Vieille video de derriere les fagots =)

The Following are “Five Advent Reflections”  I have prepared. If these interest you I have prepared them also in PDF format which you can get by clicking here: The Season of Advent

Read the article By: Msgr. Charles Pope

More …

Click to pray

by Marcus Grodi
One of the more commonly shared experiences of Protestant converts to the Catholic Church is the discovery of verses “we never saw.” Even after years of studying, preaching, and teaching the Bible, sometimes from cover to cover, all of a sudden a verse “we never saw” appears as if by magic and becomes an “Aha!” mind-opening, life-altering messenger of spiritual “doom”! Sometimes it’s just recognizing an alternate, clearer meaning of a familiar verse, but often, as with some of the verses mentioned below, it literally seems as if some Catholic had snuck in during the night and somehow put that verse there in the text!

Read the article

Gaur oso emakumea garrantzitsua galdu dugu Zuiatarrok. Gaur, Marian Zuiako Ezker Abertzaleko kidea hil egin zaigu. Ezker Abertzaleak Marianen heriotza pena handiz hartzen du. Marian asko eman dio Ezker Abertzaleari bai orokorrean baita Ezker Abertzaleko kide bakoitzari ere, asko eman digu, Ezker Abertzaleko kide guztiei eta bereziki Zuiako kideei. Hori dela eta, Marian agurtu nahi dugu bihotzak minduta ditugun momentu honetan, bera egin bezala guk lau lerro xume hauekin agurtu nahi dugu, Marianek beti ezkutuan, itzalean, herri honi izugarri lagundu dio, Marian izan da itzalean Ezker Abertzalea garai txarretan aurrera ateratzea ahalbidetu duena, hori dela eta eskerrik asko Marian.

Marian garaitzeko jaio zinen, zuk zoritxarrez ez dituzu gure xedeak beterik ikusiko baina zuri esker, guk ikusiko ditugu.

Marian Agur eta Ohore! Garaitzeko jaioa irabaziko dugu! Garaipenean elkartuko gara!

Around the year 60 A.D. St. Luke visited the Blessed Virgin Mary at the home she shared with St. John the Apostle, in the town of Ephesus, southwestern Turkey.

At that time, St. Luke produced what is today the only known icon of the Virgin, making good use of a three foot by five foot cedar table top (one that was likely hand crafted by Jesus of Nazareth) accurately capturing Mary’s delicate facial features. The extremely well preserved icon has remained in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, for the last 1700 years.

About 1900 years later, in 1947, Sister Lucia, seer of the Fatima Apparitions that took place in Portugal in 1917, closely collaborated with sculptor Jose Thedim to produce an authentic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as Lucia and her two cousins originally encountered her there.

While the style of the work and the quality of the media are quite different, the resemblance between the two renderings is absolutely striking (see close-ups above).

Eyes, facial shape, nose, lips and chin are all remarkably similar.

Take a close look. Pray on it. Then make up your own mind.

Update: (My friend Bob Stanley rightly pointed out that we have another precisely rendered authentic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the tilma of St. Juan Diego, done in 1531. The style and the type of media are different once again, and in the Guadalupe image, Mary is facing left, rather than right.  I added the Guadalupe image to the picture study for you.)

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) was born of a group of Catholic Americans concerned about the multiple crises shaking every aspect of American life. Founded in 1973, the American TFP was formed to resist, in the realm of ideas, the liberal, socialist and communist trends of the times and proudly affirm the positive values of tradition, family and property.

Central to the TFP mission is the idea that the various crises threatening American society and the Church cannot be seen as separate and disjointed. Rather they originate from a single cause.

The TFP handbook Revolution and Counterrevolution by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira masterfully traces the historical and philosophical roots of this single cause: a phenomenon called the Revolution.

The TFP was born from the idea of a Counterrevolution, a reaction that would embrace every field of of human activity, but especially art, ideas and culture. TFP books, publications and newspaper advertisements help bring these views to the public. Moreover, the TFP is not afraid to take them to the streets with colorful sidewalk campaigns in major cities.

The first TFP was founded in Brazil in 1960 by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. The American TFP is one of many autonomous TFPs that now exist around the world dedicated to the same ideals and at the service of Christian Civilization (See links).

Visit the site

Main entrance of the largest church in the United States

Looking forward towards the main altar

Huge mosaic of the awesome Jesus
as described in the Book of Revelation
returning to judge the living and the dead.

