As we celebrate {Lent} this week I depart from the regular format of my column in order to share one of the most beautiful poems I have ever read.

One Solitary Life  – By Rev. James Allan Francis

“He was born in an obscure village,
a child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another obscure village
where he worked in a carpenter shop
until he was thirty.
Then for three years
he was an itinerant preacher.
He never had a family.
Or owned a home.
He never set foot inside a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles
from the place he was born.
He never wrote a book
or held an office.
He did none of the things
that usually accompany greatness.
While he was still a young man,
the tide of popular opinion
turned against him.
His friends deserted him.
He was turned over to his enemies.
He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross
between two thieves.
While he was dying
his executioners gambled
for the only piece of property he had,
his coat.
When he was dead,
he was taken down
and laid in a borrowed grave.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone
and today he is still the central figure
for much of the human race.
All the armies that ever marched,
All the navies that ever sailed
And all the parliaments that ever sat
And all the kings that ever reigned
Put together
have not affect the life of man
Upon this earth
As powerfully as this
One Solitary Life.”

The single most important question you must answer in your life is, “What will I do with this man Jesus?” If you have yet to answer this question, please don’t wait any longer.

Jesus was not a politician or lawyer, yet he transformed systems, rules and laws forever. He was not a lobbyist, yet he became the strongest advocate for the poor, disabled and helpless that the world has ever seen. He was not a businessman, yet he created the greatest code of ethics that, if followed, would stabilize the world’s economy overnight.

And, most importantly, Jesus was not a sinner. Yet, he took on the sins of all of mankind and paid the ultimate price so that God would not count our sins against us. He offers each of us the gift of total and complete forgiveness. That is the true gift of Christmas, and it can be yours for the asking.

Maybe you’ve never accepted the gift of forgiveness that Jesus offers you. Maybe you don’t even know how to ask for it. Don’t be distressed, he isn’t impressed by lofty words or eloquent language anyway – he just wants to know you are sincere. Here’s a very simple prayer that might help you as you accept his life-changing gift of forgiveness:

“Dear Jesus, I come to you now with an open heart, eager to understand who you truly are. I can scarcely believe that you know all of my faults, sins, hopes and dreams – and that you love me just the same. But I choose this day to put my faith in you. Please forgive me for all the wrongs I have done, and help me to understand that your love for me is unconditional and complete. And please help me love you with all of my strength and to begin to follow in your footsteps by forgiving and loving others. I accept your gift of forgiveness and salvation, and I thank you for making me a new creature from this moment on.”

As you begin life anew, may you truly experience {the love and forgiveness Christ has to offer us during this Lenten season}, and every day of your life.

Rebecca Hagelin is a public speaker on the family and culture and the author of the new best seller, 30 Ways in 30 Days to Save Your Family.

http://townhall.com/columnists/RebeccaHagelin/2009/12/22/one_solitary_life

“In the formation of our constitution the wisdom of all ages is collected — the legislators are antiquity are consulted, as well as the opinions and interests of the millions who are concerned. It short, it is an empire of reason.”

–Noah Webster, An Examination into the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, 1787

http://patriotpost.us

By Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D., Catholic Exchange, March 30th, 2010

BARACK OBAMA NAMES PRO-ABORTION ACTIVIST CHAI FELDBLUM TO EEOC POSITION
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – Unable to overcome a bipartisan filibuster against her nomination to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, President Barack Obama used a weekend recess appointment to give Chair Feldblum a one-year term on the commission. The decision could impact abortion as it relates to employment issues.

PRO-LIFE DEMOCRAT WHO SPLIT WITH STUPAK PANS OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON ABORTION
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – In the aftermath of the House passing and Obama signing the pro-abortion health care bill, pro-life Democrats have been taken to task for voting for it in exchange for a flimsy executive order that won’t truly ban abortion funding. But one Democrat who voted against the bill is standing his ground.

POLLS: OBAMA HITS NEW LOW, AMERICANS WANT PRO-ABORTION HEALTH CARE REPEALED
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – Just one week after Congress passed and Obama signed a the pro-abortion health care bill, Americans dropped Obama’s approval rating to a new low in one poll. Another survey shows, by a 12 percentage point margin, Americans favor repealing the health care law and its abortion funding.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD THANKS CATHOLIC NUNS WHO BACKED PRO-ABORTION HEALTH CARE
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – The nation’s largest abortion business is thanking a small group of Catholic nuns whose letter endorsing the pro-abortion health care bill is seen by many observers as helping its passage. With their numbers grossly distorted by the mainstream media, the nuns gave Catholic lawmakers cover to vote for the bill.

