Vernon: The people who launched Barack Obama’s career were terrorists.

At that point, educated people — some with PHDs who would fit in at your typical faculty lounge — casually talked about doing away with the holdout resisters. What? All 25 million? Well, we’ll “work them to death,” or “starve them to death.” Whatever.

Long live the “communist or socialist society” of Weather Underground fantasies! The only thing missing, apparently, was the suggestion of gas ovens. (Oh, but the Soviet system of starvation was so much easier to finesse. Gas ovens gave the Nazis such a beastly public relations black eye, you know!)

That is what those revolutionaries really think. These are people who today have helped populate academia (Ayers and Dohrn). If anything, they do not believe the Weather Underground, in its pursuit of violence, went “far enough” (as Ayers was quoted in the New York Times as saying).

Read more

At Mass, the ideal and the mundane routinely come together in divine perfection, for the salvation of the world.

by Doug Lawrence

Celebrating Sunday Mass, I couldn’t help but notice that the priest (one that I had never seen before) closely resembled the late, wild and wacky, Saturday Night Live TV show comedian, Chris Farley.

Of course, I couldn’t wait to hear the homily, which I feared, might be based on one of the old, SNL “Matt Foley” sketches. “Matt” was a fictional SNL inspirational speaker, “the man who lived in a van, down by the river” who couldn’t seem to pull his own life together, let alone help others to do so.

Watch the SNL video clip on Hulu.

As things turned out, I had nothing to fear. Our young priest read masterfully from the Word of God, and delivered a powerful homily. Nothing at all was mentioned about a van … or a river.

The fact that my priest did not at first, appear too formidable was simply due to a genetic coincidence. Had he resembled a famous pope, bishop, theologian or evangelist, I probably would not be writing this.

The point is … once that young man donned his vestments, entered the sanctuary, and began to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there was little doubt about who he was … and more importantly, precisely for whom he was standing in: Jesus Christ … our Lord and Savior … the one time, once for all, perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world … and the one who would … at the hands of that priest … according to the awesome power of the Holy Spirit … shortly become present for us … body, blood, soul and divinity … on the holy altar.

Reflecting on all of the above, I soon realized that God manages to transcend mere sinful humanity in many profound ways, none more important than the Mass and the Sacraments.

At Mass, thanks to Christ, we’re treated to an earthly preview of heavenly worship, where the ideal and the mundane routinely come together in divine perfection,
for the salvation of the world:

1) The Mass is the most basic and essential exercise in Christian unity. Every hour of every day, every day of every year, in virtually every country on earth, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is being offered up to God for the needs of the church, and the world.

2) The priest, properly consecrated, trained and suitably vested, is set apart by the church for holy service to God and to man. In this, his personal looks or his age mean nothing, since he “stands in” for none other than Jesus Christ, who is God. (This is also why the priestly abuse scandals hurt so much!)

3) Leading us through the various parts of the Mass, the priest helps to prepare our souls (which are hopefully, not in a state of mortal sin) for the imminent arrival of Jesus Christ, on the altar.

4) Soon, there is the consecration, where the King of Kings and Lord of Lords … Jesus Christ … our brother, High Priest, Heavenly Mediator, our Savior and our God, appears in our midst … not as an ethereal vision … but as true flesh and true blood … under the sacramental auspices of bread and wine.

5) Then, at the “Great Amen” we all solemnly offer Jesus, the only perfect and acceptable sacrifice, up to God the Father, for the sins of the whole world, and for the good of the whole Church.

6) Having faithfully “lined up” behind Jesus and claimed God as our Father, we are privileged to consume Jesus Christ as our heavenly food. Then, we are sent out to share our divine gifts with the world.

As I like to say …
it doesn’t get any better than that,
this side of heaven!

While it’s extremely difficult for us humans to give much more than lip service to God’s ideal, it’s just the opposite for God, since he has absolutely no problem taking a world filled with sin and corruption … much of it directly affecting the Catholic Church and the People of God … and by the power of his grace … perfectly accomplishing all that he originally intended for us, at the Last Supper and at Calvary.

