As we finish this Lent let’s make the absolute most of it, shall we?  As it is revealed by the Saints, Easter is the single biggest day to dip into God’s treasure chest!   During Easter, God has a whole ocean of mercy lying at our feet.  Of course, Lent is the time we prepare to dive into this rich ocean of mercy.  More heartfelt penances combined with praying devoutly will reap great treasures, which will be mainly be paid out this Easter.

What a blessing God has in store for us.  Especially if we do this one last thing for Lent…

Cleaning Our Souls With a Devout Confession
Using One of These Examinations of Conscience

I know you probably already made a good and devout confession, but was the examination of conscience strong enough to touch your heart?  Did it help you realize how far away from being a saint you actually are?  Did it change your life?  These will.

So here it is!  Listen to these examinations of conscience if you are serious about your relationship with Jesus and his bride the Catholic Church.

• Overcoming Obstacles to Holiness

• Now is the Time to Repent

• Who Knows How to Love?

• Pagan-proofing, Sanctifying the Home

Would you be so kind to share these with your friends?  Maybe even share it on your Facebook page?

May God bless you this Holy Week!

Are You Serious?

Stop the Insanity!

Thanks again to Pewsitter for posting this update on the “Catholic” Campaign for Human Development.  It seems that our friends at the CCHD are profiling five of their grantees in the new stations of the cross devotional.  The five grantees they are profiling are all involved in promoting abortion and same-sex marriage.

Washington, DC (11 March 2010) – A new “Stations of the Cross” devotional from the United States Conference for Catholic Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development profiles five CCHD grantees involved in the promotion of abortion or same-sex marriage.

“During these final weeks of Lent, we ask the bishops cut funding for the CCHD until a complete investigation and overhaul is conducted,” said Michael Hichborn, American Life League’s lead researcher into CCHD grants and a members of the Reform CCHD Now coalition. “It is unacceptable that a Lenten devotion beloved by millions of Catholics the world over would be commercialized to include “prayers” that are little more than fundraising pitches for pro-abortion and same-sex marriage groups.”

Groups profiled in the Reform CCHD Now report on the Stations include:

• The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition – for making statements in support of abortion and for promoting a pro-abortion group.
• The United Workers’ Association – for joining the Equality Maryland coalition in support of same-sex marriage, and for remaining on the Health Care for America Now coalition, which is fighting to include abortion funding in health care reform legislation.
• Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement – for participating in a forum that promotes homosexual activism.
• People Organized for Westside Renewal – for joining three coalitions that actively promote abortion and same-sex marriage.
• New Mexico Acequia Association – for espousing anti-Catholic theological views and professing full support for a pro-abortion organization.

“Until these issues and those highlighted by the Reform CCHD Now coalition in the past 6 months have been resolved, we respectfully ask the bishops to follow the lead of the seven bishops  who have cut off funding from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in their diocese,” said Stephen  Phelan, communications  manager for Reform CCHD Now partner, Human Life International.

To sign the petition to “ensure no more Catholic dollars are spent to support organizations advocating abortion or same-sex marriage,” go to www.ReformCCHDnow.com

Is Our Catholic Bishops Catholic?

You Wouldn’t Know It
From The People They Hire!

Thanks for PewSitter with an excellent article revealing the outright disgusting and scandalous actions of the USCCB’s Socials Justice Committee.

God grant us courageous Bishops willing to stand up to the USCCB liberal undercurrent.

Washington, DC – February 4, 2010 – Already embroiled in an abortion scandal, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will host a line-up of progressive leaders – including prominent pro-abortion activists – to their “Catholic Social Gathering” in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7-10.
The announced USCCB “gathering” conference comes on the heels of revelations the USCCB has long standing ties to the radically pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage group Center for Community Change. New evidence continues to emerge that the CCC is only a small part of a larger collaboration with organizations that promote abortion and homosexual rights agendas.

Presenting at the Social Gathering will be:

-Fr. Thomas Reese, who was forced to resign as editor of America Magazine by the Vatican for his refusal to stop publishing articles which question church orthodoxy on issues like contraception, human embryonic stem-cell research, same-sex marriage, homosexual priests, mandatory clerical celibacy, and whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be given communion

-Diana Hayes, professor of systematic theology at Georgetown University and noted speaker for Call to Action, the “Catholic” dissident group. Hayes is a homosexuality activist who wrote a book espousing liberation theology, calls for women’s ordination and promotes same-sex “marriage.”

