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Catholic Podcasts

The Rosary Army

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Pray-As-You-Go!

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Daily Prayer for your MP3 Player

Saintcast

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"All Things Saintly"
Catholic Prayers
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
Our Father, who art in Heaven; hallowed by Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of god, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..
Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God's love commits me here, Ever this day, be at my side, To light and guard, Rule and guide. Amen.
O Blessed Face of my kind Savior, by the tender love and piercing sorrow of Our Lady as she beheld You in Your cruel Passion, grant us to share in this intense sorrow and love so as to fulfill the holy will of God to the utmost of our ability. Amen.
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me Body of Christ, save me Blood of Christ, inebriate me Water from Christ's side, wash me Passion of Christ, strengthen me O good Jesus, hear me Within Thy wounds hide me Suffer me not to be separated from Thee From the malicious enemy defend me In the hour of my death call me And bid me come unto Thee That I may praise Thee with Thy saints and with Thy angels Forever and ever Amen
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose, make intercession for holy Church, protect the sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke you in their necessities, and since you are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from your most holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, of sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life of burning charity, and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen.
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.





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"Let us learn first of all, to defend our belief without hating our adversaries."
Frederic Ozanam

January 20, 2010

What can Brown do for you today?

Unplug-logoHe can carry the message that the Americans in Massachusetts have given loudly and clearly to our government:

You are our representatives, not our masters. You work for us, not for yourselves. We are mad as heck and we’re not going to take any more of your arrogance.

I firmly believe Scott Brown was elected, not because he was a Republican, but because he was not a Democrat.

After years of slamming the Bush administration hard for being a “culture of corruption” the Democrats in just one short year have proven they only offer the same or worse!

We are a Democratic Republic with a representative government. When the government stops representing us it’s time to get rid of the government. Scott Brown may well be only the tip of the iceberg.


January 18, 2010

Well said . . .

The measure of a man

American Thinker via The Lonely Conservative


The "Terrible Triangle"

Update: This post was prompted by my re-discovery of a website I find to be a remarkable treasure. What impressed me most were the photos of the faces of the Spanish clergy, religious, and lay people murdered in the Spanish Civil War. Here’s a link to Hagiography Circle; and this link directly to the page beginning the list of martyrs of the Spanish Civil War.

These days when one hears terms like “Terrible Triangle” thoughts immediately jump to latter day terrorism especially the Greater Middle East, southeast Asian island nations such as Malayasia, the Philippines etc. where such “triangles of terror” have probably been defined over time. The particular triangle I’m referring to though is one that Pope Pius XI tried to bring SpanishLeftistsShootStatueOfChrist to the attention of the world but which, especially the West, seemed to remain silent on.

The triangle of terror that Pope Pius XI was concerned about involved three countries – the Soviet Union, Spain, and Mexico. In all three countries socialism and communism, among other idealogies, had taken strong root — all of them due to the influence of the Marxist-Leninist philosophy from the Soviet Union who, as promised by Our Blessed Mother at Fatima, spread their terror world-wide. In each of these countries the Church suffered terrible persecution and loss yet rarely was this even mentioned in the press of the day. As the violence spread, beginning with the Soviet revolution in 1917, through the 20’s and 30’s, the ideology of Communism was spread through much of Eastern Europe and the Balkans where even more of the Church began to experience persecution. As with any topic involving human misery and suffering, particularly when that suffering involves the Catholic faithful  there is typically great accusation made against the Church attempting to “explain” why there was rebellion and violence against the Church, its people and property. Often the explanation involves the Church colluding with the rich and the landowners. Now I’ll be the first to concede that not every member of the Catholic Church, clergy, religious, or laity are innocent of some favoritism with the influential people, but the number of these versus the number of faithful, hardworking priests and religious pale when considered against the backdrop of the cold-blooded murder of so many of them in Russia, Spain, and Mexico in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Later, as WWII began the Communists, Nazis, Socialists and Facists made every attempt to obliterate the Church and remove any trace of God from the countries and cultures they tried subvert. In the end, history notes that none of these ideologies is acceptable to right-thinking and God-fearing people who, when given the choice will reject them all in favor of liberty, self-government, and religious freedom.