Catholics believe all this to be true
because Jesus Christ personally declared it
in front of at least 12 eye-witnesses,
who later confirmed it
in the Holy Bible.

One last thing … Word has it that Jesus also has a little place, down by the river:

And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month: the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no curse any more: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face: and his name shall be on their foreheads. And night shall be no more. And they shall not need the light of the lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall enlighten them. And they shall reign for ever and ever.
(Revelation 22:1-5)

I hope to see all of you there. But for now, in this present age, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the next best thing. Don’t miss it, for the world!

A Short, Illustrated Presentation On the Mass

Some interesting forum posts about Michael Voris/Real Catholic TV

Visit the Fish Eaters Traditional Catholic Forum

“Abortion is the cause of the problems in the world and the Lord is helping us to provide the cure.”

A religious order that claims to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary has been criticised for displaying bumper stickers about abortion near a primary school.

Devotees of the vision, nick-named Our Lady of Surbiton, meet near Christ Church Primary School in Manor Drive, Surbiton, each day.

But bumper stickers about abortion have upset neighbours and mothers at the school.

Link

Seen on the web: Abuse cover up claimed to be going on in Diocese of Joliet?

Reader comment re: Crisis Magazine article on KC Bishop Finn

A victim of recent Diocesan abuse 10/29/2011 11:38 am

The Diocese of Joliet in Illinois is also covering up an abuser is continues to be employed on staff in spite of numerous written and verbal complaints.  No secular organization would allow this person’s behavior to continue more than 5 minutes, yet he has been allowed to continue for over 5 years.

Any staff person attempting to address his sexual, physical, and verbal abuses has been threatened into silence.  Bishop Conlon is at least consistent in his response to this issue, in that he has a long history of coverups in his previous diocese of Stuebenville.

Link

Editor’s note: Does anyone know more about these allegations? If true, this is very serious. If false, calumnious. Either way, it needs to be properly addressed … and quickly! Please let me know.

Muslim violence and fear in Dearborn(-i-stan) and elsewhere

Each generation’s most devout believers train a small percentage of the next generation’s most devout believers that it is OK to commit violence in the name of Islam.

This becomes an endless cycle because of two things.

(1) These devout believers are also instructed to kill anyone who tries to modify or stop the teaching of this violence.  (2) The number of these devout believers is high enough to reach a sort of critical mass.

Read more

Muslims Stone Catholic Festival-Goers in France

Real shame: Notre Dame students have little or no idea what it means to be truly Catholic … or why.

A a recent USA TODAY article, examined the survey “Catholics in America: Persistence and change in the Catholic landscape.”

The survey examined the beliefs and practices of 1,442 U.S. Catholic adults. The research was led by Catholic University sociologist William D’Antonio, and provided detailed information about specific beliefs.

Link

Forget PETA! How about PETH (People for the Ethical Treatment of Humans)?

I’ve seen cars with a bumper sticker on one side saying ‘Pro Choice’ and a bumper sticker on the other side saying ‘The question is not, can they reason? nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?’ with a picture of a cow.  This same person is worried about a cow suffering and not a human baby that was ripped apart in the womb, or worse yet, born alive and then stabbed with a pair of scissors to make sure it doesn’t survive.

If you think I’m kidding or making this up, you’re dead wrong.

Read more

Girl Scouts USA Renewing the Promise (of death)

“… GSUSA has once invited a cadre of ultra feminists, a Planned Parenthood philanthropist, United Nations devotees and even a new age Taoist to inspire and instruct today’s Girl Scouts,” Volanski told LifeNews.

