Coca Cola Life (Argentina)

Coca Cola (Argentina) has produced (perhaps without even knowing it) the best pro-life video ever. It is also interesting to note that they call their product Coca Cola Life.

Happy Birthday Pope Francis

Today is Pope Francis 77th Birthday. Please pray for him as he has such a tremendous responsibility of shepherding such a huge flock.

Death and Taxes

They are Coming - The O Antiphons

Here is a blurb from Fr. Z. Be sure to visit him.

The O Antiphons developed during the Church's very first centuries. The writer Boethius (+525) mentions them. By the 8th century they were in use in Rome. There are seven of these special antiphons, and their texts spring from the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures, the Prophetic and Wisdom Books. They are found in the Liturgy of the Hours or older Roman Breviary, which clerics, religious, consecrated virgins, and others use for daily prayer.

The O Antiphons are short prayers sung before and after the Magnificat, the great prayer of Mary in Luke 1:46-55 when coming visit to Elizabeth her cousin the Virgin praised God for His favor wondrous deeds. The Magnificat is sung during Vespers, evening prayer. The O Antiphons begin on 17 December, seven days before the Vigil of Christmas (24 December). The seventh and last antiphon is sung at Vespers on 23 December. They are called the "O Antiphons" because they all begin with the letter-word "O": they address Jesus by one of His Old Testament titles.  They are fervent prayers asking Our Lord to come to us.

Advent is about the many ways in which the Lord comes.  He came historically at Bethlehem in the fullness of time. In the liturgical year he comes to us sacramentally.  He will come again at the end of the world as Judge of the living and the dead.  Christ comes to us also in the two-fold consecration of the Body and Blood of Christ by the priest at Holy Mass and, in a special way in a good Holy Communion.  He comes in the person of the priest, who is alter Christus, another Christ.  He comes in the words of Holy Scripture. He also comes in the person of our neighbor, especially those who are in need of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

During Advent, John the Baptist has been reminding us in the liturgy to "make straight His paths". When we come to the Lord in death, or He comes to us in His Second Coming, He will make straight the path whether we have during our earthly lives done our best to straighten it ahead of time or not. Let us now, while we may, make straight the paths by which Christ Jesus comes.

Here are two more interesting notes about these O Antiphons.

The first is not apparent in English, but it can be seen clearly in the official language of the Roman Catholic Church: Latin. The Latin versions of each of the titles of the Messiah are: Sapientia (Wisdom), Adonai (Lord), Radix (Root), Clavis (Key), Oriens (Dawn), Rex (King), and Emmanuel (Emmanuel).  Take the first letters of each of the titles, starting with the last and working back to the first. You spell: EROCRAS or "ero cras... I will be (there) tomorrow".

The song "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is simply a reworking of the seven O Antiphons. When you sing it, you are joining yourself to a vast throng of Christians stretching back across centuries and spanning the whole of the earth who prayed as all Christians do, "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev 22:20)

Ah, what beauty.

Fight Back - Merry Christmas

In the last two days I have been wishing everyone I come in contact with a “Merry Christmas.” Each one was, I would conclude, delighted that I did so: there was the cashier in the dollar store, another cashier at Walt’s Grocery, there was the customer service representative at Comcast, and another customer service person at Microsoft. Now this Microsoft person spoke with an Eastern Indian – I presume India – accent – and he was the one to wish me a Merry Christmas first and I responded warmly.

Many of us think the proper thing to do to be politically correct is to not say anything at all, or to keep it secular by saying "Happy Holidays." This is wrong thinking. Do not let our secular society take Christmas away from us. By the very nature of our faith - of who Jesus was/is – we are to be counter-cultural.

It is easy to say Merry Christmas to our family and friends, people in church, but we hesitate with strangers – this is the effect our secular culture has had on us. This is a season of love and joy. It is natural to want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and we should do so and not stifle ourselves. You don’t know who is on the receiving end of your "Merry Christmas." They may be alone and that simple phrase may put a little joy in their heart and remind them of the reason for the season.

If someone is offended by your greeting, that is their issue, not yours.

A Child's Mind...

They Habitually Vote for Bills they Haven't Read

No need to comment. Let's just vote them all out of office come next November. Are you not tired of their dung. We need fresh blood not career politicians. We need statesmen not idiots who only vote along party lines.

Notice: The Affortable Boat Act

Warning: This is humor – er, but there is always truth in humor

The U.S. government has just passed a new law called: "The affordable boat act" declaring that every citizen MUST purchase a new boat, by April 2014. These "affordable" boats will cost an average of $54,000-$155,000 each. This does not include taxes, trailers, towing fees, licensing and registration fees, fuel, docking and storage fees, maintenance or repair costs.

This law has been passed, because until now, typically only wealthy and financially responsible people have been able to purchase boats. This new law ensures that every American can now have a "affordable" boat of their own, because everyone is "entitled" to a new boat. If you purchase your boat before the end of the year, you will receive 4 "free" life jackets; not including monthly usage fees.

