Prayer for World Peace

View from the Pews have started a campaign to pray for world peace. God knows we need it.
we need to start with ourselves and our families-our communities and work up to the horrible scary stuff that seems to be simmering with the state of the Middle East and China.

October month of Mary

It's Autumn and it's the month of Mary. We are coming up to the 90th Anniversay of Our Lady's appearance in Fatima and we are also coming up to the 34th Anniversary of her last appearance in Akita Japan. October 13th is obviously an important date to our Blessed Mother. I will post about both of these approved apparations over coming up to the 13th.

While Fatima is quickly being forgotten, Akita has been largely ignored.

No one is obliged to believe these events, they are private revelation not public.

Nevertheless I think they are quite important and so I'll write about them.

Meanwhile happy month of Mary.

Adult Sunday School

In light of what I have been writing about recently HERE is an excellent article that says what I have been saying-only he says it better.

The UK seems on the whole to be a Catechism-Free-Zone. We need to teach the faith so that we can live the faith.

I have spoken to those who take the children for 'liturgy' who admit they don't know the faith.

I watch people struggle to be good Catholics with hardly any knowledge or support.

As you are seeing from my own journey into the fullness of the faith I was left floundering for years and given erroneous information by priests-let alone fellow laity.

In the USA they have EWTN and from there has grown a number of radio stations and programmes that feed the faithful and teach them the Truth. They cover the spiritual war as well as just teaching the faith. They discuss Pro-Life not just as an 'issue' bit as an active campaign that has borne good fruits.

They help Catholics fight against the pro-death culture in politics.

They are fighting for the rights of the Christians in Iraq.

we have nothing here that even touches on those resources. We need to start something.

Small talks in churches; my dream of a Family Festival every year that gives families the chance to get together and learn and live the faith; radio station for the UK that reaches out to us about the faith HERE in the UK-about our churches, our pro-life campaigns, our education system and so on.

Of course we need to undo a lot of damage done by the Weaving the Web and Icons teachings in schools.

I would love to do some of this. I must remind Father of my offer...

The Year of St. Paul

From June 2008 to June 2009 is the Year of St. Paul. The Holy Father has called this year to commemorate one of the most important saints of the Church 2000th birthyear.

Paul was born in Tarsus (in Turkey) in the year 8 into a family of tent makers. He was of the tribe of Benjamin from which King Saul had come and was it seems named Saul after the king.

Paul was a Pharisee and a student of the great Rabbon Gamaliel.

There's lots to say about him-and as it is his year I will be saying lots.

You have been warned.

Will Latin save Britain?

Al Kresta interviewed Philip Jenkins recently. He believes that all is not lost as far as the Christian and (perhaps particuloarly) the Catholic Church is concerned in Europe. I'm not sure I am convinced by all Dr Jenkins says but he did raise some fasinatin facts about areas of Britain.
He talks of the rise in Carrabean, Asian and African Catholics coming into the country. He then went on to mention a church soewhere he did not name that was about to close because it only had 50 worshippers left. It then advertised a Mass in Portugese and suddenly it was a thriving parish of 1500 attendees.

So, I am thinking that with the Motu Proprio now out-if even the Novus Ordo could be offered in Latin then people of whatever native language could all attend Mass together. Could we fill churches and rebuild communities with Latin?

Prayer for discernment

Every day I pray for God to grant me the Grace to discern what is true and what isn't. I beg Him to open my eyes and my soul to what HE wants me to learn. Ask and you will receive said Jesus so I asked and still ask and I have indeed received.
This of course means that I have had to change a great deal.
In searching for the WhiteStone Name that I hope to receive in the end I have had to let go of a lot my less than humble opinions. Into to bin has gone my disobedience to the Church; contraception and all that closed to life mentality (though I never supported abortion); support for women's ordination; various wacky bits of feminism.
It has not been easy. I liked some of my opinions. Being proved wrong is a tough thing to deal with-but when you're wrong, you're wrong and I was-over rather a lot.

So baring in mind that I have learned my own judgement can be a bit iffy I keep up the prayer because I really really want to know the Truth and God's Will.
I believe God will do this for anyone who asks it of Him-so go ask. But be warned He might ask you to change and change big time.

