St. Ignatius of Antioch

Double (1954 Calendar): February 1

III Class (1962 Calendar): February 1
Memorial (1969 Calendar): October 17

Today the Church remembers St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was a martyr in early Rome c. 100 AD. He was devoured by animals instead of denouncing the Faith. St. Ignatius was a convert from paganism and lived a life of holiness. Legend says that St. Ignatius of Antioch was the infant Jesus held in the Gospel of Mark Chapter 9.

St. Ignatius of Antioch succeeded Peter as the Bishop of Antioch. In 107 AD, St. Ignatius of Antioch used the term "Catholic Church" for the first time, which described the universal Church established by Jesus Christ. In c. 107 AD, St. Ignatius of Antioch died as a martyr. Before his martyrdom, he wrote many letters like the one below. He is also an Apostolic Father.

Traditional Matins Reading (quoting St Jerome's "On Ecclesiastical Writers"):

Ignatius was the third Bishop of the Church of Antioch, St Peter the Apostle being the first. During the persecution under Trajan, he was condemned to be devoured by wild beasts, and was sent in chains to Rome. During this voyage, which was made by sea, he had to stop at Smyrna, where Polycarp, the disciple of St John, was Bishop. From this city, he wrote several Epistles: one to the Ephesians, a second to the Magnesians, a third to the Trallians, a fourth to the Romans. When he had left Smyrna, he addressed an Epistle to the Philadelphians and Smyrneans, and one to Polycarp himself, recommending to him his Church of Antioch. It is in this last-named Letter that he quotes from the Gospel which I have lately translated a passage bearing testimony to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I cannot pass by this mention of so great a man, without citing a few sentences from the Epistle which he wrote to the Romans. ‘ From Syria,' he says, ' even unto Rome, I am fighting with wild beasts, both by sea and land, both night and day, for I am fastened to ten leopards, I mean to the soldiers who have care of me. When I show them a kindness, they grow more brutal. Their injuries are my instruction, but I am not thereby justified. I long for the wild beasts that are prepared for me, which I heartily wish may rush upon me and torture me and devour me, and not be afraid to touch me, as has happened with other Martyrs. Nay, if they refuse to approach me, I will make them come on, I will rush upon them, that so they may devour me. Pardon me, my little children: I know what is for my own welfare.

‘Now do I begin to be a disciple of Christ, and care for nothing in this world, that so I may find Jesus. Let fire, or the cross, or wild beasts, or the breaking of my bones, or the cutting me to pieces, or the shattering of my whole body, yea, all the tortures of the devil—let them all come upon me, only let me enjoy my God.' When he was sentenced to be devoured by wild beasts, and heard the roaring of the lions, his impatience to suffer made him exclaim: ‘I am the wheat of Christ; let me be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may become the pure bread.' He suffered in the eleventh year of Trajan's reign. His Relics are at Antioch, in the Cemetery outside the Daphne Gate.

Prayer:

Look down upon our weakness, almighty God; and since the weight of our own deeds bears us down, may the glorious intercession of Blessed Ignatius, Thy Bishop and Martyr, protect us. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal


Writing by St. Ignatius:

I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God's wheat and bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.

No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sake is my one desire.

The prince of this world is determined to lay hold of me and to undermine my will which is intent on God. Let none of you here help him; instead show yourselves on my side, which is also God's side. Believe instead what I am now writing to you. For though I am alive as I write to you, still my real desire is to die. My love of this life has been crucified, and there is no yearning in my for any earthly thing. Rather within me is the living water which says deep inside me: "Come to the Father." I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world I want only God's bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed from the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.

Pray for me that I may obtain my desire. I have not written to you as a mere man would, but as one who knows the mind of God.

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Should I Attend Mass?

If you ask yourself that question than read this site. Part of it: "For every Mass we hear with devotion, Our Lord sends a saint to comfort us at death (revelation of Christ to St. Gertrude the Great)."

Mary once told her faithful servant Alain: "My Son so loves those who assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that, if it were necessary, He would die for them as many times as they've heard Masses."

Image Source: Believed to be in the public domain

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Not a Normal Sunday: Lost Rosary

Today was scheduled to be a normal Sunday where I just go to Mass and not have to participate. So, I brought my rosary and a great St. Padre Pio prayer book with prayers to the Eucharist (one of the litany of the Blessed Sacrament, my favorite litany.) About 5 minutes before the start of Mass, Father came over to me and said the lector had not showed up, so he asked if I could lector since I am a lector some Sundays.