NATIONAL DOCTORS GROUP FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST PRO-ABORTION HEALTH CARE LAW
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – A nationwide doctors group is the first medical society to file a lawsuit against the new pro-abortion health care law President Barack Obama recently signed. The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons filed suit in federal court against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

REPORT: TELEMED ABORTIONS USING DANGEROUS DRUG HURT WOMEN, UP INSURANCE COSTS
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – A new reported issued by a national pro-life group takes on the growing practice of “telemed abortions” — which see abortion practitioners instruct women on using the dangerous abortion drug by video conference instead of assisting them in an in-person, on-site visit.

ABORTION’S SLIPPERY SLOPE LED TO KILING TERRI SCHIAVO, WE MUST NEVER FORGET
by Maria Vitale
When I was in seventh grade, our pro-life teacher drew a line on the blackboard connecting the word “abortion” with the word “euthanasia.” The killing of pre-born children leads to the killing of older people, people with disabilities, and people who are ill. Life is a tapestry, and when one thread has been pulled out by advocates of abortion, the rest of the threads begin to unravel.

LifeNews.com Note: Denise Burke is the Vice President for Legal Affairs for Americans United for Life, a pro-life group, in part, that works with state legislators to pass pro-life laws. This is one part of AUL’s special series of opinion columns in honor of women’s history month.

“The doctor never conferred with me … I wasn’t given any information on what they were going to do or how. I was just taken in and taken care of, as they put it. I was never given the choice of whether I would allow adoption or anything.”

“He never told me how big my baby was or any of the complications that could happen and he certainly didn’t tell me the aftereffects.”

These are real women’s stories – stories of women who underwent abortions, trusting the person with Doctor before his or her name. Regrettably, that trust was grossly misplaced in an industry where paternalistic attitudes pervade and where profits and an adherence to a radical pro-abortion ideology are placed above women’s health and well-being………….READ MORE….GO TO:  http://www.lifenews.com/nat6204.html

BAKER, Oregon – Bishop Robert Vasa of the Baker, Ore. diocese has issued a tough rebuttal against health reform lobbyists who downplayed the abortion funding in the federal health care bill, which the Catholic prelate called “positively evil.”
“It is often necessary for us to live with that which is imperfect but a plan that includes funds for the direct and intentional killing of innocent human beings is much more than imperfect, it is nothing short of positively evil,” wrote Vasa in a column for the Catholic Sentinel Monday.
Vasa said the argument that “the perfect is the enemy of the good” should be used “with caution and care lest it be used to justify and rationalize the promotion of the mediocre or even the support of evil.”
“Seeking a health plan that does not expand abortion is not a demand for ‘perfection.’ It is the barest human and moral requirement,” wrote Vasa.
“A program that funds the killing of innocent children is not health care,” he wrote. “No one would claim that a fiancé’s insistence on fidelity on the part of his intended is an enemy of an otherwise ‘good’ relationship.
“Absurd! No one would counsel an affianced to ignore the present infidelities of the intended on the grounds that he or she is really a good, well-intentioned person. No, the infidelity destroys the possibility of an authentic relationship.”
“The provision of abortion funding or abortion expansion destroys the very heart of health care,” concluded the bishop. “The demand that such a provision be eliminated is not a demand for ‘perfection.’ Such a demand, in this case, is not the enemy of the good, it is standing in the face of evil.”
Vasa first spoke out against the Democrats’ health care reform effort in August, before the final Senate version was crafted, saying it was already “fatally flawed” in regard to life issues.
Dozens of other U.S. Catholic bishops, in agreement with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have condemned the health care reform legislation for unleashing federal abortion funding and lacking adequate conscience protection provisions for pro-life health care professionals.

Click here (or see below) for a list of U.S. bishops who explicitly opposed the final version of the health care legislation.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/mar/10032911.html

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following is a list of Catholic organizations and individuals who have come out publicly in favor of the Senate health care bill, which allows government funding of abortion:

Catholic Health Association
Network
National Catholic Reporter
Catholics United
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Bishop Emeritus John E. McCarthy of Austin, TX

Following is a list of Catholic bishops and dioceses who have come out publicly against the Senate health care bill:

