Virtual Museum - Anno Domini - Jesus Through the Centuries

Anno Domini- The Universal Man

Warning From Living His Life Abundantly - Women in Religious Orders and New Age Spirituality

A couple of my friends Melissa C. and Heather shared the following email received from Johnette Benkovic:

I had to write you this letter today to tell you about a serious problem happening in many Catholic parishes. This problem could spiritually devastate your loved ones.

I’m talking about women religious orders that are in SERIOUS TROUBLE because they’ve adopted false spiritualities – “New Age” and other occult practices. Yes, a lot of religious sisters have wandered off to fables (2 Tim. 4:4). I wish I were joking, but I’m not. And I’ll prove it in a moment.

How could this affect you and your loved ones? It might be something as simple as an announcement in your parish bulletin saying that Sister Jean, for example, is offering her Reiki class after Mass. What’s Reiki? It's one of the things I’ve warned against on television, radio, and in public forums.

It claims to be a harmless method of healing. But it isn’t. It can be a portal to demonic influence.

The problem is that many religious sisters have been taken in by the new age and its false spiritualities. And because many pastors aren’t aware of the dangers of New Age occultism, spiritually dangerous programs often sneak in to parishes and retreat centers under the radar.

And that’s why you and your loved ones could be placed in a position of spiritual peril.

You’re probably wondering, “Is the problem really that bad?” Well, don’t take my word for it. Judge for yourself.

One of my friends wrote to me about a shocking program for young mothers being offered in her parish. The essence of this program was that God is female! My friend got an appointment with the Archbishop to discuss this outrageous program, and the very next day it was cancelled!

But like mushrooms, these weird programs keep popping up. A year later at a parish near the one that had the “God is female” program, an ex-nun offered a “healing touch” seminar. Here’s the kicker: At the seminar she elevated her Hindu “guru,” Si Baba, next to Jesus Christ.

As if that weren’t bad enough, at the next seminar, this misguided ex-nun taught how to “channel spirits.” Two concerned Catholics contacted the Archdiocese about this disaster, and the program was cancelled that very day.

Whenever you spot a “New Age” program in a parish or at a retreat center or at a Catholic school, I recommend that you contact the bishop about it. The bishops who know the faith are serious about eliminating all the demonic “New Age” programs from their dioceses – if only someone draws it to their attention.

Modernist nuns lead chant: “We are all mothers of God”

This is a problem all over America. One California diocese has a “Spiritual Renewal Center” staffed by two women religious. The modernist sisters invite people to “come into union with Earth-Wisdom.” Their brochure offers “Spirituality for the 21st Century,” including “cosmic awareness,” ecology, energy balancing, and emphasizes the importance of being “in touch with earth.”

Those who are looking for a “spring equinox celebration” can find it at the sisters’ retreat center – on the Feast of St. Joseph with no mention at all of this great saint! At this celebration, the group sits around a coffee table with everyone’s attention focused on an abalone shell and a bowl of earth.

Catholic teaching strictly forbids such pagan practices. Doesn’t it grieve you that these weird “New Age” earth-worshipping practices are promoted in place of authentic Christian worship? It pains me deeply.

And these pagan practices can lead people into Hell for all eternity. See Paragraphs 2115 -2117 in the Catechism.

To make matters even worse, at the autumn equinox celebration the participants pray this prayer: “My heart pulses in rhythm with Hindu flutes that delight Krishna [a false god] and the chimes of Buddhist temple bells.” How sad! These sisters and their participants have forgotten their first love – Jesus Christ. May they remember to Whom they are espoused.

An innocent-looking announcement in a parish bulletin advertised a “celebration of the unity and diversity of all creation.” It turned out to be a New Age “Meal for Earth and Water, Air and Fire.” The participants chanted: “We are all mothers of God.”

Lest we forget, there is only one Mother of God. Her name is Mary!

Shocking as it may sound, many women religious have gotten lured into witchcraft, New Age, and pro-abortion causes.

EWTN host Fr. Mitch Pacwa, an authority on New Age, points out that some Catholic parishes actually give workshops about astrology, channeling, and the enneagram (an occult method of personality analysis).

