Saturday, January 14, 2006

I have WORKING LINKS! ~~HAPPY DANCE~~

I learned something tonight! I got help from Stephen of Fat Steve's Blatherings. Thanks to him, I now have WORKING Links to Blogs I read, and to Websites I like. I will be adding more as I go along.

Thank you Stephen, and also, to Dymphna of Bookworm Room who asked a technorati question that set this whole thing off. After over a year of trying to figure it out, I have now got that part of my blog that I have wanted for soooo long working! Thank you BOTH!

I will be adding more as I go along. I am so very excited... it clicked tonight! Took a looooonnngg time, and a lot of looking, returning to his email, and to my blog, to the blogspot helps, to his email, to my template, and over and over and ... you get it, I am sure.

Just doing a little Happy Dance here.

Now, if I could just figure out why the time/date stamp thingy disappeared from my create post page, I would be in Seventh Heaven.... sigh. Can't have it all, right?

God bless!


Below is a test:

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Friday, January 13, 2006

Which Flower Are YOU?

Which flower is most like you?




Blue Flax, A wildflower, seemingly delicate, and very lovely, yet with a strong tenacious core. You are full of life and feel as if each morning is a new begining. always looking for an opportunity to learn something new. You hate the limelight and would much rather be in the background. People trust you and want to be around you.


452 other people got this result!
This quiz has been taken 4212 times.
11% of people had this result.


I tried it twice, because I was not sure which place of those listed I wanted to go, and which of two colors I would choose...and came up with the same answer both times. It is, in many ways, an accurate description, I think, especially the tenacious part... I don't wake up in the morning, due to being a second and third shift worker (bouncing back and forth in any given week..) But my New Year's Resolution for the past 20 years or so has been to do something new, something different each year, and it has never been broken. Often, in fact, I have done that something new MANY times in one year. And I think that the flower is very pretty, even if it is a 'wild flower'. I do prefer the background or the 'helper' kind of role over the front and center spot. My friends do trust me implicitly. Now... as to the lovely part.... smile... I also have a sense of humor, usually....

From Condi to the Middle East....

Dympha over at Gates of Vienna has two very good posts to read here and here.

The first deals with a statement in Pravda about Condi Rice, and she asks:

Well, who would have guessed that the Secretary’s love life would have international repercussions? Now that is one powerful woman! Let’s replace Kofi right now.

Oh, by the way, are you holding your breath, waiting for American feminists to complain about this uppity, wacky white male? I didn’t think so.

The second article goes from the Domino Effect of long ago to the current status, which she has likened to the game Pick Up Sticks...


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Speaking off the cuff--Benedict XVI

The more I see and hear of Benedict XVI, the more I like and appreciate him as Pope. I liked him as Cardinal, but he is really coming into his own.

I just read this newspiece describing how he has tossed aside prepared notes and spoken extemporaneously lately. (When it is necessary, however, he sticks to the script.)

It has apparently sent the Vatican Press Service into very fast recall mode, also! LOL. The rest of the article is good, also.

When the pope presided over a Mass in the Sistine Chapel to baptize 10 infants in early January, he was supposed to deliver a sermon presumably prepared by his staff. The text, released to journalists ahead of time, was nothing special. Maybe that's why the pope pitched it.

Instead, he stood beneath Michelangelo's fresco of the "Last Judgment," looked out at the small congregation of parents and relatives, and began, "Just what happens in baptism?" Then he extemporized on the topic for 16 minutes -- twice the length of his planned homily.

The Vatican press office, meanwhile, sent out an urgent disclaimer telling reporters to ignore the prepared text.


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They love to be offensive....


One I wrote yesterday somehow got lost and has not shown up here for some reason. Probably my own error, but who knows? But had gotten an email about it a friend, and then was reading other blogs, and came across it again at Conde's site. That was when I wrote my own with credit given to Conde because I had been reminded by him.

So, today, I am visiting at WriteWingNut's site, and there it is again...and I go back to mine only to find that it is not there, even checked to see if I had inadvertently saved it as draft.

Not.

Anyway, it is important, so I am bringing it to your attention, and since both Conde and Dawn said it better than I did yesterday, I will leave you with the news article that I had gotten in the first place.

God bless!



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Catholic? Prolife? No rights?

Heard from someone today about this in the news. When I read this statement, especially, it once again confirmed to me that there are some who are apparently not allowed the freedom of speech, nor the freedom of religion, nor the right to protest... and also this:

Many of the ads have been torn down or defaced since the campaign began three weeks ago.

"I think every woman has noticed them,'' said Suzanne "Sam" Joi, a member of Code Pink, a social justice and anti-war group. "I couldn't believe BART would allow something like this. Why are they doing this?''

and also this:

Critics of the ads also seem to be taking matters into their own hands. Hundreds of the ads have been defaced with markers, had stickers placed over them or have been torn down and ripped up, according to Monika Rodman, coordinator of the group that placed the ads.

