Oh Mary Conceived Without Sin, Pray For Us

If I was rich I'd have a copy of this statue made as a gift for my parish.

A nun

Random thoughts on a Saturday night

• Prince Harry of England went through a parody of a wedding to a woman who is already married and some Catholic bloggers went completely gooey.  That was disappointing.

• One of my earliest memories from childhood is of being taken by my godmother to St. Mary Mother of God church in DC and being awed by a pieta similar to this one. Rest in peace dear Miss Catherine and thank you for putting my feet on the path to the one true holy and Catholic apostolic Faith.
  
  

• Rocky and I came home from church this evening and he noticed that birds all seemed disturbed. I didn't see any hawks but something had them agitated. A few minutes later when we inside the sky became very dark and there was heavy rain. The birds sensed what was coming. God's creation is simply amazing.
  

• It's hiring season at my job and at many law firms around the country. I've seen bright and shiny young men and women come in and I've heard  parts of the evaluations afterwards. Here's one tip that is often overlooked: Don't be satisfied in just glancing at the firm website. Read everything you can about the firm you're applying to. Do a a litigation history check on Westlaw and see what the majority of the firm's cases are. Pay close attention to the partner bios because they'll tell you what they are most proud of in their career and often times what activities outside the firm that he or she is devoted to. If it's a huge firm you should at least read a selection of bios from each practice group. Be ready to explain what it is about this particular firm that you love and why you want to be a part of it.  These are simple things but ignoring them has caused more than one candidate to be cut from the second round of interviews.

• Working in Washington DC means that you never know what Catholic personality you might run into.  It's a small city and the Catholic areas are concentrated. I've met Cardinal McCarrick on the street, sat in the same pew with Raymond Arroyo, noticed George Wiegel heading to Mass and observed Charles Coulombe after Mass.

• Good grief. Did the earth just shift on it's axis? Did Hell just freeze over?  Michael Voris said the pope was wrong.  

• I read a comment on Twitter that Ireland was following America in legalized abortion. No. In 1973, the Supreme Court imposed abortion on the United States.  The Irish people went to the polls and overwhelmingly voted to kill their own children and there are crowds of people celebrating in the streets. 

Oh Mary Conceived Without Sin, Pray for US Who Have Recourse To Thee

St. Paul VI? Are you kidding me?

The Vatican announced that Pope VI will be canonized in October. How can this be? Read both these books and be sure to have a bottle of Pepto-Bismol right by your side when you do.

   

Friday

The Immaculate Conception

Pray for us, St. Dymphna

Saint Bonaventure has something to tell you.

If you learn everything except Christ, you learn nothing. If you learn nothing except Christ, you learn everything.

~ St. Bonaventure

Ascension Thursday

Cardinal Dolan never misses a chance to disappoint

When I saw the photos from the Met Gala I thought that the one good thing was that Cardinal Dolan wasn't there. Well he was.  I don't expect much from Cardinal Dolan. He loves the spotlight. He loves glitter and glam and he wants to be with the cool kids but this......damn.  Our Lord's Sacred Heart was mocked. Our Lady's Sorrowing and Immaculate heart was mocked. The Bride of Christ, His Church that He suffered the Passion for and died for was mocked.  

Please don't give me the mealey mouthed excuse of  "Oh well Jesus ate with sinners." When Our Lord ate with tax collectors and prostitutes those poor sinners were so moved by Him that they changed their lives forever.  Where in the Gospels does it say that Our Lord partied with sinners and then sent them on their ways to continue living the same sinful life?  Our Lord did not tell Mary Magdalene to tone it down a bit. He cast devils out of her and she became a great saint. Matthew, the tax collector left his wealth and followed Christ. He accepted hardship, danger, discomfort and martyrdom for love of Jesus. Cardinal Dolan had a fun time with blasphemers and  claims to have been honored to have been invited. After the gala he cheerfully said that  he didn't see anything sacrilegious and " I may have seen some things in poor taste - but I didn't detect anybody out to offend the Church."   Really? Your Eminence, you are not blind and neither are the laity who you are supposed to be teaching.  Even though the Vatican approved of this event and lent items (sacramentals?)  for the displays you didn't have to be there having a wonderful time. 

