Thursday, June 25, 2009

Parental Rights

HOME-SCHOOLING: U.N. treaty might weaken families

Michael Smith

One of the issues American families could face this year is the ramifications from a treaty called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

You may ask, "How could a treaty directly affect internal decision-making by American families?" We generally think of treaties as agreements affecting international relations between countries. The U.N., however, has initiated treaties that not only affect international relations, but also thedomestic relations of member nations as well. These treaties, sometimes called "conventions, " require member nations that ratify the treaty to implement the requirements as binding law or rules.

On Nov. 20, 1989, the U.N. adopted the CRC and submitted it for ratification to the member nations. It has been ratified by 193 nations - the United States is one of the few countries that has not ratified it.

The ratification process requires a two-thirds vote by the U.S. Senate. On Feb. 16, 1995, Madeleine Albright, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., signed the CRC on behalf of the United States. The CRC, however, has never been sent to the Senate for ratification because there is insufficient support to pass it.

Due to the recent election, however, there are rumblings from Capitol Hill that there will be an effort to seek ratification of the CRC during the next congressional cycle. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a strong supporter of the treaty, and as secretary of state, would have direct control over the submission of treaties to the Senate.

Why should passage of the CRC be of concern? It likely would have a negative impact on domestic law and practice in the United States. Article VI of our Constitution makes treaties - and remember, conventions are viewed as treaties - "the supreme law of the land." The CRC would be treated as superior to laws in every state regarding the parent-child relationship. This would include issues regarding education, health care, family discipline, the child's role in family decision-making, and a host of other subjects.

Article 43 of the CRC establishes an international committee on the rights of the child to examine compliance by member nations. This committee, which sits in Geneva, has final authority concerning interpretation of the language contained in the CRC.

Two central principles of the CRC clearly are contrary to current U.S. laws related to parent-child relationships. The CRC provides that in all matters relating to children, whether private or public, or in courts, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration. Additionally, nations should ensure that children are capable of expressing their views freely in all matters affecting them, giving due weight to the age and maturity of the child.

This is contrary to traditional American law, which provides that absent proof of harm, courts and social workers simply do not have the authority to intervene in parent-child relationships and decision-making. The importance of this tradition and practice is that the government may not substitute its judgment for that of the parent until there is proof of harm to the child sufficient to justify governmental intervention. It is clear that in two very important areas of the parent-child relationship, religion and education, there will be potential for tremendous conflict.

The international committee in Geneva has expressed its concern that parents could home-school without the view of the child being considered; that parents could remove their children from sex-education classes without the view of the child being considered; that parents were legally permitted to use corporal punishment; and that children didn't have access to reproductive health information without parental knowledge.

The bottom line is the CRC would drastically weaken the United States' sovereignty over family life, which would have a substantial impact on every American family.

On Homeschooling Boys

I love this blog--she talks how to homeschool boys--it is awesome:



President Pushes CRC Ratification

Obama Administration Pushes CRC Ratification

-- 24 June 2009

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Dear Friend of Parental Rights,

Monday in a Harlem middle school, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told a group of 120 students that administration officials are actively discussing “when and how it might be possible to join” (that is, ratify) the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). As before, she also communicated what a disgrace it is that the U.S. would stand with only Somalia against such a widely-accepted treaty.

This is the first direct public statement by the Obama administration that it will seek ratification of the UN CRC.

In my 30 years of political involvement, I have learned to recognize this as what is called a “trial balloon.” Like in World War I trench warfare, our opponents have “sent up a balloon” to see if it will draw fire. If things remain quiet, they will proceed with their plans to push for ratification of the CRC in the U.S. Senate.

To discourage them from doing so, we need to make sure that our voices are heard with unmistakable clarity. We must let the Obama administration know that we oppose this anti-family, anti-American treaty.

Here’s what we need you all to do:

1. Call the White House comments line at 202-456-1111. Tell them you heard the administration wants to ratify the CRC, and you strongly oppose this giving away of U.S. sovereignty to the UN. Also keep in mind that this treaty gives the government jurisdiction to override any decision made by any parent if the government thinks that a better decision can be made—even if there is no proof of any harm.

2. Call Ambassador Susan Rice’s office at the United Nations. Tell her that you want her to represent the United States to the world rather than trying to get the United States to go along with international law initiated by the UN. The US Mission at the United Nations can be reached at 212-415-4000 (press 6 to leave your message). This number has been disconnected through our efforts. You can also contact the Public Diplomacy Office at 212-415-4050. We are no longer urging calls to the U.S. office at the United Nations.

3. Contact your Senators and urge them to oppose ratification of this treaty. (Find your Senators’ contact information by typing your zip code into the box here.) Ask them also to defeat it once and for all by cosponsoring SJRes 16 – the Parental Rights Amendment.

