Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Christianity at the crossroads in the Middle East

Tribulation Times


May 16, 2012  

(Luk 23:28-31) But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me; but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days shall come, wherein they will say: Blessed are the barren and the wombs that have not borne and the paps that have not given suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us. And to the hills: Cover us. For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry? 



NEWS.VA: Radical Islamic groups fanning the conflict that plagues Lebanon

Radical Islamic Groups are fanning the conflict and want to infect Lebanon: this is the alarm launched to Fides by Fr. Paul Karam, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Lebanon. Fr. Karam, commenting on the recent clashes between Alawites and Sunnis in Lebanon, said: "We are very concerned for two reasons: the flow of Syrian refugees continues in northern Lebanon, moreover the conflict is spreading in Lebanon. This happens because of political interests that trample human rights, and the fragility of our country, ethnic-religious composite mosaic. Herein lies the major component of fanatic Islamic movements that fan on the religious aspect, fomenting hatred among communities." Fr. Karam insists that "violence has never solved anything: the road to reconciliation is dialogue, respect for others, keeping in mind the good of the country."

On the conflict in Syria, Fr. Karam said: "Sending UN Observers is an act of responsibility on behalf of the international community. But should not be exploited at a political level by any of the warring parties. We hope it is a mission in the sign of truth, credibility and transparency. Only thus peace can be reached."The Christian situation "is very worrying," says the priest. "In Syria – he recalls - the faithful have freedom of faith and public testimony which is not guaranteed in other states in the Middle East. We are concerned because the Christians, as a minority, are the easiest target. Syrian fellow priests tell us that the situation is dramatic: there are forces who want to turn the conflict into a religious war, and this would be a tragedy."

EDITORIAL: The Vatican and Islam: Has Dhimmitude Prevailed?

CNA: Catholic Middle East expert believes Arab Spring is 'no more'

One of the Catholic Church’s leading experts on the Middle East says the Arab Spring is “no more.”
 
“It was in the beginning a ‘springtime’ because really it was a free movement, (an) independent, unorganized movement for freedom,” Father Samir Khalil Samir told CNA.

But the movement slowly became “organized by other groups, especially by Islamic groups, in Egypt, also in Libya, in Bahrain, so that now the situation is no more a spring,” he said.

Fr. Samir is an Egyptian Jesuit who teaches at Rome’s Pontifical Oriental Institute, as well as in Beirut and Paris. Last year he cautiously welcomed the rise of the “Arab Spring,” a series of popular uprisings that dislodged several Middle Eastern dictators.

While some observers were hopeful that more democratic forms of government would take root in the wake of the protests, many countries instead saw Islamist movements rise to political prominence.

Fr. Samir said this has been particularly true in his homeland of Egypt, where the 30-year military dictatorship of President Hosni Mubarak was toppled last year, and in other states such as Tunisia and Libya.

He described the situation in Libya since the fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011 as “not wonderful” due to “an Islamization after the secular system of Gaddafi.” He also believes that the present civil uprisings in Bahrain and Syria are being fueled by Islamist forces.

Fr. Samir said he still prays for “an open society for all people” in the Arab world but believes there are two road blocks – a lack of experience with democracy and a lack of education particularly for Arab women.

MORE: Christianity at the crossroads in the Middle East - An interview with Fr. Samir Khalil Samir SJ

Thoughts and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Practice of Virtue

31. If you find within yourself an abyss of pride and vain esteem, bury these passions in the abyss of the humility of the Sacred Heart, wherein you must lose all that stirs you interiorly, so as to be arrayed in His sacred annihilations.


Prayer request?  Send an email to: PrayerRequest3@aol.com

This month's archive can be found at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/news2.html.

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A REMARKABLE SET OF VISITS FROM PURGATORY TO VARIOUS SAINTS AND MYSTICS

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“I know when you pray for me, and it is the same with all of the other souls here in Purgatory. Very few of us here get any prayers; the majority of us are totally abandoned, with no thought or prayers offered for us from those on earth” (Message from a soul in Purgatory)

Read these amazing stories here: http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2012/04/amazing-stories-from-purgatory-and....

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Nation's largest Catholic college to feature scholar who calls Christianity 'most dangerous of devotions'

DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in America, has invited one of the foremost population control advocates who once called Christianity “the most dangerous of devotions” to speak at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and College of Science and Health commencement ceremony.

E.O. Wilson, a Harvard professor and two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize who once called humans “an environmental abnormality,” is scheduled to speak at DePaul University’s commencement on June 10th.

He is one of a number of prominent people who will be speaking on campus that day. This is yet another scandalous invitation from a Catholic institution. Wilson once cited as one of the “reasons for optimism” for environmentalists was that “despite entrenched traditions and religious beliefs, the desire to use contraceptives in family planning is spreading.”

In his book The Diversity of Life, Wilson wrote:

The time has come to speak more openly of a population policy…By this I mean not just capping the growth when the population hits the wall, as in India and China, but a policy based on a rational solution of this problem.

