Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Rare New Year's Eve 'blue moon' to ring in 2010
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue - the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor.
A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up until New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.
However, the Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse on New Year's Eve when part of the moon enters the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will not be visible in the Americas.
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.
Blue moons have no astronomical significance.'Blue moon' is just a name in the same sense as a 'hunter's moon' or a 'harvest moon'.
The popular definition of blue moon came about after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misinterpreted the Maine Farmer's Almanac and labeled a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the almanac defined a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, not the usual three.
Though Sky & Telescope corrected the error decades later, the definition caught on. For purists, however, this New Year's Eve full moon doesn't even qualify as a blue moon. It's just the first full moon of the winter season.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue - the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor.
A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up until New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.
However, the Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse on New Year's Eve when part of the moon enters the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will not be visible in the Americas.
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.
Blue moons have no astronomical significance.'Blue moon' is just a name in the same sense as a 'hunter's moon' or a 'harvest moon'.
The popular definition of blue moon came about after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misinterpreted the Maine Farmer's Almanac and labeled a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the almanac defined a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, not the usual three.
Though Sky & Telescope corrected the error decades later, the definition caught on. For purists, however, this New Year's Eve full moon doesn't even qualify as a blue moon. It's just the first full moon of the winter season.
Monday, December 28, 2009
LESSON OF MANGER IS THE POWER OF SIMPLICITY OVER THE ARROGANCE OF THE PHARISEES
The lesson of the manger is that the smaller we are the closer we are to God. The larger we are, and the more we focus on ourselves, the less we can see. We obscure Jesus. It is the "littleness" that gives us supernatural vision. This is why pride halts many who feature themselves as intellects from appreciating His miracles. He manifests around us. He shows Himself in ways that are simple. It was the message of Bethlehem. The skeptics -- the Pharisees, the Sadducees -- might ask: How could God be among that couple from Nazareth -- that couple not even worthy of an inn? How could God be in an infant? Greatness comes with the simplicity of humility and the humility of simplicity; listen not to the judgment of worldliness. It is vapor. It ridicules because it fears its lack of perception -- the inability to recognize His Presence. Speak and think as Jesus spoke and thought -- as quietly as Joseph did, as the Blessed Mother has taught. Stop staring at yourself; look to His Light. When you are simple, you are powerful. Ego is the air in a balloon, subject to a pinprick (ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth). It cannot enter Heaven. "God, be merciful to me, a sinner," we should say, as did the Publican, when proud thoughts enter, when we complicate. "The simplicity of humility frees us from constantly investigating ourselves, from looking at our misery and shortcoming," writes Brother Victor-Antoine D'Avila-Latourette of Upstate New York. "Instead, it points our eyes to the loving glance of Jesus, to that glance full of mercy and compassion which can alone provide us complete forgiveness. Jesus loved the humble of heart." He was not of great stature at a university. He quoted not philosophers. He played no politics. But He came more than two thousand ago to be the turning point in history.
The lesson of the manger is that the smaller we are the closer we are to God. The larger we are, and the more we focus on ourselves, the less we can see. We obscure Jesus. It is the "littleness" that gives us supernatural vision. This is why pride halts many who feature themselves as intellects from appreciating His miracles. He manifests around us. He shows Himself in ways that are simple. It was the message of Bethlehem. The skeptics -- the Pharisees, the Sadducees -- might ask: How could God be among that couple from Nazareth -- that couple not even worthy of an inn? How could God be in an infant? Greatness comes with the simplicity of humility and the humility of simplicity; listen not to the judgment of worldliness. It is vapor. It ridicules because it fears its lack of perception -- the inability to recognize His Presence. Speak and think as Jesus spoke and thought -- as quietly as Joseph did, as the Blessed Mother has taught. Stop staring at yourself; look to His Light. When you are simple, you are powerful. Ego is the air in a balloon, subject to a pinprick (ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth). It cannot enter Heaven. "God, be merciful to me, a sinner," we should say, as did the Publican, when proud thoughts enter, when we complicate. "The simplicity of humility frees us from constantly investigating ourselves, from looking at our misery and shortcoming," writes Brother Victor-Antoine D'Avila-Latourette of Upstate New York. "Instead, it points our eyes to the loving glance of Jesus, to that glance full of mercy and compassion which can alone provide us complete forgiveness. Jesus loved the humble of heart." He was not of great stature at a university. He quoted not philosophers. He played no politics. But He came more than two thousand ago to be the turning point in history.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
WHAT DOES YOUR MIDDLE NAME SAY ABOUT YOU
[b]You Are Wise and Thoughtful[/b]
[img]http://www.blogthingsimages.com/whatdoesyourmiddlenamesayaboutyouquiz/name.jpg[/img]
You are the type of person who believes in seeking the truth - no matter how painful it may be.
You question everything and everyone. You even try to question your own actions and beliefs every day.
You are curious about the world. You think in terms of ideas and theories, and you're open to any new perspective.
