C'mon get . . .

Looking for an orphanage
I'm looking for a bridge I can't burn down
I don't believe the emptiness
I'm looking for the kingdom coming down
Everything is meaningless
I want more than simple cash can buy
Happy is a yuppie word
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Sign for the Times

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Putting it in Perspective

Johnny Cash Walking Stick Blues

I am embarrassed to say that it took me several months before I started using my cane in public, and even longer before I started telling folks the reason. I had even switched from daily mass to only Sunday mass, and even missed a few of those when I had a bad fall or two the week prior.

Now that I am out of the closet about my illness I have been so richly blessed with the chance to have others tell me about their experiences, as well as the illnesses that they too hide from most of the public. Also I get allow folks to feel a sense of service and charity for easy things like letting me pass in a line, or picking up my keys or walking stick (or whatever else I drop . . . and I drop everything). Every time I fall to the ground I can lift up my sufferings for another, and every time I suffer one of the many embarrassments associated with ALS is another chance to suffer in exchange for grace to be given to another.

Yep, I'll never be a husband or Priest, never be a dad or a Father, nor will I have to worry about retirement or social security. I can instead be thankful for the knowledge that so many folks ignore, that a successful career doesn't matter to God unless those successes are given up to Him, that a big house is vile in a world while others are homeless, and that serving others even in our own sufferings is the only true joy.
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He calms the storms

.O.K., my handwriting ain't so great, but this was the only piece of Foam Board I had available.
Lots of folks took pics as they walked by, including two of the Dominican Sisters who live in town, but hopefully more were comforted by my little reminder of the One who calms the storms.

When I went to take it down afterward my neighbor said "don't who dare take that down, you need to keep reminding folks who to thank for us all coming through safely!"

yeah, I ain't in D.C. anymore (O:
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"but She is still our Mother"

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Scriptural Rosary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. (Luke 1:28)
...Blessed art thou among women (Luke 1:41-42, Luke 1:48),
Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus (Luke 1:42)
...Holy Mary, Mother of God (Luke 1:43)
Pray for us sinners, (1 Tim 2:1-4)
now and at the hour of our death. Amen (Luke 2:35, John 2:3-5)

Our Foolish Lack of Heart

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Many folks use Church scandals as an excuse for ignoring the inconvenient truth of the Church's teachings, and many respond that this is "throwing the baby out with the bathwater". I say it is actually even worse, as it seems our country only throws out the baby(s) yet keeps the filthy bath water (not that they would use it to bath, as bathing is intolerant, as it presupposes a person might get dirty, and who are we to judge).
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On the road again

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Complaining that the Church
is too "strict"
is like complaining your GPS's directions
are too "direct"

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The Anti-birthday

Gotta wonder if the Anti-birthday President will raise a glass of Dom today for 50 Millions plus innocents who he has helped to deny the chance to ever do the same.
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Luther on Luther

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"When the devil wants to cause offense
against the true doctrine and faith,
he does not do so through insignificant people,
who do not rate highly with the world,
but through those who are the very best,
the wisest, the holiest,
and the most learned."
Martin Luther
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Klavan on the "logic" of Abortion

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"And if we as a free people decide that unborn children
are children indeed,
there is no moral alternative:
we must not only end abortion
but put our full efforts into supporting humane
and broadly available methods
of welcoming the unwanted."

On Liberty and Abortion - Andrew Klavan

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Consider the Source

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Expecting to understand the Catholic Church
by reading "The Da Vinci Code"
is like trying to learn about Judaism
by reading "Mein Kampf"
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Pride before a Fall

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This re-working of the Mark Stivers' cartoon was inspired by the eye-rolling I get from non-Catholics when I make the dreaded
"the Church teaches . . . ." statement.

FILE UNDER : The Reformers New Clothes (O:
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File Under : Channeling Chesterton

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If you want Politicians to vote Pro-life,
just change the voting age to
"Moment of Conception"

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