Let It Be

“Let It Be” by The Beatles

One of the commonly asked questions of Sir Paul McCartney is whether his lovely song Let It Be is about the Virgin Mary.   

How does he respond?

Read more and see the video at: http://catholicstand.com/a-lesson-on-text-criticism-and-the-beatles-let-it-be/#sthash.CnJYFEaz.dpuf

Dignity for Deviants

Who could not guess that this was coming?

July 31, 2013

Pedophile support group seeks 'truth and dignity' for deviants

By Gina Miller

Who could've seen this coming? Well, those of us who can see the "logical" end results of the radical homosexual movement, that's who. With homosexual activists on the march throughout our government, military, schools and society in general, many of us have warned that their push for special "rights" would – besides trample on the freedoms of speech, religion and association of those who oppose them – inevitably lead to demands by other sexual deviants, like pedophiles, for their own societal affirmation.

Jack Minor, in his column titled "Pedophiles want same rights as homosexuals," wrote:

Using the same tactics used by "gay" rights activists, pedophiles have begun to seek similar status arguing their desire for children is a sexual orientation no different than heterosexual or homosexuals.

Critics of the homosexual lifestyle have long claimed that once it became acceptable to identify homosexuality as simply an "alternative lifestyle" or sexual orientation, logically nothing would be off limits. "Gay" advocates have taken offense at such a position insisting this would never happen. However, psychiatrists are now beginning to advocate redefining pedophilia in the same way homosexuality was redefined several years ago.

http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/miller/130731

Who was Inigo Lopez?

Hello, my name is Inigo Lopez.  I was . . .

Born in 1491 in the Loyola Castle in the Basque region of Spain. 

Became a soldier and was wounded in battle when a canon ball hit his leg.

While convalescing in a hospital, read a book about the life of Christ and a book about the saints.

Made a pilgrimage to St. Mary’s Shrine at Montserrat near Barcelona.

Changed his name to Ignatius.

Spent a long time living as a hermit.

Studied philosophy at several colleges.

Wrote down material that later became his greatest work, the Spiritual Exercises.

Made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land but left early because of hostility of Muslim Turks.

With his friend, Francis Xavier, formed a group that took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to the pope with the aim of evangelization.

Named this group The Society of Jesus or Jesuits which was sanctioned by the pope in 1540.

Dedicated to countering the heresies of Martin Luther which started in 1517 in Germany.

Advocated moderation and charity when trying to convince Protestants of their errors.

Worked to reform the church while setting up a Jesuit college in Rome.

Created the Jesuit motto, ad majorem Dei gloriam—“for the greater glory of God.”

Sent forth missionaries to the new lands of America that Columbus had discovered the year after Ignatius was born.

Died in Rome in 1556. 

Patron saint of soldiers and Jesuits.

Feast Day is July 31.

Prayer of St. Ignatius

“Receive, Lord, all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. You have given me all that I have, all that I am, and I surrender all to your divine will, that you dispose of me. Give me only your love and your grace. With this I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask.”

Who was Inigo Montoya?

From The Princess Bride:

Inigo Montoya: “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

Count Rugen: “Stop saying that!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JGp7Meg42U

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inigo_Montoya

July 31: Black Tot Day in the UK

July 31 is “Black Tot Day” in the U.K., commemorating the 1970 rule that abolished the British Navy's daily ration of rum for sailors. The ration was referred to as a “daily tot” and dwindled from half a pint twice a day when it was originally introduced in 1655 to 70 milliliters once per day at the time it was abolished.

Read the full text here:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/51314/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-your-favorite-liquors#ixzz2XQgzq0jq

--brought to you by mental_floss! 

Communists Disguised As Faithful Catholic Nuns

Here’s an article exposing your leftist group of Catholic nuns profiled on 60 Minutes last Sunday.

It makes you wonder why CBS didn’t tell the truth about this radical group that falsely claims to speak for all Catholic nuns in the USA.

http://spectator.org/archives/2013/07/19/the-communist-party-usas-netwo

People’s World is the flagship publication of Communist Party USA, and the successor publication to the Daily Worker. It recently carried back-to-back articles that were very revealing of a dubious but old tradition among the American left. To wit: America’s communists have always found allies—useful idiots,  dupes—among the liberal/progressive left, the mainstream Democratic Party, and (especially) the religious left. As to the latter, I’m ever reminded of the words of the late Herb Romerstein, who told me: “The religious left; they were the biggest suckers of them all.”

