Sticky Post: "If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

: thev0ice; December 4th, 17:24

St. Sabas (439 - 531)

His early life may have prepared him for what was to come in the future. St Sabas was born in Cappadocia. His father, an army officer was assigned to Alexandria and left his son with an uncle. Here he felt alone, was mistreated and ran away. This happened again and he entered a monastery. He excelled in the monastery and was attracted to the life of a hermit. In 456 he entered another monastery in Jerusalem and was directed in the monastic life by St. Euthymius. After the death of his teacher, he spent 4 years alone in the desert. Others were also attracted to this way of life and St. Sabas helped to organize them into a community. Although he did not seek it, he was ordained in 491 to serve their needs. Still attracted to the solitary life, he would go back to the desert during Lent. During this time, there was a persecution of Orthodox monks and clergy and St. Sabas tried to aid them. He also fought against Origenism and monophysitism. At the age of 91, he traveled to Constantinople to plead with the Emperor Justinian to protect Jerusalem from the Samaritans. He died after his return. He is known as one of the founders of Eastern monasticism and he wrote guidance for the monasteries in Palestine. One of the oldest monasteries in the world, Mar Saba is named after him and many miracles are attributed to his prayers.

This week pray a Rosary in his honor, his feast day is Decemebr 5th.

Tags: catholic, st. sabas

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The Coming of the Kingdom of God

: thev0ice; November 25th, 19:08

by Mark Mallett
—Spiritual Food For Thought—
The Coming of the Kingdom of God

THERE has been a danger in the past to see the "thousand year" reign described by St. John in Revelation as a literal reign on earth—where Christ dwells physically in person in a world-wide political kingdom, or even that the saints take global power. On this matter, the Church has been unequivocal:

The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism. —Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC),n.676

We have seen forms of this "secular messianism" in the ideologies of Marxism and Communism, for example, where dictators have attempted to create a society where all are equal: equally wealthy, equally privileged, and sadly as it always turns out, equally enslaved to the government. (Once again, I wish to raise my voice in warning in the clearest possible terms: we are headed once again toward this "intrinsically perverse" political form—this time, globally.)

The subject of this writing is of a genuine coming "reign" or "era" of peace and justice, also understood by some as a "temporal kingdom" on earth. I want to explain even more clearly why this is not another modified form of the heresy Millenarianism so that the reader can feel free to embrace what I believe to be a vision of great hope anticipated by several pontiffs.

May there dawn for everyone the time of peace and freedom, the time of truth, of justice and of hope. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Radio message during the Ceremony of Veneration, Thanksgiving and Entrustment to the Virgin Mary Theotokos in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, IV, Vatican City, 1981, 1246

AMONG YOU

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus—speaking this time without parable—makes the nature of the Kingdom of God plain.

The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you… is close at hand. (Luke 17:20-21; Mark 1:15)

Clearly, the Kingdom of God is spiritual in nature. St. Paul expresses that it is not a matter of carnal banquets and feasting in this temporal world:

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17)

Neither is the Kingdom of God a political ideology:

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (1 Cor 4:20; cf. Jn 6:15)

It is "among you," Jesus said. It is to be found in the union of His believers—a union in faith, hope, and charity that is a foretaste of the eternal Kingdom.

The Church "is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery." —CCC, n. 763

A NEW PENTECOST

This union is made possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the coming of the Kingdom is the coming of the Holy Spirit who unites all believers into a communion with the Holy Trinity, even though it is not the coming of the "fullness" of the Kingdom. Hence, the coming Era of Peace is really the Second Pentecost prayed for and anticipated by several pontiffs.

…let us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost… May tongues of fire, combining burning love of God and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, descend on all present! —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Homily, New York City, April 19th, 2008

Be open to Christ, welcome the Spirit, so that a new Pentecost may take place in every community! A new humanity, a joyful one, will arise from your midst; you will experience again the saving power of the Lord. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, in Latin America, 1992

The Kingdom… would be the work of the Holy Spirit; it would belong to the poor according to the Spirit… —CCC, 709

THE SACRED HEART

This spiritual unity of Christians flows into and from its source: the Holy Eucharist. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the elements of bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Through the reception of the Holy Eucharist the Church is made one Body in Christ (1 Cor 10:17). Thus, one could say that the Kingdom of God is contained in, and flows from the Holy Eucharist, albeit not in its fullest expression of power, glory, and the eternal dimension. Jesus prophesies that this unity of believers is what will at last bend the world’s knees in understanding, worship, and acknowledgment that He is Lord:

…may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. (John 17:21)

Thus, the Era of Peace will be also be the universal reign of the Eucharist, that is, the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His Eucharistic Heart will be established as the throne of grace and mercy which will transform the world as the nations come to worship Him, receive His teaching through the Catholic Faith, and live it in their lands:

The warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. (Zech 9:10)

The Era of Peace will transform society to such a degree that this period of justice and peace will rightly be called a "temporal kingdom" since, for a time, all will live by the rule of the Gospel.

"And they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.” May God… shortly bring to fulfillment His prophecy for transforming this consoling vision of the future into a present reality… It is God’s task to bring about this happy hour and to make it known to all… When it does arrive, it will turn out to be a solemn hour, one big with consequences not only for the restoration of the Kingdom of Christ, but for the pacification of… the world. We pray most fervently, and ask others likewise to pray for this much-desired pacification of society. —POPE PIUS XI, Ubi Arcani dei Consilioi “On the Peace of Christ in his Kingdom”, December 23, 1922

TRIUMPH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART

At last, the prayer of Christ for unity, and the prayer He taught us to address to our Father will reach its fulfillment within the boundaries of time: "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." That is, with Satan bound in chains (Rev 20:2-3), and wickedness cleansed from the earth (Psalm 37:10; Amos 9:8-11; Rev 19:20-21), and the saints extending the priesthood of Christ to the ends of the earth (Rev 20:6; Matt 24:24), the fiat of the Woman-Mary will reach its climax in the fiat of the Woman-Church. This is the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: to bring to birth the People of God—both Jew and Gentile—under the banner of the Cross, to live the perfect will of the Father in a period of unparalleled sanctity.

Yes, we adore you, Lord, lifted up upon the Cross between heaven and earth, the sole Mediator of our salvation. Your Cross is the banner of our victory! We adore you, Son of the Most Holy Virgin who stands unbowed beside your Cross, courageously sharing in your redeeming sacrifice. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Way of the Cross at the Colosseum, Good Friday, 29 March 2002

Towards the end of the world… Almighty God and His Holy Mother are to raise up great saints who will surpass in holiness most other saints as much as the cedars of Lebanon tower above little shrubs. —St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary, Article 47

This birthing, this new era, will be brought forth out of the labor pains of the Church’s own Passion, her own "way of the Cross."

Today I would like to entrust the Lenten journey of the whole Church to the Blessed Virgin. I would particularly like to entrust the efforts of young people to her, so that they will always be ready to welcome the Cross of Christ. The sign of our salvation and the banner of final victory… —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Angelus, March 14th, 1999

This final victory which ushers in the Day of the Lord will also release a new song, The Magnificat of the Woman-Church, a wedding song that will herald the return of Jesus in glory, and the definitive coming of the eternal Kingdom of God.

At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. —CCC, n. 1060

If before that final end there is to be a period, more or less prolonged, of triumphant sanctity, such a result will be brought about not by the apparition of the person of Christ in Majesty but by the operation of those powers of sanctification which are now at work, the Holy Ghost and the Sacraments of the Church. —The Teaching of the Catholic Church: A Summary of Catholic Doctrine (London:Burns Oates & Washbourne), p. 1140

This is our great hope and our invocation, ‘Your Kingdom come!’—a Kingdom of peace, justice and serenity, which will re-establish the original harmony of creation. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, General Audience, November 6th, 2002, Zenit

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Mark Mallett's newest on the Pope & the End of the World

: thev0ice; November 21st, 14:24

Benedict, and the End of the World

WHEN the Lord inspired me to begin this writing apostolate, I had no idea that it would blossom into several hundred writings read regularly now by thousands throughout the world. With Christmas, the feast of Christ’s coming just around the corner, this seems like a good time to collect some of the central thoughts scattered throughout this website for the sake of new readers, or those still trying to grasp the larger picture presented here. (First published December 18th, 2008).

For the second time in his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has made a point of saying that Christ’s coming as Judge and the end of the world are not "near" as some suggest; that certain events must come first before He returns for the Final Judgment.

Paul himself, in his Letter to the Thessalonians, tells us that nobody can know the moment of the Lord’s coming and warns us against any alarm that Christ’s return might be at hand. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, December 14th, 2008, Vatican City

So this is where I will start…

END TIMES, NOT THE END OF THE WORLD

Since the Ascension, Christ’s coming in glory has been imminent, even though "it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority." This eschatological coming could be accomplished at any moment, even if both it and the final trial that will precede it are "delayed". —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 673

In a General audience on November 12th, 2008, the Holy Father explains what exactly is "delaying" this coming:

…before the Lord’s arrival there will be apostasy, and one well described as the "man of lawlessness", "the son of perdition" must be revealed, who tradition would come to call the Antichrist. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, St. Peter’s Square; his remarks are a reiteration of St. Paul’s warning in 2 Thessalonians 2 on the return of Christ.

