~Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And Patience for his moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'll beat him to death. AMEN~

MY FAVOUITE POPE...POPE CELESTINE V ...A HOLY AND SAINTED MAN...MY BLOG WAS NAMED FOR HIM.

The Celestine Sign


Yesterday was the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles of the beginnings of the Church -- one to the Jews, the other to the nations. But the times remind one of a man who took the name "Celestine" when he became Pope, a name never chosen again...

"I resign the papacy out of the desire for humility, for a purer life, for a stainless conscience, the deficiencies of my own physical strength, my ignorance, the perverseness of the people, my longing for the tranquility of my former life." --Pope St. Celestine V (1209-1296), also known as Pietro da Marrone, the only Pope in history to resign the papacy, giving the reasons for his resignation on December 13, 1294 after only five months as Pope. He lived another year and a half, kept in prison by his successor, Boniface VIII.

"I saw and recognized the shade of him who by his cowardice made the great refusal" --Dante, Inferno, III, 59–60; many scholars believe Dante is referring to Celestine V, placing him in Hell because Dante felt Celestine had acted in a cowardly way by resigning rather than facing and fighting the forces of evil in the Church)

A Mystery in Plain Sight

Today (reported June 29) in Rome, on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Benedict XVI gave a remarkable homily in which he mentions the threats that will come against the Church in the "last days."
This homily must be read in part as Benedict's commentary on the sexual abuse crisis and the increasing pressure being placed on the Church by secular judicial and law enforcement authorities.

The homily thus provides a deep insight into Benedict's mind at this troubled moment in his pontificate.

The feast in Rome on June 29 each year is the feast in which the Pope places the "pallium," a cloth made of wool, upon the shoulders of archbishops from around the world chosen during the past year as a sign that they are "linked" or "yoked" to the universal Church, to Rome, and to the person of the Pope.


In his homily, the Pope speaks of the "liberty of the Church" and says this liberty is protected by the strength of the union between the bishops around the world and the bishop of Rome, the Pope.
A little more than a year ago, on April 29, 2009, Benedict did something unusual. He left his own "pallium," the sign of his episcopal authority and his connection to Christ, on a tomb in Aquila, Italy. The tomb held the remains of a relatively obscure medieval Pope named was Celestine V (1209-1296).

Why?

The Pope now wears a pallium designed by Monsignor Guido Marini, a cross between the short pallium with black crosses worn by Metropolitan Archbishops and the longer ones with red crosses. This resembles the pallium worn by the the figure of Celestine in his shrine which is a short pallium with black crosses over an elaborate Roman chasuble.

Celestine was a holy monk. His model was John the Baptist. His wore hair-cloth and a chain of iron. He fasted every day except Sunday and each year he kept four Lents on bread and water alone. Many kindred spirits gathered about him eager to imitate his rule of life, and before his death there were 36 monasteries, numbering 600 religious, bearing his papal name (Celestini).

But he was not just a monk.


He was elected Pope in 1294, a time of great corruption and contention in the Church, after a conclave deadlocked for more than two years. He was elected at about the age of 80 (Benedict was 78 when he was elected Pope in 2005).

At Celestine's election, some of the Spiritual Franciscans, who opposed the worldliness of the Church hierarchy, proclaimed that he was the first legitimate Pope in nearly 1,000 years, since Constantine had granted the Church huge territorial possessions in the 300s.

So the Church had a holy leader, and many devout Catholics at that time thought the Church would be reformed by this good man.

But the holy Celestine -- who pleaded with the cardinals not to choose him as the Pope -- could not manage to rule the powerful cardinals around him.

The cardinals of 700 years ago seem to have chosen Celestine almost humorously, as it were, not seriously, as if to say, "We can't agree on a serious 'Prince-Cardinal' for Pope, so we will choose this holy, quiet, learned monk to be Pope, and watch with a certain amusement as he struggles mightily but in vain to guide the ungovernable bark of Peter."

After five months, Celestine gave up, and resigned -- the only Pope who has ever done so.

He thought he would end his life in peace, but his successor, Boniface VIII, fearing his opponents might use Celestine as a rallying point, ordered him confined, and some allege (probably wrongly, since he was already approaching 90), executed.

All of Celestine's official acts were annulled by Boniface.

Now, Benedict is scheduled to travel this Sunday, on July 4, to Sulmona, not far from Rome. There, in the crypt of the cathedral, as the last act of his visit, he is scheduled to venerate relics of this same holy Pope, Celestine V.

So Sunday, the Pope will pray before Celestine's relics for the second time in 15 months.

I am not suggesting Pope Benedict XVI is thinking of following in the footsteps of the saintly Pope Celestine and resigning.

I am suggesting that the studious Pope Benedict and the studious monk-Pope are "connected" in a mysterious way.

I believe Benedict's decisions to leave his pallium in Aquila, where Celestine's tomb is located, and to schedule a prayer before his relics this coming Sunday, are not haphazard.

These decisions are indicators, ways of communicating truths through gestures. They contain a message the Pope cannot deliver any other way.

HAPPY CANADA DAY...WHAT WILL THIS COUNTRY LOOK LIKE IN 47 YEARS...READ THIS BY Margaret Wente...

Immigration, old age and technology to rule Wente's Canada 47 years from now
Margaret Wente describes what Canada will be like in 47 years, as the country’s national age rises and its population becomes more dependent on immigration


Forty-seven years ago, when my family arrived in Canada, I could never have imagined what kind of country we'd grow up to become. Toronto was a boring backwater. Almost everyone was beige. Nobody drank wine or ate foreign food. Everything was shut on Sunday, because you were supposed to be in church. The Royal York was the tallest building in the city. Dief was the chief, the flag looked British, and nobody had heard of Leonard Cohen or Joni Mitchell yet.

What will Canada be like 47 years from now? Let me imagine.

No one was surprised when Shibani Pushparajah became prime minister. The brilliant second-generation immigrant, who was born in Mississauga, belongs to Canada's second-largest ethnic group. But really, she's a citizen of the world. The last white male prime minister lost his seat in 2043. The only white man in Ms. Pushparajah's diverse cabinet is the minister of agriculture.

Since the turn of the millennium, all of our population growth has come through immigration, mostly from China, India and the Philippines. In the thriving megalopolis of Greater Toronto (population: 12 million), people of European descent make up less than a third of the population. The biggest culture gap isn't between competing ethnic and linguistic groups, though. It's between the vibrant, globally minded, multiracial cities and the shrinking white ghettos of the Atlantic provinces and the rural hinterland.

Canada's population has swelled to 44 million. But immigration hasn't reversed the aging trend. Although the national IQ is high, so is the national age. A third of all Canadians are over 65. But “retirement,” as they used to call it, is long gone. There weren't enough workers to support the retirees. Today, you can't get old-age benefits until you're 75 or 80. That's really not that old. Breakthroughs in biomedicine have yielded cures for many of the old degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, and the average natural life expectancy is pushing 100.

Even so, health-care costs are ruinous, and taxes are sky-high. Like other cash-strapped Western nations, Canada wants to cut people off medicare when they turn 90. Instead, it will offer you a lavish farewell party at a time of your choosing, along with a generous endowment for your descendants and a delicious cocktail to put you to sleep forever.

Some of the old folks remember when the neighourhoods were full of kids. They're much more quiet now. For every person under 16, there are two people over 65. Instead of schools, governments are building group homes for geezers. One thing hasn't changed, though. Caregivers from the Philippines are as popular as ever. Only now, their dependent, diapered charges are at the other end of life.