Today, as ever, these ideologies are a dangerous element putting freedom and democracy at risk wherever men and women are duped into believing them and some are well-intentioned. But not everyone espousing socialism or communism is good-hearted or has the best interest of the “people” at heart. On the contrary – more often than not it is the few who believe they are the answer to the worlds ills and that the masses of ignorant, poor, and working class of the populations are simply dragging everyone the world down. The common good is exchanged for something equally as insidious and hateful as the “class” structure they claim to replace. At least in the democracy we are free to render charity and aid to those in need (and we prove this in America every day by our giving to those in need both at home and abroad) and to worship the God who compells us to that charity. (I speak of charity here in the Christian sense of the word, that is, love).

Take off the blinders of bias, shut out the meaningless rhetoric, open your heart and mind and see the differences. Yes, America has poor, we have unemployed, we have rich exploiting the workers, we have clergy failing in their faithfulness but we have many, many more who, while wealthy, share their wealth willingly, who though not wealthy willingly share what they have with those in need, who daily struggle with difficults lives but who live those lives proudly and work hard for what they do have. There are thousands upon thousands of clergy and religious who have dedicated their lives entirely to serving God and His people, whoever they are, wherever they live, and no matter their state in life. In anything other than the type of democracy we have in America any or all of these things would be jeopardized for the good of a few at the cost to many.

Mary help us; Jesus save us!

The photo above courtesy Wikipedia:

 "Execution" of the Sacred Heart by leftist militiamen at Cerro de los Ángeles near Madrid, on 7 August 1936, was the most famous of the widespread desecration of images and Churches.[1] King Alfonso XII had consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the spot on May 30, 1919.[2] The photograph was taken by a Paramount newsreel representative and originally published in the London Daily Mail with a caption calling it part of the "Spanish Reds' war on religion."[3]


January 15, 2010

"Human freedom does not legitimate bad moral choices"

Nancy Pelosi’s Bishop, Archbishop Niederauer of San Francisco, has responded to another of Speaker Pelosi’s outrageous statements on her faith. Ms. Pelosi simply doesn’t get it and this time, in a December interview with Newsweek magazine, she pulled out the time-worn argument that our having free will makes choosing to kill a child by abortion permissable. She maintains the Catholic Church teaches that we all have “free will” thus also teaching that choosing abortion is wrong is restricting a woman’s free will.

"I am a practicing Catholic, although they're probably not too happy about that. But it is my faith," said the Speaker, referring to the Catholic Church hierarchy.  "I practically mourn this difference of opinion because I feel what I was raised to believe is consistent with what I profess, and that is that we are all endowed with, a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions. And that women should have that opportunity to exercise their free will."

Responding, Archbishop Neiderauer said

"embodied in that statement are some fundamental misconceptions about Catholic teaching on human freedom" - misconceptions he noted "are widespread both within the Catholic community and beyond."

"Human freedom does not legitimate bad moral choices, nor does it justify a stance that all moral choices are good if they are free: 'The exercise of freedom does not imply a right to say or do everything,'" wrote the archbishop, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

"It is entirely incompatible with Catholic teaching to conclude that our freedom of will justifies choices that are radically contrary to the Gospel — racism, infidelity, abortion, theft," he continued. 

"Freedom of will is the capacity to act with moral responsibility; it is not the ability to determine arbitrarily what constitutes moral right."

"While we deeply respect the freedom of our fellow citizens," Niederauer concluded, "we nevertheless are profoundly convinced that free will cannot be cited as justification for society to allow moral choices that strike at the most fundamental rights of others. Such a choice is abortion, which constitutes the taking of innocent human life, and cannot be justified by any Catholic notion of freedom."