"The defacement has taken to religious epithets, profanity, everything you can think of,'' she said. A billboard at the MacArthur station in Oakland was torn to shreds, she said, and mini essays were written on others.

See the rest of the article.


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Response to Fidelity's Challenge to Us from Comment Box

In response to this post of mine,


fidelity said...

This is horrible. See what TrueMarriage.net is doing about it.

We need to stop whining and start acting.

I agree. (Scattered throughout my blog are MANY on the subject), and challenge others to also get involved.

I have followed truemarriage.net, and in fact have posted a message from Steve Safranek

And I have been doing as much as I have been able to from my position as a lay person with no legal training.

I have been speaking out and writing against no fault universal forced divorce for over thirty years as often as the subject comes up and it is appropriate, regardless of what others think; pointing people to Church teachings about the indissolubility of marriage; pointing out the Scripture verses that are pertinent to this; to the rampant Nullity Decisions in the Church; to what JPII says about this; to websites like Judy Parejko's Stolen Vows and to Michele Gauthier's excellent website ever since I 'met' her online about five years ago or so.


I have also put their petition on a signature on emails, and here


I have mentioned Smart Marriages when appropriate.

I have encouraged people to read Elizabeth Marquardt's book, Between Two Worlds, as well as listen to the talks and interviews that are available at that same website, posted links to her blog. as well as to the Family Scholar's blog itself.

And I long ago put on this site, JPII's words that pertain from JPII's Familiaris Consortio

*****

The gift of the sacrament is at the same time a vocation and commandment for the Christian spouses, that they may remain faithful to each other forever, beyond every trial and difficulty, in generous obedience to the holy will of the Lord: "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."[55]
To bear witness to the inestimable value of the indissolubility and fidelity of marriage is one of the most precious and most urgent tasks of Christian couples in our time.
So, with all my brothers who participated in the Synod of Bishops, I praise and encourage those numerous couples who, though encountering no small difficulty, preserve and develop the value of indissolubility: Thus in a humble and courageous manner they perform the role committed to them of being in the world a "sign"--a small and precious sign, sometimes also subjected to temptation, but always renewed--of the unfailing fidelity with which God and Jesus Christ love each and every human being.

But it is also proper to recognize the value of the witness of those spouses who, even when abandoned by their partner, with the strength of faith and of Christian hope have not entered a new union: These spouses too give an authentic witness to fidelity, of which the world today has a great need. For this reason they must be encouraged and helped by the pastors and the faithful of the church.
~~FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO Pope John Paul II 12/15/1981 (Sec 20)

*****


Because I have NO idea how to make a links section (I really did try, grin)...I have a 'floating' post and change dates to add this section. However, since the date stamp thingy disappeard from the bottom of the page where I write, I often forget to just go back and refresh the date to repost it.


Catholic Marriage Petition
Defending Holy Matrimony
Stolen Vows
Divorce Reform (a Lawyer) and his other site Americans for Divorce Reform
Stephen Baskerville (working for parental--especially father's rights) and another
TrueMarriageBlog (another lawyer) and the associated website TrueMarriage.net

I also very frequently use as signature our vows, to remind people of what they promised:

Our vows:
The groom says:I (...), take you (...) to be my wife.
I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health.
I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

The bride says:I (...), take you (...) to be my husband.
I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health.
I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

And the words of one who gave wise counsel during his lifetime:

"Right is still right if nobody is right,
and wrong is still wrong if everybody is wrong,"
Archbishop Fulton J Sheen author of The Life of Christ


In a post about a quote from Joan Andrews Bell, I also added my own to show how similar this is, and then later also wrote of Two Dates of Infamy about the fact that most do not realize thatRoe V Wade (Jan 22, 1973) and the Unified Marriage and Divorce Act (Aug 2, 1973) became laws of the land in the same year.

The section on Joan Andrews Bell's quote is reprinted here:

I came across a quote today that says what I said but on a different topic, and much better than I said it: Yes, Joan Andrew Bell is a VERY wise woman

"I will not cooperate with immoral, unjust laws corruptly and cowardly imposed on the American people for the sake of pretending to solve social and economic problems by murdering innocent children...Indeed, I will not obey unjust laws nor consent to cooperate with the murder of the sacred lives of God's precious children. I could no more adhere to the unjust laws of this land, or in any way give credence to evil enshrined in law, than deny God Himself."



If I just simply substitute a few words, it would be my stand for the past 20 plus years:

"I will not cooperate with immoral, unjust laws corruptly and cowardly imposed on the American people for the sake of pretending to solve social and economic problems by attempting to dissolve indissoluble marriages ...Indeed, I will not obey unjust laws nor consent to cooperate with the destruction of the sacred marriages by forced, unilateral no fault divorce at the whim of one who abandons their vows. I could no more adhere to the unjust laws of this land, or in any way give credence to evil enshrined in law, than deny God Himself."