The list of suckers from the 1920s through the end of the Cold War was deep. I know this well, having devoted  a lengthy book to the subject, which, incidentally, could be volume one in a multi-volume set. Unfortunately, the duping didn’t end with the Cold War, which brings me back to those two articles in People’s World.

On June 11, the day before this piece on “Left unity,” People’s World  ran a glowing puff piece on a group of Christians that it plainly adores: Sister Simone Campbell and her band of nuns. They call themselves “the Network,” a self-described “national Catholic social justice lobby.” Campbell and friends have formed the so-called “Nuns on the Bus,” storming across the nation on behalf of “healthcare reform,” Barack Obama, the president’s policies, the agenda of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, and, of course, “social justice.”

The nuns’ antics aren’t new news. I profiled them in  May 2011 for Catholic World Report. You might remember the issue I dissected at the time: the nuns’ unrelenting crusade for Obamacare.

Recall that the Obamacare vote was scheduled for a Sunday—God’s day. The sisters were filled with the spirit. They gathered over 50 signatures in a letter to Congress urging “a life-affirming ‘yes’ vote when the Senate healthcare bill comes to the floor of the House for a vote.”

How could the nuns advocate a “life-affirming” vote for a bill that championed abortion funding, and would become a cruise missile at the heart of the religious liberty of the Roman Catholic Church and other pro-life denominations? No worries. “From our reading of the bill,” said Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of Network, “there isn’t any federal funding of abortion.” Quite the contrary, Campbell and her sisters judged the bill not anti-life but pro-life. “For us,” explained Campbell, “tens of thousands of people are dying each year because they don’t have access to healthcare, so that is a life issue.”

Worse, the Network claimed that the nuns who signed the letter represented a vast group of 59,000 sisters nationwide, which was nowhere near accurate. Like Jesus with the loaves, the sisters had demonstrated miraculous powers of multiplication—as did the liberal media, which dutifully reported the nuns’ vast exaggeration. Not so pleased was the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which stated that Obamacare should be explicitly rejected because of its pro-abortion measures. . .

Keller's Riverside Gun Store

  Only in Texas !!!!

This is a radio commercial (only about 60 seconds or so) from a Texas gun store.  Please listen all the way until the end...the last 15 seconds or so are classy, in a gun shop sort of way.  

You can't make this stuff up...... Here is a real commercial spot... 

http://biggeekdad.com/2011/10/kellers-riverside-store/

=

One Minute on the House Floor

www.ijreview.com/2013/06/56922-gop-reps-epic-1-minute-beatdown-of-barack-obama-on-house-floor/

The Cave and Saint Francis

Mumford and Sons:  "The Cave" at Red Rocks in Colorado on 8/28/2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z32i0M5tnZ0

“The Cave” lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lbiGnS8FOY

Did you know that this song is about Saint Francis?

St. Francis was born in 12th century Assisi to a rich cloth merchant.  He joined the military and was at some point taken captive and eventually released, after which he faced a devastating illness that spurred a religious crisis.   Francis famously renounced his father, his wealth, and founded the Franciscan Order- a group of monks known for ministering to the poor, owning no personal property, and dedicating themselves to mission work.

And how does the life of Francis relate to Mumford and Sons?

G.K. Chesterton (an author the band is reportedly fond of) wrote that Francis spent some time in a prison, or dark cave, and eventually came out changed.

The man who went into the cave was not the man who came out again; in that sense he was almost as different as if he were dead, as if he were a ghost or a blessed spirit. And the effects of this on his attitude towards the actual world were really as extravagant as any parallel can make them. He looked at the world as differently from other men as if he had come out of that dark hole walking on his hands.

St. Francis, an ex-soldier (like the ones in the video?) and son of a rich man, decides to renounce the lens of materialism and walks upside down in an attempt to see people for whom they are.  In The Cave we are tied to the post, listening to the Siren’s song, tempted to reduce humanity to consumption, and feeling our own propensity to follow that song to our deaths.

Even though we hear the Sirens, we continue to see “widows and orphans through [our] tears,”  catch glimpses of the “maker’s land,” and ultimately “know [our] call despite [our] faults and despite [our] growing fears.”

That’s how I hear it and that’s what I choose to carry with me.

How about you- what do you think about when you listen to The Cave?

http://anirenicon.com/2012/04/20/the-cave-looking-at-the-philosophy-behind-one-of-mumford-and-sons-best-songs/

I Will Wait

Mumford and Sons at Red Rocks in Colorado . . .

