The other day … the little birds were singing in the woods. I began to weep. Poor little creatures, I thought within myself, the good God has made you to sing, and you sing. Yet man, who was created that he might love God, loves Him not!
St. John Vianney (1786-1859AD) on Creation and Creatures

Another in the extremely long list of reasons to homeschool...

School districts start to face sanctions under landmark law

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EDUCATION_LAW_FACING_SANCTIONS?SITE=CTNHR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

...Nationwide, 411 school districts in 27 states now face intervention...

...How California and the other states will turn around those struggling districts is unclear...

...Under some of the states' current improvement plans, it would take some districts more than 100 years to bring students' reading and math skills to grade level...

More than 100 years to bring student's reading and math skills to grade level!

Gee if you are in say 2nd grade that makes you about 8 years old - and it will take the public school system over 100 years to get you to read at the level of an 8 year old!

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Her Doctrine and Morals
Pentecost Sunday
11 May 2008

Epistle: Act 2:1-11

1 And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. 5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. 7 And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these, that speak, Galileans? 8 And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, 11 Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.

Gospel: John 14:23-31

23 Jesus answered, and said to him: If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard, is not mine; but the Father's who sent me. 25 These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. 26 But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. 28 You have heard that I said to you: I go away, and I come unto you. If you loved me, you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it comes to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world cometh, and in me he hath not any thing. 31 But that the world may know, that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given me commandment, so do I: Arise, let us go hence.

Dear Friend,
Today we celebrate the coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and therefore upon the Church. We see a drastic transformation in the Apostles. These once fearful men after receiving the Holy Ghost have become strong and courageous.
All power that was Christ's has been given to the Apostles and now by the power of the Holy Ghost they understand the words of Christ and the power that was given to them. These once fearful men now boldly proclaim the Gospel of Christ not only to the men of Jerusalem but to the whole world.
The Holy Ghost will remain with the true Church to the end of the world. The power of Christ which was given to the Apostles has been handed from one Apostle to the next right up to the present day. The power that a bishop receives upon his consecration through the hands of successors of the Apostles is neither a human power nor a power given by man, but is a divine power which comes directly from the Holy Ghost. "Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops to rule the Church of God." Acts 20: 28. And St. Chrysostom says: "If it were not for the Holy Ghost, there would be no shepherds and teachers in the Church."
As kings govern their kingdoms by their officers, so the Holy Ghost governs the Church by the pastors as his instruments, and defends her against all enemies, so that the gates of hell can never prevail against her.
The Holy Ghost acts through the Apostles and therefore through their successors the bishops to teach, sanctify and govern the Church. Therefore, what the true bishops teach is the teaching of God. This teaching is unchangeable because God is unchangeable.
So many "Traditionalists" point the finger at the Novus Ordo and the new "Mass" and proclaim that the Mass promulgated by the Council of Trent (Tridentine Mass) is the only one allowed and no other can be permitted. This is not true. The Council of Trent recognized and permitted other rites of the Mass that were already in existence over 200 years. Logically the Church could create a new liturgy if She deemed it necessary. This "New Order" is not wrong because it is new. It is wrong because the ritual denies fundamental truths (doctrines) that the Holy Ghost has taught us previously. The Holy Ghost cannot change His mind.

The Apostles and all the popes and bishops in the Catholic Church for more than two thousand years have told us that in the words of Christ in the transubstantiation of wine into His Blood, He says "...which shall be shed for you and for many ..." "For many" is not the same as "for all". Did the Holy Ghost get this wrong for two thousand years? Maybe God changed His mind and now wants to make the intention of His sacrifice different retroactively? This is ludicrous! This of itself is enough to show us that it cannot be the same Spirit in this "New Order" that is with the Church to the end of time, but there are many more instances to be considered.

