An enjoyable afternoon of homeschoolers bowling...cheering each other on.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thankful Thursday ~ The Latin Mass
Jenny at Just a Minute reminds me...
*UPDATE* O! You must see Kimberly's post copied here below.
There was once a young boy who grew up with a beautiful young girl. They knew each other their whole lives. He knew everything about her and one day, took her for his bride. They lived in great happiness for many years, loving one another faithfully. Tragedy strikes. One day, with little warning, he’s told that his bride has been killed, while traveling abroad. He’s never allowed to recover her body, but mourns, and as people do, eventually moves on.
He meets another young woman. She is lovely, not much like the first wife, though there are a few similarities, yet he loves her for herself. He is faithful to her, although from time to time, he remembers his first love, with a wistful longing.
Forty years go by.
One day he receives a call…there was a mistake. His first wife is not dead! She had been held captive, kept in darkness and only let out infrequently, but has been set free and will be restored to him. Joy…confusion…a conundrum…
To whom does he owe his allegiance, his fidelity? To the first bride, the holder of his past, his youth, his memories and his first love? Or to the second…she who sustained him throughout his grief, giving him comfort and solace in his latter years? He loves them both…
The analogy:
The young man: the priesthood, our holy priests
The first bride: The Traditional Latin Mass or Extraordinary Form of the One Roman Rite
The second bride: The Novus Ordo or Ordinary Form of the One Roman Rite
It is a conundrum, isn’t it? The original bride isn’t dead…beautiful, resplendent and majestic, she lives and she holds the memories and traditions of the ages. The second bride has provided comfort and solace for the past forty years and was never meant as a replacement for the first, and her bridegroom has loved her for herself.
This is the struggle that so many of our good priests are experiencing, particularly those with their own memories of the “first bride.” To be told she is gone, to mourn and then find her again! To have our Holy Father release her, restoring her dignity as a true bride…is there any wonder that our priests, young and old, are returning to their first love?
I try to imagine that I’m the first bride…I’d like to think my husband would owe his allegiance, his fidelity…
…to me!
Click on my top LATIN MASS tab for more.
*UPDATE* O! You must see Kimberly's post copied here below.
There was once a young boy who grew up with a beautiful young girl. They knew each other their whole lives. He knew everything about her and one day, took her for his bride. They lived in great happiness for many years, loving one another faithfully. Tragedy strikes. One day, with little warning, he’s told that his bride has been killed, while traveling abroad. He’s never allowed to recover her body, but mourns, and as people do, eventually moves on.
He meets another young woman. She is lovely, not much like the first wife, though there are a few similarities, yet he loves her for herself. He is faithful to her, although from time to time, he remembers his first love, with a wistful longing.
Forty years go by.
One day he receives a call…there was a mistake. His first wife is not dead! She had been held captive, kept in darkness and only let out infrequently, but has been set free and will be restored to him. Joy…confusion…a conundrum…
To whom does he owe his allegiance, his fidelity? To the first bride, the holder of his past, his youth, his memories and his first love? Or to the second…she who sustained him throughout his grief, giving him comfort and solace in his latter years? He loves them both…
The analogy:
The young man: the priesthood, our holy priests
The first bride: The Traditional Latin Mass or Extraordinary Form of the One Roman Rite
The second bride: The Novus Ordo or Ordinary Form of the One Roman Rite
It is a conundrum, isn’t it? The original bride isn’t dead…beautiful, resplendent and majestic, she lives and she holds the memories and traditions of the ages. The second bride has provided comfort and solace for the past forty years and was never meant as a replacement for the first, and her bridegroom has loved her for herself.
This is the struggle that so many of our good priests are experiencing, particularly those with their own memories of the “first bride.” To be told she is gone, to mourn and then find her again! To have our Holy Father release her, restoring her dignity as a true bride…is there any wonder that our priests, young and old, are returning to their first love?
I try to imagine that I’m the first bride…I’d like to think my husband would owe his allegiance, his fidelity…
…to me!
Click on my top LATIN MASS tab for more.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Meme made Spiritual
I've been wanting to make my lenten posts spiritual ones so I had delve into Catholic references to participate in this MEME....a good exercise.....
Laura at Day by Day in Our World sent this meme and here is what you do... Copy the questions from my post and paste them in a new post on your blog. Erase my answers and put yours in. Use the first letter of your name to answer ALL of the following questions. (They don't have to be spiritual, like mine.) If the person before you has the same 1st letter pick a new one. You CAN NOT use anything twice, and you CAN NOT use your own name for the boy/girl question. After you are done, tag 5 people.......
1. What is your name?: some call me JMJ, some TotusTuusFamily
2. A 4 letter word: Amen
3. A boy's name: Augustine
4. A girl's name: Anne
5. An occupation: Acolyte
6. A color: Amethyst
7. Something you wear: Alb
8. A Food: Apple
9. Something found in the bathroom: A bible
10. A place: Assisi
11. A reason for being late: adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
12. Something you shout: Apocalypse!
13. A movie title: Amazing Grace
14. Something you drink: Absolut margarita
15. An animal: Apostle bird
16. A song title: Ave Maria
17. A verb: avoiding sin
I tag:
1. Jamie @ Lord, make me a Saint
2. Sarah @ Ora et Labora
3. Jenny @ Just a minute
4. Christine @ Meet me at the Gates
5. Regan @ http://thelittlehouseinthebigyard.wordpress.com/
Laura at Day by Day in Our World sent this meme and here is what you do... Copy the questions from my post and paste them in a new post on your blog. Erase my answers and put yours in. Use the first letter of your name to answer ALL of the following questions. (They don't have to be spiritual, like mine.) If the person before you has the same 1st letter pick a new one. You CAN NOT use anything twice, and you CAN NOT use your own name for the boy/girl question. After you are done, tag 5 people.......