It hurts, but it is worth it.
God bless

MP3 debate Karl Keating and Dave Hunt

I downloaded a debate between Karl Keating and Dave Hunt to listen to on my MP3 player during the hols while I potter around doing housework and the like.
Dave Hunt wrote a pretty unpleasant and inaccurate piece of work about the Catholic Church as the 'Whore of Babylon'.
It was a good debate with a protestant anchorman who I have not heard before. He seemed pretty fair and actually listened to the answers when he asked a question. Mr Hunt fascinated me because he seemed able to completely ignore those parts of Scripture that Dr Keating showed him that did not fit his view. He insisted he loved Catholics but then went to show he could not really be bothered to listen to anything Keating had to say because it must be wrong.

I have to say he was up against it. I would never want to be on the opposite side to Karl Keating in debate. The man knows his stuff-although I was a bit disappointed he forgot the obvious reference to purgatory in St Paul 1 Cor 3:12 where he points out we have to get the straw burned away as only the gold gets through them pearly gates.

You can get the debate HERE just scroll down the page.

St Benedict

It's the feast of St Benedict today. Love this piccie of him- doesn't he look like Fr Benedict Groeschel there?- Well I think so.

This is the saint who held firm as the Roman Empire collapsed in on itself drowning in its own immorality. Benedict saw his fellow students living the life of the secular modern world and was so horrified he left and went to live in the mountains.

He wanted to live as a hermit and God did permit this for a time but God has His own plans and in the end Benedict founded a whole order of monks and priests who renewed the face of the earth. It was their monasteries and schools that helped Europe stay sane.

Benedict had a twin sister called Scholastica who followed her brother to the mountains and with his support she set up her own order. So they worked side by side to bring people to the Gospel and out of the darkness around them.

Benedict wrote his RULE which is about love of God, obedience and humility as well as prayer and work. It is a simple rule which we can all learn from.

I have had to learn obedience and humility coming out of the Cafeteria where disobedience and being one's own pope was a way of life. It's been a tough lesson and I hope I will learn it well enough that in the end I will be worthy to receive a new name on a white stone.

The present Holy Father took the name Benedict after spending some time at his grave I believe. Bizarrely I had predicted he would take that name-but was quite stunned when he did. LOL. I thought that whoever took over from John Paul the Great would have the task of renewing the Church in a modern world that seems to be imploding on its own nastiness.

I jumped for joy when I saw Joseph Ratzinger step onto the balcony that day and then he said his name would be Benedict.

The last Pope Benedict- Benedict XV- took us through World War I and worked incredibly hard to put a stop to that war and broker peace. It will be to our lasting shame that the Brits, mainly I am sure because of the inherent anti-Catholicism here, refused to listen to him and the slaughter went on. I believe that is Papa Beni XV had been listened to WWI would have ended sooner with a lot less bloodshed and WWII may never have happened.

Our Papa Beni is leading us to a war of peace. In humility and obedience we need to listen to him.

Peter'n'Paul pt II PETER or CEPHAS

Fifty days after Passover the eleven apostles are in the upper room with Mary, the Mother of the Lord. It is the feast of Pentecost, First Fruits and the Holy Spirit descends on the apostles and on His Bride filling them with the fire of Grace.

Peter then takes his fellow apostles out to preach the Good News to the pilgrims gathered from all over the Decopalis and beyond for the feast. The first fruits of the Church Christ has founded on His rock Peter are 3000 converts baptised that very day.

Peter goes on to Antioch and establishes a church there. He returns to Jerusalem after the conversion of Paul to lead the first Church council there in which the question of the circumcision and Mitzvah observance of Gentiles is considered. Once the arguments have been given, Peter makes his decision and as Christ promised it is binding.
Peter returned to Antioch where he hands over the bishopric to Evodius who may have been the first gentile bishop-but I am not sure of that.