The doctrine of sacrifice has been done away with in favor of celebrating a meal. The Mystical Body of Christ has been suppressed and replaced by the "people of God". The distinction might appear subtle to many but it is nonetheless real. The ideas contained in the words "Mystical Body" refer to men being incorporated into the Church and therefore into Christ. The "people of God" is often explained in a way that makes all men to be christs or gods. It accepts men the way that they are rather than demand of them the necessity of putting off the world and putting on Christ.
There are so many more instances that we could look into, but that would take more than this space will allow.
While promoting a new Spirit (the Spirit of Vatican II) we see a gross departure from the Spirit of the true Church.
The accidents of language and rites are not the critical differences that many think them to be. The important point that we should be looking at are the doctrines. God will never teach us something that is contrary to what He has taught our ancestors. The true Church must have bishops (successors to the Apostles) who have their power and authority directly from God to teach, sanctify and govern in the name of God. And these bishops must always be consistent with the bishops that came before them all the way back to the Apostles themselves.

Dear Friends,

Here is the audio link for the

Sunday after the Ascension.

May God bless you.

Bishop Giles OFM

These pro-abort lunatics from Planned Parenthood are really out of their minds. Let me see if I've got this...we should 'celebrate' mother's day by aborting (killing) babies?

http://www.lifenews.com/nat3914.html

The absurdity of those who chose to cremate or be cremated...

US Makes changes to Cremations for Slain Troops

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/09/us-makes-changes-to-crema_n_101084.html

The Pentagon is recommending changes in the handling of troops' remains, after it was revealed that a crematorium contracted by the military handles both human and animal cremations.


A military official said there have been no instances or charges that human and pet remains were mixed. But officials are now recommending that troops' remains be incinerated only at facilities that are dedicated entirely to humans, in order to avoid any appearance of a problem. Or, officials said, families can opt to have a relative's remains sent to a local funeral home for cremation, which would be paid for by the military.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates believed the earlier situation was "insensitive and entirely inappropriate for the dignified treatment of our fallen," said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell. (but "incinerating" their bodies and grinding their bones is dignified?)


"Our heroes deserve to be better treated than that," Morrell said, adding that a sign at one of the crematoriums noted that it also does pet cremations. He said Gates offered an apology to military families for the insensitivity... (better than what? being burned like trash? having their bones pushed through a grinder?)

There is a reason that only criminals in Scripture were cremated, there is a reason that until the 1970's virtually no Christians were cremated, there is a reason that Freemasons promoted cremation, there is a reason for the Hollywood promotion of cremation and memorial services. It is not a mere coincidence that as abortion rates rise, as the body becomes a sex object, that as morality and Christian traditions decline - cremation rates rise.

And do not be deceived, it is not about money. Just a few decades ago most people had no life insurance or very little ($500.00 was common) and funerals ranged between $2500 and $3500.00. In the 1970's when funerals were in that price range the average price of a mid size car was about the same as the average price of a funeral.

Today an average funeral is between $8000 and $10,000 - go try and buy a mid-sized car for that price today.

Today most people have life insurance usually between $25,000 and $100,000 far more than enough to cover the average price of a funeral.

30 years ago the four most expensive things in life were a home, a wedding, an automobile, and a funeral.

Today i can name dozens of things that cost more or close to that of a funeral that many people have - a 2nd car, a 2nd home, an ATV or two, a boat, a huge screen TV and enterainment center, a swimming pool, heck - a family vacation in some cases, etc...

So when people claim that they are cremating their "loved ones" because of money - in most cases it is bovine excrement.

Cremation is an outward manifestation of the loss of the Catholic Faith - consider the words of St. Augustine from a funeral sermon that he gave:


FUNERAL SERMON OF ST. AUGUSTINE

"The arrangements for a funeral, the place of interment, the externals proper to the obsequies, serve more as a consolation for the living than as an aid for the dead. Nevertheless, the bodies of our deceased must not be treated lightly or disregarded, particularly the bodies of the faithful or of virtuous men; for these bodies were used by their souls in a holy manner as instruments and agents for the performance of all their good works.

A father's clothing, his ring or some similar object is treasured more highly by one who loves his father more dearly. In no case, therefore, may our mortal bodies by contemned, for we are joined to them more intimately than to any external apparel. The body belongs to man's very nature, it is not an ornament or some secondary adjunct. For this reason virtuous men in ages past were given reverent burial and their obsequies piously celebrated.

