Dianne Williamson's private war against celibacy

Dianne Williamson, a columnist for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, is at it again. What this woman doesn't know about Roman Catholicism could fill a library. But once again she has found it necessary to pontificate on matters which are really beyond her grasp. Ms. Williamson writes, "The most facile observation one can make about the latest Catholic sex scandal - this one involving a popular priest caught cavorting on the beach with his girlfriend - is: Well, thank God she's a grown-up. It could have been - and has been - so much worse. As noted though, that's just the easy part of the story. The aptly named Rev. Alberto Cutie is the latest clergyman to reignite the debate over celibacy within the priesthood, and call rather heart-breaking attention to the unreasonable demands the Church places on its priests.." (Another rigor of priesthood ends in scandal, Sunday May 31 edition of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette).

First of all, as Bishop Juan Ruben Martinez has reminded us, celibacy cannot be reduced to a "mere imposition on the Church." It was the Apostle Paul who explained why the unmarried state is preferable to the married state for the clergy: "He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided." (1 Corinthians 7: 32-33).

In its Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis) No. 16, the Second Vatican Council taught that, "Celibacy is to be embraced and esteemed as a gift. Perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, commended by Christ the Lord (cf. Mt 19: 22) and through the course of time as well as in our own days freely accepted and observed in a praiseworthy manner by many of the faithful, is held by the Church to be of great value in a special manner for the priestly life. It is at the same time a sign and a stimulus for pastoral charity and a special source of spiritual fecundity in the world...celibacy has a many-faceted suitability for the priesthood. For the whole priestly mission is dedicated to the service of a new humanity which Christ, the victor over death, has aroused through his Spirit in the world and which has its origin 'not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God" (Jn 1: 13). Through virginity, then, or celibacy observed for the kingdom of heaven (cf. Mt 19: 12), priests are consecrated to Christ by a new and exceptional reason. They adhere to him more easily with an undivided heart (cf. 1 Cor 7: 32-34), they dedicate themselves more freely in him and through him to the service of God and men, and they more expeditiously minister to his kingdomand the work of heavenly regeneration, and thus they are apt to accept in a broad sense, paternity in Christ.."

Do some priests fail to remain celibate? Of course. But as Bishop Martinez has said, "bad examples and even our own limitations do not invalidate the contribution of so many who, in the past and today, give their lives for others." There has been sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. But there has been much more across society - including in the public schools. But Ms. Williamson hasn't addressed this fact. Why? I think we all know the answer to that one. As Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan has said himself, "This [child abuse] is a societal problem, not a Catholic problem."

Another point Ms. Williamson fails to acknowledge in her column: most of the abuse which has taken place within the Church has been homosexual in nature. But then, as an ardent propagandist for the homosexual "lifestyle," why would she? In fact, she perpetuates the myth that most of the abuse has constituted pedophilia writing, "..his actions [Cuties] likely won't elicit as much condemnation from the flock as Church leaders may expect, partly because it seems tame compared to the sickening parade of priestly pedophilia and coverup we've witnessed over decades."

Surely the Telegram & Gazette can do better than Dianne Williamson. Its readers (what few remain) deserve better.

One step closer to a fifth marian dogma?

Mary Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate: a fifth Marian Dogma which will unleash a Second Pentecost and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

It was Pope Benedict XV, in his Letter Inter Sodalicia of March 22, 1918, who said that, "According to the common teaching of the Doctors it was God's design that the Blessed Virgin Mary, apparently absent from the public life of Jesus, should assist Him when He was dying nailed to the Cross. Mary suffered and, as it were, nearly died with her suffering Son; for the salvation of mankind she renounced her mother's rights and, as far as it depended on her, offered her Sonto placate divine justice; so we may well say that she with Christ redeemed mankind."

As Mgsr. Arthur B. Calkins explains, "Benedict speaks clearly here of our redemption as a joint effort. This, of course, takes nothing away from the fact that Jesus' merits were all-sufficient for our redemption or that Mary, as a human creature, could never equal her divine Son. Rather he recognizes that Mary's presence on Calvary was 'according to God's design' that it was willed by God as flowing from the indissoluble bond between Jesus and Mary in the work of our salvation which was already pointed to in the Protoevangelium."

Pope John Paul II, in a homily given at the Marian Shrine of Nuestra Senora de la Alborada [Our Lady of the Dawn] in Guayaquil, Ecuador on January 31, 1985, said that:

"Mary goes before us and accompanies us. The silent journey that begins with her Immaculate Conception and passes through the "yes" of Nazareth, which makes her the Mother of God, finds on Calvary a particularly important moment. Ther also, accepting and assisting at the sacrifice of her son, Mary is the dawn of Redemption; ...Crucified spiritually with her crucified son (cf. Gal 2: 20), she contemplated with heroic love the death of her God, she 'lovingly consented to the immolation of this Victim which she herself had brought forth' (Lumen Gentium, 58)...In fact, at Calvary she united herself with the sacrifice of her Son that led to the foundation of the Church; her maternal heart shared to the very depths the will of Christ 'to gather into one all the dispersed children of God' (Jn 11: 52). Having suffered for the Church, Mary deserved to become the Mother of all the disciples of her Son, the Mother of their unity...The Gospels do not tell us of an appearance of the risen Christ to Mary. Nevertheless, as she was in a special way close to the Cross of her Son, she also had to have a privileged experience of his Resurrection. In fact, Mary's role as Coredemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son."

On September 15, 1980, Our Lady told Father Stephano Gobbi, "You will see the greatest marvels everywhere, because the times of my maternal co-redemption have arrived." It was St. Louis de Montfort who referred to this role of Mary in the latter times as "a great mystery." But there are dark forces which oppose a fifth Marian Dogma. The Devil and his followers know that when Our Lady is proclaimed Co-Redemptrix, their end will soon be at hand. This fifth Marian Dogma is the key to the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and will lead to an outpouring of the Holy Spirit such as has not been seen since the first Pentecost. This Second Pentecost will signal total and decisive defeat for the Devil and his followers. Which is why the forces of ecclesiastical masonry have always and everywhere opposed this fifth Marian Dogma.