This year’s convention features Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who spoke at the opening of a massive new Planned Parenthood abortion business in June 2010, saying, “It’s not about the building; it’s about people’s lives; it is not about women, it is about families; and it’s not about what we do here today, it’s about our future.” Parker lives with her life partner Kathy Hubbard, campaign treasurer for Planned Parenthood and Parker’s upcoming bid for re-election as Houston Mayor is endorsed by Planned Parenthood.

Read more

“Catholicism” – part three: A Marian home run!

by Doug Lawrence

After the last two installments of Father Robert Barron’s “Catholicism” program (WTTW Chicago/PBS/ Word on Fire) I wasn’t really expecting too much, from this one.

But I had obviously forgotten that the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, who was the primary subject of today’s episode, can never disappoint. (Praise God.)

Using some of the most famous Marian sites around the world for his “set”, Father Barron certainly made his point … and he did it charitably, sweetly, and in a genuinely Catholic way … just as Mary always has.

It was beautiful, and well worth watching.

All glory, praise and honor to God,
who saves us … and Ave Maria!

Related links:

Why Catholics Venerate Mary

Mary, Universal Mom

The Legion of Mary

Jews don’t like message of Traditional Catholic group. And it’s NOT about the Holocaust.

by Doug Lawrence

The recent events surrounding the proposed reconciliation between the traditional Catholic SSPX group and the Vatican have brought out an unusually large number critical Jews, who take Pope Benedict to task for even considering any sort of rapprochement with the SSPX, unless and until the SSPX people repudiate any and all claims that might reflect badly upon Jews, for any reason … even if those claims are based on actual history and God’s absolute truth.

That is patently unfair.

The fact that our Jewish brothers and sisters know they have absolutely no right to interfere in internal Catholic Church matters, but continue to do so, also demonstrates that the roots of the problem go much, much deeper:

Beneath the high sounding, liberal Jewish rhetoric, often based on unfounded assumptions and flawed, self-serving misinterpretations of church documents, is the fact that the Jews have traditionally, never accepted the Catholic Church or any of its beliefs and teachings … about Jesus Christ, the Mass, the Priesthood, the Sacraments, the Bible, and virtually all things Christian … and Jews tend to view any type of authentic, genuine Catholicity as a threat … a direct affront to Judaism, itself.

Perhaps that perception is true. But the real problem is this: Traditional Jewry will only be happy if and when the Catholic Church agrees to repudiate Jesus Christ, and everything else the Church has preached, taught, and accomplished, in God’s holy name, over the last two thousand years.

That … and only that … would give the Jews a truly “level” playing field against Christianity. That’s what they would like, and that is what’s behind all the various op-ed pieces and position statements by various, Jewish pressure groups. It is also a classic, liberal argument, based almost purely on emotion, and nourished by guilt.

Like all good, post Vatican II Catholics, Pope Benedict and many of his fellow bishops are more than happy to go along with the charade, in the false hope of some sort of Christian-Jewish ecumenical breakthrough, the actual purpose of which, remains a great mystery.

Perhaps if we get the Jews to like us, they will want to become Catholic … but only if we compromise every essential principle of our faith … something which has already been tried by many Evangelical Protestant groups … with few positive results.

What we ought to do is respectfully and charitably agree to disagree, since there can be no real compromise between people who firmly believe that Jesus Christ is God, and those who continue to maintain instead, that Jesus Christ was nothing more than a liar, a pretender, and a blasphemer, worthy of death.

Regarding the tired old charge of Jewish blood libel: Certainly, people of good will … on both sides … can finally put that matter behind us, since Christians understand that it was essentially God’s idea to permit the Jews and the Romans of the first century era to crucify Jesus Christ, in order to destroy Satan’s power and save the world from its sins.

Much more about that, here.

But most Jews won’t accept that, either … so, let’s quit wasting time with all the lies, posturing and disingenuous rhetoric, and get busy with the holy work that God put all of us Christians here, to accomplish … teaching and preaching the entire, authentic, unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And let’s do it in love, since over the last two thousand years, nothing about the human condition has really changed:

And seeing him they adored: but some doubted. And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
(Matthew 28:17-20)

This Week’s Ask Alice: I arrived late for Mass. Can I still receive Holy Communion?