- Page six of the official “Catholic Social Gathering” program gives a schedule for the Catholic Labor Network Gathering. USCCB exec John Carr is scheduled to join Paul Booth on a panel discussion. Paul Booth and his wife Heather Booth (another prominent pro-abortion activist with ties to the National Organization for Women, who helped organize a group called “JANE” in 1965 which helped young women obtain illegal abortions) founded the Midwest Academy a training institute for progressive activists.

-Paul Booth and his wife have served as host committee members for the National Organization for Women’s Intrepid Awards Gala.

-Currently Paul Booth is executive assistant to the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The AFSCME endorsed the pro-abortion March for Freedom of Choice, held in Washington, D.C. in 2004.

These speakers were invited by the USCCB.

“Looking at this speaker lineup, one wonders if  USCCB staff is thinking clearly about Catholic Social Teaching. Why are those who represent openly anti-life and pro-homosexualist organizations treated as experts in the field of peace and justice by Catholics who should know better?” asked Michael Hichborn, American Life League’s lead researcher into the USCCB.

The Passionists Need You To Help With Haiti Earthquake

Fr. Rick Frechette, CP American physician and Passionist priest, has been serving in Haiti for the last 22 years. Most recently he has been overseeing the 120 bed children’s hospital, St. Damien’s, located in Port-Au-Prince. The hospital provides long-term care to critically ill children and provides outpatient service to over 30,000 children and adults each year.

According to Fr. Rick, the hospital has been severely damaged by Tuesday’s earthquake. Parts of the hospital and the chapel have collapsed entirely, in addition to much of the wall surrounding the property.

Fr. Rick was in the U.S. attending to his dying mother at the time of the earthquake but is already on his way back to Haiti. Even prior to the earthquake, Fr. Rick has stated that he has never seen any place as devastated as Haiti with its heartbreaking poverty and desperate living conditions. This latest event compounds what is already a severely distressed city and country, with children being the most vulnerable to the effects of this cataclysmic occurrence.
Please send a donation today to help Fr. Rick in his vital ministry to Haiti’s children.

Fr. Rick Frechette with Pope John Paul

Having lived in Haiti for many years, Fr. Rick will be able to assess where the need is greatest and use your contribution to its maximum potential. With ongoing waves of injured and orphaned children needing immediate attention, 100% of your donation will go to Fr. Rick and his ministry to the neediest of children.
Surely we are witnessing the Passion of Christ unfolding in Haiti. As a Passionist, I hope that together we can help to shoulder this cross.

Please click here to make your online donation. Select “Haitian Relief” from the drop-down menu.

Most importantly, please keep Fr. Rick, his colleagues and staff, and most of all the children of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers. Any amount contributed to this relief effort, I am confident, will bless you a hundredfold in return.
Yours in Christ Crucified,

Father James, CP
P.S. Find our Passionist fan page on Facebook and follow Fr. Rick’s story.

Before You Forget, Donate Now!

What are your thoughts?   Please leave a comment.

To Man of Mary!

Most would think that it is not possible for a priest of Satan to become a saint in the Catholic Church.  However, as you will see, it is not only possible, but we have an example in the person of Blessed Bartolo Longo.

Bartolo was born in Latiano Italy, and he was raised in a devout Catholic home and was considered a pious child. However, this all changed when he went off to the University of Naples.  There Bartolo studied philosophy under a fallen away Catholic priest, and thus Bartolo’s entire world view changed dramatically.  Bartolo also started to hang with the wrong kinds of people, he became emirshed in the occult, and eventually became a priest of Satan.  It was said that at Bartolo’s ordination into the satanic priesthood that evil spirits could be heard shrieking and cursing.

Following his entrance into the satanic priesthood Bartolo’s physical and mental health declined, and Bartolo fell into a very deep depression.  After awhile, Bartolo began to think that something was truly wrong with him so he set out to visit his friend Vincenzo Pepe, who was a devout Catholic.  After meeting with  Vincenzo Pepe, Bartolo decided to quit satanism and he returned to the Church.   However, Bartolo fretted that because he was a former priest of Satan that God would not forgive him of his sins, and that he was predestined for hell.  However, one day Bartolo heard that one of Our Lady’s promises about her Rosary was that those who will promote and propagate this devotion will not suffer the fires of hell. So from that moment on, Bartolo promoted the rosary far and wide, and he took the Lay Dominican name of Brother Rosary.

