Barbie Sales Down

I have two ideas to help Barbie sales, which are down four quarters in a row. Of course, no one talks about the stolen childhood of our girls, who are forced to grow up to fast and do not play with dolls.

Here are the two ideas.


Bring back Military Barbie and Ken so that they can deal with civil war at home and the kids would feel safe in cars with their grandmas.

Bring back Barbie for President Doll, as she would be better than any candidates put forth so far, at least by the Dems. She is better looking than Hillary and no Benghazi links.

Pray for Thomas Peters

Twitterati are praying. Let all the bloggers pray as well, and I suggest praying to Fulton J. Sheen.

July 17, 2013

Pray for Thomas Peters @AmericanPapist in Hospital After Swimming Accident from Catholic Bandita Mobile

UPDATE, the information about Thomas Peters’ condition is from Edward Peters, Thomas Peters’ father:

Thomas Peters was seriously hurt in a swimming accident Tuesday evening. He has a fractured vertebra in his neck. His wife and mother are with him as he is undergoing tests. Prayers are requested.

On a personal note, I have never met Thomas but have talked to him in email. He has been very compassionate toward me in regard to my mental health issues. He is one of those people who is truly a Christian even when people aren’t looking. I pray he will have a full recovery.

UPDATE II from Edward Peters: “Thom can move his arms, docs are discussing the best treatment for his neck injury. Immediate concern is for the considerable water in his lungs. We are astounded at the expressions of prayers and support. Thom & Nat know about it. Please keep them up. Love from us all, EdP.”

Need for More Adoration and Now Is The Time!

I would hope that the passage of the SSM bill, now law, will cause some people to help me set up a House of Adoration in Walsingham. I need help to buy the large community house which is still for sale and I need only two people to join me at this time.

Please pray. The passing of this bill will impact Walsingham. I know this.

Mary, pray for your dowry. See other posts labelled Walsingham.

Thanks to commons wikimedia. org for photo.

A reminder of where we are headed

http://guildofblessedtitus.blogspot.ie/2013/02/a-time-machine-back-to-1581-death-of.html

To clarify, there is

no protection for teachers, registrars, no opt-outs, opt-ins.

Get ready for persecution, Catholics in Great Britain and if you do not think it is coming this way, you are not thinking..............Remember, as I have written before, if Catholics had not compromised under Henry VIII, there would have been no Protestant Revolt in England. Compromising Catholics became Anglicans and put members of their own families to death.

Catholic Bishops' Statement on New Law Now Enshrined-SSM

Catholic Bishops statement on Same-Sex Marriage law thanks to http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=22968#.Uea2XYByoyc.twitter

The President and Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales,  Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Archbisho Peter Smith, have issued the following statement today, on the passing of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act. In receiving Royal Assent, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act marks a watershed in English law and heralds a profound social change. This fact is acknowledged by both advocates and opponents of the Act. Marriage has, over the centuries, been publicly recognised as a stable institution which establishes a legal framework for the committed relationship between a man and a woman and for the upbringing and care of their children. It has, for this reason, rightly been recognised as unique and worthy of legal protection. The new Act breaks the existing legal links between the institution of marriage and sexual complementarity. With this new legislation, marriage has now become an institution in which openness to children, and with it the responsibility on fathers and mothers to remain together to care for children born into their family unit, are no longer central. That is why we were opposed to this legislation on principle. Along with others, we have expressed real concern about the deficiencies in the process by which this legislation came to Parliament, and the speed with which it has been rushed through. We are grateful particularly therefore to those Parliamentarians in both Houses who have sought to improve the Bill during its passage, so that it enshrines more effective protection for religious freedom. A particular concern for us has also been the lack of effective protection for Churches which decide not to opt-in to conducting same sex marriages. Amendments made in the House of Lords though have significantly strengthened the legal protections in the Act for the Churches. We also welcome the Government’s amendment to the Public Order Act which makes it clear beyond doubt that “discussion or criticism of marriage which concerns the sex of the parties to the marriage shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred”. Individuals are therefore protected from criminal sanction under the Public Order Act when discussing or expressing disagreement with same sex marriage. In other respects, however, the amendments we suggested have not been accepted. We were concerned to provide legislative clarity for schools with a religious character. This was in order to ensure that these schools will be able to continue to teach in accordance with their religious tenets. Given the potential risk that future guidance given by a Secretary of State for education regarding sex and relationships education could now conflict with Church teaching on marriage, we were disappointed that an amendment to provide this clarity was not accepted. The Minister made clear in the House of Lords, however, that in “having regard” to such guidance now or in the future schools with a religious character can “take into account other matters, including in particular relevant religious tenets”, and that “having regard to a provision does not mean that it must be followed assiduously should there be good reason for not doing so”. These assurances go some way to meeting the concerns we and others expressed. We were disappointed that a number of other amendments to safeguard freedom of speech and the rights of civil registrars to conscientious objection were not passed. But Ministerial assurances have been made that no one can suffer detriment or unfavourable treatment in employment because she or he holds the belief that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. The legal and political traditions of this country are founded on a firm conviction concerning the rights of people to hold and express their beliefs and views, at the same time as respecting those who differ from them. It is important, at this moment in which deeply held and irreconcilable views of marriage have been contested, to affirm and strengthen this tradition. Source: CCN

