July: Month of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord

By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to certain devotions. In July, it is devoted to the Precious Blood of Jesus.



In the past, the feast of the Most Precious Blood of Christ was celebrated on the first Sunday of July as confirmed by past popes and recalled recently by Pope Benedict XVI in his speech after praying the Angelus on July 5, 2009.¹

The Old fulfilled in the New Covenant
Sacrifice is the highest form of religious worship which man offers to God as an act of praise, thanksgiving, petition or atonement.² The most singular and pre-eminent sacrifice of the Old Law was the immolation of the Paschal Lamb which celebrated the sparing of Israel’s firstborn from the fatal sword of the Angel of Death in Egypt at the time of Moses and Pharaoh.

The imagery of sacrificial blood from slain animals is made more vivid and meaningful if we recall Moses’ words from the Book of Exodus, “And he took the blood and sprinkled it upon the people, and he said: This is the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.” (Exodus 24:8)



This old sacrifice took a new form in the New Testament when the Immaculate Lamb of God offered Himself on the altar of the Cross to redeem mankind from sin and the slavery of Satan. And during the Last Supper, Our Lord offered Himself in an unbloody yet real sacrifice when He uttered the following words, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.” (Matthew 26: 28) Truly, this “shedding of blood’ or “pouring out of blood” took place and forms one of the glorious mysteries of our Faith.³

The Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

• Catholic doctrine teaches the faithful that the blood of Jesus Christ is part of His Sacred Humanity and hypostatically united to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.⁴

• And as such, it is worthy of adoration and veneration proper to latreutical worship (cultus latriae) which is rendered only to God. In other words, we adore the human nature of Christ because of its intimate and eternal union with the Person of the Divine Word.

• It is for this same reason that we honor the Most Sacred Heart or the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Devotion to the Precious Blood

This devotion is one of the most ancient of pious Church practices. It is said that the Blessed Virgin venerated the Most Precious Blood of her infant Son on the day of His circumcision as she collected the first relics of His Precious Blood on a piece of cloth. On that momentous occasion, she united her tears with that of the Word Incarnate on account of not so much of the sensible pain but of His supernatural sorrow for the hard-heartedness of mortals.⁵

It was the first of seven blood-sheddings of Our Divine Savior, the rest being:

2. The Agony in the Garden

3. The Scourging at the Pillar

4. The Crowning with Thorns

5. The Way of the Cross

6. The Crucifixion

7. The Piercing of His Heart

In his book, The Precious Blood, Father Frederick William Faber, D.D., calls Saint Paul the Doctor of the Precious Blood owing to his evident fondness to preach on the subject in his epistles (Romans 3:25; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12). He recounts that the lives of saints are replete with devotion to the Precious Blood making special mention of Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Austin, Saint Gertrude and Saint Catherine of Sienna whom he considered the prophetess of the Precious Blood for putting emphasis on it as the solution to the ills of her times.

Father Faber also remarks that the Precious Blood makes us appreciate more Christ’s redemption of mankind, His sacrifice and Passion. It also makes us comprehend the beautiful doctrine and the august realities of the Blessed Sacrament as we kneel in front of the tabernacle in humble adoration.

Over time the Church gave Her blessing to the devotion by approving societies like the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; enriching confraternities like that of Saint Nicholas in Carcere, in Rome, and that of the London Oratory; attaching indulgences to prayers and scapulars in honor of the Precious Blood; and instituting commemorative feasts of the Precious Blood, Friday after the fourth Sunday in Lent and, since Pius IX, the first Sunday of July. ⁶

Sadly, however, the feast was removed from the church calendar in 1969, the argument being that the cultus of the Precious Blood is included in the Mass and Divine Office of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). Nevertheless, it is still laudable and salutary to continue to see the month of July as dedicated to the Most Precious Blood, just as Blessed Pope Pius IX intended it to be.⁷

Footnotes

1. Zenit News, ZE09070502 - 2009-07-05 http://www.zenit.org/article-26369?l=english last visited June 15, 2009.{footnote} He made special mention of Pope John XXIII’s apostolic letter “Inde a Primis” (dated June 30, 1960) which explained the devotion’s significance and approved its litanies.{footnote}Papal Encyclicals Online, “On Promoting Devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” http://www.papalencyclicals.net/John23/j23pb.htm last visited: June 15, 2010 [back]
2. Moorman, George J., The Latin Mass Explained, Rocfor, Illinois: TAN Books an Publishers, Inc., 2007, p. 6 [back]
3. Moorman, George J.,Ibid, p. 22. [back]
4. Ott, Ludwig, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, (St. Louis, Missouri: B. Herder Book Company, 1960), pp. 151-152 [back]
5. The City of God by Mary of Agreda, Incarnation, Chapter XIV, Washington, New Jersey: Ave Maria Institute, 1971, Chapter XIV, pp. 446- 454 [back]
6. New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12372c.htm. Last visited June 16, 2010. [back]
7. New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12373a.htm Last visited June16, 2010. [back]

"The Song is Ended but the Melody Lingers on"

June 29, 2010 would have been the 71st Birthday of Colonel John Ripley. Although he is no longer with us his memory, as Mary Susan Goodykoontz, his surviving sister, says so well in this book review of An American Knight, will live on forever.

