Allah Or The Lord Jesus Christ?

The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion in Australia.

Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their beliefs.

I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a gret presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with video.

After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers.

When it was my turn, I directed my questions to the Imam and asked: "Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad(Holy War)against the infidel(which is a command to all Muslims)they are assured of a place in Heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?'

There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitaton, he replied, 'Non-believers!'

I responded, 'So, let us make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?'

The expresssion on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of 'a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.'

He sheepishly replied, 'yes.'

I then stated, 'Well sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope Benedict XVI commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or the Archbishop of Canterbury ordering all Anglicans to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!'

The Imam was speechless!

I continued, 'I also have a problem with being your 'friend' when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?'

You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'diversification' training seminar were not happy with this way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about Muslim beliefs.

In twenty years time there will be enough Muslim voters in Australia(and many other countries) to elect a government of their choice, complete with Shari Law.

These are facts which the liberal media will not tell you so I just did.

Written by Anon.

A Radical Love-Homeless Part One

The love you have for Christ is measured by the love you have for those who are considered least amongst us (And many that are first, shall be last: and the last shall be first. Matthew 19:30). God does not count how many times we go to Mass but rather He looks at the intent. Do we go to Mass to fulfill a duty or for Love alone?

Is going to Mass all we do? Is that all God requires from each of us?

Or are we being called to be revolutionaries of love? Designed to set the world on fire by the love we show towards those who are considered beneath us, the anawim and in many cases, the unwanted.

If the world is not on fire with our love, then who put out the Light?

The world teaches us to work hard in order to get ahead. We learn to be self sufficient, to put our own needs and wants above others. To plan for our future and the future of our children, this is all well and good but it falls apart if that is all we do.

What is the Gospel message?

The message of the Gospels is the opposite to what the world teaches us. Christ's message is that we make ourselves vulnerable, that we go the extra mile not for ourselves or even our families but for complete strangers.

Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same...Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful. Luke 6:30-36

We spend hours in prayer in a longing to love Jesus with all our hearts which is commendable, but do we leave it there? How do we show Jesus love? By loving the unlovable's in our midst.

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. Luke 6:46-47

Can you imagine growing up never knowing a mother or a father's love, never to be hugged? Can you imagine standing alone while people choose what child they wish to adopt? What was wrong with me? Was it my hair? Am I not pretty enough, not the right colour, too tall, too short? Can you imagine being rejected because you are you?

Do you see the youth standing on the corner selling herself or himself because we sold out?

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27

Do you hear the unheard cry of the rejected? Do you see the pain of the one whose love was not wanted and not needed and they know this. Their eyes are a mirror, for in them we see they do not care, for we did not care.

If we do not hear their unheard cries or see the tears shed, God has heard their cries and seen their tears. God also see's us when we avert our eyes from the unwanted one's.

And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Luke 6:20-21.

Can we imagine a pain so great that we wish to obliterate ourselves? The homeless and unloved know this pain and it is killing them. To these broken souls Heaven is too far away and hell to near.

When did hope die? Hope dies when we stop caring.

Perhaps when we are faced with the unwashed, the unloved, the faceless spectre of the homeless is God saying to each of us, how much do YOU love ME?

Will we fail to see Him in them?

But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed." Luke 6:49.

I was inspired to write this article by a post done by Stu at Tears of a Clown and Half the Kingdom. Thank you both.

Written by Marie

Heresy At The Door-The New Age

There is a great longing within each soul to become more than what it is. A void exists within each of us as we yearn for some meaning to our existance.

The problem begins when many embrace a spiritual alchemy of different spiritualities which promise everything but deliver nothing. But, what lies beneath this longing for a spiritual elixir? Could it be that many long to be in control rather than cede power to a higher source, with that higher Source being God, The Triune Spirit? When we do this are we not saying to God, 'I am my own power, the source of my own wisdom? The Truth's of the Catholic Church no longer hold sway over these 'spirituality shoppers', as they seek to mix different kinds of mysticism such as Reiki, Enneagrams and other New Age beliefs, to suit themselves.

When we long for different doctrines we have fallen out of love with God and in love with the satanic illusion of making our lives better or more meaningful by embracing a lie over the Truth.