Compared to Europe, Canada is lucky. Italy is so depopulated that the entire nation has been declared a vast theme park. Most Canadians can't afford to go there any more. Admission is restricted to the very wealthy – mostly Asians – who are happy to fork over the $10,000-a-day entrance fee. (All sums in post-Euro, pre-crash USD.) Instead, we flood to bargain-basement Central America, where huge colonies of elderly North Americans prop up the economies of entire nations.

Today, it's hard to imagine how powerful Quebec's French-Canadians used to be in national life. Demographics and immigration did them in. The separatist party collapsed in 2025, after its supporters literally died out. French-speaking immigrants from Africa and Haiti didn't care about the old battles, and with the end of transfer payments, Quebec lost its leverage on Ottawa for good. Today Quebeckers make up less than 20 per cent of the Canadian population, and live in the poorest province of them all. But they still have the best places to eat.

After the Great Crash of 2024, when China finally stopped buying U.S. debt, Canada endured its darkest decade since the Depression. We're still scarred by the memory of 18 per cent unemployment and the great pension fund collapse. Fortunately, our once-reviled oil sands saved our bacon. We leased them to China for 199 years at highly attractive rates, and that, along with a bonanza of new discoveries in the North, has made us nearly as rich as the Norwegians. We are happy the world is finally weaning itself off oil, but please, not yet.

Nostalgia buffs think everything was better in the good old days, of course. They love to sit around and listen to old Joni Mitchell tunes and show off their souvenir copy of the last Globe and Mail printed on dead trees. Their grandkids can't imagine a time when The Globe did not exist entirely in cyberspace. Everyone agrees the world has changed a lot in 47 years. But one thing hasn't changed at all. Canada is still the best country in the world.

Light fantastic: Stunning pictures show Northern Lights over erupting Icelandic volcano

The Northern Lights are effortlessly one of Earth's most visually striking natural spectacles.

But when they shine over an eruption at the Icelandic volcano which caused ash cloud flight chaos across Europe, the results are stunning, as these pictures show.

Purple and blue lights in the sky contrast with bright yellow and red lava flowing from the Eyjafjallajvkull volcano, erupting from beneath its ice cap.

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Greece lightning...Hammer of Zeus: Ancient Parthenon lit from above as storm breaks over Athens

It looks like a narrow escape for one of mankind's most ancient symbols.

A bolt of lightning illuminates the sky around the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, high on the Acropolis during a heavy rainfall in Athens early this morning.

Fortunately, the temple is believed to have escaped any damage.


The Parthenon, completed in 432BC, was originally dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its main function was to shelter a statue of the goddess made out of gold and ivory.

In 1656, a lightning strike to a powder keg destroyed structures on the Acropolis - but fortunately spared the Parthenon.
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First Martyrs of the See of Rome

Feastday: June 30

The holy men and women are also called the “Protomartyrs of Rome.” They were accused of burning Rome by Nero , who burned Rome to cover his own crimes. Some martyrs were burned as living torches at evening banquets, some crucified, others were fed to wild animals. These martyrs died before Sts. Peter and Paul, and are called “disciples of the Apostles. . . whom the Holy Roman church sent to their Lord before the Apostles’ death.”

Rare white elephant caught

Rare white elephant caught

ST. IRANEUS

HE'S ONE OF OUR EARLY CHURCH FATHERS...VERY INFLUENTIAL...AND TODAY IS HIS FEAST DAY...SO DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR.GO HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIM.

Pre-Christian paganism was a dreadful thing. I fear that post-Christian paganism will be just as bad.

Sent to Earth (Michael Brown)
Throughout the centuries, since Noah, there have been strange times: periods when floods, earthquakes, tidal waves, storms, droughts, plagues, volcanoes, and even asteroid or comet activity have haunted the earth. The hints are right there in the nightly news. It's about to happen again. God is poised to send major events, and it's for a simple reason. Like the people in ancient times, we've allowed evil to build up, and as a result we face happenings everywhere. This is the book Mother Angelica has called 'awesome.' As featured too by Archbishop Philip Hannan of New Orleans.

TODAY IS THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP...I PRAY TO HER ALWAYS...I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE BORN ON HER FEAST DAY.

MEMORIES...1 YEAR AGO THIS W/E...THE BAPTISM OF SABETH AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP PARISH IN HALIFAX,NOVA SCOTIA...

LOOK UP.June Full Strawberry Moon TONIGHT

Full Strawberry Moon – June This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!

Our Lady – The Queen of Peace of Medjugorje - has talked of “Nature” frequently. Here are a few of her beautiful words that I cannot overstate how profoundly they accurately capture the relationship between ourselves and the world our Creator has given us.

Dear children! Also today I call you to give glory to God the Creator in the colors of nature. He speaks to you also through the smallest flower about His beauty and the depth of love with which He has created you. Find peace in nature and you will discover God the Creator Whom you will be able to give thanks to for all creatures; then you will find joy in your heart.

Dear children! I invite you now to be open to God. See, children, how nature is opening herself and is giving life and fruits. In the same way I invite you to live with God and to surrender completely to him

Dear Children! Today I invite you to go into nature because there you will meet God the Creator. Today I invite you, little children, to thank God for all that He gives you.

Dear children! Also today I call you to give thanks to God in your heart for all the graces which He gives you, also through the signs and colors that are in nature. God wants to draw you closer to Himself and moves you to give Him glory and thanks.

PROPHETIC PULSE THROBS ONCE MORE WITH SEER IN BRAZIL AS GLOBAL EVENTS SEEM TO INTENSIFY

Having predicted the Vatican crisis over abuse, the earthquake in Haiti, the quake in Chile, a flood in Madeira, Portugal, the oil disaster , we are still paying attention to the alleged Brazilian seer named Pedro Régis.

Is it luck , is he psychic, or is he at last a Marian seer whose predictions materialize in real time?

The jury remains out.

Régis has long worked Brazil into his messages, and as a viewer named Anna Musto from Watertown, New York, writes:

"It looks like Pedro Régis was given another very accurate message from the Blessed Mother. On May 22, he received the following message in part: 'A frightening event will happen in Argentina and be repeated in Alagoinha" [a state in Brazil].'

"Actually," points out Anna. "Alagoinha ('Little Alagoas') is not a state, but is a Brazilian city in the state of Pernambuco. The heavy rains started last week and within two days dumped a month's worth of water on areas of Alagoas and neighboring Pernambuco state."

"Prior to Brazil," adds Anna, "Argentina also experienced devastating floods." The story about Argentina's recent flooding is here. "Since Argentina's flooding happened before Pedro Régis's message, a lot of people will probably discredit the message in its entirety because of the words 'will happen in Argentina.' When Google Translate is used, however, there is no future tense. Instead it says: "An amazing fact is in Argentina and will be repeated in Alagoinha." Argues Anna: "Notice that there is no mention of a future fact event in Argentina, but only that what happens there will be repeated in Brazil."

It is certainly peculiar, perhaps intriguing, maybe significant.

Régis, who asserts that he has been receiving messages from the Blessed Mother since 1987, has been on a run of predicting a great miracle for Brazil of late but also warning of false seers, stigmatics, and even weeping images in Latin America.

"Bend your knees," he quoted Mary as saying last week. "Seek strength in The Lord and show everybody that you really belong to God. Something sorrowful will happen in Rome. The church of my Jesus will weep and lament."

"The devil will act with great fury against the plans of God," was the message days before. "He will cause confusion and sow discord in the church of my Jesus."

And a day earlier: "Difficult times are yet to come. There will be great spiritual confusion everywhere. The devil will make signs and extraordinary wonders that will deceive many people. The false prophets will multiply more and more, and people will be confused. Your Brazil will be the victim of great spiritual confusions.