Here is her review:

“While the world knew my brother John as a Navy Cross recipient, I will always remember him simply as my darling little boy. Being the oldest member of our family I had the joy of caring for him as if he were my own child. It was for this reason that I was overjoyed when Norman Fulkerson contacted me, after John’s death, with the idea of writing a book about his life.

“The final product, titled An American Knight, gave me the chance to see a side of John I frankly never knew. Although I was well aware of his heroism at Dong Ha, I did not know he was such a legend in the Marine Corps, because he did not tell me those things. John was very humble.

“While I thoroughly enjoyed An American Knight and found it to be an extremely accurate account of my brother’s life, it was, at the same time, a painful read since it brought back so many happy memories of someone I sorely miss. I have had, since John’s death, this feeling that he would never die. That is to say that his memory would live forever. Now I know it certainly will because of Mr. Fulkerson’s book. As Irving Berlin, the Jewish-American songwriter said: “The song is ended but the melody lingers on.”

“On behalf of my family, of which I am the last living member, I say thank you!”

Mary Susan Goodykoontz, Radford, Virginia

Saint Louis de Montfort Academy Video

St. Louis de Montfort Academy
868 Herndon Rd.
Herndon, PA 17830
info@montfortacademy.edu

Earliest known images of apostles discovered under Rome streets

Scientists used advanced laser technology to remove a hardened crust of dirt and calcium deposits in order to bring to light the brightly coloured 4th century paintings of Saints John, Paul, Andrew and Peter.

The images adorn the ceiling of a vault, carved out of volcanic rock, which provided the last resting place of a rich Roman noblewoman.

The archeologists believe the images may have set the standard for all later depictions of the saints in Christian iconography.

They were discovered during routine restoration work in the damp, earthen-floor catacombs of Santa Tecla, a labyrinth of tunnels, galleries and burial chambers which lies hidden beneath a five-storey office in Ostiense, a grubby residential area of Rome.

The discovery is testimony to the introduction and spread of a devotion to the apostles in the early years of Christianity. A hi-tech laser was used to burn off the centuries of white calcium deposits that had smothered the exquisite images, without damaging any of the colors beneath – the first time such a technique has been used in a catacomb.

Saint Gemma Galgani

"If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer,

because suffering teaches you to love." Saint Gemma

Written by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

This photograph is of St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), a famous mystic who lived in the enchanting town of Lucca, Italy.

Her countenance is impressive for several reasons. First, we note her profound reflection and the harmony of her traits. Second, the saint’s gaze has something elevated and sublime about it. Her thoughts are not of this earth: her countenance displays a supernatural aura.

Her dignity and angelic purity are striking. This is seen by the way her head rests on her shoulders: straight and unpretentious.

She wears no adornment at all. Her hair is simply combed and arranged. Her face is very clean and reveals nothing of a desire for embellishment.

Her dress is black and simple. Yet, St. Gemma combines an extraordinary dignity with a virginal purity which is impalpably reflected in the luminous splendor of her skin. One could say that her skin is as luminous as her gaze. Moreover, her gaze reflects total uprightness. It is that of a mystic immersed in that which she sees. Even we discern something of what she perceives.

The virtue of fortitude also shines forth in her countenance. When the Faith commands her to do something, her will is unbending.

What does she desire? She wants to serve God, Our Lady and the Catholic Church. She forges ahead on this road regardless of the obstacles. She represents the strong woman of incomparable values referred to in Holy Scriptures. Like a rare stone, one readily walks to the ends of the earth to find her.

(Published in the August 1999 issue of Catolicismo)

Why is Catholic Alverno College Linking to 10 Abortion Advocacy Groups?

By James Bascom

June 21, 2010

Faithful Catholic Students Launch Protest

The Alverno College Research Center for Women and Girls (RCWG) currently lists ten abortion advocacy organizations on its web site under “resources related to women and girls.” Problematic entries include:

• ACLU
• Center for Reproductive Rights
• Feminist Majority Foundation
• Feminist Women’s Health Center
• Lambda Legal
• National Women’s Health Network
• National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
• National Organization for Women (NOW)
• SIECUS
• Women’s Medical Fund, Inc.

See the links here: http://depts.alverno.edu/rcwg/resources.html

For example, the link to the Center for Reproductive Rights channels students to a web site that promotes “legal, safe, and affordable contraception and abortion.”

The Women’s Medical Fund, Inc. mentions how they provide “direct financial aid to Wisconsin women who are seeking to terminate an unwanted pregnancy… Over 99.5% of all donations go to directly fund poor women's abortions,” their web site states.

Founded by the School Sisters of Saint Francis in 1887, Alverno College has 2,815 students. However, links that articulate Catholic teaching against abortion could not be found anywhere on the resource page where students are introduced to several abortion advocacy groups.