The word that is missing in all this spiritual alchemy is religion. Those who embrace this form of superficial spirituality deny that we need an 'organized religion' as if religion had become a dirty word or that it has dictatorial overtones. Yet, though Reiki is not seen as 'religious' it seeks to offer spiritual healing, exactly what spirit is being called forth to bring about this 'healing'? A feeling of fuzzy wuzzy warmth is no healing at all, but an illusion.

This constant need for anything 'new' or 'exciting' not only indicates spiritual immaturity it indicates a falling away of the faithful and denial of the Truths of the Church that they profess to believe during the Liturgy. How can one profess the Apostles Creed when they have placed their faith in New Age lies? For who is the father of lies?

It is also shows spiritual laziness, where many people prefer to treat our Catholic faith as if it were a recipe which needs new ingredients to liven it up! For instance with Reiki one becomes an instant master, but a master of what exactly, trickery? Where is God in trickery? And by proclaiming oneself a master are you not negating The Master, our Lord Jesus Christ?

The New Age is merely gnosticism dressed up in old rags, but in our dissolute age many have had their senses dimmed as they long for a quick fix to heal their jaded souls. At the heart of this is sheer laziness, a narcisstic love of self and an absorbtion with it's own importance. The concept of New Age is to make the self the centre of the universe and to negate a sense of sin. The idea being that if sin no longer exists then we have no need of God.

All of these spiritual alchemies have the element of the occult within them, therefore they will also deny the existence of the Devil. By rationalising sin and evil as mere expressions of our 'woundedness', they fail to explain what and whom is the source of evil? If evil can only be overcome through man's own 'power' does this not lead to an endless hopelessness as evil perpetuates itself with no end in sight. For if there is no source of evil then there is also no source of goodness.

We have within the heart of the Catholic Church a deep and integral Mysticism that goes directly to the heart of God Himself. Through the Saints and Mystics of our Church they have shed light on a path that will bring us closer to God and allow God to transform us into living Christ's if we give the Triune Spirit our own fiat. We also have the Sacraments which also unites us with God through the Sacrament of Penance and the Receiving of the Eucharist.

There can be NO marriage between the Catholic Church and New Age 'spiritualities' which deny the Revelatory Salvation found only through Jesus Christ, for to deny this Truth is to deny Christ Himself. Once again Scripture warns us, 'Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.'

When you drink from the devils brew, whatever disguise it may be, you imbibe spiritual poison.

In the end do we sing praises to God or dance with the Devil if the tune sounds right? Or can many no longer tell the difference?

Why I stayed-A Catholic Conversion

Aimee at her blog Historical Catholic brought forward a very interesting topic 'Are We Catholic Enough'. Please do read her thoughts on this and the commentary following it.

Below is the reason why I stayed.

There are some Catholics who feel that the Church belongs solely to those born into it and fail to understand what being Catholic means. The dictionary defines the word Catholic as "universal in extent; involving all." If a Catholic uses such statements as 'that person is not quite 'Catholic' enough' then they need to understand that they are the one's out of step with what Catholicism truly represents.

If you wish to understand what happened within my Parish, then feel free to read my post, 'No Converts Please We're Catholics'. Within this topic you will discover that my former Parish is indeed dysfunctional and very unwelcoming to Converts.

The reason for this post is to let the reader know why I stayed. The most important point is not what happened to me, no matter how hurtful or painful. It is why I stayed within the fold of the Catholic Church.

During this most painful time when many within my Parish were making it obvious they did not consider Converts as 'real Catholics' my family discovered that my mother had terminal cancer. My mother had a great devotion to Our Lady. I feel her love for our Blessed Mother was Divinely inspired in that my mother was too ill to read about her, but she spent hours praying her Rosary or simply gazing at a picture of Our Lady. Thankfully before she died the Priest did agree to Baptize my mother into the Catholic Church.

During this tumultuous time, my heart at times felt torn asunder. My Mother was dying and the Catholics within my Parish were making it obvious they would not accept me or any other 'ingrates'.

Rather than be overcome and leave, I discovered something greater, something more meaningful and depthful. I asked myself the question, why am I staying? I then discovered the answer, for God alone.

I could not walk away from The Eucharist or the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, nor could I leave Our Lady and our great Saints.

God is a dangerous Lover, He seduces the soul until we can no longer be satiated by the trivialities of the world. It is a thirst that only The Divine can quench yet we are still like deer that panteth after the water.

What I went through, scorched away my own superficiality in that I did not have to face those who opposed me, I instead faced my own weakness and fears.