"The devil wants to destroy what is most precious within you. Pay attention. I have been with you for so long, but only now has the Lord permitted that these things be revealed. The chaff planted by the devil in your Brazil will be torn out, and the false prophets will fall to the ground. Be honest in your acts. Love and defend the truth. I repeat what I have already said many times; love and defend the truth. Return to Him Who is your all and knows you by name. I am your Mom and I come from heaven to defend what belongs to My Lord. The devil's mask will fall. This is the message I give you today in the name of The Most Holy Trinity."

On June 8 he also said: "An image will weep in the presence of a bishop and three priests. It will be the first and only happening in your Brazil."

That hasn't happened there, in Brazil, as yet, but a week after this putative message -- in Yerba Buena, Argentina -- a Catholic news organization called Zenit reported that "archdiocesan officials are calling for prudence regarding an image of the Last Supper that some claim shows Christ's forehead seeping blood that runs down His left cheek."

Is this connected to his message, which may have been heard imperfectly, or one of the falsities of which he warned? Or neither?

It is right to be prudent -- cautious -- about such seers. Yet we will not despise prophecy.

We warned of oil and ecological crisis in Tower of Light -- a book that focuses on the alleged 1990 prophecy, which at one point said cryptically: "As for the anti-christ, remember Europe, and especially Central Europe. Yet know too that God's Hand will be evident in South America."


What to make of this?

"Only in this land has God permitted me to speak to you about future events," asserts another Régis message. "God has chosen the land of the Holy Cross to announce what is to come to the world. I still have noble things to reveal to you. Pay attention. Something frightening will happen in the Iberian Península and death will come to My poor children."

We must be careful.

"Dear Sons and Daughters," is the latest message. "I am your mom and I come from Heaven to offer you my love. Be docile and imitate my Jesus in everything. I need each one of you. Don't back away. Humanity lives in a time worse that the time of the Flood, and my poor children are going as blind leading the blind. I suffer because of what awaits you. Pray much in front of the Cross. Don't be stuck in sin, rather, return to Him Who is your one and true Savior. You are heading towards a future of great trials. I want to tell you that you are the chosen people of God and He expects much from you. When all seems lost, a great victory of God will occur for you. Humanity will find peace when the devil is defeated. In the great triumph of my Immaculate Heart, the enemy of God will never again act against the chosen people of The Lord. You will see a new heaven and a new earth. Joy will reign forever in all hearts, and God will be the only Lord of His people. Don't get away from prayer. Only by prayer will you understand the plans of God for you. Nothing and no one is lost. The time of your liberation is coming close. Listen to me and I will lead you to Him Who is your Way, Truth, and Life. Fear not. I will be at your side. This is the message I transmit to you in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Thank you for permitting me to reunite you here once more. I bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Most Holy Spirit. Amen. Be in peace."

A PRETTY PIC...PEOPLE CLAIM THESE FLOWERS WERE NATURALLY GROWN...COULD IT BE TRUE...

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NOW A GHASTLY ONE...



KIND OF REMINDS ME OF THE AMITYVILLE HORROR.DID THAT FLY COME OUT OF HIS MOUTH.

HOW STUPID CAN BO REALLY BE...GOING GOLFING AFTER DEMONIZING TONY HAYWARD FOR HIS YACHTING FORAY...WHILE THE GULF SMOTHERS.I MEAN...IS THERE A BRAIN IN THAT LITTLE NOODLE.

KUDOS TO LOUISIANA FOR THEIR PRAYER DAY...BUT IT'S KINDA LIKE CLOSING A DOOR AFTER THE HORSE GOT OUT.I MEAN WHY DO YOU LET YOUR HOME SINK INTO SUCH A STATE OF SIN...WITH VOODOO AND MARDI GRAS INDECENCIES...MAKING IT A SANCTUARY FOR SATAN?WHERE SATAN LIVES...THERE IS NOT GOD...ONLY CHAOS.

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BUYING THIS...FATHER EUTENEUER IS OFTEN A GUEST ON EWTN...HAS A FORWARD BY FATHER JOHN CORAPI WHO CONDUCTS THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SERIES EVERY SUNDAY ON EWTN.


Exorcism and the Church Militant, by Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer, the head of Human Life International and an exorcist himself: explaining in detail the origin of exorcism, its place in the Church, the working of Satan and his demons, discernment, how an exorcism is conducted, the aspects of healing, deliverance, and much more in this splendid, candid book by a true Church militant and prominent speaker. How do spirits interact? Can one evil spirit enhance the power of another? How do we tell if they are there and how to expel them? Excellent!

A Prayer to Recognize God in the World “Give me the grace, dear Jesus, to see You in my neighbor, to see Your Purity in the smile of a child, Your Power in the accomplishments of men, Your Providence in daily events, Your Wisdom in the aged, and Your Goodness in my neighbor. Let youth portray Your Joy and the whole world witness to Your Love. Grant, sweet Jesus, that I, too, may manifest You to the world.”

ISS - Air tests from the Louisiana coast reveal human health threats from the oil disaster

ISS - Air tests from the Louisiana coast reveal human health threats from the oil disaster

A CATHOLIC APPROACH TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION...

Hungry Souls, Supernatural Visits, Messages, Warnings from Purgatory, by Gerard Van Den Aardweg, a new and powerful -- and fascinating -- collection of actual, well-documented cases during which the deceased made contact with the living seeking help in the afterlife -- the noises in the night, the Lutheran minister, no believer in purgatory, who learned about it by direct experience, an indelible hand mark on the sleeve of one witness's clothes! More than just 'Catholic ghost stories,' it discerns truth about afterlife.

ONE DISASTER VISITS ANOTHER...

"You desire to know the art of living, my friend? It is contained in one phrase: make use of suffering." Henri-Frédéric Amiel
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50 Statistics About The U.S. Economy That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe
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Message to Mirjana - June 2, 2010

Our Lady appeared to the visionary Mirjana Soldo this morning, June 2, 2010, in Medjugorje. She gave the following message:

"Dear children, today I call you, with fasting and prayer, to clear the way by which my Son will enter into your hearts. Accept me as a mother and a messenger of God's love and of His desire for your salvation. Free yourself of everything from the past which burdens you and gives you a sense of guilt; of everything that brought you to error - darkness. Accept the light. Be born anew in the justice of my Son. Thank you."

As usual, Our Lady blessed all the religious articles. Mirjana also reported seeing a white dove when Our Lady was leaving; Mirjana interpreted the dove as the Holy Spirit.

DON'T FORGET...THE BELMONT STAKES RUN TONIGHT.



MY FRIEND , CAROL , AN EX-PAT FROM BRITAIN, ...1ST TIME RIDING MIA,SINCE WE SOLD HER THE HORSE LAST FALL.CAROL HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF GENTLING HER.

Glory Seen in Rome and the Vatican


It is still done today, folks (Laus Deo)!


Meet this great legend whom you will see all over Rome if you live here: every single day he goes to the Basilica of St. Peter in the a.m. and the Basilica of St. Mary Major in the p.m. He attends Holy Mass, receives Holy Communion, prays for priests and then stops in other churches in between.


Meet Cyril from Czechoslovakia!

REST IN PEACE RUE...NOW YOU BEHAVE YOURSELF UP THERE BLANCHE.




LATELY I'VE TAKEN TO WATCHING RE-RUNS OF THE GOLDEN GIRLS...DON'T KNOW WHY...NEVER DID WATCH IT ON THE FIRST GO-ROUND.I RECALL THINKING...WELL...HALF OF THEM ARE GONE...AND NOW ANOTHER.