“It’s scandalous for a Catholic college to have any links with abortion advocacy groups or to present them as legitimate resources for students,” said TFP Student Action director John Ritchie. “Groups that deliberately favor the sin of abortion are not resources, but a death sources.”

Committed to defend moral values on college campuses, TFP Student Action has launched an e-protest addressed to the president of Alverno College located in Wisconsin, Mrs. Mary Meehan, PhD, politely urging her to remove links to pro-abortion groups. Everyone is invited to join this peaceful protest.

Rosemont College and the University of Detroit Mercy both deleted web site links to Planned Parenthood earlier this year after TFP Student Action members initiated peaceful protests.


To give this peaceful effort much more impact, spread the word by forwarding this information to your pro-life friends (or even your entire address book).

Contact information (be firm yet polite in your phone calls and letters):

Alverno College
Mrs. Mary Meehan, PhD, President
3400 South 43rd Street
P.O. Box 343922
Milwaukee, WI 53234-3922
Phone: 1-800-933-3401 -- President's office: 414-382-6064
Email: president.ac@alverno.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Alumnae Office:

alumnae@alverno.edu

Just a Reminder :Vatican Splendors Now in St. Louis!

ST. LOUIS - One of the largest collections of art, documents and historically significant objects from the Vatican ever to tour North America is coming to the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis for a limited engagement beginning May 15, 2010. “Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Faith and Art” will present unique objects illustrating the Vatican’s impact on history and culture through 2,000 years.

Approximately 170 objects will be presented in galleries and recreated environments that enhance the visitor’s understanding of their historical and artistic significance. Items in the collection – which include mosaics; frescoes; paintings by Renaissance masters; works by well-known sculptors; intricately embroidered silk vestments; precious objects from the Papal Mass; uniforms of the Papal Swiss Guard; historical maps and documents and relics – are on loan from The Reverenda Fabbrica of Saint Peter, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the Vatican Library, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Apostolic Floreria, the Papal Swiss Guard, and private collections.

Highlights of the exhibition include artwork by Michelangelo, signed documents and personal objects such as his drawing caliper, and tools used in work on the Sistine Chapel and Basilica of Saint Peter’s; works by masters including Bernini and Giotto; objects dating back to the first century; venerated relics (bone fragments) of Saint Peter and Saint Paul; the first geographical map of Australia; objects discovered at the tombs of Saint Peter and Saint Paul; and historical objects from the modern and ancient basilicas of Saint Peter’s in Rome.

The exhibition will only appear in three North American cities, after which the items must return to the Vatican, from which they cannot be absent for more than a year.

All descriptive labels in the exhibit are bilingual in English and Spanish, as is an audio tour, available for an additional charge.

Tickets for “Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Faith and Art” can be purchased online beginning April 19 at Ticketmaster.com and at all Ticketmaster outlets, including select Schnucks stores. To charge tickets by phone, call 1-800-745-3000 or 1-877-2VATICAN (1-877-282-8422). Tickets also may be purchased at the Missouri History Museum box office located at the museum. All tickets are timed entry and subject to availability. Advance ticket purchases are highly recommended. Tickets are $19.50 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $13 for children (age 6-12). Children five and under are admitted free with adult ticket purchase. A special group discount for 15-or-more tickets is available by calling 1-800-916-8212 or emailing reserv@mohistory.org. For more information, visit mohistory.org or vaticansplendors.com.

Hours for “Vatican Splendors” will be, daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Vatican Splendors” is organized and circulated in conjunction with the Congregazione per l’Evangelizzazione dei Popoli of the Vatican City State. The exhibition is produced by Evergreen Exhibitions in association with the Missouri History Museum. Objects in the exhibition are on loan from the The Reverenda Fabbrica of Saint Peter, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the Vatican Library, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and the Apostolic Floreria. Additional objects are on loan by the Papal Swiss Guard and private collections.

For more information, see http://www.vaticansplendors.com/

Stalin Sculpture at D-Day Memorial Dishonors American Heroes

Written by John Ritchie

The despot Stalin murdered at least 20 million people.

What would the victims of communism and the D-Day heroes think about having him honored on our soil?

The despot Stalin murdered at least 20 million people.

Since when hs the purpose of art been to cause discussion as stated by D-Day Foundation President, William McIntosh?

Ally or not - should the bust of a Communist mass-murderer Joseph Stalin stand right beside American heroes at the National D-Day Memorial?

For most Americans the answer is simply “no.”

However, a prestigious $50,000 bust of Stalin now stands at the newly inaugurated National D-Day Memorial located in Bedford, Virginia, in the very place where the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of American heroes is honored.

What would the victims of communism and the D-Day heroes think?

Mind-boggling, isn’t it?

In the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Lee Edwards, chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, points out that “Since the fall of the Soviet Union, statues of Joseph Stalin have been torn down all over Europe.”

Yes. Torn down. Not erected. That is why many Americans, especially war veterans, feel slapped in the face, shocked to see a memorial of Stalin erected on our own soil.

Retired Navy officer R. Stephen Bloch put it this way: “It’s a tragic time for Bedford, Va., which now is known as the town that loves Stalin more than it loves its own veterans.”