I found myself in the Fire of God's Divine Love, but God's love does not destroy us. It instead refines and strengthens that which is weakest in our frail human nature.

Where I was weak God steeled me to remain where He wished me to be. When I suffered hurt God helped me realise that it was my Ego that was paining and not the inner sanctum of my soul. When I vaccilated, God helped me realise who was I following Him or people? When I wished to flee God helped me understand to whom was I running from, people or God Himself?

I finally understood that to follow Christ comes at a price. We are not meant to be safe or comfortable or look for safe havens. The only way to Christ is through the Cross.

Faith has nothing to do with how nice people are or if they are welcoming. Faith is staying the course, it is steeling yourself to run the good race. It is to run into the Unknowing and trusting that God knows the Way better than you. It is to love God for Himself alone and not for what He gives you or how you are treated.

Faith is not about gaining it is about giving and to give till it costs. Faith IS God's Love working within YOU.

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (Jn 6: 68).

This is why I stayed.

Answer the Athiest-At Catholic Fire Blog

There is a fiery, YET fruitful discussion going on at Catholic Fire. Check it out here:

Answer the Athiest.

You are invited to join in. I would encourage all readers to defend the Faith by joining the discussion on Jean's blog 'Catholic Fire'.

May the Holy Spirit guide you in your words.

Peace to ALL

Marie

Spirit of Courage

We are all called to Mission that is to proclaim the Good News to all we meet. Not in a confrontational manner but to display the fruits of the Spirit so that all may see God working within your soul.

Many tend to think that evangelizing our Faith is the priority of our Priests and Religious and the missionaries sent out to far of lands. We forget that there is a responsibility for each of us to give the reasons for our joy.

But in order for us to spread the Good News, we must also live it. To speak one thing and live another is to dishonour God and your calling, which will bring discredit not only to yourself but to all your brothers and sisters in Christ. So in order to be effective Christian examples we need to embrace and live obediently to what God teaches us through The Word and the Teachings of our Church. This can only be achieved if we partake of the Sacraments of the Church with fidelity in full knowlege of our own human frailities.

We have a responsibility to live fruitful lives of piety and obedience to one's station in life. We are the face of Christ to all we meet in our communities and also within our families. Saint Francis of Assisi also warns us in our Christian walk, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching....Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

As Christians we are called to be holy examples with a human face of the joy that we have received from God and then to live this Grace within our daily lives. This is not to say we will not make mistakes, indeed we shall make mistakes but it should make us compassionate to others as fellow travelers on an often perplexing path. But we must also learn that in order to live our Faith effectively we must embrace and speak Gods Truth, which takes courage. For we must never capitulate our beliefs in order to go along with the pervading and corrupting influences of society, just so that we wont be thought 'judgemental'.

When we look at the lives of the Saints we can see that, our Saints were made of steely material. They were tough people who lived lives of extraordinary love and compassion without compromising the Truth of God's Word or the Teachings of the Church. They were not wishy washy in order to attain friends, they stood firm on the Truth alone sometimes at the cost of their lives. Why do we think less is expected of each of us?

We are full of admiration when we look at the courage displayed by our greatest Saints. They displayed their heroic virtues which they lived unashamedly. These heroic figures were not afraid of name calling or threats to their lives; they were not swayed by the latest 'fad' or another way of 'enlightened thinking'. For these courageous people held the pearl of great price and they made no concessions to 'worldly ways', but instead loved God which expressed itself in charity to all they met. As St, Francis once again says, "While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart." When we look to Jesus and the Saints without the sentimentality that sometimes pervades our thinking we realise that the Saints were made of stern stuff. These heroic Saints ran the good race and kept the faith, are you doing the same?

In order to be courageous and speak God's Truth unflinchingly we must understand that we are not placed on this earth to be amenable to every pervading fad or thought. As Christians we must not be fainthearted but instead to stand on Truth alone, lest we find ourselves living...a lie.

How to Ruin Your Children

1: Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow to believe the world owes him a living.

2: When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he's cute. It will also encourage him to pick up "cuter" phrases that will blow off the top of your head later.

3: Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is 21 and then let him "decide for himself."

4: Avoid use of the word "wrong". It may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested for stealing a car, that society is against him and he is being persecuted.

5: Pick up everything he leaves lying around - books, shoes, clothes. Do everything for him so that he will be expecting it.

6: Let him read any printed matter he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.

7: Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. In this way they will not be too shocked when the home is broken up later.