God bless you, Fidelity, as you pursue this task, and I hope that other Lawyers and Canon Lawyers join you in this in response to JPII's instructions to Catholic Lawyers!

Pope Asks Lawyers: Uphold Marital Bond - 1/28/2002
Lawyers and Judges Must Not Act Against Marriage, Pope Says - 1/28/2002
John Paul Says Catholic Bar Must Refuse Divorce Cases - 1/28/2002


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Thursday, January 12, 2006

Attacks on Alito Unfair, Supporters Say by Susan Jones

Just finished this article (one of many I have been reading) here.

Topics at the Hearings

Watching parts (I work, therefore could not watch all of the hearings) of Samuel Alito's confirmation hearings, I ended with a very great admiration for him as a human being, and as a US Supreme Court Justice nominee.

I was and still am furious about the personalization of this hearing. And it isn't JUST this hearing, but many others.

My respect for the US Senate decreases all the time. No, change that. It is my respect for many of the people who are serving in the US Senate that is decreasing.

Character assassination does not stop with these hearings, as many of the items brought up during this 'hearing' that had nothing to do with the person Samuel Alito will remain around for years to come. And it is beneath the dignity of the office that we elect our offiicials to serve in.

When someone with as many skeletons in his past as Kennedy has the audacity to impugn another's integrity on camera in the way that Kennedy did the other day, it speaks volumes.

When a committee of men who are charged with either approving or disapproving a nominee have to stoop to trying to get that nominee to make a judgement on any case he may hear in the future so that WHEN the cases related to that judgement does come before him, he must then recuse himself, it is reprehensible. (Abortion and related topics).

When that same committee uses the hearings to attempt to get the nominee to say that the President has committed a crime (or anyone else), when there is no charges made, when there has been only innuendo and a questionable 'leak' about a possible wrong-doing, (and that LEAK is possibly treasonous), it is reprehensible.

Yes, reprehensible.

And if this list of questions is accurate, it is even more than reprehensible:

He also provided a breakdown by subject area of the 546 questions asked of Alito as of yesterday. Here's the list:

Concerned Alumni of Princeton: 49
Vanguard/Ethics: 49
Abortion: 101
Commerce Clause, Federalism, Congressional Power: 42
Executive Power: 94
National Security/Wiretapping: 20
Criminal Procedure/4th Amendment: 11
Religion: 16
Habeas/Death Penalty: 15
Race: 23
Reapportionment: 6
Gener: 7
Judicial Philosophy/Role of Courts: 71
Disability: 6
Plaintiffs' and Consumers' Rights: 8
Other: 28


I was able to hear the KINDS of questions regarding the Vanguard/Ethics, and Concerned Alumni of Princeton as well as many of the others. These two topics alone had more personal attacks than the others that I was able to hear.

It is time that the US Senate begins to police itself and puts PRINCIPLES above personalities into their policies. To continue to try to destroy the hard built reputations of good and qualified people is wrong, and it serves no purpose whatsoever, especially when many of those involved have no room to talk.

What makes it even more disgusting is that at least one of those same Senators long ago said something totally different about this same Judge, and most of the questions he now asked had nothing much to do with the judicial history of the past fifteen years....

Happy Birthday to You....

Thinking of you today, as you turn 56,
and hoping that you have many
more birthdays to look forward to.

Remembering long ago,
and not so long ago,
as often as I watch the kids,
grandkids.

So have a Blessed Day today.

You know who this is for if you ever
read here at all.
My prayers are with you always.


The LORD bless you and keep you:
The LORD make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.

~~Numbers 6:24-26

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

HOW LONG DID YOU INTEND TO BE HELD TO YOUR OATH???

Dear Senator Edward Kennedy,

Today, you were lambasting Samuel Alito about his promise, his oath, his vow to recuse himself in a certain situation, and accusing him of going back on that oath.

You repeatedly asked him to define how long he intended to keep that oath when he made it.

Senatory Kennedy, you repeated that phrase and others similar to it multiple times, getting more and more vehement each time.

Senator Kennedy, I don't want to cast any aspersions here, but I find your demanding to know just how long this man would keep an oath to recuse himself was intended to be very ridiculous coming from YOU, sir.

What is a vow, an oath, a promise?

Do you recall what you did on Nov 29, 1958? Do you remember where you were that day, and whom you were with? Do you remember what you did, and what you said that day?

I can tell you, sir. You were in Bronxville, New York. You were with Virginia Joan Bennett, in front of many guests and I assume, a priest. You were repeating an oath, a vow, a promise.

HOW LONG, Senator Kennedy, did you intend for that promise, that vow, that oath to last? How long did you expect to be held to that vow, that promise, that oath?