Bartolo became a great Marian apostle. His prayer and spirituality was based on the most holy Rosary which is why John Paul II mentioned Bartolo several times in his Apostolic Letter on the Rosary.

There are a couple lessons that we can learn from Blessed Bartolo’s life.  The first lesson is that no matter how far we have fallen, God will always forgive us and take us back if we are truly sorry.  Second, there is no limit to the power of the rosary.  There is no evil be it in our own lives, in our family, or in society at large that can not be defeated if we would just humble ourselves, and PRAY THE ROSARY!!

God bless!

Jeffrey David

There is still the Light of Christ

“In the night when all sound, all activity of men shall be silent, when the voices of all men and of all nations are still, may my soul, through its good works, shine out in you, O Jesus, light of the just. In that hour when darkness like a cloak shall be spread over all things, may your grace, O Lord, shine on us in place of the earthly sun. In that night which brings to an end the course of this world and all its activities, may our souls behold your wonders in that quiet which is more than silence. In that hour, refreshing the weary through the sleep that lies on all men, may our minds be inebriated with your delights, O delight of all the Saints! In that time of dark night, may a new sun arise for us. Then let us take wing in that hope which was laid up for us in your resurrection.”

~ Saint Ephrem the Syrian, deacon and hermi

Even in our present time of increasing darkness we should take care not to focus so much on it, because if we focus too much on the darkness we run the risk of being overcome by it.  Instead let us focus on the saving power of Christ.  The Light who Shines in the darkness.

Blogged by:  Jeffrey David

Lady of Fatima Church needs less programs, more prayer and penance!!

Today is the 92nd anniversary of the last appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the three shepherd children Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco in Portugal in 1917. The visions occurred on the 13th day of each month from May to October, and by October huge crowds were gathering at the site of the visions and reporting visions and miraculous occurrences themselves.

What is the Message of Fatima?

The public message of Fatima recalls that of Lourdes. Through the children Mary urges prayer for sinners, recitation of the Rosary, and works of penance. On October 13 she said: “I have come to exhort the faithful to change their lives, to avoid grieving Our Lord by sin; to pray the Rosary.”

But Mary also confided several “secrets” to the children, some of which Lucy subsequently transmitted. Presumably there was prediction of another war in the near future and a request for special veneration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the spread of communism. The final secret was in-regards to the  general falling away from faith that would come upon the world in the not too distant future if men did not amend their lives. Obviously this secret has been playing out over the course of a generation or two.

The message of Fatima is a simple one. If we are to convert sinners and realize peace in our world, we must pray the rosary daily and do penance. As the angel of Portugal said, “In this way, and in no other way, you will obtain peace for yourselves, for your family, for your country, and for your world.

edited by:  Jeffrey David

Although the so called “Freedom of Choice Act” has not been mentioned much lately, I feel that it would be wise to use every spiritual means necessary to assist in the defeat of this evil law.  I would  like to propose the following list that all Catholics can do to try and defeat this evil law: 

1) I would encourage all Catholics to pray the rosary and do penance for the defeat of this law.

2) We should also pray for the enlightenment of our new president, who is a sign of great hope for many, but to quote Pope John Paul II, “a nation that kills its own children is truly a nation without hope.”

3) Lastly, I would strongly encourage all Catholics to pray for the grace to accept more faithfully, in humility and obedience, Our Lord’s teaching, through His Church in-regards to all life issues, including remaining open to life.  Thus, by doing so, we can truly begin to build a culture of life, in word and in deed.

Abortion, in general, and specifically, what is proposed in the Freedom of Choice Act is not a right or a freedom, it is an abuse of freedom, and a license to kill, which is never a right. The abuse of freedom always results in the loss of freedom. The unborn already have no right, to their fundamental right, which is life, if someone deems that the child should be killed.  If the Freedom of Choice Act passes, then it will be the death of Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, and a host of other liberties.

Ultimately our fight is not with the pro-abortion groups, or pro-abortion politicians, our fight is against the powers and principalities of this world.  While we want to save as many babies as possible, our greatest concern should be for the souls of those proponents of death who are so ensnared by the evil one. Let us pray the rosary for their conversions because we are our brothers keeper.

Blogged by:  Jeffrey David