8: Give a child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own. Why should he have things as tough as you had them?

9: Satisfy his every craving for food, drink, and comfort. See that every sensual desire is gratified. Denial may lead to harmful frustration.

10: Take his part against neighbors, teachers, policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child.

11: When he gets into real trouble, apologize for yourself by saying, "I never could do anything with him."

12: Prepare for a life of grief. You will be likely to have it.

No Converts Please We're Catholics

When I write a piece I try to be general and inclusive of most Catholic beliefs and Traditions. In this case though I can't mainly because I can't speak for other Parishes. I can only speak about my former Parish and the experiences that I and some other converts were subjected too.

Like many Parishes I went through the RCIA. During the first meeting a woman stormed in and thumped the table where we were all seated. This angry lady then went on to say that ALL converts were ingrates and that because we were NOT born Catholic we would never be accepted as such.

What I didnt know then, and came to understand over the years, is that this lady was correct, she simply vocalised what many within my Catholic 'community' were thinking but were to frightened to say.

Things became so ugly in the RCIA that I chose instead to learn the Catholic Faith by a most holy Passionist Priest in Adelaide over a period of a year. Once the year had been completed I was Confirmed into the Catholic Church. What a wonderful experience, I was finally Catholic, or was I?

During my time at this particular Parish, I watched over the years as many converts were received into the Church and yet within 6 months all the Catholic converts had left the parish. I brought this fact up at a Parish Council meeting and was told to go and see these 'people' for myself, so I did.

What I found when interviewing these wonderful converts is that many felt unwelcomed and isolated. They all said that noone within the Parish sat next to them during Mass, and once Mass was completed none of the Catholics would speak to them. When I asked if they thought of approaching some of their fellow Catholics many replied that they did and found that the people they approached simply talked around them and never involved them into their conversations. There were also many of my fellow converts who through illness had been unable to attend Mass, they felt very hurt that not one Catholic had enqired after them not even their Sponsors.

The one common ground they all shared though was that after being away from Mass for several months ALL these converts received was a letter reminding them to keep up their donations!

I know that some cradle Catholics find converts irritating and at times we are. We love our Faith, we want to know more about it, we are in affect excited by The Traditions and beliefs of the Catholic Church and long to know even more. Is it the fault of the convert that many cradle Catholics do not know or understand the meaning of many of their Traditions?

Another angst is that converts are 'know it alls' and tend to preach AT their fellow cradle Catholics. This seems to occur when many cradle Catholics deviate away from Catholic Teachings. What cradle Catholics don't understand is that by expressing opinions which are not inline with Church Teaching they are confusing the converts who have only just learnt what Catholics believe and why.

For an example from my own experience I was told by a Catholic Priest that Jesus had only ONE nature, and that was human nature and that Jesus did not have a Divine Nature. Huh? I was taught differently by the Passionist Priest, that Jesus had both Human and Divine Nature. Another Priest described the Eucharist as 'just a biscuit'. Again huh? I was taught that the Eucharist IS the Body and Blood of our Lord. Once again a Priest instructed me that I did not have to genuflect before the Tabernacle in that 'nothing was really IN there'. Excuse me? I was taught that the Tabernacle contained the Eucharist which is the Body and Blood of our Lord and so due Reverence is obligatory. Am I wrong?

I know at times converts can be over zealous I know I was very much within that sphere. I had fallen inlove with the Divine Mercy as revealed to St. Faustina. I personally bought tracts, booklets and pamphlets detailing the Divine Mercy Chaplet and God's Mercy, through my love for this devotion I then handed out these booklets and pamphlets to my fellow catholic parishioners. Then oneday a friend approached and asked me to stop, she told me that I was making many of my fellow Catholics uncomfortable. I must have looked dumbfounded for she went on to say, " the Catholics here only want to go to Mass, they dont want to know Jesus". I was stunned to say the least!

After persevering in this Parish for over 10 years I left. A new Priest had come in and decided that he is 'Jesus' and so the Church did not need a Crucifix. The Crucifix now sits in the Sacristy gathering dust. The new Nun had renamed God 'Sophia' and only referred to God as 'goddess'.

I can say that not one convert goes to this parish. I was the last convert standing and now even I left. Where is the victory for cradle Catholics? If they continue this snubbing of converts what will the future hold for all Catholics?

