Catholics Need To Wake Up NOW!

The wait is over. We finally know who the running mate is going to be for Mitt Romney. And I think this could be a very good thing for Catholics and our country.

But first, the Catholics of this country have got to make a decision - are you or are you not going to follow Church teaching on abortion, birth control and gay marriage? If not, then the country is doomed, because Romney can't win without the help of faithful Catholics who will stand up for God.

What is a faithful Catholic? Is it someone who goes to mass every weekend just because they have to or do we go because we love it? And if we love it, are we willing to follow all of the Church's teachings or are we going to remain unwaivered over what God is commanding of us?

See, to support abortion or gay marriage goes against Scripture and is a sin. Everyone old enough to read knows what "Thou Shalt Not Kill" means. But does everyone know that God calls the homosexual act an abomination? You would if you read scripture. If not, then maybe it's time to start.

Paul Ryan has been labeled a devout Catholic. With him and Romney in office, we will be assured that our religious freedom will not be taken away from us, because if Obama wins again, that is exactly what is going to happen. The final stamp will be put on the 'no religious freedom' portion of the first amendment and it'll go on from there because now there will be no reason for Obama to hold back on his 'executive' authority.

We also need our Bishops and Priests to fall back in line with Church doctrine and stand UP for it. I would think by now the clergy who are in the upper end of the heirarchy of the Catholic Church would be the first ones to cry foul when this country makes what is evil, good, and keep fighting for it, no matter the cost. We need our bishops to tell the priests to defend and preach the teachings of the Church at Mass. And this is not being done every where. Why?

I think one reason is because people don't want to be reminded of sin. Well why not? Do we or do we not want to go to heaven? And what is the first thing we learn in our Catechism/CCD classes? We learn that we need to receiving sanctifying grace to go to heaven and to keep our souls free from sin. This means receiving Holy Communion. But, we must receive Holy Communion in a worthy manner and that means, people, going to confession often. 50 years ago people knew that if they had mortal sin on their soul, they could not receive communion and people would sit in the pew and not receive. They would rather sit in the pew than have their sin forgiven. Boggles my mind. We don't see that anymore and you can't tell me that there is not one person at Mass who doesn't have some sort of mortal sin on their soul. I mean, if that is true, then we'll all be in heaven? But we KNOW that is not true. Yet people still refuse to go to confession. By doing this we are offending God, and as Mary has stated over and over, "God is already much offended". How can we do this to Him and at the same time think that we love Him?

Catholics, this is our chance to set things right in this country. The cup is running over with our sins and our country isn't exempt from sinful actions.

This election season, we need to pray and pray hard that we do what God wants us to do - and that is support the republican ticket and make this country whole again. Who knows, maybe Romney will become Catholic after all of this. God is on our side. We need to be on His. Always. It is His commandments we are breaking when we support these evil actions and yes, I consider artificial birth control an evil action right up there with everything else, because it shows that the couple do not put God first in their life and trust in HIM to decide how many children we have or don't have. Not only that, some of them cause abortion - a huge mortal sin.

This may be our last chance and we need to support these two men, no matter how much our pride hurts in coming to the realization that we need to obey God and not man. Do we love the Holy Catholic Church or don't we? And do we love our country or don't we? Do we want to continue down the slippery slope to hell or do we want to prepare ourselves to meet God in an immaculate way that only the Sacraments can provide?

Easter Sunday

Holy Saturday

Good Friday

By Tacji (Tatiana)

Holy Thursday
Pange Lingua

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick

We know a lot about St. Patrick, but we don't know much about St. Brigid of Ireland, a young lady whose parents were baptized by St. Patrick and with whom she developed a close friendship. Probably helped to lead her to living out a religious life.

Anyway, March 17 is also my granddaughter's birthday and she was named Brigid.

