Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Pray for Us
Check out all the posts marked carmelites or perfection carmelites
News from SPUC
3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street
London, SE11 4AB, United Kingdom Telephone: (020) 7091 7091 Email: information@spuc.org.uk http://www.spuc.org.uk | ||
| Book now for SPUC's national conference, 5-7 September | ||
|---|---|---|
Book now for SPUC's national conference, 5-7 September
SPUC's national conference takes place once again at the Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire, from 5-7 September. This will be a fantastic opportunity to hear international speakers on a range of pro-life topics, and get up to date with all SPUC’s campaigns. It is a must for all SPUC branches. We are delighted that our speakers this year will include:
To book, download the booking form and return it to SPUC with the conference fee. Book before 31 July for a £20 discount If you have any questions about the conference, please contact Katherine Hampton, the conference organiser, by email to conference@spuc.org.uk or by telephone on 020 7820 3137. Speaker profiles: Bishop Philip Egan Roman Catholic bishop of Portsmouth, who responded firmly to criticism from pro-abortion Catholic MPs who were appalled when he said political advocates of abortion and same-sex “marriage” should not present themselves to receive Communion. Bishop Egan spoke out against the Liverpool Care Pathway, and strongly defended doctors who respect life. In a recent interview he said that, “Abortion, euthanasia, eugenics, [and] assisted suicide gravely degrade and undermine respect for the dignity and value of human life”. Bishop Egan issued an important statement on the passing of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, which made clear that same-sex marriage is "the inevitable outcome" of the rejection of the intrinsic link between the unitive and procreative aspects of sexual intercourse, the link taught in Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Humanae Vitae". Bishop Egan needs our prayers and support for his courageous pro-life stand, and we are very excited that he will be speaking at the conference. Dr. Greg Gardner MRCGP Hon. tutor in General Practice, University of Birmingham, who will be speaking about the GMC and its tacit involvement in colluding with pre-signing of abortion consent forms. Dr. Gardner is a GP at an inner city practice in Birmingham. He is a member of the Christian Medical Fellowship and writes and speaks widely against abortion. He has been an adviser to SPUC on literature for GPs. Obianuju Ekeocha Runs Culture of Life Africa, an internet-based resource which monitors and publicises the attacks on the culture of life in her home continent of Africa. Obianuju organised the first ever pro-life conference in her native Nigeria in June 2013. She is outspoken against first world countries deluging the world’s poorest countries, most of them in Africa, with contraception and abortion. Colin Harte Carer of the late Alison Davis, who will speak on, “Suffering for what we value: the legacy of Alison Davis.” Alison was the co-ordinator of SPUC group, ‘No Less Human’. Jim Hughes National President of Campaign Life Coalition in Canada. Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk |
Homeless/Immigrants
There are millions of homeless children who are Americans. Up to 1,160,000 children who are American citizens were homeless in 2011.
So, why are cities in the south and west opening hotels and asking charities to deal with immigrant children, while many of our own are on the street?
Why do American citizens not get the attention they need for housing?
I have seen homeless children in cities here, sitting under cardboard boxes with a parent or parents.
I am not against giving immigrant children housing. I am upset that our own children are neglected.
The reason is, of course, that politicians get more publicity talking about immigrants than the unhappy truth of our own homeless.
Every state in the union has homeless children. There are kids who live in cars. Over one million do not know what a home is...Some statistics are higher than the one I found, which looks like a minimum number.
found here...
Some homeless shelters specifically state, "NO CHILDREN".
Politicians want votes, not care.
So, why are cities in the south and west opening hotels and asking charities to deal with immigrant children, while many of our own are on the street?
Why do American citizens not get the attention they need for housing?
I have seen homeless children in cities here, sitting under cardboard boxes with a parent or parents.
I am not against giving immigrant children housing. I am upset that our own children are neglected.
The reason is, of course, that politicians get more publicity talking about immigrants than the unhappy truth of our own homeless.