How long did it last? When were you first in the process of breaking that vow, (some authors have Joan speaking to Jackie about her suspicions already in 1960...) and how many times before Chappaquiddick on July 18, 1969 did you break it? How many times after?

You, sir, had no business asking that question as though YOU have never broken any vow, any promise, any oath in your long life.

Casting no aspersions, just asking a question. If you fully intended to keep, and you honestly did keep that oath, that promise, that vow, then it is I who am wrong to be asking.

WICatholic

"I, _(Ted)__ take you _(Joan)__, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Rings:

JOAN, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Who to choose as Heroes?

AirForceWife has an excellent post about needing heroes, and the difference between real heroes and some who are looked upon as heroes.

It made me think of who I would nominate to be a hero for someone to emulate. I have several, but immediately thought of Fr Solanus Casey, who was considered to be too ... not sure what word the good superiors may have used, but 'dumb' always seems to be their estimation of him ... to be able to preach and hear Confession.


Fr Solanus was an Irish Wisconsin man who entered a German seminary , and had difficulty in classes that were taught in German. They suggested he join an order.... (I have often wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he was Irish... in a German Milwaukee seminary, but that would never happen.....)

He entered the Capuchin order where even they thought that perhaps he could not be ordained due to his poor work in German and Latin, but finally decided to ordain him as a simplex priest (he could say Mass, but not preach nor could he hear Confessions)...and they made him a porter.

He did his best in whatever capacity they allowed him without complaint. And as he opened doors for people coming to the monastery, he LISTENED to them, prayed with them...and was responsible for many good things happening over the years he was there.

When he grew ill, the order moved him away to keep him away from the masses of people who loved him, but they still found their way to him. When he died, his funeral was attended by thousands whom he had touched by prayer, or by just being himself in some way when they needed him.

A humble man who loved God and served Him wherever he was sent.

Another is Elizabeth Leseur, who also served Him where she was... in her marriage.

Hers was not an easy life, but her example and prayers ultimately led her husband to God, and then to become a priest. As a priest, Fr Felix spoke often of his wife and her role in his life. He gave retreats, and at least one of them was attended by Archbishop Fulton J Sheen (long before he was Archbishop). A woman who realized that our vocation and purpose in marriage is to serve God and help our spouse toward salvation.

Gianna Jessen
is another that I could suggest. I have already written about her here.

Whom would you suggest and why?

I just found out today, via WriteWingNut that this is National De-Lurking Week where those who have been reading blogs are urged to take the time to comment and introduce themselves instead of staying in the background quietly. So maybe you can utilize this way to do both.... nominate a real hero, explain why, and introduce yourself.

God bless!


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Fr Rob wants Feedback if you saw this show....

Unfortunately, This has aired already, but am sending it anyway, in case it repeats as some channels like National Geographic does...this is written by Fr Rob Johansen, who is a friend of the Schindler family, and has parishes in Michigan (one and its sister parish).

If anyone DID happen to see it, he wants feedback and can be reached at frrob@earthlink.net or in the comments to his blog.


Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Is The Biography Channel About To Misinform Viewers?

I wasn't going to post an update on my blog till tomorrow, as I'm in Florida on vacation right now. I spent yesterday evening with Bob & Mary Schindler, and this afternoon I visited Bobby and Suzanne at the new office they have set up for the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation. But I'll have more to say about that later.

I want to alert you to the fact that The Biography Channel is airing a program tonight about Terri Schiavo, as part of its "Notorious" series, which "highlights the people who have become famous" for being "infamous." I'm not sure how Terri herself was "infamous" or "notorious", but that's a minor quibble.

Far more problematic is the fact that even in the episode description there are at least two egregious errors of fact, and it presents the very issue that was contended in the case as a matter of fact.

The description reads in part:
Schiavo had been in a vegetative state since suffering a heart attack in 1990, which caused brain damage. She was the subject of a high-profile legal battle between her husband and her parents. Her husband wanted physicians to remove the feeding tube, arguing that she was brain dead.

Firstly, Terri never had a "heart attack. She was never diagnosed as having had a heart attack, and the autopsy definitively disposed of that myth. Also, even Michael Schiavo and his lawyers never contended that Terri was "brain dead". If Terri had been "brain dead", the controversy about her would never have arisen.

Those two errors could have been easily avoided if the producers of the show had done even the most rudimentary research. But given that the description states as a matter-of-fact that Terri was in a "vegetative state", when that was one of the central issues of contention in the dispute, the lack of accuracy in presenting even the most basic facts is, unfortunately, not surprising. It would appear that the producers of this show are prepared to simply regurgitate the
MSM Approved ViewTM.