Wilson has said many times that he doesn’t believe in God but insists he’s not an atheist. He did, however, argue in the online Salon Magazine that “religious belief itself is an adaptation” of evolution. And on top of that, Wilson singles out Christianity as “the most dangerous of devotions.”

He wrote in his book Consilience, The Unity of Knowledge:

The most dangerous of devotions, in my opinion, is the one endemic to Christianity: I was not born to be of this world. With a second life waiting, suffering can be endured — especially in other people. The natural environment can be used up. Enemies of the faith can be savaged and suicidal martyrdom praised.

Why a Catholic institution would give a platform to a population control advocate who blasts Christianity as “dangerous” is unfathomable. Of course, DePaul is not alone in its decision to invite a scandalous speaker. Georgetown University invited HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to speak on graduation day and The Cardinal Newman Society issued a report recently detailing 11 other Catholic institutions that have chosen to honor or give a platform to scandalous speakers.

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E.O. Wilson

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How to Pray a Family Rosary:

Each family member should have their own Rosary.  Children may play with it.  Girls may wear it as a necklace.  Boys will try to use it as a lasso.  That’s fine.  It helps them become familiar with a Rosary.  Eventually they will learn and grow in reverence for their Rosary.Create a habit: Set a time that is comfortable for your family and that works without adding stress.  When it doesn’t happen, don’t give up entirely, just pick it up again the next day.Create a space:  Set the tone for prayer so young children understand this is different than other family activities.  If possible, light a candle and play some soft, background, instrumental music.Start small:  Be patient.  Don’t try to complete an entire Rosary the first time you gather together in prayer, particularly if you have young children.  Start with a decade and build over time.Keep it simple:  The Rosary is a great way for young children to learn the Hail Mary, Our Father and Apostle’s Creed and to learn about the lives of Jesus and his Mother Mary.Involve all family members: If children have a role, they will participate more fully and be more attentive. Let them lead a reflection or the prayers depending on their age.Opportunity to teach:  Use the Rosary as a starting point to teach children about other aspects of their faith.  Children are curious and will ask questions.  Pause in prayer as necessary to answer their questions.  As they get older, you can hold their questions until prayer is complete.Just start: There’s no time like the present and no place like home.Fun Family Activity:  Make your own rosaries.  Kits are available from Holy Cross Family Ministries by calling 800-299-PRAY or at www.hcfmstore.org via catholicnewsagency.com

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It Is or It Isn't

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Dear Friend in Christ,

All of Catholicism can be boiled down to one point .. Jesus Christ is really truly and substantially present under the appearance of bread and wine. Please take a few minutes to watch this episode of the Vortex and pass it to your family and friends.

GOD Bless you and your loved ones,

Michael Voris
~senior executive producer at RealCatholicTV.com

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Mary TV Daily Reflection 5/16/2012


Little children, You are mine!
(c)Mike Nolan 2010

May 16, 2012

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children! I am inviting you to a complete surrender to God. Pray, little children, that Satan may not carry you about like the branches in the wind. Be strong in God. I desire that through you the whole world may get to know the God of joy. By your life bear witness for God's joy. Do not be anxious nor worried. God himself will help you and show you the way. I desire that you love all men with my love. Only in that way can love reign over the world. Little children, you are mine. I love you and want you to surrender to me so that I can lead you to God. Never cease praying so that Satan cannot take advantage of you. Pray for the knowledge that you are mine. I bless you with blessings of joy. Thank you for having responded to my call." (May 25, 1988)

 

Back in April, Isabel C. asked me to consider writing about this message from 1988. She said that this message really impacted her, especially the part about being"branches in the wind." She thought we all might profit from a look at this message. I agree completely, Isabel. It is a powerful message, and beautiful!

 

It fits very much with something that the Lord has been showing me lately. It has to do with my heart, and the ways in which it is still in bondage to satan. The very idea that we can be in bondage to satan frightens many people. They don't want to admit that he even exists. But Our Lady is not afraid to talk about him, as this message demonstrates. She speaks openly about him because he is real, and he is actively trying to harm all of us.

 

How can this be? Very simply, God made us with the great dignity of having free will. He wants us to be able to freely choose to love Him, to unite with Him, to be happy with Him forever. God made us free because He loves us so much. But satan hates us and wants to take away our freedom, and to harm us. So he takes advantage of our free will to drag us away from God and make us un-free, bound to him. It is the battle for our souls that began in Eden.

 

Well, how does satan carry us about like branches in the wind? He lies to us. He inserts lies into our hearts and minds (temptation). These lies are disguised as good ideas, true ideas, helpful ideas, but they are lies. And if we believe them and agree with them, they cut us off from the vine (Jesus) and we can then be carried about like branches cut off from the source of life.