Every state in the union has homeless children. There are kids who live in cars. Over one million do not know what a home is...Some statistics are higher than the one I found, which looks like a minimum number.
Facts:
- An estimated 1.5 to 2.8 million homeless and street youth in America.
- If they all lived one city, it would be the 7th largest city in the U.S.
- 13 kids die on the streets every day from abuse, disease and suicide.
- Human trafficking of youth is the fastest growing crime.
- An estimated 100,000 children are sold into the sex trade within the US every year.
found here...
Some homeless shelters specifically state, "NO CHILDREN".
Politicians want votes, not care.
Coffee check
Here is a very personal and unscientific list of coffees with a rating of one to ten, one being lowest in taste and ten being best.
Pret, now FreeState
in London ten
Wendy' s two
Starbucks four
McCafe
almost everywhere
eight
Panera's six
Costa
Coffee seven
Humble Bean
in Dublin nine
Thoughts in An Airport
I was in an airport this morning which does not have wifi. This is America
Again, I am amazed at the backwardness of America
Amazed.
Bus companies are going to go “up market” in the States,
according to a news item this week. These will provide wifi on the buses and
television, as well as other amenities which have disappeared from the
airlines.
The airlines seem to be committing consumer suicide by not
being as “friendly” as in the older days.
I can recommend Lufthansa, a great airlines.
Bye for now.
Do You Tithe?
It is amazing how certain manufacturing companies, or even
military installations, create the identity of communities of those who may not
even be part of the military or factory.
For example, I am leaving John Deere Land
The Quad-Cities has always been working class, but with a
strong middle-class, as wages paid by the a above employers have been good for
a long time.
Pensioners from all three live comfortably.
ADM and Dupont had large companies here, although smaller
than in the past, and one is gone.
Speaking with a clergyman yesterday morning, I was told how
tithing from Catholics is “way down.” Another clergyman shared with me that
although the Catholics are no longer, for the most part, poor, tithing revenues
have fallen.
Because of this, the deaconate bonus, that is, extra money
given to a seminarian in his diaconate year, a very intense years wherein those
deacons serve in parishes, conduct weddings and funerals, preach at Masses,
visit the sick and aged, and so on, have been stopped because of lack of money.
So, the busy, ordained temporary deacon has no more income than a regular
seminarian.
What do people expect? You all know how poor I am and yet, I
bought black socks for a deacon poorer than myself yesterday.
Who do people think are paying for the priest’s salaries,
their cars, their gas money, especially when a priest can have four or five parishes
in the country and not close to each other but hours away?
How do Catholics think the churches will stay open when they
do not tithe?
There are many who work for John Deere or who are retired,
there are many millionaire farmers, and those who have generous military
pensions who never tithe.
Interestingly, the middle class tithe. And, some poor tithe.
I think priests should begin to preach tithing from the
pulpit. I have not heard a tithing sermon in England ,
Ireland , Malta or America
Are priests afraid of being criticized for asking people to
fulfill one of the precepts of the Church?
Yesterday, also, I spoke with someone who said that the
diocese should pay for travel for seminarians or for their clothes and personal
items. I did not want to argue with the person, but dioceses have less and less
money to help.
It remains in the hands of the laity to help support the
needs of seminarians and deacons, who have to buy their own “blacks” and all
personal items, including some travelling for their dioceses, where there may
not be enough money in the diocesan kitty to pay for such.
Churches will close, seminaries will close, other facilities
will close and Catholics will complain.
How many tithe?Do YOu
Responding to The Remnant
This is a bit late, but better late than never. In the May 20th, 2014 issue of The Remnant, Father Celatus has
a list of issues, comments and events which he claims are all true and point to Francis being a bad pope.
Now, some of the points have been proven false, either from the fake interview on the Salford Diocesan ,
site, which was taken off, or the notorious adding of false ideas of Eugenio Scalfari, in his infamous interview.