(via Lifesitenews.com )

Indeed, the good Archbishop knows whereof he speaks while Ms. Pelosi apparently knows little of what her Church truly teaches. It isn’t hard to find out what the teachings are – they are plainly described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and in thousands upon thousands of other writings on the Church teachings done throughout the centuries. What you will find is the consistency the Church has shown in those teachings, thus, the root of Ms. Pelosi’s argument is that “the ends justify the means” while the Church teaches, as it has taught for centuries, “the ends do not justify the means” (CCC #1753).

Even more basic to Pelosi’s argument is the concept of “free will”. Madam Speaker seems to subsribe to a dissenting view of how one’s conscience works in determining the choices you make. If Pelosi is correct then no choice is made from ones “free will” but from ones own will. You decide what is right or wrong and you act upon that decision. In a technical sense I guess you could call that free will but in the truest sense I believe this is an abberant definition of “free will”! If each determines for himself the right or wrong of a choice and takes action on that choice based on their own determination of the morality without consideration for any norms we simply have anarchy and chaos. We do not have anarchy and chaos because we have moral truths upon which our laws are based, which we recognize, and which we obey. These laws, natural and man-made keep society functioning in social and productive ways. The Catholic Church teaches that in every heart the law of God is written – otherwise how do you explain the certainty with which even a toddler will experience knowing what is right or wrong without having had benefit of any teaching?

I make no claim to know what is in someone else’s heart much less what motivates Nancy Pelosi, but generally speaking when one decries the teaching of the Church the reason is simple – you want something you shouldn’t have.


January 13, 2010

Haiti, poor Haiti

It seems like just last month that Haiti was suffering from severe mudslides as a result of a hurricane passing over them. One northern city was almost entirely buried in mud. Now a 7.0 earthquake! The news coming out of Haiti is discouraging. The photos and video show lots of damage and destruction and most certainly the death toll will continue to rise as the ability to search the rubble increases over the next couple of days.

One image truly broke my heart – – what appeared to be a young girl, lying face down where she’d been caught by a collapsing wall. Her head appeared to be resting  on one arm as though perhaps she’d been alive for a time but had perished before help could arrive.

Haiti is such an impoverished country as it is. They’ve endured centuries of oppression and punishment from conquerers and then from their own leaders. How can they stand more suffering?

I pray that many, many of Haiti’s brothers and sisters will help in whatever way possible: donating to aid organizations, joining missions to assist, our prayers – do whatever you are able but at the least pray for them that they will receive all the aid and comfort they need. So many will need comforting because they will have suffered the double trauma of the fright of the earthquake (perhaps barely surviving themselves) and the loss of family and friends.

Haiti, poor Haiti

 

 


Back to the Blog (I hope)

My blogging has been extremely sparse but there were several reasons for the layby.


  • First, it's just the case that the holy season of Christmas is busy and blogging tends to have a much lower priority during Christmas and Easter.

  • Just before the U.S. Thanksgiving a friend and collegue took his life. As if that in itself weren't stressful enough I took over his job responsibilites. He had been training me as his backup for some time but I still didn't have a thorough knowledge and extensive enough experience to feel comfortable. God is good and so are the people with whom I work - they've all been understanding and haven't been too rough on me when I make mistakes.

  • Thirdly I have been discerning a vocation to the Diaconate for several years and had finally screwed up the courage to make the application. It was that same week that my workmate died and I had to take over his job. Needless to say work overwhelmed everything and I found myself realizing that my application paperwork was overdue. To make a long story short everything worked out and last week I was notified that I had been selected to enter the application process. There are several steps that take place over a period of months before the final selection of candidates is made. I ask for your prayers that God's will for me will be made known and that I will have the faith, courage, and perseverance to carry it out joyfully whether that be as a Deacon in His Church or not!


January 4, 2010

Happy New Year!

Wishing all who read this a blessed New Year filled with grace and God's providence.


December 20, 2009

A blessed Christmas

This blog has been inactive for some time now and that was not my intention but life has a way of getting in the way of what you want to do with things that you need to do.

