The War on Women Myth Never Ends
“You oppose me killing my child!”
“You refuse to pay for me to have recreational sex without consequences!”
“Your opposition to child-murder puts rape victims in chains!”
When will this tirade against the fundamental human right to life end, or this entitlement mentality where your right to force others to subsidize your bedroom antics even when their Constitutional rights are violated cease? Liberals are freaking obsessed with sex. And murder. Its unhealthy. And its sickening.
Of course liberals actually do take real issues and put them in chains, taking Americans captive: religious freedom, freedom of speech, the second amendment, the right to life, the American worker’s income, etc., etc.
I am so sick and tired of their crap.
Categories: America, Sanctity of Life and Marriage
A New Flood
I often can’t help but to wonder if western civilization, specifically America, is approaching or has already passed a point of no return. Have we culturally passed the point where there is still a chance to turn from our present course that consists of rampant materialism, murder of unwanted children on demand, and unrestricted sexual freedom and approval? Has the culture already committed suicide and we are now just waiting for the end of this civilization?
I guess I just wonder if there is no use trying to fix what we have not only broken, but virtually trashed and discarded. Do we literally just need to start over, at square one, relearning the basics of what it means to be human.
I suppose that some may say that I’m being a fundamentalist conservative nut job, that the western world as we know it can’t possibly collapse because we are in some sort of heightened age of enlightenment with unlimited wealth and freedom and a sense of respect for peoples of all races, sexualities, religions (except devout Christians) and ages (except those in the first nine months of life).
But civilizations collapse. Nations are wiped off the face of the earth. The glory of Rome. The glory of the Mayans and the ancient civilizations of the Americas. They collapsed.
Over the last half century we have hurled ourselves towards totally irrational anti-human survival activities. We have sacrificed our children to abortion. We have sacrificed our families for no-fault divorce. We have sacrificed the natural purpose of sexuality by advocating, promoting, and tolerating the separation of sex and reproduction through contraceptive and homosexuality, all the while diminishing sexual responsibility which has increased the number of unintended pregnancies, single mothers, absentee dads, abortions, and STI’s/STD’s.
I don’t possibly see how our culture can recover from this without first completely destroying itself. And perhaps that is the most important thing to do. Perhaps we begin to pull back, still teaching and preaching, but just let the culture kill itself through its self-centered ethics, while we work hard to strengthen those who will listen and prepare to rebuild the future, to rise from the ashes, to emerge from the flood of death to establish once more the natural law of mankind.
Categories: America, Miscellanea
Divine Love
I’ve been frustrated at the lack of intimacy with God in my life. I’ve been wondering when God is going to move. But the reality is that a spiritual slump is my fault not his. God never ceases to call us. He never truly abandons us, but desires for us to search for him. Sometimes this requires him to retreat, but it is not abandonment, it is an invitation to follow him and to go further up and further in.
I’ve been the one who is responsible for my spiritual dryness. Jesus has been there for me at Mass everyday while I was sleeping in. Jesus has been there for me in the tabernacle while I was a lazy pile watching Battlestar Galactica. He’s been there in the Psalms while the ribbons in my breviary slipped weeks and weeks behind. He’s been patiently waiting for me while I’ve been selfishly waiting on myself hand and foot.
This week, though, I’ve been getting up early to go to Mass. Four days in a row! I’ve been praying the Liturgy. I’ve been spending time praying both in Eucharistic Adoration and in the silence of my apartment. And I’ve felt the gentle love of the divine. And with that comes hope. And joy. And peace.
Categories: Life in Christ, Prayers
Sacrament of the Eucharist
I have been considering a few questions since Mass yesterday in regards to the Eucharist.
The first is whether all of the Sacraments are equal or whether the Eucharist is a “higher” Sacrament than the other six. The power and the grace of Jesus Christ is present in all seven Sacraments, but Baptism is not the Real Presence, nor is Matrimony or Holy Orders for example. But the Eucharist contains the Real Presence, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, the very same that walked the earth 2,000 years ago, that touched and healed the ill and the sick, that raised the dead man, and lifted Mary Magdalene up, and conversed with a woman at a well. The Eucharist contains Jesus in a very different fashion.
The second is when exactly does the Sacrament of the Eucharist takes place and what the Sacrament really is. In Baptism, for example, the water is not the Sacrament and the recipient is not the Sacrament, nor are the priest or the words the Sacrament. According to my understand the Sacrament is the act of being Baptized, it exists for only a moment as one receives the water with the words of the formula of Baptism being prayed by the priest. The grace of course persists longer than the Baptism occurs, but you aren’t able to point at Holy Water that was used or will be used in Baptism and say “look, that is the Sacrament of Baptism”. The other Sacraments are similar: Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Confession, and Anointing of the Sick.
But the Eucharist is different. Right? I mean, doesn’t the Sacrament exist prior to anyone receiving the Sacrament? If the priest consecrated the Sacrament and then everyone dropped dead, wouldn’t it still be the Body of Blood of Christ despite having not been received by a single person? Doesn’t the Sacrament exist between each communicant and even after the last communicant has received? This certainly isn’t true of the other Sacraments. Each person Baptized must have the baptismal formula repeated. Each penitent must have the words of absolution prayed over them, but not so with the Eucharist. Many people can receive after the Sacrament having been confected just once. In fact, so long as the hosts remain uncorrupted one can receive the Sacrament many hours, days, even weeks later without having the formula of consecration being performed again!