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, TX; chairman, USCCB pro-life office
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, IL; president, USCCB
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, MA
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, CO
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, NY
Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee, WI
Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City-St. Joseph, KS
Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN
Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien of Baltimore, MD
Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile, AL
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati, OH
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit, MI, Michigan Catholic Conference:
Bishop Walter Hurley of Grand Rapids, MI
Bishop Early Boyea of Lansing, MI
Bishop Paul Bradley of Kalamazoo, MI
Bishop Joseph Cistone of Saginaw, MI
Bishop Bernard Hebda of Gaylord, MI
Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, MI
Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, LA, Louisiana Catholic Conference:
Bishop Sam G. Jacobs, Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, LA
Bishop Michael Jarrell of Lafayette, LA
Bishop Robert Muench of Baton Rouge, LA
Bishop Ronald Herzog of Alexandria, LA
Bishop Glen John Provost of Lake Charles, LA
Bishop Michael Duca of Shreveport, LA
Aux. Bishop Shelton Fabre of New Orleans, LA
Bishop Robert Baker of Birmingham, AL
Bishop Michael Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, WV
Aux. Bishop James Conley of Denver, CO
Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland, CA
Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO
Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland, OH
Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, VA
Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, WI
Bishop William R. Murphy of Rockville Centre, NY
Bishop George Murry of Youngstown, OH
Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, AZ
Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, CO
Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, RI
Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, PA
Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth, TX
Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, OR
Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin, TX
Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, FL
Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, UT
Rev. Msgr. Richard W. Gilles, diocesan administrator of La Crosse, WI

Some Catholic organizations who publicly support the bishops against the health legislation include:

Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious
Catholic Medical Association

(If you notice a bishop or organization not on the list that has explicitly come out against the final version of the health care bill, please let us know.)

SOUTH BEND, Indiana - Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, the prestigious former president of the University of Notre Dame, may have helped swing a critical House Democrat vote to the “yes” column after House Speaker Pelosi asked for his help, reported the LA Times and the Associated Press last Tuesday.

The South Bend Tribune confirmed the report on Friday.

Hesburgh was called in to persuade U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) to vote for the health care bill despite the vast expansion of abortion funding embedded in it. Donnelly had been a member of the group of Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who opposed the bill without Hyde-amendment restrictions on abortion funding. Stupak and several other Democrats eventually agreed to vote for the legislation in exchange for a presidential executive order purporting to ban federal abortion funding.

The order, however, was dubbed meaningless and “a symbolic gesture” by both the National Right to Life Committee and Planned Parenthood.

The LA Times’ Richard Simon and Faye Fiore hailed the Speaker’s initiative. “The key to Pelosi’s success on the healthcare vote is intimate knowledge of her members and the kinds of influences that will move them,” they wrote.

Elizabeth Shappell, Donnelly’s press secretary, claims Hesburgh did not tell Donnelly how to vote but only advised him to “vote your conscience.”

As president of Notre Dame in 1967, Fr. Hesburgh spearheaded the infamous Land O’Lakes statement, in which the heads of several American universities declared their separation from the authority of the Catholic Church.

The University of Notre Dame has been struggling to repair its pro-life credentials Continue reading →

Tuesday, Holy Week

Father James Swanson, LC

John 13:21-33, 36-38

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus´ side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus´ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After he took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor. So he took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ´Where I go you cannot come,´ so now I say it to you.” Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Master, why can´t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I wish to accompany you closely on the road to Calvary. If I were to contemplate you more often as you hang scourged and bloody upon the cross, I’m certain I would be able to rest in your love and base my actions on that one truth. I know that you have loved me with an eternal love: you have proven it there on the wood of the cross. So I long to respond with gratitude, peace and the firm determination to spread your love to everyone.

Petition: Lord, help me to see and avoid the pitfalls of pride.

1. Trusts in Christ’s Love — Peter loves Jesus. Jesus is his best friend. Peter would do anything for him. Like us, it distresses Peter to think he might be separated from Jesus. He feels the strength of his love and doesn’t hesitate to proclaim that he is willing to die for Jesus. He means it. That same night in the Garden of Gethsemane, he will draw a rusty old sword and face a cohort of professional soldiers all by himself. With a mighty stroke (not much of a swordsman, but brave…), he will nick the ear of the High Priest’s servant. There really is love there and a serious intention to make sacrifices for Jesus’ sake. But like us, there is something he still lacks. At times I may feel so ready to take on anything for love of Christ. But as soon as the “anything” comes, I experience my weakness. There’s even the risk of giving into discouragement at my failures.

2. Making Poor Choices – We know that Peter can make a bad decision because he has done it often enough in the past. Five minutes after being named head of the apostles, he is advising Jesus to abandon the Father’s plan, a plan that involves going to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Jesus reacts strongly, totally rejecting this insinuation: No one comes between him and the Father’s will. Peter has made a big mistake, and Jesus makes that clear: “Stumbling block,” “Satan,” “You think not as God thinks but as man” (Cf. Matthew 16:23). And this was only one in a series of mistakes; the Gospels list more. Part of Peter’s appeal is that he is so much like us. We make lots of mistakes every day. Like Peter, we think not as God, but as men. Yet as we know, Peter will succeed in the end to become humble and to serve his Lord steadfastly.