(Look into his eyes and meditate on that for a while!)

Revelation 1:13-18 And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.  And his head and his hairs were white as white wool and as snow. And his eyes were as a flame of fire:  And his feet like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace. And his voice as the sound of many waters.  And he had in his right hand seven stars. And from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword. And his face was as the sun shineth in his power.  And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: Fear not. I am the First and the Last,  And alive, and was dead. And behold I am living for ever and ever and have the keys of death and of hell.

Visit the official site

View a slide show

]]> http://oanastoicamujea1.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/uitati-va-in-ochii-mei/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:03 +0000 Oana http://oanastoicamujea1.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/uitati-va-in-ochii-mei/ http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/icon-of-the-madonna-painted-by-st-luke-accurately-depicts-face-of-blessed-virgin-mary/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:52:00 +0000 Doug Lawrence http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/icon-of-the-madonna-painted-by-st-luke-accurately-depicts-face-of-blessed-virgin-mary/

St. Luke painted this Icon of Mary (about the year 60 AD) while she was staying with St. John the Apostle. According to tradition, when St. Luke “wrote” the Icon, he accurately rendered the Blessed Virgin’s authentic facial features.

The Icon was written directly onto a three foot by five foot cedar plank, believed to be part of a table that Jesus had originally hand crafted during his time in Nazareth. When Mary went to stay with St. John, in Ephesus (a town located in southwestern Turkey) the table evidently made the trip, as well.

Lost for over 200 years, the Icon was discovered by St. Helena (mother of Emperor Constantine) in Jerusalem, buried near the True Cross, on or about the year 326 AD.

The title of the Icon is Salus Populi Romani (“Protectoress of the Roman People”). It is the only major Icon attributed to Saint Luke (who is also the writer of  the Gospel bearing his name, “the Acts of the Apostles” and most of St. Paul’s epistles.)

St. Luke is also believed to have been a physician (medical doctor).

Tradition and history informs us that St. Luke’s Icon has resided in St. Mary Major Basilica, Rome, for about 1,700 years.

Click here to read more about Icons

From Hinduism to Catholicism

My Lord, the baby is dead!

Why, my Lord—dare I ask why? It will not hear the whisper of the wind or see the beauty of its parents’ face—it will not see the beauty of Your creation or a flame of a sunrise. Why, my Lord?

“Why, My child—do you ask ‘why’?” Well, I will tell you why.

You see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne. Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty—he sees My face. He was created and lived a short time so the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor. He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess. My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another. He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.”

I am humbled before you, my Lord, for questioning Your wisdom, goodness, and love. I speak as a fool—forgive me. I acknowledge Your sovereign rights over life and death. I thank You for the life that began for so short a time to enjoy so long an Eternity.

Mother M. Angelica, courtesy of EWTN.com

Editor’s note:

The Church explains that (except for the Blessed Virgin Mary) all babies are conceived lacking grace and separated from God, in a state of spiritual deprivation, due to the inherited remains of the sin of Adam and Eve … Original Sin.

The whole matter is (typically) remedied shortly after birth, by the holy Sacrament of Baptism.

This presents a theological problem for the miscarried or the stillborn, since Baptism is available only to those who have been born alive, and since one who has not been baptized is (normally) considered unsuitable for Heaven.

Since we have no definitive, divinely revealed information as to exactly how God deals with this particular type of occurrence, all we can do is rely on God to do what is best … and in faith … consecrate the spirit of our infant child to God’s infinite mercy and tender love.

The routine practice of our Catholic faith seems to hold out even more genuine hope for us, in these cases.

Parents (particularly the mother) who remain in a state of grace, who regularly attend Mass, and who worthily and regularly partake of Holy Communion and other appropriate sacraments, have every reason to trust that God will take special charge of any child who might (for whatever reason) fail to survive the entire process of conception, gestation and live birth … since through our sacramental life of grace, the child in the womb is no stranger to God, who not only indwells our soul, but also nourishes and sanctifies our physical body (including the baby in the womb).

There is “precedent” for God acting in this way, since that is essentially what happened to John the Baptist (while still in-utero) the moment the Virgin Mary (already carrying Jesus in her blessed womb) first approached her cousin Elizabeth (John’s mother).

Here’s the biblical account:

Luke 1:39-44  And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda.  And she entered into the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth.  And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.  And she cried out with a loud voice and said: Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.  And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

The Church has always considered this to be the moment that John the Baptist, still inside his mother, was himself first baptized.

