Original Guide by
'Catholic Answers'

Fake 'Catholic Voters Guide' Published by Former Aide to John Kerry

Attempt to recapture the Catholic vote launched by Democratic supporters

By John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, September 29, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An attempt to recapture the Catholic vote has been launched by Democratic supporters. A new 2006 Voter Guide has been put out by "Catholic in Alliance for the Common Good" (CACG) a group headed up by Alexia Kelley who in 2004 worked as a religion advisor to John Kerry in the closing weeks of his campaign.

An initial printing of one million copies of "Voting for the Common Good: A Practical Guide for Conscientious Catholics" will be distributed nationwide through on-the-ground organizers and partner networks in all 50 states, says CACG. The groups admits in a press release that the new voter guide is a response to the original "Catholic Voters Guide" issued by Catholic Answers last year.

The new voter guide has been described as "slick" by the Catholic League for its deceptive wording which falsely leads Catholics to consider abortion as just one of many important social justice issues to be taken into account when electing politicians.

Commenting on the new 12-page booklet, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said "The voter guide is a slick attempt to get the abortion albatross off the necks of Catholic Democrats, but it's a failed effort-the noose is still there. Instead of listening to James Carville and Paul Begala, who have counseled Democrats to drop their opposition to parental notification laws and their support for keeping partial-birth abortion legal, the best Catholics in Alliance can do is say it is opposed to abortion. But it makes it painfully clear that it will never join any effort to ban any abortions, including partial-birth."

Donohue added that "On August 2, 2006, Catholics in Alliance issued a news release urging the Senate to raise the minimum wage, an issue which the Catholic Church has no official position on, one way or the other. But the group has no statement urging anyone to vote against partial-birth abortion, an issue which the Catholic Church officially opposes."

The guide lists serious issues to consider but mentions abortion as only one of several issues including poverty, jobs, immigration, minimum wage, and nuclear disarmament, the typical leftist Catholic "seamless garment" approach that has confused many Catholics in the past. The guide advises that while abortion should be considered when voting it should be considered as only one of a whole host of other issues, none of which has resulted in the actual deliberate killing of millions of Americans as has abortion.

The Catholic Democrats' guide contradicts the guidance of Cardinal Ratzinger prior to his election to the papacy. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote a doctrinal note, approved by then-Pope John Paul II, which stated: "[A] well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals." The doctrinal note added, "laws must defend the basic right to life from conception to natural death . . . Analogously, the family needs to be safeguarded and promoted based on monogamous marriage between a man and a woman."

Additionally numerous US Catholic Bishops have stated that abortion trumps other considerations when voting. Writing in Columbia Magazine in September 2000 Bishop James T. McHugh, Bishop of Rockville Centre, NY, wrote, "Catholic citizens especially should affirm a personal stance that respects and sustains human life and makes it unmistakably clear to all candidates and officials that this will be a determining factor in their choice of candidates.

In October 2000 Chicago's Cardinal Francis George stated "[Abortion is] a defining issue not only personally but also socially. Poverty can be addressed incrementally, but the death of a child is quite final."

Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput said in October 2000 "It is impossible to advance human dignity by being 'right' on issues like poverty and immigration, but wrong about the most fundamental issue of all - the right to life."

Father Thomas D. Williams, dean of the theology school at Rome's Regina Apostolorum university, recently told Zenit News that according to Catholic teaching, "the social injustice that most cries out to Christian conscience is the deliberate and massive attack on the most vulnerable members of society, the unborn."

Fr. Williams added, "The Church's defense of social justice embraces any number of key life issues, and attention to one does not lessen the importance of the others. Abortion, however, stands out among them as a unique case meriting singular attention."

FEAST OF SAINTS MICHAEL,
GABRIEL, AND RAPHAEL

The Three Flames of Divine Love

Every year on the 29th of September the Church commemorates the three angels whose names have been revealed to us in Scripture for our consolation: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. There is a fourth angel whose name is also revealed, Lucifer, but for a different reason: to warn us clearly about all his works and empty promises. When God unmasks the identity of angelic beings in the public revelation of the Church it is because He wants us to know something about them that will assist us on the road to Heaven - or give us sufficient warning.

The blessed archangels are three flames of divine love and grace because of their burning desire for our eternal salvation. They exist to lead us to heaven, and their Hebrew names reveal their respective roles.

Michael is the exorcist angel. His name in Hebrew is a rhetorical question: "Who is like unto God?" Christian tradition tell us that he stood up in the assembly of the angels when Lucifer proclaimed his desire to set up his throne there, and in astonishment at the hubris of such a rebellious act uttered that question before casting the devil out of heaven. It's kind of like the cop who says to a bully, "So you think you're above the law, do you?" and then tosses the guy into the clink never expecting an answer! Michael helps us in our constant spiritual warfare against the forces of evil. He is especially good when we call upon him in times of temptation and confusion. He always comes. He appears in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation where we see his humble magnificence.

Gabriel is the evangelist angel. He is revealed in the Book of Daniel and in the Gospel of Luke bringing the good news of Christ's Incarnation to the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation. Gabriel's Hebrew name is "Strength" or "Strong One of God" to remind us that belief in Jesus is the strength of our souls. Gabriel and his angels assist us in our personal understanding of the faith and in our sharing of it with others. Parents and teachers will find great assistance in Gabriel for their necessary tasks of teaching children and others the faith, and priests and religious can look to him with confidence when seeking to become dynamic preachers and communicators of the things of God.