Judgment in the Gulf-Woes and blessings of the oil spill.Mark Galli

Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, upon the fruit of the ground and the life of the sea, and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. - Jeremiah 7:20 (paraphrase)

Many have destroyed my ocean, they have trodden my portion, they have made my pleasant portion a black desolation. They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole gulf is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart. - Jeremiah 12:10-11 (paraphrase)

And the word of the Lord came to America, and said,

Woe to you, O consumers, who drive when you could walk, who lust for goods that must be flown and shipped from far away in oil-consuming ships of land and sea and air, whose way of life must be preserved no matter the cost to my planet or to those whose lives depend on its health.

Woe to you, O producers, who pile greed upon greed, who drill and pump and ship and refine black gold with little thought of tomorrow, and sometimes not even today.

Woe to you, O presidents and politicians, who have one hand in the pocket of big oil and another tied by self-preservation, who fear to question the American way of life, that addiction to comfort fueled by fuel.

Woe to you, O environmentalists, who lose sleep over shrimp that will vanish and do not remember the eleven created in my image who died in the explosion, who wax eloquent about the suffering salamander and are blind to the plight of those who suffer most when my earth suffers.

Woe to you, O activists, who write articles that cry out "Earth care!", who fly on 747s to conferences and taxi to fine restaurants to network for the environment, who put up online petitions that millions can sign, on gadgets shipped in gas guzzling transport from overseas, gadgets that depend on coal to boot up.

Woe to you, O churches of the land, who tithe and fast, who preach and pray, who grow megachurches in the twinkling of an eye, who care about souls but not the land on which they live, which I too have made and called good.

Woe to you who trust me not for their daily bread, but look anxiously to smoke billowing diesel to deliver them from their hunger. Woe to all who lift up their eyes to call upon my name, but who do not look down at that which they destroy by sucking up energy in their spacious megabuildings and at international gatherings to glorify my name.

Woe to all who feel pulled between fate and necessity, unsure of their needs and wants, confused about facts and propaganda, whose left hand knows the pollution created by their right hand but still have to feed their families, who have eyes to see and ears to hear but who are powerless to change the world economy.

Blessed are those who repent not out of fear but because they believe the Good News.

Blessed are those who know that "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," that they cannot ultimately destroy anything good I have created and over which I rule, who know that I am almighty and they are not, that I am the Lord still!

Blessed are those who know that I am a jealous God, who visits the environmental iniquity on their children and their children's children, even to the third and fourth generation, but also know that I am a God whose punishment does not last forever, that my wrath is only for a season, like that of a loving father toward his children.

Blessed are those who know that soon this earth will indeed be burned up, that the sea will be no more, and that the environment will pass away, not because of the folly of man but only in my gracious providence.

Blessed are those who know that they cannot save the planet any more than they can save themselves, no matter the extent of their good works, that I will create a new heaven and a new earth, just as I will clothe my beloved in imperishable bodies.

Blessed are those who have these truths written on their hearts, who know the promised future as a blessed present, who live with their God and their neighbor on the Garden called Earth as if the future were already so.

And the oil spewed forth for some forty days and forty nights, for the wickedness of the people was great, and the judgment of the Lord was upon the face of the earth.

"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you're doing the impossible." -St. Francis of Assisi

A BLESSED MOMORIAL DAY TO ALL.

These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest. They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead. ~Robert G. Ingersoll

A BLESSED SABBATH TO ALL.

On May 19, 1780, in the northeastern part of North America, there was a period of "extraordinary darkness," which began between 10 A.M. and 11 A.M. and lasted until the middle of the next night. Also, the full moon rose at 9 P.M. that evening but was not visible until midnight, when it had the "appearance of blood." Records of solar and lunar eclipses for that date, indicate none was close enough to have caused the phenomenon.

For a generation of New Englanders, Friday, May 19, 1780, was a date never to be forgotten. The Sun was blotted out by a strange darkness, varying in intensity and length from place to place, but extending from New Jersey and New York across Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and southeastern New Hampshire into Maine. For several days prior to the "Dark Day," the Sun was obscured by smoky clouds, and the Moon took on an unusual reddish color. Darkness began around 10 in the morning and lasted throughout the day. (When the Connecticut legislature proposed adjournment following the belief that the day of judgment was at hand, a Colonel Davenport declared: "I am against an adjournment. The day of judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty.") The night that followed was no comfort to the fearful, being unusually black and impervious to any artificial light. The next day, a fine sulfurlike substance was noticed on the edges of water, but the only reports of adverse effects concerned the death of a number of birds. The first theories of a comet or solar eclipse were ruled out, and the earliest guesses regarding smoke from forest fires turned out to be accurate. Out-of-control forest fires, extending from New Hampshire into New York State, burned furiously for a week preceding the dark day, creating great suffocating clouds of smoke. An unusual atmospheric condition trapped the smoke until it reached sufficient density to blot out the Sun. However, for many New Englanders, the Dark Day was an inexplicable mystery, never recalled without a feeling of awe.

May is here, which means voting to name this month’s Full Moon has ended. Readers have overwhelmingly selected the name “Full Bloom Moon” for this month’s Full Moon, which falls on Thursday, May 27th, at 7:07 p.m.


The traditional full Moon name for May is the Full Flower Moon. In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

The idea behind the Farmers’ Almanac Name that Moon Contest was to come up with more up-to-date names for the full Moons, not as a replacement for the traditional names, but as modern alternatives that better reflect today’s activities and values. Some things never change though, which is why the name chosen for May is so similar to the traditional name. Other choices for this month were Full Planters Moon, Full Graduate Moon, and Full Remembrance Moon. But the Farmers’ Almanac readers spoke, and spoke loudly, with an overwhelming number of votes pouring in for Full Bloom Moon. Clearly, whether today, or 500 years ago, many North Americans see May as a time for enjoying the numerous varieties of flowers growing in our gardens, parks, and meadows.

AND THE WINNER IS...

ZENIT - Looking After a Eucharistic Miracle

ZENIT - Looking After a Eucharistic Miracle

The 24th of May is the Queen's birthday

if we don't get a holiday

we'll all run away

— school ditty in my youth

Victoria Day in Canada,a holiday, celebrates

the birthday of queens: Victoria and Elizabeth II both

The world could live more easily without the sun than it could without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.


VIEW INTERVIEW WITH GOD HERE.POWERFUL.

Vatican asks Susan Boyle to sing for saint Padre Pio

London: Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle has been asked by the Vatican to sing at a special tribute to its most revered saint, Capuchin monk Padre Pio.

Susan, 49, is considering the offer and says, "I have a great devotion to Padre Pio."

The concert will be held in southern Italy. Padre Pio lived out his ministry there and now lies in a golden crypt.

Second most popular Roman Catholic figure after the Pope, millions of pilgrims visit him every year.

He became famous for his stigmata, bleeding or experience of pain in parts of his body where Jesus was injured during the Crucifixion. He died in 1968.

Maria Dorrian, the Scottish delegate for the Padre Pio Centre said, "Susan has inspired so many of us. I don't think she realises the impact she is having, not only through her music, but spiritually to people throughout the world."

BRING BACK THE SACRED...POST THIS...

NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT for the seven gifts...knowledge,wisdom,counsel,understanding,fortitude,piety,fear of the Lord.

Every single person I know—myself included—is currently saying a novena to the Holy Spirit in joyful anticipation of Pentecost Sunday.

A novena is nine days of prayer (coming from the word novem which means “nine”) and is a devotion to obtain special graces.

NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT...VIDEO FORMAT

MY LENTEN PROJECT WAS TO START A STATIONS OF THE CROSS WEB PAGE,CATALOGUING AS MANY VERSIONS OF THE STATIONS AS I COULD FIND.IT'S FRIDAY TODAY,SO JOIN ME FOR THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY.