I served as a lector on shorthand notice. But, after Mass I went back to my first pew and found out that my Rosary and prayer book were taken by someone. I haven't found them yet and only can pray I ever will. Please say a prayer that I might get these back. That was a very special Rosary, and I don't think I can ever replace that prayer book.

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Free Prayer Cards

I sent away for these prayer cards of Pope John Paul ll and Pope Benedict XVI and only had to include a self-addressed stamped envelope. I printed the form out and just filled it in and mailed it away. I recently got the prayer cards and liked them very much, so I thought others here may also want to send away for them.


And if you are looking for beautiful holy cards, please remember to check out "Holy Cards for Your Inspiration."

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St. Teresa of Avila

"Let nothing trouble you, let nothing make you afraid. All things pass away. God never changes. Patience obtains everything. God alone is enough." -- St. Teresa of Avila

Memorial (1969 Calendar): October 15
Double (1955 Calendar): October 15

Today the Church remembers and celebrates the life of St. Teresa of Avila (also called St. Teresa of Jesus). St. Teresa was born on March 28, 1515, in Spain, and she loved Our Lord since her youth. St. Teresa would even play "hermit" in her garden. At the age of 12, St. Teresa's mother died, and she prayed for Our Blessed Mother Mary to be her new mother. St. Teresa was very weakened by a serious illness in her youth, and she was healed through the intercession of St. Joseph. At 17 she left home and entered a religious order but her father would not accept it initially. Finally, after seeing the conviction in his daughter, he consented to her entering the consecrated life.

St. Teresa was soon ill again, and she never fully recovered. During this time of spiritual growth, St. Teresa received many visions approved as authentic following examinations by Dominicans and Jesuits, including Saint Francis Borgia.

She founded a reformed convent after thinking her current one was too lax in the rule. She suffered much along with St. John of the Cross for this long work of restoring the primitive Rule. 

St. Teresa was a mystic and a great writer, who wrote the Interior Castle.

On October 4, 1582, St. Teresa of Avila died in the arms of her secretary and close friend Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew. Her body is incorruptible. She was canonized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. While a great saint, we should not consider her a Doctor of the Church.

Traditional Reading at Matins:

The virgin Teresa was born at Avila in Spain, of parents illustrious for nobility and virtue. She was brought up by them in the fear of God; and while still very young, she gave admirable promise of her future sanctity. While reading the acts of the holy martyrs, she was so enkindled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that she ran away from home, resolved to cross over to Africa, and there to lay down her life for the glory of Jesus Christ and the salvation of souls. She was brought back by her uncle; but her heart still burned with the desire of martyrdom, which she endeavored to satisfy by alms-deeds and other works of piety, weeping continually to see herself deprived of that happy lot. On the death of her mother, she begged the Blessed Virgin to be a mother to her; and she gained her request, for, ever afterward the Mother of God cherished her as a daughter. In the twentieth year of her age, she joined the nuns of St. Mary of Mount Carmel; and spent eighteen years in that monastery, enduring severe illnesses and many trials. While she was thus courageously battling in the ranks of Christian penance, she was deprived of the support of heavenly consolations, in which the saints usually abound even on this earth.

She was adorned with angelic virtues, and her charity made her solicitous not for her own salvation alone, but for that of all mankind. Inspired by God, and with the approbation of Pius IV, she restored the Carmelite rule to its primitive severity, and caused it to be thus observed first by the women and then by the men. The all-powerful blessing of our merciful God was evident in this work; for, though destitute of all human aid, and moreover opposed by many of the great ones of the world, the virgin was able, in her poverty, to build thirty-two monasteries. She wept continually over the blindness of infidels and heretics and offered to God the voluntary maceration of her body to appease the divine anger, on their behalf. Her heart burned like a furnace of divine love; so that once she saw an angel piercing it with a fiery dart, and heard Christ say to her, taking her hand in his: Henceforward, as my true bride, thou shalt be zealous for mine honor. By our Lord’s advice, she made the exceedingly difficult vow, always to do what she conceived to be most perfect. She wrote many works, full of divine wisdom, which arouse in the minds of the faithful the desire of their heavenly country.