WARNING: Please don’t read these paragraphs if you have high blood pressure

WARNING: What I’m going to tell you next may really disturb you. So if you have high blood pressure, you should skip the next three paragraphs.

The New Age enthusiasts within the Catholic Church even hold conferences. At one such conference, sponsored by the left-of-liberal organization Call to Action, the attendees celebrated Mass in a whole new way:

The “Mass” was held in a big dining hall, and each table elected a representative to go up and get the bread and wine, which was supplied to everyone at each table. Everyone – women included – said the words of consecration. Everyone concelebrated the Mass by elevating the Host.

And for a mere five dollars, any woman who wanted to be vested as a priest could rent a stole!

What an outrageous perversion of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. What an insult to our beloved Eucharistic priesthood and to the One who instituted it.

A well-attended Catholic conference on women and spirituality promoted a variety of false beliefs:

Promoted pagan goddess worship
Fostered a sense of victim mentality
Mocked sin
Claimed the only sin is discrimination against women
Featured pagan rituals in the workshops
Encouraged women to establish covens (A coven is a group of 13 witches, representing the dark counterpart to Christ and the 12 apostles.)
Taught women how to cast a spell during a Wiccan ritual. (Wicca is a form of witchcraft.)
How I wish I were joking

I wish I were joking. I wish I were exaggerating. But I’m not. All of these shocking facts are documented. If you’re interested, you can read all about them in Donna Steichen’s book Ungodly Rage and elsewhere.

This demonic New Age movement is also a problem at parochial schools and Catholic colleges. That’s right. It’s not uncommon for Catholic schools to offer such New Age programs as “The Goddess and the Wild Woman” and “Her Holiness: Maiden, Mother Crone.” Croning is a witchcraft initiation ritual.

And incredible as it sounds, a “WomenSpirit Rising” workshop was presented at the provincial motherhouse of a major order of nuns. Another order has promoted labyrinth walks, Reiki, and other New Age practices.

Desperate nun says “We’re in trouble,” begs for help!

I have such a deep respect for the vocation to religious life, and I am so grateful to the wonderful religious sisters that taught me through all twelve years of parochial education. What a deep and lasting impression they made on me and my life of faith. Perhaps that is why it grieves me deeply to see so many of today’s women religious wandering off to “fables.” Our culture is desperate for the authentic witness of their vocation! We need them in the world today.

Let me tell you about an urgent call for help we received at the apostolate from a religious sister whose community is in serious trouble. In desperation, she said, “We’ve lost our way.” She said her community has established such programs as “the call for love of Mother Earth” and “the goddess within.” She also told me the sisters celebrate the phases of the moon and the seasons “in our newly built kiva.”

“Kiva”? What’s that, you’re probably wondering? Well, it’s a Pueblo Indian ceremonial structure that’s usually round and partly underground. In other words, it’s a structure used for the Indians’ pantheistic pagan rites.

Pagan shrines to false gods don’t belong in a convent, period.

When this religious sister asked for our help, I couldn’t turn her down. We supplied her with the solution to the radical feminist New Age “goddess” nonsense. I rushed her the Women of Grace ® Foundational Study Material. She calls it “the perfect antidote.”

She told me, “For many years now, the leadership of our community and all those who follow or fear the leaders never mention the Name of Jesus. Women of Grace will make a big change in this regard, bring us back to our original gift of ourselves to Jesus by our vows, and will help us appreciate the true gift of being a woman.”

Many communities of nuns are in trouble. And you and I are in a position to help them. Funds permitting, I’d like to send our Women of Grace ® Foundational Study Material to convents all over America. This would do a world of good and prevent a world of harm. That’s because many religious sisters serve parishes.

Make no mistake: So many religious sisters do such good. But so many misguided ones are causing great harm and great confusion.