Now if they who do not believe in the resurrection of the flesh are so anxious about the care of the physical body, How much more should be our concern, we who do believe! May the TENDER CARE for the body of our deceased which is destined, as we know, for an eternal resurrection be, then, a manifestation of the faith and love within us."


I believe one would be hard pressed to rational the burning of the body and grinding of the bones as "TENDER CARE".

Cremation is one of the most violent forms of disposition imaginable and is a manifestation of the contempt for the body within those who promote it.

Taser win in court puts chill on doctors
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http://www.nationalpost.com/most_popular/story.html?id=499151
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“It is dangerously close to intimidation,” says group representing medical examiners
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Adrian Humphreys, National Post Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008
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Julie Oliver/Canwest News ServiceTaser won a court case in Ohio which forces medical examiners in that state to expunge any mention of the device as contributing to deaths of people in police custody.
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A lawsuit by the makers of Taser stun guns has prompted an Ohio court to order a chief medical examiner to delete any reference to the use of a stun gun as a contributing factor in the deaths of three men, a move rebuked as "dangerously close to intimidation" by the National Association
of Medical Examiners.
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The outcome of the U.S. civil trial comes as the device is under scrutiny in Canada at an inquiry in British Columbia following the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver's airport in October after he was stunned by a Taser.
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Taser, which has a reputation for vigorous legal defence of its popular law-enforcement products, filed a lawsuit against Dr. Lisa Kohler, chief medical examiner in Summit County, Ohio, after she named the use of a stun gun as a contributing factor in three deaths in her jurisdiction.
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The case went to trial last month and on Friday, Judge Ted Schneiderman ruled in Taser's favour.
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Judge Schneiderman was explicit: "There is simply no medical, scientific, or electrical evidence to support the conclusion that the Taser X26 had anything to do with the death of Dennis S. Hyde, Richard Holcomb, or Mark D. McCullaugh."
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"The multiple number of experts offered by [Taser International] in the area of sudden and unexpected death while law enforcement attempted to obtain custody, provided overwhelming credible medical and scientific evidence to support their positions."
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Judge Schneiderman then ordered Dr. Kohler to change her official autopsy reports and death certificates for each of the three men.
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John Manley, chief counsel of civil litigation in the Summit County Prosecutor's Office, said he is disappointed with the judgment. He is considering filing an appeal. He said defending against Taser was a daunting task.
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"They are very vigilant, as you would expect a corporation to be who is making a product that makes so much money for you.
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"They have a record of 68 and 0 -- they've never lost and are quite a force to be reckoned with," he said.
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Jeffrey Jentzen, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, an organization that represents the majority of medical examiners in the United States, said the court's ruling and Taser's legal propensity is sending an unwelcome message to medical examiners.
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"Our membership is very concerned about these cases and the reaction of Taser to these cases," he said last night.
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"Our membership is looking into the area and although Taser has developed its own opinion, there are certainly opposing opinions as to their involvement in causing sudden death in individuals.
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"Our organization feels that it violates the physician's ability to make a medical decision. Ordering a professional physician to change or alter their records is in violation of their right to practise medicine.
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"Taser has sued a number of medical examiners for making informed medical opinions in an attempt, I think, to both protect their product and send a threatening message to medical examiners.
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"It is dangerously close to intimidation," he said. "They are attempting to send a message to medical examiners that if they elect to make that determination they may face a civil suit."
Steve Tuttle, Taser's vice-president of communications, said he was surprised by Dr. Jentzen's comments, disagrees with them and defended the company's decision to seek redress appropriately through the courts.
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"I would disagree with that premise completely. At the end of the day, the judge's ruling is very, very crystal clear," Mr. Tuttle said.
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In a previous statement, Mr. Tuttle said: "Taser International remains adamant in our position of not settling suspect injury or death lawsuits.
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"Taser International's products have been demonstrated by numerous medical studies to be safe and effective. Taser International therefore aggressively defends our products in all litigation brought against the company with the best legal, scientific and medical expertise available."
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Taser has faced more than 100 product liability suits, according to the company's filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. stock market regulator. The company's report lists wrongful deaths, training-related injuries to officers and injuries during arrests as being among the claims alleged.
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There have been at least 10 training-injury lawsuits filed against Taser since 2003, according to the company. They include one by an RCMP officer who suffered a back injury after a voluntary Taser strike, he claims. Officers are encouraged to experience a Taser shot as part of their training, the lawsuit says.
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A majority of lawsuits against it have been dismissed and several have brought judgments in Taser's favour.