Raphael appears only in the Book of Tobit which is such a rich source of knowledge about this angel. He is the healing flame. His Hebrew name is "Health" or "Healer of God" because he healed Tobit of his blindness and exorcised the spirit of Asmodeus from Sarah, a spiritual healing. Raphael comes to our aid in times of sorrow, weakness, woundedness and in times when we need patience. He accompanied Tobias on his journey to meet Sarah, so Raphael is also traditionally considered the patron saint of travelers and married couples. Those who are eager to find a spouse will appreciate this luminescent spirit as a ready helper in need.

Truly we don't pay enough attention to the archangels whose radiant love is burning incandescently around us at every moment of our waking and sleeping. Of course we can't see those divine flames with our eyes. It takes faith to see them. With faith we know that these strong, ravishing spiritual beings drive away evil by their very presence and exist only to serve us.

Imagine the potency of a hydrogen bomb bound up in a magnificent, living, intelligent being whose one desire is to make sure we get home safely - I mean our Heavenly Home of course. They have come from there and know how to lead us back.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
President, Human Life International

MARY IN GOD'S MIND

3. The Idea of Mary in You.
Now God expects your imitation also in this.
He wants that His central idea should also be your central thought, the one that gives warmth and action to the life of your soul.
She before any other creature was predestined to grace, to glory, to the incomparable dignity of God's Mother. But after Her we also have been predestined to the never failing grace and to the glory that awaits us if we correspond to it. Ours is the peerless dignity of being called, and indeed of being, children of God and brothers /sisters of Christ. But this dignity is intimately linked to Mary. She is our Mother. She it is that will grant us the grace of being a child of God.
Therefore, all your dignity and glory must come from God but through Mary. Do you now realize why the Lord expects Her to be the ruling thought of your life? Is it so in reality? How do you achieve this wonderful divine plan? Do you earnestly endeavor that Mary should be the central thought, the driving force that prompts all your actions? Do you act accordingly by thinking of Her always, seeing Her in everything, trying to copy Her and by dint of exercise being Her living and perfect picture?
Ask grace from God and help from Our Lady that henceforth you may do so. Let her be your constant preoccupation, your constant thought. Never do anything without Her, for such is the Will of God. Do not now spoil God's plan by self-love or any other passion. Let nothing block your way thus to see, know and love your Mother.
[Excerpted from 'Marian Meditations.']

MARY IN GOD'S MIND

2. The Idea of Mary in Creation.
When a sculptor wants through his masterpiece to give the expression to his mental conceptions, first he tries in clay, and then only does he proceed with the actual carving of the statue. Now the whole of creation is just a practice or rehearsal that God has done till He came to shape Mary as the masterpiece of His hand. she is like the sum total of the whole of creation.
The graces and beauty that have been distributed amongst other beings are accumulated in Mary.
Thus when God shaped His Mother, He seems to have derived the inspiration from all His previous creatures so as to make Her far superior to all. He took inspiration from the Seraphim in order to make Her burn with love, from the angels for Her purity, from the Patriarchs like Abraham for Her fortitude in faith, from Ruth for Her modesty, from Judith for Her courage. But when it was a question of shaping Her heart as Mother, He could draw inspiration from nothing. There is nothing that could compare with the heart of Our Lady. It was then necessary that God should look at His own heart in order to give Her a heart similar to His. She would love God and men just as God loves Himself and us.
The Church applies to Her those words of the Book of Proverbs which was originally intended for the Divine Wisdom:

The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
When he established the heavens, I was there: when he set a circle upon the face of the deep: When he made firm the sides above: when the fountains of the deep became strong:
When he gave to the sea its bound, that the waters should not transgress his commandment: when he marked out the foundations of the earth:
Then I was by him, as a master workman: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. [Prov. 8:22-30]

That is why looking around everywhere in creation you should see Mary. The blue of the sky should remind you of Her mantle. The stars, Her crown; the sun, Her shining without shadows or spot; the moon, Her placid beauty; the sea, the immensity of Her grace; the flowers, Her incomparable beauty. And so on. You can, as a true lover, see everywhere the image of Mary for She is the image of God.
[Excerpted from 'Marian Meditations']

SEPTEMBER 25, 2006 MEDJUGORJE MESSAGE

Dear children! Also today I am with you and call all of you to complete conversion. Decide for God, little children, and you will find in God the peace your heart seeks. Imitate the lives of saints and may they be an example for you; and I will inspire you as long as the Almighty permits me to be with you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

MARY IN GOD'S MIND

1. The Idea of Mary in Eternity.
All of us have existed from eternity in the mind of God. All of us were perfectly known to Him. He thought of you individually. . . . before you were born, the thought of you was in Him. He loved you already. Says St. John rightly, Let us love God because He first loved us. [See 1 St. John 4:19]
If this can be said of all, what should be said of Mary?
She, much more and better than any other being, engaged God's mind. The eyes of God envisage Mary --Mary before all else-- and all else in her. This is His first thought after that of His own essence. If, by an impossibility, God could forget everything and ignore us all even then He could not help seeing Mary in His mind, on account of Her close association with God, on account of the union that holds Her so closely to divinity.
After the One He has of Himself, Mary is God's greatest idea.

[Excerpted from 'Marian Meditations' by Rev. Dr. I. R. Villar]

SAINT PIO OF PIETRELCINA

Today we celebrate one of my favorite Saints, Padre Pio!

Padre Pio's life

Padre Pio, in the world Francesco Forgione, was born in Pietrelcina near Benevento, on May 25 1887. He entered as a cleric in the Capuchin Order on January 6, 1903 and was ordained a priest on 10 August 1910, in the Cathedral of Benevento.
On July 28, 1916, he came to San Giovanni Rotondo, on the Gargano, where, except for a brief interruption, he remained until his death on September 23, 1968.

On the morning of Friday, September 20, 1918, praying before the Crucifix in the choir of the old church, he received the gift of the stigmata, that remained in his body, fresh and bleeding, for half a century.