It is very important that we speak up right now. Please call before you close this email!

Sincerely,

Michael Farris

UN Convention on the Rights of a Child

20 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

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Ten things you need to know about the structure of the CRC:

Ten things you need to know about the substance of the CRC:

Monday, June 22, 2009

Paulist Messages of the Day

It is the will of God that each one of us should strive to find his vocation and should follow it with fidelity.

Can the purposes of God, in the case of particular individuals, be so clearly discovered as that each Christian may be matched, so to say, with the state, whether higher or lower, to which God has called him? The Church answers this question in the affirmative….

Sunday, June 21, 2009

The armor of God

The armor of God.

Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Jesus Sacred Heart


Jesus' Sacred Heart is full of love.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Meditation of the Day

Our Father . (Matthew 6:9)

Although it is only a few lines long, the Lord's Prayer is so rich that it
gives us our entire faith in a nutshell. So let's listen to St. Augustine as
he explains what is behind each part of this prayer:

"When we pray, hallowed be your name, we are reminding ourselves to desire
that his name, which in fact is always holy, should also be considered holy
among men. I mean that it should not be held in contempt.

"And as for our saying, your kingdom come, it will surely come whether we
will it or not. But we are stirring up our desires for the kingdom so that
it can come to us and we can deserve to reign there.

"When we say, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are asking
him to make us obedient so that his will may be done in us as it is done in
heaven by his angels.

"When we say, give us this day our daily bread, we mean 'in this world.'
Here we ask for a sufficiency by specifying the most important part of it;
that is, we use the word "bread" to stand for everything.

"When we say, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us, we are reminding ourselves of what we must ask and what we must
do in order to be worthy in turn to receive.

"When we say, lead us not into temptation, we are reminding ourselves to ask
that his help may not depart from us. Otherwise we could be seduced and
consent to some temptation or despair and yield to it.

"When we say, deliver us from evil, we are reminding ourselves to reflect on
the fact that we do not yet enjoy the state of blessedness in which we will
no longer suffer evil. . In this petition the Christian can utter his cries
of sorrow, in it he can shed his tears, and through it he can begin,
continue, and conclude his prayer, whatever the distress in which he finds
himself." (Letter to Proba)

"Thank you, Jesus, for teaching me how to pray! Help me to always pray from
the heart and to trust in your goodness as a child trusts in his father."

2 Corinthians 11:1-11; Psalm 111:1-4,7-8



Pray!


Pray! Pray! Pray!

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

This Lady has hit right on the head


WOW!!! This lady should run for President!! She is right on the money, and she's not afraid to take credit for it either!! She left her name and phone number at the end!

This letter you are about to read was written by a 4th grade teacher recently (April 2009). She even gave the world her telephone and fax numbers. We are in dire need of more true American citizens who are proud of OUR United States of America . WAKE UP AMERICA . . . please . . .
before it is too late!



April 27, 2009

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington , DC 20500

Mr. Obama:

I have had it with you and your administration, sir. Your conduct on your recent trip overseas has convinced me that you are not an adequate representative of the United States of America collectively or of me personally.
You are so obsessed with appeasing the Europeans and the Muslim world that you have abdicated the responsibilities of the President of the United States of America . You are responsible to the citizens of the United States .

You are not responsible to the peoples of any other country on e art h. I personally resent that you go around the world apologizing for the United States telling Europeans that we are arrogant and do not care about their status in the world. Sir, what do you think the First World War and the Second World War were all about if not the consideration of the peoples of Europe ? Are you brain dead? What do you think the Marshall Plan was all about?

Do you not understand or know the history of the 20th century? Where do you get off telling a Muslim country that the United States does not consider itself a Christian country? Have you not read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States ? This country was founded on Judeo-Christian ethics and the principles governing this country, at least until you came along, come directly from this heritage. Do you not understand this?

Your bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia is an affront to all Americans. Our President does not bow down to anyone, let alone the king of Saudi Arabia . You don't show Great Britain , our best and one of our oldest allies, the respect they deserve yet you bow down to the king of Saudi Arabia . How dare you, sir! How dare you!

You can't find the time to visit the graves of our greatest generation because you don't want to offend the Germans but make time to visit a mosque in Turkey . You offended our dead and every veteran when you give the Germans more respect than the people who saved the German people from themselves. What's the matter with you?

I am convinced that you and the members of your administration have the historical and intellectual depth of a mud puddle and should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you. You are so self-righteously offended by the big bankers and the American automobile manufacturers yet do nothing about the real thieves in this situation, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Frank, Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelic, the Fannie Mae bonuses, and the Freddie Mac bonuses. What do you intend to do about them? Anything? I seriously doubt it.