What I want to send to women religious all over America – funds permitting – is a big box of valuable, life-changing information. This information will encourage them, strengthen them, and help them grow in faithfulness to their vocation. It includes:

My 234-page book Full of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life. Convert Ronda Chervin calls it “a beautiful woman-to-woman book on the way to holiness for Catholic women.”
The 95-page facilitator’s guide booklet: Full of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life.
The 232-page study guide workbook: Full of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life. Each chapter features the inspiring story of two saintly women: heroines of the faith that true Catholic women can relate to.
An inspiring CD of the Women of Grace theme song, written and performed by Lynn Cooper. This amazing song is touching the hearts and uniting true Catholic women – Women of Grace – from coast to coast.
A video lecture series on four VHS tapes or DVDs covering all aspects of true Catholic spirituality for women – everything that’s needed for living the Abundant Life!
A beautifully designed tote bag imprinted with the Women of Grace emblem. It features enough pockets and pouches to easily contain all the Women of Grace ® Foundational Study materials. This makes it convenient for the group leader to bring all the materials to the meetings

The Importance of Thanksgiving After Holy Communion

Picture source: AciPrensa

Shared by by Sue of Half the Kingdom via Chris Stoner.

by St Alphonsus Liguori

There is no prayer more pleasing to God, or more profitable to the soul, than thanksgiving after Holy Communion. It is the opinion of many learned authors that, as long as the Sacramental Species remain, the Holy Communion continues to produce an augmentation of grace, provided the soul disposes herself for it by new acts of virtue. Hence, holy souls endeavor to remain as long as possible in prayer after Holy Communion.

The Venerable M Avali spent two hours in prayer after Holy Communion even during her missions. Father Balthasar Alvarez used to say that we ought to set as much value on the time after Holy Communion as if we heard from the Lips of Jesus Christ Himself to His disciples : "But Me you have not always with you"

It is not good practice to begin, as some do, to read immediately after Communion; it is better to spend at least a little time in holy affections, in speaking from your heart with Jesus Christ, Who is within you and in repeating several times some tender affection or prayer.

After Communion, then, the soul should entertain herself with Jesus in affections and prayers. We should be persuaded that prayers after Holy Communion have greater value and merit before God than those that are offered at other times, for then the soul is united to Jesus Christ and her acts derive value from His Presence .

Moreover, we must consider that after receiving Holy Communion, Jesus is more disposed to bestow His graces. St Teresa says that at that time Jesus remains in the soul as on a throne of grace, saying to it: "What wilt thou that I should do to thee?" As if He said : "O Christian soul, I am come for the express purpose of giving thee My graces; ask what you wish and you shall obtain it".

O devout soul, what treasures of grace will you receive if you continue to entertain yourself with Jesus, as least for a quarter of an hour after Holy Communion! But even after thanksgiving, during the day of your Holy Communion, take care by prayers and affections, to keep united with Jesus Whom you have received.

A Prayer for Trust and Confidence in God's Mercy

Shared by Sue of Half the Kingdom

by St. Pio of Pietrelcina

O Lord,
we ask for a boundless confidence
and trust in Your divine mercy,
and the courage to accept
the crosses and sufferings
which bring immense goodness
to our souls and that of Your Church.

Help us to love You
with a pure and contrite heart,
and to humble ourselves beneath Your cross,
as we climb the mountain of holiness,
carrying our cross that leads to heavenly glory.

May we receive You
with great faith and love in Holy Communion,
and allow You to act in us as You desire
for your greater glory.

O Jesus, most adorable Heart
and eternal fountain of Divine Love,
may our prayer find favor before
the Divine Majesty of Your heavenly Father.

Source: Padre Pio Devotions

Our Lady of Saturday

"My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit finds joy in God my Savior."

(Luke 1:46:47)

UPDATE on a 8/17/07 Post- Question: What Happened to Prolifesearch.com?

One of my readers, Jim of Crossroads left a comment today that there is another Pro-life Search Engine that gives money to prolife efforts ProLife Internet


My friend Lois brought it to my attention that the site no longer exists. Does anyone know what happened? Did they move? Does anyone know of a search engine that could benefit Catholic/prolife causes if used?
Mahalo!

