Monday, March 6, 2006
St. Benedict on Lent

"Let us devote ourselves to tearful prayers, to reading and compunction of heart, and to abstinence. During these days, therefore, let us add something to the usual amount of our service, special prayers, abstinence from food and drink, that each one offer to God 'with the joy of the Holy Ghost' (1 Thes 1:6), of his own accord, something above his prescribed measure; namely, let him withdraw from his body somewhat of food, drink, sleep, speech, merriment, and with the gladness of spiritual desire await holy Easter."

Image Source: Image believed to be in the Public Domain.
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Success in South Dakota!

Governor Rounds of South Dakota signed the ban on virtually all abortions today. This bill would ban all abortions expect in rare cases to save the life of the mother. This is monumental! Although Planned Parenthood will file suit and this will be tied up in the courts, this is the first win since 1973 for the unborn. The day is coming when all of God's children will be equal. Let us pray that day will not be long away.


"In the history of the world, the true test of a civili[z]ation is how well people treat the most vulnerable and most helpless in their society," Rounds said. "The sponsors and supporters of this bill believe that abortion is wrong because unborn children are the most vulnerable and most helpless persons in our society. I agree with them."
The law, would put abortion practitioners in prison for 5 to 10 years along with fining them $5,000 for performing an illegal abortion. Although it is slated to take effect July 1, 2006, Planned Parenthood is planning to object.

According to Rasmussen Reports, 45% of South Dakotans support the measure while 45% do not. Fox News concluded Americans in general disapprove of it by a 59-35 percent margin. This however is most likely because the law does not include exception for rape and incest, which 70% of Americans support.

Read more on this victory and read the text of this new law.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2271. "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. [Didache 2, 2: SCh 248, 148; cf. Ep. Barnabae 19, 5: PG 2, 777; Ad Diognetum 5, 6: PG 2, 1173; Tertullian, Apol. 9: PL 1, 319-320.] God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes. [GS 51 # 3.]"

2272. "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. 'A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,' [CIC, can. 1398.] 'by the very commission of the offense,' [CIC, can. 1314.] and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. [Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324.] The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society."

2274. "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being. Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, 'if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual.... It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.' [CDF, Donum vitae I, 2.]"

2322. "From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a 'criminal' practice (GS 27 # 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life."

Image Source: AP
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Walmart Bows to Pressure, Fills Morning After Pill

The company has announced that as of March 20, 2006, its 3,700 pharmacies will begin filling prescriptions for the morning after pill. This form of artificial contraception is opposed to the Catholic faith, and we as Catholics can not support its use.

I ask you to join me in writing to Walmart and voicing your opposition. Lent is a great time of year to stand up for our faith. Just write a short comment voicing your opposition to their decision.

Write to Walmart
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Sunday, March 5, 2006
Prayer Intentions This Evening

Today we have celebrated the Holy Mass and received the Sacred Body and Blood of Our Savior, let us remember this joy as we sleep. Remember, we received the Bread of Angels - let us end the day in prayer.

O my God, at the end of this day I thank you most heartily for all the graces I have received from you. I am sorry that I have not made a better use of them. I am sorry for all the sins I have committed against you. Forgive me, O my God, and graciously protect me this night. Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear heavenly mother, take me under your protection. St. Joseph, my dear guardian angel, and all you saints of God, pray for me. Sweet Jesus, have pity on all poor sinners, and save them from hell. Have mercy on the suffering souls in purgatory.

Tonight's Intentions:

Since this is Lent I am trying to follow the Lenten calendar outlined by Operation Rice Bowl. I will be posting their prayer intentions onward now.

Tonight I pray for those in third world countries that went to bed hungry, and for the small business owners of their countries. May they be safeguarded and find work and food but also saved by Christ.
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Beautiful Churches


I've been wanting to post about this for awhile, but I haven't had a chance until today. We, as Catholics, have thousands of beautiful churches, cathedrals, and basilicas around the world. I want to share pictures of some of these.

Please comment below and leave links to information and pictures on some of your favorite Catholic Churches. Here's some of mine:

  1. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which houses St. Louise and St. Catherines' bodies.
  2. The Basilica of St John Lateran
  3. Holy Name Cathedral
  4. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
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Cardinal George's Lenten Message

His Emminence, Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I of Chicago issued a very sentimental Lenten message for 2006.

Lent has begun. Last Wednesday we took the blessed ashes upon our foreheads and accepted the invitation of the Church to go into the desert with the Lord.