What about the U.S. House members passing out $9.1 million in bonuses to their staff members -- on top of the $2.5 million in automatic pay raises that lawmakers gave themselves? I understand the average House aide got a 17% bonus. I took a 5% cut in my pay to save jobs with my employer.

You haven't said anything about that. Who authorized that? I surely didn't! Executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be receiving $210 million in bonuses over an eighteen-month period, that's $45 million more than the AIG bonuses. In fact, Fannie and Freddie executives have already been awarded $51 million -- not a bad take. Who authorized that and why haven't you expressed your outrage at this group who are largely responsible for the economic mess we have right now..

I resent that you take me and my fellow citizens as brain-dead and not caring about what you idiots do. We are watching what you are doing and we are getting increasingly fed up with all of you. I also want you to know that I personally find just about everything you do and say to be offensive to every one of my sensibilities.. I promise you that I will work tirelessly to see that you do not get a chance to spend two terms destroying my beautiful country.

Sincerely,

Every Real American

P.S. I rarely ask that emails be 'passed around'.............

PLEASE SEND THIS TO YOUR EMAIL LIST......it's past time for all
Americans to wake up!

Ms Kathleen Lyday
Fourth Grade Teacher
Grandview Elementary School
11470 Hwy. C
Hillsboro , MO 63050


(636) 944-3291 Phone
(636) 944-3870 Fax


Jim Ottmer
Education will never be as expensive as ignorance.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Saint of the Day

JUNE 16
ST. JOHN FRANCIS REGIS

This French saint was born in 1597. When he was eighteen, he entered the
Jesuit order. In the seminary, John's love for God and his vocation showed
in the way he prayed. He was also eager to teach catechism in the parishes
when he could. After he was ordained a priest, St. John Francis began his
work as a missionary preacher. He gave very simple talks that came right
from his heart. He especially spoke to the poor, ordinary folks. They came
in great crowds to hear him. He spent his mornings praying, performing the
sacrament of Reconciliation and preaching. In the afternoon, he would visit
prisons and hospitals. To someone who said that the prisoners and bad women
he converted would not stay good for long, the saint answered: "If my
efforts stop just one sin from being committed, I shall consider them
worthwhile."
St. John Francis journeyed to wild mountain parishes even on the coldest
days of winter to preach his missions. "I have seen him stand all day on a
heap of snow at the top of a mountain preaching," one priest said, "and then
spend the whole night hearing confessions. " Sometimes he would start off for
a far-away town at three o'clock in the morning with a few apples in his
pocket for his day's food.
Once, on his way to a village, St. John Francis fell and broke his leg. But
he kept on going, leaning on a stick and on his companion's shoulder. When
he reached the village, he went at once to hear confessions. He did not have
his leg taken care of. At the end of the day, when the doctor looked at it,
his leg was already completely healed.
St. John Francis died on one of his preaching missions. He became very ill
while lost at night in the woods. Just before he died, he exclaimed: "I see
Our Lord and his mother opening heaven for me." He died on December 31,
1640.
In 1806, a pilgrim joined the crowds going to pray at the shrine of St. John
Francis Regis
. The pilgrim believed all his life that this saint obtained
his vocation to the priesthood. That man was St. John Vianney, the Cure of
Ars. His feast is celebrated on August 4.

How often do I reflect upon my life and see the many blessings and graces of
God? Does my day go by without thanking God for them?



Meditation of the Day

For your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty
you might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

St. Paul eloquently praises the generosity of the Macedonian churches, not
because they gave so much money, but because they gave joyfully despite
their own poverty. Knowing themselves to be both needy and enriched by
divine grace, they eagerly passed along the love they had received, knowing
there was plenty more where that came from. They had come to know the source
of love, Jesus Christ, who became poor so that by his poverty we might
become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Every time we come to Mass, we have an opportunity to recall and participate
in this divine generosity. During the offertory procession, we are not
simply bringing forward money, bread, and wine. Rather, like the first
Christians, we are giving ourselves to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:5). While
these gifts include the bread and wine that will be consecrated during Mass,
as well as the gift of our money for the work of the church, they are also
tokens of this total gift of ourselves.

And what happens to these gifts we bring to the altar? As the priest calls
upon the Holy Spirit, simple bread and wine are transformed into the very
body and blood of Jesus, the necessary and sufficient food for our journey.
Then, at Communion, we receive back from the Lord the gifts we have
given-only now they are transformed. Bread is now divine flesh. Wine is now
divine life. And the lives that we offered up just moments ago are now
handed back to us, filled with divine grace and set apart for the work of
building the kingdom of God.

The next time you go to Mass, listen for the prayers of gratitude and
self-offering and pray along with them: "Receive us and be pleased with the
sacrifice we offer you with humble and contrite hearts. . From the many
gifts you have given us we offer to you, God of glory and majesty, this holy
and perfect sacrifice. . May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for
the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and the good of all his
Church." Make these prayers your own, as you offer your life to the Lord.