Send A Question To Alice

She’ll answer your Catholic questions
right here, every Thursday.

Email responses will also be provided, as time permits.

“R” asks: On Saturday night I arrived late for Mass, coming in during the Offertory. I didn’t know if it was proper to receive Communion after missing so much of the Mass. How late can a person come to Mass and still receive Communion? Also, can someone receive Communion more than once in a (24-hour) day?

Alice answers: Many faithful Catholics aren’t sure what to do in cases like this. Depending on the circumstances, and if otherwise properly disposed, it is typically OK to receive Communion, even if you arrive very late … at, or even after … the “Our Father”. In fact, you can probably receive even if you happen to come in just as Communion is being distributed.

But since arriving late may not be appreciated by the priest, and such a thing might also be (rightly or wrongly) interpreted by others as being disrespectful to God, it’s always best to arrive for Mass on time (a bit early, if possible) and to take great care to enter the church in a totally unobtrusive, courteous, and pious manner.

Now, about those “circumstances”: If you arrive late (missing the Gospel reading) for a Saturday vigil Mass, the Sunday liturgy, or for Mass on a designated Holy Day … you can still receive Communion, but since you had missed out and failed to participate in an essential part of the first Mass, you would need to attend a second Mass, in order to properly fulfill your Mass obligation. No such requirement applies to typical weekday or Saturday morning liturgies, which while highly recommended for all the faithful, remain purely optional, and not a matter of obligation.

But the good news is … you can receive Holy Communion at both Masses!

According to the Catechism, a Catholic can receive Holy Communion twice in one day, as long as the second time is in context of a Mass (1983 CIC c 917). If in imminent danger of death, Holy Communion may even be received for a third time, that day.

From the above, we also learn that an otherwise properly disposed Catholic may even receive Holy Communion without attending Mass. (Realizing of course, that our full, faithful participation at Mass is often the best way to assure our proper disposition.)

Disposition: More important than the time of our arrival at Mass, a Catholic must be “properly disposed” in order to worthily receive Communion: At a minimum, a person must: 1) be a practicing Catholic, in the state of grace, i.e., with no unconfessed mortal sins; 2) for a period of at least one hour before reception, have fasted from all food and drink (except water and/or medicine); and 3) believe in the Real Presence (the transubstantiation) of Jesus, in the Holy Eucharist.

In the Bible, Saint Paul explains it like this: “Whoever, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself and, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)

How blessed we are as Catholics, to receive the body and blood of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, each time we receive Holy Communion! Ours is a unique privilege that cannot be found in any of the Protestant Christian sects.

It has rightly been said that if Catholics fully realized the true and awesome nature of the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, they would gladly CRAWL up on hands and knees, to receive Our Lord, in Holy Communion.

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church: (1413) By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity. (cf. Council of Trent: *DS 1640; 1651)

In Christ’s Love,

Alice

Click here to see all of Alice’s other columns

PFL public relations director attempts to “set the record straight” about the Bishop Zurek/Father Pavone/Priests for Life dispute

As published in the October 25, 2011 issue of the Amarillo Globe-News

For over a month now, a tremendous amount of misinformation has been spread across the country about Father Frank Pavone and Priests for Life. In the interest of fairness, the editors have offered us the opportunity to set the record straight and we thank them.

Read the article

Seen on the web: Practical insights into Islam

Posted by: Infidel Alliance

Here is something critical in understanding Islam: In the Judeo-Christian Bible, the old testament records the brutality and savagery of an ancient age, yet it advances human civilizational consciousness with the first human liberation movement in the Exodus, and the first practical laws for a free society in the Ten Commandments, and culminating in the brilliant teachings of Jesus.Christianity advanced humanity by replacing an ‘eye-for-an-eye’ revenge based civilization with a justice based civilization tempered with compassion, forgiveness and redemption, a true understanding of universal human rights as opposed to tribal sectarianism and bigotry, a love based society rather than a hate based society, and the concept of a loving God rather than a vengeful God.