Even in this blogging sphere I have been referred to as a 'neo catholic' I had to look that up on google as I had never heard of it before. I was also accused of saying that another 'catholic' was a 'rad trad?' I had no idea what that meant either and once again looked it up on google. I have never met a 'radical traditionalist'. Was the name calling necessary because the person realised that I was a convert? How uncharitable!

I now attend Catholic Mass at a Church which is a 40 minute drive away. I can say though just like my fellow converts of my previous parish the only letter I received from them was one to remind me to keep up with my donation. How insulting they don't want us 'converts' but they DO want our money!

I hope that other Parishes will be more open to converts and more patient. There will be some who upon reading this will say smugly to themselves, 'well their faith couldn't have been THAT great if they left'. And they would be correct. A convert does not have the strength to withstand a hurricane of indifference and total snubbing, they will break under such pressure.

Upon reading this ask yourself, when was the last time you spoke to a convert or invited them to your home?

I do hope though that what I and others experienced in this Parish is a one off. I would hate to think that others also have gone through this same experience? How does your Parish treat Converts?

Prayer for Those Searching

Merciful Lord, who prayed that there be one flock and one shepherd,

I ask the light of faith

for those who are related to me

and do not know You in Your Eucharistic Presence.

Give them the joy of Your protecting presence.

Bring them into the one fold

of which You are the master and Lord.

Forgive them their sins and teach them the way of repentance.

In the end bring them into the larger circle of Your family,

to God our Father,

to Mary our Mother,

and to You our beloved Brother.

Amen.

Saint Quote-Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich

"Man's value before God is estimated by the dispositions of his heart, its uprightness, its good-will, its charity, and not by keenness of intellect or extent of knowledge."

Facing Life's Challenges With Prayer

Do many of us understand the difference between a challenge and an inconvenience? Dealing with a life changing illness is a challenge, dealing with a headache is an inconvenience. Running out of gas in our cars is an inconvenience, having no feet to walk with is a challenge. How much of our conversation is sprinkled with a lively joy or how much of our conversation is a torrential downpour of whining and grizzling about our 'lot in life'? Do we live in Iran, the Sudan, China? Where every day is a challenge for Christians as they face persecution within their own Dictatorial countries, where every whisper could lead to betrayal and death, do we face life threatening peril in our countries?

Is it a case that for many of us, we have become comfortable Christians, who no longer preach what we believe, at times many of us fail to live it within our own lives let alone preach the Good News to all we meet. What face do we present to the outside world the face of Christ or a face of woe? Why would anyone want to become a Christian if it means toil, hardship and general unhappiness? We need to remember that to many we are the face of Christ, if we look miserable, then where have we placed our hope? As that great Saint Francis of Assisi wrote, "It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look." We need to understand what abides in our interior will become known in our exterior, and it is our exterior that sends a message to all we meet. Once again St Francis cautions us, "Preach the gospel and if necessary use words."

We become longfaced when we misunderstand God's Commandments and why Jesus died for us. Our Lord did not suffer and die on a Cross so we can live comfortable lives with no cost to ourselves, one cannot buy Christianity on the cheap! If it cost Jesus then it will cost us as our Lord warns us, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." Yet when crosses do come into our lives we either blame Satan as if God was powerless or we become disconsolate and discouraged, how can we be so easily moved by our emotions?

It is because we run more on emotions than Faith, when good things happen to us we rejoice usually by praising our achievements and accepting the applause as if we had merited it on our own. Yet conversely when things go wrong we either attribute every negative happening to Satan or we say 'God does not hear my prayer' behind that line is the 'unspoken meaning what is happening to me is God's fault!' How little we know God or His Divine Will. Most of the hardship that affects each of us are inconveniences which we blow up out of all proportion. There are times though when we are suffering greatly but irrespective of our inconveniences or depthful suffering we still need to understand that when we enter that dark night of suffering so too God enters with us, we are never left orphans.

When our hearts become full of complaints and our focus shifts entirely on our own woes many fall prey to bitterness, which like a scorching whilwind will leave our souls perishing and gasping for air. We need to understand that beneath this griping is a feeling of resentment towards God. We need to acknowledge that anger before we can confront it and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we then seek God out in the quiet of our hearts. This is where the heart of the problem lay when we are too busy for prayer, we cannot handle the spiritual, physical or mental challenges that face us each day. Instead we become overcome rather than be what we are through the healing power of Gods Grace, Overcomers.