During his life which was dedicated entirely to the fulfillment of his priestly ministry; he was a much sought after spiritual advisor, confessor, and intercessor who was devoted to the Eucharist and Mother Mary! He would often say, "I only want to be a poor friar who prays." He founded the "Prayer Groups" and a modern hospital to which he gave the name "The Home for the Relief of Suffering".

The diocesan process for his canonization, begun on March 20, 1983, was concluded on January 21, 1990. All the many documents gathered and compiled in 104 volumes were consigned to the Congregation for Causes of Saints.
On June 13, 1997, the Theological Commission, unanimously expressed a favorable opinion on the herocity of the virtues of the Padre; and the following October 21, the same favorable opinion, equally unanimous, was issued by the Commission of Cardinals.

The Holy Father John Paul II granted the title of Venerable, with the publication of the "Decretum super virtutibus" on December 18, 1997. From this aforementioned decree we reproduce the introduction:

" 'But far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus' - Gal 6,14.
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, like the Apostle Paul, placed the holy Cross, that was his strength, his wisdom and his glory at the apex of his life and his apostolate.
Free from the vanities of the world and enamored of Jesus Christ, he conformed himself to Him, offering up his life for the salvation of the world.
His following and imitation of the divine victim was so generous and perfect that he could say: 'I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me' - Gal 2,19. Nor did he wish to keep for himself the treasures of grace, which God conceded him in abundance; so without rest he served those who came to him through his sacred ministry and there grew a great multitude of spiritual children".

After the publication of the aforesaid Decree, the Postulation for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Padre Pio presented to the competent Vatican Congregation an occurrence held to be miraculous that took place through the intercession of the Padre.
The miracle was recognized by the Pope, after the approval of the three commissions canonically required. The Medical Consultations of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which met on April 30, 1998, examined the cure of Mrs Consiglia De Martino from "a traumatic rupture of the thoracic duct in the neck", that took place on November 3, 1995, and with a unanimous vote (5 out of 5) judged it "scientifically inexplicable".

The Theological Commission, that consisted of the Promoter General of the Faith and six theological consultants, on June 22, 1998, examined the same extraordinary fact and, after detailed discussion, expressed themselves clearly in the affirmative (7 votes out of 7), qualifying it a third degree miracle or quoad modum. The same favorable opinion was expressed by the Commission of Cardinals in the month of October of the same year.

Finally the Pope officially recognized the miracle with the Decree of December 21, 1998 and fixed the date for the Beatification for Sunday, May 2, 1999.
Millions of faithful throughout the world exulted with joy in this happy ceremony in Saint Peter's Square.

On June 16, 2002, over 500,000 Padre Pio devotees gathered in Rome to witness Pope John Paul II proclaim Padre Pio, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.

Dear Padre Pio, please pray for us, your spiritual children!

Spirit & Life

"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63) Human Life International e-Newsletter Volume 01, Number 34 | Friday, Sept.22, 2006 ...................... www.hli.org

Adamant in Our Support of the Pope
A friend of mine offered a tongue-in-cheek reflection about the recent flare-up of Islamic fanaticism concerning the Pope's remarks. "There is a large group of picketers in front of the Cathedral demanding that the Pope apologize for Notre Dame's loss to Michigan this past Saturday!" Right on! But that humorous portrayal of a protest indicates that there are humane ways for decent people to handle their differences, and killing innocent people is not one of them.

Quite frankly I'm disgusted by barbarians acting in the name of God. When savages burn the pope in effigy I am offended - especially since a few passing remarks about Muhammad's practice of forced conversion hardly merit such a vicious overreaction. Such a reaction should be reserved for the shameless remarks of a guy like Hugo Chavez when he calls our President the devil.

Equally offensive are drones like Rosie O'Donnell who thinks that Christian conscientious objection is to be classed in the same category as, say, televised beheadings, church burnings, death threats, mass murder and suicide bombings. How many left-wing commentators have we heard this week condescendingly scolding the pope for not being a "realist" about how his remarks would be taken? Any clear-thinking man who read the pope's speech will know that it dripped with realism: he said that any religion that divorces itself from rationality ends up justifying violence in the name of God. But just to prove that they are a peaceful, rational religion the fanatical Muslims made sure to butcher a nun in the Sudan following the pope's talk.

Decent people are fed up with fanaticism in whatever form it takes, and I am glad to hear more people speaking out about this now. It's time for all of us to stand up and tell the Catholic-haters of the world that we are not taking this any more.

Our pope is the leader of Christianity and its most palpable symbol of unity. He is the Vicar of Christ no matter what others may believe about him. No other man on earth has that title - or that burden. He is being unjustly attacked, reviled, defamed and threatened with death and destruction. Our adamant support of him in this time of crisis means simply that we are willing to stand up and defend our very Christian civilization.

We must never be afraid to stand up for the pope! I am whole-heartedly convinced that he is the only one who can infuse wisdom into the leaders of our world to deal with the immense problems of our day. We will defend him, no matter how high the cost. In doing so, we will be standing with Don Juan of Austria and Pope Pius V in their Rosary Crusade against the Turks at Lepanto in 1571 (which we commemorate on October 7th, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary). We will be side by side with Jan Sobieski who stood at the gates of Vienna on September 11, 1683 and defended the freedom of our Christian civilization. We also stand with Chesterton and Belloc who reminded us poignantly that Christendom has not seen the last of these assaults. The time to stand with the pope is now, not years later when the barbarians are at the gates.