In his True Devotion to Mary, Nos. 50-52, St. Louis de Montfort explains that:

"God wishes to make Mary better known in the latter times.

God wishes therefore to reveal Mary, his masterpiece, and make her more known in these latter times:

(1) Because she kept herself hidden in this world and in her great humility considered herself lower than dust, having obtained from God, his apostles and evangelists the favour of being made known.

(2) Because, as Mary is not only God's masterpiece of glory in heaven, but also his masterpiece of grace on earth, he wishes to be glorified and praised because of her by those living upon earth.

(3) Since she is the dawn which precedes and discloses the Sun of Justice Jesus Christ, she must be known and acknowledged so that Jesus may be known and acknowledged.

(4) As she was the way by which Jesus first came to us, she will again be the way by which he will come to us the second time though not in the same manner.

(5) Since she is the sure means, the direct and immaculate way to Jesus and the perfect guide to him, it is through her that souls who are to shine forth in sanctity must find him. He who finds Mary finds life, that is, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. But no one can find Mary who does not look for her. No one can look for her who does not know her, for no one seeks or desires something unknown. Mary then must be better known than ever for the deeper understanding and the greater glory of the Blessed Trinity.

(6) In these latter times Mary must shine forth more than ever in mercy, power and grace; in mercy, to bring back and welcome lovingly the poor sinners and wanderers who are to be converted and return to the Catholic Church; in power, to combat the enemies of God who will rise up menacingly to seduce and crush by promises and threats all those who oppose them; finally, she must shine forth in grace to inspire and support the valiant soldiers and loyal servants of Jesus Christ who are fighting for his cause.

(7) Lastly, Mary must become as terrible as an army in battle array to the devil and his followers, especially in these latter times. For Satan, knowing that he has little time - even less now than ever - to destroy souls, intensifies his efforts and his onslaughts every day. He will not hesitate to stir up savage persecutions and set treacherous snares for Mary's faithful servants and children whom he finds more difficult to overcome than others.

It is chiefly in reference to these last wicked persecutions of the devil, daily increasing until the advent of the reign of anti- Christ, that we should understand that first and well-known prophecy and curse of God uttered against the serpent in the garden of paradise. It is opportune to explain it here for the glory of the Blessed Virgin, the salvation of her children and the confusion of the devil. "I will place enmities between you and the woman, between your race and her race; she will crush your head and you will lie in wait for her heel" (Gen. 3:15).

God has established only one enmity - but it is an irreconcilable one - which will last and even go on increasing to the end of time. That enmity is between Mary, his worthy Mother, and the devil, between the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin and the children and followers of Lucifer.

Thus the most fearful enemy that God has set up against the devil is Mary, his holy Mother. From the time of the earthly paradise, although she existed then only in his mind, he gave her such a hatred for his accursed enemy, such ingenuity in exposing the wickedness of the ancient serpent and such power to defeat, overthrow and crush this proud rebel, that Satan fears her not only more than angels and men but in a certain sense more than God himself. This does not mean that the anger, hatred and power of God are not infinitely greater than the Blessed Virgin's, since her attributes are limited. It simply means that Satan, being so proud, suffers infinitely more in being vanquished and punished by a lowly and humble servant of God, for her humility humiliates him more than the power of God. Moreover, God has given Mary such great power over the evil spirits that, as they have often been forced unwillingly to admit through the lips of possessed persons, they fear one of her pleadings for a soul more than the prayers of all the saints, and one of her threats more than all their other torments."

We are engaged in an intense spiritual war. There are two camps, two armies: the children of Mary and the children of the Devil. There is no "middle ground." The children of Mary cannot find "common ground" with the children of Belial. There is enmity. Because I am a child of Mary, I often find myself unwelcome even at my own parish! I have heard priests ridicule devotion to the Holy Rosary and have met with almost constant opposition while attempting to promote the Holy Rosary and marian devotion in general.

This is the time of decision. But it is quickly coming to an end. We must decide which camp, which army, we belong to. Are we children of Mary or children of the Devil. If we believe it is possible to place ourselves somewhere in the middle, straddling the fence between good and evil, pretending to be children of Mary while accommodating the children of the Devil, seeking "common ground" where none may be found, then we should meditate very carefully on Revelation 3: 16.

Related reading here, here and here.

More intellectual dishonesty from the Cohen Center at Keene State College

Readers of this Blog will recall how the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies at Keene State College has engaged in revisionist history with regard to the Catholic Church and the Holocaust. See my previous posts here, here and here. The Cohen Center is at it again, posting an article which unfairly criticizes Pope Benedict XVI over the Bishop Williamson affair. See here.

Driven by what is obviously an anti-Catholic agenda, the Cohen Center is anxious to portray the Holy Father as hard-hearted and callous. But as Catholic League president Bill Donohue explained in a statement which may be found here: "This is a man who as Cardinal Ratzinger unequivocally condemned the Holocaust at a Jerusalem conference in 1994 and wrote a book about it, Many Religions, One Covenant: Israel, the Church and the World."

In the same statement, Bill Donohue noted how, "..the Vatican announced that Williamson must 'unequivocally and publicly distance himself from his positions on the Shoah' if he is to be reinstated (he is still not in full communion with the Church, and may never be). The pope, the Vatican statement said, was unaware of this bishop's views when he lifted his excommunication." This shouldn't come as a total surprise since there are roughly 3,500 Bishops throughout the world.

If the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies at Keene State College really wants to contribute something positive to Catholic-Jewish relations, it must refrain from engaging in historical revisionism and from politicizing the Holocaust to advance an anti-Catholic agenda.

Drew Barrymore: Spokesperson for same-sex "marriage"?

Actress Drew Barrymore attended a "gay marriage" rally following the California Supreme Court's ruling to uphold Proposition 8, which makes it illegal for same-sex couples to marry in the state of California. Ms. Barrymore addressed the crowd saying, "I am who I am because of the people who influenced me growing up, and many of them were gay. No one has any right to tell anyone what makes a family..."