The Early Church Fathers—voices who helped reveal and pass on apostolic Tradition, often with teaching which came directly from the Apostles or their direct successors—give us further light as to the sequence of events prior to Christ’s final return. Essentially, it is such:

This present era ends in a period of lawlessness and apostasy, culminating in the "lawless one"—Antichrist (2 Thess 2:1-4).
He is destroyed by the "coming" of Jesus (2 Thess 2:8) along with those who accepted the mark of the Beast (a judgment of the living; Rev 19:20-21); Satan is then chained for a "thousand years" (Rev 20:2) as God establishes a reign of peace (Isaiah 24:21-23) punctuated by the resurrection of the martyrs (Rev 20:4).
At the end of this period of peace, Satan is loosed from the abyss for a brief period, a final unleashing against the Bride of Christ through "Gog and Magog," the nations Satan deceives in a final uprising (Rev 20:7-10).
Fire falls from heaven to consume them (Rev 20:9); the devil is thrown into the lake of fire where the Antichrist—the Beast—had already been cast (Rev 20:10) ushering in the resurrection of the dead and the Final Judgment (Rev 20:11-15), and the consummation of the elements (1 Pt 3:10), making way for a "new heavens and a new earth" (Rev 21:1-4).

This sequence of events prior to Christ’s return as Judge is found in the writings of several early Church Fathers and ecclesiastical writers:

…when His Son will come and destroy the time of the lawless one and judge the godless, and change the sun and the moon and the stars—then He shall indeed rest on the seventh day… after giving rest to all things, I will make the beginning of the eighth day, that is, the beginning of another world. —Letter of Barnabas (70-79 A.D.), written by a second century Apostolic Father

Therefore, the Son of the most high and mighty God… shall have destroyed unrighteousness, and executed His great judgment, and shall have recalled to life the righteous, who… will be engaged among men a thousand years, and will rule them with most just command… Also the prince of devils, who is the contriver of all evils, shall be bound with chains, and shall be imprisoned during the thousand years of the heavenly rule… Before the end of the thousand years the devil shall be loosed afresh and shall assemble all the pagan nations to make war against the holy city… "Then the last anger of God shall come upon the nations, and shall utterly destroy them" and the world shall go down in a great conflagration. —4th century Ecclesiastical writer, Lactantius, "The Divine Institutes", The ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol 7, p. 211

St. Augustine provided four interpretations of the "thousand year" period. The one most commonly quoted today is that it refers to the period since the resurrection of Christ until now. However, that was just one interpretation, likely made popular in countering the heresy of millenarianism at the time. In light of what has been said by several Church Fathers, one of Augustine’s other interpretations is perhaps more suited:

Those who, on the strength of this passage [of Revelation 20:1-6], have suspected that the first resurrection is future and bodily, have been moved, among other things, specially by the number of a thousand years, as if it were a fit thing that the saints should thus enjoy a kind of Sabbath-rest during that period, a holy leisure after the labors of six thousand years since man was created… (and) there should follow on the completion of six thousand years, as of six days, a kind of seventh-day Sabbath in the succeeding thousand years; and that it is for this purpose the saints rise, viz.; to celebrate the Sabbath. And this opinion would not be objectionable, if it were believed that the joys of the saints in that Sabbath shall be spiritual, and consequent on the presence of God… —De Civitate Dei [The City of God], Catholic University of America Press, Bk XX, Ch. 7

This apostolic tradition is further illuminated by approved private revelation. The "seventh day", the "thousand years of heavenly rule" was prophesied by the Blessed Virgin in Fatima when she promised that her Immaculate Heart would triumph and the world would be granted a "period of peace." Thus, Jesus dictated to St. Faustina that the world is now living in an important time of grace:

Let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. —Diary of St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 848

One of the main streams of thought on this website is the teaching that the Body—the Church—will follow Christ its Head through its own Passion. In this regard, I wrote a series of reflections called The Seven Year Trial which incorporates the above thinking of the Church Fathers with the Catechism, the Book of Revelation, approved private revelation, and the inspirations which came to me through prayer, correlating it all according to the Passion of Our Lord.

WHAT TIME IS IT?
So where is this generation at in this sequence of cosmic events? Jesus instructed us to watch the signs of the times so that we would be better prepared for His coming. But not just His coming: preparation also for the arrival of false prophets, persecution, an Antichrist, and other tribulations. Yes, Jesus commanded us to watch and pray so that we would be able to remain faithful during the "final trial" that would come.
Based on what I’ve mentioned above, but particularly on the words of Pope John Paul II, Paul VI, Leo XIII, Pius X and other pontiffs who’ve all referred to our times in apocalyptic language, our generation is certainly a candidate for the possible arrival of the "lawless one." This conclusion I have detailed, of course, in a number of writings on this site.
What is my mission? In part, it is to better prepare you for these trials. However, my ultimate goal is to prepare you, not for the Antichrist, but for Jesus Christ! For the Lord is near, and He desires to enter your heart now. If you open wide your heart to Jesus, then you are already beginning to live in the Kingdom of God, and the sufferings of this present time will seem as nothing compared to the glory you will taste now, and which awaits you in eternity.
There are fearful things written in these "blogs". And should they awaken you and drive you to the feet of Christ, then that is a good thing. I would sooner see you in Heaven with trembling knees than know you went into everlasting flames because you were asleep in sin. But even better if you come to the Lord in trust and hope, recognizing His infinite love and mercy for you. Jesus is not someone "way out there", a cruel judge hastening to sentence you, but He is near… a Brother and Friend, standing as it were at the door of your heart. If you open it, He will begin to whisper His divine secrets to you, putting this world and all its trappings in their proper context, and bestowing upon you the World to come, in this life, and the next.

Every Christian discussion of the last things, called eschatology, always starts with the event of the Resurrection; in this event the last things have already begun and, in a certain sense, are already present. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, General Audience, November 12th, 2008, Vatican City
‘The Lord is near’. This is the reason for our joy. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, December 14th, 2008, Vatican City

*** From Mark Mallett's blog: http://www.markmallett.com/blog/?p=825#more-825

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Start Novena 11/14/09 IMPORTANT

: thev0ice; November 13th, 21:45

Beginning Saturday, November 14, join us in a novena asking for a thorough reform of the CCHD: that it may become a force of true Catholic Justice and Charity, as well as a source of unity in the Church rather than divisiveness. Click here for details...
The Novena will end on Sunday, November 22, 2009 - Feast of Christ the King, and the day most collections will be taken for the CCHD nationwide.

NOVENA IN HONOUR
OF JESUS AS TRUE KING

[Each day, for 9 days, say the following prayers...] Pray one Our Father... Pray one Hail Mary... Pray one Glory Be... O Lord our God, You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of All Nations. We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King, mercy, peace, justice and all good things. Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth. Guard us, we pray, Most Faithful One! Protect us from our enemies and from You Just Judgement. Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against You. Jesus, You are a King of Mercy. We have deserved Your Just Judgement. Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. We trust in Your Great Mercy. O Most Awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray; may Your reign, Your kingdom, be recognized on earth! Amen.

Tags: catholic, christ the king, jesus, november 14th, novena

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Death & All Souls Day

: thev0ice; November 2nd, 12:58

All Souls Day: Confront the Mystery of Death

November 2nd, 2009 by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

I’ll never forget that bleak January day when my father died. It was very hard to believe in the resurrection as I watched the undertakers carry his lifeless corpse away in a body bag.

But imagine this scene. You are an unborn child who has lived in cozy but cramped quarters with your twin for nine months. But now you both are experiencing tremendous pressure, and your twin is squeezed through a narrow opening leaving you alone in the darkness.

Now think of it from the point of view of little one who just was squeezed through the bottleneck of the womb. He has to learn to breathe the air of this new world. His eyes now must adjust to blinding light and his skin to much cooler temperatures.

But what if he was born premature? What if his body was not ready for this new, challenging environment? What if he emerged from the womb with a dangerous infection? Would he not have to stay in an incubator in the hospital for a while until he was infection-free and strong enough to endure the challenges of life on planet earth?

On the first two days of November, as daylight shrinks in the Northern Hemisphere and frost turns vegetation brown, the Church leads us to confront the mystery of death.

These days remind us that love is stronger than death, that Christ’s death for us means that our beloved deceased who believed in Christ are very much alive. They may be among those whose lungs breathe the exhilarating air of heaven and whose eyes gaze upon the glory of God. In this case, they help us through their prayers.