You can get a bit obsessed and involved with your personal interests. You would make a good professor.
[url=http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourmiddlenamesayaboutyouquiz/]What Does Your Middle Name Say About You?[/url]
[url=http://www.blogthings.com]Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet[/url]
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Supreme Court Says Personhood Is The Way To Go!
Submitted by Keith on Sun, 12/20/2009 - 04:59
in VideoColorado
Personhood was widely discussed at the Supreme Court oral arguments for Roe v. Wade.
Note that among other things, the judges state that:
“The basic constitutional question, initially is, whether or not the unborn fetus is a person. That’s critical to this case is it not?”
“Could Texas, constitutionally in your view, declare, by statute, that a fetus is a person for all constitutional purposes?”(Chief Justice Burger)
“The state could OBVIOUSLY adopt that kind of statute, and then it would have to be adjudicated.” (Pro-abort Attorney, Sarah Weddington)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
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MANGER SCENE ERECTED IN CENTRAL PARK
The Catholic League erected a nativity scene today in New York City’s Central Park; it will be up for two weeks. Bill Donohue seeks to clarify what is at stake:
Our life-size crèche, paid for by the Catholic League, is right in the heart of New York City; it is on the corner of 59th and 5th. Behind it stands the world’s largest menorah. That is how it should be: Christians and Jews should not be excluded from accessing land that is a public forum to display their religious symbols.
There is much confusion about this issue. The courts have made it clear that the display of religious symbols in a municipal building, or on a courthouse lawn, must be accompanied by secular symbols. But if the property is a public forum, a place where musicians, artists and others gather at various times of the year, then the government cannot prohibit the display of privately funded religious symbols, even when they are not accompanied by secular ones. That is why the New York City Parks Department allows Catholics and Jews to display their religious symbols (absent secular ones) in Central Park—it is a public forum. It is important to note, too, that a menorah is not a secular symbol, and attempts to deny its religious meaning are invidious.
We hope that public officials across the country take note of these differences and understand that if the Catholic League can put a manger scene in Central Park, then there is nothing to stop them from doing likewise in a similar spot.
Significantly, the public overwhelmingly agrees: in a Rasmussen survey released last week, only 13 percent of adults object to the display of religious symbols on public property; 76 percent approve and 10 percent are undecided. Women are more tolerant than men, and blacks are more tolerant than whites. Looks like we need to work on those white boys.
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
*Material from this website may be reprinted and disseminated with accompanying attribution
MANGER SCENE ERECTED IN CENTRAL PARK
The Catholic League erected a nativity scene today in New York City’s Central Park; it will be up for two weeks. Bill Donohue seeks to clarify what is at stake:
Our life-size crèche, paid for by the Catholic League, is right in the heart of New York City; it is on the corner of 59th and 5th. Behind it stands the world’s largest menorah. That is how it should be: Christians and Jews should not be excluded from accessing land that is a public forum to display their religious symbols.
There is much confusion about this issue. The courts have made it clear that the display of religious symbols in a municipal building, or on a courthouse lawn, must be accompanied by secular symbols. But if the property is a public forum, a place where musicians, artists and others gather at various times of the year, then the government cannot prohibit the display of privately funded religious symbols, even when they are not accompanied by secular ones. That is why the New York City Parks Department allows Catholics and Jews to display their religious symbols (absent secular ones) in Central Park—it is a public forum. It is important to note, too, that a menorah is not a secular symbol, and attempts to deny its religious meaning are invidious.
We hope that public officials across the country take note of these differences and understand that if the Catholic League can put a manger scene in Central Park, then there is nothing to stop them from doing likewise in a similar spot.
Significantly, the public overwhelmingly agrees: in a Rasmussen survey released last week, only 13 percent of adults object to the display of religious symbols on public property; 76 percent approve and 10 percent are undecided. Women are more tolerant than men, and blacks are more tolerant than whites. Looks like we need to work on those white boys.
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
*Material from this website may be reprinted and disseminated with accompanying attribution
Friday, December 18, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Guest Opinion: Are You Really Catholic? By Jennifer Hartline Catholic Online
The Church is not out of step with society; society is out of step with the Church. “Today more than ever, our nation is in need of Catholics who know their faith deeply and express their faith, with integrity, by their daily living.” Archbishop Raymond Burke
After reading His Excellency’s outstanding address at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast and studying the current state of affairs in our nation, I’m prompted to ask a personal question:
Are you really Catholic?
Are you Catholic because your parents were Catholic, because their parents were Catholic because their parents were Catholic? Is it your culture or your faith? Is it your present choice or your history? Is it your conviction or a “hat” you put on for baptisms, weddings and funerals?
The evidence clearly shows that too many “Catholics” in America are Catholic for reasons other than a conviction of faith. And that’s just not going to cut it any longer. Our culture and our country are flying at warp speed into a black hole of godlessness, and I am increasingly flabbergasted at the sheer number of Catholics who are helping to fuel the descent.