HERE IS THE BOGUS ORDO AT ITS FINEST - MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THE WHOLE THING. BY THE TIME YOU GET DONE YOU WILL WANT TO SMACK THE DANCING BABE RIGHT IN THE FACE!



http://youtube.com/watch?v=NSbiL3XduvY

New Antislavery Law in U.S. May Be Wrongheaded

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Richard Bernstein - International Herald-Tribune

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... More slaves are now imported (though the current word for this is trafficked) into the United States annually than were imported in an average year during the American colonial era. That is one of the talking points used lately by the author of an arresting new book on global slavery, "A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery," by E. Benjamin Skinner ... In the United States, the best estimates indicate that 40,000 to 50,000 people are held in slavery at any given time, with about 17,000 people brought into the country and forced to work for nothing every year.

Bogus Ordo leader of England's "Catholics" says that God is not a fact in the world!

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'Respect atheists', says cardinal
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7390941.stm

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Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor urges deeper understanding between believers and non-believers
The Archbishop of Westminster has urged Christians to treat atheists and agnostics with "deep esteem". (why should we hold someone who denies God with "deep esteem" - think about that statement and choice of words? Look up the definition of "esteem")
-

Believers may be partly responsible for the decline in faith by losing sense of the mystery and treating God as a "fact in the world", he said in a lecture. (yea - it wouldn't have anything to do with "clergy" like this clown)

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Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor called for more understanding and appreciation between believers and non-believers. (say what?)
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But the leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales said that Britain must not become "a God-free zone".

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The cardinal's lecture at Westminster Cathedral comes after a spate of public clashes over issues such as stem-cell research, gay adoption and faith schools.
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Mystery of God

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He expressed concern about the increasing unpopularity of the Christian voice in public life, saying: "Our life together in Britain cannot be a God-free zone and we must not allow Britain to become a world devoid of religious faith and its powerful contribution to the common good."
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Later, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme why he thought it was dangerous to be governed by reason alone. (right reason never contradicts God - note the subtle suggestion that belief in God is not reasonable)
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He said saying that "supposedly faithless societies" ruled only by reason were like those created by Hitler and Stalin, ripe for "terror and oppression".

Proper talk about God is always difficult, always tentative. (what nonsense - gee is talk of evolution always difficult and tentative? And evolution is tentantive by definition)

-

Last year, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor complained of a "new secularist intolerance of religion" and the state's "increasing acceptance" of anti-religious views. (maybe that is because "clergy" like this idiot want to hold anti-religious people with "deep esteem")
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To stem this tide, he said Christians must understand they have something in common with those who do not believe.

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God is not a "fact in the world" as though God could be treated as "one thing among other things to be empirically investigated" and affirmed or denied on the "basis of observation", said Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor. (Total apostasy - the First Vatican Council proclaimed that natural reason alone can establish the existence of God - Scripture teaches that all the world - all of creation stands in witness to God)
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"If Christians really believed in the mystery of God, we would realise that proper talk about God is always difficult, always tentative. (Always tentative - what? What more do "catholics" need to know to realize that this could not possibly be the Catholic Church)

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"I want to encourage people of faith to regard those without faith with deep esteem because the hidden God is active in their lives as well as in the lives of those who believe."
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There's absolutely no reason to take seriously someone who says, 'I believe it because I believe it'.

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'Imaginary friend'
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But Richard Dawkins, scientist, staunch atheist and author of books including The God Delusion, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the cardinal's comments carried no weight.