What Americans do not understand is that most of the media in Europe is under the control of atheists and/or
Marxists, who want to undermine the entire authority of the Catholic Church.
That The Remnant would publish such a list indicates a purposeful hostility to the Pope, and an attitude of fault finding.
Not all popes are saints. Not all popes have an IQ of 170. Not all popes are politically savvy.
To be so unthinkingly critical, without giving sources in a newspaper is irresponsible publishing.
We can all disagree with some of the actions of this pope, but to make some sort of mean check list smacks not only of disrespect for the office, but a willing attitude of dissent. One can dissent and be traditional.
Another point: those who are against the canonizations of the two popes are bucking an infallible action.
Be careful.
Apologies for the spacing--weird and could not correct.
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Important Schism Watch
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/07/austrian-priest-mentions-hell-and.html
Thomas Ladner (in the photo) is a 36 year old Austrian priest, usually dressed in a cassock and collaborator in the parish of Stans, in Tyrol, a small town of 1500 souls, where he also teaches religion in the primary school. Before the end of the school year, he was informed of the withdrawal of his permit to teach by the diocese of Innsbruck. The priest’s fault, according to the diocesan school office, would be that he had spoken to his young students about The Four Last Things, among which he mentioned hell and purgatory; “lessons not suitable for children at their stage in life,” that he had dealt with themes on the family in “terms no longer up-to-date,” and of having used “rhetorical language,” or rather – too traditional.
Thomas Ladner (in the photo) is a 36 year old Austrian priest, usually dressed in a cassock and collaborator in the parish of Stans, in Tyrol, a small town of 1500 souls, where he also teaches religion in the primary school. Before the end of the school year, he was informed of the withdrawal of his permit to teach by the diocese of Innsbruck. The priest’s fault, according to the diocesan school office, would be that he had spoken to his young students about The Four Last Things, among which he mentioned hell and purgatory; “lessons not suitable for children at their stage in life,” that he had dealt with themes on the family in “terms no longer up-to-date,” and of having used “rhetorical language,” or rather – too traditional.
more at the site
Important News from SPUC
3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street
London, SE11 4AB, United Kingdom Telephone: (020) 7091 7091 Email: information@spuc.org.uk http://www.spuc.org.uk |
| SPUC Pro-Life urges supporters to keep lobbying against Falconer assisted suicide bill |
|---|
SPUC Pro-Life urges supporters to keep lobbying against Falconer assisted suicide bill
Following a decision by a group of Peers, opposed to Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill, not to vote against the Bill at its Second Reading debate this Friday (18 July), SPUC Pro-Life is urging supporters to keep on lobbying members of the House of Lords both to oppose and to vote against the Bill. SPUC Pro-Life is a leading anti-euthanasia group which was represented officially in the High Court in the Diane Pretty and Debbie Purdy assisted suicide cases.
In a letter published in today's Times the group of Peers said: "In the light of the opinion expressed recently by the Supreme Court that Parliament should consider whether, and if so how, the law should be changed, we believe, albeit reluctantly, that the bill should have an unopposed second reading and proceed to its committee stage."SPUC told the media earlier today: "By deciding not to vote against the Bill at Second Reading, this group of Peers is bowing to the flawed opinions of biased judges and to questionable parliamentary convention, rather than the urgent need to protect the right to life. The Bill does not need to be debated by Parliament, either in general or in detail. Assisted suicide was debated in the last parliamentary session and in previous sessions and does not deserve further consideration.The Supreme Court has threatened to overturn the existing law if Parliament does not allow people to help others commit suicide. The media and a number of celebrities are ranged against the pro-life position. Mark Davies, the Catholic bishop of Shrewsbury, has said of the Falconer bill: "... whilst we recall the heroism of generations before us, we must not fail to recognise the great challenge for our own generation. We are now being called upon to defend the sanctity of human life amidst the growing threats against it."Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk |
The Decay of Customer Service
I shall give you all more details tomorrow, but an airlines wants to charge me fifty dollars for a typo they made on the boarding pass. Can you believe this? They are blaming the travel agent, who got it right. I have all the proof in hardcopies.