I Will Wait:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGKfrgqWcv0

Published on Sep 9, 2012

Taken from 'Babel' the Number 1 album
Buy Babel here -- http://po.st/bpnGi1

Buy 'Road To Red Rocks' on DVD and Blu-Ray at po.st/mumfordwebsite

Official Website - po.st/mumfordwebsite
Facebook - po.st/mumfordfacebook

Let's Dance.....Very Cool!

This is cool… 

Lots of people in it like Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly, the Wizard of Oz.....

Click below:   
                         Let's Dance

Music by The Killers:  “All These Things 

The Real Story of Trayvon

What the Press chose not to include.

 Check out this 10-minute clip that everyone in America should
watch ...

Isn't it amazing how knowing the facts can shed a whole new
light on a twisted story?

View Video Clip Here!!

A Country Run By Idiots

A Country Founded by Geniuses but Run by Idiots

by Jeff Foxworthy:

If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for entering and remaining in the country illegally — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or to take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you MUST show your identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book and rent a video, but not to vote for who runs the government — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If the government wants to prevent stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines that hold more than ten rounds, but gives twenty F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If, in the nation’s largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not one 24-ounce soda, because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If an 80-year-old woman or a three-year-old girl who is confined to a wheelchair can be strip-searched by the TSA at the airport, but a woman in a burka or a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If a seven-year-old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is “cute,” but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government regulation and intrusion, while not working is rewarded with Food Stamps, WIC checks, Medicaid benefits, subsidized housing, and free cell phones — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If the government’s plan for getting people back to work is to provide incentives for not working, by granting 99 weeks of unemployment checks, without any requirement to prove that gainful employment was diligently sought, but couldn’t be found — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big-screen TV, while your neighbor buys iPhones, time shares, a wall-sized do-it-all plasma screen TV and new cars, and the government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If being stripped of your Constitutional right to defend yourself makes you more “safe” according to the government — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

What a country!

How about we give God a reason to continue blessing America!

Amen (thank you Jeff)

Can Demons Cause Mental Illness?

JULY 25, 2013 BY FR. FORTEA  

FILED UNDER DEMONOLOGY, FEATURED, FR. FORTEA

Q: Dear Fr. Fortea, can a demon cause a mental illness in a person?

A. Demons can tempt us, and they sometimes do so in a continuous way with great intensity. As such, a demon could provoke an obsession, phobia, depression, or another type of mental illness in a person. This Gargoyle_13 Wikimediacan seriously disturb a person’s ordinary life to the point of making him unbalanced. So, yes, a demon can cause mental illness – but only if God permits it. (Of course, everything that occurs must either be willed or at least permitted by God.)

Given the internal mechanism that is used to cause temptation – that is, the infusion of a thought or image in our intellect, memory, or imagination – this  modus operandi can be used in such a pernicious way that it can unbalance a person. This is well within the power of a demon. The only thing that can prevent this activity is the will of God. So does God  always  prevent demons from causing a mental illness in a person? Undoubtedly, no. But this is the exception, not the rule. In most cases, mental illnesses have purely natural causes.

Editor’s Note: To learn more about spiritual warfare and demonology, Catholic Spiritual Direction recommends Fr. Fortea’s excellent book, Interview With An Exorcist – An Insider’s Look at the Devil, Demonic Possession, and the Path to Deliverance.

Read more: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2013/07/25/can-demons-cause-mental-illness#ixzz2aTeb9utP

Got Chromecast?

The Smart TV You’ve Been Looking For

With a tiny piece of plastic not much larger than a USB drive, Google just seized the fledgling smart TV market by the horns. At a special event held today ostensibly to announce the new Nexus 7, Google revealed a tiny dongle called the Chromecast that transforms any old dumb TV into a powerful and modern streaming media center. This could be huge:

How does it work?
The device is an expansion of the Chrome operating system. Basically, you plug the Chromecast dongle into the HDMI input on your television. After you connect it to your home WiFi, you can use your iOS or Android device (or Windows laptop) to stream media from Netflix, YouTube, Google Play, and more directly to your TV. It's akin to Apple's AirPlay and Apple TV, but all-in-one and without the mirroring.

If you're watching House of Cards via Netflix on your Nexus 7, for example, you can tap an icon to access Chromecast and have the show play on your TV. Then, you can either use your Nexus 7 as a remote control, or switch over to your iPhone and control it from there.

How much does it cost?
Just $35! For comparison's sake, the cheapest Roku is $50. You can order one today from the Google Play store.

Any perks?
As Farhad Manjoo points out on Twitter, "previous, new, and existing Netflix members" will also get three months of Netflix for free. That means if you're already a subscriber, the Chromecast is even more of a bargain at $11.