1. What is your name?: some call me JMJ, some TotusTuusFamily
2. A 4 letter word: Amen
3. A boy's name: Augustine
4. A girl's name: Anne
5. An occupation: Acolyte
6. A color: Amethyst
7. Something you wear: Alb
8. A Food: Apple
9. Something found in the bathroom: A bible
10. A place: Assisi
11. A reason for being late: adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
12. Something you shout: Apocalypse!
13. A movie title: Amazing Grace
14. Something you drink: Absolut margarita
15. An animal: Apostle bird
16. A song title: Ave Maria
17. A verb: avoiding sin
I tag:
1. Jamie @ Lord, make me a Saint
2. Sarah @ Ora et Labora
3. Jenny @ Just a minute
4. Christine @ Meet me at the Gates
5. Regan @ http://thelittlehouseinthebigyard.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thanks Bill Gates!
Washington Times Op-ed—Homeschooling: It’s the Teacher, not the School
by J. Michael SmithHSLDA President
“If you want your child to get the best education possible, it’s actually more important to get him assigned to a great teacher than to a great school.” This quote is from Bill Gates’ January 2009 annual letter from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a group that has spent billions of dollars trying to improve education. Mr. Gates also notes that overall, only 71 percent of children graduate from high school within four years. His conclusion is that America’s schools are doing a poor job.
He went on to say that most of the schools helped by his foundation fell short of their goals in trying to increase college-ready graduation rates. MORE.
by J. Michael SmithHSLDA President
“If you want your child to get the best education possible, it’s actually more important to get him assigned to a great teacher than to a great school.” This quote is from Bill Gates’ January 2009 annual letter from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a group that has spent billions of dollars trying to improve education. Mr. Gates also notes that overall, only 71 percent of children graduate from high school within four years. His conclusion is that America’s schools are doing a poor job.
He went on to say that most of the schools helped by his foundation fell short of their goals in trying to increase college-ready graduation rates. MORE.
Quotes of Note
I see a connection in both of these quotes...in separating from the deceptions the world promotes we must look to Christ's example. He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. Our world promotes anything that feels good and it does not "see" the power in weakness and trust in God.
"You can not please both God and the world at the same time. They are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires and their actions."
~ St. John Vianney
God, Himself, In Jesus Christ - Became A Child
"He became a child not only in Bethlehem, but also on the Cross, where He was completely defenseless and dependent upon people for everything. This God, who became a child, wants our helplessness and weakness to lead us towards the complete abandonment of ourselves to Him. He wants to lead us to a limitless trust in His mercy."
(The Gift of Faith, pg. 72)
quotes@armsofmary.org
"You can not please both God and the world at the same time. They are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires and their actions."
~ St. John Vianney
God, Himself, In Jesus Christ - Became A Child
"He became a child not only in Bethlehem, but also on the Cross, where He was completely defenseless and dependent upon people for everything. This God, who became a child, wants our helplessness and weakness to lead us towards the complete abandonment of ourselves to Him. He wants to lead us to a limitless trust in His mercy."
(The Gift of Faith, pg. 72)
quotes@armsofmary.org
Monday, February 23, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Lotsa Links for Lent
And on Wednesday, LENT begins!
I am taking this weekend to prepare for lent in all my roles - mother, child of God, and homeschool teacher.
Our most definitive offering during lent is one we've been doing for a decade. Our idea was been a story in Catholic newspapers and magazine articles. We create a Lenten prayer basket and draw from it names to pray for every night during lent. Each prayer recipient recieves a note from us telling them of their day and our prayers. We have truly seen the hand of God at work in this family tradition.
A new organizing tool we'll use this year comes from my blog-friend, Nadja at Patch "O Dirt Farm and I have printed one of these commitment forms for each of us.
We post a calendar from CHC's A Year with God to mark our way, week by week to Easter with a virtue to practice (pg.104-105) I hope to commit to more spiritual reading on a regular basis. I'll let you know when I choose the book.
Little ones will spend time coloring the Stations of the Cross and the children will hopefully again assist our homeschool Pastor in saying the Stations of Fridays.
We'll pray outside an abortion facility, especially on Good Friday.
And on that Good Friday, as is our tradition, we'll be as silent as we can from noon to 3pm while watching Jesus of Nazareth. Then we'll paint eggs to find on Saturday. Sunday we will yell, "He is Risen, indeed!", celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and have a brunch with our families.
To keep our lenten focus, as often there are attacks when we step-up our spirituality, I remember something I wrote last lent after failure.
Twelve Steps to recommiting after falling off the Lenten wagon
1. Admit we are powerless —that our lives have become unmanageable. - Act of Humility
2. Believe that the Holy Spirit can restore us to sanity. - Come Holy Spirit
3. Decide to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Jesus thru Mary - Daily Consecration/Morning Offering
4. Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. - Marian examination of conscience
5. Admit to God, to ourselves, and to a Priest the exact nature of our wrongs. - Confession
6. Become entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. - Act of Contrition
7. Humble ourselves, ask Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Restitution. Do good and ask forgiveness of those we've hurt.
9. Call on the intercession of the Saints! ~ Litany
10. Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it. - Nightly Examination
11. Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. - The Lord's Prayer
12. Work toward a spiritual awakening/deeper conversion as the result of these steps, practicing these principles and recommiting every time I fall off the wagon.
God bless you as we enter into this most holy of seasons.
PLEASE share your traditions and practices for Lent.
I am taking this weekend to prepare for lent in all my roles - mother, child of God, and homeschool teacher.