3. Misjudgement of Situations– Peter is complacent. He thinks he understands the situation. Everything is going well. The people have finally acclaimed Jesus as Messiah. The chief priests, scribes and Pharisees are upset but powerless. They attempt to debate Jesus and show him up every day, but always end up bested by Jesus. It seems like it won’t be long now before Jesus has everyone convinced that he is the Messiah and from that point on, it should be clear sailing. Peter is about to be blindsided, but he doesn’t realize it. The only solution for him is to do what Jesus is urging him to do, but he doesn’t realize that. In spite of his respect for Jesus, he is still sure that he knows what it best for himself. I am convinced that my life must be rooted in prayer and union with God?

Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, like Peter I have fallen many times. Every time it was because I put my trust in myself rather than in you. Help me to listen to your inspirations and your inner promptings to prayer. Only with humility will I be able to avoid falls in the future. Please help me obtain it, Lord.

Resolution: I will start everything I do today with a prayer, offering its fruits up to God. When I finish each activity, I will give thanks to Christ, my friend, for all the help he has given me. I will offer him my successes and ask him to forgive my failings.

http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=363&ca=975&te=735&id=20302

CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY, MARCH 30, 2010

St. John Climacus was born around the year 525 in Palestine. As a youth, he excelled in his studies and was highly regarded by his peers for his knowledge. At the age of sixteen, John decided to leave the world and retired to a hermitage near the base of Mount Sinai. For the next four years, John spent his time in prayer, fasting, meditation and discernment in preparing to take solemn vows to the religious life. Through the direction of Martyrius John curbed his vices and worked to perfect his virtues.

After professing his solemn vows, John began to spend more of his time studying scriptures and the early fathers of the Church. He became very knowledgeable in these subjects but his humility caused him to hide his talents and not presume to share them with others. Near the end of his life, he was encouraged to share his knowledge with others and wrote the “Climax” also known as “The Ladder of Paradise.” This work was a collection of sayings and examples to illustrate how to live the monastic life. From this work, he received the name Climacus, a derivative from the Latin root for climax or ladder.

As John progressed in years and wisdom, many of the religious living on Mount Sinai began to seek his advice in spiritual matters. He freely offered his advice and was highly regarded for his wisdom and holiness. Around the year 600 the abbot of all the religious in the region of Mount Sinai died and John was chosen to replace him. John ruled until his death in 605 and always tried to lead through his own example.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=192

Feast Days, or Holy Days, are days which are celebrated in commemoration of the sacred mysteries and events recorded in the history of our redemption, in memory of the Virgin Mother of Christ, or of His apostles, martyrs, and saints, by special services and rest from work. A feast not only commemorates an event or person, but also serves to excite the spiritual life by reminding us of the event it commemorates. At certain hours Jesus Christ invites us to His vineyard (Matthew 20:1-15); He is born in our hearts at Christmas; on Good Friday we nail ourselves to the cross with Him; at Easter we rise from the tomb of sin; and at Pentecost we receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Every religion has its feasts, but none has such a rich and judiciously constructed system of festive seasons as the Catholic Church. The succession of these seasons form the ecclesiastical year, in which the feasts of Our Lord form the ground and framework, the feasts of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints the ornamental tracery…..READ MORE….. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06021b.htm



Citing the Separation of Church and State, Davenport Nixes Holy Day . . . One week before the most solemn day in the Christian year, the city of Davenport, Iowa removed Good Friday from its municipal calendar, setting off a storm of complaints from Christians and union members whose contracts give them that day off.

While Acts tells us that Judas ‘went to his own place’, his modern contemporaries are still hanging around the Church, collecting their silver pieces.

Senate leader Sharon Weston Broome says her bill is designed to make women ‘think twice about having an abortion.’

Senate President Pro Tem Sharon Weston Broome, D-Baton Rouge, said the bill is designed to make a woman “think twice about having an abortion. This is such a serious decision that a woman makes, the process should be exhausted with all the medical information on the procedure” available, she said.

Broome said she expects opposition to the measure from abortion rights organizations when Senate Bill 528 comes up for debate during the legislative session that begins Monday. She said she expects anti-abortion advocates to rally round her proposal.

Julie Mickelberry, director of public affairs of Planned Parenthood of Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta, which supports abortion rights, said the bill “is not about health care; it’s about shaming women for seeking an abortion.”