Before we head out our doors we make sure that we have had breakfast, then comes lunch and finally at the end of the day we enjoy dinner. We learn to take care of our bodies which gives us the energy to do our work, yet when it comes to our spiritual lives, we can't seem to find the time for prayer.

Prayer is a choice and refusal to pray is also a choice. When we choose to pray God is then able to fill us with His strength and the Graces needed to overcome our problems and maintain our hope in our loving God through prayer and the Sacraments. On the other hand when we choose not to pray we are left to rely on our own resources, hence we fail and become despondent.

Prayer is our lifeblood, when we refuse to pray we then become spiritually anemic, it is no wonder that so many cannot deal with life's setbacks.

If life is becoming burdensome and no longer joyful then who moved?

Akiane On Tete a Tete

Arkiane is a young girl who does amazing paintings. If memory serves me correctly she began painting at a very early age and on Oprah she said her parents were athiests. Her work must be Divinely inspired.

Take a peek at her Art work by CLICKING HERE.

Penance of the Lamb-From Catholic Ponderer

Joakim has written a beautiful and depthful reflection about remorse, repentance and humility. Please check it out by clicking HERE.

Apparitions and the Catholic Church

I thought I would let our readers know that this is not the first blog where I have expressed my views on various topics. I have written about Approved Apparitions for quite some time and I wholly believe in the vision of Fatima as it is.

Upon my confirmation into the Catholic Church I took Saint Faustina as my Patron Saint as I hold the Divine Mercy devotion very close to my own heart.

For those interested in Apparitions of our Lord and Lady please read the pieces I had written on Faith of the Fathers blog. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I did in writing them. Please CLICK HERE.

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I would also like to recommend Ginny's blog which is aligned with Faith of the Fathers blog. Ginny has done an exceptional job of representing our faith to our younger readers. I know Ginny would never promote herself, her humility would never allow it. So I will do so because her blog IS very good indeed. Please feel free to peruse her site which is obedient with the Teachings of the Catholic Church. I am sure your children or grandchildren will find much joy in reading her beautifully presented childrens blog. Please CLICK HERE.

Peace and blessings to all our readers.

Marie

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

"O banquet most precious! O banquet most admirable! O banquet overflowing with every spiritual delicacy! Can anything be more excellent than this repast, in which not the flesh of goats and heifers, as of old, but Christ the true God is given us for nourishment? What more wondrous than this holy sacrament! In it bread and wine are changed substantially, and under the appearance of a little bread and wine is had Christ Jesus, God and perfect Man. In this sacrament sins are purged away, virtues are increased, the soul is satiated with an abundance of every spiritual gift. No other sacrament is so beneficial. Since it was instituted unto the salvation of all, it is offered by Holy Church for the living and for the dead, that all may share in its treasures."

St. Thomas Aquinas

Our Lady of Fatima-The Real Message

The visitation of Our Lady to three children in Fatima, Portugal is one of the most famous apparitions of our Lady in the world. It stands alongside Lourdes as one of the most revered and respected appearances of our Lady. But unlike Lourdes, Fatima has also become a centre point for confusion amongst the faithful who misunderstand the important message given to the three young children of Fatima, Lucia dos Santos, Jacinta Marto and her brother Francisco Marto.

Many Catholics already know of the miracle of Fatima where the sun was seen to spin and also many of the messages given to the world by our Lady as a warning, but what has caused dissension is the third secret of Fatima. Many people have chosen to believe that the Vatican has entered into a vast conspiracy to keep the secret from the world, this is not so!

As in all apparitions our Lady can reveal nothing further than what has already been foretold in the Bible, so there is no 'new revelation' that needs to be known. What The Blessed Virgin Mary has done is merely illuminate and make present the Word of God through Scripture so that those who do not reflect on what God has revealed through the Bible will quickly remedy this by studying the Bible alongside our Catholic Traditions and Doctrine.

With the visions of Fatima and the messages our Lady is simply reminding us of what we should inherently know, to pray with our hearts, to study God's Word, to participate in the Sacraments of the Church, most especially the Sacrament of Penance, in order to receive the Eucharist in a state of Grace. To be obedient to the Churches Teaching and its Authority and the real meaning of Fatima is to practice acts of penance in reparation for the many sins committed against God.

As much as many people would like to think, there is NO smoking gun when it comes to the revelations of Fatima.