Ms. Barrymore was interviewed by USA Weekend Magazine (for its August 7-9, 1998 edition). In this article, we read that at one point, "The angelic child who charmed generations of moviegoers as Gertie in E.T. found herself cascading into drugs and alcohol, drinking champagne and smoking pot by age 12. By 12 she'd discovered cocaine, and two years later she attempted suicide." The article goes on to explain how Ms. Barrymore was "in and out of rehab before she could drive" and that Ms. Barrymore "has been through a few public romances...was married for less than two months in 1994 to Welsh bar owner Jeremy Thomas" and "considers herself bisexual." (Full article here).

Ms. Barrymore has asserted that many of the people who influenced her growing up were homosexual. And yet, Ms. Barrymore was "in and out of rehab," abused alcohol and drugs, and attempted suicide.

In his book "The Antichrist," Fr. Vincent P. Miceli, S.J., explains that "Satan, his demons and their human henchmen know that the fate of mankind depends on the spiritual durability of family relationships. If one splits the atom, the smallest unit of matter, tremendous physical disaster results from the explosive forces released. And if one splits the family, the smallest unit of society, tremendous social disaster results from the explosive passions released. There is no law against splitting the atom. But God Himself forbids splitting the family. 'What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.' From the very beginning the Creator insisted: '...A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' God planned that the peace and holiness of the family should consist in the unity of mind, heart, soul and body expressed by mutual love and sacrifice. But the forerunners of the Antichrist are destroying the family. It has been a special scar on the worst pagan cultures and the worst idolatrous religions that they openly attacked the gender identities of the sexes. They celebrated sexual indulgence, sexual experimentation, sexual symbols, fertility rites, temple prostitution, seasonal sex orgies, sexual abuse and enslavement of young women, girls and boys. Such abominations are back with us in a flood tide and increasing at an alarming rate every day." (p. 231).

There is an old dictum: "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." But, as Fr. Miceli reminds us, "if the person who rocks the cradle is warped and crippled in personality then the world will not be ruled but ruined" (The Antichrist, p. 237).

Let's all pray for Drew Barrymore, a young woman who has many fine qualities. That the little girl lost will find her way home through the grace of God.

Related reading here and here.

Toward a New World Order

Faithful Catholics who are able to read the signs of the times are able to see that the darkness is spreading and the way is being prepared for the entrance of the Man of Sin. Mark Mallett is one such Catholic. Read what he has to say here. It was Pope Saint Pius X who issued the following warning: "We hold that you are not ignorant thereof what an outrageous combat is everywhere going on in our time. In truth the heathens and self-conceited nations are rebelling against their Creator. The cry of God's enemies is: 'Depart from us.' In most people respect for God has disappeared both in public and private life. They even go so far as to attempt to obliterate even the memory of God. When we consider these facts you must really feel that such wickedness is only the beginning of those evils which are to come before the end of the world, and that the Son of Perdition of whom the Apostles speak, is already among us."

I was in prayer to the Holy Spirit while reading the Scriptures and asked Him for a word regarding the times we are in. I opened up to First Peter: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practise hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever amen." (1 Peter 4: 7-11).

There is a retreat from truth. And all whose eyes are not opened by grace cannot see this. Some simply refuse to see it.

The hour of open persecution is now upon us. Soon it will become violent. We must continue to consecrate ourselves daily to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Enter the New Ark which is the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God. Only with Our Lady's assistance will we be able to hold fast to the end.

Memorial Day and a birthday

I want to thank all of you who wished me a happy birthday.

I celebrated Memorial Day and my birthday by visiting my father's grave in Gardner, Massachusetts and the Veteran's Cemetery in Winchendon, Massachusetts. What better way to celebrate a birthday than to spend it honoring some of those who died so that I could celebrate another birthday in a free country! Those who take freedom for granted will not understand my gratitude. But they are poorer for it.

To my father up there in the sunlit hills of Heaven, I love you dad. And I have not forgotten the lessons you taught me. God first. And always: Duty, honor, country. The first as his guide, the second he applied, for the third he died.

"There are many who pretend they are friends of mine...but in their hearts they hate me."

Jesus disciples are called to carry their cross and follow Him (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23). Above all, Christians are called to love as Jesus does (Jn 13: 34-35). But the cross is not popular with those who are advancing the "new religion" which will serve the New Order. The cross has never been popular with those who belong to the company of the world or the Devil. Today, countless young people (and old) have given themselves over to promiscuous sexual unions. In the mad pursuit of wealth, power, fame, and various hedonistic pleasures (euphemistically referred to as "choice" or "alternative lifestyles"), many poor souls have given themselves over to the Devil. Many who call themselves "Christian" are really living pagan lives.

This is, of course, nothing new. But the sexual degeneration in so-called Christian nations today is the most abominable in history. So much so that a young girl in the Ukraine is reported to have been told by Our Lady that: "The present times are worse than at the time of Noah. Then the world was scourged by a deluge of water: now the world is going to be scourge by a deluge of fire." (First apparition to Anna at Seredne, December 20, 1954). St. Louis de Montfort explains that:

"'My dear brothers and sisters, there are two companies that appear before you each day: the followers of Christ and the followers of the world.
Our dear Saviour's company is on the right, climbing up a narrow road, made all the narrower by the world's immorality. Our Master leads the way, barefooted, crowned with thorns, covered with blood, and laden with a heavy cross. Those who follow him, though most valiant, are only a handful, either because his quiet voice is not heard amid the tumult of the world, or because people lack the courage to follow him in his poverty, sufferings, humiliations and other crosses which his servants must carry all the days of their life.

On the left hand is the company of the world or of the devil. This is far more numerous, more imposing and more illustrious, at least in appearance. Most of the fashionable people run to join it, all crowded together, although the road is wide and is continually being made wider than ever by the crowds that pour along it like a torrent. It is strewn with flowers, bordered with all kinds of amusements and attractions, and paved with gold and silver.

On the right, the little groups which follow Jesus speak about sorrow and penance, prayer and indifference to worldly things. They continually encourage one another saying, "Now is the time to suffer and to mourn, to pray and do penance, to live in retirement and poverty, to humble and mortify ourselves; for those who do not possess the spirit of Christ, which is the spirit of the cross, do not belong to him. Those who belong to Christ have crucified all self-indulgent passions and desires. We must be true images of Christ or be eternally lost."