"Father, all we are and have comes from you. Help me to give myself to you
and generously share your love with those around us."

Conquer Evil with Good


Conquer evil with good.

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.

From--Hslda off the Press

Home School Legal Defense Association

J. Michael Smith, Esq.
President

Michael P. Farris, Esq.
Chairman

UN Treaty Jeopardizes Homeschool Freedom in Britain

June 16, 2009

Ever since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and opened to nations across the world for ratification in 1989, HSLDA has been deeply concerned about the implications of this treaty for U.S. homeschoolers, if the U.S. were to ratify the treaty.

We have consistently warned that this treaty could be the vehicle opponents of home education could use to effectively ban or severely regulate homeschooling. On February 16, 1995, when Secretary of State Madeline Albright signed the UNCRC, the United States took a major step along the path to ratification which would make the UNCRC, as stated in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, the supreme law of the land.

For the UNCRC to be ratified it must gain a two-thirds vote in the U.S. Senate. If this happens then the UNCRC will automatically supersede all state laws and U.S. judges will be obligated to follow the provisions of the treaty. Currently, family and education laws are state-based; however, ratification of the UNCRC would transfer the jurisdiction for making family and education law to the U.S. Congress. Congress would, in turn, be obligated to follow the UN mandates contained in the CRC.

While HSLDA has been sounding the alarm about this treaty for years, proponents of the UNCRC maintain that our concerns are invalid.

One such claim relating to homeschooling is from the Children’s Rights Campaign website, a group of 300 organizations arguing that we have nothing to fear from the UNCRC.

They say: “There is no language in the CRC that dictates the manner in which parents are to raise and instruct their children. Ratification of the Convention would not prevent parents from homeschooling their children.”

Sadly, HSLDA’s position has been proven to be correct. Contrary to what proponents like the Children’s Rights Campaign claim, UNCRC will be used to significantly restrict the freedom to homeschool in England.

On June 11, 2009 a report on home education in England by Graham Badman, a former Managing Director of Children, Families and Education in the County of Kent, was accepted in full by the British Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. The report makes the case that homeschooling should be extensively regulated in England.

Aside from registering with the state and mandating reports by homeschoolers, the Badman report makes references to balancing the rights of parents with the rights of children. This idea is expressed in the UNCRC.

As Mr. Badman says:

I am not persuaded that under the current regulatory regime that there is a correct balance between the rights of parents and the rights of the child either to an appropriate education or to be safe from harm.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) gives children and young people over forty substantive rights which include the right to express their views freely, the right to be heard in any legal or administrative matters that affect them and the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas. Article 12 makes clear the responsibility of signatories to give children a voice:

“Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.”

Yet under the current legislation and guidance, local authorities have no right of access to the child to determine or ascertain such views.

Mr. Badman has a solution for the lack of access of the state to homeschooled children in order to fulfill this provision of the UNCRC.

He proposed the following:

    That designated local authority officers should:
    • have the right of access to the home
    • have the right to speak with each child alone

And:

    That a requirement is placed upon local authorities to secure the monitoring of the effectiveness of elective home education.

Mr. Badman’s rationale for placing the state in charge of determining the effectiveness of a home education (i.e. deciding which curriculum is used) is based on Article 29 of the UNCRC. He asserts:

Such is the demand and complexity of 21st Century society and employment that further thought should be given to what constitutes an appropriate curriculum within the context of elective home education. Such a curriculum must be sufficiently broad and balanced and relevant to enable young people to make suitable choices about their life and likely future employment. Article 29 of the UNCRC states that:

1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:

  1. The development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;
  2. The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;
  3. The development of respect for the child’s parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;
  4. The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;
  5. The development of respect for the natural environment.

In short, the Badman report recommends that the state should have the authority to choose the curriculum for homeschoolers and he used Britain’s treaty obligations under the UNCRC to justify this intrusion.

Remember, the Badman report has already been accepted by the British government. It is now only a question of time before the legislation is introduced and a vote occurs in the British Parliament. Not surprisingly, the estimated 80,000 British homeschooling families are outraged at the Badman report. The Badman report is a stark reminder of how government officials in an English-speaking democracy have interpreted the UNCRC. It’s clear that the right to homeschool in America will be negatively impacted if the U.S. Senate ever ratifies the UNCRC.

Ultimately, the answer to completely defeating the UNCRC is to amend the U.S. Constitution. This is the purpose of the Parental Rights Amendment being advanced by HSLDA and ParentalRights.org. The PRA would uphold the current U.S. legal framework which only allows the state to intervene where there is credible evidence of abuse or neglect. Otherwise parents are free to raise their children, which includes the right to home educate. Amending the Constitution will permanently protect the right of parents and homeschoolers. It's a right we cannot surrender to any U.S. government present or future and certainly a right we must not surrender to the United Nations.