 

Example: When someone hurts us, especially when we are young, we retreat into our sacred center, our soul, and there we cry. We suffer. Satan comes and whispers to us, "You will never be safe with that person again, so you should defend yourself from them by never forgiving them." We can perceive that this unforgiveness makes sense. We might feel that unforgiveness is justified, and even right. We are hurt. We never want to be hurt that way again. And so we agree with satan. We say "yes" to his lie, and we bind ourselves to unforgiveness. From then on, we are not free, not free to love, not free to forgive, not free to let the person who hurt us reconcile with us. We are in prison in our anger and unforgiveness. This is how satan takes advantage of us, as Our Lady says in the message.

 

We can live with that lie stuck in our heart for years and years. And the longer it is there, the more detached we become from God. We also become more and more unhappy, joyless. Just the opposite of what Our Lady wants us to be: "By your life bear witness for God's joy." How can we live joy when we are bound to lies, to satan? Impossible.

 

So the answer? "Do not be anxious nor worried. God himself will help you and show you the way. I desire that you love all men with my love. Only in that way can love reign over the world. Little children, you are mine. I love you and want you to surrender to me so that I can lead you to God. Never cease praying so that Satan cannot take advantage of you. Pray for the knowledge that you are mine. I bless you with blessings of joy."

 

Don't be anxious.

Don't worry.

Let God show you the way.

Love all men with Our Lady's love.

Let Mary possess you.

Surrender to her so she can lead you to God.

Never cease praying.

Pray for the knowledge that you are Mary's child.

 

Through surrender and prayer, we can weed out all the lies that satan has planted in our hearts. We can renounce those lies in the name of Jesus. We can begin to build a life based on the truth. What truth? That God loves us, that we are Mary's children, that we can forgive everyone with God's help, that we are on the way to heaven, that the only way is love...All the things that Our Lady teaches us in her messages. The truth sets us free! Then we are again as God intended us to be. Free and happy!!

 

To be free is to be grafted onto the vine of life, not branches carried off in the wind of lies. To be free is to be joyful children of God, joyful children of Mary! When we live our lives in surrender to Our Lady through constant prayer, and she is with us, satan will not come close to tempt us because he can't stand Our Lady. Her purity and power drive him away. So we will have much more peace in our thought life, less temptation, more freedom and truth.

 

Our Lady says, "I bless you with blessings of joy." She means it!

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Mercy, Mothers, and Charity

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Dear Friends:

     Much is said about mercy and justice and charity these days. Indeed, Holy Mother Church has had much to say about all three. So, in light of recent feast days, I thought you might enjoy a few short reads about these very important virtues. 

     Also, in happy deference to yesterday’s celebration of Mother’s Day, I wanted to include an inspiring article about this most essential of Catholic vocations.

     Please enjoy!
 
The Sacrament of Divine Mercy
(America Needs Fatima blog by The American TFP)
     In light of the recent government efforts in Ireland to force priests to break the seal of Confession, I feel it is opportune to recall the following considerations about this most impressive and holy sacrament... read more here. [back to top]
 
Mercy Without Justice Is the Mother of Dissolution; Justice Without Mercy Is Cruelty
by Luiz Sérgio Solimeo
     Contemporary man feels very much attracted to God’s mercy, more so than his forerunners in bygone eras. Is this attraction due to countless wars or is it an effect of the continuing series of natural disasters that have been happening lately? Be it as it may, what is certain is that both developments make man feel small in the face of situations that are way beyond his control...
read more here. [back to top]
 
Charity Does Not Justify Compromise
by Pope Saint Pius X
     While Jesus was kind to sinners and to those who went astray, He did not respect their false ideas, however sincere they might have appeared. He loved them all, but He instructed them in order to convert them and save them... read more here.
[back to top]
 
The Mother: Love, Affection, Goodness, and Mercy
by Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
     While the word family represents many people, there is another word that signifies just one person, who is the quintessence of the family: mother. A good mother is the epitome of love and affection, and consequently goodness and mercy.
     Through contact with his mother, the child... read more here.
[back to top]

Enjoy!


Sincerely,
Robert E. Ritchie
Robert E. Ritchie
America Needs Fatima
www.ANF.org



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Our Lady of Comfort


THE HOLY VIRGIN OF COmFORT

In the second half of 1700 many earthquakes  were registered in Italy , including the land around Arezzo that began to tremble, sowing panic by inhabitants of Arezzo, who saw in the earthquake a punishment from God for their sins. In Porta San Clemente, in the historic center of town, there was a home of the Fathers Camaldolesi where there was a cellar where the wine was sold as retail to the less wealthy. The story is that in this cellar there was  a small terracotta depicting the Madonna of Provenzano blackened by the smoke that was released when they were turned on the kitchen during the harvest, or simply to offer something for travelers. 
One evening, the earth began to shake and people who were locked in the cellar asked to the Virgin forgiveness for their blasphemies and gathered in prayer. Suddenly the image of Our Lady began to shine and become a white shiny. From that moment the earth stopped trembling, the image of the Virgin Mary was taken into the Cathedral with a feast and start the process of canonization of the image as a bearer of miracoli. Venereted from Arezzo by February 15, 1796, has protected the city during the assault of French troops led by Captain Lauvergne who wanted to impose on the city no-cristians principles.The city rose to cries of 'Viva Maria!' consists of a small army to expel the French. The French withdrew their troops from this city of Arezzo, the people holding the flags in praise to the Virgin of Comfort did withdraw the French. Once again the faith in the little picture of Terracotta had won. Today it is still very strong devotion to Our Lady of Arezzo of Comfort February 15 that each can be found in the Cathedral in the chapel dedicated to her to pray as if miracles of the past successes were also present. 
[Translated from Italian] 
Ourladycomfort