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Referring to God as an "imaginary friend", Mr Dawkins said: "When talking to a politician you would demand proof for what they say, but suddenly when talking to a clergyman you don't have to provide evidence.
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"There's absolutely no reason to take seriously someone who says, 'I believe it because I believe it.'

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"God either exists or he doesn't. It's a matter of the truth."
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Speaking later on Radio 4, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor answered those criticisms. He said: "I think there are a number of people in this country who would like to marginalise religion.

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"They would much prefer not to see religion as neutral, but to neutralise it.
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"And there are unbelievers who construct their own God in order to demolish him."

Of claims that faith has no basis in reason, he replied: "To believe in God is not unreasonable."

(This clown of a "scientist" who refers to God as an "imaginary friend" could have been eating the dust of anyone who has even an elementary understanding of the Catholic Faith - yet this "Cardinal" has no response - I would have loved to hear one of our priests or Bishops address this "scientist")

I'm back for a few days and then off to try and hunt turkey again for a few more days.

I missed one this year - as did my daughter. I think I had turkey fever. My daughter missed because it was soooo cold opening morning - it was 19 degrees! We had only light coats and after 2 1/2 hours of sitting waiting for the darn gobbler to come in - she was shivering so bad that she missed - i probably would have too - cause i was shivering pretty bad myself and i have lots more insulation (if you know what i mean) than she does.

We had a couple of Mensa Institute turkeys this year - the darn birds were gobbling to our calls and coming in - but before they got into range the buggers flew up into some trees and checked out the situation, looked at our decoys, and it was as if they said to themselves "darn - it's those plastic hen's again" and flew away. I have never seen a turkey fly up into a tree to scope things out before.

Oh well - we still had fun and the worst day hunting is better than the best day at work - ;)

APOSTASY ALERT: NO ADAM AND EVE FOR THE BOGUS ORDO CHURCH!!!!:

EVOLUTION-LOSSERVATORE

May-6-2008 (390 words) xxxi

God made pre-humans into people, Vatican newspaper says

By Carol Glatz

Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While apes evolved naturally into pre-human creatures, it was the will and desire of God that turned them into humans, an article in the Vatican newspaper said."The formation of human beings necessitated a particular contribution by God, though it remains that their emergence was brought about by natural causes" of evolution, it said.The article, published in the May 5-6 edition of L'Osservatore Romano, was written by Italian evolutionary biologist Fiorenzo Facchini.The article said that, "when the biological conditions necessary for supporting a being capable of reflective thought were attained, the will of God, the creator, freely desired it, and man came to be."The article posed the question: Does this mean that humans evolved from chimpanzees?"No, it might be better to say that at some point God willed a spark of intelligence to light up in the mind of a nonhuman hominid and thus came into existence the human as a being, as a subject capable of thought and the ability to decide freely," it said.So rather than picturing it as humans descending from the apes, it said, humans ascended or rose up from the animal kingdom to a higher level, thanks to the hand of God.

As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in 1968 when he was Father Joseph Ratzinger, God wanted to create a being that could know him and be able to turn to him, the article said.The emergence of the human is neither a casual or accidental event, nor is it something that was "strictly necessary," demanded by God or the evolutionary process, it said.

Evolution could have ended at the pre-human stage, it said, but thanks to "the free choice of God," humans emerged from their pre-human ancestors.This divine intervention "does not represent an unwarranted intrusion (of theology) in the field of science -- as is the case with intelligent design -- but is called for in order to explain the presence of man's spirit" which cannot come from or evolve out of the material world, the article said. The movement from being a creature of the animal and physical world to also the spiritual was a gift from God "even if it came at the end of a natural process of evolution," it said.

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802496.htm

We find ourselves on earth as in a tempestuous sea, a desert, and a vale of tears. But Mary is the Star of the Sea, the Solace of our desert, and the Light that guides us to heaven.
St. John Bosco (1815-1888AD)

Imagine that all the stars were tongues and all the grains of sand were words. They would still fall short of recounting all the glories bestowed by God on Mary's soul.
St. Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555AD)

...Something to consider before participating in the March of Dimes
According to the Wisconsin March of Dimes' website, the annual Wisconsin March of Dimes (MOD) will be taking place statewide every weekend until May 17. Although touted as a highly respectable organization focus on detecting and treating defects in pre-born babies, MOD actually has a lesser-known background in abortions of babies with birth defects and/or Down Syndrome. The Michael Fund, the alternative to MOD, offers some insight into the connection between MOD and eugenics. More...

