Is Anybody There?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says Yahweh Sabaoth" Zach 4:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dio di Signore, nella Sua volontà è nostra pace!" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin 1759

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

& They're Off!!!!!*

* Sort of

A couple of days ago I posted about some friends of mine who are making a pilgrimage to El Camino de Santiago in Spain. (Paging Geoffrey Chaucer) Tonite at St. Columbkille's in DBQ there was a Mass with the blessing of the backpacks to send them off. They will be flying out of Chicago on Thursday & arriving in Spain on the 2nd.


It is not to late for anyone who wants to participate as a resident pilgrim to do so. The info is on their website.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

It's Pro-Life T-Shirt Day 2008 Today

Just a reminder that today is the 6th Annual National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day. Don't forget to wear a Pro-Life T-Shirt today.
What do we mean?
Every abortion kills a living human being—that is a fact. From the moment of fertilization, when that human being is but a single cell, all the way to the moment of birth, there is a child that is undergoing a period of remarkable growth and development. Abortion stops that miraculous growth cold and robs the world of all that child would have accomplished. That child is just gone.
Simply put, NPLTD is organized by American Life League with the intent to increase awareness of abortion and the reality of how many innocent babies are murdered every day.
Primarily, we are concerned with getting people to think of the child as a person from the moment of fertilization. It is much harder to murder a person than it is to “remove a lump of tissues,” and it is only when we finally get the nation thinking in those terms that we will be able to make abortion a crime, as it should be.
Just by wearing the T-shirt and being out there in public, you will help to accomplish that goal.

Paging Geoffrey Chaucer

“Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where thegood way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls….” Jeremiah 6:16


I guess that all depends on whether some friends of mine want their upcoming pilgrimage preserved as a classic of modern literature.
In this case it isn't a trip to Canterbury & the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket. In this case it is El Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) that they will be travelling. This pilgrimage is a 500 mile journey that starts in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, goes across northern Spain & ends at Santiago de Compostela where the remains of the Apostle St. James the Elder are buried. The trip takes about 28 days.
& like the medieval pilgrims who started it all, they will be walking. Well, technically they will start out on 1 May flying from Chicago, Il to Madrid. But once they arrive at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port it becomes a walking pilgrimage. They leave St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 3 May & arrive at Santiago de Compostela on 30 May.
Granted, there will be a few differences. Those early pilgrims didn't have access to the internet to set up a website & blog for the journey. Nor did they have cell phones. & the modern equivelents of those inns will definitely be a little more comfortable. Even so, the basic heart of the pilgrimage remains the same.
So what is a pilgrimage & why are they doing it?
In this case a pilgrimage is a journey with a spiritual foundation & goal. Some pilgrimages focus on the destination alone. But in this case the whole trip plays a part in the spirituality of the journey. Each day they will attend Mass, say 4 rosaries, read Bible verses specifically selected for each day (here), journal their spiritual experiences (& blog about them at times), & maintain periods of intentional silence as they walk each day. Each day they will cover a distance betwen 12 to 25 miles.
So why are they doing it? Why go through the process of sore feet, aching muscles, tiredness & the other hassles they might face when they could fly directly to the shrine?


Colleen Pasnik: "We will be offering our suffering up to further our prayer requests." She expects to feel connected to the generations of pilgrims who went before them.
Tom Becker sees it as a way to get out of his comfort zone. "Getting out of our daily lives makes us available to God's graces. It opens our hearts and minds. This pilgrimage will strip us of our every day existance. I hope to go deeper into my spiritual life to learn to be more Christlike."
For Chuck Olson it is a chance to "get rid of all the distractions in your life to grow in faith."
The DBQ Pilgrims have invited their friends to participate in their pilgrimage as resident pilgrims. We will be joining them in prayer, scripture readings (the same ones they will be reading) & with a personal sacrificial commitment. & while it may not be as difficult, it will still require an additional commitment each day. Anyone is welcome to join in with them.
They have a theme song. Appropriately it is "Step by Step".
A good friend of mine, Fr. Michael Podhajsky even composed a special prayer for the journey. I did have to give him a bit of a hard time for following the tradition of putting San Giuseppe after St. Michael the Archangel. I think you can figure out why I did. & thus I am the only 1 with special permission to switch the 2 arround.
A Pilgrim's Prayer
by Fr. Michael Podhajsky
Almighty God, our loving Father,
You who guide us along the narrow path on our pilgrimage through this valley of tears to our promised inheritance in Heaven, pour out Your abundant blessings upon us as we make this pilgrimage.
Strengthen our steps with Your grace and lighten our hearts with Your love.
May we offer this pilgrimage in reparation for our own sins and for the sins of the world.
May this journey of faith win for us a treasure of grace on our journey to eternity.
O Holy Angels, be our companions and guides.
O Blessed Virgin Mary, on this journey and throughout our pilgrimage of life we dedicate ourselves to you.
Surround us with your loving protection and lead us to bliss of the Sacred Heart of your dearly Beloved Son.
Through your Motherly intercession, may God keep us safe from all evil, in body, mind and soul and from every attack of the enemy.
May the Precious Blood of Jesus cover us in mercy until at last we stand in the holy presence of God Most High to sing His praises for ever.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - Have mercy on us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary - Pray for us!
St. Michael the Archangel - Pray for us!
Dear St. Joseph - Pray for us!
St. James the Greater - Pray for us!
St. Christopher - Pray for us!
All you holy angels and saints - Pray for us!


l to r: Colleen Pasnik, Bill Pasnik, JoAnn Olson, Chuck Olson, Ruth Becker, & Tom Becker
Jesus Christ, Son of God,have mercy on me, a sinner.
Known as "The Pilgrim's Prayer", this prayer was prayed during the middle ages, silently, mile after mile, day after day, by pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land

Monday, April 28, 2008

I Guess This Means Rome Is A Healthy Diocese

"Let us be quite frank: the ability to cultivate vocations to the priesthood and the religious life is a sure sign of the health of a local Church." Papa Benedetto's response to a question on vocations during his meeting with the American Bishops at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, 16 April 2008.
On Sunday, 27 April 2008 Papa Benedetto ordained 29 men to the priesthood at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. 22 of these men were for the Archdiocese of Rome.

The other 7, while studying in Rome were from other parts of the world. 6 were from Roman Catholic (Latin Rite) Churches in Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, France, Haiti and India.

The 29th man to be ordained was Abuna (Father) Jarjis Robert Sayd (shown here after vesting) of Iraq for the Chaldean Catholic Church (Chaldean Church of Babylon) in Iraq. For anyone not familiar with the Chaldean Church, it is 1 of the sui iuris Eastern Branches of the Catholic Church. The rite they use is the East Syrian Rite (aka the Chaldean Rite, Assyrian Rite, or Persian Rite). While the majority of the eparchies (dioceses) are in Iraq & Iran, there are 2 in the USA & 1 in Australia for Oceania.

So this brings us back to what Papa Benedetto said about a healthy diocese. Given some dioceses have 0-2 seminarians ordained every year, 22 is definitely healthy. In his address at Vespers before the above Q & A he talked about what a good pastor, esp bishop was like. The bishop is the one who ensures a healthy diocese. Apparently the Bishop of Rome IS doing something right. But then he better be, since that bishop is Papa Benedetto.

After Mass, at the Regina Caeli, he shared the following thoughts about the newly ordained priests in his address to those present:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

A few moments ago we concluded a celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica in which I ordained 29 new priests. This is a time every year of special grace and festivity: The lifeblood of the Church and society has been renewed and recirculated in them. If the presence of priests is indispensable for the life of the Church, it is also something precious for all.

In the Acts of the Apostles one reads that the Deacon Philip brought the Gospel to a city of Samaria; the people adhered to his preaching with enthusiasm and also saw the miracles that he worked for the sick; “and there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:8). As I reminded the new presbyters in the course of the liturgical celebration, this is the meaning of the Church’s missions and particularly the mission of priests: Sowing the joy of the Gospel in the world!

Where Christ is preached with the power of the Holy Spirit and he is accepted with an open soul, society, though it be full of problems, becomes a “city of joy” -- which is also the title of a book about the work of Mother Teresa in Calcutta. This then is the wish I have for the newly ordained priests, for whom I invite all to pray: That where they are sent they may spread the joy and hope that flow from the Gospel.