"Mary Most Holy always wants to comfort her children in moments of great difficulty and suffering"

AREZZO, Italy, MAY 14, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the brief address Benedict XVI gave before praying the midday Regina Caeli on Sunday in Arezzo. The Holy Father made a one-day trip to the region of Tuscany, celebrating Mass in Arezzo and also visiting Sansepolcro.

* * *

Dear brothers and sisters!

At the conclusion of this eucharistic celebration, the time of the Marian prayer invites us all to go in spirit before the image of Our Lady of Comfort in the cathedral.

As Mother of the Church, Mary Most Holy always wants to comfort her children in moments of great difficulty and suffering. And this city has experienced her maternal succor many times. Thus, today also, we entrust to her intercession all of the persons and families of your community that find themselves in situations of great need.

At the same time, through Mary, we ask moral comfort of God that the community of Arezzo and all of Italy reject the temptation of discouragement and, strong in the great humanistic tradition also, decisively set out again upon the path of spiritual and ethical renewal, which alone can lead to an authentic improvement of social and civil life. Everyone can and must make a contribution to this task.

O Mary, Our Lady of Comfort, pray for us!

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

 

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[video] St. Isidore the Farmer

Mary TV Daily Reflection 5/15/2012

Our Lady with Rosary
Our Lady of the Rosary

May 15, 2012

St. Isidore

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children! Today, like never before, I invite you to prayer. Let your prayer be a prayer for peace. Satan is strong and desires to destroy not only human life, but also nature and the planet on which you live. Therefore, dear children, pray that through prayer you can protect yourselves with God's blessing of peace. God has sent me among you so that I may help you. If you so wish, grasp for the rosary. Even the rosary alone can work miracles in the world and in your lives. I bless you and I remain with you for as long as it is God's will. Thank you for not betraying my presence here and I thank you because your response is serving the good and the peace." (January 25, 1991)

 

The power of the Rosary! Even the Rosary alone (Denis says it is "even ONE Rosary alone") can do miracles in the world and in our lives!!!! Here is a beautiful testimony from Laura Creamer about the Rosary:

 

Dear Denis and Cathy,

I just had to share this story with you.  Please forgive the length of this email (I know you must get so many), but I don't want to leave out any details!

 

A few years ago, my friend Gina Storemski encouraged several of us to take a rosary making class with her.  It was a wonderful class and each of us left there inspired, renewed in our commitment to pray the rosary and excited to share the new talent we had acquired.  Some of us made rosaries for our family members and Godchildren, while others of us taught our own children and other groups (a CCD class, a group of nuns and moms and Little Flowers group) how to make them. Gina even felt moved to start a small rosary/Christian jewelry business and donate the profits to worthy causes.  I know both Gina and Wendy have made beautiful rosaries for each of you, so you have an idea of how unique and special they are!

 

Well, Wendy has made a rosary for each of the clergy members at our parish and even some of the parish's administrative staff.  After giving a rosary to our Pastor's Assistant, she was asked if she would be interested in making rosaries for a ministry that works with our local hospital chaplain.  This ministry has several groups of people that make "mission rosaries" which are handed out to the sick and the dying at various hospitals and nursing homes in our area. Without even thinking about it she agreed and asked Gina, Kelly Shoaff and me to be a part of it.  Because Wendy is very busy with so many duties at the church right now, she asked me if I would be interested in becoming the liaison between our group and the ministry's director.  I joyfully agreed without realizing what a grace I would receive by accepting her request.

 

I met the director of the ministry at a mass being said by the hospital chaplain in a hospital chapel nearby.  I was moved by the priest and the group of people in attendance....it was very evident they are devoted to Our Lady.  After mass, the ministry director sat with me at a table in the hospital lobby and showed me how to make the special "mission knots" for these rosaries.  As he was doing his demonstration, he was peacefully telling me that it is the sick and dying that are most open to God, even if they have never been before.   When someone hands them a rosary, it not only plants a seed in the patient but also in the family members that are there too.  I immediately remembered Our Lady's words..."If you can, grasp the rosary....even a rosary alone can do miracles...."  I thought...how wonderful for a person, at their most desperate time, to hold onto a rosary - even if they've never held one before - even if they don't know how to pray a rosary - and hold the hand of Our Lady at the same time.  What an incredible ministry!