Our most definitive offering during lent is one we've been doing for a decade. Our idea was been a story in Catholic newspapers and magazine articles. We create a Lenten prayer basket and draw from it names to pray for every night during lent. Each prayer recipient recieves a note from us telling them of their day and our prayers. We have truly seen the hand of God at work in this family tradition.
A new organizing tool we'll use this year comes from my blog-friend, Nadja at Patch "O Dirt Farm and I have printed one of these commitment forms for each of us.
We post a calendar from CHC's A Year with God to mark our way, week by week to Easter with a virtue to practice (pg.104-105) I hope to commit to more spiritual reading on a regular basis. I'll let you know when I choose the book.
Little ones will spend time coloring the Stations of the Cross and the children will hopefully again assist our homeschool Pastor in saying the Stations of Fridays.
We'll pray outside an abortion facility, especially on Good Friday.
And on that Good Friday, as is our tradition, we'll be as silent as we can from noon to 3pm while watching Jesus of Nazareth. Then we'll paint eggs to find on Saturday. Sunday we will yell, "He is Risen, indeed!", celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and have a brunch with our families.
To keep our lenten focus, as often there are attacks when we step-up our spirituality, I remember something I wrote last lent after failure.
Twelve Steps to recommiting after falling off the Lenten wagon
1. Admit we are powerless —that our lives have become unmanageable. - Act of Humility
2. Believe that the Holy Spirit can restore us to sanity. - Come Holy Spirit
3. Decide to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Jesus thru Mary - Daily Consecration/Morning Offering
4. Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. - Marian examination of conscience
5. Admit to God, to ourselves, and to a Priest the exact nature of our wrongs. - Confession
6. Become entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. - Act of Contrition
7. Humble ourselves, ask Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Restitution. Do good and ask forgiveness of those we've hurt.
9. Call on the intercession of the Saints! ~ Litany
10. Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it. - Nightly Examination
11. Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. - The Lord's Prayer
12. Work toward a spiritual awakening/deeper conversion as the result of these steps, practicing these principles and recommiting every time I fall off the wagon.
God bless you as we enter into this most holy of seasons.
PLEASE share your traditions and practices for Lent.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Pelosi, abortion and indigestion
causa nostrae laetitiae: Pelosi will not change on abortion
It's all over the internet that The Holy Father took the opportunity to advise The Cafeteria Lady, Pro Abortion Nancy Pelosi of Catholic teaching on when life begins.... but she can't *swallow* her pride. (See link above)
What she can swallow?
Well, on her cafeteria tray, there's still a serving of "staying pro Abortion" and a serving of "staying catholic and recieving Holy Communion although I hold heretical views!" When in the presence of one who could truly be a doctor to her sin sick soul, she has ignored his Rx.
Let us pray she receives some "indigestion" from such a distasteful combination and remedies herself with confession and conversion!
More - http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/02/pelosi-instructed-by-pope-benedict-xvi/
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/02/who-paid-for-speaker-pelosis-trip/
Petition to withhold Communion - http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/feb/09021902.html
FOTO fun Friday
A time to share some photos I've been doctoring.Leave a comment so I can see/visit your Friday Fotos. :)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
In God We *should* Trust
I saw a clip of our usually calm, smooth President responding to those who question all his stimulus spending plans.
He flipped back, in a sarcastic tone, that spending was the point, spending was stimulus!
Granted, the guy must be up against tremendous pressure. But, in reading St. Luke's Gospel with my 6th grade son today and sharing the Navarre notes on chapter 12 with him, I was struck by this...
Quoted from Paul VI Populorum progressio, 19 -
"...man's stupidity consisted in making material possession his only aim in life and his only insurance policy. It is lawful for a person to want to own what he needs for living, but if possession of material resources becomes an absolute, it spells the ultimate destruction of the individual and of society. Increased possession is not the ultimate goal of nations nor of individuals....it imprisons man if he considers it the supreme good, and it restricts his vision. Then we see hearts harden and minds close....Both for nations and for individuals, avarice is the most evident form of moral underdevelopment."
And the car commercials are now saying, "Buy a Hyundai and if you lose your job this year, you can return it!" (Just get us your money quick, before it's gone!) My email is loaded with catalog companies offering me "stimulus check coupons" to save $10 or more shopping with them. Aren't we just feeding a vicious cycle?
Will shopping really SAVE us?
Hasn't this worship of a money god deceived us into believing we "deserved" what we couldn't afford? Hasn't it confused our "wants" from "needs?" Has it made us more moral? Or, are our commercials to buy just slick with sexual tones serving up the self-gratifying vice we know it to be deep down?
Yes, I think we are morally underdeveloped. And we do need REAL change, the kind that will bring hardship because what is good for us is often difficult. We need to worship a god other than our own intellect, a god other than money. Can we really hinge it all on continuing to buy and spend on the temporal world? On Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, we will be reminded that it is all DUST......
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Luke 12:34
Lord, let me fix my heart, my HOPE on heaven. Let me live simply and for You, not ensnared in the trappings and materialism of this world.
HOPE, the Catechism says, "is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."84 "The Holy Spirit . . . he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life."
WHAT do I really NEED?
Thankful Thursday ~ 100th day
This week we "schooled" our 100th day.
To celebrate, after our family holy hour for the Pope, we went out to lunch at our favorite, nearby, retro burger joint. The milkshakes are amazing too!
It's this guy's favorite place!
On the way home, there were some van hijinks! NOT the first time this has happened....pardon my language!
And so Dad thought it best to let a little cold air in the chill out the pandemonium...
Thankful Thursday ~ Our first Little Flowers
What a joy to have a little girl.
I thought of myself as a boy-mommy, with my house full of men, love my 3 sons! But God has gifted me with a daughter to fulfill my dreams and share girly things.