I was also spoken to rudely at customer service for asking why I should pay for a typo.
Amazing. What has happened to America? Well, this company has a blogger for a "customer", so we shall see what happens. And, I just read in US Today last week or so about this airlines making mistakes and having bad customer service. Hmmmm. Too bad I got the ticket before reading the article.
UPDATE--After some input from STM, the company changed my name today and did not charge me.
Sigh....
I was also spoken to rudely at customer service for asking why I should pay for a typo.
Amazing. What has happened to America? Well, this company has a blogger for a "customer", so we shall see what happens. And, I just read in US Today last week or so about this airlines making mistakes and having bad customer service. Hmmmm. Too bad I got the ticket before reading the article.
UPDATE--After some input from STM, the company changed my name today and did not charge me.
Sigh....
Article Worth Reading
http://www.hprweb.com/2014/07/the-problem-with-a-personal-relationship-with-jesus/
An Essay on Evil
This is one of the most difficult posts I have ever written.
One of the things which Catholics must learn is to work with the virtues which
God has given us in order to understand evil.
Understanding evil does not mean, as St. Thomas Aquinas
assures us, committing evil. One can use prudence, temperance, justice and
fortitude, as well as discernment to see what evil really is. Many young people
become confused about evil and simply are so naïve that they do not see evil
until, perhaps, they have fallen, Naïveté is not a virtue, but wisdom is.
Christ exhorted us to be wise as serpents and guileless as
doves regarding the world. When we are faced with evil, we need both wisdom and
purity. Purity gives one wisdom.
Humility whets wisdom. As one sees one’s own sin, one learns
both to see good and evil.
In this post, I want to point out some characteristics of
evil, especially for young people who are not so experienced in the world. I
present these characteristics of evil as warning signs for all.
I shall give these insights as bullets. This is not an
exhaustive list.
·
If a person is constantly negative and
contradicts what one has to say, there is an evil which is contradictory.
Sometimes, this is a rebellious spirit.
·
If a person undermines one’s good works, there
is evil. Instead of building one up, this person constantly negates goodness
and presents good as bad.
·
If a person insists on making you waste time or
wants you to go do trivial things consistently, like always going out, there is
an evil of dissipation.
·
If someone says that praying is a waste of time,
or that one is praying too much, there is some sort of evil present.
·
If someone states that daily Mass is unnecessary
or if Adoration weekly is excessive, there is some sort of evil present.
·
If a person constantly talks about others and
their sins and flaws , there is some sort of evil present.
·
If a person constantly talks about money, how
much things cost and rarely or never speaks of the spiritual life, there is
some spirit of evil.
·
If a person constantly undermines your efforts
to be good and holy, there is an evil present.
Sadly, I come across such Catholics almost daily. I find
that there is a tendency to excuse people by appealing to psychological
problems or appealing to the victim status of the person in making excuses for
such evils.
One must, absolutely, remove one’s self from daily contact
with such people. Sometimes, this is impossible. I worked as a young person in
a bookstore with a woman who was negative 100% of the time. Other people who worked
with her either fell under her spell of gross negativity, or avoided her. As a
very young person, I attempted to cheer her up, to no avail. She thought I was
not worthy to consider, thank God.
In another job, another woman was equally obsessed with negativity.
She poisoned the atmosphere of the workplace. Some people left the office, that
is, quit the job, as they could no longer stand her constant negativity.
It is interesting that the above lady died early of cancer,
and that the other woman became ill in young middle age. Many times, negativity
takes its toll on the body. Not everyone who is ill is negative, far from it,
but negativity and the evil of undermining good seem to lead to illnesses.
Why do people fall into the habits outlined in the bullets
above?
Here is another list which may partly explain such evils.
- These people are so miserable that they want others to be miserable as well.
