Bishops fight coercive HHS mandate
As per Fr. Powell’s request, I give you this.
Conscience Protection: Bishops Vow to Fight Coercive HHS Mandate. . .(USCCB)Click here to find you what you can do to oppose this unprecedented attack on our religious liberties as both Catholics and Americans.Also, I want to challenge ALL Catholic bloggers to link to the bishops’ site and urge their readers to respond.
Media bias in the March for Life coverage, DC
If seeing is believing, what exactly is CBS wanting us to believe? On the Anniversary of the RvW decision, the annual Walk for Life took place in DC and elsewhere. Here is one picture I grabbed, not from the main stream media, but from a fellow pro-lifer attendee.
It is estimated that the DC March alone had over 100,000 there witnessing to life and the dignity of the human person. You would expect the local media to reflect it accurately. That doesn’t seem to the case for CBS as here is six of their 7 snap shots. They all show Pro-Choice groups. Where are the pictures of those marching for life? Were they “aborted”, the pictures that is?
In a college Public Speaking class, I remember something the professor told us on the first day; “Never trust the media. Question everything”. At the time I thought he might be suffering from a paranoid disposition/mental problem. Looking back now and understanding how the media can twist things for their own purpose, that was good advice.
Thousands of Pro-Lifers March in Nation’s Capital
Prayers for missing young man, Ian Burnet
I would like to share some information about one young man who is a relative of a friend that has gone missing. Would you keep him in your prayers that he will be found very soon? Also, please pass on the info if you can. This is one reason I love the internet so – things can travel quickly.
More information here
Find Ian Burnet website with updates and info
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.
O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God
and Charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on
earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on
your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in
trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore
of you to obtain for me the finding of Ian Burnet The answer to my prayer
may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of
Miracles.
O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full
of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the
Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and
the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.
Amen.
Herding cats and “getting over it”
Msgr Pope likens being a Bishop to herding cats now days. There may be some unwarranted projection of distrust because of the scandal. Then again, does “Trust but verify” apply really? Is Being a Bishop Like Herding Cats?
I have written here before, (often to the great consternation of more than a few readers) of my concerns about disunity in the Church. In particular my concerns center around the dismissive attitudes many have developed toward the bishops. While this attitude was once the domain, largely, of dissenters on the theological left, it has now become quite a common attitude among many theological and ecclesial conservatives as well.
I am well aware of the (often legitimate) frustrations by some Catholics that the Bishops, either individually or collectively have not always shepherded in a clearer way; a way that both disciplined dissenters and corrected liturgical abuses and also encouraged those who tried to remain faithful. I get that. These have been difficult decades for the Church and for our culture.
There is a lot of food for thought in this. What I didn’t like particularly is the response Dr. Peters was given by one seminarian in response to the reasons some might not give blank trust to authority figure “Well, time to get over it”. That doesn’t comfort me nor mend any ruptures caused by a few and allowed by many.
I still think the “Trust but verify” approach is the road to go. I really hope our seminarians are learning better approaches in reconciling people.
If I were to respond to a Bishop or someone in likewise manner who had been lamenting over the lack of trust and disunity in his diocese with “Get over it”, I’m sure I wouldn’t be picked for the reconciliation team. Just a guess.
More reading: Blind Obedience
There are some people who trust lawful authority to direct them without fail. When faced with a
directive, they neither seek to know options and consequences nor deliberate their choices. They simply trust
that lawful authority will stay within the bounds of its power. This attitude is not true Obedience nor is it
virtuous.
10 Ways Catholic Voters will be misled by Deal Hudson and Matt Smith
1. In spite of the new “Introduction” to “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” the bishops’ document will be cherry-picked and repackaged into sound bites to justify voting for a candidate who supports abortion and same-sex marriage.
2. Pro-life Catholics will be labeled as “single issue voters” who don’t care about the larger social teaching of the Church, especially concern for the poor and vulnerable.