Last week was the first time my daughter and I attended a Little Flowers girls' club among our Catholic homeschooling friends. "Little Flowers Girls' Club® is a Catholic program for girls ages 5 and up based on learning Catholic virtues through the lives of Catholic saints, Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. "
I thought of myself as a boy-mommy, with my house full of men, love my 3 sons! But God has gifted me with a daughter to fulfill my dreams and share girly things.
Last week was the first time my daughter and I attended a Little Flowers girls' club among our Catholic homeschooling friends. "Little Flowers Girls' Club® is a Catholic program for girls ages 5 and up based on learning Catholic virtues through the lives of Catholic saints, Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. "
It began with an adorable, Saint Valentine's tea party for the girls.
Napkins on their laps... in their pretty dresses.
Our amazing hostess set a beautiful table and read to the little ladies. They listened quietly to a story about St. Valentine, a book about Corinthians scripture, LOVE IS... and discussed what the virtue of Charity looks like.
Afterwards, the table was cleared for crafts, Valentine cards were made for their priests. Just a charming day!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
A Holy Hour for Our Holy Father
I know he prays for us everyday....
With sadness, I am hearing on blogs Zenit reports that our Pope is asking for prayers. On Father Z's blog more than once there have been posts on this very topic.
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/02/pray-in-a-special-way-offer-your-mortifications/
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/02/rabbi-left-wing-is-destroying-the-catholic-church/
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/02/rabbi-left-wing-is-destroying-the-catholic-church/
Working to restore our Catholic Identity has threatened some, some who I read that are even inside the Vatican. There was a post, I am still looking for the link, that mentioned "vaticanistas" who confirmed that all these attacks were orchestrated from within the Vatican to humiliate the Holy Father. The Mass of Ages celebrated until these last 40 years has that much power...hmmmm. The evil one certainly is hard at work and threatened indeed.
And so we offered our family holy hour for this brave and beloved Pope. We will keep him in our prayers, not just because he is our Holy Father and we love him, but also beacause he asked... and we love his vision.
We must pray and sacrifice for Pope Benedict XVI.
Monday, February 16, 2009
12 year old speaks out on Abortion
Out of the mouth of babes....
How powerful that she memorized and delivered this so passionately! Hope for the future!
How powerful that she memorized and delivered this so passionately! Hope for the future!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
With the love of Christ
Happy Saint Valentine's Day!
Is it hard to guess which one ate all their skittles before the picture was taken?
Friday, February 13, 2009
Persecution
AMERICAN MINUTE
by Bill Federer
"Man has forgotten God, that is why this has happened" was Solzhenitsyn's response when questioned about the decline of modern culture.
A Russian author, Solzhenitsyn was imprisoned for eight years by Joseph Stalin, as he described in his autobiography, Les Prix Nobel: "I was arrested on the grounds of what the censorship had found in my correspondence with a school friend, mainly because of certain disrespectful remarks about Stalin, although we referred to him in disguised terms. A further basis for the 'charge' were drafts of stories and reflections which had been found in my map case." Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970 for writing The Gulag Archipelago, but the Communist government did not allowed him to leave the country to accept it. Finally, under international pressure, the Soviet Union expelled him on FEBRUARY 13, 1974. The following year in Washington, D.C., Alexander Solzhenitsyn warned: "I...call upon America to be more careful..because they are trying to weaken you...to disarm your strong and magnificent country in the face of this fearful threat-one that has never been seen before in the history of the world."
Also in my inbox today, a story that seems related....
Nine Pro Life youth are arrested on a PUBLIC sidewalk in Birmingham, Alabama. They are the newest civil right defenders of our time. Hard to "see" what their crime was. Would Pro Abortion rights kids have been arrested for exercising their right to free speach? Would PETA activists have been arrested? Protect the whales, eagles, seals, trees...but not the babies...
Read more HERE.
by Bill Federer
"Man has forgotten God, that is why this has happened" was Solzhenitsyn's response when questioned about the decline of modern culture.
A Russian author, Solzhenitsyn was imprisoned for eight years by Joseph Stalin, as he described in his autobiography, Les Prix Nobel: "I was arrested on the grounds of what the censorship had found in my correspondence with a school friend, mainly because of certain disrespectful remarks about Stalin, although we referred to him in disguised terms. A further basis for the 'charge' were drafts of stories and reflections which had been found in my map case." Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970 for writing The Gulag Archipelago, but the Communist government did not allowed him to leave the country to accept it. Finally, under international pressure, the Soviet Union expelled him on FEBRUARY 13, 1974. The following year in Washington, D.C., Alexander Solzhenitsyn warned: "I...call upon America to be more careful..because they are trying to weaken you...to disarm your strong and magnificent country in the face of this fearful threat-one that has never been seen before in the history of the world."
Also in my inbox today, a story that seems related....
Nine Pro Life youth are arrested on a PUBLIC sidewalk in Birmingham, Alabama. They are the newest civil right defenders of our time. Hard to "see" what their crime was. Would Pro Abortion rights kids have been arrested for exercising their right to free speach? Would PETA activists have been arrested? Protect the whales, eagles, seals, trees...but not the babies...
Read more HERE.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Rabbi Yehuda Levin says Left Wing of Catholic Church is destroying the faith!
Fr. Z has asked bloggers to post this....
Father's emphases and comments.
Left Wing of the Catholic Church Destroying the Faith Says Orthodox Rabbi
By Hilary White, Rome correspondent
Wednesday February 11, 2009
ROME, February 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The dissident, leftist movement in the Catholic Church over the last forty years has severely undermined the teaching of the Catholic Church on the moral teachings on life and family, [fantastic!] a prominent US Orthodox rabbi told LifeSiteNews.com. Rabbi Yehuda Levin, the head of a group of 800 Orthodox rabbis in the US and Canada, also dismissed the accusations that the Holy See had not sufficiently distanced itself from the comments made by Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) on the Holocaust.