When you check out the "Michael Fund" Website, make sure you check out the letter "P". It should be put under "H" for hypocrite!

The one and only Catholic and Apostolic Church can never be destroyed, though all the world should seek to make war against it. It is victorious over every impious revolt of the heretics who rise up against it.

St. Alexander of Alexandria (250-328AD) on the Church

(Painting is of St. Catherine of Alexandria and the Philosophers)

Sunday Sermon Audio Link

Sunday After the Ascension of Our Lord

Bishop Louis Vezelis OFM, DD

From Saint Anthony FriaryWaterloo, NY--

Posted By Brother Bonaventure, OFM to De Profundis Clamavi ad Te, Domine

This article was in the religion section of Saturday's Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel. It caught my eye because she is supposedly a "Franciscan". :

Franciscan to lead prayer string, meditative session
Franciscan Sister Stella DeVenuta will help participants experience a quieting meditative process and create personal prayer strings using beads from a blessing bowl at a retreat titled "Blessed Beads and Sacred String" at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Living Waters Contemplative Life Center at Tippecanoe Church, 125 W. Saveland Ave.
There is a suggested donation of $20 per person, plus $4 for 20 matching beads for people who don't bring their own. Call (414) 481-4680.
DeVenuta also will use a timeline and a mandala process to lead "Landscapes of the Soul: A Visual Life Diary Process" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on four Thursdays this month, beginning next week.

I thought that it sounded odd and kind of "New age" so I googled the "good sister": Turns out she has a few things in her closet:

http://www.dignityusa.org/pdf/conv07/DignityUSA_Convention07.pdf

Her article is under the heading "A 60 Minute Epiphany in July" which comes after a few titles such as "Finding Queer Saints " and my personal favorite "Queer Rites, Prophetic Sacraments" which talks about LGBT Catholics feeling torn between the official sacraments of the church and the evolving celebrations of queer communities. How can they "re-imagine "the “seven sacraments” when they see them performed in public by queer believers? What sacramental powers might they detect in LGBTcelebrations, such as in coming out and Pride parades? "

I'm not making this up!

Some years ago, there was a very kind, disabled woman that attended our parish. Every Sunday she got into her wheelchair, wheeled herself by hand to her elevator, went down from the 7th floor to the 1st floor where a van picked her up. She had to be carried up the steps into church! Oh - did I mention that she was blind, had diabetes, COPD and was on oxygen? She loved the Mass so much that she wouldn't miss it for the world! She is my youngest son's Godmother. Her dying wish was to see him make his First Holy Communion. For a while, we didn't think she was going to make it but she did! I wheeled her up to the front of church so she could be close to him while he received Our Lord for the first time! That very week she went to the hospital and never returned to her home. She died two months later (on the feast of St Anne).

Now why am I telling you this? Well, this wonderful lady had a sister that was a "nun" - a Franciscan nun at this very "convent" with this nutcase that I featured above. After my friend died, her sister invited me to the "convent" for "lunch". Well, I can tell you that these nuns did NOT follow any type of poverty!! The lunch was better than "Old Country Buffet"! I never saw so much food and drink. Not only that but these lunches happened daily and the same thing happened for breakfast and dinner! Most of these women were very overweight. Not one person in that entire place (except for me) said Grace before eating. In fact, this so-called sister looked EMBARRASSED when I made the sign of the cross and said grace OUT LOUD! It was the highlight of my trip (hee-hee).

This "convent" is filled with "Sister Stella" types and it broke my heart to see what happened to the good sisters that we grew up with! The fruits of Vatican II!