So does this mean Google TV is dead?
Probably not — but then again, it's certainly not doing the Google TV or Nexus Q folks any favors.

The Chrome team has been on a roll lately. Cheap Chromebooks have been gobbling up PC share. And, from the looks of it, plenty of people are already snatching up the Chromecast. AsSlate's Matt Yglesias notes: "Seems like Google's getting on the Amazon zero profit margin bandwagon," a reference to Amazon's dominant strategy of flooding the market with low-priced products.

http://theweek.com/article/index/247333/chromecast-has-google-given-us-the-smart-tv-weve-been-waiting-for

The Pope's Poem That He Never Wrote

If you’re a Catholic on Facebook, you may have seen this poem on your newsfeed today:

WE NEED SAINTS

We need saints without veil or cassock.
We need saints who wear jeans and sneakers.
We need saints who go to the movies, listen to music and hang out with friends.
We need saints who put God in first place, but who let go of their power.
We need saints who have time every day to pray and who know how to date in purity and chastity, or who consecrate their chastity.
We need modern saints, Saints of the 21st century with a spirituality that is part of our time.
We need saints committed to the poor and the necessary social changes.
We need saints who live in the world and who are sanctified in the world, who are not afraid to live in the world.
We need saints who drink Coke and eat hot dogs, who wear jeans, who are Internet-savvy, who listen to CDs.
We need saints who passionately love the Eucharist and who are not ashamed to drink a soda or eat pizza on weekends with friends.
We need saints who like movies, the theater, music, dance, sports.
We need saints who are social, open, normal, friendly, happy and who are good companions.
We need saints who are in the world and know how to taste the pure and nice things of the world but who aren’t of the world.

Now, I love the sentiment of the poem. I wholeheartedly believe the Church needs lay men and women to become saints “without veil or cassock”, saints who are willing to live in the world but not of the world.

Unfortunately, this poem has been mis-attributed as a direct quote from Pope Francis at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, an event that will continue through this week.

Thus far, the original source of the poem can not be found. The first English version of the poem appeared online as early as 2010.

Most blogs that have posted the poem attributed it Pope John Paul II, but there is no official Vatican copy or any sort of official source.

It seems most likely that this poem was written by someone in Brazil who was inspired by the words of Blessed John Paul II, and it was then translated into English years later.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/blog/the-poem-pope-francis-never-wrote/

Here's Why You Are So Smart

Think you’re smart?  Thank Iodine

How Adding Iodine to Salt Boosted Americans’ IQ

Discover Magazine 

Iodized salt is so commonplace in the U.S. today that you may never have given the additive a second thought. But new research finds that humble iodine has played a substantial role in cognitive improvements seen across the American population in the 20th century.

Iodine is a critical micronutrient in the human diet—that is, something our bodies can’t synthesize that we have to rely on food to obtain—and it’s been added to salt (in the form of potassium iodide) since 1924. Originally, iodization was adopted to reduce the incidence of goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. But research since then has found that iodine also plays a crucial role in brain development, especially during gestation.

Iodine deficiency today is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation in the world. It’s estimated that nearly one-third of the world’s population has a diet with too little iodine in it, and the problem isn’t limited to developing countries—perhaps one-fifth of those cases are in Europe(pdf), where iodized salt is still not the norm.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/?p=3260&amp#.UfbgiI3laa8

Which Brand Of Catholic Are You?

I vote for Piety and Purity . . .

Which brand of Catholic do you support?

            Peace and Justice Catholics = aging hippies

            Piety and Purity Catholics = conservative family values

            Justice and Mercy = what we all should be

"There seems to be an undefined group of Catholics who some call “Peace and Justice Catholics”. They are typified as aging hippies. They named their churches “Prince of Peace” in the sixties as a kind of flower power protest. These peace and justice Catholics are portrayed by conservatives as left wing, tree hugging, bra burning, gay loving, contracepting, bleeding heart liberals.  Conservatives wonder why don’t the Peace and Justice Catholics demand justice for the millions of unborn babies that have been slaughtered.

On the other side of the fence are what might be called Piety and Purity Catholics. They are the conservatives who are all for the authority of the Church, family values, high standards of sexual morality. They are typified by the other side as wearing sport coats, shirt and tie. Hair combed and with a  large brood of scowling kids with an exhausted wife with a calf length skirt and straggly hair smiling through her sufferings. Piety and Purity conservatives are all for “family values”. They are opposed to same sex marriage, contraception, abortion and divorce.   They are portrayed by liberals as ignorant, racist, homophobic, jingoistic, military loving morons obsessed with rituals.

Both caricatures are silly and both extremist views are misplaced.