My suspicion regarding this is reinforced by this salient point:
The Schindlers were never approached by anyone from The Biography Channel or A&E (The Biography Channel's parent company) for interviews or even any background material. The first that the Schindlers heard about this was today, in an e-mail from a friend. I suppose the program could rely only on already-published material, which would be merely lame on their part. But if they present Michael Schiavo or spokespeople for him without giving similar opportunity to the Schindlers, then that would really be "notorious".

The show airs at 9:00 PM EST. I will try to watch it, but I may not have access to The Biography Channel. If any of you, dear readers, watch it, I'd appreciate a report.


posted by Fr. Rob 3:38 PM

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Light to the Gentiles Conference Jacksonville Florida

On Mar 23, 2005, I spoke about a fantastic conference in New York that I had attended, and gave the dates of the next one, to be held in Jacksonville, Florida on Jan 27-29, 2006.

I had planned to go, but probably will not be able to do so, for many reasons, mostly financial.
I have a son being married in May which comes first. (Grin). This also means that my hoped for trip to the Dominican Republic to visit a friend and to do Dental work with the two girls' orphanages will also probably not take place again, and this I miss intensely.

But each child of mine is entitled to my assistance in financing their wedding to the best of my ability, and this is at the moment, my priority. I would have it no other way.

So, it is with some degree of sadness (and also some envy for those of you who read about this and decide to go...and CAN go...) that I am again (though a little late) going to post information about the coming Conference.

I am also putting links to those speakers that have websites with their names, and here, adding Marty Barrack's Second Exodus

I will miss seeing the speakers whom I consider to be my friends, and will miss meeting those I have not yet met. I have learned MUCH from 'knowing' some of these speakers for the past many years. God bless you each with His Wisdom as you prepare for this Conference....Rosalind, please forgive me for 'stealing' your introduction to the conference, but I could not think of a better way to advertise it here, and cannot use a pdf printout here.... (impishly smiling a forgive me kind of smile...)

AND I WANT THE TAPES!



LIGHT TO THE GENTILES
Jan 27-29, 2005
There will also be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the Conference.

2,000 years ago, a Jewish carpenter asked twelve Jewish disciples,
"Who do men say that I am?"

The answer to that question changed the course of history.

Is Jesus, in fact, the Messiah those twelve - and millions after them - believe Him to be?
Is it possible, as some claim, that He is the Messiah of everyone but the Jews? Is being a Catholic of Jewish origin the negation of what it means to be Jewish - or its fulfillment? Did the role of the Jewish people end at the coming of the Messiah? Or do they have an ongoing role in the world and in the Church?

I cannot think of a more vital subject for our times, nor can I think of a more outstanding group of speakers on the issue of Hebrew-Catholic Christianity and the role of Israel in salvation history than have been gathered for this historic conference, and I am honored to be among them. They are:

Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J. Host of "EWTN Live"; Director of Ignatius Productions

Fr. P. Juan Solana, L.C. Director, The Pontifical Institute "Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center," Jerusalem.

Fr. Peter Sabbath Hebrew-Catholic; Pastor, Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Diocese of Montreal

Judith Cabaud Hebrew-Catholic; Author, "Where Time Becomes Space"

Mark Drogin Hebrew-Catholic; President, Remnant of Israel, an organization formed to proclaim the Jewish roots of the Gospel

David Moss Hebrew-Catholic, President of the Association of Hebrew-Catholics.

Rosalind Moss Hebrew-Catholic; Apologist, Catholic Answers; Co-host of EWTN's "Household of Faith"

Roy Schoeman Hebrew-Catholic; Author, "Salvation is From the Jews"

Dr. Robert Moynihan, Master of Ceremonies Editor of Inside the Vatican Magazine.

This is an event not to be missed. Come, whoever you are, but come. He came for all!

~~Rosalind Moss, 2005

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Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Ex-terrorists' Interviews Now Online

An email sent today, and being passed on.

I saw the O'Reilly interview. I will be going to listen to the other later tonight.

I, too, think it is important for us to listen to and HEAR what Walid and the others are trying to tell us. They are giving us very necessary information, trying to both educate us and warn us.

God bless

********************

Friends

We now have up on internet site www.shoebat.com

Walid's full interview on O'Reilly Factor with Zak Anani

and

The First Ever TV interview with all three ex terrorist on CN8


The CN8 interview is incorrectly labeled "Walid appears on CN8 Your Morning" We will change the headline above picture to credit "Three Ex Terrorists ....."


Please send the link for the three ex terrorists to as many as your friends as possible as this is powerful, eyeopening and scary.

The truth must be exposed so that we can combat the evil which we face instead of appeasing.

Shalom

Keith Davies
Director of Walid Shoebat Foundation



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Monday, January 09, 2006

On Alito

Catholic Fire blogs on the Alito hearings.

I have to say honestly that I can hardly listen to most of those people... and I am praying for Samuel Alito. Alito was approved UNANIMOUSLY in 1990 by a then Democratic majority Senate! Some of the SAME that are now attacking him voraciously! There is an excellent 'resume' to see that lists his qualifications here.