 

He finished his demonstration and as we were getting ready to part ways, the Holy Spirit nudged me and I felt compelled to say, "You are obviously very devoted to Our Lady.  May I ask how this devotion came about?"  He gladly answered and began by saying that he was at a conference here in Texas in 1987.  At this conference, one of the speakers gave a testimony about her experience in Medjugorje.  He looked at me and asked "Have you ever heard of Medjugorje?"  I gasped, put my hand over my mouth and my eyes immediately filled with tears.  (It was at that moment that I realized Our Lady of Medjugorje had gently led all of us together, by the hand, to help her bring people to her Son - I was overwhelmed!)  I nodded yes.  I, for once, really couldn't speak (Part of me wanted to laugh.......had I heard of Medjugorje??  Please! Haha!)!  

 

He went on to say that after hearing of the miracles that this woman recounted (rosaries turning to gold, miracles of the sun, etc.), he asked Our Lady to ask her Son to turn his old, tarnished silver and wood rosary to gold so that he can use it to show others and bring more people to God.  Well, the silver in his rosary did slowly turn gold that afternoon and he knew he had to go make a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.  He went and several years later Our Lady called him to start this ministry.  Our Lady then led him to a priest (who "happened" to be the hospital chaplain), who also had a tremendous devotion to Mary and together they have placed rosaries in the hands of numerous sick and dying people in our area. As I walked towards the large, glass hospital doors he said, "Welcome to the army!"   I felt as if Mary had appeared to our little group and personally asked each of us to do this for her.  I sprinted to the car to call all the girls -  I couldn't dial fast enough!  I would have called you two had I had your numbers!

 

The amazing thing is, I have been praying that I can somehow become a light for Christ, a light not only for my family but for people that may not know Him.  I also asked Christ to make whatever it is that He wants me to do clear as day to me, because my busy life tends to create a haze sometimes - okay all the time.  Well, He answered my prayer.  Not only has He led me to these wonderful and beautiful Catholic girlfriends over the years, brought us together in faith and prayer (we even live in the same neighborhood!), and led all of us through Kelly to you two, but He has also made it clear that Our Blessed Mother - Our Lady of Medjugorje - has had us under her mantle and guided us with her motherly love to this ministry.  We are all part of her army.  How honored the four of us are to help her (in albeit a very small way) in her mission to save souls....The director of this ministry asked us to pray while we make these rosaries, so be sure that there will be some days that  we have you on my iPad [praying the online rosary at marytv.tv] right at the table with us while we make them!

 

God Bless,

Laura Creamer

 

Wow! I just love how Our Lady has helped Laura, Gina, Kelly and Wendy to become fruitful! They turned their hearts to the Father (theotropism!!), and He has led them to making rosaries that will attach many souls to Him, even at the hour of death. Beautiful! Glorious!!

 

We have another rosary maker, Gloria, who prays with us on line and makes beautiful "battle beads" for young people during the prayer. They are brilliant colors and my grandchildren think they are beautiful!! Gloria makes them for our soldiers as well. What a great idea, to make rosaries as we pray together! Thank you, Gloria!

 

Thank you, Laura for sharing your story with us. May we all follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and become fruitful in God's garden.

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2012

 

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ABC's GCB Get's Canceled Because of Conservative Christians

A Victory for Faith & Values

(Sunday, 13 May 2012 17:42)

Articles - Main


 

Movieguide® Praises ABC/Disney for Following Its Company

Standards and Canceling ‘Bigoted’ Program ‘GCB’

 

Hollywood, Calif. – For family and child advocate Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of Movieguide®:  The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment, ABC/Disney’s cancellation of its “bigoted” show “GCB,” which mocked and ridiculed Christians, was a “victory for faith and values.”

 

 

“GCB” was based on the novel “Good Christian B*tches” by Kim Gatlin.

 

Dr. Baehr said “GCB” violated the Walt Disney Company’s own stated commitment (in its company document “Citizenship Targets 2012”) to “championing and inspiring our key audience of children and families” and to help them make “a lasting, positive change in the world.”

 

“You don’t inspire or champion anyone by mocking and ridiculing someone’s faith,” he asserted.

 

Dr. Baehr noted that, according to various national polls, 92 percent of Americans say they believe in God, 76 percent claim to be Christian, and at least 73 percent believe Jesus Christ is God and/or the Son of God and that Jesus Christ is “the Son of God who died for our sins.”

 

“There are more than 2.3 billion Christians around the world,” he added. “Why would you want to offend this vast audience of consumers?”

 

Dr. Baehr said he was also disturbed that the canceled program seemed to fit into “old-fashioned” stereotypes about Christians in the so-called “Bible Belt” of states like Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia.

 

“I thought we were supposed to condemn that kind of bigotry and bullying,” he concluded.

 

Movieguide® was part of a national campaign to convince advertisers to abandon the show and support more family-friendly programming.

PRESS RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- For family and child advocate Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of Movieguide®: The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment, ABC/Disney's cancellation of its "bigoted" show "GCB," which mocked and ridiculed Christians, was a "victory for faith and values."

