News Updates, 6/7-8

Tough issues for new bishop
Robert Carlson dealt with family and professional issues

Gender test spurs abortion fears
A new test to reveal the gender of a fetus in early pregnancy has sparked a row over whether it will lead to sex-selection abortions.

2 Nuns Hit Outside Church; 1 killed
Sister Elaine Lamm, a longtime Cardinals fan, was returning from the game Friday night when she was struck by a car and killed in O'Fallon, Mo

Socioeconomic encyclical due out later this month
'Caritas in Veritate' to address market collapse

Pope meets with Irish bishops after abuse report
Benedict expressed his solidarity with the victims

Vatican bans Australian rebel priest
Cleric says Church is corrupt, irrelevant, ruthless

Report: Spain plans ban on religious symbols
...in military barracks, hospitals, jails, public schools

Vatican paper steps back on praise for Obama
Denies a conflict with US bishops over coverage

L'Osservatore Obama?
At the very least you'd think the Vatican's unofficial newspaper (but whose views are taken as gospel about the Pope's) would not fall for the same-old, same-old stuff that MSM's are in the United States-and be fawningly infatuated with Barack Obama. Especially since about 80 U.S. bishops found the guts to stand up to him on abortion...

Miami nun arrested in police confrontation
Missionaries of Charity sister intervened for homeless man

Brooklyn bishop opposes statute of limitations bill
Warns that his diocese and others will go bankrupt

'Frankenfood' receives the Vatican's blessing
Genetically modified crops heartily endorsed at conference

Eight habits of highly effective bishops
Foster vocations, strengthen Catholic family...

"Tail-between-the-legs cowering”
Catholic Answers sues IRS over alleged attempts to silence churches, non-profits on moral issues

“Not an illegal word”
UCLA won’t let student use name of Jesus in graduation speech

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Other Issues
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Ginsburg temporarily blocks Chrysler deal
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg put a temporary hold Monday on the deal to sell Chrysler to save it from collapse. Her order, however, simply gives her or the full Court more time to ponder whether to postpone the sale further, or allow it to go forward...

Obama lawyer: Chrysler-Fiat must be allowed
U.S. solicitor general asks Supreme Court to ignore appeal of Chrysler bankruptcy made by Indiana pension fund...[U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan] said the losses to the Indiana funds "cannot outweigh" the potential broader problems a collapse of Chrysler would present.
[Doublespeak meaning: 'It's time to dispense with the "Rule of Law"']

Chairman MaObama Claims TARP Issue Is Out Of Supreme Court's Authority
The Obama Administration argued Monday that no court, including the Supreme Court, has the authority to hear a challenge by Indiana benefit plans to the role the U.S. Treasury played in the Chrysler rescue, including the use of “bailout” (TARP) funds. The Indiana debt holders, U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan wrote, simply have no right to raise that issue, thus putting it out of the reach of the courts...

North Korea sentences 2 US journalists to 12 years jail

American Legion Critical of Obama for Apologizing to Muslim World for U.S. Actions in Aftermath of 9/11
The nation’s largest veterans’ organization, the American Legion, criticized President Obama for apologizing for to the Muslim world for U.S. behavior in the in aftermath of the 9/11 attacks during his address from Cairo last week.

First Quarter Credit Card Delinquency Rate Jumps 11 percent
Rate of missed payments for bank-issued credit cards up 11 percent in 1st qtr, TransUnion says

Democrats Weigh Health Mandate as Obama Urges Taxing Wealthy
Chairman MaObama wants Congress to consider taxing the wealthy instead of workers to pay for a health-care overhaul, as House Democrats discuss a plan to require health insurance for most Americans...

The Economy Is Still at the Brink
The storm is not over, not by a long shot. Huge structural flaws remain in the architecture of our financial system, and many of the fixes that the [Obongo] administration has proposed will do little to address them and may make them worse...

Chairman MaObama promises more than 600,000 stimulus jobs
Cabinet questions spending and job creation

Obama's fiery former pastor visits S.F. church
Obama's former pastor gave the sermon at one of San Francisco's oldest Baptist churches Sunday and gave local parishioners a taste of the controversial oratory style that created such a stir during the presidential campaign - ultimately prompting Obama to resign his membership at the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Chicago church

Asheville man charged in alleged Liberty Dollar fraud scheme
Federal authorities arrested an Asheville man in what they said was a scheme to undermine the U.S. currency system and defraud consumers with so-called Liberty Dollars....
[Bogus charge by the bogus Feds...The thieves at the Treasury don't like "competition" for worthless fiat money. Then one must question why "Gift Certificates/Cards," etc are not illegal? At least the Liberty Dollar is silver...What a country!]

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US Justice Foundation Petition to Demand PROOF of Obama Citizenship
...Now is the time to petition Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) to DEMAND -- from the floor of the Senate and the House -- that Barack Obama be removed from office unless he releases his original birth certificate, proving once and for all whether he is a natural born citizen -- and constitutionally eligible to be President -- or a foreign-born usurper.

Gospel for Monday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Matthew 5:1-12

The Beatitudes

[1] Seeing the crowds, He (Jesus) went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. [2] And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: [3] "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [5] Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. [6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. [7] Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [8] Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. [9] Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. [10] Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [11] Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven, for so men persecute the prophets who were before you."
_____________________
Commentary:
1. The Discourse, or Sermon, on the Mount takes up three full chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel--Chapters 5-7. It is the first of the five great discourses of Jesus which appear in this Gospel and it contains a considerable amount of our Lord's teaching.

It is difficult to reduce this discourse to one single theme, but the various teachings it contains could be said to deal with these five points: 1) the attitude a person must have for entering the Kingdom ofHeaven (the Beatitudes, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, Jesus and His teaching, the fullness of the Law); 2) uprightness of intention in religious practice (here the "Our Father" would be included); 3) trust in God's fatherly providence; 4) how God's children should behave towards one another (not judging one's neighbor, respect for holy things, the effectiveness of prayer, and the golden rule of charity); 5) the conditions for entering the Kingdom (the narrow gate, false prophets and building on rock).

"He taught them": this refers both to the disciples and to the multitude, as can be seen at the end of the Sermon (Matthew 7:28).

2. The Beatitudes (5:3-12) form, as it were, the gateway to the Sermon on the Mount. In order to understand the Beatitudes properly, we should bear in mind that they do not promise salvation only to the particular kinds of people listed here: they cover everyone whose religious dispositions and moral conduct meet the demands which Jesus lays down. In other words, the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who suffer persecution in their search for holiness--these are not different people or kinds of people but different demands made on everyone who wants to be a disciple of Christ.

Similarly, salvation is not being promised to different groups in society but to everyone, no matter what his or her position in life, who strives to follow the spirit and to meet the demands contained in the Beatitudes.

All the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us definitive salvation not in this world, but in the next. But the spirit of the Beatitudes does give us, in this life, peace in the midst of tribulation. The Beatitudes imply a completely new approach, quite at odds with the usual way man evaluates things: they rule out any kind of pharisaical religiosity, which regards earthly happiness as a blessing from God and a reward for good behavior, and unhappiness and misfortune as a form of punishment. In all ages the Beatitudes put spiritual goods on a much higher plane than material possessions. The healthy and the sick, the powerful and the weak, the rich and the poor--all are called, independently of their circumstances, to the deep happiness that is experienced by those who live up to the Beatitudes which Jesus teaches.

The Beatitudes do not, of course, contain the entire teaching of the Gospel, but they do contain, in embryo, the whole program of Christian perfection.