Islam, on the other hand, did just the opposite. It is well known that Muhammeds preachings in Mecca were relatively benign, as he tried to copy and co-opt elements of Judaism, Christianity and his own paganism into his newly contrived ‘religion.’  Having failed, Muhammed began part two of his new religion based on violent bigotry and genocidal Islamic supremacy known as Jihad theology. And, of course, Islamic doctrine embraces ‘abrogation’, thus the violent, misogynistic bigotry of later Medinan Islam replaced the ‘kinder gentler’ preachings of earlier Meccan Islam.

So, as Judeo-Christian philosophy advanced from the violent to the peaceful, Islam devolved from the peaceful to the violent where it has remained for 14 centuries, slaughtering its way across the continents.

You can get a better understanding of this if you compare the life of Muhammed, one of histories most sadistic sociopaths, to the life of Jesus in the West or of the Guatama Buddha in the East. Islam is antithetical to modern humanity because its founder, Muhammed, was antithetical to modern humanity.

Link

Summary of the current status of the Father John Corapi case

The Timeline

1. Tamra Sexton was fired in September 2009, for cause. This is known because of the court filing in Montana by Corapi, made public on the blog of Jimmy Akin, reporter for the National Catholic Register, earlier this summer.
2. Her husband, Matt Sprinkle, had his contract with Santa Cruz Media terminated in the middle of 2010, which is also in the court filing.
3. Corapi also initiated foreclosure proceedings on a home and property occupied by Tamra and Matt in 2010, near Corapi’s own home in Kalispell, Montana.  There is a pregnant pause between mid 2010 and early 2011, then:
4. Accusations were made by Tamra Sexton Sprinkle on or about Ash Wednesday, 2011.
5. SOLT made the allegations public, along with declaring that Corapi was being put on administrative leave.
6. Corapi issued a statement stating he doesn’t like the canonical proceedings, but will cooperate.
7. SOLT assembled a three person “fact finding” team to investigate Tamra’s allegations.
8. Bishop Rene Gracida, retired bishop of Corpus Christi, and Father Flannagan, founder of Corapi’s society SOLT, contacted Corapi to inform him that the current process of suspension was usually not just in the Church now, and that he would be better served by pursuing a civil case.
9. Corapi and Santa Cruz Media files the civil suit.
10. Fr. Sheehan of SOLT states publicly that the canonical process has stopped because of the civil lawsuit. We will find out that in private, however, the investigation went on.
11. Corapi resigned from public ministry, stopped referring to himself as “Father,” adopted the name he gave himself for his autobiography – the Black Sheepdog – and also resigned from SOLT on or about June 17, 2011.
12. Fr. Sheehan of SOLT shortly thereafter acknowledged Corapi’s resignation and SOLT will work with him in his time of transition.
13. Not a mere three weeks later, on July 5, 2011, SOLT issued a letter, unsigned by Father Sheehan and apparently written by someone else, since it refers to Fr. Sheehan in the third person. It stated that all of the allegations made by Tamra Sexton are true. SOLT warns the faithful not to associate with Corapi. It then, strangely, orders Corapi to stop foreclosure proceedings against Tamra Sexton, drop his lawsuit against her, and lastly orders him to return to community in Corpus Christi.
14. Corapi did not comply.

Link

Doria2 supports indicted Bishop Finn. Doug thinks the bishop was “in over his head”.

Andy P/Doria2’s letter to the bishop:

Dear Bishop Finn,

I am writing from the Archdiocese of New York.

I must say that I thank God for good holy Bishops such as yourself. Yes you will be attacked, but remember what our Lord said, “They will hate you because of Me, but remember, they hated Me first.”