Educational Warning

http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/2009/06/06142009.html

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Feast of Corpus Christi (Thanks! Danielle Bean)

And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
-- Mark 14:22-25

Act of Desire
(traditionally prayed before Communion)

Jesus, My God and my all
my soul longs for You.
My heart yearns
to receive you in Holy Communion.
Come, Bread of Angels,
to nourish my soul and to rejoice my heart.
Come most lovable Friend of my soul,
to inflame me with such love
that I may never again
be separated from You.

Amen.

Saint of the Day

JUNE 14
ST. METHODIUS I

St. Methodius lived in the ninth century. He was born and raised in Sicily.
Methodius had received an excellent education and he wanted a position
worthy of it. He decided to sail to Constantinople to seek an important job
at the emperor's court. Somewhere in his travels, he met a holy monk who
shared with him long, deep conversations. All of the questions about Godand
eternity came to Methodius' mind. The monk helped him see that to find real
joy in life he should give himself to God in religious life. So when
Methodius arrived in Constantinople, he passed up the palace and went to a
monastery instead.
The Christians were having serious difficulties in Constantinople. Some felt
that it was wrong to have religious pictures and icons. They mistakenly
thought that people were praying to the picture or statue, not to the person
it represented. There were bitter fights and the emperor was involved. He
agreed with the people who thought that pictures and statues were evil. St.
Methodius, on the other hand, did not agree with the emperor. He understood
why Christians needed pictures and statues. He was chosen to go to Romeand
ask the pope to straighten out the situation. When he returned, the emperor
punished him with a prison term of seven years. Methodius suffered in a
dark, damp prison but he wouldn't let his spirit be crushed. He knew that
Jesus would use his sufferings to help the Church. Finally, in 842 the
emperor died. His wife, Theodora, ruled because her son was a baby. Theodora
had a different opinion than her husband, the emperor had. She felt that
people should be free to have statues, icons and sacred pictures if they
wanted them. Methodius and those who had suffered for a long time were so
happy. Now they were free.
One of the people who had made St. Methodius suffer the most was sent into
exile by the empress. Then Methodius became the patriarch of
Constan-tinople. The people loved him very much.
St. Methodius wrote beautiful essays about theology and the spiritual life.
He also wrote lives of saints and poetry.
Four years after becoming patriarch, Metho-dius died. It was June 14, 847.

We face daily choices in life; there are big ones and small ones. In our
prayer today, we ask for the gift of wisdom to choose what is best for us
for this life and for our life in eternity with God.

Meditation of the Day


The Body and Blood of Christ

I will raise up the cup of salvation. (Psalm 116:13)

The word "blood" appears in more than 350 different verses in the Bible, and
more than 400 times over all. What was it about blood that so captured the
imaginations of the Israelites? Blood represented two basic premises in
their Jewish faith: sacrifice and life. These two premises came together in
the Jewish tradition of offering the blood of sacrificed animals as a way to
atone for sins. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how this ancient
method of atonement pointed the way to the divine sacrifice that Jesus would
make for the salvation of the world.

So when we celebrate Mass and receive Jesus' precious blood at Communion, we
are actually celebrating the covenant that God made with us through the
blood that Jesus shed on the cross. We are drinking his own blood, even as
we celebrate the blessed fact that this blood has washed away our sins.

The Old Testament tells us: "The life of a living body is in its blood"
(Leviticus 17:11). Physically speaking, we would die without blood. And
spiritually speaking, we would die without the grace of Jesus' blood. His
precious blood does more than just wash away our sin. It continues the flow
of divine life in us as well, keeping us connected to our heavenly Father.
Without Jesus' blood, we would have no spiritual health or vitality.

As we celebrate the body and blood of the Lord today, let's think about
Jesus and his gift of divine life. Let's remind ourselves that the church
itself was brought into being by this blood. And let's remember that the
"cup of blessing" which we bless is nothing less than our participation in
the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16).

"Lord, let your blood, offered without blemish to God, purify our minds so
that we might serve our heavenly Father."

Friday, June 12, 2009

Divine Mercy of Jesus

I see that God never tries us beyond what we are able to suffer (Diary, 78).

O Jesus, I want to burn as a pure offering and to be consumed before the throne of Your hiddenness (Diary, 80).

O my Lord, inflame my heart with love for You, that my spirit may not grow weary amidst the storms, the sufferings, and the trials (Diary, 94).