If you can, please forward this post to your friends.


Related:

The Wall Street Journal: Stalin Storms Ohama Beach
The Washington Times: Stalin bust has Virginia town red-faced

National D-Day Memorial Foundation

P.O. Box 77
Bedford, VA 24523
Toll-free: 800-351-DDAY
Email: dday@dday.org

The Battle of the Blood

Written By John Horvat II

In the final analysis, the military is all about blood. Wars are waged in the field of blood. We ask our soldiers to be disposed at any time to shed their blood for our country. So impressive is this great sacrifice that we can figuratively say that in the young soldiers’ veins, flows the blood of the nation.

When soldiers go to war, they receive that “red badge of courage” which is the true test of their dedication. And when they die, we pray that their blood be not shed in vain.

So strong is this blood in war that the war bond itself becomes as if a blood bond. Who cannot but reflect upon the words of King Henry V’s St. Crispin’s Day Speech:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother

In the great trials of war, these “brothers” are immersed in each other’s blood. They fight amidst the blood of both friend and foe. They nurse each other’s bloody wounds. Each depends upon the other to give their blood for their brother next to them in a sublime act of self-denial.

Indeed, does not the Gospel say that greater love hath no man that he who lays down his live for another?

However, there is one thing that this blood asks: that it not be tainted.

Often, soldiers are not saints but there are certain acts that dishonor that blood which they shed. These are certain vices that destroy the cohesion that unites their blood as one. Treason, disloyalty, dishonesty and cowardice are certainly among these. Yet another is unnatural vice that puts a disordered sexual relationship in the place of that disinterested bond between soldiers.

And thus, the battle over the inclusion of homosexuals in the military is about blood. We can say that figuratively this blood that unites soldiers as brothers is tainted by introducing the possibility of this relationship in the ranks which demand the disinterested and total trust of a brother.

However, on a much lesser level, we can say that the military is physically about blood since it would introduce into the military a group with high-risk blood contagion. This is so true that current FDA policy will not accept homosexual men as blood donors. In addition, medical officials note that there is exposure to drug-resistant diseases circulating in the homosexual population such as hepatitis C, antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, or various strains of herpes.

The irrefutable danger involved in this contagion should alone be enough to exclude homosexuals from the military’s battlefields of blood. However, the homosexual lobby is trying to downplay this danger and is even seeking to lift this ban citing better testing methods – a move many doctors oppose as far too risky to lift. Despite political pressure to lift it, the FDA has recently voted to retain the ban since no one can deny that men who have sex with men (MSM) are a significant risk. Only recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a study which found that the rate of new HIV diagnoses among MSM was 44 times higher than among other men and the rate of primary or secondary syphilis 46 times that of other men.

Thus, by exposing men in close quarters to occasions of contagion, we will be introducing yet another danger which will add to that of the enemy on the battlefield. However, worse yet, we will be symbolically injecting bad blood into this bond of brothers that must have total trust.

We ask our soldiers to shed their blood for our nation. They have the right to ask that their blood not be tainted.

Unborn babies in Luxembourg need your help because…

Behind the scenes, the Parliament plans to greatly liberalize abortion.

Duke Paul of Oldenburg who visited St. Louis last year, has asked that we help stop the liberalization of abortion in Luxemburg... Please sign the petition below!

The introduction of a so-called “social indicator” is nothing more than Abortion on Demand.
It leaves the unborn child totally unprotected.

The politicians say they only wish to reduce the number of abortions.

To prohibit abortion absolutely is the only way to stop the shedding of the blood of innocent children.

You and I need to react vigorously NOW!

I want to defend the rights of the unborn!

Not only is a Social Indicator going to be introduced, but obligatory counseling as well!

This obligatory counseling will not stop the killing of the unborn child. It is nothing but a camouflage.

You and I need to protest against this planned liberalization of abortion.

So we demand:

Immediately: no indicators for abortions!

Ultimately: the total prohibition of abortion!

Members of Parliament can either defend the unborn child or be its murderers.

Participate in this vitally important initiative! Speak up for the defenseless
unborn child. You and I owe this to our children!

Please read what will happen if You do not react or protest NOW!

I want to act now and participate in this worldwide protest campaign.

The Luxembourg Members of Parliament in 2008 already supported the expansion of the culture of death when they forcibly introduced euthanasia against the will of Grand Duke Henry.

They will continue this expansion. They will only stop when they have achieved ALL their goals.

This must be stopped! React now by sending your protest to the members of parliament

DO NOT LEAVE THIS PAGE until you have raised your voice in defense of life!

My action in favor of the life of the unborn children.

Hell Is Not Empty and "Pedophile Priests Will Go There"

Written by Luiz Sérgio Solimeo

The above quote served as the title for Italian Vaticanist Andrea Tornielli’s article in Rome’s Il Giornale on a statement by Msgr. Charles Scicluna, Promoter of Justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after an adoration of reparation to the Blessed Sacrament held at Saint Peter’s Basilica last May 29. Tornielli notes: “Msgr. Scicluna, the ecclesiastical judge following complaints of priestly abuse, recalled that ‘terrible’ condemnation of the Gospel.”¹

A Timely Meditation
The importance attributed to the meditation by the illustrious Vatican prelate stands out, particularly in contrast with the silence kept in large sectors of the Church about the existence of Hell and the action of the devil.