Yet they may also be among those whose lungs were not ready for breathing and whose eyes were not ready for the brilliance of the beatific vision, whose body carried an infection that needed to be eliminated. In which case, we must help them through our prayers. Our loving intercession can hasten the purification and preparation necessary for the full enjoyment of their inheritance.

The Catholic Church has always been very reserved in its teaching about the mystery of life after death, including the mystery of purgatory. Here’s what we know. Christ’s death and resurrection won eternal life for everyone. Yet the fruit of his redeeming work needs to be personally appropriated. Each person must say yes to Christ, and yield to the liberating power of his grace which progressively breaks the sin’s power and heals sin’s wounds. Everyone is obliged to actively participate in this process and to renounce all sin, great or small. God, through his church, provides all the means of grace necessary to facilitate this purification and healing.

Yet what about people who say a fundamental yes to Christ, but drag their feet, clinging to some “small” sins, nursing some attachments to the evil that they’ve supposedly renounced? Purgatory is the process after death where these attachments, the umbilical cord which binds people to the old world, are cut so that people can be free to enter into the life to come. It is the hospital where the infection of sin is eliminated. It is the incubator where heart, lungs, and vision are made ready for a much larger life.

Purgatory is not a temporary hell. The Church does not teach that there is physical fire there (how could fire hurt spirits, anyway?) or that people spend a certain number of years or months there (after death, how do we measure time?) or that everyone but the greatest saints must go there after death (all the means are provided for purification to happen here!).

We can’t know for sure where our beloved deceased are, unless they happen to be canonized saints. So when in doubt, we pray for them. If they happen to need our help, our act of kindness can have great impact on them. If not, this kind act still has great impact on us, exercising our love muscles so that we will be ready to enter directly into the wedding feast of the Lamb when our own time inevitably comes.

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Mark Mallett Hits the Nail right on the Head! Don't miss this!

: thev0ice; October 30th, 14:15

The House That Lasts

St. Therese de Liseux, by Michael D. O’Brien

AS our vehicle traversed the French countryside this week, the words of John Paul II rolled through my mind like the hills surrounding Liseux, the "home" of St. Thérèse to which we were headed:

Holy people alone can renew humanity. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Message to the Youth of the World, World Youth Day; n. 7; Cologne Germany, 2005

These words came on the heels of having visited some of the most fantastic cathedrals in all of Christendom, such as the one in Chartres, France. In that massive Gothic church, I was overwhelmed with the incredible faith and zeal that could have possibly created such a testament to the splendor of God—an outward expression of the inner life of France… an interior faith and love that has produced a litany of Saints. Yet, at the same time, I was struck with a terrible sorrow and wonderment: How, I asked over and over, could we in the Western nations go from creating such glorious structures, stained glass windows, and sacred art… to abandoning and closing our churches, destroying our statues and crucifixes, and extinguishing much of the mystery of God in our prayer and liturgy? The answer came silently as I could see with the eyes of my soul how this beauty, while at once inspiring saints, also corrupted men who bent the awe and power of our Catholic heritage to their own advantage. I understood at once that the Catholic Church, despite her holiness and providential role in the plan of salvation, has experienced in her long history the rise and fall of many Judases. They have welcomed her Joan of Arcs, and also burned them at the stake.

Today, once again, Mother Church is bent over in the Garden of her own Gethsemane. The torches have been lit, as the kiss of Judas is being carried in the wind toward the winding path of the Church’s own Passion. This time, it is not in just one or two regions or nations, but now globally. Hence, everywhere we turn in this European countryside, we see the footprints of a Mother, a Woman clothed with the sun who has been appearing to prepare her children for this time…

THE SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER

But back to my main thought. I felt the Lord explaining to me that His Gospel has never changed. That what He asks of us now He has asked throughout all the centuries, whether they were the crude beginnings of Christendom, the middle ages, or our modern times: that His people—popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, laymen—be as little children. When souls begin to lose this vision, the flock whom they lead—whether it’s their own children, or the spiritual children of an entire church—begin to scatter in confusion and darkness.

So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. (Ezekiel 34:5)

And so I speak for a moment in our times, especially to our theologians, for many have lost the meaning and purpose of their science. Theology has been used as a license to invent and recreate God in the image of modern man. Rather than superimpose the Gospel upon our times, many theologians have attempted to superimpose our times upon the Gospel. The fruit of this spiritual anarchy is everywhere, including here in France: the young have virtually disappeared from the pews, and hedonism abounds as truth has become relative… and sometimes the pure imagination of so-called theologians.

HOUSE OF VIRTUE

As I passed through the house where St. Therese grew up—the dining room where she ate, the steps where she experienced her "coming of age", and even her bedroom where she was physically healed through the Blessed Mother’s smile, an image of a house of holiness was being built in my mind. This house, I felt Our Lord saying, is the house I wish built upon Rock. This is the house I wish my Church to be. The foundation is what Jesus Himself said:

Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. (Luke 18:17)

This foundation is not some kind of kindergarten. It is not a beginner spirituality we graduate from into the more intellectual, philosophical, and theological schools. No, a spirit of abandonment is the very lifelong locus of the soul. It is the place where the will meets Divine grace, where fuel meets Fire, where transformation and growth occur. It is in fact in this very state of littleness that the soul begins to truly "see"; where divine wisdom is revealed, and supernatural lights are given that can guide entire nations and peoples.

After praying at the tomb of the Little Flower, a doctor of the Church, the thoughts continued.

Upon this foundation of humility and childlike trust, the walls are constructed. What are these walls? They are holiness of life. Now, few people would drive by a new home construction and be impressed with a wooden frame. It’s not until the inner and outer walls are painted and finished that the eye is drawn to its beauty (or lack thereof). The house God wishes to build indeed has solid frames, that is, the Sacred Tradition and teachings of our faith. It includes the crossbeams of canons and support frames of encyclicals, apostolic letters, and dogmas, all supernaturally bound together with the solid nails of the Sacraments. But today, many have turned the walls inside out! It’s as if many quarters of the Church are possessed by a spirit of intellectualism and a business-mind set, as if the priesthood were a 9-5 job, and our Faith merely a collection of religious tenets (which can be tinkered with). The Church is often seen as an institution whose beauty is missed because the color and appearance of holiness is hidden or nonexistent in many Catholic’s lives. Furthermore, many theologians have introduced strange and foreign building materials and attempted to cover the existing framework with odd shapes, warped architecture, and false fronts. The Church in many places today appears barely recognizable because "the truth which sets us free" has been disfigured.

What the Lord truly desires is that his theologians help His people better understand the truth and beauty infinitely bound in His indestructible "deposit of faith," that souls may find the power of the Gospel through new expressions which remain rooted in the true faith.

OBEDIENCE

As the sun set, and the lights of the basilica built in Thérèse’s honor disappeared behind sprawling towers and ancient silhouettes, I saw that the roof of this house of holiness is obedience: obedience to Christ’s Gospel, obedience to His holy Apostles and their successors, obedience to the duties and obligations of our state in life, and obedience to the divine inspirations that the Holy Spirit whispers to the listening soul. Without this roof, the virtues are exposed to the elements of worldliness and quickly fade and disintegrate, distorting and disfiguring the framework of truth (which, without obedience becomes subjective). Obedience is the roof that shields the soul in the trials and temptations which so frequently beat down upon the heart in the storms of life. Obedience is that force which rests upon the foundations, binding the spiritual life together, and pointing the peak of the heart toward Heaven. Obedience to the Magisterium is a criterium that seems to have escaped many theologians today, and as a result, the house is falling in.

THE HOUR OF THE LAY FAITHFUL

With the Second Vatican Council, John Paul II said that "the hour of the laity truly struck." We see this more evidently than ever as many of our shepherds and teachers, our theologians and pastors, have mistaken the framework for the walls, and in some cases, left out the roof altogether. As such, St. Thérèse becomes for our times a reference point for the end of our era. In her bedroom, there was a statue of St. Joan of Arc. She was a 17 year old girl who led the French armies against the oppression of the English. Yet she was without skill or military strategy. It was her simple obedience, childlike faith, and virtue which God worked through to accomplish His plan, and liberate a people in darkness. St. Thérèse also became a knight of God, not for any theological treatises or summas of philosophy she had written, but for a heart that, not unlike the Blessed Mother, gave a constant fiat to her Lord. It has become a beacon in itself, shining a way to Christ even in this dark hour.

As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. (Ezekiel 34:12)

Childlike abandonement. Holiness of life. Obedience. This is the only House that has ever stood throughout the centuries. All the rest will crumble, no matter how glorious and splendid, clever or intellectual they appear to be. It is the house the Lord is building now in the souls of those who, like St. Thérèse, are laying a foundation of childlike trust. For this "Little Way" is soon to become The Way of the Church as she enters her own Passion, only to be raised again—not as a world superpower or political ruler—but as a Cathedral of true holiness, healing, and hope.