"I support this move" to reconcile the traditionalist faction in the Church, he said, "because I understand the big picture, which is that the Catholic Church has a problem. There is a strong left wing of the Church that is doing immeasurable harm to the faith." [Peter was Jewish. Can Rabbi Levin be Pope after Pope Benedict? Maybe 20 years from now?]
Rabbi Levin said that he understands "perfectly" why the reconciliation is vital to the fight against abortion and the homosexualist movement. [The man-centered view of the left detaches morals from reality.]
"I understand that it is very important to fill the pews of the Catholic Church not with cultural Catholics and left-wingers who are helping to destroy the Catholic Church and corrupt the values of the Catholic Church." This corruption, he said, "has a trickle-down effect to every single religious community in the world." [What an admission!]
"What’s the Pope doing? He’s trying to bring the traditionalists back in because they have a lot of very important things to contribute the commonweal of Catholicism. [YES YES YES!]
"Now, if in the process, he inadvertently includes someone who is prominent in the traditionalist movement who happens to say very strange things about the Holocaust, is that a reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater and start to condemn Pope Benedict? Absolutely not."
During a visit to Rome at the end of January, Rabbi Levin told LifeSiteNews.com that he believes the media furore over the lifting of the excommunications of the four bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X is a red herring. He called "ridiculous" the accusations that in doing so Pope Benedict VXI or the Catholic Church are anti-Semitic and described as "very strong" the statements distancing the Holy See and the Pope from Williamson’s comments.
Rabbi Levin was in Rome holding meetings with high level Vatican officials to propose what he called a "new stream of thinking" for the Church’s inter-religious dialogue, one based on commonly held moral teachings, particularly on the right to life and the sanctity of natural marriage.
"The most important issue," he said, is the work the Church is doing "to save babies from abortion, and save children’s minds, and young people’s minds, helping them to know right and wrong on the life and family issues."
"That’s where ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue has to go."
Although numbers are difficult to determine, it is estimated that the Society of St. Pius X has over a million followers worldwide. The traditionalist movement in the Catholic Church is noted for doctrinal orthodoxy and enthusiasm not only for old-fashioned devotional practices, but for the Church’s moral teachings and opposition to post-modern secularist sexual mores. [And this is why progressivists will fight their reintegration in the mainstream Church.] Liberals in the Church, particularly in Europe, have bitterly opposed all overtures to the SSPX and other traditionalists, particularly the Pope’s recent permission to revive the traditional Latin Mass. [The TLM is the monster under their bed.]
The Vatican announced in early January that, as part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the breakaway group, the 1988 decree of excommunication against the Society had been rescinded. Later that month, a Swedish television station aired an interview, recorded in November 2008, in which Bishop Richard Williamson, one of the four leaders of the Society, said that he did not believe that six million Jews were killed in the Nazi death camps during World War II.
At that time, the media erupted with protests and accusations that the Catholic Church, and especially Pope Benedict XVI, are anti-Semitic.
Rabbi Levin particularly defended Pope Benedict, saying he is the genius behind the moves of the late Pope John Paul II to reconcile the Church with the Jewish community. [HO HO! The libs aren’t going to like that suggestion! They will attack the Rabbi especially on this point, suggesting that it was all JP II and had nothing to do with Card. Ratzinger… who is German, btw.]
"Anyone who understands and follows Vatican history knows that in the last three decades, one of the moral and intellectual underpinnings of the papacy of Pope John Paul II, was Cardinal Ratzinger.
"And therefore, a lot of the things that Pope John Paul did vis-Ã -vis the Holocaust, he [Benedict] might have done himself, whether it was visiting Auschwitz or visiting and speaking in the synagogues or asking forgiveness. A lot of this had direct input from Cardinal Ratzinger. Whoever doesn’t understand this doesn’t realise that this man, Pope Benedict XVI, has a decades-long track record of anti-Nazism and sympathy for the Jews."
Father's emphases and comments.
Left Wing of the Catholic Church Destroying the Faith Says Orthodox Rabbi
By Hilary White, Rome correspondent
Wednesday February 11, 2009
ROME, February 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The dissident, leftist movement in the Catholic Church over the last forty years has severely undermined the teaching of the Catholic Church on the moral teachings on life and family, [fantastic!] a prominent US Orthodox rabbi told LifeSiteNews.com. Rabbi Yehuda Levin, the head of a group of 800 Orthodox rabbis in the US and Canada, also dismissed the accusations that the Holy See had not sufficiently distanced itself from the comments made by Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) on the Holocaust.
"I support this move" to reconcile the traditionalist faction in the Church, he said, "because I understand the big picture, which is that the Catholic Church has a problem. There is a strong left wing of the Church that is doing immeasurable harm to the faith." [Peter was Jewish. Can Rabbi Levin be Pope after Pope Benedict? Maybe 20 years from now?]
Rabbi Levin said that he understands "perfectly" why the reconciliation is vital to the fight against abortion and the homosexualist movement. [The man-centered view of the left detaches morals from reality.]
"I understand that it is very important to fill the pews of the Catholic Church not with cultural Catholics and left-wingers who are helping to destroy the Catholic Church and corrupt the values of the Catholic Church." This corruption, he said, "has a trickle-down effect to every single religious community in the world." [What an admission!]
"What’s the Pope doing? He’s trying to bring the traditionalists back in because they have a lot of very important things to contribute the commonweal of Catholicism. [YES YES YES!]