3. The budget passed by the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Paul Ryan (R, WI-01), a Catholic, will be relentlessly attacked as not caring about the poor because it proposed cuts and spending freezes to reduce the growing U.S. deficit that is hurting the economy. (rest here – warning pdf)
Dawn Eden’s new book, My peace I give you
pre-release – May, 14, 2012
Wanted to bring attention to Dawn’s new book which looks promising for those who suffer from or those who minister to abuse victims. There are some things I didn’t know, such as St. Thomas Aquinas suffering from sexual abuse. Also, when we think of virginity and those who have lost it involuntarily, through rape etc, it isn’t uncommon to think of them as no longer in that category. In her research, she found what Aquinas thought of the subject: “virgins who are raped do not forfeit their virginity. What is more, according to Aquinas, a holy virgin who is raped not only retains her virginity; she receives a second crown in heaven for having endured the outrage of being violated. He adds that she remains a virgin in the eyes of the Church even if her rape results in her bearing a child.” (here)
I look forward to reading this book as she seems to deliver hope to those oppressed by past abuse.
Dawn Eden, internationally known speaker and author of the bestselling The Thrill of the Chaste, shows how the lives of the saints have given her hope and aided her journey of spiritual healing after childhood sexual abuse.
With one in four American girls and one in six American boys estimated to have experienced childhood sexual abuse, My Peace I Give You provides a much-needed resource for spiritual healing from the isolating effects of these wounds. Dawn Eden uses her own story as a backdrop to introduce numerous holy people–like Laura Vicuña, Thomas Aquinas and Bernard of Clairvaux–who suffered sexual abuse or sexual inappropriateness, as well as saints such as Ignatius of Loyola who suffered other forms of mistreatment and abandonment. Readers seeking wholeness will discover saints with wounds like their own, whose stories bear witness to the transforming power of grace. Eden explores different dimensions of divine love–sheltering, compassionate, purifying, etc.–to help those sexually wounded in childhood understand their identity in the abiding love of Christ.
I won!
I can’t tell you how surprised and thrilled I am to have won a book from Vitaconsecrata! I haven’t won a thing in so long this really makes my day!
Thanks Vitaconsecrata for the kind words too!
Can’t wait to read it!
Profiled!
A Catholic mother’s reflection
Have you ever been in a store and it has becomes obvious that you are being watched? My daughter and I experienced something the other day at a discount store that left us feeling, well as criminals!
As we were shopping at a craft store the other day, we noticed a discount clothing store near by. It advertised near rock bottom prices and since we were looking for something cheap to finish a costume she is making, we decided to check it out. Upon our entry, it was as if all eyes were on us. Although the customers were of all races, we were of the minority. I thought maybe our daughter’s blue hair was bringing the looks but it didn’t stop there. Every aisle we went down, we seemed to have an employee following or popping in.
Were blue haired teenage girls more likely to steal than others? Maybe that is what they thought. No more than 10 minutes into looking, I really felt creeped out. It was no coincidence that an employee seemed to pop up everywhere we went. Was I being overly paranoid? Was it just coincidence that everywhere we went, the 3 floor workers seemed to go too?
We did find something that would work for her costume and we quickly purchased it and left.
As we were walking to the craft store my daughter asked if I thought they had a lot of people stealing from them. When I asked why, I realized she had picked up on our being watched and followed too!
As we entered the craft store, I was flustered to say the least so I removed my big, bulky sweater coat and it was then that it hit me! Maybe I was the one drawing attention and not my daughter’s hair!
Next time I go into a discount store, I will either remove my big, bulky sweater coat, or not wear it at all. Or, I will break the awkwardness and ask the employees to help us search what we are looking for!
Of course, on our way to the car we were stopped and asked where the nearest body piercing shop was that did belly button piercing! I do attribute THAT to my blue haired daughter. Luckily I can say we do NOT do body piercing.
It did offer an opportunity to experience how it must feel to be profiled or suspected of mischief and crime. It wasn’t a good feeling either.
Blogs to share
Wanted to share a few blogs that I have started following there were of interest.
Remember the Catholic author of Bless me Fr for I have kids, Susie Lloyd? She has a blog!
Another of interest, just because they are Southern – forget they are at OLE MISS (YUCK 
is Southern Fried Catholicism! Imagine that, we are not alone!
Vitaconsecrata is another I wanted to share! She is inspiring as she is discerning her vocation – struggles included! She has a free book give away too! LOVE freebie! Check her out!
Vitaconsecrata – live consecrated
Aussie Coffee Shop is my next share! As a Catholic homeschooling family, she has much to share over a cup a coffee!
Terry Arnold is a survivor of IBC and hosts the Site, The IBC Network – Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network. You can friend them on Facebook too for articles and upcoming events about IBC and awareness. (Facebook page for IBC)
Coming soon will be a comic strip done by my daughter, Gelka. We are thinking of naming it “Driving with Gel”. As a new driver, we have had some pretty interesting experiences…