The bill says that although the ultrasound screen must face the pregnant woman, she can avert her eyes from it.

However, the individual performing the ultrasound must “provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting,” such as location of the fetus in the uterus, its size, and the presence of external members and internal organs if present and viewable.”

The woman must also be given a sealed copy of the ultrasound result but there is no requirement that she must look at it. The provider must obtain a written certification from the woman that the ultrasound has been done before the abortion is performed. Continue reading →

Brief, Patriot Post, March 29, 2010

The Foundation

–Alexander Hamilton

Liberty

Maybe if Gibbs was reading the Constitution instead of a pop-up Star Wars book…

“The day after the House approved the health care bill, a reporter asked White House spokesman Robert Gibbs about the lawsuits some states were threatening against the legislation on the grounds that the provision forcing all Americans to buy health insurance was unconstitutional. ‘I think there’s pretty longstanding precedent on the constitutionality of this,’ Gibbs said, without offering any substantive explanation. Later in the briefing, another reporter pressed Gibbs on the question. ‘You say there’s established law, established precedent,’ said the reporter. ‘On what? What is it? What is the established precedent?’ ‘On the regulation of interstate commerce,’ said Gibbs. The reporter then asked how the mandate in question was part of interstate commerce. ‘Well, that’s — I think, again — look, I’m not a lawyer, right,’ said Gibbs. ‘And neither am I,’ said the reporter. … Gibbs, of course, has every right to profess ignorance of the Constitution. Who knows, in this instance, he might be telling the truth. But he has no right to denigrate the ability of other Americans to understand the Constitution, and it is fatuous for him to suggest only lawyers can. … Surely, a teacher, a doctor, a mechanic, a network news anchor and perhaps even a member of Congress can understand the words of the 10th Amendment as well as any lawyer can. It says: ‘The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.’ If the Constitution has not delegated to the federal government the power to force Americans to buy health insurance, then Congress and the president do not have that power. Period.”

–CNSNews.com editor in chief Terence Jeffrey

Obama Seriously Buys Star Wars Pop Up Book

The force is strong with Obama!

VATICAN CITY, 27 MAR 2010 (VIS) – Given below is the text of a note released by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., entitled “Vigil of Holy Week”.

“The question of the sexual abuse of minors by members of the Catholic clergy has continued to receive wide coverage in the communications media of many countries, especially in Europe and North America, coverage which has continued over recent days following the publication of the Pope’s Letter to the Catholics of Ireland.

“This is no surprise. The nature of the question is such as to attract the attention of the media, and the way in which the Church deals with it is crucial for her moral credibility.

“The truth is that the cases that have come to public attention generally took place some time ago, even decades ago, although recognising them and making amends with the victims is the best way to restore justice and to achieve that ‘purification of memory’ which enables us to look to the future with renewed commitment, with humility and trust.

“A contribution to this trust comes from the many positive signals emerging from various episcopal conferences, bishops and Catholic institutions in different countries on the various continents: directives for the correct handling and prevention of abuses, which have been reiterated, updated and renewed in Germany, Austria, Australia, Canada etc.

“In particular, one piece of good news is the seventh annual report on the application of ‘Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People’ of the Church in the United States. Without indulging in misplaced congratulations, we cannot but recognise the extraordinary preventative efforts being undertaken, with numerous formational and training courses both for the young people and for pastoral and educational staff. And it must acknowledged that the number of accusations of abuse has dropped by more than 30 percent over the last year, and most of them concerned cases more than thirty years old. Without entering into further details, it must be recognised that the decisive measures currently being implemented are proving effective: the Church in the United States is on the right road to renewal.

“This, we feel, is an important piece of news in the context of recent media attacks, which have undoubtedly proved harmful. But an impartial observer will not fail to notice that the authority of the Pope and the intense and coherent commitment of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have not been weakened, rather they have been confirmed in their support and guidance to bishops to combat and root out the blight of abuse wherever it appears. The Pope’s recent Letter to the Church in Ireland is powerful testimony of this, and contributes to preparing the future along the path of ‘healing, renewal, reparation’.

“With humility and trust, in a spirit of penance and hope, the Church now enters Holy Week asking the mercy and grace of the Lord, Who suffered and died for all”.

http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/dinamiche/a1_en.htm

Let’s do a quick thought experiment.

The price of apples keeps going up. The government decides that every American must buy apples. But some can’t afford them.

Government starts controlling how much apple farmers are paid, it mandates that every single American buys apples and subsidizes those under a certain income level so they can.