Follow up - US Conference of Catholic Bishops Appoints Woman with Pro-Abortion Ties as Policy Director

One of my readers left the following comment with regard to this story and I would like to share it with you. Mahalo Debbie for taking the time to post this:

From: Deirdre McQuade, Director of Planning & Information

To: Diocesan Pro-Life Directors, State Catholic Conference Directors & Friends

Date: September 19, 2007

Re: CNS Interview with Ms. Kathy Saile, New USCCB Director of Domestic Policy

Today Catholic News Service published an article on Ms. Kathy Saile's recent appointment as the USCCB's domestic policy director. The full text of Nancy O'Brien's article may be found on the CNS website at: CNS.

By way of background, LifeSiteNews.com posted a piece Monday that has caused much unnecessary confusion. It inaccurately implied that Ms. Saile had pro-abortion commitments.

The CNS interview clarifies that the talk she gave, rather than endorsing abortion, actually challenged the seven women in attendance to question the abortion rights "litmus test" for political candidates.

I trust the CNS article will help dispel any rumors that may be starting in your community about this important appointment. We look forward to working closely with her upon her arrival in mid-October.

Sincerely,

Deirdre

And, make sure to check out Jean of Catholic Fire's post Is She or Isn't She?"

Kathy Saile, who once gave a speech on promoting liberalism at a conference held by a pro-abortion group, has been named Director of Domestic Policy for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Article from Life Site

Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle

Painting of St. Matthew with St. Jerome Source: Project Gutenberg

St. Padre Pio Prayer After Communion

Shared by Sue Cifelli

Source: Padre Pio Devotions

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have
You present so that I do not forget You.
You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak
and I need Your strength,
that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life,
and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light,
and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice
and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You
very much, and always be in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes; death, judgment, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You.

It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all it’s dangers. I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You,
if not by communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it,
but the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen

Saintly Quote - St. Bernard

Shared by Sue Cifelli

For when God loves, all he desires is to be loved in return. The sole purpose of His love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love Him are made happy by their love of Him.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Another Book Review - Mothering: A Spiritual and Practical Approach

Used with permission.

Mothering: A Spiritual and Practical Approach. By Anna Melchior. St Pauls. £8. 95

That grand old war-horse, Sir Winston Churchill, once said, “There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained.” Despite these wise words of an elder statesman, it has been the aim of the Labour government during the ten years of Tony Blair’s premiership to get as many mothers as possible into full-time paid work, lured by promises of crèches for babies, nursery places for toddlers and ‘wrap-around care’ for schoolchildren. It is early days under his successor, Gordon Brown, but as yet there seems to be no discernible difference from his predecessor in this policy. When Frank Field, Labour MP for Birkenhead, a deprived area near Liverpool, remarked not long ago that the growing problem of unruly children was a direct result of their mothers not being at home to bring them up, he was attacked on all sides.

So when will government ministers grasp the obvious, and recognise that society benefits from healthy, stable families and that families benefit when mothers raise their own children, especially when they are young? Anna Melchior’s thoughtful book is not a political programme, though it has huge political implications; it is a well-argued defence of the most important work that mothers engage in: raising happy, well-balanced children on whose adult emotional maturity society depends. As the author remarks: motherhood is “awesome”. Challenging feminists with their own terminology, she describes as “radical feminism” the decision to spend unhurried time (rather than carefully structured “quality” time) with the children you love. To those women who have been led to believe that staying at home is boring and does not stretch them, she replies that motherhood is not wasting one’s genius, it is about “using your genius” in “loving, educating and managing” your children and household. It is mothers, not child-minders or state nannies, that transmit the consistent security and love without which children cannot develop into well-adjusted adults.

Melchior, a mother of four with a doctorate from Oxford, is convinced that the best childcare settings cannot achieve what mothering in the average family achieves as a matter of course. In support of this contention, she quotes well-known childcare experts such as Penelope Leach and Steve Biddulph, who have publicly admitted that even good state nurseries do not provide their charges with the attention, care and stimulus that they need. For Melchior it is self-evident that “the job of transmitting values to our children cannot be left to strangers.” Like a latter-day Joan of Arc, the author swings into battle on behalf of mothers and children, arguing that “you must be there for your baby” if a close and nurturing (and therefore rewarding) bond is to be achieved.

