Life & Death vs Atheism

When I kissed my father-in-law’s forehead goodbye recently, it had gone cold.  We had come to say a rosary before his body was taken to be cremated. No one was in there anymore.

Congestive Heart Failure was suspected.  Flu was written on the hospital death certificate. In 1980 after a heart attack, he had been given 1-3 more years to live, but his spirit had stayed in his body for another 35 years.

The Disconnect of Women Priests

Dear Ladies of the Church of England, purple isn’t your best color. Neither is black but that didn’t stop some of you from putting on black shirts and Roman collars when your church ordained the first female priests twenty years ago.  And as of last July, church ladies can order ready-to-wear clergy attire in bishop’s purple since approval was granted for women to become bishops.  Rev. Libby Lane did just that last month, donning purple as the first female bishop in the Church of England. 

Lord, Help Our Families to be Holy!

  When you look to the Holy Family for guidance, DO NOT turn to your own family and think: Boy are we in trouble.  Instead, realize that even with the holy family, sometimes things were messy, chaotic, and totally unplanned.  Then, we can relate and simply pray: “Lord,  please help us overcome all obstacles in the way of the Holy Family.”

"Snaketivity" Display Inspires Christian Response

Evil has reared its ugly head in Lansing, MI where Satanists will display their “Snaketivity” scene on the state capitol lawn on December 21-23.  Even the devil, it seems, has a right to free speech.

Fr. Donald Calloway on the Power of Mary

Twelve years ago, a brief article in the Marian Helper magazine caught my attention.  “My mother never gave up on me,” I read. “Even though I dropped out of high school, she never gave up on me, and now I’m becoming a priest.”

That simple little story spoke volumes.  I was on the lookout for inspirational accounts to include in the Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart book that I was co-authoring.  There had to be some drama if he dropped out of high school and later became a priest, I reasoned.  

The Smallest Stone

In my article, Skip Those Red Buckets, I warned of the Salvation Army’s promotion of abortion for babies expected to have a short lifespan outside the womb. The story below is about the very short life of Aaron Schreiner.  It was originally published in Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart.  Aaron lived for only an hour, but he dramatically changed many lives in that one hour. 

Skip Those Red Buckets

The ring-a-ling of silver bells that herald the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign have relieved many Christmas shoppers  of excess change and perhaps some excess guilt from over-consumption. Unfortunately, pro-lifers should not contribute.

The Miraculous Roses of Our Lady of Guadalupe

     On December 12, 1531, Our Blessed Mother appeared clothed in the sun with the moon at her feet and transformed the Aztec/Mayan people who were practicing human sacrifice. Within 9 years of her appearance, 9 million were baptized into the Catholic Church.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is the reason that Mexico became a Catholic country.

Haunted by Souls in Purgatory

        During the 1980’s a story of a haunted house in Pennsylvania received a lot of media attention. Many terrifying events happened with eyewitnesses outside the family testifying to them. To this day, it is controversial whether the house was possessed or not.  The family consulted demonologists and priests for guidance.   It was reported that a couple of exorcisms were performed on the house, but still, there was continued mysterious activity.

Infertility Healed Through Faith By Cassie McCullers

This beautiful story of the healing of infertility for Bill and Cassie McCullers is from the book Amazing Grace for Families, as told by Cassie.

     All my life, I dreamed of being a wife and mother, and everything I did pointed in that direction — from asking Santa for a baby doll when I was ten to deciding against medical school in my junior year of college. 

For Babies, not Supermarket Chickens

I thought I had heard of everything, but until now, (thanks to the The Blaze) I never heard of a chicken funeral. I understand paying respects to a pet goldfish that has passed before flushing it down, but eulogizing a grocery store chicken?

So with that in mind, let’s pause a moment and pray. Dear Lord, please give save-the-world activists the grace to achieve rationality.  Help them to realize that they have the makings of a great comedy skit. And if they lack a sense of humor, at least have them take their show to an abortion clinic where the real tragedy of life might perhaps slap them in the face.