Will the price of apples go down, stay the same or go up? Or, in economists’ language, if you limit the supply of a commodity and increase demand, will the price of that commodity go up or down?

Did you say “up”? You get an A. But if you did say “up,” you surely are not a Democrat.

Democrats have just committed multitrillions of our money, and, as a bonus, sold a big chunk of American freedom down the road, betting that everything a college freshman learns in basic economics is not true. Or, that health care doesn’t follow the rules of economics. Because our new health-care system is pretty much the apple scenario described above.

Or, maybe they don’t care? Maybe it’s not about economics, but about ideology and political power. And that the real issue is freedom. They think we’ve got too much and that politicians should decide what is fair and who should have what.

A revealing moment during the presidential campaign occurred when, during one debate, ABC’s Charles Gibson pushed then-Sen. Barack Obama about his stated intent to increase capital gains taxes. Gibson brandished data showing that when you cut this tax, government tax revenues increase, and when you raise it, revenue drops (punishing investment surely produces less).

“So, why raise it?” Gibson asked. Obama responded that maybe it won’t happen that way this time. And besides, he said, his motive was “fairness.”

After voters in Massachusetts elected a Republican to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, killing the Democrats’ filibuster-proof Senate majority, many pundits wrote that President Obama had to move to the political center.

I wrote then that this wouldn’t happen because, unlike President Bill Clinton, who did moderate, Obama is a left-wing ideologue. He didn’t run for president to be somebody. He did it to do something. He did it to change America.

As polls showed waning public support for what Democrats were pushing on health care, many assumed they would back off. It was still conceivable that they could stand rules on their head and ram the thing through using the so-called reconciliation procedure. But why would they do it when polls suggested they would be punished in November elections?

But Obama understood that when you are selling dreams, numbers don’t matter.

So, as in the housing and financial debacle we just went through, you commit taxpayer money to subsidize a product to make it look cheaper than it is, you get people to buy it, and when it all comes crashing down, it doesn’t matter. By then you’re long gone.

And, another bonus, as more Americans get herded onto the government plantation — 30 million more with this new bill — it’s easy to keep them there. So the most likely political outcome going forward is higher taxes and income redistribution to pay for it all, entrenching socialism more.

As I have written before, if you want to know where it all leads, look at our inner cities that were long ago taken over by government compassion. This is our future, my fellow Americans.

Oh, back to the apples. Their prices were rocketing up to begin with because government was already controlling and regulating them.

Republicans are mad. But will they be able to entice Americans off the ever-growing government plantation? Will they propose and succeed in selling the bold ideas necessary to turn the basket case we’re becoming around?

We’ll see.

http://townhall.com/columnists/StarParker/2010/03/29/the_government_plantation_forever

Thomas Colyandro is the author of The Judas Syndrome: Seven Ancient Heresies Return to Betray Christ Anew, available now from Saint Benedict Press (www.saintbenedictpress.com).  He holds master’s degrees in theology and divinity from the University of St. Thomas and served that university, as well as the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, in multiple capacities.

http://catholicexchange.com/2010/03/29/128469/print/

Deal Hudson, Inside Catholic, March 29, 2010

There are only two facts Catholics need to know about the health-care bill to decide it must be repealed: The bill signed by the president includes federal funding for abortion, and the executive order does nothing to remove that funding.

You don’t have to accept those facts on my authority — they have both been expressly asserted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

For those who have been led astray by the false and misleading statements of Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), the Catholic Health Association, Catholics United, and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, here is how the USCCB explains it:

Federal funds can be used for elective abortions in community health centers; federal funds will subsidize health care plans that cover abortions; and Americans are forced to pay for other people’s abortions even if they disagree morally.

President Barack Obama’s executive order — which, after months of stating his opposition, nevertheless satisfied Stupak to the point that he could lend his support to the bill — cannot, according to Francis Cardinal George, president of the USCCB, serve as a “substitute for statutory provisions.”

Richard Doerflinger, associate director for policy development at the USCCB’s Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, explained it was the “unanimous view of our legal advisors and of the experts” that present laws concerning abortion as “construed by the courts would override any Executive Order or regulation.”

Given the unaltered abortion funding, the only recourse for Catholics is to work for a repeal of the legislation. Any justification for keeping the bill in place will necessarily involve proportionalist reasoning.

One such argument being used by Catholic progressives is that the benefit of the universal coverage contained in the bill outweighs the impact of the abortion funding. As Pope John Paul II explained in Veritatis Splendor (75), the proportionalist thinks in terms of the “greater good” or “lesser evil,” which makes all moral norms “always relative and open to exceptions.”