In truth this is also the message that I brought last week to the United States of America, on an apostolic voyage that had these words as its motto: “Christ our hope.” I give thanks to God for abundantly blessing this singular missionary experience of mine and deigning to make me an instrument of the hope of Christ for that Church and that country. At the same time I thank God because I too was confirmed in hope by American Catholics: Indeed, I discovered a tremendous vitality and a decisive will to live and to witness to the faith in Jesus. Next Wednesday, during the general audience, I will speak more about this visit of mine to America.

Today many Eastern Churches, following the Julian Calendar, celebrate the great solemnity of Easter. I would like to express my fraternal spiritual nearness to these brothers and sisters of ours. I cordially greet them, praying that the God who is one and three will confirm them in the faith, fill them with the splendorous light that emanates from the resurrection of the Lord and to comfort them in the difficult situations that they often find themselves living and witnessing to the Gospel. I invite all to join with me in invoking the Mother of God, that the road of dialogue and collaboration that was started upon sometime ago will soon lead to a more complete communion among all the disciples of Christ, that they may be a luminous sign of hope for all humanity.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Wellington Mara - Pro-Life Hero

Memo to Dr. Mary Graber: Some of Us of Italiano Descent Know the Code Words Also

In a column for Townhall.com Mary Grabar has an excellent response to Obama for what he had to say about the so-called bitter gun & religious clingers in Pennsylvania. While she speaks for those who came from Eastern Europe under communistic rule, much of what she says also applies to my ancestors who came over from Italia looking for a better life. I've added a few comments of my own where the similarities occur.
1 of life's little ironies is that when my maternal grandparents, their friends & relatives came over from Southern Italia, they were labeled as colored. Now their grandchildren are lumped in with those that Obama & his ilk call "priviledged".
By Mary Grabar
We know who you’re talking about, Barack Obama, when you talk about Pennsylvania and the Midwest, about small towns where the jobs have left. We know who you’re talking about when you talk about those who “get bitter” and “cling to guns or religion.”
You’re talking about “those people.”
You’re talking about white people who have neither the family connections nor the racial credentials to gain entrance to the world that you inhabit. Many of the people you’re talking about are those whose parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe who came to these places to work in steel mills, coal mines, and factories. (& railroads) We know the code words.
You’re talking about people whose culture is little known. We have been pretty quiet. We never tried to impose our culture on everyone. We never insisted on putting pictures of ourselves in our native dress into schoolbooks or mandating that our stories and songs be part of the curriculums. (OK mine is better known, but now it isn't PC to be proud of it.)
We tried to maintain our culture without government aid, by forming our own churches and groups, and building Polish, Ukrainian, and Slovenian halls. (ditto for the Italianos)
We never wore buttons declaring “Slav Power” or grouped together for purposes of intimidation or violence.
The power we asked for was the power of the paycheck which we earned in factories, steel mills, coal mines, or by cleaning houses. Yet, we were taken aside and told that because of affirmative action it was no use trying to advance off the assembly line; we were told in “diversity workshops” that people of color had to be promoted over more qualified white people. I know this, Barack, because I have family members and friends who worked in factories.
We used to trudge in to work and change into work clothes, like my father did. He began by knowing only one word of English, “Okay,” which he found to be the most useful one in the language. (Her ancestors & mine also knew they needed to learn how to properly speak English, it was & still IS the language of this country.) When the boss man handed him a broom or pointed to a piece to be welded, he fairly leapt to the task. My uncles were injured in construction and mining accidents, and went back to work. (& back injuries from working on the railroad.)
But what did we get for that, Barack? We paid cash for our houses and kept impeccable yards, yet saw the value of our homes plummet after marauding hoodlums came into our neighborhoods in riots that were celebrated by the intelligentsia in Manhattan penthouses, who saw such violence as justified expressions of outrage over past discrimination. (Interesting fact about job & pay discrimination from 1912. Obama, who was more discriminated against when it came to pay, your ancestors or mine? "In 1912 the average income for a native white American was $14.37 per week, while a Negro earned about $10.66 a week. . . . the southern Italian a meager $9.61. So does that mean I can go to your neighborhood & riot Obama?)
We went to public schools in those same neighborhoods only to be accosted for our skin color and the presumed “privilege” that teachers said we had. Rather than teach us what was good and beautiful about Western Civilization and the country to which our parents had fled, teachers gave us Marxist nonsense, if they bothered to teach at all. Our schoolmates saw the evening news, mimicked their elders by wearing “Black Power” buttons and felt justified in roughing the white kid who didn’t seem tough. Because we were “privileged”—despite washing our fathers’ sooty work clothes while our mothers went off to clean offices and houses in the suburbs—we were not eligible for scholarships, not even to the Catholic schools. Teachers never cut us any slack. Guidance counselors told us to be secretaries or work in the factory, despite our volunteering and demonstration of academic abilities. Our brothers, cousins, and uncles went off to fight in Vietnam, while those from your class took up arms against their campus administrators.
True, we had our problems, as all people do, with such things as alcoholism and family violence, but we handled those ourselves, and never blamed “society” or a history of oppression. Still, many of us did carry legacies from the old country, of hunger and persecution, of watching family members and villagers murdered by atheistic regimes. So we were grateful for the opportunity to work and buy our own little patches of the American Dream. (My ancestors may not have had to deal with atheistic regimes. But they did deal with invaders who persecuted them. They did deal with a legacy of hunger. & the American dream was just as important to them.)
We were happy to use a welding torch, shovel, or broom to get them. We didn’t insist that we should all get college degrees. We didn’t have our documents translated for us or get bilingual instruction. (Ditto!) If we didn’t know English we made sure our children did and we relied on them. (Like I said above!)
Your white friends in San Francisco, Barack, probably had cleaning women like my mother (and me when I accompanied her and then had my own cleaning jobs from age 12). As white people from a certain class and with certain connections, your donors knew that their futures would be secure because of their inheritances and the connections they could make in the media, politics, and business. In fact, it would benefit them in the world of “radical chic” to hang around those like you and support your policies. (Great opportunity to be photographed next to a black person!)
Your black friends there, like your wife, see no end to the amount that this country owes them because of what happened to their ancestors. It makes no difference that many of the whites in previous generations also had experienced persecution and hunger and worked in dangerous, dirty, and degrading jobs. (Like my Grandpa & Great Grandpa.) Or that blacks and Native Americans were among the slave owners. (& I have been judged more than once by blacks because of my skin color. I guess it is OK for them to treat me in a way that is the exact opposite of the "Golden Rule".)
In fact, you and those wealthy donors sneer at white people who have had to do manual labor and who have paid for tuition at community colleges with the money earned that way, while our classmates received special scholarships and government grants—from our taxes. (Where were my special scholarships when I was in college? Yes I got financial aid, based on true need, scholarships based on ability.)
You sneer at those like us who put our faith in God and not in those like you who would presume to know what’s good for us and tell us what to do with our money and our children, and leave us with no ability to defend ourselves.
Well, Barack, coming from your Ivy League world, you would not know much about us. You would not have learned that because we come from people who, rather than letting their communist benefactors redistribute the food, burned the crops in their little fields before they were forcibly “collectivized.” In Slovenia, they fought Tito’s Partisans from the woods and held mass at night when the Communists banned church services. They remember what it’s like to be hungry, ill, and living in little more than huts, while Marshall Tito and his communist cronies lived in villas. Now you live in a Chicago mansion and sneer at those like us who simply want to keep and defend our little three-bedroom ranches. You don’t know what it’s like to have family members die for the right to attend mass. (Dr. Grabar, I suspect you realize that if Obama's Ivy League buddies had their way, Slovenia would still be under Communist rule.)
I know your liberal cronies, Barack; they make me check off my skin color on job applications and ask me during job interviews of how I teach multiculturalism, yet don’t know where Slovenia is on the world map. They couldn’t care less about my culture, nor about Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, or Lithuanian culture. Your supporters often feel free to mock my Slovenian heritage in letters and comments on the Internet when they disagree with me. I guess it’s like being called a “dumb Polack”—something that has never gained quite the opprobrium of other ethnic epithets.
See, Barack, we know the system: Some are more “equal” than others.
And we know how you really feel about the “proletariat.” We know this from our experience either directly or as an inheritance from our parents and grandparents. And that is why we came to America.
Addendum: Many of my non-European correspondents, like those who came from Cuba, agree—as their letters to me indicate.
Sadly, many of my fellow Americans of Southern Italian descent have forgotten their history & joined the liberal elite, the "radical chic". They forget the hard work their grandparents did so that their parents could get a good education & better jobs that enabled them to have the inheritances they have. They are betraying their grandparents & the reasons came over here for in the 1st place. (This could also be said about people like the Kennedys as well, do they remember their Irish ancestors weren't exactly welcomed here either?)
Something I learned a long time ago is that there is only 1 race, the human race. We may have different heritages, but we are all human beings. I grew up in a mostly Italiano neighborhood. I grew up with Mexican friends. I have had friends whose ancestors came from Europe, Asia, Africa as well as the Americas. I didn't chose a single 1 of them based on skin color, but on who they were as a person.
My ancestors appreciated what America had to offer. America offered them freedom, hope a better life, if they were willing to work for it. & they did. They didn't ask for special treatment, just equal opportunity & they didn't always get that.
Like I said, they didn't ask for special treatment. & even though life hasn't always treated me fairly, neither do I.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

