea to raise an additional $250,000 to influence the governor’s race. The letter shows that Sebelius, who has been nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services, still has not admitted the full extent of the financial support she has received from Tiller throughout her political career . “This letter is the smoking gun showing that Sebelius continues to conceal the full extent of her financial support from Tiller,” said Troy Newman Operation Rescue President. ...

FOX News reports: Georgetown University hid a religious inscription representing the name of Jesus during President Obama's address there Tuesday, FOXNews.com has confirmed, because White House staff asked the school to cover up all religious symbols and signs while the president was on stage. The monogram IHS, whose letters spell out the name of Jesus, and which normally perches above the stage in Gaston Hall where the president spoke, was covered over with what appeared to be black wood during the address. "In coordinating the logistical arrangements for the event, Georgetown honored the White House staff's request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind the Gaston Hall stage," university spokesman Andy Pino told FOXNews.com. Click here for photos. Catholic League President Bill Donohue's reaction: When President Barack Obama spoke at Georgetown University on April 14, the White House requested that all religious symbols and signage...

Despite the crowds at yesterday's Wichita Tea Party, I had the opportunity to speak briefly with my Senator from Kansas, Sam Brownback. At the Tea Party , there were a few pro-lifers with signs protesting Brownback's confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius as HHS Secretary. At the beginning of his talk a few of us yelled out, "No to Sebelius!" (That's not something the mainstream media won't report.) So, my husband and I cornered him and asked him the following questions : Why are you supporting Sebelius for HHS Secretary? Brownback's response: If Sebelius doesn't get this position, then the Democrats will be pushing her to take my Senate seat. How can you, as a Catholic, support Sebelius? Brownback's response: (appearing a little miffed) Look at all the pro-choice Catholics we have in Washington DC right now... He didn't like the questions we asked -- especially the second one, so was obviously being evasive. What can we conclude from this? ...

Your jaw will drop when you see this! Watch Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent -- the video everyone's been talking about can now be embedded on your blog via Tangle. She's a little "eccentric" and cheeky, but oh so talented. The Anchoress shares this : It seems that Simon Cowell’s people are already pursuing Boyle, who got a standing ovation from her church after her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. Before going on stage, Ms. Boyle admitted some self-deprecating facts about herself (she’s never been kissed and lives alone with her cat, Pebbles). For those reasons and more, audiences were expecting the female William Hung. They were wrong... Watching the ITV1 show in her council home in West Lothian, she wasn’t focusing on her amazing rendition of West End hit I Dreamed a Dream. She was too shocked at how she looked. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Susan, 48, said last night: “They say that television makes you look fat and it certainly did. “I looked lik...

Today is the birthday of our beloved Papa -- Pope Benedict XVI. Happy Birthday, Holy Father! We love you and we're praying for special blessings for you on your 82nd birthday. Related: Pope given early birthday greetings

Check out the KAKE news video here. On tax day people across the country staged what they called tea parties to protest government spending. In Wichita, people come out en masse. More than 1,000 of them show up so their voices are heard. [The official estimate was 3,000.] "Our forefathers would just be rolling in their graves, so this is why I'm coming out here," said protestor Kim Cliff. Along the street opposite the airport post office protestors waved signs as people dropped of their taxes in the mail. Hundreds more crowded around a stage to listen to speakers. Some even dressed up in Revelutionary War era costumes and one woman even sits on a horse acting as Paul Revere. While the crowd at the tea party is diverse, they all shared the same message. "People are just ready to stand up and speak up and act up and take our country back," said event organizer Nancy Armstrong. "To us it's about accountability. We want transparency and to see where ou...

(HealthDay News) -- Women taking birth control pills, especially those who have just started taking them, may face an increased risk of developing the autoimmune disease lupus, a new study suggests. Although the link between lupus and oral contraceptives has been debated for some time, this new study adds weight to earlier studies -- including the Nurses' Health Study -- that have shown a link between oral contraceptives and lupus, the study authors said. The findings were published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research. Click here for the full article. H/T: American Life League.

“True freedom is the liberty to do whatever we ought, not the freedom to do whatever we want. We are at our best when we give away freely what’s most inside of us.” ~ Archbishop Timothy Dolan at his news conference today. More quotes from the news conference here . Video here .

Laura Ingraham was on Fox & Friends April 14 to discuss revelations of "lowballing," as the Associated Press called it, by Health & Human Services Secretary nominee KS Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on donations late-term abortionist George Tiller has given her. Related Post: Sebelius Misreported Campaign Contributions from Late-Term Abortionist George Tiller

A Kansas resident who has testified before legislative committees several times on her personal experience of being coerced into having an abortion asked Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to sign legislation that would tighten Kansas abortion laws. Michelle Armesto-Berge issued her plea at a Tuesday afternoon press conference in Topeka. She urged Sebelius to sign Senate Bill 218, which the Legislature passed last week. Armesto-Berge said she was manipulated by her parents to have an abortion at George Tiller’s Wichita clinic when she was 25 weeks pregnant. Armesto-Berge said her unborn child was poisoned before she was given a consent form, or before she filled out a medical questionnaire. The legislation would amend the late-term abortion law so abortion providers are more likely to be held accountable for their actions, and to follow the law. The legislation would amend current partial-birth abortion law so that it matches federal statute, and allow for civil-action suits to be brought against...