Speaking about that silence, Tornielli writes:

“The devil as a personal being and the very existence of Hell seem to have almost disappeared, even from homilies, in the last fifty years. The provocation by the great theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, who said that Hell, as far as we know, could be empty, caused a sensation. But the Popes have always stressed not only that the devil exists, but also that there is a possibility of falling into eternal damnation, if one chooses evil.”²

While Msgr. Scicluna did not limit himself to speaking about hell but made wonderful considerations, based on the Church Fathers, about Our Lord’s and the Church’s love of children and the role and limits of friendship. He emphasized the torment in hell for consecrated persons who lose their souls.

A Commentary by Saint Gregory the Great
He recalls the terrible words of Our Lord against those who scandalize children: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea” (Mark 9:42). He goes on to add a commentary by Saint Gregory the Great:

“Gregory the Great says this about those severe words of Jesus: ‘Mystically expressed in the millstone is the hard and tedious rhythm of secular life, while the deep sea signifies the most terrible curse. Thus, after having taken a profession of holiness, anyone who destroys others through words or deed would have been better off if their misdeeds had caused them to die in secular dress, rather than, through their holy office, being imposed as an example for others in their sins. Without a doubt, if they had fallen all by themselves, their suffering in Hell would be easier to bear.’”³

Forgetfulness of Hell and Loss of the Notion of Sin
Hell and eternal punishment exists for those who refuse God’s mercy or the infinite suffering of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is for those who disobey the Commandments or abandon the Faith. All this is attested to by Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church.⁴

Oblivion of Hell leads to a loss of the sense of sin, the gravity of the offense done to God and the consequences it entails. For, “if God does not punish” neither in this life nor in the hereafter, His law actually does not oblige because it has no effective sanction and therefore it does not matter whether it is obeyed or not. Thus, one could no longer talk about sin. For if one is not obliged to obey God’s law, there is no harm in not obeying it, as God will not be offended. This is tantamount to saying that God does not care what men do, as the Prophet Sophonias denounced, refering to the inhabitants of Jerusalem who said in their hearts: “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.” ⁵

Following this logic overthrows the last rule of morality, which is to obey God’s law, whether known to us through the Revelation or through man’s rational nature. It also establishes complete amorality.

Who Does not Observe the Commandments, does not Love God
On the other hand, to claim that one can love God without obeying His law is as absurd as to deny His very existence. And it expressly contradicts the Savior’s words:

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me…. Whoever loves me will keep my word… Whoever does not love me does not keep my word. ⁶

Finally, there is no opposition between God’s mercy and His justice, which would be absurd and contrary to Revelation, for, as the Psalmist says, “Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and peace have kissed.” ⁷


Destruction of the Only Effective Barrier Against Sin
Let us return to Msgr. Charles Scicluna’s warning on the reality of eternal condemnation and the sex abuse crisis. The loss of the notion of Hell tears down the most effective barrier separating man from sin: fear of eternal punishment.

Man’s fallen nature is so attracted to sin that, in face of the intense, immediate sinful pleasure, the possibility of a future reward in Heaven alone is inadequate to restrain his passion. Put plainly, because of the effects of Original Sin, man is more inclined to prefer a present joy them eternal beatitude.

Thus Hell’s existence is a powerful, and for the majority of men often the only, effective incentive for the practice of good. Fear of Hell has served to turn countless souls from the path of vice to the love of God and virtue. A reflection attributed to Saint Augustine affirms that, because of Original Sin, if Hell did not exist to punish evil, life here on earth would be transformed into a hell because without fear of future punishment, most men would selfishly seek their own advantage, and few would restrain their passions for the sake of love. ⁸

Although God does not abandon man when tried by temptation,⁹ the latter must have the necessary readiness to cooperate with divine grace. But if he loses the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom,
¹⁰ he will not be able to open his soul to supernatural help and will have only his own strength, weakened by naturalist optimism.

For all these reasons, we must express our gratitude for the timely considerations of the Promoter of Justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, amid the difficult circumstances the Church is presently going through.

Exciting Volunteer Opportunity for Our Lady

Our Lady Needs You To Come…

… to our Rosary Rally office in Topeka, Kansas, to help organize the 2010 Public Square Rosary Crusade.

Thanks to the great generosity of various donors, the cost of your trip and stay will be taken care of.

Only the most devout children of Mary qualify and are chosen for this mission.

To apply, please call: (866) 584-3407

Actually, the success of the 2010 Rosary Crusade depends entirely on dynamic and dedicated people like you.

If you apply and are chosen, you’d spend 2 weeks enlisting rally captains for the October 16, 2010 Rosary Crusade.

In 2009, we had 4,337 Public Square Rosary Rallies across America. Those rallies were organized by volunteers like you.

This year our aim is 5,000 rallies!

Will you help make this a reality?