"Have confidence," they say to each other. If God is on our side, within us and before us, who can be against us? He who is within us is stronger than the one who is in the world. The servant is not greater than his master. This slight and temporary distress we suffer will bring us a tremendous and everlasting glory. The number of those who will be saved is not as great as some people imagine. It is only the brave and the daring who take heaven by storm, where only those are crowned who strive to live according to the law of the Gospel and not according to the maxims of the world. Let us fight with all our strength, let us run with all speed, that we may attain our goal and win the crown.
Such are some of the heavenly counsels with which the Friends of the Cross inspire each other.

Those who follow the world, on the contrary, urge each other to continue in their evil ways without scruple, calling to one another day after day, "Let us eat and drink, sing and dance, and enjoy ourselves. God is good; he has not made us to damn us. He does not forbid us to amuse ourselves. We shall not be damned for so little. We are not to be scrupulous. 'No, you will not die'."

Dear brothers and sisters, remember that our loving Saviour has his eyes on you at this moment, and he says to each one of you individually, "See how almost everyone deserts me on the royal road of the Cross. Pagans in their blindness ridicule my Cross as foolishness; obstinate Jews are repelled by it as by an object of horror; heretics pull it down and break it to pieces as something contemptible.

"Even my own people - and I say this with tears in my eyes and grief in my heart - my own children whom I have brought up and instructed in my ways, my members whom I have quickened with my own Spirit, have turned their backs on me and forsaken me by becoming enemies of my Cross. 'Will you also go away?' Will you also desert me by running away from my Cross like the worldlings, who thus become so many antichrists? Will you also follow the world; despise the poverty of my Cross in order to seek after wealth; shun the sufferings of my Cross to look for enjoyment; avoid the humiliations of my Cross in order to chase after the honours of the world? 'There are many who pretend they are friends of mine and protest that they love me, but in their hearts they hate me. I have many friends of my table, but very few of my Cross.' (Imit. II, 11, 1)."

At this loving appeal of Jesus, let us rise above our human nature; let us not be seduced by our senses, as Eve was; but keep our eyes fixed on Jesus crucified, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection (Heb 12.2). Let us keep ourselves apart from the evil practices of the world; let us show our love for Jesus in the best way, that is, through all kinds of crosses. Reflect well on these remarkable words of our Saviour, "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself, and take up his cross and follow me" (Mt 16.24; Lk 9.23)." (St. Louis de Montfort, Letter to the Friends of the Cross, 7-12).

Are we truly friends of the Cross and therefore friends of Christ? Or is ours a counterfeit love?

New National Poll: Majority of Americans take pro-life position or show movement in that direction

Ten Reasons Why the Pro-life Movement is Winning

by Fr. Frank Pavone, M.E.V.

We are closer to achieving our goal of winning the fight to end abortion and restoring protection to children in the womb than the mainstream media is reporting. To help you see the truth of that statement and to inspire you to renew your commitment to the fight, here are ten signs that point to the fact that the end of abortion in America will come sooner than you may think. Of this much I am certain, we will not have to wait for the next generation to plan and carry out victory celebrations. That will be our task.

This does not mean that you can relax or take anything for granted. Just the opposite, in fact. The closer we get to victory, the harder the other side will fight to keep abortion legal and the more hostile they will become. Still, we now know the key weaknesses of the abortion movement ... as well as the pro-life dynamics that the other side can do nothing to stop. So be of good cheer and stout heart! We have the devil of abortion on the ropes. And here are ten signs that point to our eventual victory.

Sign 1: The survivors

The surest sign of our ultimate victory is the strong and ever-growing involvement of young people in all aspects of the fight to end abortion. And if you ask them why they’ve joined our fight, they will tell you: “It could have been me!” In speaking up for the unborn, the youth of America are also speaking up for themselves. This is an awareness and motivation that abortion advocates can do nothing to stop. And as a result, our pro-life movement receives a new strength and motivation each day from these survivors.

Sign 2: The flow of conversions

Another reason for confidence is simply to look at the flow of conversions. In which direction does it go? It goes from pro-abortion to pro-life. There is, for example, an international organization of former abortion providers called the Society of Centurions. These men and women – to whom I have the privilege of ministering – once served as doctors, nurses, technicians, security guards, and other roles to operate abortion mills. Now they have repented of their killing and become pro-life. Some of them – like Dr. Bernard Nathanson and Norma McCorvey – have high-profile testimonies. But most of them try to get on with more normal lives in the privacy of their own communities.

Since when, however, have you heard of an organization of former pregnancy resource center directors who have repented of saving babies and are now pro-abortion? It just doesn’t happen. With the notable exception of politicians – individuals notorious for abandoning their principles in exchange for votes or praise from media elitists – the flow of conversions is in one direction ... and that is from death to life.

Sign 3: I regret my abortion

Another clear sign of progress is the wave of women and men across the world who are speaking out about how they regret having their child killed by abortion. The “Silent No More Awareness Campaign” – a joint project of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life – provides these women and men an opportunity to share their testimonies in public gatherings, before the media, in pulpits, and in legislative hearings. As Jennifer O’Neill, the campaign’s National Celebrity Spokeswoman says, “Experience trumps theory.” These men and women are living testimony that abortion doesn’t work. Instead of “solving” a problem, abortion creates more problems of its own. Best of all, there is nothing abortion advocates can do to stop this tidal wave. In fact, it puts them in quite a dilemma. For decades now they have been saying, “Listen to the voices of women!” Now, if they practice what they preach, they hear those women’s voices repudiate the lie of abortion.

Sign 4: Few doctors ... fewer mills

Over half of America’s freestanding abortion clinics have closed since 1993 ... from over 2,000 at that time to roughly 740 today. That’s because, no matter how much money, political strength, and media access the abortion movement has built up, they have not succeeded in removing the indelible stigma that is attached to abortion. In fact, the abortion industry’s greatest fear is not that Roe v. Wade will be reversed. Rather, it is that abortion will remain legal but there won’t be any doctors to do it. About 86% of counties in America do not currently have an abortionist. Fewer and fewer doctors – even if they consider themselves pro-choice – want to perform the procedure. They consider abortionists to be the losers of the medical profession, and they are right. Abortionist Herbert Hodes summed it up in Glamour magazine in September of 1991 when he said: “That's how the anti's are going to win. They are going to win by attrition, because fewer and fewer doctors will perform abortions.”