3. This text outlines the connection between poverty and the soul. This religious concept of poverty was deeply rooted in the Old Testament (cf., e.g., Zephaniah 2:3ff). It was more to do with a religious attitude of neediness and of humility towards God than with material poverty: that person is poor who has recourse to God without relying on his own merits and who trusts in God's mercy to be saved. This religious attitude of poverty is closely related to what is called "spiritual childhood". A Christian sees himself as a little child in the presence of God, a child who owns nothing: everything he has comes from God and belongs to God. Certainly, spiritual poverty, that is, Christian poverty, means one must be detached from material things and practice austerity in using them. God asks certain people--religious--to be legally detached from ownership and thereby bear witness to others of the transitoriness of earthly things.

4. "Those who mourn": here our Lord is saying that those are blessed who suffer from any kind of affliction--particularly those who are genuinely sorry for they sins, or are pained by the offenses which others offer God, and who bear their suffering with love and in a spirit of atonement.

"You are crying? Don't be ashamed of it. Yes, cry: men also cry like you, when they are alone and before God. Each night, says King David, I soak my bed with tears. With those tears, those burning manly tears, you can purify your past and supernaturalize your present life" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 216).

The Spirit of God will console with peace and joy, even in this life, those who weep for their sins, and later will give them a share in the fullness of happiness and glory in Heaven: these are the blessed.

5. "The meek": those who patiently suffer unjust persecution; those who remain serene, humble and steadfast in adversity, and do not give way to resentment or discouragement. The virtue of meekness is very necessary in the Christian life. Usually irritableness, which is very common, stems from a lack of humility and interior peace.

"The earth": this is usually understood as meaning our Heavenly Fatherland.

6. The notion of righteousness (or justice) in Holy Scripture is an essentially religious one (cf. notes on Matthew 1:19 and 3:15; Romans 1:17; 1:18-32; 3:21-22 and 24). A righteous person is one who sincerely strives to do the Will of God, which is discovered in the commandments, in one's duties of state in life (social, professional and family responsibilities) and through one's life of prayer. Thus, righteousness, in the language of the Bible, is the same as whatnowadays is usually called "holiness" (1 John 2:29; 3:7-10; Revelation 22:11; Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 9:4).

As St. Jerome comments ("Comm. on Matthew", 5, 6), in the fourth Beatitude our Lord is asking us not simply to have a vague desire for righteousness: we should hunger and thirst for it, that is, we should love and strive earnestly to seek what makes a man righteous in God's eyes. A person who genuinely wants to attain Christian holiness should love the means which the Church, the universal vehicle of salvation, offers all men and teaches them to use--frequent use of the Sacraments, an intimate relationship with God in prayer, a valiant effort to meet one's social, professional and family responsibilities.

7. Mercy is not a just a matter of giving alms to the poor but also of being understanding towards other people's defects, overlooking them, helping them cope with them and loving them despite whatever defects they may have. Being merciful also means rejoicing and suffering with other people.

8. Christ teaches us that the source of the quality of human acts lies in the heart, that is, in a man's soul, in the depths of his spirit. "When we speak of a person's heart, we refer not just to his sentiments, but to the whole person in his loving dealings with others. In order to help us understand divine things, Scripture uses the __expression `heart' in its full human meaning, as the summary and source, __expression and ultimate basis, of one's thoughts, words and actions. A man is worth what his heart is worth" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 164).

Cleanness of heart is a gift of God, which expresses itself in a capacity to love, in having an upright and pure attitude to everything noble. As St. Paul says, "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8). Helped by God's grace, a Christian should constantly strive to cleanse his heart and acquire this purity, whose reward is the vision of God.

9. The translation "peacemakers" well convey the active meaning of the original text--those who foster peace, in themselves and in others and, as a basis for that, try to be reconciled and to reconcile others with God. Being at peace with God is the cause and effect of every kind of peace. Any peace on earth not based on this divine peace would be vain and misleading.

"They shall be called sons of God": this is an Hebraicism often found in Sacred Scripture; it is the same as saying "they will be sons of God". St. John's first letter (3:1) provides a correct exegesis of this Beatitude: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are".

10. What this Beatitude means, then, is: blessed are those who are persecuted because they are holy, or because they are striving to be holy, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thus, blessed is he who suffers persecution for being true to Jesus Christ and who does so not only patiently but joyfully. Circumstances arise in a Christian's life that call for heroism--where no compromise is admissible: either one stays true to Jesus Christ whatever the cost in terms of reputation, life or possessions, or one denies Him. St. Bernard ("Sermon on the Feast of All Saints") says that the eighth Beatitude is as it were the prerogative of Christian martyrs. Every Christian who is faithful to Jesus' teaching is in fact a "martyr" (a witness) who reflects or acts according with this Beatitude, even if he does not undergo physical death.

11-12. The Beatitudes are the conditions Jesus lays down for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. This verse, in a way summing up the preceding ones, is an invitation to everyone to put this teaching into practice. The Christian life, then, is no easy matter, but it is worthwhile, given the reward that Jesus promises.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Principles and Practices - June 8

The Two-Fold Glory

There exist in God two different kinds of glory - on the one hand an intrinsic or essential glory, which is infinite, inalienable, incapable of either increase or diminution, inherent in the eternal essence of God - on the other hand, extrinsic or accidental glory, rendered to Him by creatures summoned out of nothingness by God Himself expressly for this purpose. 'The Lord hath all things for Himself.'

-Paulin Giloteaux.
_________________
From Principles and Practices
Compiled by Rev. J. Hogan of The Catholic Missionary Society
Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., Publishers To The Holy See
Nihil Obstat; Eduardus J. Mahoney, S.T.D. Censor deputatus.
Imprimatur; Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius generalis.
First printed in 1930

Thoughts of St Augustine for June 8

Do not look for what thou hast but for what thou art. The price of this thing is thyself. Give thine own self and thou shalt have it. Lo, give thine own self as thou art, such as thou art to that thing and thou shalt have it.
_________________________
Click here for more information.

From Thoughts of St Augustine for Every Day
by Kathleen Mary Balfe (© 1926)
Nihil Obstat: Georgius D. Smith, S.T.D
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont

Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day-June 8

Whence does it come that in so many souls we see so little fruit with such frequent Communions? All comes from the want of proper dispositions, and especially from want of preparation. Fire immediately inflames dry but not green wood; for the latter is not disposed to burn.
_________________
From Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day
Compiled by Rev. C. McNeiry, C.SS.R.
Imprimatur: Joseph Hull, C.SS.R., Prov. Angl. Sup.
Nihil Obstat: Innocentlus Apap, O.P., S.T.M., Censor Deptutatus.
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius Generalis.
Westmonasterii, Die 9a Junii, 1927.
First published 1927

Gospel for Sunday, the Solemnity of The Most Holy Trinity

From: Matthew 28:16-20

Appearance in Galilee. The Mission to the World
[16] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. [17] And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. [18] And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
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Commentary:
16-20. This short passage, which brings to a close the Gospel of St Matthew, is of great importance. Seeing the risen Christ, the disciples adore him, worshipping him as God. This shows that at last they are fully conscious of what, from much earlier on, they felt in their heart and confessed by their words--that their Master is the Messiah, the Son of God (cf. Mt 16:18; Jn 1:49). They are overcome by amazement and joy at the wonder their eyes behold: it seems almost impossible, were he not before their very eyes. Yet he is completely real, so their fearful amazement gives way to adoration. The Master addresses them with the majesty proper to God: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Omnipotence, an attribute belonging exclusively to God, belongs to him: he is confirming the faith of his worshippers; and he is also telling them that the authority which he is going to give them to equip them to carry out their mission to the whole world, derives from his own divine authority.