Shamefully, the fact is that Catholics are largely responsible for electing our current government. That means that the majority of Catholics in America either don’t truly know their faith and what it means, or they don’t care, or they lack the courage to make their choices in properly informed by their faith.
It’s pathetic that so many who say they belong to Christ are so easily beguiled and deceived.The sacrifice of the Cross must not mean very much to many of us because we’re willing to sell it real cheap in exchange for the good opinion of those who would silence Christ. Precious Blood was spilled for our sins. Today our leaders and our culture want to wash away Its saving stain, and the majority of Catholics are quietly watching them mop… even handing them a bucket.
It’s not enough to be culturally Catholic, a holiday Catholic, or Catholic by ancestry. It is certainly not good enough to profess a Catholic faith in church, and then deny it by our life’s choices. Hear these words from our faithful Archbishop:
“In a culture which embraces an agenda of death, Catholics and Catholic institutions are necessarily counter-cultural. If we as individuals or our Catholic institutions are not willing to accept the burdens and the suffering necessarily involved in calling our culture to reform, then we are not worthy of the name Catholic.”
It is our Christian duty to call our culture to reform. We’re not supposed to blend in and “adapt” our faith to the changing times! We’re supposed to be showing our lost culture the way of true and lasting peace, which can only be found in Christ. It is our responsibility to be firm in defense of the natural and moral law even when it makes us unpopular or hated. If we’re not willing to do that are we worthy to be called Catholic?
Our Church is far from perfect. There will always be mistakes, even travesties that we will weep over and work to correct with God’s grace. As long as people are flawed, there will always be problems to overcome. But Jesus has promised us that even the gates of hell will not prevail against us. He has given us His body for food and we have the Holy Spirit to guide us and our Blessed Mother to aid and comfort us. We have everything we need, if we will only be true to Christ instead of this world.
You are free to decide where and with whom you stand. You do not, however, have the right to try to change the Catholic Church to suit your opinions or wishes. No matter how brilliant you are, you are not above the Magisterium. No matter how persuasive the political position, you cannot ignore the law of the Church and the Natural Law. Doctrine and Orthodoxy may be distasteful words in this age of personal freedoms, but if you call yourself Catholic, you need to know what Catholic doctrine actually says and follow it. All of it – not just this or that particular idea that suits your preferences. The Church is not a cafeteria. You are not free to take some things and leave others.
If you are pro-abortion (also dishonestly known as “pro-choice”), you are not a faithful Catholic. It is never okay to kill an unborn human being. There simply is no way to reconcile support for abortion with authentic Catholic teaching which is based upon the simple foundation of true human rights beginning with the Right to Life.
If you are in favor of gay “marriage”, you are not a faithful Catholic. The defense of marriage between one man and one woman is not about denying anyone equality. Marriage is not a right that every person is equally “entitled” to the same as free speech. The union of man and woman is the only solid foundation on which to build a family, as God so wisely ordained from the very beginning. The family is the first cell of the Church and the first society.
If you support (that means vote for) politicians who advocate and legislate for laws and policies that violate the moral teachings of the Catholic Church, you are choosing to conform to this world rather than be transformed by Christ, and that’s very dangerous for all of us. To whom does your heart belong? It’s time to wipe out the notion that it’s okay for a Catholic to believe one thing in private and support the opposite in public, a la Biden, Pelosi, Kerry, Sebelius, etc. It is not okay. It is in fact, a mockery of our faith and a pathetic lie.
Either live as a Catholic Christian or don’t, but stop trying to remodel the Church to make it more appealing to the world. Learn your Catholic faith, understand it correctly and LIVE IT out in public without apologizing. Stop compromising the truth. Quit trying to rewrite Church teaching to bring it “up to speed” with modern times. The Church is not out of step with society; society is out of step with the Church. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and thus His Church is timeless, ageless and always perfectly relevant. It is not the Church who needs to change her thinking; it is society that needs to CORRECT its thinking.
Abortion is evil today because it’s always been evil and always will be. Gay “marriage’ is wrong today because it’s always been wrong and always will be. What is true and right and holy and sacred and pleasing to God never changes, no matter how the world may change.
The Catholic Church in America is in crisis, for sure, because too many people wearing that name are not living the true faith. That fact was on display this weekend at Notre Dame for the entire world to see. A Catholic University bestowed a law degree and honor upon a President who is fiercely determined to make it as easy as possible to kill babies all over the world. And today one more poll shows that still a majority of American Catholics don’t think it’s a problem. In my estimation, that means that a majority of American Catholics are simply not being faithful Catholics.
President Obama knows this quite well, and he’s only too happy to use our crisis of faith to his advantage. Are you okay with that? It is time to choose. Are you really Catholic?
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Jennifer Hartline is a Catholic Army wife and stay-at-home mother of three precious kids who writes frequently on topics of Catholic faith and daily living. She is a contributing writer for Catholic Online.
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