The desert is the place where Jesus prays and fasts to prepare for his public ministry. It was not the fasting sometimes fashionable today—dieting to have better health or a more attractive figure or to train for a sporting event.

Like Moses in the desert, the pious Jew of Jesus’ day would fast from earthly nourishment in order to become hungry for divine food, to become hungry for God. In the desert for 40 days, Jesus fasted to become empty in order to receive and carry out the will of his Father.

We, the followers of Jesus, need to fast to become free for God. The Church no longer has precise rules for substantial Lenten fasting, except for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and the result might be that we too easily drift through Lent and find at Easter that we have not made any serious effort. This is greatly to our spiritual loss and that of the Church.

Continue reading

Image Source: Cardinal George Fan Club
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St. Catherine of Genoa


The feastday of St. Catherine of Genoa who lived from 1447-1510 is kept on March 22nd in some places. It is not on the Universal Calendar. And since it is during the Holy Season of Lent, it is often not commemorated. However, even despite the Lenten penance, we can find great inspiration in St. Catherine of Genoa for how to better conform our lives to Christ this Lenten season.

St. Catherine was born in the nobility as the youngest of five children in an era when only luxury and art mattered in Europe. However, at the age of 13, St. Catherine sought to become a nun. She was however denied because of her age. So, at the age of 16, immediately following her father's death, St. Catherine married a man named Julian. Julian was a cruel man that didn't provide for Catherine; his unfaithfulness nearly led them to bankruptcy.

It was not until Confession one day that St. Catherine realized how much Jesus loved her even though she sinned. This realization helped St. Catherine to immediately reform her life and in doing so Julian also left his self-centered life behind. St. Catherine shows us the necessity of Confession. St. Catherine even received the Stigmata.

St. Catherine and Julian worked together from that day to help the poor and suffering. They continued this until Julian's death in 1497. In 1493, St. Catherine of Genoa caught the plague yet she miraculously survived.

She was a mystic, visionary, and a writer. She died on September 15, 1510. She was canonized in 1737.
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Saturday, March 4, 2006
St. Casimir of Poland


Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): March 4
Semidouble (1955 Calendar): March 4

Today the Church remembers St. Casimir of Poland (1458-1483). He was born in 1458 third in the line to the throne of Poland. Yet, even his adolescence was filled with acts of penance including sleeping on the ground, spending a great part of the night in prayer, dedicating himself to lifelong celibacy. He lived for a penitential life for Christ. St. Casimir also had a devotion to Mary and a love for helping the poor.

At the age of fifteen, St. Casimir was made king of Hungaria, but he refused to exercise his intense power. His army was outnumbered and deserted because they were unpaid, so St. Casimir returned home. He once again took up intense prayer. He reigned as king briefly during his father's absence and remained celibate his entire life even when asked to marry the emperor's daughter.

St. Casimir died March 4, 1484 at the age of 26 in Grondo, Lithuania of tuberculosis.

Visit the Sisters of St. Casimir for more information

Prayer:

O God, Who didst strengthen holy Casimir with the virtue of constancy in the midst of royal luxury and the snares of the world: we beseech Thee, that by his intercession Thy faithful people may despise earthly things, and ever aspire to those of heaven. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
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Mother Teresa Wisdom: March 3, 2006

Blessed Mother Teresa -

"Christ must be the light that shines through you, and the people looking at you must see only Jesus."

"You have a challenge from Jesus to meet: He has shed the light, and you will take His light and lighten every heart you meet."
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Friday, March 3, 2006
Cardinal Antonio Cañizares

The new Cardinal-elect from Toledo, Spain, Antonio Cañizares recently sat down for an interview.

Here is just a small portion:

"Q: A cardinal is he who sheds his blood for the Pope. What does this mean in the present-day context?

Archbishop Cañizares: To be a cardinal is reflected in the [red] color that implies giving witness with the Pope of the faith unto death, if necessary. It is to give witness of the living God and, with Peter, to confess that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, the only hope for the whole of humanity.

It implies living with the Pope, servant of servants, in a life of service and full commitment without any reservations, to spend oneself and exhaust oneself for the hard works of the Gospel, to lose one's life so that the world will believe.

It is to serve in communion, in unbreakable unity with the Successor of Peter; it is to defend the dignity of the injured and poor man, to give him to Jesus Christ.

It is a very beautiful mission, a grace to be able to be associated with the Holy Father in his ministry of confirming the faith, in his ministry of concern for all the Church and of love for all, with that love of which Benedict XVI has spoken to us so beautifully in his encyclical."

Read more on Zenit

Photo Source
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