Embryonic Stem Cell Speech

My speech went over extremely well on the account of little notice before the event. I presented it several times yesterday to a wide audience, and it was generally well received. I will be continuing to present my speech over the course of the next few months, so please keep me in your prayers.

Thanks

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Wish me well

I'm going to be presenting a speech tomorrow on stem cell research and how adult stem cells are the true source of value. Please pray for me that I might do well.

God Bless

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Prop. 73 is back

November 2006 Update: Unfortunately, it again failed in the elections

Prop. 73, the abortion notification law that failed slimly in the California election last month, is back! It has been submitted to the Attorney General to appear on the Nov. 7th ballet next year. (Read the story)

Also, I found this through Catholic Fire, which is another great Catholic blog. I encourage readers here to check out that site.

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Prayers for the Unborn

The United States Supreme Court is considering a law in New Hampshire that requires parental notification prior to an abortion except to save the life of the mother. I strongly support the law and wish it was even parental permission with no except. Abortion is plain murder. There is no way around it. I support the law because it will help limit abortions.

Why must the unborn constantly be murdered in today's world? Abortion has killed 4,000 unborn children a day. In vitro fertilization has also killed 6 million embryos.

Please pray the Rosary or a prayer that this law might be kept in place. Parental notification laws have brought down abortions. Stand up for life!

Image Source: At Prayer by Edwin Longs den Long

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Have you ever been asked, "Why are you still Catholic?"

Well, if your answer is yes I encourage this article: Hope and Serenity among Thorns. Just click on the link and I hope you enjoy the article.

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Take the First Step

"Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you" (Matthew 7:8)

Nothing else needs to be said. Simply, one must take the first step to find Christ and He will leap to you. Seek out the Sacraments and the Church - it is in the heart of the Catholic Church, the Most Holy Eucharist, where Christ dwells. Seek Him and you shall find Him.

Image Source: Photo believed to be in the Public Domain

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On The Way to Bethlehem

In the book I'm reading to help journey through Advent, "On the Way to Bethlehem", today's short reading is centered on how to avoid becoming "soul-napped" on the way to Christmas. Christmas is the second greatest feast day, after Easter, where Our God actually came to Earth to save us. He took human form and lived for us. He lived only for us and died for us. Yet, there are still many people that don't have hope in Jesus.

As the reading illustrated, the journey ahead seems long, but in no time it will arrive. Don't stand back and give up. Remember there is a right answer out there on faith. There is a God - Jesus Christ. Read the scriptures, the look at the beauty of the Catholic faith. We are rooted in Christ's beliefs; and Christ is still with us. He said, "I am with you ever more" and today he is in the beauty of the Eucharist.

Pope John Paul ll said, "How can they believe if they have not heard?" It is our duty as followers of Christ to at least live and active, noticeable faith in Jesus. Jesus at the end of the Gospel of Matthew told us to go out and baptize all nations. We are called to love God. We should feel no shame in at least discussing our faith and helping another to see the light of Christ.

Tomorrow let us go out and perform our duties and nourish our soul before all. After receiving the shining brilliance of love in the Eucharist you can't doubt. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and living for our lives. He is with us, the question is will you live for Him. Will you give up your comforts and care for your soul? Will you work to bring the faith so that others might know of it? Will you love Him who loved you to the death?

As we journey closer to Advent let us remember to keep this first week's theme of hope rooted in our heart. May we only grow in love preparing for the celebration of the Savior of the world's birth.

Read up on my top 10 ways to live a God-centered life each day

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, Title Unknown

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St. Andrew the Apostle

Feast (1969 Calendar): November 30
Double of the II Class (1955 Calendar): November 30

Today is the Feast of St. Andrew. St. Andrew, the first apostle, was with our Lord throughout His life, as recorded in the Bible. St. Andrew's brother was Simon Peter, the first pope. After Our Lord's Ascension into Heaven, St. Andrew journeyed to Greece to spread the faith. He was martyred in Patras, Acaia (in the southern part of Greec) on November 30, 60 AD by Nero who bounded him, not nailed, to an X-shaped Cross. As St. Andrew suffered for 2 days, people still came to him to hear his words. He is the patron saint of Russia and Scotland.

For more on the lives of all the Apostles, pick up a copy of "The Twelve: Lives and Legends of the Apostles" on paperback or as part of the online course on the Apostles, which includes a Certificate of Completion.

Excerpt of The Church's Year of Grace by Pius Parsch:

Andrew, Peter's brother, and John were the first disciples to follow the Lord. With tender delicacy the Gospel (John 1:35-42) describes their first meeting with Jesus. Andrew did not belong to the inner circle of the apostles, Peter, James and John, and the evangelists narrate nothing extraordinary about him (John 6:8); but tradition (resting on apocrpyhal Acts) extols his great love of the Cross and of the Savior; and the Church distinguishes him both in the Mass (his name occurs in the Canon and in the Libera since the time of Pope St. Gregory I who had a special devotion to him) and in the Breviary.

The story of his martyrdom rests on the apocryphal Acts which lack historical foundation. The pagan judge exhorted him to sacrifice to the gods. Andrew replied: "I sacrifice daily to almighty God, the one and true God. Not the flesh of oxen and the blood of goats do I offer, but the unspotted Lamb upon the altar. All the faithful partake of His flesh, yet the Lamb remains unharmed and living." Angered by the reply, Aegeas commanded him to be thrown into prison. With little difficulty the people would have freed him, but Andrew personally calmed the mob and earnestly entreated them to desist, as he was hastening toward an ardently desired crown of martyrdom.

