Whoa...

Whoa, it's been a long time since I've written anything. Whoops.

Things have been really crazy down here in Mobile. First of all, 40 Days for Life is coming to a close, but with lots of activities. This past Thursday, some students that I harassed from Spring Hill College helped to keep vigil outside of the Planned Parenthood in Mobile. It's directly across the street from a Chuck E Cheese. Horrific irony or ingenious marketing, I don't know. It's a strange location. Nonetheless, there we were from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM (students rotating shifts, of course).

That's us holding our signs :]

(Ferdi the Fetus is tucked safely in my pocket)

Also with 40 Days for Life, the Mobile chapter is holding a Candlelight Vigil on April 5th. There was much walking around the neighborhood, begging people to come. It was exhausting.

In addition to all those activities, I am in the midst of writing a million papers before Spring Break. I know, it's a weird topic to blog about, but I promise it is relevant to the pro-life movement! I am currently in the middle of a paper for my philosophy paper about what makes a person a person. A few weeks ago in the class we had to read this bizarre-o guy who claimed that free will makes a person. Sounds ok, right? Until he argued that very few people actually possess any free will. Yikes. That didn't sit well with me. So, now I am battling my rather liberal professor (who is much more informed than me in the likes of philosophy) on personhood. Yay. Prayers will be needed!

Rock for Life is also coming up - April 18th at SHC! I'm desperately begging for food to be donated to the event. It's a tough job and its keeping me away from my lovely computer.

It's the Weekend!

{ReverendFun}

Huh?

AFRICAN WIFE-BEATERS URGED TO PRACTICE SAFE-SOX

I don't even know...

St. Joseph - Patron of Fathers

Last summer was not a good summer for me. Suffering from a long, hard breakup, I was in desperate need for help. That's when a friend invited me on a retreat down in the bayous of South Louisiana - waaay down in those bayous. I love retreats, they have always made me feel better. For some reason, however, I wasn't feeling this particular retreat. I wasn't that excited to go down into the swamps in the middle of a hot, Louisiana June - a time filled with love bugs and dense humidity. 

Thank goodness I sucked it up.

It wasn't my usual retreat. I'm not much for guitars and speaking in tongues and all that jazz. I'm much more inclined to spend my time quietly in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I love retreats that let me do that for at least three hours one day - especially with music from Taize. 

But, even with all the people fainting and speaking in tongues and acting...well somewhat Protestant - something very Catholic happened. I decided to refrain from the dancing and waving involved in that praise and worship section and spent my time kneeling on the hard, cyprus wooden floors of that little cabin in the bayou.

That's when I talked with St. Joseph.

We had a nice conversation. I asked for his intercession - help me find a nice boy, please, no rush, just a nice boy for once, but take your time, don't give me just anyone, intercede for me, help me be more like your wife...

I was told to go out and buy a St. Joseph statue and carry it around with me. This would serve as my reminder of St. Joseph's promised intercession. 

He helps me be more like Mary, so that I, too, can find my St. Joseph.

He's the single-ladies best friend, and a coupled-ladies constant watcher. As the Patron Saint of Fathers, St. Joseph is not only looking out for the men in our lives that would become fathers - no, he is also looking out for all the women looking to find the right one for their family.

Happy Feast of St. Joseph!

Busy, Busy, Busy

The blog posts here have been a tad lack-luster for the past few days, I apologize. I've been running around Mobile trying to organize my college's participation in the 40 Days for Life. It turns out to be much more work than I would expect it to be at a Jesuit institution. Ah well.

While I've been running around South Alabama, the Holy Father has been jet setting around Africa. And sparking quite the political controversy as well. Well, at least he has PBS in a huff. 

Making the correct statement that condoms are not the solution to HIV/AIDS, our Pope is being crucified by the US and UK media - unsurprisingly. 

One article reads

"What the pope says is an ideal for the Catholic church. But he needs to look at the realities on the ground."

Silly. Silly. Silly.