Catholic Fire has written a very good piece on the topic and also points out:
Sen. Charles Schumer, a leading abortion advocate on the committee, called Judge Alito's "quite extreme" and, referring to pro-life groups, he claimed President Bush nominated Alito to placate the "the extreme right wing."

Catholics like myself or those other millions of Catholics throughout the world can hardly be considered "extreme right wing."


On this point, however, I have different thoughts. We ARE their feared extreme right wing!

For a very long time now, I have been pointing out that when they use that term, the right wing anything .. the extreme right wing ... the radical right wing, etc, they ARE speaking of us as practicing Catholics! Most THINK that they simply mean fundamentalists like Falwell and Robertson.

They don't mean just them! And we need to realize this.

They mean those who are pro-life from conception to natural death, who oppose abortion and euthanasia.

They mean those who do not accept the 'homosexual agenda', including same sex marriage.

They mean those who cannot accept embryonic stem cell research and cloning as a good thing!

A practicing Catholic is EXACTLY who they mean! Others fit the category, true. But to a Catholic, the above topics are not negotiable. We are included in what many consider to be 'enemies'... as did Hilary Clinton when she used this phrase over and over and over and....

It is precisely why so many have concerns about so many Catholics being on the US SUPREME COURT! Including.... our CINO Senators.

God bless.

Custosfidei on Iranian President

Conde of Custosfidei wrote about Iran's President, with links to other posts from earlier.

This man is dangerous, and is not saying anything new. But he IS saying it out loud, where it can no longer be denied. Ultimately, it is not just Israel this man hates, but also the USA.

Use his hyperlinks to trace back to the other pieces written since at least September, 2005, where he is called 'The Face of Evil.'

Conde also has written on Catholic on Catholic Bigotry, which begins:

Father Thomas J. Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, has accused Senate Democrats of the "Catholic bashing" of Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito. "The unrelenting campaign waged by many Senate Democrats, some who claim to be Catholics themselves, against Catholic judicial nominees who embrace and practice their Catholic faith is disgraceful at best and at worst is a blatant form of religious bigotry reminiscent of a less civil period of history," said Father Euteneuer.

With Tears.... Don't Miss This One! The Jewel.

I found The Doctor Is In a short while back on one of my blog-hopping nights. I got caught up in reading some of his Best of Addiction pieces that night, obviously because it is a part of my life.

I have returned to try to keep up on a couple of other times, but tonight....! I am speechless.

This man's profile says that he and his wife have been married for 30 years, and have three children. Go... take Kleenex with you... and sit and read.... this.

God bless.....

STILL not working.... help! ?

Anyone know how to help me with this? Janjan gave me a pointer, but it did not change anything. Thanks!

I am so ignorant of how to do things....lol! But never afraid to ask for help...

Angel Dean (thanks Fr Todd)

I have never heard of so many singers out there. I do sometimes hear songs that I like, and never know who sings them.

Today, blog-hopping again, I tried A Son Becomes a Father again, hoping that Fr had again written something. (Holiday seasons are so busy for the clergy, as it is for most of us...) and I was rewarded by his return for at least a day... and he spoke of Angel Dean, and left a hyperlink to the website. I found another that I like because of his post! At least so far....

Go have a listen......and God bless!

Vice President Cheney taken to hospital

Vice President Dick Cheney was taken to the hospital approx 3 AM Eastern time this AM for shortness of breath. Latest updates said his EKG was unchanged, and that the fluid on his lungs may be related to that anti-inflammatory he has been taking for a 'foot problem'. He is expected to leave George Washington Hospital later today (apparently treating him with diuretics).
Fox News and ABC had announced this awhile ago.

Fox News has JUST reported at 6:30 AM Central time that Cheney is leaving the hospital at this time.


OTHER NEWS:

Also, Judge Samuel Alito will be on the Senate hotseat undergoing a planned grilling and possible filibuster beginning today.

They are also working on taking Ariel Sharon off the medication that has kept him sedated, and he began to breathe on his own, but is still on the respirator.

And the lone mining accident survivor, Randal McCloy Jr, is improving, but still critical, and in an induced coma with medication that has kept him sedated. Meanwhile, the funerals for the deceased miners have begun, and are being kept private, with news people being kept away. There will be three today. There were six yesterday. One funeral is not yet planned.

Addendum at 7:30 Central. Doctors have stopped the sedation of Randy McCloy, Jr and are waiting for him to 'wake up', at which time they will assess the damage done. Lord, keep him safe.

How sad things are in that community. But they are pulling for Randal, with white ribbons, even in their grief. God bless them all.