In the past, we were blessed with volunteers from all over America including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and even Saipan.

The most important requirement is an intense love for Our Lady, as well as a thirst for souls. Your love for Our Lady will naturally overflow in your words on the phone to prospective rally captains.

First, you will receive a simple training session. Then, a “guardian angel” will help you every step of the way.

Finally, your love for Our Lady will kick in, and you will:

• Place calls to members of America Needs Fatima
• Answer incoming calls from prospective captains

Enroll by calling (866) 584-3407

Volunteering at our office has been described by some volunteers as a retreat.

Why?

Because volunteers receive many graces here.

On the phone and among your new found friends at the volunteer office, you will hear stories of devotion to Our Lady that will move you to tears.

You will see the great good you are achieving by the reparation offered to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary as an outcome of the greater number of public square rosaries that will take place because of your efforts.

Volunteering is very rewarding – you meet new friends, attend daily Mass, and pray with other volunteers and America Needs Fatima staff while here.

You will experience Our Lady’s gratitude for your help.

If you are able to come, we will sponsor your t r i p to Kansas from one to two full weeks, for a mutually agreeable time, between July 5th and October 4th.

We will provide the transportation, meals and lodging for those who are selected as Rosary Rally Callers for Our Lady!

Would you consider the possibility of becoming a volunteer this year?

I hope and pray that you will say, "YES"!

Call (866) 584-3407 to apply.

The dates you may choose to come and stay are flexible.
You may choose from a one week to a two week time frame, between July 5th and October 4th.

But please hurry. We must fill these vacancies on a first come-first serve basis and there are only a limited number of sponsorships available. Two week commitments will receive priority as the cost to the campaign will be less.

However, all applications will be considered.

If you require more information, you may call me toll f r e e at (866) 584-3407, or you may email me at

ANFrosaryrally@aol.com

I will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.
I hope you will take advantage of this wonderful chance to inquire about becoming a volunteer for Our Lady.

In Jesus and Mary,

Francis Slobodnik
Rosary Crusade Director

P.S. Through the generosity of donors, we are able to cover the entire cost of your travel and stay expenses.

However, if you are able to help cover all or even a part of your own air fare and/or meals and lodging, this would make it possible to bring even more volunteers to the Kansas office to help recruit new captains and organize more rallies for Our Lady.

Sacred Heart Reparation: June 11, 2010

The month of June was dedicated specially to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by determination of Pope Leo XIII (reign 1878-1903). A new presidential proclamation “proclaim[s] June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.”

Let us pray in reparation!

This devotion is rooted in the Gospel, when the Apostle Saint John rested his head on Jesus’ chest to hear His heart. According to the Sovereign Pontiffs, this represents the infinitely merciful and redemptive love of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the perfect union of the human and divine natures in the Savior.

Click here to invite friends to pray this special Act of Reparation.

As True God, Our Lord loves men with an infinite love. As true man, he loves men with human sentiments, with a perfectly ordered sensibility. The human aspect of this divine love was expressed in Our Lord’s pain and in His tears upon learning of the death of his friend, Lazarus.

His love brought him to Lazarus’ grave, where He gave the majestic command: “Lazarus, come forth!” And Lazarus was resurrected from the dead.

Inconceivably, in contradiction to the determination of Pope Leo XIII (reign 1878-1903), a new presidential proclamation “proclaim[s] June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.”

The Pope determined one theme for June, the president another. As Catholics, we will always honor June as the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

And that is why we are organizing a national prayer campaign of reparation on June 11, which you are invited to join.

Click here for a prayer to the Divine Savior that Catholics across America will say on Friday, June 11, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

There’s no way that men can justify sin, much less find reason for pride in it. Nor can the civil authority, by means of a proclamation, transform acts, ways of being and relationships that contradict human nature and divine Revelation, as well as the constant Magisterium of the Church, into a kind of pride for the entire nation.

What can be more offensive to the Sacred Heart of Jesus than to transform the month dedicated to Him into the month exalting unnatural sin?

It is our Catholic duty to offer special reparation to the Sacred Heart, who so loved us yet was so rejected by us, for this offense of a public and official character.

Tell your friends about our special act of reparation on June 11, feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

By rejecting Divine Mercy, our country may be deprived of graces that God would have sent if this presidential proclamation had not been made.

With this in mind, please Click here for a prayer of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Learn more about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus here: The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Hope of a Hopeless World.

Unschooling: No Tests, No Books, No Bedtime

What a contrast with the homeschooling movement!

An ABC News Story By JUJU CHANG and ALYSSA LITOFF

For the Martin family, the usual morning ritual of getting ready for school and onto the school bus, is a foreign concept.

They live as though school doesn't exist. They're at home all day, but they're not being homeschooled. They're being "unschooled." There are no textbooks, no tests and no formal education at all in their world.

"Just picture life without school. So, maybe a weekend. We wake up, and we have breakfast, and we just start pursuing what we're interested in doing," said Dayna Martin, a mother of four in Madison, N.H.

Martin doesn't believe her kids need to go to school to learn their ABCs. It's part of a radical new approach to education and parenting.