† Jesus I trust in You †

Saint of the Day


JUNE 12
ST. JOHN OF SAHAGUN

St. John was born at Sahagun, Spain, in the fifteenth century. He received
his education from the Benedictine monks of his town. Then John became a
parish priest. He could have lived a very comfortable life in the cathedral
parish
or in other wealthy parishes. However, John felt attracted to the
poverty and simple lifestyle that Jesus had lived. Father John chose to keep
charge only of a small chapel. There he celebrated Mass, preached and taught
catechism.
Father John realized that he needed to know theology better. He enrolled in
classes at the great Catholic University of Salamanca. After four years of
hard study, he became famous as a preacher. Nine years later, he joined a
community of Augustinian friars. They were very impressed by the way he
practiced the Christian virtues. He was obedient to his superiors and
humble, too. He also continued his preaching. His beautiful homilies or
sermons brought about a change in the people of Salamanca. They had been
quarreling violently among themselves. Often young noblemen fought each
other in revenge. St. John succeeded in ending many of these bitter fights.
He even persuaded people to forgive one another.
He was not afraid to correct evils, even when the evildoers were powerful
people who could take revenge. Once he corrected a duke for the way he was
making the poor people suffer. What the priest said was true! In anger, the
duke sent two of his men to kill St. John. The two men found the priest and
approached him. Father John was so calm and kind. Both men were overcome
with sorrow and asked his pardon. Then the duke became sick. Through the
prayers of St. John, he repented of his sins and recovered.
It was the graces he received from prayer and from the Mass that gave St.
John his special power as a preacher. He celebrated the Mass with great
devotion.
St. John of Sahagun died on June 11, 1479. He was proclaimed a saint byPope
Alexander VIII
in 1690.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us become effective Christians. May our
whole manner of speaking and acting bring others to Christ.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Focus on Heaven


Focus on Heaven.

The one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence.

Meditation of the Day

St. Barnabas

He was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. (Acts 11:24)

Those who love mystery novels know that overlooked, but ever-present,
details can be the key to solving the crime. St. Barnabas is one of those
often overlooked details. Much of the time when we read about Paul's
adventures in Acts, Barnabas is right there with him. But since Paul is so
famous, Barnabas remains in the background. So when we look more closely at
Barnabas, we may be surprised at how important a figure he was-and at how
wonderfully he lived out the gospel.

Without Barnabas, Paul may have remained an overzealous convert in faraway
Tarsus. It was Barnabas who first convinced the apostles to accept Paul
after his conversion. It was Barnabas who brought Paul to Antioch, enlisting
his help and placing him in his first leadership role. The two traveled
together, evangelizing, establishing churches, braving persecutions, and
working out what it meant to be a disciple in the pagan world outside
Jerusalem.

Barnabas was a generous soul. He gave much of his wealth to help the poor in
the Jerusalem church, and he gave John Mark a second chance when Paul was
ready to reject him (Acts 4:36-37; 15:36-41). His gift of gentle persuasion
also helped Jews and Gentiles overcome centuries of animosity as they forged
a new church in Antioch (11:19-26).

Luke tells us that Barnabas' real name was Joseph, but that the apostles
nicknamed him Barnabas, which means "son of encouragement" (Acts 4:36). It's
possible he earned this title because he had a talent for saying just the
right thing at the right time. It's also possible that he earned the name
because of his godly character. Dedicated, just, generous, and
steadfast-anyone who demonstrated these virtues must have been very welcome
among the first believers as they worked to build the early church.

In a world that is often hostile or indifferent to the gospel, those who
manifest a strong Christian character-even the "hidden" ones like
Barnabas-can play a vital role in evangelizing and in encouraging other
believers. May we all follow Barnabas' example and take up the call to
become sons and daughters of encouragement.

"Holy Spirit, help me to be open to your guidance and encouragement. By your
grace, may I become a source of encouragement for those around me."

Happy Birthday, Greg!!!


Happy 40th Birthday to my husband, Greg! We love you--kuddos to you!!!


Saint of the Day!

JUNE 11
ST. BARNABAS

Although not one of the original twelve apostles, Barnabas is called an
apostle by St. Luke in his Acts of the Apostles. This is because, like Paul
the apostle
, Barnabas received a special mission from God. He was a Jew born
on the island of Cyprus. His name was Joseph, but the apostles changed it to
Barnabas. This name means "son of consolation. "
As soon as he became a Christian, St. Barnabas sold all he owned and gave
the money to the apostles. He was a good, kind-hearted man. He was full of
enthusiasm to share his belief in and love for Jesus. He was sent to the
city of Antioch to preach the Gospel. Antioch was the third largest city in
the Roman Empire. Here is where the followers of Jesus were first called
Christians. Barnabas realized that he needed help. He thought of Paul of
Tarsus
. He believed that Paul's conversion had been real. It was Barnabas
who convinced St. Peter and the Christian community. He asked Paul to come
and work with him. Barnabas was a humble person, and was not afraid of
sharing the responsibility and the power. He knew that Paul, too, had a
great gift to give and he wanted him to have the chance.
Sometime later, the Holy Spirit chose Paul and Barnabas for a special
assignment. Not long afterward, the two apostles set off on a daring
missionary journey. They had many sufferings to bear and often risked their
lives. Despite the hardships, their preaching won many people to Jesus and
his Church.
Later St. Barnabas went on another missionary journey, this time with his
relative, John Mark. They went to Barnabas' own country of Cyprus. So many
people became believers through his preaching that Barnabas is called the
apostle of Cyprus. It is commonly believed that this great saint was stoned
to death in the year 61.