Unless the LORD build the house, they labor in vain who build. (Psalm 127:1)

Tags: catholic, church, end times, jesus, mallett, mary, passion, persecution, prayer, st. therese

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: thev0ice; October 29th, 12:11

Catholic League: Major Newspapers Blast Catholicism, Anti-Catholicism Grows!

10/29/2009

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights (www.catholicleague.org/)

'These deranged comments—all voiced in America’s premier newspapers—demonstrate that anti-Catholicism is the most virulent expression of bigotry in the U.S.'

Is the growing anti-Catholic wave an emergence of a new 'Know Nothing' Movement? Pictured is one of a multitude of Anti-Catholic cartoons from the last wave of Anti-Catholic sentiment in America.

NEW YORK, NY (Catholic League) - Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:

"Last Friday on the Washington Post blog, “On Faith,” English atheist Richard Dawkins said the Catholic Church was “surely up there among the leaders” as “the greatest force for evil in the world.”

"He labeled the Eucharist a “cannibal feast,” adding that “possession of testicles is an essential qualification to perform the rite.” He also blamed the Church for sending missionaries “out to tell deliberate lies to AIDS-weakened Africans” regarding condoms.

"The Church’s outreach to Anglicans, he said, makes it “a common pimp,” noting that those who convert “will be joining an institution where buggering altar boys pervades the culture.”

"On Saturday, a Los Angeles Times editorial said that “church leaders, including popes, have changed their thinking over the years about everything from usury to the culpability of Jews for the Crucifixion….”

"It concluded, “You don’t have to be Catholic (or Anglican) to realize that society as a whole would be better off if the church’s views of women and gays underwent a similar evolution.”

"On Sunday, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd recalled that when she was in grade school, “Nuns were second-class citizens then and–40 years after feminism utterly changed America—they still are.”

"She called Pope Benedict XVI the “uber-conservative pope,” a.k.a. “God’s Rottweiler,” who was once “a conscripted member of the Hitler Youth.” She also accused the Church of enabling “rampant pedophilia.”

"On Monday, James Carroll in the Boston Globe called the outreach to Anglicans “a cruel assault,” “an insult to loyal Catholic liberals” and “a slap at women and homosexuals.” He characterized the outreach as a “preemptive exploitation of Anglican distress.”

"These deranged comments—all voiced in America’s premier newspapers—demonstrate that anti-Catholicism is the most virulent expression of bigotry in the U.S. It also shows why these newspapers, quite unlike the Catholic Church, are dying. As for the writers, they need to go to church.

"Either that or check into an asylum."

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The Reason for Immorality

: thev0ice; October 22nd, 14:21

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WHAT NEXT?????

: thev0ice; October 21st, 7:27

We know that we're living in a time that is unprecedented in history. Even those that don't believe at all can feel "SOMETHING" is in the air so to speak. There has always been promiscuity, homosexuality and a myriad of other maladies outside the ideal behavior of a society that held to common traditional values and morals, but today things are IN YOUR FACE, much worse. Not only have these things increased in number, but the hatred inherent in sin itself is manifested by the blatant demands to not only ACCEPT these sins, but to EMBRACE THEM. If those who hold traditional values do NOT do this, they are called 'domestic terrorists' or 'racists'.

So, here we are .... at the pinnacle of Isiah 5:20: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
The answer for this can be found in Isaiah 13:11: "And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible."

Let's examine where we are today:

We kill children and old people. You doubt this? What else is abortion and euthanisia?? A child is a PERSON at the moment of conception .. the womb should be the safest place in the universe for them - yet they are RIPPED out limb from limb worse than being thrown into a den of lions and eaten alive!! All this because their being born would be an INCONVENIENCE. The old folks have done their time ... paid their dues, what more do they have to contribute .. they're just a high cost factor on the economy now, so let's starve them to death or just give them pain pills when we could actually improve the quality of their lives and help them to live longer by an operation. Oh, and those disabled people .... well they don't know what's going on anyway, so let's just throw them out with the kids and elderly ... there ya have it, a nice neat little package, huh?? Sound HORRIFIC??? Well, it's JUST what we're DOING! WAKE UP!!
We have clergy from all denominations supporting sin and even participating in it. There are several Episcopal Bishops that are openly practicing their gay orientation.
It's no secret that the Catholic Church has had its share of debasement as far as the abused altar boys go. But everyone needs to read AA-1025 to see the REAL story behind that deal. I honestly believe that although there may have been some priests that were blatantely gay, the majority of the perpetrators in this deal were not even REAL priests (oh yes ordained and the whole 9 yards, but no real 'calling') ... they were sent to destroy the church from the inside out. You think this is preposterous??? THINK AGAIN!
Since the 60's we've been spitting in God's Face, taking Him out of schools, municiple buildings, public places and trying really hard to just make Him GO AWAY quietly. Kids don't say prayers anymore to start their school day, nor do they say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of THIS GREAT COUNTRY ... and IF they DO say it, they CANNOT say "ONE NATION UNDER GOD" ... that part must be left out! Is there ANY wonder WHY they're shooting each other in the classrooms and campuses today??? Do we REALLY have to GUESS???
Parents are too busy working jobs to give proper guidance, love and yes .. DISIPLINE today. Even if they DID, the kids can now take them to court for an old fashioned spanking and charge them with "ABUSE". Is it any wonder that the STATE wants to raise the children now??? They will TEACH them what they are to THINK ... what to BELIEVE ... tell them what they will BE WHEN THEY GROW UP and WHERE they will perform their duties more than likely.
We have today a president with questionable credentials that have not been disclosed that has done more to ruin this country in just 9 months than all the worst presidents have combined. For the life of me, I can't understand how anyone with half a brain can't see that there's a WHOLE 'NUTHER AGENDA here other than what's being presented; and the goal is CHANGE alright, but NOT a change that most true AMERICANS will be able to swallow as soon as they get their heads out of their behinds.
There are groups that do not want you to even say MERRY CHRISTMAS anymore! You must say HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! They are putting up signs saying not only GOD IS DEAD, but NOW, they want you to "DE-BAPTIZE" as if that COULD even be DONE! HAVE THEY LOST THEIR MINDS???? You can no more DEBAPTIZE yoruself than you can keep both feet up in mid air without the aid of appliances!!! THEY WANT TO TOTALLY BAN GOD ... but yet, when something bad happens, Who is the first one they call on for HELP??? Where did we turn on 9/11/01??? Who do we ask to protect our children serving in foreign lands?? Who do we beg when our loved ones are sick??

Do we think that God is there merely to be at our beck and call??? Do we treat Him like a genie in a lamp??
We don't even give God the time we allot to our HOBBIES!!!! WE ARE A DISGRACE!!!!!

Do folks think that if they mention that anything looks "FUNNY" or "SUSPICIOUS" that they will be labeled as terrorists or racists? Could that be why they're not calling things as they see em??? Or are they really just BLIND AND DEAF?? Is it POSSIBLE that the majority of this generation truly believes what they're being fed by the main stream media and are too caught up with their every day lives to NOTICE what's REALLY HAPPENING??? Or are they just afraid to take a closer look?? Do they think that if they ignore it long enough that it will just go away or fix itself?? Have they been SO LONG in thinking that the Master's Coming is delayed that they think it has been totally CANCELLED???

Our Country will soon be changed into something else that will be hard to recognized. Do the majority of folks even KNOW about the North American Alliance and what's REALLY in the Treaty to be signed THIS DECEMBER???? That there is a REAL possiblity that Obama will cede this USA to the UNITED NATIONS by the end of 2009?????????????????????????? DO THEY???

Our Lady told us at Fatima ... PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! - PENANCE! PENANCE! PENANCE! .... We MUST begin praying our rosaries again DAILY at LEAST! I believe we're too far gone to stop this now ... the blood of the innocents cries out from the land. I DO however, believe that fervent prayer and sacrifices CAN AND WILL mitigate the severity. I ask you to join me in this prayer: "Sweetest Jesus, for the sake of those that love You, by merit of Your Holy Passion, take not Your Protective Hand from us and please save the USA!"

Let me BEG you from the DEPTHS OF MY BEING ... THINK PEOPLE ... look what's REALLY HAPPENING ... READ THE BIBLE, PRAY! Ask the Holy Spirit to give you guidance and understanding. DRAW CLOSE TO GOD AND HE WILL HELP YOU TO KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE!
DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIE!!!
DO NOT FALL PRAY TO THE GREAT DECEPTION!!!!

As the 2nd Chapter of 2 Thessalonians clearly states ... those that reject the TRUTH will be given the ability to more FULLY BELIEVE THE LIE.

There is a deception going on folks .. the ones that try to point it out are NOT the enemy ... they're trying to protect you FROM THE ENEMY!

Which sign do YOU hold???

"NO GOD - NO GUILT - DE BAPTIZE NOW"

"Praise be the Glorious Triune God, now and forever, Amen."