And while you're at it, sign up for our spiritual bouquet to send to the Holy Father through HLI's Rome office next week. He will appreciate our tangible show of support! Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer President, Human Life International

"Faithful though disinherited."
Sir Winston Churchill

DESDICHADO

* This is the Heir; come let us kill Him. [Matt. 21:38]

* Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved? [Song of songs 8:5]

CHRIST walks the world again, His lute upon His back,
His red robe rent to tatters, His riches gone to rack,
The wind that wakes the morning blows His hair about His face,
His hands and feet are ragged with the ragged briar's embrace,
For the hunt is up behind Him and His sword is at His side, . . .
Christ the bonny outlaw walks the whole world wide,

Singing: "Lady, lady, will you come away with Me,
Lie among the bracken and break the barley bread?
We will see new suns arise in golden, far-off skies,
For the Son of God and Woman hath not where to lay His head."

Christ walks the world again, a prince of fairy-tale,
He roams, a rascal fiddler, over mountain and down dale,
Cast forth to seek His fortune in a bitter world and grim,
For the stepsons of His Father's house would steal His Bride from Him;
They have weirded Him to wander till He bring within His hands
The water of eternal youth from black-enchanted lands,

Singing: "Lady, lady, will you come away with Me,
Or sleep on silken cushions in the bower of wicked men?
For if we walk together through the wet and windy weather,
When I ride back home triumphant you will ride beside Me then."

Christ walks the world again, new-bound on high emprise,
With music in His golden mouth and laughter in His eyes;
The primrose springs before Him as He treads the dusty way,
His singer's crown of thorn has burst in blossom like the may,
He heedeth not the morrow and He never looks behind,
Singing: "Glory to the open skies and peace to all mankind."

Singing: "Lady, lady, will you come away with Me?
Was never man lived longer for the hoarding of his breath;
Here be dragons to be slain, here be rich rewards to gain . . .
If we perish in the seeking, . . . why, how small a thing is death!"

[By Dorothy Sayers, Public Domain.]

Yes, in these trying days we must be one with Christ and the Woman standing at the foot of the Cross, Mother Mary! The world hates us Christ followers but we are not afraid! We will continue to proclaim Jesus as our Risen Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Mother!

A great man once said:
What is the use of living
if it be not to strive for noble causes
and to make this muddled world a better place
for those who will live in it after we are gone? Winston Churchill
Dundee, October 9th, 1908.

He took as his motto 'Desdichado', a Spanish word which means 'Faithful though disinherited.'

Christ was disinherited by His own people, but was faithful to His Father. He gave up His life so that we could be the heirs of a better world, a world where the Father's Kingdom would reign. We pray for this every day in the Lord's Prayer: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done; on earth, as it is in Heaven."

As we await the coming of the Father's Kingdom, we lean on our Beloved Jesus & Mary, consecrating our hearts and our lives to Theirs and we suffer persecution, abandoment, rejection, even death! But we are only following in the steps of Jesus & Mary, so hopefully our lives will make this world a better place to live in for those who come after us.

In today's Gospel reading for the 17th Sunday, Christ proclaims: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life, will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it." [Mark 8:35] Could it be any clearer for us?

Pope Benedict XVI, on his recent trip to Germany said: "I am convinced, in faith, that in Christ, in his word, we find the way not only to eternal happiness, but also to the building of a humane future even now, here below. Impelled by this conviction, the Church, led by the Spirit, has constantly looked to the Word of God so as to be able to respond to new historical challenges."


Let us pray: "Come, Lord Jesus, Word of God!" Return soon, Lord, to establish Your Father's Kingdom and reign in the hearts of all humankind!
Come Holy Spirit! Come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your well-beloved Spouse!
May it be so! Amen!

* And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Master; and kissed Him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend . . . (Matt. 26: 49)

JESUS, if, against my will,
I have wrought Thee any ill,
And, seeking but to do Thee grace,
Have smitten Thee upon the face,
If my kiss for Thee be not
Of John, but of Iscariot,
Praythee then, good Jesus, pardon
As Thou once didst in the garden,
Call me "Friend," and with my crime
Build Thou Thy passion more sublime.
[Public Domain]

Did you ever realize how much Jesus suffered for our sins . . .

I was watching the "Passion" movie last night, meditating on these sufferings that the Lord CHOSE! Yes, chose! He could have said no to all those afflictions by a simple denial of who He is.

The one line that struck me in the heart was: "See, Mother, I make all things new!" After being scourged beyond human endurance, cruelly mocked and crowned with thorns, beaten as He carried His Cross through the streets of Jerusalem, He has the strength to exclaim these words. Only a God-man could do this, who came down to earth precisely to suffer and die for our sins.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. [John 1-5; 14]

In this time of trial and purification, when we are tempted to despair and discouragement, we try to remember Our Lord's words: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]

Keep the Faith! God loves you!
Peace!

OUR LADY OF SORROWS

"O all ye that pass by the way, attend and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow." (Lam. 1:12)

They had been so happy in those days.
The Mother and her Boy.

Such was her reward.
Thus was she rewarded.

For having borne.
Given birth to.

Fed at the breast.
Carried.
In her arms.
Him who died for the sins of the world.

For having borne.
Given birth to.
Fed at the breast.
Carried.
In her arms.
Him who died for the salvation of the world.

For having borne.
Given birth to.
Fed at the breast.
Carried.
In her arms.
Him through whom the sins of the world will be forgiven . . .

And now she has seen Him treated in a way
that no mother would care to see her son
treated.
Maltreatments. Maltreatments. Blows.
Unspeakable abuse.
Insults. Maltreatments and the least said about
them the better.

Unspeakable maltreatments.
And death to cap it all.
With death to cap it all.

You have such trouble with children.
You bring them up and afterwards.
She felt all that went on in His body.
Particularly His sufferings.
All that children give you is worry.
All that was in His body.
In her body as well as in His.