On hearing him speak these words, we should bear in mind that the authority of the Church, which is given it for the salvation of mankind, comes directly from Jesus Christ, and that this authority, in the sphere of faith and morals, is above any other authority on earth.

The Apostles present on this occasion, and after them their lawful successors, receive the charge of teaching all nations what Jesus taught by word and work: he is the only path that leads to God. The Church, and in it all Christian faithful, have the duty to proclaim until the end of time, by word and example, the faith that they have received. This mission belongs especially to the successors of the Apostles, for on them devolves the power to teach with authority, "for, before Christ ascended to his Father after his resurrection, he [...] entrusted them with the mission and power to proclaim to mankind what they had heard, what they had seen with their eyes, what they had looked upon and touched with their hands, concerning the Word of Life (1 Jn 1: 1). He also entrusted them with the mission and power to explain with authority what he had taught them, his words and actions, his signs and commandments. And he gave them the Spirit to fulfill their mission" (John Paul II, "Catechesi Tradendae", 1). Therefore, the teachings of the Pope and of the Bishops united to him should always be accepted by everyone with assent and obedience.

Here Christ also passes on to the Apostles and their successors the power to baptize, that is, to receive people into the Church, thereby opening up to them the way to personal salvation.

The mission which the Church is definitively given here at the end of St Matthew's Gospel is one of continuing the work of Christ--teaching men and women the truths concerning God and the duty incumbent on them to identify with these truths, to make them their own by having constant recourse to the grace of the sacraments. This mission will endure until the end of time and, to enable it to do this work, the risen Christ promises to stay with the Church and never leave it. When Sacred Scripture says that God is with someone, this means that that person will be successful in everything he undertakes. Therefore, the Church, helped in this way by the presence of its divine Founder, can be confident of never failing to fulfill its mission down the centuries until the end of time.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Principles and Practices - June 7

Who Can Help

Great is often the misery of the human heart, great and overwhelming, the distress of a soul which lies fettered in the bands of this earthly life! Who shall count these sufferings, or measure the fear and anxiety which seize upon the heart when darkness as of night descends upon the spirit? And when we see how the enemy and his host surround us on all sides in this valley of tears, do we not feel forced to cry aloud with the Apostle: "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. vii, 24.)

-Mother Fey.
_________________
From Principles and Practices
Compiled by Rev. J. Hogan of The Catholic Missionary Society
Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., Publishers To The Holy See
Nihil Obstat; Eduardus J. Mahoney, S.T.D. Censor deputatus.
Imprimatur; Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius generalis.
First printed in 1930

Thoughts of St Augustine for June 7

TELL us, Lord, now what Commandments? A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another. This charity then, brethren, let us draw from the plentifulness of the fountain, let us receive it; be nourished by it...Let charity give thee birth, let charity nourish thee; charity bring thee to perfection, charity strengthen thee that thou mayest see this "seeing" of the Word.
_________________________
Click here for more information.

From Thoughts of St Augustine for Every Day
by Kathleen Mary Balfe (© 1926)
Nihil Obstat: Georgius D. Smith, S.T.D
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont

Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day-June 7

IF there is question of healing our spiritual infirmities, what more certain remedy can we have than Holy Communion, which is called by the Council of Trent "a remedy whereby we may be freed from daily faults, and be preserved from mortal sins"?
_________________
From Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day
Compiled by Rev. C. McNeiry, C.SS.R.
Imprimatur: Joseph Hull, C.SS.R., Prov. Angl. Sup.
Nihil Obstat: Innocentlus Apap, O.P., S.T.M., Censor Deptutatus.
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius Generalis.
Westmonasterii, Die 9a Junii, 1927.
First published 1927

Reflections for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

The Holy Trinity

Hungering After Justice

Scandal

The Recipient of Confession

Gospel for Saturday, 9th Week in Ordinary Time

First Saturday
Optional Memorial: St Norbert, Bishop
Optional Memorial: Our Lady's Saturday

From: Mark 12:38-44

Jesus Censures the Scribes

[38] And in His (Jesus') teaching He said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places [39] and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, [40] who devour widow's houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

The Widow's Mite

[41] And He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. [42] And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. [43] And He called His disciples to Him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. [44] For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living."
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Commentary:
38-40. Our Lord reproves disordered desire for human honors: "We should notice that salutations in the marketplace are not forbidden, nor people taking the best seats if that befits their position; rather, the faithful are warned to avoid, as they would evil men, those who set too much store by such honors" (St. Bede, "In Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc."). See also notes on Matthew 23:2-3, 5, 11 and 14.

41-44. Our Lord uses this little event to teach us the importance of things which apparently are insignificant. He puts it somewhat paradoxically; the poor widow has contributed more than all the rich. In God's sight the value of such an action lies more in upright intention and generosity of spirit than in the quantity one gives. "Didn't you see the light in Jesus' eyes as the poor widow left her little alms in the temple? Give Him what you can: the merit is not in whether it is big or small, but in the intention with which you give it" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 829).

By the same token, our actions are pleasing to God even if they are not as perfect as we would like. St. Francis de Sales comments: "Now as among the treasures of the temple, the poor widow's mite was much esteemed, so the least little good works, even though performed somewhat coldly and not according to the whole extent of the charity which is in us, are agreeable to God, and esteemed by Him; so that though of themselves they cannot cause and increase in the existing love [...] yet Divine Providence, counting on them and, out of His goodness, valuing them, forthwith rewards them with increase in charity for the present, and assigns to them a greater Heavenly glory for the future" (St. Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", Book 3, Chapter 2).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Principles and Practices - June 6

Devotion to Mary

You may be taken away young, you may live to four-score, you may die in your bed, you may die in an open field, but if Mary intercedes for you, that day will find you ready and watching. All things will be fixed to secure your salvation; all dangers will be foreseen; all obstacles removed, all aids provided. The hour will come, and in a moment you will be translated beyond fear and risk; you will be translated into a new state where sin is not, nor ignorance of the future, but perfect faith and serene joy and assurance, and love everlasting.

-Cardinal Newman.
_________________
From Principles and Practices
Compiled by Rev. J. Hogan of The Catholic Missionary Society
Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., Publishers To The Holy See
Nihil Obstat; Eduardus J. Mahoney, S.T.D. Censor deputatus.
Imprimatur; Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius generalis.
First printed in 1930

Thoughts of St Augustine for June 6

My brethren, to this end doth he exhort us, that we may see that the "seeing" of the Word is beyond our powers, for they are small, be they nourished, perfected. Where­by? By the commandments. He that loveth me keepeth my commandments. What commandments? For already do we wish to be strengthened, perfected, that we may see the "seeing" of the Word.
_________________________
Click here for more information.

From Thoughts of St Augustine for Every Day
by Kathleen Mary Balfe (© 1926)
Nihil Obstat: Georgius D. Smith, S.T.D
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont

Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day-June 6

IT is well known that the palm is a sign of victory; and therefore our Queen is placed on a high throne, in the sight of all the powers, as a palm, for a sign of certain victory, which all may promise themselves who place themselves under her protection.
_________________
From Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day
Compiled by Rev. C. McNeiry, C.SS.R.
Imprimatur: Joseph Hull, C.SS.R., Prov. Angl. Sup.
Nihil Obstat: Innocentlus Apap, O.P., S.T.M., Censor Deptutatus.
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius Generalis.
Westmonasterii, Die 9a Junii, 1927.
First published 1927

News Updates, 6/5

Diogenes: Obama, the 1st Catholic president
"We have a Vatican II president," John O'Malley informs us in a revealing America magazine article. It seems that just as Bill Clinton was a "black president," even though he was white, so too Barack Obama is a "Catholic president" even though he is Protestant.
[Protestant? Hardly!]