Take the slings and arrows as they are just stepping stones on your way to Paradise and know full well that there are millions of us out here who stand shoulder to shoulder with you as tug boats slowly turning the Barque of Peter back to where it belongs.

God continue to bless you, Your Excellency and keep up the good holy work you have begun.

AndyP/Doria2

*****

Doug Lawrence comments:

If the case has any merit, we should expect a protracted legal battle, then a plea bargain, with a token sentence. If not, after a suitable delay, all charges will be dropped.

Bishop Finn is known as a straight shooter, but his own public statements about his personal failings in this matter made him a very easy target for the grand jury, as he admitted everything in advance, and in writing.

That was simply too much temptation for the secular authorities (who obviously DON’T BELIEVE the bishop’s account) to resist … and a very bad move, politically, on Bishop Finn’s part.

The bishop should have simply made a good confession, and kept the rest of the details to himself.

There’s good reason that Jesus, in the Bible, reminds us, “Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.“ (Matthew 10:16)

The bottom line: Bishop Finn was in, over his head. One way or the other, he mishandled the matter. Now, he must deal with the consequences.

Related links:

Bishop Finn’s email address

Remnant Newspaper Article

As the article in the Remnant says: I ask you all to pray that the truth of the matter comes out swiftly and completely. St. John Fisher, pray for Bishop Finn.

Eight PA Residents Join Missionaries of the Gospel of Life

YORK, PA — Peg Pritchard’s secret? The personal invitation.

Eight men and women made their promises as Missionaries of Evangelium Vitae (MEV) on Saturday at St. Joseph’s Church here. Last year, 13 made promises. Next year? Who knows, but people already have told Mrs. Pritchard they would like to be part of her next Life Cell.

“I guess the numbers are good,” said Mrs. Pritchard, who made her promise in 2008, along with her friend and Life Cell co-facilitator Vicki Crispo. “There is such a passion that we have, that I think people see it and know it and feel it. When people ask me about MEV, I say, ‘Maybe you should consider it. Just come and see.’ The personal invitation works very well.”

For the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life (“Evangelium Vitae”), a ministry of New York-based Priests for Life, clergy and laity devote 10 months to a year studying the 1995 encyclical written by Pope John Paul II and then commit the rest of their lives witnessing to the dignity and respect of all individuals, from conception to natural death, focusing in particular on the protection of the child in the womb.

“It’s pro-life spirituality. What we stress first and foremost is their relationship with the Lord,” Mrs. Pritchard said. “After they make their promises, He will direct them and they will discern what God is asking of them, and He will equip them for it.”

Some are moved to pray outside abortion clinics, others to work at pregnancy resource centers or to reach out to post-abortive men and women…some will begin Respect Life groups at their churches.

Read more

Texas Report: Women are subjected to a variety of abortion abuses as a matter of routine.

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman announced in March the results of the investigation, which was conducted with the help of the pro-life group Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust.

“Our investigation focused on what the average woman would experience if she sought an abortion in Texas, and how the abortion clinics appeared and operated on an everyday basis,” said Newman.

“From what we found, women are subjected to a variety of abortion abuses as a matter of routine. Violating the law is standard operating procedure for abortion clinics in Texas,” he added.

Link

HPV Vaccine and the 2nd coming

It looks as though the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Government, along with GlaxoSmithKline and Merck (the manufacturers) are all solidly coming out for mass inoculation against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is said to be a leading cause of cervical cancer in women.

Now, these same organizations are attempting to link HPV to heart disease, in both men and women.

Read the CDC report

Tell us what you think. Is it mostly pharmaceutical hype, or is there some real science behind the HPV vaccine?

CDC Panel Votes to Extend HPV Vaccine to Young Boys

US’s most powerful nuclear bomb being dismantled

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — The last of the nation’s most powerful nuclear bombs — a weapon hundreds of times stronger than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima — is being disassembled nearly half a century after it was put into service at the height of the Cold War.

Read more