The Catholic Church IS "the ground." It points towards truth, something desperately needed by those suffering with AIDS. How can someone promoting truth be told to lie in order to placate the masses and by consequence, lead to their destruction? How? 

Well being a PBS lefty is a good start.

Calling Anyone in Mobile, AL!

If you are in Mobile, AL and are interested in joining me in the 40 Days for Life Campaign...I will love you forever.

A Knight and I went to the Halfway Rally last night, mostly to see what was going on and how we could help. Unfortunately I was unaware Mobile was participating in 40 Days for Life, so I haven't had the chance to go out to the Planned Parenthood yet.

But I did drive by. It looked like pure evil.

Seeing as the median age for this celebration last night was about 45-40, it's no surprise that they were all delighted by the arrival of the Knight and myself. As soon as the meeting was over, we were both ambushed with pro-life books, signs, business cards, and the like. It was overwhelming and somewhere along the way I agreed to find 24 volunteers for one day outside the Planned Parenthood in Mobile.

I am interested mostly in any students from Spring Hill College - where I said I would be looking for the participants. But I am also open to anyone that wants to help from USA or University of Mobile. Really. Anyone. I need 24 of you!!

I have not set a date yet, but I will pick one shortly after discussing this with the Students for Life President at SHC. I will post that shortly.

UPDATE - I am looking to go to Planned Parenthood on Thursday, March 26.

Saint on Sunday

Saint Joseph of Arimathea

Feast: March 17

Poor St. Joseph's feast is often overshadowed by the festivities of St. Patrick's feast. 

But I think he's a pretty nice guy and deserves some celebrating as well. I mean, he knew Jesus - that's pretty awesome.

Today I Am Obsessed With...

... pray-as-you-go.org

Daily Prayer is often suggested to all those looking to deepen their faith and their relationship with God, especially during Lent.

I recently attended a Knights of Columbus meeting (in hopes of starting up a Ladies Auxiliary) and this website was given to the Knights as something interesting to do for Lent. I decided to check it out and I also think its a great idea for a good habit. It's great to listen to on your iPod, especially on the long journey to the cafeteria - which at Spring Hill College has been moved to the farthest reaches of the campus - or on any morning walk to class or breakfast (or Daily Mass!). It's about ten minutes and it's FREE.

I'm also obsessed with all the links at the bottom of the home page, especially to Taize - one of my FAVORITES IN THE WORLD.

If you have never experienced a Taize prayer service, find one as quickly as you can. I have been present for two - one lasted three hours, the other was cut short at only one - but the time really does fly by. The music is truly beautiful.

It's something we should all become obsessed with.

Illinois' "FOCA" passes Senate

URGENT: HB 2345, known as the "Illinois FOCA," has passed the Illinois Senate with a 5-2 vote, LifeSiteNews reports.

Not only is this bill removing all common sense restrictions on abortion, if passed by the House, but it also will mandate "explicit sex education." No longer will this program be abstinence friendly, instead it will focus on removing all "bias" in the sex ed curriculum. What does this mean? Homosexuality, contraception, and masturbation will be taught - with no sugar coatings.

Oh the Irony

Senate Bill 1098 in Connecticut seeks to strip the bishops and priest of the Catholic Church in the state their right to "govern" its affairs. It seeks to create a trustee board of lay people that would manage the Catholic Church.

Say what?

There are a number of problems I have with this bill:

1) It is unimaginably anti-Catholic. It does not seek to regulate any other Christian or non-Christian church. It's only about the Catholics. This makes sense considering that Connecticut has quite a substantial amount of Catholics (practicing and non).

2) It is obviously part of a larger liberal agenda. This bill is being introduced precisely because of the Catholic Church's stance on major liberal issues - abortion, gay marriage, embryonic stem cell research, etc. If the liberal government of Connecticut can infiltrate the Church - their number one enemy on social issues - they can win the culture war. 

3) If this succeeds in Connecticut, it can succeed elsewhere. It is very possible that if Connecticut falls, New York, Vermont, and California will not be far behind.