- These sad people honestly believe one cannot be joyful or even happy.
- Some evil people know they are evil and want others to be evil as well.
- Some evil people hate God and want to destroy God’s Goodness in the world.
- Some, who are Catholic, have lost their faith and do not realize this fact.
- Evil has entered their lives through some unconfessed sin, or through the persistent of the predominant fault.
- A person no longer believes in goodness, in God, but only in the gross sins of humanity, emphasizing sin over goodness.
- Some people have been so hurt, so abused, that these people hate themselves-they need to be evangelized as to the Good News of God’s Love.
Pray for those who have fallen into such evil. But, if you
can avoid this poisoned atmosphere of such evil, do so. We must love our selves
and we must tend to our own souls first, and then out of that love, love
others. I have dear friends and readers who have shared with me that they must
separate themselves from other friends and even family in order to avoid the
daily barrage of evil.
God will strengthen us and make us strong against evil. But,
this happens through purgation and humility. When we get to the point of being
able to withstand evil without anger, but in a deep peace, then we know the
gifts of the Spirit are being activated within us. We need to pray that those
who wallow in evil are not sinning against the Holy Spirit, in the four sins
which are those serious sins: presumption upon God’s mercy; despair; impugning
the known truth; envy of another’s spiritual good; obstinacy in sin; final
impenitence.
Pray for that state of goodness and holiness from which we
can combat the milieu of evil if it surrounds us. We need more holy people in
our Church.
More Catechetical Review
A Review of Catechetical Basics Continued…
I want to remind all Catholics that to ignore the following
basics through neglect or through not learning is a mortal sin. Here are the
basics we must do to avoid falling away.
Bullet Time Again.
·
The Existence of God
·
The Existence of Trinity
·
The Mystery of Redemption through the
Incarnation and Death of Jesus Christ
·
Eternal life of hell and heaven
·
The Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Apostle’s
Creed
·
The Ten Commandments
·
The Precepts of the Church
·
The Doctrine of the Sacraments, specifically
Baptism, Confession and the Holy Eucharist
·
The Duties and Obligations of One’s State in
Life
Rarely are these points discussed as necessary for a
Catholic to know and to do unless they then fall into serious sin.
These are traditional teachings of days past. We have lost
so much in recent years.
I pray that parents teach these points to their children.
A Catechetical Review
A Catechetical Review of some basics. All these are covered
in much detail both in the perfection series and in the series on virtue or
virtues, the corporal works, the spiritual works and so on. Also, look at the
tag or label of Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, the seven deadly sins, the cardinal
sins, the cardinal virtues, etc. See also my Advent series on the seven deadly
sins.
The Three Theological Virtues are Faith, Hope, and Charity.
The Four Cardinal Virtues are Fortitude, Justice, Temperance
and Prudence.
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom,
Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are Charity, Joy,
Peace, Patience, Longanimity, Goodness, Benignity, Mildness, Fidelity, Modesty,
Continence and Chastity.
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are To Give Counsel to the
Doubtful, To Instruct the Ignorant, To Admonish Sinners, To Comfort the
Afflicted, To Forgive Offenses, To Bear Patiently the Troublesome, To pray for
the Living and the Dead.
The Corporal Works of Mercy are To Feed the Hungry, To Give
Drink to the Thirsty, To Clothe the Naked, To Shelter the Needy, To Visit the
Sick, To Visit the Imprisoned, To Bury the Dead.
The Seven Deadly Sins are Pride, Lust, Anger, Covetousness,
Envy, Gluttony, Sloth.
The Four Sins Which Cry Out to God for Vengeance are Willful
Murder, Sodomy, Oppression of the Poor, Defrauding Laborers of Their Wages.
The Nine Ways
The Three Evangelical Counsels are Voluntary Poverty,
Obedience, and Chastity.
The Three Best Good Works are Prayer, Fasting, and
Alms-Giving or Works of Mercy.
To be continued…
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