Tags: abortion, bible, catholic, country, euthanisia, fatima, nau, obama, obamacare, prayers, treaty, usa

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The Nobel Prize for Good Intentions

: thev0ice; October 17th, 11:45

The Nobel Prize for Good Intentions

I am not the only one who sees a strange anomaly in the Oslo committee awarding Mr. Obama the Nobel Peace Prize last week. Considering that his actual nomination had to have taken place before February 1st when he was not even two weeks in office, he could not have possibly done anything to merit this award and he certainly hasn't done anything since! In fact, the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize is the shameless leader of the war against unborn children around the world; his alliance with Planned Parenthood testifies vocally to his pro-death agenda, not to mention his wiping out of the Mexico City Policy to fund the death peddlers around the world. His administration's debates about whether to send 40,000 more troops into Afghanistan seem mildly aggressive in comparison to the war against babies. It is just astounding to think that neither Mahatma Gandhi nor Pope John Paul II received this Prize in their lifetimes, a fact that speaks volumes about the Scandinavians' sense of what constitutes true peace-making.

Keep in mind that American policies can have huge consequences around the world. Already we are seeing evidence that the anti-life movement has been tremendously emboldened by the election of America's strongest abortion promoter ever and one who "released funds" to abortion-promoting organizations by wiping out the Mexico City Policy on his third day in office. In very real terms, this meant the unleashing of terrorism on the unborn with American dollars and influence. Our affiliate in Tanzania recently reported to us that a new sterilization campaign has blanketed his beloved country because the anti-lifers know that they will get away with it now that the US government has no veto power over these things. The UN and the European Union have already been putting pressure on pro-life Catholic countries like Poland and Malta to legalize abortion, and just last week Ireland voted Yes to the Lisbon Treaty which a year ago they had turned down cold. This EU treaty will cajole, slacken and manipulate another pro-life country into eventually legalizing the killing of its own babies. It's just a foot in the door to taking away Ireland's sovereignty on the issue of life and will undoubtedly have a huge long-term impact on the country.

There will be no peace in any society as long as a nation accepts and/or endorses the principle that babies are disposable commodities and can be murdered at will. HLI missionaries continuously tell the remaining pro-life nations that abortion is a war on children which no society can long survive. Its effects are entirely negative and will never get better. Furthermore, there are certain conscientious persons in every population that will fight with every fiber of their beings to see that abortion is never normalized or accepted as a good, and social conflict will be the inevitable outcome. Society will suffer because of the millions of women and men who will be both physically and emotionally injured by abortion and the millions of families that will be destroyed as a result. The worst effect of this war on children is the deadening of conscience that the unrepentant killing of innocents has on the national soul.

Clearly, those who want peace must work for it in a concerted effort to protect the most vulnerable citizens of a nation, not in the good intentions of war-mongering politicians. The Nobel Peace Prize should have been given to the thousands of men and women praying in front of the killing centers of our world and working in the crisis pregnancy centers consoling the desperate women who need peace and resources to choose life. These are the real heroes who actually do have something to show for their peace-making efforts. More peace has come to our world from the pro-life movement than the Nobel Committee could ever dream of.

Tell that to the leftists in Oslo. Tell that to Mr. Obama, war-monger-in chief against the children of this world.

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

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St. Pio on the devil

: thev0ice; October 17th, 10:20

Remember, that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will. There are secret or hidden doors. Temptations, discouragement, and unrest are the wares offered by the enemy. Remember this: if the devil makes noise, it is a sign that he is still outside and not yet within. That which must terrify us is his peace and concord within the human soul. -- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

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Didache

: thev0ice; October 9th, 12:10

The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations.

Chapter 1. The Two Ways; The First Commandment

There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, your neighbour as yourself; and all things whatsoever you would should not occur to you, do not also do to another. And of these sayings the teaching is this: Bless those who curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. For what reward is there, if you love those who love you? Do not also the Gentiles do the same? But love those who hate you, and you shall not have an enemy. Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts. If someone gives you a blow upon your right cheek, turn to him the other also, and you shall be perfect. If someone impresses you for one mile, go with him two. If someone takes away your cloak, give him also your coat. If someone takes from you what is yours, ask it not back, for indeed you are not able. Give to every one that asks you, and ask it not back; for the Father wills that to all should be given of our own blessings (free gifts). Happy is he that gives according to the commandment; for he is guiltless. Woe to him that receives; for if one having need receives, he is guiltless; but he that receives not having need, shall pay the penalty, why he received and for what, and, coming into straits (confinement), he shall be examined concerning the things which he has done, and he shall not escape thence until he pay back the last farthing. Matthew 5:26 But also now concerning this, it has been said, Let your alms sweat in your hands, until you know to whom you should give.

Chapter 2. The Second Commandment: Gross Sin Forbidden

And the second commandment of the Teaching; You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, Exodus 20:13-14 you shall not commit pederasty, you shall not commit fornication, you shall not steal, Exodus 20:15 you shall not practice magic, you shall not practice witchcraft, you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten. You shall not covet the things of your neighbour, Exodus 20:17 you shall not forswear yourself, Matthew 5:34 you shall not bear false witness, Exodus 20:16 you shall not speak evil, you shall bear no grudge. You shall not be double-minded nor double-tongued; for to be double-tongued is a snare of death. Your speech shall not be false, nor empty, but fulfilled by deed. You shall not be covetous, nor rapacious, nor a hypocrite, nor evil disposed, nor haughty. You shall not take evil counsel against your neighbour. You shall not hate any man; but some you shall reprove, and concerning some you shall pray, and some you shall love more than your own life.

Chapter 3. Other Sins Forbidden

My child, flee from every evil thing, and from every likeness of it. Be not prone to anger, for anger leads the way to murder; neither jealous, nor quarrelsome, nor of hot temper; for out of all these murders are engendered. My child, be not a lustful one; for lust leads the way to fornication; neither a filthy talker, nor of lofty eye; for out of all these adulteries are engendered. My child, be not an observer of omens, since it leads the way to idolatry; neither an enchanter, nor an astrologer, nor a purifier, nor be willing to took at these things; for out of all these idolatry is engendered. My child, be not a liar, since a lie leads the way to theft; neither money-loving, nor vainglorious, for out of all these thefts are engendered. My child, be not a murmurer, since it leads the way to blasphemy; neither self-willed nor evil-minded, for out of all these blasphemies are engendered. But be meek, since the meek shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 Be long-suffering and pitiful and guileless and gentle and good and always trembling at the words which you have heard. You shall not exalt yourself, Luke 18:14 nor give over-confidence to your soul. Your soul shall not be joined with lofty ones, but with just and lowly ones shall it have its intercourse. The workings that befall you receive as good, knowing that apart from God nothing comes to pass.

Chapter 4. Various Precepts

My child, him that speaks to you the word of God remember night and day; and you shall honour him as the Lord; for in the place whence lordly rule is uttered, there is the Lord. And you shall seek out day by day the faces of the saints, in order that you may rest upon their words. You shall not long for division, but shall bring those who contend to peace. You shall judge righteously, you shall not respect persons in reproving for transgressions. You shall not be undecided whether it shall be or no. Be not a stretcher forth of the hands to receive and a drawer of them back to give. If you have anything, through your hands you shall give ransom for your sins. You shall not hesitate to give, nor murmur when you give; for you shall know who is the good repayer of the hire. You shall not turn away from him that is in want, but you shall share all things with your brother, and shall not say that they are your own; for if you are partakers in that which is immortal, how much more in things which are mortal? You shall not remove your hand from your son or from your daughter, but from their youth shall teach them the fear of God. Ephesians 6:4 You shall not enjoin anything in your bitterness upon your bondman or maidservant, who hope in the same God, lest ever they shall fear not God who is over both; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1 for he comes not to call according to the outward appearance, but unto them whom the Spirit has prepared. And you bondmen shall be subject to your masters as to a type of God, in modesty and fear. Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22 You shall hate all hypocrisy and everything which is not pleasing to the Lord. Forsake in no way the commandments of the Lord; but you shall keep what you have received, neither adding thereto nor taking away therefrom . Deuteronomy 12:32 In the church you shall acknowledge your transgressions, and you shall not come near for your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life.

Chapter 5. The Way of Death

And the way of death is this: First of all it is evil and full of curse: murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, witchcrafts, rapines, false witnessings, hypocrisies, double-heartedness, deceit, haughtiness, depravity, self-will, greediness, filthy talking, jealousy, over-confidence, loftiness, boastfulness; persecutors of the good, hating truth, loving a lie, not knowing a reward for righteousness, not cleaving to good nor to righteous judgment, watching not for that which is good, but for that which is evil; from whom meekness and endurance are far, loving vanities, pursuing requital, not pitying a poor man, not labouring for the afflicted, not knowing Him that made them, murderers of children, destroyers of the handiwork of God, turning away from him that is in want, afflicting him that is distressed, advocates of the rich, lawless judges of the poor, utter sinners. Be delivered, children, from all these.