"GCB" was based on the novel "Good Christian B*tches" by Kim Gatlin.

Dr. Baehr said "GCB" violated the Walt Disney Company's own stated commitment (in its company document "Citizenship Targets 2012") to "championing and inspiring our key audience of children and families" and to help them make "a lasting, positive change in the world."

"You don't inspire or champion anyone by mocking and ridiculing someone's faith," he asserted.

Dr. Baehr noted that, according to various national polls, 92 percent of Americans say they believe in God, 76 percent claim to be Christian, and at least 73 percent believe Jesus Christ is God and/or the Son of God and that Jesus Christ is "the Son of God who died for our sins."

"There are more than 2.3 billion Christians around the world," he added. "Why would you want to offend this vast audience of consumers?"

Dr. Baehr said he was also disturbed that the canceled program seemed to fit into "old-fashioned" stereotypes about Christians in the so-called "Bible Belt" of states like Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia.

"I thought we were supposed to condemn that kind of bigotry and bullying," he concluded.

Movieguide® was part of a national campaign to convince advertisers to abandon the show and support more family-friendly programming.

Dr. Baehr is chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission® (CFTVC) ministry and director of its family guide to movies and entertainment, Movieguide®. CFTVC and Movieguide® are an international non-profit ministry, advocacy group, and watchdog dedicated to "redeeming the values of the entertainment industry by influencing industry executives and by informing and equipping the public about the influence of the entertainment media."

Each year, Movieguide® does an Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry showing that most people prefer family-friendly movies and television programs with Christian, biblical, conservative, and patriotic content and values. For example, in the last 10 years, movies with very strong Christian content and values earned three times more money, on average, than movies with very strong Non-Christian content and values.

For more information, visit www.movieguide.org.

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Monday, May 14, 2012

Israeli PIlgrims in Medjugorje

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May 14, 2012 A.D.

Ascene at the Appariton time Rosary in Medjugorje is a cause for reflection of the call of Our Lady.

An Israeli flag at Apparition Time Rosary, Medjugorje

A lone Israeli flag flaps in the wind at Apparition time Rosary and before Croatian Mass on Saturday, May 12, 2012. A group of 34 Eastern Orthodox Catholics from Israel are on their first pilgrimage to Medjugorje. When asked whether many Israelis are coming to Medjugorje, the man waving the flag stated enthusiastically, “We are starting it up!” It is beautiful watching this flag wave, contemplating how God first chose Israel as His people and His nation to be a light to the world. The group loves their country and is proud to represent Israel in Medjugorje. 

Our Lady told the village of Medjugorje on November 15, 1984:

"Dear children, you are a chosen people…”

As July 1-5 approaches, it should also be understood and reflected upon that the United States of America has also been chosen by God to play a special role in Our Lady’s plans. As a part of your preparation for Our Lady’s Apparitions July 1-5, 2012, we recommend reading the following 3 booklets below by A Friend of Medjugorje, to reflect on what it means to be chosen by God, the awesome responsibility that comes with being chosen, and what happens when God’s chosen people turn away from Him.

• American History You Never Learned – Our Lady’s hand in the formation and founding of America. 

• As Go God’s People, So Goes the World – How God's people determine the future path of the world.

• Ready'ing' for the Storm – The cycle of sin, suffering, salvation

 




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{Trib Times} A Moment with Mary

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!


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May 13 - First Apparition in Fatima (Portugal) - Our Lady of the Rosary (1917)

     
 

I Am from Heaven

Sister Lucia herself told us of the first apparition of Our Lady on May 13, 1917:

"...In the Cova da Iria....we saw what seemed to be a flash of lightning. (...) There before us on a small oak tree, we beheld a Lady all dressed in white. She was more brilliant than a crystal glass filled with sparkling water, when the rays of the burning sun shine through it.

... 'Do not be afraid. I will do you no harm. (...) I am from heaven. (...) I am here to ask you to come here for six months in succession, on the 13th day, at this same hour. Later on, I will tell you who I am and what I want. Afterwards, I will return here yet a seventh time.' (...) 'Will I go to heaven too?' 'Yes, you will.' 'And Jacinta?' 'She will go also.' 'And Francisco?' 'He will go there too, but he must say many Rosaries.' 'Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and as an act of supplication for the conversion of sinners?' (...)'Then you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort.'

We fell on our knees, repeating in our hearts:

'O Most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You in the most Blessed Sacrament!'

... Our Lady spoke again: 'Pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war.'"

 
 


 


 

 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.
Amen.


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Sunday, May 13, 2012

From Mark Mallett: Control! Control!

 

 

This word has been strongly placed on my heart again this past month. We are seeing it come to fruition before our very eyes with increasing government intervention into our basic freedoms for the sake of “safety”; interference into what we may eat, what we may teach our children, what information we should hear, and more and more, what we should think. First published April 19th, 2007:

 

WHILE praying before the Blessed Sacrament, I had the impression of an angel in the mid-heavens hovering above the world and shouting,

“Control! Control!“

As man tries more and more to banish Christ’s presence from the world, wherever they succeed, chaos takes His place. And with chaos, comes fear. And with fear, comes the opportunity to control.