The bishops’ explicit rejection of this specious reasoning is found in their explanation of why they opposed passing the bill in the first place. The USCCB statement of March 23 contained the following passage (emphasis added):

Nevertheless, for whatever good this law achieves or intends, we as Catholic bishops have opposed its passage because there is compelling evidence that it would expand the role of the federal government in funding and facilitating abortion and plans that cover abortion. . . . If this new law is intended to prevent people from being complicit in the abortions of others, it is at war with itself.

The moral argument for repealing the health-care bill is no different. If Catholics in the United States support the implementation of this bill, rather than calling for its repeal, they will become, as the bishops point out, complicit in millions of abortions.

A so-called Repeal It pledge has already been signed by 64 members of Congress. Some GOP leaders, such as the senators from South Carolina, Lindsay Graham and Jim De Mint, are proposing a “repeal and replace” strategy.

The question of repeal necessarily reaches out toward the 2010 election. No doubt, the fate of health care will be determined by the outcome of many congressional races, perhaps leading to a Congress whose first item of business will be a repeal. Catholics will have a powerful reason — the protection of unborn life — to cast their votes behind candidates who promise to end abortion funding by repealing the legislation.

Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States (Simon and Schuster).

http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7877&Itemid=48

Remarks at Palm Sunday Mass

March 28, 2010

REMARKS BY ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY DOLAN, ARCHBISHOP OF NEW YORK

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, made the following remarks at the conclusion of Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on Sunday, March 28, 2010.

“May I ask your patience a couple of minutes longer in what has already been a lengthy — yet hopefully uplifting — Sunday Mass?

“The somberness of Holy Week is intensified for Catholics this year.

“The recent tidal wave of headlines about abuse of minors by some few priests, this time in Ireland, Germany, and a re-run of an old story from Wisconsin, has knocked us to our knees once again.

“Anytime this horror, vicious sin, and nauseating crime is reported, as it needs to be, victims and their families are wounded again, the vast majority of faithful priests bow their heads in shame anew, and sincere Catholics experience another dose of shock, sorrow, and even anger.

“What deepens the sadness now is the unrelenting insinuations against the Holy Father himself, as certain sources seem frenzied to implicate the man who, perhaps more than anyone else has been the leader in purification, reform, and renewal that the Church so needs.

“Sunday Mass is hardly the place to document the inaccuracy, bias, and hyperbole of such aspersions.

“But, Sunday Mass is indeed the time for Catholics to pray for  “ . . . Benedict our Pope.”

“And Palm Sunday Mass is sure a fitting place for us to express our love and solidarity for our earthly shepherd now suffering some of the same unjust accusations, shouts of the mob, and scourging at the pillar, as did Jesus.

“No one has been more vigorous in cleansing the Church of the effects of this sickening sin than the man we now call Pope Benedict XVI.  The dramatic progress that the Catholic Church in the United States has made — documented again just last week by the report made by independent forensic auditors — could never have happened without the insistence and support of the very man now being daily crowned with thorns by groundless innuendo.

“Does the Church and her Pastor, Pope Benedict XVI, need intense scrutiny and just criticism for tragic horrors long past?

“Yes!  He himself has asked for it, encouraging complete honesty, at the same time expressing contrition, and urging a thorough cleansing.

“All we ask is that it be fair, and that the Catholic Church not be singled-out for a horror that has cursed every culture, religion, organization, institution, school, agency, and family in the world.

“Sorry to bring this up … but, then again, the Eucharist is the Sunday meal of the spiritual family we call the Church.  At Sunday dinner we share both joys and sorrows.  The father of our family, il papa, needs our love, support, and prayers.”

-30- http://www.archny.org/news-events/news-press-releases/index.cfm?i=15982



The Vision of Pope Leo XIII

What is now called the Vision of Pope Leo XIII took place on October 13, 1884.

It was after this that he composed the prayer to St. Michael.

This came about as a result of His Holiness having been given a vision of one hundred years of Satan’s having been given rein over the earth.

He was so shaken by his vision that he reportedly passed out, and some thought he had had a stroke or heart attack, until he explained what had happened.

Some legends say that the Pope had a locution in which he heard God and Satan conversing.

The gist of the conversation was that Satan told God he could destroy the church, at which the Lord told him to go ahead.

Satan replied that he needed more time and more power.

The Lord asked how much time and  how much power.

Satan answered that he needed 100 years and greater power of the people of the earth.

According to the legends, God gave Satan the time (20th century) and the power.