Because of her Motherhood.
She was a Mother.
She was His Mother.
His Mother according to the works of the Spirit and
His Mother according to the flesh . . .

She knew how much He suffered.
She well felt how much it hurt Him.
She suffered in His head and in His side and in His
four Wounds.
[Charles Peguy 1914, Public Domain]

Mother Mary had many sorrowful moments, but there were seven particularly sad incidents in her life. They were like seven swords piercing her innocent Heart.

1. Forty days after Jesus' birth Mary presented Him in the temple, and the aged Simeon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, exclaimed: "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (St. Luke 2:34) Mother Mary's Heart was filled with dread of the sufferings predicted for her dear Son.

2. Herod sought to kill Jesus, but an angel of the Lord appeared to St. Joseph in a dream and warned: "Arise and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I tell thee." (St. Matthew 1:13) Oh, how Mother Mary must have suffered on this painful and perilous trip and in this exile in a foreign country.

3. At the age of twelve Jesus went with Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem, where He was lost from their sight for three days. They found Him in the temple , and Mother Mary said: "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously." And he said to them: "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (St. Luke 2:48) Some of the Fathers of the Church say this was one of the bitterest sorrows for Mother Mary because in her other trials and griefs she at least had Jesus with her, but now she was separated from Him and knew not where He was and whether she was at fault because He was missing.

4. Mother Mary's fourth great sorrow is when, during Our Lord's sacred Passion, she meets Him carrying His Cross to Calvary. Imagine the pain in her Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart to behold her Jesus all bloodied from the scourging and crowning of thorns, groaning and staggering under the cruel Cross.

5. At the crucifixion, the sword will plunge still deeper as she sees her Son shamefully stripped of His garments, rudely thrown upon the cross, and then hearing the sickening strokes of the hammer driving the nails into His hands and feet. Standing near the cross, His death-bed, she listens to His parting words to her: "Woman, behold your son!" Then to the disciple John: "Behold, your Mother!" St. John represented each one of us as Jesus gave His Mother to us as our Mother! Now she takes all our sufferings into her Heart too!

6. Jesus is taken down from the cross. As each nail and each thorn was pulled from His dead body, it was a new blow to the Heart of His Mother. As she held Him once again in her arms, how she must have hugged Him to her Heart. How she must have tried to kiss Him back to life.

7. Mother Mary puts her child to bed, but it is the bed of the tomb. What a grief-stricken good-night that was. Mother Mary must have wished that she could bury her heavy Heart with His.

We are recalling the seven principal sorrows of Our Lady and we extend our loving sympathy to her. It also helps us to meditate on these sufferings for our own consolation and inspiration. Mother Mary appreciates our sympathy. She has asked us to "think about the Passion of Jesus." This way we will also remember 'Our Lady of Sorrows'!

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us!

TIEPOLO, Giovanni Battista

THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

This feast commemorates both the dedication of the basilica built by Constantine for the Holy Sepulcher, and also the return of the True Cross to Jerusalem by Emperor Heraclius of Judea during the seventh century. After Heraclius had recovered it by force from King Chosroes of Persia, he tried to carry it along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, but was unable to make any headway. Bishop Zachary of Jerusalem, ponting to his luxurious clothing, said, "Attired in these rich robes, you are far from imitating the poverty of Jesus Christ and His humility in bearing His Cross." The Empoeror caught the hint -- and went on to Calvary barefooted and wearing a simple cloak.

ENTRANCE HYMN
But it is fitting that we should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is salvation, life, and resurrection for us, by whom we are saved and delivered. (Gal. 6:14)

The cross has made suffering a way to life. The mercy of God reached down deep into human anguish and made suffering, which is part of all our lives, redemptive. To consecrate our suffering, in love, to God is to share the hidden glory of the cross of Christ.

To know what God thinks of us we have only to look at the cross. He loves us. The omnipotence that made a universe from nothing, the wisdom that fashioned its plan, work in a love for each of us that is visible upon the cross. To respond to this love is to find our life.

The greatest example of this love is Mother Mary, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow at the Sacred Passion and Death of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
'By the Cross stood the sorrowing Mother Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the world.' 'Look, all you who pass by, and see if there is any sorrow like unto mine.' (John 19:25; Lam. 1:12)

Pope Preaches Against Chance Evolution: "Man is Not the Chance Result of Evolution"


Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVIat the Celebration of the Eucharist (Tuesday, 12 September 2006, Islinger Feld, Regensburg)

Those who believe are never alone. This is the theme of these days. Here we can see how true it is. Faith brings us together and gives us a reason to celebrate. It gives us joy in God, joy in his creation, joy in being together. I realize that this celebration required much time and effort to prepare. By reading newspaper accounts, I had some idea of how many people gave their time and energy to do such a fine job of readying this esplanade. Thanks to them, we have the Cross here on the hill as a sign of God's peace in the world; the access roads have been cleared; security and good order have been ensured; housing has been provided, and so much more. I could not have imagined - and even now I am only beginning to imagine - how much work, down to the smallest details, was needed for us to meet here today. For all this I can only say, in a word: Heartfelt thanks! May the Lord repay you for everything you have done, and may the joy which we can now experience as a result of your preparations return a hundredfold to each of you! I was very moved when I heard how many people, especially from the vocational schools of Weiden and Hamburg, and how many firms and individuals, men and women, helped to make my house and my garden a little more beautiful. I am a bit taken aback by all this goodness, and once again I can only offer an inadequate thank you for all your efforts. You have not done all this for just one person; you have done it in a spirit of solidarity in faith, inspired by love of the Lord and his Church. All this is a sign of true humanity, born of our experience of the love of Jesus Christ.We are gathered for a celebration of faith. But the question immediately arises: What do we actually believe? What does it mean to have faith? Is it still something possible in the modern world? When we look at the great Summae of theology compiled in the Middle Ages, or we think of the number of books written each day for or against faith, we might lose heart and think that it is all too complicated. In the end, we can no longer see the forest for the trees. True enough: faith's vision embraces heaven and earth; past, present and future; eternity - and so it can never be fully exhausted. And yet, deep down, it is quite simple. The Lord tells us so when he says to the Father: Ayou have revealed these things to the simple - to those able to see with their hearts (cf. Mt 11:25).The Church, for her part, has given us a little Summa in which everything essential is expressed. It is the so-called Apostles'Creed, which is usually divided into twelve articles, corresponding to the twelve Apostles. It speaks of God, the creator and source of all that is, of Christ and his work of salvation, and it culminates in the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting. In its basic structure, the Creed is composed of only three main sections, and as we see from its history, it is merely an expansion of the formula for Baptism which the Risen Lord entrusted to his disciples for all time when he told them: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19).