 

BANISHING GOD

Perfect love drives out fear. (1 John 4:18)

But when God is pushed out of the human heart and out of individual human activities, and as a result pushed out of the activities of institutions, cultures, governments, and nations, love is rejected as well, for God is love. Inevitably, fear is taking His place. All around us, fear is being peddled as a means to maneuver the masses. Sound debates over the economy and global warming are being ignored in favor of rash actions which jeopardize the liberty of individuals and further oppress the poor. Yes, the faces of fear are many… fear of terrorism, fear of climate change, fear of predators, fear of violence, and now, there are those inducing a fear of God and His Church… fear that Catholicism will somehow crush freedom, and therefore, it must be destroyed.

And so, the world is quickly flocking to “government” to save us from our fears rather than to the Wisdom of the Ages. But government without God, who is the Truth, leads to chaos. It leads to a society unguided by the natural and moral laws established by the Creator. Whether individuals in our society realize it or not, the vacuum created by the rejection of God creates a terrible loneliness and sense of meaninglessness—the feeling that life is random, and therefore, one should live it as he pleases, or more tragically, end it all together.

Thus we are witnessing the fruits of this void: corrupt politicians, greedy businessmen, immoral entertainment, and violent music. We are seeing the rise of increasingly gruesome crimes, the slaughter of the unborn, mothers killing their children, assisted suicides, student massacres… all of it leading to more and more fear, and deadbolts and window bars and video cameras dotting our homes and streets. Yes, the rejection of God leads to lawlessness. Can you feel a mentality growing in the world which says that everything is falling apart, so why not:

Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die! (Isaiah 22:13)

Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He said:

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. (Luke 17:26-29)

 

CONTROLLING POWERS

Communism seeks to control through force, Capitalism seeks to control through greed. This leads to governments stepping in, to “allay the burdens of men,” and take control. When the leaders are godless, this control inevitably leads to totalitarianism. Time and time again, a warning continues to rise in my heart: events are coming, and are already occurring, which will rapidly shift the world into anarchy if there is not sufficient repentance and a return to God. Anarchy leads to control, for no society can survive in a condition of chaos. Absolute control of public and private life by the State is therefore the inevitable consequence if we do not seek the true antidote: invite Love back into our hearts. For with Love, comes freedom.

 

SPOKEN OPENLY

One of the main reasons I think people doubt that we could possibly be heading toward global totalitarianism (a “new world order”) is because it is being talked about so openly.  It is passed off as “conspiracy theory” or delusion. But I believe that many are conscious of this growing danger to our freedoms because God is merciful, and does not want us to be unprepared:

Surely the Lord God does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

If the Body of Christ is truly following her Head in her own Passion, then we will also be forewarned as was our Lord:

He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. (Mark 8:31-32)

Jesus knew the details of who would persecute him and put him to death. So too, in our day, the main players are being identified and the antagonists revealed. In fact, the main powers are not even attempting to hide their plans as major world leaders call for a new order. Their artwork as well as architecture strangely reflect bygone eras of apostasy. For example, the EU Parliament building in Strasbourg, France was constructed to resemble the tower of Babel (that infamous construction intended to reach the heavens…) The 666th seat in that Parliament has been mysteriously left vacant. And the sculpture outside the Council of Europe building in Brussels is of a woman riding a beast (“Europa”): a symbol remarkably similar to Revelation 17… the harlot riding the beast with ten horns. Coincidence, or arrogance—pride before the fall?

We should not be surprised that it is spoken of openly, especially by the prophetic voices within the Church. As it was apparent to Christ, so too in our day, the enemies of the Church are making themselves known. But to those who seek to control; to those those who want to take our freedoms; to those who wish even to take our lives, our response must also be the same as the Head:

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. (Luke 6:27-29)

Evil will not triumph, for mankind cannot control that which he has no control over. Love conquers all.

Be still before the LORD; wait for God. Do not be provoked by the prosperous, nor by malicious schemers. Give up your anger, abandon your wrath; do not be provoked; it brings only harm. Those who do evil will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD will possess the land. Wait a little, and the wicked will be no more; look for them and they will not be there. But the poor will possess the land, will delight in great prosperity… (Psalm 37: 7-11, 39-10)

 

 

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Friday, May 11, 2012

Thoughts on an invitation to grace by Archbishop Chaput


Tribulation Times


May 11, 2012  

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

(Mat 9:37-38) Then he saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest.

TO THE CATHOLIC CLERGY ON PRIESTLY SANCTITY HAERENT ANIMO:  Apostolic Exhortation given by Pope St. Pius X on August 4, 1908.

ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: Thoughts on an invitation to grace

Chaput

Later this month, on May 19, I’ll ordain new priests for our local Church. This is a special moment of joy for me, since these new brothers will be the first I welcome into the priesthood as Archbishop of Philadelphia. But every new priest is a source of joy and hope for all our people.  In the wake of so many difficulties for our Church over the past 15 months, we need to pause and reflect.