In order to make sure everyone purchases an affordable boat, the costs of owning a boat will increase on average of 250-400% per year. This way, wealthy people will pay more for something that other people don’t want or can’t afford to maintain. But to be fair, people who can’t afford to maintain their boat will be regularly fined and children (under the age of 26) can use their parents boats to party on until they turn 27; then must purchase their own boat.

If you already have a boat, you can keep yours (just kidding; no you can’t). If you don’t want or don’t need a boat, you are required to buy one anyhow. If you refuse to buy one or can’t afford one, you will be regularly fined $800 until you purchase one or face imprisonment.

Failure to use the boat will also result in fines. People living in the desert, ghettos, inner cities or areas with no access to lakes are not exempt. Age, motion sickness, experience, knowledge nor lack of desire are acceptable excuses for not using your boat.

A government review board (that doesn’t know the difference between the port, starboard or stern of a boat) will decide everything, including; when, where, how often, and for what purposes you can use your boat along with how many people can ride your boat and determine if one is too old or healthy enough to be able to use their boat. They will also decide if your boat has out lived its usefulness or if you must purchase specific accessories,(like a $500 compass) or a newer and more expensive boat.

Those that can afford yachts will be required to do so...its only fair. The government will also decide the name for each boat. Failure to comply with these rules will result in fines and possible imprisonment.

Government officials are exempt from this new law. If they want a boat, they and their families can obtain boats free, at the expense of tax payers. Unions, bankers and mega companies with large political affiliations ($$$) are also exempt.

Christmas vs. Happy Holiday

O.K. Gear up, take up your shield and raise your sword as the assault on Christmas is again about to begin. Oh, I forget; it is not Christmas, it is a happy holiday - whatever that is - because without Christ there is no holiday. The retailers want it both ways; they want your money, but will not wish you a Merry Christmas. They will open on Thanksgiving evening, not even allowing the working stiffs a day off with their families.

   I am tired of one voice or a few voices ruining it for everyone else. Christ gave us all a mission to spread the Good News. Each of us are members of the Church Militant. We have a mission. I would tell you not to spend your money at any store that refuses to recognize Christmas, but then where would you go? as this is now pervasive. But we can fight back. Sweetly and lovingly wish every cashier a Merry Christmas. This is your celebration, it should not be taken from you.

   I'm all for growing the economy, we need to offset the loss of jobs due to the administration's policies, Obamacare, and taxes without end. But be thoughtful, you don't need to go broke with presents. That is secondary. Tell your children the real meaning of Christmas. Write a letter/email to an old friend. Patch up any of those stupid disagreements you have long forgotten why - take the first step - it doesn't hurt. Take someone out to dinner - better yet - invite them over for dinner and an evening together. Do an act of kindness to someone, anyone.

   Do not be afraid to bring your faith into conversations. Tell others what you believe. I bet they will find it refreshing and more often than not, they will agree with you.

   I am tired of seeing huge tin soldiers and frosty the snowmen on front lawns. What is that? Put a Christmas creche in your front window, put an angel somewhere on high.

   Most important, find some quiet time during the Christmas season, once a week, and thank Jesus for becoming one of us. Thank Him for all the blessing you received this last year and talk to him about your concerns. Let's not only fill the churches on Christmas day, but all during Advent, and extend it to all the year.

   Merry Christmas everyone!

Archbishop Chaput on Sainthood

The meaning of sainthood: To be fully alive in Jesus Christ

By Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. 

Some years ago a friend told me that she secretly thought of the saints as boring. They smile at us sweetly from holy cards. Their lives can seem implausible compared to people more famous for their vices. And who would really want to be a saint, anyway? As Billy Joel once said, “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun.”

But when we come to understand holiness rightly, we see that it’s anything but boring. Sanctity isn’t a matter of sentimental posturing or being nice. Sanctity is about being passionately in love with Jesus Christ.

The saints are men and women who glowed white-hot with the Holy Spirit. They lived fully what Father Richard John Neuhaus once called “the high adventure of Christian discipleship.” And that’s truly what the heart of sainthood is: not a life of legalistic drudgery, but a high adventure.

Think about the women and men we venerate as saintly: Mother Teresa, Francis Xavier, King Louis IX of France, Gianna Beretta Molla, Pier Giorgio Frassati, Catherine of Siena. They lived some of the most compelling lives in history. Their roads were hard. They endured great sacrifices and self-denial. But those sacrifices led to greater love and joy than many in the world have ever known.

If we think about sainthood like that, it can seem like the saints are a special class of people. Sainthood is for people like them, we think, not everyday people like us. And how do you live like a saint if you’re just an ordinary worker, a father or a mother? The good news is that the saints were ordinary people like us. Their “secret” was not something they possessed, but Someone who possessed them....

Read the rest here.