"Now, if in the process, he inadvertently includes someone who is prominent in the traditionalist movement who happens to say very strange things about the Holocaust, is that a reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater and start to condemn Pope Benedict? Absolutely not."
During a visit to Rome at the end of January, Rabbi Levin told LifeSiteNews.com that he believes the media furore over the lifting of the excommunications of the four bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X is a red herring. He called "ridiculous" the accusations that in doing so Pope Benedict VXI or the Catholic Church are anti-Semitic and described as "very strong" the statements distancing the Holy See and the Pope from Williamson’s comments.
Rabbi Levin was in Rome holding meetings with high level Vatican officials to propose what he called a "new stream of thinking" for the Church’s inter-religious dialogue, one based on commonly held moral teachings, particularly on the right to life and the sanctity of natural marriage.
"The most important issue," he said, is the work the Church is doing "to save babies from abortion, and save children’s minds, and young people’s minds, helping them to know right and wrong on the life and family issues."
"That’s where ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue has to go."
Although numbers are difficult to determine, it is estimated that the Society of St. Pius X has over a million followers worldwide. The traditionalist movement in the Catholic Church is noted for doctrinal orthodoxy and enthusiasm not only for old-fashioned devotional practices, but for the Church’s moral teachings and opposition to post-modern secularist sexual mores. [And this is why progressivists will fight their reintegration in the mainstream Church.] Liberals in the Church, particularly in Europe, have bitterly opposed all overtures to the SSPX and other traditionalists, particularly the Pope’s recent permission to revive the traditional Latin Mass. [The TLM is the monster under their bed.]
The Vatican announced in early January that, as part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the breakaway group, the 1988 decree of excommunication against the Society had been rescinded. Later that month, a Swedish television station aired an interview, recorded in November 2008, in which Bishop Richard Williamson, one of the four leaders of the Society, said that he did not believe that six million Jews were killed in the Nazi death camps during World War II.
At that time, the media erupted with protests and accusations that the Catholic Church, and especially Pope Benedict XVI, are anti-Semitic.
Rabbi Levin particularly defended Pope Benedict, saying he is the genius behind the moves of the late Pope John Paul II to reconcile the Church with the Jewish community. [HO HO! The libs aren’t going to like that suggestion! They will attack the Rabbi especially on this point, suggesting that it was all JP II and had nothing to do with Card. Ratzinger… who is German, btw.]
"Anyone who understands and follows Vatican history knows that in the last three decades, one of the moral and intellectual underpinnings of the papacy of Pope John Paul II, was Cardinal Ratzinger.
"And therefore, a lot of the things that Pope John Paul did vis-Ã -vis the Holocaust, he [Benedict] might have done himself, whether it was visiting Auschwitz or visiting and speaking in the synagogues or asking forgiveness. A lot of this had direct input from Cardinal Ratzinger. Whoever doesn’t understand this doesn’t realise that this man, Pope Benedict XVI, has a decades-long track record of anti-Nazism and sympathy for the Jews."
As Monday is a holiday (for many) perhaps, like us, you could attend a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration before Our Lord, truly present in The Most Blessed Sacrament? We'll be in prayer for the attacks on Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI as prayers are being requested for him all over the blogsphere. May God give him strength to restore our Catholic identity!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Can't ya dig the sunshine, can't you hear it callin' your name!
I just can't stay inside all day...gotta get out, get me some of those rays!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Something SPICY to share...
Did you know that horseradish is a great immune system booster?
It is also gives the liver increased power to filter out harmful substances from foods!
A fantastic helper for fighting digestive disorders, she writes while snacking on these ----->
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Your child only costs $1 an hour!
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family.
$160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down.
It translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
To me, they're priceless!
$160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down.
It translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
To me, they're priceless!
Hypocrisy?
In his inaugural address and here again Obama talks about LIFE being precious, worthy of protecting. And yet he has voted for the most extreme abortion policies of any liberal! Google his record on Born Alive.
All indications would tell us that he is a bright man, so is this hypocrisy? Certainly he must see and hear how his words should also apply to the UNBORN??
Pray that God is working on his heart....
from AP - WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Thursday he will establish a White House office of faith-based initiatives that will show no favoritism to any religious group and adhere to the strict separation of church and state.
Addressing the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama spoke of how faith has often been a divisive tool, responsible for war and prejudice. But, he said, "there is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being," and all religions teach people to love and care for one another.
WHO IS MORE INNOCENT THAN THE UNBORN?
All indications would tell us that he is a bright man, so is this hypocrisy? Certainly he must see and hear how his words should also apply to the UNBORN??
Pray that God is working on his heart....
from AP - WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Thursday he will establish a White House office of faith-based initiatives that will show no favoritism to any religious group and adhere to the strict separation of church and state.
Addressing the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama spoke of how faith has often been a divisive tool, responsible for war and prejudice. But, he said, "there is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being," and all religions teach people to love and care for one another.
WHO IS MORE INNOCENT THAN THE UNBORN?
Friday, February 6, 2009
The HEART of the Matter Presidential Pro Life Craft Project
With Valentines approaching, this gets to the heart of the matter.
I recieved this idea from the Seton Yahoogroup.
Get a red envelope. On the front, address it to:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
On the back of the envelope, write the following message.
This envelope represents one child who died in abortion.
It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world.
Responsibility begins with conception.
Put it in the mail, and send it. Then forward this to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president?
Another woman wrote, "Good idea but if you get the flimsy envelope then it will not work and it will jam the Post Office's Automated Machines." She suggested putting a blank white poster card or card stock in the envelope.
MY IDEAS -
If you don't have red envelopes, let your littlests color or paint white envelopes red so they can be invloved. The potential of a child......