John Paul II could be beatified this year
Pope Benedict XVI could set date 'at any moment'

Irish orders will provide more abuse compensation
...to those raped and beaten at Catholic-run schools

Pope streamlines priest laicizing process
Provisions made for easily booting scandalous clergy

Court: San Fran's blast at Vatican was legal
City resolution slammed Church's 'hateful...rhetoric'

Priest's retirement sparks protests, death threats
NJ Italian parish bent on protecting its traditions

NY bishops issue statement on same-sex marriage
Urging Catholics to oppose the legalization bill

New London archbishop wants religion in schools
Nichols: Children should be taught Christian values

Nepal Christians rally to protest church bombing
Hindu extremist group claimed responsibility for blast

Kenya Catholics to sue schools over saints' names
Bishop: 'They are creating confusion among the public'

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Other Issues
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STL Cardinals manager, Tony La Russa, sues TWITTER over alleged fake page

Minnesota Vote Fraud: 2,812 Dead Voters
A review of Minnesota’s statewide database of registered voters revealed at least 2,812 deceased individuals voted in last November’s general election, according to a new report by the “traditional values” advocacy group Minnesota Majority...

IRS may seek licenses for tax preparers
[There is a much better idea - FAIRTAX.ORG, then ABOLISH the FED, the IRS, and every other unconstitutional bureaucracy in Washington]

Obama Bombs American History 101
Speaking at the University of Cairo, Pres__ent Barack Hussein Obama said that Americans are indebted to Islam for the great contributions Muslims have made to the history and development of the United States. “I know that Islam has always been a part of America’s story,” Mr. Obama told the throng of unenlightened Muslims. “The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco...And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States.”...
[What does one expect from a pathological liar and flunkie?]

Gospel for June 5, Memorial: St Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

Friday, 9th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Mark 12:35-37

Christ the Son and Lord of David

[35] And as Jesus taught in the temple, He said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? [36] David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared, `The Lord said to the Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I put Thy enemies under Thy feet'. [37] David himself calls Him Lord; so how is He his son?" And the throng heard Him gladly.
__________________________
Commentary:
35-37. Jesus here bears witness, with His special authority, to the fact that Scripture is divinely inspired, when He says that David was inspired by the Holy Spirit when writing Psalm 110. We can see from here that Jews found it difficult to interpret the beginning of the Psalm. Jesus shows the messianic sense of the words "The Lord said to my Lord": the second "Lord" is the Messiah, with whom Jesus implicitly identifies Himself. The mysteriously transcendental character of the Messiah is indicated by the paradox of His being the son, the descendant, of David, and yet David calls Him his Lord. Cf. note on Matthew 22:41-46.

[Note on Matthew 22:41-46 states:
41-46. God promised King David that one of his descendants would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:12ff); this was obviously a reference to the Messiah, and was interpreted as such by all Jewish tradition, which gave the Messiah the title of "Son of David". In Jesus' time this messianic title was understood in a very nationalistic sense: the Jews were expecting an earthly king, a descendant of David, who would free them from Roman rule. In this passage Jesus shows the Pharisees that the Messiah has a higher origin: He is not only "Son of David"; His nature is more exalted than that, for He is the Son of God and transcends the purely earthly level. The reference to Psalm 110:1 which Jesus uses in His argument explains that the Messiah is God: which is why David calls Him Lord--and why He is seated at the right hand of God, His equal in power, majesty and glory (cf. Acts of the Apostles 33-36; 1 Corinthians 6:25).]
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Principles and Practices - June 5

Often Forgotten

To adore God, to thank Him and to implore of Him His gifts is therefore a threefold duty, incumbent upon man, for the simple reason that man is altogether dependent upon God. But in consequence of his having fallen away from God and become corrupt by sin, there devolves upon him, now laden with iniquity and deserving of punishment, still another obligation, namely, that of appeasing an offended and irritated God by appropriate propitiation or satisfaction.

-Gihr.
_________________
From Principles and Practices
Compiled by Rev. J. Hogan of The Catholic Missionary Society
Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., Publishers To The Holy See
Nihil Obstat; Eduardus J. Mahoney, S.T.D. Censor deputatus.
Imprimatur; Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius generalis.
First printed in 1930

Thoughts of St Augustine for June 5

IF then, brethren, we are not able to see what the "seeing" of the Word is, whither are we going? What Vision, it may be with too great haste, are we requiring? Why are we wishing to have shewn us what we are not able to see...? It is something simple, of a simplicity ineffable.
_________________________
Click here for more information.

From Thoughts of St Augustine for Every Day
by Kathleen Mary Balfe (© 1926)
Nihil Obstat: Georgius D. Smith, S.T.D
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont

Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day-June 5

THAT person loves Jesus Christ with his whole heart who says to him with the Apostle: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Lord, signify to me what thou wilt have me do, for I wish to perform all.
_________________
From Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day
Compiled by Rev. C. McNeiry, C.SS.R.
Imprimatur: Joseph Hull, C.SS.R., Prov. Angl. Sup.
Nihil Obstat: Innocentlus Apap, O.P., S.T.M., Censor Deptutatus.
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius Generalis.
Westmonasterii, Die 9a Junii, 1927.
First published 1927

News Updates, 6/4

Ninth Circuit Decision Supporting Board’s Resolution Against Catholics Promotes Policy of Gleichschaltung
ANN ARBOR, MI – A San Francisco City Board’s resolution virulently condemning the Catholic Church because of its moral teachings on homosexuality does not violate the Constitution’s prohibition of government hostility toward religion, so says a panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals...Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center remarked, “It is not a stretch to compare the San Francisco Board’s actions to that of the Nazi Germany policy of Gleichschaltung: vilifying Jews as an auxiliary too and laying the groundwork for more repressive policies, including the final solution of extermination. The policy of San Francisco is one of totalitarian intolerance of Christians of all denominations who oppose homosexual conduct. My concern is that if this ruling is allowed to stand, it will further embolden anti-Christian attacks.”...

New York Assemblywoman Margaret Markey Threatens Bishop DiMarzio
Catholic League president Bill Donohue addresses remarks made yesterday by New York Assemblywoman Margaret Markey.Catholics in New York State are very concerned about a bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Margaret Markey [and opposed by Bishop DiMarzio and others] that would discriminate against the Catholic Church by opening the door to endless claims of sexual abuse while at the same time giving the public schools a pass...Markey has accused Bishop DiMarzio of being “on the borderline of jeopardizing his not-for-profit status.” She also went so far as to warn him: “If I were the bishop, I would walk very cautiously.”...

Nancy Pelosi Misleads on Embryonic Stem Cell Research at Reagan Statue Event
Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, gave a speech at the unveiling of a statue of President Ronald Reagan today on Capital Hill. However, she couldn't resist injecting divisive politics into her speech about a president regarded as strongly pro-life...

Marquette prof blames pro-lifers for Tiller death
Even if assassin has no connection to pro-life groups
[This, of course, comes from the ex-Jesuit priest and current heretic, Daniel Maguire. I surprised he's still alive. Another of the lost souls for whom we must pray yet ignore.]

Omaha diocese settles discrimination lawsuit
Parish employee fired for out-of-wedlock pregnancy

Obama 'comfortable' with anti-Catholic adviser
Harry Knox criticized by House Minority Leader, others

Lexington sex offenders move after threats
Catholic charity is closing a central Kentucky home

Obama: U.S. 'one of largest Muslim countries'
White House stresses President's Islamic roots
[What does one expect from a clueless community organizer?]