This Is What They Mean By Safe & Rare?????

While many of the recent horror stories relating to abortion clinics have been about Planned Parenthood, they aren't the only clinics that have been making the news with lawbreaking & unethical practices. Stories about Tiller's Women's Health Care Services, run by Dr. George R. Tiller in Wichita, Kansas, have been surfacing. This is the result of efforts by Operation Rescue to bring them to light.
You might remember the ongoing saga of the attempts to bring Tiller & his clinic to justice. Various coverups involving elected & regulatory officials in Kansas have come to light. A grand jury is currently investigating the clinic & Tiller.
According to a LifeSite News story the experiences that women have been sharing include:

" - An abortion on a 14-year old girl who did not understand what was happening to her. Her traumatic abortion resulted in drug abuse and suicidal thoughts.
- An unwanted abortion on a 17-year old whose abusive parents forced her to abort. The girl was drugged into submission and her pleas for help ignored by clinic staff.
- A forced abortion on a 19-year old whose last word before succumbing to the anesthesia was, "Nooooo!"
- A step-mom who coerced a young girl into an unwanted abortion contrary to the wishes of her rightful parent, resulting in a disturbing personality change in her daughter.
- An abortion done on a woman in her 25th week of pregnancy whose medical records show that the abortion was not medically necessary, in violation of Kansas Law.- A botched abortion that resulted in years of gynecological problems."
Operation Rescue Senior Policy Advisor Cheryl Sullenger had the following to say about the investigation & the political coverup: "These are heart-breaking stories for which we hold Governor Kathleen Sebelius personally responsible. The governor has appointed people to all the state's enforcement institutions that continue to turn a blind eye to lawbreaking and unethical behavior on the part of the abortion cartel. She is at the heart of the abortion corruption scandal in Kansas that has already cost the jobs of an attorney general and two top members of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. Unfortunately, that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Gov. Sebelius is using her appointees in the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts, the Kansas Department of Health, the Attorney General's office, and perhaps even the Kansas Supreme Court to cover up for Tiller's wrongdoing. This is costing innocent lives that laws have been enacted to protect, as well as untold human misery in the lives of vulnerable young girls who do not have the will to resist the tremendous pressures to abort. We can no longer ignore these tragedies. We again urge the legislature to conduct an investigation into this abortion corruption scandal."
I will admit that every business as well as politics has its share of corruption & crime. But what is devient elsewhere seems to be the norm when it comes to abortion clinics. These places seem to thrive on criminal cover-ups.
Unfortunately, the cover-up in Kansas isn't getting the Main Stream Media coverage any more than the Planned Parenthood scandals are. But the truth will out. God is bringing it to light. & these criminals will pay for the evil they have done. As more & more of the truth gets out, more people will start to question the very premises of legalized abortion & see it as the evil it really is. & 1 day the resulting outcry will be enough that abortion will again be outlawed for the evil that it is.

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2008 L.I.F.E. Dinner Report

Last night DBQ Co Right to Life held its annual L.I.F.E. Dinner. It was held at the Grand River Center in DBQ. There were about 280 in attendance. The dinner is a chance for local Pro-Lifers from the area to gather together & to hear a national speaker. It is also a fund raiser for DCRTL. This year about 280 people from the Tri-State area were in attendance.
The keynote speaker this year was Allan Parker J.D., president of The Justice Foundation. Mr. Parker serves as the lead legal counsel for Norma McCorvey, who was “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade, and Sandra Cano, who was “Mary Doe” of Doe v. Bolton, in the legal effort to overturn their landmark Supreme Court rulings that brought legalized abortion on demand in America.
In his talk Mr. Parker shared how The Justice Foundation is working to overturn Roe v Wade & Doe v Bolton. They are working with what he calls a 1-2 punch. 1. Refute the great lie that says the unborn child is not human. 2. Refute the lie that abortion is good & safe for women. To do that they have been gathering testimonies of women who have been harmed by abortion through Operation Outcry. Many of these testimonies were used in an amicus brief filed with the US Supreme Court for Gonzales v Carhart. Their brief was cited by the Court in its ruling to uphold the US ban on partial birth abortion.
Through Operation Outcry they hope to gather 1 million declarations from women about how abortion harmed them that can be used in various court cases. But the organization is doing more. It is trying to bring a message of healing to the men & women hurt by abortion. Their message is not one of condemnation but the Gospel message of forgiveness.
He went on to remind us that not all abortions are surgical. IntraUterine Devices (IUDs) can also cause abortion. He shared his story of how his wife & him lost their son Matthew A. Parker due to their using a IUD that caused his death in the womb.
He went on to remind us that the work his organization is doing is simply to get America back to its foundation. That foundation is found in this line from teh Declaration of Independence: "All men are created equal" with certain God given rights including the right to life. (Natural law)
Part of the talk included a video with testimonies of various women hurt by abortion as well as Norma McCorvey sharing some of her story of how she was duped.
After the talk there was a short program honoring Ellen Markham, exective director of DCRTL, who will be retiring this Summer.

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National Day of Prayer - 2008

1 May 2008 will be the National Day of Prayer for 2008. It was begun in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress that was signed into law by President Harry S Truman. In 1988 the law was amended & signed by President Ronald Reagan. Now it is permantly held each year on the 1st Thursday in May.
Throughout the history of the United States Presidents &/or Congress have declared Days of Prayer for specific reasons. The 1st day of prayer was called for by the Continental Congress in 1775. They asked for prayer for the wisdom in forming a new nation.
The purpose of this day is to set aside a day of special intercessory prayer over & above the normal prayer each of us should be doing for our country & our leaders. Those prayed for include our Federal Leaders in all 3 branchs of government (Executive, Legislative & Judicial), State leaders (same 3 branchs), & local, county, city, school boards etc. The NDP Task Force has a suggested list here.
On 21 April President Bush issued a proclaimation officially designating 1 May as this year's Day of Prayer:
A Proclamation by the President of the United States ofAmerica
America trusts in the abiding power of prayer and asks for the wisdom to discern God's will in times of joy and of trial. As we observe this National Day of Prayer, we recognize our dependence on the Almighty, we thank Him for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us, and we put our country's future in His hands.
From our Nation's humble beginnings, prayer has guided our leaders and played a vital role in the life and history of the United States. Americans of many different faiths share the profound conviction that God listens to the voice of His children and pours His grace upon those who seek Him in prayer. By surrendering our lives to our loving Father, we learn to serve His eternal purposes, and we are strengthened, refreshed, and ready for all that may come.
On this National Day of Prayer, we ask God's continued blessings on our country. This year's theme, "Prayer! America's Strength and Shield," is taken from Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped." On this day, we pray for the safety of our brave men and women in uniform, for their families, and for the comfort and recovery of those who have been wounded.
The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on our Nation to reaffirm the role of prayer in our society by recognizing each year a "National Day of Prayer."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2008, as a National Day of Prayer. I ask the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each according to his or her own faith, for the freedoms and blessings we have received and for God's continued guidance, comfort, and protection. I invite all Americans to join in observing this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
In addition every state governor has also issued a proclaimation, all filled with whereases & therefores, declaring 1 May this year's Day of Prayer.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Another Voice Speaks Out Against Planned Parenthood

In this case it is Rebecca Messall, Esq., president of the National Lawyer’s Association. In her April 2008 President's Message she talks about Margaret Sanger, PP & their dirty little racist, eugenic secrets. I came accross this while reading a recent post Judie Brown's blog on American Life League's website (MARGARET SANGER'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET).
Inch by inch, step by step, the truth is getting out there. & it is fast approaching a critical mass. & when it does, Planned Parenthood will finally HAVE to pay for its sins.
April 2008

Suffice it to say I am not speaking for the NLA and these opinions are my own. I am writing this column to draw attention to a bill to defund Planned Parenthood, introduced in Congress in March by Rep. Mike Pence (R.- Ind.), who I believe deserves our gratitude.

