Saints and Their Pets

I wanted to post about saints that had animals as pets. Of course, virtually all of us know of St. Francis' love for animals, but several other holy men and women had pets.

St. John Bosco had a pet dog in his youth while St. Philip Neri had a cat in his old age. St. Francis of Paola had a pet fish that was cooked one day. So, St. Francis of Paola raised it from the dead by the power of God.

Saint Brigid even tamed animals. Back in her time, the law stated that if a thief was in a Church no-one was allowed to arrest him. One day a group of hunters chased a wild boar into Church and wanted to come in and kill it. The men said that the Church refuge rule did not apply to animals. Saint Brigid said the rule did indeed apply, and so the hunters were forced to leave. She then gave the exhausted boar a drink and it ended up living on her personal farm with the cows she owned.

St. Rocco and St Lazarus the Beggar are pictured with a dog, and St. Anthony of Padua even preached to fish that listened to him. St. Francis negotiated with a wolf and even preached to birds telling them to glorify God. St. Jerome had a lion, and St. Giles had a deer.

As we can see, kindness towards animals and creation is a sign of holiness and respect for God. Whether or not if we can talk with animals like some saints, we all need to show them respect.

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Be Ready to Defend the Church: Quotations

"Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness" ~ Isaiah 5:20

"You shall be held responsible if you do not warn of evil" ~ Ezekiel 33: 7-9

"Not to oppose error, is to approve of it, and not to defendtruth is to suppress it, and indeed to neglect to confound evilmen, when we can do it, is no less a sin than to encourage them." ~ Pope Felix III

"The power of evil men lives on the cowardice of the good" ~ St. John Bosco

"To recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised against truth, is a part of a man either devoid of character or who entertains doubts as to the truth of what he professes to believe. In both cases such a mode of behavior is base and insulting to God and both are incompatible with the salvation of mankind. This kind of conduct is profitableonly to the enemies of faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good very frequently, by a display of courage, our enemies lose heart and their designs are thwarted. Christians, moreover, are born for combat!" ~ Pope Leo XIII

Image: Pope Leo XIII

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Up and Running!

Well, after a few hundred dollars less, a new motherboard, and a few hours later, I am fully up and running! I still need to finish copying over my previous files because I had to completely start Windows XP again, so blogging will probably we light for awhile still. However, I am back. Thank you for your prayers.

I missed you all.

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Computer Problems

The motherboard for my computer died this morning. I'm writing this from a public computer right now, so I will not be blogging again until the computer is fixed. I took it in to get fixed today and I was told it would be done by next Tuesday. I went home and prayed the Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague, called on Mary's intercession and the saints, and prayed two decades of the Rosary. I then received a call - it could be ready by the end of tonight!

So, whenever it is fixed I will continue blogging! I hope I will get it back tonight or tomorrow at the latest.

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Ted Harvey Introduces Gianna Jessen to the House of Representatives

Dymphna's Well posted a link to an article from CitizenLink. Te Deum has an extensive post on this as well.

Over in the Colorado House of Representatives, assistant minority leader Ted Harvey was troubled about plans from the House to honor the 90 year legacy of Planned Parenthood in Colorado. So, he invited a speaker - Gianna Jessen.

Gianna Jessen truly succeeded in the American dream. She overcame Cerebral Palsy to one day win a marathon. She is a truly legend. As soon as she finished, The House Chamber "exploded into applause which lasted for 15-to-20 seconds. Gianna had touched their souls. Ironically, Alice Madden, the majority leader and sponsor of the Planned Parenthood resolution, walked over to Gianna and congratulated her."

Mr. Harvey then went to the podeum and revealed that Gianna's cerebral palsy was caused from a failed abortion attempt on her 17 year old mother. She was born alive and adopted at the age of 4 after nearly dying.

The Speaker then announced, "Representative Harvey, I will allow you to continue your introduction, but not for the purposes of debating a measure now pending before the House."

And then there was silence - a deafening silence.

I say bravo to Ted Harvey! I hope this changed the minds of some of the representative there. For most people abortion is the murder of someone not seen. They got to see the victim of this genocide for once...it's about time.

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Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help: Day Three

This is the third day of the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. This Novena is prayed leading up to the feast on June 27.

Here is a novena prayer from a booklet of mine called Novena:

See at your feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help, a poor sinner who has recourse to you and confides in you.

O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me! You are called the refuge and the hope of sinners; be my refuge and my hope. Help me, for the love of Jesus Christ; stretch forth your hand to a poor, fallen creature. I recommend myself to you, and I want to devote myself to your service forever. I bless and thank almighty God, who is his mercy has given me this confidence in you, which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation.

(Mention your request)

Mary, help me. Mother of Perpetual Help, never allow me to lose my God.

(Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be three times each)

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What is the Chicago Tribune thinking???

 

The Chicago Tribune has published a shocking article on our faith in France.

Here is part of it:

In France and in almost every other European country, Christianity appears to be in a free fall. Although up to 88 percent of the French identify themselves as Roman Catholic, only about 5 percent go to church on most Sundays; 60 percent say they "never" or "practically never" go.

But Islam is a thriving force. The 12 million to 15 million Muslims who live in Europe make up less than 5 percent of the total population, but the vitality of their faith has led some experts to predict that Islam will become the continent's dominant faith.

...

"Mass is boring," said Odon Vallet, a religion professor at the Sorbonne. "The ceremony isn't very beautiful; the music is bad; the sermon is uninteresting. Mass is for people who have nothing else to do on a Sunday--no sports, no hobbies, no shopping, no entertainment."

I guess Mr. Vallet has not been to a Mass in a long time because when I go I witness bread and wine become Jesus Christ. I watch the greatest of all miracles and commemorate the Sacrifice on the Cross. I take part in a event were souls are released from purgatory and graces pour forth like rays of light from the sun. I go there to receive the King of Heaven and earth. Mr. Vallet has no idea at all what he is talking about.

My priest gives excellent homilies usually. The music can also be so invigorating at some parishes like St. John Cantius in Chicago. And Paris is home to the beautiful St. Nicholas Parish.

I think it horrible that France, which was nearly destroyed in World War II, has forgotten that without God they would not be here today. It is horrible that people of there do not appreciate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

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MyCatholic.com Fundraiser

Update: Last I checked, they are at $143 of a goal of $2,000. They do such great services. Please consider donating anything to help them.

If you don't use it, I highly recommend you use MyCatholic.com. It is a customizable Catholic homepage that allows users include news RSS feeds and feeds from numerous blogs including this very own blog. By adding the feeds, you can view the most recent titles from your favorite blogs and click on them to read. You also can add Mass Readings, a Saint for the Day section, local weather, one-minute meditations, and much more information.

Right now, MyCatholic is having their semi-annual fundraiser from June 14-23. The site goes well out of its way to offer numerous services to its users. Please support them as they hope to reach their modest $2,000 goal.

Image Source: Used with Permission

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Corpus Christi in Rome (2006)

Last Thursday most of the world celebrated Corpus Christi, and Pope Benedict XVI led a Eucharistic Procession through the streets of Rome following an open air Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Here are pictures from that solemn procession and the Mass.


(AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

(AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

(AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

(AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

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Words of Inspiration: June 20, 2006

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen:

“Jesus fed bread to the multitudes in the desert. Having fed the hungry masses, they ‘sought to make Him king’ (John 6: 15). It is ever in the human heart, when it loses its love of the spiritual, to worship those who promise full stomachs or economic power. They wished to make Jesus king in opposition to all the kings of the earth; instead of surrendering themselves to Him and His sublime doctrine about sin and redemption, they willed to have Him submit to them. They did not want to be drawn up to Him, but to draw Him down to them. However sincere and enthusiastic they were, they were, nevertheless, bent on pulling Divinity down to the level of the human.”

My children, we can never prepare ourselves too much for Holy Communion (St. Padre Pio).

"This Sacrament being a mystery of faith, we must believe firmly that Jesus Christ is really present in the Holy Eucharist, and that He is living and glorious there as in heaven" (St. John Vianney).

Image Source: The Tridentine Mass: A Picture Essay

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