This is the message given to the three Seers written down by Sister Lucia, regarding the 'third secret', "After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God." Though the language is symbolic it also correlates to Scripture and the Catechism, which warns of a falling away as souls grow cold, "And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold."

The most integral aspect of the message of Fatima is not one of scandal or a dramatic scene of 'signs and wonders' the REAL message of Fatima is that of 'Penance, Penance, Penance'. We know that sins abound everywhere and that we too are all sinners, therefore to appease the Divine Justice of God our Lady reminds us to offer Penance to God in reparation for the sins committed against His Divine Majesty. As the then Cardinal Ratzinger wrote, "key word" of the third secret of Fatima "is the triple cry, 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'' Once again it cannot be stated more clearly than what has been spoken by Bishops, Cardinals and Popes.

Those who seek the 'sensational' in the messages of Fatima, have missed the point entirely, our Lady is beyond human hysterics, the Queen of Heaven always points the way to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Blessed Mother simply reminds her children to follow the Word of God which is Life and to be OBEDIENT to the Catholic Churches Teaching, irrespective of what society is teachings for God's Moral Law eclipses man made laws. Those who do prefer to believe the more 'sensational' aspects of Fatima do so out of ignorance in that the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is not to be mistaken for the time when our Lord returns to Judge the Living and the dead as is spoken in the Credo. It is Christ Himself which will herald in that peace which the Word Reveals in the book of Revelation, "Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with me the recompense I will give to each according to his deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end...The one who gives this testimony says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! "

What our Lady of Fatima is asking of the Faithful is to offer up penances for the conversion of Russia and the world, in order to avoid and mitigate Gods Divine Wrath against a faithless people.

Through the valid Consecration of Russia made by Pope John Paul II united with the Bishops and for which Sister Lucia conveyed to the Pope our Lady's acceptance of this Consecration, the communistic hold over Russia has ceased. The Faithful must now continue to pray and offer penance to God for sins committed against Him and for the sins which cry out to Heaven for Divine Justice.

This is the essential message of Fatima as our own generation becomes more secularized and belief in Jesus Divinity is now questioned not only by non believers but also by those who 'profess to believe', yet they deny the fundamentals of our Catholic Faith.

Let us then keep in mind the real meaning of Fatima, Penance, Penance, Penance!

Catholic Catechism, 65 "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son."26 Christ, the Son of God made man, is the Father's one, perfect and unsurpassable Word. In him he has said everything; there will be no other word than this one. St. John of the Cross, among others, commented strikingly on Hebrews 1:1-2:
In giving us his Son, his only Word (for he possesses no other), he spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word - and he has no more to say. . . because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son. Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behavior but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty."

Why Women Can't Be Priests

The Ordination of women into the Priesthood seems to be the burning question for this particular century. It has brought much pain and anguish to some Catholic women both laity and religious and also much anger, why is this so when the Church's position has not changed over the centuries?

If women feel they are being unjustly treated or are being disregarded as to their value within The Catholic Church, then contrary to their 'perceived' erroneous opinion that The Church devalues women, in favor of a 'Patriarchal' hierarchy, they are then misinformed. One must then draw the conclusion that outside of the facts the women who feel themselves degraded or devalued is of a personal nature, rather than Church policy.

God did not differentiate between the sexes, He created in ardent Love both man and woman. If one group is thought less than the other then that is a man made concept devoid of love, for God created in each individual irrespective of gender the sacredness of being.

Why then is there such conjecture and controversy over the ordination of women?

We must look at early Church Teachings and Traditions, espoused by the Early Church Fathers. When we read the documents from the Early Church Fathers, we must also read it in its context with due consideration to the society values of that particular era. The writings of many of the Church Fathers may seem harsh or outmoded in our modern democratic society, but even though the language may be of another century, the content of the said documents still stand as truth, both Sacred and Inviolate, in the Tradition and Teachings of The Catholic Church.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders when conferred on the male makes him the spouse of The Bride which is The Catholic Church. It is from this deeply Mystical Union that the Priest bears a Supernatural and Holy love for The Bride and is Faithful to Her Teachings and Traditions; the Priest is in effect as Christ, with Christ and in Christ. Therefore the Priest is obligated to love the Church as Christ Himself Loves Her. As such no one may change what Christ Himself instituted when He chose the Twelve Apostles in the Birth of the Judea/Christian Church, it is the case that no community can take the place of Christ who instructs the Faithful through The Holy Spirit in matters of Church Doctrine, when conferring men into the Priesthood. For it is Christ who calls, consecrates and sends forth Ministers in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

The Catholic Church is merely following what Christ Himself instituted when He called the twelve Apostles, to follow Him and become fishers of men, even though many women also followed our Lord they were not included in the twelve, from which Christ chose.