For a look at the unschooling movement, watch the video and read the rest of the story by clicking here

Eucharistic Miracles -- So That We Might Believe

The Most Holy Eucharistic Miracle of Santarém, Portugal In the village of Santarém Portugal, just a half hour drive from Fátima, there occurred the Church's second most famous Eucharistic Miracle after Lanciano.

The miracle occurred on February 16th in the year 1247 when a woman married to a man who frequently committed adultery in desperation had turned to a Sorceress to seek a solution to her problem. The sorceress promised her a magical potion but demanded a Consecrated Host as payment. The woman did as she was instructed, and faked an illness in order to receive Holy Communion on a weekday since at that time Mass was only celebrated on Sunday. She went to the Parish Church of Saint Stephen, received communion and then as she was leaving the Church, removed the Host from her mouth and tied it in a knot in the veil covering her head. It was then that the Miracle occurred.

The Host suddenly began to bleed profusely. The blood flowed so heavily that it the people in the streets inquired about her sickness. Frightened, she ran home and placed the Host still wrapped in the veil in a wooden trunk where she kept her clean linens. Her husband discovered the secret when a miracle occurred that night: From the chest came a brilliant light that illuminated the entire house. The Host was freed from the Knot and elevated by angels who sang Divine Praises. The parish priest was called, and the pulsating Host was taken back in procession to the Church of Saint Stephen where the Clergy in order to stop the bleeding decided to seal it in a ball of melted bees wax.

Nineteen years passed and in 1266 when a canonical investigation was held, it was discovered that a second miracle had occurred. The Host had freed itself from the wax ball and was now in a little crystal ampoule.

Kings, Queens and Saints venerated the Relic of the Miraculous-bleeding Host with great splendor over the centuries and the object of national adoration. No fewer than half a dozen Popes granted indulgences to the Cult and Saint Francis Xavier came on pilgrimage before becoming the great apostle of India.

Miraculous phenomena occurred throughout the centuries involving the same Miraculous Host. Images were seen and new emissions of blood were common. All of this stopped however after the North American pilgrimages in the late 1950's began visiting the Shrine very frequently and abusively handling the Host. During this time the crystal ampoule was broken through the sacrilegious practice of the touching of rosaries and other religious items to It to take away as relics. By the 1970's half the glass of the ampoule had been broken off and the silver stopper removed, taken away as relics. The Host subsequently corrupted due to exposure to the air and today only particles of blood and solidified flesh are found clinging to the inside what remains of the glass ampoule.

The Relics were scientifically analyzed in 1997 for the 750th anniversary celebrations of the Miracle and proven to be genuine and of a supernatural origin. The relics of the Host and blood soaked wax were then sealed and placed in a bulletproof case atop the Eucharistic Throne above the main altar.

In 1997 the Church of Saint Stephen of the Holy Miracle was recognized as the Shrine of the Most Holy miracle.

(Based on"The Story and Relics of the Most Holy Miracle of Santarém" by Prof. Carlos Evaristo, Curator of the Museum of the Shrine of the Most Holy Miracle of Santarém. Photos Copyright: Carlos Evaristo 1997)

Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, Italy
In 1263, Peter of Prague, a German priest on pilgrimage to Rome, was celebrating Mass in Bolsena, Italy. He had come to doubt the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. During the consecration, blood suddenly dripped from the Sacred Host and covered his hands as well as the altar. Startled, Father Peter interrupted the Mass and left for nearby Orvieto, where Pope Urban IV was then residing. Having absolved the priest of his past sin, the Holy Father ordered the local bishop to bring him the miraculous Host and the bloodstained altar cloth for examination. Impressed by this miraculous event, the Pope had the Host and altar cloth placed in the Cathedral of Orvieto, where they remain perfectly preserved to this day (Michael Freze, S.F.O. Voices, Visions, and Apparitions).

Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano
In the year 700 at the monastery of St. Longinus in Luciano, Italy, a priest from the Order of St. Basil was celebrating Mass. Having doubted the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the priest saw, during the consecration, the bread miraculously transformed into a circle of flesh and the wine appear as bright as fresh blood. Eventually, the liquefied blood turned into five pellets of various sizes and shapes. When the local archbishop later weighed the pellets, it was discovered that one nugget weighed the same as all five together, two as much as any three, and the smallest as much as the largest. In February of 1574, another test was done on the miraculous blood pellets. Again, any one of the pellets weighed alone equaled the weight of all five pellets together. In 1970, further tests were made on the body and blood of Jesus. Analysis has proved that the bread and wine contain characteristics of real human flesh and blood. Both belonged to the same blood type, AB. Eventually, the Franciscans rebuilt the church that houses the Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano. It is now called the Church of St. Francis (Michael Freze, S.F.O. Voices, Visions, and Apparitions).

Eucharistic Miracle of Blaine, France
In 1153, at Blaine, France, a young girl named Agnes refused to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. During one Mass of the feast of the Holy Spirit celebrated by Archbishop Anculphe de Pierrefonds of Soissons, Agnes and the congregation saw the Host change into an image of the Child Jesus. This occurred during the elevation. Agnes immediately converted and founded a monastery where the miraculous Host was kept for centuries (Michael Freze, S.F.O. Voices, Visions, and Apparitions).