4) It is a clear violation of the First Amendment, which specifically states that no Church will be run by the State. Although this Amendment has often been interpreted in reverse - that is, that the Church should have no say in State affairs - that is absolutely not what it is saying. The Church can and MUST have a say in Church affairs. The Founding Fathers were Christians that envisioned a Christian nation, far from the persecution of Europe. The First Amendment says that the State will have no say in the Church - and that is exactly what this bill is trying to do.

Which is why Connecticut's name as the "Constitution State" is really ironic at this juncture. 

Knights of Columbus coverage

It Really Never Stops

The will of the people obviously means nothing to the Californians devoted to deleting the word "marriage" from all state laws.

Yeah, you read that right.

There is now a petition circulating around California with the aim to replace "marriage" with "domestic partnership." Sounds a little sketchy doesn't it? Well, that's because it is. It would, in effect, repeal the Prop 8 decision made last November that has all the liberals in a tizzy. It would allow for the "union" (whatever meaning that has to the anti-marriage crowd) of any two people - man and woman or man and man. Both partnerships would be "equal."

They are trying to "kill marriage." (To borrow a phrase from Fox News)

And what does that mean for the Church? Basically, that God's unions are no longer important to the state. Marriage would be dead, the word would be meaningless. The sacramental and holy value associated with the word would be lost to the future generations who would only ever learn about "domestic partnerships" and never about Matrimony. What would that do for the declining numbers of Church goers? At what rate would non-believers exist in the country then? And is homosexuality really something a 4 year old NEEDS to learn about, alongside Arabic Numerals and the English Alphabet?

America's Losing

In a recent survey of Americans, something not so wonderful was discovered. Within one generation, the amount of Americans that consider themselves Christian has dropped 11 percent with now 15 percent of Americans are claiming no religion at all!

The caption below the picture at Damian Thompson's article on the study says it all:

"Many Americans worship themselves."

Even the British can see it.

 Americans (as a generalization) have become so self-obsessed that the dignity and security of the country is now in peril. Take, for example, the large percentage of people that stated the "economy" was their number one issue this past election. Now, obviously there must be some who considered it a top issue because of their compassion for the poor right? Maybe. But most likely the majority of those voting by the economy are doing so because of their own 401Ks. I'll give it to them - money is important. But it shouldn't be anyone's number one concern - especially considering all the social ramifications this election had (health care, abortion, embryonic stem cell research, education, immigration, etc...). Could Americans have voted more selfishly?

With a growing number of non-religious (outnumbering, as Thompson points out, every religious group besides Catholics and Baptists - although both are losing members) what does the future of religion in America look like?

Probably a lot like the picture on the left. {source}

It reminds me of that Casting Crowns song:

"America, what will we miss while we are sleeping? Will Jesus come again and leave us slumbering where we lay? America, will we go down in history as a nation with no room for its King?"

Hat tip to AmP for his blog of this story.

Want to Stay on Top of Things?

Thanks to a few clicks and links from Twitter, I found this nifty government tracking website:

http://www.govtrack.us/

Not only does it tell you where a certain bill you want to track is (introduced, in committee, floor vote, etc...) but it also lets you keep track of bills that fall within a certain subject area.

Ahem....(abortion)....and let's you narrow it down to specifics (abortion clinics, counseling, etc...)

It's AWESOME if you like to stalk the government like I do.

To see what's going on with Abortion, come here.

Sad Day

It's a sad day for anyone looking to protect life and find cures.

Obama has legalized embryonic stem cell research. These cells are known for producing nothing but trouble and tumors while destroying newly formed human beings. 

For more:

Cardinal Ragali's response

May lead to more abortions

Read about the different types of stem cell research

Saint on Sunday

St. Macarius of Jerusalem

Going Meatless for Lent?

As many a good Catholic knows, meat is a non-option for Friday nights. However fun those Parish Fish Fries are...sometimes fried fish isn't the healthiest choice to make. Also, if you're like me, you can get bored easily. 