Sign 5: Legal evidence mounts
In Constitutional history, the rights of groups that have been oppressed – such as African Americans, children, women, and workers – have eventually been vindicated. As Courts heard more evidence of the harm that was done to these groups, they reversed prior Court decisions. From slavery to workers’ rights to segregation to child labor laws, eventually the Courts get it right. Now it is time for the “embryonic moment” ... the recognition that the rights of the Constitution apply to the unborn child. In various cases, the evidence of the unborn child’s humanity, as well as of the harm abortion does to women, is being introduced in court. And even if a particular court decision is not favorable, the evidence that is introduced into the record becomes material that future cases can invoke. As the body of scientific evidence continues to mount, one day in the not too distant future the Courts will be forced to recognize the personhood of the unborn child and accord him with the rights and protections of our U.S. Constitution.
Sign 6: Abortion research

Another motive for confidence is the growing mountain of medical, psychological, and sociological evidence that abortion harms women, men, and families. Websites like www.AfterAbortion.org provide an excellent starting point for surveying this growing mountain of evidence. Most telling of all is the fact that even those researchers who identify themselves as pro-choice are coming to this conclusion ... and publishing their research despite the objections and criticism of the abortion industry. This growing body of evidence is one of the ways that abortion will eventually destroy itself. The more abortion continues, the more it reveals itself as an enemy of the human family.

Sign 7: No more arguments

Another sign of victory is that the other side has run out of arguments. In the years leading up to Roe vs. Wade, abortion advocates assured everyone that legalized abortion would reduce child abuse, strengthen family life, and improve society. But all the evidence shows that after three decades of legal abortion, all these problems have gotten worse. Moreover, all the arguments from medicine, science, psychology, sociology, law, ethics, and religion support the pro-life view. Finally, supporters used to call abortion a decision “between a woman and her doctor.” Now they say it’s a decision “between a woman and her God.” When abortion supporters run out of arguments, they appeal to God in order to end debate. We in the pro-life movement also appeal to God ... not as the substitute for other arguments, however, but rather as their foundation.

Sign 8: Even in politics…

We even see evidence of pro-life progress in the political arena. Voters for whom abortion matters in their decision vote in favor of pro-life candidates by a two to one margin. Even the 2006 election shows this. In a political climate that was hostile to many pro-life candidates, the data shows that it was so for reasons other than abortion. Some 36% of voters said that abortion affected their vote. Within that group, 23% voted pro-life and only 13% pro-abortion. Voters’ behavior on the abortion issue continues to be an advantage to our pro-life side as surveys show that the intensity of motivation for the pro-life side is stronger. Opinion polls also show that newer, younger voters are more pro-life and want to see abortion eliminated or more highly restricted.

Sign 9: Legislation galore

The last several years have seen unprecedented legislative progress on behalf of the unborn child. Look at the evidence. On the federal level, for the first time, an abortion procedure – so-called “partial birth abortion” – has been declared illegal. The “Born-Alive Infants Protection Act” protects the unborn from being killed after a failed abortion. The “Unborn Victims of Violence Act” protects the unborn from acts of violence other than abortion. And on the state level, laws are in place that have reduced the numbers of abortion. These include parental involvement laws, informed consent laws, and abortion clinic regulation laws. Our lawmakers are making progress!

Sign 10: Corruption uncovered

A key reason we are winning is that abortion destroys itself. The evil inner workings of abortion are being exposed for all to see ... and as more and more crimes become visible, the abortion movement loses supporters. These crimes include medical malpractice, sexual abuse, injury and death that routinely occur in so-called “safe and legal” abortion clinics, doctors not sterilizing instruments, “anesthesiologists” who have no training in anesthesia, “abortions” committed on women who were not pregnant, falsifying medical records, and much more. What’s more, the abortion industry creates a safe haven for sexual predators. Details are available at www.ChildPredator.com. Beyond the abuse of the patients, abortion clinics are rampant with violations of OSHA standards and other employment laws. A long list of details can be seen at www.ClinicWorker.com. What all this means is that the abortion industry is highly vulnerable to negative public opinion and to legal action having nothing to do directly with the legality of abortions. Clinics can be closed – and are closing – and abortionists being jailed for reasons having nothing to do with what people think about abortion ... but rather for reasons related to malpractice, abuse, and other illegal activity.

The fundamental reason why we’re winning

Above all else, the reason why we are winning the fight to end abortion is because we have already won! There is one among us who holds the keys of death and of hell. Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead! Although thought to be overwhelmed by the agents of death ... He trampled death by His death. As a result, death has been robbed of its power. “O death, where is thy sting?” Because of Christ’s Resurrection, death no longer has the final word in the human story. Our final destiny is heaven ... not the grave!

This means that the power of abortion – which takes more life than
anything else – has also been broken. Our pro-life movement does not simply work for victory ... we work from victory!
Victory is our starting point. We joyfully proclaim to the world that Christ is Risen, and that for this reason, we must choose life. We then work to apply that victory to every sector of society.

The labor is intense and the obstacles many. But we do not cower
before the culture of death and wonder how we will ever overcome it. Rather, we stand before it with victorious confidence and declare:
“Begone! You have no room here! No place here!
No further authority to menace the human family.
Your Kingdom has been conquered and Christ reigns supreme!”

The "new religion" must destroy the Church

Already, so many Christians have been seduced by the religious deception which is presented as the "new religion," the religion of the Age of Aquarius. Those who wish to destroy the Church and to prepare the way for the Man of Sin know full well that external persecution only strengthens the Church. Therefore, they strive to bring down the Church through internal betrayal and infidelity.

As I said here, "The new humanitarian religion, which is anti-supernatural, must absorb Christianity as it prepares for the entrance of the Man of Sin. Catholics who maintain a devotion to the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady [and authentic devotion to Our Lady presupposes total obedience to the Church's Magisterium] must first be ostracized and later eliminated as incompatible with the New Order."