From there Peter went on to Rome. He established himself there before the fire. Nero was Emperor and was a despotic one who made a mess of his role. On July 18th 64AD a fire took down a third of the city of Rome, a fire that was somewhat convenient to Nero’s building plans. The convenience of the fire and Nero’s obsession with the great fire of Troy was noted by the devastated Romans and so Nero decided he needed someone to blame and the Christian’s would do nicely.
Peter was martyred during that massive persecution. Tradition tells us Peter’s wife was martyred first. He was arrested soon after and crucified. He asked to be crucified upside down as he felt he was unworthy to die the way Christ had died.
There is a story from the apocryphal book of the Acts of Peter that he tried to leave Rome to escape the persecutions. On the way out of the city he met Jesus carrying the cross and asked the famous question “Quo vadis Domine?” (Where are you going Lord?) Jesus replied that he was going to Rome to be crucified again. Chastened, Peter returned to his place and received martyrdom.

Rome was built on seven hills, but across the river Tiber was another hill, Vatican Hill and there Nero had built a circus. It was there Peter was martyred and buried.
Years later his tomb was discovered, just where it was expected to be.

Birth of St. John the Baptist

It is the feast day of the birth of St John the Baptist today. Elizabeth, who had suffered from infertility was given the greatest gift-a son.

Her husband, Zachariah, had received the news from an angel while performing the rites of the High Priest at Yom Kippor.

Once a year the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of atonement in the place where the Ark had stood.

The angel struck Zachariah dumb because of his unbelief and therefore he was unable to give the blessing-the absolution that year.

It must have been a shocking thing for those awaiting the end of the rite within the Temple.

Six months later Mary arrives in the hill country of Judea to visit Elizabeth and the fetus Baptist jumps for joy at the presence of zygote Jesus.

Mary stays for three months so presumably is there when St John is born and Elizabeth finally gets to hold her son.

Throughout this time Zachariah has been unable to speak.

It is not until 8 days later when John is circumcised and brought into the Covenant of God that finally Zachariah gets his voice back when he confirms the name of his son as John.

John is the prophet of the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippor) he calls people to repentance to be ready for the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

This is Good News.

12 steps to stay in the Church

Over at Crossed the Tiber there is a great post on how to stay safe aboard St Peter's Barque.
I've posted on AA and Al Anon before.
I think the Twelve Steps are beneficial to many of us on our Faith journey, if we want tor receive a white stone name at the end of it.

why is missing Mass on Sunday a mortal sin?

Someone recently asked this question. It's one I asked myself in the past. We can only really understand how having something more important or more interesting to do on Sunday, rather than attending Mass could be a 'mortal' as opposed to a venial sin, when we understand the nature of the Eucharist.

Jesus told stories about those who refused to attend the Wedding Feast, and the man who managed to get in, but had not bothered to dress for the occasion- and they end up in the dark.

How can we choose the darkness over the light?

What on earth could be more important than the gift of the Bridegroom? The Bridegroom is the Christ of the third sorrowful mystery, flogged and crowned, His wrists bound; He is seated for a moment, ready to embrace the cross and pour Himself out for His bride.

When we recognise that, and that He did all this for love of us, we could never find anything else more important.

So, are all those who miss Mass on Sunday in a state of mortal sin?
The answer to that is no. A person has to KNOW that what they are doing is grave matter to be have personally committed mortal sin, but that does not change the fact that ignoring the Eternal Sacrifice in favour of something else is grave matter.

I have sympathy with those who do miss Mass. I missed Mass every fortnight for years as I attended church with my protestant husband. I was not sure if it was allowed to do this so I went and asked my parish priest at the time. He not only gave the go-ahead, but informed me his sisters did the same thing and what a great idea it was.
It was years and years later before I learned the Truth.
And now my husband is Catholic too
The Church has not changed Her teaching on the Mass. If you can get there-go.

Obviously there are genuine circumstances where this is not possible. Nurses have to work weekends, as do other essential staff, so there may be times when missing Mass is unavoidable.
I have missed Mass a lot recently through health problems. In those times the Deacon of our parish has brought Our Lord into my home so that I may receive him. What an honour.
I was also blessed to receive Holy Communion from the hospital chaplain when I was in over Easter with pregnancy complications.

I'll write more on this.