Then there are those of us who decided to go completely meatless for Lent - a sacrifice more for those in the Midwestern region than for me down on the Gulf Coast. Nevertheless, it can still be a challenge. What makes things even more challenging is the fact that college cafeterias have only a limited selection of food, so you have to get creative. So I decided to do a little research and find some college budget friendly, vegetarian options.

1) Applebee's - they have chains all around the country and provide some options for us meatless Lent-ers. You can try their Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta - I've eaten it before and it was pretty good for seafood outside of New Orleans.

2) Atlanta Bread Company. This past Wednesday, after a busy day of classes, my boyfriend surprised me with their Veggie Sandwich delivered to my dorm room. I was a little skeptical at first, but the Nine Grain Bread they use is truly delicious. I would definitely recommend it. Also, their Potato Soup is wonderful with French Bread.

3) Denny's. Everyone loves a good breakfast and Denny's is one of my favorites. Next time you stop by check out their Veggie-Cheese Omelette, Pancakes, French Toast, or Belgian Waffle.

4) Any Mexican Restaurant. They will usually have Cheese Quesadillas, Bean Burritos, and Vegetarian Taco Salad and they are always very delicious and cheap.

5) Any Chinese Restaurant (especially the buffets). Low-prices and all you can eat Shrimp Fried Rice, Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, Vegetarian Eggrolls, and Fortune Cookies!

These are just a few that I find are close to college campuses and offer good alternatives to the fish fry.

But what about on campus? Sometimes we don't have access to a car or we don't have time between meetings and classes to make it off campus. Here's a list of what I can usually scavenge from those slim pickings:

For Breakfast:

1. Biscuits

2. Pancakes, Waffles

3. Cheese Omelette

4. Fruit and Granola (I keep dried fruit and granola in my dorm room for mornings I can't make it to the cafeteria)

5. Cereal, Oatmeal

For Lunch:

1.  Caesar Wraps (Pita Wrap, Lettuce, Cheese, and Dressing)

2. Chowder (Corn or Potato)

3. Vegetable Soup 

4. Baked Potato (with Cheese and Sour Cream)

5. Cheese Pizza (sometimes our cafeteria has Alfredo Pizza)

For Dinner:

1. Pasta (White Sauce or Red Sauce w/o Meat)

2. Macaroni and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, and Mixed Vegetables

3. Grilled Tilapia, Broccoli, and Scalloped Potatoes

4. Shrimp Po-Boy and Fries

5. Red Beans and Rice (without Sausage)

Newt is Coming!

I have always been a big fan of our former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. Recently he has given me even more reason to love him.

Newt is one of the thousands of people that will be entering the Catholic Church this Easter! His conversion has gone widely unpublicized, except for a few speculations made by Catholic bloggers - most notably AmP.

This story has filled me with so much hope for the Republican Party! Not only is the new face of the RebP, Bobby Jindal, a convert to our Church, but now we can all rejoice in seeing one of the oldest and most trusted members of the Party joining in at the Communion table as well!

During this Lenten season, let's all remember to pray for out RCIA brothers and sisters. Catholic Converts are always some of the most faithful.

It's Almost the Weekend

{catholiccartoonblog}

Today I Am Obsessed With...

...CatholicMom.com

In case anyone was wondering, no, I do not have any children. (unless you count Ferdinand the Fetal Development Figure, lovingly referred to as Ferdi the Fetus)

{12 weeks}

But I do have 15 Angels that I teach every Sunday that I often refer to as "my kids."

I stumbled upon this website while I was looking for games and worksheets for the substitute I need to get this weekend. Paw-Paw is turning 83, so I need to be back in New Orleans. Sadly, I am missing week one's lesson on the Mass and the Eucharist - my favorite topic! I used to teach 2nd graders over in Louisiana and the course focused mainly on Penance and Holy Eucharist because my kids were at that age to recieve those Sacraments for the first time. After teaching it for five years, I have really grown to love the Eucharist and understand it more deeply. (2nd graders always had a lot of questions, I did A LOT of reading and research to prepare for those lessons!)