Catholic charities breaking law on gay adoption
UK tribunal cries discrimination against homosexual couples
[It's time to stand up for the truth - even if it means persecution by Satan's allies]

Cardinal Stafford retires as Penitentiary Major
Replaced by Archbishop Fortunato Baldelli

Church tense as federal forces to leave Orissa
Christians in Indian state have been besieged by Hindus

Judie Brown: Culture of Death has no winners
Tiller murder as 'senseless act of violence'

=========
Other Issues
=========

Chavez to seize chemical projects
Venezuela is preparing to nationalise petrochemical projects as part of President Hugo Chavez's campaign to limit the private sector. The national assembly is reading a law that would force the country's chemical companies to become minority partners in joint ventures with the state...
[Who is emulating who here? Is Obama following Chavez or is Chavez taking lessons from Obama?]

U.S. Mortgage Rates Jump to Highest Since December

Ballmer Says Tax Would Move Microsoft Jobs Offshore
Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steven Ballmer said the world’s largest software company would move some employees offshore if Congress enacts Obama’s plans to impose higher taxes on U.S. companies’ foreign profits.

Plan to Help Banks Clear Their Books Is Halted
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation indefinitely postponed a central element of the Obama administration’s bank rescue plan on Wednesday, acknowledging that it could not persuade enough banks to sell off their bad assets...

The Most Dangerous Man in the World: Barack Hussein Obama
Congratulations to [King] Obama! Osama bin Laden is no longer the most dangerous man in the world, having been effectively neutered by former President Bush’s war on terror. Obama has deftly picked up the mantle and has become America’s number one enemy...Just a few short months into his presidency, it is manifest that no drama Obama is instead, the architect of chaos and destruction. Everything Obama touches plummets into disorder...

Obama’s Real Genuflection to the Saudis
Obama is, indeed, really bowing to the Saudis as he visits the Middle East this week. First, he is bypassing Israel. Visiting the Middle East and not going to Israel would be like touring North America and omitting a stop in the United States. It only makes sense if you interpret it as a deliberate slap in the face of Jerusalem and a statement to the Arab world that America's pro-Israeli policy is changing...

Sweden ready to take over banks
Swedish banks fear mounting loan losses as the economy in the Baltic States, where Swedish banks are the largest lenders, are heading for breakdown. This puts the Swedish economy at considerable risk, Sweden's Finance Minister Anders Borg said to Swedish state television, SVT.

How the White House Hopes to Control Health Care Costs
Senate sources confirm that [Cairman MaObama] argued in favor of a genuinely major Medicare reform -- a reform that could make Medicare the nation's most important laboratory for health care reforms...

N. Korean naval boat intrudes into S. Korean side of western sea border

Muslim Brotherhood Members to Attend Obama's Cairo Speech
Obama Renews Openness About His Muslim Roots Ahead of Egypt Speech
Egyptian lawmakers from the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood are expected to attend President Obama's highly anticipated speech to the Muslim world Thursday in Cairo...

I, Barack Obama
Pres__ent [ID missing] Obama used the first-person singular pronoun "I" 34 times when he announced he was nationalizing General Motors. He used "Congress" once and "law" not at all. As Obama described it, the government takeover of General Motors was Obama's decision made for Obama's reasons...

Arizona sheriff under civil rights investigation requests probe of investigators
A lawyer for an Arizona sheriff who has aggressively cracked down on illegal immigration has asked for a probe of federal officials who are investigating the sheriff's office for alleged discrimination and unconstitutional searches...

Jobless rates in U.S. cities zoom higher in April
The weak labor market is hurting U.S. cities -- centers of many industries and large housing markets -- with 93 metropolitan areas registering an unemployment rate of at least 10 percent in April, according to Labor Department data released on Wednesday.

Latvian debt crisis shakes Eastern Europe
Latvia has become the first EU country to face a sovereign debt crisis after failing to sell a single bill at a $100m (£61m) treasury auction, prompting fears of a fresh storm in Eastern Europe as capital flight tests currency pegs.

Barack Hussein Obama should stop apologising for America
It is time for Obama to recognise that his strategy is weakening his country and making the United States more vulnerable to attack, says Nile Gardiner. No leader in American history has gone to greater lengths than Barack Obama to make amends for his own country.

Gospel for Thursday, 9th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Mark 12:28-34

The Greatest Commandment of All

[28] One of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He (Jesus) answered them well, asked Him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" [29] Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; [30] and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' [31] The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." [32] And the scribe said to Him, "You are right, Teacher; You have truly said that He is one, and there is no other than He; [33] and to love with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." [34] And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask Him any question.
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Commentary:
28-34. The doctor of the law who asks Jesus this question is obviously an upright man who is sincerely seeking the truth. He was impressed by Jesus' earlier reply (verses 18-27) and he wants to learn more from Him. His question is to the point and Jesus devotes time to instructing him, though he will soon castigate the scribes, of whom this man is one (cf. Mark 12:38ff).

Jesus sees in this man not just a scribe but a person who is looking for the truth. And His teaching finds its way into the man's heart. The scribe repeats what Jesus says, savoring it, and our Lord offers him an affectionate word which encourages his definitive conversion: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." This encounter reminds us of His meeting with Nicodemus (cf. John 3:1ff). On the doctrinal content of these two commandments cf. note on Matthew 22:34-40.

[Note on Matthew 22:34-40 states:
In reply to the question, our Lord points out that the whole law can be condensed into two commandments: the first and more important consists in unconditional love of God; the second is a consequence and result of the first, because when man is loved, St. Thomas says, God is loved, for man is the image of God (cf. "Commentary on St. Matthew", 22:4).

A person who genuinely loves God also loves his fellows because he realizes that they are his brothers and sisters, children of the same Father, redeemed by the same blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: "This commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also" (1 John 4:21). However, if we love man for man's sake without reference to God, this love will become an obstacle in the way of keeping the first commandment, and then it is no longer genuine love of our neighbor. But love of our neighbor for God's sake is clear proof that we love God: "If anyone says, `I love God', and hates his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20).

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself": here our Lord establishes as the guideline for our love of neighbor the love each of us has for himself; both love of others and love of self are based on love of God. Hence, in some cases it can happen that God requires us to put our neighbor's need before our own; in others, not: it depends on what value, in light of God's love, needs to be put on the spiritual and material factors involved.

Obviously spiritual goods take absolute precedence over material ones, even over life itself. Therefore, spiritual goods, be they our own or our neighbor's, must be the first to be safeguarded. If the spiritual good in question is the supreme one for the salvation of the soul, no one is justified in putting his own soul into certain danger of being condemned in order to save another, because given human freedom we can never be absolutely sure what personal choice another person may make: this is the situation in the parable (cf. Matthew 25:1-13), where the wise virgins refuse to give oil to the foolish ones; similarly St. Paul says that he would wish himself to be rejected if that could save his brothers (cf. Romans 9:3)--an unreal theoretical situation. However, what is quite clear is that we have to do all we can to save our brothers, conscious that, if someone helps to bring a sinner back to the way, he will save himself from eternal death and cover a multitude of his own sins (James 5:20). From all this we can deduce that self-love of the right kind, based on God's love for man, necessarily involves forgetting oneself in order to love God and our neighbor for God.]