You might want to check this out

One of the best articles on unanswered prayers

http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/undated/tssixrea.html

The Humility of Poverty

Those who have money do not understand those who do not. Those who do not cannot merely do things or go places as they wish. They are bound by financial limitations. Those who are poor can be responsible, if possible, and many do not get into debt. They live within their means, but this entails going without things, or without doing things.

Christ called us all to good stewardship, which is rarely discussed. In over twelve years of living in England, I have never heard a sermon on stewardship. I have in America, several times.

What is good stewardship?

First of all, it is gratitude. Stewardship indicates that something has been given to one for one's use, one's needs. All we have, whether we have earned it by the hard work, or through inheritance, is gift. All is given.

Divine Providence decides on gifts. God gives out of His Generous Love. We give back to Him and others what He has given.

Now, stewardship is mostly connected in our minds with money, goods, the Earth's resources, and so on. Good stewardship involves prudence, temperance and wisdom.

But, we are also stewards of our time and talents.

Many years ago, perhaps 35, I was struck with the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. Over this time period, I believe that this passage is one God has brought to my attention over and over and over.

I have very few fish and little bread. I would have been like the apostle who questioned Christ. Matthew's Gospel is clear that the miracle was tremendous and made Christ popular with the people. It is also clear that the disciples missed the point. The miracle foreshadows the Eucharist, the greatest gift of all.

Of course, when we are given much, in an extravagant manner, we rejoice. But stewardship demands a humility. If we have been given little, we must be content. However, we must still share, tend, treasure the small barley loaf.

For those who are poor, sometimes, this loaf is scorned by those who have more. Those with more may not be interested in one small loaf, one small talent.

One of the best philosophical discussions I ever had in the late 1990s was with a man who has a doctorate in Philosophy. I was in Iowa and we had a long talk on classical education, the failed education systems of the West and the liberal arts. When the discussion turned to the elite school where he worked, a private school based on classical education, I asked him if he was the headmaster. We were so involved in philosophical discussion, we had not discussed ourselves. He laughed. "No, I am the maintenance man," he told me. He did all the hard maintenance for the school and was the handy-man as well as the boiler man and so forth.

I asked him why he was not teaching. His reply taught me something about stewardship.

He said something like this, I can be a better philosopher working with my hands and talking with people, reading what I need to read, than teaching. 

I asked him why he was not teaching at a university. He laughed and said that the school where he was the maintenance man was more academically solid than most colleges and universities. He also had time to think and time to talk with people like me.

He was a true philosopher and made people happy by using his practical talents, as well as speaking sense.

But, he was poor.

He did not care.

May we all choose to be good stewards of our talents, time, and money. And, may we honour those who use their gifts to the utmost in small, unnoticed ways.