Jupiter cloud belt missing again, scientists say
Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt started fading late last year, NASA said in a story on its website.
NASA says one of the planet's two main belts can no longer be seen
Scientists are monitoring the change, but "do not yet fully understand what's going on"
Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt fades and then returns every few years
The return, when it comes, is expected to be dramatic
Scientists don't know why, but one of Jupiter's two main cloud belts has disappeared -- again.

Like a wayward pet, the belt has gone missing before and has always returned.

"This is a big event," said planetary scientist Glenn Orton of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. "We're monitoring the situation closely and do not yet fully understand what's going on."

The brown cloudy band, known as the South Equatorial Belt, or SEB, started fading late last year, NASA said in a story on its website.

"But I certainly didn't expect to see it completely disappear," said amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley of Australia. "Jupiter continues to surprise."

Orton says the belt may not be gone, just hidden under higher clouds.

"It's possible," he said on the NASA website, "that some 'ammonia cirrus' has formed on top of the SEB, hiding the SEB from view."

On Earth, NASA says, white wispy cirrus clouds are made of ice crystals. On Jupiter, the same sort of clouds can form, but the crystals are made of ammonia instead of water.

The belt's disappearances can be erratic.

"The SEB fades at irregular intervals, most recently in 1973-75, 1989-90, 1993, 2007, 2010," said John Rogers, director of the British Astronomical Association's Jupiter Section. "The 2007 fading was terminated rather early, but in the other years, the SEB was almost absent, as at present."

The return of the SEB can be dramatic, NASA said.

"We can look forward to a spectacular outburst of storms and vortices when the 'SEB revival' begins," Rogers told NASA. "It always begins at a single point, and a disturbance spreads out rapidly around the planet from there, often becoming spectacular even for amateurs eyeballing the planet through medium-sized telescopes.

"However," he said, "we can't predict when or where it will start. On historical precedent, it could be any time in the next two years."

"I'll be watching every chance I get," Wesley said. "The revival will likely be sudden and dramatic, with planet-circling groups of storms appearing over the space of just a week or so."

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is visible in the eastern sky before dawn, NASA said.

We are blessed as Catholics to possess the truth and the fullness of the faith.

A MUST READ ... FOLLOW THE LINK...
WITH GOD REMOVED FROM SO MUCH IN U.S., IS AMERICAN DREAM TURNING INTO A NIGHTMARE?

MY STUDIES IN THE CLASSICAL HUMANITIES IS ALL ABOUT SOCRATES.

- 470 BC-399 BC
Era Ancient philosophy
Region Western Philosophy
School Classical Greek
Main interests epistemology, ethics
Notable ideas Socratic method, Socratic irony
Influenced Western philosophy, most specifically; Plato, Aristotle, Aristippus, Antisthenes

Socrates was a Classical Greek philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contempotary Aristophanes.

Through his portrayal in Plato's dialogues, Socrates has become renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics. The latter remains a commonly used tool in a wide range of discussions, and is a type of pedagogy in which a series of questions are asked not only to draw individual answers, but to encourage fundamental insight into the issue at hand. It is Plato's Socrates that also made important and lasting contributions to the fields of epistemology and logic, and the influence of his ideas and approach remains strong in providing a foundation for much western philosophy that followed.

...A teacher condemned for his teachings as a heretic."Yet, the 'real' Socrates, like many of the other Ancient philosophers, remains at best enigmatic and at worst unknown.

YESTERDAY I COOKED UP FIDDLEHEADS

Fiddleheads are available in the market for only a few weeks in springtime, and are fairly expensive.
Agriculture Canada reports that scientists are just discovering how nutritional fiddleheads are — even better than blueberries, the gold standard for antioxidants. They have found that fiddleheads are twice as strong as blueberries with regard to antioxidant activity.

Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals linked to the development of a number of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's.

Test results also showed that fiddleheads are packed with the nutrient omega-3 fatty acids.

Fiddleheads are a good source of dietary fibre. They are low in sodium, and contain vitamins A and C, niacin, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and magnesium.

A Fiddlehead is a fern so young and new that it hasn't yet "unfurled" and opened its leaves. The end is still curled in a tight spiral, ready to unroll as the sun warms it and it gathers strength and size. This spiral shape reminds many people of the end of a violin, hence the name "Fiddlehead."

Fiddlehead ferns are delicious, with a remarkable wild flavor. They can be easily prepared in a variety of ways - resulting in a delicious side dish or as the "main event."

The flavor? It has been described as similar to green beans with a hint of artichoke. But descriptions do not begin to capture the flavor. You must try them to know the wonderful flavor and delightful crunch of Fiddleheads.
The coiled end of the fern is called a "crosier." Ferns should be picked early in the morning when they are still very young and fresh. The "crosier" should be tightly curled, and should snap off crisply. They must be washed carefully and rubbed to remove the paper-y brown skin on the outside. Avoid yellow or "floppy" ferns. Trim the base leaving a tiny tail.

Thoroughly wash fiddleheads in clean, potable water several times until the wash water appears clean. Then bring a small amount of lightly salted water to a boil, add washed fiddleheads, and cook them at a steady boil for 10 minutes. Fiddleheads can also be washed clean and steamed for 20 minutes. Serve at once with melted butter or vinegar. The sooner they are eaten, the more delicate their flavor. They may be served, like asparagus, on toast. Cooked, chilled fiddleheads can be also served as a salad with an onion and vinegar dressing.

FOUND AT CHRIST TO THE WORLD...

In July 2008 a severe persecution of Christians broke out in the Indian state of Orissa. A 22 year old nun was burnt to death when angry mobs burnt down an orphanage in Khuntpali village in Barhgarh district, another nun was gang raped in Kandhamal, mobs attacked churches, torched vehicles, houses of Christians destroyed, and Fr. Thomas Chellen, director of the pastoral center that was destroyed with a bomb, had a narrow escape after a Hindu mob nearly set him on fire. The end result saw more than 500 Christians murdered, and thousands of others injured and homeless after their houses were reduced to ashes. Recently a strange and dramatic event took place in Orissa, which has many people talking and wondering.


In recent months, herds of wild elephants have begun to storm villages that are home to some of the worst persecutors of Christians during the troubles. In one village, where in August a year ago the Christians had to run for their lives while their homes were being destroyed by rioters, a herd of elephants emerged from the surrounding jungle exactly one year later, in July 2009, at the same time of the day of the attack.
These elephants first attacked a rock crusher machine owned by a key leader of the persecution movement. They then went on to destroy his house and farms.
Hundreds of villagers have been forced to take shelter in camps in the Indian state of Orissa after repeated attacks by a herd of elephants.

Seven people have been killed and several others injured in attacks by a herd of 12-13 elephants over the past few weeks in Kandhamal district.

Over 2,500 people living in 45 villages have been affected by the attacks, district chief Krishen Kumar said.


It is, however, unclear why this herd of elephants migrated from the Lakheri sanctuary in a neighbouring district. He said the herd had travelled some 300km into Kandhamal, and even entered a town in the district. Wildlife officials were camping at the site of the attacks and trying to find out why the elephants had come out of their sanctuary. The villagers say elephants attack their areas in herds, causing heavy destruction.
Gaining momentum, they rampaged through other non-Christian homes, demolishing gardens and singling out the home of persecutors, leaving Christian homes untouched.


These strange attacks have spread, and according to a report, the elephants have already destroyed more than 700 houses in 30 villages, and killed five people. Nobody in this area has seen or even imagined the unique appearance of a herd of wild elephants such as this. The elephants are not ordinary elephants; they appear to be on a mission.
Typically, smaller elephants enter a village first, appearing to survey the community. They then rejoin the larger herd, and larger elephant soon follow and get the job done.