Chapter 6. Against False Teachers, and Food Offered to Idols

See that no one cause you to err from this way of the Teaching, since apart from God it teaches you. For if you are able to bear all the yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if you are not able, what you are able that do. And concerning food, bear what you are able; but against that which is sacrificed to idols be exceedingly on your guard; for it is the service of dead gods.

Chapter 7. Concerning Baptism

And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19 in living water. But if you have not living water, baptize into other water; and if you can not in cold, in warm. But if you have not either, pour out water thrice upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whatever others can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before.

Chapter 8. Concerning Fasting and Prayer (the Lord's Prayer)

But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites; Matthew 6:16 for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week; but fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday). Neither pray as the hypocrites; but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, thus pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us today our daily (needful) bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (or, evil); for Yours is the power and the glory for ever. Thrice in the day thus pray.

Chapter 9. The Thanksgiving (Eucharist)

Now concerning the Thanksgiving (Eucharist), thus give thanks. First, concerning the cup: We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory for ever. And concerning the broken bread: We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom; for Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever. But let no one eat or drink of your Thanksgiving (Eucharist), but they who have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, Give not that which is holy to the dogs. Matthew 7:6

Chapter 10. Prayer After Communion

But after you are filled, thus give thanks: We thank You, holy Father, for Your holy name which You caused to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory for ever. You, Master almighty, created all things for Your name's sake; You gave food and drink to men for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to You; but to us You freely gave spiritual food and drink and life eternal through Your Servant. Before all things we thank You that You are mighty; to You be the glory for ever. Remember, Lord, Your Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in Your love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for Your kingdom which You have prepared for it; for Yours is the power and the glory for ever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God (Son) of David! If any one is holy, let him come; if any one is not so, let him repent. Maran atha. Amen. But permit the prophets to make Thanksgiving as much as they desire.

Chapter 11. Concerning Teachers, Apostles, and Prophets

Whosoever, therefore, comes and teaches you all these things that have been said before, receive him. But if the teacher himself turn and teach another doctrine to the destruction of this, hear him not; but if he teach so as to increase righteousness and the knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord. But concerning the apostles and prophets, according to the decree of the Gospel, thus do. Let every apostle that comes to you be received as the Lord. But he shall not remain except one day; but if there be need, also the next; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet. And when the apostle goes away, let him take nothing but bread until he lodges; but if he ask money, he is a false prophet. And every prophet that speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven. But not every one that speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he hold the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known. And every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit eats not from it, except indeed he be a false prophet; and every prophet who teaches the truth, if he do not what he teaches, is a false prophet. And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged among you, for with God he has his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets. But whoever says in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, you shall not listen to him; but if he says to you to give for others' sake who are in need, let no onejudge him.

Chapter 12. Reception of Christians

But let every one that comes in the name of the Lord be received, and afterward you shall prove and know him; for you shall have understanding right and left. If he who comes is a wayfarer, assist him as far as you are able; but he shall not remain with you, except for two or three days, if need be. But if hewills to abide with you, being an artisan, let him work and eat; 2 Thessalonians 3:10 but if he has no trade, according to your understanding see to it that, as a Christian, he shall not live with you idle. But if he wills not to do, he is a Christ-monger. Watch that you keep aloof from such.

Chapter 13. Support of Prophets

But every true prophet that wills to abide among you is worthy of his support. So also a true teacher is himself worthy, as the workman, of his support. Matthew 10:10; cf. Luke 10:7 Every first-fruit, therefore, of the products of wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and of sheep, you shall take and give to the prophets, for they are your high priests. But if you have not a prophet, give it to the poor. If you make a batch of dough, take the first-fruit and give according to the commandment. So also when you open a jar of wine or of oil, take the first-fruit and give it to the prophets; and of money (silver) and clothing and every possession, take the first-fruit, as it may seem good to you, and give according to the commandment.

Chapter 14. Christian Assembly on the Lord's Day

But every Lord's day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.

Chapter 15. Bishops and Deacons; Christian Reproof

Therefore, appoint for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men meek, and not lovers of money, 1 Timothy 3:4 and truthful and proven; for they also render to you the service of prophets and teachers. Despise them not therefore, for they are your honoured ones, together with the prophets and teachers. And reprove one another, not in anger, but in peace, as you have it in the Gospel; Matthew 18:15-17 but to every one that acts amiss against another, let no one speak, nor let him hear anything from you until he repents. But your prayers and alms and all your deeds so do, as you have it in the Gospel of our Lord.

Chapter 16. Watchfulness; The Coming of the Lord

Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ready, for you know not the hour in which our Lord comes. Matthew 24:42 But often shall you come together, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if you be not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; Matthew 24:11-12 for when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, Matthew 24:10 and then shall appear the world-deceiver as the Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an outspreading in heaven; then the sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.

Tags: apostles, catholic, christian, church fathers, didache

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Bishops Speak Out on Health Bill

: thev0ice; October 9th, 3:25

Current health bill unacceptable, Catholic bishops say

WASHINGTON (CNN)

Cardinal Justin Rigali is one of three top Catholics who said the current health care bill is unacceptable.
"No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion," the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a letter Thursday to members of Congress.
The letter follows a recent Senate Finance Committee vote that defeated Republican amendments that Democrats said would broaden current restrictions of federal funding for abortion.
The amendments were introduced by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. They sought to explicitly state that the current ban on federal funding for abortions would apply to all aspects of health insurance in the bill and prohibit the government at any level from forcing hospitals, doctors and other health care providers to perform abortions.
Federal law allows government funding for abortions only in the cases of rape, incest or danger to a mother's health.
"We sincerely hope that the legislation will not fall short of our criteria," the letter says. "However, we remain apprehensive when amendments protecting freedom of conscience and ensuring no taxpayer money for abortion are defeated in committee votes."
The letter is signed by Bishop William F. Murphy, diocese of Rockville Centre, New York; Cardinal Justin Rigali, archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Bishop John Wester, diocese of Salt Lake City, Utah.
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The three also urge that health care reforms "make quality health care affordable and accessible to everyone," especially those who live around poverty level, and measures to safeguard the health of "legal immigrants and their family members."
"If acceptable language in these (three) areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously," the letter says.
The Senate Finance Committee will vote on the current Senate health care bill on Tuesday, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced on Thursday.
The vote represents a pivotal step forward in the contentious health care debate. The Finance Committee is the last of five congressional panels to consider health care legislation before debate begins in the full House and Senate.

-- Senior Catholic bishops are threatening to oppose the health care bill under consideration in Congress if lawmakers don't make significant reforms regarding federally funded abortions and other issues.

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Our Lady’s Battle

: thev0ice; October 7th, 23:16

Mark Mallett

—Spiritual Food For Thought—

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY

AFTER the fall of Adam and Eve, God declared to Satan, the serpent:

I will put enmities between you and the woman, and your seed and her seed: she shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for her heel. (Gen 3:15; Douay-Rheims)

Not only the woman-Mary, but her seed, the woman-Church, will engage in a battle with the foe. That is, Mary and the remnant which forms her heel.

MARY, THE NEW GIDEON

In the Old Testament, Gideon is called to lead a battle against the enemy. He has 32 000 troops, but God wants him to reduce the number. In the end, only 300 soldiers are chosen to fight the vast armies of the foe—an impossible scenario. The reason for this is to prevent the Israelites from claiming that it was their own power that would bring them victory.

So too, God has allowed the Church to be reduced to what seems a remnant. This remnant is small, not so much in number, but in stature. They are housewives, blue collar workers, humble diocesan priests, quiet religious… souls who have been prepared by Jesus Himself during this time of drought when the pulpits have fallen silent about sound teaching and laymen have forgotten their first love. Many of them have been formed by solid books, tapes, video series, EWTN, etc…. not to mention the interior formation through prayer. These are the souls in whom the light of Truth has been growing while it is being extinguished in the world (see The Smoldering Candle).

Gideon provided his soldiers with two things:

Horns and empty jars, and torches inside the jars. (Judges 7:17)

Mary’s army has also been given two things: the horn of salvation and the light of Truth—that is, the Word of God, burning in their souls, often hidden from the world.

In the beginning was the Word… and this life was the light of the human race. (John 1:1, 4)

Soon, she is going to call each of us gathered in The Bastion to rise, and grasp this "sword" in our hands. For the battle with the Dragon nears…

THE COMING REVELATION

Gideon divides the 300 men into three companies, saying,

Watch me and follow my lead. (7:17)

He then takes his troops down to the enemy’s camp "at the beginning of the middle watch." That is, about two hours to midnight.