Every genuine love story is a great love story; and every great love story creates new life. Real love is always fruitful. The love of husbands and wives bears fruit most obviously in the lives of their children, but also in many forms of Christian service … and also in the witness which their love provides to other people.

So it is with the priesthood.  Priests are called to be fruitful, but in a different and profoundly important way. They nourish the Church with their lives. They create a witness of radical service, and a legacy of spiritual children and apostolic works.

The point is this: The community of faith is not so different from the individuals who live and love within it. The Church is the bride of Christ — and that love needs to bear fruit.  The new life which the Church brings into the world is salvation in Jesus Christ, through preaching and teaching the Gospel, and offering the sacraments. This is why, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit….”

Jesus was talking to us — to all of us; but in a special way, to His priests. If a priest does not actively share his love of Jesus Christ with others, then it diminishes in his own heart. Priests who fail to witness that love with purity and integrity, lose it. And no priest can be happy without it. That’s what St. Paul meant when he wrote, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.” 

It’s not that God punishes those who do not preach God’s word; instead, they steal joy from themselves, because the joy of Christ’s presence can only be had by sharing Christ with others.  The priest, like any parent or anyone truly in love, “gets” by giving away. So if Baptism indelibly marks every Christian as a missionary, Orders takes that vocation even further, intimately and permanently configuring a man to Jesus Himself, the greatest Love of them all.

Take a look around. The world needs Jesus Christ as never before. As a Church in the early years of a new millennium, we find ourselves in the midst of a powerful, skeptical and sharply divided society – a culture fueled by both pride and anxiety. 

In today’s America, we live in mission territory. This is the new Areopagus. Philadelphia is no exception. The legacy of Catholic achievement in our Archdiocese is extraordinary. But it can easily blind us to the new work that God now calls us to do.

Each of us should reflect long and deeply on the meaning of the “new evangelization.” Those words have weight; they’re not just a slogan. A new missionary spirit needs to be born in each of our hearts, both lay and clergy; and if it is, then God will use it to win the soul of the world around us to Jesus Christ.  

In a special way, we should focus on forming and supporting our priests as effectively as we can.  The reason is simple. There’s no Gospel witness without the Church; there’s no Church without the Eucharist; and there’s no Eucharist without the priest. 

We need more priests — good men who are well formed; men of courage, zeal and genuine humility; men who love Jesus Christ and his people, and prove it with their lives. This is the first and most urgent step in renewing our Church. 

Of course, if it stops there — no matter how many good seminarians we attract — we fail.  Ultimately, while there’s no Church without the Eucharist, and no Eucharist without the priest, it’s also true that there are no priests without families on fire for Jesus Christ. Families who help their sons to hear God’s call; who affirm and support and encourage the priests who already serve them; who live their lives in a way which proves to our priests that their own sacrifices make a difference.

What I pray God builds through us in our Archdiocese over the next decade, is not just an old way of seminary formation with a new vocabulary, more numbers and an updated marketing strategy, but something true to what the “new evangelization” really is — a communion and mission of the whole Church, ordained, religious and lay, each respecting the other, each serving the other, all serving the Lord by bringing the Good News to the world, and the world to the Good News.

That’s the equality of the faithful: each vocation unique and invaluable in dignity; each complementing and completing the other in the Lord; altogether in service; and on fire with the love of God. May 19 is an invitation to grace; but so is every ordination, every marriage, every baptism. 

I hope that in the years ahead we can look back on 2012 and say, this is where our hearts changed. This is where God began something new. And if we can, then like Simeon, we can go home to Him in gratitude and peace.

EBOOK LINK: Blessed Mary Secure Refuge and Path (Part 1),  PART 2 

Thoughts and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Practice of Virtue

28. Be faithful in the practice of virtue, never willfully neglecting any occasion thereof.


Prayer request?  Send an email to: PrayerRequest3@aol.com

This month's archive can be found at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/news2.html.

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[Video] What does Mary, our Mother, say to us?

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Saint Damian of Molokai [video]

A Call for a National Day of Prayer & Repentance

Media_httpwww714proje_mdgjv

TITUSVILLE, Fla., May 10, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The 714-project is "A CALL FOR A NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER & REPENTANCE", Asking God to heal our Nation on July 14, 2012, in accordance to 2Chronicles 7:14.

For one day only on July 14, 2012, we are asking the nation to pray for our country, and to ask God to heal our land. 714-project is a massive grassroots effort for all Americans living in the United States.

We have fallen away from God's principles of spirituality and our nation is in a state of decline & decay.

WE NEED TO GET ON OUR KNEES AND ASK GOD FOR FORGIVENESS!

Americans need to ask God to forgive us as a sinful nation and to ask for His blessing to make America great again.

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THIS MESSAGE AND SHARE WITH AMERICA

For more information see www.714-project.com.

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