The ministry partner in India stated “We think that it might have something to do with the avenging the blood of martyrs. In fact the fear of God has fallen on the local people, who have labeled these elephants “Christian elephants.”


With little help coming from the administration, the villagers have taken to road blockades. "The elephants have destroyed crops and selected houses. But officials too express helplessness. "There is no permanent habitat of elephants in Sundargarh. They come from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand where their habitats have shrunk. But is not clear how and why these elephants reached Orissa.

THE PREAKNESS RUNS TODAY.

VERY INTERESTING.

Vatican spokesman not surprised by record Fatima Mass turnout :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Vatican spokesman not surprised by record Fatima Mass turnout :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

The New Normal on Abortion: Americans More “Pro-Life”

The New Normal on Abortion: Americans More “Pro-Life”

The New School Prayer

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offence; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen !

If you aren't ashamed to do this, please pass this on.
Jesus! said, ' If you are ashamed of me,' I will be ashamed
of you before my Father.'
Not ashamed. Passing this on.

GYPSY...AND COMPANY...

Apostolic Journey to Portugal
on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary
of the Beatification of Jacinta and Francisco,
young shepherds of Fátima(11-14 May 2010)

On May 11, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI arrived at Lisbon International Airport to begin his four-day apostolic journey to Portugal. The highlight of his trip will be a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, to celebrate the 93rd anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

The Holy Father's pilgrimage also coincides with the tenth anniversary of the beatification of Francisco and Jacinta.

Arriving in Lisbon, Pope Benedict declared, "I come as a pilgrim to Our Lady of Fatima, invested from on high with the mission of confirming my brothers and sisters as they advance on their own pilgrimage towards heaven," adding "The Virgin Mary came from heaven to remind us of the truths of the Gospel which for humankind—lacking in love and without hope of salvation—represent a source of hope."
Discussing the relationship between Church and state in Portugal, long one of the most devoutly Catholic countries in Europe but currently experiencing unprecedented secularization, Pope Benedict noted that "Living in a plurality of value systems and ethical structures makes it necessary to journey to the core of one's own self and to the nucleus of Christianity in order to reinforce the quality of our witness unto sanctity, and to discover the paths of the mission that lead even to the radical choice of martyrdom."

There are lessons in the Holy Father's words for the rest of the world as well. In a time when we cannot count on public support for the truth of Christianity, we must turn more fully to the truth of the Gospel and work to strengthen the Christian life of our families, parishes, and ultimately the Church as a whole.

Gerald Celente Discusses His "Greatest Fear"

Gerald Celente Discusses His "Greatest Fear"

Posted using ShareThis

MY FAVOURITE SONG.REST IN PEACE LENA.

Janey Cutler - Britain's Got Talent 2010 - Auditions Week 4

81 YEAR OLD GRANNY WOWS BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT

MOTHER'S DAY 2010...HAVE A HAPPY.

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life
so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

And remember that behind every successful woman......
is a basket of dirty laundry.

- Unknown

I received this beautiful award from my friend ABBEY! It's called the Sunshine Award. This type of recognition from a fellow blogger makes my day.

GO AHEAD AND PASS IT ON...

Of course, blog awards come with rules…

1. Put the logo on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to twelve bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award.
THANK YE ABBEY...I DO BELIEVE THIS IS MY 1ST AWARD...AND IT COMES ON A DAY THAT THE SUN HAS PERMEATED DARK ISLAND.

MY AWARDS GO TO...

GRAMMA'S RIGHT AGAIN
GRANDMAK
THE DASH
ST.MONICA'S TEARS
GEM OF THE OCEAN

IN WHAT MAY BE PRECURSOR, BLESSED MOTHER TURNED A CONTINENT CATHOLIC IN THE MIDST OF A GREAT SCANDAL


The media must remember, in viewing how Rome responds to crisis, that our Church is not used to the flow of modern media time frames. It predates TV and the internet and radio and newspapers, the telephone, the telegraph, pony express, even the printed word.

There always have been scandals, and every few centuries, failure (as there has been failure) leads to purification.

How did the Church deal with sexual violations centuries ago?

At the Council of Ancyra in 315, strict penalties -- solitary confinement, fasts, isolation, and supervision -- were demanded for any cleric caught having relations with a minor.

In 1049 Saint Peter Damian wrote to Pope Leo IX, recommending zero tolerance. According to one expert on abuse, the saint taught that any priest caught in such an act should be stripped of his clerical office. This finds its way to us through a 2001 review of past procedures called De delictus gravioribus penned by none other than Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Why past policies were not re-implemented is a mystery. It was Pope Adrian VI, the last non-Italian Pope before John Paul II, who formulated a courageous mea culpa. Adrian VI had assumed the Throne of Peter after a string of questionable popes and for his two short years as pontiff was basically charged with cleaning up the mess.

Addressing himself in 1523 to the delegates of the Imperial Diet at Nuremberg, points out Italian writer Antonio Socci, in The Fourth Secret, the pontiff, reacting to the Reformation, said, "We freely acknowledge that God has permitted this persecution of the Church because of the sins of men, and in particular of priests and prelates. The Hand of God has not, in fact, been withdrawn; He could save us; but sin separates us from Him and prevents Him from hearing us. All of Sacred Scripture teaches us that the errors of the people have their origin in the errors of the clergy...

"Each one of us," he went on, "must examine himself much more severely than will God on the day of His wrath. We must all consider ourselves committed to do this because the entire world thirsts for reform."

The schism caused by Luther was a grave wound from which it still has not recovered, and much of Europe was set against Rome -- as we see great antipathy to Catholicism (especially in England) in our own day. Chastisement is often fashioned with human hands.

Sacking. Fire. Assassination. Those were the scourges Rome faced in the 1500s, but also that decade was the appearance of Mary in Mexico -- an event that turned an entire region of the world strongly Catholic.

"It was precisely Guadalupe that gave birth to Latin American Christianity," Socci has written in The Fourth Secret. "It was not born of ecclesiastical projects (which, on the contrary, were being met with hostility from the indigenous populations), but from the initiative of Heaven, manifested through Mary.

"Precisely at the moment in which the Church in half of Europe was being mutilated by a heresy that, among other things, was profoundly hostile to the Holy Virgin, the Madonna gifted to the Church an entire continent in the world. The apparition happened -- notice the coincidence -- on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (which in those times was celebrated on the 9th of December, not the 8th). This is the Feast of the Woman who crushes the serpent's head."

Will an event attached to the Blessed Mother soon cause a similar renewal? Crisis often invigorates Catholicism.

Will it be from this region -- or perhaps Africa -- that salvation comes to the modern Church?

LONDON...A HUNG PARLIAMENT...SHOULD BE INTERESTING.

AS A COUNTRY DE-CHRISTIANIZES,IT DE-HUMANIZES.FATHER JOHN CORAPI ONCE SAID.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THE CRISIS IN GREECE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF IT SPREADING ACROSS EUROPE...A VERY SECULAR AND PAGAN EUROPE.

Practicing Catholics unfazed by abuse scandals; Pope’s popularity increasing

A new poll conducted by CBS News and The New York Times has found that 77% of Catholics who attend Mass weekly say that “the Vatican’s handling of recent child sex abuse reports” has had no effect on how they “feel about the Catholic Church.” An additional 12% of practicing Catholics say that they have a more positive feeling about the Church as a result of the Vatican’s handling of the scandals.

The survey of 1,079 adults was conducted between April 28 and May 2. Results were released on May 4.

88% of Catholics-- practicing and non-practicing-- report that the scandal has had no effect on their dealings with priests. 82% say it will not affect their Mass attendance, 79% say it will have no effect on donations, and 87% say that it will have no effect on their children’s involvement in Church activities.