Instead of being a Justice and Peace Catholic or a Piety and Purity Catholic we should all be Justice and Mercy Catholics. Justice and Mercy are put together in this phrase to remind us that Justice and Mercy are two sides of the same coin. God’s Justice is Merciful and his Mercy is Just. This is because God’s judgment is a purely righteous judgment. It is both just and merciful at the same time."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2013/07/peace-and-justice-catholics-just-aging-hippies.html

Derelict London

Let’s go waymarking!

Derelict Cemeteries and Churches:

http://www.derelictlondon.com/cemetery--churches.html

Derelict Bunkers and Pillboxes:

http://www.derelictlondon.com/war---bunkers-and-pillboxes.html

Derelict London Transport:

http://www.derelictlondon.com/london-transport.html

What Pope Francis Said About Gays

Did the pope really say it’s OK to be Gay?  Here's what Jimmy Akin says . . 

7 things you need to know about what Pope Francis said about gays

The press is buzzing right now with claims that Pope Francis has taken a sharply different line than his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, on the subject of homosexuality.

Some are suggesting that the new pope has announced that "gay is okay."

What did Pope Francis really say, and how unusual is it?

Here are 7 things to know and share . . . 

1) Where did Pope Francis make these remarks?

He made them during an 80-minute interview with reporters aboard the plane returning from World Youth Day in Brazil.

2) What was he asked that led to the remarks?

We may not know exactly what the question was until a transcript is released, but apparently, he was asked about the reputed "gay lobby" at the Vatican.

More info on that here.

3) What exactly did he say?

According to the best current accounts, he said:

There's a lot of talk about the gay lobby, but I've never seen it on the Vatican ID card.

When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized. The tendency [i.e., same-sex attraction] is not the problem ... they're our brothers.

4) What does this mean?

The first part of the statement seems to downplay the who "gay lobby" issue. He's not denying that there is one there, but he's suggesting that the talk is somewhat overblown.

He then explains his approach to dealing with gay people: He distinguishes between their "being gay" and "being part of a lobby."

What he means by "being gay" is something he further unpacks.

In ordinary parlance, "being gay" can mean anything from having same-sex attraction to leading an active "gay lifestyle" to endorsing and advocating a pro-homosexual ideology.

The last of these would be functioning as a member of a lobby, and he indicates that this is not what he is talking about.

He then describes those he is talking about as people who "accept the Lord and have goodwill."

He then seems to further clarify who he is talking about by saying that "The tendency [i.e., same-sex attraction] is not the problem ... they're our brothers."

Taking his statements together, what emerges is a portrait of individuals who have same-sex attraction but who nevertheless accept the Lord and have goodwill, as opposed to working to advance a pro-homosexual ideology.

This would definitely include people with same-sex attraction who strive to live chastely (even if they sometimes fail).

It also, possibly, could include individuals who are not living chastely but who are not actively lobbying a homosexual agenda. It would be nice if he'd said a little more to clarify the point further.

5) What does he say about people in this category?

He says that he does not think he is in a position to judge them and that they should not be marginalized.

He also says that the mere tendency (same-sex attraction) "is not the problem," and that "they're our brothers."

6) How new is this?

Not very.

Disclaiming a right to "judge" others is something that goes back to Jesus. It does not mean a failure to recognize the moral character of others' actions, however.

One can form a moral appraisal that what someone else is doing is wrong (Jesus obviously does not forbid that) without having or showing malice toward them.

The statement that they should not be marginalized is similarly in keeping with the Holy See's approach to the subject, as 1992 Vatican document On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons.

The statement that same-sex attraction "is not the problem," when understood correctly, is also nothing new. "The problem," as Pope Francis seems to here be understanding it, is going beyond merely having a sinful tendency--a temptation to which one is subject.

Obviously, temptations are problem, but if we resist temptation we do not sin. "The problem," on this understanding, is giving into the temptation and sinning or--worse--building an ideology around the sin and trying to advocate the sin.

Finally, the statement that "they're our brothers" is also no novelty. Christians, like everyone, have struggled with every sort of temptation all through history.

Same-sex attraction is just one temptation among numerous others, and the fact that a person suffers from this temptation no more deprives him of the status of being a brother in Christ than any other temptation does.

7) How different is any of this compared to Pope Benedict?

The press has been (as usual) trying to make unfavorable comparisons to Pope Benedit, noting that during his time the Holy See issued a document saying that those with deep-seated homosexual tendencies should not be ordained to the priesthood.

Pope Francis did not mention that document or its policy and so has done nothing different than Benedict there.