Mary has formed three companies as well: clergy, religious, and laymen. As I wrote in Two More Days, the Day of the Lord begins in darkness, that is, at midnight. As the hour approaches, she is preparing us for the moment when the power of God will be manifest to the world, when Jesus comes as Light:

All three companies blew horns and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hands, and in their right the horns they were blowing, and cried out, "A sword for the LORD and Gideon!" They all remained standing in place around the camp, while the whole camp fell to running and shouting and fleeing. But the three hundred men kept blowing the horns, and throughout the camp the LORD set the sword of one against another. (7:20-22)

The Light of Christ is going to be made manifest to the world in an instant. The Word of God, sharper than any two-edged sword, will penetrate…

…even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow… able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. (Heb 4:12; Mk 4:21-22)

THE REMNANT RISES

In the midst of the ensuing confusion, as everyone sees themselves as God sees their souls, the remnant will be sent forth as the heel of Our Lady—as was Gideon’s army—to conquer souls with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

The Israelites were called to arms from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian. (7:23)

For when the Light scatters the darkness, it will be the mission of the remnant whom Jesus calls "the light of the world" to gather souls, so that the darkness will not find a place again in the vulnerable. It is during this short period of time (Rev 12:12), after the Dragon has been exorcised from the hearts of many, that the serpent will experience the most crushing blows of the Woman. For many who were lost will be found, and those who were blind will see.

It will be the hour when the Father welcomes home the prodigal son.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. (Isaiah 9:2; RSV)

FOOTNOTE

The dream of the Two Pillars of St. John Bosco, which I have mentioned in other writings, should sound very familiar! He saw that when the Holy Father firmly anchored the Church, the Barque of Peter, to the pillars of the Eucharist and Mary…

…a great convulsion takes place. All the ships that until then had fought against the Pope’s ship are scattered; they flee away, collide and break to pieces one against another. Some sink and try to sink others… —Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco, compiled and edited by Fr. J. Bacchiarello, S.D.B.

Pope John Paul II guided us to these two pillars through the Year of the Rosary (2002-03) and the Year of the Eucharist (2004-05). Pope Benedict has securely fastened us to them through his continued efforts to restore the Mass, and calling upon the intercession of Mary, Star of the Sea.

It is this Mother, the New Gideon, who now prepares to lead us into this Great Battle of our times.

Star of the Sea, shine upon us and guide us on our way! —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Spe Salvi, n. 50

…in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea. (Isaiah 9:1; RSV)

The above was first published February 1st, 2008.

Want to know more?

To read more about the Schwartz family, visit Joey’s Caring Bridge Web site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeyschwartz.

“He told us, ‘I can’t sit here and offer you guys hope,’” Paul recalled. “He said we should start thinking about quality of life issues, but also gave us some other options for chemo. Joey is a fighter and we realized that without a fight, there is no hope, so we decided to keep at it.”

It was not long after that day at the hospital when they first learned about Blessed Father Seelos from a family friend who had recently read about two cancer patients, one in the late-1960s and one in 2004, who had been cured of their disease after praying novenas to the priest.

Born in 1819, Francis Seelos, considered responsible for several episodes of healing during his priesthood, served in both Pittsburgh and New Orleans, where he died in 1867 from yellow fever. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

The Schwartz family was intrigued by the story, so Paul decided to order some material from the national shrine as well as a first-class relic from the Redemptorist priest — a medallion with a small bone fragment that Joey wears daily.

“After watching a DVD about Father Seelos, we all felt spiritually called to travel to New Orleans to visit the shrine,” Paul said.

‘Spiritually overwhelmed’

Soon after getting the go-ahead from Joey’s doctor, the family — which includes Joey’s twin brother, Derek — drove to New Orleans. Melinda had called ahead and spoken to Joyce Bourgeois, the Seelos Center administrator, a woman both Melinda and Paul say is “definitely doing the Lord’s work” with her devotion to prayer.

During Mass at the shrine, it was Bourgeois who laid her hands on Joey’s shoulders in prayer. Each member of the family felt “spiritually overwhelmed” by the experience, according to Paul. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I did feel different,” Joey added.

In late August, Joey was able to start his freshman year at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield and on Sept. 3, had his first CAT scan since July.

“Realistically, we were hoping the chemo was working and that nothing had gotten worse,” Paul said. “Dr. Rawwas looked at the scan when we were there and said it looked like there had been some shrinkage of the tumors, so we decided to stay the course. That was the best news we could have gotten.”

Until they received a cell phone call from the doctor later that day. Rawwas told them the radiologist had taken a detailed look at all of Joey’s scans. He was unable to find any detectable cancer in Joey’s lungs and said the larger tumor spotted in July was likely scar tissue.

“Melinda and I were in the car and I pulled over when he called. We immediately made the sign of the cross upon hearing this unbelievable news,” Paul said. Melinda quickly called Bourgeois at the Seelos Shrine, who was “ecstatic,” she said.

It was in the bleachers at Holy Angels, right after Derek’s football practice, where Joey’s parents told him about the call from his doctor. “I was thinking about 20 billion things all at the same time,” he said with a smile.

For now, Joey is continuing with his course of chemo. “Nothing is telling us to stop that, and we’re going to go by what our doctor is saying,” said Melinda.

At the same time, Paul and Melinda truly believe Joey is cured. “It’s time for us to start talking about it,” Melinda said.

Father Michael Tix, pastor at St. John the Baptist, believes Joey’s story is “a pretty amazing one that I believe can give great hope to others.”

Following Joey’s cancer recurrence in July, the parish held an anointing Mass where the outpouring of prayers and support was phenomenal, according to Father Tix.

“In the midst of sickness, we are called as people of faith to prayer,” he said. “While it is only human to have hopes of certain outcomes, the focus of our prayer is always to open ourselves to God’s will in the midst of whatever challenges life may bring.

“In Joey’s case, the answer to the prayers of many appears by every indication to be the best possible outcome in terms of physical healing. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, we are left only joyful and thankful.”

The Schwartzes don’t know when, but they plan a return visit to the Seelos Shrine. “I just want to go to say thank you in person,” Melinda said.

http://battlebeads.com/relic.html

Tags: cancer, catholic, faith, miracles, new orleans, prayer, seelos

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The World is Going to Change

: thev0ice; September 26th, 18:17

Mark Malletts latest blog posting ... look for his new book, out now too.

AS the final days of this Indian summer drift away in the autumn wind, and the last of my many duties to settle my family in our new location come to an end, my mind is beginning to shift gears to the realities that lay before us: that the world as we know it is going to change.

Indeed, as I prayed before the Blessed Sacrament last week, I heard the words clearly in my heart:

The world is going to change.

The sense is that there is an enormous event or turn of events coming, which will change our day to day lives as we know them. But what? As I have pondered this question, a few of my writings have come to mind…

THE UNFOLDING IN OUR TIMES

At the end of 2007, I heard in my heart the words that 2008 would be the Year of the Unfolding. Not that everything would unfold at once, but that there would be definitive beginnings. Indeed, last fall, we saw the beginnings of an economic collapse, so rapid, so deep, so broad, that it sparked an open demand from several world leaders for a "new world order." This demand has not diminished, but only increased as world leaders push for "global solutions" and even a "global currency." Pope Benedict has warned in his new encyclical that such globalization must be properly guided:

…without the guidance of charity in truth, this global force could cause unprecedented damage and create new divisions within the human family. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Caritas in Veritate, Ch. 2, v.33

Herein lies the concern: world leaders are not moving toward embracing the Gospel and a culture of life, but an anti-gospel and a culture of death. I have written about this in my new book The Final Confrontation, explaining how this battle was foreseen by the Holy Fathers and announced by John Paul II.

However, I don’t believe that all these world leaders are evil men with an evil plan. In fact, I believe there are few truly evil people in the world—but that there are many souls that are truly deceived. In this regard, another writing continually comes back to mind in which I had the impression in my heart that an angel was crying out over the earth the words:

Control! Control!

CONTROL

The spirit of the world, which is rightly called the spirit of antichrist, is so thick and pervasive, that many even in the Church do not see it. We have collectively been numbed not only to the reality of what is unfolding around us, but we "devout Christians" do not realize how far we have fallen. Jesus’ words come to mind:

I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. (Rev 2:4-5)

What is the love we had at first? It was a burning zeal for souls. This thirst for souls is what led our Savior to the Cross, it is what drove St. Paul across land and sea, St. Ignatius to the lions, St. Francis to the poor, St. Faustina to her knees. The heartbeat of the Christian should be the heartbeat of the Savior: a desire to save souls from the fires of hell. When we have lost this desire, we have lost our heartbeat, and Christians, the Church, will seem as nearly dead.

It is in this climate, in fact, that an angel from God now warns you and I: the Church has been handed over for her purification, and the instrument of this purification will be a world order that controls. How? Through a spirit of fear. For the opposite of love is fear. Love is free, it gives, it believes, it trusts. Fear chains the mind, it clutches freedom, it doubts, it refuses absolutes, and trusts no one. Thus, the environment, the economy, plague and war will become the catalysts of this purification, that is, the seals of Revelation. They are becoming the means by which mankind will be controlled, whether the crises are real or man-made.