"Erit enim tempus, cum sanam doctrinam non sustinebunt, sed ad sua desideria coacervabunt sibi magistros, prurientes auribus. Et a veritate quidem auditum avertent, ad fabulas autem convertentur." (2 Timothy 4: 3-4).

And that time is now. New Age philosophies are spreading throughout the Church. Homosexuality and lesbianism are celebrated. Even in a Catholic parish. Intoxicated with their own knowledge and learning, those who have succumbed to friendship with the world tell us that we must leave behind the "old complexes" and reject "backward thinking" so that we may evolve into more "civilized" beings who may then build an earthly paradise. These misguided souls are not interested in knowledge for the sake of truth, but for power and possession.

It was Dr. Dietrich von Hildebrand who warned that,"..a much worse consequence of the idol of learning is the killing of common sense, which is being undertaken on a widespread scale in grammar schools, high schools, and colleges. One forgets the great source of wisdom which lies in our immediate contact with being, and how pernicious it is to replace the resulting world view, with instruction which draws its nourishment from doubtful psychological and sociological theories, and false, flat philosophies. Every immediate, true experience in which the voice of being speaks to a person, is much more interesting than the questionable theories he has adopted concerning the world and life. Thus it is that a simple, unlettered man, when he speaks about the world and his life, is much wiser, much truer, and more genuine than all the half-educated people who simply repeat the stupid theories expounded by their professors. The statement of a simple person may be clumsily expressed; it may be incomplete, and even contain errors. But it will always have a kernel of truth, always the freshness of a genuine contact with reality, and be free from the arrogant presumption of establishing a valid theory in the sense of looking 'behind the scenes' of reality, and being able to 'explain' everything. The dangerous error of the cult of teaching and learning reaches its climax in the ambition to improve, modify, or even replace natural, immediate, organic contact with the world and life, by an artificial contact based on so-called 'scientific' theories." (The Devastated Vineyard, pp. 85-86).

We are commanded, "Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever." (2 Timothy 2: 15-17).

Who will be able to resist the Antichrist when he reveals himself? - which could be at any time now. As I mentioned in a previous post, Romano Guardini has provided us with the answer:

"One day the Antichrist will come: a human being who introduces an order of things in which rebellion against God will attain its ultimate power. He will be filled with enlightenment and strength. The ultimate aim of all aims will be to prove that existence witout Christ is possible - nay rather, that Christ is the enemy of existence, which can be fully realized only when all Christian values have been destroyed. His arguments will be so impressive, supported by means of such tremendous power - violent and diplomatic, material and intellectual - that to reject them will result in almost insurmountable scandal, and everyone whose eyes are not opened by grace will be lost. Then it will be clear what the Christian essence really is: that which stems not from the world, but from the heart of God; victory of grace over the world; redemption of the world, for her true essence is not to be found in herself, but in God, from whom she has received it. When God becomes all in all, the world will finally burst into flower."

Those who believe in their own intellectual prowess will succumb to the lie. They will be seduced by the Antichrist. Already we see the spirit of Antichrist seducing so many as they scramble to find teachers who will tickle their ears and tell them what they want to hear. But their end is destruction.

"Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 675).

President Obama offers emotion not reason, argument not dialogue

During commencement exercises at the University of Notre Dame, President Obama said, "I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it - indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory - the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable...Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature."

Pro-life people have no problem engaging in respectful dialogue Mr. President. But apparently your administration does. As explained here, your administration attempted to define the pro-life movement as follows: "A movement of groups or individuals who are virulently anti-abortion and advocate violence against providers of abortion-related services, their employees, and their facilities. Some cite various racist and anti-Semitic beliefs to justify their criminal activities."

What is that if not a caricature Mr. President? With all due respect to your office, your hypocrisy is showing sir.

I would encourage readers of this Blog to read my previous post which may be found here and to ask yourselves: is president Obama really interested in dialogue? Or is he more interested in maintaining his own views than in the pursuit of truth?

Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga: "We no longer know where the line is between good and evil."

His Eminence noted that, "Our world finds itself immersed in deep crises of faith, ethics and humanity, and it seems to have lost its moral orientation."

Indeed. Our Lady has warned repeatedly that we are on the wrong course. And she has not been listened to. As a result, we have prepared a chastisement with our own hands.

President Obama's Federal Budget: No funding for abstinence

"In Obama's FY 2010 Proposed Budget, the president calls for at least $164 million in funding for contraceptive-only education. The money includes competitive grants, research, evaluation and authorization for $50 million in new mandatory condom grants to states, tribes and territories." - From the LifeNews article.

President Obama's Federal Budget does not respect the primacy of parental responsibility in educating children, a primacy which is emphasized in the Church's teaching and law. Vatican II teaches us that, in raising children, the responsibility of parents is primary: "Since parents have given life to their children, they have a very grave duty to educate them, and so are to be recognized as their primary and principal educators" (GE, No. 3). And Pope John Paul II, explaining the conciliar teaching more fully in Familiaris consortio, No. 36, says that: "The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others, on account of the uniqueness of of the loving relationship between parents and children; and it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others." And, in No. 37 of this same document, Pope John Paul explained that education in sexuality which is offered in schools should not conflict with parental instruction: "Sex education, which is a basic right and duty of parents, must always be carried out under their attentive guidance, whether at home or in educational centres chosen and controlled by them. In this regard, the Church reaffirms the law of subsidiarity, which the school is bound to observe when it cooperates in sex education, by entering into the same spirit that animates the parents."

Canon Law is also very clear on this matter. Canon 793, 1., states that: "Parents as well as those who take their place are obliged and enjoy the right to educate their offspring; Catholic parents also have the duty and the right to select those means and institutions through which they can provide more suitably for the Catholic education of the children according to local circumstances." And Canon 1136 says that: "Parents have the most serious duty and the primary right to do all in their power to see to the physical, social, cultural, moral and religious upbringing of their children."

President Obama's Federal Budget represents an assault against parental rights and Church teaching.