She suggests that mothers should not be left in isolation to carry out this demanding vocation; they need support from husbands, relations, neighbours and friends - and society at large. What politicians should be doing is providing the economic wherewithal for mothers to be at home rather than pressured back to the workplace, which is often, she points out, a dull and uninspiring milieu. Mothers who choose to stay at home can feel isolated in lonely suburbs where all the other mothers, seemingly, are in employment. My sister, married to a Swede and who lived for many years in Sweden, found that all the Swedish mothers in her vicinity had put their babies into day care so that, in choosing not to do so, she had many lonely hours on her hands in the company of two very demanding toddlers. To avoid this, Melchior wants mothers properly “reintegrated” into society, a society that respects their worth and which supplements their mothering rather than supplanting it. She advocates a restructuring of the tax system so that a married couple are not, in effect, penalised if only one of them works, and greater flexibility in part-time work for mothers.

In case readers feel a tone of self-righteousness to all this, Melchior readily admits her own failings – “unfortunately I rather like harbouring resentment”; she also agrees she is bossy, over-controlling and always right. Coming from atheistic and divorced parents and having watched her mother struggle as a single parent, she herself has floundered with problems in her marriage. Apart from cases of actual abuse, she believes it is always better to work through marital difficulties than opt for divorce, which couples choose often “because they cannot bear to confront their own shortcomings.” Now a Catholic her marriage and mothering are underpinned by her faith. Her marriage survived to grow stronger when “a holy priest told me to be kind to my husband and to pray for him.”

Though she and her husband had “five and a half university degrees between us”, they were ignorant of the reality of caring for a baby. Seven days after her first child was born, worn out by sleeplessness and overwhelmed by the task of mothering, she ran away for a few hours. Gradually she began to experience the joy and freedom of creating an environment where her family could flourish. She loves cooking and dislikes prams.

This is a humorous, passionate story, written to share the author’s own journey of faith and motherhood with other mothers who are short-changed by political propaganda which persuades them that their task can readily be undertaken by others.

Francis Philips (Catholic homeschooling mom in the UK who reviews books for Mercatornet

Book Review - No Place For God

Used with permission.

No Place For God: The Denial of the Transcendent in Modern Church Architecture. By Moyra Doorly. Ignatius.

On being taken to Mass in the underground basilica at Lourdes, the late Monsignor Alfred Gilbey, that most courteous of men, was moved to comment, “It reminds me of nothing so much as a Nazi rally.” He was referring to the vast crowds, the raised central stage and the spot-lit altar of this concrete bunker. Moyra Doorly, an architect and convert, does not use so extreme an image in her analysis of modern church architecture but she makes her views very plain. Modern churches, she believes, are geared “to the celebration of… the worshipping community”, not to a transcendent God; they are temples to the “spirit of the age” and just like earlier styles such as Gothic and Baroque, they reflect the theology of their times.

This theology, the author argues, is infected by Modernism. Creeping in under the coat tails of “the spirit of Vatican II” and in various disguises, Modernism’s impact on church design has been profoundly destructive. It has introduced the concept of “relativist space”, directionless and non-hierarchical, deliberately blurring the distinction between nave and sanctuary – and consequently the distinction between priest and people.

Where no part of the church is more significant than any other, sacred space ceases to exist. So altar rails are removed, chairs replace pews and the congregation gathers round in an informal assembly.

Behind this “re-ordering” – a weasel word that must have caused alarm and sorrow in the hearts of many parishioners who have seen beloved parish churches altered beyond recognition – have been the post-conciliar changes to the liturgy. For Doorly there is a symbiotic relationship between the new, or Ordinary rite of Mass and modern church architecture. “New church building is required for a new liturgy” has been the mantra. In order to accommodate Mass said facing the people, altars have been rearranged and tabernacles removed to inconspicuous places in the church. This destabilisation of the sanctuary has led to the destabilisation of all other areas in the church; and when Mass is no longer said ad orientem it has led to the disorientation of the congregation, lost in empty, uninspiring, homogeneous spaces.