30. This commandment of the Old Law, ratified by Jesus, shows, above all, God's great desire to engage in intimate conversation with man: "would it not have sufficed to publish a permission giving us leave to love Him? [...]. He makes a stronger declaration of His passionate love for us, and commands us to love Him with all our power, lest the consideration of His majesty and our misery, which make so great a distance and inequality between us, or some other pretext, divert us from His love. In this He well shows that He did not leave in us for nothing the natural inclination to love Him, for to the end that it may not be idle, He urges us by His general commandment to employ it, and that this commandment may be effected, there is no living man He has not furnished him abundantly with all means requisite thereto" (St. Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", Book 2, Chapter 8).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Principles and Practices - June 4

We Must Not Despair

Humiliation is good for us, inasmuch as it reminds us of our sins, corrects their effects, and in part atones for them. It must not be allowed to break our spirits. The ambitions we so prized, the hopes we had lovingly formed, have vanished from us like a torn spider's web, vain efforts, like all the efforts of man. But our tears must not be the tears of petulance and despair, but rather the tears of penitence, that will call down a renewal of God's favours.

-Ronald A. Knox
_________________
From Principles and Practices
Compiled by Rev. J. Hogan of The Catholic Missionary Society
Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., Publishers To The Holy See
Nihil Obstat; Eduardus J. Mahoney, S.T.D. Censor deputatus.
Imprimatur; Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius generalis.
First printed in 1930

Thoughts of St Augustine for June 4

MEN wondered that our Lord Jesus Christ filled so many thousands with five loaves, and they do not wonder that through a few grains the whole earth is filled with crops. When the water was made wine men saw it and were amazed; what else takes place with the rain along the root of the vine?
_________________________
Click here for more information.

From Thoughts of St Augustine for Every Day
by Kathleen Mary Balfe (© 1926)
Nihil Obstat: Georgius D. Smith, S.T.D
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont

Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day-June 4

Two things are chiefly required for the stability of a house - the foundation and the roof. The foundation in us must be humility in acknowledging ourselves good for nothing and capable of nothing; and the roof is the divine assistance, in which alone we ought to put all our trust.
_________________
From Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day
Compiled by Rev. C. McNeiry, C.SS.R.
Imprimatur: Joseph Hull, C.SS.R., Prov. Angl. Sup.
Nihil Obstat: Innocentlus Apap, O.P., S.T.M., Censor Deptutatus.
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius Generalis.
Westmonasterii, Die 9a Junii, 1927.
First published 1927

Hear Tiller's Voice and Fr. Frank Pavone's Response

From Fr Frank Pavone:

[I invite you to read the following statement I released yesterday, and also to listen to some chilling audio from George Tiller and to watch and comment on a new You Tube video at the links below. – Fr. Frank Pavone]

The pro-life leadership has gone out of its way - and rightly so - to condemn the violence that took the life of abortionist George Tiller on Sunday. I join with those voices, as I always have done, that declare that the end never justifies the means, and that violence has no place in the effort to end abortion.

I have been asked what I think the biggest negative effect of this killing will be on our pro-life movement. Does it tar the movement's reputation? Yes, it does, despite the fact that those who kill abortionists are always disconnected from pro-life organizations. Does it make the government reach too far in clamping down on First Amendment activity against abortion? Yes, it does and it will.

But those are not the biggest dangers.

The biggest danger is the enemy within. It is the fear and self-doubt to which we can all too easily fall victim. It is the voice inside that makes us feel guilty for saying "Abortion is murder" or "Abortion is a holocaust" or "The babies who are being killed need to be defended now." It is the fear inside that keeps us from going out to the abortion mills and intervening to save the children scheduled to be killed there each day.

The biggest danger is that some will listen to those in the pro-abortion movement who try to lay blame for violence on us and who, as one person wrote on my blog, think that saying "Abortion is murder" should be prosecuted because it leads to violence against abortionists.

The Church teaches us that we have to look evil in the eye. John Paul II, in "The Gospel of Life", said that we have to call evil by its proper name. This is no time to shrink back from the reality of what is going on every day in abortion. Children are being killed, and the reason it continues is that too many of our fellow citizens are blind to it.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, responded to criticisms that the civil rights activists were fomenting violence. No, he said. That's like saying the person who owns money is fomenting the activity of the robber. To expose the violence that is already occurring, to call it what it is, and to sound the alarm that it has to stop, is not to foment violence.

The pro-life movement is a movement of non-violence. As Ghandi and Dr. King taught, and as we teach, non-violence is not passivity, and it is not obscurity. It is a force. It is a clear and strong response against violence, in whatever form that violence takes.

Let the outcry against Tiller's murder be loud and clear. And let the outcry against the murders he committed - and that other abortionists commit -- be loud and clear as well.

Click below to hear Dr. Tiller's words to prospective abortion clients. Notice, he makes no attempt to deny that this is a baby, and offers the parents the opportunity to view their dead baby and say goodbye with religious and other rituals. (06:43)
http://www.priestsforlife.org/audios/george-tiller-1.mp3

If you have trouble opening the link above, go to www.priestsforlife.org/images/tiller-audio.htm

Please watch and comment on Fr. Frank’s You Tube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewjWfvAaYtw

Additional note: Luhra Tivis Warren, who once worked at the Tiller abortion business, gave her testimony at a public conference of former abortion providers sponsored by the Pro-Life action League in Chicago on April 3, 1993. She described the crematorium on the premises which George Tiller used to burn the bodies of his victims, which included babies even in the third trimester of pregnancy. She states, "I could smell the babies burning."

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries

Sharing for your edification. Please keep all in your prayers.

News Updates, 6/3

Church and Benedict XVI confronting heart of secular world
Archbishop Francisco Gil Hellin of Burgos, Spain said last week that it has become increasingly evident that both the Catholic Church and Pope Benedict XVI are confronting the “center of the secular world, made up of significant elements of the European Union, the United Nations, and more recently, the United States.”

Kmiec Chides Burke, Naumann, and Chaput
Cardinal Mahony Came to His Rescue
[Who else...dissenters, apostate, and heretics all flock together, don't they?]

[Self-described "Catholic"] Pelosi Says U.S. Should Aid U.N. Population Fund Despite Its Involvement in China Where There's Forced Abortion
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that the United States government should continue to provide aid to the United Nations Population Fund despite the fact that UNFPA operates in the People's Republic of China, where there is a coercive population-control program. “My knowledge of the fund is that it does not support abortion in China,” Pelosi said.
[Her knowledge? Well, enough said!]

Bishop George Lucas appointed to Archdiocese of Omaha
Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Bishop George J. Lucas, 59, to serve as the new Archbishop of Omaha, after accepting the resignation of Omaha’s Archbishop Elden Curtiss....
[Congratulations to Bishop Lucas]

A Condemnation of Murder
The nation’s Catholic bishops have roundly condemned the anarchical act of vigilantism of the murder of George Tiller, baby killer. The American TFP have also condemned it...

Controversy erupts over John Paul II letters
Female friend publishes five decades' correspondence

Hindu extremists threaten Christians in Nepal
Terrorist group gives them one month to leave country

Former Polish PM: Europe is anti-Catholic
Says continent needs new initiatives, fresh air

Rumor: Vatican might dissolve Indiana diocese
...or diocesan boundaries may be redrawn around Indy

Hong Kong's Cardinal Zen criticizes Beijing
Urges China to reassess its verdict on Tiananmen

Pope: People must fight 'spiritual pollution'
Human soul is threatened by ideas that glorify violence

'Father Oprah' is big news in Hispanic community
Convert is media sensation in US and Latin America

Mel Gibson's new life at odds with his faith
Trad asks fellow parishioners not to gossip about him

Vatican official laments drop in confessions
Some confuse psychologist's couch for confessional booth

UK Man Convicted after Trying to Stop Homosexual Sex in Public with Video Camera
A UK man who became fed up with homosexuals meeting for sex in the local park, has received a suspended jail sentence for his attempts to shame them into stopping using his video camera. Colin Anthony Haw, 47, of Mayflower Road, Boston, in Lincolnshire, was called a “vigilante” by the court who said his campaign to stop the activities of the local homosexual community was a threat to a “vulnerable” minority...