Archbishop Chaput warns of religious freedom loss

"Salvation history, the only history that can adequately depict the actions of man in the concrete, that is, man created in a supernatural order, fallen and then redeemed by Christ, begins and ends in the vision of Mary. The Antichrist is sure to come on earth in the last days. He will make a final, useless assault on God and his saints. He will attempt to rip the very idea of God from the consciousness of men. It seems indicated in Scripture that he will have great success in seducing the vast majority of believers away from Christ and into his own ranks of idolators. Christian fantasy has not created the fable of the Antichrist, nor playfully painted him in the fiery hues of hell. The Antichrist...is not a product of theology fiction. He is really foretold and confirmed by the prophets, the Evangelists, the Apostles, all of them bearers, preachers and writers of the infallible revelations of God from Genesis to the Apocalypse. And then too, the whole living tradition of Christianity, guided by the Holy Spirit, has witnessed to the reality of the Antichrist. The power of the Antichrist will be vast, his skill at persuasion so great that he would fain suck into error many of the elect. The miracles performed by him will be so thrilling and spectacular that he will be followed and adored by many as a god. Yet the Antichrist will be the greatest threat and adversary the Church has ever encountered. Who will save the Church from the power and 'lying wonders' of the Antichrist? Mary, Mother of the Church, will be her omnicompetent protectress. For from the beginning in the Garden of Eden, the Serpent-Dragon lay in waiting for the coming of the Woman who would crush his head." (Fr. Vincent P. Miceli, The Antichrist, pp. 267-268).

The way is being prepared for the entrance of the Man of Sin. Many do not see this. They are incapable of seeing this because they are not people of prayer. Those who are spiritually awake will note that while things have the appearance of remaining the same, in reality the darkness is advancing.

The Bishops have spoken: Will Patricia Warren abide by their teaching?

The Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a document entitled "Guidelines For Evaluating Reiki As An Alternative Therapy." In this document, the Committee on Doctrine says (in part):

"Reiki lacks scientific credibility. It has not been accepted by the scientific and medical communities as an effective therapy. Reputable scientific studies attesting to the efficacy of Reiki are lacking, as is a plausible scientific explanation as to how it could possibly be efficacious. The explanation of the efficacy of Reiki depends entirely on a particular view of the world as permeated by this "universal life energy" (Reiki) that is subject to manipulation by human thought and will. Reiki practitioners claim that their training allows one to channel the "universal life energy" that is present in all things. This "universal life energy," however, is unknown to natural science. As the presence of such energy has not been observed by means of natural science, the justification for these therapies necessarily must come from something other than science.

Reiki and the Healing Power of Christ

Some people have attempted to identify Reiki with the divine healing known to
Christians. They are mistaken. The radical difference can be immediately seen in the fact that for the Reiki practitioner the healing power is at human disposal. Some teachers want to avoid this implication and argue that it is not the Reiki practitioner personally who effects the healing, but the Reiki energy directed by the divine consciousness. Nevertheless, the fact remains that for Christians the access to divine healing is by prayer to Christ as Lord and Savior, while the essence of Reiki is not a prayer but a technique that is passed down from the "Reiki Master" to the pupil, a technique that once mastered will reliably produce the anticipated results. Some practitioners attempt to Christianize Reiki by adding a prayer to Christ, but this does not affect the essential nature of Reiki. For these reasons, Reiki and other similar therapeutic techniques cannot be identified with what Christians call healing by divine grace.

The difference between what Christians recognize as healing by divine grace and Reiki
therapy is also evident in the basic terms used by Reiki proponents to describe what happens in
Reiki therapy, particularly that of "universal life energy." Neither the Scriptures nor the
Christian tradition as a whole speak of the natural world as based on "universal life energy" that is subject to manipulation by the natural human power of thought and will. In fact, this worldview has its origins in eastern religions and has a certain monist and pantheistic character, in that distinctions among self, world, and God tend to fall away. We have already seen that Reiki practitioners are unable to differentiate clearly between divine healing power and power that is at human disposal.

CONCLUSION

Reiki therapy finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief. For a Catholic to believe in Reiki therapy presents insoluble problems. In terms of caring for one's physical health or the physical health of others, to employ a technique that has no scientific support (or even plausibility) is generally not prudent. In terms of caring for one's spiritual health, there are important dangers. To use Reiki one would have to accept at least in an implicit way central elements of the worldview that undergirds Reiki theory, elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science. Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science. Superstition corrupts one's worship of God by turning one's religious feeling and practice in a false direction. While sometimes people fall into superstition through ignorance, it is the responsibility of all who teach in the name of the Church to eliminate such
ignorance as much as possible.

Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific
evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy."

Although the Church has spoken clearly and warned of the dangers associated with Reiki, Ms. Patricia Warren, a Reiki instructor who has conducted healing lectures/retreats at La Salette Attleboro, has left a comment at this Blog in which she says: "I am writing because I see that you have used my name in your comment/letter. I have been teaching Reiki for over 20 years, and yes I have studied with many teachers throughout the world. I have an open mind, and open heart....and I am not afraid to "experience" things for myself rather than be told what to believe. Ironically you leave out the part of my spiritual path that talks about how Reiki brought me back to my Christian roots. Reiki brought me back to the 'church'. I was so overjoyed that I developed a specific workshop for Christians who wanted to learn more about assisting the process of healing. A Roman Catholic priest sat next to me the first time I taught this workshop and encouraged me to bring it out into the world. There is nothing "occult' about it. There are many ways to praise Jesus, I saw that first hand when I traveled through the Holy Land gathering more information on healing. I have taught many, many Roman Catholic priests and nuns as well as Episcopal priests and monks Reiki....it has only helped them not hurt them.There seems to be more outrage in a simple healing method used mostly by lay women to help people when they are in pain, then during the many years of the Church Sex Abuse Scandal....talk about 'dangerous'"

In another comment which I have saved but have decided not to publish, Ms. Warren says that she was "Born and raised Catholic" and that her "great uncle was a monsignor in Boston." I don't doubt that for a moment. She then proceeds to tell me that she is not "a religious fanatic or zealot" (I never said she was so I suppose Ms. Warren is implying that I am) and writes, "I can see I'm in the wrong place to have balanced conversation with an adult."