A Canadian mystic, whom I have come to know and believe is genuinely hearing the Lord, is a woman who goes by the name "Pelianito". In a recent writing, she echoes words that I am beginning to hear consistently from many souls throughout the world:

My child, pray! For a silence and a sadness is coming to my people. My children have turned against me. I am betrayed once again into the hands of the enemy. Who will stay with me at the foot of the cross? Who will run and scatter? Little child, pray for grace, the grace to stay at the foot of the cross with our Mother. A day will come when all that is familiar will be changed or gone. I say this not to cause you anxiety, but to prepare your heart for the coming trial. Remember always that I am with you. Remember the prayer, and pray it often. Pray it with my Mother at the foot of the cross. Through her tears and anguish she never lost faith—’Jesus I trust in you.’ —see www.pelianito.stblogs.com

HOPE IN HIS MERCY

If we respond with fear to this message, it is because we are not yet fully trusting in God’s plan and presence in our lives. He is here! He is with us! With Him, Hope is ever present! But it is not a Hope divorced from reality. Pope Benedict reaffirmed recently what has been a central theme on this website: that the Church will follow Christ in His Passion.

The Church walks the same path and suffers the same destiny as Christ since she acts not on the basis of any human logic or relying on her own strength, but instead she follows the way of the cross, becoming, in filial obedience to the Father, a witness and a traveling companion for all humanity. —Message for 83rd World Mission Day; Sept 7th 2009, Zenit News Agency

In one sentence, the Holy Father places all things in context. The Church must take up the "destiny" of Christ, but in so doing, she will become "a witness and a traveling companion for all humanity." How beautiful are these words. For when these trials begin to happen, when the world as you and I know it vanishes like mist in a fire, know that the hour of the Church’s greatest witness will have arrived. And our cry, our song, our word must be this: HE IS MERCY. HE IS ALL MERCY. TRUST IN HE WHO IS MERCY. We will witness His mercy, and Mercy will become the generous companion of all who embrace Him.

The time of our preparation is going to end, and the world as we know it is going to change. But when it does, and when The Final Confrontation is over, the world will change for the better. For Christ has already won the battle.

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If we're NOT a Nation "Under GOD" then WHAT are we UNDER anyway?

: thev0ice; September 25th, 19:18

Capitol Hill gathering to inspire Muslim aggression?

Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 9/25/2009 4:00:00 AM

Islam and America A political activist and pro-family leader says he has great concerns about today's Capitol Hill gathering of Muslims from all across the United States.

The event is called Islam on Capitol Hill 2009, and is expected to draw 50,000 Muslims to the nation's capital. It is being promoted as a day of Islamic unity "to express and illustrate the wonderful diversity of Islam." The organizers also said they intend to inspire a new generation of Muslims to work for the greater good of all people, regardless of race, religion, or national origin.

Robert Knight is a senior fellow at the American Civil Rights Union and a senior writer for Coral Ridge Ministries. He says having 50,000 Muslims on Capitol Hill paints a very potent picture for Muslims around the world.

"It's adding up to a picture that the United States may not want to paint because there are a lot of Muslims who will be inspired, perhaps, to get more militant if they think the United States is falling into Muslim hands, basically," he points out.

Robert Knight According to Knight, many Muslims believe they have a sympathetic ear in President Barack Obama. "Obama held no National Day of Prayer events at the White House this year, but gave a very positive eloquent speech about Ramadan," he recalls. "And he also has said some very interesting things overseas about the emergence of Islam."

Organizers say it was President Obama's inauguration speech in January and his speech broadcast from Egypt in June that inspired them to hold Friday's event, scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

At least one pro-family organization has expressed deep concern about the individuals who have organized the gathering and who are scheduled to speak. In an Action Alert to its constituents, the American Family Association has described those individuals as "men who harbor both anti-Semitic and fundamentally anti-American views." And like Knight, AFA notes President Obama's refusal to participate in the National Day of Prayer in May -- in contrast to his hosting of a White House dinner celebrating what Obama called "the Holy Month of Ramadan."

Meanwhile, Christians alarmed at today's scheduled gathering of tens of thousands of Muslims outside the U.S. Capitol have prayed together in a national conference call. Shirley Dobson, who heads the National Day of Prayer Task Force, said she and other Christians "are so troubled at what we see going on in our nation -- we're watching the foundations crumble."

Associated Press says Christian leaders in last night's conference call were unconvinced the gathering will be a time for Muslims to pray together, read the Quran, and celebrate America's religious freedom -- as its organizers insist. Family Research Council president Tony Perkins wondered if the Muslims would be "praying for the well-being of our nation."

Perkins called the Muslim gathering "a wake-up call for the church" and a warning that if Christians do not "fill the void that's in this nation with the truth, it will be filled with something else."

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A Sad State of Affairs, Indeed!

: thev0ice; September 25th, 16:08

America's subtle change from religious to secular

http://www.christianpost.com/

Nonreligious Americans or "Nones" are no longer a fringe group, researchers state in a new report.

Nones presently make up 15 percent of the total adult U.S. population and the statistic is even higher among young people. Twenty-two percent of 18-29 year olds claim the nonreligious label, a jump from 11 percent in 1990, according to Trinity College's American Nones: Profile of the No Religion Population.

If the younger generation remains nonreligious, researchers point out that the percentage of the U.S. population made up of Nones will continue to rise.

"Will a day come when the Nones are on top? We can't predict for sure," lead researcher Barry Kosmin told USA Today.

Kosmin and Ariela Keysar released statistics earlier this year revealing the rise in the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion over the past two decades. The Nones increased from 8.1 percent of the adult population in 1990 to 15 percent in 2008, findings from their widely reported American Religious Identification Survey showed.

The researchers released a follow-up report on Tuesday to provide a more detailed look at who the Nones are and offer predictions on the growing nonreligious population.

Nones may best be described as skeptics. Twenty-seven percent of Nones believe in a personal God. Hard and soft agnostics make up 35 percent of the None population and atheists account for only 7 percent of Nones. Contrary to what many believe, Nones are not particularly superstitious or partial to New Age beliefs. They are, however, more accepting of human evolution than the general U.S. population.

"American Nones embrace philosophical and theological beliefs that reflect skepticism rather than overt antagonism toward religion," the researchers state.

Compared to the general population, Nones are disproportionately male, younger, and more likely to be Westerners and political independents. But researchers found that they are increasingly similar to the general U.S. population in terms of their marital status, educational attainment, racial/ethnic makeup and income.

When it comes to religious roots, researchers found that the majority of Nones came from religious homes (73 percent) and are first-generation Nones or "(de)converts" to non-religion (66 percent).

Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of Nones are former Catholics and 11 percent are former Christians. Almost a third (32 percent) who are currently Nones were Nones at the age of 12.

Researchers note that among those who reported being Nones at 12 years of age, 41 percent switched to join a religion after the age of 12 and 59 percent remained nonreligious. Among those who identified with a religion at 12 years of age, only 12 percent switched to become a None. The retention rate is higher for the religious but the report points out that Nones are growing at the expense of the religious.

"Mathematically, Nones can lose a larger percentage than the religious and still grow as a percentage of the population because they are starting as a smaller percentage of the population," the report states.

If current trends continue, Nones can make up around a quarter of the American population in two decades. But the report highlights that the annual growth rate has slowed at the beginning of the 21st Century. Whereas 1.3 million adults were joining the ranks of the nonreligious in the 1990s, the number of Americans being added to the None population has halved to 660,000 a year since 2001.

Still, researchers caution that because of the Nones' similar social characteristics to the rest of the population, "the transition from a largely religious population to a more secular population may be so subtle that it can occur under the radar as happened during the 1990s."

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Calming Decade Peace Wheels

: thev0ice; September 24th, 18:40

Want to stop smoking or break any bad habit? Here's your chance to do just that! Great for thinking and eliciting peace and calm too!
Unique & Unusual
4mm Hematite beads surround a 6mm oval of the same. Gem qualities: inspire peace, aid clarity, and balance. 4mm Autumn Jasper beads surrond a 6mm Pater of the same. Gem qualities: instills calm and inhibits negative thoughts.
Peace Wheel Decades
One Inch of Power at your fingertips. Here is your pocket decade that will be used over and over and over again! The middle Pater twirls on the wire and combined with the feel of the nearby Ave's produces a very calming and peaceful effect. Hard to put down!
$2.99 - $8.99

Please select your choice

Pray your decades or use them for thinking or better yet, breaking bad habits like smoking! Physical addiction leaves you in just 3 days, this will help with the psychological addiction and having something to do with your hands! The qualitites of the gem stones can aid you in your quest! Please specify your choice of ANY gem stones or colors when ordering!

Many more wonderful items at http://battlebeads.com?endsigns

Tags: calm, catholic, decades, gem stones, kick the habit, negative thoughts, peace, pocket decade, prayer, quitting smoking, smoking, stop smoking

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thev0ice

A Voice Crying in the Wickedness.

Signs of the Times