But Christ also honored the specific role of women and overturned long entrenched Law imposed by the Pharisees and Saducees, when it pertained to discriminating against women such as the case with the woman caught in the act of adultery. Christ also showed compassion unto scandal, when He healed the woman from her bleeding, and also broke the Law when speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. For Christ came to fulfill the Law in His Messianic Mission but also to bring a new Law of 'love God and love thy neighbor as thyself', and to free both men and women from the sting of Death.

It was under Divine Inspiration when Peter proclaimed who Jesus was and is, as he said "You are the Christ, the son of the living God"! Upon this prophetic announcement it was Christ who commissioned the Twelve, and Peter as The Rock upon which He would build His Church, and not even the gates of hell would prevail, giving them the Power and Entrustment to bind on earth what will be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth will also be loosed in Heaven. This also came unto Divine enlightenment at the Last Supper when Jesus instituted the bread and wine as His Body and Blood, only the Twelve Apostles were seated with Jesus at the table, even though one of them would betray Him!

So as Christ instituted and ordained the Church, so too must the Pontiff and the Magisterium, stand firm when in matters of Doctrine and Tradition, and not be swayed by different winds. For even when Judas Iscariot killed himself and another was chosen to complete the twelve, it was Matthias under the Inspiration of The Holy Spirit who was called and not any of the women who may have been present.

The role of women within the Catholic fold IS integral and valuable as is shown by Mary's obedient "FIAT" and her Holy obedience to God, in bearing the Son of God which in effect makes Mary, The Mother of God, in which she is the Theotokos! Through her obedience and her free will she becomes with her Son and Savior Jesus Christ Co-Redeemer, but Mary within herself is not the Source of Grace but the recipient of Divine Grace, through which the Holy Spirit distributes Grace through Mary.

Mary the Theotokos at no time describes herself as equal with her Son, nor imposes upon The Divine Prerogative to make her more than what she is, the Handmaid of the Lord, and through her Fiat and obedience she joins her Son in His Salvific Mission to undo the sin of Adam and Eve. It is through the example of Mary that we gain our Dignity of purpose, to become Servants of the Most High God, and to live out the meaning of humble obedience to the One Triune God, in which Mary is our Exemplary and most perfect example, in which all women must follow.

For to sum up, if women were meant to be Priests, then this most August Mission would have been conferred on Mary The Theotokos, but, that is not what Christ instituted, which is not to negate women within the Church, but, to ennoble women in their attitude to Serve God as humbly as did our Perfect example, Mary the Mother of God.

Bishop Refuses Rudy Giulani Invite

The U.S elections are just around the corner and I have to admit that I find it difficult to believe that many Catholics vote for Pro-Choice candidates. I asked this question on another blog; What is more important to Catholic Americans to vote for a politician who promises to lower taxes even IF he is Pro-Choice? Or to vote for a politician with a definate Pro-life stance even if he increases taxes?

In Australia we dont have a choice voting is compulsory if you dont vote you will be fined. At the last election rather than vote for a Pro-Choice candidate I cast a 'dummy vote', I could not sleep at night if I voted for a Pro-Choice candidate this also includes politicians who support embryonic stem cell research.

When it comes to voting what motivates the Catholic populace, their conscience or their wallets? This question is directed to ALL countries.

Here is the LINK to what Bishop Tobin replied when he refused an invite to attend a dinner given by Rudy Giulani. Please CLICK HERE.

Why Worry-Prayer

Why Worry

If you are hurried, you can slow down;

If you are late, you can miss something;

If you miss something,

then you didn't have it to do,

You can do something else, if you want.

You can apologize, make amends for being late.

If you are hurt, you can heal;

If you are tired, you can rest;

If you are empty, you can fill up;

If you are sad, you can cry;

If you are lonely; you can be with someone;

If you hate, you can forgive;

If you are weak, you can pray.

You are as you are.

Life is at it is.

Join it.

Be a part of it--just as it is.

Be natural.

You are provided for.

Breathe Holy Spirit

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.

Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.

Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy.

Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy.

Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.

Amen

Saint Augustine