Neither are any of Francis's remarks contrary to the approach Benedict took during his pontificate.

In fact, Benedict himself (as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) was the signer of the previosly-mentioned letter on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, as well as the follow-up document on non-discrimination regarding homosexual persons.

So, as usual, the press is painting a false picture by contrasting the "good" Francis and the "bad" Benedict.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-what-pope-francis-said-about-gays#ixzz2aScxX2KZ

Obama Praises A Communist Mass-Murderer

Lunatic liberals love their communist heroes . . .

That President Obama praised dead Communist dictator Ho Chi Minh will come as a surprise only to Americans who haven’t been paying attention, which, alas, is a large segment of the population. 

Ho Chi Minh was a fairly typical Communist ruler in that he had absolutely no compunction about ordering mass executions to eliminate anyone who would stand against his regime.  That Obama repeats the old bromides of the “anti-war”, actually pro-Communist, left of the Sixties that attempted to paint Ho as some sort of Jeffersonian Democrat either betrays immense ignorance or something far, far worse.

- See more at: http://the-american-catholic.com/2013/07/27/ho-obama/#sthash.tXskr95h.dpuf

What The Blind Boy Found In Apt

July 26:  Saint Anne – Mother of Mary and Grandmother of Jesus

On Easter AD 792, Charlemagne discovered the relics of Saint Anne with the help of a deaf handicapped boy. It’s a wonderful tale for this feast day of Saint Anne.

Below is the account, preserved in the correspondence of Pope Saint Leo III, concerning the mysterious discovery of the relics of Saint Anne in the presence of the Emperor Charlemagne.

Fourteen years after Our Lord’s death, Saint Mary Magdalen, Saint Martha, Saint Lazarus, and the others of the little band of Christians who were piled into a boat without sails or oars and pushed out to sea to perish — in the persecution of the Christians by the Jews of Jerusalem — were careful to carry with them the tenderly loved body of Our Lady’s mother - Anne. They feared lest it be profaned in the destruction, which Jesus had told them was to come upon Jerusalem. When, by the power of God, their boat survived and finally drifted to the shores of France, the little company of saints buried Saint Anne’s body in a cave, in a place called Apt, in the south of France. The church, which was later built over the spot, fell into decay because of wars and religious persecutions, and as the centuries passed, the place of Saint Anne’s tomb was forgotten.

The long years of peace, which Charlemagne’s wise rule gave to southern France, enabled the people to build a magnificent new church on the site of the old chapel at Apt. Extraordinary and painstaking labor went into the building of the great structure, and when the day of its consecration arrived [Easter Sunday, 792 A.D.], the beloved Charlemagne, little suspecting what was in store for him, declared himself happy indeed to have journeyed so many miles to be present for the holy occasion. At the most solemn part of the ceremonies, a boy of fourteen, blind, deaf and dumb from birth — and usually quiet and impassive — to the amazement of those who knew him, completely distracted the attention of the entire congregation by becoming suddenly tremendously excited. He rose from his seat, walked up the aisle to the altar steps, and to the consternation of the whole church, struck his stick resoundingly again and again upon a single step.

His embarrassed family tried to lead him out, but he would not budge. He continued frantically to pound the step, straining with his poor muted senses to impart a knowledge sealed hopelessly within him. The eyes of the people turned upon the emperor, and he, apparently in spired by God, took the matter into his own hands. He called for workmen to remove the steps.

A subterranean passage was revealed directly below the spot, which the boy’s stick had indicated. Into this passage the blind lad jumped, to be followed by the emperor, the priests, and the workmen.

They made their way in the dim light of candles, and when, farther along the pas sage, they came upon a wall that blocked further advance, the boy signed that this also should be removed. When the wall fell, there was brought to view still another long, dark corridor. At the end of this, the searchers found a crypt, upon which, to their profound wonderment, a vigil lamp, alight and burning in a little walled recess, cast a heavenly radiance.

As Charlemagne and his afflicted small guide, with their companions, stood before the lamp, its light went out. And at the same moment, the boy, blind and deaf and dumb from birth, felt sight and hearing and speech flood into his young eyes, his ears, and his tongue.

“It is she! It is she!” he cried out. The great emperor, not knowing what he meant, nevertheless repeated the words after him. The call was taken up by the crowds in the church above, as the people sank to their knees, bowed in the realization of the presence of something celestial and holy.

The crypt at last was opened, and a casket was found within it. In the casket was a winding sheet, and in the sheet were relics, and upon the relics was an inscription that read, “Here lies the body of Saint Anne, mother of the glorious Virgin Mary.” The winding sheet, it was noted, was of eastern design and texture.