Please view a Christmas greeting here (h/t Holy Cards for Your Inspiration)


November 11, 2009

Veterans Day - 2009

I was reminded today, by an article on Catholic Exchange (The Forgotten Battle of World War II: Remembering the Aleutian Campaign), of one of my duty stations during the last half of my Navy career. For those who don’t know, I spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy as a Cryptologic Technician (Communications) from 1969 to 1989. One of my assignments was to the Aleutian island of Adak, Alaska from 1984 to 1986. Like so many military assignments, Adak was out of the way, isolated, and mostly unknown by any but the few who had been there. Until my transfer from the Atlantic Fleet Cryptologic Training Group (working out of CINCLANTFLT & the Naval Security Group Activity Northwest in Virginia) Adak was the kind of duty station I’d heard about, but hadn’t heard anyway say nice things about – it was a sort of mythical assignment – a place most of us knew about but few really knew anything about except that it sounded like a most forlorn assignment.

Continue reading "Veterans Day - 2009" »


November 2, 2009

Conversion -- catastrophe

Planned Parenthood Director Quits After Watching Abortion on Ultrasound

Only the most hardened of hearts could possibly resist the Truth this woman saw.

The Ship of State is Being Steered Toward a Maelstrom of Anti-Christianity

The author of this article serves on an advisory committee to the White House on issues of importance to Catholics.

We are not alone – the majority of Americans (more than 70%) do not support federally funded abortions, do not want the homosexual agenda advanced in schools and forced upon our young children. Despite this our Congress intends to try and pass a health care reform bill which will do precisely what we Americans do not want done. Write, call, email or fax your Congressional representatives and Senators. In late October, knowing full well that the proposed hate crimes legislation would not garner enough votes to pass the bill was quickly attached to the “must pass” defense appropriations bill. Shame.

Susan B. Anthony

In her publication The Revolution, wrote:

"Guilty? Yes. No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime!"

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

classified abortion as a form of "infanticide." The Revolution, 1(5):1, February 5, 1868

"When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."
Letter to Julia Ward Howe, October 16, 1873, recorded in Howe's diary at Harvard University Library

(These and other quotes from famous feminists at Feminsts for Life)








St. Epiphanius of Salamis

Patron Saint for 2009

Which Saint has chosen you? Visit The Patron Saint of the Year Ministry Blog and leave a request.



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CURRENT MOON

US Navy Bio

Feb 1969
Enlisted Burlington, NC
May-Aug 1969
Boot Camp, Co. 116, Naval Training Center, Orlando, FL
Aug-Dec 1969
Cryptologic Technician "A" School, Naval Communications Training Center, Pensacola, FL
Jan-Jun 1970
Staff, Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, VA
May 1971
TAD - USS Calcuterra, DER-390
Jul-Aug 1970
Counterinsurgency School/SERE Training, Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, VA
Sep 70-May 71
Staff, Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam, Saigon, Republic of Vietnam
Jun-Aug 71
Staff, Commander, Task Force 115, Cam Rahn Bay, Republic of Vietnam
Oct 71-Nov 74
Naval Intelligence Processing System Support Activity, Suitland, MD
Nov 74-Feb 79
Naval Security Group Department, Naval Communications Station, Rota, Spain
1975
TAD - Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (VQ-2), Rota, Spain
Mar 79-FEB 82
Naval Security Group Activity Northwest, Chesapeak, VA
MAR 82-JUL 84
Cryptologic Training Group, NAVSECGRUACT Northwest, Chesapeak, VA
82,83,84
TAD - Fleet Training Group, Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
AUG 84-JUL 86
Naval Security Group Activity, Adak, AK
AUG 86-AUG 89
Staff, Command U.S. Third Fleet embarked in USS Coronado (AGF-11), Pearl Harbor, HI
August, 1989
Retired aboard USS Coronado (AGF-11), Pearl Harbor, HI

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