Another idea for inside the card is a white card stock note saying....
OPEN your heart to the lives of your unborn CITIZENS. Be a President to ALL Americans!
Another idea for inside the card is a white card stock note saying....
OPEN your heart to the lives of your unborn CITIZENS. Be a President to ALL Americans!
Put in a bunch of prayer cards while you're at it! :) PASS IT ON.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Al Gore was once Pro-LIFE until it became.....an INCONVENIENT Truth
“It is my deep personal conviction that abortion is wrong. I hope that some day we will see the current outrageously large number of abortions drop sharply. . . . Let me assure you that I share your belief that innocent human life must be protected . . .” (Letter from Rep. Al Gore to a Constituent, 7/18/84)
Many Democrats used to be ProLife. MORE - http://www.xanga.com/dailyconstruct/689089142/democrats-were-once-pro-life-before-the-lure-of-power-and-money/
Saddest news of the day....the culture of DEATH in it's most heinous manifestation - http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/570428.html ABORTION IS MURDER.
This is Obama's legacy for the Born Alive, just what he voted for.
Many Democrats used to be ProLife. MORE - http://www.xanga.com/dailyconstruct/689089142/democrats-were-once-pro-life-before-the-lure-of-power-and-money/
Saddest news of the day....the culture of DEATH in it's most heinous manifestation - http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/570428.html ABORTION IS MURDER.
This is Obama's legacy for the Born Alive, just what he voted for.
The Shadow Knows
Where does Mary go? What does Mary say? How does Mary react?
The shadow knows....
“Let us be, in short, but Mary’s shadow.”
~St. Peter Julian Eymard
The shadow knows....
“Let us be, in short, but Mary’s shadow.”
~St. Peter Julian Eymard
When someone is learning a job they follow the person "in the know", they shadow them. In doing so, they hope to learn and pick up how to do things, how to interact and be successful.
The vessel that God chose for His mother should be an example to us. If God picked her, so should we. Did He do great things with anyone who He did NOT wish us to take notice of? Did He give greater graces to anyone?
No.
The Angel Gabriel, God's messenger and so carrying His message addresses her, "Hail, FULL of grace." How FULL is full?
Jesus spoke about how faith like a child's is required for heaven. Obedience. Acceptance. A child trusts and surrenders. Little children are their mother's shadow, following her.
Blessed Mother, take me by the hand. Where you lead, I wish to follow.
Join the MaryVitamin on yahoogroups
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Presentation, Candlemas ~ Mary carries The Light
The Mother of God, the most pure Virgin, carried the true light in her arms and brought Him to those who lay in darkness.
We, too, should carry a light for all to see and reflect the radiance of true light as we hasten to meet Him.
~ St. Sophronius
True then. True now? Has TRUTH changed?
They may not have started out Catholic, but all those in Heaven ARE CATHOLIC now!
Why would Christ found the Catholic Church if it was not necessary for Salvation? There is only one Truth and FULLNESS of faith. We know God is merciful and in His mercy He gave us purgatory. Pray for those being purified in purgatory....pray for them everyday. Some may have no one to pray for them....
In 304 A.D. Lactantius, The Divine Institutions - "Whether they be called Phrygians, or Novatians...or whatever else...they have ceased to be Christians, and have put on human and foreign names. It is , therefore, the Catholic Church alone which retains true worship...Because, however, all the vaious groups of heretics are confident that they are the Christians, and think that theirs in the Catholic Church, let it be known; that is the true Church, in which there is confession and penance..."
"The universal Church of the faithful is one outside of which none is saved."-Pope Innocent III, ex cathedra, Fourth Lateran Council (1215 AD)
"We declare, say , define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff."-Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam (1302 AD)
"The Most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, also Jews, heretics, and schismatics can ever be partakers of eternal life, but that they are to go into the eternal fire 'which was prepared for the devil and his angels' (Mt. 25:41) unless before death they are joined with Her... No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ can be saved unless they abide within the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church."-Pope Eugene IV, in the Bull Cantate Domino, (1441 AD)
Further teaching of Popes, Saints, as well as Fathers and Doctors of the Church:
"No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the Name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church."-St. Augustine (354-430), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
"The holy universal Church teaches that it is not possible to worship God truly except in Her and asserts that all who are outside of Her will not be saved."-Pope Saint Gregory the Great (590-604), Father and Doctor of the Church
"All who have not believed that Jesus Christ was really the Son of God are doomed. Also, all who see the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and do not believe it is really the most holy Body and Blood of the Lord . . . these also are doomed!"-Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)
"There is no entering into salvation outside the Catholic Church, just as in the time of the Flood there was not salvation outside the Ark, which denotes the Church."-Saint Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274), the Angelic Doctor
"There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. Anyone who resists this truth perishes."-Saint Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)
"Outside the Church there is no salvation...therefore in the symbol (Apostles Creed) we join together the Church with the remission of sins: 'I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins"...For this reason the Church is compared to the Ark of Noah, because just as during the deluge, everyone perished who was not in the ark, so now those perish who are not in the Church."-Saint Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
"All the misfortunes of unbelievers spring from too great an attachment to the things of life. This sickness of heart weakens and darkens the understanding, and leads to eternal ruin. If they would try to heal their hearts by purging them of their vices, they would soon receive light, which would show them the necessity of joining the Catholic Church, where alone is salvation. We should constantly thank the Lord for having granted us the gift of the true Faith, by associating us with the children of the Holy Catholic Church ... How many are the infidels, heretics, and schismatics who do not enjoy the happiness of the true Faith! Earth is full of them and they are all lost!"-Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
"By Faith it is to be firmly held that outside the Apostolic Roman Church none can achieve salvation. This is the only ark of salvation. He who does not enter into it will perish in the flood. Nevertheless equally certainly it is to be held that those who suffer from invincible ignorance of the true religion, are not for this reason guilty in the eyes of the Lord."-Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
"Some say they are not bound by the doctrine which teaches that the Mystical Body of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church are one and the same thing. Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation. Others finally belittle the reasonable character of the credibility of Christian Faith. These and like ERRORS, it is clear, have crept in among certain of our sons who are deceived by imprudent zeal for souls or by false science."-Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
From A Manual of Religion My Catholic Faith by Bishop Morrow, page 141 -
"The fact that it is possible for those outside the Church to be saved (making a perfect act of contrition at death) should not make us lose sight of the great disadvantages they are under, compared with Catholics who live in full light of Divine revelation. Such persons have not the infallible Church to guide them in what they are to believe and do in order to serve God. They have to live without the Sacraments, Holy Mass and Holy Communion and the other countless sources of grace with the Church supplies for the sanctification of its children, those professed Catholics who are members of the body of the visible Church. These disadvantages should make us Catholics realize more fully the many reasons we have for humbly thanking God for the priceless blessings we have recieved without any claim or merit of our own. They whould also spur us on to give Him a more worthy service, and spread our Faith....The Church is a guarantee of salvation to those only who obey it. Unfortunately, there are bad Catholics. We must study our religion and then practice it. God has given us the grace to be members of the true Church; we must not waste that grace."