I bring this up for two reasons: First, I'm directing attention to Supreme Court cases grounded in eugenics, the discredited bio-politics followed by founders and leaders of the birth control movement and specifically, of Planned Parenthood. Eugenics is the alleged science in support of the notion that --- contrary to the Declaration of Independence --- all people are not created equal. Second, as this goes to press, talk radio is boiling with charges against Barack Obama's minister, Rev.Wright, for alleged hate-speech, racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Americanism. Wright was caught on camera accusing the U.S. of, among other things, attempted black genocide via AIDS. Mr. Obama apologized. Rev. Wright has not, as far as I know.

It turns out that the Rev. Wright is not a conspiracy-nut as to the general idea of government-backed black genocide, according to a convincing body of research and a recent book by feminist Angela Franks, Margaret Sanger's Eugenic Legacy: The Control of Female Fertility, McFarland & Company, Inc. (2005). Franks joins the ranks of a growing number of non-feminist (and yes, non-Black-Panther) historians in documenting that the American eugenics movement was greatly in favor of black birth-prevention, a sure-fire way to eliminate the race or severely cut back its ranks and political influence. Eugenicists abhorred the 'differential fertility' of blacks.

The significance of the history of the American Eugenics Society is its personnel overlap with Margaret Sanger's birth control organizations and legislation, plus the Society's supporting role in landmark cases like Roe v. Wade (see my article at
www.humanlifereview.org, 'archives, fall 2004'), Griswold v. Connecticut (at least one of the plaintiffs was a eugenicist), Buck v. Bell (eugenic legislation upheld) and even Brown v. Board of Education (citing Gunnar Myrdal's book proposing to eliminate blacks with birth control, while arguing to increase equality to better judge who is 'fit' and who is not). It is not lost on most of us, I dont' know about Rev. Wright, that the government's insistence on providing pervasive access to the Pill in minority communities does in fact help spread AIDS and other infectious diseases by facilitating high-risk relationships.

Franks takes care to explain that eugenics is not always about gas chambers, labor camps and state coercion. In my own research, I found leading eugenicists defining their sick work as a vague quest to improve the hereditary quality of human stock, "using all agencies under social control." You name it --- law, medicine, education, taxation, immigration, war/peace --- the eugenicists consider every sector of society as their perogative to upgrade the gene pool by preventing births from the 'unfit' and 'feebleminded' du jour, and today, by picking and choosing 'approved' human embryos according to genetic acceptability.

Preventing births with contraceptives and abortion became popular in the U.S. after Hitler made forcible sterilizations and gas chambers decidedly unpopular. But Hitler in fact, as researcher Katharine O'Keefe pointed out to me, was boasting in the 1930's that he would eliminate Slavs by "systematic measures to dam their great natural fertility." He argued that this was a way of making inferior races die out "bloodlessly." The links between Hitler and Sanger's American Eugenics Society are too voluminous and repulsive to get into in this letter. It can be recalled, however, that Hitler legalized abortion for Jews, insofar as forcing Jewish abortions in a concentration camp can be considered 'legal.' It can also be recalled that Hitler's forcible sterilization laws of 1933 were modeled after California's forcible sterilization laws, designed by Sanger's colleagues at the American Eugenics Society, who won Constitutional validation in the United States Supreme Court. Buck v. Bell (1929). Still 'good law.'

We know the eugenicists were Sanger's colleagues because she and the next two presidents of Planned Parenthood, William Vogt and Alan Guttmacher --- the latter led through 1974 -- were also members of the American Eugenics Society. Franks documents how the eager members of the Eugenics Society banded together with Sanger to launch her/their vision for publicly-funded birth prevention (Planned Parenthood) targeted to 'the poor' (wink, wink, meaning blacks), along with, of course, how-to classes in schools via SIECUS.

In this column I'm urging the end of public funding for birth prevention (and while I'm at it, the end of tax exemption for birth prevention 'philanthropies'), I point out twin political issues: first, that Social Security allegedly lacks upcoming workers to support my generation of retirees; second, that President Bush alleges we have so severe a labor shortage that we require millions of Mexican workers to fill the gap.

I bring up these issues because almost no one speaks about the striking fact that Planned Parenthood and the American Eugenics Society have cost our country 50 million aborted-American lives, plus the lives of the aborteds' children (another 20 million? 30 million?), plus the lives those who were never conceived because of being prevented. Considering the Biblical scale of this human loss -- which, I add here, has landed disproportionately on blacks and other minorities --- and considering that the Congress and the Courts have propped it up for all these years, the first step is surely to stop the flow of federal funding.

One more thing, Rev.Wright's alleged anti-Semitism, racism and hate-speech do not hold a candle to the anti-Semitism, racism and hate-speech of some of the members of the American Eugenics Society. This is all the more reason that the judiciary and Congress should disavow, no, denounce, Sanger, Planned Parenthood, and eugenics-era programs designed to create a genetic Utopia in America.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Messall, Esq.

The Racist Truth About Planned Parenthood is Getting Out

A lot of us have been speaking up about Planned Parenthood's (PP) racist roots. & how, despite its claims to the contrary, it still uphold's founder Margaret Sanger's racist, eugenic views. The recent research by UCLA Student Pro-Life organization Live Action is starting to get noticed by a group of black pastors. The research by LA was to call several local PP offices & offer to donate money specifically to pay for an abortion of a black baby. (See Margaret Sanger Would Be Proud for more.)
According to a Fox News report: "The Planned Parenthood Federation of America has perpetuated a “genocide on the black community,” says a group of African-American pastors who claimed Thursday the birth control and abortion provider has had a racist agenda since its beginnings in 1921."
The group of pastors held their press conference in front of a Washington D.C. PP. The press conference was held in conjunction with a vigil. They gathered there because " they were incensed by the results of recent 'undercover' inquiries into several Planned Parenthood clinics across the country."
'Every day … over 1,500 black babies are murdered inside the black woman’s womb,' said Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, of Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND). 'This is a race issue.'
They are calling for a Congressional audit of PP as well as cutting off their Title X funds.
PP's response to Fox News was to claim that "its role in the African-American community is widespread because the need is greater." According to the 2000 Census, African-Americans make up 12.3% of the population. Hispanics make up 14.8% of the population. Yet 80% of PP's clinics are in minority neighborhoods. It strikes me as strange that their is that huge of a disparity in the so-called "need".
Many years ago PP suckered many black leaders into supporting them & now uses that to prove they aren't racist. But, that was a part of Sanger's plan, use their leaders to betray them. That tactic may have worked in the past, but no longer. The truth is coming out & the black pastors are wising up.
& so are many of PPs victims. 1 of those at the protest was Lilly Epps. "She said she was 26 years old when she got an abortion in the clinic used to stage the protest. She said the day has come to get 'the truth' out about Planned Parenthood and what it is doing her community.
'I am a mad black woman,' she said. 'Words cannot say how angry I am, how ignorant I was. But I thank God I came to the truth.'
Any other group that covered up rape, defrauded the government & was as blatently racist as PP is would have seen the Main Stream Media (MSM) do everything it could to put them out of business as well as pay for their crimes long ago. But because PP provides abortions they are given a pass by the MSM. But as more & more of the truth comes out, the MSM is going to have to deal with it, & the egg on their face for all these years of complicity, aiding & abetting in PPs multitude of crimes.