52% of the general population says that the Vatican’s handling of the scandal has had no effect on their feelings towards the Church, while 36% have more negative feelings.

The survey also found that Pope Benedict’s popularity among Catholics has increased since March. 43% of Catholics have a favorable view of him (vs. 27% in March), while 17% have an unfavorable view (vs. 11% in March). 38% are unsure or “haven’t heard enough” to make a judgment. Among the general population, 16% have a favorable view of the Pope, 24% have an unfavorable view, and 59% are unsure or “haven’t heard enough.”

62% of practicing Catholics-- vs. 13% of the general population-- have a favorable view of the Church’s leadership, while 13% of practicing Catholics (and 38% of Americans overall) have an unfavorable view.

Among the survey’s other findings:


•45% of practicing Catholics, but only 13% of Americans overall, believe that the Vatican has done a good job handling the scandal
•75% of practicing Catholics, and 50% of the overall population, believe that the Vatican is trying to prevent child sexual abuse
•only 17% of practicing Catholics, and 33% of Americans overall, believe that the Vatican is currently engaging in a cover-up
•91% of practicing Catholics, and 54% of Americans overall, have “some” or “a lot of” confidence in the Vatican’s ability to prevent future abuse by priests
•28% of practicing Catholics, and 40% of all Catholics, say that the abuse scandals have caused them to “doubt [the] Vatican’s authority”
•the majority of Catholics (54%) believe that the Vatican is “out of touch” with Catholics, while 60% believe that local priests are “in touch”
•a large majority of practicing Catholics (89%) and Americans overall (72%) believe that child sexual abuse is just as common outside the Church as within it
•58% of practicing Catholics, and 30% of Americans overall, believe the scandal has been blown out of proportion by the news media
•44% of practicing Catholics, and 73% of the total population, believe that child sexual abuse by priests is still a problem today
•only 30% of Catholics believe that homosexuality contributes to child sexual abuse by priests; 31% believe the celibacy discipline is a contributing factor, while 17% believe the Church’s teaching on women’s ordination is a factor
•58% of practicing Catholics say that they “would let priests marry”; a smaller majority (54%) “would allow women priests”

DON'T FORGET ...TODAY IS THE KENTUCKY DERBY.

Weather deals Kentucky Derby latest wild card - wtop.com


136th Kentucky Derby could be 1st run under lights
May 1, 2010 - 4:18am


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The newly installed lights at Churchill Downs could be a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy outlook for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

A wet track seems a certainty, even with an improved forecast issued on Friday afternoon.

Joe Ammerman of the National Weather Service said Louisville is expected to get several inches of rain this weekend. However, he says the storm should largely spare the track Saturday ahead of the 6:28 p.m. post.

If bad weather causes a delay or the visibility is poor, the race could potentially be run under the lights for the first time.

"It could be blinkers off and lights on," said Bob Baffert, trainer of the 3-1 favorite Lookin At Lucky and 12-1 shot Conveyance.

Banks of lights now encircle the venerable track. They were installed to accommodate night racing during the summer, and are sometimes used for early morning training. They can be employed at any time _ even for the Derby.

"It is an option that we do have," track spokesman Darren Rogers said.

There are no restrictions in the race conditions barring the use of artificial light. The first 135 runnings of the classic for 3-year-olds were conducted in daylight. Churchill Downs hopes to continue that tradition when the horses go to the post.

That might not be realistic. Heavy rain is forecast for Saturday morning followed by lighter showers throughout the afternoon.

___

FINDING AN AUDIENCE: When NBC and Churchill Downs conducted market research a few years ago to increase TV interest in the Kentucky Derby, the results were startling.

Turns out, the sport of kings does well with women, too.

The Derby is one of three sporting events that draws more women than men, said NBC Universal senior vice president of marketing Mike McCarley. The Winter and Summer Olympics are the other two.

The research was a game-changer and allowed NBC, which will televise Saturday's Run for the Roses for the 10th straight year, to think outside the box.

Rather than confine promotions for the Derby to weekend afternoons during other sporting events, NBC spreads the love across the other networks it owns.

The Kentucky Oaks, the filly version of the Kentucky Derby, is broadcast on Bravo, which skews heavily toward female viewers. There are Derby segments on "The Today Show" in the run-up to the race focusing on everything from fashion to how to create the perfect mint julep.

"Women are watching the Derby more for the spectacle than the sporting event," McCarley said. "There's a balance you have to strike for the different people that you're watching."

The formula appears to be working. Viewership is up 27 percent since 2001. The 9.8 rating for Mine That Bird's upset last year was the highest-rated Derby since 1992.

To build on that success, Churchill Downs helped produce a series of one-hour telecasts on Saturdays this spring called "Road to the Derby," featuring the major prep races. They hope the investment pays off.

"We're lucky, men and women love horse racing and love the Derby," track president Kevin Flanery said.

There's a chance viewers won't have to hop from network to network next year to follow the Triple Crown. NBC broadcasts the Derby and the Preakness, while ESPN holds the rights to the Belmont. The TV contracts expire this year. McCarley said having the entire Triple Crown on one network would help sustain interest in the series even in years when there isn't a Triple Crown candidate.

"I think that's a real growth opportunity for the sport," he said.

Cute Chubby Baby Does Weird Thing

MY SISTER COULD DO THIS AS A BABY...SHE NEVER CRAWLED.

Cute Chubby Baby Does Weird Thing

GOING UP THE LINE THIS WEEKEND...TO TRURO RACEWAY FOR THE HORSERACES...AND THEN ON TO BEDFORD TO SEE THE FAMILY...MATTMAN,SABETH ET AL.

EUCHARISTIC 'MIRACLE' IN INDIA HAS IMAGE THAT'S A CHALLENGE TO DISCERN, DIFFICULT TO DISMISS

A new book sheds some new light -- and details -- on a putative Eucharistic miracle that occurred in one of the last places on earth one would expect such a miracle: India.


"Eucharistic miracles continue to happen, even in this millennium," notes author Elizabeth Ficocelli in Bleeding Hands, Weeping Stone. "As recently as April 28, 2001, a Eucharistic miracle began to reveal itself at the Malankara Catholic in a town known as Chirattakonam. The parish priest and his congregation were doing their usual novena prayer to St. Jude, the patron for hopeless causes. The Eucharist was displayed in a monstrance for Adoration.

During that time, the priest noticed three spots appear on the Blessed Sacrament.

"He asked the members of his congregation if they could see it too, and they said they could.

"Afterward, not sure what to make of it, the priest locked the Host in the tabernacle for safekeeping.

"A week later, as he was preparing to celebrate the Mass, the priest opened the tabernacle and removed the Host. By this time, an image of a human face had begun to emerge on the Eucharist. Again the priest showed it to his people, and again they confirmed that they, too, could see it. Together they prayed with the Eucharist before them, and as the congregation gazed upon it, the image grew clearer.

"Soon it transformed into the unmistakable face of a bearded man with long hair. The local bishop was consulted for his opinion, and he accepted it as miraculous, encouraging the congregation to pray and discern what God might be saying to them through this remarkable event."

Indeed. Those who quickly dismiss such images (lest atheists make fun of them) might want to ponder this one a bit longer than, for example, that famous grilled cheese sandwich (which made headlines years ago in the U.S. with a woman's image on it, and which is such a focus of mockery).

What the Lord might be saying? Certainly, of course, that the Blessed Sacrament is for Real. We know that. But we also note that the image became clearer as they prayed. Might that be a sign to us that we see the miraculous only when we are prayerful? And that miracles feed off the power of supplication (and praise)?

That seems straightforward enough; but now: who is the image of?

In the vast majority of cases, any male is taken to be the Lord and any female Mary. That is especially true when it involves the Host. But might other holy figures not inflect themselves into our realm? Might that even be St. Jude?

