Please Pray for Speeches Tomorrow

I'm asking for prayers for two things:

First, for the family of the miners that they might be comforted by God. It was so horrible for them hearing that their loved ones were okay to have the joy snatched out of her hands. Please pray for them.

Second, I'm giving my speeches again tomorrow. One is a speech on stem cells and I'm hoping to do well. Please pray for me.

God Bless

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Feast of the Epiphany

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the day the three wisemen came to the Child Christ in Bethlehem. For it was the wisemen - Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior- that fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy's in Isaiah 60:1-6. Remember, Christmas season is not yet over! In many countries, today is the day gifts are exchanged in families as it was today that the three wisemen brought the gifts to the Child Christ.

But above all, as the Crossroad Initiatives states, it is Jesus that is the important one today. For today was the foreshadowing of the acceptance in Christ for all people. Remember that it was Jesus' own people that would not recognize him as God, rather it was the sinners who knew Him! Today we recall everyone single person in this world is called to Christ. For He died for everyone not just those who knew Him then. " The Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Jesus Christ through the gospel." (Ephesians 3, 5-6) Jesus is who matters!

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. 

When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way (Matthew 2:1-12) 

In this the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: 

"Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: 

Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD" (Isaiah 60:1-6)

Let the star guide you as well! May all of our lives by guided by Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, who dispels all darkness. And let us be as the wisemen were from the East, and offer our abilities to Christ Our Lord.

For Our God, the King of all Creation, humbled Himself and became totally human. He became vulnerable for us! He lay in that manager in the cold of night in rags for us! For this is the love of Christ, that he willingly gave up His life for you!

What would you do if a man where to take your place for death? If that man was tortured, beaten, mocked, and murdered for you, how would you fell? Would you grieve? Would you remember Him? For that was Christ, yet He is Risen! Let us not just believe but follow. For faith and works are essential! "For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so is faith without deeds" (James 2:26).

More information on the Epiphany at Fish Eaters Website

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John 16:33

"In the world you shall have distress: but have confidence, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Luigi Cascioli files Lawsuit Against the Church for Teaching About Our Lord

A man has filed a lawsuit in Italy against the Catholic Church saying that it is continually spread lies by teaching that Jesus Christ existed!

This clearly misguided plaintiff, Luigi Cascioli, said, "I started this lawsuit because I wanted to deal the final blow against the Church, the bearer of obscurantism and regression."

Oh, Lord, how horrible this man is. May he be brought to the truth if it be in your will. Let us pray that his case will fail miserably. And let us be thankful we have Christ in the Church, the sacraments, the liturgy of the Word, and in our hearts. For we fell Him within us; let us praise Him and pray in reparation for those that do not believe:

O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those that most need your divine mercy. Amen

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St. John Neumann

Taken on July 26, 2013. Copyright "A Catholic Life" Blog

Memorial (1969 Calendar): January 5

January 5th is the feastday of St. John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860), a bishop from the United States who did much missionary work and preaching. He is not found on the traditional Catholic calendar as we as only canonized in 1977. But his life is still one of great merits. He took the Great Commission seriously and went out to preach the Gospel.

Born on March 28, 1811, at Prachititz, Bohemia (Czech Republic), St. John Neumann lived as a quiet boy along with his four sisters and a brother. He was named after Saint John Nepomucene. Called to the religious life, St. John Neumann studied as a seminarian at Budweis, Bohemia, and he studied Theology at Charles Ferdinand University at Prague in 1833. Coincidentally, the date of St. John Neumann's ordination was pushed aside as the Bishop became ill. Since Bohemia had an abundance of priests, the ordination was not rescheduled. St. John Neumann walked most of the way through France and boarded a ship to America where he hoped to be ordained.

In 1836, there were 36 priests for the 200,000 Catholics in New York and New Jersey. Consequently, when St. John Neumann arrived that year, he was wholeheartedly welcomed by Bishop John Dubois. Ordained finally on June 28, 1936, St. John Neumann chose to work in an area with a small, unfinished church. When it was completed, he moved to a town with a small log cabin. He ate and drank very little, practiced penance, and continued to minister to the various ethnicities. St. John Neumann spoke 12 languages.

In 1840, St. John Neumann joined the Redemptorists at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and took his vows at Baltimore, Maryland in 1841. He was the first Redemptorist to do so in the United States. In 1852, he became Bishop of Philadelphia. Over the course of his life, St. John Neumann Built fifty churches and began building a cathedral along with opening nearly 100 schools. He wrote newspaper articles, two catechisms, and many works in German. St. John Neumann died on January 5, 1860, of a stroke at 13th and Vine Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,. He was canonized by Paul VI in 1977.

He is the first American man and the first American bishop to be canonized.  His body is today at the National Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia.

Listen to a 5-minute sermon on St. John Neumann.

Prayer:

O Saint John Neumann, your ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our Baptism which makes us all children of the one Heavenly Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the first-born of the family of God.

Obtain for us that complete dedication in the service of the needy, the weak, the afflicted and the abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly in the difficult and, at times, painful paths of duty, strengthened by the Body and Blood of our Redeemer and under the watchful protection of Mary our Mother.

May death still find us on the sure road to our Father's House with the light of living Faith in our hearts. Amen.

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The Final Day of the Novena for the Protection of the Unborn

Today is my last day of the Novena for the Protection of the Unborn. Is anyone else finishing the novena today?

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Pope's January Intentions

Please offer up a few prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be) for these intentions for Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI:

Intention for the Apostleship of Prayer for the month of January, 2006 is: "That the effort to bring about the full communion of Christians may foster reconciliation and peace among all the peoples of the earth".

His missionary intention is: "That Christians may know how to welcome migrants with respect and charity, recognizing in each person the image of God".

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Prayer to Venerate Any Saint

A reader asked me to post this again, so here is a prayer to venerate any saint. With so many of my readers getting special Saints for the Year, I wanted to post a prayer that anyone of you can say.

ETERNAL Father, I wish to honor St. (Name), and I give You thanks for all the graces You have bestowed upon him (her). I ask You to please increase grace in my soul through the merits of this saint, and I commit the end of my life to him (her) by this special prayer, so that by virtue of Your goodness and promise, St. (Name) might be my advocate and provide whatever is needed at that hour. Amen.

PROMISE: "When you wish to honor any particular saint and give Me thanks for all the graces I have bestowed on that saint, I increase grace in your soul through the merits of that saint. When you commit the end of your life to any of the saints by special prayers, I appoint those saints to be your advocates and to provide whatever you need at that hour."-Our Lord to St. Gertrude

From the book: Prayers and Heavenly Promises, Compiled from Approved Sources, by Joan Carroll Cruz.

NOTE: Catholics Don't "worship" saints; we simply honor them for their great lives for Our One Lord, Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus allowed the Disciples to assist at the Miracle of the Loaves, so Our Lord allows the saints to help us.

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8th Day of the Novena for the Protection of the Unborn

Just a friendly reminder from your neighborhood blog to keep praying!

Today is my 8th day of the Novena for the Protection of the Unborn.

Please pray along with me if you have not as this novena can be started any time of the year. And, thank you to everything that is still praying in unity with me.

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Welcome, Anchoress Readers

Welcome, Anchoress readers!

One of the most popular Catholic blogs, the Anchoress, linked to my site about the Saint for the year project, so I wanted to let everyone know that it is still ongoing if you would like a saint please just ask. I am now close to reaching 200 requests! Thank you!

So, if you are looking for a saint, just comment below to request one or see these posts:

1. Original Message
2. Requests List

This has been a tremendous success! Thank you all. Would anyone be interested in doing this same thing again next year?

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