Source: Pastors Accuse Planned Parenthood for 'Genocide' on Blacks

Here is the Fox News report:

http://www.foxnews.com/video/?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=a0c0f572-5090-45e9-a439-a1fda9d1c889&referralPlaylistId=searchRacist%20Agenda

(Video added 26 April 2008, 1:55 AM)

Who IS Offering the Real "HOPE"?


The answer IS simple. Papa Benedetto.
Obama's minister offers bitterness, anger hate, a desire for revenge. & despite his claims to the countrary, by what he said, Obama clearly buys into the gospel of hate. Which isn't really a gospel at all.
Papa Benedetto offers The Gospel. The Gospel that offers forgiveness, change salvation & eternal life. In other words he proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior. I think I'll stick with the Pope.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

If They Are Going to Attack Christ, Can't They at Least Come Up With Something Original?

Yup, here we go again. Another attack on who Jesus Christ is, this time how he was conceived. According to the Fox News Headline: 'Basic Instinct' Director Paul Verhoeven: Jesus Was Son of Mary and Roman Rapist.
According to the article: "In his upcoming biography of Jesus, "Basic Instinct" director Paul Verhoeven will make the shocking claim that Christ probably was the son of Mary and a Roman soldier who raped her during the Jewish uprising in Galilee." My 1st question is "shocking to who?" This story has regularly surfaced again & again. According to Kirk Bingaman, director of the pastoral counseling program at Fordham University's Graduate School of Religion: "The idea goes back to ancient sources from the 1st or 2nd century; I personally don’t put a lot of stock in it. How would we ever know? We don’t have any empirical proof. I subscribe to the Apostles' Creed that Jesus was conceived of the Virgin Mary."
I can't remember how many years ago I 1st ran across this claim. I'm sure he has plans to make a movie from his book. But, it has already been done in a movie. & Monty Python (Life of Brian) did it much better than Verhoeven probably will. & at least as accurately.
"In addition to suggesting that the Virgin Mary may have been a rape victim, the book will also say that Christ was not betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 original apostles of Jesus, as the New Testament states." Well, who then?
But when you know a little more about Verhoeven this makes perfect sense. In the past he has attended session of The Jesus Seminar. That group has no faith in miracles or the supernatural. They have set as their goal the demythologizing of the Gospels. What they have really done is spread a pack of lies. They want to turn Jesus into a nice guy with some good ideas but not God & not a miracle worker. As Bill Donahue puts it: "The goal is to question the divinity of Christ — to say he was nothing but a happy carpenter who worked at Lowe's or Home Depot." & they want to turn God into a 98 pound weakling incapable of doing a single miracle. They are a sad excuse for Bible scholarship that deserves to be ignored rather than given the serious attention they have been given in recent years by the media.
Here we have the difference between an attack on Catholic beliefs & an attack on Muslim beliefs. remember The Satanic Verses? Salman Rushdie is still under a fatwā that calls for his death. Instead, us Christians will protest. The worst we will do is unleash Bill Donahue of The Catholic League to mock him. But no death threats.
According to Fox News, Donahue called the claims "laughable "
"Here we go again with idle speculation grounded in absolutely nothing," Donohue told FOXNews.com. "He has no empirical evidence to support his claim, which is why they say 'may have.'"
Donohue also mocked the fact that Verhoeven — best known for directing the famous Sharon Stone crotch scene in "Basic Instinct" — reportedly worked on the book for 20 years, only to come up with a "probably."
"He's been working 20 years trying to sell this argument and hasn't come up with anything," Donohue said. "This won't make a dent with Christians, nor with scholars somewhat wary of the biblical account.
"It's a European version of Hollywood. He should go back to Sharon Stone's legs."
For 2000 years there have been attacks on the basic teachings of Christianity. So, this is nothing new. Sadly, some people will buy this, just as they did the DaVinci Code, gnosticism, arianism etc. Our job is to keep on proclaiming the truth. Let us pray that the book fails & that Mr. Verhoeven, who claims to be Catholic, will be converted & come to know the truth is what is found in Scriptures.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

EARTH DAY - 2008

* Or How to celebrate it right!
Where I work called on everyone to wear green as a part of Earth Day activities. I had to wonder, do the powers that be realize that it takes chemicals to make the green dye? & those chemicals often can harm the environment?
That aside, I decided the best way to commemorate Earth Day was to wear my green T-shirt that calls on us to protact our most important natural resource, the unborn.
So, I am wearing my green "Help Cure Abortion" shirt today.
This is not to downplay our responsibility to be good stewards of the environment, we are called by God to do so. That doesn't mean we put nature up on a pedestal & worship it like a god as many "tree huggers" do. We are to use the resources God gave us responsibly. & nature isn't more important than human life. As Fr. Parker pointed out in his homily today, God didn't die to save nature. He died to save us. We are the ones with an immortal soul.
Man's fall has harmed nature, that IS true. At the end of time God will restore creation. In the mean time we are to avoid both extremes. Deifying nature & irresposble misuse & pollution are both wrong.
We are to do our best to use the resources, doing our best to avoid waste, but knowing we can't always avoid doing so.
But above all else, if we don't defend & value human life, & esp that of the unborn, elderly & disabled, more than we value nature, then we don't truly value anything that God has given us.

St. Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims: part Due

2 weeks ago I wrote a post reviewing Fran Rega's book St. Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims . I received a comment from him that opened with the following: "Thank you very much for your daring review of my book - daring because you haven't finished reading it yet!"
I guess he is right, in a way it was daring, even though I didn't think so. There were 3 reasons why I felt safe in doing so before I finished the book.
1)It was being put out by Tan.
2) The author was Frank Rega, an author I was familiar with.
3) It had a recommendation by Fr. Angelus M. Shaughnessy, O.F.M. Cap..
Last week I finished the book & Guess what? I was right to jump the gun. In my 1st post I said that the 1st 2 chapters lived up to my expectations. So did the rest of the book. In fact, I even learned a few new things. These things were unexpected pleasant surprizes. There is 1 in particular that I will mention when I get to that part of the book.
The book is divided into 3 parts. The 2nd part focuses on St. Francis & his missionary journey during the 5th Crusade (1219). This is the heart of the book. But it is not the whole of the book.
The 1st part (The Founder) looks at the early life of Francesco di Bernardone (nee Giovanni). Francesco was born in 1182 to Pietro & Pica di Bernardone. In these 7 chapters he covers the birth, youth, conversion of the Poverello, & pre-1219 events in the start of the Franciscan & Poor Clare orders. Even though I was familiar with this story I found myself eager to go on reading. Frank Rega's style draws you into the heart of the story.
As I said, Part 2 (The Missionary) is the heart of the book. It could stand alone without the other 2 parts. Again, I found myself looking forward to what happenned next. I knew some about San Francesco's missionary trip to Egypt. I found this part rich in new details that I was not aware of. Rega does an excellent job of setting the historical stage for the events. How well did St. Francis suceed in his efforts? You will just have to read the book to find out. Frank Rega comes to some conclusions & gives solid reasons for them.
Then we get to Part 3 (The Stigmatist). These 3 chapters look at the last few years of St. Francis' life. He does so by basicly looking at 3 events. Chapter 16 deals with how San Francesco created the 1st crèche. Again, I learned something new. This time about how San Francesco brought this about.
Rega talks about the Poverello's arrival at Greccio & his plans. & here is the punch-line: "According to St. Bonaventure, he even obtained the approval of Pope Honorius, so that he would not be accused of willfully introducing novelty into the sacred ceremonies." This incident has a message for all those who would ignore the rubrics & make unapproved changes in the liturgy willy-nilly.
Chapter 17 focuses in on Francesco's receiving the stigmata. For those of you who aren't familiar with what that is, stigmata are the bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the wounds of Jesus from His Passion & Crucifixion.
Chapter 18 looks at the last days of San Francesco. It was at this time that he wrote "The Canticle of Brother Sun". Anyone who tries to use this poem to justify the claim that Francis was a nature worshipper better go back & reread this. This is a song of praise to God for the gifts of creation, not a praise of creation itself. San Francesco's alternate title, "The Praises of the Lord", alone belies that claim.
I know many people often skip reading the Preface & Introduction to a book. In this case don't. They help set the context of the book as well as how & why Frank Rega came to write the book. 1 of the reasons is something I applauded in my 1st post, to bring back the real San Francesco, not "a glorified social worker, a nature lover or 'the first hippie'". (emphasis mine) As he said all this "is a great disservice to his true heritage". This book rights that wrong.
Many of today's followers have tried to use San Francesco to justify rebellion against authority, including Church authority. The book proves them wrong, Wrong, WRONG!! The 1 incident with the 1st crèche is only 1 of many events in St. Francis' life that Frank Rega writes about showing that the Poverello was totally submissive to Church authority. The Poverello is a prime example of how to be properly submissive to the Magesterium.
The entire book is very well documented, abundantly using primary as well as secondary sources. There are many points in San Francesco's life where events are open to more than 1 interpretation. He admits that. When he is forced to make a choice he presents what he "considered to be the most representative or reliable description of events, while trying to be as accurate as possible". I think he succeeds.
This brings me to the 1 small complaint about/disappointment I had with the book. Frank Rega's intention in writing the book was to "provide a concise, readable biography, with the primary emphasis on St. Francis's mission to the Muslims, the major thrust of the book." & he did so admirably. In doing so, he left me hungry for a book that went more in depth for both San Francesco's life before as well as after the visit with the Sultan. Hopefully, this book will inspire someone to write a full biography that goes into as rich a detail as did part 2 of this book. As pointed out, Frank Rega has already provided the bibliography, so whoever does it already is 1 step ahead.