=========
Other Issues
=========

The Big Collapse Could Be Very Near
The Federal Reserve appears to be increasingly nervous about the long term bond market. This is serious. How panicked are they? After leaking a story on Friday, they are back at it on Sunday. The Federal Reserve leaked to CNBC's Steve Liesman on Friday that they weren't targeting long rates. Why such a leak? Probably because the Fed did not want to appear impotent in controlling the long rate. So they put out the word through Liesman that they weren't targetting the long rate. Can you imagine what would happen to the markets if it sensed long rates were beyond the control of the Fed?...

Time for Fed to start tightening, Hoenig says
Rising yields on long-term Treasury debt is a signal that the Federal Reserve should being raising interest rates, said Thomas Hoenig, the president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve district bank on Wednesday. The higher yields are a signal that the market is concerned with the inflationary pressure from the high federal budget deficit and "very" accommodative monetary policy, Hoenig said in a speech in Wyoming...

Bin Laden Says Obama Has Inflamed Hatred Toward the U.S.
Cairo (AP) - Osama bin Laden threatened Americans in a new audio tape Wednesday, saying President Barack Obama inflamed hatred toward the U.S. by ordering Pakistan to crack down on militants in Swat Valley and block Islamic law there.

China Sees ‘Grim’ Job Market, Deeper Impact From Global Crisis
China’s government said unemployment is worsening, a quick rebound in trade is becoming less likely, and the nation is yet to feel the full effects of a global slump...

Venezuela Chavez says "Comrade" Obama more left-wing
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Tuesday that he and Cuban ally Fidel Castro risk being more conservative than U.S. President Barack Obama as Washington prepares to take control of General Motors Corp...

States' Budget Woes Are Poised to Get Even Worse
As lawmakers fight over patching current budgets, larger problems loom in the next few years. The bulk of funds from the federal government's stimulus package will be allocated by 2011, but tax collections aren't likely to be enough to take their place -- even if the economy is recovering...
[Where are the SPENDING CUTS?]

Barack Hussein Obama: US "one of the largest Muslim countries in the world"
It is important to note that "if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world"....
[Lather, rinse, repeat...Hussein is Domestic enemy #1...He and all of his Congressional lapdogs need to resign or be impeached!]

The world is "getting closer" to a swine flu pandemic as some countries outside the Americas are showing early signs of flu spreading locally, a senior World Health Organisation official said Tuesday...

Bomb Threat on Air France S. America day before plane was lost
The airport safety delayed an Air France flight this evening before departring for Paris immediately after the company received a bomb threat over the phone at the airport of Ezeiza...

U.S. Releases Secret List of Nuclear Sites Accidentally
The federal government mistakenly made public a 266-page report, its pages marked “highly confidential,” that gives detailed information about hundreds of the nation’s civilian nuclear sites and programs, including maps showing the precise locations of stockpiles of fuel for nuclear weapons....
[The clowns have since removed it from the web however, the document is at wikileaks]

Merkel mauls central banks
Unconventional monetary policies being pursued by the world’s main central banks could aggravate rather than ease the economic crisis, Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, suggested on Tuesday...

The Emergence of Pres__ent Obama's Muslim Roots
ABC News' Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report: The other day we heard a comment from a White House aide that never would have been uttered during the primaries or general election campaign...
[Anyone with any brains knos he is and always was a Muslim]

Al Qaeda Eyes Bio Attack Via Mexico Border
U.S. counterterrorism officials have authenticated a video by an al Qaeda recruiter threatening to smuggle a biological weapon into the United States via tunnels under the Mexico border, the latest sign of the terrorist group's determination to stage another mass-casualty attack on the U.S. homeland...
[Let's NOT bother securing the border...Incompetent fools!]

=========

'My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world...I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it.'
-- Baraq Hussein Obama

Gospel for June 3, Memorial: St Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

Wednesday, 9th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Mark 12:18-27

The Resurrection of the Dead

[18] And Sadducees came to Him (Jesus), who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked Him a question, saying [19] "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the wife, and raise up children for his brother. [20] There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no children; [21] and the second took her, and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; [22] and the seven left no children. Last of all the woman also died. [23] In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife."

[24] Jesus said to them, "Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? [25] For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in Heaven. [26] And as for being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, `I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? [27] He is not God of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong."
_____________________
Commentary:
18-27. Before answering the difficulty proposed by the Sadducees, Jesus wants to identify the source of the problem--man's tendency to confine the greatness of God inside a human framework through excessive reliance on reason, not giving due weight to divine Revelation and the power of God. A person can have difficulty with the truths of faith; this is not surprising, for these truths are above human reason. But it is ridiculous to try to find contradictions in the revealed word of God; this only leads away from any solution of difficulty and may make it impossible to find one's way back to God. We need to approach Sacred Scripture, and, in general, the things of God, with the humility which faith demands. In the passage about the burning bush, which Jesus quotes to the Sadducees, God says this to Moses: "Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Principles and Practices - June 3

To Prevent Distractions

The practice of the Prayer of Recollection is of no slight advantage to a distracted soul. And in fact, to contemplate with the eye of faith our God present within us - that is to say, to see within us a majesty exceeding all greatness, a beauty surpassing all loveliness and glory, a good­ness that has no limits, the true essence of Heaven­ will prove a very efficacious means to prevent ourselves from being distracted by the wretched exterior things of this world.

-Joseph Frassinetti.
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From Principles and Practices
Compiled by Rev. J. Hogan of The Catholic Missionary Society
Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., Publishers To The Holy See
Nihil Obstat; Eduardus J. Mahoney, S.T.D. Censor deputatus.
Imprimatur; Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius generalis.
First printed in 1930

Thoughts of St Augustine for June 3

FOR nought, O Soul, sufficeth thee save he who created thee. Whatsoever else thou apprehendest is wretched; for he alone can suffice thee who made thee after his own likeness.
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Click here for more information.

From Thoughts of St Augustine for Every Day
by Kathleen Mary Balfe (© 1926)
Nihil Obstat: Georgius D. Smith, S.T.D
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont

Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day-June 3

By the light of the last candle all things in this world - applause, diversions, pomps and greatness - vanish. The most princely fortunes, the most exalted dignities and the most superb triumphs lose all their splendour when viewed from the bed of death.
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From Thoughts from St Alphonsus for Every Day
Compiled by Rev. C. McNeiry, C.SS.R.
Imprimatur: Joseph Hull, C.SS.R., Prov. Angl. Sup.
Nihil Obstat: Innocentlus Apap, O.P., S.T.M., Censor Deptutatus.
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius Generalis.
Westmonasterii, Die 9a Junii, 1927.
First published 1927

News Updates, 6/2

State moves to restrict Catholics in politics
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport in Connecticut has filed a federal lawsuit following assertions by a state official that rallying church members at the Capitol in Hartford constitutes a violation of lobbying law. Six weeks after 4,000 Catholics in Connecticut rallied in opposition to a proposed state law known as Bill 1098, which dictated local parishes reorganize their governing structures to substitute lay leaders for priests in oversight of finances...

Obama Calls Tiller Killing a Heinous Act of Violence but Ignores Heinous Violence of Abortion
Chairman MaObama said: "I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence." Obama's sentiments as expressed in this statement represent a serious disassociation between the tragic death of one man in Kansas and the equally tragic deaths of thousands of preborn children that occur on a daily basis throughout this nation. Every act of senseless killing is an outrage and should cause shock in the heart of every one of us. But this is not what I gleaned from the president’s words. It is, in fact, so very sad that the pres__ent can treat of one type of heinous crime as an “issue” while describing an equally wicked crime in the proper terms....
[That's because he's a lying Kenyan thug employed by Lucifer]

Pro-Life leaders denounce 'Tiller the Killer' murder
'A greater setback to the pro-life movement than anything'
[Did Tiller merely reap what he had sown - a late term abortion?]