Doorly makes a strong plea for the priest to face east, at least symbolically, for the liturgy of the Eucharist, particularly the canon, believing that this would better emphasise the transcendent nature of the Mass. While readers may not agree with her contention that the long arm of Modernism, influenced by Le Corbusier, Darwin and other secular elements, is behind the re-ordering of existing churches and the building of new ones, it is impossible not to agree with her verdict: “the ugliest churches in history”. Made of steel and reinforced concrete, with exposed brickwork and bare of ornamentation (especially statues), with abstract imagery and severe geometry, painted in flat, neutral colours under flat roofs, with soft carpeting and pot plants, such buildings are more like conference halls than churches.

The liturgist, Mgr Klaus Gamber, is quoted: modern churches are not “houses of God in the true sense…they are meeting facilities, places nobody wants to visit except when services are being conducted.” This is a grave indictment. Just as past converts remarked on the palpable presence of God on entering Catholic churches, today there is often an echoing sense of His absence. Doorly includes many graphic photographs to illustrate her thesis. These include Clifton and Los Angeles cathedrals – the former looking suitable for seminars and the latter for concerts - the barn-like, open plan Chapel of Reconciliation at Walsingham, and the church of St Joseph’s, Bunhill Row, London, which was reordered in the 1970s, restored to something of its former beauty in the 1990s and then reordered again in 2003 in the depressingly familiar modern style.

Of course, not all modern churches are Modernist, either in conception or execution. Our own church in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, built in 1971 and known as “the gem of the Chilterns”, is instantly apprehended as a house of God; its stone calvary in which the tabernacle is embedded, and altar (modelled on that of the French church at Leicester Square) are positioned in a sanctuary that is the magnetic focus of the church. Yet all too many demonstrate Doorly’s conviction that in the last 40 years we have somehow replaced the worship of God with the comfort and complacency of the community.

Reading this volume, slim in size but passionate in argument, made me ponder again what churches are for: the celebration of Mass and the abiding presence of God. They are thereby hallowed in their association with the divine. That is why we visit them outside Mass times: to raise our minds and hearts beyond the material to what is mysterious, ineffable - and beautiful. Modern church architects too often forget that God is beauty, “Beauty at once so ancient and so new” as Augustine exclaimed on his conversion. In obliterating the sacred they have only succeeded in replacing it with the boring and the banal.

Gothic cathedrals, built without modern technology, have stood for several hundred years as magnificent testaments of faith. Even the Lady Chapel at Ely cathedral, its statues disfigured by the Puritans, still conveys a sense of the delicate, light-filled radiance of its conception. In contrast, modern churches crack, buckle, rust and leak within decades of being built. What will our descendants make of our perverse, puritanical wish to replace sacredness and beauty with a drab severity? The motto of St Pius X is relevant here: “To restore all things in Christ”. The Latin word “instaurare” implies both renewal and restoration. The book’s message is clear. It should be read by all who care about our worship: if we want renewal of faith we must cease to re-order – and begin to restore.

Jack Carrigan (a Mercatornet book reviewer.)

Tips for Preventing Cancer

This is not the stuff I usually post but I think it gives common sense advice that we all should heed. Thanks to Sue Cifelli for sharing it.

Dr. Michael Roizen: Cancer Prevention 101

TIPS TO PREVENT CANCER

Here are some other practical tips to prevent cancer:

- Get the aspirin advantage – Taking 162mg of aspirin a day (2 baby aspirins or half of a regular) can decrease the risk of getting certain types of cancers (colon, esophageal, prostate, ovarian and breast) – all by 40 percent.

- Fortify Yourself with D - Vitamin D decreases the risk of cancer, perhaps because it's toxic to cancer cells. If you're younger than 60, you should get 800IU a day. If you're over 60, you should get 1000IU a day. You can't get it by food alone. Don't get more than 2000IU a day.