A FIVE year old who was supposed to get APPLE JUICE got LONG ISLAND ICED TEA in a sippee cup!! And it turned out that after complaining and insisting that it be looked into, the waiter (who had said that the BARTENDER made a mistake...) had intentionally brought it to him!! Applebee's did not even offer to pay the bill for the meal even though the boy was taken to the hospital and determined to be drunk. Mother was interviewed, and there is video of the segway on the Fox News website

A Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Iraq, killing 12.

The suspects arrested for the murders of seven (two different families) in Richmond, VA may have been involved in a similar case in Chesterfield. One of the men was released from prison in November.

Harry Belafonte called President Bush "the greatest tyrant" and "the greatest terrorist in the world" on Sunday and said millions of Americans support the socialist revolution of Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela!! Danny Glover was with him and others.

And finally, the man who attempted to assasinate John Paul II will be released from prison sometime this week.


Keep the families and individuals in prayer, please.

God bless!

Catholic Books About Alcoholism via MSN search

I had a visitor last night who used msn to search for Catholic books about alcoholism.

To the person from the Citrus Heights, CA area who may be looking for this, I am praying that you look one more time, and come here. I have many titles, and it depends on what you are looking for.

I am a friend of Lois, wife of Bill W for a LONG time now, and I am praying that you return, and use the same search, so that you end up here. If these do NOT answer your question, please let me know, and I will try to find more in my bookmarks and my book "shelves" here!


One thing that I learned LONG ago is that the 12 Step Program is very Catholic, in spite of what some try to tell us. Step 4 is Examination of Conscience. Step 5 is Confession! Step 6, 7, 8, and 9 are Penance, reconciling and making amends, and 10, 11 and 12 are what we are to live daily! As a Catholic, we don't have to take a year to 'take the fifth'... we can do it WEEKLY in Confession, as the sins are shown to us, and then work to make amends, PLUS have the Grace of the Sacrament to help us continue to grow in our recovery! AA was named Anonymous in order for Catholics to join because of the 5th Step. But that does NOT mean we cannot use the Sacrament to aid us!!! Yes, we still need a sponsor, but that sponsor cannot absolve us nor give us the benefit of those Graces!


If you are looking for ways to live the 12 Steps, anything by Fr Martin, especially his Chalk Talks is good.

There is a book on the friendship of Bill W and Fr Ed Dowling (Fr Dowling started the Cana movement as a result of learning about the 12 Steps, and he introduced Bill W to the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola because he saw the similarity) called The Soul of Sponsorship : The Friendship of Fr. Ed Dowling -Bill Wilson by Robert Fitzgerald

On Catholic Answers website, there is this article from This Rock, The Catholic Contribution to the 12 Step Movement that lists some books to read.

Venerable Matt Talbot did not live under AA auspices (it was founded later), but he has much to teach us about recovery, and basically had the program long before Bill W and all ever did. He is from Ireland, and there are many good books about him. There are also a LOT of websites about him. He may never have a physical miracle... but he has MANY recovery miracles under his belt!!! Pope JPII apparently wrote about him, but I have yet to find this writing.

If you read this and write to me, I can find all those that I own about him, and send you a list of their titles.... but it may take a day or two. To Slake a Thirst: The Matt Talbot Story by Phillip Maynard is one.

One that I JUST finished is about Fr Jim Collins, called The Anonymous Disciple by Gerard Goggins. It talks about both Fr Jim and Fr Fred, two friends in recovery, and before.


Others:
Sister Ignatia: Angel of Alcoholics Anonymous (Mary Darrah Loyola Univ Press)

Fr. Fred and the Twelve Steps by Fr Fred Fr Fred is the other priest in the book on Fr Jim Collins.

I have read all of the above except Fr Fred and the Twelve Steps.


There is a website that also has tapes by a Dominican priest, Fr Emmerich Vogt, OP, but I have never heard them. The site also lists several of the above books there. They also have The Twelve Steps listed here:

1) Admit our powerlessness
2) Believe in a Greater Power
3) Turn our life to God
4) Take inventory
5) Admit our wrongs
6) Be willing to be healed
7) Humbly ask God's healing
8) Make a list of people we harmed
9) Make direct amends
10)Continue our inventory
11)Prayer & Meditation
12)Share the message

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Thoughts after hearing of Terry Martin Hekker

From PopPolitics:

Terry Martin Hekker once wrote an op-ed for The New York Times "on the satisfaction of being a full-time housewife in the new age of the liberated woman." The column became a book, Ever Since Adam and Eve, and she became an overnight authority on homemaking. Then, on her 40th wedding anniversary, her husband asked for a divorce, and Hekker realized her economic disadvantage. "The feminine and sexual revolutions of the last few decades have had their shining victories, but have they, in the end, made things any easier for mothers?" Hekker now asks.

"My anachronistic book was written while I was in a successful marriage that I expected would go on forever," she adds. "Sadly, it now has little relevance for modern women, except perhaps as a cautionary tale: never its intended purpose. So I couldn't imagine writing a sequel. But my friend Elaine did come up with a perfect title: 'Disregard First Book.'"