What Jesus did for his cousin John he will more than likely also do for his faithful Catholic brothers and sisters.

So … even absent the Sacrament of Baptism, under extraordinary circumstances, we have great reason to believe that the same Christ who we receive bodily in Holy Communion … who knows us and loves us … is not likely to ignore or reject the little child dwelling inside the womb of a faithful, grace-filled, Catholic mother.

Our faith informs us, in light of all this, that God, because he is good,  just, and merciful, will accomplish whatever might be necessary, through his abundant grace … to grant the baby eternal salvation and peace … lovingly taking the infant to himself.

Matthew 19:13-14  Then were little children presented to him, that he should impose hands upon them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said to them: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of Heaven is for such.

Mother Angelica obviously knows and loves God, and in her prayer for these special babies, she faithfully takes Jesus at his word. For a number of very good reasons, faced with the profound tragedy of a miscarriage or still birth, we should too. 

More on this very sensitive matter here

November 11, 2009

A group known by the name of “Holy Love Ministries” and also the “Missionary Servants of Holy Love” has been active in the Cleveland area for several years.  Earlier names associated with this group have been the “Our Lady Protectoress of the Faith Movement”, “Project Mercy” and “Mary’s House of Prayer.” They continue to seek funds to develop their center and support their effort.

At the request of the Holy See, I have been asked to examine and make a judgment on the activities of Holy Love Ministries. After consultation with a respected theological expert, and after attempts at dialogue with the leadership of Holy Love Ministries proved unsuccessful, for the good of the Christian faithful, I issue the accompanying decree.

I ask pastors, administrators, and parish life coordinators to make the decree known in a manner appropriate for your parishes.

Sincerely yours in Christ

+Richard Lennon
Bishop of Cleveland

Read the decree

More on these matters, courtesy of  Te Deum laudamus!

Precisely where does education stop and partisan politicking begin?

Is it appropriate to have a photo of President Barack Obama, the most anti-life, pro abortion, and (arguably) anti-Catholic president of all time, prominently displayed in an individual classroom of a Catholic school, without some sort of qualification or disclaimer?

What does such a display say about the teacher, the principle, the school, the pastor and the parish?

What message does it send to the students?

I can lend a bit of insight into this issue, since I had the opportunity to substitute-teach in that classroom, not too long ago.

I did my best to simply ignore the display, which I personally found to be offensive, but what really shocked me was the response I got when I asked the kids to name some people they considered to be heroically Christ-like.

A little hand went up, and of course, the first candidate for sainthood turned out to be Barack Obama, the abortion president! Stifling the urge to throw up, I bravely carried on. Next!

I know that complaints about the picture have been made to the teacher, the school principal, the diocese, the provincial of the religious order, and even the bishop … but so far, nothing  at all has been done.

Maybe we need a week or two of picketing out in front of the school, just to make sure that the kids get a fair and balanced view of things. Leafleting the parking lot and/or financial sanctions might work, too.

If we can’t get that Obama picture to come down, the least we can do is demand a disclaimer of some sort … perhaps written in the blood of aborted babies. Alternatively, we might simply “throw in the towel” and give all the kids Notre Dame scholarships.

Paraphrasing the words of President Ronald Reagan (who wasn’t very pro-life either, but who was as ideologically different from Barack Obama  as anyone ever could be, “Mrs. W … tear down that picture!”

Until then, we pray. (Send me an email if you want more information.)

Moira Noonan had been immersed in the New Age movement and its practices for 25 years before a remnant of truth from her Catholic school days made her take a second look at her life.

“I said, ‘Thank you, Sacred Heart nuns from second grade,’” recalled Noonan, author of Ransomed from Darkness: The New Age, Christian Faith and the Battle for Souls. “I had some shred of faith left after being completely brainwashed by the New Age mindset.”

Spiritual fraud

Noonan’s foray into the New Age began in earnest when she sought treatment at a hypnosis clinic after an auto accident. It ended when she was told that the Blessed Virgin Mary was the “heaven goddess” who had come down to meet the “mother earth goddess.”

“My reaction was: There’s no way,” Noonan said, adding that she knew Mary was not a goddess. If this was a lie, she thought, “What else have I been taught that’s a lie?”

She started questioning everything she had embraced — religious science, hypnotherapy, clairvoyance, spiritual channeling, Reiki, crystals and more — and soon rejected it all before returning to the Catholic faith.