Once we realize this, two things become clear. First, faith is simple. We believe in God - in God, who is the Beginning and End of human life. We believe in a God who enters into a relationship with us human beings, who is our origin and future. Consequently, faith is, always and inseparably, hope: the certainty that we have a future and will not end up as nothing. And faith is love, since God's love is contagious.

A second thing also becomes clear: the Creed is not a collection of propositions; it is not a theory. It is anchored in the event of Baptism - a genuine encounter between God and man. In the mystery of Baptism, God stoops to meet us; he comes close to us and brings us in turn closer to each other. Baptism means that Jesus Christ adopts us as his brothers and sisters, welcoming us as sons and daughters into God's own family. He thus makes us one great family in the universal communion of the Church. Truly, those who believe are never alone. God comes to meet us. Let us go out to meet God and so meet one another! To the extent we can, let us make sure that none of God's children ever feels alone!

We believe in God. This is a fundamental decision on our part. But is such a thing still possible today? Is it reasonable? From the Enlightenment on, science, at least in part, has applied itself to seeking an explanation of the world in which God would be unnecessary. And if this were so, he would also become unnecessary in our lives. But whenever the attempt seemed to be nearing success - inevitably it would become clear: something is missing from the equation! When God is subtracted, something doesn't add up for man, the world, the whole vast universe. So we end up with two alternatives. What came first? Creative Reason, the Spirit who makes all things and gives them growth, or Unreason, which, lacking any meaning, yet somehow brings forth a mathematically ordered cosmos, as well as man and his reason. The latter, however, would then be nothing more than a chance result of evolution and thus, in the end, equally meaningless. As Christians, we say:B I believe in God the Father, the Creator of heaven and earth - I believe in the Creator Spirit. We believe that at the beginning of everything is the eternal Word, with Reason and not Unreason. With this faith we have no reason to hide, no fear of ending up in a dead end. We rejoice that we can know God! And we try to let others see the reasonableness of our faith, as Saint Peter bids us do in his First Letter (cf. 3:15)!

We believe in God. This is what the main sections of the Creed affirm, especially the first section. But another question now follows: in what God? Certainly we believe in the God who is Creator Spirit, creative Reason, the source of everything that exists, including ourselves. The second section of the Creed tells us more. This creative Reason is Goodness, it is Love. It has a face. God does not leave us groping in the dark. He has shown himself to us as a man. In his greatness he has let himself become small. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father, Jesus says (Jn 14:9). God has taken on a human face. He has loved us even to the point of letting himself be nailed to the Cross for our sake, in order to bring the sufferings of mankind to the very heart of God. Today, when we have learned to recognize the pathologies and the life-threatening diseases associated with religion and reason, and the ways that God's image can be destroyed by hatred and fanaticism, it is important to state clearly the God in whom we believe, and to proclaim confidently that this God has a human face. Only this can free us from being afraid of God - which is ultimately at the root of modern atheism. Only this God saves us from being afraid of the world and from anxiety before the emptiness of life. Only by looking to Jesus Christ does our joy in God come to fulfilment and become redeemed joy. During this solemn Eucharistic celebration, let us look to the Lord and ask him to give us the immense joy which he promised to his disciples (cf. Jn 16:24)!

The second section of the Creed ends by speaking of the last judgement and the third section by speaking of the resurrection of the dead. Judgement - doesn't this word also make us afraid? On the other hand, doesn't everyone want to see justice eventually rendered to all those who were unjustly condemned, to all those who suffered in life, who died after lives full of pain? Don't we want the outrageous injustice and suffering which we see in human history to be finally undone, so that in the end everyone will find happiness, and everything will be shown to have meaning? This triumph of justice, this joining together of the many fragments of history which seem meaningless and giving them their place in a bigger picture in which truth and love prevail: this is what is meant by the concept of universal judgement. Faith is not meant to instil fear; rather it is meant - surely - to call us to accountability. We are not meant to waste our lives, misuse them, or spend them selfishly. In the face of injustice we must not remain indifferent and thus end up as silent collaborators or outright accomplices. We need to recognize our mission in history and to strive to carry it out. What is needed is not fear, but responsibility - responsibility and concern for our own salvation, and for the salvation of the whole world. But when responsibility and concern tend to bring on fear, then we should remember the words of Saint John: My little ones, I am writing this to keep you from sin. But if anyone should sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one (1 Jn 2:1). No matter what our hearts may charge us with - God is greater than our hearts and all is known to him (ibid., 3:20).

