Adoration of the Magi

Epiphany

May God bless you all

Poor litte baby

I feel so sorry for Elton John's new possession. That poor kid has nothing to look forward to but ending up like Liza Minelli. Where the heck are the Child Protective Service people?

The Promise of Ages

It's not Santa, it's not some political figure, it's a holy Babe who was born in a manger in Bethlehem. It is Jesus, Mary's Boy Child, God with Us, the Prince of Peace, King of Kings. He is the Lamb of God. Rejoice.

Magnificat

Merry Christmas

Mother of God

Be it done to me according to thy word

Mary around the world

betrayal

• Bishop Chaput came out in favor of the DREAM Act. With a nearly ten percent unemployment rate why do we need to give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens? I know a woman who hasn't worked full time in a year. She's terrified that at her age, (over 40) she'll never find full time work again. Volunteers at the Post Office who answer children's letters to Santa are reporting they're seeing letters pleading for mundane things like shoes and coats or jobs for their parents instead of toys. That's a darn shame. Bishop Chaput and his brother bishops who gave public support to the DREAM Act have slapped their parishioners--both the native American and the legally naturalized Americans in the face.
  
  
• Whoever decided to have stripping acrobats at the papal audience on Wednesday did the Holy Father no favors. Acrobats have performed at the Vatican before in John Paul II's day, but this was a bit louche. Why on earth was this allowed? Who thought that hairless men peeling off their tops was a good idea in the presence of the pope?And what was the deal with the strutting dominatrix chick who came with them? Somebody needs to be fired, right now because they're either incompetent or they slyly chose to betray Pope Benedict and make him and the Church look foolish.

Power Plays

I read this post about Sr. Elizabeth Worley which asks if she's the most powerful Catholic woman in America. I found the whole question off putting. It reminded me of when the Holy Father went to England earlier this year and I saw a photograph of a bus that had an ad for women's ordination. It simply said "Give us the power, old man." Why this Satanic obsession with power? What about service, sacrifice, immolation of self? I never hear the feminist Catholics or their gelded male proxies talk about giving all for God, they simply prattle about the ability to force everyone else to go along with whatever it is they want.

For the record, Sr. Elizabeth sounds like a fine person but she's not the most powerful American Catholic woman. That title probably belongs to a cloistered nun, who's name and status are known only to God or a victim soul or maybe even an apparently insignificant lay woman who prays.

Annunciation

Last year I got gifts from various monateries and convents. It was so much fun I'm doing it again this year. Friends are getting items from Holy Orders , Benedictine Monks , Monastery Greetings and beer from the Trappist monks. We gave the beer to our pastor, Fr. Eagle and he was quite pleased.

Random thoughts

• I was at a Christmas party this weekend and boy oh boy do I wish people would shut up about their sex lives. Our Lady of Silence, pray for us.
  
  
• College in America for many kids is four years of sex, booze and casual drug use. At the end the kid is left with a useless degree (If your parents change the subject when people ask what your major is, it's probably a useless program) and a pile of debt. We need to rethink the system.
  
  
• The first slaves arrived in America began in 1619. The civil rights law that made my lifestyle possible didn't' happen until 1964. The fair housing law didn't happen until 1968. When I think of everything my mother's generation has seen it's astonishing.
  


• Pardon my language but I'm pissed off. A number of liberal bloggers are saying that they are angry at Elizabeth Edwards because she stuck with John Edwards instead of dumping him as soon as she found out about his mistress. Their reasoning is that this would've ruined Edwards and he would not have been able to damage Hilary Clinton and a strong Hilary could've fought off Obama. Well, that's just crap and I now see how the Soviets were able manipulate living history so easily.
  
  If you voted for Obama you own that vote. God saw what you did in that voting booth. Don't be like Adam, and whimper that"It's the woman's fault!"
  
  
• Why do we keep allowing immigration from Muslim countries?
  
  

A really fine priest

Rocky and I went over to the Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore of Maryland yesterday. It was very nice. We got as far as Kent Island and went to Mass at St. Christopher's in Chester. The parishioners were a little chilly but no worse than the Mr. and Mrs. Freeze's of Northern Virginia and the pastor there, Fr. Paul Jennings was one of the finest, friendliest and charming priests I've ever had the privilege of meeting. I think the Holy Spirit meant for us to find Chester last night. Father's homily on confession was powerful. It was quite possibly the best one I've heard all year. If you go to the Eastern Shore and have the time, visit St. Christopher's.
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Our Lady came to Wisconsin

The Marian apparitions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help at Champion, Wisconsin have been deemed worthy of belief. Don't waste your time going to Medjugorje, we have an approved shrine right here in the US.

Sister Adele, you saw the Queen of Heaven and did everything she asked. Pray for us.

I am the Immaculate Conception

Elizabeth Edwards died.

Even if you didn't like Elizabeth Edwards, (I've read some very harsh comments today), pity her three motherlesss children. I know how they feel tonight and I wish I didn't. When I was 13, my father passed away. It was like the earth was ripped from under my feet and a hole was torn in the sky. It's a hideous, terrfying thing to lose a parent and it's worse -- so much worse, than most people can even imagine when you're just a kid.

Oh Sanctissima Maria

The most precious painting of St. Joseph and the Lord I've ever seen

Look at the happiness and affection in this painting. Thre are few good paintings of St. Joseph and even fewer that don't make the Holy Child look like a sickly little girl. This one is just precious.

How to make Christmas better

Drop the martyr routine. Seriously, everybody hates it. I was talking to a man the other day who groused about how nuts his wife gets in December. She's genuinely trying to give her family a perfect Christmas and ends up exhausted and grouchy and they always have a huge fight either on Christmas Eve or a few days before. He really wishes she'd chill out and doesn't appreciate her "show off" efforts because they just make everybody miserable. His wife is not a shrew. She's a nice woman who's trying to to live up the sick crazy train standard that other women create for women.

Ladies stop it. Get off the train. Your husband doesn't give a hoot about whether the tree is a Grandin Road original or came from an award winning tree farm. He doesn't want an exact replica of the White House tree. He really doesn't. You aren't Martha Stewart, heck. Martha isn't even Martha Stewart!She has servants and a magazine staff to make her mansions look beautiful. You aren't Jackie Kennedy, who had maids, and a nanny. You aren't your grandmother. You aren't your sister-in-law or your neighbor. You aren't that woman in the magazine. Stop it. Calm down. Jesus doesn't want you to freak out over the strudel. Remember what He said to St. Martha, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." This year do something different. Be a rebel. Do less. Tell the secular world and it's unrealistic expectations to buzz off.

Holy Mary, Mother of God