If Ms. Warren wants to view me as a "fanatic," a "zealot," or as being somehow less than adult for accepting the teaching of the Bishops regarding Reiki, that's her affair. One has to wonder if Ms. Warren views the Bishops who crafted "Guidelines For Evaluating Reiki As An Alternative Therapy" as "fanatics" and "zealots." Will Ms. Warren abide by the Church's teaching? Her statement that she is not to afraid to "experience" things for herself rather than be told what to believe would seem to suggest that she has every intention of ignoring the guidelines prepared by the Committee on Doctrine of the USCCB.

How sad.

The Obama administration and the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon."

In a document entitled the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon," which was issued to the Department of Homeland Security, the Obama administration defines pro-life advocates as follows: "A movement of groups or individuals who are virulently anti-abortion and advocate violence against providers of abortion-related services, their employees, and their facilities. Some cite various racist and anti-Semitic beliefs to justify their criminal activities."

And, although this terrorism dictionary has been recalled and Homeland Security spokeswoman Amy Kudwa told the Washington Times the lexicon "was not an authorized..product," still, one has to wonder whether the Department of Homeland Security had pro-life advocates in mind when it crafted the following paragraph:

"The terrorist threat to the Homeland is not restricted to violent Islamic extremist groups. We also confront an ongoing threat posed by domestic terrorists based and operating strictly within the United States. Often referred to as 'single-issue' groups, they include white supremacists groups, animal rights extremists, and eco-terrorist groups, among others." (Read the full text here.)

It's this phrase "among others" that concerns me. Is there really any doubt that pro-lifers are being lumped into this grouping? Especially after the release of the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon"? Gradually the "ideologically unwanted" must be silenced as our nation slips into totalitarianism.

Related reading: Will those who oppose homosexuality on moral grounds soon be silenced by new "hate crimes" legislation? Read here.

The Church proposes an authentic dialogue...

In his Encyclical Letter Ecclesiam Suam, Pope Paul VI told us that, "The Church must enter into dialogue with the world in which it lives. It has something to say, a message to give, a communication to make." (No. 65).

The Holy Father goes on to say that, "Dialogue, therefore, is a recognized method of the apostolate. It is a way of making spiritual contact. It should however have the following characteristics:

1) Clarity before all else; the dialogue demands that what is said should be intelligible. We can think of it as a kind of thought transfusion. It is an invitation to the exercise and development of the highest spiritual and mental powers a man possesses. This fact alone would suffice to make such dialogue rank among the greatest manifestations of human activity and culture. In order to satisfy this first requirement, all of us who feel the spur of the apostolate should examine closely the kind of speech we use. Is it easy to understand? Can it be grasped by ordinary people? Is it current idiom?

2) Our dialogue must be accompanied by that meekness which Christ bade us learn from Himself: "Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart." It would indeed be a disgrace if our dialogue were marked by arrogance, the use of bared words or offensive bitterness. What gives it its authority is the fact that it affirms the truth, shares with others the gifts of charity, is itself an example of virtue, avoids peremptory language, makes no demands. It is peaceful, has no use for extreme methods, is patient under contradiction and inclines towards generosity.

3) Confidence is also necessary; confidence not only in the power of one's own words, but also in the good will of both parties to the dialogue. Hence dialogue promotes intimacy and friendship on both sides. It unites them in a mutual adherence to the Good, and thus excludes all self-seeking.

4) Finally, the prudence of a teacher who is most careful to make allowances for the psychological and moral circumstances of his hearer, particularly if he is a child, unprepared, suspicious or hostile. The person who speaks is always at pains to learn the sensitivities of his audience, and if reason demands it, he adapts himself and the manner of his presentation to the susceptibilities and the degree of intelligence of his hearers....In a dialogue conducted with this kind of foresight, truth is wedded to charity and understanding to love." (Nos. 81, 82).

As faithful Catholics, we must recognize and embrace these characteristics of authentic dialogue, even when our partners in dialogue refuse to accept these principles. For we will often encounter those who have succumbed to relativism or who do not possess a love of objective truth. For such people, the purpose of dialogue is not to attain truth but rather to achieve personal victory and to triumph at any cost. As Dr. Montague Brown explains in his wonderful book "The One-Minute Philosopher" (Sophia Institute Books): "An argument (emotional, not rational) is a disorderly confrontation based on an unwillingness to learn from one another. Desire for victory takes precedence over love of truth, with the result that agreement becomes impossible....in an argument, I simply want my position to be the right one and you to agree with me. I am, indeed, looking for agreement, but on my terms, not in terms of objective truth." (p. 33). An authentic dialogue (which such people are not really interested in) is, "..an orderly confrontation based on a mutual willingness to learn from one another. It involves the presentation of evidence by each party and then a good-faith attempt of the participants in the discussion to come to agreement...In a discussion [or dialogue], I do not primarily want to disagree: I want to know the truth.." (The One-Minute Philosopher, p. 32).

It was Pope John Paul II, in his Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint, No. 36, who said, "There must be charity toward one's partner in dialogue, and humility with regard to the truth which comes to light and which might require a review of assertions and attitudes." Bearing this in mind, I encourage readers of this Blog to visit the comments section of this Blog post. Ask yourself, "Is there anyone commenting on this discussion thread who comes across as less than honest and charitable?" The answer should be obvious.

To See Others: A Meditation

"The man whose heart was hardened by wealth went to Rabbi Eisig. The Rabbi said to him: ''Look out of the window, and tell me what you see in the street.' 'I see people walking up and down .' Then he gave him a looking glass: 'Look in this and tell me what you see.' The man replied: 'I see myself.' 'So you do not see others anymore? Consider that the window and the mirror are both made of glass; but, since the mirror has a coating of silver, you only see yourself in it, while you can see others through the transparent glass of the window. I am very sorry to have to compare you to these two kinds of glass. When you were poor, you saw others and had compassion on them; but being covered with wealth, you see only yourself. It would be much the best thing for you to scrape off the silver coating so that you can again see other people.'"

- Jean de Menasce

Scripture: Luke 16: 19-25