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary. To all those women who bear that name - my own mother and my sister were among them - I offer my heartfelt good wishes for their feast day. Mary, the Mother of the Lord, has received from the faithful the title of Advocate, for she is our advocate before God. And this is how we see her, from the wedding-feast of Cana onwards: as a woman who is kindly, filled with maternal concern and love, a woman who is attentive to the needs of others and, out of desire to help them, brings those needs before the Lord. In today's Gospel we have heard how the Lord gave Mary as a Mother to the beloved disciple and, in him, to all of us. In every age, Christians have received with gratitude this legacy of Jesus, and, in their recourse to his Mother, they have always found the security and confident hope which gives them joy in God. May we too receive Mary as the lodestar guiding our lives, introducing us into the great family of God! Truly, those who believe are never alone. Amen!

THE HOLY NAME OF MARY

"Is thy name Mary, maiden fair?
"Such should, methinks, its music be.
"The sweetest name that mortals bear,
"Were best befitting thee.
"And she to whom it once given
"Was half of earth and half of heaven."
Amen. (Oliver Wendel Holmes)

Our salvation began when the Archangel Gabriel spoke the name of Mary: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God." [Luke 1: 30] And because of Mary's Fiat: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word" [Luke 1: 38], Our Savior, Jesus, the Son of God became Man and we have been praising Our Lady with the "Ave Maria!" from generation after generation in thanksgiving.

There was once a woman who had great devotion to Our Lady. And like Our lady, she had one child, but the child was "brain damaged", and though he was happy in his own way, he never learned to talk.
He could say just two words, which his mother had taught him with much patience: "Ave Maria". He seemed to love saying those words over and over. If someone asked him his name, he would only answer "Ave Maria." Everyone grew to love this "Ave Maria Boy," as they called him, and they were all sorry when one day he died.
On the day of his burial, a marvelous miracle happened. As soon as the grave was covered over, a green shoot appeared, and by evening, it was a tall and beautiful lily growing out of the grave. The mourners were startled and insisted that the gravedigger uncover its roots to find where it grew; as he removed the covering, the face of the child came into view and the mystery was solved -- the miraculous lily was springing from the child's lips. The mother and everyone rejoiced at such a wonderful sign from heaven; her little boy had been dumb in life, except for his "Ave Maria," but now from his grave he was preaching a most eloquent sermon on Our Blessed Mother and her goodness to those who have confidence in her Name! [Thanks to Fr. L. Hull, C.SS.R. for this story.]

"Thy name and thy remembrance are the desire of my soul: my soul hath desired thee in the night." (Isaias 26: 8)

When we honor the Holy Name of Mary on September 12 we are simply following the unwavering devotion of the Church from the dawn of Christianity. This devotion is appealing and powerful. There are about seventy different meanings for the name of mary. The most appealing one is that Mary means "beloved of God." It is from two words, one Egyption, "myr," which means beloved, the other Hebrew, "iam," which means God. Mariam was Moses and Aarons sister, (these are Egyptian names too) who was the first woman in the Bible to be known as Mary.

This explanation seems most correct when we consider that the Blessed Virgin was truly beloved of God. Of all men and women she was the only one who was always pleasing to God, because she alone was always free from sin (the Immaculate Conception), and thus always beloved of the Almighty. From all eternity God loved her. Out of love He created her; out of love He preserved her from sin; out of love He adorned her with every grace and beauty. In every sense her name is holy.

No wonder Mother Church honors her name. No wonder the Saints and Fathers of the Church have sung her praises. A few examples:
Saint Bonaventure:
"Blessed is the man who loves thy name, O Mary. Yes, truly blessed is he who loves thy sweet name, O Mother of God, for thy name is so glorious and admirable, that no one who remembers it has any fears at the hour of death."

Saint Anthony of Padua:
"O name of Mary! Joy in the heart, honey in the mouth, melody in the ear of her devout clients."

Fr. Thomas A Kempis, Author of "Imitation of Christ":
"Greet Mary frequently with the 'Ave Maria!' Salute Mary, think Mary, honor Mary, lean on Mary, commend yourself to Mary and repeat the Name of Mary. Be with Mary everywhere, be silent with Mary, pray with Mary, rejoice with Mary, be sad with Mary, work with Mary, walk and sit with Mary, and be recollected with Mary."

Saint Louis de Montfort:
"The salvation of each individual is bound up with the Hail Mary."

Saint Alphonsus de Liguori:
"Mary herself promised Saint Gertrude as many graces at death as she should have said 'Hail Marys.' Blessed Alan asserts, 'that as all heaven rejoices when the "Hail Mary" is said, so also do the devils tremble and take to flight.' "

So, dear friends, let us whisper quietly and lovingly: "Mary . . . Mary . . . Mary." And as we call out to her, "Hail Mary," remember the meaning of that title, "Beloved of God." Then we can understand why the Church has selected this verse from Scripture for the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary:
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
You have been blessed, O Virgin Mary, above all other women
on earth by the Lord the most high God; He has so exalted
your name that your praises shall never fade from the
mouths of men. (see Judith 13: 23, 25)

GOOD MORNING !

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2006

It is PRAYER and PRAISE Time !

Who cannot remember ?

Who cannot pause

For a moment of prayer

United in one cause

~ Because ~

We care on 911's 5th Anniversary !

Heavenly Father, Almighty God,

You know the wherefores and the whys;

You have heard those thousands of cries

As the Twin Towers tumbled,

And human bodies crumbled,

As Washington and Pennsylvania

Suffered also terrorist mania.

You met them where they were

While Your Love in their hearts did spur

Some to become heroes to the end ~

They knew You were their Best Friend.

Their Faith did not bend.

Their reward, Your Gift to them,

Paradise, a Treasure, and Precious Gem.

Bless with healing those who remain

Be their refuge; keep them sane.