Whereas Teresa was a pattern of every virtue, her desire of bodily mortification was most ardent; and in spite of the various maladies which afflicted her, she chastised her body with hairshirts and iron chains, scourged herself with sharp disciplines or with bundles of nettles, and sometimes rolled among thorns. She would often speak thus to God: O Lord, let me either suffer or die; for she considered that as long as she was absent from the fountain of life, she was dying daily and most miserably. She was remarkable for her gift of prophecy and was enriched to such a degree by our Lord with his divine favors, that she would often beg him to set bounds to his gifts, and not to blot out the memory of her sins so speedily. Consumed by the irresistible fire of divine love rather than by disease, after receiving the last Sacraments, and exhorting her children to peace, charity, and religious observance, she expired at Alba, on the day she had foretold; and her most pure soul was seen ascending to God in the form of a dove. She died at the age of sixty-seven, in the year 1582, on the Ides of October according to the corrected Roman calendar. Jesus Christ was seen present at her death-bed, surrounded by angels; and a withered tree near her cell suddenly burst into blossom. Her body has remained incorrupt to the present day, distilling a fragrant liquor; and is honored with pious veneration. She was made illustrious by miracles both before and after her death; and Gregory XV enrolled her among the saints.

Prayer:

Graciously hear us, O God our Savior, and grant that as we rejoice in the festival of blessed Teresa, Thy Virgin, so we may be nourished by her heavenly teaching, and grow in loving devotion towards Thee. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Looking for a Miracle?

Then today could be your day. Today is October 13 and the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima in 1917, which was witnessed by thousands. It is truly an amazing miracle.

Read on the Miracle and visit the photo source

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The Miraculous Medal

The Miraculous Medal is a devotion to the Virgin Mary called the "Miraculous" Medal for the many miracles associated with those that wear it. It is one of my favorite medals to wear.

The Miraculous Medal came to the world through an Apparition of the Virgin Mary to Catherine Labouré in Paris, France in 1830. In Mary's second apparition, she asked that "a medal should be struck in this image. The people wearing it will receive my indulgence and those who piously say this short prayer will enjoy my very special protection".

One of the most famous conversions due to the miraculous medal was that of Alphonse Ratisbonne, an anti-Catholic Jewish banker. He received a vision of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. After his conversion, he became a priest and worked for the conversion of the Jewish people.

Click here to read Fr. John Hardon's testimony of a miracle brought about in front of him because of the Miraculous Medal. 

English Translation of the Traditional Prayer Said by the Priest to Bless the Miraculous Medal:

The priest who is to bless the sacred medal of the Immaculate Conception, vested in surplice and white stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, who by the many appearances on earth of the Immaculate Virgin Mary were pleased to work miracles again and again for the salvation of souls; kindly pour out your blessing + on this medal, so that all who devoutly wear it and reverence it may experience the patronage of Mary Immaculate and obtain mercy from you; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

The priest sprinkles the medal with holy water, and presents it to the person, saying:
Take this holy medal; wear it with faith, and handle it with due devotion, so that the holy and immaculate Queen of heaven may protect and defend you. And as she is ever ready to renew her wondrous acts of kindness, may she obtain for you in her mercy whatever you humbly ask of God, so that both in life and in death you may rest happily in her motherly embrace.

All: Amen.

The priest continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Queen conceived without original sin.

All: Pray for us.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who willed that your Mother, the blessed Virgin Mary conceived without sin, should become illustrious through countless miracles; grant that we who ever seek her patronage may finally possess everlasting joys. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.

AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

Virgin Mother of God, Mary Inmmaculate, we dedicate and consecrate our selves to thee under the title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. May this Medal be for each one of us a sure sign of thy affection for us and a constant reminder of our duties toward thee. Ever while wearing it, may we be blessed by thy loving protection and preserved in the grace of thy Son. O most powerful Virgin, Mother of our Savior, keep us close to thee every moment of our lives. Obtain for us, thy children, the grace of a happy death; so that, in union with thee, we may enjoy the bliss of heaven forever. Amen.

V. O Mary, conceived without sin,
R. Pray for us who have recourse to thee. ( 3 times.)

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Do You Want to Save Someone's Life?

Well, Priests for Life has a new brochure called You can save someone's life today (PDF file). Please pass along the information inside especially pregnany numbers. If you can't read that here is a HTML version.

Abortion is not a choice; it is murder. If you are pregnant don't think you don't have other options. God created us all to live in happiness, and only He has the right to take life being the Creator of Life. What if Mary hadn't had Jesus? Think about how much of a saint any unborn child can become. Trust in God and know that abortion is death. God is calling all to life. Trust in Him since He believed in you to the death.