1 Know also this, that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times. 2 Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, 3 Without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness, 4 Traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasures more than of God: 5 Having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Now these avoid. (2 Timothy 3: 1-5)

A regular reader of our blog sent me this picture of their very beautiful home altar and requested that I post the following prayer. A novena was said to St. Jude and of course, he interceded!! Here is the prayer:

"God, thank you for all the grace and favors which you have given me through the prayers of your Apostle, Jude Thaddeus. St. Jude, I thank you for interceding on behalf of my family. I will always be grateful to you and encourage devotion to you."

What on earth is that?
A) A paperweight
B) A model of a hearing aid
C) An abstract sculpture of an Apatosaurus
D) An homage to the Mother of God
For the answer, click here

Padre Pio once told one of his spiritual children: "In all the free time you have, once you have finished your duties of state, you should kneel down and pray the Rosary. Pray the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament or before a crucifix."

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Her Doctrine and Morals
Sunday after the Ascension
4 May 2008

Dear Friend,
"These things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized." (St. John 16, 1)
Jesus spoke these words to His apostles on the eve of His passion. His purpose was to prepare them for what they were about to see and perhaps more what they themselves would have to endure. "They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God."

Those who speak the truth are hated by the world. And the world will even pursue them to death. The Apostles who after Pentecost were to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world were despised and persecuted. They were imprisoned and murdered (martyred) for Christ.
If Christ had not forewarned them of these events they surely must have been scandalized. For how could an all powerful and loving God allow His servants to be treated this way? Why would He not rise up and strike those who are His enemies and ours?

We see that nothing has really changed. The world still hates the truth and all those who would teach it to us. Perhaps the tactics have been modified but the intent is the same.

We may not have to fear being imprisoned and martyred because the world has developed more sophisticated means of destruction and silencing. Today those who preach the truth are laughed at, mocked, ridiculed and ignored. In this world of technological high speed communication we should be able to expect the word of God to travel quickly and effectively. But, the truth is buried in the mountains of lies. Few will even hear the truth and even fewer will believe because they are inundated with the lies of the world day in and day out. They are not even capable of recognizing the truth because their minds and hearts are filled with fabulous lies.

The pagan religions offer them an opportunity to make a god of themselves; the heretical "Christian" religions offer them the same thing under the guise of "Christianity". They teach them that God loves everyone "unconditionally" and that they can as the Lutherans say "sin on bravely." The world is encouraged to visit the "Church of their Choice" and that it does not matter which one you choose because they all worship the same god. And in fact all the false religions from the pagans to all the Protestant sects to the modernist Novus Ordo do believe and worship the same god — the god of this world, Satan.

The true Jesus Christ and all that He has to teach us is buried in the mountains of the false gods and their false doctrines.

For those who would teach that Jesus Christ is not the same God as the god of all the false "Christian" religions, they can expect to be laughed at, mocked, ridiculed, and finally ignored. The poor souls enveloped in worldliness cannot see the truth for all of the error. Every aspect or manifestation of the truth is overwhelmed with countless similar aspects or manifestations of lies. The truth is "accepted" along with all the lies (which in essence destroys the truth) or everything is counted as lies (myths). So much so that now even "Catholic" teachers refer to Scripture, doctrine and morals as Christian myths. "We have our myths and they have theirs; we have our lies they have theirs; it is all the same." Only everyone calls his own lies and myths "truths". So it becomes "we have our truths and they have theirs". Truth is no longer an objective reality but is instead now quite subjective. In this manner the true Christians (Catholics) are persecuted, imprisoned not by physical walls but by lies and falsities. The Catholic becomes isolated from the rest of the world and is unable to truly communicate the truths of Christ because the world is overwhelmed with lies and refuses to discern truth from error but chooses to become indifferent to it all. They will do all they can to make the preachers of the truth appear to be fools, imbeciles, or crazy so that the truth will be silenced or killed, and each one can live peacefully allowing all the others to live contentedly in their own delusions and lies.

Let us not be scandalized. Christ has said those who love Him (Those who insist on objective truth and reality.) would be hated by the world. And in this one thing all the world is united: the hatred of God and the truth. If we find ourselves in a spiritual prison, spiritually persecuted, spiritually martyred, let us rejoice as the Apostles did, to have been found worthy to suffer these things for Christ.