Catholic bishops condemn murder of abortionist
'Catholic Church believes that every human life is sacred'

Demand: Root out pro-life 'terrorists'
'Bringing killer to justice not enough' claims group
[And exactly what was "Tiller the Killer"? Was he NOT a murdering terrorist who killed innocent babies in a most horrifying and gruesome manner? Tiller was a sick, perverted, madman, a depraved animal. Unlike others, I cannot mourn this man's death. I feel sorry for his family and hope that he repented before he died. I will rejoice for those babies who will now be spared being brutally dismembered and ripped apart alive by a psychopathic murderer. He chose to be an agent of Satan and others anti-life minions are trying to make him a "martyr." What a bunch of sick freaks!]

Lawsuits dropped against former bishop in Iowa
In attempt to free the Catholic Church to punish Soens

Boys Town founder warned Irish Church about abuse
Fr. Flanagan slammed reform schools as 'disgrace' to nation

Sotomayor would be 6th Catholic on Supreme Court
Justices would represent 'vast diversity' of the Faith
[Is she a faithful Catholic or a "cafeteria" Catholic - Does it make any difference?]

Murder of Catholic in N Ireland was 'premeditated evil'
'...like something that would happen in the dark ages'

Spaniards oppose abortion law reform plan
Teens could obtain abortions without parental consent

Pope John Paul's beatification may be delayed
Vatican seeks more documentation on 27-year papacy

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Other Issues
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Mohammedan Suspect pleads not guilty in soldier's death
A Muslim...accused of killing a soldier in a "political and religious" attack on a military recruiting center pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a capital murder charge and was ordered held without bail....Deputy Prosecutor Scott Duncan said Muhammad told investigators that "he would have killed more soldiers had they been in the parking lot... "
[Not Guilty - He was doing Allah's work - killing infidels, just as Mohammed decreed.]

Pat Buchanan: A Quota Queen for the Court
If the U.S. Senate rejects race-based justice, Sonia Sotomayor will never sit on the Supreme Court. Because that is what Sonia is all about. As The New York Times reported Saturday, the salient cause of her career has been advancing persons of color, over whites, based on race and national origin...

Branson: unlikely all big U.S. airlines to survive
entrepreneur Richard Branson, founder and president of Virgin Atlantic Airways VA.UL, said on Tuesday he believes it is unlikely that all big U.S. airlines will survive the next 12 to 18 months...
[Time for the Feds to compile another "Too Big to Fail" list for Taxpayer Bailouts! Ain't Communist Amerika great?]

Kim Jong-il chooses third son as his successor
Kim Jong-il has formally named his third son, Kim Jong-un, as his successor as he prepares to stand down as North Korea's leader. Kim Jong-il, 67, who is known as North Korea's "Dear Leader", suffered a stroke at the end of last year and has been incapacitated ever since...

Barclays Abu Dhabi Investors to Sell $6.8 Bln Stock
Barclays Plc’s Abu Dhabi investors are seeking to sell 4.12 billion pounds ($6.8 billion) of the bank’s stock in order to focus on “hydrocarbon-related opportunities.”

China Probes Imports of U.S. Steel
Russian Firms Also Face Antidumping Inquiry; Case Follows American Suit

'Cash for clunkers' rolling in Senate
Lawmakers are expected later this week to consider a program to subsidize new auto purchases. A House panel has already approved a version...Obama again calls on Congress to pass bill to subsidize new auto sales.

Obama's Great-Uncle Says [Dictator Obama] Visiting Concentration Camp Site for 'Political Reasons'
b. Hussein Obama's scheduled visit to a former Nazi concentration camp is being done for "political reasons," [Obama's] great-uncle...said in a recent interview...
[The thug wants to see how a successful concentration camp was set up so he can start the same in the U.S., no doubt]

N. Korea steps up coastal drills amid fears of naval provocation
North Korea has intensified landing exercises using amphibious vessels along its west coast, amid growing fears in Seoul that the communist country may be plotting an attack on a South Korean island, a source said Monday.

Is Obama Selling Military Secrets to China for Debt Forgive?
[Tinfoil? Who knows these days?]

Arkansas recruiting center jihadist killer studied jihad in Yemen
I have learned from a well-placed source that Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, who killed one soldier and wounded another at a a Little Rock military recruiting center today, and who faces charges of terrorism as well as first-degree murder, has recently returned from Yemen, where he studied jihad with an Islamic scholar there...
[The TERRORIST goes by the name "Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad," and his real name is Carlos Bledsoe...evidently chose to name himself after a racist, child molester named Mohammed...
Meanwhile, Napolitano and the DHS are keeping Amerika safe from returning military...And where is Chairman MaObama's outrage about the murder of a US military recruiter by a radical black Mohammedan? I suppose this terrorist didn't kill enough babies, yet!]

Gospel for Tuesday, 9th Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial: St Marcellinus and St Peter, Martyrs

From: Mark 12:13-17

On Tribute to Caesar

[13] And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to entrap him in his talk. [14] And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? [15] Should we pay them, or should we not?" But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin and let me look at it." [16] And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." [17] Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at him.
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Commentary:
13-17. Jesus uses this situation to teach that man belongs totally to his Creator: "You must perforce give Caesar the coin which bears his likeness, but let you give your whole being to God, because it is his likeness, not Caesar's that you bear" (St Jerome, "Comm. in Marcum, in loc.").

Our Lord here asserts a principle which should guide the action of Christians in public life. The Church recognizes the rightful autonomy of earthly realities, but this does not mean that she has not a responsibility to light them up with the light of the Gospel. When they work shoulder to shoulder with other citizens to develop society, Christian lay people should bring a Christian influence to bear: "If the role of the Hierarchy is to teach and to interpret authentically the norms of morality to be followed in this matter, it belongs to lay people, without waiting passively for orders and directives, to take the initiative freely and to infuse a Christian spirit into the mentality, customs, laws and structures of the community in which they live. Changes are necessary, basic reforms are indispensable; lay people should strive resolutely to permeate them with the spirit of the Gospel" (Paul VI, "Populorum Progressio", 81).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Principles and Practices -
Counsels, Meditation, Reflection,

Christian Sweetness

It is the sweetness not of manner, or of phrase, or of look that forms this quality, but the sweetness of mind, of heart, of soul, distilled through every sense and every pore: for, in one word, it is the suavity of charity.

-Cardinal Wiseman.
_________________
From Principles and Practices
Compiled by Rev. J. Hogan of The Catholic Missionary Society
Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., Publishers To The Holy See
Nihil Obstat; Eduardus J. Mahoney, S.T.D. Censor deputatus.
Imprimatur; Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius generalis.
First printed in 1930

Thoughts of St Augustine for June 2

DIRECT your heart to Godward. Do not deceive yourselves. Ask yourselves then when it is well with you in the world; then ask yourselves, whether ye love the world or whether ye love it not; learn to let it go before ye are let go yourselves. Whilst I say it is yet with thee loosen thy love - be pre­pared for the will of God, hang upon God.
_________________________
Click here for more information.

From Thoughts of St Augustine for Every Day
by Kathleen Mary Balfe (© 1926)
Nihil Obstat: Georgius D. Smith, S.T.D
Imprimatur: Edm. Can. Surmont