Thought Two from St. Catherine of Siena on Those Who Receive Communion in Mortal Sin

Do you know the condition of the soul who receives unworthily? She is like a candle on which water has fallen, which can do nothing but crackle when brought near the flame, for no sooner has the fire touched it, than it is extinguished, and nothing remains but smoke; so this soul has cast the water of guilt within her mind upon the candle which she received in holy baptism, which has drenched the wick of the grace of baptism, and, not having heated it at the fire of true contrition and confession, goes to the table of the altar to receive this Light with her body, and not with her mind, wherefore the Light, since the soul is not disposed as she should be for so great a mystery, does not remain by grace in that soul, but leaves her, and, in the soul, remains only greater confusion, for her light is extinguished and her sin increased by her darkness. Of the Sacrament she feels nothing but the crackling of a remorseful conscience, not through the defect of the Light Itself, for that can receive no hurt, but on account of the water that was in the soul, which impeded her proper disposition so that she could not receive the Light. See, therefore, that in no way can this Light, united with its heat and its color, be divided, either by the scanty desire of the soul when she receives the Sacrament, or by any defect which may be in the soul, or by any defect of him who administers it, as I told you of the sun which is not defiled by shining on anything foul, so the sweet Light of this Sacrament cannot be defiled, divided, or diminished in any way, nor can it be detached from its orbit.

“If all the world should receive in communion the Light and Heat of this Sun, the Word, My only-begotten Son, would not be separated from Me—the True Sun, His Eternal Father—because in His mystical Body, the holy Church, He is administered to whoever will receive Him. He remains wholly with Me, and yet you have Him, whole God and whole man, as I told you, in the metaphor of the light, that, if all the world came to take light from it, each would have it entire, and yet it would remain whole.”

Thoughts from St. Catherine of Siena on Grace and Mercy Towards Perfection

“Oh! Supreme and Eternal Goodness of God, who am I, miserable one, that You, Supreme and Eternal Father, have manifested to me Your Truth, and the hidden deceits of the Devil, and the deceitfulness of personal feeling, so that I, and others in this life of pilgrimage, may know how to avoid being deceived by the Devil or ourselves! What moved you to do it? Love, because You loved me, without my having loved You. Oh, Fire of Love! Thanks, thanks be to You, Eternal Father! I am imperfect and full of darkness, and You, Perfection and Light, have shown to me perfection, and the resplendent way of the doctrine of Your only-begotten Son. I was dead, and You have brought me to life. I was sick, and You have given me medicine, and not only the medicine of the Blood which You gave for the diseased human race in the person of Your Son, but also a medicine against a secret infirmity that I knew not of, in this precept that, in no way, can I judge any rational creature, and particularly Your servants, upon whom oftentimes I, as one blind and sick with this infirmity, passed judgment under the pretext of Your honor and the salvation of souls. Wherefore, I thank You, Supreme and Eternal Good, that, in the manifesting of Your truth and the deceitfulness of the Devil, and our own passions, You have made me know my infirmity. Wherefore I beseech You, through grace and mercy, that, from today henceforward, I may never again wander from the path of Your doctrine, given by Your goodness to me and to whoever wishes to follow it, because without You is nothing done. To You, then, Eternal Father, do I have recourse and flee, and I do not beseech You for myself alone, Father, but for the whole world, and particularly for the mystical body of the holy Church, that this truth given to me, miserable one, by You, Eternal Truth, may shine in Your ministers; and also I beseech You especially for all those whom You have given me, and whom You have made one thing with me, and whom I love with a particular love, because they will be my refreshment to the glory and praise of Your Name, when I see them running on this sweet and straight road, pure, and dead to their own will and opinion, and without any passing judgment on their neighbor, or causing him any scandal or murmuring. And I pray You, Sweetest Love, that not one of them may be taken from me by the hand of the infernal Devil, so that at last they may arrive at You, their End, Eternal Father.

...

 Now, O Eternal Father, I remember a word which you said to me in speaking of the ministers of the holy Church, to the effect that You would speak to me more distinctly, in some other place, of the sins which they commit today; wherefore if it should please Your goodness to tell me anything of this matter, I will gladly hear it, so as to have material for increasing my grief, compassion, and anxious desire for their salvation; for I remember that You said, that, on account of the endurance and tears, the grief, and sweat and prayers of Your servants, You would reform the holy Church, and comfort her with good and holy pastors. I ask You this in order that these sentiments may increase in me.”