Since then, Noonan has been on a mission to warn Catholics about the dangers of dabbling in the New Age. Even a little New Age practice mixed with Catholicism can affect one’s attitude toward the faith, she said, leading to a superstitious rather than a sacramental life.

Others similarly concerned about the impact of the New Age agree that Catholics need to be wary, especially in today’s culture.

Read the article

You cannot avoid challenges to your Catholic faith. They come from door-to-door missionaries who ask, “Are you saved?”, from peer pressure that urges you to conform to the morals of the world, from a secular culture that whispers there is no God.

Sometimes Catholics who are challenged begin to doubt their faith. If they find themselves unable to answer basic questions about what they believe and why they believe it, they begin to wonder whether the Catholic Church really was founded by Jesus. Sometimes their doubts lead them straight out of the Church.

This doesn’t need to happen. Challenges to your faith should not produce doubts. They should be looked upon as mere difficulties in understanding, and difficulties can be overcome through study and prayer. It has been said that ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt—a good point to keep in mind. To doubt means to be unsure whether a belief is true; to have a difficulty means to know the belief is true but to be unsure just what it means or why it is true. This unsureness can be overcome.

When mathematicians have difficulties doing their calculations, they don’t allow their difficulties to turn into doubts about the established truths of mathematics. Instead, they study harder and learn more about mathematics so they can understand how its parts fit together. So it is with the Catholic faith.

This booklet presents you with basic Catholic truths. You will find in the Catholic faith answers to life’s most troubling questions: Why am I here? Who made me? What must I believe? How must I act? All these can be answered to your satisfaction, if only you will open yourself to God’s grace, turn to the Church he established, and follow his plan for you.

Read the whole thing

The Catholic teaching of Purgatory is one of the teachings of the Church that today many struggle to understand. Non-Catholics have generally rejected this teaching, calling it unbiblical. Actually, it is quite biblical and the biblical roots of the teaching will be shown in this reflection. Many Catholics too, influenced and embarrassed by the protests of non-Catholics have been led to downplay, question or even reject this teaching. The task of this reflection is to set forth the Catholic teaching on Purgatory as both biblical and reasonable. It is perhaps best to begin with a description of the teaching on Purgatory, then show it’s biblical roots. Finally it will be good to show why the teaching makes sense based on what God has said to us about holiness and heaven.

Read the article

“I started to Love myself”, explained Marian Moore in describing how she recovered from schizophrenia and bi-polar disease.

This could surprise many people, who believe that mental health diseases are taboo, due to its link with violence, and medication being the only cure.

SHIFT, a charity who offers help to mental illness sufferers, hope to change this stigma. Laura Deeley, on behalf of SHIFT, said, “We aim to reduce discrimination to people with mental health difficulties”.

Marian was diagnosed in 1989, after suffering from excessive stress due to her job as a teacher and from the high-profile suicide of her father.

Support

For twelve years, her husband and two children suffered along with her, as there was little support at the time for carers. “My husband would have had a nervous breakdown if I hadn’t recovered”, Marian ironically claimed.

Nowadays, there is more help for the carers of mentally ill patients. SHIFT use Department of Health funding to offer support and hope that Mental Health Week will provide awareness of the diseases.

There are three types of initial care, according to Marian, for patients: audio, visual and ’smells’. But she believes that oral therapy “should be the first line of attack”.

When Marian was on the road to recovery she joined a health magazine as editor, where they “laughed themselves better”, she mused.

Marian has now recovered, and speaks to the public to remove the taboo approach to mental health issues. She said, “I talk about my experiences to offer hope that there is life after an illness and to remove this stigma of violence to others”.

By Jack Atchinson

Am fost rugat sa scriu un articol… de o anumita “culoare politica”, voi continua in schimb sa exclud cu mai multe articole acele “culori politice” care trebuie sa dispara treptat treptat pana v-or ramane numai albastru si portocaliu. Recitind aceasta fraza ma duce cu gandu la Vadim… numai el vorbeste muult prost si din pacate fara rost. Dar nu in el dau astazi cu cacat. Voi incepe cu preferatii mei, PSD, mai exact cu un nene Marian Vanghelie. Top 12 perle marca Vanghelie:

1. Nu exista fiinta umana, fie ca locuieste in Africa, in Asia sau in Rahova, care sa nu fi vazut un film, sa nu fi rupt o floare, o fata sau un baiat, dupa cazul care este fiecare.
2. Numai cine nu lucreaza nu poate sa i se impute ca poate sa fie si mici greseli, dar nu astea.
3. De cand ma stiu eu copil, ma urcam in pom si mancam corcodusi.
4. Cine nu are loc de mine… nu ma  intereseaza… sa se inghesuieste!
5. Acel tanar care s-a transformat in 300 este vorba de unul singur.
6. Soarta mea a fost hotarata de destin.
7. Vocea mea se va face auzita oriunde. Si pe sub apa.
8. Sunt oameni tineri, oameni care sunt prezenti aici in fata si pe care vreau sa le multumesc.
9. In ultimii cinci ani este anormal sa mergem cu masinile si cu transportul in comun care mergem.
10. Deci prezenta mea e datotita starii Bucurestiului in care ne aflam.
11. M-am saturat sa facem dosare noi lor si noi noua.
12. Tre sa vedem cum putem sa rezolvam o parte din problemele romanilor si nu cu asemenea formule de a spune ce tre sa invete romanii si unde gasesc pe goagal, gagal cum, gugal gagal gugal asa. Unde gasim papadia unde gasim nu stiu ce si unde ne interesam de Herodot.

Astia e oamenii care ne conduce pe noi care ne aflam aici din cauza la tara unde ne-am nascut si care este. Daca nu sunt analfabeti ca tiganu’ Mareanu’ sunt semi-alfabetizati cu un doctorat luat in 3 saptamai la Craiova. Daca nu sunt poponari ca Bombonel sunt labagii. Daca nu se autoproclama dictator 3 mandate la rand tot degeaba. Cert e ca oricat de mult au furat ei tot mai vor. Vorba aia dai prostului putere ca-ti arata pula, si chiar asta au facut hotii astia. Acum ca nu sunt bani pentru salarii, pensii, si alte cele cu ce ne alegem? CU PULA!!!  Haideti oameni buni sa urmam exemplu lu’ Ciomu si sa o impartim frateste, ca daca ies ei poate nici pe aia nu o mai primim. Cum poate un om sa scoata tara asta din cacat? Cu ce sa o mai scoata? Un singur om nu se poate lupta cu o haita intreaga de termite.

Votati Basescu!

Va urma…

+The Fifteen Promises Of Our Lady+

(Promises transmitted to Saint Dominic and to Blessed Alan)
Imprimatur Patrick J. Hayes D.D. Archbishop of New York

1 Those that faithfully serve me through praying the Holy Rosary will receive special graces.

2 I promise special protection and the most remarkable thanks, to all those that pray the Holy Rosary.

3 The Rosary will be the most powerful defense against the forces of the evil spirit. Vice will be destroyed; sin will be diminished; and all heresy will be defeated.

4 Through the prayer of the Holy Rosary, the virtues will blossom, and the good acts. The souls will obtain plenty of mercies. The hearts will keep apart from the wordly affairs and its vanities; and souls will be elevated to wish the eternal goods. Let´s hope that the souls will make the purpose of becoming closer to God through this way.

5 The soul that recommends to me through the prayer of the Holy Rosary, will never perish.

6 The soul that prays the Rosary with devotion trying hard to meditate the Holy Mysteries, will not be defeated by bad fortune. In His Holy judgement, God will not punish him. He will not suffer unexpected death. And if he is just, he will remain in the grace of God; and he will be worthy of eternal life.

7 The soul that keeps a true Devotion to the Rosary, won´t die without the Sacraments of the Church.

8 Those who pray the Holy Rosary faithfully, will have in life and death, the Light of God; and the plenitude of His grace. At the time of death, they will participate of the merits of the Holy in Paradise.

9 I will relieve from Purgatory all those who have had the habit of praying the Holy Rosary.

10 All those who remain as faithful sons of the Holy Rosary, will deserve a high grade of glory in Heaven.

11 You will obtain all you ask me through the praying of the Holy Rosary.

12 All those who propagate the Holy Rosary will receive my help in their needs.

13 For all the devotees of the Holy Rosary, I have obtained from my Holy Son, the intercession of all the celestial Court, through their lives and at the time of death.

14 All those who pray the Rosary are my children,and brothers of my unique son, Jesus Christ.

15 The devotion to the Holy Rosary is a sign of predestination.

http://www.ecatholic2000.com/index2.html

submitted by Don H.