The following is from www.Catholic.org

St. Brigid

Brigid was probably born at Faughart near Dundalk, Louth, Ireland. Her parents were baptized by St. Patrick, with whom she developed a close friendship. According to legend, her father was Dubhthach, an Irish chieftain of Lienster, and her mother, Brocca, was a slave at his court. Even as a young girl she evinced an interest for a religious life and took the veil in her youth from St. Macaille at Croghan and probably was professed by St. Mel of Armagh, who is believed to have conferred abbatial authority on her. She settled with seven of her virgins at the foot of Croghan Hill for a time and about the year 468, followed Mel to Meath. About the year 470 she founded a double monastery at Cill-Dara (Kildare) and was Abbess of the convent, the first in Ireland. The foundation developed into a center of learning and spirituality, and around it grew up the Cathedral city of Kildare. She founded a school of art at Kildare and its illuminated manuscripts became famous, notably the Book of Kildare, which was praised as one of the finest of all illuminated Irish manuscripts before its disappearance three centuries ago. Brigid was one of the most remarkable women of her times, and despite the numerous legendary, extravagant, and even fantastic miracles attributed to her, there is no doubt that her extraordinary spirituality, boundless charity, and compassion for those in distress were real. She died at Kildare on February 1. The Mary of the Gael, she is buried at Downpatrick with St. Columba and St. Patrick, with whom she is the patron of Ireland. Her name is sometimes Bridget and Bride. Her feast day is February 1. 

Not to be left out, but my oldest grandson is Brendan, and St. Brendan also knew St. Patrick and celebrates his birthday March 14.

The Miracle of Lanciano

The video below this post is not the first Eucharistic Miracle that has been seen over the past centuries. One of the more famous ones is the Eucharistic Miracle in Lanciano, Italy.

Around 700 A.D. in a monastery, a priest of the order of St. Basil, was celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. He had been suffering from recurring doubts concerning the mystery of transubstantiation (the changing of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. After he spoke the solemn words of consecration of the host was suddenly changed into a circle of flesh and the wine transformed into blood.

Mary verifications of this miracle have been performed over the past 1,200 years, but the most convincing was made in November of 1970. This miracle underwent scientific scrutiny and the conclusions were presented on March 4, 1971 in detailed medical and scientific terminology. The microscopic studies ascertained and documented the following facts:

1. The flesh was identified as striated muscular tissue of the myocardium (heart wall) having no trace whatsoever of materials or agents used to preserve the flesh from decay.

2. Both the flesh and blood were found to belong to the same blood type AB.

The relics may be seen in the Church of St. Francis, Lanciano, Italy.

Amazing Eucharistic Miracle

Prepare Ourselves For Holy Week!

Pange Lingua

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RH1qa4QjFM&feature=related

Litany of the Saints

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoydfOKaGBM

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday Right Around the Corner

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.

Why we receive the ashes

We receive ashes because they are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.

To go along with these practices of penance during lent, we Catholics have also been taught that we should make an examination of conscience every day before we retire for the evening. And lent is a great time to get into the habit of examining our consciences for the next 40 days along with prayer and fasting so that we can put it into practice the rest of the year.

This year we need to focus our prayers to fight abortion and to offer up our sufferings to God in reparation for the sins of those who promote abortion, starting with the Catholic pro-choice politicians and pray that they will not be enacting the FOCA bill that will destroy a lot of freedoms along with the unborn.

So, to overcome our failings during lent, we must know them. We must do a daily check of our service to God so that we begin to know what we must watch, in order to root out of our lives imperfect or sinful habits. Below are some suggestions.

• Have I tried to live this day mindful of the presence of God?
• Have I tried in all things to do His will?
• Have I murmured or been impatient with the reverses or the difficulties I have met?
• Have I been guilty of any act or word contrary to truth, honesty or purity?
• Have I given way to pride, envy or hatred?
• Have I spoken of the faults of others?
• Have I hurt anyone's feelings by my words or actions?
• Have I encouraged those who were speaking of the faults of others?
• Have I been seriously trying today to lead a holy life - by avoiding sin, loving God, and being concerned for all with whom I come in contact?
• Do I live selfishly, as though the people with whom I come in contact did not matter to me?
• Am I concerned over the salvation of the souls of those around me?
• Am I willing to inconvenience myself to help others?
• Am I kind only to my friends, or do I help also my enemies?

Here is a nice Act of Contrition we can pray each day as well. It's a little different than the usual one we say at Confession.

ACT OF CONTRITION

Have mercy on me, according to Thy great mercy. Behold, I am deeply sorry for all my sins, because I have deserved to be punished by Thee, the all-knowing and just Judge, in this life and in the life to come, but much more because I have offended and grieved Thee, the most high and most loveable Good.

And according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquities. Cast me not away from thy face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. I am firmly resolved never to offend Thee again. Help me with Thy grace. O Jesus, for Thee I live; O Jesus, for Thee I die; O Jesus, I am Thine in life and death. Amen!