In prayer today, we can ask the grace to "kindle in us the flame of love by
which St. Barnabas brought the light of the gospel to the nations."

Connecticut Seeks to Silence Church. Again!

Connecticut Seeks to Silence Church. Again!

Shared via AddThis

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Paulist Messages of the Day

Be cleansed of sin to keep clear the path to God.

What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

~ St. Paul, Romans 7:15,17

For the object of Christ in the church is not to interpose the church, or her sacraments, or her worship between himself and the soul, but through their instrumentality to come in personal contact with the soul, and by the power of his grace to wash away its sins, communicate to it fellowship with God as the heavenly Father, and thereby to sanctify it.

~ Father Isaac Hecker, Servant of God,
founder of the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (1819 - 1888)

Saint of the Day

JUNE 10
BLESSED HENRY OF TREVISO

Henry was born in Bolzano, Italy. He lived during the last part of the
thirteenth and early part of the fourteenth centuries. Henry's family was
very poor, so he had no opportunity to learn to read and write. When he was
a teenager, he moved to Treviso to find work. He became a day laborer. Few
people realized that he gave away most of his earnings to the poor. He went
to Mass daily and received communion as often as was permitted. Henry loved
the sacrament of Reconciliation, too, and found this sacrament of a
forgiving God very encouraging.
People began to notice the kind of Christian Henry was. He made it his
penance to be very diligent at his job. And he allowed ample time every day
for private prayer, usually at church. Henry was known for his calm and
gentle ways. Sometimes people teased him because he seemed like such a
simple person. As he grew older, he began to look shabby and stooped.
Children would comment at times on his peculiar appearance. But Henry didn't
mind. He realized that they did not know they were hurting him.
When Henry was too old and frail to work, a friend James Castagnolis,
brought him into his own home. Mr. Castagnolis gave Henry a room, and food
when the old man would accept it. Blessed Henry insisted that he live on the
alms of the people of Treviso. They were generous in their donations of food
because they knew he shared their gifts with many people who were poor and
homeless. By the end of his life, Henry could barely walk. People watched
with awe as the old man dragged himself to morning Mass. Often he would
visit other local churches as well, painfully moving toward each
destination.
What a mystery this good man was. When he died on June 10, 1315, people
crowded into his little room. They wanted a relic, a keepsake. They found
his treasures: a prickly hair-shirt, a log of wood that was his pillow, some
straw that was the mattress for his bed. His body was moved to the cathedral
so that all the people could pay their tribute. Over two hundred miracles
were reported within a few days after his death.
Henry of Treviso was declared "blessed" by Pope Benedict XIV.

Simplicity and generosity marked the life of this holy man. How do I live my
life as a Christian?

Firefly watch

https://www.mos.org/fireflywatch/

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Faith where you least expect it!

Today I am having one of those poor me days. Two adults being home, both with no jobs, but we are lucky we have each other and a roof over our heads. Then I read Ann Welborn's blog and it makes me want to cry. I realized my pity party needs to stop now. God sends her blog in my email just when I need it. She is an awesome writer and person. Here is alink to the column I cried about:



Sometimes you find faith where you least expect it in an email. Thank you Ann!

A smile for the day!

This article had me smiling all the way through as a homeschooling mom and former teacher.

Earn Money at the movies--from Ignatius Press

Earn Money at the Movies

'Ignatius Night at the Movies' offers a fundraising opportunity for your school, parish or project

Just in time for summertime entertainment, Ignatius Pressis offering an opportunity that puts the “fun” in fundraiser:

Here’s how it works:

You host a “Catholic Books and Film Fair” Event and arrange a showing of one of these popular Catholic films:

Clare and Francis, Paul: Contending for the Faith, Pope John Paul II, Padre Pio: Miracle Man, Maria Goretti, Saint John Bosco: Mission to Love, Bernadette, or The Passion of Bernadette.

At the event, you sell and take orders for books, movies, and other Ignatius products. No advance payments are required and Ignatius picks up the tab for the movie, all promotional materials, and shipping costs.

In the end, you and your group keep a generous 30-40% of profits. The more you sell, the more you make!