When Andrew was led to the place of martyrdom, on beholding the cross from a distance he cried out: "O good Cross, so long desired and now set up for my longing soul I confident and rejoicing come to you; exultingly receive me, a disciple of Him who hung on you." Forthwith he was nailed to the cross. For two days he hung there alive, unceasingly proclaiming the doctrine of Christ until he passed on to Him whose likeness in death he had so vehemently desired. --The legendary account of our saint's martyrdom has this value: it presents to us the mysticism of the Cross of later times.

The Miracle of the Manna of St. Andrew

According to tradition, St. Andrew was martyred in Patras, Greece. In 357 AD, his remains were transferred to the city of Constantinople, where they were placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles, which was newly constructed by the order of Emperor Constantine. During the Fourth Crusade in 1206, St. Andrew’s relics were brought from Constantinople to Amalfi, Italy, where they remain today. 

In the 14th century, it was discovered that the bones of St. Andrew excrete a substance known as the "manna of St. Andrew" four times a year: January 28, June 26, November 29 (his Feast Day is November 30 ), and December 7. Though the Church has not issued any formal pronouncement regarding this miracle, the faithful Catholics of Amalfi joyously celebrate its occurrence and thank God through the intercession of St. Andrew for continuing to work miracles among us.

Today is the Beginning of the St. Andrew's Christmas Novena:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Imprimatur
+ MICHAEL AUGUSTINE,
Archbishop of New York, New York, February 6, 1897

Prayer:

We humbly entreat Thy majesty, O Lord: that as the blessed Apostle Andrew was once a teacher and a ruler of Thy Church: so he may be a constant advocate for us before Thee. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Prayer of Reparation for Unbelievers

Dear Lord:

On the night before your passion you were taken from us, beaten and mocked and condemned to death. On the road to Calvary so many hated you; you almost died on the way. Your precious face was disfigured, your body beaten and riped open. O Lord, your precious hands which worked so many wonders, were pierced. On that day Lord, you liberated me. May your blessings be upon me this Advent and transform me on my pilgrimage to Christmas Day. May the grace and joy of Christmas enkindle an eternal flame in my heart for love of you and neighbor. And, permit me O Lord, to die in love of Thee for Thou hast died for love of me.

But, O Lord, so many hate you. So many call you false and a liar. So many pretend as if you ascended to Heaven and left us here - alone. So many pretend the Eucharist is not truly YOU. So many hate the good of your Church and deny your eternal word of scripture; so many utter lies against your faithful. Lord, so many hate you. They refuse to acknowledge you and say "one's deity" in politically correct language instead of acknowledging You, the only God to have worked wonders. But, You O Lord are the only truth. You are the only light on our journey. If I died today, would I be no more? No! For the miracles you worked are forever recorded in scripture, the miracle of the Eucharist is ever before us. May your light shine upon those that hate you, Lord. O Lord, your skin was ripped open for them. Your blood poured forth from your heart for them. It was by your Cross alone we are saved.

Lord, you need nothing as You alone are perfect. Please, permit me, if you will, to offer up the sacrifices in my life to you in reparation for those that hate you, my best friend, my love. O Lord, you let your apostles help you in the miracles of the loaves, permit me to offer my small sacrifices in union with Your perfect gift on the Cross. May my sufferings offered for you bring one soul to the truth of your Church. O Lord, grant that my work may produce much fruit and at the end, when I leave this world, you may say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Lord, I love you. Glory to your everlasting name!

Amen

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, Title Unknown

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Living a Life of Hope

In this time, as Pope Benedict XVI has said, "We are moving towards a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires" (Read entire Homily).

Advent is a time to put aside these thoughts. There is no hope without God. Our theme this week of Advent is Hope and there is no other Hope than that of God.

Some people do kind works and try and help others. I have talked before on the need to have works with faith and atheists have said that they also have works. But does this mean anything? James 2:26 states that "faith without works is dead". And of course works without faith also is dead. How could someone not believe. Since the beginning of the human race God has stood by His people and guarded them. Even when some wandered off and over time started other religions, they still had faith. Atheism is a lie of the heart and spirit and truly chokes off our love. Christ died for everyone on the Cross; He died for those that would hate Him too. My question is why don't some people care?

Our beautiful faith is based on hope. Our Faith is based on Matthew 16:18 as we are the first Christian Church. And for over 2,000 years we have kept to Christ's teachings. While we are all sinners, there have been great saints in our midst. And this is one problem I have with other churches. Not only do they destroy the teachings of the sacraments and forget Mary, who stood by Our Lord His entire life, but they forget about the saints. They people were filled with such love and hope. Let us, this week, nurture our souls and grow closer to God, the Only Hope.

"Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33, Douay-Rheims)

Let us all pray:

Father, in the wilderness of the Jordan you sent a messenger to prepare people's hearts for the coming of your Son. Help me to hear his words and repent of my sins, so that I may clearly see the way to walk, the truth to speak, and the life to live for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Image Source: Photo believed to be in the Public Domain

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