As I noted earlier, this biography is written in such a way that you keep looking forward to what happens next. Whether you are familiar with the real San Francesco or meeting him for the 1st time, this book IS well worth reading.
In conclusion I repeat what I wrote in my earlier post: "I want to thank Frank Riga for bringing back the truth about my beloved Poverello. I cannot recommend this book highly enough."
(Note: For those of you wondering why I waited so long after finishing the book to write this, 2 words: Papa Benedetto. Now that things have slown down, I have more time to write on other things.)

Monday, April 21, 2008

BUON VIAGGIO PAPA BENEDETTO

e MILLE GRAZIE!!!!!!!!!!!



Well, the Holy Father has returned home to the Vatican. & he has left behind plenty for us to chew on & act on, if we opt to.
I wrote in my journal that if Papa Benedetto would get up & just say for his homily on Sunday: "You have heard everything I said. Now go & do it!!!" it would be enough. But he didn't.
Instead his final day here was just as full of the proclaimation of the Gospel & challenging us to repentance, reformation & living out the faith as any other day. In fact, as far as I am concerned his final homily hit a grand slam home run.
Before the Mass he made a stop to pray at "Ground Zero" & meet with the relatives of some of the victims. This was very low key in a way. & rightly so. He wanted the focus to be prayer & healing, not himself as it would have been had he given a speech.
Then there was the Mass at Yankee stadium. (It shoulda been Shea, but then I'm just a lowly Mets Fan. What do I know?) & as far as I am concerned, he saved the best for last. Yet, at the same time, it was simply do what I have said all week. (Emphasis in the qutes is mine.)
Right from the start he lays it on the line: "Christ is the way that leads to the Father, the truth which gives meaning to human existence, and the source of that life which is eternal joy with all the saints in his heavenly Kingdom. Let us take the Lord at his word! Let us renew our faith in him and put all our hope in his promises!"
Again, he makes it clear that there is only 1 way to salvation, Jesus Christ. & he invites us to come follow him. Then he goes on to remind us where the fullness of that salvation is manifested, the Catholic Church.
"With this encouragement to persevere in the faith of Peter (cf. Lk 22:32; Mt 16:17), I greet all of you with great affection." "The presence around this altar of the Successor of Peter, his brother bishops and priests, and deacons, men and women religious, and lay faithful from throughout the fifty states of the Union, eloquently manifests our communion in the Catholic faith which comes to us from the Apostles."
" Here we are reminded of a fundamental truth: that the Church's unity has no other basis than the Word of God, made flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord. All external signs of identity, all structures, associations and programs, valuable or even essential as they may be, ultimately exist only to support and foster the deeper unity which, in Christ, is God's indefectible gift to his Church. "
He goes on to challenge us to accept the authority that God has invested in His Church & to obey what He teaches us through it. "'Authority' … 'obedience'." "Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ - "the way and the truth and the life" - we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love."
How do we surrender, die to self, repent of our sins & make Jesus Lord. "Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him (Jesus) who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life."
We need to surrender our will to God's. ""In his will is our peace"." With those few words from Dante's Divina Commedia, Par. 3.85, he gives us the only way we will even find true peace. As long as we seek our way & will we can never have true peace. True peace is not the abcence of war. It is found only in Jesus. In Jesus we not only find peace, but true love, true, freedom & true life.
We can only do this when we "put on the mind of Christ". "In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, (DID YOU CATCH THAT? Where are we to be?) we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the "apostolate" of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to God's saving plan." We are to be a part of the Church. In the Church Christ has provided us with all we need to be true disciples of Jesus. We area empowered to live as Christ wants us. & thus changed to evangelize, proclaiming the Gospel. & by doing so, bring true peace to the world.
"This magnificent vision of a world being transformed by the liberating truth of the Gospel is reflected in the description of the Church found in today's second reading." Again, back to the fullness of salvation being found only in the Catholic Church. Papa Benedetto pulls no punches.
Want to build a "Culture of Life", have true peace then we need: "to direct our every thought, word and action to the truth of the Gospel and to harness all our energies in the service of God's Kingdom? Only in this way can we build with God, on the one foundation which is Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:11). Only in this way can we build something that will truly endure. Only in this way can our lives find ultimate meaning and bear lasting fruit."
He then goes on to attack the myth of seperation of Church & state. he reminds us that our faith is to move us to action. "Praying fervently for the coming of the Kingdom also means being constantly alert for the signs of its presence, and working for its growth in every sector of society. It means facing the challenges of present and future with confidence in Christ's victory and a commitment to extending his reign. It means not losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal. It means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness. It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, "there is no human activity - even in secular affairs - which can be withdrawn from God's dominion" (Lumen Gentium, 36). It means working to enrich American society and culture with the beauty and truth of the Gospel, and never losing sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which inspire our lives. " Notice how he repeats again & again that our faith requires of us action, even in the political realm.
Our faith IS to inform every action. "And this, dear friends, is the particular challenge which the Successor of Saint Peter sets before you today. As "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation", follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you! Hasten the coming of God's Kingdom in this land!"
He also reminded us that it is only by letting the Holy Spirit work in & through us that this will be accomplished. He challenged us all & especially the youth of America to be "filled with the Spirit and wisdom". We are to "step forward and take up the responsibility which your faith in Christ sets before you! May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, "the same, yesterday, and today and for ever" and the unchanging truths which have their foundation in him (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10; Heb 13:8). These are the truths that set us free!" But these truths do even more. "They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world - including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb. In a world where, as Pope John Paul II, speaking in this very place, reminded us, Lazarus continues to stand at our door (Homily at Yankee Stadium, October 2, 1979, No. 7), let your faith and love bear rich fruit in outreach to the poor, the needy and those without a voice." No if, ands or buts, every Catholic is to defend life at every stage, from conception to natural death. No Catholic can be pro-choice, pro-abortion & be truly Catholic. If you are pro-choice then you are not living in truth.
He ends his homily by saying: "Dear friends, only God in his providence knows what works his grace has yet to bring forth in your lives and in the life of the Church in the United States. (In Christ the best is yet to be, the springtime of hope.) Yet Christ's promise fills us with sure hope. Let us now join our prayers to his, as living stones in that spiritual temple which is his one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Let us lift our eyes to him, for even now he is preparing for us a place in his Father's house. And empowered by his Holy Spirit, let us work with renewed zeal for the spread of his Kingdom." Another call to evangelize.
"Happy are you who believe!" (cf. 1 Pet 2:7). Let us turn to Jesus! He alone is the way that leads to eternal happiness, the truth who satisfies the deepest longings of every heart, and the life who brings ever new joy and hope, to us and to our world. Amen."
"CHRIST OUR HOPE!"
The whole homily & 1 part in particular reminded me of St. Peter (the 1st Pope) at Pentecost. I heard echoes of his 1st homily (Acts 2) in Papa Benedetto's. There was 1 part in particular where it rang the loudest. That was when Papa Benedetto said: "True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin." Later he talks about the need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Compare this to Acts 2:38 where we read.we read: "'You must repent,' Peter answered, 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
I have to add another thought. Think back to what I wrote in my Open Letter to the Pope on 10 March: "It was with great joy that I heard the news of your plans to vist the USA in April of this year. Your visit is a sign of your obedience as successor of Peter to obey Christ's call to "strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32). We are in need of your guidance in so many ways & I look forward to your teaching & encouraging us to faithfulness during your visit." Throughout his final homily he made constant reference to St. Peter. & he made it clear that he was following in St. Peter's footsteps. He was throughout the whole visit.
As I said in another post, I doubt that he read my letter. But I did see much of what I hoped for accomplished. He spoke clearly on the issue of abortion. He challenged the bishops & priests to be true to their vocation. He did challenge the Catholic Colleges & schools to be "truly Catholic". He reminded the UN that Jesus is the source of salvation. & he continued his battle against relativism.
Now it is up to us TO RESPOND, individually & as a Church. Are we going to say "YES" to what Christ has called us to do? Will we be truly Catholic? Will we fight to end abortion, defend life & let the Holy Spirit empower us to do so?
Finally, I go back to what I said at the start of the post about all Papa Benedetto needed to say in the homily. Well he did say that, at his farewell speech at JFK Airport. "I encourage you to continue bearing joyful witness to Christ our Hope, our Risen Lord and Savior, who makes all things new and gives us life in abundance. " "You have heard everything I said. Now go & do it!!!"
Got it? Now let's do it!
_________________________
Some final thoughts
As I already pointed out, I saw most of what I hoped for in this visit. I can't complain. In fact I "Praise God" for the gift of Papa Benedetto & for the Holy Spirit empowering him to serve us & bring us the message we needed to hear.
As I also said, it is up to each & everyone of us to respond. I have noted that the media didn't get it. But the seeds were planted. Some Bishops as well as educators ignored or put a spin on his words. But they heard them. & they are responsible for how well they do or don't respond. As are we all.
30 years ago I saw the year of 3 Popes. In October or 1978 Pope John Paul II was elected. A year later I was standing in a field at Living History Farms, Urbandale, IA where Pope John Paul the Great said Mass. At 1 point I was only 15 feet away from him. As a child, I would have never dreamed that a Pope would come to Iowa, but he did. His words strengthened & encouraged me in my faith. Nearly 30 years later his successor came to America. & while I didn't get to see Papa Benedetto in person, I still was strenghtened & encouraged in my faith.
Like many a blogger I expect a bit of a post Papal trip withdrawal. The number of posts will probably be a lot less most days. There are some subjects that will now come to the front burner. & there will be responses to some events as they occur.
I have also noticed a doubling in the # of visitors to this blog. I don't know why for sure. Many blogs noticed an increase because of their coverage of the Papal visit. Maybe that is why the increase for my blog also. What ever the reason, I only hope & pray that all I did was not for my glory, but to glorify God.