Charlemagne, over whelmed, venerated with profound gratitude the relics of the mother of Heaven’s Queen. He remained a long time in prayer. The priests and the people, awed by the graces given them in such abundance and by the choice of their countryside for such a heavenly manifestation, for three days spoke but rarely, and then in whispers.

The emperor had an exact and detailed account of the miraculous finding drawn up by a notary and sent to Pope Saint Leo III, with an accompanying letter from himself. These documents and the pope’s reply are preserved to this day. Many papal bulls have attested, over and over again, to the genuineness of Saint Anne’s relics at Apt.

Canterbury Tales

Dr. Taylor Marshall

Irving, Texas

http://taylormarshall.com/2013/07/the-mysterious-relics-of-saint-anne/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-mysterious-relics-of-saint-anne&utm_source=Canterbury+Tales&utm_campaign=4f5eb9f4e1-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_64accbc3c7-4f5eb9f4e1-59111593

The Pope Said What About Athiests?

Pope Francis Said What? 
by Friar Jim Van Vurst, OFM 
 

You may recall Pope Francis’ statement this past May concerning God’s love. First, the pope said: “The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! Even the atheists. Everyone!”

That statement shook a lot of people up. And it is true: the Church has always taught that Jesus died and redeemed all of God’s children. But a lot of people drew several incorrect conclusions: “Well, if atheists are redeemed, it really doesn’t matter what we do, right? We’re home free.”

No, sorry, that is not only incorrect, but that’s not what Pope Francis meant or said. The pope used the word redeemed and not justified. Only God can redeem, and that redemption takes place because of Jesus’ death on the cross. No human can redeem himself. Only through Jesus do we have a chance at salvation.

That means everyone—including atheists—have the opportunity to reach a perfect union with God.  They just need to go about it the right way.

Bring Me The Head Of Oliver Plunkett

This week’s saintly bishop . . .

St. Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh

Born in Ireland, November 1, 1629, St. Oliver studied and became a priest in Rome. During this time England conquered Ireland, the public practice of Roman Catholicism was banned, and Catholic clergy were executed. St. Oliver finally returned to Ireland 10 years after the start of the Restoration to build schools for children and clergy. Anti-Catholicism resurfaced in the ‘70s forcing St. Oliver into hiding. He was eventually caught, unfairly tried, and found guilty of conspiring against the King of England. In 1681, he was hanged and drawn and quartered. His head is on display at St. Peter's Church in Drogheda, Ireland.

When we reflect on the disarray in today's Catholic Church, we cannot help but pray for a shepherds who will utter these words of St. Oliver's and, more importantly, live them: "we … have acquired the habit of suffering to the extent that it will be less inconvenient in the future…For if the captains fly, it is in vain to exhort the single soldiers to stand in battle."

Martha and the Monster

I drove through Tarascon but didn’t see Martha or the Tarascon Monster . . .

July 29:  Saint Martha

Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She is the middle child of her family with Lazarus being the eldest and her sister Mary the youngest. She was witness to Jesus' resurrection of her brother, Lazarus.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus visits the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha. The two sisters are contrasted: Martha was "cumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part", that of listening to the master's discourse.

In the Gospel of John, Martha and Mary appear in connection two incidents: the raising from the dead of her brother Lazarus (John 11) and the anointing of Jesus in Bethany (John 12:3).

Martha appears again in John 12:1-8, where she serves at a meal held in Jesus' honor at which her brother is also a guest. The narrator only mentions that the meal takes place in Bethany, while the apparently parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 26:6-13) and Mark (Mark 14:3-9) specify that it takes place at the home of one Simon the Leper.

Martha is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches, and commemorated by the Lutheran Church and the Anglican Communion. Through time, as the cult of Martha developed, the images of maturity, strength, common sense, and concern for others predominated.

According to legend, St Martha left Judea after Jesus' death, around AD 48, and went to Provence with her sister Mary (conflated with Mary Magdalene) and her brother Lazarus. With them, Martha first settled in Avignon (now in France). The Golden Legend, compiled in the 13th century, records the Provençal tradition.

The Tarascon Monster

A further legend relates that Martha then went to Tarascon, where a monster, the Tarasque, was a constant threat to the population. The Golden Legend describes it as a beast from Galicia; a great dragon, half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than an horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like a lion, tail like a serpent, that dwelt in a certain wood between Arles and Avignon. Holding a cross in her hand, Martha sprinkled the beast with holy water. Placing her sash around its neck, she led the tamed dragon through the village.   There Martha lived, daily occupied in prayers and in fastings. Martha eventually died in Tarascon, where she was buried. Her tomb is located in the crypt of the local Collegiate Church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha

Martyrs of Milan

Two popular martyrs found in Milan of which little is known.