Carenet/Heartbeat 1-800-395-HELP
Crisis Pregnancy Helpline 1-888-4-OPTIONS
Birthright 1-800-550-4900
National Life Center 1-800-848-LOVE
Bethany Christians Services 1-800-238-4269

Image Source: Believed to be in the public domain, source unknown

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Catholic Composition Project - Please Participate

I don't know about everyone else, but I really enjoy forums and reading and posting at them. Usually all of them are Catholic forums and my favorite questions asked are those of people trying to understand the Catholic faith. It is indeed a great gift to aid another in their journey to Christ, and God calls each of us to serve Him. I choose to serve Him by spreading the Gospel.

So, I'm commonly asked questions about the faith and try to answer them although if I could create one post on each topic here including links for more information and references from the CCC and Bible along with the Church's position and teachings this could be extremely valuable to spreading the Church to others. John Paul ll said, "How can they believe if they have not heard?" I'm hoping others will join me in working together this way to spread the Christ to others.

Would anyone care to do this? Do you think it's a good idea?

(I'm unsure on the first topic to cover although I'd like to do it on devotion to Mary or the saints and why we pray to them)

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A Daily Gospel Reading

I'd like to make this blog more open to conversation like a forum, so would anyone care to participate in a reading of the Gospel? I will post the Gospel (if not daily at least a few times a week) and I'll post a commentary on the text. This will help us correct error in interpretation draw upon the Word of God, who is the person of Jesus Christ, during the day.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, Priest chanting the Last Gospel at a Tridentine Mass

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Rediscover the Angelus Prayer

The word "Angelus" comes from the Latin "Angelus Domini" meaning "Angel of the Lord". This is a prayer of the Church said three times a day at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM. The present-day form of the Angelus traces back to 1560 and is a prayer composed of a short sentence followed by a response and then followed by a Hail Mary. It is an excellent prayer reminding all of Christ's Incarnation the gift of Himself - born to come, to die, and to save. The Church also blesses this devotion with indulgences.

The Angelus is prayed three times daily and is said year long except during Easter Time (From Easter Sunday until the end of the Octave of Pentecost) when the Regina Coeli is prayed. Traditionally, the Angelus is prayed while kneeling except on Sundays and Holy Days when it is prayed standing with a genuflecting (bowing on one knee) during the statement: "And dwelt among us".

If you are praying in a Group the leader saying the "V" parts and you say the "R" part, but if you are praying alone you will pray all parts.

The Prayer:

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary…

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary…

V. And the Word was made flesh,
R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary…

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

V. Let us pray.

R. Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection; through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Let Us Unite Ourselves With Christ

In the agony of the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ knew that He was to be mocked, tortured, beaten, deprived of friendship, and killed; yet His love remained. And in His agony, knowing His coming brutal death, He cried out in prayer. Read the 17th Chapter of the Gospel of John.

Let us pray with this prayer I found in a Catholic prayer book:

God our Father, it is your purpose to bring the whole of creation into unity with you. Give us the grace to further this aim and to live out your truth on earth. Bring all your people closer to one another and unite us in the sharing of your good news. Come, Holy Spirit, and help us to join into one community of believers. Amen

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Cardinal Clemens August von Galen

The process of sainthood is such: Servant of God - Venerable - Blessed - Saint (Read Roman Catholic sections) If you are unfamiliar with devotion to saints then please read further on the subject.

I just finished watching an EWTN special for the Beatification Mass of Cardinal Clemens August von Galen this evening. First, if you are unaware for the process of being declared a saint, someone in Heaven, then please read the Wikipedia article on sainthood.

Today I watched the Beatification Mass celebrated by Cardinal Saraiva Martins celebrated at Saint Peter's Basilica for the Beatification of Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen (1878 - 1946). And although Pope Benedict XVI did not celebrate the Mass since a beatification is more of a regional celebration than a declaration of sainthood, the Holy Father did arrive near the end to bless the crowd and speak. Although not spoken by Our Holy Father, I found these words spoken on the Eucharist very refreshing and brilliant. It was said that in receiving the Eucharist one's "...Heart becomes the throne of the Son of God." Is your heart worthy? After this life we will be seeing our God with our own eyes, touching Him with our own hands, but our you worthy? If not then seek His mercy in the Sacrament of Confession, the delight of souls where every single soul, by the power of God, is washed clean from sin. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable gift - His only Son, eternally begotten of the Father!

Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen was a huge critic of the Nazi regime. He lived the Truth in the midst of the darkness of World War II.