& while it is nice to know that some people are reading this blog, I am not doing it only to be read. I am trying to serve Jesus by serving those people he puts in my path via this blog. What makes me happy is not the numbers. It isn't in bringing me attention or glory. My hope is to do what Papa Benedetto challenged, to "preach Christ Jesus & Him crucified". When I speak out on issues I want to challenge people to live the Gospel. I stand up for life & hope & pray that God will bless my humble efforts. If I can bring 1 person to Jesus, if I can bring 1 person hurt by abortion to a place where Jesus can heal him/her, if I can stop 1 abortion, then I am happy. Success is not found in numbers, it is found in doing the will of God. Numbers don't always tell the story. Some people affect a lot of lives but have little to no lasting effect. Others touch few lives, but those they do touch are touched by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the person. & those results have eternal consequences.
So, if I have been able to help you in any way, then I give God the praise & glory & I pray "that the One who began a good work in you will go on completing it until the Day of Jesus Christ comes." (Phil 1:6)

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Farewell Address
John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport
20 April 2008


Mr. Vice-President,
Distinguished Civil Authorities,
My Brother Bishops,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The time has come for me to bid farewell to your country. These days that I have spent in the United States have been blessed with many memorable experiences of American hospitality, and I wish to express my deep appreciation to all of you for your kind welcome. It has been a joy for me to witness the faith and devotion of the Catholic community here. It was heart-warming to spend time with leaders and representatives of other Christian communities and other religions, and I renew my assurances of respect and esteem to all of you. I am grateful to President Bush for kindly coming to greet me at the start of my visit, and I thank Vice-President Cheney for his presence here as I depart. The civic authorities, workers and volunteers in Washington and New York have given generously of their time and resources in order to ensure the smooth progress of my visit at every stage, and for this I express my profound thanks and appreciation to Mayor Adrian Fenty of Washington and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York.
Once again I offer prayerful good wishes to the representatives of the see of Baltimore, the first Archdiocese, and those of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville, in this jubilee year. May the Lord continue to bless you in the years ahead. To all my Brother Bishops, to Bishop DiMarzio of this Diocese of Brooklyn, and to the officers and staff of the Episcopal Conference who have contributed in so many ways to the preparation of this visit, I extend my renewed gratitude for their hard work and dedication. With great affection I greet once more the priests and religious, the deacons, the seminarians and young people, and all the faithful in the United States, and I encourage you to continue bearing joyful witness to Christ our Hope, our Risen Lord and Savior, who makes all things new and gives us life in abundance.
One of the high-points of my visit was the opportunity to address the General Assembly of the United Nations, and I thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his kind invitation and welcome. Looking back over the sixty years that have passed since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I give thanks for all that the Organization has been able to achieve in defending and promoting the fundamental rights of every man, woman and child throughout the world, and I encourage people of good will everywhere to continue working tirelessly to promote justice and peaceful co-existence between peoples and nations.
My visit this morning to Ground Zero will remain firmly etched in my memory, as I continue to pray for those who died and for all who suffer in consequence of the tragedy that occurred there in 2001. For all the people of America, and indeed throughout the world, I pray that the future will bring increased fraternity and solidarity, a growth in mutual respect, and a renewed trust and confidence in God, our heavenly Father.
With these words, I take my leave, I ask you to remember me in your prayers, and I assure you of my affection and friendship in the Lord. May God bless America!

Pope to America: "Turn Away From the Burden of Sin." i.e. REPENT!!!!!