Eucharistic Miracle in Ferrara, Italy
IOn Easter Sunday, March 28, 1171, during a Mass celebrated by Padre Pietro de Verona in Ferrara, Italy, blood spurted out of the Host when it was broken in two during the sacred consecration. The entire congregation witnessed this; they also saw the Host visibly turn to a substance that looked like fresh human flesh (Michael Freze, S.F.O. Voices, Visions, and Apparitions).
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A Moving Story about the Homecoming of a Brave Marine

Marines carry the remains of Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson USMC, of Palm City, Fla., at Dover Air Force Base, Del., March 24. (U.S. Air Force photo/Brianne Zimny)

Seeing A Fallen Soldier Home

By Colleen M. Getz

His name was Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson – although I did not know it when his life brushed mine on March 25 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Lance Cpl. Wilson was not there in the terminal that afternoon; at age 24 and newly married, he had been killed in Afghanistan on March 22 by a roadside bomb. A coincidence of overbooked flights led our lives to intersect for perhaps an hour, one I will never forget.

I did not meet his family that day at the airport, either, although we were there together that evening at the gate, among the crowd hoping to board the oversold flight. I did not know that I had a boarding pass and they did not. I did not know they were trying to get home to hold his funeral, having journeyed to Dover, Del., to meet his casket upon its arrival from Afghanistan.

I also did not know that they already had been stuck for most of the day in another airport because of other oversold flights. But I did not need to know this to realize what they were going through as the event unfolded and to understand the larger cause for it. No matter how we as a nation have relearned the lesson forgotten during Vietnam – that our military men and women and their families deserve all the support we can give them – despite our nation’s fighting two wars in this decade, it is all too easy for most of us to live our lives without having the very great human cost of those wars ever intrude.

But it did intrude heartbreakingly that day at the airport gate. It began simply enough, with the usual call for volunteers: Anyone willing to take a later flight would receive a $500 flight voucher. Then came the announcement none of us was prepared to hear. There was, the airline representative said, a family on their way home from meeting their son’s body as it returned from Afghanistan, and they needed seats on the flight. And there they were, standing beside her, looking at us, waiting to see what we would decide. It wasn’t a hard decision for me; my plans were easily adjusted. I volunteered, as did two women whom I later learned sacrificed important personal plans.

But we three were not enough: Six were needed. So we stood there watching the family – dignified and mute, weighed with grief and fatigue – as the airline representative repeatedly called for assistance for this dead soldier’s family. No one else stepped forward. The calls for volunteers may have lasted only 20 or 30 minutes, but it seemed hours. It was almost unbearable to watch, yet to look away was to see the more than 100 other witnesses to this tragedy who were not moved to help. Then it did become unbearable when, in a voice laced with desperation and tears, the airline representative pleaded, “This young man gave his life for our country, can’t any of you give your seats so his family can get home?” Those words hung in the air…”

To read the rest of this Washington Times Story click here.

Funeral procession of Marine Lance Corporal Justin Wilson makes its way toward Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Palm City.

The Church Very Militant in Lourdes

Scenes from the 52rd annual pilgrimage to Lourdes of military units from around the world.
TFP member Luis Dufour was there and shot this footage late last month. It begins with the marching of units from all over and ends with the impressive candlelight rosary at night.

Comedy Central Mocks Jesus

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) is urging Comedy Central to cancel the production of a new cartoon series called JC that mocks Our Lord Jesus Christ. According to press reports, Comedy Central writers are describing the new series JC as “a playful take on religion and society with a sprinkle of dumb.”

For example, God the Father is shown as someone who is lazy, plays video games and neglects his son. In turn, Jesus is distant from his powerful and lazy father, and tries to become a regular guy in New York City.

Since final approval at Comedy Central for JC is still pending, please:

Send your instant e-protest today

The Blatant Double Standard
Time and time again, Comedy Central has censored images of Muhammad on its program South Park. Yet they allow Our Lord Jesus Christ to be mocked and insulted without scruples. For example, Comedy Central ran “Sacrilicious Sunday,” a series of shows highly offensive to Catholics.

Take Peaceful Action

Comedy Central
Mr. Doug Herzog, CEO
Email: doug.herzog@comedycentral.com

New Oberammergau Passion Play Highlights ‘Jesus against hierarchy’

The 2010 Oberammergau Passion Play, which is now playing through October 3, will highlight a Jesus that is "against hierarchy and against institutions,” according to one of the two actors who portray Jesus.

The play also highlights Jesus’ Jewishness. In fact, Christ and the apostles all wear yarmulkes in the performance. “Now Jesus is portrayed as a reformist rabbi,” says Rabbi Noam Marans of the American Jewish Committee.

“For many centuries Oberammergau was concentrated on a suffering Christ,” added the play’s director. “I wanted to give him a deeper profile, to show that he was a man who wanted to say something.”