Pope Leo XIII composed the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, asking his protection. It goes as follows:

“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him and do you, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen”

Michael the Archangel by Guido Reni, Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome, 1636

http://www.discover-catholic-miracles.com/vision-of-pope-leo-xiii.html

THE PROPHETIC DREAM OF ST. JOHN BOSCO

In the midst of this endless sea, two solid columns, a short distance apart, soar high into the sky. One is surmounted by a statue of the Immaculate Virgin, at whose feet a large inscription reads Auxilium Christianorum (Help of Christians). The other, far loftier and sturdier, supports a Host of proportionate size, and bears beneath it the inscription Salus credentium (Salvation of believers).

Some auxiliary ships, which had gallantly fought alongside their flagship, are the first to tie up at the two columns. Many others, which had fearfully kept far away from the fight, stand still, cautiously waiting until; the wrecked enemy ships vanish under the waves. Then they too head for the two columns, tie up at the swinging hooks and ride safe and tranquil beside their flagship. A great calm now covers the sea.

(Source: The Catholic Dispatch. Found at: Prophecy of St. John Bosco.)

http://www.catholicgarden.com/bosco.html

….Average Americans who have quietly gone about their lives . . . they’ve gotten off the fence. They’ve woken up. There is a level of political activism in this country that we haven’t seen since the American Revolution, and Barack Obama has been the catalyst that has sparked a restructuring of the American political and social consciousness….

Gary Hubbell, Aspen Times Weekly, February 10, 2010

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100228/ASPENWEEKLY/100229854

“It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it [the Constitution] a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution.”

–James Madison, Federalist No. 37

http://patriotpost.us

Father James Swanson, LC

John 12:1-11

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days´ wages and given to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I wish to accompany you closely on the road to Calvary. If I were to contemplate you more often as you hang scourged and bloody upon the cross, I’m certain I would be able to rest in your love and base my actions on that one truth. I know that you have loved me with an eternal love: you have proven it there on the wood of the cross. So I long to respond with gratitude, peace and the firm determination to spread your love to everyone.

Petition: Lord,  grant me faith in your promise to raise everyone from the dead.

1. A Willful Blindness– Jesus produces one of his most convincing miracles – a sure sign that God sent him: He raises someone from the dead. The chief priests cannot deny this. The deed was not done far away in Galilee. Jesus is right there, in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. Lazarus is there too. Anyone who wants to see can travel the short distance from Jerusalem, over the Mount of Olives, and visit with Jesus and Lazarus. The chief priests, rather than give in and accept Jesus as the Messiah, reject him. Their rejection is complete. They should be able to see that Jesus’ miracle is obviously an act of God’s divine power, but they refuse to accept it. They can think of no way to convince people that he is not the Messiah except to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. Sometimes mere association with Jesus can bring about costly consequences. How ironic it would have been to be killed for the “crime” of being raised from the dead…

2. Harden Not Your Hearts–Logically, if anyone is to accept Jesus as Messiah, it should be the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees. They are the ones who know Scripture the best. They are the ones who are supposed to be on the lookout for the Messiah. By now they should realize that Jesus is doing everything that the Messiah is supposed to do. Yet with only a few exceptions (Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea), they fail to acknowledge him as Messiah. God’s ways are not our ways. God’s plans and actions remain impenetrable to the rationalistic mind that demands scientific-like proofs even in the spiritual realm. Hardness of heart makes us see the good works of others as evil. Do I seek to attune my mind and my heart to God’s ways or do I demand reasons from him? Often times the cross in our lives does not make sense. However, we will one day understand it by first accepting and carrying it.

3. Pride and Envy Can be Our Downfall– The Pharisees’ problem is pride. They think they’ve got everything figured out. They think (because they don’t want it to be true) that Jesus cannot be the Messiah. He doesn’t fulfill their expectations and they are not prepared to change – to examine themselves to see if they might be wrong. They are so sure they have it all figured out that they overlook all that Jesus does to fulfill Scripture. They go even so far as to overlook his having raised Lazarus from the dead! They clutch at any feeble excuse to discredit him: “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him” (Luke 7:39); “Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee” (John 7:52). God doesn’t conform himself to our plans and ideas. He expects us to conform to his.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, faith comes so hard to me.  I should be aware of all the good you have worked in my life. Help me to look  with the eyes of faith that will bring me to an unshakeable belief in you, a faith like that of those who witnessed your raising of Lazarus.

Resolution: Today, I will look back briefly on my life and try to notice all the things Christ has done for me, so that by reflecting on these things my faith and trust in him will deepen.

http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=363&ca=975&te=735&id=20302http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=363&ca=975&te=735&id=20302

On Palm Sunday, Father James explains the meaning of Holy Week and how we are to live out the Easter Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.