Ecumenism and Canon Law 

Huelskamp Moves to Protect Conservative Christian Soldier

Obama Administration’s Opposition to Religious Freedom Amendment Demonstrates Complicity in Pentagon’s Religious Speech Scandal  

Ideological Bias Risking The Lives of Young Women 

Pres. Obama Sticks His Nose into Catholic Education in IRELAND 

Immigration Bill Will Reduce Illegals by 25% ONLY Says CBO – They’ll Just Keep Coming 

American Uses Of Natural Resources In Decline 

Obamacare will share personal info with other state and fed agencies 

Backstage At The Muppet Show… 

Government Rakes In More Money From Student Loans Than ExxonMobil 

Ten Greek Words Every Catholic Should Know

Pew Research: Media Coverage Biased 5 to 1 in Favor of Gay Marriage 

Ephesians 4:25-27 — Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.

Belva Davis

Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.

I am unable to wrap my head around the saying “suffering is a great grace.”  How can suffering be a “great grace?”  I know that God gives us grace to help us get through suffering and times of trouble and maybe that is what the saying is alluding to but I just don’t see simply experiencing suffering as being a “great grace.”  

I am fully aware that through our suffering we are able to become like Christ.  I have experienced the gift of having a purer love and have displayed a purer love the more I have suffered.  The more we suffer the purer our love.  I am guessing the words “the greater the suffering, the purer the love” pertains to our love of God, everyone, and everything – all that is good.  I know since my having suffered greatly I have become more accepting of others’ different points of view. It’s not that I don’t disagree with people anymore cause I do, but I don’t get upset and blow the lid off with unkind, defensive words near as often as I used to do.  So through suffering I have become a better, more faithful, more loving person. 

Here is a meditation from the book Song of the Sparrow.

The real signs of our faith are often the men and women we know.  Some are evident signs of faith, hope, and charity, and others signs of contradiction.  It is the latter people who disturb us and make us question whether we are seeing things aright.  Those who are hostile and aggressive and speak like Old Testament prophets, make us wonder if they are real.  The meek and humble somehow beguile us by their gentleness and goodness.  

Amen.  I am so blessed to have gotten to know a number of men and women across the blogosphere. Thank you all so much and God Bless. 

Here is a small portion of Pope Francis’ homily for “Evangelium Vitae Sunday”.  

Dear brothers and sisters, let us look to God as the God of Life, let us look to his law, to the Gospel message, as the way to freedom and life. The Living God sets us free! Let us say “Yes” to love and not selfishness. Let us say “Yes” to life and not death. Let us say “Yes” to freedom and not enslavement to the many idols of our time. In a word, let us say “Yes” to the God who is love, life and freedom, and who never disappoints (cf. 1 Jn 4:8; Jn 11:2; Jn 8:32). Only faith in the Living God saves us: in the God who in Jesus Christ has given us his own life, and by the gift of the Holy Spirit has enabled us to live as true sons and daughters of God. This faith brings us freedom and happiness. Let us ask Mary, Mother of Life, to help us receive and bear constant witness to the “Gospel of Life”.

 

I am reading a book on the Holy Spirit, learning a great deal of information about the Holy Spirit and how vital it is for our faith that persons have a relationship with the Holy Spirit.  I talk to and pray to God but do I pray to God as the Holy Spirit? Maybe I do and I don’t know that I do but I’m not sure.  I have experienced the awesome healing power of the Holy Spirit on a number of occasions so I guess that means that I at least have somewhat of a relationship with the Holy Spirit.  In the book Alan Schreck said that those who are baptized experience a rebirth, a rebirth in the Holy Spirit.  It is up to us whether our relationship with the Holy Spirit flourishes or fades.

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

For some reason in my thoughts the number 15 kept on coming up.  I turned to page 15 of an ebook of scripture passages that I downloaded.  Here are a few scripture quotes:

1 Corinthians 16:13 –Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Psalm 9:9 –The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Psalm 18:2 – The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 34:18 — The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

I needed to see some positive words of encouragement.  Seeing the words above helped a bit.

Have a blessed weekend! 

Now we have a huge NSA leak which revealed spying on the American people on a massive scale.  Is the guy who leaked this information a traitor or a patriot?  If the spying domestically on this massive scale violates our privacy rights and is unjust then I consider the guy to be a patriot.  Now citizens can have an important conversation as to security versus privacy, and how much of our privacy should we be willing to give up for national security purposes.  If the “war on terror” is over why has Obama doubled down on and expanded Bush’s policies?

Reblogged from BUNKERVILLE | God, Guns and Guts Comrades!:

Is this where the records are going? To be stored forever? For more see  NSA spy Center holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

Update: I hope everyone gets a chance to check the link above and listen to the Binney interview. He was and is the consummate whistle blower. I hope to hear more from him. He tells all.

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Athanasian Creed

1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;

2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.

5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.

11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.

12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.

13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.

14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.

15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;

16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;

18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.

19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;

20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.

21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.

22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.

23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.

26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.

27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.

31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.

32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.

33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.

34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.

35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.

36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;

38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;

39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;

40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;

42. and shall give account of their own works.

43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.