July 28:  Saints Nazarius and Celsus

Saints Nazarius and Celsus were two martyrs of whom nothing is known except the discovery of their bodies by Saint Ambrose.

According to Paulinus the Deacon's Vita Ambrosii, Ambrose, at some time within the last three years of his life, after the death of the Emperor Theodosius (d. 395), discovered in a garden outside the walls of Milan the body of Saint Nazarius, with severed head. Nazarius's blood was reportedly still liquid and red when his body was exhumed by Ambrose. Ambrose had it carried to the Basilica of the Apostles.

In the same garden Ambrose likewise discovered the body of Saint Celsus, which he had transported to the same place.   Two new churches were built over their tombs, and their cult became popular in Milan.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states: "Obviously a tradition regarding these martyrs was extant in the Christian community of Milan which led to the finding of the two bodies."

Christopher

Was there really ever a Saint Christopher who carried Christ across a river?   There is no such story in the Bible, but here is the legend and some historic facts from wikipedia. . .

July 25:  Saint Christopher

The Legend

According to the legendary account of his life Christopher was a Canaanite 5 cubits (7.5 feet) tall and with a fearsome face who converted to Christianity.  A hermit  suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross a dangerous river, where they were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ.

After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work." The child then vanished.

Christopher later visited the city of Lycia and there comforted the Christians who were being martyred. Brought before the local king, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The king tried to win him by riches and by sending two beautiful women to tempt him. Christopher converted the women to Christianity, as he had already converted thousands in the city. The king ordered him to be killed. Various attempts failed, but finally Christopher was decapitated.

The Historical Facts

Historical examination of the legends suggests Reprobus (Christopher) lived during the Christian persecutions of the Roman emperor Decius, and that he was captured and martyred by the governor of Antioch.[7] Historian David Woods has proposed that St. Christopher's remains were possibly taken to Alexandria by Peter of Attalia where he may have become identified with the Egyptian martyr Saint Menas.

The legend of Saint Christopher records two important historical facts that identify him with the historical Saint Menas. The first is that the Greek and Latin legends of Saint Christopher identify him as belonging to the Third Valerian Cohort of the Marmantae (Latin: Cohors tertia Valeria, at Marmantarum), a military unit of Northern Africa of Marmarica (between modern day Libya and Egypt), recruited by none other than the Emperor Diocletian. The second is that Saint Christopher was martyred in Antioch.

The martyrdom of Saint Menas corresponds to the details of the legend of Saint Christopher. The theory that identifies the two saints as one and the same concludes that the name "Christopher" meaning "Christ-bearer" was a title given to the name of the valiant Menas who died in Antioch. Since he was not a native of that land, his name was not known and so he was simply revered by his generic title: "Christophoros" or "Christ-Bearer." Saint Menas happens to be the patron of travelers in the Coptic tradition, which further supports an association with Saint Christopher who is the patron of travelers in the Greek and Latin traditions.

Devotions

Medallions with St. Christopher's name and image are commonly worn as pendants, especially by travelers, to show devotion and as a request for his blessing.   St. Christopher is a widely popular saint, especially revered by athletes, mariners, ferrymen, and travelers.  He is revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He holds patronage of things related to travel and travelers — against lightning and pestilence — and patronage for archers; bachelors; boatmen; soldiers; bookbinders; epilepsy; floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; a holy death; mariners; market carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers; toothache; mountaineering; and transportation workers.

Flowers, Trees, Shrubs, Sky

"Listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, and the whole world. 

Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to glorify the sublimity of that sovereign Artist who has given them being."

~ St. Paul of the Cross

Vulgar Tweets From Obama's Son

OBAMA’S SON: 20 Disgusting Tweets from Trayvon

More evidence of what a punk and thug Trayvon was. You see this and realize how easy it would be for someone like this to attack someone.
Check it out:

John Hawkins, of RightWingNews.com, has plowed thru 150 pages of Trayvon’s Twitter account and grabbed twenty tweets from Trayvon that paint him as a misogynistic, weed smoking, thug. Here you go folks. Not quite the sweet little child the lame stream media, Obama and various race-baiters have painted him to be, eh?

* WARNING: Rough language ahead.
Read more: http://conservativebyte.com/2013/07/obamas-son-20-disgusting-tweets-from-trayvon/#ixzz2Zp5yySO3