Anyways, I found that it not only had great worksheets, games, and lesson plans, but also had a lot of great women blogging on the site. I read through a lot of their posts and I have to say one of my favorites is Sherry Antonetti, mostly for all of her writings about the pro-life life. I know, it's quite shocking that I was immediately drawn the the pro-life Apologist! Hah.

I would definitely recommend this site for any homeschoolers or CCD teachers.

What Choice?

Obama is continuing on his rampage against life with this new bit of news (although not so new as it was easily predicted by about everyone in the pro-life community). 

Not shockingly, Obama is looking to remove Bush-era laws that would protect doctors who refuse to do abortions because of religious or moral reasons. Obama says they have NO. CHOICE.

The most interesting statement released concerning this is:

"This policy of potentially allowing providers to refuse to provide contraception or family planning runs counter to the [Obama] administration's goal of reducing abortions and unwanted pregnancies," the official said. {source}

Basically, refusing to do abortions leads to more abortions, at least according to this logic.

SAY WHAT?

Wouldn't doctors who opt out of infanticide REDUCE the number of abortions by reducing the number of physicians willing to perform the operation? Obviously, that basic truth would not flow with Obama's bogus plan to "reduce the number of abortions." After all, this lie is how he won a lot of (uninformed) Catholics.

My hope for today.....is non-existent. What to do now?

Hope in Montana

A while back I reported on the passage of the Personhood Amendment in North Dakota...

...and now I have equally pleasing news to report out of Montana.

The Personhood Amendment, which states, "All persons are born free and have certain inalienable rights," and clarifies that "person means a human being at all stages of human development of life, including the state of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency" has been passed in a 26-24 vote in the State Senate, according to LifeSiteNews.

There is still hope in the pro-life cause, despite the recent HHS nomination of Gov. Sebelius by President Obama.

One day all people will be recognized as people - even if we have to fight one state at a time. That's how the early feminists received their right to vote, so it works. So we should keep pressing on until every American is considered an American, every human considered a human, and every person considered a person. 

Remember - no compromises!!

On Heaven and Hell

In my pursuit of procrastinating on my philosophy readings, I checked my Twitter, clicked some links from New Advent, and found this interesting article:



What Will Heaven Be Like?


These two questions in particular struck me:

9. What happens in hell?

Nothing.

10. What happens in Heaven?

Everything.

It reminded me of the conversations I used to have with a high school friend of mine. She's not a Catholic, not a Christian; on good days she is agnostic and on bad, atheist. She's one of my best friends and I love her dearly, but her views of heaven and hell are a little out of sync with reality. I think this article's answer to those two questions lies at the heart of her misunderstanding. I guess its because she views hell as a large gathering of all those "less-than-holies" - the people that couldn't get into Heaven or Purgatory. Of course, this would include a long list of non-believing bands that she likes (that I like...). Therefore, she believes that in Hell she will be surrounded by the music she loves - except for Anathallo, because they are Christian and I will get to listen to them in Heaven.


Let's look at Kreeft's answers one more time now.


NOTHING happens in Hell. God is nowhere in Hell and neither is anything He touches. Seeing that God is Love, I think it is a safe assertion that Love will not be in Hell either.


Unfortunately for my good friend, this means there will be no music.


But she does have a point about Anathallo being in Heaven, where EVERYTHING is going to be going down (in the good sense of that phrase, of course).


My hope for today is that the masses of people out there stop imagining this party-filled Hell. Hell is Hell. That inherently means that it will suck. (And also means that you can't listen to Bjork there, either..or maybe you will have to listen to Bjork for eternity.)

Saint on Sunday

St. Basil - defender of the Holy Spirit.

A Step in the Wrong Direction

Dr. Tom Preston said it best:

"It will be a cultural shift."

Indeed it will be, but definitely not in the right direction.

A new "death with dignity" (what comes up with these names??) law is going to take effect this upcoming week in Washington state. Read the article here.

Patients will be able to request lethal prescriptions from their doctors in this horrifying contradiction of the Oath. 

Although they are claiming they "aren't forcing anyone to do anything" it is only a matter of time before doctors will be required to fill all of the requests - no matter how they stand.