Why would Christ found the Catholic Church if it was not necessary for Salvation? There is only one Truth and FULLNESS of faith. We know God is merciful and in His mercy He gave us purgatory. Pray for those being purified in purgatory....pray for them everyday. Some may have no one to pray for them....
In 304 A.D. Lactantius, The Divine Institutions - "Whether they be called Phrygians, or Novatians...or whatever else...they have ceased to be Christians, and have put on human and foreign names. It is , therefore, the Catholic Church alone which retains true worship...Because, however, all the vaious groups of heretics are confident that they are the Christians, and think that theirs in the Catholic Church, let it be known; that is the true Church, in which there is confession and penance..."
"The universal Church of the faithful is one outside of which none is saved."-Pope Innocent III, ex cathedra, Fourth Lateran Council (1215 AD)
"We declare, say , define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff."-Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam (1302 AD)
"The Most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, also Jews, heretics, and schismatics can ever be partakers of eternal life, but that they are to go into the eternal fire 'which was prepared for the devil and his angels' (Mt. 25:41) unless before death they are joined with Her... No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ can be saved unless they abide within the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church."-Pope Eugene IV, in the Bull Cantate Domino, (1441 AD)
Further teaching of Popes, Saints, as well as Fathers and Doctors of the Church:
"No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the Name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church."-St. Augustine (354-430), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
"The holy universal Church teaches that it is not possible to worship God truly except in Her and asserts that all who are outside of Her will not be saved."-Pope Saint Gregory the Great (590-604), Father and Doctor of the Church
"All who have not believed that Jesus Christ was really the Son of God are doomed. Also, all who see the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and do not believe it is really the most holy Body and Blood of the Lord . . . these also are doomed!"-Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)
"There is no entering into salvation outside the Catholic Church, just as in the time of the Flood there was not salvation outside the Ark, which denotes the Church."-Saint Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274), the Angelic Doctor
"There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. Anyone who resists this truth perishes."-Saint Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)
"Outside the Church there is no salvation...therefore in the symbol (Apostles Creed) we join together the Church with the remission of sins: 'I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins"...For this reason the Church is compared to the Ark of Noah, because just as during the deluge, everyone perished who was not in the ark, so now those perish who are not in the Church."-Saint Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
"All the misfortunes of unbelievers spring from too great an attachment to the things of life. This sickness of heart weakens and darkens the understanding, and leads to eternal ruin. If they would try to heal their hearts by purging them of their vices, they would soon receive light, which would show them the necessity of joining the Catholic Church, where alone is salvation. We should constantly thank the Lord for having granted us the gift of the true Faith, by associating us with the children of the Holy Catholic Church ... How many are the infidels, heretics, and schismatics who do not enjoy the happiness of the true Faith! Earth is full of them and they are all lost!"-Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
"By Faith it is to be firmly held that outside the Apostolic Roman Church none can achieve salvation. This is the only ark of salvation. He who does not enter into it will perish in the flood. Nevertheless equally certainly it is to be held that those who suffer from invincible ignorance of the true religion, are not for this reason guilty in the eyes of the Lord."-Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
"Some say they are not bound by the doctrine which teaches that the Mystical Body of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church are one and the same thing. Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation. Others finally belittle the reasonable character of the credibility of Christian Faith. These and like ERRORS, it is clear, have crept in among certain of our sons who are deceived by imprudent zeal for souls or by false science."-Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
From A Manual of Religion My Catholic Faith by Bishop Morrow, page 141 -
"The fact that it is possible for those outside the Church to be saved (making a perfect act of contrition at death) should not make us lose sight of the great disadvantages they are under, compared with Catholics who live in full light of Divine revelation. Such persons have not the infallible Church to guide them in what they are to believe and do in order to serve God. They have to live without the Sacraments, Holy Mass and Holy Communion and the other countless sources of grace with the Church supplies for the sanctification of its children, those professed Catholics who are members of the body of the visible Church. These disadvantages should make us Catholics realize more fully the many reasons we have for humbly thanking God for the priceless blessings we have recieved without any claim or merit of our own. They whould also spur us on to give Him a more worthy service, and spread our Faith....The Church is a guarantee of salvation to those only who obey it. Unfortunately, there are bad Catholics. We must study our religion and then practice it. God has given us the grace to be members of the true Church; we must not waste that grace."