I do not know, nor do I remember ever having heard of Terry Martin Hekker when she wrote her first book 25 years ago. I was busy at the time with my marriage, my two children, my work with the Girl Scouts in the community and Day Camp, and my job as a nurse at a local hospital. I am unsure of when she wrote it, but if the information at Alibris is correct, it was 1980.

But I have seen many who are now in her situation since then.

One spouse has an affair, CHOOSING to violate the vows spoken on their wedding day. That spouse then chooses to serve the other spouse with divorce papers (no fault, unilateral, and forced divorce with no due process for the recipient of those papers).

So now we have an adulterer who has also CHOSEN to again violate the vows spoken on their wedding day, being granted that divorce, with everything supposedly split down the middle. HOWEVER, since the adulterer knew that the papers would be coming, and the recipient of those papers did not, very often money and assets are hidden well, so that there is no trace of them, AND the petitioner will have access later.... (and I know of a few cases where the Petitioner was aided in this by a lawyer or accountant friend before the papers were served!).

The Respondent in the divorce is left with no medical/dental insurance, devastated by both the knowledge of the unfaithfulness of their spouse, and the fact that there is no protection or defense in the breeching of their 'contract' by the other spouse.

None.


And the attorneys and judge can only go by what shows on paper as far as dividing the assets...so what is hidden is not figured in.

(A recent case in point is one I have mentioned already--wife left hubby with $2.00 in their joint account, maxed out the charge cards, and left saying she was going to mother's for awhile. Later, it is learned that she had NOT gone to mother's, but had moved to another state using the money she took with her to start a new business and life with her 'new love' whom she had 'met' online...and MOM knew it was happening and aided her in this move... )

So, the unfaithful and abandoning spouse gets his/her divorce, and half of the visible assets, and a new lover.
If it is the wife leaving, she may also get the kids and the house, etc, and move her lover in shortly after moving hubby out.
If it is the husband leaving, the new lover is most often much younger, and he no longer WANTS the kids or the house.... though there are some who even want custody of children and house.

Now let's say that they are Catholic, and it is important for the new lover to be married 'in the Church'.... and the abandoner is the one who does the petitioning for what is often incorrectly called an 'annulment'--a Declaration of Nullity.

In the US, chances are that the Tribunals will find a Null Decision, with the Court of Second Instance affirming that decision (since most are strongly discouraged from asking for the Roman Rota to be that Court of Second Instance where the first decision may not be affirmed, but overturned depending on grounds..and often is. ) As a result, even in the Church, there will be NO penalty paid for either the adultery or the breech of the vows.

So what do we now have?

An adulterer who broke their vows twice, one in adultery, and once by divorcing, now being 'rewarded' by being able to marry trophy wife or lover IN THE CHURCH!

But now we add age to this picture, and we have a woman married forty years, being handed those divorce papers by her husband on their 40th wedding anniversary, leaving her for that younger woman. A woman who stayed home and raised her children, fed her husband, cleaned his clothing, cared for their home, with no training for a job, and no job to begin with, who has been left with no insurance, no assets, nothing...after forty years.

Not knowing Terry Martin Hekker, I have no idea if she also had helped to put her husband through school or not, but many women DID, and are left in the same way that she was.

Today, there is no 'alimony'. And if you have no children for the spouse to help support, there is also no family maintainance. Sometimes, a judge will allow for some financial help for a couple of years for the abandoned spouse to get training for a job that will support her/him...but not always. And how do you train for any job after forty years of marriage??? If married at 21, you are now 61 years old. Training takes time, and then... who will hire you anyway? Where will you find any work at all with any kind of training?

Something is wrong with this picture.

If a spouse is an adulterer, they should NOT be rewarded with half the assets and be able to leave their spouse sitting there in poverty. They chose to be unfaithful. To even try to blame the spouse for their decision to cheat is reprehensible. To be rewarded for it as though nothing is wrong with it is even more so.

I don't know Terry Martin Hekker at all. I had never heard of her until recently when two stories appeared, and were sent to me by friends, and again by Diane Sollee of Smart Marriages via her newsletter.

But I have heard her story a myriad of times. And it is getting to be more sickening each time I hear it, especially now, when it is happening to women who have no hope to support themselves due to their ages. It is hard enough when a mate dies after a long marriage, but to be deliberately left behind for another younger lover, and to be left in poverty to boot is tragic.

It is more than tragic. It is despicable. It is reprehensible.




Our vows:
The groom says:I (...), take you (...) to be my wife.
I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health.
I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

The bride says:I (...), take you (...) to be my husband.
I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health.
I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.


"Right is still right if nobody is right,
and wrong is still wrong if everybody is wrong,"

Archbishop Fulton J Sheen author of



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