If you have information relevant to the canonization of Blessed Clemens, please contact:

Domkapitular Martin Hülskamp
Horsteberg 18, 48143
Münster, Germany

Image Source: Photo believed to be in the Public Domain

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Earthquake Victims

After seeing the US devestated by hurricanes, the world is again struck by a natural disaster in Asia with a 7.6 magnitude earthquake with a death toll near 20,000 now! Please start praying for these people. Let's start a Rosary network for these people praying our Rosary and leaving them in Mary's arms that she might take them to Christ, the Divine Healer, the Only Truth. Last Thurday was the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, a day commemorating a Christian naval victory attributed to the continuous prayer of the Rosary. With Mary's intercession in mind, let us walk together to Christ that we might not just save these people physically but in mind, body, and spirit. Let us pray completely for them that Christ might heal them and reign in their hearts.

Christ-Haunted, a reader of this site and a blogger, posted about the site, AsiaNews.it for more information to keep up on the subject. And if you can give monetary aid please do so through Catholic Charities (This link is for Catholic Charities USA).

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Catholic Tuner

This website, Catholic Tuner, looks like a good find with Holy Family Radio, Ave Maria Radio, Relevant Radio, EWTN, and more. And best of all, it's completely free to listen to it.

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What Goes Up Must Come Down

Image Source: Bartolomé Estéban Murillo. The Blessed Giles Levitating before Pope Gregory IX, about 1645-46 Oil on canvas, 65 1/2 x 73 1/4 in. (166.3 x 186.0 cm.)


"No man can attain to the knowledge of God but by humility. The way to mount high is to descend. "– Blessed Giles of Assisi

I just found this quotation today and wanted to share it with everyone before I will be going to Mass.

After all, we are all unworthy servants. We all sin and some are worse than others, but those truly repentant and loving are certainly in Christ's eternal heart. God knows we can't do anything by ourselves so He saves us continuously again. Some say they don't "see" God, they just can't say yes or no. And I tell you then to open your heart see the joy of the world, the complexity of the universe, the miracle of life, the joy of the Catholic faith, and the greatest source of all beauty - the Holy Eucharist. Why don't you get out of your house and look at the world and see it isn't something anyone on earth could possibly imagine. Sir Issac Newton in the preface to "Principia" translates as such, "...to lay forth the laws of nature with such clarity that no thinking man may deny the existence of God"

"Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are" (CCC 159)

Above all it comes down to the fact that God made science and therefore is still outside of it. His beauty and majesty can not be reached by a microscope or a telescope or by sitting in life waiting around. The greatest thing is that Christ died for everyone one of us and wants to know us all in such a personal way and the ONLY way to do this is the pray. Start out slow with vocal prayers and eventually move on. Throughout this whole life Christ is the source of Mercy. Come to Him as St. Faustina taught us to pray, "Jesus, I trust in you."

Remember our Lord's teachings in the Gospel, all that humble themselves will be exulted and all that exult themselves will be humbled. Do you think Christ is only in a book? No! He is in His Church preserved from the time of Our Lord's Resurrection of His teachings. The Holy Spirit is guiding us, but then again, we must humble ourselves. None of us are worthy of any grace of God, rather it is only through His mercy that we are healed.

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Calling All Apologists

I know that several of my readers are very good at apologetics (defending the Catholic faith), so I'm posting this hear to see if anyone wants to participate in a discussion on the faith. I am a member of the Catholic Community Forum. In the debate boards I have recently engaged in a few discussions on the Catholic Church's teachings.

If anyone here wants to help respond and defend the Church just join the Catholic Community Forum (My username there is Moneybags), and visit these two discussions. You don't have to join to just read the posts.

1. Indulgences
2. Blessed Virgin Mary

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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We find Him in our hearts

"We need no wings to go in search of Him, but have only to look upon Him present within us."-- Saint Teresa of Avila

We don't need to search any further for Christ than first within us as it was through His divine will that He gave us light - a spark of His divine love. As Pope Benedict XVI said, "Each of us is the result of a thought of God," and before anything else we must find a personal relationship with Christ. We don't have to search for Christ over the Internet, in a book, or anything first. In reality, we must find Him first within us and respond by loving Him. Only if we love Him may we receive His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist the source of the greatest graces.