In reparation for insults to the Blessed Mother

When I saw (warning sacrilegious photo)  this I was not surprised but I was disgusted.  The cool, pretty people in New York decided to turn the Met Gala into an abomination  instead of the usual celebration of vulgarity and ugliness and Fr. Martin S.J.was there to show how hip he is.

In reparation for this filth I pray :

 Lord, forgive all reviling of Mary's name! 

We beseech Thee, hear us! 

 Lord, forgive all contempt of her Immaculate Conception! 

We beseech Thee, hear us! 

Lord, forgive all coldness in the honoring of Mary! 

We beseech Thee, hear us! 

Lord, forgive all contempt of Mary's pictures! 

We beseech Thee, hear us! 

Lord, forgive all neglect of the Holy Rosary! 

We beseech Thee, hear us! 

Lord, forgive all indifference to Mary's Motherly love! 

Art from Christians in the Holy Land

If you'd like to buy one of the gorgeous olive wood and Mother of Pearl carvings or other items made by the struggling Christians in the Holy Land check these links out.  I particularly like the sterling Jerusalem Cross necklaces at the Franciscan monastery.


 Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America gift shop

Holy Land Treasures


Bethlehem Wood Carving 


Bethlehem Christian Families

A prayer for the redemption of bad priests

Divine Savior Jesus Christ, Thou are the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. Oh, be in a very special way the Good Shepherd of those poor lost priests who are also appointed by Thee to be leaders of Thy people, but who have broken the oath of their holy ordination and have become unfaithful to their exalted calling. Bestow upon these poorest of the poor the very fullness of that pastoral solicitude with which Thou dost so faithfully seek the sheep that are lost! Touch their hearts with the irresistible ray of grace which emanates from Thine all-merciful love! Enlighten their minds and strengthen their wills, that they may turn away from all sin and error and come back to Thy holy altar and to Thy people. O most compassionate Savior! Remember that Thou didst once redeem the souls of Thine erring priests with Thy Precious Blood and in infinite preferential love didst impress upon them the indelible character of the priesthood. Put wholly to shame those miserable helpers of Satan who lay snares for the virtue of priests and endanger the holy ideal of the priesthood. Most graciously accept our prayers and sacrifices for poor priests who have gone astray and hear our earnest petition.

 Amen 

Imprimatur - Bishop John F. Noll (April 18, 1948)

St. Anthony of Padua, defender of the Holy Eucharist, obtain for us holy priests

St. John-Mary Vianney, model of sacerdotal holiness, obtain for us holy priests

St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionary priests, obtain for us holy priests

St. Therese of the Child-Jesus and of the Holy Face, victim offered for the sanctification of priests, obtain for us holy priests

Saints and Servants of God, obtain for us holy priests.

Well that was depressing

A few days ago I read a post in a news forum that is supposedly Christian, by a Catholic living in Jerusalem. He said that things are very hard and that frankly the ultra Orthodox Israelis are pretty vocal and sometimes physical about their hatred of Christians. The comments were depressing. There was not one word of support for the Catholics. It was obvious that most of the people who commented believe in the Scofield Bible and were of the John Hagee persuasion. They accused the Catholics of lying or of being anti-Semitic or of not being helpful.  I've noticed that many American Christians are either ignorant of the plight of Christians in the Middle East or find the Christians to be inconvenient and embarrassing because the Christians of the Middle East don't fit into their political world view.
I've said it before and I'll say it again now. It's shameful that with  the exceptions of the Franciscans, (the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher--I originally forgot about them)  and the Knights of Columbus,  most of the concern and assistance to Christians in the Middle East seems to be coming from the Eastern Orthodox.  I rarely see Western Catholics say a word about their suffering brethren.

random thoughts on a Wednesday night

• Rest in peace, Fr. Cooper. Several years ago I watched his catechism class that a parishioner posted on YouTube. It was excellent. I remember thinking how incredible it would be if priests in parishes all around the country spoke like he did.

• Every now and then some dear soul will ask why Black people overwhelmingly vote Democrat. Well, if you were going to lose your friends, your family's affection and have your life and or livelihood threatened unless you vote a certain way what would you do?