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Vatican Releases Statistical Yearbook: Number of Catholics on the Rise

The Vatican announced Tuesday that its publishing house has released a new edition of the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, comprising information from 2000 to 2008, including that the number of Catholics in the world is now 1.16 billion.

Over these nine years, the Catholic presence in the world has grown from 1.045 billion in 2000 to 1.166 billion in 2008, an increase of 11.54%. Considering the statistics in detail, numbers in Africa grew by 33%, in Europe they remained generally stable (an increase of 1.17%), while in Asia they increased by 15.61%, in Oceania by 11.39% and in America by 10.93%. As a percentage of the total population, European Catholics represented 26.8% in 2000 and 24.31% in 2008. In America and Oceania they have remained stable, and increased slightly in Asia.

The number of bishops in the world went up from 4,541 in 2000 to 5,002 in 2008, an increase of 10.15%.

The number of priests also increased slightly over this nine-year period, passing from 405,178 in 2000 to 409,166 in 2008, an overall rise of 0.98%. In Africa and Asia their numbers increased (respectively, by 33.1% and 23.8%); in the Americas they remained stable, while they fell by 7% in Europe and 4% in Oceania.

The number of diocesan priests increased by 3.1%, going from 265,781 in 2000 to 274,007 in 2008. By contrast, the number of regular priests showed a constant decline, down by 3.04% to 135,159 in 2008. Of the continents, only Europe showed a clear reduction in priests: in 2000 they represented 51% of the world total, in 2008 just 47%. On the other hand, Asia and Africa together represented 17.5% of the world total in 2000 and 21.9% in 2008. The Americas slightly increased its percentage to around 30% of the total.

Non-ordained religious numbered 55,057 in the year 2000 and 54,641 in 2008. Comparing this data by continent, Europe showed a strong decline (down by 16.57%), as did Oceania (22.06%); the Americas remained stable, while Asia and Africa grew (by 32% and 10.47%, respectively).

Female religious are almost double the number of priests, and 14 times that of non-ordained male religious, but their numbers are falling, from 800,000 in 2000 to 740,000 in 2008. As for their geographical distribution, 41% reside in Europe, 27.47% in America, 21.77% in Asia and 1.28% in Oceania. The number of female religious has increased in the most dynamic continents: Africa (up by 21%) and Asia (up by 16%).

The Statistical Yearbook of the Church also includes information on the number of philosophy and theology students in diocesan and religious seminaries. In global terms, their numbers increased from 110,583 in 2000 to more than 117,024 in 2008. In Africa and Asia their numbers went up, whereas Europe saw a reduction.

IT'S RAINING...IT'S POURING...

-Still falls the rain -- dark as the world of man, black as our loss -- blind as the nineteen hundred and forty nails upon the Cross.

-Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. ~Langston Hughes

-Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. ~Roger Miller
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MUST READ...
DOCTORS AND NURSES INCREASINGLY REPORT SPIRITUAL EVENTS AROUND HOSPITALS AND DYING

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YEAH...WAY TO GO STEPHEN...

Ottawa refuses to fund abortion in G8 plan

There will be no debate, Tories say, putting Canada’s signature maternal-health initiative at odds with policies of U.S. and Britain
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Monday, August 3, 2009
"Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do. For me the conception of Hell lies in two words: 'too late.'” --Gian-Carlo Menotti
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GONNA TRY THIS...

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

6 cooked, boneless & skinless chicken breast halves (diced or shredded)
1 can of condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 tubes of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 heaping tbsp. poppy seeds, you can add more if you like
1 stick of butter or margarine, melted
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In 9x13 baking dish, combine soup & add diced or shredded, mix well.
Sprinkle salt & paper on top. Sprinkle poppy seeds, then crushed crackers over the
mixture. Drizzle the melted butter over the crackers and bake, covered for 30-45
minutes (take cover off for the last 10 minutes). Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Da Mihi Animas: Pope expected to create new dicastery to re-evangelize Europe, US#links

WAITING ON A RAIN STORM HERE ON DARK ISLAND...AND WHILE WAITING...I'M PUTTING HORSE MANURE ON OUR BACK LAWN...IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEST FERTILIZER...AND THANKS TO THE HERD...WE GET IT FOR NOTHING.

Pope asks Bloggers to Give Internet a Soul

The need to give the Internet a soul and humanize the dynamics of the digital world was at the heart of Pope Benedict XVI’s message Saturday to participants in a conference on modern means of mass communication.

Promoted by the Italian Bishops Conference, “Digital Witness” draws together experts in information technology, social networking, web journalism and blogging to focus on the language we use and the way we communicate as Christians in the online society.

Pope Benedict told participants that the task of every believer who works in media, is to ensure the “quality of human contact, guaranteeing attention to people and their spiritual needs”. “This is increasingly urgent in today’s world”, he said, at a time when Internet appears to have a “basically egalitarian” vocation, but at the same time, “marks a new divide", the "digital divide" that "separates the included from the excluded"

"The dangers of homologation and control, of intellectual and moral relativism are also increasing, as already recognizable in the decline of critical spirit, in truth reduced to a game of opinions, in the many forms of degradation and humiliation of the intimacy of the person"

Thus said the Pope we see, a "spiritual pollution" that brings us to no longer "look one another in the face”. So we must “overcome those collective dynamics that risk reducing people to "soulless bodies, objects of exchange and consumption”. The media must become a “humanizing factor”, focused "on promoting the dignity of persons and peoples". Only then, will "the epochal times we are experiencing be rich and fertile in new opportunities":

"Without fear we must set sail on the digital sea facing into the deep with the same passion that has governed the ship of the Church for two thousand years. Rather than for, albeit necessary, technical resources, we want to qualify ourselves by living in the digital world with a believer’s heart, helping to give a soul to the Internet’s incessant flow of communication".


WAY TO GO SUBO...

SUSAN BOYLE has been chosen to sing for the Pope during his visit to Scotland later this year.

Catholic Church leaders asked the Britain's Got Talent star to perform in front of the 150,000 crowd expected to greet the Pontiff at an outdoor mass.

She will sing before the papal address and may also perform during the mass in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park.

A senior church source said: "Susan has agreed to sing and everyone is delighted. It is a done deal.

"There are still some of the finer details to be ironed out but it has been approved by the highest echelons in the Vatican.

"Susan has described it as a dream come true and it will be an extra attraction for everyone attending."

Singing sensation SuBo, 49, of Blackburn, West Lothian, shot to fame after her performances on last year's Britain's Got Talent.

But before then the shy spinster's main singing experience was at Our Lady Of Lourdes church in the town where she has worshipped since she was a child.

It is not yet known what Susan, who declined to comment yesterday, will sing at the papal visit in September.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church said: "We would be delighted if Susan Boyle was to perform on the day at Bellahouston Park. She is top of our wish list."

London-based events managers WRG have been hired to organise the details of the visit.

Yesterday, they referred all calls about SuBo to the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI will visit Edinburgh and Glasgow at the start of a four-day tour of the UK from September 16-19.

It is nearly three decades since the last papal visit to Scotland, when Pope John Paul II celebrated mass at Bellahouston Park on June 1, 1982, in front of 300,000 worshippers.

Susan has also signed a book deal to recount her extraordinary story.

Her autobiography - The Woman I Was Born To Be - will be published in the autumn.

Since her appearances on BGT, where she narrowly lost to dance act Diversity in the final, Susan has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in the US and had a huge hit with her debut album.

I Dreamed A Dream was released last November and became the biggestselling debut album by a female vocalist and the biggest selling album of 2009.

It has sold over 10 million copies.

MY BRIDAL WREATH SPIREA