- Protect Your Liver – Your liver is the main detox organ, so keep it performing at its best. Some things to keep your liver healthy are broccoli sprouts, seaweed, dark greens, choline (which can be
found in cabbage, cauliflower, and soybeans), 500 mg of N-acetyl cysteine, 200mg of milk thistle, 1 TBSP daily of lecithin, and 150mg of rosemary extract.

- Take Your B Vitamins (folate) – Research has shown that folate (part of the B complex vitamins) deficiency is linked to cancer. Foods like tomatoes, spinach, and orange juice contain folate. Through food, you may get 275-375 micrograms of folate, so you need to supplement 525 micrograms to reduce your risk of cancer.

- Tomato Sauce – Eating 10 or more tablespoons of tomato sauce can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers. Many believe the active ingredient is lycopene, but it's more available to your body when it's cooked.

- Olive Oil – Olive oil rich in monounsaturated fat helps your heart and also may help to deter cancer.

- Green Tea

- Selenium

Prayer Request for Lois

My friend Lois will be having surgery tomorrow to remove her thyroid. Please keep her in your prayers. Mahalo!

The Eight Habits of Highly Effective Bishops

I found the following at the Living His Life Abundantly website

What qualities best equip today’s bishop to fight the culture war? That’s the question I posed in a survey of Catholic authors and activists, priests and scholars. It brought a flurry of thoughtful responses. Correspondents were quick to note that each diocese—like each family—has its strengths and weaknesses. One may be strong on liturgy but lag on catechesis. Another operates in the black, its fiscal house in order, but lacks vocations. Renewal—fostering a Catholic renaissance—is a long-term process, and our own impatience shouldn’t ignore sure but gradual progress.

A review of the responses revealed eight basic good habits that were cited often by respondents. If we as lay people are to exhort our shepherds, we must have a clear idea what we’re exhorting them to do. This list offers a point of reference for that effort...

Click above link for the list of the eight habits.

BTW, I have a feeling I posted this one previously but I can't seem to find it.

Helping the Holy Souls in Purgatory

The following is from The Friends of the Holy Souls Blog

Christian charity compels us to have mercy on the Souls in Purgatory and to assist them as much as we can.

1. The Mass - The best means for benefiting the Poor/Holy Souls in Purgatory is the Sacrifice of the Mass, for it is the same as the Sacrifice of Our Lord on the Cross, which was of infinite value...

To hear or to have Mass said for the Poor Souls is their greatest consolation.

St. John Chrysostom recommends that every Catholic family have a box at some convenient place in the house into which loose change can be dropped to be used for Masses for the Poor Souls.

2. Holy Communion - Many revelations of the Saints assure us that Communion hastens the time of deliverance of a soul in Purgatory...

3. Stations of the Cross - Making the Way of the Cross is one of the most excellent ways of meditating on the Passion of Christ.

The saints:

St. Francis de Sales had said that we should practice all the works of mercy together.

St. Thomas says: “Suffrages for the dead are more agreeable to God than suffrages for the living because the former, not being able to help themselves like the living, stand in more urgent need.

St. Augustine has said: “By saving a soul, you assure your own salvation.”

For more information or to have Masses said for your dearly departed, please contact:

Friends of the Poor Souls

Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information, please write us at:

436 Vasey Oak Dr.

Keller, TX 76248

Prayer - Welcome Into Heaven

Lana of Knit and Pray shared the following beautiful prayer in the post about my dear grandma's passing. I would like to share it with you:

"Welcome Into Heaven"

Receive, Lord, the souls of your servants who come home to you. Clothe them with a heavenly garment and wash them in the holy fountain of everlasting life, so that they may be glad with the glad, wise with the wise.

Let them take their seats among the crowned martyrs, move among the patriarchs and prophets, and follow Christ in the company of the apostles.

Let them contemplate the splendor of God among the angels and archangels; let them rejoice within the gleaming walks of paradise; let them have knowledge of the divine mysteries and find the brightness of God among the cherubim and seraphim.

Let them wash their robes together with those who wash their garments in the fountain of lights; and knocking, find the gates of heavenly Jerusalem open to them. Let them see God face to face in that company, and savor the ineffable strains of celestial music. Amen.

The 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo