Bush Vetos Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill

Last Wednesday, President George W. Bush thankfully vetoed HR 810, which would have required American taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research. The House of Representatives was thankfully unable to overturn the veto.

However, the next day, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger authorized $150 million in taxpayer funds for a loan to the state's stem cell research agency (1). Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, for the second time, issued an executive order directing $5 million in state taxpayer funds to pay for embryonic stem cell research (2)

Read more >>

St. Mary Magdalene

Memorial (1969 Calendar): July 22
Double (1955 Calendar): July 22

Today the Church remembers the life of St. Mary Magdalene, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. According to the Latin Rite in the Roman Catholic Church, Mary Magdalene is mentioned in Lk 7:36-50, Lk 10:38-42, and Jn 20:11-18. The Catholic Church believes these references all refer to Mary Magdalene. As the article "A Retrieval of the Traditional View of Mary Magdalene From the Fringes of Theology" summarizes, after carefully and thoughtfully analyzing the Scriptures and historical evidence:

Thus retrieved, Mary Magdalene shines forth once more as the one who loved much (Luke 7:47), the one from whom seven demons were cast out (Luke 8:2), the one who grasped the one thing necessary (Luke 10:42), the one who moved the God-Man to tears (John 11:33–35), the one who did a beautiful thing for Him (Mark 14:6), the one whose deed would be proclaimed throughout the world (Mark 14:9), and the one who first saw the Risen Lord and believed (John 20:18).

The New Liturgical Movement writes:

From the time of St Gregory, the Western Church accepted that Mary Magdalene was also the sinful woman who anoints Christ’s feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee, as recounted in Luke 7, 36-50, the Gospel for her feast. This connection was probably made from the words that immediately follow this passage, or at least reinforced by them, Luke 8, 1-3. “And it came to pass afterwards, that he travelled through the cities and towns, preaching and evangelizing the kingdom of God; and the twelve with him: And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities; Mary who is called Magdalen, out of whom seven devils were gone forth, And Joanna the wife of Chusa, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who ministered unto him of their substance.” (Mark 16, 9 also refers to the seven devils.)

Because of her faith and repentance, she was privileged to be the first person after the Blessed Virgin Mary that Jesus appeared to after His Resurrection (John 20:1-18).

What about the Da Vinci Code?

The Da Vinci Code - while a work of fiction is considered factual by the author - teaches that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus, the mother of Jesus’ child, a participant at the Last Supper, His prophetic successor and a priestess. These claims have absolutely no support in Church Tradition or Holy Scripture. All references to "gnostic gospels" add nothing to the debate since these "gospels" were rejected from the official canon of Sacred Scripture because they were heretical and lacked apostolic authorship. Hence these claims are utterly void of any truth whatsoever and are condemned.

Prayer:

May we be helped by the intercession of blessed Mary Magdalen, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Who in answer to her prayers didst raise her brother Lazarus to life after he had been dead four days: Who livest and reignest.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Read more >>

A Day at a Monastery

Hello, everyone!

I'm currently writing from the library of a Benedectine Monastery that I am visiting. It is quite an experience to be here and share in praying the Liturgy of the Hours. It's so wonderful to hear the Divine Office chanted each day. I've also finally saw the Liturgy of the Hour's book, "Christian Prayer," on sale here, so I had to purchase it. I've been looking for an affordable copy for weeks.

It is wonderful praying and glorifying God with such holy men and women (I visited a nearby Benedictine convent too). But, experiencing the Order of St. Benedict has helped me learn something important - I can't change non-Catholics. This blog has been my creation to spread the Gospel of Truth to every one that reads it - to the entire world. I have poured week's worth of time into this project. However, people still come here claiming there is no flaw in salvation by the Protestant view of "Faith-alone" or "Scripture alone". They deny the Real Presence and support such evil as abortion. But, here I see that prayer must be the center of daily life. It was so amazing seeing Mass concelebrated by 10 priests! I realize that my life must not center on this blog or on converting others. It must center on prayer.

I, of course, will continue to blog, but I plan on blogging much less frequently. I plan to pray the Divine Office and study history and theology more. I was put on this earth to love and know God and to be with Him for all eternity. I have to focus 100% on prayer. After all, I cannot change cold hearts no matter how hard I try - only Jesus Christ, my beautiful Lord and God, can do that. So, I pray that all of you are well. And I pray especially for all non-Catholics that they might come into the flock of Christ and experience the great peace I felt in this Basilica and chapel. I plan on going the Seminary and living here for four years.

Glory to Our God! I'll write more when I return from my vacation.

Read more >>

Good Bye until Saturday!

I'll all packed and just getting ready to leave right now. I'll write more on Saturday. Please just keep me in your prayers.

May God bless all of you!

Updates:

• A Day at the Monastery
• Visit to Conception Seminary College
  

Read more >>

Crucial Stem Cell Research Update!

Update (July 20, 2006): President George W. Bush vetos HR 810 and the House of Representatives by a 235 - 193 vote, fell short to override the veto. Source: CNN

The United States Senate approved HR 810, which would use our taxdollars to fund embryonic stem cell research, on a 63-37 vote. You should see how your Senators voted. Thankfully, President George W. Bush is expected to veto the bill, and it is unlikely the House and Senate will get the needed 2/3 majority to override the veto.

On to the pro-life bills, the United States House of representatives by a 273-154 vote failed to pass the Santorum-Specter bill, lacking the necessary 2/3 majority to send a bill to the President urging the federal government to find alternative ways to obtain embryonic stem cells without destroying human life. On to the good news - The House of Representatives approved a ban on the practice of fetal farming on a 425-0 vote. It will soon become a crime to create, acquire, or traffic in tissue specifically derived from a human embryo created and grown for tissue harvesting. The Senate previously approved it unanimously.

President George W. Bush is expected to sign the ban on fetal farming into law, and he has promised to veto HR 810. I ask you to contact President Bush and just ask him to veto the bill. Thankfully the President is acting on his morals - embryonic stem cell research is always wrong.

Read more >>

Talk with you Saturday!

Everyone,

I'm going on a vacation. I'm going to leave tomorrow, Wednesday July 19, 2006, and I will not be blogging until this coming Saturday when I return. This vacation is for my discernment; I will be staying with a group of Benedictine Monks. When I return I should have a better idea where I am called to go.

Please keep me in your prayers. I will not be answering any email until then, so my email will be sending out an automatic vacation response to everyone that emails me while I'm gone.

Have a blessed week!

Read more >>

Yesterday's Gospel: Following Jesus

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward.

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple— amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
Matthew 10:34-11:1

Remember Jesus didn't come to intentionally bring disorder. His message was one of love and redemption and for that His own people crucified Him. We all see it - sinners enjoy the darkness for the "...people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works were evil" (John 3:19). It is our responsibility to take up all of our Crosses and sufferings and follow after Our Lord anyway. It is our obligation to serve Him if we are to be graced with eternal life. This reading shows us that we must follow Our Lord - we are not saved by Faith-alone. We all must serve Our Lord no matter what obstacles lie in our path - look at the Example of the Martyrs.

My priest told this story in a homily before. There was a young woman that felt the deepest calling to become Catholic; however, her father hated Catholicism and forbid her to convert. But she followed Our Lord anyway. Finally, a few years later, he began to speak to her again. But, more than that, she then felt Our Lord's calling to become a nun. Her father said that if she entered a convent, he would never visit her - she would never see him again if she did. But she followed Our Lord anyway. Finally, years later, the father came to the convent and sat in the guest area waiting for his daughter. The conversation he had with the nuns there truly opened his mind and he began to respect Our faith.

We have to remember that not everyone will accept the message of Jesus. But, no matter what anyone else says, we must accept and follow Our Lord.

Image Source: Christ Cleansing the Temple by Bernardino Mei

Read more >>

Archbishop Burke made a Member of the Apostolic Signatura

Archbishop Raymond Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, a wonderful Traditional priest, has been a member to the Apostolic Signatura (the Church's highest administrative law court, 1983 CIC 1445).

Image Source: Wikipedia

Read more >>

Pope Benedict XVI on Vacation in Les Combes, France

Pope Benedict XVI is currently on a short vacation in Les Combes, France. It is the summer residence for the Pope. Pope Benedict XVI arrived there on Tuesday, July 11, 2006, and planned to spend an 18-day vacation.

Some photos of the Holy Father in Les Combes:

AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, HO

REUTERS/Osservatore Romano (ITALY) 



AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Read more >>

Pray for the Repose of the Soul of Monsignor DeBlanc

"Please pray for Monsignor DeBlanc who passed away. He was 91 years old and the most loving priest. He has done so much for the parish. He was retired and wrote many books. He loved people and helped so many. He would always call them 'My Angels.' Keep him in your prayers."

Read more >>