I said it before and will say it as much as necessary - our faith is completely on love because we will be judged on only one thing - how much did we love (St. John of the Cross). Every single day we are to love and give as much as possible. I know someone that even took in Hurricane Katrina evacuees. God knows how much you can give of time, talent, and treasure. Give what you can from each area and do it with love.

As Saint Teresa of Avila said, we don't have to make life more complex. Trust in God and find Him within yourself, in the Catholic Church and love Him "who humbled Himself to death even death on a cross."

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Choose Life License Plates

The "Choose Life" license plate that originated in Florida in 1999 has been approved in 13 states to date. Already, more than 60,000 motorists have raised over $5 million dollars to fund pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes by using these license plates.

On March 9, 2006, Choose Life License Plates succeeded in New York when an appelate court dismissed a lawsuit by pro-abortion groups seeking to stop them.

In Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, Tennessee, South Dakota, Montana, and now New York, Choose Life plates are onsale. These plates promote adoption and have certainly saved thousands of unborn lives. South Carolina's law was ruled unconstitutional. Most states donate the proceeds to adoption groups, but Alabama, Hawaii, Maryland and Montana donate some of the funds collected to pro-life organizations.

Updates:

• In June 2006, Indiana has approved Choose Life Plates
• New Jersey lawsuit against Choose Life Plates thrown out
• In November 2006, Georgia has approved Choose Life Plates
• In January 2007, Illinois has approved Choose Life Plates
• In Februrary 2007, Pennsylvania now sells Choose Life Plates

Unfortunately, Hawaii and Montana also have license plates supporting abortion.

If you live in the US and your state does not yet have Choose Life plates then please select your state and see what you can do to help. You may just need to sign a petition.

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What Does It Mean to Be A Catholic?

Does it mean putting another title next to my name? Does it mean getting up early ever Sunday? Is it the same as other Christian religions?

No. Our society is living in a culture of death where lies spread because some prefer the darkness to the light. These people hate the Truth - the Truth that Jesus Christ started the Catholic Church (Matthew 16:18) and the Seven Sacraments of that Church. Through the ages the manipulations by others have taken the teachings of Christ and not simplified them but changed them! They call Christ liars!

I, however, do not blame anyone today at all. Above all, being Catholic is to love Christ completely. When we enter the Church in baptism we have our sins forgiven by the power of Christ working through His priests. This command he gave to His disciples at the end of the Gospel of Matthew: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

In this great Sacrament of baptism, we literally enter the Catholic Church and in turn become part of the Mystical Body of Christ. We are baptized into Christ's body and therefore salvation is possible. Salvation outside of baptism is unrealistic because salvation outside of baptism is available only to those that truly didn't know of Christ - not those that refused Him.

We as Catholics are not hypocrites. We know the Mass - the form of worship started by Christ where at every single Catholic Mass Christ, the Good Lord - is the bloodless sacrifice of the Cross. We remember His death as in the words of the Gospels: "Do this in memory of Me." And through the Mass we reach a question: Can't I just stay at home and pray the same?

No! Is God physically present in your room? No, but at the Mass at the very most solemn moment, by the power of God and through His teachings in the Gospel of John 6, the Bread and Wine truly become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ not by the priest's power but God's power working through the priest.

We as Catholics are not idolaters and pray to statues and we don't worship Mary at all. We are not liars and wrongdoers but followers of Christ and His teachings before those came to corrupt them so that these anti-Christs might bring others down with them.

Look to Christ. So many people spend YEARS looking for life and its purpose, and in truth it only has one word: God. Look to God alone and trust in Him. Love Him who died for you and rose again so that you might live in His glory. Is Heaven easy? Certainly not, look to the lives of the saints and martyrs who died for their beliefs. Look to those in everyday life standing against the majority to support Christ's teachings and not trying to reason around opinions against the Church. Heaven is the narrow road that few shall find (Matthew 7:13)

Trust in God. He is there, waiting...Patiently in the Holy Eucharist for us to adore Him. In this year of the Eucharist may we grow more in love for our Savior and God and serve Him alone. That His not our way may be done.

The Council of Nicea (325 AD) wrote the following Profession of Faith. This is what Catholics believe. It should be solemnly proclaimed each Sunday Mass:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary , and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Catholics also must never support abortion, embryonic stem cell research, homosexual marriage, human cloning, euthanasia, or artificial contraception. A Catholic must believe all dogmas of the Catholic Church declared over the past 2,000 years since.

For more information see Apologetic Posts. Are you, Interested in becoming Catholic?  If so, look at the online resources available through CatechismClass.com.

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