Homily
Holy Mass
Yankee Stadium
20 April 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus tells his Apostles to put their faith in him, for he is "the way, and the truth and the life" (Jn 14:6). Christ is the way that leads to the Father, the truth which gives meaning to human existence, and the source of that life which is eternal joy with all the saints in his heavenly Kingdom. Let us take the Lord at his word! Let us renew our faith in him and put all our hope in his promises!
With this encouragement to persevere in the faith of Peter (cf. Lk 22:32; Mt 16:17), I greet all of you with great affection. I thank Cardinal Egan for his cordial words of welcome in your name. At this Mass, the Church in the United States celebrates the two hundredth anniversary of the creation of the Sees of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville from the mother See of Baltimore. The presence around this altar of the Successor of Peter, his brother bishops and priests, and deacons, men and women religious, and lay faithful from throughout the fifty states of the Union, eloquently manifests our communion in the Catholic faith which comes to us from the Apostles.
Our celebration today is also a sign of the impressive growth which God has given to the Church in your country in the past two hundred years. From a small flock like that described in the first reading, the Church in America has been built up in fidelity to the twin commandment of love of God and love of neighbor. In this land of freedom and opportunity, the Church has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of the faith and, through her many educational, charitable and social works, has also contributed significantly to the growth of American society as a whole.
This great accomplishment was not without its challenges. Today's first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, speaks of linguistic and cultural tensions already present within the earliest Church community. At the same time, it shows the power of the word of God, authoritatively proclaimed by the Apostles and received in faith, to create a unity which transcends the divisions arising from human limitations and weakness. Here we are reminded of a fundamental truth: that the Church's unity has no other basis than the Word of God, made flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord. All external signs of identity, all structures, associations and programs, valuable or even essential as they may be, ultimately exist only to support and foster the deeper unity which, in Christ, is God's indefectible gift to his Church.
The first reading also makes clear, as we see from the imposition of hands on the first deacons, that the Church's unity is "apostolic". It is a visible unity, grounded in the Apostles whom Christ chose and appointed as witnesses to his resurrection, and it is born of what the Scriptures call "the obedience of faith" (Rom 1:5; cf. Acts 6:7).
"Authority" … "obedience". To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a "stumbling stone" for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ - "the way and the truth and the life" - we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. "In his will is our peace".
Real freedom, then, is God's gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on "the mind of Christ" (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the "apostolate" of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to God's saving plan.
This magnificent vision of a world being transformed by the liberating truth of the Gospel is reflected in the description of the Church found in today's second reading. The Apostle tells us that Christ, risen from the dead, is the keystone of a great temple which is even now rising in the Spirit. And we, the members of his body, through Baptism have become "living stones" in that temple, sharing in the life of God by grace, blessed with the freedom of the sons of God, and empowered to offer spiritual sacrifices pleasing to him (cf. 1 Pet 2:5). And what is this offering which we are called to make, if not to direct our every thought, word and action to the truth of the Gospel and to harness all our energies in the service of God's Kingdom? Only in this way can we build with God, on the one foundation which is Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:11). Only in this way can we build something that will truly endure. Only in this way can our lives find ultimate meaning and bear lasting fruit.
Today we recall the bicentennial of a watershed in the history of the Church in the United States: its first great chapter of growth. In these two hundred years, the face of the Catholic community in your country has changed greatly. We think of the successive waves of immigrants whose traditions have so enriched the Church in America. We think of the strong faith which built up the network of churches, educational, healthcare and social institutions which have long been the hallmark of the Church in this land. We think also of those countless fathers and mothers who passed on the faith to their children, the steady ministry of the many priests who devoted their lives to the care of souls, and the incalculable contribution made by so many men and women religious, who not only taught generations of children how to read and write, but also inspired in them a lifelong desire to know God, to love him and to serve him. How many "spiritual sacrifices pleasing to God" have been offered up in these two centuries! In this land of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to practice their faith, but also to participate fully in civic life, bringing their deepest moral convictions to the public square and cooperating with their neighbors in shaping a vibrant, democratic society. Today's celebration is more than an occasion of gratitude for graces received. It is also a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming generations.
"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people he claims for his own, to proclaim his glorious works" (1 Pet 2:9). These words of the Apostle Peter do not simply remind us of the dignity which is ours by God's grace; they also challenge us to an ever greater fidelity to the glorious inheritance which we have received in Christ (cf. Eph 1:18). They challenge us to examine our consciences, to purify our hearts, to renew our baptismal commitment to reject Satan and all his empty promises. They challenge us to be a people of joy, heralds of the unfailing hope (cf. Rom 5:5) born of faith in God's word, and trust in his promises.
Each day, throughout this land, you and so many of your neighbors pray to the Father in the Lord's own words: "Thy Kingdom come". This prayer needs to shape the mind and heart of every Christian in this nation. It needs to bear fruit in the way you lead your lives and in the way you build up your families and your communities. It needs to create new "settings of hope" (cf. Spe Salvi, 32ff.) where God's Kingdom becomes present in all its saving power.
Praying fervently for the coming of the Kingdom also means being constantly alert for the signs of its presence, and working for its growth in every sector of society. It means facing the challenges of present and future with confidence in Christ's victory and a commitment to extending his reign. It means not losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal. It means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness. It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, "there is no human activity - even in secular affairs - which can be withdrawn from God's dominion" (Lumen Gentium, 36). It means working to enrich American society and culture with the beauty and truth of the Gospel, and never losing sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which inspire our lives.
And this, dear friends, is the particular challenge which the Successor of Saint Peter sets before you today. As "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation", follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you! Hasten the coming of God's Kingdom in this land! Past generations have left you an impressive legacy. In our day too, the Catholic community in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life, in the education of the young, in care for the poor, the sick and the stranger in your midst. On these solid foundations, the future of the Church in America must even now begin to rise!
Yesterday, not far from here, I was moved by the joy, the hope and the generous love of Christ which I saw on the faces of the many young people assembled in Dunwoodie. They are the Church's future, and they deserve all the prayer and support that you can give them. And so I wish to close by adding a special word of encouragement to them. My dear young friends, like the seven men, "filled with the Spirit and wisdom" whom the Apostles charged with care for the young Church, may you step forward and take up the responsibility which your faith in Christ sets before you! May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, "the same, yesterday, and today and for ever" and the unchanging truths which have their foundation in him (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10; Heb 13:8). These are the truths that set us free! They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world - including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb. In a world where, as Pope John Paul II, speaking in this very place, reminded us, Lazarus continues to stand at our door (Homily at Yankee Stadium, October 2, 1979, No. 7), let your faith and love bear rich fruit in outreach to the poor, the needy and those without a voice. Young men and women of America, I urge you: open your hearts to the Lord's call to follow him in the priesthood and the religious life. Can there be any greater mark of love than this: to follow in the footsteps of Christ, who was willing to lay down his life for his friends (cf. Jn 15:13)?
In today's Gospel, the Lord promises his disciples that they will perform works even greater than his (cf. Jn 14:12). Dear friends, only God in his providence knows what works his grace has yet to bring forth in your lives and in the life of the Church in the United States. Yet Christ's promise fills us with sure hope. Let us now join our prayers to his, as living stones in that spiritual temple which is his one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Let us lift our eyes to him, for even now he is preparing for us a place in his Father's house. And empowered by his Holy Spirit, let us work with renewed zeal for the spread of his Kingdom.
"Happy are you who believe!" (cf. 1 Pet 2:7). Let us turn to Jesus! He alone is the way that leads to eternal happiness, the truth who satisfies the deepest longings of every heart, and the life who brings ever new joy and hope, to us and to our world. Amen.

* * *
Queridos hermanos y hermanas en el Señor:
Les saludo con afecto y me alegro de celebrar esta Santa Misa para dar gracias a Dios por el bicentenario del momento en que empezó a desarrollarse la Iglesia Católica en esta Nación. Al mirar el camino de fe recorrido en estos años, no exento también de dificultades, alabamos al Señor por los frutos que la Palabra de Dios ha dado en estas tierras y le manifestamos nuestro deseo de que Cristo, Camino, Verdad y Vida, sea cada vez más conocido y amado.
Aquí, en este País de libertad, quiero proclamar con fuerza que la Palabra de Cristo no elimina nuestras aspiraciones a una vida plena y libre, sino que nos descubre nuestra verdadera dignidad de hijos de Dios y nos alienta a luchar contra todo aquello que nos esclaviza, empezando por nuestro propio egoísmo y caprichos. Al mismo tiempo, nos anima a manifestar nuestra fe a través de nuestra vida de caridad y a hacer que nuestras comunidades eclesiales sean cada día más acogedoras y fraternas.
Sobre todo a los jóvenes les confío asumir el gran reto que entraña creer en Cristo y lograr que esa fe se manifieste en una cercanía efectiva hacia los pobres. También en una respuesta generosa a las llamadas que Él sigue formulando para dejarlo todo y emprender una vida de total consagración a Dios y a la Iglesia, en la vida sacerdotal o religiosa.
Queridos hermanos y hermanas, les invito a mirar el futuro con esperanza, permitiendo que Jesús entre en sus vidas. Solamente Él es el camino que conduce a la felicidad que no acaba, la verdad que satisface las más nobles expectativas humanas y la vida colmada de gozo para bien de la Iglesia y el mundo. Que Dios les bendiga.

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