Bless them with Peace of minds

And with Graces of all kinds.

Comfort them with the thought

They all are Blood-bought.

May their souls aspire higher

'Til You meet them,

Greet them,

And

Seat them

At the Grand Banquet of The Lamb.

THANK YOU, FATHER.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT LOVE.

THANK YOU FOR OFFERING US PARADISE.

THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT GIFT OF YOUR SON.

THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT.

PRAISE YOU, FATHER.

PRAISE YOU FOR YOUR GREAT LOVE.

PRAISE YOU FOR OFFERING US PARADISE.

PRAISE YOU FOR THE GREAT GIFT OF YOUR SON.

PRAISE YOU FOR THE GIFT OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT.

In Memoriam of the Events of 9-11-01

Mel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN (2001-911)

Two thousand one, nine eleven
Three thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat"

They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud
"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine"
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."

From a man on sticks one could hear
"The only thing we have to fear.
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
Trust us sir, we've passed that test."

"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores

A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was! In the hearts of the five thousand plus that day

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not"

The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me"

Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must

Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"

So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."

Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jimo back in '45

The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears,
I see sorrow -- but I don't see fear."

"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
Are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.

All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one.

With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
"Take my hand," and from there he led
Three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven

Author UNKNOWN

Many thanks to our Unknown Author

For this great poem

Certainly inspired of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you!!!

************

God Bless America!

Deacon John

Our Lady of Altötting

The Pope speaks of Mary, Our Mother,
in his visit to Germany

Following a Mass at Munich’s New Fairgrounds, Pope Benedict XVI led the crowd of faithful in praying the Angelus, a prayer recalling the annunciation of God being made man in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The Pope pointed out the great devotion the people of Bavaria have to Mary, the “supreme example,” of the attitude of seeing God at the center of life. The Pontiff noted again the readings of the Mass, which call men and women to a recognition of God in their lives and to social action, and how Mary exemplified this behavior. “Throughout her earthly life, (Mary) was the Woman who listened, the Virgin whose heart was open towards God and towards others. The faithful have understood this since the earliest centuries of Christianity, and therefore in all their needs and trials they have confidently turned to her, imploring her help and her intercession with God,” the Pope recalled. The Pope mentioned the hundreds of churches and shrines dedicated to Mary, throughout Bavaria, noting in particular, Munich’s Column of Mary, which he visited the previous day, and the shrine of Altötting, where he will go tomorrow to dedicate a new Adoration Chapel. The chapel is perfectly fitting at a Marian shrine, the Pope said, because it, “is an eloquent sign of Mary’s role: she is and remains the handmaid of the Lord who never puts herself at the centre, but wishes to guide us towards God, to teach us a way of life in which God is acknowledge as the centre of all there is and the centre of our personal lives.”

Once again, the World Apostolate of Fatima is promoting a worldwide prayer day for the Sanctity of Human Life.

This event will take place on Sunday, October 8th, 2006. People from all over the world will produce the largest day of organized prayer ever seen and heaven will receive One Billion Prayers.

Our Lady of Fatima counts on you to achieve this goal!


Click here to Pledge for Prayer.

FATIMA INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS “Mary, We Entrust You the Cause of Life”
	October, 4 – 8, 2006
	The World Apostolate of Fatima is co-organizing an international congress "Mary, We Entrust You the Cause of Life", which will take place in Fatima, Portugal, from Wednesday, October 4 th to Sunday, October 8 th. This congress aims at putting in practice the wishes expressed by our former beloved Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, when he clearly stated in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae that: “a great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world." (EV 100). This congress, which is supported by the Pontifical Council for the Family, will gather worldwide known pro-life and Fatima speakers, who shall offer the participants a deep experience of the power of prayer in the fight against all attempts to destroy human life. If you are interested to participate in the congress or simply to know more about it, please, click here >>> Congress Program

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHER MARY! O HAPPY DAY ! It is Friday, September 8th, 2006 And It is PRAISE Time !!! Blessed forever be God who is over all! Isaiah 11:1-2 A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, And from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: A spirit of counsel and of strength, A spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, And his delight shall be the fear of the Lord. The Virgin Mary came forth from the root of Jesse, And the Spirit of the Most High came to dwell In her heart. Today we commemorate the birth of The Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. We celebrate her birth, that she might Intercede for us before the Lord. Romans 9: 4-5 To the Israelites belonged the adoption, the glory, The covenants, the law-giving, the worship, and The promises; theirs were the patriarchs, and from Them came the MESSIAH (I speak of his human origin). Blessed forever be God who is over all! Amen How fitting in PRAISING GOD is it also To honor the Mother who bore Him ! JESUS cannot long be apart from His Mother That we cannot honor her place in His Life. We accept the Father's Plan who from the Beginning of time had chosen Mary, holy and undefiled, Who knew not man, To house the seed planted Through the Power of The Holy Spirit, JESUS, Son of God. Imagine for a moment, The Angel Gabriel Asking you to become The Mother of God. How would you react? Would you think you were hallucinating? Would you tremble in fear and run? Would you.............say, "Yes?" Mary, even though young and frightened, Said, "Be it done unto me, according to thy word." Could we have said that? MAY JESUS CHRIST be PRAISED !!! May we always say: Be it done unto me, according to Thy Word ! THE WORD of GOD Is JESUS CHRIST !!! PRAISE BE JESUS NOW AND FOREVER !!! PRAISE BE JESUS NOW AND FOREVER !!! PRAISE BE JESUS NOW AND FOREVER !!! [Forwarded from INPOGod@aol.com] God saves me, Jesus enlightens me, the Holy Spirit is my life, thus I fear nothing. Deacon John www.deaconjohn.org