Learn all the details at The Catholic Book and Film Fair.

VBS option

http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/a_viable_vbs_option#When:16:30:00Z

Monday, June 8, 2009

Family centered Conference in Lancaster, PA

http://family-centered.com/conference/

Pro-Life Stance

Forcing a Pro-Choice Crisis: What About Third Trimester Abortions?

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Listen to the audio of this column

Fr. Frank's columns are podcast. Click here for more information.

What do LeRoy Carhart, Warren Hern, and George Tiller have in common? They are among an unknown number who perform abortions in the third trimester of pregnancy (the third trimester being the seventh, eighth, and ninth month!)

For two decades I have been proclaiming from the pulpits of America that abortions happen in the third trimester. Many Americans find it hard to believe. Now, in the aftermath of the death of George Tiller, this fact is getting a bit more attention.

The Associated Press reported on June 2 in an article by Eric Olson that physician LeRoy Carhart of Nebraska wants to continue performing abortions at this late stage, but he, as well as Warren Hern, also want to make sure enough physicians are trained in how to do so.

How many are we talking about? The AP story reported, “Carhart said 75 to 100 of the "several thousand" abortions he performs annually are in the third trimester.”

Stanley K. Henshaw, a senior fellow at the Guttmacher Institute, the research division of Planned Parenthood, and the best source of these statistics, is quoted in a June 5 Washington Post article as saying, "The information just isn't available…This is an area that we just don't know much about.”

The Guttmacher Institute does report in its official statistics, however, that some 13,310 abortions each year are at 21 weeks or more of pregnancy (that is, 1.1% of the 1.21 million abortions per year). Of the 40 states that reported in 2005 to the Centers for Disease Control, 32 states reported abortions of babies 21 weeks or older.

This means that every day, 37 babies the size of a large banana are dismembered and decapitated – and these include healthy babies of healthy mothers…and it’s happening legally.

These are babies that the mother can already feel moving. According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, these babies are storing fat on their bodies, their heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope, they can hear, they have eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails and toenails. Incidentally, MedlinePlus calls them “babies.” (Seewww.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/article/002398.htm).

Many people wonder how they can get some traction in the seemingly intractable abortion debate. How can they get people to listen, or make pro-choice people believe that pro-life people have good reason to be against abortion?

My suggestion: start by discussing the facts I just mentioned.

It’s morally legitimate to focus on late-term abortion; that doesn’t deny that all abortion is wrong; it’s simply a way to get the ball rolling, a pedagogical method of going from the most obvious to the less obvious, of starting with what people know and leading to what they don’t know.

When people are astonished by these facts, as they will be, they are forced to re-evaluate just how much priority “privacy” and “choice” have over life. If they are “pro-choice,” they are forced to figure out when in pregnancy the line is drawn – and why.

And now you’re talking.

Sacred H.E.A.R.T. Convention



Pass on the news.....
Don't Delay!
Only 2 days left!
Huge discount & Free childcare if you preregister. ...
Sacred HEARTConvention
Be refreshed in your Faith!
Be reinvigorated in your marriage!
Enjoy a day meeting like-minded couples!
Enjoy a day of spiritual strengthening!
Enjoy seeing the Vendor's products!
Most importantly, let everyone know. Spread the word & make Catholic families a strong presence in the Tristate Area! Come to support the Catholic Family as the foundation of our society!
see the schedule for the day below
plus - over 40 vendors represented!

8:00 AM - Opening Mass at St. John the Evangelist
9:00 AM - Conference opens
9:00 AM - Martha Nowik "Don't give up!"

10:00 AM - workshop: “Reaching Reluctant Writers”
11:00 AM - Damon Owens
Marriage, Family, and the Common Good."
12:00 PM - Angelus
12:00 PM - 1:00 - Confessions

12:30 PM – workshop: “Teaching the struggling learner.”
1:00 PM - Steven Greydanus "Ready or Not: Homeschooling Kids in a Mass-Media World"

1:00 PM - Q&A panel for teens and pre-teens (time may be moved)
2:00 PM - Mary Daly "The Self-Revelation of God in the world of Creation; Catholics in the Natural Sciences"

2:00 PM – workshop for children: “Making Music Praying Twice”
3:00 PM - Dylan McDonald "Saving the Soul of Catholic Family Life"
4:00 PM - Organ recital by Domecq Smith on original 1879 Hook & Hastings Organ
4:00 PM - 5:00 - Confessions
5:00 PM - Closing Mass celebrated by Archbishop John Myers, with special music featuring the Little Way Homeschool choir, St. John’s Youth & Adult Choirs in the magnificent gothic architecture of St. John the Evangelist

Governor and Voting

I rarely put up political posts but today I will.  Today my son voted for the first time in our NJ primary for governor.  It has saddened me...