I don’t know, these were just some thoughts about the Eucharist’s uniqueness among all the Sacraments and how it may sort of be a hypersacrament of sorts. Thoughts?
Categories: Catholicism, Life in Christ, Prayers
Tags: Catholicism, Communion, Eucharist, Sacraments
How is Jesus Pursuing You?
Psst…..You, yeah you. I have a secret for you. Did you know that Jesus loves you? I mean more than the fluffy bunny and rainbow type of love. He really loves you (more than you can ever imagine) and He is pursing you right now. Yea, Jesus is pursuing you right at this very minute. Pretty legit, right? Now I know what you may be thinking, “yes, Jesus does love me, I know this.” But knowing and believing are two very different things. One of the biggest difficulties in our sin-filled world is that we are told that we are not worthy of love. We are used and trampled on then left lonely and broken. But God has so much more in store for our lives.
I am writing to tell you that you are worthy of love. One day someone will love you more than you can imagine. Whether that is Jesus loving you and calling you into Religious Life or the Priesthood or being loved by someone of the opposite sex and being united with them in the Sacrament of Marriage. We need to look to Jesus first, before we can find that one person in our life that we can be true to and that can help lead us to Heaven. We need to allow Jesus to enter into our hearts and heal the wounds that have been cut. There is only true happiness in Him and He wants to heal the deepest innards of our very being. Please, allow Him into your life. I know it is hard, after a year of being a Catholic Missionary, I still struggle with this. But I can tell you one thing, I have felt Jesus’ love so much over this year, and I know that He is pursuing my heart. Since I have let Him into my life and have invited Him into my inner longings and desires, and allowed Him to heal me, I couldn’t be happier. Jesus is the bomb, and He LOVES YOU!
How is Jesus pursuing you? Ask Him and find out. Take it to prayer, and allow Him to work through it. Let Him love you while you are learning to love yourself. You deserve it and He wants it.
Categories: Miscellanea
Boston
I don’t think we need much commentary on the Boston Marathon attacks.
The only thing that matters is Jesus Christ. These great acts of evil can occur at any time, at any place, to any of us. Even in its great resilience, life is also delicate and we could be called before the throne of God at any moment. And in that moment all that matters is whether we know Jesus Christ.
Do we really know him? Is he the center of our heart? Our thoughts? Our acts? Will the moment we meet Jesus be a moment of fear, or will we be at peace because we have known him in this life? Will he say “Well done good and faithful servant?”
Out of great evil, we pray for greater good to come. We pray for the peace of Christ to those killed and injured in the attacks and for their loved ones. We pray that as the world watches and reflects as the situation unfolds that we would seek Jesus Christ, that we would order our lives away from ourselves and towards God.
Boston, we are praying for you.
Haven’t I Surrendered Enough?
When God asked me four years ago to become Catholic I surrendered a lot of things.
I surrendered the Christian community in which I had taken my baby steps.
I surrendered strong friendships.
I surrendered family peace.
I surrendered my doubts and my fears.
I surrendered myself.
In the moment it took a lot of courage and blind, feet-first faith to become Catholic, but I did it because it was God asked me to do, much the way that Abraham courageously brought Isaac to Mount Moriah. And just as Abraham came down from the sacrifice with his son alive, I have eventually come down to where peace in my family is perhaps stronger than it has ever been, where many of my friendships have been restored and bygones forgiven, and new friendships have grown that would never have been. The sacrifices I made have been far outweighed by blessings without number and mercy without end.
Yet, in my heart I keep scolding Christ: haven’t I sacrificed enough for you? Can’t you just let me be? Can’t you be happy with my going to Mass every Sunday? Why would you ask me to sacrifice again? It hurt so much the first time.
I fear, again, what God may be asking me to do. I fear that he may ask me to go deeper than I’ve already gone. Four years ago I wouldn’t have thought that that was possible. But I know that I’ve only scratched the surface of what it means to truly belong to Christ and I’ve barely tasted what heavenly communion will be like. I know that only one thing in this life transcends to the next and that is my relationship with Christ, my intimate communion with him. I know that all of the dreams and hopes that I may have of travelling the world, saving the alligators, finding a wife will not matter. Seeing the sunset over a mountain in Spain pales in comparison of one nanosecond with the Lord. The gentle touch of the alligator is nothing to the gentle love of Christ. And the marital union will be dissolved at eternity’s door as it prepares me for the true union with God.
And so I know that if God were to be asking me to give up all of these things that it wouldn’t be a terrible thing, but an act to further prepare myself for total union with him. Still, the thought of it makes my stomach turn, thinking of the things of this world that I would never experience.
Categories: Life in Christ
Happy Birthday Starbuck!
My favorite viper pilot and member of the Colonial Fleet: Kara “Starbuck” Thrace.
What do you hear Starbuck?
Nothin but the rain.
Categories: Miscellanea
Tags: Battlestar Gallactica, Kara Thrace, Katee Sackhoff, Starbuck
Saint Paul
ORA PRO NOBIS
Saint Kateri
ORA PRO NOBIS
Blessed Pier Giorgio
ORA PRO NOBIS
